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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: selkie
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The Blessing of Sword and Magic. It was the greatest opportunity that allowed Richard to become the protagonist in the infamous novel ‘Empire of the Dead’, known for its ruthless slaughter of supporting characters. And right now, Raymond was trying to steal that opportunity from Richard.
Sylvia had explained that the statue of the First Magic Swordsman, Deyrian, who bestows the blessing, lay dormant within the deep barrier where the World Tree resided.
“Shall I guide you there immediately?”
“No. There’s an herb I need to gather first.”
This was a preparatory measure to minimize the side effects before receiving the blessing. Raymond listed the necessary herbs.
They weren’t commonly found nearby, like Tears of the Crescent Moon or the Stars of the Night, but fortunately, Sylvia managed to retrieve them quickly, likely because there were some in stock.
There was no need to process them into potions, so he simply chewed them. A bitter taste filled his mouth, but it was bearable.
“Let’s go.”
The intake was complete. With this, the backlash from the blessing would be significantly reduced. Raymond followed Sylvia as she led the way. Soon, she opened the deep barrier, and they stepped inside.
Beyond the World Tree, as they ventured deeper, they saw a statue in the form of a sword embedded in the ground.
Raymond instantly recognized that the statue, infused with an alien mana, was the very existence mentioned in the author’s setting notes, the opportunity that granted the *Blessing of Sword and Magic*.
“Gestain. And Desia.”
“Awaiting your command, my lord.”
“Give your orders.”
His two subordinates stepped forward and bowed their heads.
“Until the blessing is complete, let no one approach me.”
This place was within the deep barrier, where other elves rarely ventured. Still, one could never be too careful. It was best to take minimal precautions.
“By your command, my lord.”
“The shield will always be with you, Fifth Prince.”
Satisfied with their responses, Raymond nodded and turned toward the statue.
The closer he got, the faster his heart pounded. This was the very reason Richard had to become the protagonist.
‘The final blessing of the First Magic Swordsman, Deyrian. This is mine now.’
He stopped in front of the statue and reached out.
‘Sorry, but this belongs to me.’
The moment his hand touched it, the statue unleashed a powerful surge of energy. It poured out like a waterfall, flowing directly into Raymond’s body.
‘It’s begun.’
His eyes turned cold. The blessing forcibly began reconstructing his mana road, allowing him to use both mana swords and magic simultaneously.
At first, it was mild. A dull ache in his stomach, like an upset gut, was just the beginning. But soon, the pain spread to his heart.
A suffocating pressure filled his veins, as if they were blocked, while a thousand needles stabbed relentlessly into his heart.
“Ugh!”
As the pain engulfed his entire body, Raymond let out a short groan and staggered. Despite being called a blessing, the Blessing of Sword and Magic was a complete reconstruction of both the mana road and the body, making the pain inevitable.
“Fifth Prince!”
“Elite Guard Captain! You can’t go near him!”
Gestain was about to rush forward, startled by Raymond’s distress, but Desia blocked his way. As a mage on the verge of reaching the highest tier, she instantly understood what was happening to Raymond’s body.
Her eyes gleamed as she observed the transformation occurring within him.
The ancient method of bodily reconstruction was enlightening, even for her.
If she had the time to analyze this process further, she might finally break through the wall that had been obstructing her advancement.
“Krrgh!”
The pain grew worse. Standing on his feet became impossible. Raymond stumbled and collapsed to the ground.
Gestain desperately wanted to run to him and help, but after hearing Desia’s explanation, he suppressed the urge with all his might.
“Hah… Hah!”
Lying on the ground, he gasped for air. The unbearable agony twisted his body, wreaking havoc on his insides, making him vomit blood.
Even though he had anticipated the backlash and taken herbs to suppress the pain, it was still this severe.
‘How did Richard endure this without any preparation?’
For the first time, he wondered whether Richard had been more than just a favored character of the author.
“Desia, how much longer must we wait?”
Gestain couldn’t hide his frustration. Three hours had passed already. Unlike the composed Desia and Sylvia, he was growing increasingly restless.
Raymond’s suffering was making him react in a way that was completely out of character.
“I don’t know.”
“Then what do you know?”
“One thing. If you go near the Fifth Prince now, you’ll only make things worse.”
Dissatisfied with her answer, Gestain bit his lip. Desia, watching his reaction, was relieved that the Blue Tower Master wasn’t here.
If even the usually reserved Gestain was this agitated, the overly dramatic Blue Tower Master would have been a nightmare to deal with.
Just imagining it made her sigh.
“For now, we can only wait.”
There was nothing else they could do but stand guard.
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On the first day, he suffered endlessly. The pain only intensified as time passed, and his body continued to twist in agony.
On the second day, the reconstruction of his body was still ongoing. There was no end in sight. Though he had read about this in the setting notes, experiencing it firsthand was an entirely different matter.
By the third day, he had lost the ability to even scream. Only the sound of labored breathing could be heard.
Gestain kept biting his lips. Even Desia was growing uneasy, shifting her gaze around.
Sylvia brought them meals, but the two loyal subordinates refused to eat or drink, staying by Raymond’s side without rest.
Then, on the morning of the fourth day, Sylvia suddenly turned pale and left the deep barrier.
She returned about thirty minutes later and delivered urgent news to Gestain and Desia.
“We need to escape. Now.”
Her face was deathly pale as she spoke. However, neither Desia nor Gestain moved an inch.
“The elite guards do not run.”
“I will stay by the Fifth Prince’s side to the end.”
Seeing their unwavering loyalty, Sylvia bit her lip. She realized that no amount of persuasion would work on them. Without another word, she disappeared once more.
The two steadfastly continued their watch over Raymond. Time passed.
“Haaah!”
With a scream-like gasp, Raymond regained consciousness.
Throughout his ordeal, his body had twisted hundreds—no, thousands—of times to the point where his bones had misaligned, and he had vomited over and over again.
But now, he felt refreshed, as if he had been reborn.
“My lord!”
“Your Highness the Fifth Prince!”
Gestain and Desia, realizing the physical reconstruction was complete, rushed over. They thought Raymond would be exhausted and tried to offer their support, but it was unnecessary.
Raymond refused their assistance and quickly got to his feet.
Strength surged through his entire body. Although he hadn’t slept a wink for four days due to the pain, he felt as refreshed as if he had just woken from a deep, restful sleep.
“My lord, you must quickly leave the Blue Forest.”
What was this? Raymond gave a questioning glance, as if asking for an explanation, and this time, Desia spoke.
“The village is under attack.”
“Who are the attackers and how many are there?”
“They are likely mercenaries, and there are over three hundred of them.”
Ordinary mercenaries numbering three hundred could be handled by the Platinum Grass Tribe’s Elf patrols. But these were the ones who breached the barrier. Though weakened, it was the World Tree’s barrier. They had destroyed it, so could they really be considered ordinary?
“We’ll first exit the deeper barrier.”
Raymond spoke calmly. To leave the village of the Platinum Grass Tribe, they needed to get out of the World Tree’s deeper barrier first.
“I’ll lead the way.”
“Leave it to you, Gestain.”
Gestain, drawing his sword, took the lead. As soon as they passed beyond the deeper barrier, the scene before them could only be described as ‘hell.’
The village was burning, and the elves were being dragged away by the rough hands of the mercenaries.
Some had already suffered severe injuries. The mercenaries hadn’t noticed them yet.
Now would be the perfect time to escape, but Raymond quickly sensed hesitation in Gestain’s stance. The sword in his right hand trembled slightly.
It seemed he was torn between his oath as a knight not to tolerate injustice and his vow to protect his lord with his life.
“My lord, I’ll find a safer route…”
“Commander Gestain.”
He quickly made up his mind, but Raymond smiled lightly and shook his head.
“Plant my banner here.”
“My lord, there are over three hundred of them…”
Raising the banner meant “joining the fight.”
“But their numbers have likely dwindled from the engagement with the Platinum Grass Tribe’s Elf patrols.”
“My lord, this is dangerous.”
“You said high-ranking knights are worth ten men each. Was that an exaggeration?”
Raymond couldn’t lose Sylvia like this. He lightly provoked Gestain, who soon made up his mind.
“If it gets too dangerous, we’ll retreat immediately.”
Raymond nodded in agreement.
“When the time comes, I’ll follow the commander’s lead.”
As Raymond spoke with a light smile, Gestain let out a brief sigh, planted the flag on the ground, and unfurled it.
At that moment, the mercenaries’ attention began to turn toward them.
“That looks like the royal banner.”
“What should we do?”
Even the most reckless mercenaries feared royalty. Their wild rampage stopped for an instant.
Except for the occasional sobbing and groaning, the silence was so profound it felt as though time had stopped.
“But where is the Imperial Army?”
“If the Imperial Army’s not here, does that mean we can kill them?”
“Commander, what should we do?”
Though the Imperial Army was absent, the mercenary commander couldn’t make a decision right away. He suspected it might be a trap.
While he was still deep in thought, some figures moved first.
From the shadows, they drew sharp daggers. These were no ordinary mercenaries. They were members of the Black Shadows, walking the path of darkness.
Assassins.
“Shield!”
With a sharp voice, Desia reached forward.
A mana shield glowing blue blocked the barrage of daggers. At the same time, Raymond extended his hands and completed a magic circle.
“Ice Rain!”
Ice poured from the sky. The powerful force of the advanced magic caused over ten mercenaries to fall without even resisting.
“Who attacked us?!”
The mercenary commander demanded, but of course, no answer came.
It was the Second Prince’s direct subordinates who had launched the attack.
Now that things had escalated, they had no choice but to kill the Fifth Prince if they hoped to survive.
“Kill them!”
The mercenaries turned their killing intent toward Raymond. The first to move were the cavalry.
Twenty cavalrymen, waiting near the commander, aimed their spears at Raymond.
“Who do you think you’re aiming your spears at?”
From behind, Raymond felt the flow of mana. Desia had begun chanting a spell.
As the cavalry charged, the magic that had been completed fell over their heads. The sharp ice shards struck, causing the horses to collapse and the riders to fall.
“There’s a high-ranking mage among them!”
“There are at least two!”
The mercenaries hurried to regroup, but Raymond didn’t stay idle either.
“Platinum Grass Tribe’s patrols, gather under this banner!”
He ignited the spark of resistance. The Elf patrols, who had been resisting nearby, began to rally. Though their numbers were small, they could make a stand against the remaining mercenaries.
“There aren’t many of them! Scatter and charge!”
The cavalry had been wiped out, but the mercenaries still had plenty left. Among them were archers and a few mages, some of whom were intermediate or lower level.
“Fire!”
Arrows rained down from the sky, and the attacking magic from the mercenaries tore through the air.
Desia raised a mana shield, and the Elf patrols, who had reformed under the Fifth Prince’s banner, continued firing arrows.
Though the mercenaries had been decimated by the Elf patrols, there were still more. Raymond and Desia’s magic continued to reduce their numbers rapidly.
But they weren’t done yet. As the mercenary force was nearing total annihilation, a new group emerged.
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