Return of the Calamity-Class Death Knight

Chapter 88

Chapter 88: Alexander Apple (2)

***

A little later, Damien and Oliver went to the audience chamber.

The king was already seated, and the noble officials had also arrived and taken their seats.

Damien and Oliver stood directly below the throne.

Oliver Apple, being the crown prince, naturally had the right to be there, and Damien stood beside him as his mentor.

“Oliver, have you come?”

The king seated on the throne spoke to Oliver Apple.

“I thought you would leave your seat empty again this time, but today is different.”

Oliver’s lips twitched slightly at the king’s praise. Despite disliking the atmosphere, receiving praise seemed to please him.

“It’s a discussion about uncle’s accomplishments, so I couldn’t possibly miss it!”

Damien’s words on the forced topic were diplomatic.

Regardless, the king seemed greatly pleased with Oliver Apple’s words.

“His Majesty Alexander is entering.”

At that moment, an official announced loudly. The king straightened up, interrupting his conversation with Oliver Apple.

Other noble officials did the same, halting their conversations.

Through the wide-open door, Alexander Apple and his knights entered.

Unlike what one might expect at the castle gates, they were dressed in neat attire rather than armor.

Alexander knelt before the king, and the other knights followed suit.

“I have come after receiving Your Majesty’s command to subdue the bandits in the south.”

Alexander spoke with solemnity. The noble officials murmured in response.

“The subjects of Lord Godroc have assassinated lords and turned into a bandit group?”

“Other landowners and mercenaries have joined, making their influence grow.”

“Their operations centered around forested areas, making it difficult to eradicate.”

“To handle it so neatly. Indeed, His Majesty Alexander.”

The noble officials praised Alexander’s achievements.

However, as the officials’ praise increased, Oliver Apple’s expression darkened.

“Alexander, rise.”

At the king’s command, he stood up.

“Your contribution to calming the chaos in the kingdom is immeasurable.”

“It’s an exaggeration. I just did what needed to be done.”

Alexander spoke calmly, eliciting admiration from those around.

“Truly, there is no one as dedicated and humble as His Majesty Alexander in service to the kingdom.”

“Indeed, Your Majesty must continue to rely on him.”

The officials’ praise continued to grow.

And then…

“Indeed, it’s quite a contrast with His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“It would have been nice if Oliver had followed even half of that…”

Oliver’s name began to be mentioned.

“All he does all the time is drink and chase after women.”

“Now that he’s getting older, I worry he should gain experience by assisting Your Majesty.”

As the murmurs increased, Oliver hunched his shoulders.

“Your Majesty, there is one more achievement I must mention.”

When the murmurs subsided, Alexander spoke up. The king asked with curiosity on his face.

“What is it?”

“We discovered a ruin in the forest during the process of clearing out the bandits.”

At the mention of ruins, the officials began to murmur again.

Long ago, there existed a civilization much more advanced than the current one. Although that civilization had long since perished, ruins like these occasionally revealed its existence.

Rare and extraordinary artifacts were sometimes found in ruins, some of which were powerful enough to shake the entire continent.

“We were able to obtain an artifact called the Relic sword during the exploration of the ruins.”

The Relic sword.

It was an ancient weapon rarely found in ruins. Made with technology so advanced that it couldn’t be replicated today, it possessed formidable abilities.

Many mages had tried to reproduce the Relic sword, but none had succeeded.

“I-Is that really true?”

The king asked in surprise. The Relic sword was classified as a strategic weapon due to its immense power.

If what Alexander said was true, then the Apple Kingdom would have acquired a tremendous weapon.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Furthermore, through the Relic sword, I was able to elevate my class.”

“E-Elevate your class? Is that… Are you saying… You’re now a High Class?”

Alexander nodded. The king’s mouth slowly fell open.

“C-Can you show it to us?”

“My abilities as a High Class can only be manifested when I draw the Relic sword due to my humble skills.”

It was a rule to return all weapons in front of the king. Alexander was unarmed now.

“Well, you are permitted to do so. Bring Alexander’s sword at once.”

At the king’s command, a servant brought a sword.

It was a very old longsword, from the scabbard to the hilt, showing clear signs of age.

Alexander drew the sword. Unlike the worn scabbard and handle, the sword itself was clean and sharp as if freshly forged.

As soon as the sword was drawn, Alexander’s demeanor changed dramatically. The people in the room felt as if they were caught in the midst of a storm.

Alexander Apple slammed the relic sword into the ground, and branches of light began to sprout throughout the room.

Everyone gaped at the mystical sight.

“This is the Thornwood, the relic sword I’ve acquired.”

Everyone looked at the Thornwood with stunned faces, including Damien.

“It’s no ordinary item. It’s at least Grade 3.”

Relic swords were classified based on grades, ranging from Grade 10 to Grade 1.

Among them, Grade 3 relic swords had the ability to sweep away more than a thousand troops when activated.

‘But something seems off…’

During his time as a Death Knight, Damien had seen many relic swords and even fought against them. Therefore, he felt a sense of unease.

‘Does a relic sword really elevate one’s class?’

While it was known that relic swords were weapons, Damien had never heard of them directly elevating one’s status.

‘Above all, it feels creepy.’

There was something strange about the energy the sword held. Damien observed the relic sword with suspicion.

Meanwhile, Alexander retrieved the sword he had plunged into the ground, causing the glowing branches to disappear.

“…Amazing! Not only acquiring the relic sword but also ascending to the High Class!”

The king exclaimed in astonishment. The other noble officials were equally surprised.

“My, truly remarkable! The fourth High Class! It’s a boon to the Apple Kingdom!”

“We knew His Majesty Alexander was impressive, but… we never expected such good fortune.”

“Indeed, he is the pillar of the Apple Kingdom. There’s no one like His Majesty Alexander.”

The nobles praised Alexander Apple incessantly.

“But Oliver, His Highness…”

“Even His Majesty has been so excellent…”

As the praise for Alexander increased, so did the disparaging remarks about Oliver Apple.

With each word of praise for Alexander, Oliver’s expression darkened more and more.

And it wasn’t just darkening; there was a visible buildup of resentment in his eyes.

“Not good.”

Damien, being somewhat of a type of Oliver himself, could guess what Oliver might be feeling.

His already twisted temperament, not being acknowledged, was undoubtedly becoming even more warped.

He had been trying to change for the better recently, but it seemed it was only making things worse.

“Alexander, I’d like to give you some rest if I could, but the world won’t allow it.”

The king gestured, and an official unfolded a parchment and began to read.

“There have been reports of unusual orc activity in the eastern regions recently. It’s suspected that an Orc lord has been born.”

At the mention of an Orc lord, the officials began to murmur again.

“An Orc lord? If it’s true, it’s no ordinary matter.”

“The danger varies depending on the type of lord, though…”

Orcs were peculiar monsters in that their danger level depended on the type of leader.

Usually, a gathering of a few dozen posed no significant threat.

However, occasionally, when a particularly unique individual worthy of being called a lord emerged, the danger skyrocketed.

In the past, when beings like Orc Lords were born, it required the nation to mobilize all its forces.

“Alexander, will you take charge of this matter?”

All eyes turned to Alexander. It seemed everyone expected him to step forward once again.

But someone spoke up before Alexander could.

“He wishes to take charge of this matter.”

Everyone looked at Damien with surprise, even Oliver.

“S-Sir D-Damien?”

Oliver asked with a trembling voice. Damien continued, ignoring Oliver’s uncertainty.

“His Highness has been seeking ways to contribute to the kingdom as the Crown Prince. So, he expressed a strong desire to take on this task.”

His words elicited admiring reactions from the officials.

“We didn’t expect His Highness to have such a commendable thought.”

“He seems to have truly changed recently. This time, it seems genuine.”

“Well, despite his questionable behavior, he’s quite intelligent, isn’t he?”

The officials looked at Oliver with newfound respect.

Oliver’s mood visibly improved as he received these approving glances.

Of course, not all officials showed positive reactions.

“His Highness, who has no experience, can’t possibly handle the orc horde!”

“This will only escalate the damage further. I object.”

Given the importance of the matter, it couldn’t simply be passed over with praise for being commendable.

When faced with opposition, Oliver’s spirit seemed to dampen again.

“I will vouch for His Highness’s capabilities. Moreover, I will accompany him on this orc extermination mission.”

Damien’s words changed the nobles’ reactions.

“If it’s Sir Damien… Haven’t there been rumors lately that he’s risen to the Mid Class?”

“Even if only half of the rumors about Sir Damien are true, handling the orc extermination should be easy.”

With Damien expressing his intention to participate, the tide quickly turned in a positive direction.

Eventually, all eyes turned to the king. After all, he was the one who would approve the matter.

“Oliver.”

At the king’s call, Oliver Apple lifted his head in surprise.

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“This extermination process will involve rigorous preparations and considerable danger. Will you still accept?”

Oliver Apple hesitated at the king’s question.

“Your Highness, if you back down here, you’ll truly be seen as a coward.”

Damien whispered softly. Oliver Apple looked at Damien with a resentful expression.

“What will you do?”

Damien asked Oliver Apple, cutting straight to the point. Oliver Apple clenched his fists and shouted,

“I will take charge of this!”

And thus, the southern expedition of the Crown Prince was decided.

***