Chapter 495: Emergency Meeting (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 495: Emergency Meeting (2)
It was Lee Tae-seong's turn.
As he stepped forward to receive his sword, the staff member spoke in a low, conspiratorial whisper.
"Lord Roman Dmitry said that while the other swords are merely reinforced versions of existing ones due to a lack of time, he forged this one himself. It is a one-of-a-kind blade in this world. He said it is compensation for breaking your weapon during your last duel, and he hopes you, the Directly Controlled Unit Commander, will put it to good use."
The staff member's voice carried a strange note of pride. Having inspected the weapon beforehand, they couldn't help but be astonished by Roman Dmitry's craftsmanship.
Unaware of the source of this pride, Lee Tae-seong accepted the sword, his heart already full of gratitude for the gesture alone.
However...
"...What is this?"
Grip.
He could tell the moment his hand wrapped around the hilt.
The grip was so perfect it felt custom-made, and the blade, gleaming as it caught the light, radiated a chilling sharpness. It was the absolute, perfect form of a sword. A gasp of admiration escaped his lips with every swing through the air. He was utterly bewildered by the fact that Roman Dmitry had crafted this. Could his blacksmithing skills truly be this extraordinary as well?
To fully grasp the sword's true value, the crucial factor was how well it accepted mana when a skill was manifested. He stepped outside. As a physical weapon, it seemed more than worthy of a high rank, but if its skill manifestation rate was low, its overall grade would suffer.
'Rampage.'
He activated the skill lightly.
Yet, the sight that unfolded before his eyes was shocking.
Rumble!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Mana erupted explosively from the blade.
Though it was merely a skill manifestation without an actual physical opponent, the imaginary enemy in Lee Tae-seong's mind was torn to shreds by the explosive magic power. His heart began to pound wildly. Faced with an absurd possibility creeping into his mind, Lee Tae-seong finished the skill manifestation and stared blankly down at the sword.
"Could it be... an S-Rank?"
He was certain. He had used B-Rank weapons before and had even wielded an A-Rank once, so he could say for sure. The ability to absorb mana and unleash it like an active volcano could not be explained by anything other than an S-Rank.
He was bewildered.
It was hard enough to believe that Roman Dmitry had gifted him an S-Rank weapon, but the real shocker was that he had forged it himself. What would happen if an S-Rank weapon were released onto the market? At the appearance of such a famous sword—of which only a handful existed in the entire world—people would offer absolute fortunes just to purchase it.
And yet, such a sword... had been given to him like a casual, everyday gift.
His eyes trembled.
A complex mix of emotions washed over him—thrilled to be able to wield such a blade, and utterly shocked by the man who had created it.
'Just who on earth is he?'
Tremendous martial prowess and peerless crafting skills. Every time he learned more about Roman Dmitry, Lee Tae-seong felt his common sense shattering. But just because he couldn't comprehend it didn't change reality. The man who would lead Incheon in the future, Roman Dmitry, possessed power that surpassed even the S-Rank. He was a being who lived in an entirely different world—one who could casually hand over a weapon like this.
'I must not doubt him. From the moment he decided to go to war for us, I resolved to follow Lord Roman Dmitry blindly. I will accept this with a grateful heart and lay down my life for him.'
Emotion swelled within him. The sword in his hand looked incredibly precious now.
Suddenly, a wave of guilt washed over him.
He had received an S-Rank weapon, but hadn't the members of the Directly Controlled Unit received merely reinforced versions of their existing weapons? At best, they were probably C-Rank. That wasn't bad, but it was incomparable to an S-Rank.
He returned to the barracks. Expecting a modest reaction, his eyes widened at the scene inside.
"Whoa."
"This is insane!"
"Thank you, Lord Roman Dmitry!"
The members of the Directly Controlled Unit... they, too, were in a state of absolute frenzy, just like Lee Tae-seong.
* * *
It was just as Lee Tae-seong had suspected.
While they weren't S-Rank like the weapon he had received, there was a specific detail that left the members of the Directly Controlled Unit in awe. It started with Park Cheol-min.
"...I think this is a custom-made weapon."
Having been promoted to B-Rank through the recent promotion exam, Park Cheol-min used a unique sword that differed from the others. It was slightly shorter than a typical longsword. Since he preferred close-quarters combat, he disliked long-bladed swords that restricted his movements during rapid exchanges at point-blank range.
Therefore, he could tell instantly. The sword gifted by Roman Dmitry was the exact, ideal form Park Cheol-min had always envisioned.
It was the same for the other members of the Directly Controlled Unit.
"You're right. It's a custom weapon."
"It's exactly like the one I used to use."
"When did he even make these?"
For the past month, Roman Dmitry had practically lived in the forge.
While he had personally forged swords for himself, Kang Min-ho, and Lee Tae-seong, it was realistically impossible to forge weapons from scratch for all thirty members of the Directly Controlled Unit. Thus, he had reinforced swords that were already in good condition. He infused them with mana to ensure a high skill manifestation rate and sharpened them to slice through monster hides in a single blow.
But the final touch that truly amazed everyone was how he had tailored them to the individual characteristics of each member.
During their one-versus-many battle, Roman Dmitry had fought against the entire Directly Controlled Unit. He had memorized their individual traits during that fight and customized the weapons accordingly for each recipient.
For Park Cheol-min, a slightly shorter blade.
For another, a slightly longer one.
For someone else, a thicker blade.
It was pure consideration. When it came to crafting swords for his men, his pride as a master blacksmith would not allow him to produce mediocre results.
Furthermore—
"Whoa, the skill manifestation rate is insane too."
"With this, it could easily be rated B-Rank!"
"Lord Roman Dmitry's crafting skills are truly incredible."
They were ecstatic. Not only were they custom-made, but they were also B-Rank weapons that ordinary fighters might never lay eyes on in their lifetimes unless they were high-level experts like Lee Tae-seong.
The members of the Directly Controlled Unit couldn't help but be deeply moved. The fact that the man who had just declared war for their sake had prepared such weapons filled them with a surging wave of loyalty.
That was the scene Lee Tae-seong witnessed.
As gratitude toward Roman Dmitry swelled in his heart, a firm resolve took root.
'We are only ever receiving from Lord Roman Dmitry. At first, I thought he wanted to take over Incheon for his own personal gain, but the power I've witnessed from him is not something that can be compared to a mere city. In truth, he hasn't gained any practical benefit from settling in Incheon. He has only taken losses—teaching us techniques, gifting us weapons, and so on. Therefore, if we are humans who know gratitude, we must do whatever it takes for him. Even if it means risking our lives.'
Lee Tae-seong shouted.
"Everyone, remember this day! The day Lord Roman Dmitry resolved to go to war for us, and the day he bestowed these priceless gifts upon us!"
On that day, Incheon became one.
No one yet knew what kind of changes this perfect unity would bring to South Korea.
* * *
Kim Jun-hyeok spoke.
"...Thank you so much. Thank you for saving the Directly Controlled Unit, and thank you for preparing these gifts for them."
Upon returning to Incheon, Roman Dmitry had ordered him to distribute the swords. Having completed the task, Kim Jun-hyeok sought him out again. He felt a deep, sincere gratitude. Previously, like Lee Tae-seong, he had suspected that Roman Dmitry might have some hidden agenda, but now, none of that mattered.
He believed in him. He would live for him from now on.
Though it had only been a short time, Kim Jun-hyeok decided it was more than enough to dedicate his life to this man.
Roman Dmitry spoke.
"The Directly Controlled Unit will become the foundation of Incheon. Only when they grow strong can we prevent casualties even on battlefields where I am absent, and only then can Incheon rise as the center of this world. However, the only regrettable part is you. I intended to pass down the same techniques to you as I did to the unit, but as you know, your body cannot accept mana."
"...I know."
Kim Jun-hyeok wore a bitter expression. There was a reason why Roman Dmitry had not taught him while Kang Min-ho and the Directly Controlled Unit were growing exponentially stronger.
A cursed body.
This was Kim Jun-hyeok's reality.
During his past life in Murim, a body that could not accept Qi was called a cursed body. It was an incurable condition. Roman Dmitry did not know a way to solve it either, and the people of Murim even said that such cursed existences—who had short lifespans anyway—should have their lives ended early in childhood.
Kim Jun-hyeok had learned of this fact years ago. He, too, had wanted to grow strong and fight against the Great Disaster. But because his body fundamentally rejected mana, even attempting to use skills triggered a severe rejection response. After failing to awaken several times, he chose the path of an administrator. He believed that he could change this chaotic world with his mind, if not his body.
Thus, Roman had pondered for a while on how to utilize Kim Jun-hyeok. To leave him merely as a symbolic figurehead like the Mayor of Incheon was a waste; he possessed far too much value.
"Indeed. You cannot fight monsters with your own physical strength like the Directly Controlled Unit. A weak strike from you wouldn't even pierce the hide of an F-Rank monster. However, in the world I lived in, there was someone who overcame the prejudices of others and his own limitations. If you cannot do it yourself, you simply need to utilize other things."
During the conquest of Murim, there was an existence that had plagued the Demonic Cult. Though he ultimately lost his head upon facing Baek Joong-hyuk, that cursed genius had shown a truly remarkable performance.
"From now on, I will teach you formations."
* * *
Formations.
It was an incredibly profound and mysterious art. Zhuge So-woon of the Zhuge Clan was born with a cursed body, but he overcame his limitations and developed formations. Formations were a method of arranging natural and artificial objects according to profound principles to produce extraordinary effects. By trapping the Demonic Cultists in labyrinths and causing them to destroy themselves, he had played a massive role in the war.
Of course, his journey came to an end the day he met Baek Joong-hyuk. But Baek Joong-hyuk, deeply impressed by Zhuge So-woon's performance, had later studied formations himself.
'In my past life, I had no need for formations.'
In this new world, magic existed on the Salamander Continent. Even without the profound principles of formations, one could achieve various results using mana. With magic serving as an excellent alternative, there was little need to use formations. He had utilized them a few times when dealing with Hector on the Southern Front, but once he had mages under his command, formations were pushed to the back of his mind.
However, for Kim Jun-hyeok, it was a different story.
For someone who could learn neither martial arts nor magic, formations represented a brand-new possibility.
"Formations are a complex and difficult study. Even if I teach you, I cannot guarantee you will be able to learn them. In fact, if you can learn formations, perhaps your body cannot truly be called cursed. Your mind must firmly belong to the realm of geniuses to barely manifest even a simple formation. What do you think? Are you willing to learn them?"
That question... was not even worth hesitating over.
Kim Jun-hyeok had always yearned for strength. It was only because of his cursed body that he couldn't express that yearning, but if such an opportunity arose, there was no reason to hesitate.
Kim Jun-hyeok shouted.
"I will learn it! I will make it mine, no matter what!"
A fierce desire.
Roman smiled. Those with burning desire were always a pleasant sight.
Roman Dmitry casually tossed something onto the desk.
Thud.
"I wrote this down in my spare time. Make it yours. If you succeed, even you, who are nothing more than an ordinary human, will have a weapon of your own."
* * *
At that same time, the Central Government was thrown into a state of emergency.
Jo Dal-su called an emergency meeting, and a few hours later, the key figures comprising the Central Government began to appear.
The assemblyman of Yongsan District, Myeong Seong-ho, entered the conference room with a frown.
"What on earth is going on? I know calling an emergency meeting is within an assemblyman's authority, but to summon us so suddenly like this..."
"Please take a seat first. I will explain shortly."
"There had better be a good reason for this."
The assemblymen arrived one after another. Dragging their feet, none of them seemed particularly pleased with the situation. Everyone took their seats. In principle, the district assemblymen would first review the agenda and then report it to the President based on their findings.
With a quorum present for the emergency meeting, Jo Dal-su sat down.
'Roman Dmitry. You made a mistake. If you dared to declare war against the Central Government, and against me, Jo Dal-su, a district assemblyman, you must pay the price. The Great Disaster will never serve as a shield for the Incheon Government.'
Roman Dmitry must have thought that a clash with the Central Government would only happen after the Great Disaster. He likely decided to preserve his strength and survive the Great Disaster first, but that was a move that underestimated Jo Dal-su far too much.
Jo Dal-su grabbed the microphone.
"We will now begin. The agenda for today's emergency meeting is none other than the rebellion of Roman Dmitry and the Incheon Government."
Rebellion.
That powerful word laid bare his thirst for vengeance.