Sword Devouring Swordmaster

Translator: AkazaTL

Pr/Ed: Sol IX

***

Chapter 197 – Hero (4)

“It will be fine.”

Zeppelin Gold grinned.

“If the Great Warrior of the Sun, Buddha, has stepped forward, we can rest easy.”

“Is he really that remarkable a person?”

“Remarkable doesn’t even begin to describe him. There’s no one in the Southern Continent with more renown than Monk Buddha. He’s not only achieved great spiritual accomplishments as a monk, but he’s revered by all religious followers for his unwavering faith.”

As Zeppelin Gold said, Buddha was an extraordinary individual. I didn’t know much about him, but just from the brief moment I’d seen him, it was clear.

That old Monk was no ordinary man. And yet.

Why won’t this unease go away?

The anxiety wouldn’t leave me.

“Why the grim face, my lord? The feat you’ve just accomplished is nothing short of legendary. Lord Arhan, because of you alone, the momentum of the Crusaders has completely collapsed. The entire Order of the Cross may fall apart. A single individual has brought down the cult that sought to consume the continent!”

“……”

“You could gloat all you want and no one would say a word. You even accepted a girl with the potential to become a Great Warrior of the Star into your domain. If a religious order with a resident Great Warrior takes root here, the Karavan territory won’t just be a mere fiefdom—it could become an independent city-state. Not Karavan territory, but a nation named Karavan could be born!”

Zeppelin Gold showered me with praise without so much as a breath in between.

“The Southern Continent, indebted to you, will treat the Karavan territory with overwhelming favor. And every citizen of the Southern Continent will honor you as a hero. Minstrels will sing of your name until your ears ache. And it won’t stop there—every religious follower who hears of how you saved the Order of the Star will never forget you. Never!”

“That’s enough praise.”

“Come now, don’t be like that. Thanks to your accomplishments, this Zeppelin Gold feels like he’s grown wings. The power struggle between the great powers hasn’t even begun, and the balance has already been shattered. I’m scooping up all the profits. I exaggerate only a little when I say I could flatter you for ten days and nights with sincere joy!”

Zeppelin Gold was genuinely delighted.

And it made sense. His original goal had been to scoop up scraps from the chaos of the Southern Continent. He had planned to craft me into a hero for the sake of modest profit. If things had proceeded according to that plan, Zeppelin Gold wouldn’t have been able to take such a leading role in Southern Continent affairs. Even if he was a descendant of “Gold,” once the true powers of the continent—like the Sky Empire—got involved, he wouldn’t have even had a seat at the table. But because things were still on a smaller scale, it had worked in his favor.

Those in possession of great power hadn’t reacted swiftly, and we had arrived in the Southern Continent just ahead of them. By toppling the balance between the religious orders, we’d thrown the Crusaders into disarray. Now, it has become an awkward situation for the major powers to step into.

At this rate, the Holy Empire, with the Great Warrior of the Sun at its forefront, would defeat the Crusaders, restore peace and protection to the Southern Continent, and return it to paradise. In that process, Zeppelin Gold would form countless trade deals and reap massive profits by aiding reconstruction efforts—using the reputation of being part of the "Hero’s company."

There was nothing bad about any of it.

On the contrary, it was better than expected. Far better than what I’d anticipated before coming to the Southern Continent. And yet, I was uneasy. Why?

“Is it because you didn’t finish off the Crusaders’ new Great Warrior? I told you, don’t worry. Trust in Buddha. There are only a handful of people in the entire world—let alone the Southern Continent—who could stand against the Great Warrior of the Sun.”

The unfinished business. Yes. I hadn’t seen Aaron to the end.

He’d used a magical artifact to escape, and by the time I returned to the surface, it was already over. Zeppelin Gold’s mercenaries had wiped out the Crusaders, who had lost their Great Warrior.

The warp gate Aaron had opened had long since dimmed and faded. Was the source of my unease truly the Great Warrior of Judgment? Was I worried that if Buddha failed to kill him, Aaron might return, stronger, to take revenge?

“Besides, so what if Buddha doesn’t manage to kill the Great Warrior of Judgment? Aaron’s already been humiliated by you—he’s probably traumatized. Better a coward remains a Great Warrior than see a new, stronger one born. On top of that, the Holy Empire has even sent word expressing their wish to invite you as a state guest. The brightest empire in the Southern Continent is now your ally, my lord. What could possibly make you uneasy?”

No—that wasn’t it. That wasn’t what was bothering me.

「Young descendant.」

I was doubting.

「Do not underestimate the malice of man.」

Would the faltering Order of the Cross stop here?

Those who had dreamt of devouring the continent and establishing a single religious empire, the ones who had already drawn in the Eastern Continent and the Machine Empire, staining the sanctity of the Southern Continent… how far would they go?

I couldn’t say. But one thing was certain.

「The malice of man knows no end.」

This war—would not end here.

***

The Crusaders’ invasion had been repelled. The City of Stars, Antoine, regained peace, but it had become a wasteland. They couldn’t stay any longer.

After conducting funeral rites for the poor priests who had been hanged at the observatory, and for Priest Frey, Moses boarded Zeppelin Gold’s ship. Along with Moses, those who still believed in the “Star” and had nowhere else to go also boarded the massive vessel.

“Traveler, the Star will guide your path.”

Moses thanked me.

“Even if night descends on your road ahead, a beam of starlight will light your way. The Star has always loved those who move forward.”

And then.

“She does not care about your bloodline.”

She left those words full of meaning.

“No matter how dark the night that comes, you’ll overcome it—because you are the traveler.”

The ship carrying Moses and the people of Antoine soon set sail. Now, the desert oasis, the City of Stars—Antoine—would vanish. But the rumors they spread would not.

My name rang louder than ever across the Southern Continent.

‘Arhan Karavan’ had now become more than a hero—his fame rivaled that of a Great Warrior belonging to an established order.

Some Southern Continent natives even began to worship me. Not just admire me as a hero—some prayed before meals in my name.

They recited the words I had once spoken to Sun Priest Oren as if they were scripture…

“That’s just how people from the Southern Continent are.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“People here can’t bear life without something to believe in. Before they knew of the Nine Goddesses and the Seven Lords, they worshiped the earth, the sun. The very act of belief brings them peace.”

Someone explained, after seeing my surprise.

“Besides, you’ve accomplished something truly heroic—and even taught us something valuable. That we must overcome things ourselves. That only we can endure trials. That instead of crying out to gods, we should hold the hands of neighbors and friends…”

“……”

“That’s different from the teachings of the Nine Goddesses and the Seven Lords—those lofty teachings told us to forgive and understand even injustice. To endure the death of a parent or child and control our own hearts. But your teachings, Lord Arhan—they touched our hearts. And so, some people have begun to call them this.”

He smiled.

“A doctrine for the lowly and humble.”

And just as he said— Lately, when I walked the streets, I felt it. I had sensed those stares even when I returned from Antoine to Visente. But among those who once looked at me as a hero— some now looked upon me as a god descended to earth. When our eyes met, some bowed and offered silent prayers.

…I want to go home.

It was a suffocating atmosphere. Even accounting for the Southern Continent’s unique character.

“Has Buddha not returned yet?”

It had already been five days since the Crusaders’ invasion of Antoine was repelled. I would often visit the Monks and ask about Buddha’s whereabouts, but they only smiled kindly and shook their heads. Though their Great Warrior had vanished, not a trace of worry appeared on their faces.

Why?

“Because the Sun loves him.”

The Monks’ faith in Buddha was absolute.

And so, even as two more days passed and a full week went by without Buddha’s return— my fame only continued to grow.

The Monks who had come to the Southern Continent with Buddha aided the Holy Empire, and the Crusaders’ momentum crumbled further. At this rate, the war would soon come to an end. But my unease had not lessened. If anything, it had grown.

Even as everything proceeded smoothly— I couldn’t shake the feeling.

To me, this smooth progress felt like the quiet before a storm.

Am I just being paranoid? No— There’s no such thing as a useless doubt.

“Lord Arhan, I truly thank you.”

But now—I was the only one in this city still afraid.

“I’ve heard that my reputation shot up vertically within the Black Archipelago after the latest reports. My second brother sneered, saying I’d latched onto the right person, but the Godmother praised me, saying that knowing how to latch on was a skill worthy of a descendant of Gold.”

“Is that so?”

“My wives, waiting back home, say they’re proud of me, too. To be honest, I wasn’t much of a big shot back in the homeland. All my siblings are incredibly competent. A long time ago, when I was just starting at the Red Bank, I once overheard some colleagues who joined in the same intake badmouthing me.”

“Badmouthing…”

“They called me the failure of the Golds. A total dullard. A descendant of a great house who couldn’t wield a sword, who had no head for gold—trash. That if I hadn’t been born into the Gold family, I’d have been tossed out as a useless runt. That I was living a life far beyond my worth, all thanks to a name I didn’t deserve.”

Zeppelin Gold, tipsy from the drink, smiled brightly, his face flushed.

“That’s why I always staked something big on every opportunity. I believed I had to, to prove myself. Maybe, in a way, it was a cry for help. Look at me, I’m not a failure. I can do this. I’m not some worthless nobody…”

“……”

“My lord, thanks to you, I received praise for the first time in my life. Everyone looked at me with proper eyes. At last, they heard my cry.”

“How is that because of me? That’s—”

“Arhan Karavan.”

Zeppelin Gold smiled like a child.

“You’re the hero of the Southern Continent. But not to me.”

“……”

“To me, Arhan Karavan is Zeppelin Gold’s hero. The hero of this fool who always hung his head, always chasing the light.”

“Hero.” Zeppelin Gold’s voice rang clear, surprisingly so.

“The Gold family has golden blood. Those with golden blood are born to chase what shines.”

“……”

“Even after all this is over, I might keep following Lord Karavan. Because you shine brighter than anyone I’ve ever seen…”

Soon, Zeppelin Gold’s head drooped. As he swayed, his secretary, Baltimo, approached.

“The young master seems quite drunk.”

Baltimo supported Zeppelin Gold with a bright smile, but the way she looked at the drunken man was… odd. Her gaze, as she looked at the man leaning against her, wasn’t that of a secretary—it was that of a woman.

“…He’s had a hard life. A very hard one.”

In her eyes, there was love.

“I’ll take care of the young master, so please enjoy the rest of the evening, my lord.”

“It’s fine. I haven’t had a single drink to begin with.”

“Oh, is that so? Haha.”

Baltimo laughed exaggeratedly, then soon stopped. With only a faint smile, she spoke.

“My lord.”

And then.

“Truly, thank you. For the young master…”

Slowly, her mouth began to move. Lips parted, tongue shifted, vocal cords trembled. As her lovely voice reverberated through the night air, I realized something other than her voice was stirring it.

Mana. And not just any mana—violent mana.

“…for making him… laugh…”

The moment I felt the mana, I moved without hesitation. The moment I tapped into superhuman power, the world slowed down. In that slowed world, space rippled.

The rippling became a cleanly torn circle, and from within the blue-lit circle, a spear tip suddenly jutted out. That spear tip drove into Baltimo’s side. Her slender waist snapped, flesh and blood splattering in slow motion.

“S…”

A normal person, uninvited to the world of the superhuman.

Baltimo still smiled, unaware of what was happening. But then the pain spread— Her eyes flew wide. Only then did she realize her waist had broken, that a spear had pierced through her side.

Her eyes, round like a rabbit’s, widened. She looked stunned, then let out a hollow smile.

And without hesitation, she pulled Zeppelin Gold close to her in an embrace.

“Zepl…”

Baltimo’s final words were never completed.

“...in…”

Tung.

With a dull sound, Baltimo’s head was torn from her body and flew through the air— before I could even reach her.

Her headless body slumped to the ground, and crimson blood exploded. From within the blue circle, something stepped out— Crunch. It crushed Baltimo’s corpse beneath its foot.

「Stand back, young descendant.」

It was a horse. A shockingly black horse—black as night itself. And atop the horse, sat a man.

「This is not an enemy you can handle right now.」

A man too massive to be called human.

“The feel of it is terrible.”

What I saw wasn’t a person. It was a blade.

No—not one.

The swords that floated above the horse—From one, they became nine.

This wasn’t an illusion.

This was proof.

“I always hated women for this reason.”

Proof of a Swordmaster.

「He is the master of the Great Land, young descendant.」

Peace, long overdue. People, drunk and singing. People, laughing joyously—Among them, one of the Six Swordmasters had appeared.

“What a perfect plain for running, my friend.”

I had never seen him before. But I knew who he was. And I knew his most famous nickname.

“Let’s stain the grasslands red with blood.”

The God of War.

The Descendant of Khan stood before me.