< The Duke's Apprentice (1) >
The Duke of Bismarck.
If the Raven duchy was a sword-worshipping family, the Bismarck duchy was a magic-worshipping family.
Unlike the Raven dukes, who had taken over the Imperial Guard Sword position for generations, they took the position of the Imperial Court Wizard or Prime Minister.
It’s like the difference between a martial artist and a literary family.
That is why they were always often compared.
Swords and magic were both difficult fields to distinguish between superiority and inferiority.
Of course, at the time, most of the people used to predict that Raven would have the upper hand in a direct confrontation.
When the power of Raven, a grand master who transcended human limits, was added to the rare weapon called Stormbringer, it was truly incomparable.
Raven dukes who were former guardian swordsmen of the empire earned the nickname ‘Magician Killer’ by cutting magic with their swords.
That’s why the reputation and status of the Raven duchy were always considered as the best family in the empire in the past days.
However, decades later, Duke Bismarck was in power and the Duke of Raven was driven out of the country.
-It’s all because of me who lacks everything…
Nigel reproached himself.
In fact, Nigel became the next Duke of Raven.
He had excellent administrative and management skills, but unfortunately he was not as good at swordsmanship as his older brother.
And although everyone shushes, this was one of the reasons that weakened the power of a family famous for swordsmanship.
Most of the masters of swordsmanship saw the reputation of an excellent swordsman and talented people flocked to help them.
– Still don’t understand. Even without me, there were many talented people in my family.
Raven questioned.
That’s also true, because there were numerous residences in the Raven Duke’s family, except for Raven, who was the grand master and head of the household.
However, Nigel’s expression turned bitter at Raven’s question.
– Everyone has left.
-what? What did that mean?
– Most of them have been scattered into different families. Now, there are only a few really loyal ones left.
-…Did Gilly leave too?
-Yeah….
-Couldn’t Dyron have left?
-…He’s been gone for a long time too.
-Huh….
The knights who were the pillars of Duke Raven.
Raven was stunned by the story that they had all left, who seemed to have sworn allegiance to their ducal family for the rest of their lives.
-…I must have looked at the wrong person. We’ve been together for hundreds of years, but to leave so easily.
Gilly was a master of the bow enough to form a separate family.
On top of that, even Dairon, an iron-walled knight who made a name for himself with his unique shield technique.
All of the representative vassals of the Raven dukedom, who could chew and chew on all tolerable sword masters, all left.
Even when Raven was in good health, the shock was bigger because they had been like family, almost like brothers.
-They must have had circumstances.
-I’m sure… There must have been a reason.
As Nigel defended, Raven also nodded with a firm expression.
Seeing his older brother like that, Nigel struggles inside.
‘…The reason is that there is no future here….’
After Raven disappeared, the Raven dukedom’s right to speak within the imperial family was greatly weakened.
They lost their interests one by one as they were hit and run in the political battle between nobles.
Everyone thought that the Raven duchy had no future, so they turned their backs at one o’clock one day, and the Raven duchy was pushed back and forth.
In the end, the Duchy of Raven was deprived of its original duchy location, which was close to the imperial family, and had no choice but to be pushed back to the current Shardbang area.
The superficial reason was the recovery of the territory due to the deterioration of the imperial family’s finances due to the long war.
Originally, it was possible because all the lands of nobles belonged to the imperial family, but historically, the lands paid were never recovered without disqualification.
Most of the reasons for disqualification were treason.
But to think that he would openly take away the territory of the family he had been loyal to for generations.
However, the imperial family was no longer on the side of the Duke of Raven.
In fact, a group of people who were jealous of the Raven duchy, who always held the highest positions.
In other words, the Raven duchy had many enemies.
And just in time, everyone turned their backs, taking advantage of their weakening gap.
The Duke of Raven was eventually pushed to the periphery.
On the surface, it seemed as if they were given the fertile granary of Chardebain, but this is only a glorification of the past.
Now it was a terrible area full of monsters.
Isn’t it okay from monsters because of the dragon’s barrier?
Not like that.
The dragon’s barrier also had clear limits.
It is maintained almost semi-permanently as if it supplies magic itself, but the stronger the attack of the monsters, the stronger they lose their power.
Eventually, the barrier is pierced, and at this time, a monster intrusion occurs.
That is why the soldiers desperately defended the barrier.
If the barrier is breached, their lives and their families are at risk.
Because of this, countless military resources had no choice but to constantly pour in for supply, which drove the Raven duchy almost to the brink of bankruptcy.
The wealth that the Duke of Raven had accumulated over hundreds of years at the peak also quickly ran out.
And the soldiers and knights who experienced this hellish area.
All of them, in a corner of their hearts, wanted to get out of here.
There was probably no other thing than Gilly and Dyron, who were faithful vassals.
‘However, it will change now.’
Nigel felt bitter inside, but at the same time he felt hope welling up.
The reason is that his older brother Raven has returned.
Just by looking at his tense face, it seemed that all problems would be solved now.
And Raven nodded after recognizing Nigel’s gaze.
-Don’t worry. I’ll fix everything now
I never thought his brother’s calm voice could be so trustworthy.
Nigel’s eyes turned red.
– I believe. older brother.
-Are you crying? The older you get, the more tears you have.
-Haha I already have three grandchildren. That age is well over.
Nigel said, wiping away tears from his eyes.
– Uhm… Is it like that already?
Thirty years had turned the young brother into an old man.
The wrinkles around her eyes seemed to show her hardships, so Raven couldn’t help but feel sorry for them.
It was a time when everyone was silent in that solemn atmosphere.
Jeobeok-jeobeok-jeobeok-
Sang-woo and Raven sensed someone walking from far away.
Since they have already felt most of the movements of the characters residing within the castle, they should not take it seriously, but this is a sign of a new person who has entered the castle.
That’s why when you pay attention to that movement.
The figure went straight to the reception room and opened the old door of the reception room.
The door creaks
open.
What appeared there was a single female knight with only his face exposed, wrapped in iron armor.
Just looking at her face, she was an outstanding beauty with silver hair and silver eyes.
‘It’s pretty.’
Around the time when even Sang-woo, who has a girlfriend, thought that way without even knowing it.
“When I heard the news that the head of the family had returned, I committed rudeness out of curiosity. Please forgive the rudeness. Lord.”
The female knight knelt down to Nigel and bowed according to the manner of the Urentian Empire.
And Nigel, who clicked his tongue at the sight.
-I told you that you don’t have to be so polite to your grandparents… Wake up, Kairin.
Perhaps the female knight was Nigel’s granddaughter.
Sang-woo was surprised.
‘A granddaughter? Huh…’
Nigel looked much older than Raven, but he didn’t look old enough to have a female knight named Kairin as his granddaughter.
Rather than feeling like a grandfather, it was more like a handsome middle-aged man.
Besides, that female lady looked quite mature to simply be seen as a teenager.
‘When your granddaughter is in her 2 or 30s, at what age did she have a child?’
Around the time Sang-woo suddenly lost his mind in the wrong place.
Kairin stood up and looked at the former head of the household, Raven.
“…Are you the former head of the family?”
The Urensian imperial language that Sang-woo could not understand.
However, the meaningful tone felt there also broke his thoughts and looked at Kairin.
-Yes. I am Kaisel Raven. you are the granddaughter nice to meet.
Since she is her brother’s granddaughter, she is like a granddaughter to Raven.
That’s why a smile appeared on Raven’s face.
However, Kairin’s face was not like that.
Rather serious situation.
“Are you the heir to the Stormbringer swordsmanship?”
-Yes.
“Then teach me how to use the Stormbringer sword.”
– Hmm?
I want you to teach me swordsmanship as soon as I see you.
By the time Raven was a little flustered, he was confused.
Kairin bowed his head again in politeness.
“Your… no, I want to become a disciple of the head of the household. Please accept me as your disciple.”
-Um…
Raven was silent for a while in the sudden situation.
But he rather asked Kairin.
-Why do you want to learn the Stormbringer swordsmanship?
At those words, Kairin, who had been lowering her head, quietly raised her head.
She looks at Raven with burning eyes.
“…That way, Stormbringer’s pulse won’t be cut off.”
A challenging voice with a slight resentment.
It contained a rebuke to Raven.
Yes.
A Stormbringer swordsmanship that handles the Wind Weapon Stormbringer.
The swordsmanship, which only the head of the Raven duchy had learned and used from generation to generation, was passed on orally without a separate swordsmanship, so other people could never learn it except for the head of the family and the head of the Soga at the time.
It was the family’s vision that had been passed on in such a secret way.
It was a dangerous method of transmission that could lead to a catastrophic event in which the user of the sword method would be cut off immediately if the user died.
‘It’s not dangerous. Who in the world could kill the user of the Stormbringer sword?’
But it was an expression of confidence.
A rare swordsmanship that leads to a grand master.
In addition, one of the elemental swords, the magic sword Stormbringer.
It was nonsense to kill the former Raven dukes, who were practically nothing more than national strategic weapons.
But was it true that nothing is eternal and absolute in the world?
Even the heir to the Stormbringer swordsmanship, which seemed to last forever, disappeared without a sound in the wake of Black Friday.
The only thing left in the battlefield was the abandoned magic sword, Stormbringer.
Because of this, everyone was sad that Duke Raven had died and that the Stormbringer’s method of swordsmanship had been cut off.
In fact, until then, Raven didn’t have a formal disciple, that is, Sogaju.
This was largely the reason why he had no children because he could not get married because he was busy fighting the war for a long time.
Most of the time, the position of Sogaju, that is, the apprentice of the Stormbringer swordsmanship, was taken by the son of the householder.
That’s why he greeted the best wife and passed on swordsmanship to his children after seeing good offspring.
However, the lifeblood of the Stormbringer, which seemed to last forever, was cut off in an instant.
The Raven duchy was almost on the brink of collapse.
Is that why?
The challenging gaze of the current Kairin. Why didn’t
they
make disciples in advance?
Why didn’t I learn the Stormbringer swordsmanship beforehand?
Why did he throw away his family and disappear, only to appear now?
It contained such rebuke.
And what she was asking for was clear.
‘Because it will disappear like that, please teach the swordsmanship beforehand.’
It meant that he would learn the swordsmanship himself and inherit the family vein.
And Raven reads Kairin’s rebuke from her words.
As if having a snowball fight, Raven stared at her for a long time before sighing.
– I’m sorry, but I can’t.
“…no way. Why… why the hell not?”
Kairin’s tone raised a little, as if he didn’t know how to refuse.
“Can’t it be because I’m a woman?”
And the words of Kairin added.
There were many meanings when he said that he couldn’t do it because he was a woman.
A woman’s body is physically weaker than a man’s.
That’s why he became a knight despite the worries of many people.
The hardships and discrimination that I went through in the process.
All those sorrows and grievances.
But Raven shook his head as if that wasn’t the case.
– It’s not like that. It’s not because you’re a woman. It’s just because I already have a disciple.
As he finished his words, Raven looked at Sangwoo.
Then, Kairin looked at Sangwoo.
Surprised eyes as if asking if you, who thought you were a folding screen, were Raven’s disciple.
And Sang-woo was just embarrassed.
‘What is it? Why are you looking at me?’
Kairin spoke the language of the Urensian Empire, so Sangwoo couldn’t understand what she was saying.
I’m just guessing that you’re talking about a disciple by talking about what you’re a disciple.
‘Is that person a disciple?’
Although he didn’t say Sang-woo was his disciple, Kairin could tell that Sang-woo was a disciple just by looking at Raven’s eyes.
So, she carefully examined Sang-woo’s appearance.
Sang-woo is sitting quietly on an old sofa and listening with his hands clasped.
Dressed in a skin-tight black suit (combat suit) that was not seen in the Empire, his body looked quite large even when he was sitting, and his muscles were bulging.
It was a fairly well-trained body.
However, it was difficult to gauge the strength of a person based on his appearance alone.
Only true masters were able to spread the aura inside the body into the atmosphere and grasp the feeling, so it was nothing with Kairin’s current skills.
So, Kairin stood up and asked.
“Are you a disciple of the former head of Raven?”
And Sang-woo stared blankly at those words directed at him.
He couldn’t understand a word she said.
So, after a moment of silence, he replied with a smile.
“Hello, this is Jeong Sang-woo.”
And Kairin couldn’t understand Sangwoo’s words.
‘What do you mean?’
However, she had her say.
“I want to compete with you.”
I wanted to test my skills against him.
He wanted to find out for himself if he was truly a suitable successor to the Stormbringer swordsmanship.
And Sang-woo, who also did not understand the language.
“Oh, nice to meet you too.”
< The Duke's Apprentice (1) > End
