The Story Of The Second Son Of The Baron Family [EN]: Chapter 92

“Sir Mikhail, are you ready?”

“Isn’t this something I’ve done dozens of times? Just because there are more people watching doesn’t mean I’ve been negligent in my training to the point of making mistakes.”

“Good. Then from now on, I’ll trust only in Sir Mikhail.”

Sadly, there was little I could do after this point. After all, I could only be a supporting character; I wasn’t the protagonist of this stage.

All I could do was trust in the blood and sweat that Titan and Sir Mikhail had poured in all this time.

Whoo-oong-

Shortly after Mikhail took a deep breath and boarded the Titan, the Titan began to glow blue. This was evidence that synchronization between the pilot and the Titan had succeeded, from head to toe, and that magic power was being supplied to the magic circles engraved all over its body.

Thump-

A very short but simultaneously very long time passed, and the giant began to rise. However, the giant did not rise empty-handed. The greatsword tied around its waist, or rather, the ordinary-sized bastard sword from the giant’s perspective, appeared as if it were a part of its very being as the giant reached for it.

‘That’s not my responsibility, but it needs to be researched.’

A greatsword that ordinary humans would struggle even to lift, and that even knights would not be able to use properly. Even the artisans had never made a sword of that size before, and they had to go through considerable hardship. The process of making it was no different, except that the size had increased several times over.

Buzzing, buzzing-

I can hear it. The sound of the spectators’ excitement at the appearance of the giant.

I can see it. The expressions of the spectators marveling at the appearance of the giant.

I can feel it. The commotion of the spectators becoming bustling at the appearance of the giant.

I can read it. The thoughts of the spectators becoming complicated at the appearance of the giant.

“What you are seeing now is the new weapon that has been secretly researched, the Titan. It is a bipedal weapon created to increase the power of the knights… I will tell you more about the details later.”

Seeing is believing, and in order to continue the shock I had just received, and in order to lead the atmosphere of the demonstration in the direction I wanted, no more words were necessary. Starting with delivering the signal that had been decided in advance to Mikhail, who was riding the Titan, the full-scale demonstration began.

‘Hoo. Just do what you’ve been doing…’

The trigger has been pulled. From now on, I had no choice but to rely entirely on Mikhail’s capabilities and the Titan’s power. We practiced more than a dozen times and checked it close to a hundred times, but at the last moment, I couldn’t help but pray to an unknown entity.

Whoosh-

The Imperial Knights’ standard swordsmanship, which I had seen so many times that I thought I could imitate it, was displayed in front of everyone, borrowing the body of the Titan.

The sword, with its immense power derived from its size, was strong enough to tear through space, and as befitting the Imperial Knights’ standard swordsmanship, which only knights with loyalty to the Empire and outstanding skills could join, it was extremely flashy, but on the contrary, my insides were slowly burning.

‘Please, please.’

A huge aura was emanating from the sword that the Titan was holding in both hands. The aura was not very impressive considering the size of the Titan, but based on human standards, it was large enough to be criticized for being an inefficient action.

If everything was perfect, there would be no problem. That would be the normal situation. However, at the present time of the demonstration, the Titan had no power source.

‘According to the theory, this demonstration should be fine.’

Of course, I hadn’t failed to take any measures. If I had, I wouldn’t have planned the demonstration itself. I had installed magic stones in appropriate places to back up Mikhail. In theory and in practice, it was possible to withstand the time it took to perform the demonstration. But it was only a temporary measure. There was no guarantee that an accident wouldn’t happen.

Some were in tension, some in curiosity, and some in anticipation as the formal swordsmanship raced toward its end. However, if it ended like this, it would be a disappointing stage to showcase the power of the Titan.

The sight of a giant wielding a greatsword befitting its size and wielding magnificent swordsmanship while emitting an aura was undoubtedly a magnificent and splendid sight to behold, but it was 2% short of showing the true power with one’s own eyes.

Of course, those with skills above a certain level were watching the demonstration with quite interesting faces, but if they were asked to decide now whether to proceed with research and mass production at the cost of huge funds, most would not be able to decide easily.

“Bring them in.”

“Yes!”

I gave a signal to Armin to bring in the ogres that had been prepared in advance.

One, two, three.

The ogres from the Land of Monsters north of the Terra Wall were not particularly strong; they were only at a level that two or three knights could easily catch. If you were lucky, or if the knight’s skills were excellent, you could catch them alone, though you would have to push yourself.

In that sense, three ogres were an enemy that even a member of the Imperial Knights could not face alone. It would be a wise choice to run away unless it was an unavoidable situation.

But now, Mikhail had to show an overwhelming performance against the three ogres. He had to put on a performance that was at least good enough to catch them without difficulty. Only then would it be said that it was worth holding a demonstration with the Empire’s dignitaries gathered.

“I know it’s hard, but you must do your best to show an overwhelming performance. Only then can you avoid tarnishing His Majesty the Emperor’s reputation.”

“Even if I collapse afterward, I will pour everything I have into it.”

Sir Mikhail, the man the Emperor chose when I asked for a loyal and skilled member of the Imperial Knights. The only gift I could give him was to give him the best motivation: that if he did well, the Emperor’s prestige would rise, and if he did poorly, he would tarnish the Emperor’s reputation. And he poured everything into it, just like the solemn promise he had made.

He beheaded an ogre with a single blow, and then put on an overwhelming battle against the remaining two ogres. The sight was like a normal knight fighting an orc, and Armin stared at the scene, unaware that his jaw had dropped from his face, which had been hardened with tension.

‘It’s like watching a hero movie from the old days?’

It was as if a cartoon about a masked hero defeating monsters, which I had watched in my innocent childhood in my previous life, which I can barely remember now, had been realized in reality.

The first emotion they felt when they received the Emperor’s invitation was interest. It would be a lie to say that they were not interested when the Emperor, who had not engaged in any significant external activities since his accession to the throne except for regular convocations, sent them invitations, saying that he had something to show them. That interest was fueled by anticipation at the fact that the creator of the item to be unveiled was Renil.

Who is Renil?

He is a promising star who showed unprecedented growth by reaching the 6th Circle [a high level of magical proficiency] before the age of thirty, but he has been quiet lately. What kind of research and results has he been conducting for nearly two years with the Emperor backing him?

The fact that he has risen to the highest position means that he knows the fastest way to rise, so none of those who were invited refused the invitation.

Not only because of the person who invited them, but also because they were so curious about the content. Because they were looking forward to it. And that curiosity and anticipation were rewarded, for better or for worse.

‘What is that?’

‘A golem? Is that all he’s showing us?’

When the giant walked in, disappointment washed over them. Golems were not so uncommon, but considering their position, they were not surprising. Especially considering the importance of the Emperor’s demonstration.

However, that disappointment soon turned into the anticipation they had felt when they received the invitation. The giant, which they thought was a golem, was drawing up magic power. At this moment, Renil’s words explaining this unidentified weapon did not reach their ears. All eyes were on the spectacle that would be shown next.

‘Heh heh. This is the first time I’ve seen such a sight in my life.’

‘This is… Should I say it’s like His Majesty the Emperor? Or should I say it’s like the next Magic Tower Master?’

‘Did he say a knight was on board?’

The spectacle that followed in anticipation did not disappoint. The Imperial Knights’ formal swordsmanship, which symbolizes the Imperial sword, was not only practical but also flashy. It was impossible to take your eyes off the sight of a giant wielding it.

The same was true of the battle with the ogres. Ogres are monsters that are called the tyrants of the mountains, and it is best to run away unless you are a knight who can wear an aura outside the sword. As those who manage their own territories, they knew the strength of the ogres well. But the ogres in front of the giant, who were helplessly offering their necks, made them doubt whether they were really the ogres they knew.

As a result, when the demonstration was over, the audience was wandering in shock to the point that not even a single clap could be heard.

“I would like to ask you to give a small round of applause to Sir Mikhail, a member of the Imperial Knights who worked hard for today’s demonstration.”

Renil took Sir Mikhail’s hand, who had finished controlling the Titan, and stood in front of the audience.

Shaking, shaking-

I could feel an unmistakable tremor in the hand I was holding. However, Mikhail did his best to show a dignified appearance until the end, and the Emperor was the first to respond with applause. Whether it was because he was moved or because it was difficult, the trembling of his hand became more severe.

Clap clap clap clap clap-

“Are you all right? If it’s hard, even now, go backstage…”

“I’m fine. With His Majesty the Emperor in front of me, a knight cannot retreat.”

All I could give him for showing a dignified appearance until the end was two letters: recovery (回復) [a traditional symbol of recuperation]. However, the Emperor’s applause must have been a reward that Mikhail could not exchange for anything, a reward worthy of his efforts over the past time.

“This has been the ‘Titan’ demonstration.”

“Excellent. Your words that you would live up to my expectations were not at all lacking.”

“It would have been difficult without Your Majesty’s support.”

“Well, I think you all have a lot of questions to ask, so don’t worry about me and feel free to ask them.”

Until now, Mikhail and Titan were the protagonists of the stage, but now the protagonist was not the Emperor, Mikhail, or Titan, but Renil.

If you dig a little deeper, the Titan was a weapon with as many hidden flaws as it had visible advantages. From now on, I had to turn those flaws into expectations for the future and make them like moths drawn to a lamp. It was never easy, but it could be surprisingly easy.

Click-

“Since it’s said to be a weapon for knights, let me ask you one thing.”

The first in line was Marquis Gunther, who is praised as one of the Empire’s three swords and currently commands the military power in the south.

Baron’s Family Second Son – Episode 92 – End