Chapter 104 : Chapter 104

Translator: AkazaTL

Pr/Ed: Sol IX

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Chapter 104 — Uninvited Guests (3)

When the flow was disrupted, the knights’ well-coordinated assault fell apart into chaos.

“What the—”

Steel clashed against steel, armor against armor, and the air filled with noise. 「Gale」 was a blade designed precisely for such disorder, for breaking the rhythm of many. But these opponents were seasoned in coordinated combat — men trained long to strike as one.

Before I could even shift into the next stance, a sword came flying. A sharp and menacing thrust. I barely evaded by stepping back a single pace — and immediately, two more blades came at me. One at my knee, the other at my flank. Either strike would be fatal. Could I dodge? No — no angle existed for escape. Then—

“Arhan!”

Just as countless thoughts crossed my mind, a circle formed around me. The circle turned into a Taiji symbol, and every blade that touched it was repelled in the opposite direction. A moment later, long black hair fluttered through the air. With the sweep of that hair, a graceful sword danced in elegant motion. 「Thousandfold Change」— the ever-shifting sword that swept the enemies back.

“You all right? What in the world—”

It was Seol Yoon.

She had come running from behind and, the moment she appeared, deflected the enemies’ swords. I could see the change in the knights’ eyes as they watched her blade move.

“...So there were more nuisances.”

“Don’t lower your guard. They’re the ones who shamed the young master. There’s no way it’s just one of them.”

The air grew heavy. Amid that suffocating tension, I spoke.

“They’re enemies — ones who came here to threaten us.”

Seol Yoon’s arrival was a relief. Against swordsmen, there was no ally more dependable than her. At our level, her technique and mystic power were overwhelming.

Silence fell over the battlefield — a heavy, uneasy quiet — until a thump echoed from the knights’ bodies. With that strange sound, all the knights were pushed backward, out beyond the gate. When I turned around, I saw Hailyn. Green light streamed from her hands — the same light as the barrier.

“Master!”

Panting, Hailyn cried out as she reached us.

“Step behind me! I’ll drive them all away!”

“Drive them away? How? Did you learn some powerful spell?”

“No. I’ve only learned basic orcish charms from the orc shaman — reading the stars, foretelling misfortune, trivial things… What I used was the Guardian Stone. I temporarily awakened the ‘Star Spell’ sealed within it — the one that blocks out external enemies.”

Hailyn formed intricate shapes with her hands. With each gesture came a resonant thoom.

“I don’t know why they came, but I’ll drive them all out. They may be strong knights, but they won’t be able to resist this. My power is nothing compared to theirs, but the orc shaman’s spell is on another level. No matter how skilled they are with a sword, they can’t withstand true magic. Absolutely not.”

With a single wave of her hand, green light swelled. The knights brushed dirt from their armor, muttering irritably.

“A magician too? Now I understand how the young master could have suffered humiliation in this wretched land. Infinite potential, but little experience. No wonder he fell, facing not only swordsmen but also wicked magicians.”

They kept twisting things to fit their own story.

The light from Hailyn’s hands grew brighter. I could almost see, within it, the faint silhouette of an orc elder — the same divine aura I’d once seen at the Sacred Ground. And then—

“Wavecatcher. Step forward.”

“As you command.”

From among the knights emerged a bald, dark-skinned man whose entire body was covered in tattooed sigils. He carried a staff tipped with a glowing gem and smiled.

“Not a magician, but a shaman — and orcish at that. I’ll have to charge you more than we agreed, my handsome knights.”

“You’ll have your gold. Just erase that vile light.”

“With pleasure.”

The man laughed lightly, planted his staff into the ground, and clapped once.

Splash.

The sound of waves crashing. Instantly, the green light Hailyn had conjured vanished — without a trace.

“Huh?”

“A cute girl, surprised, are we? My dear, no matter how potent your magic might be, what matters is the wielder. A child fumbling with power she doesn’t understand can’t even make me itch.”

“Wh-what…”

Hailyn’s eyes trembled. Flustered, she turned to me.

“M-Master, that man’s a mage — far more powerful than me, and far more advanced. He’s nothing like the black magician Jerry Selfit you fought before. He’s beyond that.”

A bad sign.

As Hailyn’s expression darkened, one of the knights stepped forward.

“Pitiful fighter.”

“……”

“Do you understand now whom you’ve offended?”

The knight walked closer, and as each of his steps fell, the entire line of thirty knights moved in unison. It was like watching a fortress advance. The weight of their presence pressed down like iron walls.

While they advanced, Hailyn hastily formed new sigils with her fingers — the orcish kind, invoking spiritual force through gesture. But the opposing mage had no intention of letting her finish.

“Let’s not be reckless, little miss.”

The man called Wavecatcher snapped his fingers. Snap. Hailyn’s body spun in midair before slamming into the ground. A sharp cry escaped her lips, followed by a spatter of blood. Trembling, she lay sprawled, crushed as if pinned by a boulder.

‘Damn it.’

Thirty knights. And a mage of unfathomable skill.

That kind of power didn’t belong in a remote countryside domain. I couldn’t fathom what kind of “revenge” they thought this was — or why the great House Rhapsody would abandon all honor for it. All I could feel was absurdity. That suffocating sense of being trampled by an overwhelming power, forced to lose everything without knowing why — it was familiar. Exactly like that day.

The day a Swordmaster took everything from me.

“Hai—lyn—!”

But this time—

“You filthy bastards!”

—it was not the same. Because today, I wasn’t alone.

“Get out—!”

A thunderous voice rang out. At the same instant, the man called Wavecatcher gasped, dropping to one knee where he stood. Sweat broke across his brow.

“Oh, my. Seems there’s another little lady who isn’t so cute.”

“…Wavecatcher?”

“This is… quite troublesome.”

From the distance, Audrey appeared. That irritating woman I didn’t want to deal with. But that wasn’t her true essence. Her essence lay in another name.

“How delightful. To find the most precious lady on the continent here, of all places.”

A Witch. A magical being who stood at the pinnacle of mages.

“You dogs! Filthy sea-stinking mongrels from the Free Cities!”

The wind howled once. In the next instant, Audrey, who had been far away, stood right before the kneeling Wavecatcher. A teleportation spell — the kind only high magi could wield — a Mystery that ignored distance to place one’s self anywhere they wished.

“—?”

Everyone’s eyes turned to her sudden arrival.

The knights reacted first, instinctively moving to eliminate the unannounced presence. Their swords swung — but they never reached their mark. Audrey’s lips moved, and in 0.07 seconds, an unknown spell completed.

Five knights — all Sword Runners — lost consciousness instantly and collapsed like puppets with cut strings. Audrey glared down at them with murderous fury.

“If you fear the heavens, leave my sight — all of you.”

Her voice wasn’t that of a girl. It wasn’t a beast’s growl either. Her voice resonated through earth and sky alike — like the voice of a god.

The knights hesitated. In the midst of that reversal of momentum, as they blinked once, another figure appeared — an old man with a silver rapier: the caretaker, Tom.

“This is dishonorable. Not knightly at all, gentlemen.”

With Tom’s appearance, the air froze entirely. The knights were no fools. Every one of them a Sword Runner, they could see it — the half-armor that encased Tom’s body. Proof of a Sword Expert.

“I’ll ask you to leave. I won’t ask twice.”

Everyone stiffened. And then a voice broke the silence.

“A black-haired girl from the eastern continent, a noble Witch of the Sky Empire, and now a mysterious old Sword Expert… quite the collection.”

Step. Step. Footsteps echoed through the stillness.

While all others stood frozen, one man alone walked forward, lazy as if on a stroll. His speech bore the lilting accent of the Free Cities — and even as he spoke, a languid yawn followed.

“Haaam—.”

“They told me to drag myself all the way to this dull, iron-scented countryside of the Iron Kingdom, so I expected to die of boredom… but this might turn out more amusing than I thought.”

He emerged from between the knights with no armor, no helm — only jewelry. Rings, earrings, bracelets glittering with gems adorned his hands and ears. His silk clothes, revealing and flamboyant, were those of the Free Cities’ high society — as if he were attending a party. His face, sleepy as if he’d just risen from bed, was painted thick with makeup — white powder, touches of color — almost beautiful. Beautiful enough to mistake him for a woman.

“Interesting. Truly.”

The strange man’s presence filled the air immediately. The pressure he exuded made it hard to breathe. In that suffocating moment, I remembered what the Iron Prince had said to me.

‘I’ll return to Blade City and stir up a storm.’

…

‘And I intend to make sure you board that storm early.’

It seemed the storm had already begun.

“Haaam.”

Still radiating power, the languid man stretched out a hand to a knight beside him. The knight blinked, then hurriedly pulled something from his pack — a flag. A banner with an emblem fluttering at the end of a long staff.

“What was I supposed to say here… ah well, formality’s all that matters, isn’t it?”

Scratching his head, the man drove the flag deep into the ground. It stood straight, catching the wind — its emblem visible to all who stood there.

“I hereby proclaim to this pitiful domain and its master.”

The emblem depicted a white wave upon a blue sea.

“You have defiled the honor of the great House Rhapsody and slain one of our loyal retainers. We have come to hold you accountable — to demand justice for your crimes.”

No one present failed to recognize the emblem.

“We, the House Rhapsody — one of the Five Great Houses of the continent, masters of the Six Free Cities — declare war upon you. This is a declaration in accordance with the laws of the continent, witnessed by the Seven Lords and Nine Goddesses themselves. We are the vanguard. Our army will trample this land in ten days’ time. Surrender, and you will be spared. Resist, and you will die. We desire only one thing: the life of the fighter, the Sword Demon Liam. If he admits his guilt and comes to us within ten days, war will not begin. If no answer comes, we will show no mercy.”

“……”

“This is our final act of mercy. Miss this chance, and you will learn — painfully — why the continent fears the Five Great Houses.”

The Free City accent, the lazy drawl — but no one laughed.

“If you do not wish for war, come to us anytime, petty fighter.”

His tone was languid, bored, but beneath that softness burned unmistakable fury. Subtle, but sharp enough to cut. When I met his eyes, I understood — the man I’d fought in the 「Infinite Duel」 had been a child compared to this one.

“He may be a foolish little brother, but as his elder, it’s my duty to avenge him personally.”

That man — he was the real thing. A true powerhouse who needed no titles — neither “Great House” nor “Five Families.” Even if all the knights here attacked together, they would not touch the tip of his boot.

“Be wise, hmm?”

With that, they withdrew. But they did not leave entirely.

“……”

After that day, new encampments sprang up at the domain’s gates—barracks for those who had declared they would trample this land and turn it into a field of death.