RMA 18

chapter 18

If it hadn’t been for Grand Duke Lancel, Lawrence’s head would probably have been cut off.

What Lawrence said right afterward was this:

<My apologies. I was told that Your Grace prefers being spoken to in this manner.>

Lancel Gaudi stopped listening there and completely revised his impression of Lawrence.

At first, he had thought Lawrence was someone who had gained power in a rather sinister way. Someone like Damian, whose head he himself had once cut off.

But after talking with him, Lawrence had revealed himself as the child of Montemer with mysterious powers. And now, on top of that, he also showed that his intelligence network was formidable.

He already sees right through me. And strangely enough, I don’t even find it unpleasant…

Though Lancel was a well-known Grand Duke, the North was a rather closed-off place.

And hadn’t Lawrence been living in the annex without ever leaving?

When did he gather all this information, and how is he already using it so shrewdly?

The Grand Duke looked at the boy with growing interest.

They were on their way to the training grounds to meet someone who was always there. The man was surely busy preparing for the subjugation battle, but he could spare a moment.

“Are you saying physical exertion can really serve as treatment?”

“Yes. To activate the artifact, rigorous physical labor is required.”

“Hm. I don’t like sparring with you—it’s boring. Instead, I’ll introduce you to my daughter. Unlike your sister, she loves moving her body.”

“Understood.”

That reminded him.

Another reason why the Gaudi house had walked the road to ruin—Gaudi’s firstborn and only daughter:

[The Undead Crusher: Leila Gaudi].

The one who would one day abandon the Gaudi name and be dragged into the slave army, becoming both a butcher of the undead and a battle maniac.

A woman who died miserably on the battlefield crying for her brother’s revenge… yet perhaps could have become the Empire’s very first female Master.

If she was indeed the same person Lawrence was thinking of—

“Hey, hurry up already!”

“Lady, can’t you see how hard we’re working?”

“Hard work doesn’t matter. What matters is whether I’m pleased or not. If you still have breath to talk, your load must be too light, huh?”

“Ugh! Coming, coming! Why do you sound exactly like the Grand Duke!?”

“Hahaha! Move faster! That way you won’t die so easily!”

Her booming voice rang across the grounds, and the Grand Duke let out a small sigh.

Then he turned to Lawrence and cautioned:

“As you can hear, she’s like that. Don’t take offense if her words are somewhat rude.”

“It’s fine. Honestly, I find it rather charming—she takes after you perfectly, Your Grace.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Though it’s my fault she grew up this way…”

That’s only because you yourself are so easygoing, isn’t it?

Lawrence smiled faintly and looked toward the girl standing in the training yard.

She was a tall young woman, a full head taller than him.

After looking at petite Loria, seeing her really did give off a strong “older sister” impression.

As soon as Leila spotted her father entering the yard, she strode toward him and began firing off complaints in rapid succession.

“Father! I heard you blew apart the castle gates again!? How many times has it been already? I told you not to—huh? Who’s that?”

“I was in a hurry that time. Anyway, greet him. This is Lord Lawrence of House Montemer.”

“Montemer… ah, that’s the family of frail scholars, right!?”

“…”

Yes. She was the perfect example of why Lawrence could get away with saying such things and still live.

#2

“Oh? You want me to spar with him? But are you sure? He’s a mage, you know.”

“It’s fine. Just go easy on him.”

“Well, all right. You said he’s eleven? Wow… he looks like he’d be perfect with a shield and axe in hand.”

“Mind your words a little. He’s still our guest of honor.”

I can hear every word, you know.

Lawrence smiled wryly as he overheard the exchange between father and daughter.

Leila swung a training sword up onto her shoulder and strode toward him.

Well, since I need to stock up on negative energy anyway, I’d better move around a lot.

He already knew.

There was no chance of him beating her right now.

After all, Lawrence was a mage, not a knight.

Still, this was a good opportunity.

To face a knight directly and learn their movements was a productive experience. Repetition builds familiarity. And familiarity increases your odds of survival.

He took up an ordinary longsword in an awkward stance.

“You’ve never held a sword before, have you?”

“Yes, that’s right. Please go easy on me.”

“Sigh… fine. Let’s just warm up a little first.”

Swoosh—!

She kicked off the ground, rushing at him with the momentum of a charging carriage.

Her training sword came slashing down.

Clang!

Lawrence calmly raised his blade and blocked it.

“Huh?”

“I’ll be learning from you.”

“Heh, good. You’ve got sharp eyes.”

Her gaze sharpened, and her speed began to increase. Yet Lawrence blocked her surprisingly well.

The secret was his eyes.

He’s unconsciously moving mana… it’s basically cheating.

Knights use mana to strengthen their bodies, often without even realizing it. So even when sparring barehanded, mana still flows through them.

Most people can’t see it—it’s something you feel.

But Lawrence could see it clearly.

“You’re good at blocking!”

“Huff… huff…”

“My brother’s been bedridden and I’ve been bored, but this is great!”

But he soon realized that being able to see mana and actually keeping up with her were two different matters.

Once his timing slipped, he had no choice but to take hit after hit.

Eventually, the spar ended with him dropping his sword.

“You’ve clearly inherited the Grand Duke’s martial gifts. Incredible…”

“I had fun too. You’ve got talent, you know?”

“Haha… but I’m a mage.”

More precisely, an artifact maker.

Wiping sweat from his brow, Lawrence checked the amount of negative energy displayed across his vision.

[Negative Energy]
[Accumulated Energy: 320]
[…]
[The growth of Dragon Body is accelerated.]
[Hatchling: 29%]

Almost at 30%, huh.

Two birds with one stone.

He also checked the requirement for his true purpose.

[Required energy to absorb curse: 400]

Sigh… I still have a long way to go.

If he kept pushing himself without dying, he’d grow quickly enough.

And what kind of reward would he gain at 30%? The thrill of becoming stronger was addictive.

He trudged back, picked up his sword again, and said:

“May I trouble you for another round?”

“Hah! Are you sure you’re really a mage?”

“Yes.”

Not really.

Leila beamed, excited to cut loose again after so long.

But then, her steps faltered for just a moment.

At the same time, new information appeared before Lawrence’s eyes:

[Displaying subject’s condition]
[Chronic Illness: Heart Disease – Valve Disorder]
[Progression: 17%]
[Cure Method: Artifact Implantation]
[Recommended Artifact: Engraving – Berserk]

Huh?

So she didn’t die because of battle after all?

Lawrence carefully pieced together what he remembered of the future.

He’d heard news that Leila, so skilled in combat, had suddenly died.

Then… could it have been because of this?

I’ll keep watching for now.

Their sparring continued.

Leila fought wildly without using mana, laughing joyfully all the while.

Lawrence studied her combat technique, learning how knights fought.

The Dragon Eyes truly were a mysterious power.

I’m starting to see the pattern in her movements.

Clang!

The way joints moved, how strength was distributed, her stance, her stride, where she applied force and how she twisted her body…

How distance was measured, how she struck and retreated, how she played the tactical battle of knights.

He could see it all, and began to respond to it.

Before long, the Grand Duke’s curiosity turned into astonishment.

Just moments ago, Lawrence had looked like a boy holding a sword for the first time. But now, he fought like a seasoned swordsman.

Worse, he was mimicking Leila’s swordsmanship perfectly.

“What… this is absurd. How could Montemer produce someone like that…?”

Why would a prodigy of swordsmanship be born into a mage family?

At the same time, he felt regret.

For he had heard Lawrence lacked a mana core.

No matter how skilled, without the ability to manifest an aura blade, he would only ever be an ordinary swordsman.

Still, the fact that he understood swordsmanship itself was significant.

At the very least, he wouldn’t die meaninglessly on the battlefield to a stray slash.

The Grand Duke watched the duel with keen interest.

It went on until evening, by which time a crowd of spectators had gathered.

“He’s a mage, right?”

“Really? Then why’s he so good with a sword?”

“Damn… total monster.”

“When’s the last time Lady Leila was this happy sparring?”

Northern soldiers flocked to watch, among them Loria and Captain Freya of the Mage Corps.

“Why’s he sword-fighting instead of studying magic!?”

“Indeed… it’s a strange thing.”

The only one not praising Lawrence was Loria, too obsessed with her magical studies.

#3

“Phew… finally over.”

“Man, training without mana is exhausting. But why were you practicing so hard? You’re a mage.”

“I’m doing it to cure your brother. I asked the Grand Duke for sparring because it’s necessary, and he introduced me to you.”

“…You mean… to cure my brother!?”

She shouted so loudly that Lawrence nearly went deaf and had to step back.

“Yes. Lord Lake, I believe his name was. I want to begin the procedure today, so I had to make that request.”

“…Are you serious?”

“If I were lying, the Grand Duke would have taken my head already. How could I risk that?”

Lawrence laughed lightly as if joking.

Now that he had stored enough energy, it was time to begin.

As he left the training yard, Leila hurried over to her father.

“Father, that boy—no, that lord—he says he’ll cure Lake…?”

“Yes. I’ve decided to trust him.”

“But what if he has another motive…?”

“Then we’ll crush not only his skull but also hold Montemer responsible.”

The Grand Duke resolved to watch Lawrence without letting his emotions sway him.

In the end, only results would prove his worth. And so far, the boy had shown himself trustworthy.

“Keep an eye on him. If you get along, even better.”

“I don’t go for younger guys, though…”

“…Good grief.”

“Father!”

Ignoring his daughter’s retort, the Grand Duke followed Lawrence alongside her. It was time to heal his son.

Meanwhile, Lawrence checked the messages displayed before his eyes.

[For more complete healing, Artifact Implantation is recommended.]
[Engraving: Holy Blessing]
[Classified as 2nd Circle Sacred Magic]

Ah, right. There was something like that.

Perfect timing. Among the supplies he had brought, he had exactly what he needed.

Lawrence returned to his quarters.

At the door, he turned to the Grand Duke.

“Please wait here. I’ll bring it out shortly.”

“You mean… that?”

“Yes. I’d also prefer if no one entered my room during the process.”

“I’ll see to that. Work as you please.”

Lawrence smiled and nodded.

The Grand Duke, intrigued, stood guard at the door.

Inside, Lawrence rummaged through his bags and laid out his materials.

“Phew… looks like I’ll be pulling an all-nighter.”

To take up his pen and draw was his greatest joy.

This time, he would create two artifacts:

[Holy Blessing]
[Legacy of the Black Dragon]

As for the other one, I’ll need to gather more materials. No harm in indebting Leila a little.

With that thought, he picked up his pen and began inscribing the magic circle.

Scratch, scratch—

The day of an artifact maker was only just beginning.