Novel Full Chapter 303 : Chapter 303
Chapter 303. I Can’t Let It End Like This (2)
The State of Profundity was the State of Profundity…
First, he had to do what he had to do now.
Patrick looked at the kneeling Imperial Sword Saint and said.
“How about it? The match is decided, isn’t it?”
“Cough… perhaps…”
“Then, as promised…”
“But I am still alive.”
“……”
“Kugh… If you want me to keep my promise, then take my life. Before that… cough…”
Seeing the Imperial Sword Saint’s attitude of not admitting defeat until death, Patrick scratched his head.
“Seriously, the stubbornness of old people…”
In fact, in cases like this, what Patrick did was simple.
[You won’t surrender? Not surrendering even when you’ve lost is the thirty-seventh thing I hate!]
And if he started beating him, the Imperial Sword Saint would argue, ‘Why do you hate so many things,’ and get beaten until he surrendered.
But in this case…
‘It’s a situation that, very rarely, can’t be solved by beating him up.’
Whether the Imperial Sword Saint’s will would yield to violence was a challenge he wanted to try at least once, but if he beat the Imperial Sword Saint like a dog on a hot day, the Imperial army over there would surely go berserk.
For them, duel or not, they would never stand by and watch their idol be insulted.
Then that meant he had to persuade the Imperial Sword Saint with words…
“This is something Master is good at, not me…”
“What are you doing? Why aren’t you continuing?”
A sigh naturally escaped him as he saw the Imperial Sword Saint aiming at him, raising a small, about-to-vanish aura on his broken sword.
“Hey, look here. Old man.”
“……”
“Isn’t it too unsightly to be stubborn here?”
“……”
“You’re a man of high social standing, so please stop with the disgraceful behavior…”
SWOOOSH!
At that moment, a slash flew towards Patrick.
The Imperial Sword Saint had swung his broken sword, aiming for Patrick’s neck in a single strike.
Of course, Patrick dodged it with a slight movement. But…
“Ah, seriously… Stop being so stubborn.”
“Not yet…”
“Your daughter wouldn’t be happy about this.”
“……!”
At Patrick’s words, the Imperial Sword Saint’s sword stopped. And his eyes looked at his grandson, who was standing nearby.
The only person here who could have told him that fact was Garcia.
Garcia, receiving the Imperial Sword Saint’s gaze, nodded slightly in affirmation.
“To carelessly reveal a family secret…”
The Imperial Sword Saint let out a sigh.
Caroline Reynardo.
She was a girl who was not allowed to use the Reynardo name despite being of the Duke Reynardo family’s blood.
Because she was an illegitimate child.
In fact, for other nobles, it was rare to treat an illegitimate child as if they never existed.
Even if they were illegitimate, they were often recognized as part of the clan and taken care of to some extent, though not as much as the direct line.
But she was different.
Her very existence was kept top secret.
Because her father was the great knight whose fame resounded not just in the Empire but across the entire continent.
The idol of all who wielded a sword.
Duke Carlos Dante Reynardo, the Imperial Sword Saint.
The Imperial Sword Saint was publicly evaluated as an ascetic, a man with no worldly desires, a noble figure devoted only to the sword.
In reality, about 80 percent of that was true.
But when he was over 50 years old, he too had his heart stolen.
The woman was a songstress from a wandering gypsy troupe.
She was a blind singer, but the moment he saw her on stage, the Imperial Sword Saint fell in love at first sight.
It was a feeling he had never once felt for the wife he had taken in a political marriage arranged by his family.
And the Imperial Sword Saint fell in love with her.
The difference in status could not stop him, and he intended to officially take her as his second wife.
But that was impossible.
The clan members, vassals, and even the Emperor, upon hearing the news, vehemently opposed it.
The great and noble Imperial Sword Saint taking a lowly gypsy woman as his second wife?
A woman who was even blind?
This was simply unacceptable.
Inevitably, she had to remain the Imperial Sword Saint’s hidden woman. But he genuinely loved and cherished her.
And a child was born between them.
That was Caroline Reynardo.
After giving birth to Caroline.
Her mother passed away a few years later.
Her already frail body had worsened with childbirth.
The Imperial Sword Saint used all means at his disposal, but he could not save her.
Ultimately, after burying her in the ground.
The Imperial Sword Saint supported and cared for his hidden daughter with all his heart and soul.
A daughter of the woman he loved, yet a daughter he could not reveal to the world.
A grateful daughter who grew up without any gloom despite all that.
Nothing was too precious for this daughter.
In fact, the Imperial Sword Saint had once traveled the entire continent with his daughter, just the two of them.
A man of his stature had left his family for several years with the sole desire of showing his daughter the wide, free world.
That was how much he loved his daughter.
The tragedy occurred after the Imperial Sword Saint returned to the Empire with his daughter.
As the Duke of the Empire, and as the Imperial Sword Saint, he had a mountain of duties to attend to.
Especially during this period, his grandson Garcia was just beginning to show his prominence.
Unlike his rotten sons, he decided to make his talented grandson his heir, and so he had many things to do.
Naturally, he grew distant from his daughter for a while.
And the moment he was distant, a dangerous hand was tempting his daughter.
A few months later.
The Imperial Sword Saint received a report.
That a witch had appeared on the outskirts of the capital, kidnapping people and offering them as sacrifices to demons.
Judging it to be the work of a black mage, the Imperial Sword Saint immediately set out.
He went with a knightly order.
He could have moved alone, but just in case, he had the knightly order form a perimeter and he charged in.
And what he saw there was…
[Caroline? You… How could you?]
The one carving out people’s hearts and offering them on an altar was his beloved daughter.
[Father? Be happy for me. I can become strong now too. Then, I can help you, Father.]
It felt like the sky was falling.
The thick demonic energy emanating from his daughter’s body drove the Imperial Sword Saint to despair.
Why? For what reason? How?
Question after question arose. But he could not deny reality.
His daughter had done something she should never have done.
And what Duke Carlos Dante Reynardo, the Imperial Sword Saint of the Empire, had to do here was all too clear.
[Oh, Yupinel… Why… why must you be so cruel?]
On this day, the Imperial Sword Saint shed tears for the first time after cutting down a person.
For the first time, he resented the gods and cursed fate.
And as he buried his daughter’s cold body in the ground, he made a vow.
[As long as I live, I will never tolerate the existence of black mages. All those associated with them will not escape my sword.]
It was the vow of a father who had lost his beloved daughter.
And to this day, the Imperial Sword Saint has never once broken that vow.
He would cut down all the black mages he could.
He would cut down all those associated with them.
He would cut down all those who stood in his way.
Even if it meant sacrificing the innocent, he would not hesitate in order to punish the greater evil.
“…And so… I vowed.”
“……”
Patrick scratched his head.
Honestly, he didn’t want to stop him.
On the contrary, he felt like saying, ‘Oh, is that so? It’s understandable. They’re bad guys anyway, so what’s the problem? Go ahead.’
Except for just one thing.
“You shouldn’t seek revenge while ignoring the sacrifice of innocent people… you frustrating old man.”
If he sent the Imperial Sword Saint to the Holy Theocracy now, an enormous amount of blood would be shed under the pretext of eradicating black mages.
He was sure of it.
The Imperial Sword Saint ground his teeth at Patrick and said.
“It is not an innocent sacrifice! It is a necessary sacrifice.”
“Necessary?”
“My daughter, who died at the hands of those filthy black mages, would surely understand me. I am her…”
“Wait, wait… what you’re saying sounds like complete nonsense.”
“What did you say?”
“What about your daughter this and that?”
“……”
“Don’t tell me, old man. You’re not having some kind of absurd delusion like you’re going to kill all the black mages on the continent to comfort the vengeful spirit of your unjustly killed daughter, are you?”
“What’s so strange about that?!”
“It’s strange from beginning to end, you hopeless, stubborn old fossil!”
Patrick shouted back at the roaring Imperial Sword Saint.
Then, with a genuinely enraged expression, he said.
“If you’re going to take revenge, do it of your own will, don’t cowardly use a dead person as an excuse! Where do you get off using your dead daughter as an excuse?!”
“You son of a biiitch!”
The Imperial Sword Saint was genuinely furious.
But Patrick, too, was genuinely angry now.
The Imperial Sword Saint himself didn’t know it, but he had just crossed Patrick’s line.
“You bastard! Did your daughter ever once ask you to get revenge for her? Huh? Did she?”
“Don’t spout such absurd nonsense!”
“When you’re dead, it’s over. It’s just the end. What the dead want from the living isn’t revenge. It’s for them… beyond their own sacrifice…”
Patrick continued, his words squeezed out.
“To live in peace.”
“……”
“That’s what the dead want.”
The Imperial Sword Saint fell silent.
He felt a sincerity in Patrick’s words that he had never felt before.
‘He speaks… as if he has died before.’
It was an absurd thought, but the words Patrick had squeezed out were that sincere.
They were filled with a truthfulness that was hard to believe came from the mouth of the flippant and self-centered Patrick.
They were almost desperate.
He didn’t understand.
What on earth was the reason for that Double Dragon to shout, revealing his emotions so openly?
After being reborn.
He often thought.
Would everyone be okay after he died?
They would probably win the war.
He had taken all the elite masters of the Unorthodox Alliance with him in a final, mutual destruction, so they would probably win.
But… would they really be okay?
His beloved wife.
His friends, with whom he had so many good memories.
His weak but affectionate disciples and grand-disciples.
And Master…
Master, who was his parent, his teacher, his guide who had saved his life.
Would they really be okay?
What if…
What if by any chance…
They became enraged by his death and did something reckless, like seeking revenge?
Just thinking about it made him so anxious he couldn’t sleep.
They might do it.
There was a good chance they would.
That made him so anxious.
Please… please… please don’t do that, he wanted to say.
If only he could convey his voice across worlds to his precious ones, he would beg them.
Don’t do anything reckless like revenge, just live well and eat well…
If only he could convey that one phrase…
If someone offered to do it in exchange for him getting on all fours and barking like a dog, he would do it without a second’s hesitation.
That was how much the worry for those he left behind remained a deep concern in Patrick’s heart.
The Imperial Sword Saint closed his eyes.
And thought.
He remembered his daughter’s smile, still vivid in his memory, and all the things she had said.
She was a gentle child, so much so that she had stopped him when he was about to cut down a pickpocket who had targeted his wallet during their travels.
She was a child who had grown up bright and without any gloom, despite being an illegitimate child who could not even use the family name.
Would such a child truly wish for this?
For him to occupy the Holy Theocracy to eradicate black mages, to search out all related individuals, and to execute countless people?
Probably not.
‘There’s no way.’
At that moment, the strength drained from the Imperial Sword Saint’s hand, and his broken sword fell to the ground.
His justification for revenge had vanished.
The Imperial Sword Saint let out a small sigh and said.
“I have lost.”
It was a single phrase that established the armistice between the Holy Theocracy and the Empire.
And at the same time, it was decided who the strongest swordsman on the continent was.
The 200,000 Imperial troops moved directly south.
Not for war.
But to sign an armistice agreement with the Holy Theocracy.
Even to end a war, a formal conclusion was necessary.
So, the Imperial Sword Saint led the Imperial army and entered the Holy Theocracy’s capital, Promis.
The result of 200,000 Imperial troops advancing to the capital of the Holy Theocracy had to be recorded as a military achievement.
Patrick had readily agreed to his words that at least that much was needed for the Emperor to understand.
And now…
“These are our demands.”
“We will accept.”
The Pontiff, who admitted responsibility for the war, accepted all the conditions presented by the Imperial Sword Saint without any negotiation.
Soon, signatures were placed on the armistice agreement, and the Pontiff declared the end of the war in front of everyone.
“Phew… It’s finally over.”
“This damned war is finally over.”
“My son will be able to return safely now.”
The citizens gathered in the great square of Promis all breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that the war was over.
And the Imperial army also breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that they could now return to their families waiting at home.
The Imperial Sword Saint watched the scene and thought to himself.
‘I have done the right thing.’
The smiles of those who purely rejoiced and felt relieved at the end of the war was a sight he would never have seen if he had insisted on continuing the war to the end.
And the one who made it possible for him to make this right choice was the man who would now be known as the strongest on the continent.
“It is a shame that the Double Dragon is not here.”
At the Imperial Sword Saint’s words, the Pontiff also nodded and said.
“Indeed, without him, this war would have been much longer. And many more people would have died.”
The gratitude the Pontiff felt for Patrick was even greater than the Imperial Sword Saint’s.
He had saved him from being brainwashed by black mages and had gone alone to the Imperial army to negotiate and even stop the war.
Since the founding of the Saint Louis Holy Theocracy.
This was probably the first time they had owed such a great debt to a single person.
Of course, the Pontiff also wanted to invite him to this historic event to celebrate with him and commend him separately. But…
“He himself said it was a bother, so there was no way to bring him.”
“Hmph, he is the strongest on the continent, after all.”
“Hahaha.”
The Imperial Sword Saint and the Pontiff laughed.
And the Pontiff continued.
“Still, he will attend the banquet tonight.”
“Hmm, I suppose so.”
“At that time, I plan to give him my blessing in my name and proclaim him a Saint.”
“You mean you will officially proclaim it?”
“Of course. If he is not a Saint, who else could be called one?”
The Imperial Sword Saint looked quite surprised.
To be recognized as a Saint by the Holy Theocracy was a great honor.
No, beyond just honor, it also came with enormous rights.
Being a Saint meant that the Holy Theocracy recognized all his status and actions.
What did this mean?
Back when Patrick had killed Count Spike.
Of course, he had deserved to be killed.
If such a vicious person were left alive, he would surely take out his anger on innocent people rather than repent.
But strictly speaking, it was a dangerous act that could cause tension between nations.
To have split a noble of another country in half, a 7-Star knight who could be considered a crucial part of the nation’s military power.
But if a Saint did it, the story changed.
The Holy Theocracy would guarantee the Saint’s actions and defend him.
For example…
[Count Calvin Spike exploited the innocent and sullied the honor of a knight, thus he deserved to die.]
Something like that.
In short, for most things, the Holy Theocracy would grant legitimacy to the Saint’s actions.
Considering that the nature of religion extended beyond national borders, the status of a Saint could surpass that of a kingdom’s king.
That was why the Holy Theocracy did not carelessly appoint Saints.
The last person to receive the title of Saint was a figure from 300 years ago.
‘The Holy Theocracy is trying to completely win the Double Dragon over to their side.’
Of course, he was a person with the qualifications and, more importantly, the value for it.
And it wasn’t just the Pontiff who had made that judgment.
“Her Highness, the 3rd Princess of our Empire, will also be attending the banquet tonight.”
“The Princess? But why is she here…”
“While our army was moving south, she also set out to match our timing. She joined us a few days ago and is now inside Promis.”
“……”
The Pontiff had also heard about the 3rd Princess of the Empire.
She was said to be the most beautiful and wise woman in the Empire, so much so that the Emperor cherished her deeply and was turning down all marriage proposals that came her way.
Such a princess had come here and joined them.
So suddenly?
It was all too obvious what they were aiming for.
“Hahaha. As far as I know, the Saint is already with three beautiful wives…”
“His Majesty’s decree was that even a concubine would be acceptable.”
“He already has women he loves, so how could a concubine… Wait, surely not…?”
“……”
“You mean the 3rd Princess would become a concubine? The fourth one?”
“…It is His Majesty’s imperial decree.”
“Ha… hahaha.”
The Pontiff was dumbfounded.
Was there any precedent for an Imperial Princess becoming a concubine?
No matter how hard he searched his memory, there was no such precedent.
The law stipulated that the moment one married a princess, even looking at another woman, let alone taking a concubine, was considered an insult to the imperial family…
“Did the Emperor truly say that?”
“He did. It seems he decided right after hearing of my defeat.”
“Hmm…”
I see. Then it made sense.
The Imperial Sword Saint’s defeat.
How surprised the Pontiff had been when he heard the news?
The Imperial Sword Saint was a monster who could win even when the Paladins of the Holy Theocracy attacked him together.
Hearing that he had won a one-on-one duel against such a person was a shock in itself.
But the shock the Emperor of the Empire felt must have been even greater than his own.
It wouldn’t be strange for the Emperor to feel anxious after learning that the Imperial Sword Saint was no longer the strongest on the continent.
And he immediately used the best means he had to draw Patrick in.
‘Hahaha. Still, even so.’
For the Empire to offer a princess as a concubine showed just how serious the Emperor was about winning Patrick over.
‘Should we also prepare something more than just Sainthood?’
Just as the Pontiff was thinking that…
“Your Holiness, we have a big problem.”
A novice priest who had run up in a hurry said with a pale face.
“What is the matter?”
The Pontiff frowned at the priest who was causing a commotion at this important place.
A clergyman who served God should always be calm, how could he be so rash?
That was what he thought. But…
“The Double Dragon has left.”
After hearing what the priest said, the Pontiff froze.
And the Imperial Sword Saint next to him said hastily.
“Wait… wait a minute, what? What did you say?”
“The Double Dragon has left. He has left with the entire delegation from the Schneider Duchy.”
“W-what about the banquet tonight?”
“Yes. Did you inform him about the banquet? I mean, did he know when he left?”
The novice priest, receiving the pressure from the two most powerful figures simultaneously, said with a pale face.
“I did. I definitely did. But…”
“But?”
“But what? Speak quickly!”
The novice priest, looking extremely guilty even though he hadn’t said it himself, shrank and said.
“He… said it was a pain…”
Upon hearing those words, the Pontiff and the Imperial Sword Saint wore expressions of utter disbelief.
He had definitely been told about the banquet today.
And he had also been told that he would receive a great reward if he came to the banquet. But…
“Ha… haha…”
“It seems it was meaningless.”
Laughter was all that came out.
The mighty authority of a Saint.
The beautiful princess of the Empire.
To Patrick, they were just cumbersome, and he had simply left.
As if he had uncovered the black mages’ plot, stopped a war, saved millions of people, and simply done his job.
“I feel as if I have just met a true Saint.”
The Pontiff’s single phrase represented the feelings of them both.
***
“Hey, is it okay for you to just leave like this?”
Matthew, who was riding his horse alongside Patrick, asked. Patrick, chewing on some beef jerky, replied.
“Of course. I’ve done everything I needed to do, so why should I stay?”
“No, you should at least stay for the banquet tonight, right? Didn’t the Holy Theocracy say they were going to give you something?”
As far as Matthew knew, the man named Patrick Schneider was not one to refuse something for free. But…
“Hey, you try dealing with them. One moment they’re offering some weird piece of wood as a treasure, the next they’re offering the right to give a tenth of your income. Ugh… If I ever come back here, I’m a dog. A dog.”
The gifts from the Holy Theocracy were completely not to Patrick’s taste.
Patrick’s taste was not holy relics, nor was it honor.
“I’ve already taken everything I needed, so what?”
Looking behind him, more than ten cargo wagons were moving heavily.
They were gifts extorted under various pretexts from the Holy Knights and Monks of the Holy Theocracy, and the knights of the Empire.
Patrick, looking at it with a satisfied expression, said.
“Alright, let’s go home now.”
There was still a lot to do when he got back.