LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 58
Chapter 58
In the quiet ambiance, Duke Beowulf finished his meal and placed his cutlery on the plate before opening his mouth.
“Let’s get to the heart of the matter.”
At Duke Beowulf’s words, the trainees swallowed hard.
Especially Yan, whose eyes sparkled with anticipation.
“I intend to reward you all fittingly for your hard work and achievements. It’s better to give you what you desire than something pointless.”
Duke Beowulf propped his chin, scrutinizing each trainee.
“What is it that you desire? Speak freely, for I am willing to grant reasonable requests.”
Charl and Cruel’s eyes widened at the invitation to speak their wishes.
They had heard from Hans about passing the second test but hadn’t imagined there would be rewards too.
And to ask for what they wanted?
“Ahem!”
“Uh… um.”
Yet, Charl and Cruel found themselves unable to voice the thoughts that came to mind.
Even with the Duke’s encouragement, how could they speak so freely before the empire’s highest noble?
Duke Beowulf’s brows furrowed in displeasure at their hesitation.
“I have no patience for time-wasting.”
“I, I would like a famed sword!”
“An… exceptional skill?”
“Famed swords and skills, indeed. It’s best to have something that enhances one’s abilities. Hans.”
“Yes, Your Grace. I have suitable items for them, ready to be fetched.”
Duke Beowulf nodded once and turned to Lorena.
“I’ve already acquired something for you…”
“I’m fine, really. I haven’t done much to deserve it.”
“Cough!”
At Lorena’s sharp retort, Duke Beowulf coughed and turned to look at Yan.
“As for you…”
The Duke’s voice had grown colder, perhaps soured by his daughter’s response.
“Wouldn’t ‘that sword’ you took without permission suffice?”
The sword Yan had taken was tricky, but it could interfere with ‘mana’ itself.
And items of its kind were astronomically valuable, so it should be enough.
Yan’s eyes curved into crescents, seemingly amused.
“What? That’s it?”
His tone was one of disbelief, as if protesting an absurd injustice.
Duke Beowulf’s frown deepened.
“Isn’t that a bit greedy?”
“After all, only you, Your Grace, can handle it. Why is taking a white elephant from the storage considered a reward? It’s more like disposal.”
“What?”
Duke Beowulf looked at Yan with incredulity.
Was he serious?
“You yourself have not used it, leaving it to rot in storage.”
As Yan pointed out, the Duke hadn’t used it.
Not because the sword was lacking in performance.
In fact, it was far superior to the one Duke Beowulf currently wielded.
It was simply that Duke Beowulf disliked relying on the power of such curiosities.
Nod, nod.
“Hmm, you do have a point.”
Hans murmured as if persuaded, adding to the farce.
“So, you don’t need that and want something else?”
“It’s not that it’s unnecessary, it’s just insufficient.”
“Insufficient?”
“Shouldn’t I receive something commensurate with my efforts?”
Duke Beowulf regarded Yan silently.
Indeed, as Yan said, the sword he took was something only the Duke could use, and he had no intention of using it.
And if Yan hadn’t been so persistent with Vila…
The estate and Lorena would have been in danger.
“You’re not suited for a special task force; you belong in a merchant’s guild.”
“Oh, I take that as a compliment.”
Duke Beowulf waved his hand dismissively, as if to clear away idle talk.
“So, what more do you want? Skills? A famed sword? Treasures? Artifacts?”
“Eh, I wouldn’t ask for more than my conscience allows.”
“Then?”
Yan’s eyes twinkled excessively. Duke Beowulf, caught off guard, swallowed hard.
What could he possibly ask for?
“Money!”
“Money?”
“Or jewels are fine too. Haha.”
“Did I hear that right? Money?”
“Yes, money.”
Duke Beowulf looked at Hans, unable to hide his astonishment.
Hans, sharing the same sentiment, stared blankly at Yan.
Duke Beowulf shook his head.
“You’ll need money when you come out of the Dragon Knight project. So, how much do you want?”
“Um.”
Yan closed his eyes as if pondering deeply, then slowly opened them.
“Just give me what my achievements are worth. I’m not sure how much that should be.”
Hans looked troubled by yan’s response.
How does one calculate such achievements?
If he had ever hired mercenaries or been one himself, he wouldn’t be in this quandary.
But what business would the Duke’s house, teeming with outstanding knights, have with mercenaries?
“Come now, you must at least give me a figure…”
Snap.
Duke Beowulf raised his arm to stop Hans.
“Understood. I’ll give you what your achievements are worth. Hans, give him a generous amount for his efforts.”
“Really? Oh, yes, of course.”
Hans bowed and left the dining hall to prepare the rewards for the trainees.
Duke Beowulf watched Yan, who was smiling broadly.
“Hehe, thank you.”
Yan’s face, acting as if he had received a grand prize, was unbearably smug.
He was thought to be the empire’s prodigy.
His dazzling accomplishments were unbelievable for his age.
Even the Duke, who had been praised for his talent since childhood, hadn’t achieved so much at such a young age.
‘But the way he speaks is quite…’
* * *
The Crown Prince’s Chambers
In the hallowed halls accessible only to Crown Prince Leon and a select few attendants, an unexpected figure emerged.
A man with short hair and a pallid countenance.
“Lucas?”
It was Lucas, the chief of the intelligence network established by Leon.
He bowed to Leon and laid a bundle of documents from his side before him.
“What’s this?”
“The report you requested earlier.”
A swell of pride was evident in Leon’s eyes.
The special task force that heeds only the Emperor’s words.
To have covertly extracted the inner workings of the clandestine ‘Dragon Knight Project’ was a testament to Lucas’s exceptional skill.
Creak.
Leon then tore open the envelope on the table and hastily began to peruse the documents within.
“Half of the trainees sent to the west and south have perished.”
“It’s a miracle that even half survived.”
Lucas corrected Leon’s grim statement.
Leon shot Lucas a look of discontent.
But as Lucas had pointed out, the survival of even half was nothing short of miraculous.
It was no coincidence that they were dubbed ‘the scorching south’ and ‘the bizarre west’, regions shunned by many.
The south, plagued by pirates’ relentless raids, and the west, crawling with all manner of oddities.
For the average person, these were deadly lands where one’s life could be forfeit upon a single misstep.
“The trainees who successfully completed the second test in those regions are commendable, but what’s detailed in the next chapter makes their feats seem trivial.”
Prompted by Lucas’s words, Leon flipped to the next page of the report.
As he scrutinized each word, his eyes began to widen.
“Ha, haha.”
A hollow laugh escaped him, for the contents were beyond belief.
Second Test Report
Location: North
Objective: Barbarian Subjugation
Participants: 4
.
.
.
Up to this point, the report was unremarkable, save for the notably low number of participants.
The issue lay in what followed, the section detailing their accomplishments.
While other regions concluded within a single page, the northern account spanned three.
Leon reread it several times to ensure his eyes weren’t deceiving him.
Accomplishments.
Elimination of train terrorists, presumed to be ‘rebels’.
Assisted the Royal Knights’ Seventh Knight, Kyle, in resolving a train derailment crisis.
Rescue of 231 passengers, including Duke Vigor.
Under the command of the Mookgab Knights, subjugation of a barbarian tribe.
Solo assassination of a barbarian chieftain (estimated rank 4-5).
With the Beowulf family’s knights, defense and repulsion of an approximately 34,700-strong barbarian horde.
Repulsion of ‘Great Chieftain Vila (estimated level: 3)’ who infiltrated Beowulf Castle.
“Is this some kind of jest?”
Leon crumpled the finished report, eyeing Lucas skeptically.
Were these feats truly accomplished by trainees not yet twenty?
The achievements seemed too grandiose for mere trainees.
Or rather, were they so fantastical as to be absurd?
“The information therein is accurate to the last detail. It has been corroborated by intelligence from our informants and verified through internal investigations.”
“…”
The name of Lorena Beowulf, the noble lady of the Beowulf ducal house, flitted through Leon’s mind.
She could have had her deeds inflated by the Duke’s intervention.
But sensing Leon’s skepticism, Lucas shook his head.
“It’s been verified. Moreover, Duke Beowulf was in the Northern Sea for training at the time. These events and outcomes occurred during his absence.”
“It’s hard to believe.”
Leon clicked his tongue, closely examining the names listed in the report.
Top Trainee Yan
Second Trainee Lorena Beowulf
Third Trainee Cruel Dwight
132nd Trainee Charl
One name was familiar.
“Yan?”
“I believe he’s the trainee you encountered at the Blade Mountains.”
Leon recalled that moment.
Indeed, it was the trainee he had personally summoned for verification at the training center.
A trainee with exceptional skills who stood undaunted even in his presence.
‘Hmm.’
Leon committed the name to memory and turned past the ‘North’ section of the report.
Second Test Report
Location: East
Objective: Investigation of the Plateau of Death
Participants: 84
Leon’s expression hardened as he read on.
Despite repeatedly checking as if in disbelief, nothing changed.
“…”
Speechless, Leon looked at Lucas.
“It’s exactly as written there.”
He shifted his gaze back to the report.
Within it was.
Achievements: None
Noteworthy: All 84 trainees declared missing.
All the trainees sent east were listed as missing.