Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Bestowing Favors (4)
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I approached the cart that had brought the luggage.
And picked up a well-forged longsword from inside.
“The weapons I bought from the smithy earlier—want to take a look before you go?”
The bandits wore uncomfortable expressions at the sight of me pitching the goods.
Especially the leader, who was displeased that his assassination plan had gone awry.
He asked me with a menacing glare.
“You, even in this situation, feel like selling wares?”
To that, I nodded calmly.
Then I pointed the sword I'd picked up at the imperial elite soldiers disguised as bandits.
“Of course. Everyone here is an elite soldier—perfect customers, aren't they?”
“You're out of your mind....”
I passed by the elite soldiers and leveled the sword tip at the bandit leader.
“Especially that curved sword of yours. It looks like the kind Black Moon members often wield.”
Black Moon.
At that one word, panic washed over the leader's hitherto fierce expression.
“How do you know about that....”
Originally, almost no one targeted by Black Moon survived.
Thanks to that, he had been the only one in his unit using a curved sword without getting caught.
His face twisted at the sight of an Eastern merchant who knew classified information.
“Among the empire's powerhouses on par with the Southern Grand Duke, not many use curved swords, right?”
Of course, this level of info alone wouldn't let me guess he was Black Moon.
I only knew from memories of my past life.
In the past, on the day of the purge, I'd personally executed several Black Moon assassins targeting the imperial family.
One of them wielded a curved sword—probably this guy.
Was it around then that he was assigned to assassinate Rosetta?
Even I, facing him for the first time back then, had struggled like Rosetta.
The overwhelming power and unpredictability of his curved sword had kept me purely on the defensive.
“Bats, take Tau and capture the remnants alive. Not a single one escapes.”
“Can you handle him alone? This guy's on par with a grand duke.”
Bats stood there with arms crossed, eyeing me indifferently.
However, Tau patted his shoulder.
“Senior, let's trust Master together.”
Tau, who had always claimed the Eastern Knight Order was the best,
Was supporting someone outside the order for the first time.
“He might not look reliable, but his skills are the real deal.”
Bats let out a deep sigh.
Soon, he nodded as if accepting his junior's endorsement.
He'd been beaten half to death by me himself, after all.
“Everyone scatter!! Regroup at base camp!!”
Sensing the dire situation, the leader bellowed at the bandits.
In response, they scattered with unbelievable speed for mere bandits.
However, unease still flooded the leader.
Two Eastern merchants chasing after his men.
Both were emanating powerful mana as they pursued his subordinates.
“You lot aren't ordinary merchants...!”
“We've got Black Moon posing as bandits—why act so surprised.”
I cut off his words decisively.
At that, the Black Moon member scowled and raised his curved sword high.
“Now that you know that intel, don't dream of leaving here alive.”
Killing intent blazed in the Black Moon member's eyes.
He wrapped his entire mana around the curved sword and charged at me with blinding speed.
"I'll tear you to shreds and feed you to the crows!"
He wielded the slashing-specialized curved sword with expert skill.
Madly closing the distance to slice me down.
But.
I never once parried his freakish attacks.
Normally, against such insane speed, one would clash blades while dodging.
Instead, I calmly backpedaled, maintaining distance.
“What the hell? Why are you just dodging?”
He bit his lip hard.
Then amplified his mana further and stuck to me.
“You can't beat me by pathetically dodging like that!”
Panting raggedly, he kept swinging the curved sword at me.
The massive blade whipped through the air, producing fierce wind howls.
Yet no matter how hard he tried, the intense friction of clashing steel never followed.
Only the squad leader's labored gasps echoed.
“Haa....”
He'd already clashed dozens of exchanges with Rosetta.
Was it because he'd been swinging the heavy curved sword at empty air nonstop? He looked utterly spent.
“Planning to wear me out like a coward...?”
“Coward? You lot ganged up dozens strong on one frail woman—bold words.”
I gazed leisurely at Rosetta as I spoke.
The Southern Grand Duke, who had been evenly matched with him until now, stared blankly at me toying with her assassin.
She swallowed hard, curiosity about my identity plain.
Just then, the Black Moon guy seemed exhausted enough.
For the bewildered Grand Duke, I kicked off a light ad campaign.
“Her First Imperial Consortship is too much. Sending assassins after a border general just for not following her!”
I shrugged and said it with exaggerated nonchalance.
“Who'd trust and follow her like that?”
“Shut your mouth...! Who the hell do you think you're mocking?!”
I ignored the assassin's outburst.
I just smiled brightly at Rosetta.
“Meanwhile, our 3rd Imperial Princess assigned escorts like us for a general like you—.”
I pointed a thumb at myself.
The Southern Grand Duke's expression began to brighten.
She quickly realized I was escort forces sent by Lydia.
“Knights of the 3rd Imperial Princess....”
Of course, the leader seemed to catch on too.
“Yeah, bandits frequent this area, so she was worried. That's why she had us tag along.”
Hearing that, Rosetta fixed her blue eyes on me.
She had been weighing three imperial royals until now.
Yet Lydia had trusted her and sent knights.
Moreover, the two knights who chased ahead were the Eastern Knight Order's top forces.
“....”
The Black Moon member gnashed his teeth at my smug words.
If his opponent was a knight of the empire's third-in-line imperial royal, he was overwhelmingly outmatched.
He realized now that my sword never reaching him wasn't because I'd been busy dodging.
I'd just been toying with him.
“Figure it out now?”
I didn't even glance at him.
“Clashing blades with a traitor like you is a waste.”
I merely gazed indifferently at the edge of the longsword from the smithy.
“It'd just dull the blade.”
A single jab at his pride.
At those words, the Black Moon member ground his teeth.
“I don't care if you insult me.”
Then, resolve hardening, he gripped the curved sword firmly again.
Mana began radiating from his body visibly to the naked eye.
“But Her Imperial Consortship's great cause isn't so trivial that the likes of you can mock it.”
The squad leader raised the curved sword high.
The sharply honed crescent blade gleamed in the moonlight.
“To aid that great cause, I'll kill you.”
Perhaps from burning his lifespan,
His swing speed was several times faster.
The massive curved sword slammed down toward my neck with ferocity.
No more mere dodging—this was a whole new level.
In response,
I raised my sword impassively.
With just one hand.
Kaaang―――!!
We'd finally reached the blade clash he'd craved.
The Black Moon squad member's lips curled into a smirk.
He planned to crush me with the curved sword's power amplified by burning his life force.
But.
That smirk quickly froze on his face.
No matter how hard he tried.
No matter how much he strained.
The locked blades didn't budge an inch.
“That damn great cause of yours....”
I unhesitatingly unleashed golden mana.
Right in front of Rosetta and Black Moon.
“Tearing the empire apart to revive the Consort's homeland?”
Radiant gold flooded their eyes.
They gaped speechlessly.
“With the First Consort's petty revenge, hundreds of thousands of imperials might die—and you wrap it up as a 'great cause'?”
They'd had no idea a Swordmaster might be among Lydia's escorts.
Or that he might know of the Consort and Crown Prince's plans.
“No need to be shocked. I'm just showing it to a guy who's about to die anyway.”
No point hiding power against a man I'd decided to kill.
Thus, I decisively pressed the locked sword with one hand.
“Grk...!”
The squad leader strained with bloodshot eyes, mustering every ounce in the contest of strength.
But as I ruthlessly knocked aside his curved sword,
I thrust the longsword straight into his chest center.
“....”
The blade pierced the space condensed with his mana.
Mana dispersed from the split wound, draining his strength.
“Did you think I avoided clashing because of your fancy curved sword?”
The sword slipped from the leader's grasp and clattered to the ground.
Then his arm flopped limply.
“I was just sparing the borrowed blade since I have to return it later.”
Crimson blood poured onto the dry earth.
It filled the cracks where Black Moon blood seeped.
Thud.
Pierced through the chest center, he knelt weakly to the ground.
Then muttered emptily to himself.
“Unbelievable....”
“What is?”
The Black Moon member looked up at me with fully bloodshot eyes.
“Why's a Swordmaster serving the 3rd Princess instead of the Crown Prince...?”
“I don't serve just the 3rd Princess. I just want to keep the empire intact.”
The leader furrowed his brows.
He shot back at me with an incredulous look.
“What does preserving the empire even mean to a mere knight?!”
I gave his question a moment's silence.
Then picked a suitable answer for a dying man.
“You need a country to get your retirement pension.”
Pension.
At that paltry word, he scoffed.
“Her Ladyship could give you all the money you want.”
At the mention of money, I eyed him steadily.
Finally meeting my gaze, vitality sparked back in his eyes.
Thinking he had a shot at recruitment.
“Join me. Once she sees your skills, Her Imperial Consortship will surely offer more than some pension...!”
He never finished his last words.
My longsword severed his neck in one stroke.
A heavy thud as his head rolled across the ground.
“That's why we can't let your kind live.”
Ekina and the Black Elder had no choice but to follow the Crown Prince for their own survival.
But this Black Moon scum, even on death's door, thought only of benefiting his master.
You can't send back loyal, wicked bastards like this alive.
They'd report my existence up the chain the moment they returned.
“Already done?”
Bats and Tau returned from afar.
They dragged the subdued bandits one by one, bound with ropes.
“Yeah, you got every last one too, right?”
Proudly, Tau pointed to the seven he'd captured.
Bats had only three.
“Of course, Master!”
As expected, endlessly training stamina in his vegetable patch had paid off.
Tau had evolved from sluggish ox to nimble tiger.
“....”
Bats turned his head away, uncomfortable with Tau's superior growth.
However, even he gazed in awe at Rosetta, who had collapsed.
The skill to capture every scattered elite soldier alive.
Plus me, who'd unleashed sword aura.
“To think the 3rd Princess commands this level of force....”
The Southern Grand Duke muttered to herself, staring at the empire's divinities.
And thought.
She'd sent her top knights as secret escorts to someone not yet her own.
And among her knights was a Swordmaster, plus two right below that level.
Perhaps she wasn't too late in the battle for the throne.
One of the leading candidates for next emperor remained.
“Grand Duchess Rosetta, are you alright?”
I unwound the ridiculous, ostentatious headscarf I'd been wearing.
Lightly shook out my hair, then extended a hand to the lady.
“Please rise. I'll escort you safely to the Southern Territories.”
Rosetta cautiously placed her hand in my palm.
Covering her lips with her other hand, she slowly stood.
“Y-Yeah.... Sure.”