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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Vine
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I parried the Captain’s sword with all my strength.
The sword, dancing through the air, had no visible means of propulsion.
It simply… existed, as if gravity had no hold on it.
This defied all logic. A sword moving freely, its trajectory defying the laws of physics, a phenomenon that current technology couldn’t explain.
That was the nature of a Master, someone who broke the world’s rules.
A sword not held by a human hand… moved according to its own logic.
Its point of attack shifted unpredictably. It attacked without fear of defense, or limitation.
It could launch itself into the distance, or spin like a buzzsaw, movements impossible for a human hand.
Most who faced sword control couldn’t even survive a single exchange.
Most frighteningly, she could use Aura Blade, even in that state.
“At this rate, the Academy will collapse!”
“This place is built to last. Worry about yourself.”
From the moment I picked up my sword, the two blades had not ceased emitting a blinding flash.
Each collision created a deafening roar, a shockwave, a storm of raw power.
The ground was scarred with craters, the meadow transformed into a battlefield, rocks shattered into fragments.
The clash of two Masters was reshaping the island’s terrain.
At this point, someone from the Academy should have arrived, but no one did.
It was as if she had… forbidden it.
Fighting the sword was pointless. I had to target the source.
She watched me calmly, her arms crossed.
Her brow was furrowed, an angry glint in her eyes.
We were about a hundred meters apart, not close, but within striking distance.
I wanted to wipe that smug look off her face… even if it made things worse.
I turned my back on the sword, changing my focus to the Captain.
A hundred meters was a short distance, but the sword was faster than any human.
I should have been skewered, but I was a Master.
“Screw it…!”
I took a single step towards her.
No mana, no special power. Just a single step.
And, just like that, the world around me shifted.
One step… and I was standing right in front of her.
Any mage would have collapsed, seeing this.
Even I couldn’t explain how it worked.
I just… could.
I didn’t hesitate, unleashing a brilliant Aura Blade, swinging it down.
She was stronger, but why should that matter?
“Guh?!”
As expected, her fist met my face before my Aura Blade could touch her.
I didn’t fall, but a dagger stopped millimeters from my throat.
I’d have dodged it, but it would have been a close call.
“Your skills haven’t dulled.”
Sword control shouldn’t allow for such a counterattack, but… I was too close.
The swords returned to her side.
She had… held back, out of consideration, because we were still on Academy grounds.
A true duel with her would last all night.
“You and my sister both, always causing trouble. I’m getting old.”
“Looks like my master is missing again, too.”
“You’re better than she is. At least you left a note.”
My master had also disappeared. Of course.
My mentor in the Royal Knights was Wendy Westhaven, the Captain’s sister, and the Empire’s second Master.
They had been fisherwomen, from an unknown village, but were now Masters and nobles.
Linda had chosen to embrace her power, while Wendy… wandered, like a ronin.
I was greatly influenced by her. The Captain had praised me for being better at following orders.
“How did you find me?”
“The demonic energy. Andy couldn’t have handled that alone. A process of elimination. A greater demon appears, a greater demon disappears. If the Church was helpless, it must have been a Master….
There are few wandering Masters. One was home. The other is a non-human. You’re the only one left.”
There were few known Masters on the continent.
No more than ten Masters had ever existed at the same time.
Currently the Empire held the most, with three, followed by the Church and other countries, with one each, totaling eight.
Five of them were publicly known and any news of them taking a vacation or traveling far was often considered important news.
The two “Shadows” of the Empire, and a suin Master, were hard to track since they traveled with no fixed home.
The two “Shadows” of the Empire were even harder since they had never revealed their identity. The suin Master would at least have been seen if they’d come here since they were such a rare sight in the Empire.
“So, it’s you. You might have escaped notice if you hadn’t stayed in one place.”
The greater demon… had given me away.
Andy could have handled an ordinary demon. That’s why she came.
I had done what I had to do, but… she was right, my presence here would have alerted others.
“Your letter mentioned a search for a growth potion, yes? Any progress?”
“… 0.1 centimeters.”
“Hmm…”
She seemed amused, pondering for a moment.
“Well, that’s good enough.”
“Good enough?”
“If you hadn’t made any progress after all those years, I would have killed you.”
‘She would have killed me if my mission had been a failure.’
A chilling thought.
“I’m a deserter… I am grateful you spared me, Captain.”
“Deserter? Nonsense, you or my sister could leave whenever you want and you wouldn’t be considered deserters. Since you faced a greater demon… it will be swept under the rug.”
I was relieved that she was so forgiving, but I was also slightly confused.
“Why are you here? If I wanted to rejoin, I’d have requested it myself.”
“You’re not some child, or a common knight, but a Master. And a Shadow of the Empire… If you’re choosing to remain here, the Empire will respect that. But you should’ve contacted us. That’s what I came for.”
She was… surprisingly understanding.
Then again, that was how Wendy was, and the Captain had a soft spot for her.
She sighed, flicking my forehead before turning away.
“I’ve confirmed you’re alive. I’ll be heading back soon.”
“Soon?”
“I’m curious about the Academy. And those descendants of the Five Pillars… they tried so hard to hide them from me. I need to see them.”
The Captain smiled, a predatory grin on her lips.
“The heads of the Five Pillars will have a fit.”
The Royal Knights and the Five Pillars were known for their animosity.
The Captain’s visit would be unwelcome.
Especially to Lemnos and Russell, whose families had lost the title of “the best swordsman in the Empire” to the Knights.
They’d be furious to hear I’d challenged Lemnos again.
“Oh, that reminds me… that kid… is still looking for you.”
My heart sank.
“…She’s still looking for me? After all these years?”
“I’ve been using official missions as a cover, but she’s been causing trouble by leaving her post. Settle things with her and come back.”
She hopped on her sword, and flew into the sky.
Witches rode brooms, but the Empire’s Masters… rode swords.
She had been lenient, but that last comment… bothered me.
The kid…
I felt a pang of guilt.
I had rescued her, taken her in, during my time as a “Shadow.”
Her entire family had died because I was too late. I had taken her in, giving her a purpose.
Was she angry?
I had left abruptly when I learned of the growth potion, without a thought.
No… she was an adult now.
She was capable, skilled. A full member of the Royal Knights. She could take care of herself.
I had left a letter with the Captain. She knew that I was safe.
“She’s probably listening to the Captain and patiently waiting for me… she was always so good at following orders…”
The Captain had probably not revealed her location.
I’d have to tell her to stop her aimless wandering.
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“Atlas… are you okay…?? What was all that about earlier”
I met Lucia on my way back to the dormitory, she was coming from the harbor.
It wasn’t her who had arrived late.
I realized that I had flown from the harbor to the edge of the Academy grounds in a flash.
A few more seconds and I would have fallen into the ocean.
I smiled, to hide my unease.
“It was nothing. I’m fine.”
“You’re covered in dirt.”
“I’m all sticky… I need to shower.”
Lucia glanced at the sword strapped to my back.
I had switched from my usual longsword to a high-quality sword.
She looked like a squirrel, wanting to ask, but hesitant.
“Did the instructor come back?”
“Not yet… there he is.”
Andy was still surrounded by his fans, enjoying the adulation.
I had almost died, and he was basking in the attention.
I felt the grit between my clothes, on my skin.
I needed to… redirect that anger.
“Andy… you’re dead.”
He had seen me, after all.
If he hadn’t come, I wouldn’t have almost died at the harbor.
I’d make him pay for it.
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