Level Up Legacy

Arthur had numerous interactions with the Divine Swordsman, all of whom were amiable. While being righteous and headstrong, Yurirl was straightforward and unable to lie.

It was a surprise that Arthur would stumble on the swordman’s origins in one of his adventures and the buried secret behind his swordsmanship. Now that he thought about it, the two swordsmen had similar faces, but not enough for someone to make a random connection.

“Are you saying the two of you have been incited by the same event?” asked Arthur, and the swordsman nodded. “You still refuse to tell me.”

“The story is unimportant, unlike what it caused. On that day, we made a vow: one would take revenge, and the other would find a method to undo it.”

“A method to undo it?”

“Can I trust you, outsider?” asked Lyle suddenly, but Arthur did not answer. “Can I trust that this knowledge wouldn’t harm him?”

“You can tell me, and you can decide otherwise,” Arthur said before turning toward the execution platform erected. “Either case, we will fight together today.”

“Indeed,” said Lyle with a smile before he took out something from his pocket, and it was an old copper coin. He raised it for Arthur, but the latter did not see anything special about it. “This is what decided our lives for ten years.”

“A coin?” muttered Arthur before he realized his meaning. “The two of you flipped a coin to decide who gets to do what?”

“There was no better choice between the two, so we had to decide through this. Tails would take revenge, and heads would leave Ilios to look for a miracle.”

“What kind of miracle?” asked Arthur with a frown. The answer would be the quest Yurirl took from this city ten years ago. Lyle pocketed the coin with a smile as he watched Princess Ivory return.

“A miracle to revive the dead.”

Arthur stared at the knight’s back with raised brows as he stepped forward toward the princess. The two of them exchanged words before Lyle walked back toward Arthur and nodded toward him.

“Ivory managed to arrange a meeting without anyone knowing, but it would be hard to give Gray anything. Are you sure that giving instructions would be enough?”

“Gray would have to do nothing other than trusting you,” said Arthur as he patted the sword handle. “And acting like a loyal subject after the execution is done.”

“Are we proceeding with it?” frowned Lyle with unease, but Arthur smiled. Then, he told the swordsman his plan, which he devised with Commander Barbora. Lyle stared with gradually widening eyes as he listened to the plan, and his mouth gaped.

“Is that even possible?”

“We would need Barbora’s help, which would be costly,” said Arthur with a sigh as he rubbed his neck. “I agreed to owe her a big favor as long as it was reasonable.”

“Can we even trust her?” frowned Lyle.

“She is our only shot at making this look real,” said Arthur before he bowed toward Princess Ivory, who was staring at them from afar with an annoyed face. “You should go and make amends with her.”

“A victor needs no such thing,” said Lyle before he walked away. “I’ll relay this to Gray, but you must arrange the rest.”

“Aye, aye, captain,” said Arthur with a smile as he watched the knight leave. The two of them entered the palace, leaving Arthur alone on the balcony. He stared at the execution platform in front of the pedestal, where Lyle would be knighted.

***

As the clock struck midday, the broadcast went live throughout Ilios. Whenever the emperor assigned a commander, the nation would take a short break to witness it. It was a method to show the empire’s strength and warn anyone opposing it.

The broadcast was announced several hours earlier, but it was more than just a ceremony. The emperor appeared in full glory as soon as it started, lights surrounding his white robes. Golden engravings of the sun lined his chest, and a halo of light crowned his head.

“Greetings, my dear subjects,” said the emperor as he spread his arms. “I have missed addressing you dearly.”

The emperor spoke like a gentle older brother whose sincere expression captured the hearts of millions–his words, laced with honey, pained smiles on the faces of those listening.

“After the recent events in the capital, I decided that the nation needs to hear from its emperor. So I came here not to lie but to give a promise. Many of you have heard a vermin human sneaked into our land. After his criminal activities to disturb peace around the world, he chose our nation to strike.”

The broadcast shifted to reveal the destruction inside the Silver District. Gasps of fear appeared as the image showed a giant of flames striking the ground, destroying whatever came his way.

“This man is Arthur Silvera,” revealed the emperor as his face appeared, this time determined and sharp. His heroic aura raged as the lights grew more vibrant. “He terrorized our peaceful empire and, as we have expected, came to cause anarchy! I came here to promise that he shall do so no more!”

After that, the broadcast changed to show the lined knights and commanders, all standing with their backs straight. Their white armor shone under the sun, dazzling whoever saw it.

“These are our protectors who will make our empire peaceful again. The most powerful knights in the empire are all willing to sacrifice their lives for the safety of our citizens. And today, we welcome one more to our ranks as another departs.”

As the emperor finished his piece, a man stepped forward from the ranks, his armor clinking as the piece nudged each other. He gave his back to the broadcast and stood in front of the emperor before dropping to his knee.

“This old bag of bones greats the Light Emperor,” said the knight, whose head was full of white hair. “I am here to fulfill my duties as your loyal subject.”

“Raise your head, Duke Delano,” said the emperor as his eyes smiled happily. “You have been our Knights Commander for the past year, and it pains me to see you step down from such a position. However, the circumstances require as such.”

“If His Majesty demands my head, then I would present it on a silver platter,” said Duke Delano as he saluted and raised his head. “Your wishes are my commands!”

“This loyalty is the reason I chose you for this new division,” said the emperor as he reached upward and summoned searing light, creating something out of thin air. “As the Light Emperor, Joseph Voldor the Third, I now make you Sun Knight, A Paladin! You will lead your men and conquer new land in my name!”

The emperor presented the sword, which Duke Delano accepted and received it. Then, he turned and raised it toward the sky, allowing a pillar of light to explode from the sword, announcing his new status.

The people were confused, as Paladins was a name unofficially given to the twelve commanders. Finally, however, it seems the emperor decided to appoint the duke as a bona fide paladin, although no one understood.

“This marks the beginning of a new era, where we take the reins of fate. Duke Delano will lead his men into the other world and start the Iliosian Journey into prosperity!”

The knights cheered as the emperor finished his piece, and the public followed suit. But, although the words were ambitious, very few people understood their true intent: the emperor wanted to explore the other world.

As the emperor raised his hand, the cheering died down. Then, with a smile, the emperor conjured a smaller blade of light as he continued, “There is one more thing. A reward must be given to those who enforce our justice. The Vice-Commander, Lyle Mantra, outshone his peers through his recent achievements of being the man responsible for the underground darkness of our empire.”

A group of men suddenly entered the balcony, with a chained man following them. The people were confused as the unknown person was dragged toward the execution platform.

“This man is called Gray Ravin, and he used to forge the medals that allow criminals to roam free in the capital. Vice-Commander Mantra was responsible for apprehending him, and he will be the one to enforce justice upon this sinner!”

Lyle stepped forward from the crowd, his footsteps confident as he made his way toward the pedestal. He knelt before the emperor, who signaled for him to rise. Then, he presented the light blade toward him.

“Take this sword, and you will be our new Knights Commander,” the emperor smiled. “Then, use it to vanquish the darkness of our empire.”