Reincarnated as the Count's Plum Blossom Swordmaster
Kyle cast his gaze into the distance. Beyond the flowing river, the enemies came into view.
The army of the Cobalt Kingdom.
Their numbers hovered around fifty thousand. Far too few to claim they represented the entire Cobalt Kingdom. Yet to sneer and dismiss them for that would have been a mistake—Kyle had failed to drive that army back. Every last soldier in the Cobalt ranks was elite.
From the common soldiers to the knights, somehow, all of them were strong.
Kyle focused his eyes. As an Aura Master, his gaze picked out the leader of the Cobalt Kingdom. King Dulibard, red hair streaming. A powerhouse who did not fall short of Kyle himself.
Kyle had faced him several times, yet he could never tell what the man was thinking. Then Dulibard issued some order to his troops. One of the knights blew a trumpet. The Cobalt Kingdom soldiers turned about.
Before departing, Dulibard glared at Kyle with blazing eyes—no, past Kyle—then retreated.
“Congratulations, Lord Kyle! The war is finally over!”
A somewhat frivolous voice that did not suit the battlefield rang out. Kyle tore his gaze from the retreating Cobalt army.
There stood a flamboyant man with soft golden hair and blue eyes. A thick smile curved his lips; he was Baron Olond Glebet, who had begun serving Kyle a few months earlier. The moment Kyle saw him, he felt his mind settle.
“This war is over, but the continental war is still ongoing.”
“I know that. Still, one war has ended, has it not? Lord Kyle. Enjoy this victory for now. You are the clear victor.”
“Victory… It is a victory, but it feels unsettled.”
Kyle sighed. For a victory, all he had gained was fame. The Cobalt army had simply withdrawn first.
“Where is Terius?”
“He is resting in his quarters. He kept hoping to go out onto the battlefield… Oh my. The battlefield is gone. I’ll have to offer him some empty words of comfort later.”
Baron Glebet said it playfully. Kyle paid it no mind. That was simply how the baron usually spoke.
Terius.
Terius, once Kyle’s soldier, had gained fame through the battlefield.
Berserker Terius.
It was not a flattering title. It was the renown he had earned by going mad on the field of battle.
“I should meet him later.”
Kyle had many capable subordinates. Compared to them, Terius fell short somewhere. His combat prowess was excellent, yet the sight of blood sent him into a frenzy that made him hard to control. He was the high-maintenance one among the subordinates.
Yet strangely, Terius kept nagging at his thoughts. Probably because they shared the same enemy.
“Lord Kyle. I was wondering, but your complexion has been poor for a while. Do you have something on your mind?”
“…It’s about the family.”
“Haha. Why are you like this? I have devoted myself fully to assisting you all this time. Are you trying to push me away now? I’m truly disappointed.”
Kyle flustered. Call it human compatibility—somehow, dealing with Glebet was far harder than with anyone else.
“No… it’s not that. If I return like this…. I just thought Father would choose Yujin as the heir.”
Kyle had been on a winning streak. Victory after victory in war. People now called him a hero. But he was not the only one who had become a hero. Yujin had won in the north, and a few days ago word had come that he had crushed the Vitrase Kingdom’s army in the west and saved an elven village. Kyle’s achievements were overshadowed by Yujin’s.
On top of that, Yujin had been working behind the scenes in ways both known and unknown. Though the princess was opposing him, Yujin’s influence—backed by wealth like an unending spring—grew by the day.
“Lord Kyle. You’re sounding weak.”
“…It’s not weakness. It’s reality. Yujin is more capable than I am.”
Olond wiped the smile from his face. Kyle flinched involuntarily. The serious Olond carried a bizarre presence that could overwhelm him for a moment.
“Will you give up the Frucus countship for such a reason?”
“…It’s not about giving up. That’s just how reality is.”
“Lord Kyle. Baron Yujin Frucus is outstanding. Yes, an unparalleled hero. But think about it. Does his personality suit a hero? If he inherits the countship, will the people be happy?”
“…That is….”
Kyle recalled recent rumors about Yujin. Yujin had executed thousands of slaves. The publicly known reason was a slave revolt. There were more than a few suspicious points.
“Lord Kyle. Think of Yuria Grace. She who stands closest to Yujin Frucus may well be suffering abuse.”
“Th-that can’t be…. Yujin and Yuria’s relationship is close to that of lovers.”
Kyle trembled. Just thinking of Yuria made his heart race and his face flush. His mind filled with her. How long had it been since he last saw her? He wanted to meet her.
“Remember the recent slave massacre. Yujin Frucus’s true nature is vicious. He is surely treating Yuria like a slave. In the worst case, he may be violating her every day.”
There was a possibility.
Kyle imagined Yuria being forcibly violated by Yujin and clenched his teeth. Rage and hatred surged.
“…I have to save Yuria. But if I don’t become the heir, there’s no way….”
“Lord Kyle. The easiest way to become the heir is to eliminate the rival. At the same time, it is the final method.”
“……”
Kill Yujin. That was what he was saying. Kyle found himself drawn to that method. But he could not simply charge in and kill him.
“I have good news for you, Lord Kyle. Yujin Frucus is currently in the Heversite Mountains.”
The Heversite Mountains lay in the northern part of the Rapheli Kingdom. They were relatively small and so barren that neither monsters nor people lived there.
“…Yujin? Why there?”
“I don’t know that either. One thing is certain: Yuria Grace is with Yujin Frucus. They may be plotting some scheme.”
Kyle swallowed.
Several words floated through his mind.
Opportunity. Yuria. Yujin. Heversite Mountains. Frucus Count. And so on.
Dizzy. Amid the dizziness, Glebet’s voice reached his ears. In a pleasant tone, saying things he wanted to hear. Among them was a word that shook Kyle’s heart.
“Yuria. You must save Yuria. Lord Kyle.”
“…Right. I have to save Yuria.”
“Do you not love Yuria more than anyone, Lord Kyle? You must save Yuria who is being abused by Yujin’s hands.”
“I love Yuria. Yuria….”
“Fortunately, the war has ended. Even if it’s a brief rest, we have some leeway. I will go with you, Lord Kyle. I will guide you to the Heversite Mountains. Ah, and take Terius along. He will surely be of help. Surely you’re not still hesitating?”
“…No. I’ve decided not to hesitate. I’ll kill Yujin and save Yuria. And I… will make Yuria happy.”
“That’s exactly it, Lord Kyle! Yuria is surely waiting for you as well.”
Kyle narrowed his eyes and stared blankly into the air. Yuria flickered before him.
I headed to the Heversite Mountains with Yuria and Elena. In this barren mountain range in the northern Rapheli Kingdom lay the power that would lead Yuria to the realm of Grand Master.
Of course, it was not guaranteed that Yuria would become a Grand Master. There was ample chance of failure. But I trusted Yuria. If it was Yuria, she would reach the Grand Master realm.
However, one thing I had not anticipated was the state of the Heversite Mountains. From the outside they looked fine, but the sight that greeted us after climbing them left me speechless.
Demon’s Gate.
A large black rhombus-shaped stone was scattering demonic energy from the center of the mountains. And the Demon's Gate was also called a Demon Gate.
In other words, the Heversite Mountains had already been occupied by the Demon Association bastards.
In the original, nothing like this happened… What caused it to change like this?
There were too many possible causes; that was the problem.
Demon’s Gate…. I saw one once long ago at Goldway Academy. Back then the dragon Priscilla handled it on her own… but Priscilla isn’t here now.
There was no way to call Priscilla. We had to handle it ourselves. And as far as I knew, ordinary power would not be enough to destroy that thing.
With Yuria and Elena here, is it possible?
I stared fixedly at the Demon's Gate using Heavenly Eye. Through the Demon's Gate, demons and demonic beasts could come from the Demon World. Yet no demons or demonic beasts were visible.
They’re probably hiding somewhere. Since they’re not visible to my eyes, they must be hidden quite deep.
I pondered what to do.
First, it would be better to eliminate the Demon's Gate. The Demon's Gate had two purposes: summoning demonic beasts and demons from the Demon World, and transforming this world’s environment into that of the Demon World.
And the ultimate goal of the Demon Association that had installed this Demon's Gate was to summon the Demon King to this world.
“Elena. Can you erase that with illusion magic without leaving a trace?”
Elena quietly observed the Demon's Gate. Then she shook her head.
“Impossible unless I use Limit Break. I sense a presence from that rock on the level of the Plague Demon we saw last time.”
“Yuria. You?”
“If you command it, I will destroy it right away. However, if I destroy it by force, the demonic energy of the Demon's Gate may explode and sweep the surroundings.”
“…Let’s destroy it later.”
There was one concern about destroying the Demon's Gate right now. The Dragon Lord’s Heart that should be somewhere in these mountains. Yuria had to obtain the heart. Only then would she ascend to Grand Master.
If the Demon's Gate explodes and affects the Dragon Lord’s Heart, that would be the worst. The Demon's Gate isn’t immediately dangerous anyway, so we can deal with it later.
Having reached a conclusion, I ignored the Demon's Gate. It was not urgent. Even if the Demon's Gate existed a bit longer, nothing major would change.
I hope the Dragon Lord’s Heart hasn’t been affected.
I looked around the barren mountains. The trees were withered and twisted, and the ground was full of black rocks. No wonder the range was famous for its barrenness. We had to find the remains of the Dragon Lord somewhere in these mountains.
“You don’t know the exact location?”
Elena grumbled discontentedly. I scratched my head and nodded.
“That’s how it is.”
“Haa. What a pain. Then at least give me a clue. I’ll find it with magic.”
“Well… there are no clues.”
This was something I could not help either.
Even the original protagonist Kyle had discovered the Dragon Lord’s remains by chance. Moreover, the information about the location was vaguely described, making it impossible to pinpoint any place. The only information I knew was that it was somewhere in the Heversite Mountains.
“…Huu. Let’s move for now.”
As Elena said, we had to move. Standing still would get us nothing.
We wandered here and there through the mountains. Aside from the Demon's Gate, there was nothing special.
Rumble rumble rumble.
Our footsteps, trudging along the mountains, halted. The ground was shaking. Not just shaking. There was something underground.
I lowered my gaze to my feet. Activating Heavenly Eye, I peered into the ground. A massive worm-like demonic beast was rising toward us.
“Yuria, Elena! It’s coming from underground!!”
