Oswald
***
As the atmosphere turned strange, the knight who had presented the magical beast's front paw asked the Baron of Riverford.
"My lord. What is the matter?"
"Sir Eberhardt. That is..."
The knight's name was finally mentioned. So the middle-aged knight with the dashingly grown mustache was Eberhardt, and the young knight who seemed to be in his mid-thirties was Oswald.
However, the Baron of Riverford could not clearly explain the current situation to Oswald and Eberhardt and just mumbled. He seemed burdened by the awkward situation.
The Baron of Riverford's son said tactlessly.
"I heard that Sir Walter and Sir Elbridge, the two of them, hunted the wolf magical beast... What happened?"
Oswald's and Eberhardt's bodies stiffened.
Walter crossed his arms and thought.
'Of course.'
Walter thought they would be ashamed. However, the reaction that followed was different from his expectation.
The relatively young knight, Oswald, frowned and said to Sir Walter.
"Sir Walter. I did not think you were that kind of person."
"...What do you mean by that?"
"I know you have eagerly desired merit for the past few years. But please do not forget that to a knight, honor is more important than merit."
Walter understood the meaning and his jaw dropped.
"You, are you thinking that I stole your merit?"
Oswald did not deny it. In the end, Walter could not hold back and shot up from his seat.
"Let me be honest. I'm starting to think that you two brought the front paw of the magical beast that Sir Elbridge and I caught."
"...Sir Walter. Let me ask just one thing. A moment ago, the young lord said that Sir Walter and that Elbridge...? Anyway, that fellow. That the two of you hunted the magical beast. Is that true?"
"It is true."
"Logically, do you think that makes sense?"
Walter faltered.
Even to Walter himself, it did not feel like a very realistic story. For just two people to hunt a magical beast.
Moreover, was it not true that no one had died or been crippled?
Walter raised his voice.
"Whether you believe it or not, it is an undeniable fact that Sir Elbridge and I hunted the magical beast. There is a witness, too. Find Marcus at the mercenary guild. He is the witness."
"Are there no other witnesses?"
"...No."
"The only witness is a mercenary who moves for money... Hmm. I see."
Oswald mocked Walter.
Walter wanted to throw a punch right then and there.
However, unlike the agitated Walter, Elbridge was calm from beginning to end. It was because Elbridge considered hunting a magical beast to be a merit of no great significance. It did not matter much to Elbridge whose merit the hunting of the magical beast became.
Rather, Elbridge was continuing his meal as if he were watching an exciting play.
At that moment, Sir Oswald pointed at Elbridge.
"You said you were Sir Elbridge. Which fief's knight are you, sir?"
Elbridge answered indifferently.
"I am not a knight bound to a fief."
"Were you a knight-errant?"
A knight-errant referred to a knight who wandered without a proper affiliation.
They often did not settle down in order to avoid their duties, so they did not have a good reputation among knights. Of course, this was a story unrelated to Elbridge.
"I am not a knight-errant, but a paladin. A paladin who serves the Rusted Shield Goddess."
At that, Oswald burst out laughing with a 'pfft'.
"A paladin, you say? Goodness, how absurd."
"Is there a problem?"
"If you had said you were a knight-errant, I would have at least pretended to believe you. But a paladin? Who doesn't know that anyone can become a paladin if they just offer enough money? I don't even consider paladins to be knights in the first place. And such a knight hunted a magical beast?"
Elbridge was taken aback. One could become a paladin just by making an offering?
It was a story that was hard to believe, so Elbridge looked around.
However, not only Oswald and Eberhardt, but also Walter and the Baron of Riverford seemed to have no intention of denying the story.
Elbridge let out a hollow laugh.
"Heh."
The knights and paladins Elbridge remembered had a relationship of mutual respect.
But if people were to ask which side was more respected, the knight or the paladin, it was definitely the paladin.
This was because becoming a paladin was much more difficult, and the duties a paladin had to bear were much heavier.
To become a knight, one had to prove their aptitude and train while accumulating magical power with the financial support of a lord. However, a paladin was not made in that way.
One had to train for years and have their aptitude recognized to become a preliminary paladin. Only after becoming a preliminary paladin could one follow a paladin and gain practical experience.
One had to hunt a magical beast three or five times with a paladin to be recognized as an apprentice paladin.
In this process, roughly half of the preliminary paladins died.
For an apprentice paladin to be recognized as a paladin, they had to survive a battle with a demon.
There was no need to win. They just had to survive, even if it meant being protected by other knights. But even that was not an easy task.
In a typical order, seven or eight out of ten apprentice paladins died in the final stage.
The situation was even worse for the Order of the Rusted Shield. The paladins of the Order of the Rusted Shield mainly roamed battlefields with poor conditions, so only about one in ten apprentice paladins survived.
Even if ten or twenty talented youths gathered, only one would survive to become a paladin.
For what reason did those with outstanding aptitude volunteer for such a harsh fate?
The answer was simple. It was because they had lost everything to demons and magical beasts.
Demons and magical beasts leave fear and anger in the survivors. Most forget their anger out of fear.
But those who overcame fear with anger would walk the path of a paladin to burn themselves along with the demons.
It was an era where even those who crossed the line of death and came to be called paladins would die and disappear in battles with demons.
If they grew tired of repeated, endless battles and refused to fight demons, they could no longer be called paladins. This was true for the paladins of all orders.
The universal respect and reverence for paladins stemmed from their endless devotion and sacrifice.
That was why not only knights but also high-ranking nobles could not commit such rudeness towards paladins.
Elbridge put down his fork and knife.
"You said you were Sir Oswald?"
"That is correct."
"In truth, I have no interest in where that magical beast's front paw came from. I am equally uninterested in the paltry honor that front paw will bring."
Looking back, it was something he could not have known.
It was a world where demons had become a tall tale.
In a world like this, who could be called a paladin just for surviving a battle with a demon?
The paladins of the present era had to be different from the paladins of the past.
They might have obtained the status of a paladin thanks to a hefty offering, as those two had said.
They might have claimed to be a paladin because they needed a respectable status to show off in front of people.
However, Elbridge was a man of the old days.
Even though he would live in this era, because he was a man of the old days, and because there were so many paladins he remembered clearly.
Elbridge could not pretend not to hear the remark that insulted all paladins.
For that would be an insult to the numerous paladins who had fought with the determination to die.
Elbridge stood up from his seat and pointed at Oswald.
"But I'll have to fix that manner of speaking. Come out."
<><><>
The people who had been in the reception room cum dining room gathered in the modest courtyard inside the lord's castle.
Unlike the Baron of Riverford's son, who was full of anticipation, the Baron of Riverford seemed restless. There were often such people in the world. People who were burdened by all disputes between people.
As Oswald drew his sword and put down his scabbard, Elbridge approached and picked up Oswald's scabbard.
"Why are you taking the scabbard?"
"I don't have a sword. I'll use this instead of a sword."
"..."
Oswald let out a deep sigh, then said to Elbridge.
"At least put on some armor. Even if it's a duel, I have no intention of harming the lord's guest."
"I don't have armor either."
"No sword, no armor... You're something else."
Oswald said so, then went to the back of the lord's castle and brought back a blunt training sword.
"I was going to bring yours too, but there was only one training sword. You may use a real sword. I'll lend you mine."
"I'll pass."
"..."
Unlike Walter or Elbridge, Oswald had just arrived and had not yet taken off his breastplate.
As Oswald fumbled to take off his breastplate, Elbridge stopped him.
"Don't take off the breastplate."
"Wouldn't it be fair if neither of us has armor?"
"I have little experience sparring or dueling with people."
Oswald let out a laugh upon hearing Elbridge's words.
"You requested a duel with such spirit, and now you're getting scared? Really..."
"I'm saying I'm not confident I can end this without Sir Oswald getting hurt. Just wear the armor."
"Heh."
There was no way he could tolerate hearing such a thing.
Oswald took off his breastplate as if flinging it away.
"Alright, let's see the skills of our great paladin."
Oswald tapped the ground a couple of times with his sword, then kicked off the ground.
Pat!
An explosive acceleration befitting a knight. Along with it, Oswald's training sword aimed for Elbridge's shoulder.
No, it tried to aim. As the tip of Oswald's sword was finding its direction, Elbridge's scabbard, which shot out half a beat faster, twisted the tip of Oswald's sword.
The moment his balance wavered slightly, Elbridge's scabbard flew in, aiming for the space between Oswald's eyebrows.
"...!"
Oswald twisted his head and dodged the scabbard. It was a response so fast that he himself was impressed.
However, the very next moment, Oswald felt a strong impact on the side of his knee and fell to the ground.
Kudang-tang!
"...?"
Oswald did not immediately realize what had happened to him. Therefore, Oswald looked down at the knee where he had felt the pain.
The mark of Elbridge's shoe remained on the outside of his right knee.
"Take it."
Elbridge held out the scabbard to Oswald with an indifferent expression.
Oswald pushed the scabbard away with his hand and said.
"I made a small mistake."
As Oswald said that, his ears turned red.
Even to himself, it was a very obvious statement of a loser.
Inwardly, the thought that Elbridge might be different from other paladins began to creep up.
However, he had no intention of admitting defeat so helplessly. Even though it was that Elbridge who had requested the duel, was it not he himself who had provoked his opponent first?
Even if his pride was a little hurt, he needed a second chance.
"I see."
Fortunately, Elbridge accepted Oswald's rematch.
Oswald said.
"...This time, you may attack first."
In reality, it was a statement closer to a request than permission. Everyone except Oswald felt that way.
'Block the first attack, and calmly counterattack.'
Oswald thought that Elbridge would rush at him with explosive acceleration.
However, Elbridge strode over and swung his scabbard. It was not very fast. Oswald blocked the scabbard with ease.
The scabbard flew in again. It was not fast either, so he blocked it more or less. However, he still had no room to counterattack.
The third attack followed. It was still not fast, but this time, he felt it was a little precarious for some reason. The fourth attack, which came without a moment to counterattack, aimed for Oswald. He thought he had blocked it this time too. However, the sword slipped from Oswald's hand and was sent flying.
Tang-rang.
The bladeless training sword tumbled on the ground, making a metallic sound.
Elbridge said calmly.
"If you don't become complacent and practice steadily, you will become an even more excellent knight than you are now."
The strongest knight that Oswald had implicitly thought of was a knight with the greatest strength and the fastest speed. He thought that skill and experience were the next problem.
And Elbridge was the first person Oswald had ever faced who stood outside the logic of strength and speed.
It was a natural thing. Oswald was a knight who was all excited after just experiencing his first magical beast hunt.
On the other hand, Elbridge was a person who had fought dozens of battles with demons where he did not know where or what kind of attack would fly in from, so it was absurd from the beginning for Oswald to fight and win against Elbridge.
"That..."
Although Oswald was an impatient person, he was not a man who lacked the minimum pride of a knight.
And he was also a knight with a strong competitive spirit and a desire for improvement.
Therefore, Oswald had no choice but to admit that this spar with Elbridge was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He had already forgotten the sense of injustice related to the wolf magical beast.
Oswald said to Elbridge, his face flushed as if it would burst.
"...I admit my defeat. I also apologize for my rude remarks. So..."
Oswald bowed his head low.
"May I try to attack just one more time."
Oswald knew that he had to swallow his pride and pick up the crumbs of skill and experience that Elbridge possessed. The pride he humbled now could save his life later on.
Elbridge replied in a slightly softened voice.
"Alright."
It was at that moment.
Kkiiik—
Just as the duel for pride was subtly turning into a spar, the modest gate of the lord's castle opened.
And five people appeared.
All five were knights on horseback.
The person at the front had the largest build, and judging by his attire, he seemed to be of a higher status than the other four.
The Baron of Riverford was startled.
"Viscount Dickens!"
'If it's Viscount Dickens...'
It was the name of the neighboring lord whom Oswald and Eberhardt had gone to help.
At the sudden appearance of Viscount Dickens, everyone except Elbridge was quite surprised.
"What brings you here? You seem to be quite tired..."
Saying he looked tired was the Baron of Riverford's euphemistic expression.
The appearance of the five knights was like that of defeated soldiers. They were utterly exhausted, their eyes looked as if they were possessed by ghosts, and their unkempt armor was stained with blood and dust here and there.
Viscount Dickens said in a dazed voice, as if in a dream.
"On the way back to my fief, another wolf magical beast appeared."
"Good heavens!"
Elbridge, who was listening to the story, organized his thoughts.
'Elbridge and Walter hunted one wolf magical beast.'
'Oswald and Eberhardt claimed to have caught a wolf magical beast with the help of Viscount Dickens.'
'And Viscount Dickens said he discovered 'another' wolf magical beast on his way back to his fief.'
'...Three magical beasts?'
If there were two magical beasts, it could be a bluff or a lie, but with three, the story was different.
The Baron of Riverford comforted Viscount Dickens.
"Viscount. Do not worry. My three brave knights are always ready to help Viscount Dickens."
However, Viscount Dickens shook his head.
"...Sir Neria died, but the magical beast hunt was a success. It was almost identical to the one we had faced before, so we were able to win even though we were tired."
So then, why had Viscount Dickens come to the Barony of Riverford instead of returning to his own fief?
"And so we arrived at the fief."
Elbridge's chest felt ticklish.
Somehow, he felt like he knew what this situation was.
"There was no one in the fief."
"Pardon? What do you mean, no one?"
"Literally. There was no one. Adults, children, men, women, farmers, merchants, even my vassals and family, all of them. What was even stranger was that there were no bloodstains, no traces of fire, and no traces of people having left."
Three magical beasts suddenly witnessed in a world where magical beasts were rare.
People who had disappeared without a trace.
In Elbridge's experience, when a strange situation like this occurred, it was never wrong to think that it was the work of a demon.
Hard times create strong people, and strong people create peaceful times.
Peaceful times create weak people, and weak people bring about hard times.
The peaceful era of the weakened,
The era where demons had become legends, was coming to an end.
Elbridge thought.
'...Life.'
---
Read the full novel on - patreon.com/AncTL