Sword Star (3) - Chapter 110
Marquis Gunror, who could not dare refuse the Sword Star's proposal, had no choice but to decide.
It was an undeniable fact that the monster standing before him now was far more powerful than the monster Agnar Balderte had spoken of.
"It would be best if you could give me your answer as quickly as possible."
Those words meant that if this monster-like swordswoman so desired, she could slaughter everyone present.
That was what the Palstar Heroes were. Each one was a monster who could surpass an entire legion single-handedly. Excluding figures like the Gold Star, who were esteemed more for aspects other than combat prowess, they were practically all such beings.
Even among that gathering of monsters, Hakodate Karin was unrivaled, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Dragon Star as the pinnacle.
Her words weren't a joke—they meant that if he didn't choose, she would kill everyone here by herself.
Marquis Gunror swallowed dryly. With his decision already made in his heart, he opened his mouth.
He couldn't afford to lose all his soldiers here, along with the wounded Agnar Balderte and the knight order...
"...We retreat."
He informed Karin that he would withdraw his forces.
Karin, as if agreeing to let them go, sheathed her sword and said,
"I trust you'll judge for yourself that such paltry numbers won't work anyway."
"......"
Marquis Gunror nodded.
The Empire's ambitious invasion, prepared over years and launched with great fanfare, ended in futility due to defeat in the initial skirmish and the intervention of an utterly unexpected figure.
Upon hearing this, the Emperor would surely hold Marquis Gunror, the responsible party, and Balderte, the knight commander, accountable and punish them... but that was still better than dying like dogs here.
Given the circumstances, they wouldn't face execution. And besides, opportunities like this wouldn't come just once.
"We're pulling back. Gather the baggage and the wounded."
With that, the Empire's forces retreated, and it was Levatein's watchmen who observed and reported it.
Karin, who had driven back the Empire's army with a single sword strike, let out a light sigh.
Gazing at the now-empty Empire camp, she reflected on her actions.
...I got unusually heated, unlike myself.
She could have blocked them moderately and tossed out a negotiation card, but while this method had proven effective in the end, intimidating through slaughter wasn't her style.
She didn't hesitate to cut when necessary, but as a transmigrator, she fundamentally disliked staining her hands with blood.
Yet the reason she'd charged in without a word was simple—only one.
"...Master!!"
Because it involved her foolish disciple, who had been rushing over from afar since earlier.
Karin turned toward the voice. Seeing her disciple sprint up and flop straight into her arms, she chuckled softly.
It reminded her of when her disciple was young, stirring old memories. Back then, whenever Karin went out hunting and returned late, he'd barrel into her embrace just like this.
Of course, Karin knew Seong Hyunjin was a reincarnator, but even with past-life memories, a person's current personality largely aligned with their present body. That was why reincarnators often struggled with confusion.
Their bodies were still small and young, yet adult memories kept surfacing... leading to disorientation and even mental disorders in some cases.
Fortunately, Seong Hyunjin had avoided that... but instead, he'd taken after her personality too much—reckless, straightforward, no backing down.
Karin always worried about her disciple because of that, which was why she'd reacted so sensitively this time.
"Disciple, are you unharmed?"
Even to Karin's question, Seong Hyunjin didn't lift his head.
He looked just like a son clinging to his mother's embrace, unwilling to leave, but soon Karin's brow twitched faintly.
She firmly grabbed the arm of Seong Hyunjin, who had begun groping her slender waist, and said,
"...Don't touch me freely. Let go."
"......"
Seong Hyunjin peeked up sheepishly and said awkwardly,
"That wasn't on purpose, Master."
"Don't lie so blatantly."
Karin pushed his forehead away with her finger.
Having fully enjoyed Karin's soft embrace, Seong Hyunjin had no choice but to pull away.
Noticing the Empire's tents behind her now completely empty, he said,
"Did you chase those guys off, Master?"
"Yes."
Karin, who had answered curtly, glanced at her disciple's arm—which he'd claimed was injured—and noted it was perfectly fine before saying,
"You said you were hurt, but it looks fine to me."
"Yeonhui sunbae healed me. I did injure my arm..."
"Was it really injured?"
Karin narrowed her eyes and asked,
"You didn't make it up?"
"...Um."
Caught by Karin's sharp insight, Seong Hyunjin grinned awkwardly.
"I guess I can't fool Master after all."
"Have you lost your mind, jumping into a war?"
"I was helping a friend."
"A friend?"
Karin's eyes widened slightly.
"You mean Clarice Levatein?"
"Yes."
"Did she ask for your help?"
"No."
Seong Hyunjin shook his head. He explained that it was his own decision.
"I wanted to help."
"......"
Karin gazed silently at Seong Hyunjin after his response, then nodded with a satisfied expression.
"I see."
Her attitude suggested she wouldn't interfere further if that was the case, and Seong Hyunjin chuckled inwardly.
He had no idea how much strength her immediate acceptance gave him—validating his reckless charge once she heard the reason.
Feeling relieved, Seong Hyunjin suddenly asked Karin a question that popped into his mind.
"But is it okay for you to intervene like this?"
He knew well why his master had secluded herself in the mountains: to avoid entanglements with the secular world. He couldn't help but wonder.
It was obvious how the world would view Karin's actions. Rumors would fly everywhere.
That the Magic Kingdom had hired the Sword Star, or that the Sword Star was protecting the Magic Kingdom for some reason, or even that she'd fully sided with them. And the stories about the process would spread wildly.
Especially since Karin hadn't appeared publicly for the past twenty years, word of mouth would explode among ordinary folk unaware of academy affairs.
"Rumors are going to spread like wildfire."
But Karin didn't care about such things. Smiling faintly, she said,
"I came to rescue my disciple. What does it matter?"
Seong Hyunjin's eyes widened round at her straightforward answer.
Seeing her surprised disciple, Karin chuckled lightly.
"It's only natural. Why are you so shocked?"
"...This is why I can't let go of you, Master."
"Hm?"
"No can do."
Seong Hyunjin grabbed Karin's hand tightly and leaned in close, saying,
"Let's get married as soon as we get back, Master!"
"......!?"
Karin stared at her disciple in utter bewilderment at his sudden nonsense, then sighed deeply and shook off his hand.
"What on earth is that drivel?"
"I'm serious."
"That's exactly the problem."
Karin shook her head in disbelief and said,
"Weren't things going well with that girl? The Eldark one. Even the swordsmanship department kids I teach were talking about it."
"Huh? Oh, yeah, we're dating. It just kinda happened, haha."
Karin grew even more exasperated at Seong Hyunjin's brazen response and stared at him. She clenched her fist.
Noticing the subtle change, Seong Hyunjin anticipated what was coming and spoke in a slightly tense voice,
"Master, the snow looks soft, but the ground's frozen underneath, so it'll hurt like hell if you hit—"
"And yet you spout nonsense about marriage to me?!"
Crack!!
"Gyaak!?"
Karin's fist slammed down on his head, and Seong Hyunjin face-planted straight into the snow.
Thanks to the Sword Star Hakodate Karin's intervention, the war ended so anticlimactically that it felt hollow.
The Empire, having struck first, was forced to pay reparations to the Magic Kingdom once more, and they had no choice but to abandon the war before their central army even reached the border.
News of the Sword Star's involvement spread like wildfire across nations, reaching the surrounding countries of the Magic Kingdom first and foremost.
In particular, the Holy Kingdom, in direct opposition to the Magic Kingdom, received the news the fastest, and its people reacted with shock.
"Why would the Sword Star go to a place like the Magic Kingdom...?"
"After twenty years, she shows up to support the Magic Kingdom? It doesn't make sense."
Reactions varied. Most viewed her aiding the enemy Magic Kingdom unfavorably, but some thought more reasonably.
"Maybe she just stopped a war where tons of people would die? She became a Palstar Hero because she saved people in the Eden Great Fire too..."
"Exactly. The Empire's the one in the wrong—why blame the Sword Star?"
The Eden Great Fire incident. Still referred to as the great fire to this day, it was history's largest blaze excluding wildfires.
It was the event that propelled Hakodate Karin, already at the peak of skill but not yet famous as a young transmigrator, to worldwide renown.
The fire left scars on many. Numerous families were lost, including even one who would become a Palstar Hero.
"Sir Abraham, you have to see this newspaper! The Sword Star stopped the war..."
Shania, dean of Celestial Academy and the Divine Star, burst into the lab clutching a newspaper in one hand.
But the person already inside had seen it.
Seeing that, Shania tilted her head slightly.
"What, you've already seen it? Since when do you read newspapers?"
"It was so noisy since morning, so I took a look."
Wise Star Abraham Nobwells. A pillar of the Palstar Heroes and history's greatest spirit scholar.