Chapter 498: The Exchange (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 498: The Exchange (7)
The Void.
This was another world.
A space where nothing existed, yet it was undeniably real.
The Merlin family's secret art, spatial magic, was a technique that utilized this void in various ways.
Bending space, or rendering an opponent completely immobile.
Even teleportation, which allowed one to traverse vast distances in an instant.
I hadn't grasped the exact principles, but if I put my mind to it, it would be a piece of cake.
There was only one thing that determined whether one could use spatial magic or not.
It all seemed to depend on whether you could perceive and understand this void.
An incredibly valuable and limitless magic.
But what made my heart swell even more was the dumbfounded look on the old Merlin's face.
"Old man."
You look good, all pale like that. Don't you think?
I'd had a vague inkling.
The eyes of the old man—who wasn't clumsy, but rather expertly condescending—were constantly on guard.
It felt like a homeowner confronting a thief who had broken in to steal his treasure.
That's right.
That old man was afraid I would take something from him.
And it wasn't hard to guess that 'something' was his family's secret magic.
"Make your choice."
That's why this was so delightful.
"Should we say I stole it, or that you taught it to me?"
Offering him two choices, a supposed lifeline, in the midst of the greatest humiliation of his life.
The worst option, or the lesser of two evils.
Either way, it was obvious there would be trouble.
After agonizing with a deeply contorted face, his shoulders slumped.
"...I'll go with the latter, if you please."
At the same time, the venom that had filled his face vanished as if purified in an instant.
All that remained was a hollow old man, forced into worldly detachment.
"Hmph, to think I tried so hard not to have it stolen."
"Try to understand. It's not like I wanted to take it."
What can you do?
When my eyes are open, I can see the flow of all the mana around me.
It's not like I can go through life with my eyes closed, can I?
"...Yes. I suppose one shouldn't blame outstanding talent."
Muttering this with a newly detached expression, the old Merlin suddenly bowed his head to me.
"As an elder, I have behaved shamefully. I apologize."
"Wait, old man...?"
What the.
Can a person really change so suddenly?
"If there's anything you don't know about spatial magic, come find me anytime. I will answer to the best of my ability, with all my heart."
"Ah, yes..."
It was getting a little creepy now.
Just as I was thinking I might have to change my opinion of him...
"By the way... you're still unmarried, aren't you?"
"Yes, I am."
"Perfect. We have a very beautiful young lady in our family, around your age. Would you like to meet her?"
"......"
Give me a break.
Of course.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"That persistent old geezer."
One hour.
That's how long it took to shake off the old man who was clinging to me like a leech.
He was so insistent, nagging me to meet his granddaughter just once.
"Does he think I'll meet any girl just because she's pretty?"
Actually, that's true.
If she's that pretty, what's the harm in meeting her once?
But not right now.
My desire to experience as many women as possible hasn't changed.
But it's not like I'm feeling a lack of companionship at the moment.
I could clearly see his angle, so there was no reason to get entangled and meet some girl.
"Phew... Now I can finally take a look around in peace."
I slowly scanned the faces of the people mingling beneath the brilliant chandeliers.
Familiar and unfamiliar faces passed through my wide field of vision.
"...Intense."
Every single one of them possessed incredible skill.
S-rank, at a minimum.
And the Saintess had personally met and selected every last one of them.
"This is basically the Saintess's personal jewel box."
Once again, I was struck by how amazing she was.
To join the Guardians, you not only needed skill, but your character had to be impeccable as well.
Either that, or you had to be cunning enough to deceive the Saintess's discerning eye, which was clearly different from others'.
Everyone gathered here was one or the other.
Their numbers weren't large, but if they put their minds to it, couldn't they take over half the world in an instant?
Not that they ever would, of course.
One by one.
As I was forcing myself to memorize the faces of the Guardians, someone came up from behind and wrapped an arm around my shoulder.
"Hey there. Enjoying the view?"
A familiar voice.
It was Angela.
"You're here?"
"Yeah. Having to attend a banquet right after arriving is killing me, ugh."
Groaning tiredly, Angela leaned gently against me.
It seemed she had only just managed to get from Korea to the Vatican today.
She told me to go on ahead because she was busy, and she really did cut it close.
"Have you said hello to anyone yet?"
I shook my head with a bitter smile at her question.
"Unfortunately, not yet."
I spent all my time trying to get rid of old man Merlin.
"Hmm... is that so."
A deep smile spread across her face, which was just inches from mine.
"Alright. Then I'll introduce you. Follow me!"
"Huh...?"
Before I knew it, she had grabbed my arm and was leading me somewhere.
We arrived at a table where three people, two men and a woman, were chatting quietly.
Angela waved at them with her free hand.
"Hey everyone, long time no see!"
"Oh, Angela! How long has it been?"
"Wow... you've gotten even prettier."
The two men and one woman greeted Angela with the kind of big reactions typical of Westerners.
After their greetings, their eyes naturally turned to me.
"So, who's the guy next to you?"
"I've never seen him before... Is he your boyfriend?"
At the woman's words, Angela blushed slightly and shook her head.
"B-Boyfriend? No way."
Then, she pulled me forward from where I stood a step behind her and continued.
"This is Kim Do-jin. He's our newest member."
"Oh... Kim Do-jin!"
"I knew I'd seen him somewhere! He's a celebrity!"
The group reacted enthusiastically as soon as they heard my name.
Their reaction was a measure of my own fame.
They might not remember my face, but they recognized the name instantly.
I offered them a friendly smile and greeted them first.
"I'm Kim Do-jin. It's a pleasure to meet you."
As we exchanged light hugs, I carefully stored their names in my memory.
"I'm Greg."
"Melissa."
"And I'm Antony."
They were members of the Guardians, active in the United States, France, and the United Kingdom, respectively.
Of course, they weren't just regular members, but branch leaders or deputy leaders who led the others.
"I've heard all about your recent exploits. Very impressive."
"You're too kind."
"Hoho, so humble."
Even after just a short conversation, I could see their character clearly.
They were good people.
So pure and clean that I could tell just from a few words.
"How have things been in Europe lately?"
"Hmm, not so great."
"Why?"
"There's been a sharp increase in villain activity recently."
"It's the same over here. The way they only target hard-to-reach places makes it seem organized..."
And at the same time, they were righteous.
They were genuinely concerned about world peace.
A world apart from me, who couldn't care less about such things.
In the middle of her conversation with the three, Angela seemed to remember something and took a step back.
"Ah, sorry. I'm not done introducing this guy yet. Let's continue this later!"
Ah.
So it was because of me.
Before I had a chance to feel sorry, Angela grabbed my hand and led me off somewhere else.
"Next up, that table over there looks good."
We went to another table that was in high spirits and exchanged greetings.
Key figures of the Guardians, active all over the world but centered in Europe.
I organized and filed away their faces, names, and even a rough estimate of their abilities.
"Alright, next is..."
With each new piece of information, the anxiety churning in my chest began to subside.
This was because the formless terror, born from not knowing anything, was finally starting to take shape.
"Is that about everyone?"
After greeting the last table, Angela moistened her throat with a glass of wine.
It was at that very moment.
Guided by old man Merlin, another person slowly appeared in the Exchange Meeting hall.
Seeing this, the corner of Angela's mouth twitched.
"Tch, looks like there's one more person to greet."
The face, which had been momentarily blurred by the aftereffects of spatial magic, finally came into focus.
The newcomer was a man.
A man so handsome he looked as if a world-renowned artist had poured their very soul into painting him.
Angela gestured toward him with her chin and asked.
"You know him, right?"
"...Of course I do."
It was an unforgettable face.
Lustrous golden hair that seemed spun from pure gold, and eyes like inlaid blue lakes.
And the single sword tied securely to his back.
These were the three symbols of a certain famous man.
He had slain the great black dragon that covered the skies of Europe, and he had fought on the front lines for three days and nights against thousands of monsters from a monster wave to seize victory.
A hero who had built up countless achievements worthy of being recorded in history.
The noble Sword Saint, who shattered the crises facing humanity with but a single sword.
"The Sword Saint, Francis Meyer..."
The one I once aimed for, a goal far beyond my reach.
"A f..."
The one I had desperately longed to meet just once.
"A fa...!"
At the appearance of the man who wielded a sword better than anyone else in the world.
"I'm a fan-!"
In that split second, the inner fanboy I had kept so carefully hidden completely exploded.