Chapter 28

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"Your Highness! Why did you do such a thing?!"

Leidol strode out of the audience chamber and walked through the palace, with Darren Galst, the commander of the kingdom's thousand knights, chasing after him.

Leidol continued walking without stopping, glancing sideways at Darren, who was questioning him.

"Why? I just reinforced the contract so it wouldn't be broken."

"Even so, cursing the king... We don't know what punishment might befall you!"

"Punishment? I don't think it's possible as long as the curse is in effect."

Due to the curse in the oath, Granado could not take any action that would harm Leidol. As long as the curse remained, Leidol's safety was guaranteed.

"The court magicians will easily remove the curse of the contract! Once that happens, the king's anger will be directed at you without mercy. Please, apologize to His Majesty..."

"Hmm, you're worried about me. That's quite considerate of you."

Leidol blinked in surprise.

Darren's father was Bazal Galst, a general of the Zain Kingdom. Bazal was one of Granado's closest confidants and a key figure who supported Leidol's exile.

"...Indeed, my father was one of those involved in your exile. However, it was only to prevent a succession dispute from breaking out due to you becoming the wielder of the holy sword, not because he held any grudge against you."

"I see. But that doesn't mean I can forgive General Galst."

"...My father understands that. He deeply regretted forcing you to fight in the borderlands."

"...I see."

Leidol nodded in understanding.

When Leidol cursed Granado in the audience chamber, the knights present attacked him. However, Darren, who was also there, did not move to stop him.

Perhaps Darren had his own reasons for not taking action against Leidol.

(Sympathy... or some other emotion. Either way, if he ultimately sides with Granado, I won't show any mercy.)

"The gate is not that way. Where are you going?"

"......"

Darren called out in confusion as Leidol walked in the wrong direction, pretending to leave the castle.

Leidol continued walking silently without turning back, eventually reaching a certain room.

"This is..."

It was the room where the national treasure, the holy sword Dainsleif, was enshrined.

Two knights were guarding the room, and they were shocked to see the prince and the commander suddenly appear.

"Your Highness...! I'm sorry, but you need the king's permission to enter..."

"The door is locked. The key... is there."

"Wha—!"

One of the knights tried to stop Leidol as he reached for the door, but Leidol's fist struck his face mercilessly. The knight, knocked off balance, spun around and fell to the floor.

Leidol took the key from the knight's belt.

"What... what are you doing...!"

The other knight hurriedly reached for his sword. Darren tapped his shoulder.

"...It's enough. Stop it."

"Commander Galst! But this is clearly..."

"It's too late. I'll take responsibility for this. You don't need to worry."

"...Understood. We saw nothing. We'll take our unconscious colleague to the infirmary."

Seeing Darren's resigned face, the knight seemed to understand the situation. He released his sword and dragged the unconscious knight down the corridor.

Leidol used the key he had taken from the knight to open the door.

It was the room of the holy sword, which he had visited only once before, during his coming-of-age ceremony. Inside, the holy sword was still embedded in the pedestal, just as it had been five years ago.

The difference was the black torrent of power emanating from the sword's blade.

"This is...!"

Darren gasped in shock.

The black torrent rising from the holy sword swirled in the air, creating a small tornado that raged through the room.

Struck by the black wind, Darren fell to his knees.

"Ugh... the power..."

"Don't push yourself. This is a curse wind that drains strength. If you try to stand, you'll die of exhaustion."

"Prince Leidol...!"

Leidol walked through the storm of black wind without hesitation. The curse wind battered his body, but the young prince continued forward without flinching.

Eventually, Leidol reached the pedestal and gripped the holy sword Dainsleif, which was causing the black storm.

"You're quite lively. Did you miss me that much?"

The holy sword responded with a particularly strong gust of wind. The blade-like whirlwind cut Leidol's cheek, and blood splattered.

"Your Highness!"

"Welcome back to my hand after five years. Dainsleif!"

Ignoring the blood flowing from his cheek, Leidol pulled the holy sword from the pedestal.

The black holy sword, which no one had been able to draw since the first king, was once again in Leidol's hands.

The storm that had raged in the room subsided, replaced by a pitch-black aura that swirled around Dainsleif, as if solidified night.

"Ah..."

A voice involuntarily escaped Darren's lips.

The emotion in his voice was fear, or perhaps awe.

(Am I... witnessing a chapter in a hero's tale? Is this the moment a new hero is born?)

Shaking with emotion, Darren bowed his head as if in prayer.

The man before him was a traitor who had cursed the king, yet Darren could not help but show respect.

His soul as a knight and his pride as a warrior demanded that he pay the highest respects to the hero born before his eyes.

With the thousand-knight commander's gaze on his back, Leidol raised Dainsleif high above his head.

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