Chapter 137
Chapter 137
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 137
Chapter Title: The Divine Sword Karaniel
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It was the moment when the existence known as the Demon King first appeared in this world.
The world, which had blossomed with brilliant civilizations, crumbled helplessly before an unknown terror it had never encountered before.
The number of lives lost at that time amounted to half of humanity.
Only belatedly did the survivors grasp information about the enemy and band together.
Humans, elves, dark elves, dwarves, dragons, and more.
Regardless of race, all who could fight gathered.
The First Descent War.
The Demon King and the allied forces plunged into a protracted war.
The enemy was mighty, but the power united under the banner of survival was no weak force.
For a full five years, they killed and were killed.
Corpses piled up like mountains, and blood flowed like rivers.
But even so...
The Demon King could not be defeated.
That being was simply too powerful, too lethal, too terrifying.
As the world teetered on the brink of annihilation,
A hero appeared.
An unnamed hero whose name has not even survived to the present day.
Starting as a lowly foot soldier, he grew stronger at an unimaginable speed, eventually becoming a being who could stand against the Demon King himself.
The sole hope for saving the world.
Every race contributed to forging a single sword for him.
The elves used the seed leaves of the World Tree to bestow blessings.
The dark elves used the roots of the ebony flower for harmony.
The fairies offered the wings of their queen for illusions.
The dragons contributed their hearts and scales for infinite mana and resilience.
Humans borrowed the power of holy relics to invoke divine grace.
The dwarves' hammers forged it all together.
The sword thus born was wielded by the hero and ultimately severed the Demon King's blade.
The divine sword 'Karaniel.'
The hero's name was forgotten, but the sword endured, passed down through the ages.
From hilt to scabbard,
'Karaniel,' forged entirely of an abyssal black that seemed to swallow all light, overwhelmed its surroundings merely by existing.
"Try drawing it."
At the emperor's urging, Seojin slowly drew the sword, its purple mana rippling.
Srrrr-
Not even the faintest metallic ring.
Of course, it might not have been made of metal to begin with.
The fully revealed blade was like a masterpiece of art.
'Beautiful.'
Seojin marveled inwardly.
This was no ordinary sword.
Immense mana and a chilling sharpness emanated from it.
With 'Karaniel,' he felt he could slice through even the Young Dragon's scales like paper.
This culmination of the world's power possessed a league beyond even 'Rune Dea.'
Gulp.
He swallowed dryly.
"It was never my intention to bestow this upon anyone."
Seojin's eyebrow twitched slightly at those words.
'Then why give it to me?'
A flicker of unease stirred.
The sword itself was extraordinarily exceptional, but its symbolism was even greater.
It was the blade that had beheaded the first Demon King.
No one would give away such a legendary item for free.
And as expected, his suspicion proved correct.
"There is a task you must undertake."
Seojin's expression twisted.
Just a little, of course, to avoid suspicion.
"...What kind of task?"
Eirin cautiously asked, noting Seojin's expression upon his return from the imperial palace.
She seemed worried he might have faced something unpleasant.
"Hm? No, nothing like that. Everything's fine."
He had simply received the so-called divine sword and agreed to one task in return.
Though that task was a bit problematic.
Seojin forced a smile as he spoke, and fortunately, Eirin let it slide without pressing.
'Whew-'
A sigh escaped him.
He resolved to hole up in the academy for the foreseeable future and not step out.
Even if someone dangled a pile of gold outside and tempted him to take it, he wouldn't.
Right now, wandering outside was less important than growing stronger within.
With his current power, Seojin couldn't handle all his enemies.
No, without resorting to 'Demon King Transformation,' he couldn't even beat Reina alone.
He wanted to leave the academy only after he was strong enough to take on at least one or two of those monsters.
'That's what I need to do...'
Damn the emperor and his bizarre order.
It was phrased as a request, but who could refuse?
Especially with 'Karaniel' as the reward—Seojin couldn't shake his head.
He had no choice but to do it.
'How the hell am I supposed to bring him Baek Siwoo's head?'
It wasn't about whether he could kill him or not.
Killing Baek Siwoo posed no issue at all.
What was so hard about slaying a guy who drew his sword to kill him out of mere inferiority complex, corrupted by demonic energy?
Seojin pitied him, but he wasn't kind enough to spare someone charging at him to kill.
If it came to it, he'd sever his head with one stroke, package it neatly, and deliver it to the emperor.
The real problem was elsewhere.
He didn't even know where Baek Siwoo was.
And it was certain that Reina was glued to his side right now.
To get Baek Siwoo's head, he'd have to fight her too.
'Impossible.'
At least for now.
Of course, with the power of 'Karaniel,' he'd get a lot of help.
If he used 'Celestial Wing' and 'Aegis' judiciously, along with the Demon King's skills...
'Maybe I could win more easily than I think.'
But the cost would be enormous.
There was no guarantee Reina was his only enemy.
Seojin fell into deep thought.
The emperor hadn't set a deadline, but from the hints, he wanted it resolved as quickly as possible.
He'd even promised full support from the empire's elite knights and intelligence agencies.
"Worries shared with others can sometimes be solved surprisingly quickly."
Eirin spoke up then.
She meant for him not to suffer alone but to talk it out.
She wouldn't normally say such things, but his troubled look must have seemed serious.
Seojin chuckled and nodded.
Indeed, pooling heads with others increased the chances of a good solution over brooding alone.
"Where to even start... Ah, have you seen this sword before?"
To open the conversation, Seojin pointed to the black sword at his waist.
"It was catching my eye. Did His Majesty the Emperor bestow it upon you?"
Eirin was a knight.
She naturally took interest in Seojin's sword.
A black blade rippling with purple mana?
It was clearly no ordinary item at first glance.
She hadn't asked due to his odd expression, but her eyes screamed curiosity.
"It's called 'Karaniel.'"
"...Pardon?"
Eirin blinked.
"Could you repeat that?"
At her dazed question, Seojin spoke.
"'Karaniel.' The sword the hero used, apparently?"
Only then did her eyes widen in shock.
She could only alternate stares between the sword and Seojin, speechless.
"Looks like you've heard of it."
Her reaction delighted Seojin.
It underscored just how extraordinary 'Karaniel' was.
"...The divine sword."
It took her a while to murmur, her voice thick with disbelief.
The empire's treasure.
The symbol of victory.
The hero's emblem.
Most people believed 'Karaniel' existed only in legends.
It was that mythical.
Seeing it in Seojin's hands, Eirin couldn't easily accept it.
"May I take a look?"
Her voice trembled as she asked.
Seojin nodded readily, of course.
He wouldn't with anyone else, but Eirin was different.
He trusted her with his life.
"So this is the divine sword."
Eirin's hand shook slightly as she took 'Karaniel.'
Not from tension or awe.
She simply couldn't fully withstand the rippling purple mana.
As a mid-tier knight, just holding it burdened her entire body.
But she didn't let go.
Biting her lip, she drew the sword with all her might.
The black blade emerged.
"Ugh!"
That was her limit.
The mana of 'Karaniel,' freed from its scabbard, erupted explosively.
"Here, give it."
Unforeseeing this, Seojin urgently reclaimed the sword.
"Hoo- Ha-"
Freed from the mana's pressure, Eirin breathed raggedly.
"...You okay?"
At his worried question, she nodded faintly.
"Just caught me off guard for a moment."
Back to normal breathing in seconds, she gazed at 'Karaniel' in awe.
"It really is the divine sword, isn't it?"
"The emperor wouldn't hand out a fake."
Seojin laughed as he replied, and Eirin gave a small smile too.
"He wouldn't give away a sword like this for free. That's probably what's troubling you."
"Exactly."
She had caught on immediately.
"He asked me to find Baek Siwoo and kill him."
"...That's no easy task."
From the emperor's perspective, Baek Siwoo was a thorn in his side.
A man raised by the empire turning out to be the Demon King.
Thanks to tight lips, the rumors hadn't spread yet, but they would eventually.
The emperor wanted to execute him first, to show the imperial family's wrath.
And tidy up the mess.
Of course, none of that concerned Seojin.
"The first thing we need is to locate that bastard Baek Siwoo."
Without that, they couldn't proceed.
"The empire's intelligence agency is offering full support, but honestly, I don't trust them much."
This era's spy networks weren't reliable compared to Earth's.
No satellites, special gear, or transport.
Nothing surpassed Earth.
Magic existed, but it was for the elite few.
He doubted mages would work for an intelligence agency.
So his lack of trust wasn't unreasonable.
But Eirin saw it differently.
No, she spoke with more conviction than ever.
"Don't underestimate Crusiel."
"Hm? Crusiel?"
Seojin tilted his head at the unfamiliar name, and Eirin continued.
"The empire's secret intelligence bureau. With their capabilities, it wouldn't be strange if they've already tracked Baek Siwoo's movements by now."
"...That impressive?"
As Seojin made a dubious face,
Knock knock.
Someone knocked.
"Come in."
At Seojin's permission, an unfamiliar man entered.
"I bring a message from Lady Agna."
"Agna?"
Seojin recalled the woman he'd met before.
The one who taught him 'Rune Dea's' name and connected him to the Sky Tower.
"She is the director of the secret intelligence bureau, Crusiel."
The man casually revealed Agna's identity.
Seojin's gaze naturally turned to Eirin.
It was the agency she'd just mentioned.
"What brings...?"
Seojin asked with a hunch.
And the man perfectly validated Eirin's words.
"We've located Baek Siwoo."