Chapter 106 : Chapter 106

Translator: AkazaTL

Pr/Ed: Sol IX

***

Chapter 106 — Uninvited Guests (5)

“I have a question.”

I asked while the meeting was still in progress.

“Why did they bother declaring war? They could’ve just attacked us outright. Instead of giving us time like this, wouldn’t it be easier to send a few of their strongest right away and crush everything?”

It was a genuine question.

If it were one of the mighty Five Great Houses, they could easily pick a few thousand elite knights and wipe this domain off the map. Or Hugo Rhapsody himself could have come. I knew better than anyone what kind of catastrophe a single Swordmaster could cause. I knew it all too well.

“That’s because of the laws of the continent.”

Tom was the one who answered.

“If it were some lesser house, they would’ve done exactly as you said — gathered mercenaries and knights to launch a surprise raid. But the Five Houses can’t. If they did, the other four houses would immediately demand to know why they’d broken the laws.”

“……”

“The authority and power of the Five Houses are beyond imagination. But power always comes with responsibility. Noblesse oblige. They can’t act recklessly. Especially a house that has a Swordmaster among its ranks.”

Tom explained patiently.

“A house with a Swordmaster cannot move as it pleases. It’s strictly forbidden for a Swordmaster to interfere directly in worldly affairs. If one does, the other Swordmasters won’t stay silent — and above all, the Nine Goddesses and the Seven Lords would not forgive it. The gods themselves would hold them accountable, and divine punishment would follow.”

“……”

“There are only five Swordmasters alive today, but history records many more. If one breaks the law, the Swordmasters who now wander the Spirit World, or those who have joined the gods, will demand retribution. It’s a rule that has existed since the continent’s creation — with great power comes great responsibility.”

With great power comes great responsibility.

That single phrase explained why the Rhapsodys acted as they did. To kill someone as insignificant as me, they first attached a justification, issued a formal declaration of war, and announced they would trample this land. It reminded me of the old saying: a tiger gives its all even to catch a rabbit. Rhapsody might be pretentious, but they still built a proper pretext.

Yet the more I listened, one question kept burning inside me.

“Then why does the Iron Prince’s Executioner run wild unchecked?”

The Iron Prince’s Executioner — Swordmaster Carlos.

“If Swordmaster Carlos wields his power so freely, why is no one judging him? Why haven’t the Nine Goddesses and Seven Lords punished him? Why has no Swordmaster demanded he take responsibility?”

Carlos’s actions contradicted everything Tom just said. He wielded his power recklessly, yet bore no apparent burden of responsibility. Hearing my doubts, Tom closed his eyes briefly, then shook his head.

“I don’t know. It’s one of the continent’s great mysteries.”

“……”

“Perhaps only the gods themselves know.”

That wasn’t the answer I wanted.

“In any case,” Tom went on, “Rhapsody won’t act rashly. The laws of the continent — and the weight of responsibility — bind them like chains.”

***

「Hugo Rhapsody, Master of Seven Swords.」

“……”

「Why do you defy the law and walk freely as you please?」

The patriarch of the House Rhapsody — Hugo Rhapsody — heard the voice resound through a pitch-black void. The moment he heard it, he knew he was dreaming. Or, more precisely, that he had been summoned into another’s spiritual world while asleep. And on this continent, the only beings who could summon a Swordmaster into the Spirit World were those of equal stature.

Swordmasters… or—

“It has been a while since you’ve called upon me, oh watchers above the clouds.”

The gods.

The Seven Lords and the Nine Goddesses.

“Why have you called me?”

「We told you — because you broke the law.」

“You descended for that? Because I cut down a few worthless clowns?”

Standing before the Seven Lords and Nine Goddesses, Hugo Rhapsody sneered.

“To you, those clowns are precious — but my bloodline, who has served this continent, is not? What were you doing while my son was being butchered? Tell me, oh gods — while my son screamed your names, where were you? Why do you judge only me, but not the pitiful fighter who committed such atrocity?”

Hugo stared into the empty air as he spoke. And at last, a reply came.

「We will overlook the killing and threats to the clowns — because rather than rushing to slaughter that fighter, you abided by law, declared war, and acted as a noble should.」

“Answer my question.”

「But that is as far as you can go. A Swordmaster must not interfere with the flow of the world. Do not leave your domain, Hugo Rhapsody.」

“I said, answer me.”

The voices of the gods were heavy. As the Nine Goddesses and Seven Lords revealed their divine presence, Hugo Rhapsody dared to face them — mortal body and all.

Silence. Then came their decree.

「Obey the law.」

“……”

「There is only one Swordmaster unbound by law. And that is not you, foolish heir of the Lazy Idler.」

***

The uninvited guests had said it — They would give us ten days.

Ten days. The same as the time left before an execution. They called themselves the vanguard, but even they must know — no matter how “organized” this small frontier land appeared, it would be nothing for them to burn it to ash.

If the Sword Expert caretaker Tom weren’t here…If the Witch Audrey weren’t here…

If only the original residents were — Me, Seol Yoon, Hailyn, and the old villagers and farmers who had never touched a sword — the result would have been horrific.

They wouldn’t have needed the mage called Wavecatcher.

They wouldn’t have needed the Rhapsody second son who declared war.

The thirty knights alone could have wiped this place from the map. The simple villagers would have been butchered, and my land would again have been soaked in blood. Just like before.

I didn’t believe violence could solve everything. No matter how much I trained the sword, I could never govern the land as well as Hailyn. I couldn’t rebuild what was lost, gather people, and restore the warm scenery.

The world had its roles.

Violence was only one of them.

But—

“Master.”

When others use violence against what’s precious to me…When the unjust and the corrupt wield force against the innocent…The only thing that can stand against such force is greater force. Those who worship power ignore reason; those who live by strength refuse dialogue. Against power, only power can stand.

“Can I face them?”

And so I asked myself.

Was my power enough to stand against this world’s absurdity?

“Their vanguard — and the army of that great house arriving in ten days — can we defeat them? No matter how I think about it, I can’t picture it. It’s impossible…”

No matter how I calculated, it wasn’t enough.

I would break. I would shatter. And all that I cherished would vanish once more.

I didn’t want that.

“Give me the answer.”

So I asked — my master, who was always right.

“What must I do?”

Liam looked at me. His eyes burned — bright and fierce, like in the portrait hanging proudly in the Karavan manor, those of a lion.

「Ten days.」

“……”

「Spread your Wings within ten days.」

His tone was commanding.

「If you don’t, you’ll lose everything again.」

His voice weighed heavily.

「There is no second chance, young heir.」

「That is the world.」

***

The Witch Audrey said she could handle the mage — the Wavecatcher. It was probably true.

Witches stood at the pinnacle of all magical beings. But the vanguard wasn’t stupid. Once they confirmed Audrey’s presence, they would call for reinforcements. Magical entities strong enough to counter a Witch — ones the Great House Rhapsody could afford to hire.

Tom said he could hold off Rhapsody’s second son, Edan Rhapsody. That, too, was probably true. According to my master, Tom was not yet a fully mature Sword Expert. But that hardly mattered. A Sword Expert, mature or not, was comparable not to war heroes but to myths themselves. Tom certainly had the power to back his words.

I had powerful allies. But the enemy was far too strong.

How were we to face thirty Sword Runner knights? If that was merely a vanguard for show, how powerful would the army arriving in ten days be? I had no idea how deep the might of the Five Great Houses ran.

So I asked — how strong would the army be if they came in full force?

The answer:

“To speak frankly, my lord — if you want any chance of ending this, it must be before their army arrives.”

“That serious? Even if they’re powerful, it’s still just a ‘house.’”

Tom coughed lightly before replying.

“My lord.”

“Yes.”

“You were born and raised here, without formal education. You don’t know history or the powers that exist on this continent. So I’ll be blunt.”

Tom’s tone was grave, without a trace of humor.

“The armies of the Five Great Houses are strong enough to stand against any nation short of the Sky Empire and the Great Land. Don’t think of them as ‘houses.’ They already possess the strength of independent nations.”

Damn it.

「He’s not exaggerating.」

“……”

「The ‘Black Archipelago’ and the ‘Machine Empire’ both once fought wars against one of the Five Great Houses — and were crushed. How do you think the Rhapsodys became masters of the Six Free Cities?」

“Ah.”

「They conquered them — with a single sword.」

Right. The enemy was too strong. Far, far too strong for me alone to handle.

The whirlpool the Iron Prince had stirred was massive — monstrously so. To withstand such a storm, I needed more than personal growth.

I needed to widen the board.

“Hailyn.”

To face one whirlpool, I would raise another.

“Climb the mountain. Now.”

“Eh? What do you mean—?”

“Go to the peak and cry out for help. Shout to the heavens from the closest place to the sky.”

“Wait, you don’t mean—”

To survive, I had to gather every bond, shallow or deep.

“I’m calling the orcs.”

The Orc Elder had said: If you ever face trouble, climb to the mountain’s summit. From where the sky feels close, cry for our aid — and wherever we are, we will come. Whether your enemy is a dragon ruling the Sky Mountains, a sea-king ruling the oceans, or the emperor of a great empire.

I knew the orcs well.

No matter the foe — even if it was the army of a Great House led by a Swordmaster himself — they would come. There was no ally in the world more reliable.

And then—

“Hoo…”

I took out an item I had left untouched in the manor.

My reward for fighting as a proxy warrior for my kind neighbor — and winning. I had never used it because I didn’t consider it mine. It belonged to Fetel the Loyal, a man who died a knight to the end. So I hadn’t dared touch it.

‘It’s a gift, for sending my beloved friend off without loneliness.’

But now, I needed it.

‘When you truly need help, break the medal. When it shatters, I’ll come to your aid — no matter what danger you’re in.’

To face the Five Houses…I had to summon one of my own.

‘The Watchers of the White Family will guard your future.’

Crack.

The white medal split apart with a sound like shattering ice.

The instant it broke, blinding white light erupted. The light gathered in one spot, taking the shape of a magnificent bird — a bird made of light. It soared high into the sky, faster than the eye could follow.

Watching it disappear, I recalled Fetel’s words.

‘I don’t know why, but I think your name will go down in the history of the continent.’

The nostalgia lasted only a moment. Now, I had gathered every bond — long or short. If I could’ve called the dwarf Dwight too, that would’ve been perfect, but I had no way to reach him.

After tidying away Daisy’s broken White Medal, I slowly stepped outside.

My master spoke.

「Young heir.」

“Yes.”

「You’ve just created a ridiculous storm.」

I looked calmly at him.

“This is only the beginning.”

Then I slowly drew my sword.

The sun blazed hot above.

“Master, no matter how much I train in the next ten days, I can’t spread my Wings. I can feel it myself — it’s impossible.”

「……」

“So I’ll stop training. Instead, I’ll follow the Karavan way.”

My master had once told me: The Karavans are special. We don’t need brutish training. The Karavans grow greater through battle — like a sword that hardens each time it’s struck.

I hadn’t forgotten.

“I will fight.”

I was a hopeless dullard. But—

“I’ll do it the Karavan way.”

For the Blood of Steel flowed through me.