This drew a burst of laughter.
Then, everyone stared at Alphonse, who had been sitting silently to one side, seemingly deep in thought.
He was still in his armor, but he looked somewhat tired.
Finchley stepped forward and handed Alphonse a jug of wine. “If you’ve come up with any solutions after thinking for so long, just say so. If you still have no clue, don’t waste your energy. Continue to compete with me in throwing!”
Alphonse took the flask and drank the sweet wine in it in one gulp, leaving not a drop.
"The Imperial Knights will be here at the Eagle Palace again soon. We won't be so lucky next time. So I plan to set off for the south tomorrow. You... have no objections?"
“Alphonse, you shouldn’t have asked that question. Instead, you should have roared with the same momentum you had today, ‘Tomorrow we will conquer the Southern Border, ready to die for our cause!’” Douglas pounded his chest, mimicking the imposing aura that Alphonse had used to intimidate everyone today.
But his performance at this moment was so comical that it caused the soldiers to burst into laughter again.
The commander first gave a wry smile, then mustered his courage, raised his sword high, and commanded his warriors: "Use your achievements tomorrow to atone for the crime of disobeying orders today!"
The soldiers, including those few unruly warriors, responded to their commander with the same fearless shouts and slogans.
"Soaring Eagle Rises Through the Sky!"
Alphonse felt a little self-deprecating. He had known the Fierce Eagles for almost three months, and only today was the first time he had heard them shout such a grand battle cry.
He couldn't help but worry about the march ahead.
This was his first time leading such a large army into battle, and the future was uncertain. Anyone, even a former commander, would likely have the same anxieties as Alphonse when leading an army for the first time.
He worried whether his battle plan was rigorous enough or flawless, whether his leadership skills were limited, and whether his comrades would be injured or killed at any time...
The alcohol intensified his complex emotions, though no one else noticed what he was thinking.
Finchley patted Alphonse on the shoulder.
"I'd like to see your short sword."
Upon hearing this request, Alphonse paused for a moment.
However, he quickly took out the dagger that had been with him all this time from his waist and handed it to his companion.
Finchley carefully accepted the golden dagger and then examined its entirety.
A gold hilt two fists wide, and a gold blade of similar length.
It has a metallic texture and luster, yet it feels incredibly light to hold. No matter how you look at it, it seems like an ordinary short sword except for its "special material".
"On the day of the duel, I was also hidden in the audience. The sudden attack really caught my opponent off guard, and it also surprised me greatly, as I was in the audience..."
What's even more surprising than that is your "short sword," whose true nature has yet to be discerned by others. Although you haven't revealed its true form, it is indeed the Extreme Ice Cold Light Sword, Danlithal.
This was the first time Elphons had heard the true name of the Holy Sword from anyone other than Desfield, and he gaped, speechless.
"The real 'blade' should have originated from here, right? Its original length... was about this long, right?"
Then, based on what he had heard, Finchley gestured with his fingers to show the original length of the "holy sword"—it was about half again as long as the short sword was now.
"A true blade is formed by the wielder using the magic of ice. It has neither thickness nor weight, and exists like the aurora borealis."
The soldiers looked at each other in bewilderment, and only a few warriors who were close to Alphonse and Finchley understood the conversation between the two that involved the rumors of the secret treasure.
It's unclear when it started, perhaps it's been around since the founding of the Kingdom of Valentino—several rumors about secret treasures and extraordinary skills have been widely circulated on the continent.
These rumors were not only passed down among knights and mages who practiced magic, but also spread to other continents.
The first one is the phantom mark "symbol" which possesses unknown power.
Secondly, there is a renowned sword technique called "Dawn Blaze - Eight Styles," which has been passed down through generations but never witnessed by anyone.
The above are widely circulated rumors. The first two will not be mentioned here, but the third is so mysterious that it can be called a "secret"—a legend about seven holy swords.
This legend is known only to a select few swordsmen, and they rarely speak of it, keeping it a secret as if upholding some kind of promise. Even within the Fierce Eagle Knights, only a handful of warriors possess a superficial understanding of it.
Douglas whistled loudly, "My God, another one with a holy sword!"
Alphonse sensed something and asked Finchley, "Could it be...?"
“That’s right…” he interrupted Alphonse’s question cheerfully and answered affirmatively, “I am also one of the wielders of the Seven Elements Sword. The Extreme Flame Corona Sword, Milansons, is the family heirloom of my family, the Dilanhart. Today, I am finally able to meet with the other sword inheritors once again.”
"Again? Could there be others here..."
"The former guild leader was the owner of the 'Extreme Storm Soaring Sword - Iolas'! However, after the former guild leader died on the battlefield, his sword mysteriously disappeared."
Finchley interrupted Douglas's mutterings, "Let's not talk about the dead. Now, I have a formal request."
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