Chapter 17
Chapter 17
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: The Path of Departure
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Damn it! Why won't this thing come out?"
"Because your strength is too weak!"
A long line. Knights were eagerly stepping up one by one to pull the sword.
The imperial palace was buzzing with life for the first time in ages, thanks to the massive crowd.
"It's quite crowded."
I was watching the line from the palace garden.
Nearly two hundred knights had challenged it in a single day and failed.
The so-called sword-pulling trial.
Two days ago, Caliburn had plummeted from the sky and embedded itself in the heart of the palace, drawing everyone's attention. It'spoke as follows.
―I am Caliburn, the spirit of the great king. Only the one who draws me shall possess the true qualifications of a ruler.
The sudden appearance of the spirit turned the palace upside down.
Mages from the towers confirmed it was a 'real spirit,' and people flocked to the sword without hesitation.
They wanted to verify their own qualifications by witnessing a mystery lost for a thousand years.
The mages all failed, and now the knights were trying, but the sword still wouldn't budge an inch.
"The imperial family hasn't challenged it yet."
Edis spoke as he sipped his tea.
I shoved a piece of bread into my mouth and smiled.
"They're being cautious. It's a one-shot chance, after all."
The one who draws me shall possess the qualifications of a king.
Daring to say such a thing in the heart of the empire?
It deserved a thousand deaths, but it was a spirit.
Besides, this situation could provide the imperial family with a perfect 'excuse.'
If one of the princes could pull that sword!
They could dethrone the current unqualified crown prince and elevate a new heir.
That's what the empresses would be thinking.
So they were making full preparations before challenging it.
Letting the knights have a go in the meantime.
'What's a knight's is his lord's, after all.'
No loss if a knight pulled it.
Edis asked.
"Did you anticipate this situation?"
"You mean letting mages and knights challenge it?"
"Yes."
"No."
I shrugged.
"Then did you think His Majesty would cover it up?"
"You can't cover the sky with the palm of your hand. If there were no outsiders, maybe, but with four tower masters here, hiding it is impossible."
It was a stage deliberately pierced through the barrier.
If it were only insiders, fine, but with mages who leap out of bed at the whiff of a mystery gathering in droves.
Short of killing them all, covering it up was impossible.
I wiped my mouth with a napkin and said.
"This won't end here. Soon, people will gather outside the palace too."
"Surely His Majesty won't open the palace and grant challenges to common citizens?"
"If the sword isn't pulled, he'll have no choice."
A spirit appearing after a thousand years.
The moment the rumors spread, every citizen in the empire would know.
A spirit emerging in this time of peace, speaking of 'kingly qualifications' from within the palace.
Sit idle, and it'd balloon into all sorts of useless rumors and scandals.
The emperor would have to make a choice.
And open the palace, granting opportunities to commoners as well.
But no one would pull the sword.
Only I could draw Caliburn.
What I needed for that was time.
Time until the rumors leaked and everyone knew.
Time until all eyes were on it.
I planned to slip out of the palace at the right moment, heal Edis's granddaughter, and return to pull the sword.
'No way someone pulls it in the meantime.'
Not even 8th-circle archmages could.
No way a catastrophe like that would happen in the interim.
'His Highness is drawing a grand picture.'
Edis let out a short sigh of admiration watching the crown prince.
The crown prince was scheming something far grander than he had imagined.
Look at those eyes full of conviction.
Who could dare call him mad?
"Ooooh! Lord Raunel!"
"Lord Raunel is challenging it!!!"
"Hm?"
My eyes wavered for a moment.
The 1st Prince's name rang in my ears.
I thought he'd challenge later.
Raunel. The red-haired noble youth rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward.
The gaze of knights and soldiers focused entirely on him.
"Spirit Caliburn! The one to be your master is me."
―Oh ho. Indeed, you're the closest to a ruler among all who've challenged so far.
Caliburn exclaimed in admiration.
No matter how I looked, it seemed genuine.
A complete opposite attitude and words from when it first saw me.
'Didn't expect him to challenge this soon.'
1st Prince, Raunel.
He was a born ruler by any measure.
Born with the charisma to lead people.
The hardworking genius, beloved by all, the 1st Prince.
If only the qualified could pull the sword, he'd likely be the prime candidate in this palace.
Raunel slowly gripped Caliburn's hilt.
"Hup!"
Clunk!
"...Didn't it just move a little?"
As Edis said, the sword seemed to have loosened slightly.
Was it trying to get deleted?
―Gasp!
Sensing my killing intent, Caliburn looked quite flustered too.
As it called itself the king's spirit, it was probably designed to let true kings pull it.
"Grrrrr!"
―Grrrr!
Both were giving it their all.
One to pull it out, the other to hold firm.
A phoenix flapped its wings above Raunel.
He even reached awakening state, but ultimately failed to draw Caliburn.
"...Damn it."
Raunel bit his lip in frustration.
―What a pity. You, huff! lack the qualifications.
Caliburn's true master seemed to be Raunel, after all.
Caliburn had barely held on with desperate will not to be deleted.
I felt a drop of cold sweat myself.
With the biggest hurdle Raunel passed, should I call this fortunate?
"Your Highness. May I ask one thing?"
"Go ahead."
"How did you know the barrier's weak point? Even the tower masters didn't know about that spot..."
Thanks to that, Edis had pierced the barrier without much trouble.
But the imperial palace's mana barrier was set by the four tower masters.
They prided themselves on its perfection. They never imagined a flaw.
'Malfiel told me.'
That bastard.
Grateful in the most infuriating way.
Before storming the palace, he'd mockingly revealed the barrier's weak point and dared me to block him.
We layered multiple barriers and patched the flaw, but couldn't stop that mad monster.
It'shattered with one lightning strike.
I should've seen the mages' dumbfounded faces then.
'How should I kill him?'
Malfiel and I couldn't coexist.
After regression, I'd pondered endlessly, but the conclusion was one.
One of us had to die.
Of course, I was far more likely to be the one.
Malfiel, having achieved the 12 Feats, was like a god.
The slim chance was killing him before all feats. But time remained until his first appearance.
So before then, grow as strong as possible and kill Malfiel.
If imperial power fell short, borrow mages' strength; if still not, hire every mercenary and assassin on the continent.
If even that wasn't enough...
I shook my head and answered.
"I just had a feeling that spot was weak."
"As I thought."
As I thought?
Edis's gaze was meaningful.
'Does he really think I'm connected to the Spirit King?'
Maybe because of Caliburn's final words.
He seemed inwardly convinced I had a contract with the Spirit King.
If tied to the Spirit King, taming rampages, handling Caliburn, even spotting barrier flaws—all made sense to him.
'Grateful he's deluding himself.'
No need to fabricate lies, which was more convenient than expected.
Lies breed more lies and eventually unravel.
Best when they convince themselves like this.
"But are you really okay with this?"
"The sword won't be pulled in the meantime."
"Not that... I'mean the place with my granddaughter."
"The north?"
The north.
The glacial land of eternal blizzards.
Edis's granddaughter was there.
Frozen to halt her rampage, left on land that would never thaw.
Hearing the location, even I hesitated.
The north was in full swing of unification wars right now.
Grand Duke Carlos and his nobles, his children ravaging the land in conquest.
'The northern campaign succeeds.'
The northern campaign traded for my enfeoffment.
Emperor Deus hoped Carlos would die midway, but he succeeded spectacularly and entered the palace.
Then famine struck, and the emperor lost all power and stepped down.
Even with the imperial family and princes united, it wasn't enough.
And after I ascended... it was hell.
Death, killing, the palace filled with blood and screams daily.
"Yes. It's war there now."
"No choice. A promise is a promise."
If he helped me, I'd help him.
The north nagged at me, but finish it quick.
'No, this might be good.'
I thought positively.
Going north now could be an opportunity.
A rumor from this time.
『A mystery has been discovered in the north.』
One of the 7 Great Mysteries.
Found in the north.
Later, the rumor twisted to:
『Grand Duke Carlos seized that mystery and subjugated the north.』
A tale of succeeding in the northern campaign via the mystery's power.
Honestly, he'd have won anyway, but it was tempting.
One spirit mystery here in the palace among the 7 Great Mysteries.
And the 'dragon' mystery in that north.
The north was dangerous, but with 8th-circle mage Edis beside me, doable.
'It was called a dragon, but even I don't know exactly what it is. All I know is Carlos left it as a trump card for Malfiel.'
Grand Duke Carlos encountered and claimed the dragon mystery.
But hid it desperately.
Even after I became emperor, he never spoke.
Just rumors that when Malfiel slaughtered nobles, he spared Carlos because of that 'dragon.'
'I know the location. Carlos hasn't found it yet.'
No facts revealed, but I knew where the mystery was.
I'd never dared before, but with Edis, worth a shot.
"...Preparations are ready, Your Highness."
Germin's voice from afar.
'The carriage must be set.'
I planned to leave the palace as quietly as possible.
Announcing it would be like begging to be killed, so sneaking out was best.
While all eyes were on Spirit Caliburn, slip away in a simple carriage.
Turning my head, I couldn't help frowning.
"Why are you here?"
"Where are you going, Your Highness?"
...Sir Croft.
Why are you with Germin?
Did Germin tell him?
'Doesn't seem so.'
Germin was desperately shaking his head side to side.
Seemed he got caught preparing the carriage.
"The palace feels stuffy. Thought I'd take a walk."
"I'll go with you."
He, who once scolded me in informal speech, was now using honorifics.
His attitude must have shifted after my performance at the last imperial event.
But together?
Why?
―I should have killed you when you were crown prince. That's the greatest regret of my life.
That's what he said to me after the emperor died.
Was this walking on thin ice?
Planning to kill me en route?
Makes sense. To Croft, I was still just the 'madman who must die,' nothing more or less.
"Must you come along?"
"I am the captain of the Imperial Dragon Knight Order. I'must follow wherever Your Highness goes."
"It's a rather long walk."
"That's fine. I can guess where you're headed."
Croft glared at Edis.
Edis flinched momentarily.
The so-called strongest archmage, an 8th-circle one.
And the strongest sword master, said to have no rivals at his peak.
They met eyes.
Croft seemed to know Edis's circumstances well.
Thus guessing my distant trip.
'If he'd told the emperor, the guards would have dragged me away.'
Fortunate he came alone.
But Croft was the emperor's man.
Why come alone without reporting my outing?
"...Fine. Come along."
[ ]