I Regressed to My Ruined Family – 103

 #I returned, and my family was ruined (104)

After crafting the new sword.

Poporen, who had been sleeping all day, came to find Ethan.

The duke was satisfied with the sword’s performance, so the dwarf’s footsteps were lighter.

“Your Highness. Is there anything else you need me to do?”

“Not at the moment.”

“Hehe… Then I think I’ll head back. My vacation from the kingdom is almost over…”

“Good work.”

“Oh, no! If you ever need my help, please don’t hesitate to let me know, anytime, anywhere!”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Oh, right!”

Poporen immediately slapped his forehead and said,

“I have something to report.”

“What is it?”

“It’s about the Kingdom of Amelia. The kingdom’s response to the dragon tribe is… more lukewarm than I expected.”

“Lukewarm?”

“Yes. I thought they would at least send a request to the Kingdom of Amelia to forcibly repatriate the dwarves related to the dragon tribe… but it seems they are just going to send a warning letter.”

“…A warning letter?”

Considering that Williams is a dwarf under the protection of the Kingdom’s Seven Families, the punishment was too lenient.

A slap on the wrist.

That was the only word that came to mind.

“Didn’t you say that the Dwarf Kingdom hates the Dragon Clan?”

“Yes. Most dwarves still hold that view. I thought the kingdom would too, but… I have already informed Viscount Bloten.”

Poporen, who had been looking at Ethan, continued.

“The marquis said he would look into it when he goes to buy metal… Perhaps he will give us a hint about what he finds out from the duke…”

“I see.”

“Then I will leave by this evening.”

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Poporen left the office.

“Hm.”

The elves still hated the dragon tribe.

Had something changed with the dwarves?

But it was hard to believe.

“It hasn’t even been twenty years since the dragon tribe retreated.”

It was difficult for the kingdom’s policy to change in such a short period of time.

The dwarf king, Murani, was one of the blacksmiths with whom he had a connection in his previous life. He might visit there someday.

“I’ll have to keep an eye on that.”

He wondered if the dragon tribe had infiltrated the dwarf kingdom.

He thought he should keep that in mind.

*

Ethan, wearing his newly forged sword, moved toward the training ground.

The blade was black, and the hilt was pure white.

The knights’ eyes were drawn to the sword with its contrasting colors. One of the most distinctive features of the sword was its hilt, which was made of tree branches.

“You really did restore it.”

The new sword, Drainion.

It was said to have been created by the first duke with the help of many legendary beings.

For over hundreds of years, it had been the best sword in the kingdom.

Another name for the new sword, which was one of the symbols of the duke’s family, was “The Unbreakable Sword.”

“Such a sword has returned to the hands of the lord.”

That was why.

The restoration of the divine sword meant much more than just the creation of a good sword.

It meant hope and confidence that the duke’s family would rise again.

The knights had begun to see the future of their family through the divine sword.

Ethan summoned the knight commander.

Nerian, who rushed over immediately, bowed his head.

“My lord. You called?”

“Assemble all the knights.”

“Yes.”

Soon, the knights gathered at the training ground. Ethan gathered the knights in one place and said,

“With the rebirth of the sacred sword, a sword without an owner has appeared.”

A sword without an owner.

It was impossible not to understand what that meant.

“The black broadsword!”

It was the weapon that the duke had carried with him since he began his rebellion, and it had been used in countless battles.

It was also made of an unknown metal.

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“It’s not like we’re in need of money, so it would be ridiculous to sell a weapon we’ve been using. A sword is a knight’s best friend, after all.”

“That’s right!”

“So, I’ve made my decision. I will give this sword to one of the members of the Dragon Slayer Corps.”

At those words, the knights’ eyes lit up.

The sword was a masterpiece, emphasizing its elegance while retaining the sharpness unique to swords.

Was that all?

“…It was the sword used by His Highness himself!”

Just two months ago.

Wasn’t this the sword used by the duke when he gathered the Dragon Slayers and fought alongside thirty knights?

Ethan, the lord who had achieved legendary feats.

This was a weapon that had been used by him personally, like a comrade-in-arms.

As knights, it was only natural that they would covet it.

“…If only I could have it.”

“To become the duke’s spiritual successor…”

“I want it. I want that sword!”

Nerian.

From the commander of the knight order to the senior knights, including Raymond, who had belonged to the first squad in the past, everyone’s eyes lit up.

Now, there was only one crucial question left.

By what criteria would they award the sword to whom?

“Let’s hold a tournament.”

The newly formed Dragon Slayer Corps of the Duke’s family.

Although it had been gaining fame recently, it was not enough to completely overshadow the Black Flame Corps that had existed in the past.

It was necessary to widely publicize the fact that the Duke’s elite knights were now called the Dragon Slayer Corps. A tournament was one of the best ways to make their name known.

“A tournament…”

“A public notice will be posted throughout the Duchy. An internal tournament will be held among the knights of the Dragon Slayer Corps. And an external tournament will also be held to select talented individuals to be recruited as trainee knights.”

The knights flinched at those words.

If the winner of the tournament was to be awarded the sword, the candidates would inevitably be limited to knights of 6th rank or higher.

Ethan smiled at their reaction and added,

“But giving only one gift would be a little cold. So… in the internal tournament, we will select one knight each from the 4th, 5th, and 6th ranks and award them prizes.”

The knights looked puzzled.

There is only one sword, so how can they select three people?

“The 6-star knight will receive this great sword directly from me. I’m sure you’re wondering what the other two will receive. The gift will be… a sword crafted by the royal blacksmith himself.”

“…!”

The knights were surprised to hear that they would receive a sword crafted by the royal blacksmith.

“After receiving the swords, I will grant you time to train directly with me. How about one day per person?”

“……!”

The knights were speechless at the thought of receiving a one-on-one lesson from the duke for an entire day.

How skilled was the lord’s swordsmanship?

The duke was a man whose swordsmanship was so unrivaled that he had made the famous Count Marek spit blood.

Gulp.

The knights swallowed hard.

When they were swinging their swords in the training ground, the duke would sometimes come over and give the knights some advice.

His advice was so precise and neat that it was impossible to understand unless one completely grasped the true meaning and essence of swordsmanship.

It was a precious lesson that was worth its weight in gold.

It was widely said that the moment one fully absorbed the duke’s advice, one’s skills would change completely.

A walking legend!

That was the kind of person the duke was.

“There is one problem, though…”

It was not easy for the knights to obtain such a chance encounter.

The duke led a very busy life, and sometimes he only showed his face at the training ground once a month.

Even Nerian, the captain of the knights, found it difficult to visit Ethan unless he had a special errand.

“…Polson’s skill improved dramatically after hearing a single piece of advice…”

“…And that lasted for a whole day?”

“This is… a golden opportunity!”

It was such an attractive reward that even Raymon and Nerian, two of the most skilled knights here, had their eyes sparkling.

Moreover, it was also an opportunity to show their skills to the residents of the duke’s domain.

“We can prove that we are the elite knights of the Duke’s family…”

It was a golden opportunity.

The atmosphere began to heat up.

Impatient knights raised their hands.

“My lord! When does the tournament begin?”

“In two weeks.”

Two weeks.

It was a short time.

The knights resolved themselves.

Thus, the knights’ sweat began to flow on the grand tournament grounds.

Soon, official notices were posted throughout the duke’s domain.

* *

The residents of the Duchy began to read the official notices one by one. Some were illiterate, but that didn’t matter.

This was because soldiers who could read were standing in front of the official notices.

“Hansun. What does this mean?”

The soldier answered the old man’s question politely.

“Sir, it means that a sword fighting tournament will be held at the Duke’s training ground in two weeks. It will be divided into an internal tournament and an external tournament… The internal tournament is a battle between knights…”

The soldier took a sip of water and continued.

“The external tournament is a really great opportunity!”

“Huh? Why?”

“Anyone can participate regardless of rank or age, and after passing a basic screening, if you are deemed talented… don’t be surprised! You could be selected as a trainee knight for the Yongsal Corps!”

“What… what!”

The old man was shocked.

The Yongsal Corps!

It was a knight corps known to be trained by the famous Duke Ethan himself.

Rumors were spreading throughout the duke’s domain that just entering the corps would allow one to learn exquisitely refined sword techniques and breathing methods.

It was big news that they were selecting knights in training, but what was even more surprising was that

“…Are you saying they don’t care about social status or age at all?”

That was it.

What kind of people were knights?

Usually, when noble families selected knights, they accepted applications only from those with at least the rank of minor noble.

After receiving the applications, they would carefully evaluate the applicants’ age and skills, and many would be rejected.

But

the kingdom’s most prestigious swordsmanship family was saying they would select candidates based solely on talent, without considering anything else?

It was shocking.

The first thing the old man thought of was his grandson.

This was an opportunity to become a quasi-noble, not just a commoner. He couldn’t let this golden opportunity slip away.

“I… I’m going!”

The old man hurriedly set off.

Two weeks.

That was barely enough time to reach the duke’s domain.

He would have to borrow an expensive horse to make it there in time.

Just then.

“Ah! Sir! There’s no need to rush!”

“…Huh? What do you mean?”

“Villages like ours, which are far from Londinium, have a privilege.”

“…Privilege?”

“A knight will arrive tomorrow to gather those who wish to participate in the tournament outside the castle and assess their abilities. Those who pass the assessment will be provided with a carriage!”

“Heh heh… To consider even villagers like us… The duke’s heart is as vast as the sea.”

“Heh heh. Now you understand?”

“No, I knew it all along. Heh heh.”

As more and more official notices were posted on the bulletin board, the entire duchy began to stir.

“…A sword fighting tournament.”

Viscount Turian.

He had just arrived at the outskirts of the duke’s domain and heard the news in real time.

“What a coincidence.”

Rumors of a sword fighting tournament began to spread as soon as he arrived.

He wondered if the duke had held the tournament because he knew he was coming.

“That can’t be.”

The duke chuckled and looked toward the northwest.

The location of the duke’s capital city, Rondinium.

“This might be a good opportunity to assess the strength of those Dragon Slayers.”

His figure vanished like the wind.