Chapter 150

After the spar—no, the ‘duel’—with Jereuth.

I returned to my room and immediately took a shower. Despite wearing the health necklace, my body was extremely exhausted from the bloody battle that had lasted a full 30 minutes.

‘…It feels like it’s been a really long time since my body has been this tired.’

As expected of Jereuth.

The fight with him was strenuous even with the health necklace. And that was despite having consistently trained my stamina and sword for the past few years.

Swoosh—.

The warm water flowing over my body felt tingly as it brushed against my arms and hands.

‘My wrists are swollen.’

Each of Jereuth’s blows felt like hitting steel with a sword. If I hadn’t had the health necklace, I would have dropped my sword after blocking Jereuth’s sword just a few times.

Be that as it may.

‘I learned a lot.’

More than training for 100 days.

More than training with a hundred other knights.

I learned much more from one spar with Jereuth.

‘If the swordsmanship the king taught me was the pinnacle of technique, Jereuth’s swordsmanship was the pinnacle of fundamentals.’

Of course, I probably didn’t learn all of Jereuth’s fundamentals in one spar.

But clearly, I was able to fill the parts I was lacking.

‘That aside… Jereuth said he would get a Gryphon?’

It wasn’t what I intended, but it was a good result.

If Jereuth could get and ride a Gryphon, it would be like a tiger getting wings.

‘If Jereuth can ride a Gryphon, he won’t die by falling into a trap while playing the role of the bait. Because he can fly away on a Gryphon….’

Wait a minute?

‘Then in the original future, Jereuth couldn’t ride a Gryphon?’

Something was strange.

‘I brought over a hundred Gryphons from Foothill's Rest. So of course, I would have made Jereuth and the other knights practice riding Gryphons. Since it’s essential for strengthening the kingdom’s military power.’

But in the Future Diary, there was no mention of Jereuth riding a Gryphon.

In the first place, if Jereuth could ride a Gryphon, there would have been no such content as 「He failed to get out of the trap’s range and fell below the pit.」.

‘Could it be… that Jereuth can’t ride a Gryphon?’

No, that couldn’t be right.

It was Jereuth, of all people. A great knight and hero praised as the ‘single ray of light that illuminates the battlefield’ in the war with the demons, a fierce and terrible war that I had only heard about.

There was no way such a courageous person would not be chosen by a Gryphon.

‘Yes, that must be it… but why do I feel so uneasy?’

Hmm—.

‘If Jereuth can’t ride a Gryphon, and yet he keeps insisting on being the bait… then I’ll have to have my Gryphon on standby near Jereuth. To snatch him up if he’s about to fall into the trap.’

The problem was that then I wouldn’t be able to ride the Gryphon and fight.

According to Peralta’s strategy, either I or Jereuth had to go to either the south or north of the Monster Mountains.

‘First, I should quickly wash up and read the Future Diary. There will be some kind of change.’

Squeak—.

I turned off the shower water.

***

Jereuth’s office.

Just as Leonardo was reminiscing about the duel from a moment ago, so was Jereuth.

‘…It was similar to when I sparred with Philip.’

The young king who had just turned seventeen.

But his swordsmanship was similar to that of King Philip when he was in his thirties.

‘I swung my sword with all my might to somehow knock the sword out of his hand. I didn’t care at all about attacks that could have seriously injured His Highness. But His Highness blocked or deflected all of it… and in the end, he even counterattacked.’

In the latter half of the duel, Leonardo was overwhelming him.

The weight behind his sword was light to him, but it was definitely threatening. Because it came in aiming only for the vital points.

‘That’s not all. His Highness’s swordsmanship is exactly like Philip’s. A magical swordsmanship that cuts into my space and gradually takes the initiative.’

What would have happened if Barut hadn’t intervened?

‘One of us, His Highness or I, would have been seriously injured. Since I was also aiming for a final counterattack.’

Jereuth had mixed feelings.

‘That the king has grown so splendidly is something to be overjoyed about with tears. But on the other hand… I am sad that I have gotten old. If I were just 10 years younger, I would have been able to knock the sword out of His Highness’s hand.’

Jereuth was still one of the best knights in the kingdom, and even in humanity. In terms of fame and honor alone, all the great knights would acknowledge him as the best.

But to the old general, his weakening self under the weight of the years was a regrettable thing.

‘Still… Philip, Victoria. Your son has grown up really well. In every aspect. As expected of your son—.’

As Jereuth was sitting in his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling and thinking.

Click—.

Someone opened the door and came in.

There were only two people in this kingdom who would enter the knight commander’s office without knocking.

‘Is it Barut? Or—.’

“Jereuth, are you okay?”

Not Barut, but the other one.

It was Silvia.

When Silvia entered the office, for some reason, Jereuth felt his heavy heart from a moment ago lighten.

Without showing it, Jereuth composed his posture and answered Silvia.

“I’m fine. I’m not one to get injured or tired from a spar of that level.”

“You’re a great knight, so of course, but… I saw you struggling quite a bit in the training ground earlier.”

“……”

“Are you really okay?”

Okay…….

“Are you worried about me?”

“Of course I’m worried! We’re, well… kind of close, aren’t we?”

It had been a really long time since someone had worried about Jereuth.

To be precise, it was the first time in a long time that someone was worried about him ‘because he had fought’.

Jereuth was happy about that, but on the other hand, he felt he was receiving worry and feelings he shouldn’t be receiving.

Only Jereuth knew the reason.

“…I’m fine. More importantly, Silvia, I have something to ask you.”

“About how to get a Gryphon?”

This aspect was also similar to Victoria.

Like Victoria, who had understood what he was curious about or needed right away without him saying much.

“Usually, you can get a Gryphon by being tested at the ‘Gryphon’s cliff’. It’s a test of courage where you jump off the cliff, and Leonardo got his Gryphon that way.”

“He jumped off the cliff… His Highness?”

“Yes. According to Paras, he just jumped as soon as he got to the cliff.”

Could I do that?

It seemed unlikely.

“Then did Yoanna also jump off the cliff?”

“Ah, not that child. A Gryphon just approached her. The Gryphon she got was a young Gryphon that followed the ‘Alpha Gryphon’ that Leonardo got, and it seemed to like Yoanna.”

“It liked her… Then can I also get a Gryphon like that?”

“I think so? I think any Gryphon would like a knight of your caliber.”

Silvia said with a bright smile.

She then slightly changed her expression to a prudent one.

“But… no matter what Gryphon you get, it will probably be slower than Leonardo’s Gryphon. Because Leonardo’s Gryphon is the ‘Alpha Gryphon’.”

“Is there that much of a difference? Between His Highness’s Gryphon and other Gryphons?”

“Of course. Because the Alpha Gryphon is the first to appear in hundreds of years. The Jereuth of the Gryphon world, you could say?”

Silvia smiled sweetly again.

At that face, another woman overlapped, and Jereuth averted his gaze.

‘His Highness’s Gryphon is like Kartum. A fine horse among fine horses… Kartum.’

That meant that the ‘who can run away faster’ competition with the king would be difficult to win.

But even so, Jereuth couldn’t give up yet.

‘I, who had no talent at all, became a knight through effort alone, and even became a knight commander. I believe in the victory of effort, not talent.’

“Then Silvia, may I ask you a favor?”

“To help me get a Gryphon and teach me how to ride it?”

This time too, Silvia was like Victoria.

Not just her appearance, but her personality and voice as well.

“I’ll do it all. But the Gryphons seem to be staying in a forest far to the east of the royal capital, is that okay? It will take quite a long time to go back and forth from the royal capital.”

“You ride a Gryphon too, can’t I ride with you?”

“Gryphons really hate being touched by anyone other than their master. They really, really, reeeally hate having someone else on their back. …That brat Paras knew that and still hitched a ride on the back of Leonardo’s Gryphon, but Leonardo’s Gryphon probably swore a lot inwardly.”

“Hmm… I see.”

“I can probably give you a ride once or twice. But more than that is not possible. If I keep making it do things it hates, the Gryphon might leave me.”

Silvia said with an apologetic and awkward smile.

Clap—!

As if she had a good idea, she clapped her hands.

“How about you and I just go live in the forest? Until you can get a Gryphon and ride it properly!”

“……?”

“Ah, are you too busy to do that?”

To live together in the forest.

At Silvia’s unexpected proposal, Jereuth was at a loss for words for a moment.

And from Jereuth’s position, it was right to refuse. As the knight commander, it was not right to be away during the war preparation period.

‘The overall preparations are already finished… Hagen can handle the detailed parts, but for me to be away is….’

Even as he thought logically like that.

‘…But this is absolutely necessary. For me to take on the most dangerous role in the war instead of His Highness, I absolutely need a Gryphon.’

Jereuth made an excuse for himself.

An excuse to go to the forest with Silvia.

“…No, I think it would be fine to go and stay in the forest with you for a while. I’ll have to hand over my duties to Hagen, but it can’t be helped if I’m to get a Gryphon.”

It was certainly fine to hand over his duties to Hagen and be away. Vice Commander Hagen was only inferior to Jereuth in terms of military might; his practical skills were superior.

But only Jereuth would know if he was really leaving his post to get a Gryphon.

“Okay! Then I’ll go tell my dad… the Elder!”

Silvia, who answered brightly and left.

Watching her excited figure, Jereuth let out a deep sigh.

‘…What kind of disgrace is this at my old age. To try to satisfy my selfish desires under the pretext of getting a Gryphon. I am disqualified as a knight commander.’

The fact that he had practically lost to the young, no, childish king.

The fact that he was weakening, unable to overcome the weight of the years.

And the same kind of fluttering feeling he had felt for the first time in decades.

Because of those things, the great knight didn’t know if he was weakening or changing.

“……”

Jereuth quietly looked at the greatsword leaning against the wall. His main weapon, which he hadn’t used in the spar with Leonardo.

If he had used that sword, he probably would have defeated Leonardo without much difficulty.

‘What’s the use of that.’

Ssk—.

Jereuth stood up from his seat.

‘I must tell the king. That I… am no longer a man qualified to stand at the forefront of this kingdom.’

He had not wished for such a retirement.

Jereuth had wished to retire by falling gloriously on the battlefield.

But Jereuth judged for himself.

That he was no longer the Jereuth of the past.

***

Hoo—.

A sigh escaped me as I read the Future Diary.

‘…To think Jereuth would say he’s retiring, this is crazy.’

My head was hot.

It wasn't because of the heat rising from my warmed-up body after the shower.

It was because of the content in the diary, 「Jereuth told me he was retiring.」.

‘First… let’s just reread the important parts.’

…….

After the duel with Jereuth.

I was looking at Peralta’s strategy book in my room when Jereuth came to find me.

And he told me something shocking.

The shocking news that he was retiring.

The words that he was stepping down as the knight commander.

There were several reasons why Jereuth said he was retiring, but to summarize, the reason was one.

‘He was prioritizing personal feelings over his responsibility as a knight commander.’—was what it was.

‘Those personal feelings… were a sense of powerlessness about his own aging, and his heart being swayed by Silvia. He also said he felt he had lost his courage….’

What was the reason Jereuth suddenly thought he was old?

From what I saw, Jereuth was still in good health, and there had been no sign of that until this morning.

And what was the reason he suddenly thought he had lost his courage?

I could understand his heart being swayed by Silvia. Even from my point of view, Silvia was a beautiful elf, and she looked so much like Jereuth’s first love and my mother, ‘Queen Victoria’.

Anyway, that wasn’t what was important.

What was important was that Jereuth had said he would step down as the knight commander, and that he had said he had lost his courage.

‘…I need Jereuth. No, this kingdom needs Jereuth.’

But Jereuth’s mind was firm.

It seemed he had already decided to step down from the position of knight commander.

I could not change his choice.

Jereuth left the room with a heavy smile, leaving behind his last words.

“Your Highness, even if it is not me… if you are with them, the knights and soldiers will not lose their courage. I leave the rest to you.”

This was the newly written future closest to the present.

And there was another changed content… and that was my ending.

Shhhlick—.

I turned the page and checked the last page of the diary.

‘…It’s blank.’

Originally, my ending was to win the war with the monster army, barely repel the attack of the Jerpan Archipelago, and then be destroyed by the invasion of the Angla Empire.

But now, it had become ‘blank’.

In other words, it meant that I could no longer even know the course of the war with the monster army that would happen in 2 years.

‘This is crazy. Was Jereuth that shocked that he couldn’t defeat me?’

Perhaps so.

Anyway, that was water under the bridge.

‘I absolutely cannot let Jereuth step down as the knight commander. Maybe later, but not now. Besides, Jereuth lost his courage… what does that even mean.’

As my head was getting hotter and hotter.

—Knock knock.

—Your Highness, Commander Jereuth has come to see you.

Elly’s voice was heard from outside the door.

‘…He’s here already?’

What should I say?

How could I make Jereuth reverse his retirement and regain his courage?

My head was too hot.

It was then.

Shhhlick—!

Sassassak—!

The Future Diary opened to the future closest to the present.

And new content began to be written.

***

Jereuth.

He was waiting quietly in front of the king’s door for the king’s permission to enter.

‘Hmm… it’s taking longer than usual.’

Usually, when he came to see the king, the king would give him permission to enter almost immediately.

But now, the king’s door had been firmly closed for over 20 minutes. He wondered if the king was taking a nap, and the head maid had checked, but the king was sitting at his desk and pondering as usual.

‘What kind of worries does he have that he’s pondering alone even though I’ve come? …Could it be that he’s noticed I’m going to resign as the knight commander?’

The king had good intuition. He was a very smart king.

So it wasn’t an impossible thing.

In fact, the king had read his mind several times before—.

—Come in.

Finally, the king’s permission was granted.

Jereuth entered through the door opened by the head maid and stood before the king.

The young king was sitting at his desk and looking at him with a serious expression as usual.

“Your Highness, the reason I have come is—.”

Just as Jereuth was about to get to the point.

The king spoke first.

“Commander. Do you remember when I said I was confident about the war with the monster army, that we would definitely win?”

“Pardon? Ah, yes.”

Jereuth answered at the unexpected words for now.

“But that was a lie. To be honest, I was afraid of the war with the monster army.”

“Ah…”

I see. The king was afraid too.

Well, it was only natural.

No matter how great a king was, it was only natural to be afraid of war and the battlefield—.

“But not anymore.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m not afraid anymore. I gained confidence while crossing swords with you earlier, Commander. If someone as strong as you is with us, the knights and soldiers will not lose their courage no matter how strong the enemy is, and then we will definitely win.”

“……”

“I also don’t think I will lose my courage if you, Commander, lead the army as the knight commander.”

An age between a young boy and a young man.

At the king who spoke with a bright and powerful smile befitting his age, Jereuth could not bring himself to say what he had intended to say.

‘…His Highness gained courage from seeing me?’

I.

‘But I… feel like I’ve lost my courage?’

He was happy that the respected king had gained courage because of him.

But on the other hand, he also felt sorry and troubled. Because he had thought he had already lost his courage.

“…Your Highness, I am—.”

“However, I still felt that I shouldn’t continue to rely on you, Commander. Since you are also of age.”

“Ah… yes.”

The king kept cutting off what he was trying to say at the right time.

But Jereuth didn’t feel bad.

He was just participating in the conversation led by the king.

“So, could you please serve as the knight commander until this war is over? I would like you to pass on the commandership to a successor after this war is over.”

“…After this war, you say?”

“Yes. Ah, of course, you will still be in good health even after 10 years, Commander, but a new knight commander will also need time to adjust.”

Jereuth had intended to step down as commander before this war began.

He had come to the king to say so.

‘But… since the king is saying all that, I can’t bring it up first.’

And.

‘If the king gained courage from seeing me… then that is my last responsibility.’

Because his heart was already a little broken.

It was uncertain if he could dominate the battlefield as he did when he was young.

But still.

‘If my king wishes for it so much….’

“Understood, Your Highness. I will step down from the position of commander after this war.”