Sword Master (2)

The King of Midland and his brother Julius, next in line to the throne, interrupt Guts and Griffith. Griffith bows with practiced ease, but only his coaxing and a threat from Julius bend the stubborn Guts to do the same. The king explains that he places Midland's future not in the entrenched nobility but in driven commoners like Griffith, the sort who can carry the realm through its war against Tudor and add to its growing legacy. As Griffith gives his thanks, he notices a girl watching from behind one of the castle columns, whom the king presents as his daughter, Princess Charlotte.

Crossing toward the group, Charlotte trips on a loose paving stone, and Griffith catches her before she can fall. Julius answers the contact with a backhanded strike, which Griffith takes gracefully while flashing him an unsettling smile. As the royal party withdraws, he and the princess exchange a lingering glance that betrays their mutual interest. Julius soon breaks off to scold a cluster of gossiping maidservants and is then met by Minister Foss, who informs him that the Band of the Falcon, rather than Julius' own White Dragon Knights, will serve as the royal guard for the upcoming autumn hunt, against all custom.

The break from tradition feeds Julius' paranoia, giving Foss the opening to plant the idea of murdering Griffith with a "stray" poisoned arrow during the hunt. Julius departs convinced of the plan while Foss stays behind, smiling knowingly. Later, sprawled across a Wyndham tower with his broadsword aimed up at the stars, Guts recalls Griffith wondering aloud why he would ever need a reason to save him, and resolves to wield his blade for Griffith's sake. The chapter belongs to the Golden Age Arc and first appeared in Young Animal issue 2.