I Obtained Sword God Level Talent

59 – 059. Discipline (2)

We boarded the carriage and immediately set off for the west. Leon and Mary, surprisingly, declared with resolute faces that they would take good care of the house. Such admirable children.

There were a total of four in the carriage.

First, me.

Then, Ariel.

Crown Prince Friedrich.

And the unexpected exchange student, Chun Hwa-young.

A much more impressive group than I had anticipated was heading towards the western border.

‘Is this, something to be relieved about?’

Casually observing the faces of those in the carriage, I let out a dry chuckle.

To be loved by a god.

Ariel, who had once again proven that fact, had mastered ‘divine magic.’

Although it was clearly not powerful enough yet to be called a miracle, the fact that she had acquired a new ability was undeniable.

“Congratulations, Saintess.”

“Ehehe. Thank you.”

Comfortable in the carriage, Friedrich suddenly offered his congratulations. Ariel smiled awkwardly and bowed her head in response.

“You’re truly amazing. To think… such a thing would happen in just one night.”

Chun Hwa-young, still bewildered, clicked her tongue in amazement.

Honestly, even I, who had quietly watched her awakening, was incredibly surprised. I never imagined she would be able to wield divine power and divine magic in just one night.

‘This is also, probably Keres’ influence at work.’

I subtly averted my gaze and stared out the window, lost in thought.

Keres, the goddess who governs life and death. She favored Ariel to an obsessive degree. This situation was highly likely to be the result of the goddess’s power.

“……Why?”

Now that things had turned out this way, that question was unavoidable.

A master of the trait, ＜Divinity＞? Or just because he pitied a mortal resisting fate?

If that’s the case… then why couldn’t the Ariel of the original story proudly shine that brilliant name?

“Ah. Brother.”

“……Yeah.”

A voice broke through my thoughts. I looked ahead and saw Friedrich with an unusually heavy expression.

“Really, are you going to be alright? Without any special support?”

“Support? If things are so out of hand that we can’t do anything about it, support wouldn’t really matter. At least, not if it’s something beyond a ‘Transcendent’.”

“Hmm. That’s true.”

Friedrich, his face set, nodded.

“Still… it’s so strange. It feels like things are heading in a completely different direction than the incidents at the border garrison.”

“The Saintess is right. It’s a sudden, radical, and aggressive shift. No one expected that all the mages dispatched as an investigation team would die.”

“……”

Silently listening to Ariel and Friedrich’s conversation, I stroked my chin without a word.

Definitely.

The level of danger has skyrocketed to a very serious level. According to the news Friedrich brought, they had already closed down not only the garrison, but all the surrounding villages as well.

Which meant… the ‘Demon Kind’s’ influence had already spread beyond the garrison.

“Bu-But… What kind of beings are, um, the Demon Kind?”

Cheon Hwa-yeong asked in an awkward tone, her anxiety palpable.

From the moment she got on the carriage, she had been trembling. Likely due to her youthful appearance and lack of field experience, her plum blossom sword looked tragically pathetic.

“Simply put, they’re the embodiment of evil.”

“……The embodiment of evil.”

Cheon Hwa-yeong slowly nodded at my brief explanation.

“Yeah. They hunt all humans, and all life for that matter, except for themselves. The reason is very simple.”

“If there is a reason… what would it be?”

“Because it’s fun.”

“Ye-Ye-Yes?!”

Cheon Hwa-yeong cried out, her voice filled with bewilderment.

“Really, they’re beings beyond your wildest imagination. Each one’s combat power is absurdly strong, and their cruelty is as terrible as their power.”

“……!”

The tension that had been etched on Cheon Hwa-young’s face now drained away, leaving it as white as bone.

“Of course, even if you’re deployed in the field, the chances of you actually facing *him* are low.”

“……Is that so? I, myself, am confident in my skills.”

I gave a wry smile at the barely audible sound of Cheon Hwa-young’s voice.

The ＜Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Style＞ she’d mastered was a true staple among the ‘sword techniques’ within the Silver Ring.

So much so that the seasoned players in the community had a meme: ‘Newbies, pick the Plum Blossom Sword Style, no questions asked.’

But.

“It could be a battle that has nothing to do with skill. Not all demons rely on pure brute force like humans.”

“Uhm, are you talking about mental interference or dark magic, things like that?”

“That’s right. They originally adapted to the harsh conditions of hell, so they might show abilities that defy common sense.”

“Brother is right. And for the record, I’m not afraid.”

“…….”

Friedrich’s flashy opening move cut across the carriage’s interior.

Cheon Hwa-young’s eyes shook violently from the sudden impact. Her gaze quickly turned venomous, directed at Friedrich sitting opposite her.

“Hah! And you, Friedrich-nim, don’t seem to be carrying any weapons.”

“Haha! What are you talking about? My weapon is right here, right here.”

Friedrich thumped his chest with a thud. Perhaps she’d misunderstood something, as Cheon Hwa-young’s expression began to morph into one of disdain.

“I couldn’t care less about your chest….”

“No, you should hear a person out, right? I mean, this staff will protect me.”

*Swoosh.*

Friedrich, muttering those words, casually pulled a staff from within his robes.

“W-what?! You’re a mage?!”

“Heh heh. You’re just figuring that out? You only now realize why the Brother placed his trust in me… ha ha?”

Cheon Hwa-young’s attack was easily nullified. And like that, the two fell into a bickering conversation that dragged on.

To the rhythm of the clippety-clop of the horses, I, gazing out the window, mumbled in a bored tone.

“How long until we reach the Western border?”

*Clunk.*

The bickering stopped dead in its tracks at that very moment.

“Perhaps, another two days, I would say.”

I nodded meekly at Friedrich’s voice.

This world is absurdly boring. No, it’s absurd how long it takes to travel even within the same empire.

‘This is why I set up shop in the imperial capital.’

The advantages of being in Berliner, the imperial capital, are countless. But the biggest advantage is that it’s located at the center, the heart of the empire. Because of that, I could reach various corners of the Western Continent in a reasonable amount of time.

“Haaahm.”

A yawn slipped out before I knew it. I’d rather fight an enemy than this.

* * *

“Frey, Frey?”

“Hmm?”

My dulled hearing comes back to life. Ariel, sitting next to me, was gently shaking my arm.

‘Guess I slept for quite a while.’

Darkness was beginning to settle outside.

The carriage had stopped for a rest, and it seemed Ariel had woken me up just before we arrived at a town or city.

“What’s wrong?”

Haahm, I yawned again and looked at Ariel beside me. For some reason, her expression was a mix of all sorts of emotions.

“Th-there’s something outside!”

…Outside?

Come to think of it, only Ariel and I were left in the carriage.

Surely the two crazies, Cheon Hwa-yeong and Friedrich, aren’t fighting, are they?

Ssssh.

I didn’t need an explanation. To grasp the situation directly, I pulled myself out of the carriage.

Then.

“Y-you, you, you…! What, wh-what, what were you thinking!”

“Hehe! Don’t be so nervous. Meeting you was just a coincidence.”

“Elder. Stopping the carriage so suddenly is a great discourtesy. What would you have done if an accident had occurred….”

Huh?

In front of the stopped carriage, a small-statured old man was arguing with two people. And beside him, a woman with an unknown identity was watching the conversation while wearing a bamboo hat.

‘Wait a minute.’

I rubbed my eyes. The reason was simple. A person who shouldn’t be there had entered my view.

“…Dad?”

Right.

Cheon Hwa-young, face filled with terror, drew her sword.

Friedrich, as if she were invisible, admonished the old man.

＜Sword Demon＞ explained the situation with a pleasant, hollow laugh…

And even the figure next to him.

“Hahaha! So, you’ve finally woken up? It was quite a struggle trying to communicate with these two.”

“…Seriously, do you know this person, hyung-nim?”

Friedrich, with a bewildered gaze, asked me.

I quietly nodded, then immediately approached him. It was a very sudden meeting, but greeting my elder was the least I could do.

“It’s been a while.”

*Bow*

“Hahaha! Your reputation echoes across the continent, yet your personality remains the same.”

“My principles. If possible, I’d rather not forget those feelings.”

“Uh, uh?! Y-you, do you really know this man?!”

Cheon Hwa-young’s tense, trembling eyes turned towards me.

Well, I understood. She was the daughter of the Martial Alliance Leader. For her to fear the ＜Sword Demon＞ of the Demonic Cult was only natural.

“Yes. You don’t need to be so tense. This elder is someone truly worthy of everyone’s respect.”

“Ho! Always trying to paint me in gold. Such a bad habit.”

Yet, despite his words, a pleased smile graced his face.

The Sword Demon must have been in a difficult position. Judging from the situation, it seemed he came looking for me, but suddenly the Martial Alliance Leader’s daughter popped out of the carriage.

“It’s the truth. Anyway, what brings you to this Western Continent again, elder?”

“…That.”

The Sword Demon’s expression stiffened at my question.

And then.

*Thud!*

“…I’m sorry.”

He bowed at the waist to me.

In an instant, silence descended upon the scene like a bucket of cold water. Everyone here knew the weight of the ＜Sword Demon＞’s name.

And he, he had just bowed and apologized to me…!

“This is too sudden. Elder, some explanation is needed first.”

“Hmm. I suppose that could be the case. First, the crisis you experienced, that was caused by our Heavenly Demon Sect.”

“…What do you mean?”

“In the past, the Blood Lion of the Blood Cult. I’m referring to the battle with that fiend.”

Ah.

Only then did I understand the meaning of this apology.

To eradicate the Blood Cult was the mission of the Heavenly Demon Sect, and of the Sword Demon. Since they failed in their mission, endangering me, Ariel, and Lancelot… it seemed they were apologizing for that.

“How is that your fault, elder? It was just a matter of… luck…”

I was just about to tell the Sword Demon it was alright.

“Wait a moment.”

The one wearing the bamboo hat, who had been silent until now. A clear, melodious voice flowed from her lips, a voice that betrayed nothing more than her being a woman.

“There is no need for you to apologize. ＜Sword Demon＞.”

“…What is this?”

*Chk.* I raised a finger, pointing to the owner of the voice.

“Heh heh.”

The reaction I got was rather amusing.

The 8th-ranked Sword Demon, an elder of the Heavenly Demon Sect. He slightly averted his gaze, letting out an awkward chuckle?