62 – Emissary (3)
He came here by chance.
I thought that statement was a lie.
Firstly, even from a purely probabilistic viewpoint, it didn’t make sense.
This place is in the exact opposite direction of the Elvrent Empire.
Of course. Since I deliberately chose this direction to flee.
Given that I was accused of killing the prince, it was obvious that the Empire would chase me to the ends of the earth.
That’s why I intentionally chose to flee in the opposite direction.
But.
Of all times and directions, the Black Duke happened to be here?
Just when I was fleeing with the blame of the prince’s murder hanging over me, in the opposite direction of the Elvrent Empire, someone like the Black Duke, who wasn’t involved in official matters, was coincidentally here?
As with all things in the world, the possibility isn’t zero, but discussing the likelihood of this scenario is incredibly improbable.
Moreover, the Black Duke was known to have a heavy presence.
Since solidifying his position within the Empire, unless it was something he must personally attend to, he wouldn’t involve himself.
Yet, he came to apprehend me personally.
Feeling something contrived amidst the highly unlikely scenario, was it just my imagination playing tricks on me?
I, for one, didn’t think so.
What added weight to my belief was the subtle difference in the Black Duke’s reactions moments ago.
His demeanor when facing me and when answering my question just now were subtly different.
While someone skilled in deception might not have noticed, I detected a faint hesitation and unease beneath the surface.
If it truly was a coincidence, the Black Duke would have likely chuckled and acted nonchalant.
Instead, the Black Duke hesitated before responding, showing signs of contemplation.
In other words, this man is lying.
The Black Duke appearing here is definitely not a coincidence.
‘How far does this go?’
Is it simply someone feeding him information about me, or is there some connection between those who set a trap for me and the Black Duke?
‘…It seems plausible that there is some kind of connection.’
It might not be a perfect collaborative relationship, but I was convinced that there was at least some degree of connection.
If it was merely about leaking information, there was no way he would believe that information and personally show up here.
‘How far does this reach?’
From the Crown Prince to the Chief Inspector, the connection extended.
I didn’t think it would be the Chief Inspector considering his nature, but what if the Chief Inspector was a person in a position similar to an underling of the organization?
It meant that the power the ‘organization’ held far exceeded my imagination.
Just how much power did they possess?
From Noble mtl dot com
And what purpose could they possibly have for starting a war?
I couldn’t easily guess the reason.
However.
“…It’s not something to think about right now.”
No matter which way it went, the situation had unfolded, and at the moment, a sword was at my throat.
Rather than fixating on the truth here, it was better to think about how to survive in that moment.
“It seems you are mentally prepared.”
The Chief Inspector nodded while looking straight into my eyes.
“The situation is inevitable, but still, as your senior with experience, I will give you a chance.”
With a firm composure, yet also with a bitter pretense.
It wasn’t about genuinely caring for me; it was about mocking me.
In other words.
‘Give it a shot.’
…That’s what he was implying.
Though I felt a bit offended, I had no intention of rejecting this care that was not really care.
If I didn’t make the most of what was given to me, it would be difficult to get out of this situation.
Swish—
“I’ll graciously accept your care, Senior.”
Drawing my sword, I took a step forward.
“Shall we witness the skills of a promising junior?”
Swish—
The Chief Inspector also drew his sword from his waist.
The white blade revealed from the black scabbard, akin to his attire, gave off a chilling sensation even from a distance.
Just how many people’s blood had stained that blade, and how many had dried up on it?
“……”
“……”
Our eyes met.
Like the night before a storm.
A prophesied silence of impending disaster settled between us.
And then, I moved.
Thud!
I leaped forward, not towards the Chief Inspector directly in front of me, but to the left.
‘Fighting like this puts me at a disadvantage.’
That was the judgment made.
There was no intention to fight properly against Geomgong.
Even in perfect condition, it’s a difficult opponent to be confident of winning against.
If I were to fight in my current state, without proper rest for days, it would be hard to even express how slim the chances of winning are.
So, rather than fighting, the thought was to give it my all and run away.
However.
“Oh no, I let my guard down, and look what happened?”
Geomgong immediately caught on to my movements.
‘This old man…!’
I anticipated.
That I would choose to flee.
That’s why he could respond immediately like this.
“If you come at me like this, I have no choice.”
With a deeply regretful face, the old man nodded.
And then.
“…!”
Clang!
In the next moment, the clash of two swords sent sparks flying.
“Oh. Didn’t expect you to react so easily.”
As if finding it interesting, Geomgong laughed.
Meanwhile, I was engulfed in a feeling as if my blood was chilling.
‘If I had made a mistake…’
I would have died.
I barely managed to react in time.
If I had been a little slower, it wouldn’t have been a joke; my neck would have been sliced off.
I wasn’t being careless.
Even though I chose to flee, my focus was at its peak.
Yet, I barely managed to react to Geomgong’s sword.
That simple and straightforward observation leads to one conclusion.
Geomgong is faster than me.
“Well then, shall we see some skills?”
Geomgong muttered lightly.
And then.
Like a bursting dam.
The waves of his sword began to crash down.
Clang! Clang!
“Argh…!”
The swords poured down at a speed akin to lightning.
In terms of perception, it felt heavier than being attacked by Edan’s full power.
Furthermore, even though it was clear that the swordsman wasn’t giving his all.
“Remarkable, truly remarkable.”
Like an old man watching a child’s mischief, the swordsman sighed in admiration.
“To have this level of skill at that age, it’s truly worthy of being called the most talented in the continent.”
The admiration seemed genuine, but in this situation, hearing such words while clearly falling behind did nothing to lift the spirits.
No, to be honest, there wasn’t even the luxury of caring.
Just reacting to the swordsman’s sword required full concentration.
“Well then, how about this.”
But amidst all this.
The swordsman’s sword showed a change.
At a glance, a sharp energy began to emanate.
Sword energy.
And it was mixed with resolve.
“Tsk…!”
Internally cursing, I too raised my sword energy to counter.
With no room for magic at the moment, using sword energy was a challenge, but not using it was not an option.
If I didn’t, my sword would break in an instant.
And then, even the slightest possibility would vanish.
Thud!
The swordsman’s sword exerted a force I hadn’t felt before, pressing against my arm and body.
“What kind of strength…!”
An old man with snow-white hair, yet possessing immense strength.
As if he hadn’t experienced aging at all.
There was no need to compare, his strength was clearly superior to mine.
Thud! Crack!
“Ugh…!”
Under the onslaught of attacks, under the force coming from there, my body felt strained.
“…Can’t afford to drag this out.”
It had been on my mind for a while, but through this series of clashes, I gained certainty.
Hoping for a miracle and stalling time only lead to death as the final destination.
To survive, I had to choose a different path.
Originally, the goal was to escape, but upon checking, the swordsman’s speed was definitely not slow.
Of course, speed in combat and mere fleeing could be different, but I didn’t think I would have an advantage in fleeing, being at a disadvantage in terms of stamina or conditions.
In the end.
“…I have no choice but to fight.”
That was the only way.
Bringing down the swordsman was the only path for me to survive.
Even though the likelihood was low, I had no choice but to try.
Fortunately, I possessed one ace in the hole.
In addition, the current Sword Master is in a state of relaxation.
Having experienced countless battles as a veteran of a hundred wars, he is certainly not foolish enough to be careless, but he is undoubtedly convinced that he will not lose.
If I exploit that gap well…
“…I can do it.”
I do not wish to kill.
Inflicting a critical wound and making sure he cannot chase me is sufficient.
Thud!
Once again, I parried the Sword Master’s sword, and I began to push my focus to its limits.
Of course, I did not stop moving in the midst of it all.
Dancing chaotically, I wielded my sword.
The clash of swords created tremors in the surroundings.
Amidst such a battle.
Swish!
From all directions, the Sword Master’s sword, attacking me persistently from angles hard to deflect, for the first time, swung in a traditional and straight path, directly towards me.
Moreover, the movement was quite substantial.
Perhaps, it was a powerful strike from the Sword Master.
Watching that sword, my eyes gleamed.
And at the same time, I momentarily surged with all my power.
Magic and determination, I struck with all my might on the sword in an instant.
With that, the azure aura enveloping my sword transformed into an energy one step above.
A form made of light, distinct from the flowing aura, something like a blade made of light.
A Sword Energy.
Though it’s colloquially referred to as a step above, the difference between Sword Aura and Sword Energy surpasses mere increase in power.
No matter what kind of Sword Aura, even if infused with determination, it would retreat like a mere blade of grass before Sword Energy.
Raising the Sword Energy in this way, I faced the Sword Master’s sword.
“…!”
In the slowed world due to extreme focus, I saw the Sword Master’s eyes widen.
He must have noticed the change in my sword as well.
However, before he could make a move, my sword approached his.
I soon gently deflected his sword with mine, and desperately hoped to swiftly follow through to the Sword Master behind.
However.
Clang!
My wish did not come true.
With a solid force, my sword was blocked and deflected.
“Ha.”
The old man let out a bitter laugh.
“I originally planned to subdue you and take you to the empire… but my thoughts have changed.”
With a chillingly stern face, the Sword Master declared,
“You, must die here without fail.”
Holding a sword identical to mine, shining with the same light.