Magic Knight of the Old Ways: Volume 5, page 4
“Yes, I will do my best.” She bowed too.
“Ministers, prepare for war. Request reinforcement to the surrounding countries and...” Alvin swiftly gave order after order, but...
“That’s impossible!” a loud objecting voice resounded.
The echo died in the sound of the blizzard outside, and the room became silent again. Everyone looked at its source—Burns Durande from the Red Knights. He was the substitute leader, replacing his dead father, who had betrayed the kingdom and allied with Wolf and the empire. He was also one of the knights who had suffered a harsh defeat against Sid during the Premier Chevalier tournament.
“What is?” Alvin asked calmly.
“Everything you said! Reorganizing the army under you and attacking the demon kingdom to defeat the Demon King is impossible!”
Alvin stayed silent for a few seconds. Then she answered resolutely, “I know that you don’t want to swear loyalty to me. Because of my incompetence and my immaturity, the three dukes chose Prince Wolf, and your parents ended up dying before your eyes. Moreover, I am a woman, so I understand that you don’t want to accept me as king. However, our nation...no, the world is in danger. As we continue to argue here, we are wasting precious time. The countdown to the end of the world has already started. Shouldn’t we put our past grudges aside and join hands to defeat the Demon King?”
“There is a more...fundamental problem...” Aigis Ortol—substitute leader of the Blue Knights and daughter of the late Duke Ortol—said instead of Burns, who was groaning in despair.
“What do you mean?” Alvin questioned.
“You didn’t notice the abnormality with your fairy sword?” This time, it was Caim Anthalo, the substitute leader of the Green Knights and son of the late Duke Anthalo.
“My fairy sword...?”
Alvin grasped the hilt of her rapier hanging at her waist. She didn’t feel like anything was different, but everyone else was acting like something did happen, and it was the reason why they had such desperate expressions and were hanging their heads.
What’s the problem...? Alvin wondered.
“Well, you just woke up, so no wonder you don’t get it,” Sid started to explain. “Basically, all the fairy swords of the kingdom lost most of their power.”
“Wh-What?!”
Fairy swords were fairies—the people’s Good Fellows—who had turned into swords to help humanity. They gave great power to fairy knights, allowing them to enhance their physical abilities, their healing power, and the use of magic. The reason fairy knights were so much stronger than normal knights, and could fight against monsters and dark knights, was thanks to their fairy swords. In other terms, without them, fairy knights were back to being normal people.
“Is that true?!” Alvin asked, her eyes wide open.
“Yes, it is,” Isabella confirmed. “Most likely, the cause is Winter Twilight. Fairies are made from mana—the origin of all life in this world—and are the incarnations of nature that govern over the earth, the ocean, and the sky. However, the world is currently dying because of the deadly winter engulfing it. While the world is dying, how could the fairies, incarnations of it, exhibit their power?”
Alvin gasped in realization. It made perfect sense. Fairies became fairy swords for people because of the ancient pact they had made under the name of the fairy god of light, Éclair. However, as time passed, people forgot about it and only used them as simple weapons, even forgetting that they were living beings. So she could understand that they wouldn’t be able to exhibit their power because of the deadly winter. Still...
“I don’t get it. Did fairy swords really lose their power?” Alvin drew her rapier and held it above her head.
If what everyone else said was true, her fairy sword should have lost its power too. And yet...it didn’t. It was just as strong as before. Even in the middle of the deadly winter, it was brimming with life.
“I can sense power and the blessing from my sword. I should be able to fight the same as usual. Why...?” Just as she was going to mouth her doubts, Alvin realized something. There was one difference between her and the other knights like Burns, whose fairy swords lost their powers.
“It’s thanks to Will.” Sid said what Alvin thought. “Those who use Will gather mana from the world, knead it inside their bodies, then give it to their swords. So it doesn’t matter to them if the world is dying because of Winter Twilight. They can use their fairy swords and magic without any problems. And as long as they live, their fairy swords won’t die.”
Everyone stirred.
“In simpler terms, the positions were reversed. Until now, people have been relying on their fairy swords. Now, it’s the fairy swords that rely on people. But that’s fine. After all, mutual aid is the basis of a good relationship.” Sid grinned, earning him the glare of everyone else.
Alvin smiled wryly seeing how Sid’s insolent attitude didn’t change even in such a situation. Then she refocused and asked calmly, “Is what Sir Sid said true, Tenko? Louise?”
Alvin finally understood why squires who weren’t knighted yet were present at the meeting. And, as she expected...
“Yes, Prince,” Tenko replied solemnly. “We, the students of the Blitze class—that is to say, people who have been taught Will by Sir Sid—can use our fairy swords as usual.”
“Thankfully, it’s not just the Blitze class,” Louise interjected. “I, Johan from the Anthalo class, Olivia from the Ortol class—and those who have been receiving guidance about Will from Sir Sid since the training-camp incident—can use fairy swords. It seems that Will really is the key to fighting under the effect of Winter Twilight.”
That truth was the reason for the despair reigning over the room. Indeed, thanks to Sid and Alvin, the squires of the academy had started to change. Just as Sid said, students started to understand that they couldn’t just rely on their fairy swords, and students from other classes kept coming to him for guidance in increasing numbers.
Still, even then, the number of people who could use Will was far too low. The knights of the Fairy Knight Order and the upper-class students of the academy only swore by the rank of their fairy swords and refused to learn Will. After all, it was a technique that would change the absolute power hierarchy brought by the sword ranks. They didn’t want to stop resting on their laurels, relying on the great power of their highly ranked fairy swords. And now, it was time to pay for their arrogance and negligence.
“So only a few squires can actually put up a fight right now...”
“Exactly, Prince,” Burns answered with a moan while Aigis, Caim, and the other people in the room hung their heads regretfully. “It’s impossible to win against the demon army with only a few squires. Even with Sir Sid, a knight from the legendary era, the enemy has multiple knights just as strong. The countless frozen undead and dark knights in the northern demon kingdom and Winter Twilight... Even if the whole world joins forces, we can’t win. It’s a losing battle... Everything is over...” he said in despair, wanting to put an end to the talk.
However, Alvin didn’t agree. “No, it’s not. The world isn’t over yet. We’re still alive. We must take our swords and fight. For all the people living in this country...no, in the world.”
Burns, Aigis, and Caim started yelling.
“You don’t understand!”
“You think we can win?! In such a situation?!”
“You think students can do something when we can’t?”
“Don’t be conceited! You think everything is possible as long as Sir Sid is on your side?! Stop dreaming, and face reality!”
“Sir Sid’s presence is irrelevant,” Alvin replied firmly. “Even if he weren’t here, I’d have the will to fight, and I’d go to battle with the people answering my call. ‘A knight tells only the truth.’”
Burns, Aigis, and Caim gasped.
“So? Is there anyone here who wants to fight with me?”
The first one to break the silence was...
“Do you even need to ask?” Sid boasted with a grin.
“Likewise, Alvin. Of course, everyone in the Blitze class is the same. We’re all ready to go to the north!” Tenko bravely stood up and saluted.
“Same here, Prince. No...my lord.” Louise bowed. “Sitting here, watching the people die while waiting for my own death would sully my father’s name. I could never accept that. Factions and past grudges don’t matter anymore. My sword is yours.”
Of course, Christopher, Elaine, Theodore, Lynette, and Yuno were the same.
“We’re coming too, Alvin.”
“We would not be able to call ourselves knights otherwise!”
“Well, you’re our lord, after all.”
“I-I’m scared, but let’s fight together, Alvin!”
“I’d jump in fire and water for you, Prince!”
Then Johan from the Anthalo class and Olivia from the Ortol class too.
“I’ll fight too! Take me with you!”
“Me too! As if I could stay back while the class of failures fights!”
Other students of the Blitze class, as well as from other classes, agreed too.
All of them were squires who had learned Will from Sid and were influenced by his way of life. One after another, they showed their will to join the fight, no matter how hopeless it was.
But that was all.
“See?” Burns said with a little scorn in his voice. “What can you do with that little number?! What can you accomplish?! It’s the end! Everything is over! You’re just losing your head because you’ve been too close to a legendary hero! Just what do you think you can do?!”
“We can live up to our chivalry.”
Hearing Sid, everyone fell silent.
“In the first place, knights aren’t that amazing. They’re just here to open the king’s path with their swords and pave it with their corpses. We’re the eccentric ones for trying to give meaning to that. If you wanted money, honor, or fame, you could just become mercenaries or adventurers. That way you could achieve success on the battlefield, live grand adventures, and kill as many monsters as you want. It’s easier to earn money and have your name passed down in sagas that way.”
“Th-That’s...” Burns trailed off.
“And yet, you guys chose to become knights. Even though it’s not worth the trouble, you chose that way of life. Why?”
Nobody answered.
“I guess it’s the flow of the times? In this era, many see things in a misplaced way. Still, they chose the foolish path of becoming knights. This is enough to know their grit and spirit. I want to believe that, even now, knights are the same as in the past.”
Burns and the others stayed silent. Alvin ignored them and started to throw orders again at Isabella and the rest in preparation for the coming battle.
“Anyway, I should prepare too. Ha ha ha, taking care of young Alvin isn’t that easy.” Sid stood up and was going to leave, when...
“Even I...no, we would fight if we had the strength to... Just like you...”
“If our fairy swords didn’t lose their power... If we had the strength...”
Hearing these whispers, Sid stopped and, his back to them, said, “You can’t fight? Hmm... Do I need glasses? I’m pretty sure you have two arms and stand on the ground with your two legs. In that case, you should be able to swing a sword, no?”
They gasped.
“Being a knight is a way of life. The power of your fairy swords doesn’t matter.” With nothing left to say, Sid resumed his walk toward the exit.
However, just before leaving the room, he turned toward Alvin and the others.
Alvin was giving orders to Tenko, Louise, the squires who could use Will, and the ministers from the royal faction. She spread a map of the continent on the table and started the war council with Isabella, ignoring the knights who had lost their will to fight.
There was one thing that Sid particularly liked about the current Alvin: she wasn’t looking at him. Of course, that didn’t mean she was ignoring him. Just that she was looking at the ones she should lead—her friends and vassals—and was focused on victory and the future. No matter how far off success seemed, as a king, Alvin stared straight at it.
And, around her were the patriotic knights who understood Alvin and had pledged their allegiance to her. A small but firm knight order made of young squires was forming itself.
“People can really change if they want to, huh?” Sid’s lips twisted.
Where did the young Alvin, who was like a young chick, go? If she were still the same as back then, she would be lost and would cling to Sid and Isabella in such a situation.
Looking at the current Alvin strongly reminded Sid of a certain man. The king he had revered as his one and only master and to whom he had pledged his sword—his best friend the Holy King Arthur.
Seeing the Holy King Arthur in Alvin made Sid feel relieved from the bottom of his heart.
“The king’s education is done. The knights were nurtured, and the country unified. I don’t have to worry about the future anymore. In that case...the rest is my job... Sorry, Alvin... For the first time, I’ll break the old knight’s code,” Sid muttered to himself and left the room discreetly.
────
At night, Sid left the knights’ encampment and strolled around the capital. The raging blizzard covered him in white, but he didn’t care. He continued to walk, the sound of his stamping on the snow washed away by the blizzard.
The world was completely white. Most of the buildings were in a pitiful state, either destroyed or full of cracks. The citizens had made tents and simple outdoor hearths and were huddled, trying to endure the cold.
The capital of Calvania—the knights’ paradise that was simple yet gorgeous and full of vigor—was a mere shadow of its former splendor.
Looking at this scenery, Sid recalled a certain man and his voice...
〜〜〜〜
“Look, Sir Sid.”
“This is what I...no, what we built up together. Our capital.”
“Look, Sir Sid. Everyone is smiling.”
“Even in such a turbulent era full of wars, pain, and sorrows...here, everyone is smiling.”
“I’ll protect them. I’ll protect everyone.”
“So, Sid... Please, continue to lend me your strength from now on.”
〜〜〜〜
Sid silently recalled the former appearance of the capital, now buried in snow, as well as the nostalgic voice and face of his lord. He continued hearing the same thing again and again as he walked through the destroyed capital, the sound of his stamping on the snow washed away by the blizzard.
────
After a while, Sid arrived at the ruins of the castle. Though in ruins, it wasn’t a complete mountain of rubble. Considering how some parts of the structure remained, it was more apt to say that it was only half-destroyed.
Sid went through the front gate, which looked like it could collapse with a simple push, jumped above the broken drawbridge, then entered the castle premises.
Obviously, nobody was present. Because more than half of the walls had collapsed, the interior was exposed to the wind, and the snow was piling up inside. Because of the collapsed walls and almost completely destroyed spires, Sid was forced to make a big detour. This caused him to pass through the site of the Calvania Royal Fairy Knight Academy. It was the place he had spent the most time after his resurrection, together with his students, so he had a certain attachment to it. And yet, it had transformed into a mountain of debris and was now unrecognizable.
He silently passed the Blitze class’s destroyed dormitory and entered the castle’s main building. His footsteps echoed inside the blizzard. As he went up the damaged stone stairs, his surroundings changed. The more he advanced, the less destroyed the castle was. He continued to walk in the direction of the less damaged area, and he finally arrived at his destination.
While the raging blizzard outside resounded here too, this place—the temple of the Ladies of the Lake, where Sid had first gone after resurrecting and meeting Alvin—was strangely peaceful.
The temple’s ritual site was still intact, made up of several stone pillars and arches with an altar at the back. And, on that altar, the idol of Éclair—the fairy god of light, revered by the people of this world—was erected.
Before it, someone was waiting for Sid—Isabella, the current head priestess of the Ladies of the Lake.
“Sir Sid...”
“Sorry, I made you wait even though I’m the one who’s called you out.”
“N-No... I just arrived myself,” Isabella said. Then she added, somehow perplexed, “So...what did you want to talk about?”
“Considering how busy you are, let’s get done fast.” Sid scratched his head apologetically, then said, “However...I lied when I said I needed to talk to you.”
“Huh?”
“Sorry for using you like that.” Sid looked up at the idol of Éclair as Isabella was blinking in incomprehension. “No, really, I’m sorry. But right now, the only one who can serve as a vessel is most likely you, the strongest Nimue.”
Sid aimed the back of his right hand, where the crest was, toward Isabella. Then, as if talking to the crest, he announced, “The time has come to fulfill our old pledge. Saint’s Blood flowing in my veins, the time has come to perform your duty. Answer my call, Éclair. I, Sid Blitze the Lightning Knight, have come to fulfill our contract.”
The crest on his right hand, which had been starting to disappear, glowed. The radiance illuminated the quiet and dim temple, and motes of light emanated from the crest, dancing and coiling around as they gathered toward Isabella.
“Wh-What is this?!” she exclaimed.
“Don’t worry. There’s no harm. You’ll just sleep for a while.”
“S-Sir Sid... Wh-What...is... Ah...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah?!” Isabella screamed and crouched, holding her head, as the motes of light entered her body, changing her appearance little by little.
A flash of light dyed the world white, then the next instant, magnificent blonde hair softly spread around. Using Isabella’s body as a vessel, a dazzlingly beautiful maiden had appeared. At first glance, she looked like a young girl, but she had a mature presence. She was as lovely as a fairy and as beautiful as an angel, making it difficult to believe that she was from this world.
