When Leon announced that he was taking part in Karina's courtship duel, the Knights of the Ten Thousand Gods cocked their heads.
"Isn't the Archduke of Dragonia finally getting ready to marry?"
"That's a good thing, but why stop her?"
"Hmm. Didn't Lord Tarhan have a daughter?"
"What, Lord Raihar?"
Lord Tarhan, a veteran Knight of the Burning Sword, tilted his head at Raihar's words.
"Hoo-hoo, I can sympathize with your Majesty, I too had a daughter."
"I know. It was Raina, wasn't it?"
"Huh–my Raina, the one who had a place to stand with a sturdy knight of Lord Petos, and this father laid out a path of flowers–"
"By the way, didn't your daughter marry a judge of Tatar? Better a judge than a knight."
Lord Raihar gritted his teeth and raged, remembering the daughter who had once defied her father's will and married a magistrate who served Tatar, God of the Sun and Judgment.
"Why do you speak of the past so uselessly, Lord Tarhan?"
"No, Frolain, didn't he later become a magistrate of the kingdom? I thought you were proud of your son-in-law——?"
"What father would be proud of a son-in-law? They'll kill them all."
"——"
Tarhan, whose life's work had been kicking orcs and barbarians in the face for the sake of war, didn't know what it was like to be a parent, but he got the point.
"His Majesty feels the same way."
"His Majesty and the Queen had a difficult love affair, so it must be even worse."
The story of Leon and Queen Castile's love affair was well known throughout the kingdom.
It was also the first time the Lionheart King defied the will of the gods, forcing an abduction marriage that incurred the wrath of Dinah, the goddess of the moon and purity.
It's no wonder he felt the way he did, since the child he bore after such an arduous love story was Grand Duchess Karina.
"Let's not interfere with His Majesty's participation in this courtship duel and cheer him on."
"Hmm— Well, it's only natural that His Majesty would show attachment to his long-lost daughter."
The late arrivals, the Knights of the TTG Temple and Vulcanus, agreed. They all seem to be enjoying the situation, quest completion aside.
"Oh, so that's his daughter. I'll have to pay her a visit sometime."
-Phew!
One day, as the only superpowers capable of stopping the rampaging Lionheart King were expressing their resignation, Karina came to the inn where the knights of the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods were staying.
"It's been a long time, Lord Raihar. I thought the Knights of the Burning Sword were missing, but I see you're alive and well."
"Long time no see, Archduke of Dragonia. No, I should call you Your Majesty."
"That would be the proper protocol in this land."
The knights finished with their titles, they bowed to Empress Karina.
"If I may ask, what business do you have with us, Your Majesty, the Lionheart King is away at the moment."
"No, it is not His Majesty the Lionheart I have business with."
"Then?"
"I have come to see Lord Vulcanus."
* * * *
Leon shuddered at Vulcanus' betrayal.
There had been an unspoken agreement that no representatives of the TTG Temple would be present in this courtship duel.
He knew how Leon would feel about the daughter he hadn't seen in centuries.
"Lord Vulcanus. I trusted you!"
"GARARARARA──! Don't be so hard on yourself. As a friend of the Archduchess Karina shouldn't I take the side of the less fortunate?"
"Karina, do you mean to tell me that the girl herself asked you to do this?"
To fight a courtship duel?
"No, she knows you well. You may be a barbarian, but you're actually quite calculating, and you've decided that your friendship with Karina will benefit you more than your friendship with this king."
[Lord Vulcanus, I know your ambitions are greater than you think, but as long as the Lionheart King is alive, your limitations will always be as a Holy Knight, am I wrong?]
Karina suggested to Vulcanus.
If you woo me, marry me, and bear my children, I will give you the throne.
I know it's a feudal throne in a vassal state, not an imperial throne, but even that is a huge class transcendence for Lord Vulcanus.
Born a barbarian warrior, Vulcanus was a warrior of an evil god, commanding a million barbarians.
When he entered the gates of the Lionheart King, he became a Holy Knight, but he was not given a "province" like other Holy Knights.
Vulcanus, who had his own admiration for the strength and power of the nobility of civilized nations, wanted his own estates and the absolute authority of a king.
Until now, his loyalty to Leon and the gods had merely suppressed that desire.
"Huh— Lord Vulcanus has been singing about wanting a fiefdom for a long time, so it's no wonder. God of War, would you grant it?"
But there's no way Vulcanus could have done this without the approval of his patron god, Petos of War and Flame.
[Not bad.]
"——"
Leon waited a moment longer, not questioning Petos' words. He knew Petos would explain to convince him.
[It's not enough to be king, you know. For the world to be more right, we need absolute power that cannot be broken. We need a Holy Empire.]
If Vulcanus becomes king, Leon will inevitably be elevated to that position.
Even if Leon himself recognizes Vulcanus as an equal king, the gods will not allow Leon to be the pinnacle of the human world.
The gods wanted Leon to be more absolute, to wield unchecked power, and it was for the good of the pantheon.
Of course, not all of the gods were in favor of this, and there are principlists everywhere.
[The authority of the Lionheart King is not comparable to the kingship of mortals. Do not stir up trouble over mere titles, War.]
[The mortals do not recognize the difference between name and actual authority, Sun. Do you not know that it was their arrogance that led to the empire and the emperor's existence being sanctioned by the legitimate authority of past Lionheart kings?]
[Well, it's not like War is wrong. Lionheart has not ruled the world because it wishes to see the mortals grow and develop on their own but how foolishly those who do not know the right faith have chosen.]
The divinity of iron and blacksmithing knew how the world of his Holy Knight, Yappy that had progressed far ahead of Earth was destroyed.
As the Gods' debate raged, Leon felt the need to summarize.
"Gods, this duel is not that complicated."
Leon looked at Vulcanus, not that he had any particular purpose in representing the gods, let alone fulfilling his ambitions at this late date.
"Fighting a bunch of thieves as a father. That's all that matters."
"GRARARARA──!
Leon simplified the matter and added another thing.
"This is a very personal fight, Lord Vulcanus, please refrain from invoking the power of the gods."
"Ho-ho, that is a much more unfavorable condition for Your Majesty, is it not?"
Vulcanus bowl is huge. It is perhaps the greatest talent of all time, and if it weren't for Leon, he could easily have become the Lionheart King.
But he only represents one god, after all. He is no match for the Lionheart King, who represents all the gods.
"Why do I need to borrow power from the gods to punish bandits?"
No holy power will be used. Vulcanus couldn't help but be impressed by the terms, so he responded in kind.
-Thwack!
The armor comes apart at the seams. With each peel, the falling armor shattered the arena floor.
Soon, all the armor is off, revealing the most perfect body the world has ever seen.
Rugged, sculpted muscles are finely balanced and lined with veins that look as strong as steel.
Muscles as dull as armor, as if the blade of any great sword would break them.
Vulcanus, the great man who led a million barbarians, sent a ferocious gaze toward Leon.
"GRARARARA── do you think you can defeat me with your bare body?"
"Wasn't that what you said when you lost to this king for the eighth time? If it weren't for my holy powers, you would have won."
Vulcanus chuckled at Leon's reminder of the past.
"Today will be your day. The last one to win is the one who really wins."
-Bam!
The next moment, Leon's sword struck Vulcanus.
The wind pressure alone was enough to shake the stadium but the recipient of the blow is not even broken.
"I'm getting old, I'm not as good as I used to be."
"You've been frozen for over a hundred years, and you haven't bothered to retrain?"
"I haven't aged at all!"
Vulcanus pushes Leon away with the force of his hand on the hilt of his sword. Even Leon is outmatched by Vulcanus in pure strength.
"Looks like you've got a bit of a back, but here's your staff, old man!"
Vulcanus throws one of his two holy swords at Leon, like a boomerang, but its impact is profound.
-Ka-la-la-la-la!!!
The holy sword is thrown with pure power, slicing through the surrounding area in a gust of wind but Leon skillfully grasps the hilt as it rushes toward him.
The thought of catching a projectile traveling at supersonic speeds with his bare hands was a testament to Leon's vision and skill.
"I give it back."
Leon's throw was more refined and accurate than Vulcanus'.
By nature, knights were considered a disgrace to use ranged weapons.
It's easy to say that throwing with your full strength is a 'ranged attack' and not a 'ranged weapon', but the difference is crucial.
An arrow that is drawn with a maximum force of 100 and a blade that is thrown with a maximum force of 10,000 are both ranged attacks that cannot be compared to a "ranged weapon" in terms of power or range.
-Boom!
So fast that the sound doesn't even catch up to the projectile. In response, Vulcanus raised his sword and took no defensive stance.
"Huh—!"
He simply sucked in a breath,
"■■■■■■■■■■■■■────!!!"
and spit it out with all his might.
-Kaahhhh?!
The explosive volume of the monster's voice bends even space.
A holy sword thrown with superhuman strength bends before the space-bending beast.
-What, what, what is that?!
-He changed the trajectory of a projectile with his voice?!
-Is that a person?!
Leon has to force himself to change the way he smiles, because Vulcanus' voice is that of a monster.
Vulcanus is a creature of the ages, instinctively bending the natural order of the world to his will and before he became a Holy Knight, he had the most famous infamy of all.
The most powerful creature on earth, a freak of the ages that the Lionheart King had failed to kill thirteen times despite his sincere attempts.
"gra■■-ra■rara■■──!"
With a laugh that echoed throughout the stadium, Vulcanus' greatsword struck down.
The two locked eyes in a sword wrestling match of iron on iron. Vulcanus takes this moment to ask a question.
"I don't understand you!"
"What do you mean?"
"The way you express yourself! Just go ahead and say I love you! I care about you! I'm sorry for what I did! This is not how it should be!"
"—— It's not that simple. It's more complicated than you think."
Vulcanus stretched out his arms. They both know where that touch went.
-Boom!
The next moment, his greatsword, the one Vulcanus had knocked away, was back.
"How about two!"
In the midst of the struggle, he brings his second greatsword down. The heavy impact sent ripples through the air and crushed the floor where Leon had stepped.
"It doesn't matter how complicated the knot is, just cut it off with a single swipe! There's always a simple way to solve a situation!"
"You're such a—! I wish I could live in peace!"
Crushed by Vulcanus' strength, Leon skillfully slashed his sword across Vulcanus' thigh.
-Boom!
It felt like he had sliced through steel, but it was effective as blood gushed from his thigh.
"You still rely on your strength, my lord, and your lower body is still weak, as I pointed out when I taught you swordsmanship."
"Gah! I am still weak, and it is all due to lack of strength, so let me find my way back."
"I see you have a bone to pick."
"How can he who rides in a straight line when he breaks the armies of the barbarians and the hordes of the orcs, return to his domestic duties?"
As a father-in-law, dismissing potential sons-in-law might seem like an extension of a father with a daughter but Vulcanus knows better.
Leon is an authority figure capable of unreason, but he is also the most reasonable of Lionhearts.
He has not executed Vulcanus, the leader of the barbarians, but has made a rational choice against all odds.
'I don't want to lose someone so pure and talented.'
Vulcanus' greatsword strikes like a fury and despite his dull appearance, speed comes from strength.
Vulcanus' dual wielding is a storm that never stops. Even his tireless body of perfect vitality keeps the storm from abating.
"Whoa——"
Leon blocks it with little more than a sigh, sometimes parrying, sometimes deflecting, sometimes countering— and then he answers Vulcanus' question.
"This king is a failed father. He made a decision as king, and if he had to do it again, he would make the same choice."
But being right is not the same as being correct. Being right doesn't mean the other choice is wrong.
In the moment of choice, Leon chose his duty, against all odds.
"The burden of being king is right. A man who bears such a heavy responsibility on behalf of the gods cannot make a wrong choice."
"But even so, the burden is not right. It is a failure."
"Even if the child understood, even if I told her it was the right choice, I would still be a failed father."
Leon made the right choice. It was the right thing to do to save his country, and no one could fault him for it.
But as a result, his wife is dead, and the grand duchy he was supposed to protect was destroyed.
Leon had merely protected something greater.
"How can a man with such a burden boldly speak of his love in front of the child?"
Therefore, his seemingly selfish interference in the courtship duel only narrows his daughter's options.
He was forcing her to make a choice that is only for herself.
'They say a daughter takes after her father, but how disingenuous of them both.'
This is not the only suggestion Karina brought to Vulcanus.
Vulcanus pushed her the same way he did Leon, and she sees a glimmer of sincerity in her old friend.
Hearing both sides of the argument, Vulcanus thought to himself.
'Mrs. Castile, I suffer here amongst these fools!'
Vulcanus missed Leon's wife, who had been acting as a catalyst between them.