Legwork is the foundation of business!
The teachings of the Red Bank were absolute. Zeppelin Gold had racked his brain at the mansion to no avail, yet the problem was resolved the moment he personally sought out Lord Caravan. He felt a surge of satisfaction at his own initiative. Of course, without Baltimore’s advice, he would have been agonizing over it for much longer…
“Great Warrior Ismael of the Cross Order, who died by my hand, was abandoned by her god in her final moments. It seemed she had begun to doubt the very deity she served. The moment she wavered, the god appeared only to strip her of her status.”
Thus, Zeppelin heard the full story of ‘that day’ from Lord Caravan.
The claim that Ismael, the Great Warrior of Condemnation, had been forsaken by her god was staggering. Ismael was legendary throughout the Southern Continent for her peerless piety, boasting countless followers within the Cross Order. Yet, as unbelievable as it sounded, the moment Lord Caravan spoke, the puzzle pieces clicked into place.
‘So that’s why they didn’t reclaim the Great Warrior’s body. That’s why they were making such a fuss about betrayal. Their most respected and devout believer had turned her back on her god….’
It also explained the Cross Order’s uncharacteristic passivity. It wasn’t that they wouldn’t move; they couldn’t. By now, the Order would have appointed a new Great Warrior to replace the fallen Ismael, but they wouldn’t be able to celebrate the birth of a new champion.
‘The revered Ismael died abandoned. Since her following was so vast, chaos must be spreading like wildfire. The Cross Order isn’t in a position to focus on the Holy War; they’re too busy with internal damage control. If they mishandle this, the very foundation of the Order’s faith could crumble.’
He recalled another teaching of the Red Bank: Reality is often more absurd than fiction.
The world was a tumultuous place where the impossible happened every day. A Great Warrior of God dying after being forsaken by her own deity? It was hard to swallow, but Zeppelin Gold knew all too well that the world was built on such outrageous truths.
Furthermore, he had proof.
‘Heads.’
Zeppelin Gold possessed a precious tool that could distinguish truth from lies. After hearing Lord Caravan’s answer, he flipped the 「Maiden’s Coin」 . It landed on heads—the side of truth.
“Thank you, My Lord. Thanks to you, I can finally decide on my next course of action.”
“And what might that be?”
“I shall proceed as planned. I feared the risk had increased with Ismael’s death, but it’s quite the opposite. The Cross Order cannot act aggressively until the new Great Warrior’s position is solidified and their existence is revealed to the world. They have a lot of housecleaning to do.”
“…….”
“Until the Cross Order makes a move, I will aggressively court the port city of Vicente as a client. It should be smooth sailing. Other external forces won’t know Ismael was abandoned. While they hesitate, I can strike without reservation, armed with certain information. This is all thanks to you, My Lord. Hahahaha!”
Zeppelin Gold laughed heartily.
But then, Lord Caravan spoke again.
“The story doesn’t end there.”
“It doesn’t?”
“How do you think I knew that Great Warrior Ismael was abandoned by her god?”
Lord Caravan’s eyes gleamed with a sharp light.
“In her final moments, Ismael confessed to me. She said the Son of Sin and Punishment had abandoned her, and that she had lost her qualification as a Great Warrior. At the same time… she revealed a shocking truth.”
“A shocking truth?”
“It’s the reason I’ve been confined here ever since I was rescued from that collapse. It’s also the reason I asked you to swear an oath to me, Zeppelin.”
“Are you… truly able to tell me?”
“I can. We are partners, after all.”
Partners. It was a pleasant word to hear.
“What did you hear?”
Zeppelin Gold smiled thinly, balancing the Maiden’s Coin on his finger.
“I heard the true purpose of the Seven Chief Gods and the Nine Goddesses . The gods wish to eliminate all transcendents, destroy any beings with the potential for transcendence, and wipe out the Great Five Families , who are the primary candidates for Swordmasters . The Holy War sweeping the Southern Continent and the shadow of war looming over the entire land are all means to that end. They want to create a world where no being can dare to threaten the Celestial Realm .”
Ting.
The coin spun through the air and landed on the back of his hand. Zeppelin Gold stared at Lord Caravan, his expression dazed.
“……Is what you just said true?”
“Yes.”
“What in the….”
This was far more absurd than the death of a Great Warrior. The Seven Chief Gods and Nine Goddesses wanting to eliminate transcendents and the Great Five Families? It was unthinkable.
The Five Families and the Swordmasters were absolute beings who maintained the order of the continent under divine mandate. Why would the gods eliminate those who faithfully served their will? It made no sense. Zeppelin Gold, a descendant of the Great Five Families himself, knew this better than anyone.
With a face full of disbelief, Zeppelin looked down.
The Maiden’s Coin resting on his hand showed heads. It was the truth.
Zeppelin struggled to find his voice. “……It’s hard to wrap my head around. But My Lord, even if I accept your words as true, there is a contradiction.”
“A contradiction?”
“You said this is the reason I had to swear an oath and why you haven’t left this room for two days. But you aren’t a Swordmaster, nor are you a member of the Great Five Families.”
“Ah, right. You’re correct. There was something I hadn’t explained yet.”
Lord Caravan leaned forward.
“Zeppelin Gold.”
“Yes.”
“Do you know of Caravan ?”
Zeppelin swallowed hard. “Is that not the name of your family and the territory you rule?”
“Have you never heard of the Caravan family before?”
It was a persistent, pointed question. Had he never heard of it?
Actually, he had.
“I have heard of it.”
“From whom?”
“I heard it from our Matriarch.”
“And what did she say about Caravan?”
“She said it was a legendary family that helped her a long time ago.”
“Aha. So you came to the Caravan estate and decided to invest because of her words. That’s why the 「Black Archipelago」 came looking for me; they knew beforehand. This must be what Master was talking about….”
“W-what does your family have to do with any of this?” Zeppelin asked, his voice trembling.
The answer came without hesitation.
“I’ll tell you now, partner.”
*
I answered all of Zeppelin Gold’s questions. I told him that the Caravan family had existed in the past and was once one of the Great Five Families . I explained that one of the current Five Families was a house that had usurped Caravan’s place. I told him how Caravan had been erased from history, the humiliation I had suffered, and the details of the revenge I sought.
Zeppelin Gold looked as if his soul had left his body.
He kept muttering to himself, “So that’s why Swordmaster Carlos … so that’s why the revenge….”
After a long silence, Zeppelin regained his senses.
“If everything you say is true, then I understand. The reason you stayed holed up, doubting everything around you; the reason you forced an oath upon me; and even the true purpose of the Seven Chief Gods and Nine Goddesses makes sense. If such a great Swordmaster existed in the past, then perhaps those beings… might have wanted to eliminate everything to reset the world. The gods are certainly capable of such cruelty.”
“…….”
“If I may say one thing with my life on the line: you do not need to doubt me or the Gold family. First, there is no possibility that our family is one of the ‘Fake Five Families,’ and we would never follow the gods’ agenda. As you know, the current Head of Gold has been around since the Age of War.”
Zeppelin’s eyes sparkled with conviction.
I replied, “I know. That’s why I trust you.”
“I have one question, My Lord.”
“What is it?”
“Why… did you tell me all of this? It is true that the Gold family is the most trustworthy among the Five Families, but I don’t think you would have revealed this much based on that alone.”
“We’re partners, aren’t we? We’ll be together from now on.”
“……Don’t joke. No one reveals this much to a partner unless there is a guaranteed way to ensure their silence. An oath that prevents the conversation from being leaked, or Word Magic engraved on the soul…?”
As he voiced his doubts, Zeppelin Gold froze. “Wait….”
“You did swear an oath, didn’t you?”
“But that was… an oath I’d never even heard of.”
“Nevertheless, it was an oath.”
Zeppelin’s eyes shook violently.
“Don’t worry too much. As long as you don’t reveal today’s conversation, don’t lie to me, and don’t betray me, nothing will happen.”
“…….”
“But if you break it, something interesting might happen.”
Beads of sweat formed on Zeppelin’s forehead.
“In case you might underestimate this oath later, let’s have a little demonstration, Zeppelin. Try telling a lie. Any lie.”
“……Are you going to kill me to keep my mouth shut?”
“No. I’m just giving a small warning for the sake of our trust.”
Zeppelin Gold hesitated. But as I continued to stare him down, he finally opened his mouth.
“I-I’m not scared at all right now.”
And then—
“──!”
In that instant, Zeppelin Gold’s body froze like ice.
It was as if time had stopped for him alone. Zeppelin, who had frozen with his eyes wide open, only moved after three agonizing seconds had passed.
“U-ugh, bleaaargh—!”
He collapsed from his chair and rolled on the floor, vomiting violently. He lay sprawled out, pale as a ghost and trembling uncontrollably. His elegant clothes were ruined, and his hair was soaked with sweat. Goosebumps broke out across his skin. He looked like a man who had just stared into the abyss and been spat back out.
“……What did you do, Master?” I asked internally.
Hmm, this was a bit much.
Liam replied briefly.
「I did nothing.」
“…….”
「I only looked at him.」
He only looked at him? Really?
Zeppelin Gold trembled for a long time, unable to even lift his head. It was as if his mind had been completely shattered. Fortunately, he eventually regained his senses, though he couldn’t bring himself to meet my eyes. He apologized for the pathetic display and fled the room.
Looking at his retreating back, Master remarked casually.
「That is the normal reaction of those who face me.」
……That was a normal reaction?
Seeing the skepticism in my eyes, Master added:
「I am being quite considerate of you, young descendant.」
*
It was a bit excessive, but the effect was undeniable. Having seen the results, I had to admit it: I had gained a new weapon. A quite useful one at that.
Of course, I couldn’t forget the other weapon I needed to secure.
“……You want me to use the Gold, Golden Star .”
“Yes. We’re partners, aren’t we?”
A new sword.
