Spinning a spear in the air, Leon makes a clean cut through a metal training dummy. Spinning once more into an upward strike, a line of fire forms at the tip of the spear, and when it touches the last metal dummy, an explosion occurs, making the entire area tremble.
'Without a doubt, the spear is perfect for this body'
In the original story, Leon had a certain skill with the spear, capable of rivaling other master knights, and upon discovering this natural talent, he focused on developing it to the maximum. Enrico was thinking of combining those skills with those of his mother, Titanza.
'It's going to be a good combination'
Placing his spear where the weapons were kept, he looks at the mansion, which had already been perfectly rebuilt. Surfien's abilities were extremely useful—he was the perfect knight for someone like Leon. Rank 9, with a completely unique magic, just like the magics of the original world.
"My lord, did you sleep well?"
A knight was watching his entire training session. This knight was fully covered in armor, so it was impossible to see his face. Among Leon's most troublesome knights, there were three who were particularly difficult for the new protagonist to deal with.
'This is one of them'
His armor was completely black with a red stripe bearing the symbol of House Solfyr. Since Leon had gained so much power with the prince's help, his surname became a noble house, and the one who used that symbol everywhere was this knight. Even Enrico, who read the story, and Leon himself didn't know this knight's identity or past.
'Of course, the others use it too, but Leon asks them to mainly wear the Everhart symbol'
An example was Surfien himself, who approached along with other knights. The Solfyr symbol was used in parts of their armor chosen by each of them, while the Everhart symbol was always on the shoulder.
"It was the best night of sleep I've had in years, Knigrave"
"That's good, my lord, and I apologize for not being there yesterday to protect you"
"That doesn't matter now, besides, this is one of the times you usually use to rest"
This knight was somewhat strange, as he would disappear at various times and return later. That would raise a lot of suspicion if Enrico hadn't seen the entire story and knew how Knigrave sacrificed himself to stop a thousand soldiers from advancing toward where Leon had fled.
[He's loyal and all, but Knigrave is a strange name]
'I agree, it sounds like the name of some Nartheis'
Enrico dismissed the possibility of him being a Nartheis because it was impossible for one to exist in this dungeon. The only monsters in this world were mana-using beasts and demons. As he approached to take the towel from Surfien's hands, he observed the interaction between the two knights. While one completely ignored the other, looking away and whistling, Surfien stared at Knigrave with irritated eyes.
"You weren't here again. You're a knight of House Solfyr—you should know where to dedicate your life"
"I had personal matters to deal with, and besides, Lord Leon didn't say anything about it"
"That's exactly why I haven't expelled you. If it were up to me, you would've been gone already"
It was somewhat surprising that Leon gave Knigrave so much freedom, which was proof that the original Leon saw great potential in the black-armored knight. These two had earned strong titles, showing that Leon at least knew how to choose his knights well.
"Wait, you're not wearing the Everhart family symbol?"
"I forgot to bring it"
"But it's attached to the armor—you removed it again?"
If not for the armor, Surfien would have grabbed Knigrave by his clothes, so instead he stepped closer with a threatening gaze toward anyone but the knight in front of him.
"Stop arguing, both of you. I have something to tell everyone"
Both Surfien and Knigrave looked at him and immediately straightened up, forgetting their argument in an instant. Leon walked toward the training field to continue practicing while speaking to them.
"You know about the seven councilors who are with me, right?"
"Yes, my lord, they are our allies"
"How could I choose such companions"
While Surfien remained respectful, Knigrave sounded sarcastic, making his companion's eyebrow twitch. Those seven councilors were not to the black-armored knight's liking, because if they could betray the prince so easily, they could do the same to Leon.
"As for them being our companions, forget that. We're going to kill all of them"
Both knights were surprised by their lord's decision. For years, Leon had spoken about taking control of the kingdom after a coup, placing the Everhart family as rulers while controlling everything from the shadows, so this decision clearly surprised them.
"Why, my lord?"
"It's simple. The war taught me something about ruling, and something in my mind changed"
Leon lied easily. The lie was simple—something like understanding on the battlefield how a true king operates and what decisions must be made, and from that, an idea was born.
"Instead of taking the kingdom and placing it under the Everhart name, I will continue as the prince's loyal servant, because for me, the current heir is perfect to control from the shadows as his ally"
And of course, to avoid suspicion, he spoke in a way the original Leon would after a change of plans. Surfien seemed somewhat relieved, because like Knigrave, he did not trust those seven councilors. The black-armored knight, on the other hand, quickly raised his hand.
"When do we start, my lord?"
"Today"
Once again, both were caught off guard, but Knigrave seemed slightly excited if one looked closely at his shoulders. Finally, his lord was making the decision to kill those useless people who only knew how to talk. Now he could feel more at ease, no longer needing to constantly watch for a possible betrayal from those seven.
"I will prepare our men now, my lord."