124 – Do You Know Sword Breaker
Do You Know Sword Breaker
With Seset and Philia leading the way, the group walks through the streets, drowning in the waves of people. As if it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that Sesset came to the academy to see this, there were numerous spectacles in the streets.
From the exaggerated power show for the general public to the rare animals that draw attention, the snow was enjoyable except that it was difficult to walk because there were so many people.
Not all merchants have shops, but there are also those who simply spread cloth and do business. Most of them are merchants from far away, so there are many products that are not commonly seen around.
As Rai, who showed interest in one of them, crouched in front of it and watched it, the merchant spoke in a cheerful voice.
“Brother, you have a good eye! It’s a special ink that will be erased unconditionally after three hours.”
“Where do you use it?”
Aslan asks about the merchant’s words, which seem to be of no use, even though they explain at length, and Rai answers.
“Used a lot as a marker when spying.”
Ray, who saw it being used by the intelligence unit of the Kingdom of Iligandia, takes a close look at the familiar object.
“Eh- Really…? Are you from the academy?”
I ask with a stupid expression if even the merchant didn’t know where it was used. When Rai nods his head, he says it’s an honor and says he’ll give you a special discount, and asks you to buy it.
“This is a military item. Where did you get it?”
“Uh… Actually, I bought it from someone else, so I don’t know. I bought it from the Bell Union, but it hasn’t been sold so far…”
Laughing at the merchant’s sad expression, he buys one.
The espionage unit, which was cataclysmed by some clever guys for using it as a mark, hasn’t used ink since. Lai, who has been curious about what materials it is made of before, turns the inkwell around to see if he feels good when he gets an object of the past that was difficult to find.
“Are you going to spy on me?”
As Sesset asked, Rai smiled mischievously, opened the inkwell, and dipped the brush.
“It can be used as a tattoo like this.”
“Oong- I like it?”
Hakwon students never get tattoos. Rather than talking about discipline or behavior, there are cases where magic circles are engraved on the body later, so always keep the body clean.
There are quite a few people who are not particularly interested in getting a tattoo on their body, but would be curious if they could get a tattoo for a short time without risk. Like Sesseth and Asran.
Looking at the two of them showing interest with an interesting look, Rai grinned and closed the ink bottle.
“But there is a better way.”
“What else is there?”
“Graffiti.”
For those who don’t understand the simple words, Rai explains again.
“If it’s a festival, wouldn’t there be a fun game? Let’s face it. Let’s draw graffiti on the face of the loser.”
“It’s dope. How can you be such an idiot but still be able to come up with great ideas? Laikang, are you an instructor?”
“This is how to enjoy a festival.”
At Rai’s provocative sneer, Sesset also raises the corner of her mouth.
“But is that all right? Against Lionel’s Gamemaster Sessett?”
“If it’s something like that, I’ll do it too. It’ll be fun.”
Aslan also participates excitedly, but the rest of the people scribble on her face and refuse because they don’t have the courage to walk around the festival.
“I’m going to see the trinket over there. What about the rye?”
“I’m going to see the liquor over there.”
“Uh-you can drink alcohol anytime. There is no romance. Romance.”
“You really shouldn’t ignore the romance of a drinker. Not all beer or wine is the same. It’s not common to drink alcohol in an atmosphere like today.”
“As expected, you know something.”
Athran nodded in agreement with Rai’s words.
Sesset, who was looking at the two like uncles with a tired expression, crossed Philia’s arms.
“Philia and I are going over there. Zeroa and Mia? Did you say Mia? What will your juniors do?”
“Uh, I…”
Mia glances at Zeroa as she blurts out her words.
As soon as he sees her gaze, Sesset narrows her eyes and smiles faintly, but Mia doesn’t notice.
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“I will also go around with Miss Sesset. I participate in the festival every year, but before I came to the academy, I’ve always been a seller, so I’ve never seen one.”
“I’m looking forward to the festival too! Let me go with you!”
Mia heard Zeroa’s answer and spoke quickly.
“Okay, then let’s leave the drunk men behind and go with the four of us.”
“I am not a mister.”
“Me too.”
“You are a man.”
Asran said as if he was full of energy, Rai glared at him.
While the two are arguing, the three sets head to another place, and Rai and Aslan, who have been fighting for a long time, agree to go out for a drink.
“It’s not even night yet, and the bar is full. It must be hard to find a table.”
“This is why it’s a kid. It’s stupid.”
Aslan looks around the bar and says, Rai laughs and clicks his tongue.
“Listen up. We’re in the middle of a festival. What’s the point if we don’t enjoy the festival?”
“What are you talking about? Then you should have gone with three.”
“It’s stupid. I’ll teach you how to enjoy both the drink and the festival.”
Rai enters her store and comes out with her beer mug in both hands.
“Street beer is the happiness that can only be enjoyed at festivals.”
After passing a glass to Asran, Rai sips her beer and walks down the street.
Athran, who smiled while looking at the beer in his hand, follows him and drinks beer.
“Do you have a good brain after watching and drinking?”
“You have to do this much, you’re a real drinker. And it’s good that people automatically avoid you because you’re with me. I think I know why Seiban takes you around.”
“I’m angry, but I bought you a beer, so I’ll take care of it.”
While Lai and Aslan enjoy drinking and festivals, the three sets look at the goods sold by the street vendors.
“Hey there! Beautiful ladies! Don’t you need a picture to hang in your house? All of them are original by famous artists!”
It’s a festival full of people, but the merchants who have managed to spread out the stalls and display paintings are soliciting customers.
When Philia’s footsteps stop, she naturally stops and looks at the painting.
As I drew attention, the merchant quickly explained the picture from the side.
It is advertised as genuine, but no one but Mia believes that the merchant’s words are the truth.
Zeroa has a lot of experience in street stalls, so she overhears more than half of the merchant’s words, and Sesset and Philia grew up in a well-to-do aristocratic family and have seen a lot of art since they were young, so they have eyes to judge the real thing.
But it is fun to look at art, whether real or fake.
Not paying attention to what the merchant says, Philia examines her paintings.
Among the paintings showing off the art of colorful colors and light and shadow, there was one piece that caught her eye.
Unlike the paintings that emphasize beauty, it was a miserable painting.
The picture, which was so large that it seemed to have to be hung on a wall with a high ceiling, depicted war.
All sides are covered with fire, and soldiers from both sides are entangled and fighting fiercely.
The expression of each soldier is described in detail, so the pain they feel is vividly felt. At the same time, he even showed a determination that he should not back down from here, regardless of which side to do.
“Do you like it? This is the work of Trijanus, who is recognized not only in Gelotti but also in the world. As the ladies know, he is a famous artist who specializes in detailed depictions.”
As the merchant said, Trijanus was a famous painter whom even Zeroa had heard of.
Although it was an imitation, I copied his painting style almost identically, as if the artist’s skills were good.
“This is a masterpiece depicting the Battle of Dukan. In fact, it was also a work that I was contemplating whether to bring it to the Empire or not. Trijanus portrayed the Imperial Army and the Kingdom Army of Callen with a neutral perspective without being biased anywhere.”
Usually, paintings draw people’s attention by using saturation or light on the point to focus on, but this painting did not have that.
War-themed paintings represent commanders and knights as great heroes, but here they were fighting fiercely, no different from other soldiers.
Some knights collapse in pain, while others cough up blood and hold on to the spears of the soldiers on top.
It was a successful painting if it tried to show the horrors of war.
Edelian’s face, a familiar face to Philia, is also visible.
Feeling fed up with a painting that is almost identical to him, Philia also sets her sights on the red-haired man in front of Adelian.
Red hair, red eyes.
“The Demon of the World…”
Filia had read a lot about the demons of the nations, but she had never seen his face before.
In the illustrations of her books she read, she portrays him almost as a devil, so no wonder.
Since he drew almost the same as Adelian himself, the demons of the nations probably have the same face as himself.
When Philia tilts her head at the appearance that she seems to have seen somewhere, Zeroa sees the man behind the Demon of the World and says.
“This person is unusual. Twenty swords? He’s holding a lot. Is that meaningful?”
“You have an excellent eye!”
When Zeroa shows interest, the merchant quickly explains.
“It looks like an object with some meaning, but it’s actually based on historical facts. There was always a weapon procurer called the courier next to the Devil of the World.”
“The courier? Why does the demon of all nations need so many weapons? He must have his own.”
As Sesset asked, thinking strangely, the merchant snapped her fingers as if he had been asked the question he wanted.
High interest does not lead to purchase, but according to his experience, the more stories or questions related to the painting, the greater the possibility of purchase.
“Didn’t the customer know? Any weapon held in the hands of the demons of all nations will be destroyed. Whether it be a famous sword or a crude steel sword, there are rumors that it will melt if held in the hands of a demon.”
“Ah- the devil of all countries is a nickname, but it’s not actually a devil.”
Sesset smiled and passed it over, but the memory of the sword wielded by Rai disappearing appeared in Philia and Zeroa’s heads.
“It’s true. That’s why another nickname for the Devil of the World is called the Swordbreaker. This painting accurately depicts the characteristics of the Devil of the World, as well as the couriers and lieutenants who follow him.”
“Sword Breaker…”
Sesset, who is chatting with the merchant, did not hear, but Filia listened to what Zeroa said as if muttering and looked up.
Philia notices Mia, who is preoccupied with another painting, and Sesset, who is talking to the merchant, then approaches Zeroa and whispers quietly.
“Do you know anything?”
“Hmm?… I heard the 6th Princess talking to herself when Instructor Arai came to rescue her.”
“She said that the 6th princess is a sword breaker?”
“Yes, haven’t the 6 princesses seen the demons of the nations in person? She must have said that because the skills used by the demons and the instructor’s skills are similar.”
Zeroa didn’t suspect Rai at all and was on a false leg, but Philia was different.
‘Instructor Lai’s career is easy to disguise.’
The only career he has revealed is the Battle of Rennen. It was a simple land battle, but the secrets of the royal family and high-ranking nobles are intertwined, so it is difficult to find survivors of the Battle of Rennen or even records of the battle.
It was always a question in Philia that talented people like Rai appeared in the academy.
His career is limited to the battle of Rennen, which cannot be investigated, but his personal strength, as well as his range of command and strategy, were extraordinary.
If you have enough skills to return to active duty right now and become a commander, why are you working as an instructor?
In fact, Philia had been investigating Rai since she rebelled against him in the early days of her academy.
Even though it was an investigation, I only asked the person in the family what kind of person he was, but the information power of the Serios family, who boasted of strong power as a central aristocrat, could not be ignored.
There was no answer to the question.
The only thing everyone knows about being a survivor of the Battle of Rennen.
There are more places in the empire where careers are hidden than you might think.
A typical example is the intelligence department, and organizations under the direct control of the emperor often hide their careers depending on the situation.
Philia thought she was one of them and gave up her interest, but when she hears the merchant’s words, her doubts rise.
Looking at the painting again with doubts, the devil of the world and Rai look alike.
It is similar to Rai’s smile in that a laugh imbued with madness, especially in a desperate battlefield, upsets the viewer.
“Three three, I’m going to see Instructor Lai for a second.”
“Huh? All of a sudden?”
“Yes, it will take a while.”
“Do you know where it is?”
“It must be at a bar nearby.”
The way to find Rai with Aslan was simple.
As Sesset nods her head in agreement, Philia excuses herself to the rest of her party, then turns to find Rai.