“…You’re going to write me a recommendation letter?”
I blurted out the question the moment I woke up in the Arena’s recovery room. It was a natural reaction. I didn’t even know why Tom, the caretaker of the Hall of Fame, was here, and now he was suddenly offering a recommendation? I couldn’t help but be suspicious.
“Yes. Writing one for the Young Master is no trouble at all.”
“But why for me…?”
Caretaker Tom looked at me with his characteristic, benevolent smile.
Tom, the caretaker of the Hall of Fame.
I had made an effort to leave a good impression on him several times. I’d used some slick wordplay to exploit a loophole and get my hands on 「Fang」, and since he was the man in charge of the Hall of Fame—a place I’d need to visit often—I had showered him with pleasantries to win his favor.
But that was as far as it went. My relationship with Tom wasn’t anything special.
So why was he offering me a recommendation?
My chronic condition—paranoia—reared its head once again.
Had my praise for the Goddess Lefri to obtain 「Fang」 left a deep impression on him? Or was I simply memorable because young men who took the time to converse sincerely with an old man guarding the Hall of Fame were rare? All sorts of doubts bubbled up in my mind.
And then.
“I’m a fan,” Tom answered simply. “I like the way you fight, Young Master. That is the only reason.”
“…”
“Besides, a mere recommendation letter is nothing to an old man like me.” Tom smiled kindly. “I may be a humble caretaker now, but I was quite well-known in my day. If it’s a recommendation written by me, even the Arena will accept it. Ho ho , surely you weren’t thinking this old man lacked the qualifications to write one?”
“Of course not! You are the one who tends to such a glorious place as the Hall of Fame. Someone doing such wonderful work would obviously—”
Almost by instinct, I poured out honeyed words without batting an eye. From a distance, Seol-yoon made a face of pure disgust for some reason, but I didn’t care. This was a habit—one engraved into my very bones.
「That old man’s recommendation will certainly be helpful. As I told you before, that caretaker is no ordinary elder.」
Right, I didn’t doubt Tom’s capability.
From the moment we first arrived at the Arena, Liam had seen through Tom’s true identity. Though he wore the mask of a kind, elderly caretaker, Tom was a powerhouse who had reached the level of a 「Sword Expert.」 He was a monster who could reign like a king anywhere on this continent. I didn’t think such a man would play pranks with a mere recommendation letter.
However.
「But nothing in this world is free.」
I agreed with Liam.
Even as I flattered him, I didn’t stop scrutinizing Tom’s face. He certainly held goodwill toward me, but his offer wasn’t born of pure altruism. My sharp suspicion detected a hidden motive.
It was just as the warm exchange of pleasantries continued.
“However, I cannot simply give you the recommendation for nothing.”
The words I expected finally came out of Tom’s mouth. The moment I heard them, I muttered to myself.
“Could you do me a favor?”
I knew it. My suspicions were never wrong.
I didn’t let my expression change for a second; instead, I maintained a bright smile. Then, wearing the face of an innocent youth, I nodded.
“Of course. How could I simply take something from an elder? I will do whatever you ask.”
” Ho ho , as expected, the Young Master knows how to speak in a way that makes the listener feel good.” Tom let out a hearty laugh.
Yeah, I laughed too.
“It is not a difficult request. From what I heard last time, the Young Master understands the beauty of historical weapons very well. You even said that a blade is not just a blade, but a vessel for a warrior’s spirit. Hearing that, I thought to myself… that the Young Master loves the sword as much as I do.”
“…?”
That was, until I heard the actual request.
“So, once the Infinite Duel is over, I would like to be invited to your home. I want to see if you are taking good care of the 「Fang」 you took last time. Ah, I don’t mean to monitor you. Since you’ve never learned how to maintain a weapon, you’ll surely be clumsy at it. So, I intend to personally teach you how to keep it from rusting and how to preserve it so it looks brand new even after decades. This is a bit of a boast, but there is no caretaker in the Iron Kingdom who maintains a sword better than I do. Ho ho . My fondness for you is so great that I find myself making such an embarrassing request—”
I briefly lost my mind as Tom’s long-winded explanation continued.
To summarize Tom’s request: Let me see if you’re taking good care of the weapon.
“Ah, haha. Hahahaha.”
“Is it perhaps not possible?”
Seeing my awkward laughter, Tom’s expression twisted slightly. It was as if his face said, ‘Was everything you said about the Hall of Fame a lie? Did you sell the weapon you took from here?’
I hadn’t sold it; I’d eaten it. But as far as he was concerned, the result was the same.
However, I couldn’t tell him the truth. My instincts screamed that I must not. So, I smiled purely once more.
“Of course not! I will definitely invite you once the Infinite Duel is over! Ho ho ho , I’m already looking forward to it!”
I was screwed.
“But our estate is in a rather remote, rural area. Will that be alright?”
“It’s fine. As I get older, I’ve come to prefer the countryside with its fresh air.”
“Hahaha! Then you’ll like it very much!”
I didn’t know anymore. I decided to leave the future problems to the future me.
「A very good attitude.」
Right. I learned all of this from my master.
Anyway, I had now secured all the qualifications to participate in the 「Infinite Duel.」 Caretaker Tom wrote the recommendation, and the Arena accepted it. With both conditions met, all that remained was to wait for the day the Infinite Duel began.
“Unlike me and my suspicious mind, Tom was actually a good person.”
「Tsk, try to look at the world properly for once.」
“Is that something you should be saying, Master…?”
Caretaker Tom had truly seen me in a good light and provided the recommendation out of goodwill. Contrary to the various suspicions I had harbored, he had bestowed a kindness while making a request that wasn’t even a request. Asking for an invitation was just an excuse; his true intention was to teach me how to properly care for a weapon out of genuine concern.
The fact that the situation had become complicated was entirely my fault.
How could Tom have ever imagined there was a lunatic who heated swords in a fire and crunched them down in his mouth?
Well, I decided not to think about how screwed the future me was anymore. Regardless, looking at the current situation, things had worked out quite well compared to when I had vaguely set out from the estate.
Yes. So well that it was actually making me anxious.
‘…Something usually blows up when things go this smoothly.’
My life had never been one to unfold easily.
*
The Infinite Duel.
A prestigious event with a long tradition dating back to Liam’s era, when the Arena was simply called “the pit.” A massive event where countless powerhouses of the continent gathered.
「In my time, the Infinite Duel was a great trial to test one’s limits. That is why I always told my descendants: an Arhan must participate in the Infinite Duel.」
Liam said that in his day, the Infinite Duel was a slaughterhouse where anyone could participate, and it was held whenever enough people gathered. He said true warriors were born amidst the stench of blood.
But too much time had passed since Liam’s era.
“The Infinite Duel is the main event of the Arena.”
If they had continued as they did back then, the Arena would have remained just a pit. Over time, the Infinite Duel had changed as well—to entertain the audience, to satisfy the various goals of the participating warriors, and to ensure the longevity of this massive event.
“There are three types of matches in the Infinite Duel.”
“Three types?”
“The first is the Species Duel.”
Seol-yoon explained the things I didn’t know with an indifferent face.
“The seven races put their pride on the line and fight to achieve specific victory conditions. In the last Infinite Duel, it was a scramble to capture flags. In the one before that, it was a vanguard battle where each side sent out one person at a time, and the side that defeated the final captain won.”
“Ah…”
“Well, actually, it’s more accurate to call it a duel between six races. Dragons don’t participate in events like the Infinite Duel.”
“I suppose so.”
Dragons. The greatest of the seven races on the continent. Their numbers were so few that it was difficult to see one in a lifetime, and stories about them drifted around like legends. There was no way such legendary beings would participate in this kind of game. They were a race that didn’t even come out into the world in the first place.
“You don’t need to worry much about the Species Duel. It’s held on a massive scale since it’s by race. More importantly, many famous people show up, so it’s impossible for us to take the prizes.”
“I see…”
“No, in the first place, it’s a bit much for us—who barely met the minimum requirements—to aim for prizes. The Infinite Duel attracts all the insanely strong warriors.”
Right. I hadn’t come here expecting to distinguish myself immediately. Liam had said it would be a good experience; he hadn’t said I must show them something here.
“The second type is the War Duel.”
“A War Duel?”
“A duel that reenacts past wars recorded in history. Because of that, large groups are formed, and they clash in team units. It’s held to promote and remember the history of the Iron Kingdom. It’s quite popular. People of the Iron Kingdom can’t help but go wild for it.”
“…”
“Since each team is given different victory conditions, many interesting scenes emerge. The outcome isn’t decided by pure combat alone, so there are many variables. But well… as I said, the scale is so large that we’ll likely just be extras. The insanely strong will have their own fight among themselves.”
“That seems likely.”
“If you want to gain experience, it’ll have to be the last duel.”
The last duel. As she said that, Seol-yoon added:
“The third duel, the 「Infinite Duel.」 It’s the match that shares the name of the main event, and it’s the one that carries on the tradition from the distant past.”
“What kind of duel is it?”
“It’s simple.”
And as Seol-yoon’s explanation continued:
“All the warriors’ names are hidden. On top of that, every element that could identify a warrior is removed. They use masks and special outfits that completely hide their faces and bodies. Once everyone is made anonymous, all the participating warriors are shoved into a massive arena. Whether it’s a hundred or two hundred people, all of them.”
“…”
“And then, a duel without rules begins. Until only one person is left standing. No one interferes, whether the warriors inside die or not. Everyone just watches until only one remains. A desperate, never-ending duel.”
Liam smiled with satisfaction. Very, very satisfied.
“True to its name, it is an ‘Infinite Duel.'”
Infinite Duel. When those words were uttered again, Liam spoke.
「Unlike those other trivial games, the final duel is exactly as I remember it. It is the same Infinite Duel where everything is cast aside to compete with pure strength, reeking of blood.」
Liam’s eyes turned toward me.
「I am looking forward to it, young descendant. You will enjoy it too.」
“…”
「If you survive there, you will become very sturdy. Incomparably more so than before.」
A faint madness shimmered in Liam’s eyes. But I wasn’t afraid. Because…
“I’m looking forward to it too.”
My expression was likely the same.
Seol-yoon, who was watching me, spoke with concern.
“…The final match, the Infinite Duel, is a truly brutal game. If something goes wrong, you must surrender and get out immediately. If you don’t leave even when your life is in danger, I will force you out. That’s part of why I followed you here.”
“…”
“I can’t allow you to die at this level. As I said before, I decided to stay with you to see you go all the way to the end. Do you understand?”
Instead of answering Seol-yoon, I simply gave her a wide grin. She didn’t say anything more, just let out a deep sigh and walked out.
After Seol-yoon left, I enjoyed the silence of the inn room for a moment. Then, I silently looked out the window. Even though it was late at night, the streets of the Steel City, Ferma, were brilliant. There were people clinking glasses, people laughing loudly at something joyful, and lights were brightly lit everywhere. I felt the cool air and watched the stars embedded in the night sky for a while.
There wasn’t much time left until the Infinite Duel began. And before I officially participated in that massive event, there was something I absolutely had to do.
My master spoke.
「It is time to eat a new sword, young descendant.」
*
“Have you heard the news?”
Under the star-lit firmament, a man spoke with his hands behind his back. The man’s hair, fluttering in the cool night breeze, was ash-gray. Others on the continent might call that hair ash or gray, but a person of the Iron Kingdom, Chervil, would know the true meaning of that color.
“I hear an interesting amusement is taking place in the Steel City.”
“Are you referring to the Infinite Duel?”
In the Iron Kingdom of Chervil, that hair color was known as the color of iron. This was because ash-gray hair symbolized the great bloodline that had reigned as the masters of that kingdom for generations.
The masters of the Iron Kingdom. The iron-blooded royalty, 「Chervil.」
“Yes, the Infinite Duel.”
“…”
“Don’t you want to go and see it? The air is so good today that I feel like heading off somewhere on a whim.”
At the man’s words, another man standing still in the dark shadows remained silent for a moment. After an uncomfortable silence, an answer came back.
“There are many things more important than that right now.”
“Is there anything more important than my amusement?”
The man slowly turned around as he spoke. His hair, catching the starlight, shone like a sharply honed blade. On the head of the faintly smiling man sat a crooked crown. It was a gray iron crown made purely of steel, without a single common jewel embedded in it.
“Did I not say? I wish to enjoy some amusement.”
“…”
“I am not a person who seeks your permission. Prepare to leave.”
The man—the Iron Prince, Ian Chervil—gave the command.
The man who heard the heavy command bowed his head and stepped out of the shadows. His face, revealed by the moonlight, was as devoid of emotion as a doll’s. He did not wear steel armor. Instead, he wore ceremonial clothing made of thin cloth. Standing before the Iron Prince, the man replied.
“If that is what you wish.”
Looking at the man bowing in respect, Iron Prince Ian Chervil smiled with satisfaction. Then, he turned back to gaze at the stars shining in the night sky as he called out the man’s name.
“I really do like you.”
The most powerful Swordmaster. The guardian of the Iron Kingdom and the great watcher. The Foremost Sword of the Continent.
And.
“Carlos.”
The enemy of the Arhan Caravan—the boy dreaming of revenge in some remote corner of the Iron Kingdom—called the name of Swordmaster Carlos.
