Chapter 120: People of the Sword Saint Family (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 120: People of the Sword Saint Family (3)
Late at night, close to midnight.
I was looking through the Monster Dictionary. Just as Abel said, the Nibelung territory was out of cellular range.
Because of that, researching was a bit crude, but I originally preferred paper books anyway.
* * *
Undead
[Noun]
– A magical beast created when a corpse is reanimated. While an individual undead is weak, with a danger rating of D-rank, when they form a horde... (omitted)...
* * *
"...Hmm."
Even squinting and scanning the pages, there was no information on 'Draugr'.
I had hoped there might be at least some clue...
I muttered bitterly.
"Well, if the information were in a dictionary, it would have been subjugated long ago."
That part was a relief. However, this was a journey to subjugate an S-rank magical beast, which was practically a natural disaster. The fact that we didn't have even the barest safety net was incredibly frustrating.
Even searching my memories from my days as a player, there was very little data on Draugr. It was safe to say there was virtually none.
This was because the Undead Dungeon didn't have much connection to the main story.
Even in the game, Draugr wasn't a mandatory subjugation target, and its strategy was notoriously difficult.
The only knowledge I had was that he commanded an immortal army. Apparently, the number of undead multiplied over time.
They said a force of barely ten would grow to several thousand in less than an hour.
On the community forums, people compared that overwhelming volume to a tsunami.
On top of that, even if you tore those walking corpses to shreds, Draugr would just revive them using the magic armament 'Ssaji'.
Immortality. It perfectly fit the literal meaning of 'undead'—those who do not die.
Even if they were the lowest-grade magical beasts, if there were thousands or tens of thousands of them, it was a guaranteed dog's death.
After all, no one can withstand being ganged up on. And I was already vulnerable to battles of attrition... There were too many hurdles to overcome.
'I have to take Draugr's head before he can swell his ranks.'
The subjugation battle was highly likely to be a race against time. Furthermore, because of the [Blessing of the Sword God], I had to settle the fight within 50 seconds.
It wouldn't just be tense; it would be an incredibly tight race.
Of course, our party consisted of Abel, the descendant of the Sword Saint, and Shail, a senior hero. If they helped, I might be freed from the time constraint.
'But...'
I shook my head. Abel's goal was to retrieve her parents' heads.
It was a wish she had harbored for ten years. I couldn't let my own needs compromise her purpose.
And despite my confident words, Draugr was strictly an S-rank magical beast.
Right now, because no one knew the reality of the Undead Dungeon, it was left abandoned without any staff.
It was only because the fact that Draugr was sealed there hadn't been revealed.
Normally, kids like us wouldn't even have been allowed near the place.
"...In a way, he might be just as dangerous as Agor."
I suddenly recalled that time. The sensation when I cut down the 5th Corps Commander, Agor.
My mind had gone completely blank, but my body moved on its own. Yet, it wasn't as if some other entity was controlling me. It was definitely, entirely my own movement.
'If I had that power now, I could handle Draugr without any trouble.'
A brief wave of regret washed over me. But I immediately shook my head.
My humanity had been rapidly eroding lately. Looking back, that moment was probably the starting point.
Perhaps as a rebound, my synchronization rate had spiked significantly.
Thud.
I closed the book and opened my status window.
"First, it looks like there aren't any major variables in the three ranks at the top."
Excluding my armament, the ranks of my body and mind were steadily rising. The rank of my armament would also rise once I obtained a magic stone, which would also grant it a 'special ability'.
Thus, I focused on examining the synchronization rate, which was the most critical factor.
Flash!
* * *
[NEW! Unlocked by satisfying the 25% Synchronization Rate unlock condition.]
[With the increase in Synchronization Rate, it is now possible to acquire Memory Fragments of 【???】.]
[※Additional rewards will be granted each time a fragment is recovered. Total acquired: (0/7)※]
×××
☆Synchronization Rate: (24.7 ► 29.1) %
▷ (2 ► 3) lines of 【???】's thread can be read.
▷ Faintly perceive 【???】's voice by +(2).
→ [The next unlock condition will be met upon reaching 35% Synchronization Rate.]
* * *
The part that required close attention was, of course:
'With the increase in Synchronization Rate, it is now possible to acquire Memory Fragments of 【???】.'
"First lines, then voices, and now memories..."
This lent weight to the hypothesis that 【???】 was some kind of will or living entity.
And that phrase, 'Memory Fragments'.
Simply put, it translated to shards of memory. There were seven in total. How to acquire them was still hard to tell.
A new goal—no, a quest—had been presented.
That sentence might be the clearest clue yet regarding the [Blessing of the Sword God].
"...But the problem is, I don't know the conditions."
Would the synchronization rate rise on its own if I just imagined it? That would be the easiest way, but it probably wasn't the case.
It specifically used the word 'acquire'. It was obvious without even looking that there would be some additional requirement.
This system had never given me anything for free.
It graciously offered additional rewards upon acquisition... but the way it went about it was annoying.
"Tsk."
Clicking my tongue, I got up from my chair and leaned against the window frame.
I looked up at the night sky. The mountain range was blanketed in ten-thousand-year frost. The glow of the full moon looking down was brilliant.
It was an unrealistic, breathtaking view that felt almost mystical—a canvas of pitch-black painted with splashes of bright yellow.
"There's a reason Switzerland is famous for its natural scenery."
As I stared blankly, I suddenly heard a whoosh, whoosh sound. I looked down and scanned the surroundings.
The source of the sound was Abel.
Against the backdrop of the picturesque scenery, she was swinging her sword.
Abel gripped the hilt tightly and swung upward.
It was a near-perfect posture, with hardly a flaw to be found.
Her shoulders shifted, and the sword came down.
—Whoosh.
The sound of steel cutting through the night air.
The wind-splitting sound bounced off the trees and mountains, creating an echo.
It was a clean, flawless strike.
"...Wow, as expected."
An exclamation escaped my lips before I could stop it.
Though our styles were different, I was also a swordsman. I was skilled enough to gauge just how close Abel's sword path was to mastery.
Extraordinary talent, and effort that went far beyond even that.
As a fellow cadet and swordsman, she was the ideal role model to emulate.
Yet, for some reason, her brow was furrowed.
Sighing, Abel grabbed her shoulder and rotated it.
—My shoulders are still too tense...
Then, Abel gripped the hilt tightly again and took her stance.
—But tomorrow is an important day. I can't be a burden to the people going with me. Especially not to Kang Geomma... Just two hundred more times!
...Abel's training continued.
Raising and lowering her blade. She repeated the uniform motion.
Midnight had already passed. I was probably the only one watching.
—Whoosh.
She didn't cut corners. There was no one to praise her.
Even the slightest misalignment was immediately corrected and polished.
I watched the process for a long time. Then, I muttered quietly to myself,
"Why am I acting like this is anything new?"
Cheering her on in my heart, I turned my back on the moonlit night.
My gaze might end up distracting her.
Behind me, the sounds continued in rapid succession.
—Whoosh.
The air was sliced cleanly.
—Whoosh.
The blade swept through the night wind.
—Whoosh.
Abel swung her sword again today.
* * *
The next day, in front of the gates of Castle Sigurd.
"Grandfather, we're leaving."
"Yes, Abel. Return having grown even stronger, and take care of yourself."
Before our departure, the Sword Emperor was seeing us off.
'The Sword Emperor is calmer than I expected.'
The Sword Emperor offered various pieces of advice to Abel. He looked at his granddaughter with a bright smile. I had noticed it since a few days ago, but it was an unexpected reaction.
'...Whatever his intentions, is it because it's officially a D-rank dungeon?'
It was hard to read his mind, but since he was so nonchalant, it relieved some of the pressure on me as her companion.
...There was no way he would act like this if he knew Draugr was sealed deep inside the dungeon.
If the Sword Emperor had caught wind of that, he would have torn our travel permits to shreds on the spot.
As I watched with my arms crossed, Shail quietly slipped up beside me. She said,
"Somehow, the Head of the Family seems more nervous than we are."
"...Pardon?"
Shail said the exact opposite of what I was thinking.
When confusion showed on my face, Shail gave a faint smile.
"The Head of the Family usually suppresses his emotions the more intense they get. The bigger the matter, the more he acts as if it's nothing, treating it casually."
"Is there a reason he does that?"
"I cannot fully fathom his deep intentions, but perhaps it is out of consideration for those around him?"
"Consideration..."
"Though he is injured now, there was once no one stronger than the Sword Emperor. But if the Sword Emperor were to worry about something, imagine how gravely the people around him would take it."
"...Ah."
I nodded. Having finished speaking, Shail responded with a gentle smile.
Soon, the conversation between the Sword Emperor and Abel came to an end. We loaded our respective luggage into the trunk.
The itinerary was roughly as follows:
First, we would travel to Geneva Station in a car driven by Shail.
From there, we would take a train across the Alps. The mountain paths were too rugged for car travel.
Of course, Shail had declared that she could do it, but she was overruled.
I was absolutely done with off-road riding.
Three hours by train. We would arrive in the French city of Lyon, stay overnight, and enter the dungeon tomorrow.
Just as we finished packing and were about to set off, the Sword Emperor called out to me.
"Cadet Kang Geomma."
"Yes, Sword Emperor."
The Sword Emperor looked straight at me. Unlike when he looked at Abel, his gaze was firm.
Placing a hand on my shoulder, he spoke.
"I trust you."
Just those three words, without any preamble.
With that, the Sword Emperor took two steps back.
Shail bowed deeply to the Sword Emperor.
"Though I am lacking, I will do my best to assist the young lady and Master Geomma."
"I am always in your debt, Shail."
With those pleasantries concluded, we closed the car doors. Through the rear window, the Sword Emperor and Karon waved goodbye.
—Vroooom.
The car immediately roared to life and sped away.
* * *
Castle Sigurd, now emptied of the three young people.
Only the Sword Emperor and Karon stood quietly in front of the fortress.
The rear of the vehicle quickly vanished from sight. Watching it go, the Sword Emperor murmured softly,
"Shail's driving is as rough as ever."
Karon pinched the bridge of his nose and replied,
"...I will give her a stern talking-to when she returns."
The Sword Emperor shook his head and chuckled.
"Leave her be. She hasn't had an accident yet. Besides, Shail's driving does save time."
"If you say so..."
"Anyway, enough about that."
The Sword Emperor's laughter subsided. He stared at Karon with calm eyes.
"Now that the children are gone, we adults should get to work as well. You've made the preparations, right, Karon?"
Karon slightly averted his gaze.
"I have made the preparations for now."
"Then let us depart immediately."
"...Um, Sword Emperor."
"What is it?"
Feeling awkward, Karon spoke with some difficulty.
"Still, I think this is a bit too rushed. To suddenly visit the Association..."
"The Spear Saint barging in was his way of inviting me. So of course, I must accept, shouldn't I?"
"But a visit at this juncture is highly likely to be taken negatively by the Association."
At the anxious concern, the Sword Emperor merely tilted his head.
"You know how it is. In this business, you have to give back as good as you get."
"It could easily escalate into violence."
His thick eyebrows furrowed sharply. The Sword Emperor dismissed it flatly.
"They have begun investigating Kang Geomma. As his guardian, I need to send them a warning."
"..."
"I'm not doing this for our own amusement. We, the adults, must clear away anything that might become an obstacle for Kang Geomma. That boy is still too young. His reach is limited."
The Sword Emperor's voice was ice-cold.
Karon knew all too well that it was impossible to sway him when he was this stubborn. Once the Sword Emperor made up his mind, he never backed down.
Soon, Karon let out a sigh and nodded.
"Understood."
"Do not worry. With you and me going, why should we fear a little scuffle?"
"...It has been over twenty years since I retired from active duty."
"Hahaha, come now. Hearing that from someone who achieved the Warrior Rank at twenty-five makes it sound like a bad joke."
At that, Karon's glasses glinted in the sunlight.
"Even now, just hearing your alias makes my hair stand on end."
The Sword Emperor smirked and added,
"Rakshasa Karon."
"..."
"It has been a while since I've had your support."