Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: 3. And the Story Begins. (7)
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Clang!
-Haha! What a rare pleasure!
The heaviness traveling up my arm the moment our weapons met. I knew right away I'd made a mistake, but my opponent was in the same boat.
"Huh?"
-Hit or miss, what a great scream! You're my type! Master, Master! Hit her again!
This was an effect even I, the designer, and the fabricators didn't know about. For some reason, the bat series had gained the property of being impossible to block.
Sword, spear, shield— no matter what weapon or armor you used to try blocking the bat series, the pain would travel up to your hands.
I wouldn't know personally since I've never felt it. Oh, and just so you know, the iron bat obviously does more piercing damage than a wooden one.
"W-What is this?!"
The woman's face, as she blocked with her sword, was full of bewilderment.
She probably had no idea what had just happened to her.
Sorry, but I don't understand it either, so I can't explain.
Heh, speaking of which, anyone could see she was a beauty.
Most guys would go crazy over a beauty like that, but not me.
I've seen plenty of beauties. And most of them turned out to be total lunatics.
Just look at the recent examples: the Imperial Princess, the High Elf, and among my disciples, Sia, No. 17, and No. 1000.
Further back, the noble ladies fighting over Lane.
So, beauties = high probability of being crazy bitches.
That's a solid fact!
Doubting it? Then look!
What sane person would be swinging a sword like that in the middle of the Evil Organization?!
"Huh? W-What's going on? Why am I the one hurting when I'm attacking?!"
I countered her heavy strikes with my iron bat.
The more she attacked, the weaker the impacts got.
That first blow nearly made me drop the bat, but now it was down to a manageable level.
Especially her legs, crucial for any swordsman, were trembling badly. She could barely stand.
Normally, I'd switch to offense and finish her here, but with the sword aura flaring brighter on her blade, I stuck to defense for now.
-Hey, Master. It hurts me too. It hurts, but it feels good. I-Is this what it felt like for the people I've hit? A new sensation! Master, what do we do? If this keeps up, I'll turn into a masochist!
-Shut up, please.
But I couldn't stay on the defensive forever.
Damn. If the ultimate sadist turns masochist, it'll be a fatal blow to my mental purity.
At least her voice is set to a child's, which is a relief. If it were a sultry big sister's voice going "Ahhn~ Ahhn~," I'd be in deep trouble. For many reasons.
"Hah! Hitting and getting hit! Giving pain and receiving it! This is divine enlightenment! Am I the one being hit, or am I the masochist? A unity beyond knowing! It feels even better!"
-Shut up!
-Hngh! M-More... insult me more!
Ah, damn it. Did I mess up the settings? The sound echoing in my head was the kind that would make me summon Po Dolly 100% if no one else could hear it.
This emergency— the ultimate S becoming the ultimate M— was tightening around my neck!
Fortunately, though, her focus was slipping from the accumulated shock. Time for a big move.
"Ugh... Die already!"
"No. 17, shove that desk behind you backward! Lane, kick the wall right next to you now!"
"Yes!"
Her sword aura turned into a sword beam. Even as a commoner, she was at least viscount-level Swordmaster material! Treating her lightly could get me killed, so I ordered my disciples watching blankly from afar— and Lane sandwiched between them.
"Too slow!"
"You're the slow one."
"What?"
Her powerful strike came at me, but this was my home turf!
Even a neighborhood mutt bites back hard in its own yard. In my office, I hit twice as hard!
With a ping, the spot where her sword beam had struck bounced up. A bed is science, and the soul of a bed is its springs! Especially the elasticity of dwarf-crafted special springs— the best in the world!
The floor's sudden bounce threw her sword beam way off me. But still, a Swordmaster!
Even then, she regained balance in an instant, preparing a second strike.
Thwack!
"What kind of room is thiiiis?!"
"Dwarf-made."
But her sword swing was canceled by a thrown spear from the side and arrows from front and back.
Truly Made in Black Anvil!
Always the highest customer satisfaction.
But she was impressive too.
She instantly recalled her mid-air strike and shifted to defense— her skill was jaw-dropping. So I slammed the iron bat into her side, and a scream totally different from before rang out.
"Hngh?"
-Master, Master! Now's our chance!
-I know.
"H-Hah! W-What did you do?! S-Stop!"
"Th-That is!"
I struck her wrist as she tried to raise her sword, sending the swordsman's lifeline flying far away.
Then, gripping the iron bat's handle with my right hand and the head with my left, Lane shuddered in horror.
-Dual wield form!
In an instant, the squishy iron bat split into two slender rods, thinner than usual, one in each hand.
-My name is Ar!
-My name is Kardia!
-Together, we are Goddess Arcadiaaaa!
-Shut up!
But now the noise was double!
Of course, no worst-case scenario like her ego splitting, but splitting her made her twice as chatty, so I couldn't do it often.
"Alright then."
"N-No!"
"Let's hit her."
"Hah, n-no! H-Help! Please! No... Ahh... Hahaha!"
-Hehehe, great resonance!
-Hah! Where you gonna run, girl~? You can't escape big sis!
From the first strike, any hint of resistance vanished. Now she was crawling desperately on the floor, flailing to get away.
Not that it'd work.
"Why join the organization? And why are you here?"
"Hng... Ex-Experiment... Stop..."
"Won't talk? I'll keep hitting."
"Eek! O-Okay! Old man Nermia said he'd make me a magic sword if I brought his granddaughter! I-I told you, so don't hiiiit!"
I beat her steadily, then turned my head. No. 17 met my gaze, flinched, and took two steps back.
Nermia— yeah, that place. The empire's most famous magic family I'd visited before.
They had top-notch anti-magic defenses, befitting their reputation, but I bulldozed through and looted them easily. And she's his granddaughter?
"No. 17, explain."
"Y-Yes! The Nermia family's seal was stolen, so their second daughter, Lia El Nermia— the most likely suspect joined Howling!"
Smart kid; she got my point perfectly.
But she spilled way too fast...
"Lane, explain."
"Yes. The Imperial Army's invading, so the organization's about to get wrecked. We were prepping to bail when a Sword Star popped up, but Instructor showed up and subdued her."
My former disciple sure gets orders well. But Sword Star? What nonsense is that?
"Sword Star, this one?"
"Hng! Y-You said no more hitting!"
I pointed the iron bat at the woman shielding her head with both hands, face twisted in tears. Lane nodded.
So she's the Sword Star? Then No. 17 straight-up confessed while watching a Sword Star get beaten like a dog.
And she's really the Sword Star? Then...
"Why?!"
"Because Sword Star."
"What kinda reasooon iiiis thaaat!"
Gotta hit her.
Sword Star— the title for the most brilliant swordsman of the era.
In novels, it's often Sword Saint with a holy vibe, but here it's Star, meaning stellar.
The flashy title among the continent's top five swordsmen, always vying for 1st or 2nd.
Sword Heaven goes to the one who understands the sword best; Sword Sovereign to the strongest leader; Demon Sword's too far from pure swordplay. So she only really competes with Sword Emperor.
Still, it means she has the continent's brightest sword skill. Countless prideful swordsmen challenge her for that title, but the current Sword Star's held it for over 15 years...
-Ahhhn, how's big sis's touch?
-Crying face is so cute!
Perfect chance. Time to shut up the noisy one!
-She's in her forties.
-Eh?
-N-No way! Our cutie in her forties?! L-Lie, right Master?
-Truth.
"Hng! G-Give back my purity!"
-Th-This can't be!
I ignored the wailing iron bat and kept beating the Sword Star. [Ah, no aunties!], [M-Master, I like cute girls' tears, not some 40-year-old spinster's!] echoed, but I couldn't release someone who'd slice me and the building who-knows-when.
Rumor had it she had the most overwhelming mana among past Sword Stars.
I'd heard too: during the great war, she cut a castle wall with a 10-meter sword beam and forced surrender.
"Hng. Stop h-hitting... It huuurts!"
"Any other info?"
But I needed intel. Get it, then kill her?
She's imperial top-class strategic weapon, so killing her means the palace hunts me. But the princess is already after me, so whatever?
"Sh-She knows too!"
The Sword Star's shaky pupils fixed on No. 1, her trembling hand barely pointing.
"She's Laina Rel Swin, direct line of Duke Rainer. Unlike No. 17, her brothers forced her in with crap like 'for His Majesty,' but really just to off her in the hierarchy without dirty hands— sent to die in Howling. Unlike No. 17, no goal at all!"
"H-Hey!"
"Why'd you drag me in!"
"Too bad. No info left to hear."
"N-Nooo!"
-Me toooo!
-Me tooooo!
No. 17 lunged at No. 1—who'd quickly explained herself— grabbing her collar and shaking. I ignored them and resumed beating the Sword Star, making her and the bat scream together. Anyway. What the hell? The disciples I raised were all imperial spies? Then maybe...
"No. 1000, explain."
"Huh?"
No. 1000 tilted her head, reconfirming she was clueless.
If she were a spy, the empire'd be doomed.
A spy who'd spill everything over food?
No such thing exists.
"Hah... No... Please... Stop..."
The Sword Star's body was hitting its limit. Just repeating words, trembling— I call it whiteout.
Bat's blessing when the body maxes out: no more buffs, just pain, brain going blank. Yeah, good enough.
"Alright then..."
"Eek!"
I turned; No. 1 and No. 17 went pale.
Traitors usually get culled, but the organization's ditched me already? No need to make more enemies.
Time to build a good image here, use them as bait.
"No. 1, no goal. No. 17, after Nermia seal. Right?"
"N-No need! I-I'll just sell the seal back!"
"Y-Yes!"
Glancing at the Sword Star whimpering in the corner, their eyes held only fear. Good. They'll obey now. That Nermia seal, though.
-Master, didn't you melt mine to make me?
-No, I looted Nermia after finishing you.
So probably didn't melt it. High noble seals are special metals; I swapped and melted during missions, but post-Nermia loot, not much crafting.
Probably still there? If not, she said sell it back. Not my fault.
"The organization's ditched us already."
Precisely me, but master and disciple share fate.
"So we bail. Lane, take them and hide like planned."
"What about her?"
I pointed at the drooling Sword Star. Thought for a sec, but no choice.
Could be good leverage.
"Take her for now."
"Isn't she dangerous?"
"Smells off? Bash her with this."
"Got it."
How long since I gave it to him? Already full trust in the bat.
Sword Star's risky barehanded, but I didn't say. Sword beam's tough, but sword aura's fine.
"I'll go find that seal."
"I-Instructor!"
No. 17 looked touched. Sorry, I stole it. Don't make that face. Hurts my conscience.
-Master has a conscience? World Tree's corrupting!
-Already corrupted.
-Hah, defiled! Right! You made my lil sis into the World Tree! Defiled my sis!
Pointing at the bat, she freaked. Technically bat's older, but she insists she's the big sis.
"Alright, let's move."
"Got it."
I told nodding Lane the escape route first, then went for the seal. Oh, before that.
"Gotta smash the organization first."
Fair's fair. They betrayed first, so not my fault?