Chapter 72: Kalki (Part 2)

The knight commander, trusted by all knights, including the Imperial Guard, a knight who can be relied upon, and one of the undisputed strongest swords of the Empire, always standing at the forefront to protect her subordinates and citizens, the Emperor’s sharpest sword, that is Kalki.

But even she had a bad habit.

Why isn’t the most trusted knight respected?

That’s because—.

“That bad habit of randomly swinging your sword at anyone you suspect is strong. It’s still the same, Kalki. I remember the late Emperor telling you several times to get rid of that battle maniac trait, but it hasn’t improved at all.”

“Haha. There’s no better way to confirm the truth of the other person than by clashing weapons and conveying our hearts, is there?”

“……Who swings a sword at someone they’ve just met, you crazy woman! If I hadn’t been careful, I could have lost an arm to that sword strike just now?!”

“I just tested you because I believed you could handle it. As you know, I don’t have a hobby of bullying the weak.”

I don’t know about not bullying the weak, but the habit of drawing her sword whenever she sees a strong person is not a good habit either.
Or simply known but unable to fix. And it’s not that she likes not bullying the weak, but Kalki is the type of woman who would click her tongue, saying it’s not worth swinging her sword if they’re weaker than her.

To be precise, it’s because it’s not fun.

She’s really not normal.

I sighed, looking at Kalki, who still had an unfathomable smile, and deflected Kalki’s sword with Deva.

Kalki, whose fierce momentum until just now was like a lie, was effortlessly deflected and put her sword back into the scabbard at her waist.

It meant the check was over. The fierce momentum from before had also subsided. Relieved, Deva, which I had been holding tightly in my hand, disappeared into the air as blue particles.

‘…It’s a good thing she’s an ally. That woman still seems out of her mind, master.’

I agree.

I nodded unconsciously at Deva’s words, which were spoken in a dumbfounded tone.

A battle maniac who looks like she’s not in her right mind, even at a glance.

I like that she’s weak to the weak and strong to the strong, but there’s a limit to that. Who would have a good first impression of a woman who draws her sword whenever she sees a strong person? I sighed and said.

“If you had doubts, wouldn’t it be normal to look at me suspiciously or be wary from the beginning, instead of a sword? Who swings a sword first to confirm someone’s identity?”

“If you’re a warrior, you can know without even talking by swinging weapons at each other. Haven’t I said this many times?”

“I’ve been wondering about this since before, but who said such nonsense…?”

“My master said so.”

At those words, I blinked a few times, and after saying that she had a good master, I had no choice but to back down. If I remember correctly, her master was the Sword Emperor who died a long time ago. Since her dead master said so, there was nothing I could say. No matter how much nonsense it was, I couldn’t insult the deceased.

Still, she’s not some martial arts master.

“What conversation is there in the midst of killing each other? It’s all nonsense, I tell you.”

I had to say what I had to say.

Weapons are used to clash blades and see blood. What conversation is there when weapons clash? That’s just a delusion. Even if I actually talk to Deva, other people would think I’m crazy, but you can know each other’s hearts without speaking if you clash blades?

That’s the kind of line you’d find in a manga full of dreams and hope.

“No. That’s just proof that you’re still lacking in training, Damian. In fact, we’ve clashed weapons many times and had unforgettable, heated conversations, but do you not remember…?”

“…That’s a very dangerous thing to say in many ways.”

Especially if Leticia heard it, it wouldn’t be strange if she immediately fired attack magic.
Fortunately, there was no one listening, and we were the only ones in this hallway.
It was just like her to say that we had a heated conversation just by clashing swords a few times.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, well. And please call me Charlotte now, not Damian.”

“That’s troublesome. Hmm, is Charlotte a pseudonym you changed to match your changed gender?”

“…That’s right. The name Damian is quite famous in the Empire. It would be strange for a woman to use the name Damian.”

“I see, I understand if that’s why you changed it. The name Damian is known not only in the Empire, but also in other kingdoms. It’s also a name that drives the demons crazy.”

Saying that and snorting lightly, Kalki lowered her eyes for a moment, then looked at my face as if staring intently, and turned her back.

“Shall we go? It would be more comfortable to have the rest of the conversation in my room.”

“The sword…”

“What about the sword? Surely you don’t think of me as a crazy woman who draws her sword first, do you?”

“…Th, that, of course not. How could I possibly see you that way, Kalki.”

I couldn’t bring myself to say that it didn’t seem like something the person who had just drawn her sword and swung it would say.

I rolled my eyes to the side and changed the subject.

“So, is it important? Enough to talk about in your private space, Kalki.”

“Hmm, that’s right. There are some things that are difficult to talk about when there are many ears listening. For example, we can’t reveal to the world that you are Damian, can we?”

“Not yet. There will come a time when we will reveal it, but at least not now. In other words, there are many things I want to hear and say.”

“You’re still quick-witted, which is good. Yes, we’re going to talk about the enemy we’re going to face now, and it’s not something we can do in a hallway full of Imperial Knights, is it?”

At Kalki’s words, I opened my eyes wide, then returned to my original expressionless face.

It was an amazing poker face, but Kalki just smiled as if it was the usual.

“You really only changed in appearance. Your actions are exactly like Damian’s.”

“Because I am Damian. Kalki, what you just said.”

Does it mean there might be a traitor in the Imperial Palace?

Sending such a look, Kalki tilted her head, then slowly nodded and spoke.

I narrowed my eyes at her answer.

“Then, indeed…”

“What do you want to say?”

“…Huh?”

“If you have something to ask, I’d like you to say it, not just with your eyes. Hmm… Ah, you’ve always been quick-witted, so did you notice something in my words?”

I noticed, but what should I call this?

Well, she’s always been like this. I affirmed Kalki’s question.

A fool who only knows the sword.

She seems to be quick-witted, but she also has a surprisingly dull side.

But her strength is absolute. The strongest sword of the Empire, who offers unwavering and absolute loyalty to the Emperor as long as he is the Emperor of the Empire, even if the Emperor changes. The knight who receives the trust and respect of all the Imperial Knights. All the words that describe her were like that. And she was also the woman who would have naturally become the center if there hadn’t been the hero’s party in the last war.

An annoying and scary woman.

She was an incredibly annoying woman who had challenged me to a duel several times, saying that we should fight to see who was stronger with the sword.

But I never let my guard down or underestimate her, because she was a woman who had managed to defeat me with her sword.

If she had attacked with all her might along with the surprise attack just now, I probably would have been split in two without even having time to draw Deva.

I followed Kalki and said.

“But what I said just now wasn’t an exaggeration.”

“Huh?”

“If you had swung with all your might, I would have died without even having time to block.”

“I’m glad you know. Improve further. You need to at least regain the strength you had when you were Damian.”

Otherwise, you might really lose your life in this fight, Kalki’s words weighed heavily on my shoulders.

“The good news is that we’ve almost certainly identified who the enemy is, thanks to the information you provided. The problem is that their boss is an ancient god.”

At first glance, it seems like she’s speaking lightly, but I saw a slight tension appear and disappear in her eyes.

Tilting my head slightly to the sides to check my surroundings, I continued Kalki’s words.

“There’s also a possibility that the god will move directly.”

“It’s rare for the core of the enemy to move from the beginning, but if that person moves from the beginning, the situation will be quite unfavorable for us. Still.”

I’m curious if my sword will reach a god. Saying that, Kalki smiled with a competitive smile. Looking at that smile, I made a blank expression, and then smiled along with her.

Really consistent.

“I’ll have to try not to die, too.”

“Yes, I want to clash swords with you many times, so get stronger quickly.”

“I think I’ll die by your hand before I die by the enemy’s.”

When I made a genuinely disgusted expression, Kalki, with an ambiguous smile, turned her head and opened the door to her office.

At that time.

“Huh? Charlotte followed that woman?”

“…Yes? Ah, yes! I think they went to the commander’s personal space….”

One of the innocent Imperial Knights was fretting, looking at Leticia, who seemed to be in a very bad mood.