Guns are truly fascinating weapons. In the past, Jericho would often think that way.
Simply moving a finger and pulling a bent metal rod called a trigger would instantly transform it into a killing machine.
Using the power of gunpowder, steel, and lead, it evolved from the concept of “strongly shooting something” into a culmination of ranged weapons that included slingshots, catapults, bows and arrows, crossbows and bolts, and even the matchlocks of a bygone era.
The advancement of technology was formidable. The development of firearms changed the landscape of battle, leading to the downfall of knights who, clad in heavy plate armor and riding horses, swept through battlefields from the Middle Ages into the Modern Era.
If one were to take a trip back to a hundred years ago under the might of the Empire, the battlefield would be completely different from head to toe.
As if to prove this, dwarves, elves, and humanity have advanced dazzlingly, boldly traversing through a rapidly changing era.
Unfortunately, that change brought about a new paradigm in the battlefield, where cold weapons had once pierced and slashed enemies. The rules of the battlefield had turned completely upside down.
For example, instead of managing arrows and the sand and oil needed to maintain the archers’ armor and weapons, one now moved cold metal ammunition and shells.
Instead of approaching their targets on wooden sailing ships to fire cannons from the side, they now fired cannonballs from iron fortresses floating on the sea, where the opponents appeared as black dots on the horizon.
Through these quickly changing rules of war, one commonality existed.
That was the rule called the end of cold weapons.
With the emergence of firearms and the recognition by dwarves and humanity of their convenience and overwhelming lethality, modern battles rapidly evolved. Cold weapons became merely a means for cavalry, who charged quickly, or transformed into bayonets attached to the ends of rifles for soldiers to defend themselves.
Thus, cold weapons seemed to disappear from the battlefield.
However, if dwarves boasted powerful firepower and elves had runes and the power of nature, humanity possessed another strong force along with magic.
One physically distinguishing factor from the aforementioned two races was the physique perfectly suited for wielding swords.
Elves were too delicate to swing heavy swords, while dwarves, with their short stature, preferred spears, small axes, or hammers over swords that were difficult to wield.
The versatility of swords goes without saying, and their razor-sharp blades are perfectly suited for “killing.”
Another decisive weapon possessed by humanity, sword masters were born out of this.
Centuries of accumulated expertise in swordsmanship, alongside a graceful and concise swordplay, had imprinted the existence of swords perfectly onto human forms over generations.
Dwarves and elves might not realize it, but for humanity, cold weapons had yet to become extinct.
The deadly and undeniable killing capacity of a sword excelled even in narrow, muddy trenches.
Moreover, as even regular soldiers began to be supplied with firearms, they inherited the characteristic of being “weak in close combat,” which was a vulnerability of those with ranged weapons.
So….
“Die!!”
– Bang—!
Once they approached, it was over.
– Swish.
A red line emerged where the lightning-quick sword swept past, and the head with a frozen expression that couldn’t adapt to the situation was precisely split in two, rolling on the ground. It had severed the bullet.
“Phew….”
Jericho sighed softly before rummaging through his pocket and pulling out a piece of black cloth. The thick cloth, treated with oil, was used to wipe down the blood-stained blade.
In front of Jericho, an unnamed man started to panic, tears and snot streaming down his face.
The man with a frivolous appearance, George ‘Big Knife’ Junior, clad in a black coat, looked at Jericho with fearful eyes as if he were a reaper.
“Why…! Why are you going to such lengths…!”
– Thud.
Something crashed into George’s hand. At the same time, his pants began to feel damp. The head, having lost its owner and warmth, rolled on the ground and bumped against his hand.
As a sickening stench began to rise, Jericho frowned slightly and stepped forward.
“You obstructed public duties and refused a lawful arrest request based on the supreme right granted by His Imperial Majesty.”
“W-We were just…! We were only rummaging around for anything we could pick up from the charcoal pile!”
“So, I asked from the beginning. Why were you digging through the ruins when the explosion occurred at the tavern on the outskirts of the city?”
“That’s…!”
“I merely asked a question, and it was you who brandished firearms first and threatened me. Know your place.”
George felt wronged. Although he usually mingled with delinquents and pickpocketed passersby, that didn’t mean he had committed a capital crime…. That was absolutely not the case. It was an absurd story.
If one were to trace the beginnings of all this, yes. The problem started a few months ago when he went to the scene of the explosion in the city.
Hearing an unusual explosion sound, George had headed there with the group he usually hung around with, thinking there might be an opportunity to scavenge amidst the debris of the collapsed tavern.
He didn’t know what kind of place that tavern was, but George thought.
“I messed up…!”
Digging through the rubble that had become a wreck was, perhaps, the biggest mistake of his life.
“You did not comply with a lawful arrest request…. I shall give you one more chance.”
Jericho moved. The large figure far exceeding his own made George involuntarily flinch.
“You, George ‘Big Knife’ Junior, leader of the small-time crime organization ‘Big Knife.’ You are not permitted to appoint a lawyer under Section 2, Clause 6 of the Empire’s Defense Security Law. From this moment, remember that you must unconditionally obey my words.”
“Obey…?”
“From now on, if you do not comply with my lawful arrest request…. Be aware that I have the authority granted by His Imperial Majesty to execute you immediately.”
Arrest. Obey. Execute immediately.
It was a feast of provocative words. George could barely snap back to reality as the warmth of blood flowed through his hand.
“You want to kill me…?”
“Indeed. Comply with the arrest willingly. If you are innocent, you will be released. But I have already investigated everything about you. It’s better not to have any delusions.”
“What do you think human life is…!”
“It seems you don’t have the qualifications to say such things.”
“What…?”
Jericho took a step closer. George stumbled while trying to steady himself and moved away from him.
“Have you ever participated in the Great War?”
“…The Great War?”
What kind of ridiculous question is this? George looked up at Jericho with a bewildered expression. The shadow cast by his backlit face made it hard to discern that expression.
“I’ll ask again. Do you have experience participating in the Great War?”
“Uh, no….”
“Then why do you ask how one understands human life?”
“…What?”
“Upon reflection, I realize the question was wrong. Have you ever caused the deaths of over a hundred people?”
George thought. The man before him, Jericho Warren Valeguge…
“He’s… insane….”
He was utterly mad.
Even in the shadow of darkness, Jericho’s beast-like golden eyes glinted softly. Those eyes were fixated precisely on George.
“Perhaps not. You, who have never taken a life, cannot possibly understand the value of life.”
– Swish.
The cold blade pointed at George. Jericho’s longsword, having been completely wiped clean of blood, glimmered faintly with the sunlight filtering through the alley.
“Now, make your choice. I am busier than you might think.”
“What am I supposed to choose…?”
“Will you surrender willingly, or….”
– Thump.
“Will you proceed with the lawful ‘execution’ process based on the Empire’s solemn laws and the supreme authority possessed by the chief executioner?”
“…….”
George didn’t respond. His hand, slowly retreating as he braced himself against the ground, came into contact with something cold and hard—metal.
– Click.
It was a very small sound. The faint clatter of a pistol slightly pushed against the stone floor. George looked at the unmoving Jericho and was certain he hadn’t noticed the gun hidden behind him.
“Damn….”
The subordinate lying next to him, having separated its head from the body, lazily aimed the pistol at Jericho, but if Jericho allowed for such an ambush now….
“Maybe, it could work?”
Even if he complied willingly, that presented problems in itself. George and his gang had often robbed passersby.
Although just moments ago, they had been reckless with the soldier and ended up with a bullet,…. Still, it was a firearm, and if an ambush could be executed….
“By the way.”
Jericho spoke up. His sideburns shook as he spoke.
“I’ll inform you in advance that I am the Empire’s officially recognized eleventh sword master. A bullet from a puny pistol is as easy to cut as a stray hair, so you can cast aside any thoughts of ‘just in case….’”
“I surrender, my lord.”
George prostrated himself. He lowered his body as flat as he could, ready to make contact with the ground.
If asked if it was humiliating, he would say not at all.
“Damn…. How can I defeat a sword master…!”
At that moment, more than anything, George desperately wanted to live.
*
Jericho hated crowded streets. It was, in some respects, only natural.
The more people surrounding him, the more unpleasant memories resurfaced.
For instance, soldiers huddled in trenches, clutching their heads, waiting for the shelling to cease.
Enemies that emerged endlessly, no matter how many were cut down.
After unintentionally succumbing to the ecstasy of killing, he would find himself surrounded by the tragic mountains of corpses that always welcomed him with bewildered expressions.
“…Damn.”
The central area of the city was a place he found unappealing, but it was all part of “his duty.” Jericho chewed his lip as he matched his pace with the short companion walking beside him.
“Senpai. What are you pondering so deeply?”
“……”
“Senpai? Senpai? Senpai?”
“Enough. Nina.”
The one who declared herself Jericho’s daily companion was Nina von Valdek, a junior much later in rank.
Though she had yet to receive the title of “knight” from the imperial court, she was undoubtedly a knight of the Imperial Knight Order.
“By the way, that unfortunate, frivolous man…. What was his name?”
“George. George ‘Big Knife’ Junior.”
“Right, right. His name was so inconsequential that I forgot it. Anyway…. That George person was taken to the knight order branch.”
“Well done.”
“Ehh…. You’re being too stingy. Is that all the praise I get? You could give me a little more praise, you know.”
“……”
Jericho walked through the crowd, frowning.
“Are you angry? If you are, I apologize. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in the central area of the city….”
“I’m not angry. Just cease the frivolous behavior. There are many watching.”
“Yes! Understood!”
It was an unconvincing response. But what could he do? It was his fault that he couldn’t easily dismiss even someone like Nina.
Jericho and Nina continued walking for quite a while. The bustling crowd, reminiscent of a market, gradually thinned, and the cleanliness of the streets noticeably improved.
Eventually, in front of the two walking for some time, the grand view of a massive building began to unfold.
“Wow…. That’s the famous Caldera Imperial Academy, right? It’s my first time coming here for real.”
“……”
“Have you been here before, Senpai?”
“This is my first time as well.”
Jericho hadn’t attended Caldera Imperial Academy, having joined the Imperial Knight Order early. His eyes glimmered as they fixed upon the ornate, large main gate of the academy.
“…Let’s go.”
“Yes!”
With their black coats flapping, the two set foot forward.
There was no hesitation.
