Chapter 86
Chapter 86
Gashnel had been the son of a fallen family from the fringes of the Ribera Empire.
Though his family had collapsed, his individual talent had been outstanding, and somehow, with his teeth clenched, he had thrown himself into training in pursuit of success.
That was why, after graduating from Bayern Academy and passing thirty, he had reached Sword Master, and had been able to stand tall as a close confidant of the Empire’s linchpin, the Second Imperial Prince.
Since he had not yet stepped fully into the spotlight, there were not many who knew his name, but he thought that too would soon be only a matter of time.
His master was one who walked the path of domination.
He truly believed that the soft, spineless First Imperial Prince Carius could be brushed aside at any moment, and that the throne would be taken.
And that beginning lay in capturing the boy before his eyes.
The radiant golden hair and emerald eyes symbolizing the bloodline of Ribera were now covered over with a light brown hue, as if coated by an artifact.
His appearance had been outstanding like that of his older brothers, but Gashnel had thought that was all there was to him.
A cursed brute, the incarnation of incompetence.
Recently, rumors had circulated within the palace that something about him had changed, but Gashnel had not paid them much heed. Yet upon uncovering the truth, it seemed that it was not that he had changed, but that he had revealed the claws he had been hiding.
Prince Leios’s age must now have exceeded seventeen.
And yet, the momentum he felt from the blade facing him far surpassed that of the other brothers by a wide margin.
‘If I had met him just a little later, I would have been the one on the receiving end.’
The downfall of a genius who had hidden his fangs.
One who had concealed his power while enduring being called a cursed brute, a prostitute’s child.
How many years of patience and hardship must he have endured? Gashnel felt an incomparable pleasure at the thought that he could bring it all to an end with his own hands.
Indeed, Prince Leios’s martial prowess was greater than he had expected.
Since he had time to spare anyway, he had intended to toy with him a little, but due to a momentary lapse, he had allowed an unexpected strike.
A sharp cleaving slash engraved in the air alongside a dazzling light. It had been a disaster born of thinking he had completely subdued him, but it left a deeper wound on his mind than on his body.
“…You bastard.”
Gashnel was engulfed in boundless rage. Without holding back any further, he surged forward with the intent to kill Prince Leios, but the situation did not unfold as easily as he had thought.
Between a Sword Master and a Sword Expert lay a deep chasm that could not be filled by anything.
Normally, one would struggle against that gap and be cast aside, but Leios, even if he rolled along the ground and was flung away, would soon rise to his feet, take his stance, and fight back against him.
“Why are you enduring it to this extent?”
Though he had allowed an unexpected strike due to carelessness, the difference in power between friend and foe was clear.
Even now, the reason he was slowly cornering him like this was because he was wary, to prevent some unforeseen incident like before.
Prince Leios, who had just failed to deflect Gashnel’s sword and had rolled along the ground, spat out blood-mixed saliva and rose to his feet.
Clink.
A strange fervor filled Gashnel’s eyes as he looked at the sword held in his hand.
“That sword, it’s no ordinary thing.”
No matter how decent a blade was, it could not withstand a Sword Master’s aura blade. Hadn’t the one he used earlier flown off in two pieces?
Yet the newly appeared pure white sword had merely rolled along the ground together with its master and been covered in dirt, without a single nick or scratch anywhere.
“Don’t get greedy. It’s a finicky one that chooses its master.”
Prince Leios, somehow still having room to spare even in that situation, shrugged his shoulders and tossed out a joke. Gashnel almost found himself admiring that sight.
“If you weren’t a prince, I’d want to capture you and make you my man, but it’s a pity I can’t.”
“Who’s going under whom? Can a lion bow its head to a hyena?”
“Dignified to the very end. I suppose bloodlines can’t be deceived after all.”
Gashnel even let out a deliberate note of admiration.
Among those he had met, there were only a handful who could remain dignified even in the face of death. But for such a young boy, not even an adult yet, to display such composure.
At that, Leios’s eyes snapped wide open.
“I finally understand.”
The same pure white radiance that clung to his sword gathered in his pupils.
Gashnel looked on with interest, curious to see what he would show next, but at the words that followed, he had no choice but to twist his face in distortion.
“How dare the likes of you call yourself a Sword Master?”
And then he even burst into laughter, looking like someone who had discovered something truly amusing.
I looked at Gashnel, whose face was twitching violently at my words.
He certainly possessed strength worthy of being called a Sword Master, but he was not complete.
A Sword Master was only completed when the three elements—mind, energy, and body—were all in balance. But while Gashnel’s energy and body were complete, his heart alone was hopelessly clouded.
“Just because you can use an aura blade doesn’t mean everyone is a Sword Master. You’re nothing more than a fake wearing an empty shell.”
It was something I hadn’t known when I first faced him. But now that I had reached Sword Master, I could clearly distinguish that difference.
The momentum that had felt complete and perfected had carried something ominous and unstable about it.
A fake who simply spewed out the momentum he possessed without restraint, imitating those he aspired to be.
‘If he had truly reached the realm of a Sword Master, I would’ve died before even awakening.’
Whether Absolute plausibility had intervened, or whether it was truly just good fortune, I didn’t know, but it was an ideal development for me.
Clench.
Right after awakening, I had felt a sense of dissonance between my mind and body and had been preoccupied with merely avoiding Gashnel’s attacks, but now, after a little time had passed, I had grown somewhat accustomed to it.
That was why I brushed off the dirt from Excalibur, which had been rolling on the ground just like me, and layered new mana over it.
Woom-.
A radiant light settled upon it. My unique blue mana and Excalibur’s divine power intertwined and blended together.
Soon, it formed yet another sword atop the blade.
Unlike before, it was a complete form without even the slightest deficiency. At that unwavering aura, Gashnel’s eyes widened.
“…You awakened in this situation?”
“You’re the one who gave me the trigger, so I’ll offer my thanks for now. As repayment, I’ll kill you in a single stroke, without pain.”
As I firmly grasped the sword with both hands, a different kind of momentum began to rise from the tip of the blade. But Gashnel looked at me with narrowed eyes and spoke.
“…His Highness said it. Just bring you back alive. Even if your arms and legs are cut off, the fact that you’re a prince won’t disappear.”
“If you’re capable.”
I grinned at that.
The moment my words ended, he kicked off the ground and charged.
Reaching Sword Master did not bring about conspicuous changes like rebirth or the reconstruction of the body.
According to the original work, such things would take place gradually over time.
For now, it was merely that what I hadn’t been able to see before became visible, and that I could use the power I had more efficiently.
But even that alone was enough to reverse the tide.
Clang-!
“Ugh?!”
For the first time, his sword—until now swung without obstruction—was knocked aside, and bewilderment filled Gashnel’s face.
He quickly corrected his stance and launched another attack, but unlike before when I had been helplessly overwhelmed, I easily blocked his strikes.
Psss-.
Not only that, my aura blade began to erode his sword.
Watching his own aura blade being gradually shaved away each time our blades met, his complexion stiffened.
“What in the world is this…….”
“I told you.”
You’re not a real Sword Master.
The momentum that had overwhelmed me just moments ago was nowhere to be found; now it wavered uncertainly, like a candle flickering before the wind.
Seeking to put an end to it, I drew Excalibur back.
‘I think I can use it now.’
The Fiore Style swordsmanship I had sealed away due to insufficient realm began to take shape in my mind.
I sharpened the sword in my heart, and soon it was overlaid onto reality.
Fiore Style Averse.
Though it had been a long time since I last unleashed Fiore Style swordsmanship, it felt as familiar as if I had swung it hundreds, thousands of times.
Soon, a vivid blue light burst from the tip of the blade. It swept across all directions, and in an instant, countless slashes were engraved into the air.
“…Hoo.”
When I finally exhaled, I realized that I was sprawled on the ground as if collapsed.
As though I had drawn out every last bit of strength from my body in that single attack, my entire body felt so heavy it seemed I might collapse at any moment.
But I couldn’t remain lying there, so I spat out a dry cough, shook off the sense of powerlessness, and barely managed to rise.
When I lifted my head, Gashnel was still standing right in front of me. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but the train had already departed.
Drip.
As a gentle breeze brushed past us, a thin line was etched across his cheek, and a single drop of bright red blood trickled down.
It soon spread to cover his entire body, and his form was chopped into pieces so fine they were unrecognizable, falling to the ground.
“…It’s not a very pleasant sight.”
The stench of blood rose from the ground, stinging my nose.
Fiore Style was difficult to use, but it delivered definite results. Gashnel must have met his death without even seeing a speck of my blade.
“I kept my promise to send you off without pain.”
When I let out a deep sigh, only then did the soldiers around us begin to stir, revealing their fear.
The defeat of the Sword Master they had trusted in. It was like a signal flare announcing the birth of a new Sword Master.
Crack.
I looked down at the sword in my hand. I wasn’t particularly fond of killing others, but was there any need to extend mercy even to those who had gathered here to kill me?
“R-run away!”
Sensing that my killing intent was now directed at them, the one who seemed to be the commander shouted first toward his subordinates. But it was nothing more than his final words, an empty echo.
Thud-!
With just a light swing of my sword from a distance, his head burst apart.
At that sight, the soldiers froze in place, unable to even think of fleeing.
“Blame the fate that made you choose the wrong master.”
The cleanup of the soldiers was finished in less than a minute.
Since they had been deployed for this sort of task, they would likely have lost their lives at the end anyway to keep their mouths shut, but carrying it out with my own hands left a slightly unpleasant aftertaste. But that was only momentary; I immediately began running through the forest to return to Madrid Academy, where the Academic Festival was being held.
If only I could use teleportation magic, but unfortunately, I was still only capable of the basics.
Fortunately, near the edge of the forest there were more than a dozen horses tied up, presumed to belong to those who had ambushed me. I killed the guards watching over them and commandeered one.
‘Come to think of it, they said a mage had taken control of this area.’
Whether it had been bluster, or whether he had already fled by the time Gashnel died, I didn’t know, but it no longer mattered.
Riding out of the forest, a well-paved road appeared.
Since it was still daytime, there were many carriages moving about nearby.
Asking one of them, it seemed as I had expected that I had been teleported to a location not too far from the capital.
“Hyah!”
Without delay, I spurred my horse and charged toward the capital.
And when I finally reached it.
“…Damn it.”
Before my eyes spread the sight of the city within the walls burning in flames everywhere.