Chapter 25: Ambush (1)

“At this rate, there’s a high probability that lowly bastard will become the Sword Master.”

Janya Jabad said.

—I wonder. Do you think that’s possible? I don’t think Father would do that.

Her counterpart was within a screen projected on the wall.

Light blue hair. Distinct light blue eyes and smooth skin. In appearance, she looked like a woman in her twenties, but Janya did not speak down to her.

“It might not be right away, but it’s not without possibility.”

—Lady Janya may not know, but fixing a magic constitution is not that easy, you know? The precedents for it are extremely rare across the entire continent.

“Even so.”

—That child will likely be impossible. His constitution is particularly… ah. Lady Janya wouldn’t understand even if I told you.

The woman in the screen laughed lightly.

To Janya, it sounded like mockery.

Because unlike the woman in the screen, she did not have a body that had accumulated magic.

“The Sword Master is decided by skill, not bloodline.”

Janya said, gritting her teeth.

—It used to be that way in the past. But I’m not sure if Father would do so now.

“In any case. At this rate, the good-faith competition we promised will come to nothing.”

—A good-faith competition? For something like that, wasn’t it a bit much? There was no mention of being allowed to persuade the Sword Order.

“You coveted the 2nd Sword Order too.”

—It wasn’t coveting. If I had to put a label on it, insurance? The 2nd Head of the Sword is still alive. Please correct yourself.

Grit. A sound of something breaking came from Janya’s mouth.

—He’s very different from the 3rd Head of the Sword. His position has changed, but his life was spared. Ah. And trust still remains. Since he has become our husband’s escort.

I had failed to anticipate the exiled boy’s skill.

That was the reason the 2nd Sword Order lived and the 3rd Sword Order fell. Thanks to that, a justification was established.

I never knew that bastard, abandoned in that remote place, would be strong enough to kill a formal swordsman by himself. I never imagined he would take that severed head and show it to the 6th Head of the Sword.

‘If it weren’t for that thing.’

Jahar and Beden’s ages.

Their current skill, not their potential. Their positions. Jahar’s maternal family, which could intervene at any moment.

I was pushed by all these factors and became impatient, going in too deep.

My head already hurt, and the thought of some lowly thing appearing as a competitor made me furious.

“But Arnea. You can’t avoid this either. You know that, don’t you?”

Janya’s expression quickly returned to normal.

Simurtr’s exile. Arnea’s only flaw. She, too, could not escape from that sin.

—I know, right. Isn’t it strange? Such talent and constitution. But I don’t regret it. Thanks to that, you’ve come to view me and our siblings favorably, haven’t you, my lady?

“……”

—You’ll get wrinkles on your forehead like that. I, who have no wrinkles, will be leaving now.

I haven’t experienced it yet either. I want to see for myself and judge. My knees won’t wear out. It’s not a waste.

The screen that had been cast on the wall blinked out, then turned on again.

—Ah. However, I’ll pretend not to know. As long as you don’t get caught.

And then it turned off again.

…How long did she wait? In the end, the light did not return.

“Aaargh!”

A magic tool placed on the table hit the wall and shattered. Shards flew in all directions.

“How dare you! How dare you! To Jabad!”

Janya, her anger not subsiding, stood up and stomped on only the large shards.

“Our Jabad! Why are we being treated like this…!”

The sensation of something large becoming small, and eventually powder, certainly gave her pleasure, but it was still far from enough.

“Deuhan!”

Janya’s sharp voice filled the room.

As soon as she spoke, a green energy coalesced on the ceiling. At first glance, it looked like a puddle of water, but it soon fell to the floor like real water.

“Yes.”

The water that fell to the floor formed a human shape. Seeing him, Janya was not surprised.

“The preparations?”

“Ten knights have completed their preparations.”

“And you guys?”

“…Including myself, there are two.”

“Is that all?”

Janya frowned.

Ten knights. And two others. Plus one swordsman…

It was an excessive force to catch one little boy.

It was quite acceptable in terms of prioritizing safety, but she disliked the fact that the majority of that excessive force consisted of knights.

“That’s not what we talked about.”

Ten knights and one swordsman. That was Jabad’s resource and her own strength.

But to have gained only two through a deal. If she had known it would be like this, she wouldn’t have made the deal.

Jabad was already a family whose power had crumbled, leaving only its name. She had to preserve even a little of it to raise its prestige.

“We are hurrying, but it is not an easy process. If we had about a month, two more…”

“A month is too late. Where is that bastard?”

“He is in the Huit territory. We received a report that he has taken up residence at an inn called Northwest’s Short Slumber.”

Janya’s eyes narrowed. A month. It wasn’t a long time, but she couldn’t wait.

There was no guarantee that she could set Simurtr’s next mission in the direction of Jabad.

‘The likes of Huit are.’

The territory wasn’t a problem.

A vassal of Bahab? This side was the mistress of Mectera. Janya made her decision. Now was the opportune time. Simurtr was nearby. Within a distance where she could mobilize Jabad’s knights.

It was a waste of knights, but…

“No one will die, right?”

“There will be one casualty. Or perhaps two.”

Deuhan’s confidence. Janya smiled with joy.

Among those casualties, the knights of Jabad would not be included.

***

Morning.

Simurtr, having woken from sleep, examined the information that Deban had just delivered.

“Founded 17 years ago. Official purpose is to commemorate the Hero Exa Mectera.

However, it is highly probable that this is just a pretext.”

The Unsetting Sun.

It was information about it, and there wasn’t much.

“Its operation method is similar to Degrate or any other mercenary group. A group whose main activities are the elimination of remaining Doom Species and commissioned work. It is mainly active in the east, but its activities in other regions are also rarely witnessed…”

Even the total number of members was not written.

The founder was the same. Most of the items had an X drawn on them.

“Is this it?”

“This is a lot of information.”

“This?”

“Of course. The Sword Tower is so secretive. On top of that, this organization isn’t that famous, unlike the Sword Tower.”

“Not famous?”

“People in the know know, but even they don’t know much. There are too many confidential matters.”

“What about the banquet?”

A month from now. Kanan had said he would participate in a duel. That Andre Koitro had received a banquet invitation.

“They said no. A ball being held today is one thing, but there is no such schedule.”

“Who said so?”

“The Intelligence.”

“Are they trustworthy?”

“No. They’re probably more scared of Bahab than the main castle.”

“Right?”

Simurtr grinned.

Deban had the same suspicion. Kanan’s words were more believable than the words of the Intelligence.

Weren’t they called the Emperor and the five heroes in the first place? The Imperial Family and the Hero Families must maintain a close relationship.

‘Except for Mectera.’

That relationship was between the Emperor and the four traitors.

Exa, who was betrayed and died, and Mectera, which had his name, were excluded.

‘You said there was a ball for Akarr today.’

The Hero Festival. Today was Akarr’s day.

A ball hosted by Akarr was being held at the main castle of Bahab. It was an official event to which Simurtr was not invited.

“Didn’t an invitation come to the main castle? We’re a Hero Family too.”

“It probably did.”

“Then why am I out on a mission?”

“The main castle doesn’t like things like that. It’s not like they have a good relationship either.”

Tsk. Simurtr swallowed his disappointment.

Certainly. Mectera was not a group that liked things like balls. They’d rather swing a sword in that time.

It was one thing for the siblings, but it was hard to imagine Medeoban or the Sword Master attending a ball.

‘Forget it. I don’t expect that much.’

The unofficial banquet to be held in the Bahab territory a month from now. Simurtr coveted that schedule.

‘It’s Bahab.’

To hold a banquet in someone else’s land, and in Bahab, a ducal house and a Hero Family at that.

The banquet that Andre Koitro was planning to attend was definitely related to Bahab.

‘Even if that bastard Akarr isn’t there.’

I didn’t think Akarr Bahab would be there. If it were such an occasion, the likes of Andre Koitro would not have received an invitation.

‘That’s something at least.’

A point of contact with Bahab.

Thinking of that, Simurtr smiled brightly.

***

The reaction came only in the afternoon.

In the morning, I was suffering from a hangover, then soothed my stomach with a meal.

When I was checking the news after my stomach had settled.

<An Ominous Flame Announcing Akarr Bahab’s Day>

The second day of the Hero Festival unfortunately dawned quickly. Not because of the sun, but because of a fire in the northwest district.

The place where the fire started was Viscount Koitro’s villa. The Huit guards, after extinguishing the fire, discovered four bodies inside the villa and are currently investigating…

Knock, knock.

Simurtr closed the news he was looking at upon hearing the knock. A voice came from beyond the door.

“Lady Ael and Swordsman Juyce are here.”

They came back sooner than I thought. They said they had completed their mission at dawn, just like us.

The whereabouts of Kanan and Mei were not revealed. Simurtr only read the report of the incompetent guards written at the end of the news and left the room.

“Listen. You know my target, right? Memen Artang. That fat bastard…”

As soon as I entered Deban’s room, Ael immediately opened her mouth. After ranting for a while about the rotten insides of the merchant group leader Memen Artang and taking a deep breath, she changed the subject entirely.

“Now let’s go see the festival. Today is Akarr Bahab’s day.”

She said she had heard praises of Akarr the whole way here. Disgustingly so. Simurtr cursed inwardly and said with a smile.

“You go have fun. I’m returning today.”

Simurtr spat out firmly.

“What?”

“Pardon?”

“Already?”

Ael, Juyce, and Deban’s expressions were all different.

Simurtr scanned all of their faces. First of all, it was definitely not Ael. She had fire in her eyes, but that was because of the Hero Festival.

“You promised to go see the festival with me if we finished the mission.”

“I was going to, but I had a change of heart.”

I had no intention of enjoying something like the Hero Festival.

The fact that today was Akarr’s day was also shitty.

In fact, every day was shitty. The fact that the last day was Exa Mectera’s day was also the same.

“Why did you change your mind?”

“There’s a reason.”

“Tell me properly.”

“I want to go out on the next mission quickly. It would be good to do it with the 6th Sword Order too.”

“What?”

“It’s your first time out, so wouldn’t it be alright to be a little more leisurely?”

The one who threw the question was Juyce.

His complexion was stiff. He was biting his upper lip with his lower teeth.

Why? Simurtr thought. Why did that bastard get serious? Why would he want to stay with the burdensome direct descendant?

“Why? Are you disappointed?”

“Isn’t it a waste? We can rest for 6 days until today.”

“Right! We came back after finishing quickly for nothing!”

Ael added to Juyce’s words.

But Juyce did not look at Ael. Although he took her side, it wasn’t a remark made with Ael in mind.

‘It’s that bastard.’

Then there was only one reason left.

Simurtr made a strange expression. Surely he wasn’t genuinely thinking of me, not even Ael.

“Right. There are 6 days left. Ael loves to play around. But isn’t it a bit much for a swordsman of the main castle to like it too?”

“……”

“You’re called the Sword Fiend outside, after all.”

As he said, there were 6 days left.

The reason they finished the mission in just one day was probably not just Ael’s will.

‘The fact that I carried out the mission on the first day must have been on his mind.’

Surely he wasn’t doing this alone.

‘There must be more support troops.’

I didn’t think Janya would be satisfied with just Juyce. She couldn’t be that stupid. She was of a County’s bloodline, after all.

I wasn’t going to entertain the funny delusion that this was a baseless fear and a misunderstanding after coming this far.

‘If that were the case, there’s no way I would have been dispatched to the Huit territory.’

And there was no way Juyce would be making such a desperate face.

‘Is it one of them? Or both?’

First, Juyce was confirmed.

Simurtr looked at Deban.

“What do you think?”

“About what? The Sword Fiend liking to rest?”

Deban was smiling.

Just looking at the surface, it was ambiguous. He could be better at acting than Juyce, or he could genuinely not know.

“About returning today.”

“Well. It’s up to you, Sir Simurtr. I’m just an observer, after all.”

Deban wanted to make a good impression. At least, that’s how it looked in Simurtr’s eyes.

What was felt from his tone was only goodwill. He didn’t care about the return date. Judging from his words and actions, he seemed to have no connection with Janya.

‘For now, I’ll spare Deban.’

I was planning to spare him even if that was an act.

If you’re going to backstab, you should at least show that much effort. An act of that level was an excellent show of sincerity. Especially for an act put on by a Mectera swordsman.

Better than the traitors. Those bastards took everything without even a show of sincerity.

“But what are you going to do by going back so early?”

“I told you I’m doing the next mission.”

“Are you going to do it with the 6th Sword Order?”

“We’ll see.”

“How about you continue to do it with our 3rd Sword Order? Wouldn’t it be more comfortable to accompany me than a strange swordsman?”

“I’ll see how you do.”

“You won’t be able to see now. You’ll be doing a mission somewhere else.”

“You transfer to the 6th Sword Order.”

“The 6th Sword Order doesn’t just pick anyone. Even their youngest is a war veteran.”

“Aran called me Young Master.”

“Shall we go, then?”

“Go where!”

Ael, who was watching, shouted.

“No! So what are you going to do! Are you going? Really?”

“Why are you asking me that.”

“Then who do I ask.”

Ael frowned.

“You should ask Juyce.”

Simurtr grinned.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep