Getting To Know The King: Conclusion

View of Graham-Yodo-Fregis, Former King of the Fregis Kingdom

From the moment I first laid eyes on him, I knew he was no ordinary man.

That was not exactly why, but I spoke in a somewhat provocative way to probe his true intentions. However, this king’s words were straightforward from beginning to end.

Contrary to the commanding aura he wore, he spoke of ideals like those of an infant as his kingly path, and even took pride in himself, his retainers, and his nation as though accomplishing them were only natural.

Yet I sensed no fanaticism or arrogance there at all. I was simply shown overwhelming confidence and trust.

I had always thought that the people were weak beings who would lose their way and hesitate unless they were guided.

No, that has not changed even now. That was why I could not possibly believe that the path the King of Einheria aimed for could be realized.

However, when I was told that the only difference between those who currently stood above others and ordinary people was their environment, I felt something bitter inside my chest.

The difference between the people and nobles… no, since Einheria had abolished the aristocratic system, the difference between those who held important national posts and the common people did not even need to be restated. It was a difference in knowledge.

Those who governed stood as governors because they possessed knowledge, and they stood above those without knowledge and exercised authority over them.

That was not something granted solely by heaven, but something brought about by the accumulation of history, and by monopolization.

To put it well, it was to make governance proceed smoothly. To put it badly, it was so that those who already reigned above others could monopolize profit.

All people were selfish, and the more power someone already possessed, the stronger that feeling became.

The king himself was trying to easily release such vested interests… no, if it were truly possible to give knowledge to all people, that country might achieve tremendous development.

Even among nobles who had studied hard and trained their bodies since childhood, there was still an obvious difference in talent.

There was no way every noble could be outstanding simply because they were noble, and there were no few who were branded incompetent.

However, such people taking important posts through the power of connections and family names, then committing foolish acts… was probably a problem that could happen in any country. It often happens in my country as well.

But by spreading knowledge throughout the entire country, selecting outstanding people from a larger denominator, and enriching the nation… if that could be realized in an ideal form, then it would certainly produce tremendous results… but at the same time, it carried great risks for the current rulers.

Those who were supposed to have been insignificant until now would suddenly transform into beings who might threaten them.

How many rulers would accept that?

At the very least, I did not have that capacity… no, I had not even thought of it.

I found the King of Einheria interesting, as he tried to create beings who might threaten himself with his own hands, yet declared without hesitation that he would stand above them with absolute confidence.

That king, who could be called excessively self-confident, had easily lowered his head and asked a defeated man to lend him strength, even while saying he would guide the people.

A king’s head was not a light thing… however, perhaps the King of Einheria believed that the very common sense that a king’s head was not light had value he could use.

That was how casually he had declared that I should lend him my strength. Not by command, but by my own will.

They were words that could be taken as arrogant, but I did not feel anything unpleasant from them. Honestly, by that point, I had thought that I would not mind becoming the King of Einheria’s strength.

However, since I had the chance, I wanted to see this king’s personal martial strength.

No matter how I looked at him, this king seemed like the type who would take up the sword and fight himself… or so I thought, but after we actually came to the training ground, the King of Einheria became strangely reluctant.

It was not that he was shrinking back, nor did he seem to dislike fighting.

Why was he avoiding crossing swords with me? I did not know whether it was an answer to that question, but the King of Einheria said he would warm up against one of his subordinates and began crossing swords with him.

At first, they struck their swords together slowly and carefully, but the situation changed after the King of Einheria suddenly launched a kick.

The swordplay grew fiercer, and I could barely follow it with my eyes… no, even from this distance, it was at the limit of what I could see. Despite myself, I was captivated by the skill of the two, who handled it as though it were nothing.

But putting that aside… was it truly all right, in various senses, to launch a thrust at the face of the monarch one served that might kill him if it went poorly?

…No, that thrust was certainly dangerous to release in a mock battle, but perhaps the greater problem was the magic the King of Einheria released afterward without chanting.

It was easily cut down by a sword… no, this was troubling… should I be surprised that he cut magic with a sword, or should I be surprised by that magic…? I was becoming confused.

The reason I had the time to think so calmly was because the two stopped moving immediately afterward and reset the match… but even while confused, that was as much as I could understand.

The two who began moving again were… how should I put it, beyond normal.

A wall of great flame and running lightning made the magic released earlier seem like child’s play.

The offense and defense unfolding as though weaving through the gaps between them were far too fast to follow with the eye, and only the intermittent ringing of clashing swords conveyed how fierce it was.

Even as they continued such an intense exchange, the two did not separate as they had earlier. They maintained sword range, constantly shifted their bodies in and out, and continued swinging their swords while sometimes mixing in magic.

However, their sword speed was simply too fast, so I was only vaguely grasping it from their footwork… but with this, my sword would not even be able to touch them.

I glanced at the practice sword stabbed into the ground beside me.

Martial strength was not necessarily required for a king… no, if anything, it was probably an unnecessary ability.

Of course, one needed enough cultivation to defend oneself to some degree, but personal combat ability was not necessary at all.

Even if a king appeared on the battlefield, someone foolish enough to swing his own sword would… well, probably not exist aside from me.

I had trained without fail and strengthened my body in order to run at the front even on the battlefield.

I would not say I was the strongest in the Fregis Kingdom, but even so, I prided myself on being among the top five.

But even then, I probably did not even reach this king’s feet.

Training in the sword could not be accomplished overnight, yet the King of Einheria had mastered it to an unbelievable level. And what was even more surprising was that the King of Einheria had also learned magic.

The reason mages went to war wearing easy-to-move-in leather armor and without swords was not because they had the powerful weapon called magic, but simply because they did not have the physical strength to fight with swords or spears.

That was not a matter of them lacking training as soldiers.

Learning magic and becoming proficient in it required extraordinary effort and time… the returns were considerable in exchange, but conversely, they had no leeway to reach out toward other things.

The effects of magic were immense.

Though its range did not match that of a bow, its area of effect and versatility exceeded the frame of mere weapons. Whether in wartime or peacetime, magic was a useful skill.

That was precisely why each country took the lead in training mages and enclosed the mages they had raised within the nation.

It was said that one could train a thousand foot soldiers for the cost of raising a single mage. Learning magic was that difficult and expensive, and on top of that, it was influenced by talent.

The King of Einheria, who used that magic so effortlessly at such casting speed, was undoubtedly first-rate as a mage too… no, perhaps even beyond that.

To begin with, I had never heard of using magic without needing to chant.

Skill with the sword and magic… a king who handled both at more than first-rate ability… the King of Einheria was undoubtedly the sort of person one would call a hero.

And that swordsman, who handled such a person with only a sword… no, who fought him as an equal or better, was probably also…

Two heroes in a country whose name I had not even heard until only a few months ago…?

If it had been me not long ago, I would have laughed it off as nonsense… but the situation unfolding before my eyes did not allow that.

…Fighting the King of Einheria would have been reckless.

By watching the King of Einheria fight like this, I understood. I understood why the King of Einheria had hesitated to fight me.

Most likely, he truly was bad at holding back… though considering the difference in our abilities, it felt like needless worry, but the King of Einheria’s sword was definitely not drawing-room swordsmanship. It was undoubtedly a sword for actual combat.

He was probably not used to doing things like reducing his strength or stopping his blade just short… the opponent the King of Einheria was currently sparring with was probably more skilled with the sword than the king himself… so it was likely the harmful effect of practicing with an opponent against whom he could strike with full force without any hesitation.

Part of me wanted to experience that blow… but if the King of Einheria’s blow went badly, it might end my life with that single strike.

…However, after being shown a battle like this, doing nothing with my body would be…

If possible, could I perhaps ask that swordsman currently sparring with the King of Einheria for one exchange?

As I thought that, I watched the King of Einheria’s mock battle. Its momentum showed no signs of stopping, and its intensity only kept increasing.

View of Fels, the Overlord Who Could Not Hold Back

One way or another, I ended up getting heated in my mock battle with Jōsen, but the end came easily.

“Tch…”

I failed to receive Jōsen’s blow properly, and the practice sword in my hand shattered.

“Hmm, that is one point, my lord.”

“Even with magic allowed, I still cannot reach you, Jōsen.”

“Ha ha ha! I am your sword, my lord. If I were to fall behind the lord I should serve, I would be too ashamed to claim the name.”

“I see… I am glad my sword is so reliable. I will be counting on you from now on as well.”

“As you command.”

Even after we had exchanged blows that fiercely, Jōsen bowed his head with a face that showed no fatigue at all.

Well, I could not really talk about others either.

Putting mental fatigue aside, physically I was not tired at all, and I was not even out of breath.

Really, these specs were wonderful.

While thinking that, I headed toward Graham with the shattered sword in one hand.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. As you can see, I lost, but my body has warmed up. What will you do, Graham?”

I wanted him to decline if possible, but if he said he wanted to do it, I would set the condition that I would only defend.

“…I would like to say it was a magnificent battle… but forgive me. The two of you were too fast with your swords, and halfway through, I could barely tell what you were doing.”

Graham said that with a sigh.

Did this mean he understood the difference in our ability?

“After being shown something like that, even I painfully understood the difference in ability. With my level of skill, even if I challenged you a hundred times, I would be killed a hundred times and that would be the end of it. You being bad at holding back… was that serious?”

“…Yes. I had absolutely no intention of mocking you. It was a statement born from my own immaturity.”

Relieved that he understood, I nodded with an extremely serious expression.

“I would like to object to the word immaturity… however, I was shown something good. I thank you.”

After saying that, Graham slowly dropped to one knee on the ground.

“Your Majesty, King of Einheria, please use this Graham’s strength however you see fit, as a small aid toward realizing your ideal. Your vessel as a king, your nation’s power, your personal martial strength, and the ability of your retainers—no matter which I consider, there is no doubt you are the finest of this age, and I have been deeply impressed by all of it. Though belated, I apologize for my earlier rudeness, and if I may be allowed, I would like to swear absolute loyalty to Einheria.”

“I accept your apology and your loyalty. I will have you work to your heart’s content for this Einheria, Graham.”

“Yes, sir!”

I was surprised that he had suddenly become this obedient… but at any rate, we could now use personnel from the Fregis Kingdom side, so I could call the operation to show off our strength a great success.

It seemed I would be able to give Kiriku and Ilmitt a good report.

Now then, that aside…

“By the way, Graham.”

“Yes, sir!”

“It feels kind of creepy, so go back to the way you usually speak.”

“…”

Graham, who had been kneeling on one knee with his head lowered, raised his face… but his expression seemed somewhat dissatisfied.

“After acting that insolent, it is too late for that now, right? I permit it. Deal with me the way you usually do.”

“…Kings and countries are mostly completed by appearances and bluff, you know?”

As Graham stood up and patted the sand off his knee, he said that in a very dissatisfied manner.

“Stiff things like that are enough when they are needed for external appearances. If anything, I thought you would agree with that sort of thing.”

“…For the first time, I understand how my retainers felt when they criticized my attitude. I see… so this was how they felt.”

Graham muttered with a distant look in his eyes.

“For now, how about trying to call me without a title?”

“…I understand more and more how the people I ordered around felt… ah, so this was what they were thinking back then… I did them wrong.”

Graham’s distant gaze grew deeper and deeper… it seemed he was gaining a deeper understanding of his subordinates, but what about ignoring me?

“Ah, Fels. Was he called Lord Jōsen? Could you let me spar with that swordsman? I know I cannot come close, but please! Unlike you, he is someone who can hold back, right?”

Despite having that distant look in his eyes, he called me without a title surprisingly easily.

Well, that speed in switching felt very much like him, though…

“Jōsen will probably hold back for you, so go get beaten to a pulp with peace of mind. Jōsen! Face Graham for me!”

When I gave permission, Graham happily carried the two-handed sword and headed toward Jōsen.

Was it not strange that he called me without a title while attaching an honorific to Jōsen?

I thought that, but decided to accept that it was because I had ordered him to call me without a title.

At any rate, it was probably fine to consider the problem regarding the former Fregis Kingdom solved with this.

It seemed I could finally move on to the next matter.