Chương 21: Royal Letter

"I want that guy named Kaelen—" Suddenly, Noa paused mid-sentence, extending a hand out toward Valric.

"Wait! Ooookay… that felt weird out loud." The sudden awkwardness contrasted with the confidence he had projected just moments earlier, creating a dissonance that hung heavily in the quiet office. That was… weird? Valric blinked, subtly tilting his head in confusion. I don't understand which part of that phrasing was supposed to be strange… Sharpening his gaze, the duke refocused on the matter at hand.

He knew that specific name exceptionally well—Kaelen—the knight who had risen through Blackmoor's ranks without even possessing the ability to wield a single skill.

"Is that what Her Majesty requested in the letter?" Valric asked, carefully smoothing the tone of his voice into a completely neutral cadence. If Her Majesty is accepting a knight from our dukedom, our house will naturally rise in power above the other factions, his thoughts moved swiftly behind a composed expression. This would be a good opportunity for both myself and Kaelen to finally reach that dream of his. If Vionette had hand-picked one of his men, Blackmoor would gain immense royal favor.

And in noble hierarchy, royal favor meant standing securely at the peak. However, that political ambition was shattered almost instantly by Noa's next words.

"No," Noa said, shaking his head.

"It's my own personal request." Hearing the duke's line of questioning, Rose reached into the folds of her uniform pocket and withdrew the letter bearing the royal seal. She stepped forward with crisp movements, handing the parchment to Valric before stepping back into her place.

"This is the official letter from Her Majesty." Valric accepted the document slowly, holding it as though the parchment itself might reveal hidden layers upon a closer inspection. It bears the seal to prove royal authority, yet she left it open, Valric noted, glancing back up at Noa. Which means she trusts him completely. His fingers unfolded the crisp paper with practiced care. … Duke Valric Blackmoor, We will be having a meeting next week at the royal castle. All the dukes must attend, so make sure you join in!

〈^。 ^〉 Oh yea, don't anger that guy. See ya! …

"W-what is this?" Valric stared blankly at the page. He read it a second time, adjusted his square glasses, and read it a third time.

"Is this really Her Majesty's official letter?" Lifting the parchment up, Valric spoke with a look of profound confusion that he didn't even bother to hide. There was simply no noble protocol or diplomatic framework available to interpret a cheerful emoticon attached to a formal royal summon.

"I understand you…" Rose said, casting a disappointed look toward Noa.

"But that is, without a doubt, Lady Vionette's letter."

"Oh. Okay…" It's a simple letter written with simple words. There is no political tone, no diplomatic polish, and no layered subtlety. It feels less like a royal decree and more like a casual note slipped under a bedroom door. Valric's eyes slowly drifted from Rose back to Noa. It's almost as if it was just an excuse. Recognizing the duke's gaze but not understanding it, Noa offered a bright smile, looking as if someone had just complimented his haircut. What the hell is this old dude staring at?

"Also—" Rose continued, cutting through the silence. There it is, Valric thought, bracing himself. It can't just be that he was sent here merely to deliver a casual invitation alongside the head maid. Sending the head royal maid anywhere is not a gesture done lightly. There is always a hidden objective, a deeper strategy, or a covert layer beneath the surface.

"—I am here to serve Lord Noa while he resides within your territory."

"…Just to serve him?" Valric's second glass of composure shattered internally as Rose gave a quiet, affirmative nod.

"Alright, alright, enough with that, Duke Valric," Noa's voice suddenly grew serious, his playful tone dissolving into something noticeably sharper.

"I actually came here looking for something."

"Yes? What is it, Lord Noa?"

"First of all, don't call me 'Your Majesty'. As for what I'm here for: do you happen to know where I can get my hands on high-quality materials for forging a sword?"

"If you require materials to forge a blade, you can easily purchase them from our local stores." Smiling casually, the duke extended a hospitable hand to his left.

"Of course, I will gladly cover the expenses for you, Lord Noa."

"Nope. No, no, no." Noa wagged his index finger back and forth like a teacher correcting a slow student.

"I don't mean regular wood or high-grade iron. I mean things like a mysterious rock, a branch from a world tree, or materials harvested from a mythical creature. You know, the kind of stuff that MCs always find."

"…What?" The odd phrasing made no sense within the context of this world's language. To Valric, it sounded like a grown man asking for a fictional magical fruit from a children's bedtime tale. However, the duke's mind caught two specific words: Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

'Mythical creature.'

"…Dragons?" His eyes widened slightly at the mere mention of the word. Noa's eyes instantly lit up with dangerous excitement..

"Yes! Yes! Exactly something like that!" He is that interested in hunting a dragon? One of those dragons…?

"It is true that dragon scales and a dragon's heart are difficult to obtain, and their processing yields invaluable results." Valric's expression turned grave, his tone laced with a faint trace of instinctual fear.

"But… dragons are not mere monsters. They are living natural disasters wrapped in scales and fire. Even if you combined every last knight of an entire kingdom, they would only stand a low chance against a common one."

"Oh, come on, Valric," Noa's eyes gleamed with obsession.

"Just spill the beans."

"Sigh…" Valric exhaled heavily before giving in.

"I have received information that a wounded, low-class dragon is resting within the northern region."

"Oho?" A dark, mischievous snicker formed on Noa's face.

"Heheheh~ Looks like we're going dragon hunting—ouch!" Suddenly, Rose brought her fist down onto Noa's head, her eyes closed in exasperation. Valric watched the display, his eyes widening in shock at the sight of the maid striking Noa.

"Save that smile for when that dragon is chewing on you," she said, retracting her fist.

"Whatever… anyways." Noa rubbed his head, leaning forward over the desk once more.

"Now, are you going to hand over Kaelen to me or not?" A heavy silence lingered between them for a few seconds as Noa's dark purple eyes stared unblinkingly into Valric's. If Her Majesty had requested him, it would be one thing, Valric reasoned. But I cannot simply hand over my most promising knight to someone whose background and status remain completely unknown to me.

"Even though he operates under me, whether he chooses to follow you or not is his own decision," Valric finally answered, guessing that Noa was not inviting Kaelen to become a royal knight.

"Therefore, please go meet with him and ask him personally."

"Fair choice." Noa stood up from his chair with a bright smile, though his enthusiasm seemed directed more toward the information about the dragon.

"I'll go ask him directly, then."

"I will have the servants prepare guest rooms for your arrival," Valric stated, rising politely.

"Please, remain here for as long as you like."

The knights' infirmary was exceptionally quiet, smelling faintly of crushed medicinal herbs and clean linen. Its dark stone walls were lined with simple wooden beds. At the far end of the ward rested Kaelen, his torso and limbs wrapped in white bandages. He slowly opened his heavy eyelids, his gaze greeting the ceiling first. His body was entirely worn out from the strain of using Blade Projection. His muscles ached deeply, feeling as though iron rods had been driven through his joints.

His hands and feet felt distant, like borrowed limbs that had been reluctantly returned to his consciousness.

"Uhh…" As he attempted to shift his weight and sit up, the knights of his squad who stood nearby stepped forward to support his shoulders.

"Captain, you're awake."

"We thought you were going to sleep for at least three full days." Placing a trembling hand against his forehead, Kaelen tried to piece his memory back together before speaking in a low voice.

"What happened after I lost consciousness?"

"Oh, you're up?" Before the knights could provide an answer, Kenar joined.

"Kenar…" Kenar let out a tired sigh as he pulled up a wooden stool and sat down.

"Don't force yourself to move. Just lay back down, and we'll tell you the story." Following Kenar's reassurance, Kaelen leaned back against his pillows, a faint smile of relief brushing across his face.

"So, what happened?"

"Well… reinforcement arrived… kinda?" Kenar scratched the back of his hair awkwardly.

"…Kinda?" …

"He killed all three of them?" Kaelen was in disbelief after listening to the story. The towering aberrations that they had struggled against had been slaughtered almost instantly—as if erased by a force that had simply grown bored of their existence.

"Is he a royal knight?" For a brief moment, Kaelen's ocean-blue eyes filled with excitement. Catching that brief flash of hope, the three knights exchanged a complicated look. Turning back to their captain, they replied honestly:"We… don't know."

"But he is definitely stronger than a normal one though."

"Oh, right!" Kenar remembered something.

"He carried a letter with the royal seal on it, and he has a personal maid alongside him." The royal seal? Kaelen's jaw tightened beneath his bandages. Why would Her Majesty send an envoy to our dukedom? Is something going to happen? Whether his mind was racing with the political implications of a royal shift, or he was simply driven by the possibility that this mysterious man being a royal knight, Kaelen swung his legs over the edge of the mattress, ignoring the protests of his body.

"H-hey, where do you think you're going?!"

"You're not supposed to move until your recovery, captain." Kaelen turned his head back over his shoulder as he offered a smile.

"Don't worry. I'm just going to go meet him."

Noa and Rose were walking along the mansion's outdoor pathway, the gravel crunching softly beneath their footwear.

"Hey, whacchu think of Kaelen?" Noa asked, turning his gaze toward Rose, who walked half a step behind him.

"Kaelen? You mean the knight who defeated that monster?" Rose tilted her gaze upward toward the sky, pondering the question.

"He is exceptional. No one even knew a next stage for [Aura Blade] existed. It is not something a common knight could achieve."

"…Right?"

"By the way, Lord Noa," Rose began, her tone dropping an octave. Suddenly, Noa felt a freezing wave of killing intent from behind him. Rose's eyes seemed to glow crimson beneath the shadow of her hair, radiating a thick dark aura.

"…Would you care to explain exactly how the blade of my sword cracked?" Noa immediately snapped his gaze away, staring at a random bush across the garden.

"W-well… you must have accidentally broken it yourself, right? By accident or something…?" His voice trembled slightly at the edges.

"I know damn well that you broke it, dammit! I received that weapon at my sixty-seventh anniversary as the head royal maid, gifted by the royal family itself!" She glared at the side of his face for a moment before her energy slowly receded.

"Sigh… whatever. At least you managed to save Lady Vionette's citizens with it."

"Phew~" Noa wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.

"So, why are we heading toward the training grounds?" Rose asked, shifting the subject. Noa stopped in his tracks, turning around to face her with a confident look.

"To aura—I mean, to check out how strong the knights here are." To aura what? … Blackmoor training ground was a massive, circular arena carved into a stone floor, its boundaries marked by stone walls and weapon racks. In the center of the ring, armed knights clashed in controlled sparring matches. The ring of steel against steel echoed through the courtyard, and dust rose steadily beneath their grinding boots.

"This place is way livelier than I expected," Noa remarked, stepping past the threshold of the arena.

"Is it really?" Rose followed behind.

"Our knights train every single day," Valric's voice resonated from the side, a trace of pride slipping into his tone.

"And we can be considered to possess the finest military force in Crimvane." Noa and Rose spun around in perfect synchronization, their faces filled with genuine surprise.

"Duke Valric?!" both exclaimed together. I followed them here to clarify whether Kaelen will accept his offer or turn it down. I simply couldn't help myself, the duke thought internally, shedding figurative tears like a proud father. That is how much Kaelen means to me.

"I merely came here to observe the daily progression of my men, please do not mind my presence," the duke said smoothly, placing a clenched fist lightly against his mouth as though suppressing a cough. …He came here to spy on us, didn't he? Rose understood the nature of the noble's actions. Wait… what is he thinking now? As she glanced sideways at Noa, she had noticed a familiar smile curving across Noa's face.