Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Ghosts of the Past (4)
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I pushed my suspicions aside and returned to the Assault Hall.
Not all the instructors had been dragged along, so some of the disciples were training with the remaining ones.
But the atmosphere felt off.
It couldn't be related to Luella's disappearance, since we hadn't announced it.
They might suspect something because so many instructors had suddenly left.
My holing up in my room probably hadn't helped the mood either.
It had been quite a while since I'd shown my face at the Assault Hall after bringing in the instructors.
I'd come out a few times for spars, but teaching was no longer my responsibility.
"What's with the vibe? Did someone show up or what?"
Irena's question cut right to the awkward tension.
At that moment, one of the instructors who'd been fidgeting hesitantly came running over and started explaining.
The story was straightforward.
Someone had come to the Assault Hall looking for a spar.
"...? Can't we just tell them to come back later?"
"We did, but... they said they had nowhere to stay and insisted on waiting here."
They'd come straight from afar with no place to crash.
Most people who came for spars had homes nearby.
Of course they did—they were all locals from the Southern Kingdom Alliance.
Unless they were from another country, they wouldn't be without a home.
With that question in mind, I went looking for our visitor.
"Oh, nice t—"
Someone waiting in the room waved in greeting, then cut themselves off.
Only then could I take a good look at the visitor.
Flaming red hair.
A black tattoo covering half their face.
The Sword Saint, Franz Eldin, was at the Assault Hall.
Franz tilted his head quizzically.
"You two here to spar with that Sword Lord guy too?"
"The Sword Saint. Why are you here?"
Irena's and Franz's questions overlapped.
Franz scratched his head as if he hadn't expected to see us here again.
"Got some business, and a bunch of other stuff piled up, so..."
Franz glanced between me and Irena.
"The former Knight Commander and the Duke hanging out here... retirement trip? Or..."
He trailed off and turned his gaze to the instructors standing behind us.
His look said they weren't welcome in this conversation.
I caught on and waved the instructors back.
Once only the three of us remained in the room, Franz continued.
"So, to pick up where we left off—you got demoted here on His Majesty's orders too, right?"
Demoted? What was that supposed to mean?
The question lingered for a moment, but then I recalled Franz's performance in the selection tournament.
That sword aura that had sliced halfway across the sky, nearly hitting the wall where the Empress sat.
I hadn't seen exactly what happened from afar, but I'd caught Gerhardt blocking it.
"You got demoted because of what happened at the selection tournament?"
Franz paused, choosing his words carefully. His tattoo seemed to writhe subtly in the light.
"I did say it, but demoted... well, that's what I'm calling it. It was the order after I kicked up a huge fuss."
He drummed his fingers on the table and muttered lowly.
"Eh, secret mission's more like it. Oh, but now that I've said it, it's not so secret anymore, huh?"
Franz let out a carefree laugh and shrugged.
No trace of regret—just a whatever-happens-happens attitude.
"Figured no point hiding it since we're both on secret missions."
Irena corrected him.
"We're not here on any secret mission."
"Then why..."
Did he think Luella's disappearance was connected to Franz somehow?
Irena's face hardened as she pressed him.
Her expression was icy.
"What is this secret mission? Was kidnapping one girl part of the orders?"
Franz's face shifted subtly.
He clearly didn't grasp why she'd suddenly bring up kidnapping a girl.
He shook his head firmly, denying it.
"Not at all. The exact opposite."
"The opposite?"
Franz paused and closed his eyes for a moment.
"Raze the Southern Kingdoms to the ground."
"...!"
The words landed like a weight, thickening the air.
"To be precise, His Majesty told me to play house. And whenever he says 'play house,' it always means... war, but the half-assed kind that never quite escalates that far."
Franz smiled lightly, as if trying to lighten the mood.
"I was worried at first, but with frontline comrades joining in, it'll wrap up quicker. Right?"
Neither of us answered.
Franz looked puzzled, not getting the response he'd hoped for.
I ignored him and raced through my thoughts.
Forcing back the muddled memories, I tried to gauge the Empress's intentions.
The order to Franz: devastate the Southern Kingdoms.
Considering travel distance and time, he'd received it after the rebellion broke out.
If the Empress had been paying attention to the south beforehand, she wouldn't be caught off guard by rebellion news.
So, was she sending Franz to exploit the uprising?
'Even without the rebellion, the Empire's forces alone could've handled it easily.'
The south's military power wasn't that high.
To exaggerate, it was like heaven and earth.
It wouldn't be wrong to say one elite northern soldier could claim a spot among the Southern Seven Swords.
'The Empire could crush the south anytime.'
I had no idea why they'd left it alone until now.
Maybe because of the Northern Frontline, or perhaps they were aiming for something else.
But moving now meant the reason to hold back was gone.
And whether that reason tied to Luella.
I needed to find out.
"Before coming south, did the Empress mention anything else?"
Franz let out a groan.
"Said to wait for contact."
"Contact?"
"Yeah. Contact. Looks like we need to secure something, but I got no clue what."
Secure something.
What could it be?
"What makes you conclude the Empire needs to secure something? What's your basis?"
Franz hesitated before answering, eyeing my state as he muttered.
"...Haven't seen you in a bit, but you've lost weight. You look like some washed-up retiree drowning in booze."
"..."
"Simple deduction. If they wanted to use the rebellion, they'd act fast. Telling me to wait for contact means it's not about exploiting the chaos."
Devastating the south was meant to stir up disorder.
But ordering to wait for contact meant no chaos yet.
The Empire could trample the south anytime—timing wasn't the issue.
Only one conclusion fit.
"Something they need to secure is still down south. Or maybe some other reason I don't know. His Majesty loves stirring shit with weird artifacts. Eh, doesn't matter. I came here to spar while waiting anyway."
Paranoia, trauma, persecution complex—all rolled into one?
To me, "secure" sounded like securing Luella.
Human traffickers? Remnants of a surviving kingdom?
No—something more fundamental, more planned: an abduction.
By a faction with time and resources to cover tracks.
Empire. Empress. Rebellion. Liege.
Liege...?
Call it a mental illness if you want. But the scales of doubt were tipping one way.
And at the end, a name surfaced: someone absent from the Assault Hall.
One of the Southern Seven Swords: Frostblade.
At first, it was just a possibility.
But the more I chewed on it, the more it fit.
Frostblade, holder of one seat among the Southern Seven Swords.
Belatedly, I recalled he served some high-ranking figure.
'The one destined to purge the corrupt Delgaria and lead the dynasty.'
Back then, I'd assumed it was a prince.
But maybe not.
The king and his bloodline were swept up in the rebellion or vengeance.
Most turned into monsters or burned alive.
But Frostblade?
Even knowing his liege might get caught up, he didn't stop it.
He even aided the revenge, as if his liege wasn't in the kingdom.
'Possibility that Frostblade's liege isn't a prince, but someone else.'
Viewing Frostblade as a suspect unlocked countless possibilities.
Gut feelings I'd overlooked, assuming he was an ally, now stood out.
He'd openly said from the start he planned to help Luella escape.
Even mentioned having an escape route ready.
I'd brushed it off back then, but now it felt profoundly suspicious.
"...Irena. Frostblade. Do you know where he is?"
"Frostblade? Last I heard, he went to see his liege..."
Went to see his liege.
Then who was the liege?
With the royal family fallen, how could he boldly claim a liege still existed?
And why did it line up so eerily with Luella's disappearance?
My mind churned in chaos.
Empire spy? Hidden royal remnants? Or Frostblade's mysterious liege?
Nothing was certain.
"Fuck."
Frostblade knew Luella.
He'd met her at the Assault Hall, taught her swordsmanship, talked with her.
No matter how naive she was, she wouldn't follow some stranger.
But someone she knew? Possible.
"Frostblade. That bastard's the prime suspect."
"What?"
I shot to my feet and called for the instructors.
With bloodshot eyes, I bellowed.
"Find Frostblade. Right now."
