NCCnovel Chapter 140
Chapter 140
Chapter 140
Sword Master Philip did not build a family.
That did not mean he liked men, nor that he was a bachelor by principle. He, too, once had a woman he loved, and they were scheduled to marry, but she ended up losing her life in an unforeseen accident.
That was a well-known fact within the territory, even without reading the original work. He would probably live his entire life longing for his deceased lover… or so one might have thought, but around the time the war against the Demonic Realm was won, he fell in love with a certain noble lady and held a wedding.
The living had to go on living, did they not.
But until then, Philip spent every night alone. Had he married normally and built a household, he would have had children around Esmeralda’s age. Because of that, he cherished and doted on his niece as if she were his own daughter.
‘Still, I never expected this.’
“Before you win Esmeralda’s heart, you’ll have to get past me!”
He glared at me with eyes blazing, like some overly strict father-in-law. Finding it absurd, I looked toward the Sword Saint, who merely shrugged his shoulders in response.
“Well, it’s not like I can’t understand how he feels.”
“…….”
At words that sounded as though he were defending his own son, a fact I had forgotten finally resurfaced in my mind.
The Sword Saint, too, loved his granddaughter with utmost devotion. To such an extent that at a single word saying it was what she wanted, he tossed aside the sword and hired a highly skilled mage for an exorbitant sum.
“A master can’t very well request a duel from someone beneath him. But if the opponent has also become a master, then it’s a different story, isn’t it?”
“Ghn.”
At those words that left no room for negotiation, I turned a pleading gaze toward the Sword Saint. But he simply nodded, his eyes sparkling as if he found it amusing.
“No matter that it concerns my disciple, I can’t interfere in a matter between masters. Haven’t you heard the saying that those who tied the knot must untie it themselves? Any grudges that have piled up between you two should be resolved by the parties involved.”
He was even fanning the flames and egging us on, leaving me no way to refuse. Since things had turned out this way anyway, I decided I might as well make good use of the situation and rose from my seat.
‘Well, a duel between masters isn’t something you see every day.’
Philip might have said all that, but deep down, he probably wanted to fight me as well. Esmeralda was merely a pretext.
Thud.
An overwhelming pressure burst forth from Philip’s entire body. The banquet hall shook from it, and a suffocating weight pressed down on me.
“Shall we change locations.”
…Maybe she wasn’t just a pretext after all.
“Well, fight to your heart’s content. As long as neither of you dies instantly, most injuries can be treated by our healers.”
We were standing in the very center of the estate’s training ground.
Perhaps word had spread that Philip and I were dueling, because Sword Masters within the territory, along with formidable knight order commanders and other powerful figures holding key positions, had all gathered in one place.
After all, I was already rumored to be the Sword Saint’s disciple. On top of that, whispers about the title of Hero were spreading here and there, so it was only natural they would come.
Moreover, since the Gathering of Sword Masters was scheduled for tomorrow, even external figures who had come to the territory wanted to see this duel, but the Sword Saint, out of consideration for me, forbade it.
‘There are a lot of familiar faces.’
What should have ended as a simple happening carried a different weight now that so many people had gathered.
What’s more, they were all individuals who had reached a certain level, and some were strong enough that even I would struggle to handle them. With a bit of exaggeration, it felt as though more than half of the Empire’s total combat strength had assembled here.
“Draw your sword. I’ll yield the first move.”
Philip spoke to me with a confident attitude. At that, I grabbed the sword at my waist, then withdrew my hand and smiled faintly.
“River.”
[Yes, Master.]
Fwaaat—!
A dazzling radiance gathered in my palm. At that brilliant light that drove away the darkness of night, those around us stirred and focused their attention on me.
“…So that is the famed Excalibur.”
At the sight of the beautifully extended, pure white blade, not only Philip but everyone else let out exclamations of admiration.
After my Awakening, Excalibur had recovered most of the power it had lost in the Holy Kingdom and reclaimed its true form.
Now, no matter what renowned sword or treasured blade came along, it wouldn’t be outshone.
Tap.
Holding Excalibur in my hand, I carefully stepped forward.
A fight between masters was decided in an instant. A single breath, a single glance, even the twitch of a finger could determine the direction of victory. Once the duel had begun, I couldn’t afford to relax for even a moment.
“Hmph.”
Philip still looked relaxed. Since I hadn’t revealed my full presence yet, he likely hadn’t grasped my true strength.
Had I confronted him head-on, he wouldn’t have been able to maintain such composure, but instead, I planned to hide my power and strike where he least expected it.
‘This training ground is sturdy, too.’
I had dueled the Sword Saint here several times in the past.
Whatever they had done to it, it was strong enough to withstand even his aura, to the point my tongue would click in amazement. I had heard in passing that an astronomical amount of money had been invested in its construction, which made it understandable.
Screee—!
The Aura Blade surging from Excalibur cleaved through the air itself. True to his word, Philip yielded the first move and blocked my sword while stepping back.
“…….”
However, perhaps its power exceeded his expectations, because Philip’s previously relaxed expression stiffened slightly. Still, as if it were within the range he had anticipated, he opened his mouth with a composed demeanor.
“Impressive. Most who have just ascended to Sword Master become intoxicated with their own power and forget their center.”
“Unfortunately, I haven’t had the luxury for that, having fought nonstop.”
Chapter 140
Philip had already ascended to Sword Master years ago and had entered a stage of full maturity. He was surely one of the strongest figures one could count on one hand even within this territory.
However, after my Awakening, I too had fought countless opponents. Among them were experts on a level similar to mine, as well as powerhouses who surpassed me.
If we were to compare the total combat power each of us possessed at this point in time, I held a slight advantage over Philip.
That said, this duel was not meant to kill each other, but to gauge one another’s strength.
“…I see.”
At a thought that flashed through my mind in an instant, my eyes widened.
There had been many rumors—about me becoming the Sword Saint’s disciple, about being a Hero acknowledged by the Holy Kingdom—but the dominant image people still had of me was that of a scoundrel.
That perception had been deeply rooted and settled for ages. Without a decisive trigger, it would be difficult to overturn it in one fell swoop.
That was why the Sword Saint had told me to use this gathering as a turning point to wash away my stigma, and this very moment was the starting point of that foundation.
“…Come at me with everything you’ve got.”
Seeing my expression, Philip must have realized that I had grasped it. He smiled faintly and spoke in a warm voice. In response, I took a deep breath to suppress the surge rising in my chest, then gripped my sword once more.
This was a stage they had gone out of their way to prepare. I could not afford to disappoint them.
Woom—.
As if responding to my resolve, the blazing light rising above Excalibur grew ever more vivid. As the sounds of admiration around us swelled, I calmed my mind and layered only a single-minded resolve upon my blade.
Sword Saint Style Secret Art.
The swordsmanship inherited from the Sword Saint shone brilliantly at the tip of my sword. As the sword light fell like a pouring galaxy, Philip burst into laughter.
“A cluster of stars! My father’s swordsmanship indeed! Excellent! As a senior who shares the same lineage, I shall duly receive it!”
Tudadadada—!
The star cluster surging from my sword rushed toward him. Faced with that all-out attack, he might well have retreated, but Philip blocked it in place without taking a single step back.
Kwaaaaang—!
Some of the beams of light slipped past him and struck the floor of the training ground. Cracks spread across the once-solid stone floor, and fragments flew in all directions. But no one present would flinch at something like that.
Screee—!
While Philip was blocking my attack, I kicked off the ground and charged toward him. At a glance, the surprise attack seemed successful, but Philip’s eyes, which had been stopping the star cluster, were clearly fixed on me.
Bang—!
A dull sound echoed across the training ground. Facing me with our swords locked between us, Philip smiled and spoke.
“As expected, you’re remarkable. Enough to make my father greedy.”
“Thanks to that, my life’s become incredibly difficult.”
As I shrugged my shoulders while keeping our swords pressed together, he let out a hearty laugh. Then, flexing his bulging muscles, he began to press me down with even greater strength.
“But if you’re going to shoulder the Sword Saint’s name, that won’t be enough. Among my father’s bloodline, there are several who are stronger than I am.”
He looked at me with serious eyes.
In truth, I had little interest in inheriting the Sword Saint’s name or claiming myself as his successor. From their perspective as well, it would be somewhat uncomfortable for someone like me, not a direct descendant, to take that position.
But expectations were being heaped upon me to this extent. As a human being, I had a duty to answer them.
“Haaah—!”
It was the first time I let out a battle cry. I too roughly swelled my momentum, as if declaring that I had not yet been fighting at full strength. What followed was a desperate battle that unfolded in a world of pure instants.
Screea—!
The sword rushed at me before the sound reached my ears. It was so fast that only after being cut and seeing droplets of blood scatter did the world whisper to me that a sword had been swung.
But the same was true on my side. With the resolve to never yield the advantage, I stubbornly engaged in the exchange.
I knocked aside the slashing blade and pushed away the thrusting one. As if choreographed, we repeated advances and retreats, endlessly trading swords on the spot.
The temptation to use magic crept up from a corner of my mind. With swords alone, I had caught up to a state of complete parity.
If I introduced even a slight variable here—if I ambushed him with even a simple spell—the balance of victory would tilt sharply.
“…No.”
I shook my head and steeled my resolve.
The Sword Saint’s name had been forged solely by the sword. Anything else was nothing more than an unnecessary element.
So I would face this fight with the sword alone.
Before I knew it, the floor of the training ground was filled with tangled droplets of blood, forming pools.
Neither of us had dealt a fatal wound, yet our entire bodies were drenched in blood. Blood of unknown ownership gathered and began to bind around our ankles.
Click.
“…….”
Our eyes met. The sensation that the next attack would be our last dominated my mind. At that, I let out a small sigh and murmured quietly.
“Last Stardust.”
Having come this far, Philip would attack with his strongest technique without sparing my circumstances. In that case, I would answer it with the strongest attack I possessed.
Woommm—.
Excalibur resonated with my will and let out a great cry. We said nothing, but as we looked into each other’s eyes, countless thoughts were exchanged.
Paaaah—!
Soon, a blinding light burst forth from both sides. It was the swords swung with true intent by those who had reached the realm of masters.
Surely someone would die, yet no one would blame the other.
“That’s far enough.”
Amid the pouring clusters of light and the single sword that cleaved through them, a familiar voice rang out.
Jjeojeojeok—!
At the same time, the world was split by the single slash of creation I had seen countless times before. It tore my light cluster to shreds and lightly knocked Philip’s sword aside.
“…Hoo.”
At the Sword Saint’s strike, the fierce momentum with which we had been fighting shattered like sheets of paper caught in a violent storm. In truth, I had expected him to intervene around this point.
After all, he would not have wanted to see the people he cherished get hurt.
The fight up to now had been more than enough to prove my strength, and there was no need for us to shed more blood.
“…….”
Philip seemed to think the same, as he grinned at me. But sensing another emotion within that gaze, I narrowed my brows slightly.
…What was it?
An unpleasant sensation clung to my fingertips. As if I had fallen victim to a scripted play, a drop of cold sweat slid down my cheek.
It was a feeling I had never experienced even in duels where life and death hung in the balance. On a hunch, I looked toward the Sword Saint. With a benevolent face, he nodded and solemnly proclaimed.
“Imperial Prince Leios, and my disciple. I understand your resolve well. Therefore, in accordance with our promise, I hereby permit you to take my granddaughter, Esmeralda, as your wife.”
“…Pardon?”