I Became the First Prince: Legend of Sword's Song
chapter-296

The empire isn’t much (3)

I didn’t have to look closely.

There were quite a few people in the kingdom who were allowed to wear golden armor, but only five of them could wear a red cloak embroidered with a crouching lion.

And only one of them was going into battle today.

Arwen Kirgayen.

She walked towards the gate.

Even with the countless enemies standing on the wall, watching her every move, her steps never faltered.

She just walked and walked.

I narrowed my eyes and watched.

I captured every step she took, and memorized the image of the back of her head as she walked towards the gate.

Her steps as she headed forward alone were as straight as her temper.

Everyone learns to walk on two feet as they grow up, but not many people walk properly.

Everyone had good and bad habits, and when they walked, their habits would be implicitly revealed.

But not Arwen.

Her strides were smooth yet powerful, light yet heavy.

Her steps, which were straight without any bias, were a great skill in and of themselves.

I greatly admired that wonderful gait.

“Guuuuh.“

It would have been even better if it weren’t for Montepellier’s moans that I didn’t want to hear.

“Shh. If you keep groaning, opportunity or not, we can pretend it never happened.”

Having been interrupted in a rare moment of excitement, I whispered a warning.

“Gasp.”

After the sound of a sharp intake of breath, there were no more grunts to be heard.

Satisfied, I looked at Arwen again.

Walking without pause, she had reached the distance of 50 paces from the wall before I knew it.

It was a distance that the archers on the wall could reach if they were determined to fire their arrows.

Even so, as if she didn’t care, she continued on her way.

I glanced toward the castle wall.

Despite their whispers at her sudden approach, none of them stepped forward.

The enemy just watched her.

Maybe they thought that she was just a messenger, or maybe they believed that there was nothing a mere knight could do alone.

Either way, none of them could predict what would happen next.

I could guarantee that their carefree attitude would not last long.

A rare display that they had never seen before would soon unfold before them.

For the unlucky ones, it would be the last thing they would ever see, but that had nothing to do with me.

Arwen, who had been advancing without pause, stopped at that moment.

It was a distance of less than 20 paces from the castle gates.

She drew her sword.

A precise action without a single superfluous movement.

The sword forged by the Meisters aimed towards the sky.

Up until then, the enemies watching her were still carefree.

Even right afterwards, when bright clusters of lights gathered on her sword, they just watched.

The enemies only noticed the change after some time had passed since Arwen pulled out her sword.

Around her, a unique radiant energy was welling up.

The wind blew.

The banner of Duke Briand hanging on the castle wall swelled like it was going to explode.

Flashes of light gathered endlessly at the tip of her sword.

Gathering and gathering.

The coalescing flashes became one big light.

Even I, who was far from the wall, could feel its might, so the enemies right in front must be quite shocked.

On top of the walls, the enemies became busy.

“……!”

“……! ……!”

Those who seemed to be commanders stood up and shouted something, and the archers, who were looking over the wall and staring down blankly, hurriedly picked up their bows.

“……!”

The archers nocked their arrows.

“……!”

Several knights aimed their short spears.

At that moment.

Sasasasak.

A rain of arrows flew up from behind Arwen.

The archers who were aiming from the top of the castle wall fell down one by one.

The knights, who had seemed poised to throw their spears at any moment, hurriedly lowered their weapons and raised their shields.

I turned my head.

The rangers had suddenly appeared on the plains.

All the senior rangers were there, including Jordan.

The rangers pulled and released their bows in quick succession.

The enemies whose heads were sticking out above the wall died.

The frightened enemies hid behind the wall.

Their heads that had crowded the top of the wall were no longer visible.

And Arwen moved.

The sword that had been aiming at the sky suddenly fell.

Then.

Paa.

The mass of light at the tip of her sword split into dozens of pieces.

Shhaaa!

A rain of stars poured down towards the castle gate.

It wasn’t a metaphor, there were really stars raining down.

Jump!

I got up from my seat without even realizing.

“Ugh!”

Montpellier screamed, but that didn’t matter.

I opened my eyes wide and took in the sight of the rain of stars.

I knew what it was.

The type of power that my maternal uncle, who had reached the level of penta-chain, had previously shown in front of me.

Materialized Aura Blade.

The form was different, but it was obviously of the same nature as the power that my uncle used to wield.

Bang bang!

The castle gates hit by the meteor shower let out a roar.

Fragments of light bounced in every direction, and fragments of the broken gates fell in torrents.

A cloud of dust rose and then disappeared.

And the appearance of the gate was revealed.

There was a gaping hole as if it had been hit by a meteorite, the shape was twisted, and it seemed to be barely hanging in place.

Looking at the gates, I knew.

Unlike my uncle’s, Arwen’s powers were not perfect.

If she had been complete, not even the shape of the gate would be left.

I turned my head to find Arwen.

From a glance, the back of that figure looked quite tired as she breathed while heaving her shoulders up and down.

But she seemed to have no intention of leaving.

Holding her sword with both hands, she ran toward the castle gates.

And when she finally reached the gates, her sword fell once more.

Saa!

Unlike the first time, there was no aura blade resembling a rain of stars.

Dazzling sword light cut across the gates.

It seemed to remain unchanged.

Then Arwen lowered her sword and extended her hand.

Tuk.

I seemed to hear something like that.

A moment later, the gates began to tilt.

And finally fell completely.

Bang!

The figures of the enemy could be seen beyond the collapsed castle gates.

Dudududu.

The sound of hoofbeats could be heard.

The one hundred knights waiting on the plains reached the gates before I knew it.

The knights disappeared beyond the gates.

As they went, Arwen also disappeared.

I waited quietly.

Keeping my ears pricked, and focusing with my eyes.

I watched the castle, fully prepared to rush out at any time.

Time passed.

“……!”

“……!”

Faint screams could be heard from the Duchy.

“… been defeat…”

“His Excellency the Duke…”

A scream that gradually became clearer.

“His Excellency the Duke has been killed in battle!”

“The knights have been defeated!”

Shortly afterwards, my knight who had disappeared behind the castle wall reappeared.

Arwen, who had dyed her golden armor red, held the flag of a crouching lion up high in one hand.

Woo woo woo!

The horns sounded.

Allies who had been waiting in the military camp began to move toward the castle all at once.

“Your Highness.”

I looked back and saw Carls holding the reins of my horse and looking at me.

I got on the horse without delay.

“Bring him!”

I was about to rush straight down the hill when I glanced down.

Montepellier was there, sprawled out and gasping for breath.

“Bring him!”

“Why, Why am I… ?”

“You didn’t endure it!”

I shouted at Montpellier in exasperation and rushed down the hill.

Palace knights on horseback surrounded me.

However, there was no enemy attack that they feared even after we had reached the gates.

Tat.

Arwen was there on the other side of the gates.

Having come down from the wall at some point, Arwen was kneeling on one knee with her helmet at her waist, waiting for me.

Sweaty hair clung to her forehead and cheeks, and her shoulders heaved.

However, her eyes were brighter than ever.

I jumped off the horse even before it came to a complete stop.

And I ran straight towards her.

“Arwen!”

I raised her up from her knees and hugged her.

“Your servant, Arwen Kirgayen. The orders of Your Highness the Crown Prince have been fulfilled.”

Arwen offered me victory in a calm tone.

Suddenly, the moment I took her in as a knight came to mind.

At the time, I had said I wanted the potential and future of a knight named Arwen Kirgayen.

I had also said that someday she would surpass my uncle.

I dropped my arms and looked at Arwen.

She, who had only been a trainee knight 8 years ago, was now on the brink of becoming a penta-chain knight.

I was proud of her. And I admired her.

I was proud of her for continuing to devote herself without giving in despite facing all sorts of discrimination and unreasonableness, and I admired that she would reach an even higher level in the future.

What she dedicated to me today was not just a stone castle.

More valuable, and far greater than that, it was her whole life itself.

“What is the name of your sword?”

At my words, she shook her head.

“It is a sword that has not yet been completed.”

Arwen, true to herself, was embarrassed to give a name to an unfinished work.

But I thought differently.

That rain of stars still shone vividly in my eyes.

It would be wrong to leave such a wonderful sword without a name.

“Can I give it a name?”

Perhaps my words came as a surprise because Arwen widened her eyes.

“Do as you wish.”

As soon as she finished speaking, I said the name that came to mind.

“Star Cluster.”1

That was the name that had been lingering in my head ever since I saw the pouring rain of stars.

“Let’s call it Star Cluster.”

Saying that, I glanced at Arwen’s expression.

After proposing a name, it would be bad if the other party wasn’t satisfied.

Given Arwen’s personality, even if she didn’t like it, she would accept it without saying anything.

I belatedly regretted my actions, I had done something unnecessary.

“Star Cluster…”

She whispered the name I had chosen.

“If you don’t like it Arwen, later you can…”

“Thank you. Your Highness.”

I had started speaking nervously, when she suddenly thanked me.

A hint of pleasure hung on her lips, and a spark of satisfaction shone in her eyes.

I also began to laugh.

We were laughing at each other like that,

“What the hell was that sword! Sir Arwen!”

When Eli appeared out of nowhere and made a fuss.

“It’s called Star Cluster.”

Arwen calmly told him the name of the sword that I had chosen.

“Awesome swordsmanship! Cool name! Indeed, Sir Arwen is not only good with the sword, but also good at naming!”

Arwen glanced at me and smiled.

Seeing that, Eli laughed out loud.

* * *

While I was naming Arwen’s newly acquired sword, our knights and rangers took care of the fort.

The Briand soldiers had their weapons and armor confiscated, and they were driven into a clearing beneath the city walls.

Some commanders expressed concern at their numbers, but the 1,500 Briand soldiers seemed relieved that they were not being executed and showed no signs of resistance.

I was worried that we would endlessly detain them while they consumed our resources, but a messenger came and informed me that the king and the main army had reached a day’s distance away.

“Good. Let’s hand everything over to them.”

I cheered and put all decisions on hold, awaiting the arrival of our main forces.

And finally the king and the main army arrived.

“No damage to our allies during the siege. There were only a few minor injuries.”

In the duchy’s great hall, Eli stood in front of the king and reported on the war.

The king was greatly surprised and delighted at the fact that there was no damage to the large castle he now had in his hands.

“To capture the enemy’s stronghold while taking no damage is an amazing feat!”

The king who praised Arwen and the hundred knights with a bright voice suddenly looked at me.

“But why are you doing that?”

“Is there something I’m doing?”

When I casually asked, the king frowned and looked at something below me.

I turned my eyes to follow his gaze, and there was that Montpellier who was sweating like rain.

“He committed a mortal sin, but I’m trying to be generous and save him.”

That day, Montpellier couldn’t hold out until the castle fell and had collapsed.

It was a pity.

Still, there was a hateful affection, so I decided to be generous and give him another chance instead of taking his head at once.

“I don’t understand what you mean at all.

Even though the king said that, he didn’t demand further explanation.

He had just asked because the appearance was bizarre, and it didn’t seem like he was particularly sorry for Montpellier.

Neither were the others.

None of the commanders and knights here cared about Montpellier’s situation.

They started discussing the future as if he was invisible.

“Currently, the Dotrin Kingdom’s army is advancing on the southeastern front. Judging by their surging momentum, it seems they will arrive at the promised location in at most 15 days.”

The hands of the commanders moved busily over the map.

“Once they reach their destination, the burden on our allies will be reduced considerably. From here to here, we’ll take care of the western front. The Dotrin army will be responsible for the defense from this area to here.”

Golden lions were lined up at the top of the map, and flying dragons were lined up in the south.

“The real war will begin once Dotrin establishes a front line in the south.

I quietly looked at the map.

The current kingdom had expanded to more than three times its original territory.

The length of our shared border with the Empire had also increased by several times, so it was necessary to divide our insufficient troops to defend the front line.

The Dotrin army had to push to the target location so that our allies would be able to breathe.

“We have two options left. Either forcibly gather troops and advance into the Empire, or secure our current position and wait for another opportunity.”

The commanders looked toward the king in unison.

“If we were going to stop here, we wouldn’t have started a war.”

The king insisted on advancing without the slightest bit of hesitation.

No one disputed this.

Because everyone knew.

That this was a golden opportunity that would never come again, that if we stepped back now, it would become even more difficult later.

While expanding, the kingdom had lost many of its former advantages.

Our narrow borders had been widened and could no longer be defended with a small number of troops. And we could no longer rely on the aid of the harsh climate to repel the Imperial army.

Dotrin was no different.

Although they had more troops than us, it would not be easy for the Dotrin Kingdom to defend their entire front line after losing their natural flood barrier.

Of course, over time, Dotrin and our allies would be able to stabilize the occupied areas and build up our strength, but the Empire would not wait until then.

It was a sign.

The only option left for the kingdom was to go forward.

“As soon as the Dotrin army reaches the target, our troops will resume their advance. The vanguard…”

The king looked at the commanders.

But none of them stepped forward.

No, they couldn’t step forward.

Because the power and momentum I secretly spread was pressing down on them.

And Arwen, the only one with the ability to withstand the pressure, didn’t step forward in consideration of me.

In the end, I was the only one left.

That was what I thought.

“I can…”

Until that bastard Eli backstabbed me.

I stared blankly at Eli, who had jumped up from his seat.

I couldn’t see any consideration for me anywhere on his motivated face.

I was anxious.

I had to close that mouth before that ignorant Eli could finish.

I raised my momentum.

In this moment, Eli was clearly my enemy.

His eyes widened as he looked at me.

His gaze was filled with questions as he stared at me while sweating.

I ignored it.

There was no generosity to spare for an enemy.

I spoke to him with my mouth while mercilessly crushing him with my force.

“Your face is sweating profusely, you look like you’re in desperate need of a break.”

With a worrying tone.

If he insisted to the end saying that he didn’t need a break, I was ready to make it so that he would need one.

I glared at Eli, hoping that he would understand my meaning.

Plop.

It was only then that the oblivious Eli sat back down in his seat.

I smiled contentedly and took my eyes off him.

I turned to look at the king.

The king looked back and forth between me and Eli and sighed.

He could roughly see how the situation had developed.

But I was confident.

I puffed out my chest and raised my chin.

Huff.

I exhaled sharply through my nose and waited for the king to open his mouth.

“The vanguard…”

Soon the king’s mouth opened.

“I will leave it to the crown prince.”

I clenched my fists and jumped off my seat.

“Kkeugh.”

At that moment, Montpellier fell down.

I frowned.

I couldn’t understand why Montpellier kept throwing away his chances even though I tried to save him.

Still, today I was ready to show mercy.

Giving the weak-willed Montpellier another chance wasn’t too difficult.

* * *

Ten days passed.

“The Dotrin army has advanced to the promised location!”

The long-awaited news had arrived.

There was no reason to hesitate.

All that was left was to cross the border and advance into the Empire.

I looked at the vanguard that was ready for battle.

A blind old knight whose thoughts were unreadable.

A weak war maniac who only worried about me whether asleep or awake.

A palace knight burning with an excessive sense of duty.

Even in this situation, two hundred rangers were busy chatting,

And three hundred swords that had been broken and reforged were quietly lined up.

Three half-human half-ghosts.

And a chair.

“Advance.”

A total of five hundred and seven troops began to move in unison.