A year is indeed a long time.
It was enough time for Alon to officially undergo the succession ceremony and transition from the heir of the Palatio family to its Count. It was also enough time for him to become steadily accustomed to the duties a Count must handle.
However, a year was by no means enough time for an ordinary person, who knew nothing of the sword, to reach the level of a 'Master Knight.'
"Evan."
"Yes, My Lord."
"A Master Knight... that refers to a Sword Master, right?"
"That's... correct."
A Sword Master.
From the perspective of Alon, who had read countless fantasy novels, that name felt like a rather cliché title.
However, unlike other mass-produced fantasy stories where anyone who could manifest an Aura Blade was treated as a Sword Master, he knew that the standards for a Sword Master in this world were on a different scale.
Information about the Sword Masters of Psychedelia flashed through Alon's mind.
In this world, manifesting an 'Aura Blade' was merely the baseline. The title referred to monsters who had awakened a unique ability called a 'Derivative' and could leap over castle walls with a single step.
In short, it was more accurate to view the Sword Masters of this world not as mere swordsmen who coated their blades in energy, but as genuine superhumans.
"So, you're saying Deus has become one of those Sword Masters?"
"...Well, strictly speaking, he's more at the threshold than a full-fledged Sword Master. It's true he's been titled a Master Knight, but according to information from the guild, he hasn't manifested a Derivative yet."
"...? Then he's not a Master Knight, is he?"
"It's likely because of the Northern Barbarians."
"Ah."
At Evan's words, Alon immediately understood why Deus had been named a Master Knight.
"The war?"
"Yes."
Caliban had been at war with the barbarians in the North for over ten years, and last year, they lost one of their five Master Knights in that conflict. Recalling this, Alon nodded.
"They're trying to calm the public's anxiety while simultaneously declaring that the kingdom is still going strong."
"There are likely a few other intentions, but that seems to be the gist of it."
"So, Deus isn't quite at the level of a Master Knight yet?"
"No, it's just that he hasn't achieved a Derivative. According to the information guild, his prowess is already at the Master Knight level. I heard that Piola, the Fourth Sword and a Master Knight herself, was defeated by Deus in a duel."
Hearing Evan's report, Alon let out a hollow laugh and muttered.
"...How old is the youngest Master Knight, exactly?"
"As far as I know, thirty-two. Reinhardt, the current First Sword of Caliban, held the record. Well, until now."
"He was the youngest?"
"Yes. Is he not famous?"
Alon nodded at Evan's question.
In truth, he hadn't been very aware of Reinhardt's fame because he simply wasn't interested, but he did know the man was an absurdly powerful individual.
In the game, whenever the main story progressed, Reinhardt would appear in the third main episode as a temporary ally to help the protagonist.
I remember the narration saying he possessed incredible talent and had been swinging a sword since he was five.
Recalling the typical hype-filled narration that accompanied Reinhardt's recruitment, Alon chuckled.
Even with the talent of someone as ridiculously strong as Reinhardt, it had taken over twenty years to reach the rank of Master Knight.
"...To become a Master Knight in just one year... Does that even make sense?"
"It's beyond absurd. Even the most talented individuals take five years to awaken mana, ten years to coat their blades with it, and decades to achieve a Derivative. Deus cleared the first two stages in a single year."
As Evan finished speaking, he smacked his lips as if slightly envious. Alon unconsciously stroked his chin.
I knew he was talented, but I never imagined it would be to this extent... Well, it's a good thing.
From Alon's perspective, Deus's success wasn't something to be sad about; rather, it was something to celebrate.
The better Deus did, the more Alon could reap the rewards later.
I'll be able to... reap those rewards, right?
Alon's gaze drifted down to a letter sitting on one side of his desk.
The letter was from Yutia, who was currently in the Holy Kingdom Rosario.
...Or will I?
The reason he had such a strange expression was that for the past year, letters had only been coming from Yutia.
It seems like they're still talking to each other, though.
It was a reasonable deduction. Yutia, who had become a nun in the Holy Kingdom, wrote about her own life, but her letters were also peppered with news about the other Five Sins she had grown up with in the orphanage.
...Well, I haven't seen them in person since they left, so I suppose it can't be helped. But still, I even prepared personal gifts for everyone. Isn't it a bit much not to send a single word of thanks...?
Alon wore a disgruntled expression that didn't quite reach the surface, but he soon shook his head slightly.
Considering his original goal, he should be grateful enough that the Five Sins hadn't leveled the kingdom yet.
Therefore.
As long as they're eating well and living well, I guess that's enough.
Alon thought with a slightly bittersweet smile...
*
The Central Zone of Kirdam, the capital of Caliban.
In the southern part of that district, where only the high-ranking nobles of the country could reside, stood a grand mansion.
It was currently the residence of a member of the 'Eclipse,' a knight order that had become incredibly famous in Caliban.
At the same time, it was the home of the Commander of the Eclipse Knights and the man who held the title of the youngest Master Knight in the nation—Deus Macallian.
"Phew—"
In a sophisticated office.
It wasn't decorated to his specific taste; he was simply using the office as it had originally been furnished. There, Deus let out a low sigh and gazed leisurely out the window toward the mansion's garden.
"Brother!"
Soon, he spotted a young girl waving at him with a bright smile from the garden, and an involuntary smile tugged at his lips.
The girl, who possessed the same deep purple eyes as Deus, waved at him for a moment before resuming her stroll through the garden. Watching her, Deus found himself reminiscing about a year ago.
The moment he was reunited with the family he thought was dead.
...The memory of a year ago, when he received the gift from the Great Moon.
"..."
In truth, a year ago, Deus Macallian had joined the Blue Moon and was active within it, but he didn't possess the same blind faith in the Great Moon as Yutia did.
Of course, Deus knew the entity had saved his life, but even so, that wasn't enough of a reason for him to pledge his loyalty to a stranger.
Thus, there were only two reasons why Deus Macallian had remained part of the Blue Moon.
One was to receive training from Yutia.
The other was the promise made by the Great Moon to allow him to take revenge on the 'Black Sheep.'
From the moment he lost the family that was as precious to him as his own life, all that remained within him was a rage that kept him from sleep and a viscous, clinging hatred.
That was why, when he first received this mission, he hadn't been pleased at all.
While he understood that everything they had done in the Blue Moon was to oppose the 'Black Things,' this mission had seemed far too sudden and out of place.
However, the moment he arrived in Caliban and reached the small inn in the south where the 'gift' was supposed to be—just as the Great Moon's letter had described—his eyes had nearly popped out of his head.
For there, his younger sister, who should have been murdered by the Black Sheep, was perfectly fine, alive, and working at the inn.
"Ahem."
Deus cleared his throat awkwardly, even though there was no one else in the room.
The memory of bursting into tears and hugging his sister the moment he saw her at the inn was still deeply embarrassing to him.
After that initial emotional outburst, Deus had heard the whole story from his sister, Silli.
She told him how she had been dragged into a dark space by the Black Sheep and was waiting for her turn to be killed when she was suddenly pulled back out into the light.
She spoke of how a man named Evan had rescued her when she was about to be sold by slave traders.
And finally, how Count Palatio had provided her with precious medicine to treat her and had consistently sponsored and protected her until Deus arrived.
Hearing all this, Deus had wondered how on earth the Great Moon could have known these facts.
He had never once spoken about his family since joining the Blue Moon, and even Yutia only knew he had been victimized by the 'Black Sheep' from the traces left on him; she didn't know the specifics of what had happened.
But before long, he stopped questioning it.
Instead, he recalled Yutia's words.
The words she always said like a habit whenever they were together.
'He knows everything.'
'You'll come to understand, too. Why I follow him.'
Recalling those words—which he had initially dismissed but now felt he understood—he offered his gratitude to the Great Moon.
To a man who had been chewing on nothing but hatred to avenge his family, the survival of his sister was everything.
...Furthermore, the fact that the Count had protected her in secret, even staking his own name, was a gift beyond measure and a grace more precious than anything else.
No matter what happens.
Deus resolved to repay that grace.
Following that, he became a knight in Caliban, just as the Great Moon had commanded.
Ridiculously enough, becoming a knight was easy.
Surprisingly, even excluding his innate abilities, he possessed a talent for the 'sword' that astonished even himself.
'He knows everything.'
At that moment, Deus realized that Yutia's words weren't just blind faith born of fanaticism. By the time he became a knight, Deus understood why the Great Moon had sent him here to take up the sword.
My mission is to create a personal guard.
Perhaps because of the ongoing battles with the barbarians, anyone in Caliban could form a knight order if they received the King's recognition.
Furthermore, if one became a Master Knight, they could form a knight order that exceeded the usual numerical limits.
And it wouldn't be an order made of street thugs, but one composed of talented swordsmen who had come to Caliban specifically to become knights.
"Commander, it is time."
"Understood."
At the words of the knight who bowed with eyes full of respect, Deus rose from his seat and began to walk.
His destination was the training grounds.
The knights, clad in the black iron armor that was the symbol of the Eclipse Knight Order, were lined up in formation, ready to depart on an expedition to join the battle against the barbarians.
Deus stood on the reviewing stand and looked over his knights.
He knew that not everyone would return home with a smile.
However, to Deus, that wasn't the primary concern.
The knight order—the personal guard intended to serve the Great Moon—had to become even stronger than it was now.
He knew all too well that what that Great One desired was not a knight order that would fall to mere northern barbarians.
Thus, unlike other commanders who offered words of encouragement and courage, Deus simply drew his sword.
"Under the moon, prove yourselves."
With the quiet recitation of the Eclipse slogan, he set out on the expedition to face the barbarians.
To forge the greatest knight order, one worthy of the Great Moon.