Chapter 49 : Chapter 49

Episode 49. The Infinite Duel (1)

“...You’ll write me a letter of recommendation?”

That was the first thing I heard after waking up in the 「Arena」’s Recovery Room. Naturally, I had questions. I didn’t even know why Tom, the caretaker of the Hall of Honor, was here—so why was he suddenly offering to write me a recommendation?

“Yes. Giving one to you isn’t any trouble at all, young master.”

“To me? But why…”

Tom gave me his usual warm, grandfatherly smile.

Tom, caretaker of the Hall of Honor. I’d left him with a good impression before. Back when I had sweet-talked my way into acquiring 「Fang」 through less-than-honest means, and because I knew I’d be visiting the Hall of Honor often, I’d made sure to flatter him every chance I got.

But that was all.

We weren’t close.

So why offer me a recommendation? My old habit—suspicion—started whispering in my ear again.

Did my flattery about the Goddess Refri leave that deep an impression? Or maybe he remembered me simply because few young fighters ever took the time to speak politely with an old caretaker. My mind is filled with guesses—none of them satisfying.

And then—“I’m a fan,” Tom said simply.

I blinked. “…A fan?”

“Yes. I like your battles. That’s all there is to it.”

“…”

“And for an old man like me, writing one recommendation is nothing at all.”

He smiled kindly.

“I may look like a worn-out relic now, but once upon a time, I was quite respected. If I write your recommendation, the 「Arena」 will have no reason to object. Hoho, surely you don’t think this old man lacks the authority to write one, do you?”

“Of course not! You’re the esteemed caretaker of the Hall of Honor, one of the most glorious institutions in the Iron Kingdom! A man of such fine work clearly—”

The words poured out instinctively, smooth and sweet as honey.

From across the room, Seol Yoon gave me a look of pure disgust.

I ignored her.

This wasn’t flattery. It was muscle memory.

「That old man’s letter will be of great help. As I’ve told you before, he isn’t just some caretaker.」

Right—Liam was certain of that. From the start, he had seen through Tom’s gentle façade.

Behind the smiling old man was a warrior who had reached the rank of 「Sword Expert」—a being strong enough to rule entire kingdoms if he wished. Someone like that wouldn’t bother lying about a mere letter of recommendation.

Still—「But nothing in this world is ever free.」

I agreed with my master. Even as I smiled, I studied Tom’s expression closely. He truly bore no malice toward me, but I could tell: there was something behind his offer. Not greed or deceit—just… intention.

Sure enough, after a while of polite chatter—“However,” Tom said, “I can’t give it to you for nothing.”

The words I’d been expecting.

I thought to myself, Of course.

“I’d like to ask one favor in return.”

Naturally. My suspicion had never failed me yet.

Without changing my expression, I smiled brightly—the very picture of an innocent young man.

“Of course! How could I possibly accept your generosity without doing something in return? I’d be honored to help in any way I can.”

“Hoho, you certainly have a way with words, young master.”

Tom chuckled heartily.

I laughed along.

“It’s not a difficult favor,” he said. “I remember, from our last conversation, how passionately you spoke about weapons—how you said that a blade is more than just metal, that it carries the spirit of its wielder. That left quite the impression on me. I thought to myself, ‘This young man loves swords as much as I do.’”

“…”

At this point, I still thought the request would be something simple. Until…

“So, when the Infinite Duel is over, I’d like to visit your home. I want to see how well you’re taking care of the blade you received from the Hall of Honor—「Fang」, was it? Oh, don’t misunderstand! It’s not that I distrust you. But I doubt you’ve learned proper sword maintenance, so I thought I might teach you how to keep it from rusting, how to preserve it for decades to come. You see, I pride myself on being the best caretaker of swords in the entire Iron Kingdom—hoho! It would make me very happy, as a fan, to pass that knowledge on to you—”

My mind blanked halfway through his rambling. So, in summary:

He wanted to see the weapon.

“Haha… Ha… ha…”

“Is there a problem?”

Tom tilted his head, and his kind face shifted ever so slightly—as if saying, Don’t tell me you sold it, after all that talk about honor and history?

I hadn’t sold it. I’d eaten it. But that was hardly better.

And definitely not something I could say out loud.

My instincts screamed lie!—so I smiled even wider.

“Of course not! I’d be delighted to have you over after the Infinite Duel! Hahaha, I’m already looking forward to it!”

I was doomed.

“My home is rather remote, though. Would that be a problem—?”

“Not at all. I’m old; I prefer the quiet of the countryside.”

“Ha-ha! Then you’ll love it!”

Forget it. Let future-me deal with that catastrophe.

「Excellent attitude.」

Yeah, thanks. Learned from the best, after all.

And just like that, I had everything I needed to enter the 「Infinite Duel.」 Tom wrote the recommendation, the 「Arena」 accepted it without question, and both requirements were officially met.

All that was left was to wait for the day of the grand event.

“Unlike you, who sees monsters behind every kind word, it seems Tom was simply a good man,” Seol Yoon said.

「Tch. You should try seeing the world as it really is.」

“Are you the one saying that to me?”

Tom truly had meant well. All my suspicions, all my careful watching—it had all been pointless.

He’d asked for nothing more than to teach me how to take care of a weapon.

How could he have known that I ate the damn thing instead?

Well, that would be Future Me’s problem. For now, things were going better than they ever had since leaving my family’s estate. Almost too well.

‘…And things that go too well always explode later.’

They always did, in my life.

***

The Infinite Duel. A grand event dating back to the days when the 「Arena」 was still a brutal coliseum—the oldest surviving tradition of the Iron Kingdom.

A gathering of the continent’s greatest warriors.

「In my era, the Infinite Duel was a trial by fire—a test of limits. I used to tell my descendants: if you are a Karavan, you must experience it at least once.」

So said Liam. In his time, anyone could enter, anytime, as long as there were enough contenders.

A blood-soaked festival where true warriors were born.

But that was long, long ago.

“Nowadays, the Infinite Duel is the Arena’s main event,” Seol Yoon explained.

If they’d kept it the same, it would’ve remained just another blood sport. But over time, the event had evolved—to entertain audiences, to give purpose to the fighters, to ensure its survival across the ages.

“There are three categories of duels,” she said.

“Three?”

“First, the Race Duel.”

Her tone was calm, her expression detached.

“That’s where the seven races fight for pride. Each time, the rules change. Last time, it was a flag-capture contest. Before that, a commander battle—teams taking turns until one side’s leader fell.”

“I see…”

“Well, technically it’s six races. The dragons don’t participate.”

“Of course.”

Dragons—the mightiest of the seven races. So few remained that most people would live and die without ever seeing one.

They existed in legend more than in fact.

There was no reason they’d join a human spectacle.

“You don’t really need to worry about the Race Duel,” Seol Yoon continued. “It’s massive in scale, and full of famous names. No way we’d win anything there.”

“Right…”

“Honestly, even reaching the event’s minimum requirements is a miracle for us. The Infinite Duel draws every insane powerhouse on the continent.”

That was fine. Liam had told me to treat it as experience, not a stage to show off.

“The second type is the War Duel.”

“War Duel?”

“It’s a reenactment of historic battles. Each side gathers a team to relive a past war from the Iron Kingdom’s history. It’s popular—people love watching their nation’s legends brought to life.”

“…”

“The rules vary by team. Sometimes victory comes from strategy, not slaughter. It’s unpredictable and full of surprises. But again, with our level, we’d be background extras at best.”

“Agreed.”

“The last one’s the real deal,” she said quietly.

The third duel.

“The one named after the event itself—『The Infinite Duel』.”

“What’s that like?”

“It’s simple.”

Her next words made even Liam stir with anticipation.

“Every fighter hides their name. Their faces. Their identity. Everyone wears masks and special gear so no one knows who anyone is. Then they throw all of them—hundreds, maybe even thousands—into a single, massive arena.”

“…”

“And they fight. No rules. No limits. Until only one person is left standing. No one interferes, no one stops it. They just watch.”

Liam grinned. Deeply, darkly pleased.

“As the name suggests,” Seol Yoon finished, “it’s infinite.”

Liam chuckled low in my mind.

「Unlike those tame little spectacles, that final duel… that’s the one I remember. Pure, unfiltered strength. Blood, madness, survival. That’s the real Infinite Duel.」

His eyes gleamed with madness.

「You’ll enjoy it, my young descendant. And if you survive… you’ll emerge harder than steel itself.」

I couldn’t help smiling too. Seol Yoon saw it and sighed.

“...The last duel’s brutal. If things go wrong, surrender immediately. If you don’t, I’ll drag you out myself. That’s why I’m coming with you—to make sure you don’t die before you’re done.”

“…”

“I won’t let you die at this level. You’re supposed to go farther. Understand?”

Instead of answering, I smiled.

She sighed again and left the room.

Alone, I sat in silence for a while, then turned to the window. Even at night, the Steel City of Ferma glittered with life—laughter, clinking glasses, and golden light filling the streets.

The Infinite Duel was near. And before stepping into it, I had one last thing to do.

Liam’s voice echoed within me.

「It’s time to eat a new sword, my young descendant.」

***

“Have you heard the news?”

Under a starlit sky, a man stood with his hands behind his back.

The night wind stirred his ash-gray hair—a color that, in the Iron Kingdom of Cherville, meant far more than it did elsewhere.

“They say there’s an amusing spectacle in the Steel City.”

“You speak of the Infinite Duel, Your Highness?”

In Cherville, ash-gray was the color of iron.

The color of royalty.

The mark of those who had ruled the Iron Kingdom for generations.

The Iron Prince—Ian Cherville.

“Yes. The Infinite Duel.”

“…”

“Shall we go see it? The air feels nice tonight. I’d like a change of scenery.”

The shadowed figure nearby hesitated.

“There are more pressing matters at hand.”

“More pressing than my amusement?”

Ian turned, his eyes gleaming like tempered steel under the starlight.

A crooked iron crown rested on his head—pure metal, no jewels, no ornaments.

“I told you, didn’t I? I wish to enjoy myself.”

“…”

“I’m not asking your permission. Prepare to leave.”

The man in the shadows bowed his head and stepped forward, the moonlight revealing his emotionless face. He wore no armor—just simple ceremonial garb.

“If that is your will.”

Ian Cherville smiled in satisfaction, turning back toward the stars.

“As expected. That’s why I like you.”

The strongest Swordmaster.

The Guardian of the Iron Kingdom.

The continent’s greatest blade.

And—“Carlos.” The Swordmaster Carlos— the 「Master of Ten Swords」— the man who had slain Arhan Karavan’s father.

Arhan’s enemy.