Examiner Purung was a ruthless figure—at least where kings were concerned.
Among the five examiners, Purung was the most difficult, and even the other examiners could not understand the way Purung operated.
“Is Purung’s evaluation of kings truly appropriate?”
“Purung tries to refuse to acknowledge them even when he judges them qualified, because of the hatred and contempt he holds for the king he once served.”
“I hear Purung alone must even obtain Lord Ares’s permission before stripping a king of his qualifications.”
“Hoh? If examiners are the ones conducting the evaluations, then why?”
If the examiners had evaluated someone and ruled them unfit, that should have been the end of it.
The fact that there was an additional layer of review meant there was something questionable about Purung’s evaluations.
The other examiners, however, did not particularly care.
Even so, with Ares intervening, the examinations proceeded without issue.
And then came the day when the examiners gathered once a year to offer prayers to Ares.
A sword descended in a flood of light and fell before Purung, leaving the other examiners aghast.
The Sword of Judgment.
It was a Mythic sword granted by Ares to one person alone.
Any examiner could wield the Sword of Judgment.
But only a chosen examiner could receive it.
And because the Sword of Judgment carried immense symbolic weight, the other examiners could not understand it.
After the bestowal of the Sword of Judgment was complete, the examiners questioned the god.
“We do not understand, Lord Ares. We are examiners chosen by Your own hand. But Purung is merely one who volunteered, is he not?”
In the minds of the examiners, being chosen and volunteering were not the same thing.
Ares’s will was made known to them.
It was that one who sought only kings worthy of the title, as Purung did, had grasped that very qualification himself.
And the examiners learned one truth.
“The one who receives the Sword of Judgment must live forever as an examiner.”
For all eternity.
That was the trial endured by one worthy of wielding the Sword of Judgment.
The other examiners had not wanted it.
An eternal life was suffering.
And as Purung reached out and caught the falling Sword of Judgment, Purung understood.
[The Sword of Judgment is special.]
[When the finest king you recognize appears, the Sword of Judgment will respond.]
The Sword of Judgment was not merely an object that made one stronger.
The moment Purung took hold of it, Purung understood.
[The king acknowledged by the sword will obtain what he most needs.]
Once an examination ended, an examiner had to grant something fitting.
That was the law of the world called Ares.
And examiners judged not only those who had already become kings, but also those who would become kings.
Purung had never once, not a single time, met a king who satisfied Purung.
Before becoming an examiner—
If you want one that badly, then I will go find one myself.
Those words once spoken to Purung’s people lingered like fate.
After dozens of examinations, Purung had come to understand something.
Forgive me.
This was what Purung wished to say to the people still waiting, and to the soldiers of the Ironclad Corps.
There is no such king in this land.
Because not once had the Sword of Judgment—or Purung—ever encountered such a king.
And now, in the present—
the Sword of Judgment reacted whenever judgment began.
And something that had never once happened until now was happening.
[The Sword of Judgment resonates.]
What...?
Purung’s pupils widened at the tremendous resonance.
The profound principle of Heaven-Slaying, the art said to pierce even the sky, was crashing down.
KWA-RRRRRRUMBLE—!
[An arrow that generates 3,900% additional attack power annihilates all enemies within a 40-meter radius!!]
The shriek of that power rushing in a straight line, powerful enough to pierce the sky itself, left Purung shaken.
I can’t dodge it.
Choosing to block instead, Purung used the power dwelling in the Sword of Judgment to weaken the oncoming force of Heaven-Slaying.
“Judgment.”
KWA-RRRRK—
Dozens of strands of sword energy erupted in midair and tore apart the profound principle of Heaven-Slaying.
The force that remained, not wholly canceled, swallowed Purung.
“KRAAAAGH!”
A wave of agony struck.
A powerhouse who had reached Legend while serving the Overlord.
A Transcendent who had surpassed his limits by wielding the Sword of Judgment.
And yet this was the first time Purung had felt pain in the middle of an examination.
Purung was bewildered.
Let us begin evaluating you.
The battle had begun with those words from Ben, the king called Azure Heaven.
As if in response, the Sword of Judgment shook even more violently.
Purung had said it with his own mouth:
that both the sword and Purung judged a king’s personal ties.
Then Purung saw the character engraved on the bow named Heavenslaying Bow.
Hyun.
The only information Purung had been given was that this king was a blacksmith.
Not whether he was an excellent blacksmith, not whether he was a Master Blacksmith.
Only now did Purung understand.
The one who had elevated the king named Antro beyond the bounds of kingship—
was Hyun.
“So that was it!?”
Purung became certain. They were not Hyun’s friends.
“Kings form ties out of necessity!”
Kings were creatures who threw away the lives of thousands, tens of thousands, if it meant their kingdoms would flourish further and they themselves would grow stronger.
The king Purung had once served had been like that.
So had many of the kings Purung had met.
Most of them.
They had grown stronger and greater by feeding on the blood of their people, their knights, and their soldiers.
Among them—
there had even been °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° kings who, out of jealousy for a knight’s talent, falsely accused him and purged him.
Kings were selfish.
Most kings were born with gold in their mouths and had no idea how to understand the hearts of the weak.
And yet—
KRAAANG!
The instant Purung’s sword clashed against the blade of the massive, broad-shouldered man—
KRRRRRSH—
the air froze, and an immense chill spread along Purung’s hand.
And even that sword bore the mark of Hyun.
Purung’s suspicion had been right.
These kings, and Hyun King as well, had formed ties out of necessity.
The man named Barad, their blades locked together, spoke.
“Strip him of his qualifications? Then strip mine away first!”
He meant every word.
And the Sword of Judgment resonated even louder.
It’s true?
At times, the Sword of Judgment distinguished truth from falsehood.
It had to. Otherwise, how could it know whether the king before it was genuine or false?
And now the Sword of Judgment declared that there was not even the slightest lie in Barad’s words.
Sword King.
The inheritor of the sword line carried down since ages past.
A prodigy born into a royal line that had existed before the examiners themselves appeared in the age of chaos.
And that peerless genius sincerely cherished and loved Hyun.
KWA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LAANG!
But—
Purung, who had reached the rank of a Transcendent through Legend and the influence of the Sword of Judgment, recovered at once.
“Judgment.”
KWA-RRRRRRUMBLE—!
A massive buff that raised all stats by 20% and increased all skill levels by 3.
By the power of Judgment placed within the sword by Lord Ares, a storm of wind roared forth, declaring that a king like Barad could not break Purung’s momentum.
PUK!
One strike.
PUUUK!
Two strikes.
PU-PU-PU-PU-PU, PU-PU-PU-PUUK!
Blades collided in midair over and over, and blood spilled from the mouth of the Sword King in a great rush.
But Barad did not retreat.
“Why won’t you fall back? I don’t want to kill you!”
At that question, a voice came from behind Purung.
“Hoho. Who would retreat when a friend is in danger!”
At the old man’s words, Purung rejected them outright.
Purung had seen it too many times.
Those who called themselves friends would cast that word aside for greed, and at times make use of it for their own ends.
“Extreme Spear.”
The profound principle of the spear drove into Purung’s back and nearly bent Purung’s body in half.
“Kgh!”
After the pained groan, Purung saw Barad standing there in a body covered in blood, clutching his shoulder.
Right in front of Purung stood Antro, drawing his bowstring.
And above them stood the old man with his spear lowered.
Purung spoke.
“...I have seen them. Tyrants who became kings and then changed, drunk on power. Men who once claimed to care for their people but stole from them, treated the life of a maid as worthless, and raised endless taxes to make their kingdoms prosper while chasing still greater power.”
“The people at the edges of their kingdoms starved to death, crying for even a single grain of rice from their kings. But though their granaries overflowed, they lied that ‘everyone is suffering’ and let their people die. And you believe Hyun will be different? Kings—you of all people know best how those who ascend the throne change!”
KRAAANG!
Purung knocked away the spear descending from above, and the old man laughed.
“Hoho. That may happen, yes.”
KWAJAAAK!
Before the Sword King’s swordsmanship could fully unfold, Purung thrust his sword into Barad’s abdomen.
Barad caught the blade with his bare hand and smiled.
“Even so, it’s fine.”
Purung twisted aside to avoid the arrow flying in and slashed his wrist, sending blood spraying from Antro.
“Then we will rebuke him and stop him from walking that road.”
The Sword of Judgment revealed the truth.
“......”
They were saying it.
That even if Hyun strayed, even if he grew greedier, even if he did something reckless, it would be all right.
Because the three of them would stand firm and hold the line around him.
“......”
Purung’s sword lowered.
Purung abandoned the fight.
And when Purung did, the three kings lowered their weapons as well, while the old man Ben, who had declared he would evaluate Purung, smiled.
With a bitter smile, Purung asked,
“And how did your evaluation of me go?”
Ben answered,
“Hoho, not bad.”
“...I see.”
Purung let out a small, dry laugh.
Purung understood now.
The moment they had heard the words examiner and personal ties, they had deliberately chosen to clash with Purung.
They had shown off their power on purpose, to make it known that those ties were far greater than Purung imagined.
“And what did you think of the king’s ties after seeing them?”
“...I believe this is the first time I have ever seen a king with ties such as these. Still, what you did was unnecessary.”
“Unnecessary?”
Ben, Barad, and Antro all looked puzzled.
“I only possess the most basic information about a king. The moment I reach the entrance to a kingdom, this sword shows me all of the high-ranked ties that king has built in an instant.”
“...?”
Ben heard that and collapsed backward.
“No, you should have said that beforehand!”
“You attacked me out of nowhere.”
“Then why did you keep stabbing me like that? Can’t you see I’m bleeding all over here?”
Drip, drip—
“...You stabbed first.”
“Good grief, this examiner’s going to kill a king!”
“Weren’t you the one trying to shoot me between the eyes first?”
The four of them looked at one another and laughed, and then Ben got to his feet.
“We’ll be riding the carriage in. You can walk.”
“...No, wait. You’re cutting me off just like that?”
Ben merely smiled bitterly and asked,
“What do you mean when you say you can see all the ties a king has built at once?”
“When an examiner reaches the entrance of a kingdom, those who possess high-ranked ties with that king appear in a welcoming illusion together with the king.”
“In an illusion? So not in their real bodies?”
“That’s right.”
“Then we’ll be there too.”
“I imagine so.”
The carriage left just like that, abandoning Purung behind.
In truth, this was the moment Purung liked best.
The examiners called it the King’s Welcome.
The King’s Welcome.
Those who had protected that king and, in system terms, built their Affinity with him to MAX stood alongside the king before the kingdom, greeting the examiner in the form of an illusion.
And there was one case in which even someone with a tie of very high rank would not appear before an examiner during the King’s Welcome.
That was when the person in question already had ties to the examiner.
Examiners were beings like sacred spirits.
Forgotten now by ordinary humans, they were like messengers sent down by a god.
And this was Ares’s consideration for them, knowing that the examiners themselves would not welcome being reunited with people from the days when they had still lived as ordinary mortals.
The reason Purung liked this moment most was because it revealed the kings’ true faces.
Most kings had no more than two or three figures standing with them.
In truth, Ben, Barad, and Antro would likely have been no different before meeting Hyun.
Then Purung remembered what Ben had said before the carriage departed.
What in the world was that supposed to mean?
Ben had said exactly this:
“Hoho, what kind of undergarments are you wearing? They ought to breathe well.”
Only then did Purung understand.
That old man...
Purung was someone who respected everyone’s tastes.
He’s a pervert.
To think he still could not abandon such perverse tastes at that age?
A truly regrettable old man.
Before long, Purung arrived at the entrance to the nation of Hyun.
[The King’s Welcome begins.]
Purung closed Purung’s eyes and waited for the King’s Welcome formed from thousands of motes of light.
When Purung opened them again, the king who had come to greet Purung would be standing there.
Meanwhile—
[You are falling into Extreme Trance.]
[The stat Will activates.]
[You will not grow tired!!]
After discarding and redrawing dozens of crafting methods, Hyunsoo finally stood before a single finished blueprint and became certain.
The greatest hammer will be born.
That hammer would be recorded in history and passed down.
