Chapter 128
“Not bad.”
Caverion deflected Aiden’s sword. He swung his blade again.
Whoosh- The sound of wind being cut ended at Aiden’s thigh. Once more, Aiden parried the strike.
Aiden dodged the sword by taking a step back, then quickly bent forward and thrust his blade.
The cold tip of his sword aimed at Caverion. However, Caverion rolled to avoid the danger.
Their swords clashed relentlessly, but the duel seemed to be at a stalemate, as if running on parallel tracks.
Despite this, the tense atmosphere kept the audience’s eyes glued to Aiden and Caverion.
As evidence of this, only the rapid clanging of metal could be heard in the otherwise silent arena.
Raylenne was no exception. She was so tense she wasn’t even aware if she was breathing properly.
The handkerchief in her hand was already damp and crumpled beyond repair.
Each time the sword tips grazed Aiden or Caverion, she felt as if her lifespan was shortening bit by bit.
She wished for anyone to win quickly so the match would end, but the evenly matched duel seemed far from over.
That’s when it happened.
For a split second, Caverion glanced towards where Raylenne was sitting. Their eyes met.
‘Huh…?’
Aiden didn’t miss Caverion’s momentary distraction and swiftly swung his sword.
Clang! Aiden’s blade slashed horizontally across Caverion’s chest.
Although Caverion’s body was protected by armor where the sword passed, Aiden’s strike was powerful enough to push him back. Caverion bent at the waist, using his upright sword to support himself.
Aiden approached and pointed the tip of his sword at Caverion’s chin.
“…”
“…”
As even the sound of clashing blades disappeared, the arena fell into perfect silence for a moment.
Cashwood swallowed once and then shouted loudly.
“Sir Aiden, victory!”
People leapt to their feet, applauding and cheering.
“Long live the Duke!”
“Congratulations!”
“Our Duke has won!”
Aiden lowered his sword, leaving behind the joyous shouts coming from all directions.
Cashwood stepped forward and officially declared Aiden as the final winner of the tournament.
Raylenne came down from the platform to personally congratulate the victor. It was customary for the lady of the duchy to present a golden trophy to the winner along with words of appreciation, but doing so for her husband, Aiden, felt both joyous and awkward.
“You worked hard, Aiden,” Raylenne whispered softly, so only Aiden could hear. However, Aiden’s expression didn’t seem particularly bright.
While he wasn’t the type to get carried away with victory, he now looked somewhat unsettled. He wasn’t even accepting the trophy being offered to him.
“Aiden…?”
When Raylenne called out quietly, Aiden finally turned his gaze to her.
“I don’t need this trophy.”
Huh…?
Just as Raylenne was puzzled, Aiden suddenly lifted her into his arms. Surprised, Raylenne gasped.
The eyes of the spectators, knights, and employees who had been congratulating the winner widened in shock.
Everyone seemed greatly surprised to see the usually quiet and stern Duke doing such a thing in front of so many people.
Raylenne, her face flushed, tapped on Aiden’s chest.
“W-What are you doing…?”
“Aren’t you the one presenting the award today?”
“Yes… So put me down quickly and accept the trophy.”
“I don’t need the trophy. You yourself will be my prize.”
Raylenne’s mouth gaped at Aiden’s brazen words.
The people couldn’t recover from their shock, seeing how unexpectedly… no, surprisingly close the couple appeared to be, despite being known to have married for political reasons.
Aiden put Raylenne down, knelt, and kissed the back of her hand.
Then he stood up and shouted to the crowd.
“Today, I dedicate the glory of this victory to my wife.”
The people still looked dazed, but when the knights started applauding first, everyone else followed suit.
The arena was once again filled with joy.
Raylenne, too, soon smiled brightly and applauded her proud husband.
* * *
Before they knew it, the day had come for Caverion to return to Ergen Duchy.
Caverion had finished all his preparations to leave, but Raylenne, who was supposed to bid him farewell, had not yet come down.
As a result, Caverion and Aiden were awkwardly standing in the first-floor hall, waiting for Raylenne. Breaking the heavy silence, Aiden spoke first.
“Why did you deliberately lose yesterday?”
Caverion, who had been looking at a landscape painting on the wall, slowly turned his gaze.
“Deliberately lose?”
“You intentionally showed an opening during the match, didn’t you?”
“I was merely distracted by Raylenne for a moment.”
“I know you pretended to be distracted.”
Caverion chuckled softly at Aiden’s firm tone.
“You’re always quite formidable.”
Aiden crossed his arms and leaned against a pillar in the hall.
“Why did you do it?”
“I thought it would be better if you won. In an event meant for unity, what does winning or losing matter?”
“…”
“Don’t take it badly. If I had become the victor, the festival would have turned into a funeral atmosphere.”
And… Raylenne wouldn’t have wanted that.
Caverion swallowed the last part of his thoughts.
Coincidentally, Raylenne came down at that moment.
“I’m sorry, Brother. Did I keep you waiting too long? As I was coming out, my dress caught on a nail and tore…”
“It’s fine. I had a pleasant conversation with Aiden, so I wasn’t bored.”
Raylenne looked at Caverion and Aiden as if it was unusual. The two of them having a pleasant conversation…?
Aiden neither agreed nor disagreed.
“Anyway, you should get going now. You said you had an important appointment and needed to return to the duchy on time, didn’t you?”
Raylenne urged Caverion along, linking her arm with his. Caverion’s carriage was waiting at the main entrance.
Standing in front of the carriage, Caverion looked at Aiden.
“Duke Bedeusian, let’s meet again next time.”
“Have a safe journey.”
After exchanging brief farewells with Aiden, Caverion turned to Raylenne.
“Raylenne, thank you for inviting me here.”
“Not at all. I’m the one who’s glad you came all this way, Brother.”
Caverion smiled his characteristically gentle smile and patted Raylenne’s head.
“As you said, I wish it could always be this peaceful.”
“It will be.”
Caverion lowered his hand from her head. Then, bending down to meet her eyes, he spoke in a low voice.
“I wish it could be, but soon there will be unpleasant news for the empire.”
Raylenne looked up at Caverion. Seeing the concern in her blue eyes, Caverion gave her a reassuring, affectionate look.
“I’m just telling you this because I think it’s better for you to know how things might unfold in the empire. But don’t worry, Aiden and I will protect you, so just carry on as usual.”
Caverion gently took Raylenne’s hand and then let it go.
“Take care, my sister, Raylenne.”
With those final words, Caverion boarded the carriage.
Neigh- As the coachman pulled the reins, the horses began to gallop vigorously.
The carriage carrying Caverion gradually disappeared from Raylenne’s view.
As she watched the departing carriage, Raylenne thought to herself.
‘Unpleasant news…’
What could it be?
* * *
A few days later, Raylenne learned of the “unpleasant thing” Caverion had left behind like a bitter scent.
She saw the imperial edict addressed to Aiden.
The edict contained a request for conscription in preparation for an impending war with the Kanpos Empire, and a proposal for Aiden to serve as a war advisor.
Raylenne’s blue eyes darkened like an unfathomable deep sea.
‘In the end…’
She had heard news about refugees fleeing from the neighboring Kanpos Empire due to racial issues, causing continuous problems at the borders of the Hamnebu Empire.
The Hamnebu Empire had asked Kanpos to resolve the refugee issue, but Kanpos had long ignored this request.
The racial issue was a headache for them as well. Kanpos feared that allowing the refugees back into the empire might trigger a civil war.
However, the Hamnebu Empire couldn’t keep tolerating the troublesome refugees indefinitely.
It seems that the newly enthroned Emperor of the Hamnebu Empire has decided to resolve the issue even if it means going to war.
And the most necessary talents for that war would be awakened ones like Aiden.
Of course, they couldn’t force Aiden to participate, but the refugee problem was increasingly infiltrating beyond the borders into the empire, and Aiden wouldn’t be able to just stand by and watch.
Raylenne unconsciously bit her lip.
‘I don’t want this.’
She didn’t want Aiden to participate in another war, nor did she want to be separated from him again.
Although he had become an unprecedentedly strong warrior upon awakening, she still felt uneasy.
Even in the blink of an eye, countless sword blades and arrows fly on the battlefield. Therefore, anything could happen. Aiden could be seriously injured, and though she hated to think about it, he could even lose his life.
But Aiden would surely want to participate. The Aiden she knew was that kind of person.
He wanted to protect those who believed in him, and he didn’t want to follow in the footsteps of the past Bedeusian dukes who had committed evil deeds.
So she knew that the moment Aiden received this edict, he would have made up his mind to some extent.
‘Hah…’
In contrast to Raylenne’s worries, cheerful laughter of maids could be heard from outside.
“Kyahaha, so that Emma, you know…”
“Hey! We agreed not to talk about that!”
Raylenne looked out the window.
‘They can laugh like that because they have no idea what’s about to happen…’
For a moment, she felt a resentful thought towards these innocent people, but it was quickly followed by an opposing feeling.
‘…Right, what fault do they have?’
In fact, protecting them was the duty of a lord.
Suddenly, words Caverion had said in the past came to mind.
[As you know, Aiden has killed many people in past wars. Now that he’s become the empire’s greatest awakened one, he might have to do so again.]
As he said, with ability comes responsibility.
As much as she wanted to deny it, Raylenne had to acknowledge it.
Aiden was the empire’s greatest awakened one, and countless lives depended on his shoulders.
Therefore, Aiden was absolutely necessary for this war.
Raylenne sighed and put down the edict on the table.
