“I shall be away in the Iron Kingdom for a time.”
Hugo Rhapsody announced his departure to his household. It was a blatant declaration that the master intended to abandon his duties, yet no one took it seriously. Hugo Rhapsody was known for his countless eccentricities, most of them performed for the sake of his son. He was frequently absent because of them, but the Free City had never suffered for it.
The six Free Cities were natural fortresses that traded actively with the continent’s great powers, all while under the protection of House Rhapsody—one of the Great Five Families. Thanks to the convergence of these factors, the six Free Cities had enjoyed a long, uninterrupted era of peace.
“Leave everything here to us and go ahead, My Lord.”
Thus, everyone in the Free City took this tranquility for granted. They believed peace was eternal and that the glory of the Free City would never fade. They did not realize that there is no such thing as eternal peace in this world, nor did they understand that a peace sustained for too long can be precariously shattered by a single shift in the balance.
“As it has always been.”
The Free City.
It had long since been swallowed by the stagnation of a protracted peace.
* * *
When I regained consciousness, I was in my bedroom at the mansion.
Audrey had brought me here, reeling from the shock of watching me heat a blade in a fire and shove it into my mouth. She had apparently made a massive scene, ranting about how the Descendant of Steel had finally lost his mind and that a priest needed to be summoned immediately. It was only after I calmly explained the situation that she finally settled down.
Having grasped the general gist of the circumstances, Audrey looked at me expectantly.
“So, did you succeed?”
She seemed genuinely excited. It was likely because she had finally witnessed the Authority of Steel she had only heard rumors about. It was only natural, considering she had watched me chew down a red-hot blade like a piece of baguette. However, I couldn’t meet her expectations.
“No.”
To put it simply, I failed.
I had failed to digest 「Soaring」.
“Why? Your soul has grown significantly—was it still not enough? What was the problem? Put your pride aside and tell me. I’ll help you.”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? What does that mean?”
I shook my head.
“I really don’t know.”
It was the truth.
“This sword… it’s different from any blade I’ve eaten before.”
* * *
「Soaring」.
The blade said to hold a legend showed me no memories. I didn’t even hear a snippet of a voice, which usually happened whenever I devoured a sword. All I faced was pitch-black darkness. It was as if I were not yet worthy.
「It is certain that you are still lacking. However, you must find the fundamental reason yourself.」
“Me?”
「Yes. For you are different from the Great Caravans of old.」
Liam was right.
I am not a ‘Great Caravan.’ Whether it was because the blood had thinned over generations or because my own talent was meager, the Authority of Steel I possessed could not unconditionally absorb blades. It required a process of understanding and time to be accepted.
「Contemplate it deeply.」
“……”
「The inability to easily digest a blade is a fatal flaw, but that in itself can become another ordeal. And ordeals always make a Caravan grow.」
That it could be an ordeal in itself.
It sounded plausible enough, but in the end, didn’t it just mean I was making things hard for myself? There’s a saying that if the body is lacking, the head suffers. In my case, because my talent was lacking, both my body and my head were suffering. Fuck.
“Sigh.”
Of course, I didn’t feel resentful. It wasn’t like this was the first or second time. I had endured far too many trials to be trembling with a sense of helplessness or inferiority now. Instead of wallowing, I went outside and picked up a sword.
There was no clue on how to digest 「Soaring」. In that case, rather than clinging to a blade whose identity I didn’t even know, it was better to polish the new weapons I had already acquired—from the Steel Wings to the 「Flame of Doubt」. I had to make the unfamiliar familiar. Since I had become a 「Sword Runner」, I had to completely master the way a 「Sword Runner」 fights. Taming the prickly blade that rejected me could come later.
“Seol-yoon, spar with me.”
Let’s start by properly swinging what’s currently in my hands.
“Anytime.”
* * *
Training with Seol-yoon was productive.
During our sessions, Audrey would drop by and nag me to find a way to digest 「Soaring」 instead of “wasting time” on swordplay, but I had grown accustomed to her. There was no need to respond to every single one of her shrill remarks. I just let them go in one ear and out the other.
When I’d killed enough time like that, Hailyn would appear from somewhere and take Audrey away. Is it true that only a mage can handle a mage? Hailyn was clearly a profound magic-user, no less skilled than a witch. She was the only one who could keep the ever-complaining Audrey occupied all day long.
There’s no sign of digestion and no clues, so I don’t know why she keeps pestering me.
I flatly ignored Audrey’s words. To begin with, when I dealt with the witches, I never promised a deadline. Since it was a request without a time limit, there was no reason to prioritize it. I had already eaten 「Soaring」; the desperate party wasn’t me, it was them.
「A very Caravan-like way of thinking. Originally, Steel is meant to stand firm and endure, even if a storm rages around it. There is no need to listen to others. Especially the words of a magic-user.」
Liam put it elegantly, but in the end, it was just advice to be thick-skinned. I took my master’s words to heart. The Face of Steel! It was a great “technique” that allowed me to ignore any amount of screeching around me.
“Seriously… did you actually plate your face with steel?”
Audrey, who had been coming by day and night to prattle on, seemed to have finally realized the terrifying nature of a Caravan. Seeing how my attitude had changed so drastically after devouring 「Soaring」, she shook her head in horror. Still, nothing changed. If she didn’t like it, she should have drafted a better contract.
In the end, Audrey was stuck. She couldn’t return because she had to complete her mission, yet she couldn’t pressure me any further since I wouldn’t listen. As a result, the Caravan territory gained a top-tier magical asset—a witch—serving indefinitely without pay.
Witch Audrey and Hailyn used the unique situation of the Caravan territory—where two ‘Great Families’ were currently stationed—not as a crisis, but as an opportunity. The two mages spread rumors that the Caravan territory wasn’t dangerous, but rather a land of opportunity that even Great Families would visit. They even whispered that the young lord of Caravan had recently defeated the successor of a Great Family in a duel.
Thus, the Caravan territory was booming. A truly dazzling boom.
“Your sword is becoming sharper. At the same time, you’re getting more used to the wings, Young Master. Your growth rate is incredible. You look like someone who has fought as a 「Sword Runner」 for years—as if you’ve absorbed someone’s memories.”
“Haha.”
“Of course, it’s not without flaws. Try to move more flexibly when using the wings. I know your wings have a unique shape, but it’s not good to be bound to a single form. Ultimately, an increase in realm stems from change.”
While the territory’s situation improved, I had more than just Seol-yoon to help me. Tom, who had become much more relaxed, stayed at the training ground and continued to instruct me in the sword. There was only one reason he hadn’t returned yet.
“I reached out recently, and they said the Arena would extend my leave. Apparently, a massive incident broke out over there. They didn’t explain in detail, but it seems the fighters they were managing turned their blades against the planners. Those arrogant bastards were trembling with fear.”
“The fighters revolted?”
“Yes. It was bound to happen eventually. They never respected the fighters; they only used them as tools. At any rate, it’s a good thing for me. Managing the Hall of Fame is fine, but mingling with people after so long and watching your growth, Young Master, is very fulfilling. To be honest, I think these are the happiest moments I’ve had in ten years. To the point where I want to just settle down here.”
“I would certainly welcome that.”
I knew those 「Arena」 bastards would cause trouble eventually. Whether they were in a bind or not was none of my business. I was more interested in Tom’s words. How great would it be if I could coax Tom into becoming a permanent resident? A 「Sword Expert」 who was excellent at maintaining blades and possessed professional knowledge of continental history and the various swords scattered throughout the world… If I could tie Tom down here just as I had with Audrey, the Caravan territory would grow at a rapid pace.
“Haha, I’d like to do that as well, but as long as I am employed by the 「Arena」, I must fulfill my duties. Above all, I am the only one who can carefully tend to the honorable blades there. Hasn’t it been proven through you, Young Master, that swords have souls too? For the sake of the weapons waiting for me, I must return. As their caretaker.”
However, people like Tom are hard to recruit. That’s what makes them more attractive, though. While feeling a sense of regret, I decided I should keep trying to persuade him whenever I had the chance. For some reason, it felt like he might cave if I pushed just a little more.
Anyway, as time passed, the urgent situation stabilized. The residents were no longer afraid of the 「Rhapsody」 and 「White」 forces stationed at the entrance of the territory. Those who had hidden in their homes came out to go about their daily lives, and not just the elderly, but even young men and women from the surrounding areas began to gather. The Caravan territory was beginning to draw attention as the rising land of the Verdi region.
And then.
“Young Master.”
One day, as daily life was slowly returning to normal, Sancho arrived.
“No… Little Lord.”
The butler of Caravan who had left me when everything was destroyed. The old man who had been the smartest and kindest in our territory, a man who was like a blood relative to me. The one who had driven a stake into my heart, telling me that only a Swordmaster can kill a Swordmaster, and that I should give up on revenge so that I could live. My butler. A ghost from the past who had made me suffer and only now returned.
Sancho was smiling through his tears.
“I am sorry. And thank you. For still holding on. For still fighting. For still… making the glory of Caravan shine…”
What were my emotions the moment I saw Sancho? To be honest, when everyone except me left, I had resented them. I had been furious, wondering how they could abandon this place so easily. But the moment I saw his face in person, all that resentment washed away. I ran and threw myself into Sancho’s arms.
“Why did you only come now? You returned to the region a long time ago.”
“I… didn’t have the heart to face you…”
“Let’s go inside. Come inside and be our territory’s butler again. Take charge of the household affairs of this humble estate, and tell me those same old stories like you always did. Stay by my side, Sancho.”
Sancho didn’t answer. Instead, he sobbed. After weeping for a long time, the old man spoke.
“Would that… really be alright?”
“Of course.”
“There are already wonderful people in this territory now. I am old and my mind has stiffened, and the two mages managing this place have decorated the Caravan territory more beautifully than when I was here. It feels as though there is no longer a place for this old man. But… but even so, the moment I saw this mansion, a maddening longing surged within me. Even if only ashes remained, I wanted to stay here. Even if that Swordmaster returns one day and destroys everything again, I want to meet my end here.”
Sancho’s words were broken by sobs. He wanted to be here even if only ashes remained. Even if everything were to be ruined once more. I could understand Sancho’s words because I felt the same way.
“I need you, Sancho.”
“……”
“You remember the old appearance of our territory. You remember my old self, you remember my parents, and you remember the mansion and the village as they were. That’s why you have to be here. The place that suits you best is here, Sancho.”
Hearing my words, Sancho stopped crying. Instead, he wore a gentle smile. It was the face of the reliable butler I remembered.
* * *
With Sancho’s return, it truly felt like everything was going back to the way it was. The residents were laughing, the territory was developing, and my sword was being tempered to befit a 「Sword Runner」. How wonderful would it be if things just continued like this?
While I was having such hopeful thoughts, a guest visited the mansion.
“The Successor of Steel?”
The guest’s skin was green. An Orc.
I had heard that the orcs had come like the wind to help me and then vanished instantly once the situation was over, but it seemed not all of them had left. I looked at the orc standing with a noble posture under the moonlight.
“You must be one of the grateful friends who came to help us. I wanted to offer my greetings, but I was disappointed that everyone left so quickly. Could you perhaps convey my gratitude…?”
“There is no need for gratitude. More importantly, I have come for another matter.”
My body froze the moment I heard the orc speak.
Is this a being hiding its form with magic?
An orc using honorifics? My thoughts ground to a halt. Her way of speaking was aristocratic, and her minor gestures were steeped in etiquette. Goosebumps erupted all over my skin as if I had seen a ghost. What… what kind of indescribable horror was this?
“You certainly live a busy life. You never had a moment alone, so I simply couldn’t pop in. As a lady, it wounded my pride to seek you out first, so I hoped you would notice me beforehand, but you were quite oblivious.”
“……?”
“So, I decided to yield a little. It means I’ve surrendered the initiative in our relationship, but it couldn’t be helped. I’ve heard that these days, it’s the trend for women to actively take the lead. I am the conservative type, but I thought a little deviation wouldn’t be bad for once.”
As she said that, the orc made a bashful, twisting gesture with her body. Seeing a physique that looked like it could crush me with one hand making such movements made me feel like my eyesight was rapidly deteriorating. Even Jerry Selfit’s black magic couldn’t have been this powerful.
Anger at having seen such a god-awful sight, and an indescribable fear at the way she kept pouring out words like a noble young lady, surged over me. I was certain. This was a mental attack intended to shake me. There was no way such an orc could exist—unless the Nine Goddesses and the Seven Chief Gods had made a grave mistake.
Thus, with conviction, I spoke in a voice mixed with anger and fear.
“You’re an uninvited guest, aren’t you?”
“An uninvited guest? How rude.”
I heard a giggle—a soft, feminine sound. Even that was bone-chilling. While I stood speechless, the orc spoke.
“I suppose there could be a misunderstanding. To introduce myself, I am Sherizik, the second daughter of the Orc Sherdic. My father seems to want to make you my husband. My father’s eyes are always accurate, so I don’t doubt him, but I still felt I had to see the male who would become my mate with my own eyes.”
“……?”
My head spun. For some reason, that terrifying face looked somewhat familiar. Sherizik. The daughter of the Orc Elder.
Hearing that, a memory surfaced. The story about his daughter that Sherdic had casually mentioned after I passed the Orc Coming-of-Age Ceremony—the story that he could “trust me” with his daughter. The face of the orc I had seen at that moment, wearing women’s clothing and smiling shyly… all the puzzle pieces clicked into place. It felt like being struck by lightning.
“…Don’t stare so blankly. I am a lady who feels embarrassment as well.”
The Orc Elder, who had rushed to my aid in my time of crisis, felt like a mortal enemy at this moment. Looking at the bashful orc, Sherizik, I felt an indescribable fear and rage. Only one sentence came to mind.
Oh, fuck.
