The Chosen Blade

On the Sword Master's mountain, the old master tells Kane he has surpassed a lifetime of training. It is time to take his place. But Kane has one thing to do first: go home, and honor his father's dying wish to marry the woman his father chose. The old master warns him the world below is a wolf's den — live as an ordinary man, never reveal who he is, and never draw his blade unless he has no choice.

The arena rule is simple: one by one, each candidate faces the beast. Whoever kills it fastest wins. James's record is a single minute, and the crowd mocks the blacksmith who brought no sword. Kane kills the three-headed hound with what looks like a single finger. The crowd refuses to believe it. The king says he used cheap tricks, right as war horns sound — the beastmen are attacking for real. The beastman commander vows to chain Grace to her father's throne, James steps up to fight, and within three moves the proud knight falls. The blacksmith is the only one left standing.

Down in the kingdom, beastmen are at the gates. Grace, the crown princess, has been dragged and threatened by raiders when Kane steps in and kills them all with one clean strike. When she asks who he is, he lies: just a blacksmith. The king recognizes the crest on Kane's pendant — years ago, Kane's father pleaded for a marriage alliance, and the betrothal is real. Grace is furious. She is the crown princess, she says, and she will not marry soot. Prince James laughs that Kane can't even shine her boots. The king compromises: win the Royal Knight Trials, and the wedding happens.

Series facts checked against the SagaBox listing. Notes cover the opening episodes only; nothing here reveals the ending.

Kane, Grace and James carry the opening arc.

Kane

The blacksmith who is really the new Sword Master

Dark curly hair, a simple brown vest. Sent down from the mountain to live as an ordinary man and never draw unless he has no choice. He kills three beastmen with one clean strike, then lies that they were already dead when he got there.

Grace

The crown princess of Arundel

First in line for the throne. Refuses to marry a ragged blacksmith, offers him gold to disappear, and snaps that hammering iron for three lifetimes would not earn him a fraction of what she is offering.

James

The young knight who has chased Grace for years

Blond, armored, the youngest man on the swordsman rankings. He brought five thousand soldiers to defend Arundel just to stay near her, and boasts his arena record of one whole minute against the beast.

Moments from the opening run that set up the rest.

Captured from the opening episodes — not promotional art.

Written from the opening arc. These are editorial impressions, not audience scores.

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