The Arena’s recovery room was unnervingly silent. Through that stillness, the Iron Prince walked with leisurely strides.
“…What kind of reward are you planning to give me?”
“I wonder.”
I glared at the Iron Prince, who wore a sinister smirk.
Before the Infinite Duel began, the Iron Prince had promised me a reward if I entertained him. However, I hadn’t expected him to pay me a personal visit.
“Is there something you desire?”
“If I say there is, will you give it to me?”
“Of course. You entertained me, so what could I possibly withhold?”
The Iron Prince stepped closer.
“Money, fame, women. Is there anything you want? There is nothing in this Iron Kingdom that I cannot provide. In a kingdom built upon steel and blood, I can do anything and possess everything.”
His words weren’t mere bravado.
In the Steel Great Empire of Chervil, the name of Iron Prince Ian Chervil carried more weight than any other. Perhaps it was even heavier than the King’s. After all, the kingdom’s entire Steel Legion wouldn’t be able to lift a finger against his Executioner.
“Why are you silent? If you want something, speak up.”
Ian Chervil continued to walk toward me. He was now within reach of my sword. If I were to grab the blade resting beside the bed and swing it now, the tip could slash his throat. Ian Chervil wouldn’t even be able to react to my strike. My realm might be a lowly 「Sword Walker」, but that was only from the perspective of other swordsmen.
To the current me, killing someone who knew nothing of the sword was far too easy. Two seconds? No, I wouldn’t even need one. The moment I resolved to kill him, dozens of 「Paths」 would stretch out from my body. No matter which path I chose to follow, Ian Chervil would die. The Iron Prince would be slaughtered without ever knowing how he fell.
However.
…He isn’t alone today.
The moment that thought crossed my mind, I felt a presence from outside the recovery room that I didn’t even dare to look at. I hadn’t even acted yet—I had only harbored a brief moment of murderous intent—but the being out there revealed its presence as if it had read my very thoughts.
“Do you want for nothing?”
There were ten swords there.
And it wasn’t difficult to guess who they belonged to.
“How could a lowly thing like me dare to demand anything of the Iron Prince? Whatever you give, I shall simply receive with gratitude. Like the lowly creature I am.”
The Foremost Sword of the Continent.
The most powerful Swordmaster among all living Swordmasters.
A monster among monsters who had forged ten swords within his soul.
As Master had said, he was a swordsman who belonged in the Second Age of War. A powerhouse born in the wrong era. The invincible Executioner who served the Iron Prince.
“Yes, a good attitude.”
My enemy.
Swordmaster Carlos was standing behind that door.
“I expected as much, so I have personally prepared a gift for you.”
If I tried, I could draw my sword from the bedside right now and point it at the Iron Prince. I could probably cut him down in a single stroke without even needing to aim. But my instincts told me otherwise. No matter what I did, that sword would not touch a single hair on the Iron Prince’s head. I didn’t know how it would happen, but I knew the result with absolute certainty.
I would die. I would surely die.
“…What kind of gift is it?”
The air felt heavy. It was uncomfortable even to breathe. Amidst a suffocating tension that made me want to gag, I barely managed to maintain my composure. When I asked, the Iron Prince gave a mocking smile.
“The gift you need most.”
“The gift I need most?”
At my question, the Iron Prince took another step forward. He was now so close our faces almost touched. Even so, I couldn’t move a single finger. It was as if I were bound by iron chains.
Watching me with amusement, the Iron Prince spoke.
“Lowly gladiator, why do you think I personally traveled all the way to this steel-reeking city?”
“Was it not to enjoy some entertainment?”
“Correct. And the reason I sought entertainment was that I must move quite busily for the things I am about to set in motion. I wanted to enjoy a minor deviation before starting the real fun.”
“…….”
“Gladiator Sword Demon. I am going to bring a whirlwind of blood to this Iron Kingdom once again.”
The Iron Prince’s eyes glittered.
“It will be a whirlwind of blood incomparable to the one I brought before. It would be more appropriate to call it a vortex than a wind. Lowly gladiator, as soon as I return to the City of Blades, I shall trigger a vortex. A vortex that will sweep everything away and leave no trace behind.”
“…….”
“That vortex will blow away the nobles who think my purges are over, it will blow away my father who sits sobbing on his throne, and it will completely uproot the weaklings who are barely clinging to life in the outskirts. Do you think it ends there? The vortex I create will transcend the Iron Kingdom and draw in the entire continent. The Five Families will be swept up, the Six Free Cities and the Black Archipelago will be drawn in, and the Sky Empire will follow. The entire continent will be embroiled, and eventually, all seven of those pathetic races will be tangled together.”
Madness surged in the Iron Prince’s eyes as he spoke.
“It will be fun. Very fun. They will last longer than my brothers and sisters, who collapsed so easily. They will last longer than my father and mothers, who begged for their lives…”
Hearing those words, Liam muttered lowly.
「He’s insane.」
“…….”
「Young descendant, you likely do not understand what this childish prince is saying. Naturally so, for there is still too much you do not know.」
Liam’s voice grew heavy.
「Right now, the Iron Prince is saying he will bring back the Age of War. The most horrific era in the long history of the continent.」
The Age of War.
While that term lodged itself firmly in my mind, the Iron Prince’s voice continued.
“Now, do you understand what reward I am giving you?”
A grotesque smile was plastered across the Iron Prince’s face. Like a demon from a creation myth.
“I intend to ensure you can board that vortex early.”
A voice filled with pure malice.
I replied to those words.
“How is that a reward?”
I asked in earnest.
He was about to commit an astronomical atrocity, and dragging me into it was supposed to be a reward? That wasn’t a reward; it was a massive “screw you.” A truly, colossally big one…
Instead of answering, the Iron Prince let out a soft chuckle. After laughing for a long while, he spoke.
“Gladiator, I know your origin.”
At his words, my mind momentarily went blank.
“Caravan. The descendant of Forgotten Steel.”
“…….”
“History says that the blood of Steel hardens through ordeals. Therefore, is the ordeal I bestow upon you not the most precious reward of all? A reward for which you should bow your head in gratitude!”
Caravan.
The moment that name left the Iron Prince’s lips, I felt as if my consciousness were drifting away. But regardless of my feelings, the Iron Prince did not stop.
“I cannot tell you how joyful this is. Do you know how much fun I had when I first learned of your origin? My brothers and sisters, in whose veins the same blood as mine flowed, were so fragile they broke easily. My parents, who should have been superior to me, now fear me. They even said they would do anything if I only spared their lives. To surrender without even fighting… there is nothing more horrific and boring in this world.”
“…….”
“I, you see, can never be satisfied even if I sit upon the Iron Throne as I am. From the moment I realized how light the throne of this Iron Kingdom is, I could no longer be satisfied with it. So, I must have a wider world. I decided I must sit upon a throne that is more difficult, heavier, and more valuable. So that all the blades of the world are pointed at me!”
The Iron Prince no longer looked like a human being to me; he looked like a monster. The aura radiating from his eyes was excessively wicked. Truly, excessively so.
“To someone like me, you are a gift bestowed by the Nine Goddesses and the Seven Chief Gods. A gift sent so that I may never be bored, so that I may continue to be entertained. Ah, how grateful I am! The Last Caravan! There could be no better toy than this.”
“…….”
“So please, do not break. Do not be ruined by the vortex. Grow steadily and continue to threaten me. Do not break like my brothers and sisters, and do not submit like my parents. That is the reason you survived—”
When I heard that much, I could no longer suppress my rage. My body moved before my thoughts. An indescribable, beastly cry erupted from my throat, and I awakened my 「Mana Heart」 despite my battered body. The moment my second heart throbbed, 「Paths」 were drawn. Dozens, hundreds of paths through which I could slaughter the Iron Prince. I stared at the most concise and clear path and grabbed the blade lying beside the bed. I swung it without hesitation. A chilling Sword Resonance rang out like the howl of a beast.
And then.
“It is far too early.”
Before the swing could even complete, the sword vanished from my hand. When I opened my eyes, the sword I had swung was already back in its scabbard. My body, which I had forced upright, was back under the covers. It was as if time had been rewound.
“Be grateful that you are not yet eighteen.”
“…….”
“Did I not tell you? I do not understand why you keep resenting the wrong things and raging at the wrong things.”
That voice did not belong to the Iron Prince.
I knew whose voice it was. I hadn’t forgotten it for a single moment since that day. Buried in the bed, I slowly raised my head. Standing beside the Iron Prince, who still wore that grotesque smile, was a figure who hadn’t been there a moment ago. He wore the same emotionless face as he did that day.
“Resent your family. Resent the 「Caravan」 name, resent your surname, and resent your foolish parents who dared to continue having children and living as a family. Do you understand?”
Swordmaster Carlos.
“You… you son of a—”
“What a ridiculous sight. Your father, whose head was impaled on a flagpole, looked exactly like that at the end. Acting like a knight possessed by mania, then sobbing like a dog and glaring at me when his woman died. But he could do nothing but glare. Pathetically.”
No rage I had felt since picking up the sword could compare to this. That man, of all people, should not mention my parents. He, of all people, should not speak of how my father met his end, or how my mother met hers. That was something that must never happen. Never.
The rage filling my mind felt as if it were burning everything from my brain to my heart. A heat as if I had been thrown into a furnace. But I could do nothing. It wasn’t a matter of willpower. An unknown power was binding me. Those damn ten swords were entangling me.
While I glared at him as if my eyes would pop out, the Iron Prince spoke.
“Yes, do not forget that rage. Do you understand?”
“…….”
“So, be sure to grow strong. Become strong enough that I tremble in fear, and then come to point your blade at me. I shall wait enjoyably until then.”
With those final words, the Iron Prince departed. Carlos followed his master. As he walked out, Carlos didn’t even spare me a glance. He treated me like a pebble rolling aimlessly on the road. Like something of no value. Like an insect.
* * *
“How long will it take to return?”
“Will you walk back as you came?”
“No, I’ve had enough of strolling. Let us take the fastest means of transport.”
In the center of the wind-swept Steel City Ferma, Iron Prince Ian Chervil stood and laughed as he looked up at the sky. The sky was thick with dark clouds, as if a lightning bolt might strike at any moment.
“Things will be entertaining from now on. Very entertaining.”
Ian Chervil wished for a heavy downpour. Just like the day his brothers and sisters had left this world by his hand.
Lost in old memories for a moment, Ian Chervil spoke.
“Did you finish the task as I ordered?”
“Yes, I have done as you commanded.”
“The precious youngest shouldn’t be eighteen yet; I wonder how you handled it. No matter how sharp your blade is, is it truly possible to do as I ordered without harming a single hair?”
At Ian Chervil’s words, Carlos replied calmly.
“Yes. You need not worry. It has been handled perfectly.”
* * *
The Six Free Cities.
In the land of city-states symbolizing freedom and splendor, where the most magnificent mansion stood, a boy covered in blood arrived at the Rhapsody estate. The blood on the boy’s body was not his own, but another’s. Cradled in the arms of the boy, who was sobbing like a child, was the head of an old man whose eyes were wide open in death. The boy trudged along, falling and falling again, weeping sorrowfully. At the sound of the boy’s cries, the vassals guarding the Rhapsody estate appeared. The vassals, who had come to drive away the uninvited guest, were shocked the moment they saw the boy’s face.
“Young Master, what is this…”
The most noble boy in the Six Free Cities. The youngest son of House Rhapsody, Toma Rhapsody, was crying like a small child. The vassals hurriedly tried to help Toma Rhapsody up, but they were shocked again when they saw the face of the old man in his arms.
“My God.”
Joseph.
The head Toma Rhapsody carried belonged to the loyal butler who had served House Rhapsody his entire life. The vassals were bewildered by this unbelievable tragedy. Who on earth dared to put the precious Young Master in such a state, and what fearless wretch had touched a member of the Rhapsody family?
“Ugh, huff, Joseph, Joseph. Joseph is…”
“Young Master, please calm down.”
“H-huff.”
Toma Rhapsody was in a state of complete panic.
Seeing the Young Master unable to even speak properly, the vassals didn’t know what to do. Amidst the echoing sobs, that sorrowful weeping reached the ears of the great master who ruled this estate. The great being, hearing his son’s heart-wrenching cries, appeared before him that very instant. A massive man materialized in front of Toma Rhapsody.
“You must have been very frightened.”
“Hic, huff.”
“I’m sorry. This father of yours is so sorry.”
The massive man immediately pulled his son into a tight embrace. He didn’t care whether blood stained his expensive clothes or not. Such things didn’t even enter his sight at this moment.
“Now, let us go inside first and lay you down on a warm bed.”
The Matriarch of the great House Rhapsody. No, the Family Head.
“And then, slowly, tell this father of yours what happened.”
Hugo Rhapsody.
“Whoever did it, whatever happened, this father will resolve everything.”
“Hic, huff. Hic, Father. Father.”
“Yes, yes. Do not worry.”
One of the six Swordmasters.
“For there is nothing in this world that this father cannot do.”
The Master of Seven Swords.
The most dangerous doting father on the continent began to stir.
* * *
I didn’t need to spend much time in the recovery room. The Heart of Steel quickly repaired my broken body, and I was soon in a state where I could move. Thus, when I stood up, an official from the Arena came to find me. He offered two options as the championship prize. The first was the opportunity to become an exclusive gladiator for the Arena, immediately donning a platinum medal and acting as a Star Fighter. Additionally, he offered to let me participate as the protagonist in the main events organized by the Arena.
It was an offer not even worth listening to. In the end, it was only a good deal for the Arena. Furthermore, I had no desire to spend my time so leisurely right now.
I want to become strong as quickly as possible.
The flame left behind by the Iron Prince and Carlos—the flame of rage, ignited once more—was continuing to grow even at this moment. Meanwhile, the Arena made me a second offer: an amount of Steel Gold Coins equivalent to having fought five main events, and a certification plaque that would allow me to buy goods produced in Steel City at a low price. The Arena official tried to persuade me to think of the future rather than immediate wealth, but I didn’t listen. When I chose the second option, the official left with a disappointed face. I deposited all the Steel Gold Coins I received that day into the Red Bank.
With this, I came to possess an enormous amount of money, incomparable to before. It was enough money to give up on revenge immediately and leave for a Free City or the Black Archipelago to live a life of indulgence forever. But no matter how much wealth I had, or what pleasures I could enjoy with it, they failed to pique my interest. At this moment, my mind was filled with only one thing: becoming strong.
「Young descendant.」
“Yes.”
「Is your heart in a hurry?」
“It is.”
I cannot forget that moment.
The gaze of Carlos looking down at me coldly, the voice of Carlos delivering an indelible insult, and the face of the Iron Prince erupting in that unpleasant madness.
“I truly cannot bear it anymore. I simply cannot accept the fact that I am breathing the same air and living under the same sky as those things. Never.”
「Yes. I suppose so.」
“What must I do? How can I—”
「But you must have felt it clearly this time.」
Liam cut me off. Then he looked at me.
「Last time, you were too insignificant to know, but this time you must have felt it to your very bones. Tell me, young descendant. How did a Swordmaster appear through the eyes of a swordsman?」
I froze for a moment at Liam’s words.
“……It was like the sky.”
「The sky?」
“It felt like the sky. Something I could never reach, no matter what I did.”
The Carlos I faced after picking up the sword was excessively powerful. Powerful enough that I momentarily forgot my desire for revenge and felt a sense of awe. He was incomparable to any enemy I had met so far. He was in a different world. To the point where I wondered if a lowly, insignificant person like me could ever reach that place.
Perhaps that was why I had become even more desperate. Because I had seen such a vast gap.
「An accurate expression. That man is in the sky. And you are still nothing more than an insect that hasn’t even taken a single step off the ground.」
“…….”
「So, shouldn’t you take your feet off the ground now?」
Liam spoke to me as I hung my head.
「Let us go home.」
“…….”
「We are going to go and forge your wings.」
At Liam’s words, I slowly raised my head.
「To get even a little bit closer to the sky.」
