Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Everyone Has a Plan
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Ilunael.
Population: 2.3 million. The largest city in Norverge.
In its heart, Harun's palace teemed with countless warriors.
They had flocked from all over Ailun to defend Ilunael.
To these stubborn and prideful warriors, the losers from the last battle were nothing more than sinners deserving death.
"I mean, seriously. Even if he's a newly ascended Sword Master, he's not someone we can't handle, right?!"
Pink hair.
A beautiful female warrior, just twenty-three.
The rookie, who had reached the rank of High Expert at such a young age, was brimming with confidence.
And for good reason.
She was the youngest member of Harun's notoriously exclusive Royal Guard.
A fearless warrior who had never lost to anyone her age.
The other warriors around her agreed.
"That's right. And his troops were just a bunch of country bumpkins from Kushan and wandering half-wits..."
"Exactly! We could've crushed those guys with one hand and beaten Lansen with the other!"
They couldn't understand.
Why Harun had lost to someone like Lansen.
"My point exactly!"
The pink-haired warrior's voice was tinged with irritation.
It was clearly aimed at someone.
"Well..."
"The situation was..."
The defeated soldiers from the Battle of the Windy Hills.
The accusation was clear: it was their fault for failing to properly support Harun.
Of course, the defeated soldiers had plenty they wanted to say.
*'Lansen's army, bumpkins and half-wits? Ha! Have they ever fought them?!'*
*'I mean, Lansen single-handedly cut down the mounted archers, ten Royal Guards, and even Lord Harun! What were we supposed to do??'*
But they couldn't bring themselves to voice the words caught in their throats.
It would only earn them more scorn.
The pink-haired Royal Guard rookie continued to raise her voice.
"Fine! I admit it. Lansen was much stronger than we expected. But so what? What's the motto of our Royal Guard and Protectors? 'Crush even a Grand Master from the Empire if they dare to invade!' Isn't that it?!"
In other words, the pink-haired rookie was accusing them of not pulling their weight.
Lumping in all the seniors—those who barely survived and even those who had already fallen.
It was outrageous. An act of insolence that deserved having her head slammed to the ground and her body thoroughly tenderized with steel-toed boots.
But,
the most senior warrior present couldn't say a word.
Because he, too, was one of the defeated.
While all the other warriors agreed with the pink-haired girl, their eyes glaring, he simply couldn't open his mouth.
The arrows of blame even flew past them, now aimed at other top-tier warriors.
"Honestly, those so-called 'Seven Heroes' were a bit overhyped too."
The pink-haired warrior immediately seized on the muttered comment.
"Right! I was actually a little disappointed in Lord Jahir, too! I heard he lost to some kid who's about my age!"
The atmosphere turned slightly chilly.
"Ahem!"
"That's a bit..."
Jahir of a Hundred Victories was a respected figure who had proven himself through countless duels.
But the pink-haired girl simply didn't know when to stop.
"Did everyone get food poisoning that day or something? What happened? Sword Master, Grand Master, who cares! You just have to close your eyes and throw a single strike! Haven't you heard of coordinated attacks?! Trust your comrades at your back! With all your might! Focus all your Aura into a single point!"
Her gaze fell upon the senior warrior, who had been sitting quietly.
The criticism that had been indirect until now was now aimed squarely at him.
A bizarre scene: the youngest rookie dressing down the most experienced veteran.
The veteran warrior, who had a large scar on his face, felt so miserable that he closed his eyes.
"Well... that..."
Who does this little chick think she's lecturing! The urge to snap back rose in his throat, but in the end, he had nothing to say.
A loss was a loss.
He could only twitch the scar on his face and stroke his large axe.
"I... I'm sorry... You're right."
"Of course I'm right! If Lansen really does invade this place, I'll be at the very front to show you how it's done!"
"You...!"
The veteran warrior barely suppressed the surge of anger that made his blood boil.
He swallowed the roar that was about to erupt from his throat and let out his complicated feelings through his lips.
"...Must be nice."
***
Arot was now confident.
He looked back at his fellow magicians from Kinalo and let out a refreshing laugh, as if announcing a victory.
"Heheheh. I've finally found a way!"
His colleagues, too, rejoiced with childlike glee.
"Kekeke. Indeed. With this, we no longer have anything to fear."
"Kikik. Exactly! The only reason we fell to Harun was because of our own ignorance!"
A dozen or so magicians.
They were originally magicians from Kinalo who had become Harun's subordinates after being defeated by him.
Arot, the most skilled among them.
His heart swelled with pride, above all, at having once again proven the greatness of magic.
"Heheh- Magic is flexible. As long as you observe and analyze, there is no enemy you cannot face."
The other magicians all agreed with him.
"Kikik! Even a Grand Master is no match for us if we can just study them!"
"Keke- How true. There's nothing to fear anymore."
They harbored a grand dream in their hearts.
Now, with the dreaded Harun's fate uncertain, what they held in their hands was a powerful spell that could perhaps even kill Harun himself.
They dreamed.
A dream of overturning the contempt they had endured under Harun as surrendered magicians.
A dream that they, not Harun, could rise to become the dominant power in Ailun.
"Honestly, I hope Lansen invades right away. Kikik."
"Keuh. Right. Then we can capture Lansen and win the support and justification of the warriors."
Listening to his colleagues, Arot smiled with satisfaction.
As expected of magicians, they were all clever.
"Heheheh. That's right. That's how we'll take control of Ailun."
"Kikikiki- To give up Kinalo and gain all of Ailun, what a profitable exchange!"
"Kekeke. In the end, magic always triumphs."
Just as their expectations swelled to their peak, a sound came that set them ablaze.
*CRASH-!*
Right after a tremendous roar shook the entire palace,
"Intruder!"
"La-Lansen! It's Lansen!"
"Lansen has invaded!"
"Stop him!"
"Kill him!"
The warriors' shouts were deafening.
The magicians looked at one another.
Bright smiles spread across their lips.
"Heheheheh..."
"Kikikikiki!"
"Kekekeke-"
***
I came here to talk.
But they wouldn't open the palace gates, so I had no choice.
*CRASH-!*
The massive gate guarding Harun's palace was blown away by a single punch.
A heavy blow, powered by my transformed body and Aura, further augmented by the strength of my Magic Armor.
That was the start of our conversation.
"Let's go."
I led my siblings through the shattered gate.
"Okay~!"
Daisy's reply was particularly cheerful. Was she happy I brought her to a real battle?
I was still nervous about it. But well, she had her Magic Armor, so she'd be fine.
*Step, step, step*
Beyond the outer wall, a wide path stretched toward the inner palace.
We were about halfway down the path when,
countless warriors blocked our way.
The only peculiar thing was the dozen or so magicians hiding behind the warriors, chuckling "hehe," "kikik," and "keke."
"Heheheheheh! You've come, Lansen!!"
The magician at the very front greeted me with strange enthusiasm.
He spread his hands wide toward us.
All the magicians behind him promptly extended their hands as well.
"Integrated Curse!"
*Wooooo-!*
The moment the spell activated, the Magic Armor we wore began to vibrate wildly.
"Huh?"
"Ugh! What's happening?!"
My siblings' faces filled with panic.
The faint light seeping from their Magic Armor suddenly flickered out, as if it had malfunctioned.
The only suits that didn't stop working were mine, Katrina's, and Catch's.
"Ugh? Something's wrong!"
"Brother...! The armor...!"
But even Katrina's and Catch's weren't completely fine. The light from their armor flickered on and off.
*'This is?'*
Even my armor was struggling. It felt like something was suppressing its output.
What did they do?
"Heheheh. How do you like that?! Can't muster any strength, can you? This is the spell we discovered to take down a Sword Master! Now! Wipe them out!"
*Thump! Thump!*
At the magician's command, countless warriors advanced on us menacingly.
Did they think they'd already won? The magicians behind them gloated.
"Kikikiki! A Sword Master's power comes from Aura, and the root of Aura is, after all, mana!"
"Keheheh. When the [Integrated Curse], a mix of all sorts of curses, seeps in, it tangles up both mana and Aura, binding them tight. Keheheh."
Oh, so that's what it was.
So this [Integrated Curse] thing binds mana to seal the Magic Armor's output. Is that it?
Impressive.
Honestly, I'd underestimated modern magic...
*'Its power is surprisingly strong.'*
It might lack the depth of ancient magic, but its raw output was considerable. The proof was that it had silenced Magic Armor, the pinnacle of the Age of Magic.
However,
"Hmph-"
*Fzzt!*
With a single grunt, I blew away the curse suppressing my Magic Armor.
"Uh...?"
"Wha-what?"
The magicians watched in horror from a distance.
What's there to be surprised about.
Magic Armor has an Armor Spirit.
As long as the wearer can fully awaken the armor's will... a curse like this can easily be shattered.
So,
*THUD!*
I stomped the ground.
I combined the skill [Acceleration] with [Tempest], the charging technique of the Vanroah Royal Swordsmanship.
*BOOM!*
The warriors blocking my path vanished in an instant.
The scene, which had disappeared for a moment, returned to reveal only the wide-eyed faces of the magicians.
*Spla-a-at-*
A storm of red blood raged behind me.
My Magic Armor's [Shield] was active, so I didn't even feel the impact, but...
the warriors who collided with me had already been reduced to a spray of blood, their forms unrecognizable.
I appeared before the arrogant magicians who had been gloating from the back.
The look on the magicians' faces—eyes wide, jaws agape—was amusing.
"So, magicians. What now?"
The sound of hiccuping. The smell of urine. What I did find slightly pleasing was that the magician at the front had some sense.
"Th-the curse. R-release it. Quickly."
The sight of them hastily dispelling the spell on my siblings was somewhat to my liking.
*'Hmm, should I spare them?'*
Instead,
"You guys will hold this position now, understand? If even one of those warriors out there gets inside..."
I didn't even finish my sentence before the magicians nodded their heads frantically.
I patted the shoulder of the one in front and walked past them.
My siblings quickly followed behind me.
The warriors outside were too stunned to even think of stopping my siblings.
Well, the magicians would take care of things out there now.
I entered the inner palace.
A vast hall opened up before me, with large staircases curving up on either side.
And there, hundreds of Experts were waiting for us.
The bloodlust was palpable.
All of them were Mid or High Experts, the elite of the elite.
*'Are there about 600 of them?'*
Whoa, wait, 600?
That was an incredible number.
All the Mid to High Experts in Kushan City probably only numbered around 70 or 80...
Of course, that wasn't a problem.
I turned back and asked.
"You guys want to go first this time?"
Before I even finished speaking, Katrina shot forward.
"Hell~ yeah!"
Her exuberant reply echoed behind her.
The other siblings followed suit, charging forward one after another.
"Kuh? When did they...?!"
"Wha-what! My Aura Blade won't pierce it!"
"Keep hitting them! Don't you know how to do a coordinated attack?!"
"But! There are almost twenty of them, how are we supposed to coordinate...!"
"Share your Aura to hold on!"
"They're too fast!"
"Did... did they just fly...?"
The Ailun warriors, facing Magic Armor for the first time, were in an uproar.
My siblings fought well and steadily.
Strong and safe.
This is it. This is the taste of the ancient era.
*'Alright, should I start warming up too?'*
When I felt I'd let them have enough fun, I drew my sword as well.
Even with Magic Armor, 600 was too many. Once the enemies started to adapt, my siblings would be in danger.
[Sword Spirit Awakening]
I activated the Magic Armor skill.
My Magic Armor was A+ rank. Excluding the Dragon's Armor, it boasted the most monstrous output in Lorraine's entire lab.
*Wuuuuung-!*
As the Sword Spirit entered its awakened state, countless Aura threads bloomed from Vanroah's blade.
*K-k-k-krack!*
With a single thrust of the sword, dozens, hundreds of threads made of Aura diced everything around me.
So I just,
Walked.
Dismembered warriors rose and fell.
Ran.
Crushed lumps of flesh scattered in every direction.
Spun.
Amidst the collapsing corpses, terror-filled eyes trembled.
Blood, blood, nothing but vivid blood.
I repainted Harun's splendid palace with the dull colors of flesh and blood.
A massacre that unfolded in just a few steps.
The warriors, crushed and torn apart like ants, trembled in fear.
They were 600 Experts, a force that could be called nothing short of absolute... but their opponent was just too much.
A Sword Master by modern standards. A High Expert by ancient standards. Me, with my stats boosted by Magic Armor of monstrous output—they never stood a chance.
In this state, honestly, not even Grand Master Kain Manus could be my opponent.
They could only stumble back in fear.
"U-uaaaargh! Lansen!!!"
Oh,
but there was one warrior with some spirit.
While everyone else was frozen in shock and terror, one warrior charged forward alone, raising a giant axe.
*'Not bad.'*
He was a High Expert, but he had focused all his Aura into a single point on the axe's edge. A blow like that could even do some damage to a Sword Master.
*Shunk!*
So I paid him my respects.
The warrior with the impressive scar on his face.
I plunged Vanroah into his heart.
Not a sweeping attack with Aura threads, but a single strike meant for him and him alone.
This was the greatest respect I could show him.
"Krrk... Keuh..."
The warrior tried to swing his raised axe at me until the very end, before slowly collapsing.
I pushed his chest with my foot to pull Vanroah out and looked ahead.
"Uh, uh..."
"M-monster..."
Warriors collapsing and crawling backward. Warriors plastered against the wall. Warriors scrambling to escape.
They had all lost the will to fight.
My siblings had finished their fights and gathered behind me.
I was about to walk nonchalantly through the terrified warriors and climb the stairs, but,
"Ah... Uwaaah..."
a pink-haired warrior blocked my path, her entire body trembling.
Oh,
Another brave one?
But this one was a bit ambiguous.
"Uwaa, uh..."
She'd blocked my path with gusto, but it seemed her body had frozen solid upon actually seeing me.
It was a pitiful sight, her trembling uncontrollably with her two-handed sword extended, unable to move a muscle.
Tears welled in her eyes.
I could see a mix of emotions in them.
Fear. Anger.
And self-loathing and shame for being unable to lift a finger in front of the enemy.
*'She looks young.'*
About the same age as my Jia?
Twenty-two?
I felt a pang of sympathy.
*Pat-*
As I walked nonchalantly past her, I placed a hand on her pink hair.
"Don't blame yourself. It's only natural."
Fear. What emotion is more natural than that? Even I feel it.
*Rustle-* My siblings followed, brushing past her.
"Uwaah..."
Only then did her legs seem to give out; I heard the pink-haired warrior collapse.
And then,
"Holy shit... That was so cool."
Mika Seitus. Our patient with the 15-year-old syndrome had found something new to obsess over.
"'Don't blame yourself. It's only natural.' Keeeeuh-"
Mika was deeply impressed.
I really didn't understand this kid.