Chapter 399
Episode 399 – Countermeasures (2)
Lochter held his twin swords, eyes closed.
As if trying to hear someone’s whisper, he quietly tuned his ears to the air.
But no voice came—it was just an illusion.
I could’ve sworn I heard it…
Clenching his swords, Lochter bit his lip.
Reyna and Belin.
Twin swords named after his most beloved wife and daughter, the only pair of their kind in the world. He was certain he had once heard them whisper to him when he held them.
Click—
Lochter took his stance and recalled his battle with Richard.
It had been one of the most grueling, perilous fights he had ever faced.
Richard had turned out to be a far stronger monster than expected.
At the time, Richard wielded four magical swords:
Thunder Blade, Thunderer
Vine Blade, Indra
Ghost Blade, Oras
Illusion Blade, Karoru
The only way to handle the barrage of magical swords coming from every direction was through counters.
And so, Lochter unleashed relentless counters without pause, fending off the storm of attacks.
It was the first time he had felt the limits of his counters.
The more he used them…His will began to crack. Counter was a skill that consumed willpower.
Lochter, however, possessed [Unyielding Will], acknowledged even by Divine Power itself. A will that should never have faltered—
Yet when he spammed counters against Richard, his will was worn down to its core, triggering intense side effects.
— You’re going to die.
— Give up.
— You’ll never win.
Instead of his once indomitable will, weak and fragile thoughts began to fill his mind.
Every time he countered, those frail emotions grew larger,
and they steadily eroded his movements, causing his technique to crumble.
This was a phenomenon Lochter had never experienced before. It brought him face to face with a serious crisis.
If not for that whisper…
That single whisper—
And the new ability that bloomed with it—
He would’ve lost before Richard even drew his fifth sword.
Lochter refocused on his twin swords, Reyna and Belin.
Though the whisper didn’t come again, the sense that had awakened back then remained.
Keeping his eyes closed, he summoned his inner perception,
and gazed at his twin swords with the eyes of the mind.
Just like flipping a switch—
Vmmm!
Reyna and Belin began to hum with deep resonance. At the same time, a familiar space unfolded in his mind.
Though his eyes were shut, he could clearly picture every corner of the room.
He sensed Lily’s soft breathing, Keros shifting beside her.
Even without seeing, even without looking—He could feel the entire space around him with perfect clarity.
Inside that mental space, Lochter began to move, swinging his twin blades. Swift, sharp techniques filled the room.
Even with his eyes closed, Lochter moved without hesitation,
and yet not a single item or piece of furniture was disturbed.
Even when an aura like a storm burst from his blades,
the area around him remained calm—like the eye of a storm.
It was a serene sword dance within perfect spatial control.
Thud—
His twin swords, which had been slicing through the air like wind, came to a sudden stop. When he opened his eyes, the tip of his blade lightly touched Arthur’s nose.
A strand of Arthur’s hair fell gently to the ground.
“You scared me. I thought a blind sword was going to kill me.”
“Swords have eyes too. I just realized that now.”
In his battle with Richard, Lochter had found both the limits of his counter technique—and another possibility.
“You seem… changed.”
“I gained a fortune.”
“Don’t tell me—an enlightenment?”
To that, Lochter gave a bitter smile.
“No. It’s not enlightenment. It’s just… something I missed, something I longed for.”
He sheathed Reyna and Belin and turned his back. Then, with dry lips, he muttered:
“It was just… salvation.”
A new ability given by the twin swords, Reyna and Belin. It felt like his perception was now shared with the swords through his inner self.
Just as he had deflected Richard’s magical sword attacks without counters,
Lochter felt he could now control all sensory input around him with this new ability.
A kind of absolute domain.
Though it had opened a new path for him, Lochter’s expression remained somber.
More than the power itself, he wanted to hear that whisper again.
He began to wonder if it had merely been an auditory hallucination born from longing.
— Don’t give up.
His daughter’s voice.
Maybe it wasn’t a whisper after all…?
If only he could hear it again—Lochter found himself wishing to return to the moment of his battle with Richard.
“When did you regain consciousness?”
“Today.”
He had only been awake for less than half a day.
Arthur seated him at the table in the middle of the room and began a conversation.
Since Lochter had been unconscious since the battle, he knew nothing of what had happened.
Arthur explained each event in detail:
The team’s pursuit to Prime Root.
The Black Market suppression.
The incident involving the Branch of Illusion and the World Tree.
And the upcoming large-scale festival.
There had been so many incidents in such a short time. As the explanation grew longer, Lochter narrowed his brow and listened closely.
When Arthur finally finished, he glanced around the room and asked a question.
“By the way, where did all the ghosts go?”
“I sent them away. Merchant Lord Lenon came asking for help, so I assigned the ghosts to him.”
“You did?”
“There’s no longer a reason for them to stay here.”
Now that Lochter was awake, the ghost guards were no longer necessary, so he had reassigned them elsewhere.
“Italus is currently acting as the lord, isn’t he?”
“Yes. Do you know why he took the ghosts?”
“From what you said, it must be related to the Black Market.”
“Has Fenry come to the castle?”
“I haven’t heard anything about her.”
If she had arrived, Lochter would have known. That meant she hadn’t yet finished preparing to strike the Black Market.
Arthur nodded, recalling the three who had departed for their missions—Fenry, Natasha, and Karl.
Then Lochter, who had been quietly sitting, seemed to collect his thoughts and asked:
“So what’s the plan for the unified alliance after the festival?”
“I don’t have all the fine details, but I’ve drawn up the big picture.”
“You’re planning to strike Demtor, aren’t you?”
Lochter’s direct question caught Arthur a bit off guard.
“You’ve figured it out?”
“If a peace treaty has been signed with Prime Root,
the only target left is Demtor.”
“No one expects the Alliance to draw their sword first.”
“We’ve walked this path together since Tobaron. There’s one thing I’ve learned—Cowering and waiting is the same as asking your enemy to kill you.”
“You mean… we must strike first?”
“Didn’t you already prove that to be true?”
“In this chaotic world, there’s only one way the Alliance survives—you bite first, before your enemy bites you.”
In the world Lochter saw, defense alone would never be enough. To survive, they had to attack first.
Arthur had shown that against Kamel in Tobaron.
A hunter—One who hunts their chosen prey.
Arthur always prepared to strike, whether by luring Kamel into lowering his guard, ambushing him, or acting in unpredictable ways.
Lochter firmly believed that those actions were what led to the Alliance’s success.
Arthur, meeting the trust in Lochter’s eyes, smiled warmly.
Lochter clearly understood what it took to survive.
“Is there anything I can do?”
“Not yet. For now, become stronger. Your sharpened blade will be what saves the Alliance.”
“If you’re hoping I’ll reach 6-star, I have no idea how close I am.”
Arthur smiled bitterly and nodded.
They’d spent so much time together, it was easy to read each other now.
To Arthur’s eyes, Lochter was standing at the edge of 5-star.
Among the group, he was the one most likely to ascend to 6-star.
If only he had the right trigger—But that trigger must not come from an Absolute Being.
Cultivating a warrior who reaches 6-star without aid from an Absolute Being—This was one of the Alliance’s greatest challenges.
Arthur was counting on Lochter to be that exception.
And since I’ve confirmed another possibility… I’ll need to look into it more closely.
He had gotten a hint from the group that had just returned from Prime Root.
Arthur quietly turned to look at the sleeping Lily.
Moonlight’s Radiance.
Just like how the Moonlight she summoned had triggered deep changes in spirit-bound allies—There was something special about her Moonlight.
He needed to examine that further.
It might play a decisive role in the 6-star awakenings of their companions.
“A bit disappointing.”
“What is?”
Arthur took his eyes off Lily and looked out the window.
A dazzling white full moon bathed the city in light.
A peaceful night under the Curse of Sloth. Lily’s abilities would have to be tested another time.
***
The next morning All of Aintrier was in an uproar. Merchants caravans formed long lines, heading out through the gates.
Large merchant groups left Aintrier with hopeful expressions. Ever since the trade tax was abolished, this had become the norm regardless of a group’s size.
Now, if they bought goods from other regions and sold them,
all the profits were theirs—So merchants were actively expanding their reach.
Most were heading toward the most profitable regions: Demtor and Prime Root.
In the Lord’s office, two people stood before the stiff-backed Guildmaster of the Information Guild.
He had just finished reporting and was nervously awaiting a response.
One of the two people facing him was the new acting lord of Aintrier—Far too intimidating a presence for a mere information guildmaster.
After hearing the report, Arthur handed him a pouch of gold coins.
“Thank you for the valuable intel. Can I expect more in the future?”
“O-Of course! As soon as the caravans return, I’ll scrape together every bit of outside information and report it!”
“Focus especially on Demtor.”
“Yes, sir…!”
As the guildmaster hurriedly left the office, Arthur turned to the elderly man standing beside him, who radiated a cranky aura.
This was Merchant Lord Lenon, currently serving as Aintrier’s acting lord.
Lost in deep thought, Lenon wore a troubled expression—
Arthur, knowing why, smiled and said:
“Seems the merchant lords are reacting more strongly than expected.”
“Merchants will risk their lives for profit. With the chance to earn big, they’ll be out scouring the outer regions like hawks.”
“You’re not heading out, Italus?”
“I’ve realized… this isn’t the time to chase pennies.”
Italus had just heard from Arthur about the upcoming grand festival.
An event that would bring massive changes—and massive funding—to the city.
In his mind, he envisioned the ‘City of Vagabonds’ transforming into a golden city. He couldn’t sit still.
That city was where the Lenon Merchant Guild had established its new base.
He was certain this festival would elevate their status even further—so he wanted to cross over as soon as possible and seize every opportunity to make money.
Naturally, he couldn’t help but gauge Arthur’s mood.
“Um…?”
“Not yet.”
“Hah… When can I give up the acting position?”
“When the new lord is appointed.”
“And who would that be?”
He’d asked before, but Arthur always just smiled without answering.
This time, expecting nothing, Italus asked again. To his surprise, Arthur gave it some thought and answered:
“The Black Market.”
That’s the new ruler of Aintrier.