I’ll Use a Reverse-Edged Sword

“…Did you see that?”
“Uh… uh…”
“What kind of nonsense… So the previous duel wasn’t just a lucky win?”

The knight order members who had surrounded me and Aiden, smiling as if they had found an interesting spectacle, could only change to dumbfounded expressions.

Once again, it was a single exchange.
Just as I had subdued Andrew in one exchange, I also subdued Team Leader Aiden in one exchange.
Moreover, Team Leader Aiden also suffered the same injury as Andrew, with both legs broken.
This too was my intention.

If a duel ends too quickly, spectators usually have two thoughts.
First, the skill difference is so great that a proper duel couldn’t be established,
and second, the ridiculous thought that the winner’s move just happened to work by luck.
Of course, there would be no one who thought my case was the first…

So, I deliberately caused a commotion with a light argument to draw the attention of several knight order members
and showed the same attack pattern I had shown in the previous duel with Andrew.
This is not a lucky move.
To create an effect as if I had shouted that to everyone…
My intention seemed to hit the mark better than expected.
I could feel a slightly more intense atmosphere forming than the murmurs I had heard in the previous duel.

“They’re… broken, right? Team Leader Aiden’s legs…”
“It… seems so…”
“Again, that strange sword…”
“Imagine if it had been a sword with a blade… Would his two legs still be attached?”

The state of the knight order members was quite serious.
The murmurs didn’t end with light exclamations, but were enough to create a strange fear of me, even imagining the worst possible situations.

“Hik… hup…”
I noticed Team Leader Aiden groaning as he sat on the ground.
In this duel, I decided to refrain from that arrogant ‘consideration’ comment I had made to Andrew before.
Because only occasional groans of endurance, completely different from Andrew’s screams, were leaking from his mouth as he sat with both legs broken.

“Team Leader Aiden… are you alright?”
I approached him and spoke, looking down at him.
Even if I don’t display the winner’s arrogance by looking down on and mocking him,
it’s the right choice to gain what I aimed for.

“Not… team leader…”
But my concern seemed quite unnecessary…
Aiden, unable to put strength in his two legs, started to adjust his posture by placing both hands on the ground.

“…Don’t move, there’s a doctor residing in the castle who treated Andrew, I’ll send someone to-“
I couldn’t finish my words.
Because I realized that Aiden was struggling to take ‘a certain posture’ as he groaned and tossed about.
That very posture where a knight kneels on one knee when swearing allegiance to a monarch.

“Wait… Team Leader Aiden…”
“Young Master, not team leader anymore. Didn’t you say before the duel, if I lose to you, I should… ugh… step down from the team leader position…”

“I did… say that…”
With Aiden’s sudden strange behavior, my head had trouble grasping the situation right away.
But I could vaguely understand.
Looking at his resolute expression and that figure struggling to create an impossible posture…

“Knight Aiden, Young… urgh… Young Master, I express my… ugh… gratitude for your consideration. Thank you for… urgh… leaving my two legs.”

“Wait, I know what you’re trying to do, but don’t. Your two legs are already broken and you can’t put strength in them, right? Kneeling is imposs-“

It was a speechless moment.
Aiden, forcibly supporting his two broken legs that couldn’t exert strength by grabbing each with his hands, finally managed to create a posture of kneeling on one knee.
It was terribly unsightly, trembling and looking like it might collapse at any moment,
but it was clearly that posture of kneeling on one knee.

“For a mere knight who was disrespectful without knowing his place, urgh… thank you for showing mercy.”

By now
There was an indescribable seriousness in the eyes of the knight order members who had been murmuring and watching.
Is the sincerity of a ‘knight’ being conveyed to other knights as well?
Suddenly, what’s going on here?
These are people who not only ignored me but looked down on me and treated me like I didn’t exist.
But indeed
Showing overwhelming power superiority in a man-to-man relationship seems to be quite an effective method.
I looked around, pondering how to handle this increasingly serious atmosphere,
and then decided.
The newly born me, Eden…
Even to create a new position within the family,
needed to show dignity in this situation.

“Knight Aiden. I crushed your two legs to punish your vile and stupid behavior, but you accept the result cleanly without uttering a single scream. Endurance and acceptance are also important parts of chivalry. I also highly appreciate your effort to show respect, albeit belatedly. I especially forgive you.”

My action of trying to help my friend Raymond and incidentally establish discipline seemed to have produced a bigger result than expected.
Just as the knights didn’t know me, was I also not knowing the knights?
That’s right.
In fact, there are no guys who live and die for romance as much as knights do.

“Urgh… th-thank you. Knight Aiden will live the rest of his life never forgetting the mercy bestowed by the Young Master.”

“Quick treatment will be necessary for your two broken legs to heal properly. Of course, your salary will continue to be paid punctually during the treatment period, and I will also hire specialized rehabilitation personnel to aid your recovery.”

“Hick…”
No matter how much one endures and endures pain, it’s impossible to completely forget it
A small groan leaked from Aiden’s mouth, whether due to pain or emotion.

“Take Aiden to the doctor, and the rest return to training. Execute.”
What kind of nerve was it…
Intoxicated by the atmosphere, as if I had become the leader of the knight order, I spat out orders in an arrogant tone to the knights who were watching.
However, not feeling any particular discomfort, the knights lightly bowed their heads and began to scatter.

“Y-Young Master, it will be difficult for this journey, but after I complete my treatment, perhaps I could assist you in your work? From the position of an ordinary knight, having stepped down from the team leader position-“

“What do you mean step down from the team leader position? It’s not like you gambled it away overnight. Of course, once you recover, I’ll send you back to your original position. As I said earlier, I’m just borrowing your team for a while.”

“Urgh… Young Master’s grace-“

“Enough noise, go and focus on your treatment.”

Before the conversation could get any longer, I left with Raymond.
When it feels like all the words haven’t been said, that’s when the lingering impression lasts longer.

“What’s this, Eden! What really happened to you? Are you the Eden I know? Are you someone else imitating Eden with black magic?”

Raymond was making a fuss, randomly tapping my face.

“Oh my. Knight Raymond. What is this-“

“Stop putting on airs! Eden, what really happened to you!”

The seriousness didn’t seem to work on Raymond.
He was the only one who had become my friend when no one else was by my side
Maybe it’s natural in a way…

“I don’t know. I was surprised too. I thought Aiden was just a bad guy acting like a thug, but suddenly what’s with that atmosphere?”

“Hey, still, Team Leader Aiden is known for his skills in the knight order, how could he just be a thug?”

“That’s true, it seems he has quite a bit of chivalry, so why did he treat you so carelessly?”

“……”

Ah, I asked something unnecessary.
Even if we’re in the same position of being ignored and mistreated, there can’t be equality between me, the son of the head of the family, and Raymond, a hired knight.
In any case, it was a situation where Raymond was suffering more damage because of me who had been living so pathetically.

“I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for, man. More importantly, the Baron’s errand? That didn’t seem like a made-up story?”

“Ah, right! That’s right… I have to accompany Wydro family’s next trade journey. I thought it would be good to take your team along, you know. Let’s think of it as a trip, eat lots of delicious food, and see other territories.”

“Wydro family?”

“Yeah, I got engaged to their daughter.”

“Wow… nobles really are different, when they say they’ll do something, they really do it? I was doubtful when you talked about getting engaged.”

“It’s nothing special. I just went to their house and left a ring.”

“Is she pretty?”

“What?”

“What do you mean what, your fiancée.”

“Uh… uh… she was flashy, but was she pretty?”

“What? You didn’t even look at her face properly?”

“I should take a proper look this time, actually we didn’t talk much. She showed a lot of discomfort as soon as we met. I think I made her dislike me from the first meeting…”

“You’re the best in the empire at making people dislike you, Eden.”

“Knight Raymond, be careful with your words-“

“This crazy bastard keeps doing this?”

Raymond grabs my neck with his arm and laughs out loud.

Ah… but this trade journey will be quite a meaningful occasion, so will Wydro Luna really come along?
Given that it’s a contractual engagement for mutual benefit, and we won’t even go to marriage anyway…
Although it would be better to meet as little as possible if possible,
it was clearly something that felt uncomfortable somehow.

The next day, the knight team that Raymond and I belonged to finished simple preparations and departed for the Wydro family.