New Magic: Spiral Sword
In the middle of a barren wasteland desert without a breath of wind, dust hung thick in the air. I stared at the devastated scene with a bewildered expression, Yojyo extended long in my grip.
Cacti that had sprouted here and there lay uprooted and chopped into pieces, scattered around. Rocks warmed by the spring sun had been torn apart and rolled every which way, and straight ahead of me, the scarred earth stretched out in a perfect line.
It was a new magic from Yojyo that had emerged by chance.
Stressed out, I'd tagged along with Armida sis and Shura to the desert to swing Yojyo wildly, when suddenly the Aura Blade shattered and shot forward in a fierce vortex storm.
It was a power I'd never imagined. Even sturdy desert rocks exploded when caught in that storm, and everything grazed by the Aura Blade fragments was sliced clean. No ordinary human could survive a hit from this spell.
This magic would undoubtedly become a major asset alongside my Gravity Sword.
Armida sis, who had been teaching Shura Dalahan's magic from afar, came rushing over in a hurry.
"Little bro! What happened?"
I composed my dumbfounded face and calmly sheathed Yojyo.
"A fluke. It was a technique I never planned to show anyone, but it popped out by accident. Guess I've had a ton of annoying crap piling up lately."
Armida sis eyed the destroyed site.
"No way. You think a spell like this just comes out because you're pissed?"
"Yeah. Yojyo's always been like that. Doesn't look the part, but it's super emotional."
"Really? What kind of sword is it to pull off magic like this? This has to be top-tier among the 7 Divine Artifacts, right?"
Armida sis examined Yojyo with curious eyes. She couldn't believe a weapon on the level of the 7 Divine Artifacts existed in this world.
I shrugged.
"Beats me. It's there, so I use it."
Armida sis propped her chin thoughtfully.
"Hmm. High chance it was made in our Chronos... but who the hell forged something like this and left it in the world?"
"Yojyo from Chronos?"
"How else could it have magic this powerful? No human magitech can produce a sword like this."
I didn't love the idea, but her logic held water. Humans couldn't make something like Yojyo. Sure, they could craft magical gear that activated high-level spells, but nothing this compact.
That left only the sky city Chronos.
I looked at Armida sis with interest. Maybe we'd pinpoint Yojyo's creator.
"So who do you think made it?"
"Dunno. No essence slotted in, so probably oriharcon. Only three Valkyries can even refine that stuff—needs spiritual power."
"The two Valkyrie Queens and Sabondia?"
"Yeah. If anyone's the maker, it's one of them."
I rolled my eyes.
"Not Nemisona, I hope?"
"Nah."
"Why?"
"She wouldn't make something this plain. She's all about the flash—wouldn't settle for something this drab. Definitely not her."
I bristled at Yojyo being called drab, but relief washed over me too. If Nemisona had made it, my feelings would've been a mess—like loving a kid from your enemy's clan.
"Then who?"
"No clue. But Prosia's the top suspect."
"Why?"
"She has history. With Dalahan."
I recalled Armida sis mentioning that once. Prosia, who passed through this land again after ages since the dawn of civilization, was Dalahan's creator.
"Ah..."
"Anyway, she caught hell for it. Leaving something like Dalahan in the world counts as meddling. That's why she had no comeback during Nemisona's Uroboros mess."
"What? Then why leave the 7 Divine Artifacts?"
Armida sis looked sheepish.
"Those are an exception. Not meant for humans to use—just symbols of faith. To remind them to uphold divinity."
"But now they're choosing human wielders and getting used."
"Weird, right? Not impossible, but rare. How'd five come out, including Dalahan?"
"Humanity's on the brink of extinction?"
Armida sis burst out laughing, clutching her stomach.
"No way. The 7 Divine Artifacts have spiritual energy, sure, but not that much. They just pick owners."
"Then why all at once?"
"Beats me."
True to form, Armida sis ended with "I dunno." I hadn't expected much anyway, so I let it go. As long as Nemisona wasn't involved, I was good.
Still, a new spell... This one's gonna be seriously useful.
I pinned big hopes on Yojyo's accidental new magic. Unlike the single-target Gravity Sword, this was a straight-line AoE spell. Great for hitting groups or distant targets—tons of tactical uses. Had to master it.
***
I relentlessly practiced to unleash Yojyo's new magic again.
But it wasn't easy. I had to chase that faint sensation from the fluke activation.
Unlike the 7 Divine Artifacts, Yojyo came without a sealed spellbook, so I had to discover them myself. Plus, being a mental-realm spell made it even trickier.
It had taken a full year to reawaken the first one, Gravity Sword.
But progress on this new one was decently quick.
Unlike when I learned Gravity Sword, I was a Mind Master now. Having triggered it once by chance, reactivating wouldn't take ages.
I first named it Whirlwind Storm Blade. Lay a raging storm vortex sideways, and that's exactly what it looked like.
But I changed it soon after. Testing it in Kara Lake produced a ferocious water spiral shooting straight ahead—not wind.
Wind and water magic are different, yet same effect? Had to be something more fundamental. I renamed it Spiral Sword. Shorter anyway—three syllables, easy to say.
And around then, more good news hit: The central and western rail lines, dragged out over two years, were complete. Some sections lagged, and Jores Island's outer line wasn't done, but Kara Kingdom had laid serious groundwork. Now we could kick off mass trade with the orcs.
Kara could flood them with food and weapons, hoarding their Chaos Pieces in bulk.
Plus, when the apocalypse hit, rails would be key for evacuating Kara's citizens. If Padilla gave the order right, the early bloodbath that wiped out most would be history.
"Grand Prince, hurry! You'll be late for the opening ceremony."
Padilla fussed from morning.
The central line event drew "congratulatory" scout delegations from nations worldwide. It'd ballooned into a diplomatic affair befitting a queen, so she couldn't slack.
I grumbled and pulled the covers over my head.
"Plenty of time."
"Only three hours left."
I furrowed my brow. Wash up and dress: 20 minutes. Travel: 10. Half an hour total—why the panic three hours early?
"Do I have to go?"
"Of course. You're the one who proposed the rail project."
"But Kara built it."
"Hurry!"
Padilla finally snapped. I got up sheepishly, whining nasally.
"I could be there in a minute... flying, y'know."
"Fine. Come late, then watch Sharl in the meantime."
I bolted upright, sleep gone.
"Let's go. No harm in hurrying."
Padilla eyed me slyly.
"Hate babysitting that much?"
"Love it. But Sharl throws fits seeing only me, so as a dad, I give space."
"'Cause you're always tossing him in the air."
"Early education. Mind Masters need aerial movement skills—starting young's good. He might hate it now, but when he's grown and a Mind Master, he'll thank his thoughtful dad."
Padilla stuck out her tongue, like that's your excuse?
"Whatever. Get ready."
"Got it."
In the end, prep took an hour. Washing: five minutes. Formal wear: the rest.
Then Padilla and I rode to Kara Station.
In the carriage, I griped at every bump.
"Gotta be a carriage? Magic cars are comfier..."
"Magic cars seat two—no room for the driver."
"I'll drive."
"Ruins the dignity. Grand Prince driving to a state event? Foreign envoys would mock us."
"Tch. Why care about them? Our comfort first."
Padilla countered calmly.
"Want comfort? Don't be queen."
"But folks like a down-to-earth ruler."
"Queens don't just meet commoners. Nobles and envoys obsess over protocol—if we're too casual, they see us as low-class. Hurts national interests."
I fiddled with Yojyo.
"They wouldn't dare say it."
"Sure. Kara's a powerhouse, and you're here. But backtalk's scarier than face-to-face. Can't give them ammo."
"No backtalk either."
"How?"
"Dead men don't talk."
Padilla facepalmed.
"Politics isn't just violence."
"Nah, violence is a nation's foundation—and all of politics. Think a kingdom without an army survives? Nope. Foreign powers don't invade thanks to that threat; citizens stay safe from war and crime. Every nation rises on violence."
"But history has kings who ruled by virtue?"
"That's historical fanfic. Authors were the kings themselves—no lies there? Virtue needs violence backing it. Claim virtue alone, you're just the nice old lady next door. Politics without violence crumbles to the violent. But that's never happened—too basic. Every king knows it, even fools. Gets tyrannical at worst. You know."
"Yes."
Padilla agreed readily. Too fundamental to miss. Violence is essential for building and sustaining a state.
The poster boy for incompetent kings? One who ignores the military. Even broke nations keep armies.
"Who's in the delegations? Fabius Duke coming?"
"No, he's with the alliance sweeping monsters on Jores Island."
"Phew. Good."
I smiled in relief. That geezer yammers nonstop.
Wars keep nobles busy. Before, he'd trailed Bastain delegations, bugging me.
"But Yosrahim Empire sent some big shots."
"Who?"
"Lupert Grand Duke."
I sighed. No Fabius, but this guy. Obvious motive: sniffing for scraps.
"Ignore him. He's plotting to drag Kara into his rebellion."
Padilla's eyes widened.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Ambition overload. Get chummy, we get tangled."
"Got it."
I gazed at Kara Station through the front window. Stickier than door-to-door salesmen. Dodged him before with church excuses—what now?