Pedelin Deonkan, or the pillar of Deonkan, led the mercenary corps.

Even though he lost one arm, his build was still intimidating. Such a person answered the royal summons and entered the palace.

“You’re still strong.”

“Even though the demons took my arm and eye, this old general is still the pillar of Deonkan.”

Deonkan was one of the foundations of the Pofuta.

“They dared to commit taboo by crossing the suppression front. The forbidden tribe, whose existence was denied, disrupting the order of human society, causing a mix of plagues.”

“Is that so?”

“The fact that they set foot on this land means that the plague between the borders has mixed in.”

Benjamin put down the documents and asked.

“Did you ever experience going through their graves?”

“Yes. I reached their graves.”

Pedelin Deonkan lost his right arm and one eye to demons.

“The one I need to see is someone who has gone through their graves.”

“Is it a mercenary?”

“It’s not someone who wields a blade with a pommel.”

What a nonsensical story is that?
“Those holding daggers are reaching the places where I put my life on the line—those are the graves of those creatures. Even this old general lost one arm and one eye, falling victim to those creatures.”

That is literally a grave. It means the graves where mercenaries, who will die side by side with demons, touch.

Pedelin emphasized it that way.

“Y-your Majesty!”

Shalroth whispered quietly.

“Be quiet. The sparring is still ongoing.”

The forearm holding the knife twisted inward.

Thud!

Dust flew in the training ground. Knights covered in dust extended their swords, aiming at each other’s throats.

The tip of the sword stabbed the throat, and a dull friction sound erupted.

The sword, aimed at the throat, felt wet with flesh.

Even though it was just a wooden sword, this sparring was overheated.

Thud thud!

The blade hit, and the wooden sword broke.

That’s enough; they put down the swords aimed at each other’s throats.

There was a sound from the side.

Shalroth peeked at the side with a sidelong glance.

“Originally, swordsmanship has a purpose of annihilating the enemy.”

The old knight grasped the hilt on his waist with his hand.

“The empire’s swordsmanship is sharper than other countries.”

“Is that so?”

“These are the ones gripping the handle of the sword with their wrists about to burst.”

The old knight stretched out his thick arm, reenacting the knights’ sparring.

“Twisting the wrist inward to increase the power and penetrating deeper and faster into the enemy’s weak points. Sprinkling dirt to block the enemy’s view and infusing the tip of the sword with a solid weight.”

The sneaky tactics of throwing dirt are incompatible with knightly combat.

However, preserving the knight’s code also prevents the reoccurrence of the deceased’s throats sticking together.

He introduced himself as the pillar of Deonkan.

“Pedelin Deonkan.”

Shalroth smiled subtly and replied.

“I see the pillar of Deonkan in person.”

“Since I only roamed with the mercenary corps and the suppression front, this old man is unfamiliar with the imperial sparring method.”

“Don’t worry; the fame of Deonkan has reached the royal court.”

Pedelin thought, ‘This person seems ambiguous,’ and observed the empress with an expression that said so. He roamed outside as a mercenary, and the life he continued wielding a dagger was rugged. The Deonkan mercenary corps rarely wandered to the suppression front and seldom emptied Pofuta.

“You don’t grip a sword.”

Pedelin concluded that way.

“Oh, don’t misunderstand. It’s my personal story.”

“Everyone says that.”

“To wield a dagger is quite a tough thing for someone like me to handle.”

Shalroth looked down at his own hand.

“I held the hilt of the knife once, and my skin burst open. It must be a tough thing for me.”

He was just brought here without much intention.

Cracking sounds continued to echo outside, and that’s how he ended up here.

“Your Majesty!”

Boom!

“Are you okay?”

The Imperial Guards were horrified, blowing away the dust cloud.

A cracking sound erupted as if tearing flesh. Sharp enough to cut through the ear next to it. A few strands of crimson hair were cut.

“Have you ever held a knife?”

“Almost never.”

Pedelin took out a wooden sword from the training ground’s weapon rack.

“If it’s a wooden sword, it should be fine.”

Katrina, who had been listening nearby, objected.
“Who is trying to put something in someone’s hand now!”

“It’s a wooden sword, isn’t it?”

“It’s a sword. In the hands of someone who has never properly handled a sword…!”

“If the one holding the hilt only points the tip of the sword upright, my hand won’t be injured.”

Pedelin took off his outer robe and brought the wooden swords from the training ground. He took care of one for himself and handed the other to the empress. The sturdy wooden sword had its tip blunted. It was a training sword commonly used in the training ground.

“This old general is missing one arm. So, the sparring shouldn’t be difficult, right?”

Someone nearby murmured, ‘What is he saying now!’

“If there is any injury, what responsibility are you going to take on! It’s before I fully recover my strength from just waking up from an illness!”

“That’s a valid point. However, it seems like those below have forgotten their roles.”

Pedelin held the wooden sword with his left arm and tore through the air.

The air split apart with a crisp sound!

“What you are worried about, I understand well. However, right now, you are not protecting; you are trying to isolate from the outside. Are you trying to obstruct the view of the upper battlefield?”

“……”

“If you don’t let the child out into the world because it’s dangerous outside, that child might lose even the possibility of growth.”

Pedelin clicked his tongue.

“There are many worrying people, and I have good people by my side as well.”

“Their concerns are also valid, so listening to them is also my duty.”

“A knife wielder is someone like me, staking my life. Rolling on the dirt ground in the suppression front, joints ache when exposed to night frost. So, I understand well what the royal family is worrying about.”

The reason the royal family sent a messenger to infiltrate the imp is also clear.

Those who wield knives are rough around the edges.

Especially when entangled with demons.

“I am only here to confirm; hold the wooden sword and try to stab me.”

The wooden sword had a blunt tip.

She laid the blade on its side.

What should I do?

“Stab me.”

“…You?”

“Extend your arm with the intention of pointing the sword tip at my throat, putting strength into the blade.”

The response came from Benhamin.

“I haven’t learned swordsmanship, so putting strength into the blade might be difficult.”

Benhamin led the courtiers and approached.

“His Majesty the Emperor has ordered an inspection!”

The imperial palace’s courtiers crowded outside the training ground.

“I told you to check the Empress, not to teach her how to use a sword.”