Virgin Knight Who Is the Frontier Lord in the Gender Switched World - Chapter 135

Ultimately, the Cologne knight was resuscitated through efforts that involved removing her armor, securing her airway by Lord Polydoro, artificial respiration by Yue-dono, and repeated compressions to her chest by me.

A strong blow to the chest can sometimes stop a beating heart—such incidents are rare even in training.

It seems that due to the Cologne Sect’s ritual of heart-striking, their treatment methods have been passionately researched.

According to their doctrine, the goal is not to stop the heart but to resuscitate from such a state.

“It is a sacred act that emulates the deeds of the Savior. Only through resuscitation do we align with the Lord’s will,” Lord Polydoro said.

The treatment method we just applied was meticulously researched by the Cologne Sect to determine how exactly the Savior managed to perform the miracle of resuscitation, Lord Polydoro explained.

If it’s scientifically possible, then it’s not a miracle, I retorted, yet the Savior accomplished this with just a fist.

The Cologne Sect insists that it is a miracle, and poor Lord Polydoro, who has been brainwashed by this fanatic sect since childhood, agrees.

“The New Era—the year the Savior was born is considered the first year of the new century, and the bible is referred to as ‘The Legend of the New Era Savior’ within the Cologne Sect,” he continued.

Unwanted trivia.

The Cologne Sect offers glimpses of bizarre wisdom born from a mad history.

Yet, born from madness, it never returns to sanity.

If it starts there, it’s only natural that the conclusions are tragic.

“Lady Alexandra,” Yue-dono whispered to me, deep in thought.

“Even in Phayron, there were quite a few mad people like those in the Cologne Sect,” said the guest general from the now-fallen dynasty of Phayron to Virendorf.

Was it meant to comfort me, or was it a claim that Phayron was no better?

If the former, it’s a hollow comfort, and if the latter, perhaps Phayron deserved its fate.

I don’t voice it to avoid conflict, but that thought lingers.

Enough of this.

The Cologne knight was revived, acknowledged her defeat, and departed.

The three of us continued walking through the dimly lit fortress, with the next dueling opponent already in sight.

“I’ve been waiting,” said the fourth dueling opponent, a foreigner like a samurai.

Though she wore Western armor, the skin visible through the helmet’s slit was not of an imperial citizen.

Just as I was about to look at Yue-dono for more details, I sensed an intense killing intent.

“Question,” said Yue-dono, the source of the killing intent.

As bystanders, we were armored but only carried knives at our waists.

“Ever since I saw you standing behind Duchess Temeraire at Queen Katarina’s side—I suspected you might be from the race that destroyed my homeland,” Yue-dono muttered, drawing her blade.

The opponent must be from the nomadic cavalry nation that destroyed Phayron.

Yue-dono spoke with conviction.

I was momentarily lost, but Lord Polydoro responded to Yue-dono’s fury.

“Yue-dono, this is my opponent for the duel, and you are merely a witness. No interference is necessary,” he stated logically.

What followed was a moment of tension, then a sharp sniff.

Her passion remained, but she accepted the reasoning.

“I’m sorry, Lord Polydoro. I’ll leave the rest to you,” Yue-dono calmed down.

Lord Polydoro’s word settled her.

Yes, there are many questions and doubts.

However—

“To you, what is your name in the Mad Boar Knights’? If possible, I’d like to know your origins as well. I’m asking all my opponents this,” Lord Polydoro inquired.

This was his duel, and he would ask all the questions.

The opponent answered.

“My name is ‘The Defeated.’ As Yue-dono discerned, I was once the chief of a tribe in the great plains north of Phayron. However, there’s a slight discrepancy in what Yue-dono believes,” the opponent replied, challenging Yue-dono’s fiery gaze.

“Stop getting angry. Do you think the nomadic equestrian nation is merely a single tribe? Ah, surely you know better than that. You’re suspicious of something, aren’t you?”

Yue-dono understands what she’s implying. Despite this, she laughs.

Lord Polydoro, unable to hold back any longer, interrupts.

“Let’s keep the provocations towards Yue-dono to a minimum. If you’re not going to answer the question directly—”

“I’ll cut off your limbs right here,” he mutters under his breath. She laughs again.

“How terrifying. Indeed, I hail from that nation. But it was ten years ago when I fled from that country to Duchess Temeraire’s territory. I fought alongside Lord Reckenber, beaten by outcasts and samurai, and was in the Holy Gusten Empire by the time they attacked Faylon. I have never attacked Faylon.”

After frowning, Yue-dono—convinced he was telling the truth—sheathes her knife. Lord Polydoro continues.

“Just to be clear—Duchess Temeraire isn’t colluding with the nomadic equestrian nation, using you as an intermediary?”

“Betraying the Holy Gusten Empire, huh? Well, that would be a concern.”

Lord Polydoro chimes in with a laugh, waving his hand dismissively from side to side.

“No, if she was capable of such finesse, we wouldn’t be in this situation. That woman, Duchess Temeraire, despises bowing to others more than death itself. Why on earth would she bow to others when he doesn’t even want to bow to the Empress?”

I was somewhat suspecting collusion myself.

But if she was that type of person, we wouldn’t be in this complicated situation. We all understood.

“Rather than suspecting collusion, Duchess Temeraire has strongly urged the electorate to prepare for the nomadic equestrian nations, influencing Anhalt and Virendorf alike. I don’t want her to be misunderstood because of some mistaken suspicion.”

…Inside the Holy Gusten Empire, someone had suggested that instead of fighting over Anhalt and Virendorf, they should focus on preparing against the nomadic equestrian nations.

Someone had urged this warning.

Certainly, someone central to the empire, at least a powerful prince, would know.

“It’s true that Duchess Temeraire is a hardliner when it comes to the nomadic equestrian nations.”

“That is true, indeed. Well, Duchess Temeraire was quite stunned when Lord Reckenber died, which delayed her initial response.”

So stop doubting.

That’s what the defeated lord muttered.

“Duchess Temeraire has fulfilled her role. She did the bare minimum she had to under the military contracts with the empire. She appealed to the Empress, to Her Holiness the Pope, to the electors, but no one moved as Duchess Temeraire wished.”

In the end, Duchess Temeraire only admitted to being defeated by Lord Reckenber in her lifetime, even letting her down.

A mutual misunderstanding.

With a slightly irritating expression, the defeated lord spoke thus.

“That’s why she decided to do it herself. Duchess Temeraire is, well, that kind of person. It’s inevitable that she would come to such a conclusion. Well, all I have to do is follow her.”

The defeated lord seemed indifferent.

As if everything could go either way.

Yet there was one thing only.

“Why do you serve Duchess Temeraire, seeming so indifferent? Why do you call yourself a defeated one?”

The fourth superhuman of the ‘Mad Boar Knights’ in front of him still hadn’t given up his loyalty to Duchess Temeraire.

Lord Polydoro asked that.

“To tell you that, I have to talk about myself. My origins, my tribe’s story. Did you know that in the vast highlands north of the Faylon Dynasty, there are lands where people need not wander the sea of grass? My tribe was based there, leading a life of semi-settlement and semi-nomadic existence. I took over as chief while still young, but my family supported me in that.”

The defeated lord spoke wistfully.

“I was simply living my life, dreaming of marrying my beloved fiancée and passing on the small spark of my tribe’s legacy. I imagined expanding our modest living base and eventually building a large city through trade with Faylon.”

For a moment, her face held a strange pride. But she quickly continued in a self-mocking tone.

“One day, a mysterious girl arrived. She was an odd girl, still youthful in appearance, yet she seemed to see the ends of the great plains. Her name was Seora. She was the second daughter of Toktoa Khan, who had already won major battles and united the tribes. She came to demand my submission.”

“And then?”

“There was no hope of winning from the start. I accepted her dominance. If it meant saving my tribe, then so be it. Some of my hot-blooded relatives disagreed, but ultimately, I convinced them through force.”

The ways of the East are beyond my comprehension, but that’s how it is. There is no point in fighting a battle you cannot win. I believe her decision was wise.

“That was all fine. Toktoa Khan was generous to her allies and lavished rewards without hesitation. Those who refused allegiance were massacred as effortlessly as breathing, but I had accepted from the start. I thought, if I could just contribute as a superhuman, the future of my tribe seemed bright. I thought everything was settled simply.”

But, it seems it didn’t work out that way.

“However, Toktoa Khan made it clear right in front of me. She said she liked my fiancée and would take him, returning him once she was bored. The finance bureaucrats said they could use my lands as a trade city, so they took everything. They told me they’d prepare alternative grazing lands and that everyone should move there. They said I was to give up my chieftain position to someone else since I was going to be part of Seora’s superhuman squadron.”

Her fiancée, her ancestral lands, her status—everything.

“Toktoa Khan preaches about being generous to her allies, but she showed me no consideration. Once I acknowledged my submission, it was just about taking everything from me. She was a complete liar.”

Everything was taken from her.

“And then?”

Lord Polydoro, with his eyes closed, murmured as if imagining himself in the same situation.

“I threw everything away and fled. It was clear I could never win if I fought. Choosing the path of allegiance might have left a chance for my fiancée and family to be happy. But I couldn’t bear to quietly submit to such humiliating treatment. I thought Toktoa Khan wouldn’t care if just I disappeared.”

Wandering through the Silk Road that I had only heard of in old stories, walking down the paths of grass, I eventually arrived in Duchess Temeraire’s territory as a traveler.

So the defeated lord spoke.

“One day, I was summoned by Duchess Temeraire. At that time, I was making a living as a merchant’s guard and had caught her attention by repelling a band of mountain bandits. When Duchess Temeraire asked about my origins, I answered honestly with a self-mocking tone, ‘I am the defeated one.'”

The defeated lord had a wry smile.

“So, what did Duchess Temeraire say?”

Lord Polydoro asked with keen interest.

“She simply said, ‘If you’re alive, you’re winning.'”

I think it’s not that simple.

Sadly, the defeated lord before me has completely lost in the tumults of life.

“If you had killed yourself, even if someone had cried out of sympathy for you, you would eventually be forgotten. As a complete loser, there’s nothing you could do. But if you’re alive, there are still chances for revenge. The opportunity for a rematch remains. Just win next time. You haven’t lost yet.”

Gradually, I’m becoming curious about Duchess Temeraire’s values.

Her perspective is narrow, and her character is that of a small woman who throws out a parting shot and runs away, no matter how much she loses.

“A person only truly loses when they recognize themselves as defeated. Unless you disappear into the ocean of Okeanos, the game isn’t over. The victory is yet to come!”

However, it is a strangely bizarre way to live.

“Even after hearing that, I thought I had lost to Toktoa Khan for sure. But strangely, before I knew it, I had become a subordinate of Duchess Temeraire. While watching my beloved Duchess, who has tried to kill Reckenber five times and yet refuses to admit defeat, I realized she meant those words sincerely at that time.”

The defeated lord exhaled deeply.

“Well, I’ve come to understand that following this fool isn’t so bad.”

A sound like the crack of small bones echoed.

It was Lord Polydoro turning his neck loudly, preparing for battle.

“Well, what can I say? Whether it makes sense or not. Toktoa Khan is a liar, and Duchess Temeraire is honest to the point of being mockable. Despite some unease, that’s the reason I call myself a defeated one, and why Duchess Temeraire is my beloved lord. I serve her completely based on my feelings. Do you understand, Lord Polydoro?”

“I understand. I do not agree with all of Duchess Temeraire’s opinions, but well, what can I say?”

Lord Polydoro laughed with slight amusement.

“Sounds like quite the interesting lord, doesn’t she?”

“Doesn’t she?”

Together with the defeated lord, their laughter rasped.

Just then, the clash of swords resounded throughout the area.

Both parties screamed vehemently, unleashing their sword skills with all their might.

The duel ended with Lord Polydoro’s victory at the thirteenth clang of metal.