Chapter 115: The Spear Saint, Richard de Myura (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 115: The Spear Saint, Richard de Myura (2)
It had been nearly forty years since Siegfried von Nibelung was first called the strongest man in the world.
Having approached the ultimate principles of the sword early on, he had struggled to find a worthy opponent since his youth.
A few had dared to challenge him, but after a handful of clashes, they ultimately knelt in defeat. The Sword Emperor was a born genius.
Yet, there is no such thing as absolute, unrivaled supremacy under the vast heavens. Even the Sword Emperor, hailed as the strongest, had a rival.
* * *
“…….”
The Sword Emperor and the Spear Saint faced each other across an oval table. The air boiled hot with the fighting spirit radiating from them both.
The politicians, their heads planted firmly against the floor in punitive headstands, felt cold sweat run in reverse up their backs, soaking their hair.
The Sword Emperor gripped his hilt with a sharp click, pointing the tip of his blade directly at the Spear Saint.
“Myura, I knew your brain was made of udon noodles, but I didn't expect you to be this utterly fearless. How dare you attack the country where I reside—and my official residence, no less!”
“Bwahahaha!”
The Spear Saint burst into roaring laughter at the Sword Emperor's fury. The oval table shook from the booming sound, as did the bodies of the politicians forced into headstands.
“To speak of ‘fear’ to a son of the Myura family. First it was ‘I’ll turn you into a woman while I’m at it,’ and now this. Hanging around those kids at the Academy must have improved your sense of humor, Nibelung.”
“To think you’re too ignorant to tell a joke from a serious threat.”
The Sword Emperor muttered. At the dripping sarcasm, the Spear Saint slammed the butt of his weapon against the floor with a resounding thud!
“Nibelung, you bastard!”
Blood trickled from the ears of Gaines, who stood right next to the Spear Saint. A single shout had ruptured his eardrums. Gaines bit his lower lip.
Are they truly the same species as me?
The Sword Emperor, who had reached the absolute pinnacle of technique. And the man who rivaled him through sheer physical strength and raw power alone.
The domineering man who championed the phrase, “Technique is for the weak”—that was the Spear Saint.
Was there any primate on Earth who could match this man in pure, unadulterated strength? As far as Gaines knew, there was absolutely no one.
The Spear Saint leaned forward, the dense muscles covering his entire body writhing as if they had a life of their own.
His fierce aura suggested he might pounce at any second, but instead, the Spear Saint slumped back into his chair. The floor vibrated the moment he sat down.
Resting his chin on his hand, the Spear Saint spoke.
“I didn't come all this way to play word games. Let's get straight to the point. Tell me the truth, and I'll leave quietly.”
“…….”
“I'm sure you all know that Agor, the 5th Corps Commander of the Demon Army, is dead, so we can skip that part.”
““““!!””””
Shock spread across the faces of everyone in the room at his casual remark. Only the Sword Emperor silently furrowed his brow. The Spear Saint scratched his head.
“…What? Did you guys really not know? The rumor has already spread far and wide within the Hero Association. I suppose Switzerland's news is slow because it's a neutral country.”
The Hero Association. An organization that managed heroes worldwide.
In reality, they deployed agents everywhere to gather intelligence, keeping a close eye on famous heroes to keep them in check.
An organization at the cutting edge of intelligence gathering. To put it simply, their role was highly similar to the CIA during the Cold War.
Because of their underhanded nature, most heroes avoided the Association. Who would welcome a group that dug into their private lives?
However, there were a few heroes who showed pro-Association tendencies.
At the forefront of them was the Spear Saint. He was a strong candidate to become the next Hero Association President.
Gaines's pupils shook violently.
The 5th Corps Commander is dead...?
The descent of a Corps Commander-class demon was a violation of the First Human-Demon Treaty.
For them to descend, they required sacrifices to open a passage between the Demon Realm and the human world, as well as a physical vessel for the Corps Commander to possess.
It was because of these strict conditions that the balance of power between humanity and demons was maintained.
No, more importantly, that demon was dead? It had taken the full roster of the Seven Stars just to barely subjugate the 6th Corps Commander, Basmon. The cost had been the lives of three of the Seven Stars.
Yet, who could have defeated Agor, who was even more powerful?
Unbothered, the Spear Saint continued.
“Well, it was bound to come to light anyway, so consider yourselves informed. But that's not the important part.”
The Spear Saint pointed his weapon's tip at the Sword Emperor.
“I've figured out that you were involved in Agor's death, but there's one part I just can't wrap my head around. As everyone knows, it's common sense—no, the natural order of things—that a single hero cannot defeat a Corps Commander on their own.”
“What are you trying to say?”
The Sword Emperor replied curtly. The Spear Saint's eyes widened as he uttered a single name.
“Kang Geomma.”
“……!”
“The kid they call the Sashimi Sword Saint. The Association believes that brat is deeply connected to Agor's death. What do you think?”
The mere mention of that name caused the Sword Emperor's grip on his hilt to tighten.
Fwoosh.
A sea-green energy flared along his blade. It was Aura.
The Sword Energy unleashed by the Sword Emperor instantly pushed back the Spear Saint's fighting spirit.
Did this bastard Nibelung really lose an arm?!
The Spear Saint couldn't help but be deeply shocked.
Until just a moment ago, he had assumed he would have the upper hand against a one-armed Sword Emperor. Yet the man before him looked more formidable than ever.
His disbelief was short-lived. The Spear Saint grinned savagely, baring his teeth.
Nibelung, you've grown even stronger.
The Sword Emperor had always disliked the Spear Saint. Getting tangled up with the near-barbaric man, who constantly pestered him for duels, made him feel like his lifespan was shortening.
Conversely, the Spear Saint held him in high regard. It transcended pride; it was a sense of awe as one man to another. An unyielding integrity that never grew complacent.
Truly, he was a man among men, the one who had surpassed him to claim the title of "the strongest of humanity."
Whoooosh.
An artificial wind whipped through the room despite being indoors. The men forced into headstands collapsed one after another.
“S-Sword Emperor!”
Gaines's voice trembled. The Sword Emperor flared his Aura toward the Spear Saint, displaying unmistakable hostility.
A clash between two of the Seven Stars. What that implied was simple and clear.
War between Switzerland and France.
This very room was practically the prelude to it.
On the other hand, the Spear Saint's lips curled upward. He raised his spear and slammed it violently against the floor.
Crack! Fissures spread across the floor. The earth shook, and the wind reversed its flow. The Spear Saint laughed aloud.
“Bwahahaha! You've become quite the man, Nibelung!”
“Since you've come to my homeland and caused trouble, I will take that tongue of yours.”
The Sword Emperor coiled his body, preparing to spring forward. He knew this was an overreaction.
There was a high probability it would escalate into an international incident. However, once that name left the other man's mouth, there was no time to weigh the consequences.
The Sword Emperor viewed Kang Geomma as the hope of humanity. Rather than letting him become a target of the Association, he would cut down the Spear Saint right here.
He had no intention of killing him, nor could he. Even when he had both arms, the Spear Saint had been a worthy rival.
Now that he was one-armed, the best he could do was tie the bastard down. Even if he couldn't take his head, he could target his ankles if he utilized his Aura.
Just as the Sword Emperor was about to stamp his foot and lunge, the Spear Saint suddenly let go of his spear.
―Clang!
A loud metallic ring echoed as the spearhead hit the floor.
……!
At that dull sound, the suddenly tense atmosphere dissipated. The Spear Saint raised both hands and spoke.
“You've lost your cool in your old age. I like the passion, but this isn't like you.”
Chuckling, the Spear Saint continued.
“Seeing you react so defensively, you must cherish that brat quite a bit. Well, since you've gone this far, I have no intention of pressing the matter further.”
With those words, the Spear Saint picked up his weapon. He then strode toward the door.
He paused right beside the Sword Emperor's shoulder and spoke casually.
“To be honest, I am curious about this Kang Geomma kid. There must be a reason why you're shielding him like this, and why my niece Rachel is so head over heels for him.”
“…….”
“I wonder what kind of face you'll make, Nibelung, if Kang Geomma ends up becoming my nephew-in-law.”
“What on earth are you talking about?!”
“Bwahahaha! Anyway, I'm off! Give my regards to Medea and her twin sister!”
Without looking back, the Spear Saint simply waved his hand.
The Sword Emperor stared blankly at his retreating back for a long moment.
Gaines cautiously called out to him.
“…Sword Emperor, are you alright?”
“I've made a fool of myself. My apologies.”
“Ah, no, not at all... If not for you, our ministers and assemblymen would have developed male pattern baldness long ago.”
Gaines joked. Thanks to his banter, the tense atmosphere softened slightly. The Sword Emperor let out a faint chuckle.
“Gaines, you've proven to be quite loyal.”
“Haha, I suppose passing forty has given me a bit of courage.”
Gaines scratched the back of his head sheepishly. The Sword Emperor stared intently at him.
Gaines was a politician who chased practical benefits. His refusal to confess to the Spear Saint was likely not out of pure loyalty.
The Sword Emperor realized instantly that Gaines had kept his mouth shut not for his sake, but to avoid causing trouble for Kang Geomma.
...I suppose the era of us old-timers is coming to an end.
The Sword Emperor smiled bitterly. But what could he do?
One couldn't blame a politician for calculating and planning for the future. He had no choice but to play along.
“Sword Emperor, do you happen to have time next week? I would really love to have that dinner we talked about before.”
The Sword Emperor stared blankly at Gaines. What the politician truly wanted was a meeting with Kang Geomma.
Having just finished their conversation, he found the request incredibly blatant.
The Sword Emperor spoke with a displeased expression.
“I don't think I'll have time that day.”
“…I haven't even mentioned which day yet?”
“I'm busy all of next week.”
“W-Wait!”
Gaines reached out, but the Sword Emperor did not look back.
The older one got, the more petty one became.
* * *
The next day.
Twenty minutes left until my appointment with Abel.
I rummaged through my clothes to decide what to wear, but eventually grabbed my Academy tracksuit.
Since I had packed light, I didn't have many clothes to choose from. Besides, there was no need to dress up formally.
...By the way, where is she suddenly asking me to go?
I had nodded along to her sudden proposal for now, but her intentions remained a mystery.
Abel and I had an awkward relationship. Dinner was likely just an excuse, and she probably had another motive.
I already felt a bit guilty, thinking I might have gotten in the way of her and Leon back on Avallon Island.
I sighed inwardly and shook my head.
“Well, we're going to be living together for the next few weeks, so it's best to get along.”
Above all, I wanted to use this opportunity to build a good rapport with her.
There was no reason to be at odds, and I also had a highly personal objective.
The Undead Dungeon.
A dungeon located on the outskirts of the Alps.
Its difficulty was D-rank, the lowest tier. It was even lower than the Buffalo Dungeon.
Thus, the minimum entry requirements were also different.
Normally, a dungeon required a minimum of four people, but for a D-rank, three was enough.
However, despite its low difficulty, the Undead Dungeon was unpopular. Or rather, no heroes bothered to visit it.
The biggest reason was that the monsters appearing inside were walking corpses and Liches, and the clear rewards were terrible.
It seemed like a completely useless, trash-tier dungeon. However, resting inside was an S-rank magical beast known as a calamity.
The Lich King, Draugr.
The king of Liches who commanded an undead legion. Back in my gaming days, the magical weapon he wielded was far more famous than Draugr himself.
Was it called the Reaper's Wand?
Literally translated, it meant the Staff of the Reaper. Players abbreviated it as "Ssaji."
A magical weapon with a name that brought to mind the military's cyber cafes. Yes, it was an intentional pun.
For the record, S-rank magical beasts supposedly wielded magical weapons...
But because they were calamities that only appeared in the very late stages of the game, information on them was scarce.
I only knew about the Ssaji because the name was so catchy and famous.
...At this point, I resented my past self for not sticking with Miracle Blessing M more stubbornly.
If I had just closed my eyes and kept playing back then, my life in this other world would have been a lot smoother.
No, I shouldn't have started that damn game in the first place.
Come to think of it, Miracle Blessing M was something my first master had subtly recommended I start, wasn't it? And then the old man himself had quit in a flash.
Dammit.
Anyway, to enter the Undead Dungeon, I needed to form a team.
Of course, I planned to face the Lich King alone, but until then, I needed reliable allies to clear the path.
It would be even better if that ally was Abel, who would have been the top student in the original storyline. As a former player, I deeply trusted her abilities and talent.
Lost in thought, I noticed the clock was already nearing 4:00 PM.
Only then did I spring out of bed and pick out my shoes.
I considered wearing slippers but decided against it. That felt a bit too casual. Instead, I put on my three-striped running shoes.
A tracksuit and running shoes. It was the perfect outfit for a casual stroll.
With that, I left my room and headed toward the main entrance.
Even though it was five minutes before our scheduled time, Abel was already waiting outside.
Step, step.
As I drew closer, Abel's silhouette became clearer, and I couldn't help but marvel.
“Wow.”
She wore a tennis skirt and a light touch of makeup.
Blending in with the breathtaking Swiss scenery, she looked like a masterpiece on canvas.
She was stunning even without trying, but dressed up a little, she was nothing short of a goddess.
While I was staring blankly, Abel turned her head toward me.
Instantly, her eyes widened.
“…Are you seriously wearing that?”
Having no excuse, I simply nodded.
“This is the only clothing I have.”
“I—I mean, still...”