Chapter 14
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: The Deadly Line
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"Leon?! How did you..."
"Come on. Why are you acting like this when you know full well?"
Leon spun the sword he had received from Melissa with a sinister grin.
"I was pretty exhausted, my control was off, but you all gathered here in this spot with no prying eyes. Thanks for that."
Aura began to seep faintly from Leon's entire body.
There were clear traces of an Aura User who hadn't even reached Sword Expert, yet for some reason, Bishiri Cascadia couldn't let his guard down.
An inexplicable unease was hammering at his survival instincts wildly.
Was he, a mid-level Sword Expert, afraid of some punk who hadn't even become a Sword Expert?
It was only natural for his face to twist with insult and rage.
"Before heading to the Count's domain, drag that bastard here and make him kneel. I'll cut his throat myself."
It was cheap provocation, but it hooked him perfectly.
Soon, Leon lightly slashed with the sword in his hand. A deep horizontal line carved itself into the ground in front of him.
He took a few steps back and let out a short yawn.
"If you're feeling brave, come cross it."
Shwaaack!!!
Before the words even finished, an entry-level Sword Expert knight rushed toward Leon at blinding speed.
But the instant the knight's foot crossed the line...
The knight's head flew through the air, slicing the empty space.
...
Everyone fell silent at the sight of him dying without even a scream.
This wasn't right.
Was the speed and power he just showed something an Aura User could pull off?
No, how was that even possible?
They couldn't make sense of the situation at all.
Of course, Leon's current physique—beyond their common sense—was, in turn, his greatest advantage.
The range of power an Aura User could wield.
The range of power, speed, and technique for entry-level Sword Experts, and mid-level ones.
No matter the nation, most sword wielders stayed within that broad framework.
But.
Right now, Leon—visibly an Aura User—was far exceeding the maximum technique, power, and speed an Aura User could output.
"I'm so sleepy I could die, seriously..."
He was complaining in his own way because of his serious condition, but that single line crushed the knights' pride without mercy.
"What are you all doing?! He's alone!! Subdue him now!!"
The knights moved in unison.
Far superior physical reinforcement to a Sword Expert, dynamic vision, and overwhelming combat technique were more than enough to turn a mere Aura User into a monster.
And battle experience? From my perspective, having fought countless foes over an incalculable span of time, humanoid enemies like these were downright familiar.
No, I even knew that the humanoid enemies I'd faced in that place were far more threatening than these guys.
'The fatigue is worse than I thought...'
Could this situation really be chalked up to sleep deprivation? Sure, I hadn't slept, but it was abnormal for my mind to destabilize this much from short-term insomnia.
'My eyes are closing.'
Shwaack!!!
"Arghhh!!"
Still, I wouldn't succumb to sleep.
They say one form of torture prevents sleep altogether.
This curse-like insomnia rooted deep within me was nothing short of torture.
Shwaack!! Slash!!
Anyone crossing the line—Sword Expert or regular knight—was cut down without distinction.
When their numbers swelled, I unleashed overwhelming aura indiscriminately to crush them, then exploited the gaps to slice them apart.
Especially since this spot—a narrow, deserted pass—limited how many could rush me at once due to the bottleneck effect.
Of course, some tried to flee outward, but most had lost their heads to my taunt-not-taunt, filled with intent to kill me no matter what.
Naturally, as I started cutting down everyone indiscriminately regardless of level, they seemed to realize something was seriously wrong.
"H-How is this... possible..."
Of course, separately from them, I conversed with the 'Librarian'.
Confirmation complete. Your mental state has not recovered from Labyrinthos's aftereffects.
As time passes, fatigue is being reported from the soul side, it is estimated.
Figures.
I caught the glint of a pure white sword blade barely grazing past me in my vision.
It felt like time itself was slowing down.
Shwaack!! Crunch!!
I kicked the shin of an approaching Aura User-level knight, shattering it and turning him into a human obstacle as he fell.
Then I cleanly severed the neck of the knight following behind.
My mind was gradually numbing.
I knew my limits, but my sword speed didn't slow. If anything, it quickened.
As my mind grew hazy, the aura surging wildly within me began activating so intensely it threatened to damage my body.
And the hazier my mind became, the less hesitation I felt toward my enemies.
In Labyrinthos, I'd fought things far more vicious than these.
And I'd survived far worse situations than this one.
If I were the type to back down against trash like this, I would've given up long ago.
Bodies piled up like mountains, fear consuming the surroundings.
The faces of those hesitating and retreating no longer held any fighting spirit.
"Impossible... He's just an Aura User..."
An Aura User, but the level I was showing now was top-tier Sword Expert, not Aura User caliber.
The highest of the four Sword Expert stages.
A position incomparable to entry-level or mid-level knights.
Of course, the status window from the Librarian still pinned me as an Aura User.
"What're you waiting for? Come on in."
The smile had long vanished from my fatigue-ridden face.
All that remained was a chilling gaze laced with malice.
"What are you fools doing?! Go kill him!!"
Bishiri Cascadia shouted, his face pale as death.
But the mid-level Sword Experts would have sensed it instinctively.
They were mid-level talents, but crossing that line meant one of them would definitely die.
For mercenaries who were mostly in it for pay, there was no one willing to throw away their life for Tibel Cascadia.
"This is not what we signed up for!! We weren't told about a powerhouse like that!!"
"Exactly! That level of strength is at least top-tier Sword Expert!!"
As complaints erupted from the mercenary knights, Bishiri Cascadia gritted his teeth.
Retreating or delaying here would ruin everything.
"Damn bastard... How the hell did he hide that power..."
The aura pressing down around him spread even wider, uncontrolled.
Aura Users or low Sword Experts couldn't logically contain such absurd aura.
So I must be something more, wearing the mask of an Aura User.
Their misconception deepened.
And that wasn't all.
Horse hooves echoed as knights Melissa had rallied after returning rushed this way.
Clang!!!
It happened then.
Terror-stricken, one knight swung his sword at Bishiri Cascadia.
"I-I'm not dying here!! I'm just a mercenary! There was never any mention of a monster like that!"
Desperately shouting, the knight aimed for Bishiri's back.
Of course, a mid-level Sword Expert like Bishiri Cascadia wasn't felled by such an attack.
He swiftly retreated and slashed the attacker.
"You filthy trash..."
The moment he spat fury at the fear-stricken crowd...
The afterimage of my aura slash carved another line at Bishiri Cascadia's feet.
"You crossed it."
"What nonsense?!"
Thud...
Before he finished speaking, I was already upon him.
My hands gripped the hilt like iron.
Bishiri, aura blade ignited, desperately drew his sword to defend.
He moved to counter as fast as he could, but it was like our times were different—a one-sided strike slashed down.
Krunch!!
The sound of both his arms breaking echoed.
Crash!!!!
In an instant, the arm holding his sword shattered, and my blade severed his neck.
Blood sprayed as Bishiri Cascadia's head sliced through the air.
A mid-level Sword Expert.
A talent respected anywhere, but now just a headless corpse.
"W-Wait!! The culprit, Bishiri Cascadia, is dead! We're just lowly mercenaries! We only took the job!!"
The remaining knights desperately tried to negotiate.
"The job? Mercenaries?"
"Y-Yes! Most of the forces here are the same! Now that Bishiri Cascadia is dead, we have no reason to fight you! So..."
"If Bishiri hadn't died, you'd have turned the Count's domain into a sea of flames?"
I calmly spoke and drew another line a few steps ahead. They recoiled in horror.
The lesson that crossing that line meant losing your head.
"F-First... calm down. We request formal prisoner treatment!"
The narrow alley had no escape routes.
They could jump up and flee, but some who tried had been impaled by daggers I'd dropped on the ground and died.
Scattering might let a few survive.
But they judged negotiation safer than risking it.
Kagagak!!!
"Wait!!"
I drew another line a few steps ahead. The knights raised both hands in panic.
"Let us go like this! We won't do anything! No, if you're worried, tie us up and detain us in the Count's domain!"
Kak!!
"W-W-W-Wait!"
This time, the line barely formed.
"We'll give you what you want! Tibel Cascadia! If you're preparing for civil war against Tibel Cascadia, we'll stand at the vanguard! We'll be your mercenaries..."
Kagaga...
"M-Money!! We'll give money too! All the gold I've saved up till now!"
"Money? Money, huh..."
I stroked my chin thoughtfully, and the knights shouted desperately.
"Continental currency, precisely."
"Continental currency..."
"Yes, continental currency. No worries about counterfeits or credibility anywhere. We'll give it all if you want."
"Hmm... No counterfeit issues, solid credibility continental currency..."
As I pondered, I flicked my sword.
Kak...
"High-grade magic gear too! Mithril swords! Magic artifacts!! Rare items money alone can't buy!"
What wouldn't they offer to survive?
As I sank deeper into thought, one knight cautiously suggested.
"When I return, I'll petition my lord to take a friendly stance toward you! How about it? Backing from central nobles..."
Kagagagak!!!
A line carved behind them.
They were all inside it now.
"You touch the Count's domain and think you can just extend a hand like nothing happened? Does House Cascadia, guardians of the Demon Realm, look like pushovers to you?"
Though called Counts, Border Counts held special authority as unique nobles.
Not even marquises or dukes could trifle with them lightly.
Though now split in half, and most knights loyal to the former Count Cascadia had left in disappointment.
"Damn it all..."
After Leon left the Count's manor, Melissa rallied the knights who had returned from her recall order and immediately set out to support him.
"They're rioters trying to overthrow House Cascadia! Subdue them all!"
Melissa drew her sword and shouted resolutely.