Full Authority
Frika watched the boots of Raon Zieghart and the Light Wind Squad as they drew slowly closer, and his eyes narrowed.
Those really are ordinary combat boots.
The Light Wind Squad had crossed this sucking, treacherous ground as if it were nothing, even wearing combat boots that should have been nothing but a hindrance in a swamp. Countless people had come to this marsh over the years, but this was the first time an entire unit had strolled in looking so completely at ease.
And on top of that…
Unlike Raon Zieghart, who radiated a vacant presence as if he barely existed at all, a bone-chilling madness bloomed in the eyes of the Light Wind Squad.
"Ugh…"
Frika couldn't hold their gazes and let out a groan.
What the hell is with those people's eyes?
He'd heard the rumors that the Light Wind Squad was called the Mad Dog Squad, but this was beyond anything he had imagined. If he kept staring, he felt like he would be eaten alive. He dropped his head at once.
"Ugh…"
"I-is that the Light Wind Squad?"
"It's a little different from what I heard. No—a lot different…"
"I can't even look at them."
Wellis and the other rangers swallowed hard, cowed by the predatory aura rolling off the Light Wind Squad.
Raon approached without so much as a whisper of sound, as if he were walking on dry earth, and smiled.
"Are you the ones who came out from House Arian to meet us?"
"Ah, yes! I'm Frika, leader of Ranger Third Squad."
Frika bowed, hiding his fluster as best he could.
"A pleasure. I'm Raon Zieghart, Vice Leader of the Light Wind Squad."
"Ah…"
Raon inclined his head—neither rude nor excessive. Frika's chest tightened at the thought that the White Sword Dragon, whose name shook the continent, was returning his greeting in kind.
"W-welcome to House Ari—hiek!"
Frika started to lift his head, then caught sight of the three warriors behind Raon and let out a shriek. The presence packed into those green, black, and violet eyes made his heart clench in his chest.
"Rangers? I can certainly feel a nimble energy from you."
"They look scrawny. Can they even fight?"
"Interesting shoes."
"Ugh…"
The three of them spoke calmly enough, but their auras crushed Frika's mouth shut.
So these are the squad leaders of the Light Wind Squad.
He'd heard that the Light Wind Squad's unit leaders had distinguished themselves in the Six Kings duel tournament, but seeing them now, they were monsters whose presence exceeded even those rumors.
"Reel it in."
Raon clicked his tongue lightly, glancing back, and not only the three leaders but the entire Light Wind Squad folded their madness away. It meant he had them under complete control.
"Then I'll ask you to guide us."
"Ah, of course. We'll set out right awa—ah!"
Frika started to move, then stopped. He opened the carriage door behind him and pulled out a pair of swamp boots.
"These are vine boots made for walking the marsh. If you put them on, you'll be able to move much more comfortably."
"Then I'll take just two pairs, if you would."
Raon nodded and held out his hand.
"Two pairs?"
"Walking the swamp is part of our training. Everyone except those two children will go as they are."
He pointed to two still-young children. Unlike the other Light Wind Squad swordsmen, they looked as if they were struggling just to stand in the marsh.
"Young Master! I'll go like this too! Uncle Mark said he'd help me!"
A girl with twintails waved her hand energetically.
"If you're doing it, so am I! Vice Leader, I won't wear them either!"
A sharp-featured boy clenched his fist, refusing to be outdone.
"You heard them. Thank you, but we'll decline the boots."
Raon shook his head with a faint smile.
"Mm, understood. This way, then."
Frika stretched out a hand and pointed ahead.
"Wellis. You take point and guide them. I'll finish up back here and follow."
"A-all right."
Wellis swallowed dryly and stepped forward, and Raon and the Light Wind Squad followed behind him.
Even that idiot won't try anything with the Light Wind Squad… right?
Frika put the boots back in the carriage, checked the state of the marsh and the wagon, then followed the party from the very rear.
Wellis walked in the lead, biting his lip.
I'm screwed.
What am I supposed to tell the officers…
He'd even taken money to soak the Zieghart swordsmen so thoroughly they wouldn't be able to move for a while, then bring them in. Now it looked like every last one of them was going to walk back perfectly fine.
They're walking it on their own without even boots. There's no way I can—wait?
As he walked with his eyes on the ground, he spotted a paler stretch of swamp ahead.
A clear swamp!
A patch where the sand had sunk or spread sideways, leaving a higher ratio of water. Even the Light Wind Squad wouldn't be able to get out of that.
Perfect.
Wellis shifted his direction by a hair, steering the Light Wind Squad toward the clear swamp. The sun was setting, and the surroundings were growing dark. No matter how strong Raon and the Light Wind Squad were, they wouldn't be able to avoid getting their clothes soaked.
Wellis naturally drew the Light Wind Squad into the clear swamp, then, just as Raon at the very front was about to step into it, he glanced back. And then—
A roar that shook the entire marsh erupted, and mud shot upward like a fountain before crashing down.
Mud slammed into Wellis in a rapid, brutal barrage. He took every last clod of it to the body and went rolling across the ground.
"GYAAAAAGH!"
Every falling lump of mud hit like a grown man's fist. He was too dazed to even stand.
"Glrrrk…"
Just as he was about to sink into the marsh where he lay, a hand shot out, seized him by the collar, and hauled him up.
It was Raon. He pulled Wellis out of the swamp with a gentle smile.
"Are you all right?"
"Thank yo—hiek!"
He started to say thank you, then saw a chilling light welling in Raon's eyes. It looked as if the man were telling him that if he pulled another stunt, his head would come off. Wellis's teeth chattered.
"I-I'm sorry!"
Wellis abandoned the thanks and bowed so low his head nearly touched the swamp.
This is a man you absolutely must not mess with…
He'd thought Raon was the gentle one compared to the Light Wind Squad. That had been a massive mistake. There was a reason this man kept those monsters as his subordinates.
"You moron!"
Frika came running from behind and smacked Wellis across the back of the head.
"I told you not to!"
He immediately turned and bowed to Raon.
"I'm sorry! This idiot has a nasty sense of humor. I'll guide you from here on."
"It's fine."
Raon offered a faint smile. As if it were nothing at all, he pointed ahead.
"Shall we go? I'd like to arrive before it gets too late."
Raon narrowed his eyes at the gray walls rising above the swamp.
So this is House Arian's fortress.
True to a wall that had endured for a long time, it gave off a hard, unyielding presence. That said, it hadn't been properly maintained. For all its intact appearance, gaps showed here and there.
"How peculiar."
Wrath frowned at the castle.
"The one who raised this fortress must have been quite strong."
How can you tell?
"The balance is perfect. When this castle was built, it was tuned to a degree no ordinary human could achieve. Of course, it's all fallen apart now."
Having lost interest, Wrath settled onto Raon's shoulder and muttered something about getting something to eat.
He's not wrong.
The first head of House Arian was said to have conquered the Swamp of Death together with the First Clan Head of Zieghart, so of course he had been strong.
"A castle floating on a swamp. Atmospheric."
Burren nodded heavily, as if the castle itself amazed him.
"Is there atmosphere everywhere we go now?"
Marta scowled, refusing to show that she was impressed.
"Pretty…"
Runaan's eyes lit faintly, as if she liked the way the castle stood in contrast to the marsh.
While the entire Light Wind Squad was staring at House Arian's fortress in wonder, the gates shoved the swamp aside with a heavy roar and swung open. Whatever mechanism was in place, the marsh mud could not enter inside the gates.
A woman swordsman with brown hair tied back in a ponytail walked out through the open gate. She looked to be in her early thirties, but her actual age seemed greater.
So this is Wendy Ariane.
She was clearly the woman described in Judiel's booklet as House Arian's only Master, and the family head's youngest daughter.
"Thank you for making the journey. I am Wendy Ariane, commander of the Yellow Battle Sword Squad."
Wendy Ariane bowed, as if she had identified them at a glance.
"Thank you for the welcome. I'm Raon Zieghart, Vice Leader of the Light Wind Squad."
Raon bowed and took the measure of Wendy's energy.
Well trained.
She seemed short on real combat experience, but he could feel sword aura that had been steadily honed over a long time. As someone at the entry of Master, she was weaker than Mark Goetten, but she had the potential to climb high if she trained properly.
Better than I expected.
He'd assumed House Arian was completely rotten, given that they had only one Master and the rest of their swordsmen were supposedly weak. That wasn't the case. At the very least, Wendy Ariane had the eyes of a true martial artist.
While Raon was reading Wendy, she was reading Raon and the Light Wind Squad.
Hmm…
Wendy's eyes narrowed at the Light Wind Squad, not one of whom had a speck of mud on them.
What is this?
Raon was a Master, so that was one thing—but the Light Wind Squad had been wearing ordinary shoes, and not a single one of them was wet. The only person in the whole party covered in mud was Wellis, a veteran ranger.
She glanced sideways. Squad leader Frika shrugged as if to say Wellis had brought it on himself.
So he tried a prank and got it turned back on him.
If Wellis, vice-leader of Third Squad and a man who walked the swamp like solid ground, had been humiliated like that, then Raon and the Light Wind Squad's skill was clearly beyond the rumors.
And that's not the only surprising thing.
Wendy's fingertips trembled as she looked at the Light Wind Squad standing behind Raon.
Not a single weak link.
The world's rumors had gone on about how you only had to watch out for Raon and Rimer in the Light Wind Squad, but looking at them now, not one of the Light Wind Squad's swordsmen looked easy. One Master, four at Expert Peak-Class, and the rest at the peak of intermediate or into the upper ranks. Except for the two children, it was a formation with no gaps at all.
So this is a real Zieghart combat unit.
Swordsmen and officials from House Zieghart did come by now and then to inspect the Swamp of Death, but she had never seen people carrying this kind of presence.
Wendy tapped her forehead lightly to collect herself and extended a hand.
"Please, this way."
She raised her hand to Raon and the Light Wind Squad with formal courtesy.
"The Family Head is waiting."
"Understood."
Raon nodded and followed her toward the heart of House Arian.
Ostentatious.
Wendy walked toward a mansion whose exterior looked as if it had been built only recently, lavish in every line. Unlike the handsome buildings, the people guarding this place gave off no proper presence at all.
More disappointing than I thought.
Except for Wendy and the swordsmen attending her, there was no one who caught the eye. The place seemed even more steeped in indolence than he had expected.
House Arian's Lord's Palace was smaller than Zieghart's, but it did not lose in splendor. They were said to be rich thanks to their specialty products, and sure enough, not a single ornament set into the walls looked cheap.
"This is the Audience Chamber."
Wendy opened the arched doors at the far end of the Lord's Palace. The enormous doors swung wide without so much as a creak, as if they had been well oiled.
Beyond the brilliant light pouring from inside the Audience Chamber, a dais rose like a flight of stairs. Men who appeared to be House Arian's officers stood to either side of the dais, and at its summit sat an old man with brown hair. His glossy cheeks were plump from how well he had eaten, and his belly sagged.
Raon stepped onto the central red carpet and bowed.
"Raon Zieghart, Vice Leader of the Zieghart Light Wind Squad, greets the lord of House Arian."
Even as a vassal family, they were a house that had shared a long history with Zieghart, so he offered courtesy first.
"So you're the White Sword Dragon. You certainly have the bearing to match the name."
A thick, greasy voice drifted down from the dais.
"You've come a long way. Rise."
"Thank you."
Raon straightened and looked up at the dais.
So that man is Wigen Arian, head of House Arian.
Where the heads of Zieghart and other houses projected their own light and presence, this old man was manufacturing his existence with the brilliant lighting pouring from the ceiling. There was no fierce aura, no firm will, no cold intellect to be felt.
"Is that thing really a family head?"
Wrath wrinkled his nose in disbelief.
"His talent is above average, I'll grant you that—but what he has accumulated is utterly pathetic!"
I think so too.
As Wrath said, all Wigen Arian seemed to have accumulated was fat.
"The Northern Annihilation King is well, I trust?"
"Yes. He is in good health."
"That is a relief."
Wigen Arian nodded. He smiled faintly, saying he ought to pay a visit soon.
"I've prepared a banquet for the Light Wind Squad, who have come all this way. Enjoy yourselves to your hearts' content tonight."
He clapped, declaring it would be a pleasant time. From Wendy behind him came the sound of teeth grinding.
"I'm grateful for the welcome, but I'll have to decline."
Raon shook his head as he looked at Wigen Arian.
"I came to House Arian in answer to a request for support. If the work were finished, it might be another matter. I don't believe this is the time to enjoy a banquet."
"Ahem…"
Wigen showed his discomfort, tapping the armrest. The flesh of his forearm wobbled as if caught in a breeze.
"You may not know this, but the water level of the Swamp of Death changes often. It's nothing particularly special around here."
"I heard that not only the water level of the swamp, but the number of undead monsters has increased as well."
"Even if the numbers have gone up, they're just zombies and skeletons. A few arrows will take care of them easily."
"Undead are monsters that cannot think for themselves. There's a possibility a higher-ranked monster has appeared to issue them scouting orders."
Raon said exactly what he had been thinking on the way here.
"Ahem, that's just speculation, isn't it?"
Wigen cleared his throat and sank back into his chair.
"I've lived on this land my whole life. Things like this have happened every ten years, or every five. It's not a matter worth worrying over."
"Then why did you request support from the main house?"
"The commander of the Yellow Battle Sword Squad worries too much, that's all."
He frowned, saying this request for support had been sent independently by Wendy Ariane, without going through them.
"Mm…"
Raon kept his gaze on Wigen alone, without turning toward Wendy.
Not a single inch off from what I expected.
The reason Wigen was being so uncooperative was to keep his own incompetence and indolence from being exposed. The Swamp of Death hadn't changed in hundreds of years, so he would have assumed it would stay safe forever, and it had been a long time since he had even sent out reconnaissance or suppression parties. If a problem arose in the marsh now, he would obviously be held accountable by Zieghart, so he was clearly trying to dodge the situation somehow and then handle it on his own.
He'll only move once I've left.
But that wouldn't work anymore. Money and pleasure had worked on the swordsmen and officials who came from House Zieghart before—but they meant nothing to a Light Wind Squad that thought of nothing but growth and completing the mission.
"Family Head. Even if the situation is the same as before, we still need to confirm—"
"I am the Family Head!"
Wendy took a step forward and dropped to one knee, but Wigen only scowled harder.
"There's no need for you to overdo it either. Think of your visit here as a rest and take it easy. We know this place well, so we'll…"
"As I said, I have work to do."
"You don't seem to understand. You cannot enter the Swamp of Death without my permission. Even the rangers have a hard time passing through that marsh, so rest for now and…"
"I'm sorry, but…"
Raon lifted his gaze. Under eyes as red as a volcano about to spew fire, the fat of Wigen's neck trembled.
Where there was responsibility, there was authority. Glenn had never actually said he was handing over full authority—but he had told the Light Wind Squad to take complete responsibility, so it wasn't entirely a lie.
"F-full authority? What do you mean by…"
Wigen's mouth fell open; he clearly hadn't expected the words "full authority."
"So you're saying you'll do as you please, like during an inspection?"
"……"
Raon deliberately didn't answer, only drove a stronger gaze into him—so that Wigen would walk into the trap himself.
"Th-that's absurd. Even if you are the White Sword Dragon, a mere squad…"
As Wigen's lips trembled, a grim-faced middle-aged man approached his side and whispered. Raon couldn't hear it clearly, but it seemed he was reporting that the Light Wind Squad had crossed the swamp without special boots.
It landed perfectly.
The small lie had drunk water and started growing on its own. Teaching the Light Wind Squad water-walking had been worth it.
"Kh…"
Wigen clenched his molars as he looked at Raon and the Light Wind Squad.
They walked the swamp in those shoes…
Crossing the marsh without special boots meant they were masters capable of walking on water. If the entire Light Wind Squad had done it, it meant every one of them was more skilled than the rumors.
And those kids' eyes…
As he studied the Light Wind Squad, his knees went weak, as if he had locked gazes with a wild beast. The presence of each and every one of them was no joke. Except for the two children, he couldn't see a single swordsman he thought he could beat.
The Light Wind Squad was this strong?
With that level of martial prowess and presence, it wouldn't even be strange for Glenn to have handed over full authority.
Damn it!
There was no way out. Hoping nothing unusual was happening in the Swamp of Death, he nodded.
"Refusing even rest… you're an odd one. Do as you please."
"Thank you for your consideration."
Raon bowed courteously, then stepped back. He sent Wendy a look that said they should go, and Wigen tapped the armrest.
"Wendy. You stay—"
"I'm sorry, but may I take the commander of the Yellow Battle Sword Squad with me? I have a few things to ask about the swamp."
"Nngh…"
Wigen waved a hand as if to say do whatever.
"Thank you."
Raon bowed once more and turned. Even though the conversation was over, the Light Wind Squad was still glaring at Wigen and House Arian's officers as if they meant to eat them.
Raising them was worth it.
It wasn't just the epithet of White Sword Dragon. Because every member of the Light Wind Squad had walked the swamp and poured out that fierce presence, they had obtained the authority to move as they pleased in this place. A smile came unbidden; all that hard teaching had paid off.
Raon lightly shook out his Black Dragon Robe and walked through the Light Wind Squad.
"Let's go."