I Pulled Out the Excalibur

He, as always, sat atop the castle walls, gazing down upon his domain. It was one of his few hobbies. The domain was peaceful as ever, with no apparent issues. It was during such moments, as he basked in the blowing wind, lost in thought.

Someone was approaching the gates.

An unexpected visitor and she was a girl with a peculiar appearance. Limping towards the gate, she seemed to be fleeing from something. The soldiers guarding the gate noticed her too.

They approached the girl, helped her up, and asked why she had come to the ducal house.

Wolfhild, silently observing, narrowed his eyes the moment the girl pulled something out of her possession. It was a piece of letter paper. Despite the distance between the girl and Wolfhild, his vision surpassed that of ordinary humans.

He saw the emblem on the letter.

The emblem of the Trebache Ducal House, a symbol that only the lord of this domain could bear. The moment he confirmed this, Wolfhild leaped from the walls. Despite jumping from such a height, the sound of his landing was surprisingly soft.

A light thud.

Wolfhild, recognized by the saluting soldiers, approached the girl. He bowed slightly to her. The letter was only sent to esteemed guests of the duke. That alone was reason enough to show respect.

“Are you a guest of the duke? Allow me to escort you to the mansion. The letter, if you please…”
“It’s not mine.”

Interrupting him, the girl spoke. Wolfhild, with narrowed eyes, looked at her. Taking a deep breath, the girl enunciated clearly.

“An adventurer from Cambria, Ivan.”

That name was also in Wolfhild’s memory.
The duke had once noted, ‘To think such a person still exists, it’s quite astonishing,’ regarding this adventurer. Moreover, he was the person who had accompanied his colleague in their last moments.

“He is the owner of this letter.”
“Where is he?”

Wolfhild asked, and the girl replied.
Despite her urgent appearance, her explanation was concise and sufficient for understanding. Wolfhild frowned as he summarized her words.

“Are you saying that the Knight Commander of the Arbenia Ducal House attacked you and that adventurer while you were visiting the ducal house?”

It was a summarized and omitted story.
The girl hadn’t told everything. She only summarized the situation, leaving out the details. Yet, it wasn’t a matter that could easily be overlooked.

To threaten a guest of the duke near the ducal territory by a knight from another domain?

This was a disregard for the Trebache Ducal House’s name. Even if the opponent was a Knight Commander from a ducal house, the fact remained unchanged. Wolfhild felt displeased by the situation. However, he knew it wasn’t a situation to act on displeasure alone.

He had to inform his master.
And discuss how to proceed cautiously.

That would be the normal and universal response. If the person in front of him had committed a grave crime in the ducal house, the justification would lie with the ducal house. However, the situation was too urgent to consider all aspects.

“Tell me the location.”

Thus, Wolfhild made his choice.

“Let’s hear the details on the way. Guards, bring the warhorses. Summon the nearby knights. And then, inform the duke.”

He chose to act without consulting his master first. He had the authority to make such decisions, and he was confident that, were his master here, he would have made the same decision.

Understand without being told.
Move first, understanding the intention.
Always advise the best course to your master.

That was Wolfhild’s definition of loyalty. He was the Knight Commander of the Trebache Ducal House, a knight granted autonomy by Duke Edelmar. Duke Edelmar respected and trusted Wolfhild’s judgment.

Whish, thud.

He firmly secured the great bow on his back.
Instead of a sword, a quiver with arrows long enough to be mistaken for longswords was tied to his waist. The girl, Dieta, who realized who the man standing before her was, knew it was fortunate for her.

The Knight Commander of the Trebache Ducal House.
The knight who wielded the great bow, Wolfhild.

It was lucky for Dieta that he had been sitting at the gate of the castle walls.

As Wolfhild, carrying Dieta on a warhorse, moved with the knights, his eyes widened at her story.

“…Are you Miss Dieta?”

He recognized the identity of the girl who had been speaking to him.

The lady of the Arbenia Ducal House.
Though called a forsaken child, she was undeniably a part of the ducal house. Of course, to Wolfhild, the name of a merchant from Cambria was more familiar.

He couldn’t be certain, but if this girl’s identity as Miss Dieta was true, the situation was more complicated than he had thought. Wolfhild frowned and spurred the warhorse.

“Why would the Knight Commander of the ducal house…?”
“It’s complicated. But once we reach our destination, the justification will be on my side. All we need to do is rescue Ivan…”

Listening to her, Wolfhild couldn’t help but wear a bitter expression. It was too late, and that was all he could say to the lady.

The Knight Commander of the Arbenia Ducal House.
The Red Thorn, Griffin.

Wolfhild knew him well. Griffin, who had reached the realm of Sword Seeker and even mastered the war hero’s ‘Arta Trigadian’ swordsmanship, was a formidable opponent even from Wolfhild’s standpoint.

‘That adventurer Ivan is a Sword Expert. Though his skills are exceptional…’

It was unlikely he could last long against a commander-level powerhouse. He was probably dead or in no condition to wield a sword anymore. Wolfhild felt regret at this thought.

He had consoled the spirit of his colleague.
A young man who possessed a rare ‘knightliness’ in this era.

It wasn’t a pleasant sight to see such a young man broken in this place. Wolfhild swallowed the bitterness in his mouth and drove the warhorse forward. As he raced down the forest path, Wolfhild suddenly narrowed his eyes.

Thump, thump, thump…

The ground was trembling. Sounds were approaching.
It was the aftermath of a battle. Wolfhild dismounted the warhorse. Sending the following knights ahead, he climbed a tree to gain a higher vantage point.

With his feet firmly planted on a thick branch, he widened his eyes. The expanded view showed the forest landscape and an artificially cleared glade in the middle of the forest. In the center of that glade grew a red thorn bush.

‘…Is the battle still ongoing?’

The thorn bush had grown to about 5 meters.
It meant that Knight Commander Griffin was seriously engaged in the battle. Yet, the fact that the battle had not been decided surprised Wolfhild only momentarily.

Flash.

The light created by the sword of the young man facing Griffin caught his eye. A cluster of light blooming white, like a star. The pure white sword aura. Wolfhild was captivated by that sword aura for a moment.

The pure white sword aura.
It had sliced through the red branches.

Wolfhild’s eyes widened. To have cut through even a part of a Sword Seeker’s sword aura. He understood what that meant. With a chuckle, Wolfhild reached for his back.

He grasped the great bow and firmly secured his military boots on the thick branch. He steadied his breath and pulled the bowstring of the great bow to its limit.

Watching the fight, Wolfhild released the bowstring at the optimal moment. Until that moment, he couldn’t take his eyes off the momentum displayed by the young man.

“What a madman.”

Wolfhild let out a laugh.
The reputation of having cut down a demon knight was not exaggerated at all, and perhaps… it might have been understated. He saw it clearly with his own eyes.

“Halt.”

The knights lined up,
Their blades fiercely aimed at him. Griffin sighed and raised his hands above his head.

“This is the domain of the Trebache Ducal House.”
“More precisely, we’re near the domain, aren’t we? I’m aware this place doesn’t fall within the domain’s bounds.”
“That’s not what matters. Even if we’re near the domain, this area is still under Trebache’s influence.”

Griffin looked at the knights lined up.
The knights of the Trebache Ducal House were formidable. Duke Edelmar of Trebache, their lord, was devoted to nurturing his knights.

Facing all of them would be overwhelming.
Moreover, it shouldn’t even come to that. It would mean declaring war on the ducal house.

“This far is enough.”

Just as Griffin was choosing his words, a voice came from deep within the forest. Wolfhild, a knight who had arrived late on horseback, spoke up.

“What brings you here, Sir Griffin?”

Griffin’s expression hardened.
Behind Wolfhild, on his horse, was Dieta. Realizing the situation had turned against him, Griffin let out a long breath.

“Lord Osman of Arbenia commanded me. To punish the criminal who infiltrated the Arbenian family’s villa and kidnapped Miss Dieta, and to bring her back.”
“Is that so? The story I heard is a bit different.”

Wolfhild narrowed his eyes.
With his help, Dieta dismounted from the horse.

“It’s the opposite, Sir Griffin.”

Dieta spoke up after dismounting.

“It was the Arbenia Ducal House that kidnapped me, and this man is my hired escort. He acted to rescue me. The crime of damaging the villa is not minor, but… there are matters to discuss before that.”

She spoke clearly. Wolfhild, who had heard the situation, took over.

“This man is an esteemed guest of Duke Edelmar of Trebache. The duke has ordered that should he ever visit the domain, he is to be welcomed. The matter of damaging the villa can be discussed later, can it not?”

The accusation of kidnapping the lady was false.
All that remained for Najin was the crime of ‘damaging the villa during an escort mission.’ Griffin realized he was at a disadvantage in terms of justification.

“That’s…”
“Sir Griffin.”

Wolfhild said.

“I have a duty to escort the duke’s guest. There’s justification for it. Of course, you wouldn’t know that, Sir Griffin, so I can overlook the commotion up to now.”

But, Wolfhild played with the arrows in his quiver.

“If you continue to attempt to snatch the duke’s guest in front of Trebache’s knights, we will have no choice but to act. Each has their own stance, after all.”
“Is that Duke Edelmar’s will?”
“It’s my judgment.”

Griffin narrowed his eyes.

“I am the Knight Commander of the Arbenia Ducal House.”
“I’m aware.”
“This matter was directly ordered by the duke, emphasized as a must-do. So, I ask you. Can you handle it? What would Duke Edelmar think about this…?”

Clang!

The knights of Trebache unsheathed their swords violently. Their demeanor changed instantly. Wolfhild was no different, gripping his great bow tightly with wide eyes.

“Do not dare to interpret his will.”

Interpreting the duke’s will is not your job, but ours who serve him. It’s not a matter for a knight from another domain to interfere in, Wolfhild warned.

“…I have been rude. I apologize.”

With a sigh, Griffin stepped back.

“I merely advised that this incident could escalate into a complex issue between families.”
“Your advice is appreciated, but my stance remains unchanged.”

Wolfhild spoke briefly.

“I request that you leave this place.”

Griffin, stroking his face, then moved on. Further confrontation here seemed unlikely to change the situation. Pausing his steps, Griffin looked back for a moment.

There stood Najin, looking at him.

A young man who, until the end, didn’t bend his will and won in his own way. Looking at the young man, Griffin thought to himself.

They would meet again soon.

And by then, that young man would be a knight, not just an adventurer. That was what Griffin thought. A desirable talent, yet not one he could obtain. Griffin smiled bitterly.

“Miss Dieta.”

Griffin looked at Dieta.

“You have a good escort.”

He had no choice but to acknowledge his defeat.
With those words, Griffin walked away, leaving Trebache’s knights behind.

“Huff, huuuh…”

Najin breathed heavily.
His insides, ravaged by an overuse of mana, were in disarray, and his vision blurred from pushing his mana to the limit. This was the first time he’d felt such exhaustion since facing Ivan in the underground city.

Feeling like he’d collapse with just a bit less strength.

Thus, Najin didn’t let go of his tension until the situation was fully resolved. Only after Griffin turned and left did Najin collapse where he stood.

‘I feel like I’m going to die.’
-Of course. You filled your sword with spirit recklessly without being ready, how could your body withstand it?
‘But you said I had reached the right moment before?’
-That was then, this is now.

Merlin chuckled.

-You just started walking, and you ran without stumbling. It’s odd if you don’t fall. But still…

She whispered to Najin.

-It was quite… no, not bad.

Was she about to say it was cool?
As always, she’s not straightforward. Najin smiled bitterly and bowed his head. His consciousness was fading. He’d probably need to rest for a while.

But with Trebache’s knights intervening and Dieta’s safety assured, he could probably afford to close his eyes.

Through his blurring vision, Najin saw someone running towards him. It was Dieta, limping towards him.

“Are you… okay…”

Dieta’s voice came in sobs. Between the intermittent voices, Najin closed his eyes. He couldn’t resist the exhaustion any longer.

“…! What, what to do!”

Najin thought he heard the sobbing voice grow a bit louder just before he lost consciousness.