Dien kept his eyes wide, refusing to lose sight of Lonas’s blade even as the violent winds from the sword gusts blew against him. His hand twitched as if he were sketching a musical score, trying to memorize the melody he heard.
*Sli-i-ide…*
Lonas’s rapidly moving sword came to a brief halt. He crouched, pulling the hand holding the sword close to his body. To a casual observer, it might have looked like the sword dance was over, but Dien knew better. He knew Lonas was slowing the tempo for a grand finale because the song in Dien’s ears had not yet ended.
And just as Dien predicted, Lonas soon leapt high toward the ceiling of the training hall. He sliced through the whirlwind he had created, delivering the final strike.
*Wooooong!*
The raging storm vanished in an instant at his final blow. A period had been marked at the end of the sword dance.
‘This is… a Sword Master.’
Dien could not close his mouth until the moment Lonas slid his sword back into his scabbard.
Lonas approached him with a gentle smile and spoke.
“May I ask what you thought of my sword dance?”
It was a greeting from the King of Delos. He wore a bright smile as he spoke, and Dien responded with a pleasant smile of his own.
“It was grand yet delicate, Your Majesty. It raged violently, but the end was sweet.”
“Hahaha, I’ve never heard it described that way before.”
“I was simply expressing my honest feelings.”
“Hahaha!”
Dien had long since forgotten the protocol for private audiences that Oren had taught him, lost in the shock of Lonas’s incredible sword dance. He stood facing Lonas, staring directly at him with a wide smile on his face.
However, Lonas did not seem to mind Dien’s attitude.
“Prepare a meal. You there! Set the table!”
As Lonas shouted toward the door, servants opened the entrance to the training hall as if they had been waiting, and they began to set the table.
“Were you startled that I called you to the training hall?”
“Thanks to that, I was able to witness Your Majesty’s sword dance. I am merely overwhelmed by the honor.”
“I am glad to hear that, then.”
Before long, a table filled with every imaginable delicacy was set before Lonas and Dien. Lonas gestured for Dien to sit, and Dien took his seat across from him.
“I enjoyed your thesis. Your proposal for a contract law that doesn’t discriminate when selecting merchant groups, along with the various types of contracts for different situations, was quite impressive. It felt like a contract law established by a veteran administrator of the Royal Castle based on the standard of fairness.”
“You flatter me, Your Majesty.”
“No, the scholars of the kingdom are already evaluating Young Lord Dien’s thesis to be at a level above that of academy students.”
“Thank you.”
Lonas praised Dien highly as he lightly picked up his spoon. Seeing this, Dien also picked up his spoon, though he did not eat much. He frequently looked at Lonas to match his eating pace, and when answering his questions, he discreetly covered his mouth.
‘He is a dignified child.’
A steady gaze and just the right amount of tension. There was no sign of excessive speech or behavior. Furthermore, Lonas had already realized through the thesis that Dien possessed deep knowledge.
Lonas felt he understood a little better why this boy was called Persian’s confidant.
“Actually, I had another reason for calling you to the training hall.”
Dien set down his cutlery and waited for Lonas’s next words.
“I heard that the aides of the Royal Castle are lining up to hear your opinions. That is why I called you here — because I, too, wished to ask you something.”
“I shall answer to the best of my ability. Please, speak, Your Majesty.”
Dien caught a glimpse of Lonas’s face. It was full of expectation.
“Currently, the Kingdom of Delos has the inglorious reputation of being a wasteland for Sword Masters. You must know this. I am curious about your opinion on this matter. How can we rid ourselves of this disgrace?”
Lonas also set down his cutlery, seemingly eager for Dien’s answer. This was a problem he had agonized over ever since becoming king. Since securing Sword Masters was the path to becoming a great power, Lonas was curious about Dien’s thoughts.
The answer to that question came surprisingly easily.
“You must establish a foundation where even commoners can easily immerse themselves in swordsmanship and magic.”
“Hmm.”
Was it an unsatisfactory answer? Lonas, who had been leaning toward Dien, leaned back.
Lonas did not even nod. His eyes, which had been bright before the question, were turning cloudy.
“I already know the importance of educating commoners, and I have opened the academies to them.”
Lonas’s tone became somewhat stiff. He picked up his cutlery again. A brief silence fell, and the atmosphere shifted, but Dien’s expression remained unchanged.
“That is correct, Your Majesty. You did open the academies so that commoners could learn swordsmanship and magic. However, the establishment of a commoner academy is only a small part of the foundation I am speaking of.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Dien took a moment to catch his breath. His expression was a mix of composure and indifference. He spoke calmly.
“I hate to say this, Your Majesty, but the lives of commoners are not leisurely enough for them to focus solely on education. Fortunately, things are better in the capital, but commoners in the estates outside the capital walk long distances every day to attend the academy. After the academy, they must dedicate themselves to farming. In truth, most people don’t even have that much support. Eventually, most of them give up on completing the academy due to their difficult lives.”
Lonas listened quietly to Dien’s words. This was because the points Dien raised were things he had been somewhat complacent about.
“Furthermore, children in some slum areas still walk three hours a day just to fetch water from a well. To such people, academy education is merely a nuisance. Whatever the case, survival itself is what matters most to them.”
“I see… Survival itself… I should have thought more about their perspective.”
Lonas’s complexion darkened. It was his own oversight for not considering the lifestyle of the commoners. Seeing his expression, Dien spoke quickly.
“The establishment of the commoner academy is a great achievement of Your Majesty. However, I am saying that if public welfare projects were carried out alongside it, your achievement would shine even brighter. Also… if I may suggest another way to produce a Sword Master…”
“Go on.”
Lonas listened intently to Dien, unable to even swallow the food in his mouth. To think that a young noble could take such an interest in the lives of commoners.
Lonas held Dien in high regard for empathizing with the sorrows of the common people and looked forward to his next words.
“The Meganone Sword Style, Your Majesty’s technique. This sword style, which is passed down as a royal secret, should be compiled into an easy-to-read book and widely distributed.”
“That… I cannot do.”
The public distribution of the Meganone Sword Style. Lonas raised his voice without realizing it at Dien’s words. It was because Dien’s suggestion was that shocking.
However, Lonas composed his voice again and continued in a calm tone.
“You must know that if other kingdoms learn the royal secret sword style, it could expose the strength of the Royal Knights, let alone myself.”
“Your Majesty is correct. But you are also wrong.”
As soon as Lonas finished speaking, Dien countered him in a firm tone. His following words were filled with conviction.
“The kingdom’s sword style will be reinterpreted by brilliant talents and will develop even further. The children of Delos who learn this great technique will devote themselves to swordsmanship in the hope of becoming a Sword Master like Your Majesty. Furthermore, since swordsmen from across the continent will flock to Delos to learn the technique, our kingdom will be able to harmonize more diverse styles. Above all, if we welcome and settle those continental swordsmen, we could build a kingdom stronger than any other. They would surely fall for the cultural foundation of Delos.”
“But still…”
“If you are worried about it being exposed to other kingdoms, you could first distribute it only to students who have completed the commoner academy and show a will and talent for the sword. This is my opinion regarding Your Majesty’s question.”
Since secret sword techniques were kept strictly hidden no matter where one went in the empire, Dien’s opinion was a radical departure from current conventions.
Lonas initially refuted Dien’s words, but he could say nothing afterward. This was because there were no flaws in his logic.
‘Perhaps I am failing to grasp the depth of this child’s contemplation…’
Dismissing a subordinate’s opinion without grounds is the most dangerous action a king can take. Unfounded dismissal is nothing more than stubbornness and dogmatism. After agonizing for a long while, Lonas had no choice but to nod at Dien’s words.
“Amazing…”
It was the same sense of awe he had felt when looking at a skilled swordsman as a child. Lonas could not understand why he felt such awe toward the young lord sitting before him.
‘Deep knowledge and flexible thinking.’
Lonas pushed away the empty plate in front of him. After hearing Dien’s opinion, he no longer had an appetite.
On the other hand, Dien was flustered by Lonas’s behavior.
‘Was I out of line?’
Dien reflected on what he had said. His words might have been uncomfortable enough to make Lonas lose his appetite.
This was clearly an era of monarchy. His approach might have been too radical for them.
Lonas then quietly closed his eyes.
At his actions, Dien watched Lonas with anxious eyes.
After some time of being lost in different thoughts, Lonas opened his eyes, and Dien quickly adjusted his posture.
“I will have to think about the distribution of the Meganone Sword Style you mentioned.”
“It was merely the humble opinion of your lacking servant. Please do not overthink it.”
After he finished speaking, Dien looked at Lonas’s reaction.
“No, it is a great opinion that I hadn’t thought of. Thank you for broadening my perspective.”
“Ah… No, it was nothing.”
Dien finally breathed a sigh of relief at Lonas’s words. Fortunately, Lonas had not closed his eyes because he was offended.
“Oh, right! This was a meeting arranged to give you a reward, but I feel like I’ve only talked about myself.”
“Yes?”
“Did you not know? You won first place in the thesis competition, so you must receive a prize.”
“As far as I know, the prize for the award is…”
“No! Since you are a noble, I want to give you a fitting reward.”
At Lonas’s sudden words, Dien’s eyes widened.
“Is there something you want?”
Dien felt as if a light bulb had been switched on in his head. Perhaps he had been hoping for a situation like this all year…
After thinking for a moment, Dien made up his mind and took out the documents he had brought, placing them before Lonas.
“Your Majesty, do you happen to know about the Honorary Envoy System of Delos?”
“Are you talking about the Honorary Envoy System established by my grandfather as a law?”
“Yes, that is correct. I humbly request that Your Majesty put effort into amending that Honorary Envoy System. I will substitute this for my reward.”
“Is this not a matter that should be requested of the Council of Elders?”
“If the requester of the amendment is Your Majesty, the Council of Elders will show a strong will to amend it.”
Dien slowly stood up and placed the documents he had brought in front of Lonas. Lonas was surprised by his words. To request a legal amendment as a reward, rather than expensive jewels or artifacts. What kind of help did Dien think such a reward would give him?
Lonas’s eyes grew deeper as he read through the documents Dien had handed him.