From that moment on, everything changed.
deep sense of exhilaration. A sensation that awakens every cell in the body.
The nanomachines were activated and began to support all parts of the body.
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Just like Croft did. Just as he instinctively moved.
I followed the ‘basic’ of the swordsman who was called the sword king and the strongest.
‘It’s slowing down.’
the world
The second time anomaly experienced.
It would have to be called a transfer.
The falling leaves felt as if they were standing still.
More, more, infinitely close to zero.
This is the world Croft sees.
‘Your world is so slow.’
It’s on a different level from the first change of time I experienced.
The sword couldn’t even get out of the water.
But if I could stretch it out, I felt like I could cut down that tree, the mountain, even the world.
extreme area.
The dream state that all prosecutors wish to reach!
In that position, I got up.
‘If this isn’t the end.’
but not satisfied
This can’t quench my thirst.
The insatiable king.
I was a predator that ate everything.
more, more, more.
Deep, reach out your hand to the end of the abyss.
The world has now completely stopped.
At the center of the world, there was only me.
then it appeared
go beyond
I briefly shuddered.
huge moon.
The blue moon was in front of me.
It shines brighter than the sun, and its beams overwhelm everything.
What should I say about this feeling that I have never felt even when I was crowned emperor or when I occupied a foreign country.
‘this.’
i get it.
People call it this.
‘Is it the vertex?’
vertex.
It is a supreme realm that no one can reach.
[The concurrent active area of the brain expands by 20%.]
[The limit has been reached. It may exceed the range of reproduction and cause abnormal mutations of cells.]
[Forcibly terminates the program.]
However, the deep exhilaration did not last long.
I, who had never properly learned a sword, imitated the strongest swordsman even for a moment.
In real time, at most, around 1 second.
‘too bad.’
In the end, he couldn’t even wield the sword.
It was a story that could only be reproduced if the body supported it.
Was it greedy from the beginning?
However, only that sense, the time when it reached its peak was clearly imprinted on it.
In my brain, in my whole body, in every single cell.
The difference between those who know it and those who don’t know it is obvious.
“…”
Croft, Edith, and Germine were staring at me like that.
maybe disappointed
I couldn’t even swing it properly, so I understood.
“It’s not as easy as I thought.”
“Is what I just saw right?”
At the same time, Germin made a fuss.
He rubbed his eyes and shook his head.
This is to make sure that what you see is not ‘in vain’.
But neither Edith nor Croft gave an answer to that.
He is just silent and sends only subtle eyes to me.
So, I couldn’t help but ask.
“What did you see?”
“Oh… it is, Your Highness. It may be that I have misunderstood, but a blue aura like moonlight was clearly rising from Your Highness’ body.”
Come on.
It is a skill that can only be used by swordsmen who have reached the state.
It is also called the symbol of the Master, and only those who smoke it are treated as truly strong.
A person who can emit an aura was defined as an aura master or a sword master.
At most two or three people in one kingdom.
Numerous kingdoms were bestowing noble titles and fiefdoms just by producing an aura.
It is said that I, who had just grabbed the sword, smoked it.
‘Oh, as expected. Did reappearance mean to create even Auras?’
Of course, it could have been a result obtained beyond the realm of representation.
And all the mana in this world was ‘unauthorized nanomachines’.
The magician has developed a way to keep it inside, put will on it, and use it in various ways.
And those who use the sword saved mana and used it solely for their own enhancement.
The result is to come.
However, Aura is also mana, and mana is nanomachine, so if you know the method, you can imitate it even for a short time.
It’s unfortunate that it’s a fleeting moment, but it’s natural.
Because the amount of nanomachines needed to create auras was overwhelmingly insufficient.
‘If you increase the amount of nanomachines, you can keep the aura for a longer period of time.’
The amount of nanomachines I have is 0.1% of Croft’s.
It was only one in a thousand.
However, if you can control the runaway nanomachines in large quantities, this problem will be solved to some extent.
‘A fake sword master.’
It was the moment when a fake sword master using an aura was born.
“Have you ever learned swordsmanship?”
Croft, barely awake, asked.
This case was also the first.
I had never seen a person who had just picked up a sword emit an aura.
However, Croft knew better than anyone else that Crown Prince Reinhard had never learned swordsmanship.
Madness that appears whenever a crack is visible.
As a result, there was not a single blade that was common in the prince’s palace.
Of course, he wouldn’t have held a sword since he was young.
‘Was the rumor true?’
Rumor has it that Knight Commander Alberto was defeated in a sparring with the Crown Prince.
Rumors spread without knowing it, but I didn’t believe it.
No matter how much the 3rd prince’s ‘Golden Lion Knights’ were the knights chosen for Empress Josephine’s face, they were still knights in name.
If such a person were defeated by the crown prince, there would be no humiliation like that.
But what if the rumors were true?
Wasn’t the prince secretly learning swordsmanship?
How is that even possible while avoiding your own eyes?
I had to find out from whom, if possible, I would have been assisted.
“I never learned properly. Don’t you know better?”
“… would it be all right if I held your hand?”
“Do it.”
It wasn’t difficult.
When I handed over without hesitation, Croft felt the pulse.
‘I don’t feel any personal energy. then.’
Forbidden black magic.
Among them was the kind of magic that ate life and amplified mana.
But there was no trace of it at all.
Croft poured his mana into Reinhardt.
[We have confirmed the intrusion of unauthorized nanomachines.]
[It is an uncontrollable nanomachine.]
[Destroy.]
“Huh…!”
Croft quickly withdrew his hand.
It would be correct to see it bounced out.
‘Has all the mana I poured in disappeared?’
I was dumbfounded.
Over half a century, he taught countless knights, and many of them reached the level of sword masters.
However, I’ve never seen a case like this.
Forcibly extinguishing the mana flowed into the body!
It’s not normal mana either.
His own mana called the Sword King.
The crown prince, who would only have a small amount of mana, got rid of it.
It was conceptually impossible.
‘It was only for a moment, but he clearly imitated me.’
Is it only
He couldn’t even swing his sword, but his momentum was clearly the same as his own.
It’s not something you can imitate just because you saw it.
Following the momentum that had been captured for decades was on a different level from simply sharing the same attitude.
There was only one thing that could connect all these phenomena.
‘Is this a belated awakening of blood?’
Reinhardt’s constitution changed overnight.
I have 30 times more lines than normal people.
Croft thought it was a phenomenon caused by the special blood of the imperial family.
Belatedly, the crown prince also awakened his talent.
But what if not only that, but many more talents are blooming all at once?
What if the talents hidden by mania are belatedly blooming?
‘······ The absolute ruler who founded the empire. I heard that he who accomplished ten feats was similar to this.’
The first founding king who founded an empire a thousand years ago.
I heard that he, who was called the absolute, was able to summon an aura even though he had not learned the sword.
However, since it was a story in mythology, it was dismissed as a joke.
Because that was impossible.
Croft didn’t blindly believe in things like the 12th feat either. I’ve met people who have accomplished feats in their youth, but they are no different from strong babies.
However, there was a collection of disbelief stories in front of my eyes.
A synonym for incompetence.
madman.
The crown prince who was despised by everyone and who was carrying an ill-fitting crown.
one in a million
If it really belatedly developed the talent of an absolute person…
‘Dangerous.’
It was so, so dangerous.
The existence of the prince.
Even more so than when I was crazy.
***
a week after that.
After barely crossing the mountain range, the harsh northern land came into view.
‘I’m going to die.’
I was going crazy because I was training even in the wagon, reducing my sleeping time, but I didn’t manage to go crazy.
It was thanks to Nano Machine Zero’s ability to recover.
It was to the point of resentment that the perfect support could not shine.
That’s how I barely crossed the mountain range and started searching the surrounding villages.
North is wide. With snowstorms and ever-changing terrain, it is impossible to navigate without a guide.
Since a guide had to be obtained locally, it was only natural to go around the village.
“… there are only corpses.”
However, after entering the village, Germin frowned and said,
The first village I found with difficulty.
Everything was on fire, and countless corpses were strewn across the floor.
Regardless of gender or age.
Several flags were planted in the center of such a village.
‘Arduke Carlos.’
It was a flag with an eagle symbolizing Archduke Carlos.
Neither the second town nor the third town.
All were corpses.
There was not a single person alive.
Archduke Carlos, who left with a large army to conquer the north, was slaughtering all the northern peoples.
Are you thinking of drying the seeds?
‘I expected it, but it’s more brutal.’
Ever since I ascended the throne, this situation has been reproduced in the empire and throughout the continent.
And I approve of all those wars.
It was when I went to and from a few more villages, feeling my mouth dry.
“Amorah Afir!”
A woman screamed in the distance.
Soon, a spear flew behind her and pierced her.
instant death.
The two children who ran after them collapsed in terror.
“Ha ha ha! Also, young boy! In the meantime, you’ve felt your javelin skills again!”
“The person who couldn’t even guess what was right in front of him when he came here!”
“What, why don’t you run away? Babies! If you want to live, go ahead and run!”
Hundreds of soldiers were gathered with a loud noise.
In the middle, there is an eagle flag.
But entertainment did not follow.
Because they noticed the existence of the carriage.
“yes? What carriage?”
“What, who’s getting off?”
“Yes? A somewhat familiar face…”
Even though there was quite a distance, I noticed it at once.
It was proof that they were also talented people who had reached a certain level.
When they saw Croft, they rubbed their eyes.
“Hey, Sir Croft?”
“Why is he coming to the north?”
“Look closely!”
“As long as it seems a bit like… crazy!”
If you were to pick the five most famous people in the Empire, Croft would definitely be one of them.
Even more so, the knights couldn’t be more aware of it.
The expressions of the knights who checked Croft hardened like blank sheets of paper.
but only one.
Only the man who threw the spear, called Bocchan, smiled.
Germin opened his mouth with a trembling expression.
“······ Lord Thebeus.”
Thebeus.
Third son of Archduke Carlos.
He came to the carriage with the knights.
“Lord Croft, what brought you to this far north?”
Thebeus held out a bloody hand.
The scent of blood was so thick that it was impossible to tell how many people he had killed.
“I stopped by because I had something to see.”
Croft, clasping his hand, replied succinctly.
“Lord Croft’s business. I am very curious.”
Thebeus’ eyes, which had been looking at Germin and then at Edith, stopped when they reached me.
“Hmm, it looks like I’ve seen it a lot somewhere.”
Thebeus, who had been frowning, widened his eyes as if he had remembered.
“Aren’t you His Highness Reinhardt? ”
“Long time no see.”
It’s been a long time indeed.
Because we haven’t met since childhood.
In the past, I only saw it when entering the country after the successful North Expedition.
I still clearly remember Archduke Carlos and his children, who smiled brightly, leaving behind the dark expressions of the emperor and princes.
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Just like that time, Thebeus’ smile deepened.
“It just went well. To commemorate the long reunion.”
He looked at the two trembling children near their dead mother, handed me a spear and said,
“We have two left to hunt, so let’s enjoy it together, Your Highness.”
＜ shudder ＞ end