Vol 3 Chapter 54 – Dagger Dance【Empire War Arc】

When Roy’s group arrived at the Ignia estate, a butler stood at the gate and greeted them with an elegant bow.

“We have been eagerly awaiting your arrival.”

Just as a welcoming atmosphere filled the air, Ange stopped the butler.

“I’m technically former royalty, but does Eiden Ignia already know?”

“Yes, the master is aware. Our intelligence network extends beyond just Stark. Now then, allow me to escort you to the manor.”

The butler maintained his smile and began leading the way.

Once inside, a figure who appeared to be Eiden approached with outstretched arms. His build was somewhat slender, he wore glasses, and his hair was styled with minimal effort. His outfit consisted of noble attire with a white coat thrown over it, creating a jarring impression.

Including his facial features, the overall impression was—a weird pretty boy.

The figure presumed to be Eiden exchanged a hug with Sophia, celebrating her safety.

“Sophia, have you been well?”

“Eiden, it was an incredibly treacherous journey, but we somehow managed to rescue the Shadow Clan.”

“I see, so this black-haired youth is…?”

“Yes, he’s Roy.”

Eiden stood before Roy and began his greeting.

“I’m Eiden Ignia, a lower-class noble from the frontier and founder of the Anti-Nobility Armed Organization, Stark. Pleasure to meet you!”

“I’m Roy of the Shadow Clan. Thanks for helping with the defection. Pleasure to meet you.”

They shook hands, followed by greetings with Ange and the village chief in turn.

“Well then, it’s late today, so let’s save the detailed discussions for tomorrow. Rooms have been prepared for everyone, so please wait a moment until someone comes to guide you.”

After finishing light introductory greetings, Eiden stopped Roy as he was about to leave.

“Roy-kun, got a minute?”

“Me?”

Beckoned over, Roy was led to a massive hall when… a dagger embedded itself at his feet.

“What’s the meaning of this?”

He channeled magic power to the holy sword stored in his dimensional pocket. (Ready to deploy it instantly.)

“I’ve been stuck at a desk the whole time Sophia was gone. I’d like to have a sparring match—is that okay?”

(There’s no way he could win. He must be over forty, and I can’t sense the martial presence that Kingdom knights emanate.)

(He’s not particularly blessed with physique either. Absolutely no contest. …That’s what anyone would normally think, but I’m different. There could be one area where this man exceeds me, and that one area could drastically tip the scales.)

(More importantly, if he’d been able to spar with Sophia, that track record is threatening enough.)

Roy tossed the dagger back and pulled out his own from Shadow Pocket.

“The dagger I just gave you is C-Rank—a high-quality item, even if it doesn’t match an S-Rank holy sword, you know?”

“This dagger is also C-Rank. I borrowed it from a High Goblin but never had a chance to use it. Might as well use it now since it’s perfect timing.”

At those words, Eiden grinned, praised his commitment, acknowledged it, and assumed his stance.

“Understood, then—”

“—Come at me.”

Eiden kicked off the ground and charged.

First a simple thrust, then a sweeping slash aimed at the legs, and finally a leg sweep—but Roy calmly parried them all.

(Just as he looks, he lacks power. He’s a type specialized in speed and technique.)

“By the way—do you know the name of that dagger?”

Roy shifted to offense while answering.

“Wind Dagger Fragarach—right?”

Roy had taken this green dagger to an appraiser in Shimute, the blacksmith village. Being C-Rank, Fragarach had weak divine protection, but it could reduce air resistance.

(I pulled out Fragarach partly to give the weapon some action.)

Clang!

Eiden, who deflected it with a composed expression, was clearly no amateur.

“Did you join Stark for revenge?”

Clang, clang!

“Huh? I didn’t join. Our interests just aligned regarding defection, so we fought together.”

Cling!

Night had completely fallen outside, the hall was dim, and the sparks from their clashing blades felt bright.

“If you bastards are planning some petty revenge, I’m leaving this place immediately!”

“So you had some idea. That’s right—Stark is composed entirely of people who suffered at the hands of nobles.”

(An Imperial noble who took in Sophia after her fall and defection to the Kingdom with a large sum of money… she’d only be used for producing an heir.)

(I understood from watching Sophia and Eiden’s interactions. They hold affection for each other, but not romantic feelings.)

“Sophia’s parents fell into a trap, and she suffered terribly… so I took her in. ‘You can have my body, but you’ll never have my heart!’ Those were her first words to me. It took a while to convince her that wasn’t my intention.”

Clang!

Eiden deflected the dagger sharply and unleashed a thrust. Roy kicked upward while performing a backward somersault.

“—!!”

Thud!

The dagger embedded in the ceiling as Eiden raised both hands in surrender.

“You’re strong.”

“With skills, the outcome would’ve been uncertain.”

“Don’t be modest. But well, I’m glad I could confirm your feelings.”

“Feelings?”

“Yeah, everyone in Stark decided their ‘stopping point’ for revenge before joining. You recovered thanks to your party members supporting you… I helped Stark members recover by giving them a place to belong. You won’t go on a revenge rampage, right?”

(It’s not that I’ve forgiven them—I just fight for my current place…) That’s what he wanted to hear.

“Ah, but you guys had some objective, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but can we discuss that tomorrow?”

“Hm?”

“I need to get back soon or my roommate will sulk. Can’t worry her, right?”

(Everyone should’ve been assigned one room each.) Eiden had question marks floating over his head but decided to guide Roy to his room anyway.