*****
NOVELASIUS
- TL: the guild
- Discord: https://discord.gg/GBKEa55867
- Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/topasius
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ENJOY~ PYUUN~
*****
Sword Master Garrand (3)
Chairman Redic Giorgio had lived through a time not too different from the Sword Master’s.
As a child, he remembered a monstrous bull rampaging in the West, notorious for its destruction. Many prominent guardians were killed before the beast reached the royal capital, where one man stood to face it.
The young swordsman Garrand Arden, already famous as a master of his era, came to represent the Eastern Swordsmanship House of Arden.
The outcome was overwhelmingly one-sided. The sheer force of his muscles, likened to steel, allowed him to throw the colossal bull into the sky.
From that moment, Garrand’s fame only grew.
Monsters that appeared once every few decades were felled by his sword, and many swordsmen idolized and followed him.
Even when Redic became a senior member of the association in his forties, Garrand remained the same.
There was a time when Redic lamented that the once-mountainous physique of Garrand had withered and the overwhelming aura that once resonated through the earth no longer radiated. He thought the great man had finally aged.
But the Sword Master had not weakened at all.
He sliced through a giant bird that flew across the sky, threatening to devastate an entire city, with just one sword.
How a mere swordsman on the ground could achieve such a feat remains a mystery to this day.
Thus, the Sword Master became a living legend, the pinnacle of the Guardian Association, a swordsman who represented an era.
A figure forever idolized by knights.
And now, this Sword Master personally requested a duel. It was an honor that should have been accepted with reverence, regardless of East or West. However…
“…Me? Why? I don’t want to.”
Korin Lork rejected it outright.
Silence lingered for a while.
Though there were few people present, one could expect to hear the sound of their breathing, yet even that seemed to have disappeared.
“Are you avoiding my test?”
It was the Sword Master who spoke first.
“A duel with the Sword Master doesn’t seem worth it.”
“It’s merely a spar to gauge your abilities.”
“I doubt it would end with just that.”
Garrand’s gaze, which suggested that he wouldn’t be satisfied with just that, made him pout like a child caught in a lie.
“You’re no fun.”
Indeed, a duel between someone of the Sword Master’s caliber and someone like Korin was unlikely to end as a simple spar.
Even Alicia sometimes crossed the line in moments of extreme focus; what about the Sword Master? It wouldn’t be surprising if a spar turned into a fight to the death.
‘Damn old man, he doesn’t know how to hold back.’
In his previous life, Korin almost lost an arm in a fight against him. He barely managed to reattach his dangling limb.
“Well done. Give him ten more years, and he’ll be worth watching. Once your wounds heal, take Lunia as your wife. This old man grants his permission.”
It felt like the Sword Master was testing a prospective son-in-law for his granddaughter.
“If you want to fight me, you’ll need to make a deal. Don’t think you can just take me on for free.”
“Hahaha…! Have you ever seen such an audacious boy? There are countless people who would pay a fortune just to see this old man’s sword in action.”
“By the way, can I ask you something?”
“You refuse this old man’s offer, and now you have the audacity to ask me a question?”
“Chairman Eriu Kasar told me to talk to you if I ever met you.”
At the mention of Eriu Kasar, the former chairman of Merkava, who was now presumed dead, the old man’s expression changed abruptly.
“Eriu Kasar, huh? I met him several times in my youth. They say he died recently? Well, that’s nonsense.”
Garrand reminisced as if recalling fond memories. What caught Korin’s attention was the last thing he said.
“What do you mean?”
Eriu Kasar was a rune puppet used by Erin Danua to run the academy while she was sealed.
Of course, Korin knew she wasn’t actually dead, but how could Garrand be so sure when he didn’t know that Eriu Kasar was Erin?
“That venerable spearman was killed by those clowns at the Magic Tower? Impossible.”
“…Really?”
“Boy, you know something, don’t you?”
“No comment. But… it seemed like you had something to teach me.”
“Indeed, a natural teacher. I learned much from Eriu Kasar. Repaying his pupil would be the right thing to do.”
The Sword Master opened his hand and gazed at it nostalgically.
Now an elderly man approaching sixty, with a body still strong but no longer the powerful physique of his youth…
“Since I walked the path of the sword, I’ve always felt an insatiable thirst for power.”
Born as the rightful heir of the Arden family, a house of swordsmanship, he trained his natural talent and strength.
He pursued only power, strengthening his muscles and drinking elixirs to enhance his aura.
“Family, position, power, wealth… none of that mattered to me. I pursued only strength and was intoxicated by it.”
“I remember facing the mad ox that rampaged in the West. It was massive. When it charged at me, I took it head-on with my bare hands. Then I threw it. It was light as a feather.”
“In my time, there was no one who could match me, and my power was so great it would go down in history. Some even called me a god.”
A monstrous god.
A being with overwhelming power, almost beyond human. The young swordsman of that era had earned the right to claim such a title.
He proclaimed with grandeur.
“The number of monsters I’ve slain totals a hundred thousand! The land I’ve defended stretches beyond the horizon! The people I’ve saved number in the millions!”
“I am the great force of the world! I am the best under the heavens! I never doubted I was the invincible champion!”
“And then I met your master.”
The Sword Master raised his sword. The light of the sun reflected off the blade, shining gloriously as he meticulously reconstructed the memory of that shocking day, manifesting the essence of his martial spirit.
“That man was weak. As the chairman of the academy, I expected more, but the strength in his body didn’t even compare to the witch he accompanied.”
That was only natural. At the time, Eriu Kasar’s body was a puppet made of rune stones, moving with only the minimal aura and magic power.
“But I was defeated. No matter how mighty a sword I wielded, it couldn’t touch him. My aura, which could blanket the earth, couldn’t shake him.”
“I had met the real thing.”
“The Six Harmonies Spear. That divine spear held a principle I didn’t understand.”
From that moment on, the life of Garrand Arden took a turn.
He abandoned the powerful slashes he had swung and the elixirs he consumed to hold more aura.
He focused solely on training with his sword.
To grasp the principle of that moment.
“And finally, when my muscles withered and my aura could no longer cover the earth.”
He struck.
With his sword.
It was a light slash, like a gentle breeze. However—
“Ah…”
“Oh my…”
“…”
Everyone present realized something had changed. The vacuum created by the aftermath touched their skin.
The clouds, the sky, the world… had been split in two.
“The sword has reached the heavens. And so, my Heaven-Splitting Sword is complete.”
He had cut the sky. The unbelievable feat was done with the same nonchalance as bending a stick of candy. He then pointed his sword at Korin.
“What principle will you imbue in your spear? What realm will you reach by risking your life?”
“…”
Korin knew of four realms.
The Sword Ghost’s Thousand-Hand Martial Twin.
A cosmic sword that slices everything within a kilometer radius.
Alicia Arden’s Infinite Domain Breakthrough.
A sword that ignores distance, teleporting to its target.
Erin Danua’s Limitless.
A divine spear that negates all distance.
Garrand Arden’s Heaven-Splitting Slash.
A divine sword that can cut even the sky.
What is it about their swords and spears that have reached a realm beyond, a silent mastery beyond domains?
“There’s only one answer. The ultimate.”
“The ultimate?”
“Just one. Focus on just one thing. Imbue your mind with the principle, the domain, the truth you seek. When you combine mind, energy, and body, and unite thought, domain, and principle, you reach the ultimate.”
“…That’s a pretty vague explanation. Can’t you make it simpler?”
“You, at your level, want an easy answer? This is not something to be taught but something to be realized.”
Not something to be taught, but realized.
It was the same thing Erin had told him. Korin understood that he had to find the answer.
“If you don’t want to spar with me, that’s fine. I was interested because you seemed to have the potential to grasp a domain, but I see you’re not ripe yet. Go on, show me that sun of yours.”
“If that’s what you want.”
Korin began to manifest the sun as requested.
A vast amount of magic filled the world, and finally, a sphere of the sun appeared.
A small sun. Even though it was a smaller version, it was still a massive sun that heated the world. Garrand Arden clicked his tongue as he gazed upon it.
“A sun, huh. I’ve always wanted to cut one.”
He swung his sword. In the next moment—
“Ugh…!”
“Oh my…”
The sun was split in half.
“The test ends here. Chairman, you handle the evaluation.”
With that, Garrand Arden turned his back. Then, as if he had just remembered something, he spoke.
“If you want to take my granddaughters, perfect your ultimate and come for them. I’ll support your marriage to Lunia and Alicia. You can have the Arden family.”
“…What’s with everyone’s view on marriage here?”
“Hohoho…! A hero is meant to love many! To pursue and conquer women in abundance is both a right and a duty of the strong!”
With that, Garrand Arden disappeared. Alicia came running over, panting.
“Huff, huff… Korin, are you going to do it?”
“Huh? Yeah, I have to.”
Korin needed to become even stronger. Stronger than Sword Master Garrand, stronger than his master Erin Danua.
What he ultimately sought was to defeat his greatest foe, Tates Valtazar.
If mastering the principle in his spear was the key to defeating him… then he had to achieve it.
“Hmmm… so, you’re going to get permission from Grandpa then… um~ not bad.”
“Alicia?”
“I’ll support you! Go for it!”
“Uh… okay.”
Korin thought that the Arden family was truly terrifying.
It seemed that the only normal person in that family was the daughter-in-law, Sophia.
Officially, Korin Lork became a Special Grade Guardian.
To be precise, Hua Ran and Marie also became Special Grade Guardians, and Alicia was evaluated as a Near Special Grade.
It couldn’t be helped that Alicia fell short of the others in terms of sheer power.
The fact that three Special Grade Guardians, which appear maybe once in a generation, emerged simultaneously would cause quite a stir, but there was an even bigger headline.
“From now on, I will be the chairman of the Central Guardian Association. Any objections?”
“…”
“…”
No one raised any objections. It was only natural.
The transfer of the chairman position went smoothly.
Chairman Redic himself moved on to a high-ranking position in the Southern Ministry of Agriculture, and although the sun Korin manifested had been cut by the Sword Master’s blade, no one doubted its destructive power.
Had there been any opposition from the central political sphere, there might have been an issue, but the new chairman had the full support of both the Southern Dunareff family and the Western Zeon Church’s saintess.
With military, political, and financial power united, who could refuse this young man who hadn’t even reached the age of majority?
“I can’t accept this! A young brat like you!”
Well, there was one.
An old man, obviously upset, stepped forward.
He was a senior member who had been eyeing the chairman position after Redic, and he couldn’t accept that some upstart had taken the role.
“And who might you be?”
“I am First Class Knight Gale Borgman! I’ve served the association faithfully for thirty years! And now, some nobody comes out of nowhere and takes the chairman position? Do you think I’ll accept this?”
“Why? What’s your problem?”
“You might be strong! But what else do you have besides that?”
“Money, power, connections?”
“Grr…”
Gale was at a loss for words.
The new chairman was supported by both the Zeon Church and the Dunarev family. Even the former chairman and other high-ranking officials, likely receiving significant incentives, did not oppose this eighteen-year-old taking over.
It was almost unnaturally devoid of opposition. Even the royal family, expected to make some objection, simply offered congratulations.
“But… a chairman with no accomplishments…”
He was about to say more but stopped.
Indeed, the new chairman didn’t have many accomplishments. But what he had done was monumental.
The Iron Mountain King, the saintess rescue, the Mound extermination. Each was an extraordinary feat.
He had achieved things that would typically require the efforts of hundreds of guardians, with only a small team by his side.
No one could deny that he was a Special Grade Guardian, one of the most exceptional in the association’s history.
“Did you hear? Marie Dunarev became the head of the Southern branch, Hua Ran is heading the Western branch.”
Everyone knew.
As soon as they became Special Grade Guardians, they used their authority to take control of the Southern, Western, and Central branches.
In less than a week, they had silenced opposition with a single document and the combined force of their power and influence.
And since Lunia, the swordmaster of Arden, was effectively managing the Eastern branch, which bordered the North Kingdom, they had essentially taken over the entire association, excluding the North, which was practically a backwater.
This was why none of the senior members present dared to challenge Korin Lork.
“As chairman, I’m ordering you to gather 400 guardians from each branch and have them on standby.”
“F-Four hundred? That’s over a thousand guardians!”
“That’s a quarter of the association’s total strength! Where are you going to deploy that many?”
“It’s all for a good cause.”
“The branches will push back…”
“Wow~ what a coincidence. Marie, Hua Ran, and Lunia. They’re all from our Guardians group. They’re all my friends. They’ll handle it.”
“…”
“…”
The senior members wore expressions that said they couldn’t understand the new chairman’s intentions. With that many guardians, you could overthrow a country.
Could it be a rebellion? No, that couldn’t be. It was well known that the saintess, who had a claim to the throne, was quite fond of the chairman.
‘Is this really happening?’
‘No way! If over a thousand guardians stop working, the financial losses alone…’
‘The branches will revolt. There’s no way this will work…’
“Oh, by the way, I’m resigning as chairman in a year. I’ll be submitting my resignation to the royal family in advance. When I step down, I’ll choose a suitable successor, so I’m counting on you all?”
“…”
“…Huh?”
“It’s nothing big. Just a little reminder to keep yourselves in check.”
If you want to be my successor.
“…”
The meeting room fell into silence.
With control over the East, West, South, and Central branches firmly in hand, only the North remained. All that was left was to prepare for the coming Mythic War at the end of this winter.
Since I plan to resign in a year and have already submitted my resignation, everyone will be vying for my position in the meantime.
I may have seized the chairman’s position out of necessity, but I don’t have time to manage the association. It’s better to handle the urgent matters and then pass the role to the next person.
Although I had become the chairman through unconventional means, it was still necessary to visit the royal palace for formal approval.
“Sigh~ You sure do cause a stir with everything you do.”
“I’m sorry for the trouble, Your Majesty.”
Having witnessed my role in the Mound extermination and the subsequent turmoil, and now seeing me take over as chairman, King David looked as though he had aged three years.
“My eldest daughter told me the whole story. Hard to believe, but… she wouldn’t lie about receiving a ‘revelation from the Lord’…”
“Haha…”
So Estelle had spun it that way.
Estelle, who had recently begun the process of deifying Danan, was making quite a racket both internally and externally.
She had purged a large number of the pope and cardinals, established herself as the sole representative of the church, and even began altering doctrines.
She was doing all of this under the pretense of ‘The Lord spoke to me. I heard it.’
Well, when a miracle child, directly connected to the divine, says something like that, you just have to believe it.
The flaw of the One God religion is that no one can refute a claim of divine revelation. You can just say, ‘Yeah, that’s what the Lord wants,’ and that’s the end of it.
“Great evil is approaching. We must prepare.”
“Is Miriam… part of that preparation?”
“I’m sorry to say, but it’s true that the Second Princess sided with them.”
“…You must have helped her turn away from that path. Her hatred… it ran that deep.”
King David sighed before speaking again.
“So, Baron Lork… no, should I call you Chairman now?”
“Please address me however you wish.”
“Do you have any thoughts about marrying one of my daughters?”
“…What?”
Why is everyone like this? Aren’t fathers-in-law supposed to be against this? Isn’t the Marquess of Dunarev’s reaction the normal one?
“Actually, you know what? Just take them both. You can be the next king.”
“Heh? …Your Majesty?!”
Seriously, what’s wrong with everyone? Am I the only one who’s normal?
*****
NOVELASIUS
- TL: the guild
- Discord: https://discord.gg/GBKEa55867
- Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/topasius
*****
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