Chapter 192
Chapter 192
"F-Forgive our impertinence! You may pass!"
The Empire's border guards, who had previously demanded bribes outright and even ambushed travelers when posing as merchants, now stood frozen stiff as they saluted.
The banners they carried and the crests on the knights' armor clearly marked them as nobles from another nation, yet they were being treated with the deference reserved for their own superiors.
All of this was due to the golden dragon emblem engraved on the invitation Logan had presented.
"Are we cleared?"
"Yes! We've confirmed its authenticity. Our apologies for delaying you."
The Empire's high knight was excessively polite, and his subordinates followed suit.
With all the knights bowing their heads, the stiff-backed soldiers behind them looked almost pitiful. The only thing they had done wrong was stopping a suspicious armed group—twenty individuals who unmistakably appeared to be foreign knights.
'Does their attitude really change this drastically?'
During the days of the independence army—no, even before that, when Logan had come here recently because of Croune—the Empire's border guards had been unbearably arrogant.
Of course, treating a mere merchant and a state envoy the same way would have been strange in itself, but their current deference was almost excessive.
"All because of this one thing..."
The invitation fluttered in Logan's hand.
The knights' eyes darted nervously in response to his gesture.
The sight of soldiers at a distant border reacting instantly to a single piece of paper bearing the imperial crest was amusing, yet it sent a chill down his spine.
A ruler who could make men at the farthest edges of his domain tremble at the sight of an invitation...
Once again, thoughts of the one who had summoned him crept into his mind.
'The Emperor...'
Sigismund van Saint III.
The emperor who, upon ascending the throne, annexed Astman, a powerful nation in the western continent, expanding the Empire's territory by a third.
And if events unfolded as they had in Logan's past life, within five years, he would fully subjugate Grandia and the small eastern kingdoms—a conqueror ranked among the greatest in the history of the Ares Empire.
Even after ceding the throne, he would continue to wield immense influence as a retired emperor.
'And such a man seeks me out... Why?'
He had been pondering this since first hearing the news, but one reason stood out above all others.
'It's most likely about the weapons.'
Specifically, the repeating crossbow.
The repeating crossbow was originally a weapon the Empire had introduced during the Grandian conquest war. By this point, they might already be in the process of developing it.
What if another nation used a weapon they were still developing before they could?
Even Logan would be curious about such a person.
'Well, tough luck.'
He had developed it first—what could they do about it?
The Emperor wouldn't dare harm someone he had personally invited over this.
Even if the reason was something else, Logan's approach remained the same.
'Be as courteous as possible, but appear to know nothing.'
Being underestimated by the Emperor was far better than being held in high regard.
As he steeled his thoughts—
"My lord, we should depart now."
Perhaps lost in thought for too long, Victor, who had been silent, approached and urged him.
"Ah... Right, let's go."
Even if his assumption was wrong, he would find out soon enough.
Meeting the Emperor in person and confirming his intentions would help shape his future plans regardless.
Clip-clop.
Listening to the rhythmic trot of the horses, Logan steadied his mind and resumed his westward gallop.
Given the tight schedule, the group had no choice but to ride hard throughout the day.
When night fell and they made camp, Logan alternated between sword training and meditation.
Though he could feel the knights' gazes on him, nothing soothed his restless mind like training.
The anticipation and anxiety about meeting the Emperor, the potential problems that might arise in his absence—both in his territory and the kingdom—all melted away the moment he swung his sword.
"My lord, may I request a spar?"
"Of course. By all means."
If the knights could learn something by watching him, all the better.
Logan readily accepted Victor's request.
'Training in this situation... Truly remarkable, Logan MacLaine.'
Leaning against a large tree, Luther Kyle watched the clearing with a complicated gaze.
'He's on his way to meet the Emperor, yet he shows no signs of tension.'
Most would struggle to sleep under such circumstances, but this red-haired youth had remained unchanged in demeanor for days.
Luther had long known of his extraordinary combat prowess for his age, but...
'His temperament is equally impressive. Truly deserving of the title "hero."'
A bitter smile twisted Luther's lips.
Admiration mixed with a sour taste in his mouth.
It was hard not to feel bitter when realizing that he himself had been the stepping stone for this hero's rise.
His rank had been demoted, half his territory confiscated, and he had been placed under the Sword Duke's Esperanza Knights, stripped of his freedom.
Honestly, claiming he bore no resentment would be a lie.
But...
'It's all my own karma. The more I blame others, the smaller I prove myself to be.'
He let out a dry chuckle.
He had been "swept up" by his father-in-law's ambitions and started a war.
The leniency he received was officially attributed to that excuse, but he knew the truth.
He had willingly participated, driven by his own greed.
Trying to justify his fall with excuses would only make him more pathetic.
For now, he was simply grateful that his life—and those of his immediate family—had been spared.
As he steadied his thoughts, the words of the man who had defeated him—yet also granted him this leniency—resurfaced in his mind.
"I'd like you to assist my disciple. Of course, I'm not forcing you. Just... keep an eye on him. If you think he's worthy..."
The wizened face of the Sword Duke, whom he couldn't help but feel both admiration and resentment toward, flickered before his eyes, drawing another laugh.
"I'm still unsure, Sword Duke. But living passively like this doesn't suit my temperament either."
Once his resolve solidified, Luther stood.
Then, he called out to the young hero—far younger than himself, with a future brighter than his own.
"Hey, kid. If you're going to spar, why not try me?"
The clearing fell silent for a moment.
Under the gaze of the entire party, the giant smirked.
"I'd be honored."
Logan welcomed Luther's offer.
Truthfully, he had been on edge lately, grappling with the elusive sensation of Aura—so close yet just out of reach.
In such a state, sparring with a Transcendent felt like rain after a long drought.
"Just so you know, I don't know how to go easy. If I hold back, I won't even be at 30% of my true strength. Still fine with that?"
"Feel free to go all out. Have you forgotten? Even Wicken couldn't defeat me."
Luther Kyle's expression hardened slightly at those words.
"...Seems I'll have to prove that my bones are tougher than his."
With a fierce grin, the Transcendent drew the war hammer from his back—a weapon nearly the size of an adult man.
He looked ready to charge forward and swing the massive weapon without hesitation.
But instead, the giant glanced around and scowled.
"Hmm... Wouldn't want to ruin the campsite we worked so hard to set up. Let's move."
The knights, who had been eagerly anticipating the fight, visibly deflated at this unexpected consideration.
Logan chuckled at the giant's surprisingly thoughtful nature and followed.
Thud.
"Come at me."
A wide clearing in the forest, a short distance from the campsite.
As Luther Kyle took his stance, a murderous aura erupted from his entire body.
The overwhelming pressure made his massive frame seem even larger.
"Then I won't hold back."
Logan let the pressure wash over him and charged straight at Luther.
His movement created an optical illusion—only his starting and ending positions were visible.
In that instant, Luther saw a familiar figure in the way Logan compressed space.
That ghostly, spine-chilling speed.
'The Sword Duke!'
Gritting his teeth, Luther swept his war hammer horizontally through the air in front of him.
WHOOSH!
A devastating strike that seemed capable of tearing apart the very atmosphere.
But its target was no longer there.
Instead, a golden Force Blade, serpentine and gleaming, curved toward Luther's nape from Logan's sword.
'Behind!'
Ignoring the attack, Luther swung his hammer backward.
CRASH!
A deafening collision—but the lack of impact told him everything.
His attack had missed, while Logan's had struck true.
From the first exchange, he was already at a disadvantage.
'...If this keeps up, I'll be humiliated.'
The speed difference was greater than he'd anticipated, and his expression stiffened—though Logan's did the same.
"Isn't coating your entire body in Aura cheating?"
His Snake Blade, aimed at Luther's vital point, had been deflected without leaving a scratch, while a single hit from Luther's attacks could send him straight to the afterlife.
"Hmph. If you're unhappy, use Aura yourself."
Luther, bathed in a sacred crimson glow, retorted shamelessly as he raised his hammer again.
One exchange was enough to confirm Logan's superior speed.
'Even if I'm on the slower side among Transcendents, that shouldn't matter at this level.'
Logan's movements defied reason, but Luther had faced such opponents before.
A lifetime of competing against rivals who exploited his weaknesses had given him experience.
"Take this!"
His war hammer descended like lightning—but Logan was already gone.
At the same time, Luther sensed a sword aiming for his flank.
Ignoring it, he poured more power into his downward strike.
BOOM!
The quaking ground disrupted Logan's balance—just for a split second—as he tried to reposition.
But in that brief moment, Luther's hammer reversed course and came crashing down toward his head.
'Tch!'
Logan barely dodged, and the hammer struck the earth again, triggering a minor tremor.
After several repetitions, Logan leaped over the shaking ground mid-attack and aimed for Luther's neck.
A perfect counter—or so he thought.
But Luther, as if waiting for this, swung his hammer forward with twice the previous speed.
"Ugh?!"
Instinctively activating the Wind God's Boots, Logan kicked off the air to accelerate—just as a mass of crimson Aura shot past him.
WHOOSH!
The shockwave left his entire body tingling as he flipped backward to retreat.
Luther, steam rising from his body as if his sweat were evaporating, clicked his tongue in disappointment.
"You deliberately varied your attack speed?"
"Slow or fast, disrupting timing is the way to compensate. Once you're familiar with it, you'll still fall for it."
"...This is getting interesting."
"Really? Doubt it'll be fun for you."
"Oh, it will be. I've been holding back something too."
"What?"
As Luther tilted his head—
The Force Blade gathered at the tip of Lux, Logan's beloved sword, then—
Flash.
HUM.
In an instant, it transformed into a sacred golden radiance unlike anything before.
"...Aura?! You—don't tell me—"
"I'll take this lesson seriously, Lord Luther."
Luther's eyes widened as Logan, pale-faced and sweating, smiled faintly and swung his sword.