kscans

1

“What a magnificent building,” thought Bard.

This was the main castle of the Gwendell family, situated in the center of the Dorba territory. Bard had entered the castle for the first time because he wanted to speak with Lord Caldos Gwendell.

He was alone, as his companion, Jurchaga, had disappeared suddenly some time ago. It would have been nice to at least exchange greetings, but that was just like Jurchaga.

Surprisingly, Bard was easily led to Caldos. Had Caldos expected his arrival?

“Hey, Lord Rowen. It has been my dream to welcome you to this castle. Today is a happy day, for my dream has come true. Will you join me in a toast?”

Caldos welcomed Bard with open arms. There were only the two of them in the room. There were probably knights hidden behind the tapestries on either side, but they were too far away to be of any use in case of an emergency. The room was deep inside the castle, and there were no people in the corridor in between them.

Did Bard think he couldn’t or shouldn’t use his weapons? Was he at ease because they had been taken away?

No, it was neither, Bard thought. Caldos couldn’t trust anyone. The more important the vassal was, the less trustworthy he was. The more skilled they were in martial arts or intelligence, the less trustworthy they were. If you showed weakness to such people, if you revealed important secrets to them, they would replace you, outsmart you. That was why Caldos couldn’t even call his vassals here. He himself had reached his current position by tricking, betraying, and replacing people, so his fears were entirely justified.

“You’ve been sniffing around quite a bit,” Caldos said as he poured liquor into two cups, as if to say he knew everything. He handed one of the cups to Bard.

The two of them held their cups at eye level.

“Yue La Chante (Under the Sword),” Caldos said, and Bard responded with the same words. It meant that what they were about to discuss was a secret, and if they broke their promise, they would pay with their swords.

Caldos’ eyes were smiling as he watched Bard while they toasted.

“And, Happy New Year,” Caldos added.

The new year had begun about three turns ago. Bard had turned fifty-nine.

“Well, have a seat,” Caldos said, sitting down after Bard.

“It’s good timing. I wanted to explain to you what happened. Do you know that there will be a lords’ conference in five days?”

Bard replied that he didn’t know.

“I’ll tell the lords then, but I’ll tell you now. My lordship and the surrounding areas will officially declare themselves part of the territory of the Parzam Kingdom. I will be given an appropriate title as their leader. Probably a marquis.”

Bard’s expression didn’t change.

“Before, Jog was rude. He was a bit hasty. It’s not possible for the Gwendell family to take over towns and villages that are the right of the Tercia family. Instead, they will all become part of the territory of the Parzam Kingdom. The Gwendell family will administer taxation and trade. Each lord will be promised proper treatment.”

Caldos drained his cup dry and refilled it. He sniffed the aroma with his nose and inhaled it as if it were very pleasant.

“Are you wondering how this is possible? It’s because the Parzam Kingdom supports me. Do you have any idea why the Parzam Kingdom supports me? It’s because I’m the benefactor of King Parzam and the foster father of his son… You’re a boring man. This is where you should be surprised,” Caldos said as Bard watched him in silence.

2

“It all started thirty years ago. Yes. It all began in that summer exactly thirty years ago. I wanted to marry Princess Idora. But immediately, there was a situation where she couldn’t be welcomed into this castle. There was a relative who wanted to make his daughter my legal wife. He had helped me to become the head of the family, so I couldn’t refuse him. While we sorted things out, Idora spent some time in a separate villa not far away. It was around this time that the former Marquis of the Gadusha frontier, Dusan Archeios sent a young man to me and asked me to shelter him for a while.”

Bard narrowed his eyes and focused his attention.

“Did you know that my mother was a member of the Archeios family? The young man was the Prince Wendelland. He must have been nineteen at the time. The prince’s mother was of low birth, but she was very beautiful and intelligent, and was favoured by the king. That’s why she was killed. If the prince had stayed in the capital, he would have been killed too. No, he wouldn’t have been safe anywhere in the Parzam Kingdom. That’s why he was sent to this remote place. I couldn’t let him live in the castle. The only safe and inconspicuous place was the villa by the lake. But Princess Idora was already there. I moved Princess Idora to a cottage on the other side of the lake. It was only for a short time until I could bring her to this castle. I asked the Prince Wendelland not to come near the cottage.”

As if remembering something, Caldos closed his eyes.

“That was a mistake. The prince appeared to be a thin and studious young man, but he had a surprisingly adventurous side. He sneaked into the cottage he was not supposed to visit. And the two of them met.”

Caldos stretched out his right finger and rubbed his forehead.

“The prince immediately fell passionately in love. I don’t know what Princess Idora thought of him, but I think she didn’t hate him. The prince bowed to me. He wanted to have Princess Idora. I had never been so worried. More than when I decided to kill my own relatives. But in the end, I nodded. I didn’t care about the prince. He was in a position where he would either be purged or disappear quietly. There are plenty of such princes and nobles in every country. But it was a good opportunity to make a deal with the frontier marquis. In fact, the prince himself told the frontier Marquis that he had taken the princess who was supposed to be his rightful wife. After that, the frontier marquis always helped us in our dealings.”

Bard looked up. Although it was a dim room deep in the castle, the light window was open. A beam of light shone through the awning.

“The honeymoon lasted just a little over a year. A boy was born, and the prince named him Julelan. About that time, there was a coup in the Parzam Kingdom. The prince had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to return home. He entrusted Princess Idora and their child to me and left for his home homeland, where conspiracies were afoot.”

Dust danced in the beam of light. You couldn’t see the dust unless it was illuminated.

“I sent Princess Idora back to her family. It was uncomfortable to keep the princess who had become someone else’s, around. The prince seemed to have completely forgotten about Princess Idora. He hadn’t even sent her a letter in twenty-eight years. It wasn’t unreasonable for me to think that, was it? But that wasn’t the case. Two years ago, the Parzam Kingdom won a war against its archenemy. Prince Wendelland became a hero, and the Crown Prince, their greatest enemy, died. The prince sent me a letter. He wanted to welcome Princess Idora and their son.”

3

“He also sent a letter to Princess Idora. In it, he poured out his passionate love for her. He said that he had honed his knowledge, his martial arts, and his heart, and accumulated virtues for her. To become a man worthy of her. He said that he increased his allies for her. So that he could welcome them safely. He said that he had made achievements and built a position for her. So that she could be proud of her husband. He said that he comforted his subordinates and the people for her, always thinking of their happiness. Because he knew that she wanted it.”

“Why do you know the contents of the letter?”

Bard was about to ask, but stopped himself.

“He didn’t send letter for Princess Idora’s safety. Prince Wendelland has always been watched. By those who were searched for his weaknesses and flaws. If he had written a letter, they would have known of Princess Idora’s existence. And also the existence of the child who inherited the royal blood. If it were known, Princess Idora would be taken hostage and the child would be killed. So, he desperately suppressed my feelings and didn’t write a letter or send a messenger. When he was sure that he had established a firm position and power to protect the mother and child, he immediately wrote a letter. And in that letter, he revealed that he was a prince of the Parzam Kingdom. Do you think I panicked then? No, I didn’t. Because I protected the prince’s child properly. Zeon. After I gave Princess Idora to the prince, I married several wives, and one of them gave birth to a boy around the same time as Princess Idora. When I returned Princess Idora to the Tercia family, I swapped Zeon and Julelan. Just in case the prince came to claim his son.”

Zeon is the eldest son of Caldos and his mother is the legitimate wife. Like Caldos, Zeon has blonde hair. Julelan also has light golden hair.
Perhaps, King Wendelland also has blonde hair.

“Did you hear about the switch from Princess Idora? No, I don’t think so. It was a promise made under the sword. No matter how much you were Princess Idora’s favourite, you wouldn’t have said anything.”

There is no such fact. But the problem is the basis on which Caldos thinks there was such a fact exists.

“At the time the letter arrived, Prince Wendelland was no more than a hero and a powerful military commander. The succession to the crown of a great nation is not a simple matter. There are seven ducal families who are descendants of the first king. After a complicated maneuvre, a person who would not harm the interests of each family was to be chosen as the new Crown Prince. But, the king died. If the king dies, no new Crown Prince can be appointed and no new right to the throne can be granted. At that point, only those who have the right to succeed to the throne can take part in the succession race. At that time, Prince Wendelland, who was thought to have little interest in politics, apparently made a lightning-fast move. With the city was abuzz with the prince’s triumph, he won the seat of the next king. A letter was immediately sent to Princess Idora. ‘I have taken the crown for you,’ it said.”

“No. Let’s not lie. I was shocked. I never thought that the prince would survive and establish himself. Let alone become the next king. I protected the prince’s child as my own, but Princess Idora herself was still sent back to her family. I requested to take in Princess Idora and Julelan several times, but I was refused.”

Bard had also heard of this recently and nodded.

“A messenger has come from the frontier lord. Another envoy will come later from the capital later. They ask if Lady Idora and her son are well. I spoke honestly. Lady Idora was homesick and returned to her family, but her son is well looked after by us,”.

In the frontier, it was well-known that Idora had been sent back to her family without a wedding ceremony or being allowed into the main castle. There was no way to hide that fact.

“At that time, I asked the messenger. It is a secret that only a few know that Idora was exchanged for my own son. Recently, Idora’s health has not been good, and she cannot travel far. It cannot be proven that the person claiming to be my son is really the son of King Wendelland. Moreover, if someone from the Tercia family were to present a fake, it would be difficult to tell whether it is genuine or not. In fact, even the messenger might find it difficult to tell whether Idora is real or not. The messenger is not related to my mother. He told me this. ‘No need to worry. The king has not forgotten the favour he received from Lord Gwendell. There is no reason to doubt your words. Besides, with the double spiral and the seal, it can be proved that it is indeed Lady Idora and her son.’”

Bard thought to himself, “I see.”

He now understood the reason why Caldos had sent a maid to Idora and his true intentions. It was mostly as he had expected.

“The spiral, huh? I had no idea what that it was. The messenger didn’t want to tell me anything more about it. But, I was able to find out about the seal. It was something that the Prince had given to Idora. It was a seal that only members of the royal family were allowed to make or possess. It was made of a special metal using a special method, and it was impossible to forge. Each one had a unique symbol, and it was recorded in a book. I searched high and low for it. But when I found out that Idora didn’t have it with her, I realized something. Who kept it? Lord Bard Rowen. The lord who Idora had trusted and relied on more than anyone else since her childhood. The lord who had brought trouble for my Gwendell family and was now bringing disaster to my family again!”

Suddenly, an unfounded suspicion crossed Bard’s mind. Could it be that Caldos wanted Idora as his wife not because he hated Bard, but because he was jealous of Bard? Did this man look at Idora with the eyes of someone who wanted to take away what was precious to Bard?

“As soon as he was crowned, the new king sent envoys to various places to show the power of the kingdom. The envoy to this region had a special mission. Shortly before that, Idora had died. She was looked after by the maid I had sent. Of course, this was reported to King Wendelland. The king ordered the envoy to bring back my son. Since Idora was no longer in this world, the only way to confirm that he was the real son was through the seal. Oh, the spiral thing? I guess Lord Rowen still doesn’t know. That was a poem. It was a love poem that Prince Wendelland gave to Idora by the lake. It was a love poem that said something like, ‘Like the two spirals merging into one, you and I met by this beautiful lake.’ Only the prince and the princess knew about that poem. If the princess truly loved the prince, there was no way she could forget the poem. Remembering the poem was proof that she was indeed the prince’s wife. That’s what it was all about. Did you know about the poem, Lord Rowen?”

Bard shook his head. He didn’t know about the poem.

“But Idora is already dead. We can’t ask her if she remembers the poem or not. That’s why we need the seal. It’s the only proof we have. Strange coincidence, isn’t it? The blow that Jog dealt to you revealed the location of the seal, which even you didn’t know. And my spy, hired by my subordinates, took it back from you. No, no. It cost a lot. That ‘Rotten Flesh Hunter’ charged an outrageous amount. But the seal was worth it. Five years ago, the Emissary visited this castle. And with my story and the seal as proof, King Wendelland recognized Zeon Gwendell as Julelan Seagulls(shiigarusu in the raw), a descendant of the old royal family, and they returned to the capital together. Well, even though he is the king’s eldest son, with his mother’s background as a member of an unknown clan in the frontier, he may not have the right to inherit the throne or hold a high position. He probably won’t be kept in the capital and will return to the frontier. But he is the son of the woman he loves. When they meet and confirm their bond as parent and child, Julelan, no, Zeon will receive great protection from the king. He is the true son of King Parzam.”

Now, Caldos had taken off his gentle mask and was glaring at Bard with the eyes of a wild beast.

“Bard Rowen. When I heard that you retired from the Tercia family and went on a journey, I thought I was done for. I thought that from now on, you would be the one to block my path and make me clear the dew for you. Then, when I heard about the swirl and the seal, and found out that you were heading towards Linz, I panicked. I thought you were on your way to the Parzam Kingdom, knowing the secret of the seal and possessing the swirl But that wasn’t the case. You didn’t know anything important and couldn’t investigate anything crucial. I knew what I needed to know and obtained what I needed. Lord Rowen. Follow me. Otherwise, the Tercia family will lose all its territories. It won’t just end with the territories. You will be responsible for the death of Princess Idora and will be responsible for the massacre of the entire clan. Follow me, Bard Rowen! Answer me.”

4

Ignoring Caldos’ intimidating shouts, Bard continued to gaze at the dust illuminated by the band of light. Caldos’ exaggerated movements caused the dust to dance energetically. The dust must have thought it was making a big fuss, unaware that it was considered insignificant.

Bard pondered this as the room fell into a heavy silence, a sign of his confusion and inner turmoil, which Caldos must have noticed from his aggressive expression mixed with a hint of joy.

“Where is the envoy now?” Bard muttered.

“The envoy departed ten days ago. They have already crossed over to Ova and are probably travelling by carriage to the capital. It’s too late to do anything now,” Caldos replied.

“Good to hear,” Bard muttered, pulling out a document from his hidden pocket and placing it on the table. Caldos looked at the document suspiciously and began to read it. After a while, his face turned pale.

“You, you there.
Th-th-this is…”

On it were written numbers, years, and a total amount. The numbers represented the amount of money.

Every year, the lord of Gadusha delivered a large sum of money to Caldos. To support Idora and cover the costs of raising her child. However, the money never reached Idora. Caldos probably used it to maintain his position within the clan and to extend his influence in the frontier for Gwendell. By his own admission, Caldos believed that the lord had forgotten about Idora. The frontier lord had faithfully followed the instructions given to him, even after the change of generations, and thought that there would be no problem in diverting the funds. It was Caldos who had granted the frontier lord this favor. Perhaps he thought that he should be the one to receive something in return.

For some members of the clan, the money might have been proof that the frontier lord was Caldos’ patron. Only a few people knew that the prince was hiding here.

Idora knew nothing of this money. Caldos probably wondered how Bard knew about it. The exact amount was written on the paper. If they checked the records of Gwendell’s main castle and its vassals, they would find that no money had been sent to Idora, and there was no way to cover up the fact that Caldos had used the money for himself. Without even looking at Caldos, who was in a state of panic, Bard continued to speak as he watched the band of light and the dust playing within it.

“In the central countries of the continent, the wrinkles on a person’s finger are called fingerprints. Each person’s pattern is unique and serves as proof of their identity. Sometimes, instead of a pattern, they use ink to stamp the finger. The paper with this mark is also called a fingerprint. Fingerprints do not change from birth to death. If you take the fingerprint of a newborn baby, it will prove that the baby is the same person even after decades. In royal families, when a child is born, they take the fingerprints of all the fingers on both hands are taken on the fiftieth day. This fingerprint is similar to having a blood connection. The first king of Parzam Kingdom had a double spiral pattern as his fingerprint. It has been accurately depicted in a painting and has been preserved. Those who are related to the royal family often have a double spiral fingerprints as well. The closer the shape of the fingerprint is to that of the first king, the more it is considered a sign of inheriting his blood. It becomes a powerful basis for inheriting the throne. Prince Wendelland was given the right to inherit the throne despite his mother’s low status because of this. And twenty-nine years ago, when the child was born in the mansion by the lake, the prince followed the royal custom and had his fingerprints taken on the fiftieth day. It was just like the prince. In other words, it was just like the first king. The prince must have been pleased. He must have felt something like destiny.”

Having finished speaking, Bard looked at Caldos. He looked like a doll made of stone. Gone was the vigour he had a moment ago, and he looked as if he had aged twenty years. Bard delivered the final blow.

“The fingerprint was with Prince Wendelland from the beginning. I believe he still keeps it safe.”

He didn’t explain any further. It was clear what would happen to Zeon from now on. As soon as he arrived in the capital, he would be asked to give his fingerprints. It would be verified, and it would be revealed that he had deceived the King’s son. Caldos’ lies and crimes, which he had explained in detail to the envoy, would also be exposed. The wrath of King Wendelland would be tremendous.

Caldos is now in a state of extreme confusion and despair, but when he regains his composure, he will notice something strange. Why did the envoy lie about the double spiral? Why does Bard know so much about the situation on the King Wendelland’s side? The answer is clear. The envoy knew that if he explained about the fingerprint, Caldos, fearing his own destruction, might resort to desperate measures. It would be assumed that Zeon was taken in the knowledge that he was a false prince. Otherwise, they could not return to King Wendelland. The envoy told Bard the amount of the pension. Bard and the envoy had exchanged information.

Bard secretly met with the envoy who was staying at the Gwendell family villa and explained everything he knew, showing him the knife and the fingerprint. The envoy stamped the fingerprint as evidence and returned it to Bard. Bard gave it over to Jurchaga and asked him if he wanted to earn some money. The mischievous Jurchaga gleefully took part in the operation. It was up to the envoy to figure out how to conceal the double spiral. The envoy, Father Bali Toad said, “”I’ll think of something. I’ll make it as interesting an explanation as possible.” and laughed. When he heard Caldos’ boastful explanation earlier, Bard was impressed by the priest’s romantic ingenuity.

5

“Are you going to…kill me?” A faint, hoarse voice reached Bard’s ears. In front of him sat an old man, who was once a bundle of energy, but now looking like a hollowed-out tree. His eyes were watery and he was on the verge of tears. He looked frail and powerless, a man who had lost even the ability to think straight. He was helpless and fightened man.

Bard couldn’t help but think “What an ugly way to grow old”. This man used to be smarter, or at least that’s what Bard thought. He might have been rough and violent, but he managed his territory well and expanded his influence. Everything changed, however, when Prince Wendelland sent a letter expressing his desire to welcome his wife and son. The letter conveyed the warmth of the prince’s feelings and the strength of his love for his family.

At that time, this man did the right thing strategically. He spent all the money he had hoarded to subdue the Nora family and become a powerful lord. And he succeeded. As a great lord, even the prince couldn’t easily seek personal revenge. All he did was send his wife and son back to their hometown. The charge of embezzling their living expenses remained, but he had generously given up the princess, who was supposed to become his lawful wife and queen.

However, everything was turned upside down when the prince was decided to ascend the throne. The crime of embezzling the eldest son’s living expenses was far more serious. Besides, what would Idora say about Caldos’ behavior when she went to the capital? If Julelan had a certain amount of power in the Parzam Kingdom, the Tercia family would gain strong protection. Decline and ruin await Gwendell.

This man must have been desparate to find a way for the Gwendell to survive. He came up with a plan to set up a fake son of Prince Wendelland.

Probably. To verify this, Caldos held a meeting of the lords and stripped the Tercia family of the rights to the Zariza silver mine. Does Idora know the true identity of the father of her son? Do the people of the Tercia family know? Seeing how easily they gave up the rights to the silver mine, Caldos thought that the Tercia family didn’t realize they had a trump card.

The envoy of the frontier marquis arrived either before or after the lord’s meeting. At that time, he asked about the double swirls and the seal as proof that they were the king’s wife and son.

This man shamelessly asked Idora and Julelan to come to Gwendell. It sends chills down Bard’s spine to think about what would have happened if they had accepted. When they refused, he sent a maid to search for the evidence. But she couldn’t find the seal, nor did she know anything about the swirls.

It was then discovered that Bard, who had never left the territory of the Tercia family as their guardian deity, had left the Pakula territory. Of all times, he chose to leave his main family in an uncharacteristic manner. They must have thought it impossible. But when they investigated, they found out that Bard was heading for Linz.

Idora must have entrusted Bard with the evidence, or was about to do so. This explains why Jyotish was so interested in the bag of gold coins given to Bard by the Tercia family. It also explains the significance of the attack by Gienzala. And the attack failed twice because they couldn’t handle the strongest pawn, the Red Raven, and even fired him.

Bard said to Caldos, “If you hadn’t fired Ven Uril, you could have killed me.””I-I didn’t fire anyone. In fact, I promised to increase the reward if Bard Rowen was killed. But then, that idiot Gienzala expelled the Red Raven and even sent assassins after them. In the end, I lost two skilled knights.”

This man was truly backed into a corner. By his own past actions.

If only he had confessed the truth to the envoy instead of foolishly creating a false prince for King Wendelland, who owed him a great debt. But he opened and forged a letter to Princess Idora without delivering it to her, which prevented his confession. He also embezzled pensions from the Marquis and did not inform Princess Idora, probably giving her false information, which prevented him from telling the truth now.

In the end, there was nothing left but to build a castle of deceit and conspiracy on a foundation of lies.

When he heard of Princess Idora’s death, this man must have been ecstatic. For he hoped that while she was gone, he would be able to deceive everyone. Killing the real Julelan was necessary, of course, but the problem was how to deceive the envoy. Evidence was needed, even if it was a lie. While he was at a loss, Jurchaga brought a seal. This man seized the opportunity. He used the seal to deceive the envoy. He was able to make his son into the prince of the Parzam Kingdom. He must have felt as if he had risen from the underworld to the heavens. And now, he was told that he had long since fallen on the other side of the edge of destruction. All the lies and betrayals he had accumulated would never have come to light had it not been for the coronation of King Wendelland. It could be said that Bard himself was the one who gave the final push, for it was he who gave the seal to Jurchaga.

“But what a pitiful sight. Has everyone been manipulated by such a man?” thought Bard. Something was boiling up inside him. Something was boiling and seething. Anger that he had been buried deep inside him for so long was rising to the surface.

Friends and subordinates who had died in vain, having their strength sapped by Gwendell’s persistent harassment in their fight against the demonic beasts. Knights and soldiers who died in vain, caught up in the conflict between Gwendell and Nora. Peasants who were robbed of their taxes like bandits and sold their daughters like bandits. Merchants who reluctantly gave up the shops they had spent their entire lives building, after their trade routes were destroyed.

And.

And.

Princess Idora!

A woman with a radiant soul. A woman with a gentle and noble heart. She was believed to have given birth to a child without a formal wedding and was therefore forced to live in the shadows. Could she have had a more richer life? Wasn’t she a person who could have lived in a wider world?

Bard had forbidden himself to think such things. Princess Idora was not cheap enough to have her life ruined by someone like Caldos. He had burned her flame in a place where that scum could never reach her. That’s what he told himself.

But.

BUT!

Now, in front of him, leaving this man behind. This man who had committed atrocities out of his own desires and recklessness. To think of all that this man had trampled on. To think all of the happiness this man had taken away from people.

His anger boiled over. A violent storm raged in his mind, and his vision turned completely red. Bard could not contain the flames of his rage, which enveloped his entire body.

Caldos looked at Bard with fear in his eyes. Bard was more terrifying than any powerful and ferocious demonic beast. The flames of his rage burned even the air around him.

Suddenly.

Bard stood up, kicked the table, lunged at Caldos, grabbed his collar with his left hand, and pinned him against the wall. Caldos’ body was pressed against the wall in an instant. The wall was decorated with an old but high-quality full-body armor. While holding Caldos up with his left hand, Bard took the sword from the armor with his right hand.

The sound of glasses and cups falling to the floor made a loud noise, and two soldiers jumped in through the tapestries on both sides. They wore armor and held spears. They tried to thrust their spears at Bard from both sides, but both of them were hit directly by Bard’s fury. They stopped in their tracks, as if struck by lightning, unable to move.

Looking down at Caldos, who was hanging from his left hand, Bard asked, “There’s a lords meeting in five days, right?” Caldos just nodded dumbfoundedly.

“Return the silver mine rights and city tax rights you took from Tercia at that meeting. Withdraw your unfair demands from the other lords as well,” Bard ordered. Caldos just nodded again.At that moment, several of Gwendell’s retainers entered the room from the entrance side. They must have rushed in to protect their lord when they heard the commotion. But, the room was narrow, and the first few to enter were overwhelmed by the eerie atmosphere and stopped in their tracks. The lord had a sword pointed at him, so they couldn’t move recklessly. Even if they tried, the anger emanating from Bard distorted the air, and anyone who touched it would be paralyzed.

Bard released Caldos and took a step back, holding out his left hand. He told Caldos to return the letter, looking bewildered. Caldos fumbled and took out the letter from his chest and handed it to Bard. After confirming that it was a letter from Idora, he put it back in his chest. Then he took two more steps back and said in a hushed voice,

“I have something to tell you. Idora-sama has lived a peaceful and happy life, regardless of your intentions. You cannot harm her. Therefore, I have no revenge against you. However, if you ever reach out to Tercia with malicious intent and interfere with her sacred duty…”

Bard swung his sword like thunder. No one could move in front of his speed, power, and momentum. Bard’s sword sliced half of Caldos’ metal helmet and stuck into the wall behind him. The helmet, which should have been able to withstood any strong sword was crushed and torn apart. Caldos trembled and collapsed instantly.

Bard turned around and looked at the others. His eyes were bloodshot and red. Flames of rage burned through his body. Those being stared at felt as if they were being burned by the heat blowing towards them.

Bard walked on. Gwendell’s retainers avoided him left and right. Even though they didn’t have weapons, no one tried to attack Bard or capture him. The soldiers who were crowded in the narrow corridor also fell back one by one, clearing the way. The further he walked, the more his anger grew. With every breath he took, the flame in his heart grew stronger. Those who saw his face thought they saw a demon.

He passed through two rooms, retrieved his sword in the waiting room, crossed the great hall, and tried to enter the passage leading outside. Everyone ran away from Bard, but there was one man who didn’t run away.

It was Jog Ward.

Jog drew his great sword. Bard didn’t care and kept walking with a loud sound. Jog raised his sword. Bard suddenly drew his sword and ran towards him.

Then, faster than Jog’s attack, Bard struck with his sword.

It was impossible for an old, small sword to compete with Jog’s great sword. But at that moment, Bard didn’t care about such things. He slash at the sword with all his passion. The sound of steel clashing echoed.

Bard’s sword didn’t break. Was it a one-in-a-million coincidence? Or was it Bard’s determination that held the sword in place? It wasn’t just that the sword didn’t break. Bard pushed Jog back with all his might. His age, the pain in his shoulders and waist, the loss of strength didn’t matter anymore. At this moment, Bard’s fighting power was comparable to that of his prime.

Their height was about the same, but Jog was slightly slimmer. In terms of overall physique, Bard was one size larger. Fighting against a demonic beast wasn’t just a matter of technique. Without weight, the strikes wouldn’t have any power, and without enough muscle mass, one would be pushed back. Bard’s strength, which he had built up to fight demonic beasts, surpassed Jog’s.

Just barely.

Just barely.

Just barely.

Gradually, Jog’s body was pushed back, his body twisting in agony. It was clear to all that Bard was winning. Gwendell’s retainers, knowing Jog’s overwhelming strength, were speechless. However, Jog Ward, even though he was being pushed back, didn’t flinch from Bard’s determination and stared back at him from a breath away. His eyes were filled with the joy of fighting such a formidable opponent.

“Stop it! Jog! Stop it! Retreat!”

Finally regaining his senses, Caldos rushed over and stopped their fight. It was clear that Bard was conspiring with the imperial envoy. Besides, Bard was Julelan’s mentor and a father figure to him. If they harmed Bard here, things would get even worse. Moreover, Bard had not said that he did not recognize the Great Lord. If they killed Bard, there would be no hope for Caldos.

“Bard Rowen! I will definitely kill you one day,” with Jog Ward’s words behind his back, Bard left Gwendell’s castle.