Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Their Circumstances: Aruen Rud's Side
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# 21
3. And the story begins. (4)
#4 Their Circumstances: Aruen Rud's Circumstances.
Ah, I don’t want to work. I really, really don’t want to. But reality is cruel.
“This time’s target is Instructor Naruan.”
Ah, I don’t even want to get involved with that guy anymore.
To grovel before the man who beat me senseless back during trainee days.
And this time, he’s the enemy. Given the instructor’s personality, he won’t come quietly. But if we so much as scratch him, Sia will stab me in the gut without a second thought.
No, the male version of Sia in the Finance Department, Maren, might do something even worse.
The Intelligence Department is scary, but the Finance Department is no joke either.
Just haggling down the price of arrows a bit means shooting ten becomes shooting only five.
Terrifying. The fanatics are scary, he himself is scary. Even having just one of those cursed magic weapons around kills all your will to fight.
“How many troops will you take?”
The damn deputy keeps asking. Even at a glance, this is a force that could take on most knight orders.
Everyone can use sword aura. From squad leader rank up, they’re talents who might reach swordmaster level if time allows.
According to the instructor, only those who make it make it, and others might die without ever reaching it, but even so, this level of power surpasses the knight orders of even militarily strong kingdoms.
Small elite force. The organization’s black blades.
Blades solely for executing traitors in our own ranks.
And I’m their leader. Still, hate is hate. So.
“Get everyone ready.”
“Everyone?”
The instructor said it.
There’s no force more useful in battle than numerical superiority. Even useless troops can act as meat shields, so use them if you can.
Humans are useful anywhere as long as they obey, so unless you’re some half-baked idiot with a high rank, take as many as logistics allow—drag them all along.
So against that instructor, it’s right to bring every last soldier we dragged into the last fight.
“The target is Instructor Naruan.”
“We’ve heard the rumors, but he has no mana.”
“But we’ve never once beaten that man with no mana.”
“…Even you, Boss?”
“Yeah. Not even 1:1—I can’t even imagine it. Even when all seven of us from my class charged him, we never won once.”
Honestly, his swordsmanship alone outclasses us, but that’s something mana could overcome.
But the instructor’s magic weapons defy imagination.
Get hit once, and one person’s out.
We barely got used to those, and then an even worse one appeared. Getting hit by that isn’t just ‘out.’
Your body’s swimming in the River Styx, but your soul lingers on land, enduring torment.
It’s absurd. Your body feels dead, so you think you’re gone, but your mind and soul stay behind, feeling every hit!
It’s an experience no one who hasn’t felt it can imagine.
And yet, the next day, you wake up fresh as if nothing happened!
I swear it. Even the Demon God’s Blessing—where 100 out of 100 demon candidates wail in agony and die during the selection for the next Great Demon King—is nothing compared to the pain of that magic weapon.
No, at least that kills you? This one wouldn’t even let you die.
So we mobilized every intelligence network to check if the instructor had his bat.
Results: the regular bat is currently in Rain’s possession, and he’s been diligently beating the juniors with it. Hmm, kinda jealous.
And most importantly, the iron bat—he left it in his office. He called it an educational tool, but apparently doesn’t carry it on missions.
Just in case, we confirmed 25 times. This is important.
“Let’s confirm the mission again. We capture the instructor alive and escort him to the rendezvous point promised with the imperial princess—that’s it. Be careful, though; the imperial army might turn on us after we hand him over.”
I say that, but I’m still scared of the instructor. Probably our whole class is.
Especially the fear of the iron bat—it even caused the miracle of graduating us a year early.
Has there ever been a time in life when I felt so powerless, so hopeless, so terrified that I’d rather die?
Even Sia and Maren, the instructor’s fanatics, trembled in fear and turned against him when the iron bat came out.
No, the name itself—what even is a ‘bat’? Even scouring the organization’s intel nets, no word with that etymology.
We checked ancient texts too, so it’s a language the instructor made up. Bat… just the name radiates curse.
Ruminating on those painful memories from the past, we arrived in just three days.
Ahh, damn. Time flies disgustingly fast. Heading to the promised baron’s estate to surround him ahead of time…
“You’re already surrounded!”
“Sh-, damn it! Cursed fools! Everyone, destroy key documents and scatter—regroup at the safehouse!”
Shit. It’s burning.
Even from afar, it’s blazing fiercely. Plan was to raid that place and snatch the instructor quietly, but now we’ll get caught fighting the imperial army.
We can’t go head-on with the imperial army.
We wouldn’t lose, but their organization is too good—one guy shows up, you beat him, five more pop out and gang up.
Beat five, ten more appear and pummel you—so you either tire out or get worn down.
“Captured by the imperial army?”
“No, the instructor wouldn’t get caught by something like that. Focus on places without onlookers nearby. If you find him, don’t approach—report via comms.”
Watching my men scatter at my words, I prayed they wouldn’t find him.
Just say the plan fell through and we bailed—no need to catch him if we don’t find him…
But these damn competent subordinates found him. Spotted through a telescope from bushes on a nearby hill, spectating the burning house.
The guy always had sharp eyes for hidden things—even spotted the instructor.
Damn it. I vowed to ruin that bastard’s eyesight someday.
Everyone gathers, we loose arrows from afar to threaten.
No mana, but excels in presence and killing intent, so arrows keep him from closing in. Just in case, send the weakest as meat shields to talk.
“Instructor Naruan! This is the organization’s order. It would be best not to resist.”
“What’s this about?”
Wow, even I hear it as third-rate villain dialogue. Instructor looks annoyed. No good. Go peaceful for now.
“Instructor.”
“Rud, what are you doing here?”
Ah, yeah. He’s frowning.
Well, makes sense—if I’m in the organization and Dark Sword shows up, anyone’d be pissed.
“Should I assume you have no intention of letting me live?”
“No, sir.”
“Dark Sword moves, and you’d let me go? Hard to believe.”
Even we don’t always kill organization members—we specialize in them, sure.
Roughly 9 out of 10 get eliminated, 1 dragged to the underground torture chamber. But this target’s a trade with the princess. Gotta bring him alive. If not, better I defect too.
“The princess made an offer. Seems the imperial family took a liking to you. She squeezed the organization herself for the deal.”
“Not that big a deal.”
Bullshit.
Our top brass is on high alert now. Every base, secret branch, agent’s identity—stripped bare. Especially Rain—he doesn’t know, but if the princess leaks intel, his head’s gone for sure.
The man he met was actually an Evil Organization spy, whispering sweet nothings just to extract info!
Perfect setup for getting stabbed to death.
“So, will you come quietly?”
Quietly, but packed with desperation. For everyone’s sake, I hoped, but the instructor won’t let us be happy.
“As if.”
“Then, as your disciple, I’ll escort you myself.”
Politely, very slowly bow my head, then slowly draw my greatsword. Leisurely, one step at a time. That way, the subordinates move first.
Never had a good memory of close-quarters with that guy.
Others attacking from range got annoying and took hits first. I was ‘tough,’ so I took them.
All I remember is getting hit, but who knows? With 50 around, he might tire?
“You think you can take me?”
“I’ve grown a lot.”
“Rain said the same recently—nothing special.”
“He was the weakest of us.”
“Then if you’re so confident, why bring the whole Dark Sword?”
“Even at over 90% win rate, prepare for the what-if—we were taught.”
Chattering while signaling around.
I don’t move, but subordinates slowly draw swords, spears, weapons, advancing.
Good, if something happens, they take it first.
And then, silver light flashed from the instructor’s right hand.
“Magic?”
“Didn’t Instructor Naruan have no magic?!”
“Don’t panic—attack!”
Panicked subordinates charge, but I backpedal instead.
No. Instructor can’t use magic. But… no way, that’s…
“N-No way…”
“Come forth… Arcadia.”
This is a trap! The instructor’s trap for sure!
But that silver club is definitely the one I know.
He summoned it from thin air like magic.
All this time, ‘can’t use magic’ was a lie? No, before that—is that real, not an illusion?
“Gaaarghhh!!!”
“Grrraaahhh!”
“Urk… Uwaaaaa…”
But the moment sword met that magic weapon, I knew it was real.
The absolute magic weapon where evasion is the only path to survival. Clashes with sword aura leave not a scratch—instead, the wielder screams as unknown agony crawls up from blade-tip.
Only one such weapon exists in this world.
Even the Demon God’s holy arms the Demon King uses aren’t that bad.
Only the Evil God’s magic weapons that plunged the world into ruin compare.
‘No—even those might not measure up!’
“Evade, evade! Don’t even clash with that magic weapon!”
I order, but it’s not easy. Instructor’s close combat is top-tier in the organization.
Sure, a bit older than average trainee age, but back in upper trainee first real combat—panicked trainees at 10 orcs, he scolded them and sliced all 10 on the spot. Legend among trainees.
Sliced 10 orc warriors just a few years after picking up the sword!
Like a fairy tale swordmaster legend—protagonist’s childhood feats!
And now that instructor wields an indefensible absolute magic weapon. It’s over. Run.
-All archers, loose arrows en masse, cover the wounded’s retreat!
“Didn’t you say you can’t use magic, Instructor?”
Buy time with words first. Already 30 down. Run back while saving lives with my mouth.
“Right. But as long as I don’t use magic, it’s fine.”
“That’s impossible!”
“No, it’s possible. If this is an ego weapon?”
“Liar!”
But now I’m the panicked one. What—no way that magic weapon is an ego?!
What’s an ego?!
A miracle where a soul inhabits the weapon itself. Even dwarves might make one once every millennium by sheer luck?
Dragon lairs, imperial treasures—rumors only. Near 1000 years, only the legendary hero’s sword.
Forget that—why is that devil’s armament—no, Evil God’s weapon—an ego?!
“Then, let’s test it.”
“N-No!”
Hurl my ‘warrior’s life’ sword to dodge first strike, leave the wiped vanguard behind, turn tail to flee.
But.
“It works.”
That flight ended with the next strike.