Chapter: 550
Benedict sighed as he pressed his forehead while watching the knights of the kingdom clash with the knights of Alrn from behind.
He had known this would happen since Lucy declared her intention to participate in the spar. It meant someone was about to lose their sanity.
He’d seen countless knights regain their wits only after realizing, “What have I done to the lord’s daughter!?” when swept away by Lucy’s voice during their sparring sessions. So, the moment Lucy stepped forward, he was absolutely certain chaos would ensue.
However, the reason he couldn’t stop his daughter was simply that he was utterly soft when it came to Lucy.
His adorable little girl, calling him “Papa” and shouting that she wanted to test out the performance of her new armor! How could he refuse her?
Originally, their conversations were filled with countless jabs and insults, but Benedict only remembered the image of his sweet daughter in his mind.
“Lord, are you sure it’s alright if you don’t join in?”
The captain of Alrn’s knights, Possell, asked with his arms crossed, prompting Benedict to let out a hollow laugh.
“And what are you doing standing there?”
“I believe this will aid in the knights’ growth.”
“Same here.”
The gap between the kingdom’s First Knight Order and the Alrn knights wasn’t as vast as it used to be.
Regardless of circumstances, those knights were among the best in the kingdom.
While a few may have claimed their positions through political maneuvering, they all possessed the strength to become the kingdom’s sword.
Notably threatening among them was Captain Tabol.
Having survived countless duels with Benedict in the past, this man, who bore wounds from defeat after defeat, had the undeniable skill necessary to remain captain, despite half of his family turning their backs on him.
He might be incredibly foolish in human and political aspects, but as a knight, he certainly deserved to be called top-tier.
If anything, someone of Possell’s caliber wouldn’t normally be a match for Tabol.
However, today was different.
“I’ve never seen that fool so distracted by anyone other than you, Lord.”
“Have I ever toyed with Tabol?”
“Many times in the past. During your fiery days, you used to completely demolish him. Do you know why he’s still bitter about you?”
“Ahem.”
Clearing his throat to stop the conversation, Benedict turned his gaze back to the front lines.
The knight meant to lead was currently distracted by a little girl.
His downward sword strikes couldn’t graze her skin, and swings meant to split the air turned into a laughable breeze.
His once fierce charge now resembled the ugly behavior of a riled-up beast.
Lucy Alrn’s steps, the dance she performed right in the battlefield, and the movements of a fairy commanded the attention of all who laid eyes on her, even making a lord’s captain seem like a mindless monster.
Of course, even in a daze, Tabol was still a significant threat. The years of rigorous training etched into his body wouldn’t vanish just because his mind did.
“When did Karl grow so much?”
“From my perspective, the young lady’s growth stands out even more.”
“Haha! Whose daughter do you think she is to impress us with that?”
However, Tabol’s monstrous offensive was blocked by just two people.
Lucy stood before him.
She effortlessly dodged his downward strikes, either evading them or deflecting them with her shield to toy with him.
During this interaction, as Tabol reached a boiling point, preparing to smash her with his shield, Karl quickly stepped in to take the wind out of his sails.
Whenever Tabol attempted to eliminate him, Karl would ghost behind him, allowing Lucy to re-engage.
Other knights attempted to intervene but could never reach Lucy.
Karl willingly acted as Lucy’s guard, ensuring none of the knights could touch her.
“Patience is a virtue. He’s more focused on eliminating variables than finishing off an opponent. He’s like a protective sword.”
“A wise choice. The young lady is shaking up the front lines just by existing.”
It was unclear if he was acting merely to protect Lucy or if he saw it as a tactical decision, but ultimately, Karl’s choice was sound.
Lucy’s very presence didn’t just restrain Tabol’s frantic energy; it drew every knight’s gaze onto her. Their anger converged onto one little girl.
More important than their tasks, their enemies, or the safety of their fellow comrades, was for those knights to get revenge on Lucy Alrn.
“By the way, Lord. Was the young lady’s power always this strong?”
“You mean the power to incite anger in others?”
“Yes.”
Training alongside Lucy for a long time and observing her, Possell and Benedict had a vague understanding of her abilities.
That’s why they tilted their heads. True, Lucy possessed a formidable ability to provoke, but it had always been limited to individuals.
It couldn’t possibly draw the collective attention of everyone around.
“I don’t want to admit it, but the influence of that armor must be significant.”
Benedict observed the armor Lucy wore with an expression that suggested he had much more to say.
That armor, gifted by the legendary blacksmith Inuki, was certainly not an item meant for his daughter.
To be frank, he still felt like throwing that outfit somewhere else.
Nonetheless, setting his personal feelings aside, that armor was quite extraordinary.
Barring its excessive exposure, the beauty of the armor was astounding. It could be confidently declared as something a master artisan crafted with his very life.
With Lucy being called the embodiment of a goddess, it was only natural to attract attention when she donned an outfit that flaunted provocative exposure paired with fluttering fabric around her legs.
Recalling how the fox she carried got kicked by it while trying to look beneath, Benedict was sure sickly desires crept into the gazes of the knights.
“Moreover, the martial arts Lucy recently learned must be having a great influence.”
The techniques Lucy called the fairy’s dance were as light as the wind and as enchanting as a dancer’s movement.
Even the Alrn knights, who had seen it multiple times, couldn’t help but be mesmerized. How would the knights unaccustomed to it react?
“It’s impossible to look away. Lucy’s playful smile and criticism can’t be ignored. To put it simply, she’s imposing her influence on them.”
The knights of the order were strong because they had trained together for their entire lives, able to move as one.
When dozens or hundreds move like a single entity, an order could easily dominate other groups.
Conversely, without that organic unity, the order devolved into disorganized rabble.
Specifically, that’s exactly what was happening now. The First Knight Order, crumbled by a single variable called Lucy Alrn, was performing worse than the troops choosing to retreat.
“Having won the conflict between the orders and provided justification from the First Knight Order’s side, they can’t say a word to us now.”
“Not to mention, we could even escape issues concerning achievements in the future.”
Not long ago, Lucy shared her intent with Benedict to keep the First Queen from having too much power. He had no intention of betraying her hopes.
“I vowed to remain a loyal knight to the kingdom, but now the kingdom is on the backburner for me.”
Benedict forced a bitter smile, deciding the conflict between the knight orders no longer held significance, and stepped into the fray.
It wouldn’t take long before those who had lost their reason to succumb to anger would be facing their downfall.
*
After concluding the meeting at Duke Borrow’s estate, Erginius headed over to the Partran family to assess the level of their mages.
He needed to see if they were trustworthy enough to delegate tasks to.
Just as the duke had done, so had his daughter and son; the mages of the duke’s family had completed their training thoroughly.
“This is interesting.”
Typically, mages had a peculiar sort of eccentricity at the back of their minds, often ignoring fundamentals to pursue their whims, leading them to produce results that weren’t quite right.
However, the mages of the duke’s family were different. They placed more value on collective strength than individual quirks; they were closer to soldiers than mages.
In his personal opinion, this shouldn’t be how mages operate, but for the current situation, it was beneficial.
Managing mages who run off on their tangents could be a real pain, after all.
With solid fundamentals and no intention of defying orders, they were perfectly suited to execute plans.
Satisfied with the mages’ level, Erginius led them toward the Fairy Forest.
He planned to inspect the barriers with his own two eyes and confirm his plans.
Leaving other mages behind, Erginius stepped into the ground tainted with the Evil God’s aura and soon arrived at the front of the darkened barrier.
“Your Majesty. It took a long time, but I’ve come to correct my mistakes. I’ll be meeting you shortly, so please wait a bit longer.”
Placing his hand on the barrier, Erginius poured out his long-held feelings, then composed himself to check on the barrier and the situation within it.
“…Huh?”
He failed. Something prevented Erginius from intervening inside the barrier.
It wasn’t the Evil God’s aura. If it were, he wouldn’t have been blocked.
Then, could it be…?
“No way… the Fairy Queen!?”
Had she, who should have been in deep slumber, blocked his intrusion? Why?
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