Extra in a Romance Fantasy

161 – The Swordmaster (1)

“…Swordmaster.”

Seeing the face of the Swordmaster suddenly appear before me, I felt the blood that had been coursing down my spine turn cold.

The strongest warrior of the Empire, a force to be reckoned with, and perhaps the strongest warrior on the continent, stood right in front of me.

Surely, without a doubt, as my enemy.

“…Well, it’s just luck, I suppose.”

I once came close to death at the hands of the old man before me.

If it hadn’t been for Bella’s help, and if fortune hadn’t smiled upon me, I would surely be dead.

Seeing the person who had driven me to the brink of death again stirred up emotions I couldn’t quite articulate.

“Luck, huh… I see.”

The swordsman nodded calmly.

Well, given that he was the one who had pushed me to the edge of death, he would know better than anyone the reality of the situation I was in.

My survival was, quite literally, contingent upon a stroke of luck that would not come again.

“…This is unexpected. I never thought I would meet you here.”

I looked directly at the swordsman.

I had suspected for some time that he had ties to the Order.

However, I never anticipated that I would encounter him here, at this moment.

“It seems your connections to the Order run deeper than I thought?”

Could it be that he was merely a loyal follower of the leader, belonging to the Order himself?

As I regarded him with that question in mind, he replied.

“Hmmm… Well, I wouldn’t say it’s as deep as you think. It’s hard to describe my relationship with them as anything more than… a cooperative one. We help each other out from time to time, that’s all.”

Yet the swordsman neatly dismissed my words.

“…A mere cooperative relationship, you say? You certainly appeared at a rather exquisite moment for that. There’s no reason for you to be here, after all.”

The forces of Elbrent gathered at the Academy did not originally include the swordsman.

Thus, it was only natural to question why he was here at this moment.

Unless, of course, his claim about the shallow nature of his ties to the Order was true.

“Indeed. As you said, I shouldn’t have been here.”

He nodded calmly.

“Were you suspicious of His Highness the Crown Prince?”

Despite gathering forces under the pretext of waging war against Rainberg, Kairn had not included the swordsman in that army.

It wouldn’t be strange for him to harbor doubts about that fact.

After all, it was a matter of choosing not to use the strongest card available in the fight.

However.

“That’s not it.”

The swordsman shook his head.

—

“I found it strange, but I didn’t doubt it. The way His Highness the Crown Prince presented himself seemed so utterly genuine.”

His words continued.

“The sight of His Highness preparing for war was that of a young prince blinded by the desire for revenge for his brother, yet at the same time, it was the image of a reckless Crown Prince wanting to prove his worth through war and be recognized not just as a Crown Prince, but as the next Emperor. I never even dreamed it could be an act.”

I inwardly nodded at his words.

I don’t fully understand the man named Kairn, but I have a vague sense that he is an extraordinarily meticulous and brilliant individual.

If he had intended to deceive the Sword Master from the very beginning, then his performance must have been nothing short of perfect.

After all, he is a man who has maintained a flawless act for many years, even after Hayden realized he was a fake.

Moreover, if the Sword Master had suspected Kairn from the start, the Order would never have found itself in such a predicament.

Thus, the Sword Master’s words were likely to be true.

“I suppose I’m here because of the old man’s concerns. His Highness may not want to borrow my strength, but I know that the capabilities of our opponent, Reinberg, are not to be underestimated. That’s why I came here, to Ferdion. I plan to step in if it seems the Empire is in danger… I never imagined things would turn out this way.”

As I listened to the Sword Master’s explanation, I nodded.

In that case, I could understand.

At least why he was here.

However, questions still lingered.

“…And yet, you don’t seem overly concerned.”

That was the question.

Despite knowing he had been completely deceived by Kairn, the Sword Master did not appear particularly upset.

“Now you understand, don’t you? His Highness has been suspicious of you from the very beginning. And now, you can see how His Highness will treat you.”

The Sword Master is not a fool.

No, considering he has reigned at the pinnacle of imperial power for many years, his insight must be exceptionally sharp.

There was no way he wouldn’t grasp what this situation meant.

He was not someone who would fail to guess why Kairn had hidden everything from him.

“Indeed. As you say, it seems His Highness has been suspicious of this old man from the start. And… after everything is over, he likely won’t leave that suspicion as mere suspicion.”

The Sword Master nodded calmly.

Surely, once this situation is resolved and Elbrent regains stability, Kairn will not let the Sword Master be.

He is not the kind of person who would leave a potential threat, a dagger that could strike at any moment, within the Empire.

Kairn will undoubtedly turn against the Sword Master and seek to erase him.

The greatest warrior of the Empire, a man who has reigned for many years and created countless legends, Sword Master Dreyr Heksler.

Erasing him from the Empire would not be an easy task under normal circumstances.

The citizens of the Empire, who respect and take pride in him, would find it strange and would surely rebel.

—

—

But if the one carrying it out is Kairen La Elbrent, the story changes.

He would be able to accomplish the task more perfectly than anyone else.

Kairen would likely first thoroughly dismantle the reputation of the Swordmaster.

He would spread rumors to gnaw away at his achievements, planting seeds of distrust in people’s hearts.

As time passes, the Swordmaster would transform from a hero of the Empire into a traitor deserving of death.

When that time comes, Kairen would finally draw his sword.

Yet, even knowing this, the Swordmaster’s expression remained utterly calm.

“If everything ends like this, I will lose everything and become a fugitive in the Empire… no, perhaps in every nation of the continent.”

Even while mentioning a future so bleak, there was not a hint of wavering in his gaze.

“Only if everything ends like this, that is.”

The Swordmaster denied that dark future with a brief statement.

“Are you not beginning to suspect what is happening here? Right now.”

“…….”

At his words, I found myself at a loss for words.

When this phenomenon first occurred, I thought it was merely the last desperate struggle of someone presumed to be the head of the order.

However, as I pushed through the horde of monsters and moved closer to the center beyond the veil, such thoughts began to rise.

Perhaps this is not just a simple struggle.

“From your expression, it seems I was right.”

The Swordmaster nodded after observing my face.

Then, he opened his mouth again to speak.

“Just as you expected. Inside this space, ‘that person’… in other words, ‘the leader’ is on the verge of completing a grand undertaking.”

“……!”

At those words, I involuntarily widened my eyes.

A fact I had vaguely suspected had just fallen before me.

“Do you know what the purpose of the order is?”

The Swordmaster asked me with eyes that revealed no emotion.

To which I replied.

“…I do not know.”

I spoke the truth without hiding it.

There was no longer anything worth concealing.

—

—

“To be honest, I don’t know for sure either. But….”

After a brief pause, the sword master opened his mouth again.

“You know that the moment the great undertaking spoken of by the sect leader is realized, the continent will perish.”

“…!”

At those words, my body flinched involuntarily.

“If that happens, everything will lose its meaning. The wrath of His Highness, the collapse of my reputation, and even the empire itself.”

“…Are you okay with that?”

I had no choice but to ask.

“Do you think there is value in a world where humanity has perished?”

If, as he said, the end of the continent comes and humanity is wiped out completely, can there be any meaning in a world where nothing remains?

“Well, it can’t be helped, can it? No matter how strong I am, I can’t fight the entire continent alone. To survive, I must assist the sect’s great undertaking.”

“…….”

At those words, I couldn’t refute him.

Honestly, I felt that he wasn’t wrong.

“And to be precise, not everyone will die. Those belonging to the sect will survive. And… from there, a new world will be created.”

Srrng—

A soft metallic sound rang out as the sword master drew his sword from its sheath, revealing its form.

“Since we’ve decided to cooperate, I should at least do my part. That’s why I’ve come forward like this. Besides, I’m curious about a few things.”

Even under this gloomy sky, the sword shone brightly as the master held it gently.

“I’ve heard that the probability of you defeating the resurrected Armianon is quite high. According to the sect leader, even a warrior of the Ten Swords level wouldn’t be able to inflict a proper wound on Armianon, let alone defeat it… That’s impressive. It seems you’ve grown significantly in this short time.”

His unreadable eyes turned back to me.

“I’ve been curious for a long time. Between myself and Ferdion, who is said to be the strongest warrior in history, who is truly stronger?”

For the first time, a expression appeared on his otherwise calm face.

A smile; it was indeed a smile.

“Even so, it’s impossible to face a dead man directly, so I can’t fight Ferdion myself… But you, who have achieved a feat similar to Ferdion’s, might still serve as a good specimen.”

With that, he wore a smile that was oddly out of place for the situation.

“Please, do not disappoint me.”

The strongest warrior of the current generation pointed his sword at me.