Chapter 53 : Chapter 53
Chapter 53: Haryun Bahab (1)
Most Sword Masters.
That is, if they were those who had reached that stage not by mastering the sword but by recklessly relying on their magic.
‘Easy.’
Simurtr was confident he could win. A fight, a battle. That was his area of expertise, carried over from his past life.
Losing in terms of magic? He had already defeated the Knight Captain of Jabad. If he coughed up a little blood, it wasn’t a difficult task.
On top of that, he now had Phantasmal Ability. If he lost here, he should be ashamed of remembering his past life.
‘But it’s only been two weeks.’
Phantasmal Ability. A tool he had acquired only two weeks ago. Was his illusion at a level where it could deceive a Sword Master?
Jiaren and Semenu had said that his illusion had a superior realism compared to that of a Degrate, but that was when comparing it to a Phantasmal Ability user, not a Phantasm.
‘An outstanding Degrate can deceive even the senses of a Sword Master.’
Everything depended on the implementer’s capabilities.
Winning, and deceiving.
Then what about me?
“You said you were from Harkinwagen? You have inherited Lord Homer’s blood strongly. Is this person your escort? Indeed, coming from Harkinwagen, even the escort is quite formidable.”
It works.
Simurtr let out a hollow laugh without realizing it.
He had a vague idea that the Star-Breaking Style’s illusion was superior to a normal illusion, but he hadn't expected it to be this effective.
“I met him during the Doom War. He was a baron back then.”
Harkinwagen.
Homer, the eldest son of that barony, was a disposable card in his family, and a talented young man.
He personally liked him quite a lot. There were things he wanted to hit him for, but still.
Someday, if the war had continued longer, Exa would have recruited him as an official member of the Baperr unit.
‘Lord Exa, if the war ends, I will introduce you to my daughter.’
‘You’re not even married.’
‘I plan to have a daughter. I have already named her. Ruina…….’
‘Crazy bastard.’
‘I’m serious.’
‘Me too.’
‘I have already named my grandson as well. Egna, combining the ‘Ex’ from Lord Exa and the ‘na’ from Ruina…….’
‘Shut up, please.’
He was spouting such nonsense before the final battle, so he was sure he would die.
“Lord Homer. No, the Margrave, I should say. The tales of the south confronting the Black Land often reach the capital. He is a great man.”
To think he became a count.
‘It should be fine. He did say I could use it as I pleased.’
Impersonating a noble was punishable by death, but it didn’t matter. The person in question would understand if he knew the truth.
He didn’t know if he would think the same now that he was a count, but anyway. A promise was a promise.
“I am Jeremiah Abolte. A sword of the great Ducal House of Bahab.”
‘A nobody.’
A name he had never heard before.
The unit members used to call Exa a knight detector. They said that if he had participated in the Doom War and had some level of ability, there was no way he wouldn’t remember.
‘Even more so if he’s a knight of Bahab.’
In his past life, Exa had as many points of contact with Bahab as he did with Mectera. Most of them were not good encounters.
“By the way. I did not know Harkinwagen was interested in the banquet. I heard it is a place that holds even the Hero Festival modestly.”
“The head of our house does.”
-Wow.
Simurtr kept his words to a minimum.
In fact, he had just learned that Harkinwagen was in the southern part of the Empire. In the past, Homer’s main family was in some corner of the eastern Empire.
-Do you know Harkinwagen?
Simurtr asked, just in case.
-I do. It’s the Empire’s Gimlet. It’s located in the south of the Empire, in front of the Black Land.
-Gimlet? How is it a gimlet and not a spear?
-Isn’t it because there’s already a spear?
-Still, a gimlet is a bit shabby. But there’s a Margrave in front of the Black Land?
There wasn’t one in my time.
-Just tell me everything you know.
-I’ll be in big trouble if this gets out…….
-I said I’d save you.
-You’re the one who’s going to kill me.
-Ahem.
-The Barony of Harkinwagen, through the post-war rewards, became the Margraviate of the south…….
-Wait, does he have a son? That first.
-The 6th Head of the Sword would know that. I do not.
-How would Aran know that?
-What? You didn’t know? The head of Harkinwagen and the 6th Head of the Sword are close friends.
-Aran? With him?
Simurtr looked at Jeremiah, who was going down ahead. When he introduced himself as a blood relative of Harkinwagen, he showed no particular reaction.
Either Homer really had a child.
‘Or he has little information about Harkinwagen.’
Judging by his praise of Harkinwagen, the former seemed more likely, but the latter was also a possibility.
This was an era where one’s bloodline was more precious than anything. If one wished to hide it, it wasn't impossible. And he was a Margrave in charge of the Black Land.
In such a position, he would have no choice but to be sensitive about the issue of children.
‘It doesn’t matter.’
In fact, either way was fine. Simurtr made that judgment. It wasn't like he was going to go down there and brag about being Harkinwagen’s son.
It was too late to regret it anyway. If he had known he was a count, he wouldn’t have done it.
He had already done it. It would be fine if he just kept his mouth shut at the banquet.
‘For now, I can feel one thing.’
He would have to go inside to know the details, but for now, the only Sword Master his senses could pick up was Jeremiah.
There were knights stationed here and there, but they weren't at a level that would be a hindrance.
Simurtr looked at his wrist. It wasn’t visible under his clothes, but there were three lines of Pagna. Enough of a reserve to subdue all the knights, including Jeremiah.
‘I’ll probably vomit some blood in the process, though.’
Sword Aura. The domain of a Sword Master. Simurtr’s body had not yet fully reached that domain.
He could do it if he had to, but his body couldn’t handle that level of the Star-Breaking Style.
-Continue your explanation.
Simurtr went all the way down the stairs, listening to Deban’s explanation. At the same time, he scanned the terrain.
‘The ceiling is high. The width is also wide.’
This meant the main visitors were nobles. So that they wouldn’t be inconvenienced. It was a building that gave no consideration to intrusion or defense at all.
It could be called arrogant if one were to say so. Who would dare to invade the land of a Hero Family, they must have thought.
‘This should be enough.’
Escaping wouldn’t be difficult. As long as support from the main Bahab castle didn’t arrive, it seemed he would have plenty of leeway.
The stairs ended, and a magnificent door stood before him.
And there was one man guarding that door.
Jeremiah smiled brightly upon seeing the man, then gave Simurtr a nod.
“You’ve arrived just in time. The banquet will begin shortly. I hope you will secure a place for yourself.”
“Thank you.”
“Ah, will the escort be following? There is a procedure to follow.”
Having finished his guidance, Jeremiah took Deban with him.
As the two of them disappeared beyond the stairs, the man standing in front of the door spoke.
“Would you like an introduction upon entry?”
“No, that’s alright. How could I dare to do so?”
Are you crazy? I’m not here to advertise.
“I understand.”
The man smiled.
He narrowed his eyes and raised the corners of his mouth, but it was utterly awkward. His lips were the first thing that caught the eye. They were smooth, without a single common wrinkle.
…Just like a mannequin.
Simurtr stared at that smile for a moment, then tilted his head. The man’s attitude of openly smiling at a noble was one thing, but… his aura and the sense of unease he gave off were extraordinary.
‘He’s an Expert, isn’t he?’
His attire was clearly that of a servant, yet his accomplishment was higher than the naive gatekeeper from before.
‘The smell is quite strong.’
When their eyes met, the man smiled lightly. A slender face, soft features, hands without a single callus, let alone a wrinkle.
Similarly, a smooth face… no, all exposed skin. His height was average for an imperial male, but due to his slender body, he looked smaller than his actual height…….
‘It’s a woman.’
That wasn't the kind of muscle one would see on a man. Exa, who was a swordsman in his past life, knew the body of someone who practiced the sword better than anyone.
“Is there something you wish to say?”
Simurtr smiled brightly as he looked into those eyes.
It wasn't because the other person was a woman. In this world, the strong are treated well.
What meaning does gender have?
The reason he hated Akarr so much was because she wasn’t even strong and had lied.
“No.”
Simurtr was surprised for a different reason.
That the daughter of the oh-so-great Akarr.
“How could I dare to speak to you, my lady.”
Was pointlessly pretending to be a servant.
***
“Who opened the banquet? It wouldn’t be Akarr Bahab.”
As they approached the walls of Bahab.
That’s what Simurtr had asked Deban.
It was actually closer to a monologue than a question, but Deban gave him an answer anyway.
“If the head of the house hosted it, let alone Andre, even his father wouldn’t have received an invitation. It’s a ducal house, after all. And a Hero Family at that.”
“Right. Then who could it be?”
“It’s obvious. It’s a gathering for newly adult nobles. Naturally, the host would be similar.”
“Is there someone like that?”
“There are the children.”
“Children? Whose?”
“The hero Akarr’s. You didn’t know? There are two of them. The first will have his coming-of-age ceremony next year.”
“What? Eighteen?”
“That’s right.”
“She popped out a kid as soon as the war ended?”
“It wasn’t right after it ended. A year later? It was because the war had ended. But please, your words….”
“But how do you know?”
“Everyone except you probably knows, young master. Even people who aren’t citizens of the Empire would know.”
“I’m not a citizen of the Empire.”
“Neither am I.”
“So what.”
Simurtr thought as he looked at the woman in front of him. Blonde hair and blue eyes, soft features. All things that didn't fit with Bahab.
Akarr had red hair and eyes, and her face was venomous and unpleasant to look at.
‘It must be a magic tool.’
What was surprising was that he couldn’t feel the intervention of that magic tool. The Sword Net was feeling that woman’s magic even at this moment, but the existence of the magic tool was not detected.
‘It’s been 20 years. Plus, it must be a fucking good magic tool.’
It wasn't perfect. Or maybe she deliberately didn’t hide it. Simurtr thought the latter was more plausible.
Then he looked at the woman’s hands. Hands without even the common palm lines. That was like a symbol of Bahab.
‘Puppet bastards.’
The family that wields the sword and flame. Bahab of the Swelling Flame. They, who train in the expanding fire, have no wrinkles.
Their hands have no fingerprints, no palm lines, and their faces have no smiles. Wrinkle-free and taut, their laughter is like a mask.
Brain… he didn’t know. He hadn’t split open a Bahab’s head yet.
‘I’ll find out in this life.’
The Puppet of the Swelling Flame. Once upon a time, the blood relatives of Bahab were called that. It would be one thing if they were hideous, but they were all born with beautiful features.
That made them seem even more like puppets.
It was a nickname and an insult that had now disappeared. Bahab, which was a marquisate, had now become a duchy and was praised as a Hero Family.
“…When did you know?”
The woman’s face hardened slightly.
Of course, it was a guess and a feeling. She looked like she was always stiff even when she was still.
But it must be right. He had dealt with the puppets of Bahab quite a lot, even if they were dog-like.
“What audacity would one have to come to this place without knowing you, my lady.”
Simurtr smiled brightly as he looked at the woman’s face.
Ah, I shouldn’t be doing this.
“Then you spoke informally even though you knew?”
“No, I did not know at first.”
“…You are the first to have figured it out. Excluding acquaintances.”
“Then that is proof that your disguise skills, my lady, are superior to their eyes.”
He had prided himself on usually having a thick skin. He must have been mistaken. The corners of his mouth showed no sign of coming down. He felt like he was going crazy. His heart kept pounding.
“…Is finding me out such a pleasant thing?”
She gripped the necklace in her hand. At the same time, its color changed. Red hair and… those eyes. A color just like the traitor Akarr’s.
“Of course.”
“…Let’s go in. It seems you are the last one.”
Her second daughter. Haryun Bahab.
She hesitated for a moment while looking at Simurtr’s face, then opened the door to the banquet hall and entered.
‘Ah, fuck.’
Simurtr looked at her back and pressed the corners of his mouth firmly with his hand.
Even so, he couldn’t control it, and in the end, he covered his face with both hands. The two eyes peeking between his fingers curved into large crescent moons.
‘I’m really going crazy.’
It wasn't like he had met Akarr.
He had only met her daughter.
‘Fucking love it.’
The hands covering his face squeezed his face tightly. Even so, his face was still smiling brightly.
Please don’t turn back.
Simurtr repeated to himself as he looked at Haryun Bahab’s back.