172. Cinders in the Ashes (1)

“You’re quite arrogant that you learned a little about that petty swordsmanship, Louis Loir.”

A mocking voice was heard. Louis let out a rough breath and stood up, using the sword as a walking stick. It was a one-sided aspect. Kyle’s sword consistently overpowered Lewis’s. Lewis was only focused on defending and dodging Kyle’s attacks. Blood was oozing from cuts all over her body. There were no deep scars, but Kyle couldn’t adjust to the pain he felt for the first time in his life. My limbs trembled, and bodily fluids mixed with saliva flowed from the corners of my mouth.

“Do you think you can become a sword master when you meet a proper swordsmanship teacher for the first time and train with appropriately spoken words?”

On the other hand, Kyle seemed to be full of power. The distorted face showed a demonic rage. Unlike Louis, who gasped, his breathing was not disturbed. Looking pathetically at his older brother, Kyle quickened his pace toward Louis.

“On such a subject, his ego was filthy strong. If this were the case, I’d have been better off ordering them to attack us from the start.”

Saying that, Kyle looked at Dennis and Charlotte behind him. They flinched to run at Lewis whenever he was in danger, but they couldn’t get involved in the situation because of Louis’ cry that restrained him like a ghost every time.

“Isn’t that right, Dennis, Charlotte? How does it feel to meet the wrong owner and helplessly take one step toward death?”

aww

Dennis’ teeth were grinding. I gripped the hilt so hard that all the blood was gone from my hand, but I couldn’t pull out the sword. Again Louis raised his hand and signaled them not to come closer.

“It is our fight.”

Louis said and straightened his back. Align your breathing and replace the air in your lungs with new ones. Then, after wiping off the flowing bodily fluids with his hand, Lewis grabbed the hilt with both hands and pointed the tip of the sword at Kyle. Kyle’s eyebrows crumpled as he faced Louis’s knife pointed at him. Louise’s eyes were shining brightly without losing her fighting spirit.

“They mean they have nothing to do with it.”

“under.”

An absurd smirk escaped Kyle’s mouth.

“Now I see why you provoked me into a duel. Well, since Dennis and Charlotte are unrelated, did you intend to ask them to live even if you died?”

Kyle, who had approached the distance where knives met before he knew it, spat out as if he was annoyed. Kyle’s arms rose high. The sun shone brightly, shining on the tip of the sword.

“That’s why you intend to remain a hypocrite until the end.”

bang-!

A merciless slash landed on Lewis’ head. Louis barely lifted his sword to block Kyle’s attack, but his legs sank under the weight.

“That’s not even funny!”

bang-! bang-!

twice, three times. A resentment filled with power, without technique or tact, drove Louis.

“I always didn’t like the way you looked like that. No matter how many times I say this, it would be cool.”

bang-!

The blades that touched did not come off. Kyle pushed his sword down with force, while Lewis pushed his sword up. The forces were not even. The sword gradually began to move toward the top of Louis’ head.

“Your swordsmanship is poor. Yes, unlike that proud monarchy.”

Like Kyle’s sword, his grins didn’t reach Louis. Lewis let out a breath. The words that were cut off leaked out from the tightly closed teeth.

“… Since you were captured by such an inferiority complex, you must have fallen for the trick of the wicked one.”

Kyle’s eyebrows twitched. Then he raised his sword wide again. Louis didn’t miss the chance and threw his body forward, throwing Kyle out of position.

“this guy!”

Kyle burst into a roar and resumed the inspection. Lewis, who had rushed in vigorously, began to defend hurriedly again. Kyle’s sword tried to break Kyle’s posture by scattering sword winds. However, Kyle’s sword wasn’t high enough to pierce Louis’ sword, which was only focused on defending itself. It wasn’t even strong enough to break it from the front.

bang-!

did not collapse In front of a sword stronger than himself, Louis did not give in even though it was difficult. As Louis continued to defend against the sword attack without collapsing, Kyle soon withdrew his sword attack. Then, with an even more furious expression, he kicked the sword that Louis was holding onto.

“Cheuk.”

Lewis was tossed around like a deflated balloon and covered in dust. The sand mixed into the cut, causing even more bitter pain.

“Okay, I promise you right here. After rendering you immobile, I will kill those two knights in front of you. I mean, I’m going to distort that adult-like expression!”

Louis glared at Kyle, who was screaming. No, I didn’t have enough strength left to stare like that. All power was distributed between the right hand gripping the sword and the left hand supporting the body. What Kyle said was not right. Lewis had no intention of dying right here and now.

Give your hands strength. Relax your body and gaze at the enemy with your eyes.

Even in the blurred vision, Kyle’s figure was clearly visible. The smell of the flying dust was familiar. I never thought I’d get used to being this dirty.

‘If only.’

That day, after all training is over. Luis was sitting with Maxime in the backyard, chatting. Exhausted and breathing in the cold winter wind, the tip of Louise’s nose was dyed red.

‘On the assumption that I’m going to fight right now.’

‘Your Highness, it would be better for you to abandon the thought of fighting.’

When Maxim cut off his words like a knife, Louis let out a blank laugh. It seemed like yesterday when he was having a difficult time with himself, but now he was joking around quite comfortably.

‘Well, doesn’t it feel like you’re going to run before you can even walk? This is probably what a knight hears most often while practicing his sword.’

‘I’m not saying I’m going to fight right now.’

‘I feel like I’ll just pull out my sword and run somewhere if I just hear your words.’

Maxim looked at Louis’s wooden sword as if he was not trustworthy.

‘So, do you intend to just go over to Eoyeongbuyeong without properly listening to your master’s story?’

When Louis asked, raising one eyebrow, Maxim smiled and looked at Louis.

‘Please tell me.’

‘It’s also fast.’

Louis raised a wooden sword and stabbed Balchi in the eye. It was like a soldier stabbing the one he had defeated after a duel with the tip of his sword.

‘If I had a real battle, how many skills would I be able to use right now?’

Maxim firmly shook his head. When it came to teaching the sword, he was an overly candid teacher. He didn’t say a word in vain, and he always pulled himself out of the swamp of pride.

‘Not at all, Your Highness. Right now, His Highness is only at the stage of learning what a sword is like, and is not at all ready to wield it as a weapon.’

Saying that, Maxim drew out his wooden sword. The wooden sword drew a trajectory in the air as if it had been one body with him from the beginning, gently conforming to it. Maxim looked at the blade of the wooden sword and swung it once casually.

Booung.

The wind rose along the sword path. The wind passed over the snow that was piled up in the backyard, and it swelled in an instant to create a pure white curtain. Louis stared blankly at the waves of the bag coming at him like a blizzard. My vision was blinded and I couldn’t see anything properly. For an instant, I felt as if my body was paralyzed. Through the veil, Maxim’s low voice is heard.

‘Your Highness, if a situation arises where you have to fight with a sword, there is only one thing Your Highness can do.’

To hold on without letting go of the sword. To somehow block, dodge, avoid dying, and keep your eyes open.

Louis blinked back to reality. I heard Kyle’s clear footsteps scratching the floor. I saw grains of sand blown into the sky and slowly descending to the floor. The grains of sand hit the floor and throw themselves back into the air. A second falling grain of sand covered my left hand.

‘If you can use an aura, you can’t. But if you can’t use it, at least once, you can unconditionally induce vigilance.’

‘… Did I say unconditional?’

‘Yes. must. Exceptions do not exist except for me.’

snap.

Louis clasped his left hand. nothing was caught Except for the dirt and sand that covered my hands. As Maxim showed then.

jerk, jerk.

Through the grains of sand, the tips of Kyle’s boots are visible. The moment those feet took two more steps was the time to take action.

‘And there is only one sensory organ that those who cannot use Aura usually rely on.’

Pooh-!

‘Eyes, vision.’

A curtain of sand rose. It wasn’t as flashy as Maxim showed, but it was possible to cover Kyle’s vision, which even Auras couldn’t use. Kyle closed his eyes, wincing at the sand that jumped out of his eyes. A small speck of dust trickled into his eye, giving Louis more time.

‘What next?’

‘I can’t deal with swords against swords, so shake off the opponent’s sword.’

Lewis checked Kyle’s loosened grip. With all his might, he kicked Kyle’s sword hilt with his raised foot. Kyle’s sword left his hand more desperately than he thought. With his judgment impaired by curses and brainwashing, he couldn’t even tell that the sword had disappeared from his hand.

‘And?’

‘… Frankly, if I’ve managed to get this far, then the person in the situation will know better than I what to do next.’

yes. I could see now. My body moved on its own as I headed towards Kyle, who was staggering back and forth. An empty body with both arms raised to the face. Lewis kicked his knee right there.

“Kuk-!”

It will feel like you are forcibly squeezing out your breath. However, this once could not decide the duel. Lewis left the blade behind and swung the hilt. A blunt ball of iron attached to the end of the hilt flew towards Kyle’s head with a bloody sound.

puck-!

Kyle’s blood spattered for the first time. Kyle, who was hit hard on the head, flew backwards and fell to the floor. Unlike Kyle, Louis didn’t have the time to play around with him. I took a big step forward and drew the knife. Kyle, who was struggling with the dust that bothered his eyes, stopped struggling at the cool sensation that came down to his neck.

“Don’t move.”

Kyle forced his eyelids open to take stock of the situation. Eyes that were scratched with dust and burned red looked at the sword that had been pressed against his throat. Silence flows. The knights standing behind Kyle quietly placed their hands over the hilt. Dennis and Michelle also grabbed the hilt, anticipating that a battle would begin. Lewis’s mouth opened.

“Kyle, you looked down on me to the end while being so obsessed with an inferiority complex.”

At Lewis’ words, Kyle giggled and let out a laugh like a lunatic would.

“Do you know why I have no choice but to fall into an inferiority complex? You guys can’t understand that feeling at all. Even if you make the same effort and act the same, the king’s eyes are always on you!”

“You’re ugly, Kyle. Obama never really looked at you, or at me, or at Michelle.”

Lewis shook his head. The compassionate gaze that had been directed at Kyle no longer existed. There was only the face of a knight looking down at the enemy.

“The gaze you are talking about is not just Obama’s gaze.”

A chilly silence fell. Kyle’s face, contorted with anger, stiffened and turned pale. Louis sighed when he saw Kyle like that.

“I can’t even speak honestly.”

“… the mouth.”

A shadow falls over Kyle’s eyes. If it wasn’t for the point of Louis stabbing his own uvula, he would have jumped right in and cut his throat.

“You better shut up.”

“Your jealousy is so ugly. It’s almost pitiful that you blindly blame the people around you without looking back at your problems.”

“I will kill you.”

hard.

The ground around Kyle began to shake. Sensing that the situation was not serious, Dennis rushed forward. In line with Dennis’ movement, the knights accompanied by Kyle also jumped.

visor-!

The workshop took place in an instant. Luis was pulled away from Dennis’ arm, and Kyle’s knights pulled away from Luis, holding on to Kyle. Dennis distorted his expression as he looked down at the first prince, whose body was full of scars.

“… I told you not to step out no matter what.”

Lewis scolded lowly.

“I’m sorry. But I couldn’t leave it as it is.”

Dennis looked at Kyle, who was soon caught in the hands of the knights. Kyle shook his head and muttered something. A knight came forward and ordered Kyle to be captured, then drew a sword. The rest of the knights followed him.

“The duel seems to have ended here. Our Highness must be very strong.”

Dennis and Charlotte exchanged glances. The time to choose has come. From the beginning, the outcome of the duel was decided. Whichever of the two princes won, the situation would be this way. Dennis gave a playful shrug and asked Charlotte.

“Come on, the one who fights desperately with you and me here, and the one who runs away with His Highness. Which one do you think has a higher chance of survival?”

“Don’t be silly, pull out your knife. In the first place, there was only one option left, so what?”

Charlotte, as usual, lashed out at Dennis. A bitter smile spread on Dennis’ lips. Death was not something I could comfortably face. If that’s the case, I have no choice but to fight to escape until the end.

“great. Shall we match the sum after a long time… .”

thud.

Change happened then. The knight who took the lead with Kyle on his back turned his head back in embarrassment. Dennis, Charlotte, and Louis just watched what was happening with puzzled expressions.

“… kill it.”

The voice that came out with a clear resonance was that of Kyle Loire. Kyle was standing behind the knight who had turned around, holding a sword. The knights holding Kyle disappeared. No, it didn’t disappear. It was a corpse with limbs cut off, lying on the floor. Kyle moved forward, dragging his sword on the ground.

“Kyle… ?”

Louise’s voice trembled as she called for her brother. The knights on Kyle’s side drew their swords and pointed them at Kyle. He wasn’t a half-knight who hadn’t been able to properly defeat a single Louis before. There was enough mana flowing down the spines of those watching. It was like burning my life and pulling it out.

“Back off-!”

As soon as the leading knight shouted, Kyle’s sword flashed.

—

It wasn’t that I hated him from the beginning. Rather, there was also a heart of yearning a little. The intelligence he sometimes displayed was something he did not have. As I watched my older brother talking to Michelle, I thought it was an ideal image of a royal family.

‘In fact, Louis can’t be called your real brother.’

Even after hearing the truth from the king, not much had changed. He just realized that Louis and Michelle were connected by a stronger bond than he and Michelle. Suspicion began to sprout from there.

Why can’t I get that close? Why is my older brother still there, not me?

As the questions continued to grow, he became more and more distant from his brothers. He became more obsessed with the sword and began to focus on building his own.

“Your Highness, Count Leon Benning has come to visit.”

Yes, it was then that Leon Benning came. Every word spoken by Leon Benning, who was sitting in front of Kyle, cut Kyle’s wounds with sharp edges.

There must have been a lot of questions. There is obviously someone who should occupy that position, but why is it that the offspring of a concubine and not yours is taking everything you deserve?

Leon Benning seemed to be trying to create a gap to dig into. Kyle was in too much confusion to find out. What Leon Bening weaved with his tongue was a subtle and subtle language. On top of Kyle’s suspicions, which were as dim as ash, Leon Benning put a dry branch on top of it and blown on it to fuel the embers.

From a certain moment, only the words of Leon Benning echoed in Kyle’s head.

“If we leave it as it is, the throne and Your Highness’s sister will all belong to the bastard. And, will the bastard who will rise to the throne leave the eldest son alive? It’s equally dirty, Your Highness. It’s just a fight to see who dies, the first prince or the second prince. If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be okay if I got a little more bloodstained here? Wouldn’t it matter if we first raised our swords and cut their throats?”

Then what should I do, Count?

“It’s simple. Just remember these words.”

i hate my father That hatred was unleashed with a sword, and with a sharpened sword I will someday make the throne of this country mine.

For him, the thing I depend on the most is Count Leon Benning. If I just listen to him, everything I wish for will come true.

“Everything, everything.”

Like a broken machine, Kyle kept spitting out words. His limbs were floundering in the air. The blade of the sword in his right hand was glistening red as it sucked up the blood of the knights. The power of the curse made Kyle perceive everyone around him as an enemy. Ironically, the sword, which was swung without identifying Pia, stopped without even reaching Louis.

“Count Leon Benning. If only you would listen to him.”

Kyle’s eyes, like the eyes of a corpse, were cold and trembling. What was reflected in that pupil was Louise’s face.

“majesty.”

Dennis’ voice was barely audible. Louis looked at Kyle with a devastated expression on his stomach as blood and intestines poured out. The knights of Leon Benning, whom Kyle cut down, were still bleeding. In the end, it was only after the last knight put a sword into Kyle’s abdomen that Kyle’s rampage stopped. Of course, it was the same as the head of the last remaining knight was cut off.

“I will finish.”

Lewis stepped forward, holding his sword. He would lose his life if left alone, but Louis made the choice to end Kyle’s life with his own hands. If the battle that was to take place deep in the castle ended successfully, it was to make his exit a little easier, and to help Michelle a little more in the future.

“… With this, you will never stand by me or Michelle.”

There was bitterness in Louise’s voice. On the nape of Louise’s neck, her head drooping, the engraving made by Leon Benning was shining. Is that a retribution from a momentary mistake, or is it a curse placed on the royal family, which began with the father and was bound by taboos?

Lewis raised his sword high. Although completely exhausted, Lewis was moving with mental strength for one last duty.

“I won’t ask for forgiveness, Kyle. Your sins are too deep for that.”

“I will one day with a sharpened sword… .”

Louis’ sword landed on Kyle’s muttering head.

“This country, my father, Michelle… .”

squeak.

Above the winter sky, the heads of the two princes flew up.