41. Genius (Genius) (1)
41. Genius (Genius) (1)
Yuma stared at Luke, the chieftain of the White Night Clan.
He had blue hair.
"White Night Clan."
He felt no need to beat around the bush.
"I have business with you all."
Luke glared at Yuma.
"Business?"
"I'm looking for someone. I'd like to look around your clan's territory."
Yuma glanced sideways at Cloné, who was beside him.
He had already given her a heads-up on the way here. He had told her to speak up whenever she felt a Resonance.
But she hadn't shown any reaction yet.
Not even when looking at Luke, the chieftain of the White Night Clan, who stood before them.
'Well, the title Sword Saint and all that aside. Judging by Cloné's case, the Blue-haired Sword Saint probably isn't someone that old either.'
The future.
It seemed highly likely that the <Blue-haired Sword Saint> was someone with even greater potential for future growth.
Luke furrowed his brow sharply.
"Does this White Night look like some careless, shallow place where outsiders can waltz in whenever they please?"
The bodies of the White Night clansmen behind Luke trembled, quivering.
It was because an overwhelming, ferocious energy was flowing out of Luke's body.
The shoulders of Cloné and Hestia behind Yuma also shook violently.
Yuma remained completely unaffected by the aura, which was close to murderous intent.
<Nobility>
-Does not yield to external pressure.
It was one of the powers possessed by the Nobility characteristic.
That characteristic, which made one regard oneself as the most noble existence in this world, naturally compelled his head to hold itself high with pride.
Amidst the waves of overwhelming aura that made everyone else hunch their bodies,
only Luke, the source of the aura, and Yuma stood their ground, completely unperturbed.
Luke narrowed his brow.
'...He's definitely someone with something going on.'
Yuma spoke again.
He had no intention of seeing unnecessary bloodshed.
"By the map, this area is Pyneton territory. Do you know Conqueror King Kamet of Pyneton? Given his personality, he wouldn't have just left this place alone as the land of White Night."
At Yuma's seemingly conversational words, Luke decided to take a step back as well.
"Conqueror King Kamet. He came to visit three years ago. I explained to him the karma my clan bears. And I had him witness that karma firsthand."
Luke smiled bitterly.
"He called us ascetics suffering because of the misguided karma our ancestors built up. He said he would respect that noble karma. He also mentioned that he had been briefed about the White Night Clan's karma by the previous Conqueror King. It made the conversation much easier, thanks to that."
Karma (業).
Yuma had no idea yet what that karma was.
"So Kamet gave up on occupying this land of White Night."
In conclusion, Luke knew Kamet, and had even spoken with him directly.
Yuma took out a red crimson cloak from his subspace pouch.
And he threw it on the ground.
Kung─
"This is the cloak Conqueror King Kamet wore on the battlefield."
The eyes of every White Night clansman who had come out to the entrance focused on the red cloak.
"I am Yuma, the agent of the 1st Imperial Princess Brigitte of the Astes Empire. I cut off Kamet's head on the battlefield a few days ago."
As soon as Yuma's words ended, the young men of the White Night Clan all stirred in commotion.
"The one who killed that Kamet is that person...? Even when I heard from Hurka that the Conqueror King had died, I couldn't believe it!"
From someone's bewildered remark, Yuma realized that these people were not living completely cut off from the news of the outside world.
The gazes of the men, which had lingered on the cloak for a long time, now shifted to the young man standing to Luke's left.
The young man, Hurka, studied Yuma's face intently.
"Y-yes, that's right. His appearance matches what I heard. Ash-gray hair... blue eyes."
Hurka, who had brown hair and kind eyes, gulped once before continuing his words.
"The being who made the black dragon that soared into the sky vanish from this world, and who defeated the former Ten Seats Sword God Kronos. And the Grand Marshal who defeated the Conqueror King of Pyneton, the Martial God... Yuma."
At Hurka's words, the murmuring among the White Night men grew louder.
"That person... is the one who annihilated the dragon that appeared in the sky?"
It had been a dragon whose size approached 100m.
It had also been in the southern direction of the same continent. And so, among the White Night Clan, there were a few who had briefly observed the suddenly appearing dragon.
Hurka was not of the White Night bloodline. Up until five years ago, he had been a clear outsider. Chased by a horde of orcs from Gelpiel Forest, he had come all the way to White Night's castle, bringing more than ten of those orcs with him.
At that time, the White Night men had swiftly defeated the orcs, allowing Hurka to survive. And after that, he began living in White Night. It was because he had been impressed by their strength and their infinite reverence for the karma they bore.
For the descendants of the White Night Clan, who could not go outside, Hurka's existence was immensely appreciated. Hurka played the role of an informant who gathered and brought back a vast amount of information from the outside world.
Since Hurka had originally worked as a guide for a subcontractor mercenary group within Pyneton, he performed this role skillfully.
He frequently brought not only outside information, but also special or delicious outside foods, which allowed him to rapidly build the trust of the White Night men.
Yuma clicked his tongue internally.
The achievements that had been circulating individually were now being fully named as his own doing.
'Goddamn high-ranking nobles.'
Seeing that even the story of the Black Dragon had spread, it was certain that one of the nobles who had been present at that council meeting that designated him as Grand Marshal had spread the rumors.
Luke furrowed his brow at Hurka's words.
"If Hurka's words are true, you are a truly remarkable person. So, what was this business you mentioned? You said you were looking for someone?"
"Yeah."
Luke twisted the corner of his mouth.
"Even if you say you're looking for someone, as long as that person inherits the bloodline of this White Night, they can't even budge from this place unless the shackles binding our clan are broken. Because the moment they step out, their body will be shattered to pieces."
Yuma had not the slightest intention of backing down.
"Explain it. Just as you did to Conqueror King Kamet."
He intended to use the achievements about himself that the informant Hurka had recited to persuade Luke.
"I might even be able to break those shackles that you say are binding your clan."
That was why he was forced to add a statement that could sound somewhat pompous.
"Heh heh...."
Luke, the chieftain of the White Night Clan, was simply dumbfounded. And so he burst into a very loud, hollow laugh.
"Kuhahahahaha!"
Some guy who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere was daring to talk about the salvation of his clan.
'But if it is indeed certain that this guy is the one who struck down the black dragon of the firmament.'
Then that confidence of his was likely not without basis. The chieftain's laughter slowly subsided.
"...You may come in. Grand Marshal of the Astes Empire, Yuma."
The fact that Yuma had not come with a large force, but had appeared with only two companions, became a significant factor in allowing them to enter the land of White Night.
"I will explain to you the karma that the White Night Clan bears."
Yuma nodded in response to the words of Luke, who was standing beside him.
***
It was a tragic story.
It was the story of a cursed clan that had been forced to be trapped in this land for 400 years.
While listening to Luke, Yuma examined most of the clan with his Searching Eye.
However, there was no one who could be considered the <Blue-haired Sword Saint>.
"Are there people who are not present here right now?"
"There are those, sick and tired of this damned karma, who live alone even while staying on the land of White Night. And... there are children among my own direct offspring whose thoughts are a complete mystery to me."
The chieftain's children.
Yuma had a strong intuition that among those children would be the Blue-haired Sword Saint.
"Chieftain, it is about time you prepared."
A middle-aged man clad in sturdy armor prostrated himself next to Luke.
"Alright."
Having answered, Luke looked back at Yuma.
"Would you care to see? The ancient hero who is crushing down upon White Night. The giant god, Ades."
Yuma nodded.
He would have to see it first before deciding whether to kill it or whatever.
"The clan members who die by Ades's hands... it's about one per year. Even though we have learned to read all of his movements, unexpected variables sometimes occur."
As Luke moved while carrying a sword honed to a blueish sharpness, he continued speaking.
"We form a military formation that the clan has studied for hundreds of years, and we bind its feet for 12 hours. There are almost no casualties, but we cannot kill the thing either. Because of its damnable regenerative power."
The divine power still densely packed within the giant god Ades's heart instantly regenerated even the sword scars engraved by a Grand Sword Master's Aura Blade.
"Yuma."
Luke's weary eyes stared at Yuma.
"If you can save our clan, every member of the clan will regard you as their lifelong benefactor."
Thud.
Luke's footsteps halted.
Yuma could understand the reason why.
A colossal giant god was hunched over. White light was streaming from both of its eyes.
A body that looked at least 90m in size.
"Just because the beast is hunched over doesn't mean it's sleeping. The ancestors recorded that it felt as if it was a time when it was circulating divine power throughout its body."
Yuma stared at the giant god with his Searching Eye.
[Lv.223] Ades
Race: Giant God Tribe
Class: Unmeasurable
Realm: Grand Master
Characteristics: Possesses the recovery and regenerative abilities unique to the Giant God Tribe, mediated by divine power.
Was a semi-divine existence possessing divine power, but has now completely lost its ego.
As a result of the time spent having lost its ego, its level has fallen. Its realm has dropped drastically from 'Demi God' level to 'Grand Master' level.
Kugugugu...
A giant god who saved the world, but lost everything himself.
The giant god's body moved slowly. Its hunched back began to slowly straighten.
Yuma was focusing his attention on its movements.
But Luke, who was beside him, seemed to be doing otherwise.
"Haven! Did I not say you are not yet at the level to stand on the front line! Stay in the rear!"
Luke shouted harshly as he looked at a young man standing beside him.
It was a young man who resembled Luke in features and had blue hair.
Yuma stared at the young man with his Searching Eye.
[Lv.78] Haven
Race: Human
Class: Swordsman
Realm: Sword Expert Intermediate
While his achievement was certainly outstanding for his age, it seemed a far cry from the <Blue-haired Sword Saint>.
A voice came from behind Yuma.
"Master Yuma."
It was Cloné.
"Something is ringing in my head... I, I think it's reacting to that person standing on top of the cliff back there."
On top of the cliff?
Yuma lifted his head upwards.
Above the thirty or so White Night Clan warriors who were surrounding the giant gods that had lost their egos.
At the edge of a cliff formed of glacier, a woman was standing.
She looked to be around twenty years old.
Like Luke and Haven, she had blue-colored hair.
A thin sword was held in her right hand.
And within her subdued eyes, pink-colored irises stood out noticeably.
[Lv.125] Bel
Race: Human
Class: Swordsman
Realm: Sword Master
Innate Traits: Genius, Body-Sword Unity, Heavenly Martial Body
An overwhelming talent glimpsed from the innate traits.
A realm that had already reached Master.
And the Resonance that had echoed in Cloné's head.
'Found her.'
Yuma was convinced.
'The Blue-haired Sword Saint.'
That Bel was the <Blue-haired Sword Saint>.