Chapter 526: Jealousy is My Power (26)
Chapter 526: Jealousy is My Power (26)
Masters symbolize the power of a nation.
Their existence could not be explained simply by the concept of being 'strong.' They lived as guardian deities and focal points for their respective peoples.
The Empire's Sword Duke protected the Imperial Household.
The Saint of the Holy Kingdom guarded the Holy City of Siendel, and the Great Witch suppressed the Great Evils lurking within the Great Forest.
This balance had been maintained for a long time, even when new Masters emerged.
One only had to look at the time when the 'Great Sage,' who used to protect the Imperial Palace, vanished. The old wizard, who had lived even longer than the Saint or the Great Witch, handed his position over to the Sword Duke and disappeared without a trace.
The reason was simple.
If more than one Master belonged to a single nation, the balance of the world would collapse.
That was how special the existence of a Master was. Naturally, the entire continent had no choice but to be on high alert regarding the selection of a successor.
This was why influential figures from every nation had flocked to the Academy upon hearing the news that the Great Witch was recruiting a disciple.
Everyone wanted someone from their own family to become her pupil.
If they could just have the family's secret arts passed down, even a mere fragment of that enlightenment would be enough to propel their family's development.
The Yurdina family's secret swordsmanship was a prime example. Rumor had it that even their pride and joy, the 'Golden Silk Sword,' was created based on enlightenment bestowed by a Master in the distant past.
However, this grand premise had one fatal catch.
Becoming the Great Witch's disciple.
In other words, it meant becoming the next guardian of the Southern Kingdoms.
There was no room for negotiation.
The Great Witch would never choose a disciple who didn't agree to that condition in the first place.
While she might share some secrets or insights, she could not abandon the symbolism of being the 'focal point' of the Southern Kingdoms.
Of course, this drawback was well worth enduring.
It was an opportunity to potentially become the next Master. Anyone who missed out on such a chance would have no excuse if they were called a fool.
That is, unless an equivalent alternative was guaranteed.
It didn't even take a few seconds for the Empire's Master to assault the Master of the Southern Kingdoms.
"Old woman, we need to talk!"
The shout accompanied a kick that sent the door flying.
No matter how sturdy the material, there was no substance in this world that could withstand the leg power of a Master. With a sharp explosion, the miserably crumpled door clattered to the floor, creating an unpleasant racket.
I stood behind the Sword Duke, cold sweat pouring down my face.
Was this really okay?
Dozens of people had tried to stop us on our way to the Great Witch's quarters. Most were nobles of the Southern Kingdoms, dispatched to attend to her.
But who could possibly stand in the way of the Sword Duke when he had lost his mind?
Unless they wanted to be turned into minced meat, their only option was to get out of the way. Of course, the Sword Duke was kind enough to knock them all unconscious before they even had the chance.
He didn't even need to draw his sword.
The moment the Sword Duke released a sliver of his blade-sharp killing intent, most of the attendants wet themselves and fainted on the spot.
His monstrous strength was a sight to behold, no matter how many times I saw it.
Unlike me, who was stiff with tension, the Sword Duke marched forward with a spirited stride toward the Great Witch, who was slumped lazily in an armchair.
The Great Witch was equally composed.
"Quite a rough greeting, you sword-mad brat... I thought I'd fixed that habit of yours a long time ago."
"Hmph, wasn't that decades ago? Do you really need a round of fisticuffs to realize how much time has passed?"
"I'm already feeling the passage of time in my very bones. Don't I have a brat standing right in front of me, glaring insolently? In the old days, you wouldn't have even been able to lift your head... Tsk, time is truly fickle."
Clicking her tongue, the Great Witch naturally exhaled a cloud of tobacco smoke.
Her face made it painfully obvious that she was only engaging in this conversation because she had to.
"So, what is it? Surely you didn't commit such an act of rudeness just to tell me it's nothing?"
"You're asking because you don't know?"
The Sword Duke growled like a predator, making no effort to hide his displeasure. Heated breaths leaked through his clenched teeth.
"No matter how desperate you are for a disciple, there's a limit! You're trying to take a kid someone else already called dibs on? Have you thrown your conscience to the dogs?"
"Ha, I wondered what you were on about."
The Great Witch let out a snort and put her smoking pipe back to her lips.
Her beaming smile seemed to mock the Sword Duke.
"He's not your disciple yet, is he? Then I'm free to covet him. Did someone hold a sword to your throat and force you?"
"That certainly sounds like an enticing option."
With that, the Sword Duke subtly showed the sword at his waist.
The blade bestowed by the Emperor was one of the greatest divine artifacts in the Empire. The golden dragon engraved on the pure white scabbard radiated the dignity of the Imperial Household.
A masterwork of that caliber inevitably chose its owner.
In other words, no one but the Sword Duke could wield that sword. It was naturally the weapon that symbolized him.
However, the Great Witch only snorted at the signal implying a resort to force.
"Aren't you already pointing plenty of swords at me? The kind that can't be avoided in the first place... Did you really think I'd back down just because of this?"
"So, you really want to go a round?"
The Sword Duke looked serious as he lowered his stance slightly and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
A chilling blue killing intent flickered like a flame.
The Sword Duke's rage was reaching a dangerous level. Just as I thought I should step in—
"Have you asked the boy what he wants?"
"......What?"
At that short question, the Sword Duke flinched, his stance wavering.
The Great Witch maintained her nonchalant smile.
"I asked if you've asked the boy what he thinks. Surely the choice belongs to him, doesn't it? It is his future, after all."
"Hmph, this boy is an Imperial noble by birth. The answer is obvious—?"
It didn't take long for the confident smile to vanish from the Sword Duke's lips.
It was because I silently avoided his gaze.
The sight of the Sword Duke's eyes bulging and his body trembling passed across my retinas in succession.
Somehow, I could already see what was coming next.
Immediately after I squeezed my eyes shut—
"You little br-aaaaat! Ian Percus, are you really going to betray the Empire?! Do you still call yourself an Imperial noble?!"
The Sword Duke's roaring voice struck my eardrums like thunder.
He was so furious that his voice carried a physical wave of energy.
Furniture rattled and shook like aspen leaves. The wrath of a transcendent being was difficult to handle, even for someone like me who had reached the level of a High Expert.
I barely suppressed the urge to plug my ears.
"Regardless of noble or common birth, every subject of the Empire lives by the grace of the Imperial Household! Are you going to be that ungrateful?!"
"Tsk, tsk... This is exactly why the Empire is hopeless."
The Sword Duke's shouting stopped then.
Meeting the old man's bloodshot eyes, the Great Witch wagged her index finger and clicked her tongue.
It was truly a display of remarkable courage.
"You only talk about duty and honor; who would want to be loyal to the Empire? No matter how honorable a knight is, he can't wield a sword on an empty stomach... Naturally, you must provide a reward befitting the duty."
"Urgh... Th-that's..."
Even at a glance, her words were logical.
The Sword Duke, who clearly lacked eloquence, was in no position to offer an easy rebuttal. After groaning for a long while, the Sword Duke cleared his throat, subtly glancing at me.
"......It can't be helped! Fine, I'll give you one of my precious grand-nieces. How about Cien?"
"Wait, didn't we already talk about this before?"
"Then how about two? Iris and Cien! How about both? They are the most beautiful among my grand-nieces...!"
The obsession of the old man was a pathetic sight to behold.
Seeing the Sword Duke's momentum, as if he were ready to hand over the entire Imperial Household, I ended up turning my head away.
"Hmm? You don't want to rot away in the Great Forest for the rest of your life, do you? It's much better to enjoy a glamorous life in the Imperial Palace with several beautiful wives...!"
"Enough, enough."
It was the Great Witch who stopped the Sword Duke on my behalf.
The Sword Duke was on the verge of clinging to me with tears welling in his eyes. If the Great Witch hadn't stepped in first, I might have shouted at him to stop myself.
Even the Great Witch seemed surprised that the Sword Duke would go this far.
She was pressing her hand to her forehead as if she had a migraine.
A long sigh escaped her lips.
"Honestly, a man of your age acting like this... Enough! I give up. Let's negotiate."
"......Negotiate?"
Finding the proposal enticing, the Sword Duke immediately stopped whimpering and looked at the Great Witch.
By now, there was even a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
"Yes, a negotiation. I happen to have a task for the boy; why don't you help him out?"
"Wait, what kind of nonsense is that?"
"You can show off your skills while you're at it. Wouldn't that make the boy more likely to be charmed by you?"
"......Hmm."
The Sword Duke seemed to think the Great Witch's words made sense.
Letting out a soft hum, he muttered to himself.
"Guarding my nephew... well, that should be enough. If it's just for a short breather..."
I felt a shiver run down my spine as I watched this series of events unfold.
At first, I wondered how this would turn out, but I never expected the Great Witch to succeed in gaining the Sword Duke's cooperation.
The Great Witch knew the Sword Duke better than I had imagined.
She knew the childish true nature hidden behind his dignified appearance and his reputation as the 'Sword Duke'!
Soon, the Sword Duke gave the exact answer the Great Witch had anticipated.
"Well, fine... I was just starting to feel that the Academy was getting a bit restless anyway. Consider it a gesture of respect for my elders."
His tone had even returned to a polite one, just like before.
At this point, it was safe to say the Sword Duke's anger had completely dissipated. I breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, but it seemed the Great Witch still had more to say.
With a suspicious smile, she continued in a suggestive tone.
"But you see, there's actually one more condition..."
"......?"
This was news to me too.
Wasn't this whole performance just to get the Sword Duke's cooperation?
As the Sword Duke and I exchanged puzzled glances, a few minutes passed.
Standing before me was a girl I had never seen before.
Elegant, dark blue hair fell down to her waist. The blue eyes of the girl, who was wearing the Academy's first-year uniform, sparkled as if they were embedded with starlight.
I stared with wide eyes, unable to say a word.
On the other hand, the Great Witch couldn't suppress her giggling. After gasping for breath for a while, she finally wiped a tear from the corner of her eye with her index finger and asked:
"Pfft, ahahaha... How is it, you sword-mad brat? How does it feel to be back in a young body after all this time?"
Only then did the girl, whose face was a picture of gloom, open her mouth.
"......Goddammit."
The identity of this lovely girl I was seeing for the first time.
It was the 'Sword Duke,' now wearing the shell of a young woman.
Naturally, it was the Great Witch's handiwork.