[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
Chapter 169
After the continent of Averia fell into a state of colonization, the amount of mana in the atmosphere decreased, and Sword Masters, once thought to be lost to history, faded into obscurity.
Kaylen never expected to encounter a Sword Master in a small northern kingdom like this.
‘Not just one, but five...’
The knights of the Kingdom of Syberia had been preparing for Kaylen’s arrival in advance.
Among them, five middle-aged knights simultaneously unleashed their Sword Areas, their Aura Swords radiating with power.
"I never knew the Kingdom of Syberia had such powerful warriors. I heard it was just a small northern kingdom."
"If His Majesty had not arrived, we would have remained hidden from the world forever."
"Everyone would have assumed we were just ordinary middle-aged knights."
The knight at the forefront spoke with unwavering resolve.
As if to confirm the truth of his words, the knights standing behind the five Sword Masters exchanged glances, murmuring amongst themselves.
"Sword... Masters?"
"Commander Lok...?"
They genuinely seemed unaware that these five knights were Sword Masters.
Kaylen, maintaining a composed expression, asked them,
"Why did you hide your identities?"
"That is..."
"If you truly are Grand Sword Master, then I will tell you!"
Fwoosh!
The five knights exchanged glances before simultaneously charging forward.
Becoming one with their Aura Swords, they shot toward Kaylen like arrows, unleashing a powerful strike.
Their speed was so overwhelming that the watching knights believed Kaylen’s body would be cleaved apart in an instant.
That was what they thought—until Kaylen raised his hand.
"You think you can uncover the truth with your level of skill?"
Swish.
Kaylen’s right hand opened.
The five Aura Swords, brimming with murderous intent, were instantly sucked into his hand.
"W-what...!?"
The five Sword Masters staggered as their swords were suddenly wrenched from their grip.
Their eyes widened in disbelief as they watched their blades fly away on their own.
They had spent decades living alongside their swords, believing they had reached the pinnacle of mastery where they and their blades were one.
Yet now—
"H-how...?"
Kaylen had done nothing.
He had simply opened his palm.
And yet, the swords, unable to resist even that small action, had flown into Kaylen’s grasp on their own.
"Your Aura is quite impressive."
The swords floated in the air around Kaylen, each one still radiating its original owner’s Aura.
Even after leaving their masters' hands, the blades pulsed with energy.
The knights who witnessed this felt a mix of helplessness and fury.
"Urgh...!"
"W-what are you doing?!"
Kaylen smirked slightly as he examined the swords.
‘Hooh—.’
A gleam flickered in his eyes as he returned the Aura Swords to their owners.
"Hmm..."
The five Sword Masters, having retrieved their swords, exchanged glances.
‘This opponent is someone we can’t even hope to challenge.’
‘But we must determine whether he is truly a Grand Sword Master.’
‘This time, we’ll go all out.’
Just as they were about to charge in again with full force, Kaylen casually spoke.
"Did you all have the same master?"
"How do you know that...?"
"Your Aura Swords lack individuality. They all feel the same, making it easy to tell."
He had only glanced at their swords once.
Yet, in that brief moment, he had already deduced this?
Kaylen looked past them and pointed at one of the knights standing behind them.
"Lend me your sword."
Whoosh!
The knight’s sword flew out of its sheath on its own.
"Your Aura Swords are infused with the mana of the earth. Rather than expanding your Sword Areas, you condense them, pushing your bodies to the extreme limits of enhancement."
Vrrrrrrr.
A distinct brown Aura surfaced around the knight’s sword.
It was an Aura Sword that had absorbed the concentrated mana of the earth.
"But if all you do is condense, there will be no progress."
Tap.
Kaylen embedded the brown Aura Sword into the fortress wall.
At first, the ground trembled slightly—
Then—
Crack—!
The knights’ armor split apart and crumbled to the ground.
"Gah!"
"M-my armor...!"
What kind of trickery was this?
To them, it was an overwhelming display of mastery beyond comprehension.
The knights stared in shock as the pieces of their armor fell away.
And as the saying goes, one can only recognize what one understands—
The five Sword Masters were even more astonished than the ordinary knights.
To take the earth’s mana, which by nature gathers inward, and instead forcefully disperse it—
They understood, even if only vaguely, just how advanced Kaylen’s martial principles were.
‘In just that brief moment…’
‘The earth’s mana spread instantly.’
‘Is this even possible…?’
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They looked at each other before Kaylen spoke again.
"Well? Do you now believe that I am a Grand Sword Master?"
At his question—
‘With power like this, calling him a Grand Sword Master is more than reasonable…’
‘There’s no way for us to measure anything beyond this.’
The five knights all nodded.
"Your Majesty has reached a supreme realm beyond comprehension."
"We humbly acknowledge that you have indeed attained the level of a Grand Sword Master."
"Then it’s your turn to answer. Who exactly are you?"
At Kaylen’s question, the five Sword Masters glanced around before lowering their voices.
"This is not the appropriate place to discuss such matters."
"Would it be alright if we guided you inside the castle while we explain?"
Were they wary of prying eyes?
Or was it something else…?
Kaylen glanced at their swords briefly before offering a knowing smile and nodding.
"Fine. Lead the way."
The inner castle of the Kingdom of Syberia was large and magnificent—far beyond what one would expect from a small kingdom.
For a nation situated at the northeastern edge of the continent, its grandeur felt excessive.
As Kaylen observed the castle’s interior, he spoke to the Sword Masters.
"This castle… Was it called Winter Castle?"
"Yes. It was named that way because snow falls here all year round."
"I see… This inner castle seems rather empty of people."
Wherever Kaylen looked, maids and soldiers were seen working together to maintain the castle.
Unlike other castles, where such duties would fall solely on the maids, the soldiers were assisting with the chores.
One of the Sword Masters, assuming Kaylen was referring to a lack of manpower, responded.
"Since the kingdom is small and its population is limited compared to the size of the castle… the soldiers take the initiative to help with the upkeep."
"Hmm. Is that so?"
Kaylen gave a faint smile as he observed the soldiers before turning his gaze back to the Sword Masters.
"Now that we've come this far, I believe it's time you told me who you really are."
At his question, the Sword Masters exchanged glances before cautiously replying.
"We are… Guardians."
"Guardians?"
"Yes. An organization formed to protect humanity. We are members of the Guardians."
"Oh…?"
Guardians of humanity, the ‘Guardians.’
Kaylen found their words intriguing.
"I’ve never heard of such an organization before."
"It was formed after the Middle Realm fell under the dominion of the demons—a gathering of those who sought to resist."
"For centuries, we Guardians have hidden in this land, avoiding the eyes of the demons while secretly strengthening our forces."
An organization devoted to protecting humanity—the Guardians.
Founded by a Grand Mage, they had established their secret base in the northern kingdom of Syberia, slowly amassing their strength.
Though they lacked the power to directly oppose the Demonic Realm for now, they had been lying in wait.
For hundreds of years, they had prepared in case a shift in the power structure of the Demonic Realm would present an opportunity.
"Guardians of humanity, huh…? With your skills as Sword Masters, you could have sought greater success in a larger kingdom rather than staying in a small nation like this. Was that never a regret?"
"There was no regret. It was the organization that raised us to where we are now."
"Besides, what meaning is there in achieving success in a world already under the demons’ rule?"
"Rather than chasing fleeting wealth and glory, we have chosen to become the foundation for humanity’s hope."
Faced with the five knights’ unwavering resolve—so noble in its conviction—Kaylen came to a halt, the corner of his lips curling slightly.
"Forsaking wealth and fame, hiding your identities as Guardians to fight for humanity… Quite the remarkable resolve."
Clap. Clap.
Kaylen clapped twice as he spoke, yet there was no sincerity in his applause.
In fact, his tone was so detached that it almost felt mocking.
The five Sword Masters frowned at his reaction.
"Your Majesty…"
"Guardians who claim to protect humanity…"
Sching—
Behind Kaylen, six swords floated into the air.
A black sword appeared in his hand.
The knights, startled by Kaylen’s sudden change in demeanor, quickly moved to draw their swords—
Thud.
But the black sword struck the ground first.
Rumble…
“Urgh…!”
“W-What are you…?!”
The earth trembled as if an earthquake had struck.
“Kyah!”
Maids inside the castle collapsed from the sudden shaking.
“An earthquake, all of a sudden?”
“Hurry! Evacuate!”
The soldiers helped the fallen maids, trying to flee from the shaking inner castle.
Watching them briefly, Kaylen let out a small chuckle.
“What in the world are you doing…?!”
“You all put on quite the show.”
“A show…?”
“As I said before—this castle is severely lacking in people.”
“W-What do you mean…?!”
Screeeech.
The sound of flesh tearing echoed—
And all at once, the skin of everyone inside the castle began to split open.
“N-No…!”
There were no exceptions.
The five Sword Masters.
The maids and soldiers of the castle.
Every single one of them had their skin peel away.
“Ghh… Urgh…!”
The outermost layer of their bodies—their skin and flesh—crumbled and fell to the ground.
Their bodies were collapsing.
Now that their skin and flesh had fallen away, soon, blood would pour out.
Perhaps even their organs would spill onto the floor.
Anticipating the grotesque scene, some instinctively shut their eyes—
But—
“…As I thought, not a single drop of blood.”
The Sword Masters stared blankly at one another.
Their bodies—now stripped of skin and flesh—
Only bones remained.
Bones, completely blackened.
“This… What in the world…?”
Confusion clouded their minds.
Why was there only bone inside their bodies?
They were certain they had human bodies.
They gasped for breath when they ran.
They felt hunger when they woke in the morning.
But—
Not just them.
The entire royal castle was the same.
The maids and soldiers they thought were merely few in number—
Every single one of them was nothing but bone.
“What… the hell…?”
Their minds were in disarray.
The five Sword Masters stood in stunned silence, watching the bizarre spectacle unfold inside the castle—
And then—
A familiar voice rang in their ears.
“How cruel, Your Majesty. Interrupting the Guardians’ vacation like this.”
Step. Step.
Footsteps echoed from deeper within the castle.
The undead—now aware of who it was—murmured a name.
“…Grand Mage…”
“The vacation is over. Time to get to work.”
At those words, the undead collapsed one by one.
Kaylen’s eyes widened as he gazed at the figure emerging from within the castle.
“…It’s been a while, Your Majesty.”
“You are… Johannes?”
Johannes, the court magician of the Meier Empire.
After Ernstine unified the continent, he had resigned, claiming he would set off to explore the New World—and disappeared.
“You survived… No…”
Now, devoid of life, his body exuded dark magic as he walked forward.
“…You’ve become a lich.”
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]