I Obtained Sword God Level Talent - Chapter 87



86 – 086. The North (2)

Once inside the camp, we were treated surprisingly well.

Well, it makes sense, we were the Crown Prince’s group after all. Moreover, Maria, an Eighth-Level Transcendent, was with us.

Even if we were just a guild and not from some high-ranking noble family, the Magic Tower, or a famous knight order, they had no choice but to treat us well.

“Haa… I wonder what’s going to happen next.”

Ariel spoke softly, her expression dark. We were currently inside a tent provided by the subjugation force, and everyone’s expressions were grim.

“Frey. What are your thoughts?”

“My thoughts?”

“Yeah. It’s just… unsettlingly calm, is all.”

…That much was true. I quietly nodded at Lancelot’s words.

“Friedrich is leading the meeting, so I guess we’ll get an answer soon.”

I replied with a strange certainty in my voice.

The mass monster outbreak from the original story is an incident that’ll shatter the existing power structure of the ＜Silvering＞ West Continent in one go.

Simply put… it’s the starting gun for an event where power shifts away from ‘blood’ and toward ‘might.’

‘Unexpected, and too sudden, it’s true.’

But of course, I wasn’t just going to sit idly by.

In my opinion, this was the perfect opportunity.

The entanglement between West Continent’s powerful figures and the Papacy was a bit of a headache, but it was definitely a chance to make the whole guild’s name known.

Swoosh.

“Excuse me.”

While we were chatting away, someone came to our tent.

“I was told Sir Frey is here, is that correct?”

“Yes. That would be me.”

The person who parted the tent flaps was an Imperial soldier with an aura of disciplined resolve. His confident voice meant something had come up.

“This is a message from His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince, requesting your presence at the currently ongoing subjugation meeting.”

“…Friedrich?”

“……”

At my spontaneous mutter, the soldier’s face twitched slightly.

Well, to him, who is loyal to the Empire, it must’ve been absurd for anyone, no matter if they’re a Holy Grail Knight or whatever, to call the Crown Prince by his first name so casually.

Anyway.

Without asking any particular questions, I got up from my seat. If Friedrich was looking for me, it meant the meeting was running into unexpected difficulties.

“Let’s go.”

In other words, sitting here acting all dignified was pointless.

* * *

“What nonsense! We should be taking the military and reclaiming the Papal lands right now! Don’t you know the Imperial Army is the most elite force of its time?!”

“How frustrating! Hey there, didn’t the Magic Tower say they wouldn’t join the subjugation without their own operational authority!”

“In the end, isn’t it just about wiping out those ogre hordes first? We even have the ＜Sword Saint＞ here!”

“You moron! The Elder is coming in seven days and nights. Do you even know what could happen in the meantime? Speed is the issue! Speed!”

Uncharacteristic shouts echoed throughout the northern military camp.

‘Oh, my head.’

Sitting amongst the aging nobles, Friedrich pressed hard on his temples.

He had arrived at the subjugation force’s camp and had been made ‘commander of the subjugation force’ just an hour ago.

He understood why. He was the Crown Prince. The future of the Empire, and royalty. Even if any great noble were to arrive, this position would ultimately be his.

But the problem was…

“Moron? You called me a moron? Me, Louis, the Gentian Duke of the East…how dare you?!”

“Hah! Am I wrong? I too am renowned in the South! You wouldn’t know in your backwoods of the East!”

“You, you, you little…!”

It was this bickering among these old nobles that was the issue.

The reason they were being so dramatic was simple.

About a year ago, the Northern Expedition of the Empire had come to an end. Naturally, this meant it was time to celebrate the victory and distribute rewards to the war heroes.

However…

‘I never imagined that His Majesty the Emperor would pull such a stunt.’

The sudden rift in the northern territory of the Empire was the problem.

The current Emperor had anticipated low participation from the nobles and the magic towers in the monster subjugation. Thus, the remedy he had concocted was the cause of this very situation.

‘To include the merits of this subjugation in the distribution of rewards…!’

Indeed. The Emperor had made this fact public to the high-ranking nobles of the Empire.

What followed was simple. All manner of power, including nobles, knightly orders, and magic towers, who had participated in the northern expedition, were now all attached to this northern subjugation.

‘The ones who didn’t participate in the northern expedition are the ones causing the most trouble.’

Tsk-tsk, Friedrich clicked his tongue inaudibly, a frustrated look on his face. Now he was starting to understand. Why the subjugation plan, which had been established so quickly, was still dragging its feet.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

“…Speak.”

While a few nobles were still shouting back and forth, a man standing behind Friedrich whispered in his ear.

“Sir Frey, the Knight of the Holy Grail, ＜Black Sword＞, whom you mentioned, has arrived at the front of the conference room.”

“Really?!”

*Thump!*

Friedrich sprang to his feet.

Until now, the Crown Prince had been silent. It had seemed he was tolerating the nobles’ power struggle, which was why the nobles who had been passionately arguing turned to look at him.

“Tell them to eat.”

“……Yes.”

Friedrich spat the words out, low. The conference hall fell silent for a moment, and a feeling of ‘bewilderment’ settled on everyone’s faces.

“Everyone, take your seats. The most important person for this subjugation has arrived.”

“Yes? Your Highness, what does that…?”

“The most important person? Surely that’s ＜Sword Saint＞ Elder, isn’t it?”

Friedrich waved his hand dismissively, face expressionless.

The nobles, unable to dare refuse the Crown Prince’s words, finally stopped their squabbling and sat in their chairs.

‘Ugh.’

Friedrich let out a small sigh at their predictable behavior.

Bargaining with those old vipers was a complete waste of time. Still, he figured they’d shut their mouths if they saw his brother. That was Friedrich’s thought.

And so, a little later.

“The guild leader of ＜Round Table＞! Sir Frey has arrived!”

Flap—!

Frey appeared, pushing open the door of the enormous tent erected for the conference.

“Hoo?”

“Hah!”

“……Younger than I expected?”

The sudden appearance of a stranger caused a flicker of interest in everyone’s eyes in the conference hall.

Some seemed filled with curiosity, others with wariness, and still others with anticipation.

“Come this way. I’ve prepared a seat for you.”

Friedrich quickly offered Frey the seat beside him, preempting any words the noble scumbags might utter. He had made his move before those old nobles could start spouting nonsense without knowing their place.

“……”

Thud, thud!

Frey, without a word, nodded and started walking. With every step Frey took, the eyes of everyone in the conference hall followed him. It was an intense focus that was almost uncomfortably stifling.

Swoosh.

As Frey sat next to Friedrich, he began.

“Allow me to introduce him. Sir ＜Black Sword＞ Frey, a knight of the ＜Round Table＞, the guild leader, the Holy Grail Knight who retrieved God’s Proof, whose fame has been rising rapidly in the Imperial Capital.”

“He, he’s the one whose fame has been rising so recently…!”

“Good heavens. From the rumors, I thought he’d be quite old, but he’s so young!”

Friedrich’s introduction left everyone gaping.

Even the nobles, who’d been spewing insults and character assassinations, the famous knights who’d been silently holding their positions, and even those from the magic tower were taken aback.

“Hoo… for someone who’s the subject of such grand rumors, he’s awfully young.”

While everyone was uttering what could hardly be called praise, someone quietly murmured a doubtful tone.

“You are…?”

Friedrich’s eyes, filled with displeasure, turned to the source of the voice. It was a man who hadn’t opened his mouth even once since entering the conference hall.

“I greet His Imperial Highness. I am Hert, a senior mage from Helios.”

“Helios Tower…”

Friedrich, looking serious, observed the man who’d identified himself as Hert.

“Please forgive me. What I said just now was spoken out of a bit of concern. We aren’t playing games or make-believe here, are we? Everyone here has proven their skill and status. It just seems… is it appropriate for this… this new… not-so-newcomer to take a seat here?”

Hert, with a slight smile, openly displayed his hostility toward Frey.

However, no one in the room dared to speak out. While the title of senior mage from a magic tower wasn’t particularly impressive to them, the problem was that he was affiliated with ‘Helios.’

“W-well, that’s true.”

“No fools who blindly believe rumors would be present here.”

Indeed, a small number of people in the conference hall nodded in agreement with Hert.

“Ha.”

Frey, having silently observed the scene, let out a hollow laugh.

It was utter nonsense, complete bullsh*t. It felt like they’d expected him to arrive all along, and even the few who were diligently nodding were probably hand-picked beforehand.

‘Could it be because of Ariel? Because they feel like they’ve lost Ariel to me?’

Hiding his absurd thoughts, Frey silently gazed at Hert.

The man, clad in the pure white uniform of Helios, was openly, blatantly displaying his animosity, as if he hated Frey with every fiber of his being.

‘Well, I guess I can understand, though…’

Ariel’s genius was beyond words.

‘It’s just because she’s by my side. Ariel is actually an incredibly talented person, worthy of being recorded in history.’

How could the moon, bright as it is, compare to the sun? That’s how it was, simply put.

“Hert, you said?”

Frey murmured softly, lost in his own thoughts.

This is this, and that is that. Just because it was natural for a Helios mage to dislike Frey didn’t mean he was going to silently listen to such nonsense.

“That’s right, isn’t it?”

Hert stared defiantly at Frey, his face shameless.

* * *

Thud, thud!

And then, Frey’s next action was quite simple.

He walks through the conference room. His slow stride, carving a path through the circular table arrangement, brought Frey right beside Hert.

Thump!

And.

Frey’s emotionless gaze, gripping Hert’s shoulder, was now upon him. Following that, Frey spoke in a booming voice.

“Senior Magician Hert of Helios. Do you deny god? Are you calling me, who has carried out god’s will, a fake? Or perhaps, are you a devil worshipper?”

“H-h-hurk…!”

In medieval Europe, this was a direct hit.