Chapter 489: Silent Night, Holy Night (1)
Chapter 489: Silent Night, Holy Night (1)
In the end, the expedition to the Holy Kingdom concluded as a success.
There were heartbreaking sacrifices, but the past few weeks had yielded enough achievements to ensure those deaths were not in vain. Not only had we rooted out a large portion of the Dark Cult’s forces operating within the Holy Kingdom, but the Saintess, one of our own, had ascended to the rank of a Sage.
Furthermore, we had secured the long-desired political initiative within the Holy Kingdom’s government.
Moving forward, we could expect extensive support not just from the Empire, but from the Holy Kingdom as well. Since the Saintess was now someone personally chosen by the Heavenly God, it would be difficult for them to refuse her requests.
Whether the Saintess would actually grant my requests without question was a separate matter, of course.
There were many other achievements besides those.
First and foremost, I had reached the rank of ‘High Expert.’ This was a realm of power occupied by only about twenty people on the entire continent, meaning that most people could no longer stand as my match.
And what about my companions?
Senior Elsie had gone into seclusion to focus on her training following her uncle’s death, and the Saintess’s divine power had increased exponentially after receiving the Heavenly God’s revelation.
Even before this, the Saintess was already considered the best on the continent when it came to healing.
Now, she could arguably be called the greatest in history. It wasn't an exaggeration; her evolved healing abilities were so profound that the word ‘miracle’ naturally came to mind.
She had reached a level where she could reverse time not just for living beings, but for inanimate objects as well.
While it was still too early to call her a ‘Master,’ she could be considered on par with a ‘High Expert’ or an ‘Archmage.’ With this, our party now boasted two individuals who ranked among the top twenty or so powerhouses on the continent.
However, as the saying goes, there is always a catch to good fortune.
Good things are almost always accompanied by the bad. The uninvited guest sitting right in front of me was a perfect example.
He was a middle-aged man with a sturdy build.
Curiously, only his hair was white, giving him the appearance of an old man. However, looking at his solid muscles, eyes that burned like fire, and overflowing vitality, it was impossible to find any other traces of aging.
He wore a jet-black uniform. It was the attire that symbolized the high-ranking officials of the Imperial Intelligence Agency—the shadows of the Empire who operated in the darkness.
To the rest of the world, he was praised as the Sword Duke.
This middle-aged man was one of only three Masters on the continent.
He looked unusually excited.
“…Now, look at this.”
His fountain pen glided across a blank sheet of paper, and soon, the finished drawing was pushed toward me.
Despite his flashy hand movements, there were only a few short words written on the paper.
‘Duty vs. Love’
My skeptical gaze naturally drifted toward the Sword Duke. Regardless, he lowered his voice to a somewhat threatening pitch and asked me.
“Which of the two would you choose?”
“…Do I really have to answer?”
“Ahem.”
In the end, I let out a sigh and stared down at the paper with a sullen expression for a while.
Glancing at him, the answer the Sword Duke wanted was obvious.
Since he was a senior elder of the Imperial Household, I decided to humor him and circled ‘Duty.’
As expected, the Sword Duke broke into a satisfied smile at my choice. He looked like he might start clapping if I let him.
“Excellent… That is exactly how a noble of the Empire should be! Indeed!”
“Are we done now?”
Ignoring my lethargic question, the Sword Duke immediately squeezed out the next question.
A new set of options was drawn on the paper.
‘Empire vs. Holy Kingdom’
His intentions were becoming so blatant that I could only look at him with an incredulous expression.
Nevertheless, the Sword Duke shamelessly forced an answer out of me.
“What about this one?”
I might as well see this through since I’d already started.
In truth, there was no room for hesitation with this question, so I circled ‘Empire’ without a second thought.
At that, the Sword Duke beamed with a bright smile.
“Good, very good… Now, the last one.”
Am I finally free?
With a mix of relief and annoyance, I looked down at the final choice.
‘Empire vs. Saintess’
Finally unable to endure it, my hand reached out and shredded the paper to pieces.
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing? Are you trying to say you can’t choose between the Empire and your lover…!”
“Aren’t you doubting my loyalty a bit too much?! I’m not going to the Holy Kingdom! Even if I die, I’m going to die in the Empire!”
Only after that shouting match did the Sword Duke seem to calm down a bit.
Though he still swallowed a groan, looking like he wasn't entirely satisfied.
The middle-aged man, who had been brooding with his arms crossed, shifted his gaze slightly to the side.
“Now that I think about it, you were close with Cien… She was once called the Flower of the Imperial Palace.”
The Sword Duke’s eyes kept darting toward me.
It was a blatant attempt to gauge my reaction.
“Do you happen to like her? Not long ago, she was even whispering and consulting with her cousin because of you….”
“Nothing happened.”
“Ugh,” the Sword Duke groaned, leaning back in his chair and frowning irritably.
“Then what about the Second Princess? Iris might be a bit cold, but she’s a strong candidate for the next Emperor… Even if she loses the succession race, she’d avoid death if she married you. It’s a good choice in many ways.”
“I’ve never even seen her face.”
“If not her, then fine! What about the Alphenhauser twins? The Alphenhauser family has been loyal to the Imperial Household for generations… They’re trustworthy. Above all, aren't they pretty?”
“Senior Sienne is annoying.”
In the end, the Sword Duke clicked his tongue and looked like he had given up.
He directed a dissatisfied gaze at me.
“You are a very greedy man.”
“On the contrary, please call me a humble friend who declines honors he doesn't deserve… No, wait. Isn't Princess Iris second in the order of succession? You’re saying you’d arrange someone of that stature for me?”
At my sincere question, the Sword Duke narrowed his eyes.
It didn't take long for his hesitating lips to open.
“…I heard you landed a blow on that man.”
“Huh? ‘That man’?”
“I’m talking about the Saint, of course! That damned old snake!”
The Sword Duke slammed his hand on the desk, his excitement palpable.
I had wondered why he was being so unusually emotional today.
It seemed even the great Sword Duke became like a child in front of his arch-rival. Perhaps that was why he was so wary of the Holy Kingdom.
“You have no idea how terrifying that old monster is! Does it make sense that he didn't die even after I hacked him into thousands of pieces? He even blew away a mountain with a single punch!”
Speaking as someone who had faced the Saint, the fact that the Sword Duke had managed to hack that monster—who didn't even use a blade—into thousands of pieces was more shocking to me.
Just how?
Thinking this was a good opportunity, I decided to ask about the secret history between the two Masters.
“Why did you end up fighting such a terrifying person anyway?”
“That’s because…!”
“Ahem, cough.” The Sword Duke finally regained his composure and cleared his throat.
He seemed to realize he had been acting a bit too undignified for his age.
Seeing him like this, I could feel the difference between him and the Saint, who had maintained a calm facade throughout. Even if he was old enough to be called an elder, he was still the youngest among the Masters.
Aware of my gaze, the Sword Duke spoke in a forcedly nonchalant tone.
“We had a minor disagreement… You know, that sort of thing happens often when you walk the path of martial arts.”
“What on earth was the topic…?”
Meeting my gaze, which was half-filled with anticipation and half with tension, the Sword Duke looked away.
The middle-aged man’s voice naturally grew smaller.
“We were arguing over which weapon is the best….”
A hollow laugh escaped my lips.
Before I could even scold him, the Sword Duke got worked up and started making excuses on his own.
“But does it make sense?! When the sword is called the King of a Hundred Weapons, he claims the martial artist’s body itself is the ultimate weapon! I couldn't stand it without testing it!”
“So, what was the conclusion?”
“The sword was the best, obviously!”
I had a feeling I’d get the exact opposite answer if I asked the Saint.
Of course, it wasn't a particularly important issue now. I decided to get to the point.
“Is landing a blow on the Saint really that important? Enough to arrange a marriage with a powerful candidate for the throne?”
“Hmph, others might not know… but I sense potential. The realm of a Master isn't achieved through talent and effort alone.”
His voice was incredibly serious, unlike before.
His attitude hadn't changed much, but the weight of his words was on a different level. I found myself holding my breath.
“Luck. You must have luck… and you are someone who can move luck.”
“Move luck?”
“Those who wait for luck can never reach the level of a Master. Only those who seize luck with their own hands can reach it.”
It was a cryptic statement.
However, the Sword Duke didn't seem to want to discuss it further. Instead, he simply shook his head with a stubborn attitude.
“If you had shown just a little more loyalty to the Empire, I would have given you my teachings….”
“I’m already loyal.”
“Forget it, forget it! My enthusiasm has already cooled. And here I was, about to give you some important news. Tsk.”
Important news?
At those words, I tried to stop the Sword Duke as he began to stand up. But before I could, he left me with a final farewell and a strange smile.
“The Academy will be in an uproar soon. Well then, I’ll see you then.”
Just as he had appeared, the Sword Duke vanished like the wind.
Even after he left, I remained lost in thought for a while.
The Academy would be in an uproar.
I couldn't think of a reason why. What kind of matter would require someone like the Sword Duke to maintain such secrecy?
There was no way I’d find the answer now.
I soon shook my head to clear my thoughts. I had a more immediate problem to face.
In my room in the Academy dormitory, now empty of the Sword Duke, I carefully picked up the notice I had placed on the table.
‘Holy Night Festival’
It was an event commemorating the day the Heavenly God descended to earth. As one of the most important holidays of the Heavenly God Religion, it was famous for hosting a massive ball.
The highlight of the festival was the ‘Dance of the Holy Night.’
Just before midnight, thousands of men and women would pair up to dance—the climax of the Holy Night Festival.
They said that couples who paired up would receive the Heavenly God’s blessing and their relationship would progress over the following year.
Since I had returned to the Academy, it was an event I couldn't avoid attending.
My head was already throbbing at the thought of who I should dance with. To make matters worse, there were two more letters giving me a headache.
First, the letter that had arrived from the Lainella family.
I was too scared to even open it yet. The other was a note from the Yurdina family.
‘Heading to the Academy.’
It was dry information. So brief that I couldn't even tell who the sender was.
I let out a long sigh and organized the two letters along with the Holy Night Festival notice.
It seemed a difficult problem was about to descend upon me.
In more ways than one.
This story was a record of the events that unfolded over just a few days.