Dandole Chapter
Please note the change in perspective.
Margrave Dandole and Feld, having evaded Amor and the Second Knight Order’s attack, managed to rush into a mansion on the outskirts of the Royal Capital.
“Secure the gates! Amor and the rebels will be here soon! Prepare for battle!”
“Ooooooooh!”
Thanks to Rookwell’s advance report, the Dandole knights, though bewildered, were wary of the enemy. Upon hearing the Commander-in-Chief’s orders, they immediately discarded any doubts and acted as knights should.
This high level of training is Dandole’s strength, but also its weakness in terms of flexibility.
Melrose House, a close friend, compensated for this, and Dandole covered Melrose’s lack of military strength. However, they are now separated and under simultaneous attack.
“Amor… He may seem insane, but he’s playing a clever game.”
Margrave Dandole bit his lip as he issued instructions to his subordinates.
Even if he seemed mad, Amor knew that the two Margrave families should never be allowed to cooperate, even in peacetime.
But that was only natural for an educated member of the Royal Family. Knowing the origins of the Kingdom of Claydale, he saw Dandole and Melrose as a threat.
In the first place, the Amor that the Margrave knew was by no means incompetent. It was just that he was compared to the previous Crown Prince, who was talented and died young, which made him have an incredibly low self-esteem.
Because of that, he became introverted and somewhat cynical, but he shouldn’t have been so foolish.
He had already obtained permission from the Royal Family to subjugate Amor, but Margrave Dandole intended to do so even without it. However, Amor, who had become an Undead, an unknown enemy… and had obtained a Divine Protection (Gift) to achieve this, was probably no longer human.
Currently, Dandole’s forces consist of fifty elite members of the First Knight Order, whom the Margrave himself brought from the castle, just over thirty Dandole knights, and knights who were training here.
In terms of numbers, there isn’t much difference between them and the army led by Amor. In hand-to-hand combat, Dandole, with its extensive combat experience, would have the advantage.
However, those who were training were young knights being taught by the Dandole family’s knights, and many would be sacrificed if they fought the Undead. Considering that the enemy was Undead, it was obvious that even with three times the number, they would be at a disadvantage.
To overcome this…
(Those people…)
The stalwart man with the black Greatsword – Feld Tungs. He had heard that he had left the house and changed his surname, but he was still a member of the Count Tungs family with noble status.
From a young age, his outstanding swordsmanship and physical abilities were well known. If it hadn’t been for the family troubles, he could have been entrusted with the leadership of the Knight Order.
(If it weren’t for that power, would he still be living as a noble now…?)
The Margrave thought so, but he was grateful that he was now a Rank 5 Dragon Slayer.
“Feld-dono, I thank you again for coming. We will gather the main people to discuss how to deal with the rebels, but would you be willing to join us?”
“Of course. But, Your Excellency…”
“Ah…”
Following Feld’s slightly frowning gaze, the Margrave also made a similar expression as he looked at “her.”
Carla Leicester, daughter of Count Leicester, one of the Crown Prince’s fiancées.
Although still a young girl before adulthood, she is already known as one of the Kingdom’s leading Magicians, alongside her father, the Rank 5 Head Court Magician.
But reality is sometimes more ruthless than rumors. Many people saw her as dangerous, but those who investigated her were shocked by the facts.
She had been increasing her power by continuously diving into Dungeons alone since she was a child, and when the Royal Family was conquering Dungeons, she participated as one of the Crown Prince’s fiancées and obtained a Divine Protection (Gift).
As a simple fighting force, Carla was already regarded as the strongest Magician in the country, surpassing even her father, and was the Kingdom’s greatest asset alongside the Dragon Slayer girl.
However, her mentality was extremely dangerous, and even if that was known, no one knew how much damage would be caused if they recklessly accused her and she resisted. Those who didn’t realize this and reached out to her met a miserable death.
There is no doubt that she is the greatest asset in this place as well. However, if Carla acted freely, the knights on our side would also be harmed. It was necessary to have a certain amount of discussion before that.
“…Oh, what’s wrong? Commander-in-Chief.”
When the Margrave and Feld went to Carla’s location, Carla, who had been watching the knights’ movements with a bored expression, glanced at Feld for a moment and immediately spoke to Margrave Dandole.
“Leicester-jo, thank you for your help earlier.”
In terms of peerage, Dandole is higher than Leicester, but Carla, as the Crown Prince’s fiancée, is in the position of a quasi-royal and was someone to whom he had to bow his head.
“It’s fine. They’re just a handful for ordinary people, right? I wouldn’t mind taking care of them all myself, you know?”
There was no ulterior motive in Carla’s words. She simply thought that ordinary people were a hindrance.
In response, Margrave Dandole paused for a moment and quietly exhaled.
“…No, that won’t be necessary.”
In this case, it might be the right answer to release Carla like a bomb on the enemy. He didn’t know how much great Magic Carla could use, but if he didn’t put the knights in front, the damage should be minimized.
But–
“We are knights of the Kingdom. We have a duty to protect this country, and that includes Leicester-jo… you.”
“Hee…”
Carla’s eyes narrowed slightly at Margrave Dandole’s words.
No matter how strong Carla is, she is still a girl and one of the Royal Family members that the Knight Order should protect. Besides…
“Leicester-jo… are you pushing yourself too hard?”
“…………”
As the Margrave pointed out, Carla’s complexion was worse than when she had appeared, and she looked more like a dead person than a dead person.
Dandole is also an old noble family involved in the central government. He knows the price of Divine Protection (Gift). Perhaps the reason why she didn’t use her Divine Protection (Gift) in the previous battle was because of that.
Carla, who smiled thinly at the Margrave’s remark, suddenly turned her gaze to Feld.
“Speaking of which, what happened to that ‘cat’ of yours?”
Feld, who had been refraining from speaking so as not to disturb the conversation between the upper nobles, frowned at Carla, who suddenly spoke to him, but answered dutifully.
“…Are you talking about Nero? He’s outside. He doesn’t intend to associate with humans. Except for Aria. And I intend to stand on the front lines with him.”
Now, there’s no need for noble-to-noble speech. She’s a girl the same age as Aria, and said to have combat power equal to or greater than Aria, but he felt that she didn’t need any more consideration than Aria.
Still, Carla and Aria seemed to understand each other, even if they weren’t friends. Perhaps because of that, he didn’t feel any more fear than necessary, even while being overwhelmed by Carla’s oozing “killing intent.”
“I see…”
Carla smiled as if raising the corners of her lips at the two, who, though their words were different, were implicitly warning her not to do anything unnecessary, and turned her robe over and sat down on the stone steps leading to the mansion.
“In that case, I’ll leave it to you. It would be good if it didn’t come to the point where I had to go out.”
“…………”
The Margrave and Feld also bowed and turned their backs to Carla, who turned her gaze elsewhere as if the conversation was over.
He couldn’t judge what Carla’s purpose was in siding with them. It might just be a whim, or it might be because Aria was involved.
But Feld had a feeling that Carla had her own intentions, based on the impression he had heard from Aria and the feeling he had when he faced her directly. And the suspicion was turning into conviction as Carla retreated once without pursuing Amor.
“Enemy forces detected!”
At that moment, a voice echoed from the watchtower, and Feld and the Margrave exchanged glances.
“There was no time to discuss… Feld-dono, may I borrow your strength?”
“Yes, that’s why I came. Me and that guy outside.”
“…I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
As far as the Margrave was concerned, he couldn’t completely believe that a Rank 5 Mystic Beast would be on the side of humans.
The same was true of Nero, who basically didn’t trust anyone other than Aria. He had a certain amount of respect for the people involved with Aria, but Aria was the only one he wanted to be with.
“Gaaaaaaah!”
Nero, who was outside the castle walls, heightened his fighting spirit in order to fulfill his promise to Aria.
Originally, Nero would have been by Aria’s side in any situation. Even though it was Aria’s wish, the reason he was fighting to protect unfamiliar humans was because he thought his own power was not enough.
Nero did not see humans as a threat, considering them fragile creatures. No matter how much they trained, their bodies could be easily torn apart by Nero’s claws.
However, Aria fought a Rank 7 dragon after much struggle and gained power surpassing even Nero.
And that human named Carla also possesses power exceeding Nero’s.
In his current state, Nero can’t stop either of them. He can’t even intervene in their battles. If he wishes to stay with Aria, he believes he needs the power to stop them.
Because he knows the loneliness of the strong better than anyone else…
The same goes for Feld. Aria, who continued to seek power to fight against fate, has reached a level of strength that is among the best on this continent, and there are very few who can stop her.
Regardless of how Aria chooses to live after settling things with Carla, who possesses equal power, Feld believes that he must not let her be lonely because of her strength.
To that end, Feld is still gripping the hilt of the Greatsword given to him by his comrades, trying to master it so he can wield it freely, even though he hasn’t mastered it yet.
“Well… shall I go?”
Feld muttered softly and rushed up the castle walls after the Margrave, where Amor’s army was already gathered before the walls, pointing their weapons at them.
“Dandole! You despicable people of old blood! Now is the time for Amor to deliver the iron hammer, and now is the time to regenerate the kingdom with new blood!”
“Amor, have you lost even your pride as royalty! By the covenant of the old blood you speak of, this Dandole will eliminate any enemy who disturbs the royal family!”
Margrave of Dandole retorts from atop the castle walls to Amor, who is making a battle speech.
The former Kingdom of Claydale peacefully united the two duchies of Dandole and Melrose through a covenant. Because there was a covenant that even the royal family would be overthrown if they were corrupt, the two Margrave families were entrusted with the two key positions of Commander-in-Chief of the Knight Order and Prime Minister.
Amor raises an eyebrow at the word “eliminate” and glares at the Margrave.
“Men, take Dandole’s head!!”
With Amor’s voice, the knights of the Second Knight Order begin to move, and the knights of Dandole fire arrows from the castle walls.
However, the Second Knight Order does not stop, even as they take arrows to the head and chest.
“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”
DON!
Several knights carrying a huge log collide with the front gate while taking countless arrows, and the battering ram echoes with a deafening roar.
“I won’t let you!!”
In response, Feld jumps from the castle walls and draws his Greatsword from his back.
“—【Ground Slash】—!”
In a single flash, the massive battering ram shattered, and the knights carrying the battering ram were torn apart as well.
The Undead try to regenerate. The magicians on the castle walls fire 【Fire Arrow】 Magic at them.
“Gah—”
However, an arrow fired from the Second Knight Order pierces the magician’s neck, and the Second Knight Order, who had been holding back due to the limited number of arrows, began firing arrows at the castle walls without regard for the consequences.
“GAAAAAAAHHHHH!!”
A jet-black beast jumps in, deflecting the arrows with its massive body and whip-like whiskers, and crushing the regenerating knights with its claws.
“Nero!”
“GAAAH!”
Nero responds to Feld’s voice, and the mindless Undead among the knights, frightened by his roar, leap at Nero, but Feld’s Greatsword cleaves through the knight, armor and all, from top to bottom.
“Follow Lord Feld!!”
Knights with skilled arms who were on the castle walls jump down, fortifying the front of the castle gate with large shields, and crushing the regenerating knights with maces in their hands.
“Damn you, Adventurers and beasts!!”
Seeing his forces gradually being whittled down, Amor draws his sword and leaps out.
Clang!!
“Amor!”
“Feld!!”
The two swords collide, creating scarlet sparks and a resounding sound.
Amor and Feld were classmates at the academy, and even though they had never spoken directly, they knew each other. But that wasn’t all in a good way.
“You too shall know my power!”
“What!”
Feld was admired by everyone for his blessed physique and outstanding swordsmanship. He had to leave the academy midway because of his strength, and while Amor felt sorry for him, he hated the look of pity that the man directed at him, a prince.
The fact that the unfortunate Feld was thought to be more pitiful than himself left a small wound in Amor’s heart.
Amor sought “the power to never lose” from the Spirit of the Dungeon.
The “power of the hero in the story” who stands up again and again, even after falling, and finally achieves victory.
But the Spirit of the Dungeon saw that the source of that desire was the humbleness that had been wounded since childhood by being constantly compared to others.
The Spirit of the Dungeon loves people. Just as they would give a crying child as much candy as they wanted, the Spirit responded to their requests with love.
A boy named Nasanitaru sought the power to deliver divine punishment in order to protect the girl he loved… to repel the Pink-Haired Girl who killed people as if she despised God.
But when the Spirit realized that it was impossible no matter what price he paid, it summoned a “demon,” the optimal condition he sought instead of 【Divine Protection (Gift)】, and introduced it to him with good intentions (・・).
And to Amor, in an attempt to give him the elements possessed by the heroes of this world, they had the summoned demon give him a parasitic worm from the demon world that would turn him into a dead man, and transformed him into a spirit that felt no anxiety through 【Divine Protection (Gift)】 born of compassion.
Strong 【Divine Protection (Gift)】 destroys the body.
Nasanitaru should have sought Holy Magic to protect someone.
Amor should have wished only for the mental strength to overcome his humbleness.
Knowing that strong wishes would destroy them, that girl—Licia—did not tell them this, but instead incited them further, allowing them to take the 【Divine Protection (Gift)】 they desired.
“I have been reborn! I’m different from you, who ran away!”
“Guh.”
Feld parries the sword swung with inhuman strength.
Feld is superior in swordsmanship. Feld’s Greatsword cuts through Amor’s body many times, but he has to dodge the parasitic worms mixed in with the scattered flesh and blood each time, and Amor, who regenerates in the meantime, gradually begins to overwhelm Feld.
“GAAAAH!”
But Feld is not alone.
Nero, who had defeated the surrounding Undead, seizes an opportunity and slams his claws into Amor.
“Guo… you beast!!”
Amor rolls to the side, Nero’s attention is diverted. And Feld has no reason to overlook this.
“—【Slash】—!”
“GUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!?”
Finally, Feld’s Combat Art catches Amor, and he slashes off his upper body as if gouging out his heart from under his armpits.
What will be the outcome of the battle between Amor and Feld? What is Nero’s resolve?
And what are Carla’s intentions?
Oh, by the way… Episode 5 of the comic adaptation seems to be updated on the 27th. (secretly)