Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Arcana's Sword, Mr. Chuck (1)
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As long as the Ancestral Dragon God's homesickness doesn't drive her into a rampage, regular visits for some mental care should keep things under control.
-Prince! You're coming again tomorrow, right? You have to come back!
"Tomorrow might be tough, but I'll aim for once or twice a week. Long trips abroad might keep me away longer."
-Okay!
The silver-haired beauty grinned brightly, her belly poking out, as she waved goodbye.
She felt more like a baby sister than an ancestor.
Windeller could barely hold back the tears of joy at his newfound freedom.
'This damned slave armor!'
He couldn't figure out how to take it off.
When it told him to sleep, he slept. When it woke him, he woke right up.
At least the prince had granted him freedom of movement for now.
'Should I run? No. There might be a forced recall ability.'
So Windeller quietly obeyed the Prime Minister's commands.
"...That's the situation. Do you understand, Your Excellency?"
"...I do. I'll debut spectacularly as Arcana's hidden Swordmaster during the upcoming monster subjugation dispatch, drawing the Empire Emperor's obsession."
"And?"
"...Tease and pull back just enough to keep extorting riches from the emperor."
"You've got it exactly right."
The Prime Minister clapped lightly in satisfaction.
Windeller's eyes blazed with fury.
'This petty marquis of a backwater nation dares...!'
"Then let's head to His Highness the Prince."
"Very well."
The Prime Minister led the way.
As Windeller followed, he recalled sweeping through the Hessian monster zone.
'What the hell was that lightning magic?'
Silvret (as he knew her) had unleashed wide-area lightning spells without chanting.
To do that, she'd need a staff engraved with magic circles.
And to cast that many varied lightning spells, the staff would have to be enormous.
But he'd never seen such a thing.
'That elf mage outclasses the imperial capital's chief wizard? No way she's a grand mage on the verge of ascension?'
The prince's ruthlessness didn't surprise him.
He knew the rumors of him being a wastrel.
But a mage of that caliber following such a wastrel without complaint? That made no sense.
'Damn it, it's the face again. This is why women are trouble.'
They arrived at the prince's office.
He was with a stunning beauty guard knight—fiery red hair and piercing red eyes.
'No ordinary woman.'
She wasn't just hired for her looks.
Her skill was obvious at a glance.
'Could she be Canelian of the Elryad Duchy?'
"You've heard the details from Marquis Ruindra on how we'll extract your ransom, right?"
"Of course, Your Highness. I'll do my utmost to secure it."
"Five percent."
"Pardon?"
"I'll pay you five percent of whatever you extort from the emperor as your monthly salary."
"Wh-why...?"
What trap was this?
Windeller's eyes darted suspiciously, while Prince Ragna crossed his arms and smirked.
"I just know how inefficient unpaid labor is.
Five percent isn't chump change, so you'll hustle to fleece the emperor, won't you?"
The Prime Minister stroked his chin and nodded vigorously.
"Brilliant...! It creates motivation to extort even more as a path to greater merit!"
"Humans can't be trusted, but human greed? That's reliable."
"This Ruindra has gained enlightenment today!"
Finally realizing it wasn't a trap, Windeller knelt on one knee in acceptance.
"I'll secure more than your ransom demands!"
"One issue remains. Can you act convincingly before the emperor?"
"Act... how, Your Highness?"
"The emperor's cunning and reads people well. No matter how hard you try, he'll eventually suspect your true identity."
The Prime Minister jumped in quickly.
"That's why we planned to have you play a mute knight."
"That'll only fuel his suspicions. He'd think: 'He's not mute—he just can't speak in my presence for some reason.'"
"..."
"..."
"You, repeat after me: 'I am Arcana's Sword, Mr. Chuck.' Go on."
"I... I am Arcana's Sword, Mr. Chuck..."
"Your inflection sucks. Make it as curt and emotionless as possible—no tone shifts. Again."
"I am Arcana's Sword, Mr. Chuck."
"Again."
"I am Arcana's..."
"Chuck" was a mocking term for a fake or fool.
No one would name themselves that.
After several repetitions, the prince was thoroughly pleased.
"From now on, anyone besides us four who knows your identity asks? You repeat only that line. Got it?"
"Your Highness, why go this far...?"
"You're too clever and cunning. We block any chance of the emperor noticing outright. Plus, it prevents you leaking info to the Empire."
Windeller bowed his head in bitter defeat.
"Understood..."
"Disobey, and the armor inflicts pain."
He'd already experienced the armor's agony.
It triggered automatically if he harbored killing intent toward the prince or refused orders.
"Now, write down every detail of your territory's treasure vault location and inventory. I'll handle that separately."
"Urgh...!"
Windeller gripped the quill in anguish.
That was when he'd finished cataloging his assets.
"Your Highness, Baron Caron requests an audience."
"Let him in."
Inside his visor, Windeller's eyes shook violently.
'Caron? He's alive?'
Moments later, Caron truly entered.
His face beamed with cheer.
Unlike Windeller, he wasn't a captured slave.
"Your Highness, I have a request... Oh? Who's this guy? What an awesome suit of armor!"
"Jealous?"
"Yeah! I want one too! Never seen armor this cool!"
Canelian turned her head slightly, chuckling softly.
Windeller's face flushed beet red beneath the helm.
'This musclehead bastard...!'
"If you want it, just ask. I might even give it to you."
"Really? Hey, buddy. Sell me that awesome armor?"
His old habits nearly slipped out, but he locked eyes with the prince's knowing gaze.
'A test!'
Realizing the prince had set this up, Windeller spoke to his former comrade with bloodshot eyes.
"I am Arcana's Sword, Mr. Chuck."
"Huh? What?"
"I am Arcana's Sword, Mr. Chuck."
"Oh... poor guy's not right in the head. Fine, at least he's got cool armor to match.
Buy yourself a fancy cloak to go with it."
Caron patted his shoulder and pressed a few gold coins into his hand.
Windeller felt like bursting into bloody tears.
"...I am Arcana's Sword, Mr. Chuck."
"Got it, buddy. Hang in there."
Seeing him play the fool flawlessly in front of Caron proved he was as cunning as ever.
'So what're you gonna do? A slave gladiator in that armor—what can you even accomplish?'
No wonder it was Mythic (S)-grade.
He probably figured we'd never let him go.
That's why the five percent salary—to give even a slave some breathing room.
'When the Empire's in its deepest crisis, we cash in big on the ransom and hand him over.'
A weakened Empire would spell trouble for the whole continent.
"Your Highness, this humble one has been training two hours daily lately."
"Good. With family reunions, finding time for training must've been tough, Baron Caron."
"I used to train just one hour a week, but I've massively ramped it up!"
"...?"
His face beamed with smug pride, begging for praise.
Wait a second...
"Baron Caron, have you always...?"
"Never trained this much since becoming a Sword Expert."
So, one hour a week got him to Sword Imperial... and Swordmaster?
Canelian, who'd slaved away to claim the continent's youngest Swordmaster title, trembled faintly beside him.
"I... see. Take it easy. Spending time with family is what's truly important."
"Absolutely. Family harmony comes first."
"But you didn't request this audience just to report increased training..."
Caron thumped his chest proudly.
"As you see, I'm ready! Assign me any mission to earn merit!
Even Emperor Barmion's head—I'll fetch it!"
With all those women in his service, he must need the cash.
"Understood. I'll assign you something major when it arises."
"Yes, sir! For the tough, dirty, dangerous jobs—please think of this Caron!"
Caron marched off spiritedly.
Canelian whispered to me.
"I thought my talent was unmatched until now..."
"The duchess's talent is top-tier. Don't get discouraged."
That was when it happened.
The door burst open without warning—a frantic messenger rushed in.
"What is it?"
"Urgent aid request from the Hessian Duchy! A massive gorilla monster's leading a monster legion on the march!"
Regen effect.
Feedback from wiping out the monster zone in record time.
"Arcana Sword! Your time to shine!"
"I am Arcana's Sword, Mr. Chuck."
'Just call me a Swordmaster already. "Arcana's Sword, Mr. Chuck" sounds even dumber. What's Chuck supposed to mean?'
Windeller boarded the teleport array for the Hessian Duchy, heart bleeding.
Prince Ragna, Canelian, and attendants came along.
The archduke, rushing out to welcome Arcana's eager response, balked at the group size.
"Prince, is this just the vanguard?"
"This fine knight here will handle everything."
"What? The monster legion's numbers are insane, and that gorilla leading them is enormous! Even a Sword Imperial couldn't...!"
"I am Arcana's Sword, Mr. Chuck."
"Wh-what?"
"I am Arcana's Sword, Mr. Chuck."
"Hm... seems like a troubled soul."
Prince Ragna exuded confidence.
"Your Grace, no need to worry. This is actually Arcana's secret weapon—Swordmaster Chuck."
"No kidding? A real Swordmaster?"
"With him and your mage legion, the monster horde's as good as gone."
The archduke's entourage finally brightened.
"Lead the way, then."
"Right."
Since the prince came personally, the archduke escorted us via teleport to the monster advance route.
Boom! Boom! Rumble!
The ground shook like it might collapse the moment we arrived.
The fields teemed with a monstrous legion.
A colossal gorilla monster, easily twenty meters tall, roared ferociously as it advanced.
"The mage legion's still prepping."
"How long?"
"They'll be combat-ready in under thirty minutes..."
"Too slow. Mr. Chuck—charge now!"
"I-I am Arcana's Sword, Mr. Chuuuuck!!"
'He means to kill me? Even a Swordmaster dies charging that horde alone! Does the prince think we're immortals?'
That was when it hit.
A clear voice rang in his mind, as if the prince spoke directly into his head.
'Giant robot? What's that? More importantly, how's the prince's voice...'
Vrrrrm!
His entire body trembled.
The sky seemed to recede, sucking him upward.
Windeller realized it.
His body was growing endlessly.
An eighty-meter-tall colossal frame.
Windeller halted his roar and loomed over the terrified gorilla boss mob.
Infinite power surged within.
He drew his sword and ignited his Aura Blade.
Aura Blade
Chiiiing! Roar!
One swing mowed down the boss mob and hundreds more.
Euphoria exploded through him like his body might burst.
Windeller felt godlike, boiling with elation.
He threw his head back and roared at the heavens.
"I am Arcana's Sword, Mr. Chuuuuck!!"
The earth-shaking bellow.
All remaining monsters fainted.