Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Orsia Family
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The Orsia Family boasted a history spanning hundreds of years, and it was grander and more splendid than any house Yuri had ever seen in this world—or even in Lee Soo-hyuk's life on Earth, for that matter. By Earth's standards alone, it felt less like a home and more like one of those grand cultural halls dedicated to the arts.
As a martial house, it naturally came with an expansive training ground that seemed several times the size of a school athletic field, along with numerous other buildings and facilities.
Seeing in reality what he'd only glimpsed in the game created a massive disconnect. It was the same even now. The crude graphics that had looked so shabby on a tiny, outdated monitor hit with entirely different force in person.
If the scenery and buildings were like that, how much more so the people.
He was level 90—the second highest after the Heavenly Demon—and yet dismissed by most community users as a total pushover, easier than even the level 80s great archmages. The acknowledged king of foam.
Just as the Ascard Family was famous for elixir farming, the head of the Orsia Family was renowned for farming the ultimate gear for sword builds.
The One Emperor of the Boundless Sovereign.
Sword Emperor Albatour Orsia.
The real Sword Emperor, in the flesh, exuded such overwhelming pressure that it was impossible to associate him with the "pushover" label.
Seronis had no NPC illustrations.
A few artisans in the community had tried modding them in, but for some reason, applying mods or other programs to this so-called indie game always crashed it outright, forcing players to stick to the vanilla experience.
In hindsight, it made sense—it wasn't just some simple game.
Either way, in a game like Seronis where you couldn't even shoehorn in a single generic illustration via mods, imagining what NPCs looked like was incredibly tough.
The dot graphics were so mushy you could barely make out facial features. Female NPCs occasionally got fanart in the community, and top-tier ones like Arsenal or the Heavenly Demon—popular for their difficulty and gimmicks—got it even if they were male.
The Sword Emperor had some fanart too, befitting his number-two status...
“...”
But it was mostly gag pieces combining comic scenes or memes, ugly distortions of him.
Orca's fanart at least matched her real vibe pretty well, with minimal disconnect. The Sword Emperor's, though? The gap between fanart and reality was huge.
His exact age was unknown.
As the grandfather of the 22-year-old Sword Dragon, he had to be at least in his sixties or seventies. Maybe even older.
Thanks to his return-to-youth cultivation, his face had few wrinkles. His gray eyes were deep-set like the Sword Dragon's, and his blond hair had faded.
His face alone made him look less like a grandfather and more like an older brother, but his aura was anything but. Like Heavenly Thunder Orca, seasoned warriors and mages who had achieved return-to-youth carried that distinctive presence.
“You went to District Four.”
The Sword Emperor spoke from his chair.
Ever since entering the room, everything had felt awkward to Yuri. Just standing there felt off—the simple act of planting his feet on the floor was uncomfortable. His skin prickled, then itched, and his pounding heart felt less like his own doing and more like someone else squeezing and releasing it manually.
It was the Sword Emperor's doing. The guy mocked as a pushover in the game was radiating this much pressure just by sitting there, doing nothing. It was as if thousands, tens of thousands of invisible blades filled the space, pinning Yuri in place.
Even Ha-ryeong felt a chill crawl up her spine.
Back when she was still with the Tang Family, the Sword Emperor had visited once.
Officially, it was to find his son and daughter-in-law, who had vanished after leaving just a single letter.
That was the surface reason. Even young Ha-ryeong could tell he openly suspected the Killing Sect.
The Killing Sect had been in turmoil at the time, too.
The previous head, Poison King Tang Ji-ho, had suddenly secluded himself—without warning or explanation, even to family. Ha-ryeong still didn't know why.
Isolated thoroughly in the Tang Family due to the Poison King's seclusion, she hadn't been allowed to stand before him during his visit. She wasn't even permitted to learn the family's martial arts, treated like a ghost.
Never having met face-to-face, there was no way he'd recognize her. And yet... Ha-ryeong distinctly felt his "gaze" on her.
‘Should I not have come?’
She dismissed the fleeting thought. She hadn't committed any crime—there was no reason to hide.
“I've heard the news.”
She'd only felt his gaze briefly at first. Now, the Sword Emperor ignored Ha-ryeong and fixed his eyes steadily on the Sword Dragon.
“There was a major disturbance in Akhyang three days ago, involving heretics.”
“Yes.”
The Sword Dragon's demeanor was calm and upright. He believed he'd done the right thing.
“I apologize for acting without permission, but the outcome was good.”
“You don't look very sorry.”
“I apologize.”
At the Sword Emperor's mutter, the Sword Dragon bowed his head. The Sword Emperor said nothing, just stared at his grandson's crown.
“Enough. Raise your head.”
With a short sigh, the Sword Emperor waved him off. The Sword Dragon immediately looked up and grinned.
“You're forgiving me?”
“I'd like to scold you for your recklessness without seeking permission, but I can't do it in front of your guests. So, who are these guests?”
The Sword Emperor's gaze shifted to Yuri. —Ssshhh... It felt like blades scraping up from his toes. His skin crawled, hairs standing on end. His legs trembled, threatening to buckle, but he braced himself and held firm. The Sword Emperor eyed him a moment longer, then let out a short laugh and withdrew the pressure.
“Sorry about that. Seeing a talented young man, I couldn't help testing you.”
Only then could Yuri steady his breathing.
‘This is that pushover Sword Emperor?’
If the Sword Emperor was this intense, what must the Heavenly Demon be like? Yuri gathered his scattered wits and spoke.
“My name is Yuri, and my moniker is Thundercloud.”
“I am Ha-ryeong of the Killing Guard Sect. My moniker is Dark Flame.”
The Sword Emperor fell silent, staring at Yuri and Ha-ryeong.
“Thundercloud.”
He addressed Yuri first.
“Are you a disciple of Fierce Wolf and Full Moon Dance?”
Mentioning those two meant he'd heard the first rumors about Yuri. Yuri shook his head without hesitation.
“I learned martial arts from Fierce Wolf, but he didn't wish for me to become his formal disciple, so I didn't. Still, I consider him my master. And I received no separate teachings from Full Moon Dance.”
“Then do you belong to any faction?”
“No.”
“I'd like you to become a knight of the Orsia Family. What do you think?”
It was sudden, but the Sword Dragon didn't flinch. If anything, he looked at Yuri with a grin, as if he'd expected it.
The Orsia Family's prestige outranked even the Five Great Clans of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance or the Six Serpents of the Black Dragon Society, or other major sects. It wasn't a place you could join just because you were skilled.
This was their first meeting in person, and the rumors about Yuri weren't that impressive. For the Sword Emperor to outright offer him a knighthood was incredibly bold.
“I apologize. I'm not yet ready to pledge myself anywhere.”
“A shame. If you change your mind, return to the Orsia Family.”
Rather than press further, the Sword Emperor left the door open.
“Dark Flame of the Killing Guard Sect. How is Heavenly Thunder?”
“I don't see her often enough to say.”
“That makes sense. What of Faceless Slayer?”
“It's been a long time since I last saw him.”
“And Poison King?”
The questions continued.
“I'm not sure what you're getting at.”
Ha-ryeong answered without changing expression. The Sword Emperor stared at her a moment, then slowly nodded.
“My mistake. Let it pass.”
“Yes.”
“Byren.”
At his call, the door opened, and the butler waiting outside bowed and entered.
“You called?”
“While I scold this troublemaking grandson of mine, escort the guests to their rooms.”
“Weren't you not going to scold me?”
The Sword Dragon looked aggrieved, but the Sword Emperor was firm.
“Don't I need to hear the full details of what happened in Akhyang?”
In the end, only the Sword Dragon remained in the room. As he let out loud, exaggerated sighs, the Sword Emperor sighed deeply in kind.
“You little punk.”
“Yes.”
“Why sigh so rudely in front of your grandfather?”
“How can I help it if the sighs just come out?”
“Did you bring guests just to avoid a beating?”
“That wasn't some petty reason.”
“Then?”
“You must have seen and felt it yourself, right?”
“Seen what?”
“Thundercloud.”
Excitement crept into the Sword Dragon's voice.
“He's the same age as me, both at fifth tier. But...”
“Enough.”
The Sword Emperor cut off his excited grandson before he could ramble.
“First, tell me in detail what happened in Akhyang.”
Panteleon's outer districts had long been the Sword Emperor's headache. He'd grudgingly issued tiered citizenship to Districts One and Two, but he had no intention of recognizing the neutral District Three, the lawless District Four, or the expanding District Five—where villagers were illegally migrating even now—as true Panteleon citizens.
Fifty years ago, he'd let refugees who'd lost their homes stay temporarily out of pity, slipping through the cracks. But those brazen folks now treated Panteleon's mercy as a given right and demanded more, unreasonably.
“I got word of a heretic gathering and went to check it out myself.”
The Sword Emperor sighed again at the response.
“Why not come to me first?”
“The info wasn't solid, so I wanted to confirm with my own eyes.”
“You didn't just confirm, did you?”
“...”
“As if I don't know. You saw it and couldn't hold back, right?”
“Yes... well...”
“I don't know who you take after with that hotheadedness. What's done is done. So what exactly happened?”
The Sword Dragon didn't make excuses or whine, just recounted the events of the gathering.
His first meeting with Thundercloud and Dark Flame.
Hunting the heretics.
Disbanding the gathering.
The ceiling collapse.
The sixth-tier mage bishop.
The Demonic Cult's young lord and Sword Phantom of the Seven Calamities.
The old woman's mansion.
The Sword Emperor listened without a word, then let out a long sigh.
“You're lucky to have come back alive.”
“...”
“What if you'd been alone without the others? Think you could've handled a sixth-tier mage— one wielding divine power, no less—by yourself?”
“I could've run.”
“Who knows. And Sword Phantom of the Seven Calamities? If it had been Rakshasa Witch or Three-Eyed Beast—some berserk fiend—instead, you wouldn't have escaped; you'd be dead.”
Those two were infamous among the Demonic Cult's Seven Calamities for their vicious, erratic tempers.
“I apologize.”
The Sword Dragon's face fell, shoulders slumping.
“Don't apologize. Regardless of how it went down, you succeeded in killing the Chaos Church bishop who treated Akhyang as his parish. You found a tool to track the escaped heretics, and you returned unscathed.”
Standing from his chair, the Sword Emperor approached and patted his grandson's shoulder.
“Plus, you recovered the church's orders. With that as pretext, we can spin off those headache outer districts.”
It wasn't an actual riot, but the threat had been there. The Orsia Family wasn't the only one eyeing a pretext to clean up the outer districts. Panteleon had other powers like the Selvis Magic Tower and various noble houses.
“What about the young lord?”
The Sword Emperor asked.
“The Demonic Cult's young lord. Disciple of the Heavenly Demon. Rumors abound, but his true nature was never grasped. Estor. What was he like in your eyes?”
“Her name was Bi-yeon. A woman... I didn't hear her age, but she seemed about my age or older. Severe burns on her visible skin—wrists, arms, neck—and her voice was hoarse and raspy from fire damage. She refused to remove her mask, so probably bad burns on her face too.”
“And her martial arts?”
“Her sword qi dominated the space.”
“Heavenly Demon Divine Art.”
The Sword Emperor gave a wry smile and sat back down.
“An enigmatic, destructive art that's demonic yet not quite. If she's already exerting spatial dominance at fifth tier, she's entered the realm of intent. As expected of a genius worthy of being the Heavenly Demon's disciple.”
“But I didn't get the sense she was superior to me. Especially the young lord—she seemed impatient and careless, thrown off by the bishop's mutual destruction attempt.”
“Isn't that rich coming from you? You're hot-tempered and reckless too. That's why you drew your sword alone at the gathering and nearly died from some mystery potion at the bishop's mansion.”
The Sword Dragon was at a loss for words.
“You owe Thundercloud and Dark Flame big.”
“Yes. Without Thundercloud, the bishop fight would've been tough. Without Dark Flame, I'd have died from the potion.”
“And both happened because you acted on your own.”
“Yes.”
“You think we should open the family treasury to pay a debt from your screw-up?”
“Yes.”
The Sword Dragon didn't back down. The Sword Emperor let out a hollow laugh at his brazen confidence.
“Why should we?”
“Because I said I would.”
“Can't lie?”
“They helped the one called the Orsia Family's future. I'll be head someday. So the treasury will be mine eventually—why not open it early?”
“You sly rascal.”
The Sword Emperor chuckled wryly and nodded.
“They want spirit medicines?”
“Yes. Even with all those fortuitous encounters, his internal energy cultivation is still shallow, so he's feeling the deficiency.”
“The Ascards' gift will do.”
The Sword Dragon flinched at the mutter.
“The Ascards' gift... you mean the elixir?”
“Yes.”
“You're serious?”
“You said you'd open 'your' treasury early. Now the elixir's too precious?”
“I'd love to gift him an elixir myself, but I never dreamed you'd offer one.”
“He helped resolve Panteleon's headache and saved my worthless, annoying grandson's life. An elixir's the least we can do.”
The Sword Emperor rose from his chair as he spoke.
“Like I said earlier, I want Thundercloud. Badly enough to make him an Orsia knight. He refused, but feeding him this elixir now means he won't forget us later. Regifting the elixir we got from the Ascards builds ties—no loss there.”
“And Dark Flame too?”
“Yes. Dark Flame... hm, just forging ties with her is an opportunity in itself.”
“The Poison King...”
“Don't pry if she doesn't want it known.”
He recalled twenty years ago.
He couldn't accept the letter his son and daughter-in-law left. No detailed reasons—just disownment and seclusion.
It was impossible not to misunderstand. The letter was fake, meant to stop them searching. They'd been assassinated. That's what he thought.
In this world, the Tang Family's Killing Sect excelled at killing discreetly.
He didn't want to believe they'd do it. He shared deep ties with the former head, Poison King.
But the Poison King had secluded himself.
Harboring suspicions, he'd visited the Killing Sect and requested a search for his son and daughter-in-law.
In the process, the misunderstanding cleared. Before leaving after the long journey, he'd hoped to see the Poison King's face, but couldn't meet the secluded man.
Before returning to Panteleon.
—He'd glimpsed her from afar.
He and the Poison King exchanged letters once a year, sharing news of enemies and allies.
The girl mentioned in those letters, with her two beauty marks like tears.
“What a strange twist of fate.”
The Sword Emperor murmured softly as he left the room.