Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Ego Sword Picked Me Up (13)

A Turbulent Age

‘The master of an artifact has appeared!’

A rumor spread through Azif. It said I was the master of an artifact, and that I had stopped the barbarians with its power.

There was no talk that I was the master of a sacred object.

Naturally so. The Rubalt Kingdom had long had 17 sacred objects and 17 Knights, and the appearance of a new sacred object and Knight was a major event that shattered existing common sense.

BLAZE!

On the outskirts of the Azif territory, the work of gathering corpses in one place and burning them was in full swing.

Amid the vibrating smell of burning, I visited the lord’s castle and faced the guard knight responsible for the security of the Barony of Azif.

“Excellent.”

“You flatter me.”

“You are polite too, unlike how you look.”

“Thank you for viewing me favorably.”

“You brought the third-highest number of noses. The two ahead of you cut noses from the corpses of those killed by the Knight, but you did not.”

The barbarian noses I had personally collected numbered fewer than 10.

Yet after what felt like an endlessly long time passed, a pile of barbarian noses had stacked up beside me. Other mercenaries had left them there.

Even mercenaries mad for money were not so weak-hearted that they would betray someone who had saved them.

“I did my best.”

“What do you think about becoming an honorable soldier who protects the barony? I believe the conditions would not be bad for you either.”

A mercenary was an unstable temporary worker with an uncertain future.

In contrast, a soldier was a regular employee, and the workload and position were better than a mercenary’s as well.

―An honorable soldier? If you become something like a barony soldier, you will spend your whole life wiping the baron’s backside! Ptooey!

For Flambeju, who was aiming at least for the seat of king, there was no way the position of a mere soldier would catch his eye.

The same was true for me.

I smiled faintly and answered politely.

“My apologies, but I am satisfied with life as a mercenary.”

“A shame. If you change your mind, come find me at any time.”

At the Castle of Baron Azif, I collected the reward for 42 barbarian noses, “8 gold and 40 silver.”

After the barbarians passed through, the mood in the Barony of Azif grew unsettled.

There had been 41 casualties on the battlefield, and the fields cultivated outside the wall had been ruined as well.

Because the barbarians had stolen crops while fleeing, there were also people crying that this year’s farming was ruined.

Most of the casualties were mercenaries who had been forcibly drafted, and lower-grade mercenaries made up the largest share.

The mercenaries, expecting successive invasions, packed their belongings and tried to move to safer cities.

―A man is meant to play in larger waters by nature! Let us leave for the city at once, Master!

Flambeju had lived for long ages and experienced countless humans.

Flambeju understood this world better than I did.

However, with his methods, we could not establish the Achievements we sought.

“By nature, heroes appear in the midst of chaos.”

A crisis was also an opportunity.

It was impossible for a country bumpkin like me to secure a place in a city where countless powerful figures had coiled themselves.

Even if I reached such a place, first came creating the strength and authority that would support me.

“How do I become a Knight? Is there a special way to deal with backlash?”

―Ooh! Have you finally gained the will to do it properly? Are you saying you will act not as a mere mercenary, but as a Knight?

The Rubalt Kingdom cherished Knights. It already treasured the 17 existing Knights, so if a new Knight not included among them appeared, the kingdom would welcome him with open arms.

However, in the current situation, the chance of falling into being a powerful person’s tool was high. In fact, most Knights belonged to such a position.

“It’s a turbulent age. I don’t know how many battles like this I’ll get caught up in from now on, so I need to build strength in advance. It would be troublesome if I fainted every time I used my power.”

―A fine decision! I am the sword of the beginning, the friend of those who start, and the guide of those who seek growth! I shall lead you! Raise the sword, Master!

I raised Flambeju in an empty lot.

―You do not need to swing the sword blindly like others! Master should be able to see the sword’s path! If you continue along that path, the time will naturally come when you become one with me!

“……So in the end, there’s no method except effort?”

―Talent and effort! That is the conclusion I reached while watching countless masters.

Flambeju had served many masters. He had accumulated experience, but it seemed that very experience had instead created fixed ideas.

I had an education created across multiple generations.

That education pointed out that blindly working hard was inefficient. Even when making effort, one had to set the right direction, and once the direction was set, it advised analyzing those who had gone ahead and learning their know-how.

“Let’s examine it one by one. Starting from the people among your masters who succeeded.”

―The most successful person was Mercenary King Veronica…….

As expected, there was know-how for handling a sacred object like Flambeju.

‘The know-how I’ve discovered is 5 things.’

I gripped Flambeju and steadied my breath.

There was no one before my eyes, but I imagined an enemy.

That enemy was not a Vulf, a Lizardman, or a barbarian warrior, but myself.

‘First, self-recognition comes first.’

The solid lines formed with “me” as the standard. The more I knew myself, the more the solid lines increased and became clearer.

And the more deeply I knew myself and my opponent, the greater the effect of resonance became.

WOOOOOOO!

―Ooh! This exaltation! What magic did you use? Did you gain enlightenment in that short time?

‘Second, what I cut is not the opponent’s body, but possibility.’

I swung the sword lightly. Along the sword’s diagonal trajectory, a red solid line appeared and vanished.

Seeing that, Flambeju’s eyes widened.

―H-How can there be a solid line when there is no enemy…….

A flying insect torn apart by the wind pressure scattered without a trace.

The solid line meant the most certain possibility. This was why the solid line appeared only when I overwhelmed the opponent.

‘Third, solid lines are probability.’

I could kill an opponent with red solid lines, but rarely, there were cases of failure.

Also, because solid lines vanished in real time, there had been several masters who suffered setbacks after trying to rely only on solid lines.

‘Fourth, my limit is the sword’s limit.’

A sacred object merely optimized its master’s physical abilities.

Even Knight Serein was known to have the best compatibility with a sacred object among all Knights, but because they were naturally frail, they could not display their ability for long.

In that sense, I was at an advantage. It was thanks to having learned martial arts and trained my body based on the education of modern Earth.

I swung the sword lightly and moved back and forth.

I was performing the kendo most familiar to me, but I modified it little by little to fit actual combat. While trying things forbidden in kendo, such as shoving or tripping the legs, I aimed only for the opponent’s vital points.

‘Fifth, the sacred object’s first form is fate.’

The fact that the sacred object transformed into an ornate form when I first held it was not a coincidence. It was the best form created by the resonance between me and Flambeju.

For now, I used the sword in a form familiar to my hand, but ultimately, I had to use the heavy two-handed sword. Only then could I scrape out Flambeju’s abilities all the way to the bottom.

‘I’ll do that gradually…….’

I swung the sword in a form familiar to me.

In my head, the image of one person played back vividly, and I imitated his movements.

Knight Babel!

The sight of him crushing barbarian warriors while spewing blue sword energy would not leave my mind.

Because the weapons we used were different, the posture changed too, but I somehow imitated the trajectory of the Chinese cleaver.

That alone seemed to sharpen my sword strikes a little.

‘So this is martial arts for actual combat.’

Though I had trained in martial arts for a long time, “killing” was something I absolutely had to avoid.

But Babel’s swordsmanship was not like that. Rather, it could be said to have been made for killing.

A short while later, the speed at which I cut through empty air grew a little faster.

‘This is Knight Babel’s swordsmanship!’

Swordsmanship was a method of using the body efficiently. In addition, its purpose was harmony between sword and person.

Babel’s swordsmanship transformed as it passed through the filter that was me. It changed to suit the martial arts I had learned, my body, and Flambeju.

SWISH-SWISH-SWISH-SWISH!

As I tried to shred the air, I felt a tingling sensation around my chest.

It was a sensation I had felt before on the battlefield.

‘What exactly is this? Why do I feel tingling every time I swing the sword?’

Unfortunately, I had to lower the sword without uncovering the clear reason.

It was because of the cheers drawing closer and closer.

“Long live Knight Babel!”

“Long live the Rubalt Kingdom!”

The Knight approached me in a straight line and extended his hand. No, it seemed he had been watching me from afar.

“I thought your performance on the battlefield was a coincidence, but are you an apprentice Knight?”

Knight Babel!

The Knight of the Moon!

Having removed his armor, the Knight looked plain. At his waist hung the familiar Chinese cleaver, and his navy-blue eyes fixed on Flambeju in my hand.

He had recognized my skill. Though it was incomparable to the 17 Knights, he viewed me as an apprentice Knight dreaming of becoming one.

“I am Rohan, a lowest-grade mercenary.”

Knight was a “title.” Since it was considered equivalent to a baron, it was called “quasi-baron,” but people respected Knights more than frontier barons. In truth, the royal family treated Knights who possessed sacred objects as national treasures.

“A lowest-grade mercenary? The swordsmanship just now did not seem to be merely at that level. How old are you this year?”

“I am twenty-six this year.”

“Twenty-six? You are that old? You look quite young for that. Is it because you are a barbarian?”

It was a world where the average lifespan did not even reach 50. Dying at 40 would not be strange, and a significant number of children who were born lost their lives.

On top of that, I had belonged to the baby-faced side even in Korea, so in the eyes of people here, I looked only to be in my mid-to-late teens.

The common formula for success was to be chosen around the age of fifteen as a Knight’s squire, serve there, and then be recognized for one’s ability to become a guard knight.

After thinking for a moment, Knight Babel spoke as if he had made a great decision.

“It is somewhat late, but still not a bad age. What do you think? Will you become my squire? I think someone like you could become a Knight who devotes himself to the Rubalt Kingdom.”

Sir Babel’s attitude was as if he were bestowing grace. No, it was certainly an exceptional offer.

The goal of countless “apprentice Knights” who dreamed of becoming Knights was to become a “Knight’s squire.”

However, even if I became the mad knight Don Quixote, I had no intention of becoming Sancho, who attended to him.

“My apologies.”

“Why?”

“I prefer a free life.”

I wanted to live my own life.

Even if I delayed immediate success for a while, I did not want to be under someone’s control.

“You are an eccentric. I know one Knight like you. A wandering knight who endured my sword for half a day, Hans.”

Babel tossed me a gold coin. However, that gold coin was a half-piece.

“No matter how outstanding a genius is, they are bound to hit a limit. When that time comes, take that and go find the wandering knight Hans. I believe he will be of help to you, Rohan, lowest-grade mercenary.”

“Thank you, Sir Babel.”

Babel shook his head.