Although I didn’t perfectly acquire the ‘Moonlight Sword’ last night, I’ve become able to implement it to some extent.
As soon as morning broke, I got up and headed to the training ground.
I drew my sword from my waist and aimed it at a wooden dummy.
When I cast the incomplete ‘Moonlight Sword’, I saw moonlight begin to form at the end of the blade and swung my sword.
Whoosh~.
The sound of cutting through the air quietly rang out in the training ground. Immediately, the head of the dummy fell to the ground with a thud.
With the <Natural Swordsman> trait and the <Moonlight Sword>, I acquired the skill to hold my own as a knight in just one day.
However, I still felt it was not enough.
‘The top priority should be to complete the ‘Moonlight Sword’.’
Not only the game knowledge I had beforehand, but I felt the need for other things as well.
Like reading books in this world or seeking advice from others.
Of course, it’s safe to say that seeking advice from others isn’t an option for ‘Julian’. So, there’s only one option left.
“Master, you have a visitor.”
Brought back to reality by the servant’s call, a visitor? For me?
Could it be that Julian had a friend? Given his personality, if he had a friend, that friend must not be normal either.
After asking them to wait for a moment, I went into my room, changed my clothes, and strapped on the sword I had been swinging just a moment ago.
I didn’t like carrying around the cumbersome sword, but it was necessary to perfectly act as Julian.
“S- Sir Julian!”
The guest the servant mentioned was a man who still showed signs of youth with brown hair.
First off, he’s not a ‘named character’.
He was not someone I remembered. But he didn’t feel unfamiliar.
‘I saw him yesterday.’
I remembered. This guy was a knight who followed me with Herand after the ‘Closed Eyes’ initiation test ended yesterday.
Of course, I don’t know his name.
“S-Sorry! I forgot to introduce myself!”
Seeing me just staring blankly, he introduced himself in a sweat.
“I-I’m Razlot. I’m an apprentice handling miscellaneous duties for ‘Closed Eyes’. P-Please take care of me.”
Ah, so he’s that guy. Anyway, it seems he passed the initiation test, not yesterday’s but on another day.
“An apprentice?”
“Yes, yes… I haven’t been officially promoted for half a year… It’s nothing!”
It seemed like he wanted to say something more…
Anyway, I looked at Razlot and spoke. “What brings you here?”
“Ah! I came to check the results of the initiation test that was conducted at the Academy yesterday!”
“If it’s about the results, you would have seen them yesterday.”
“That’s… It’s the procedure to hear it directly. Haha.”
“Really… What a pointless procedure.”
I internally criticized ‘Closed Eyes’s inefficient administration, but since it was a procedure, I decided to answer.
“For the initiation test, report 0 passers.”
“Yes! Then, have a good day, Sir Julian!”
This way, I wouldn’t have to visit the royal family directly. I felt relieved to have one less bothersome task.
As I watched Razlot’s back, I remembered yesterday’s events.
I decided to tweak the regulations to prevent the Crypart family from scheming during the initiation test again.
“Wait, hold on a moment.”
“Yes, yes!?”
Razlot, like a startled animal, jumped and stopped in his tracks.
“I’ll report it in person.”
“What? Oh, yes.”
“Let’s go together in my carriage. I’ll give you a ride.”
I decided to show some kindness, out of sympathy for him having to come all this way from the royal palace without a horse or carriage, relying solely on his feet.
“……Yes?”
But what I saw was a purple haze forming over Razlot’s head.
At that moment, I realized something. Someone’s transparent goodwill can become another’s fear.
This guy really is trouble no matter what.
***
On the Rosenda continent, there are three recognized superpowers.
The Holy Kingdom of Fernand, which has adopted the continent’s largest religion, the Solar Faith, as its state religion.
The Hegemonic Empire of Adratan, which, after the sealing of the Demon God Barbatos, forcibly unified the weakened nations through power.
And the Briman Alliance, where kingdoms adjacent to the two superpowers united their strength in opposition.
If one were to choose the strongest among these three nations, it would undoubtedly be the Empire of Adratan, without mincing words. Its strong monarchy allowed it to grow into a powerful nation by integrating other states under a more formidable system.
This is evidenced by the enormous scale of the imperial palace, the heart of the empire. Its size is such that even the grand Byel Academy would scoff at it, with billions of Nar being invested annually just for its maintenance, showcasing the empire’s immense national strength.
Of course, it’s not just the imperial palace that’s impressive. The roads, neatly managed around the palace, stretch out in all directions, completing the capital with its splendid buildings. Known to have been developed by professional landscapers and architects, the beauty of these sites is comparable to the “Eight Views” of the empire, including the palace among the top five scenic spots.
However, as Razlot walked one of the paths in the palace, one of these five great views, nothing registered in his sight. He was sweating profusely and too nervous to take in his surroundings.
The reason for his anxiety was the person accompanying him, Julian Crypart Frason.
Being in the company of the man known as the empire’s “smiling executioner” was no occasion for leisurely sightseeing.
‘I’m scared……………!’
From the moment they left the mansion until now, Julian had been smiling with squinted eyes, as if wearing a mask. Razlot was disturbed by the ominous feeling emanating from Julian’s unchanging expression, unsure why he suddenly decided to accompany him to the royal court, especially since he usually left the reporting entirely up to him.
“Look, that’s Julian.”
“I heard he was injured and lost his memory?”
“Seeing him in good shape, it seems that was just a rumor.”
The reaction from those around them upon seeing Julian was clear. Along with caution, some were afraid, and occasionally, veiled hostility was directed at them.
Razlot felt the difference between this and the look he received for being a commoner and stuck in an apprentice position for half a year was like night and day.
So, naturally, he shrank back. The person walking beside him, ‘Julian’, represented a peak of hierarchy he could not possibly challenge. A man who, despite being of a collateral line, instilled fear in the nobles, and a sword wielded without discrimination by the royal family.
“Uh…”
Excluding Commander Odwin, Julian held the highest prestige within ‘Closed Eyes’. Realizing this anew, Razlot felt dizzy.
Walking through the royal palace with such a person was a great honor, but at the same time, it was overwhelmingly daunting.
“The scenery of the royal palace is still a magnificent sight.”
That was when Julian spoke to Razlot, who was at a loss for words.
“Yes, uh… Yes!”
“Seems like our destination, the second gate, the Gate of Respect (敬意門), is the one we’ll need to pass through. The first gate, the Gate of Heaven’s Respect (敬天問), is open to all citizens of the empire, so it’s not a suitable place for observing the inner administrative workings of the royal palace.”
“……Yes, that’s correct.”
Razlot glanced sideways at Julian, who spoke as if the words simply flowed out naturally. It was an obvious statement, but unlike Razlot, who had only entered the royal family half a year ago, Julian would have been frequenting it as if it were his own home.
But why mention something that everyone would know?
‘Could it be… Is he testing me?’
Yesterday, during the initiation test, Julian didn’t pass a single candidate, failing everyone. It wasn’t that the hopefuls lacked skill. In fact, some of them were more capable than Razlot, who hadn’t been officially promoted for half a year. Failing everyone meant they didn’t meet Julian’s standards.
Perhaps this comment was a roundabout way of saying that Razlot, who had (luckily?) passed the initiation test, wasn’t suitable for ‘Closed Eyes’.
Mentioning well-known facts seemed to suggest as much.
Worried about being dismissed, Razlot became even more cautious with his words and actions. However, he was greatly mistaken.
Julian’s previous comment wasn’t meant to test Razlot. It was simply because:
‘The game made it seem much smaller, and I can’t quite figure out where the ‘Closed Eyes’ building is within the royal palace.’
He was genuinely asking for directions because he didn’t know the way.
***
Passing through the first gate, the Gate of Heaven’s Respect (敬天問), and the second gate, the buildings shining brightly in white welcomed them. The uniformly planted green trees and the pouring sunlight created a harmony so perfect that the word ‘scenic’ seemed insufficient.
Feeling greatly uplifted by this beautiful scenery, it wasn’t because of the satisfaction derived from art. It was because I could see with my own eyes the sights I had only seen through the game screen.
“Then, Sir Julian! I have other places to be, so I’ll take my leave first.”
“Yes, take care.”
“I’m sorry!”
Razlot, who had guided me here, fled as if running away, claiming he had other business. But I couldn’t for the life of me understand why he was apologizing.
Regardless, I turned my steps toward the headquarters of ‘Closed Eyes’.
The destination was, of course, the commander’s office.
“Sir Julian, Commander Odwin has said you may enter.”
Prompted by the secretary’s words, I headed straight for the commander’s office.
As a royal-exclusive organization, ‘Closed Eyes’ served the royal family, and therefore, the members maintained a fundamentally horizontal relationship among themselves.
However, there was just one person who stood above the members as a leader.
And that person was a woman named Odwin Valadir, the commander I was about to meet now.
‘The fallen daughter of the Valadir family’
As I mentioned before, to join ‘Closed Eyes’, one must have a politically neutral status.
Therefore, it’s difficult for nobles to join ‘Closed Eyes’.
Special cases, like Julian, who are estranged from their family, or otherwise just nobles in name from fallen nobility, are exceptions.
The current commander of ‘Closed Eyes’, Odwin, is one such fallen noble.
Standing in front of the commander’s office, I knocked twice.
“I’m coming in.”
“Come in.”
After getting permission, I straightened my attire and opened the door to enter.
The first thing that caught my eye was the sight of a woman sitting in a chair.
“Julian, welcome. It’s been a long time.”
The silver-haired woman greeted me with a calm demeanor.
She rose from her seat and slowly approached me.
One step, two steps, as she got closer, my gaze gradually lowered.
The reason was that the height of ‘Closed Eyes’s commander, Odwin Valadir, was quite short.
“I heard you were injured. Are you okay?”
I hesitated for a moment, unsure how to respond.
Just like with Aileen before, I don’t know how Julian related to each character.
This time it was especially hard to predict.
The person wasn’t simply a target to instill hostility or fear.
So, I couldn’t grasp what kind of impact my words might have here.
A misstep could reveal my true identity.
‘Should I just speak sensibly here?’
Odwin Valadir’ is Julian’s superior.
Even the great Julian would have spoken respectfully to her, his commander, right?
“Thank you for your concern. The injury was not minor, but it wasn’t enough to hinder my loyalty to the royal family.”
I answered more politely than usual, adding a slight touch of respect.
This should be enough as a sign of respect to a superior.
“……That’s strange.”
“Did you always speak like that? Or else……………”
She brought her hand to her chin, murmured “Hmm” with a short groan, then looked at me with half-opened eyes.
Those were definitely eyes of suspicion.
Damn! This doesn’t seem right.
Cliche Novel 