The Amber Sword

Chapter 112 – Trentheim and the young lord

After informing his subordinates the details of his journey as well as other plans against Lord Palas, Brendel started preparing for his plans to go into the Dark Forest.

But he did not immediately leave and instead waited for several days. When he was certain that Lord Palas had withdrawn into his territory and tightened his defenses, he finally felt at ease to execute his plans.

He went to the courtyard in his manor on the day he was supposed to leave—

“Your swordsmanship has improved yet again.”

Kodan picked up his sword that was on the ground and placed it back on the weapon rack in the corner. Brendel was not certain whether the emotions in his eyes were envy, helplessness, or vulnerability, but there was some kind of expectation in them.

Brendel did not act humbly but displayed a youth’s bashful smile.

Ever since the previous discussion, everyone immediately rushed out to prepare for his departure, but he was apparently quite idle.

Brendel originally planned to disarm him, but he changed his mind and wanted to test the full extent of the opponent before him. He easily parried the incoming blow downwards and knocked his opponent’s center of gravity off. Carglise staggered a little, but he recovered quickly and attacked by swinging his blade up again.

Brendel’s eyes glinted.

[Oh? That’s a pretty good recovery and attack. So this is the skill that broke Cornelius’s blade and forced three mercenary commanders to a draw.]

He did not parry Carglise’s blade and instead swung his blade to meet Carglise’s blade at the same time with an equivalent force.

Each attack was resolved as though Carglise had told Brendel in advance where he was going to attack, and his eyes bulged a little when he realized the guard wearing an ordinary set of clothes was starting to appear like he was a Grandmaster Swordsman.

[Impossible!]

The youth started to sacrifice his accuracy and instead went for speed, trying to stop his opponent from meeting his blade. However, the supposed guard in front of him merely looked at him in amusement and started striking at precise points against his blade, causing it to swing back at odd angles. Realizing that his flow of attacks was being cut off on purpose, he quickly went into a wide stance with the aim of swinging his blade with all the power he could muster.

Brendel kicked Carglise hard in his right knee, causing the latter to yelp and fall down in pain.

[Well, the basics are all there and there were pretty good moves, but there were a lot of openings too. At least level 8 of Aouine’s Military Swordsmanship, if I go by the standards of the system? The attacks are better than his defenses though, hmm.]

“I give up!” Carglise tossed his sword to the side and raised his arms while looking like a deflated balloon.

He completely recognized that the person in front of him was a master in the sword, and there was no chance for him to win. Frustration crept over him and he regretted not escaping to a different direction. His eyes went to the old man in the corner, wondering if he should rush over there instead. Out of curiosity, he glanced at the old man’s hands and immediately shuddered; they were clearly full of calluses and belonged to a swordsman. He recognized the fact that his defeat was inevitable.

“Who are you?” He looked at Brendel again and allowed the soldiers who finally caught up from behind.

They were particularly displeased with their prisoner for injuring them, and they were naturally not gentle at all, causing him to bare his teeth in pain as they mishandled him.

It was fortunate he did not kill anyone, as the soldiers might have beaten him up even if Brendel was there.

“Are you not afraid that you will be killed?” Brendel asked and peered at him with interest. He suddenly had a new thought.

“Why would you kill me?” Carglise was not afraid at all and merely answered with a question: “There’s no advantage in doing so anyway.”

“Hmmm…… How about doing it as a warning to others?”

“Then go ahead and do it. If I blink I’m not a man of the Bantry family.” The youth puffed up his chest.

“So you’re not going to care about your father? That’s what a man should do?”

“What does being a man have anything to do with my father?” Carglise asked incredulously.

Brendel looked back speechlessly as he realized that the customs of this world were different, looked at his soldiers and asked:

“So why didn’t you kill them?”

“Why is that each time you speak you need to bring out the word killing? I’m obviously much better than them, and there’s no need to kill them so that I can escape. But if I meet someone of my skill, I’ll have to put my life on the line to bring him down.” Carglise spoke honestly.

“But they are your enemy after all.”

“And I can’t kill them all?” Carglise rolled his eyes and shrugged to show that he did not care: “Plus if I killed someone and get caught, the person who will be unlucky is still myself. Just look at me right now!”

Brendel found the fellow to be a little interesting: “You thought out things quite well. Very well, do you still want to know who I am?”

“Didn’t I just ask who you are earlier?”

Brendel tilted his head and looked at the soldiers: “So, what should all of you call me?”

The soldiers immediately bowed their heads, placed one hand on their chest and bowed: “My lord—”

Carglise’s jaw dropped and his eyes widened comically. One could fit a few eggs in his mouth: “Y-you’re……”

Brendel nodded with the most dignified expression he could muster, but he was laughing inside so hard at Carglise’s looks that he could imagine himself smacking on a table:

“Yes, I’m that person you’ve been wanting to look for.”