The Powerless Masters
Two knights, both aura masters, stabbing each other and bleeding out. How would anyone else explain that scene? They suddenly stabbed one another?
“Would anyone believe that?”
It didn’t seem like something people would easily accept, nor something that would be forgiven even if they did. I let out a long sigh and shook my head.
If I were just an ordinary master, there would’ve been nothing I could do. I would’ve stood by helplessly, only moving after both men were already dead.
Mages and priests were useless in this situation. A blade through the carotid artery would kill them in mere seconds. Even if a master rushed to fetch a priest, the two would still die.
That’s what would’ve happened if I were an ordinary master.
“O God, watch over these two and grant them healing.”
As I channeled aura into my right hand, the cross-shaped tattoo flared to life. The Stigma bestowed upon me by the Saintess.
When I first received it, I could only use it to heal my own wounds. But who am I? An Aura Master with no equal when it comes to controlling the energy flowing through my body.
Of course I could control the holy power coursing through me as well.
“Took some effort, though.”
I poured holy power into the wounds of the two stabbed knights. The injuries that should have killed them closed in an instant.
Once their wounds healed, the two men began groaning in pain, coughing and sputtering.
I stepped out of the blood-soaked tent and gestured to the soldiers standing guard outside.
“You lot, head back to your units and bring a medic.”
“Huh? What do you mean……”
“Bring a priest.”
When I glared at them, the soldiers flinched and bolted toward their respective camps.
While watching them run off, I let out another sigh. Myungwol, who had been standing outside alone, approached me.
“The stench of blood is overwhelming.”
“Not my problem.”
“You couldn’t stop it?”
“I was distracted…… If you’d been here, it wouldn’t have happened in the first place.”
“I find enclosed spaces stifling.”
“Nonsense.”
I exhaled and watched the medics riding toward us from afar.
After the two knights who had stabbed each other were taken back to their units, the atmosphere between the camps grew increasingly hostile.
If the two masters hadn’t been standing between them, keeping them separated, blades would’ve been drawn at any moment.
[……So you’re saying the commanders of both units suddenly stabbed each other?]
“Yes.”
[Why couldn’t you stop them?]
“They weren’t trying to stab me, and there was no killing intent. They were just talking when they suddenly lunged at each other. How was I supposed to stop that?”
[So you failed to stop them?]
Faced with the accusatory tone, Kyle made excuses about Myungwol not being there. Myungwol shot him a sharp glare from the side, but what could he do? It was true that the man had been slacking off.
Watching the princess sigh through the crystal orb, Kyle could tell she hadn’t orchestrated or caused this situation.
After all, both territories were led by nobles under her command. If her subordinates fought, she would be the one to suffer the losses.
[……At least they didn’t die. That’s something.]
“So, what do we do now?”
[What do you mean?]
“From what I’ve heard, both sides have legitimate grievances. It’s not clear who’s in the right.”
Both Viscount Peony’s territory and Baron Azral’s territory had their own points of injustice. There was no clear culprit.
Kyle shrugged and asked again.
“I came here to swing a sword, not play politics. You’ll have to make the decision, Your Highness.”
After all, swinging a sword was all he was good for. Kyle let the words slip out and waited for the princess’s reply. After a moment of thought, she gave her answer.
[……For now, keep them from fighting and give me time to think. Ah, and if possible, go check whether what they’re saying is true.]
“Understood.”
It felt like she was working him too hard for the price of a single sword, but Kyle ended the communication and stepped out of the tent.
Myungwol, who had come out with him, spoke up.
“So, what now?”
“What else? We split up.”
“How?”
“Her Highness asked us to check the site ourselves…… So we’ll split into two groups. One stays here to keep watch, the other goes to inspect the river.”
Kyle held out his hand. Rock-paper-scissors. By the sacred rules of the game, the one going to check the river was decided to be Kyle.
The defeated Kyle stared down at his hand, wondering if Myungwol had somehow cheated. It was suspicious that someone so skilled with a sword would also be good at rock-paper-scissors.
“Why are you staring like that?”
“……Ugh, this is annoying.”
Scratching his head, Kyle called over two soldiers who knew the way and headed upstream. In just a few days, the once-dry riverbed had begun to weather, leaving only traces behind.
As Kyle moved toward the upper reaches, he finally understood why the people of both territories were fighting over the flow of water.
“……What the hell is this?”
There was a hole in the sky. An endless torrent of water poured from it.
That was the only way to describe it. Atop a cliff so high that even an Aura Master like Kyle couldn’t easily climb it, a waterfall continued to cascade down.
It was an unreal sight, even for a fantasy world. Kyle turned to the soldier guiding him.
“Where’s that water coming from?”
“I don’t know.”
“What?”
“I’m telling the truth! I can only guess that it’s being drawn up from underground water below the mountain……”
The waterfall fell right at the center of the border between the two territories. The water flowed along the path it had naturally carved, heading into the territories.
The stream that should have originally flowed into Viscount Peony’s land was now following a newly formed path into Baron Azral’s territory.
“Let’s see.”
Following the current, Kyle drew his Aura Blade and split the river. Beneath it, an artificially shaped riverbed was revealed, only to be quickly covered again by the rushing water.
“This looks like it was dug by people, doesn’t it?”
“N-no, sir! We’ve never done anything like this!”
“Damn it, I didn’t say you did it. I said it looks man-made.”
“I-I’m sorry……”
When the Aura Master snapped, the soldier who had shouted quickly bowed his head and apologized. Kyle waved him off, signaling for him to step back.
As the soldier had said, it was clear they hadn’t dug this themselves.
Kyle, having served in the military, knew how many soldiers it would take to create a river channel of this scale. It would require dozens, even hundreds of men working day and night for several days.
And with that many troops moving, Viscount Peony’s territory would have noticed. Meaning it was impossible for them to have dug it.
“Well, there are exceptions……”
But what if it had been done by a single person instead of an army? With so few troops, it would be impossible to monitor every movement, so it was possible they hadn’t noticed.
And in this world, there were individuals who could perform better than heavy machinery on their own. Aura Masters, or mages who had reached a certain level.
The problem was……
“Why would people like that be here?”
There was no reason for those who had reached the level of superhumans to be in a rural territory like this. Would those capable of becoming dragon heads be satisfied as mere snake heads?
As expected, the incident had once again fallen into mystery.
Kyle, who had been adjusting the riverbed with his hand in the water, stood up with a sigh.
“Let’s head back.”
“Y-yes, sir!”
Kyle, who had descended at the soldier’s pace, stopped when he saw the commotion downstream.
“……Wait, what the hell is this now.”
In the distance, the two units that had been deliberately kept apart were now clashing.
After Kyle had gone upstream, Myungwol stood between the two units, staring blankly into the air.
While meditating and contemplating his swordsmanship, a strange resonance passed through him.
A tremor mixed with ominous mana. Myungwol frowned slightly, gripping his sword as he rose.
“What was that?”
The mana had been too weak to be considered an attack, so he couldn’t even tell what its purpose was. But it was undoubtedly a sudden use of mana, so Myungwol remained alert and scanned his surroundings.
And shortly after, as if on cue, the two units began charging at each other.
“Do you truly find a master’s words so amusing?”
Watching the scene for a moment, Myungwol drew his sword. His quick-draw technique, so fast that even Kyle would be surprised, blocked the path of both units.
Even as the ground was gouged and soldiers tripped over their own feet, the units did not stop.
As if determined to fight to the death, as if controlled by something, they charged madly toward one another.
Despite Myungwol blocking their path, they eventually reached each other and thrust their spears and swords.
Blood sprayed, soaking the river. The war had begun.
“This is……”
Myungwol let out a groan. Even a master couldn’t stop a war that had already started. He could only ensure one side won.
And right now, wasn’t he supposed to remain neutral, not swing his sword at either side?
Because he was a master who only knew how to swing a sword, he was paradoxically powerless on this battlefield.