Chapter 132
Chapter 132
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 132
Chapter Title: Unexpected Hero
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Leaving the half-destroyed Berryhill Forest behind, we returned to the prison.
The Sword Sage was first confined to the underground holding cell.
"Honestly, imprisoning a Grandmaster doesn't seem to mean much..."
"We judged that this was the only way to prevent clashes between Her Highness the Princess and the prisoners."
Clea replied, adjusting her monocle.
"At least formally punishing her should prevent any further conflicts."
"Our vice warden has a point. If they kept glaring at each other even here in the prison, the sheer intensity might bring these crumbling walls down."
I nodded, as if to say she'd done well.
We walked the old corridor together and paused briefly in front of the cafeteria.
"Senior brother, the food here is so delicious...!!"
"You've tasted the braised short ribs the vice warden made before. This place might just be paradise. Eat up, junior sister!"
"Yes..."
The Sword Sage's disciples had been brought here as well.
Once they confirmed their master was safe, they declared they'd wait here until her release, so we were feeding them first.
Did they know?
That the fried rice they were devouring was made by Myoran, the very woman they'd feared so much.
"The dessert here is delicious too. Can I pocket a little?"
"...That's a brilliant idea."
"Senior brothers, you're being too frivolous..."
"We saw you hiding some in your sleeve earlier, junior sister."
Behind their broad backs stood Jinjo Franca, fuming.
Her cheeks puffed out like a pufferfish as she thumped their backs repeatedly.
"No madeleines, you lot!! How much more are you Eastern gluttons going to eat!!"
She seemed to have recovered quite a bit of her energy.
Her freshly washed green hair hung in tousled strands, and her cheeks were still puffed up.
"Even now, she was asking about the warden's condition every hour."
"Is that so? Quite commendable."
Unexpected.
The first time we met, seeing her surrounded by corpses with tubes supplying her blood had been downright eerie.
Yet now, she'd leaped into the sunlight to fight for me.
This life had been full of fresh感慨 in so many ways.
"Of course, she only stepped in because it would be a hassle if a capable butler like you got hurt, but she fought hard in her own way."
"I see. The massive claw marks by the stream told the story."
I gazed at Jinjo, whose nails had all been clipped off, leaving her with adorably dainty fingers like a girl's.
I hoped that while she stayed here, she'd find joy in life's pleasures rather than growing stronger.
"Where's Myoran?"
"Probably talking with the Sword Sage right now."
"I'll go observe. Mind the warden's office while I'm gone. Call me the moment a messenger bird arrives from Her Highness the Princess."
"Understood."
I parted ways with Clea and descended the underground stairs.
The moment I entered the holding cell area,
two women came into view, silently gazing at each other through the iron bars.
Women betrayed by their homeland in the East Continent.
"........."
Myoran glanced back at the sound of my footsteps.
I signaled silently that I'd watch over them, so she could talk freely.
Only then did Myoran let out a short sigh.
"Sword Sage Jajeop. I've heard the name before. The alliance's top expert dispatched to capture me."
"It's not just about capturing and killing you, Myoran. Confirming whether you've safely endured swallowing the Heavenly Jade was my top priority."
The Sword Sage, sitting on the cell floor, answered flatly.
Her long robes flowed to the ground like white flower buds blooming roundly.
"Separating me from the Heavenly Jade would be as good as killing me, yet you answer so casually?"
"...At first, I intended to force the separation unconditionally. But after meeting Warden Derek, my thinking shifted a bit."
The Sword Sage's wistful eyes turned to me gently.
Her mysterious pale purple irises.
"The fact that someone truly wants to protect you is proof you haven't lived a life steeped in madness."
She no longer planned to forcibly subdue Myoran.
Instead, she extended her pale white hand through the bars.
"I've confirmed the 'mind' aspect of your mind and body is fine. May I check the 'body' last?"
"What do I need to do?"
"Let me take your pulse. If even your qi is pure, I can withdraw with peace of mind."
"........."
Offering one's wrist to a martial artist was an incredibly frightening act.
Pretending to check the pulse while striking a vital point could inflict a fatal wound on anyone.
So the Sword Sage didn't expect much.
She simply closed her eyes and extended her hand steadily.
"......!"
However, an unexpected warmth began to linger over that hand.
Soon after, Myoran calmly offered one of her hands to the Sword Sage.
And what was this warm sensation?
The closer one got to becoming a Moon Spirit after swallowing the Heavenly Jade, the more ineffable chill they should harbor.
Yet this girl before her retained a pure, warm glow.
As if a burning passion for something smoldered within her.
"What are you waiting for? Go on and check it. Or are you planning to stab me with a hidden dagger?"
The Sword Sage was a little surprised but realized Myoran trusted Derek standing nearby and offered her hand.
She then honestly checked only the pulse.
"It's remarkably steady. The Heavenly Jade's spirit isn't tormenting you?"
"The spirit and I formed an alliance long ago."
For the first time, the Sword Sage tilted her head.
An alliance with that ghost that drove all Heavenly Jade possessors mad?
"Once I gained a clear goal and stopped wavering, it approached me first. It promised not to interfere anymore if I freed it from the Heavenly Jade once I ascended to Moon Spirit."
Myoran stated proudly, head held high.
The Sword Sage blinked like a butterfly lost in thought at her demeanor.
'Just how resolute a conviction did she show for the Heavenly Jade to abandon its temptations...'
The woman who would ascend to Moon Spirit gazed toward the burning passion in Myoran's heart.
As her eyes shifted, they landed on Warden Derek.
She chuckled softly, as if looking at a younger sister cherishing her first love.
"I see... So that's how it is."
"Nothing more to see? Hand off now."
Myoran withdrew her hand quickly, disliking the touch of another.
Instead, she pulled out a prepared glass vial.
"Give this to the alliance when you return to the East Continent."
"What's this...?"
The vial contained a verdant essence mimicking Myoran's green eyes.
Its primal power floated as a single strand of light inside.
"I extracted a bit of my internal energy into it. It'll dissipate soon after opening, but it'll be enough to show those East Continent fools."
Myoran glanced at me.
"Thank the warden. It said you'd get politically schemed to death if you returned empty-handed, so it asked to infuse it with Heavenly Jade energy."
"........."
"This should suffice, right? Even those idiots in the alliance can recognize Heavenly Jade energy."
"More than enough. Seeing this stable internal energy will reassure them."
Myoran crossed her arms alone.
The girl on the cusp of her coming-of-age rite thrust out her fuller curves proudly.
"Now go. And tell them never to bother me again."
The Sword Sage gazed deeply into the vibrant girl's eyes.
Soon, a gentle smile graced her lips.
"........."
The meeting ended very peacefully.
The Eastern Grandmaster would return home once preparations were complete.
'Delivering proof of the stable Heavenly Jade internal energy to the alliance gives her a pretext to return empty-handed.'
Before boarding the ship, she had a dinner promised with the Princess.
She exchanged final farewells with me before leaving the prison.
"Travel safely. Watch out for the alliance's schemes."
"Thank you for worrying, Warden."
At the prison's first-floor entrance.
While her disciples packed, we stood side by side alone.
"By the way, I ruined the Northern Supreme Sword Tournament because of me. What will you do now?"
The Sword Sage asked sheepishly.
I waved it off, telling her not to worry.
"It'll work out somehow. I've got solid backing, so don't fret."
I clasped my hands behind my back leisurely.
The woman with long purple hair looked up at me curiously, like an old soul in a young body.
"Your sworn enemy who stabbed your chest is right before you, yet you seem unbothered."
"The moment she lunged at a Grandmaster like you, I was already a goner. Ending it with just this wound? Hardly enemy material."
She sighed deeply at my rational retort.
Together, we admired Berryhill's eternal snowcapped mountains.
"Sometimes you feel like someone who's lived longer than me."
"How much older can you be?"
"I'm a full 34 this year."
"Younger than I thought. No need for the fuss. It's not like you're over 200."
I chuckled and glanced at her disciples.
Jinjo was visible, munching on the dumplings they'd given her with both hands.
"At 34, you could have a daughter that girl's age. Do Westerners marry late?"
"Well, we're not early birds either, but circumstances can delay things, right?"
In the world I came from, 30 was prime marriage age.
"Who knew our lofty Sword Sage worried about marriageable age? Immortals don't transcend everything, huh?"
The Sword Sage froze as if a snake had bitten her ankle.
Her ears seemed oddly red as she whipped her head away.
"I don't care at all. I just realized something watching Myoran earlier."
"Myoran?"
At my feigned ignorance, the Eastern immortal lifted the corner of her mouth this time.
"You're an idiot in this area too, aren't you?"
The woman resembling a purple butterfly covered her lips with her long sleeve and giggled.
"Don't keep it to yourself—spill it for me too."
"Who knows. I need at least one reason to find the warden cute."
Her disciples waved from afar.
The Sword Sage avoided my gaze and walked toward them.
"Safe travels. Don't let them bully you back home."
I added one more word out of concern for an elder.
Her white parasol spun once, revealing a clear smile once more.
"Don't worry. If they bother me again, I'll leave my homeland for good."
Leave her homeland?
I wondered if the Sword Sage had anywhere else to go besides the East Continent.
I couldn't read her intentions, but I waved warmly anyway.
It'd be a boon to national security if such a being joined our West, but oh well.
At least she wouldn't die unjustly to political schemes this life.
Thinking positively, I let out a sigh of relief.
'Phew... Now it's my turn.'
Missing the tournament meant Prince Ivan would hold me accountable.
I probably couldn't keep the warden position much longer.
Still, no regrets.
Anje and Myoran would be released soon anyway.
Both were mentally healthier now, and we could appoint a new warden from our side.
Jinjo was an unofficial prisoner, so no issue if she left.
We could easily provide her new lodgings with Minster Group funds.
'Yeah, time to take a real break this time.'
Empire Stability was up, and we'd nailed one of the good endings: the 'Continent Guardian' route.
Retreat to the mountains, focus solely on Grandmaster training.
With that in mind, I spent the day at the prison.
But the day after the match I skipped,
something completely unexpected unfolded.
For some reason, I wasn't fired from my warden position at all.
Heading to work, resignation letter in mind for my imminent dismissal.
A crowd gathered at the entrance—I assumed knights there to recommend my firing.
But...
Looking closer, they weren't knights at all.
"It's Warden Derek...!!"
"This way, Warden!!"
'Journalists, not knights? And what's with those citizens holding flower baskets?'
I stared blankly at the swarming reporters.
They quickly surrounded me and thrust a newspaper at me.
"Warden, is it true you soloed a Rank 1 monster?"
"Please share your thoughts. All Northern citizens are grateful to you!!"
A flower necklace was suddenly draped around my neck.
Red petals swirled beautifully in the air.
I examined the newspaper they held out closely.
The massive monster corpse illustrated there.
'That's Anje's corpse puppet. Why's it playing dead from the Sword Sage fight site?!'
The devastated forest from the Sword Sage battle had been repackaged as glorious traces of my monster subjugation.
"Is it true your absence from the Northern Supreme Sword Tournament was due to injuries from the monster hunt?"
"Uh... well..."
I widened my eyes innocently like the purest swindler.
Then reverted to my signature sly gaze and spoke.
"Yes. A tournament career matters, but citizens' safety comes first."
Whatever.
I shrugged off my uniform jacket, exposing my bandage-wrapped chest.
"Embarrassingly, I took a hit from the monster during the fight and got injured. Had to skip the tournament."
A Grandmaster counts as a monster.
I fought a monster butterfly.
"No regrets, though. I'm an imperial guardian before a contestant."
The reporters scribbled every word.
Meanwhile, I flashed a wicked service smile and glanced at the prison window.
There...
Anje—who controlled the media via Grand Elder and directed the monsters' act—watched contentedly.
With eyes saying, 'Where do you think you're retiring so easily?'