My dear witch, please turn evil according to the script!

Chapter 297 The Legend of the Knight King

After taking a walk outside, chatting with Cellina, and having a meal at a really good restaurant, Roland returned to his residence at the legion's base, yawning.

Although he was the Grand Duke of the Empire, Isfar had actually prepared a residence for him that was appropriate for his status.

However, considering the convenience for work, and because Roland felt that a large room of nearly 100 square meters was enough for him to live in alone, Roland declined this generous offer.

He didn't want the first thing he had to do every morning was take a horse-drawn carriage and spend an hour commuting.

Even if the conditions of that residence were a hundred times better than those of the legion's base, it would still be the same.

Back in the room, the Demon King was lying face down on the table, silent, either meditating or continuing to digest and absorb souls.

In short, this guy is very quiet.

On his way back, Roland asked Elena and confirmed that his drowsiness was not a divine summons, but simply because he was tired.

Indeed, it's understandable to feel tired and want to rest early after suddenly receiving such a massive amount of information.

Roland yawned and went straight to bed.

Just as the Imperial Grand Duke was soundly asleep, in the Isfar branch of the Academy, the Great Sage Erebus was browsing the Academy's knowledge base in a secret room.

He did not choose to rest. This body, which had been modified several times by bio-alchemy and enhanced several times by rune enhancement technology, was capable of working continuously for a month without sleep or even food.

Even the mind, under the reverse influence of this physical body, will not feel the slightest bit tired.

As long as you consume enough energy, whether it's food or drinks, as long as you eat enough, theoretically Erebus is a nuclear-powered bull.

He also declined the accommodations arranged for him by the Empire.

Firstly, I didn't want to stay in the same hotel as that old fox, Clark.

Even though Erebus could be his ancestor by age, he was still called the old fox.

After all, when it came to scheming and cunning, he admitted that he was far inferior to that guy.

Secondly, after collecting and studying Roland's information, and analyzing Roland's abilities and weapons, Erebus had an idea pop into his head.

A problem that was almost ignored by everyone, even Roland himself.

Why did that silent sword choose Roland as its master?

Why did this holy sword, treasured by the royal family of the Hearst Empire and seized from the ruins of the Demon King's castle, choose Roland, a boy who was then unknown and of ordinary strength, as its master?
And, did the holy sword Durandal, which the Knight King wielded back then, really dissipate on its own after the Demon King's death, as officially recorded?
Was it because the mission was accomplished? Or because the master died?
But if that's really the case, then why did the Sword of Silence remain, while Durandal disappeared without a trace?
These two swords, both forged by the Elf King Thran to target the Demon King, have such drastically different fates, as recorded in the Academy's records.

Finally, and this is the issue that Erebus was most concerned about.

Why does Roland possess the same blessing as that of the nameless elven hero from a thousand years ago, who was only mentioned briefly in the records of the demon race?

If this is a coincidence, then it's far too coincidental.

The scholars in the society had actually conducted relevant research on the concept of "reincarnation" long ago, but all the experiments eventually faced a most basic problem.

How can we be sure that the person we reincarnate with is the same person?
And, does reincarnation truly exist?
Since no one knew the rules of the realm of the god of death, the research was eventually shelved.

But as a great sage, Erebus still remembered this experiment, which was destined to be futile.

He now has some doubts: Roland is the nameless hero, or even the reincarnation of the Knight King, or perhaps the three of them are essentially one person, just constantly reincarnating.

However, this is just speculation.

Even Erebus, who was known for his bold hypotheses and meticulous verification, thought this conjecture was far too far-fetched.

Right now, he is browsing through the book about the relationship between the Elf King Thran, the two holy swords, and the World Tree.

Although the knowledge base learned can be described as all-encompassing.

Moreover, new information is constantly being uploaded to the knowledge base by different researchers.

However, when it comes to knowledge and history that have long been forgotten, all we can do is try our best to fill in the gaps.

Therefore, information about the two holy swords is extremely scarce.

Durandal was alright, after all, that Knight King had used this weapon in many battles, so he left behind a lot of records and intelligence.

But the Sword of Silence is completely different.

Even its name was given by its current owner, Roland.

The real name is ominous, and the ability is ominous.

What can be confirmed is that it was indeed a holy sword forged by the Elf King Thran, and that it was used by an unnamed Elf hero at the beginning of the war against the Demon King, and that he almost successfully defeated the Demon King.

Even though the mission ultimately failed, it still left the Demon King with wounds that were difficult to heal, greatly slowing down the Demon King's army's passage through the human world.

However, the other party's achievements were ultimately buried in history.

They didn't even leave their names behind.

Clearly, seeking answers from the Holy Sword is not an option.

Then we'll have to change direction.

First, we can rule out starting with the World Tree itself.

The World Tree, a colossal tree growing in Avalon, the land of fantasy, is said to be the creator of the rules of the world and the weaver of the fate of all things.

Its status far surpasses that of ordinary gods, and it possesses its own consciousness.

Even the elves themselves might not know much about this World Tree, which they call the Mother Tree or Mother Goddess.

It is synonymous with mystery.

In today's world, perhaps nothing is more mysterious than the World Tree.

The only one worth taking action against is the Elf King Seran.

Although the opponent is no different from a god, and the power he has shown so far is in no way inferior to that of the gods, the title of Elf King indicates his special status.

The three Elf Kings were the de facto leaders of the Elf race.

They can still appear in the mortal world to this day.

However, it has never left the territory of Avalon.

The three Elf Kings currently rule the Elf race in rotation under a system of alternation.

A cycle is defined as three millennia.

This cycle coincides with Thran's reign.

Even when in power, the Elf King would not appear in public casually, but would only convey his orders through specific messengers, and would only appear in public on truly important occasions and at important times.

Otherwise, the only way to see the Elf King is to enter the Elf royal palace.

According to reports and research from a few scholars who have ascended to Avalon and met the Elvenking Thran, the three Elvenkings have different personalities, abilities, and attitudes toward humans.

Thran is one of the more friendly beings towards humans who is also willing to lend a helping hand.

It advocates for more cooperation and communication with humanity.

As for the other two Elf Kings... at least since the Academy's inception, there has never been a change of Elf Kings, so information about them is completely unknown.

Fortunately, Erebus only needed information about Thran at this moment.

It not only indicates that this king was a true ruler with great strength and strong governance, but also specifically notes one point—his superb forging skills.

The divine weapons they forge all share a common feature—only noble beings recognized by the World Tree are qualified to use the weapons they forge.

"found it!"

"So this is the key point after all?"

Erebus breathed a sigh of relief; at least his all-nighter hadn't been in vain.

Although Roland had previously demonstrated his ability to use the power of the World Tree in his actions, he made no attempt to conceal it.

However, as a scholar, he would only accept an answer if he was absolutely certain.

Incidentally, he also recalled the legend of the Knight King and the Knights of the Round Table, which was known to almost everyone in the empire.

Erebus was also an imperial citizen, but he was born in an era when the empire had just been established and the war against the demon king had not yet ended.

Back then, the Knight King was a king, a king who led his army and warriors to fight on the front lines, not just a symbol that existed only in legends.

Therefore, he has always scoffed at such legends.

He believed that deliberately exaggerating the achievements of this great king was also a form of belittling the king.

But at this moment, he had to believe a key explanation in the legend.

"The young king, determined to end the long war and bring true peace to mankind, ascended to Gensokyo, the land inhabited by the elves, and received the help of the wise elven king."

"That is a holy sword that can defeat enemies, but it needs to be tested by the King of Knights."

"Go, young man, whoever draws this sword shall become the king of the southern border of the continent."

Erebus began to murmur the legend of the Knight King.

Even if he was unwilling to understand, over the long years, he learned it just by listening to his subordinates and students talk about it.

After all, this legend isn't very long.

The second half of this story is quite simple.

The young boy, who had not yet become king, walked up to the World Tree and pulled out the holy sword from it. The sword would one day accompany him, become his symbol, and help him unite the remaining power of humanity to launch a final counterattack against the Demon King.

The king gave everything, even his life, to buy precious time for the brave and win the final victory for humanity.

This is why, even many years after his death, legends about him have never ceased.

But for Erebus at this moment, the most crucial part was obviously the scene where the Knight King pulled the Holy Sword from the World Tree.

Previously, he had always thought it was just an exaggerated description; he didn't believe that elves would stab a sword into their beloved World Tree and then have someone pull it out.

But now it seems that this may be a legend that has been adapted from real history.

Using the Holy Sword does indeed require the World Tree's approval.

So let's go back to the original question—why is Roland so special?

If the Knight King won the World Tree's approval with a selfless heart to save humanity and resist the demon army, then it is possible that he was able to use Durandal.

What about Roland?

Or, to put it another way—what kind of calamity will this world face next?
So much so that Roland, a special human being, needs to take on this responsibility?
After all, Roland was very special; even the King of Knights had never received such treatment from Roland.

The blessing of the Great Source, the protection of the World Tree, the recognition of the Holy Sword, and his originally mediocre talent, but his rapid improvement in strength within two months...

Erebus frowned, and the scholar, who was prone to overthinking, began to ask himself questions.

Has Roland already become aware of the world's crisis, and is the crisis related to those evil gods?
The strange occurrences on the sea are becoming increasingly serious, and unusual movements are also beginning to appear in the frigid winds of the far north, in addition to the actions of the demon race...

Erebus sighed, then swiped over a long-awaited experiment application and silently clicked "approved."

[Request for formal testing of weapons for war – Applicants: Baron Fisher, Matthew McConnell]

Looking at the experimental project application, Erebus sighed.

Three hundred years later, now that the war has ended, is the Academy still going to start researching weapons for war?
(End of this chapter)