Chapter 9 - Retired Royal Knight, “Trick Lord,” Triquell

Mana is said to be the mysterious power in which all life began. In combat, the difference between those who possess Aura and those who do not is like heaven and earth. Metaphorically, people compared such people as “Masters” or “Master Knights,” those who can proficiently utilize Aura. However, there was a soldier who was able to kill many Masters without the use of Aura.

He’s retired now. You are the person who will train the upcoming generation and the future stars of my Empire. Triquell, the Trick Lord that had repelled Carceron as the legendary killer of Lukedonia, retired with full honors.

“His daughter should be living in Hollow Bastion at this time,” Krist was contemplating his next move on how to recruit the retired Royal Knight.

An inn with a bar. Entering the establishment, Krist had invited his friends, Loutch, Saix, Reddas, and Laciel for a drink where Triquell’s daughter had worked.

“Heh, it's been a while doing something normal people do!” Loutch was glad that there was a break like this with his comrades.

Sip! Sip!

Reddas had taken the swill of beer in a few gulps, “This beer is a lot better than what slaves are used to!”

“You’re language is getting better, Reddas!” Krist praised Reddas and his learning the international language. Slaves are usually illiterate and have little to no speech skills.

“I give lessons from time to time, but, Reddas has learned much from reading.” Loutch had spent some time teaching his friend the common language as Reddas was a former slave before being enlisted in the Lukedonian Army.

“Loutch is an excellent teacher,” Reddas was surprisingly eloquent, given that he comes from the Southern Continent.

There she is. Krist had noticed Triquell’s daughter the moment he entered the establishment. Her name is Lenneth, a dark blue-haired belle blessed with the genetics of the Trick Lord. It didn’t matter what gender the descendent of Triquell would be, rather, the magnificent experience honed within each muscle fiber of the Trick Lord would inevitably be passed down to Lenneth. Her eyes are sharp, just like your father's. With a physique similar to Reddas, she could grow to become quite the unique fighter. I wonder how different you are in this life, my old friend.

Slam! Lenneth had placed her hand on the table, “We don’t serve that type of swill over here!” She was displeased with the inn’s alcoholic beverage being compared to slave food.

Kuku! That temper. You’re definitely Triquell’s daughter. Unlike the past life, Krist had visited the inn where Lenneth had worked on multiple occasions, however, in this lifetime the two had yet to meet. And it was all calculated.

Door opening. A stranger donned in a black robe entered the inn. Triquell! Krist’s heart was getting excited, the fact that he would recruit his old confidant at this moment.

“Hello, customer, food or a room?” The receptionist working at the inn aside from Lenneth had asked the stranger who unshrouded his hood.

“Both,” his voice was rather quaint and dignified. The appearance of a long blue-haired man wearing a monocle, a scruffy beard, and a noticeable scar across the end of his lips made him look like a noble warrior.

I’ll win your fealty my way, Trick Lord. Krist had made up his mind to have Triquell and Lenneth under his wing even at his low noble status as a Knight. They were to be the foundations upon which an empire would be built, only, Krist had not expected that he could recruit such diamonds in the rough this early in his life.

“Excuse me, do you mind sharing a cup of coffee with me?” Krist had approached the Trick Lord.

“What is this ‘coffee’ you speak of, young man?” Triquell was eloquent, given that he was a Royal Knight and was close to the Lord Emir for several years.

Although polite and displays good manners, Triquell was never really the talkative type. However, Krist knew exactly how to reel in people’s attention, especially, talents like the Trick Lord and Lenneth.

“This is a special brew I brewed for staying awake and increasing energy. Taste good and no side-effect,” Krist had invented an old concoction from a past life that made a lot of money.

Sip. Sip.

?!

The drink was able to incite some type of reaction to the Trick Lord who is a hardened warrior, “I plan on selling such drinks as my exclusive products, but, that is neither here nor there. I had wanted to ask why such an illustrious person like you is here, Royal Knight?” Triquell was surprised that a young man had noticed someone like him.

“How did you figure such a thing?” Triquell was stern but held a firm expression.

“Well, you don’t have to worry about anyone else knowing about you. I just noticed that you were looking at ‘her’ the moment you entered this inn,” Kirst knew how to reply to such a presence.

“That’s some frightening observation skills…” Triquell was at a loss for words for his intentions had been figured out.

“Lenneth!” Not wasting any time, Krist did not hesitate to enact his recruitment.

“Just what are you doing?” Triquell was sweating.

“What’s going on?” Lenneth had made her way to the two.

“This gentleman here has something to tell you,” Krist got up from the chair and gave the two their moment.

With this, the Trick Lord and Valkyrie God is mine!

Smirking while leaving, the ending scene was an outburst of shock as Triquell was confessing to Lenneth that she was his long-lost daughter, “Whaaat?!”

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***

A fortnight had passed and Krist had visited the inn for a morning cup of coffee. Across from Krist was Triquell, “Please, I would like to learn from the Trick Lord.”

“You want to learn from me?” Triquell was not compelled to accept.

“I am a Knight of Lukedonia, but, I don’t have a trainer.”

“What do you mean?”

“I need someone like you who will raise an elite army,” Krist was apt about such an answer. Direct and precise.

“...”

“And I and my allies as the center of the elite army,” Krist followed up with an even better answer.

“Quite a big dream. Well… If you answer my question about how you found the information about me, I will consider doing such a thing,” Triquell was testing the waters.

Checkmate. Krist had a perfect answer for such a difficult answer that would inevitably recruit the Trick Lord, “I am the Lord Disciple.”

?!

“Kuku! Even still, I cannot escape your clutches, my Lord Emir.” Genuinely shocked, Triquell had made a realization that even after retirement, his services were still tied to the Kenesis Royal Family.

“Just by title alone will not suffice for someone such as you, therefore, a spar is required. Is that not so, Trick Lord?” Krist knew how to win the fealty of the retired legend.

No words were said and the two proceeded to the training ground inside the military base in Hollow Bastion. Performing the stance that is unique only to Krist, “You have a valiant spirit.” Triquell noticed that the young man in front of him was someone deceptive and unlike any adolescent teen.

“Very well… let’s dance,” the Trick Lord has always been known to take the initiative in combat, making the first step.

Expecting such an approach, Krist twiddled his spear and spun the cane for a defensive measure. Receiving the impact of Triquell’s spear swing, Krist had perfectly blocked the Trick Lord’s powerful blow from a real spear.

“Is defense all that you’ve got?” The Trick Lord was expecting more of an exciting battle.

As expected, his extreme speed is hard to avoid! Unbeknownst to even the Trick Lord, Krist had lowered his level to gain the advantage.

His famous Martial Art, “Triple Strike” is about to come! Triquell charged with his low stance and prepared a skill.

The famous skill that made Triquell known among warriors and knights across the continents was performing three attacks into one powerful strike. Although there are higher forms of the attack, Krist blocked the strike with graceful spear movements.

I shouldn’t show that I am aware of your skills, Trick Lord! Krist had stopped playing on the defensive and approached Triquell.

“Triple Strike!” Krist had perfectly performed the exact skill that the Trick Lord had executed.

“Huh, that's quite amazing. You managed to copy a skill of mine in one go?”

“We’ll, I am fighting the ‘Trick Lord,’” Krist had made known exactly who he was fighting against.

Prodigious! “Splendid.” Triquell was gaining interest in Krist’s proposal. The bout had continued and Krist had revealed most of his high-level skills. In effect, the Trick Lord could not keep up with the flow of Krist’s ‘Nejibana Spear Arts’ and dwindled in combat.

Slam! The Trick Lord was facing the tip of the spear wielded by Krist, “Incredible! To think that I, the Trick Lord bested by the Lord Disciple.”

“Would this be enough to compel someone such as you, Triquell?” It was a genuine remark which was what the Trick Lord had wanted to see all along, the sincerity in Krist’s resolve.

“Do you really wish to have someone like me under your employ?” Triquell answered a question with a question.

“I can have no one else but you, Triquell.”

Triquell said no words and patted Krist by his side. Your resolve, I can sense it. Krist understood that the Trick Lord had prior business with Lenneth and needed time to reconcile with his long-lost daughter.

Krist stood on the training grounds, reflecting upon his duel with the Trick Lord. In order to get the jump, I had to play on the defensive, lowering your guard for the perfect moment. Kuku! Krist internally chuckled while outwardly having a satisfied expression. Still, I was not expecting that my current strength could defeat you, Triquell.

Step. Step.

First Sergeant Bolsir came by, “Looks like the retired Royal Knight is quite impressed with you.”

“It was simply a duel, nothing more,” Krist was not allowed to lose any battle while being ranked as an Aristocratic Knight. This was why Bolsir asked such a question. A loss would have reflected gravely upon Krist’s status.

“I’ll be taking my leave, First Sergeant,” Krist was feeling tired after the bout and was about to retire for the night.

“Of course, Knight Krist,” for the first time, First Sergeant Bolsir had referred to Krist with respect, something that was not akin to the old soldier.

***

Late at night, Lenneth and Triquell were seated at the inn, “I’ll be honest, calling you ‘father’ is uncomfortable for me. May I call you, ‘Triquell’ instead?” Lenneth was not soured upon hearing the news from the Trick Lord about being his biological daughter.

“Hmph,” the Trick Lord had a grin on his face. “Do as you please.”

“Then, why did you leave my mother and me alone?” Lenneth was straightforward like her father.

“...” Triquell had prepared for such a question, knowing full well why he was gone for a long time. “I had ambitions beyond serving the Kenesis Royal Family and even, the child I had left behind. In the end, I had come to realize that I had wasted 20 years running away…” It was rare to see the Trick Lord speak, but those who had heard his words were often captivated by such eloquent charisma. “I’m sorry. I wish I could have been there for you and your mother.” The Trick Lord held a solemn face.

Lenneth had placed her hands on top of Triquell’s, “That should be fine.” A single teardrop descended from Lenneth’s beautiful, youthful face. Wiping the teardrop from her face, Lenneth posed a question. “Will you accept Krist’s proposal? His fame has grown explosively in recent times.”

“I think I will,” Triquell was firm with his words.

“Then you must teach me too!” Lenneth jumped from the table after hearing the will of the Trick Lord regarding his going under the wing of Knight Krist.

“You want to fight? A woman?” Triquell was traditional in this regard.

“Since childhood, I had dreamt of becoming a valiant Knight, but, mother wouldn’t allow it. She said that violence was only for men!”

“Do you not like your current life?” Triquell asked seriously, assessing the will of his daughter.

“Honestly, as good as I am with cooking, there was nothing for me in this inn. I don’t care if I’m a woman, I want to be a Knight!” Lenneth was stout in her reply.

“Fine. Kuku! I’ll teach my daughter.” The scene had ended with the two as they headed towards the training grounds where they would expect Krist to be.

In the early morning, Krist and Lenneth were equipped with training weights in the form of bracers, two for the wrists and two for the ankles, weighing five pounds each. Here it is, Triquell’s hellish training program.

“For those who wish to wield weapons, one must first have the martial body to brandish such things.”

Both were wearing the specialized bracers that Triquell had kept during his adolescent years, the equipment that had allowed the proper forming of a martial body, the container to hold not only martial arts but, mana itself.

“Why is Lenneth wearing heavier bracers?” Krist had noticed Lenneth’s bracers.

“Young man…” The hellish training had begun and Lenneth was in the lead, “I am Triquell’s daughter after all!”