the one who remembers

When Cale entered the large office, he sensed a tension in the air that he had otherwise only experienced from the Eldest. None of those present dared to raise their heads or even speak without permission, and Cale followed their example.

Without a word, he stood next to his companion, kept his hands behind his back, and looked at the floor while a servant announced their arrival.

"Sir Mamoru Meyrl and Sir Zod Adenia have arrived."

"Thank you, you may leave", replied Duke Loys von Freigoud in a calm voice.

The soldier bowed to his superior and left the room, leaving them alone. Another, unknown man was crouching on a chair in front of them, his gaze fixed on Cale, which he could clearly feel. As if he were condemning him.

"Please, stand up. You have the right to speak."

"Thank you very much", the two men said simultaneously, looking up at Sir Freigoud, who stood leaning against his table with his arms crossed, inspecting them.

For a moment, the contours blurred. The image of the duke overlapped with that of Ben. Like his father, Ben had an imposing, muscular build and a broad face. The only visual difference was the duke of Freigoud's well-groomed beard and hair combed strictly back. And behind his stern gaze, Cale sensed a friendly disposition, someone who always strove to ensure the safety of his family and friends.

"Let's get straight to the point. Sir Adenia, you requested to be allowed to use your own sword."

"That is correct", Cale replied respectfully, looking his friend's father straight in the eye.

He knew his personality a little, and thanks to the events of his sixth life, he also knew that the man was honest and good-natured. Even if he currently looked anything but friendly.

His gaze fell solemnly on the dark weapon Cale carried with him.

"I have heard that this is a sword belonging to Linus Kama."

"That is correct, Duke", Cale confirmed.

"Well, would you allow us to take a look at it?"

Cale had expected this, so without protest, he loosened his sword, walked over to the muscular man, and held it out to him with both hands.

"Very well."

Sir Freigoud carefully took the valuable weapon and looked it over before handing it to the strange man at his side, whom he had not introduced. Anyone else would have considered it disrespectful that they had not been informed of the identity of the person present, but Cale was in no position to be upset about it. Silently, he watched as the strange man with tousled, ash-colored hair took the weapon, slowly turned it around, and then pushed aside the red ribbon that Ahri had attached a good hour ago. No reaction appeared on his face when he discovered the engraving. He stared at it for some time before removing the blade from its sheath and looking at the dark metal.

"Impressive. That is indeed a genuine Kama sword. One of his better works, if I may say so. Do you know who owned this sword during his lifetime, Sir Adenia?"

"To my knowledge, it belonged to a certain Yosie Cuvelier, although I can't tell you much about her or the journey of her sword."

"Yosie Cuvelier? That seems to fit", murmured the stranger, looking down at the weapon for a few moments before handing it back to the duke. "If I am not mistaken, and Yosie Cuvelier was indeed the owner of this weapon, then the name of this weapon is Okia."

<By the beard of the Eldest, who is this man?>

Cale watched skeptically as the duke took the weapon back and removed it completely from its sheath before letting mana flow into it. The stranger's eyes sparkled as he watched the display, and he seemed to hold back his words. That made Cale all the more interested in who he was.

"Allow me to ask a question, Sir Adenia", Sir Freigoud finally spoke up. "Are you aware of how valuable this weapon is?"

"Quite, Duke Freigoud. That is why it is important to me to always have it by my side and not have to hide it in my house."

"How skilled are you in swordsmanship?"

"I am quite capable of defending myself and others, sir."

"What about mana? Are you able to use it in conjunction with this sword?"

"Certainly", Cale confirmed calmly.

"Are you a swordsmaster, Zod Adenia?"

"Yes."

Suddenly, Mamoru's gaze turned to him, and even the stranger also looked at him in surprise. Cale, on the other hand, remained as calm as before and answered the man's questions honestly. He couldn't hide anything from Sir Freigoud, who was a swordmaster himself. Especially since Cale was aware that Sir Freigoud was constantly watching him. There were certainly already some inquiries made about him, of which Cale had been unaware.

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For a while, none of those present made a comment, until Sir Freigoud finally put the sword back in its sheath.

"You gave me the weapon very willingly. Weren't you afraid I would steal it?"

"I doubt you would steal from me, Duke."

"And if I did?", Sir Freigoud said defiantly, holding the dark weapon tightly in his hand as if he were actually considering keeping it. However, Cale doubted that he would really do it and sensed that he was being provoked by the king's right-hand man. Presumably, he wanted to curb his curiosity and see how the new soldier, who had only been a member for a few weeks, would react to such a statement.

"Well...", Cale began cautiously. "Then I would have to apologize for my behavior."

"Why is that?"

"I would take it back by force."

At this statement, Mamoru's face suddenly turned pale and his gaze screamed the question of what Cale was thinking with such a direct comment.

Was he tired of living?

Sir Freigoud and Cale stared at each other in silence. Both waited to see what the other would say or do. Cale almost expected Sir Freigoud to have some fun and try to escape with the Kama sword, but he behaved differently.

He suddenly started laughing.

"You are too honest, Sir Adenia. That could cost you your life someday."

"I wouldn't take any risks if I couldn't live with the consequences", Cale said calmly.

He didn't consider himself honest. After all, he was lying in what felt like every third sentence, even though he didn't like it. However, even Cale had to admit that he was slowly becoming really good at presenting his words as the truth and steering the conversation in the direction he wanted.

"Are you saying you could take me on?"

"I'm just saying that if it comes to the worst, I know how to help myself and protect what is dear to me."

"Pretty brave of you - or stupid."

Cale did not respond to the comment, but instead let his gaze fall on the stranger who was silently observing the tense situation. Sir Freigoud noticed this reaction and seemed to sense what he was trying to say.

"I guess I didn't introduce my friend to you, did I? Please excuse me. This is Tavian Hagn, and he is a historian. He is very interested in the fascinating past of Linus Kama and especially in the swords of Kama, so I consulted him."

"Pleased to meet you", the stranger introduced himself, and Cale suddenly realized something.

If Tavian Hagn was a friend of the family, then it was quite possible that he was also in contact with Ben. Was that the reason Ben immediately recognized that Karekama was one of the legendary swords, even though he had never seen it before?

"Likewise", he replied.

As Sir Freigoud reached out to return the weapon to Cale, he turned his attention back to the duke. But when he reached out his own hands and grabbed for the weapon, the tall man in front of him did not let go. He looked down at Cale with a scrutinizing gaze and asked an unexpected question in a deep voice.

"What do you think about dueling me?"

"Excuse me?", Cale replied in shock.

"You said that you are a swordmaster and that you would take back your possessions if they were taken from you. Even if I am that someone."

"There are other methods besides direct confrontation."

"Please, you can't be serious. I've had my eye on you since the trials, and I'm not the only one who knows that you are hiding your true abilities."

"Possibly", Cale replied provocatively, looking at the duke with a broad grin on his face. Inside, however, he suddenly became nervous, which Sir Freigoud did not seem to miss.

"Do we have a deal?"

"I don't want to lose my position as a soldier if I dare to attack a man like you. Therefore, I would kindly ask you to withdraw this challenge."

"I assure you that it will not affect your work. Sir Meyrl and Sir Hagn are our witnesses."

"You are really putting me in an awkward position", Cale replied, giving up. If Ben was even a little bit like Duke Freigoud, then he had no chance of escaping this conversation with words alone. He sighed quietly, let go of the sword, and took a few steps back. "Fine. It seems I have no choice anyway. What exactly do you want me to do, Duke of Freigoud?"

"Take your weapon back", the man said, waving Cale's new sword demonstratively.

Cale sighed inwardly. He had avoided dueling swordmasters until now because he relied on his magic too often. He dared to fight Miguel because he knew from the start that he would win. But against Loys von Freigoud? Cale had never seen him fight before, let alone dueled him. He could only make guesses about Ben's father's abilities, and that was a problem. A direct confrontation would most likely result in defeat, as he was unarmed and unable to openly use his Igrikum. Although he had other tricks up his sleeve, he was reluctant to reveal them to the three present men.

As a result, Cale could only hope for one thing.

"That's it? I'm just supposed to take my sword?"

"Correct, that's...", Loys von Freigoud began.

However, when Cale heard the confirmation, he didn't hesitate any longer. He let an enormous amount of mana flow through his body and shot toward the duke, who was holding the dark sword loosely in one hand - so fast that the people around him couldn't react. Only Sir Freigoud could follow him with his eyes and raised his arm accordingly, but Cale was already several steps ahead of him.

Cale grabbed his sword and wrenched it from the duke's hand. With quiet steps, he came to a stop a good two meters behind his desk, directly in front of the large windows of his office. He held his sword firmly in one hand, confident of victory, and turned to face his audience as Sir Freigoud's figure appeared directly behind him.

Surprised, Cale dodged to the side, but his opponent's large hand was only a few inches away from his clothing. Cale struck it aside with full force before finding himself at the other corner of the room. Waiting silently for the duke to do something, Cale simply stood there. But the duke stood there, holding his left arm - the arm that Cale had struck.

"You are fast."

"So are you, Duke of Freigoud."

"I must admit, your mana control is no joke. I didn't think that blow would actually hurt me."

"Did I hurt you? I must apologize, it was not my intention."

"It's all right, nothing happened. I'm just getting old."

"I dare to doubt that", Cale simply commented, smiling at the man as he sheathed his sword and walked back to the center of the room. The two spectators didn't utter a word, not because they didn't dare in the presence of the duke, but because of what they had just seen. Or rather, what they hadn't seen, because for a brief moment it seemed as if Cale and Sir Freigoud had simply disappeared.

"Is there a reason why you hide your abilities?"

"Not really, I'm just being cautious", Cale explained. "I don't want to expose my daughter to unnecessary dangers that can easily be avoided."

"Understandable, but then please explain one thing to me..." Loys von Freigoud began cautiously, and Cale could sense that this was the question that had been on Sir Freigoud's mind the whole time. "Why do you want to become a soldier of the royal palace?"

Cale was silent for a moment as he thought about what he had prepared to say in case this question came up. He didn't want to give a half-hearted answer, but at the same time, he didn't want to start his relationship with the right hand with a lie. His identity was already a big problem, and if anyone had even the slightest suspicion that Zod Adenia was not Zod Adenia, it would be dangerous. After all, he only existed on paper.

"There are people who are important to me, and I can only help them if I am here."