Imperial Guard - Chapter 100



Only Krnovel

“W, that’s ridiculous. The Three Heroes… the rumors weren’t exaggerated, no… it’s even worse.”

Fur-stone-

Harmon, the knight of the Kingdom of Vanessa, knelt down.

The ‘Three Heroes of the Empire’, the rising stars of the Kamen Empire.

I had only heard rumors, but his true strength was much greater than that.

“···Okay. Good work.”

Sreung-.

Rael turned around, putting his sword back into its scabbard.

The opponent in the round of 16 is the knight of the Vanessa Kingdom.

It wasn’t a particularly difficult opponent.

‘Why do noblemen talk so much?’

Every time I lose, I can’t believe I lost, and every time I see it, I cringe and can’t stand it.

I don’t know if it’s because they’re strong, but even the most insignificant things cause such reactions.

“Whaaaaaaaaaaah-!”

“The Three Heroes of the Empire! Rael!”

“All three of them made it to the quarterfinals! That’s amazing!”

Rael sighed at the cheers coming from the audience.

“Call me whatever you want. I’m not even angry anymore.”

I wonder if it’s the three of them…

When I first heard it, it was enough to grab Zenith by the collar, but humans are creatures of adaptation.

I didn’t have the strength to get angry at each and every one of those things.

“Brother Rael!”

“Lord Rael. Thank you for your hard work.”

“You guys have had a hard time too.”

Rael smiled faintly as he saw Carlson and Lucas approaching him.

These two advanced to the quarterfinals before him.

‘If you look at how strong they are despite their injuries, it seems like they’re not normal.’

By the way, it was a compliment.

Carlson and Lucas are the ones who fought the warlock, throwing themselves at his every word.

Even Rael had no intention of torturing those guys.

“Oh, bro. By the way, I forgot to tell you that I was going to predict the winner.”

“What? Say it again, you little brat. Should I send you to Gaia?”

“Keuk, bro, I’m dying···.”

Lael grabbed Carlson by the collar and shook him back and forth.

He told Carlson he couldn’t put his money on the line anymore, but he can’t do something that simple?

Is there such a crazy person?

“Sir Rael. Don’t be angry…!”

After a while, Rael, who had finished venting his anger, walked away with Carlson and Lucas.

The festive atmosphere was still in full swing throughout the capital.

Children holding chicken skewers in their hands were running around, and the wide square was crowded with people.

The smell of cheap spices wafted from the street stalls lining the roadside.

‘The world is so peaceful.’

What happened a week ago seemed like a lie.

It seemed like Lael was the only one suffering, while everyone else was doing nothing.

‘Well, that’s true.’

It’s not wrong, because that’s actually what happened.

Rael looked at Lucas and said.

“Lucas. By the way, have you taken care of the Princess Scaria matter?”

“Yes. He decided to stay at my house for the time being.”

“Your house? … Was the novel really that high-level?”

“What did you just say?”

“It’s nothing.”

Princess Scaria began living with Lucas in a different way from the original.

Maybe it was the butterfly effect that ruined Rael’s plans.

Thanks to this, Lucas seems to be living a happy life.

‘By the way… I need to start getting to know some important people.’

Although winning the Yongbongjihoe was important, Rael had been thinking about other things from the beginning.

This is an opportunity to expand the scope of our friendship beyond the empire.

‘Because I also got the names of important people from Clara.’

Now that we have some time left, it’s time to use it.

“Brother Rael. By the way, why are you wandering around the Vanessa Kingdom?”

Carlson asked while eating chicken skewers sold at a street vendor.

This area was a place frequently visited by people from the Kingdom of Vanessa.

I was spending time around here, just like Rael said, but I didn’t really know why.

“Just wait and you’ll find out. It’s almost time to come.”

“Huh? What do you mean, you’re coming soon…”

“Rael…! No, the three heroes of the empire! It must be fate to meet in a place like this!”

Rael smiled at the loud voice.

And then I looked at the large man approaching.

Kyle Belmos.

A nobleman of the Kingdom of Vanessa who is smaller than Ghent, but is dirty and large for a human.

“Mr. Kyle! Long time no see.”

“Oh, Kyle! Brother Rael, is this the guy you’ve been waiting for?”

“Nice to meet you, Lucas and Carlson. … But Carlson. Why do you speak so casually to me, but use honorifics to Rael?”

Kyle Belmos was one warrior.

So I don’t really care about titles, but… it’s obvious that I’m older than Rael.

I couldn’t understand Carlson’s different treatment.

“Uh… I guess I just had to do that?”

“I see!”

Belmos nodded at Carlson’s words and looked at Rael.

“Lael. You’ve been wandering around here, have you been waiting for me?”

“Yeah. I was surprised to see your name in the quarterfinals.”

This was half true.

How the hell did this guy make it to the quarterfinals?

Was the Twenty-Four Swords of the Kingdom of Vanessa real?

“Oh! You congratulate me, my friend. This is a good time. I invite you to the residence of the Belmos family. Let’s have a meal together.”

“If it’s free, I’d welcome it. Oh, and is Sword Dragon there too?”

“What did Grandpa say? Of course. I’ll introduce him to you when I get the chance.”

Lael smiled at Kyle’s words.

Why were you looking for Kyle in broad daylight?

It was because of his grandfather, the Sword Dragon.

‘In the original, Lucas was taught a lot about swords.’

Sword dragon.

He liked young, strong warriors.

In the original work, he is one of the prosecutors who taught Lucas the most.

Moreover, Sword Dragon is a righteous figure who stood on the side of humanity even when the Kingdom of Vanessa betrayed humanity.

There is nothing bad about building relationships.

“Kyle! Where are you! Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to get lost in the Empire!”

At that moment, a middle-aged man with a heavy body walked over from the other side.

I thought Kyle was big when I saw him, but this guy was a head taller than Kyle.

“···Are you a descendant of the giants?”

Lucas muttered without realizing it.

I heard that there are descendants of giants in the Kingdom of Vanessa.

I thought it was just a rumor, but seeing its size, I don’t think it’s a lie.

“Lucas, what are you, the descendants of the giants?”

“Ah… I heard that there are descendants of giants in the Kingdom of Vanessa. I think they are them.”

“Oh! You little brat, you know the legend of our Belmos family!”

The man smiled broadly at Lucas’ words.

“···Is this true?”

Rael laughed out loud at the first word he heard.

The Belmos family is descendants of the giants.

It was a secret that didn’t even appear in the original work.

‘This Ghent kid… I wondered why he got so angry when he got involved with other races.’

There have already been cases of giants interbreeding with humans.

Next time I see Ghent, I must tease him.

“Grandpa-! I was going to come see you anyway!”

“Yes! Our grandson!”

The man and Kyle showed their affection by hugging each other.

Rael, who was in a very bad mood because of that, had sparkles in his eyes at the word ‘Grandfather’.

I tried to go to the accommodation myself, but it didn’t seem necessary.

“Kyle, is that your grandfather, Sword Dragon?”

“Huh? You… are one of the three great men of the empire! Among them, you are the best, Rael! Do you want to fight swords with me?”

“Grandpa! I’m first! I haven’t beaten Rael yet!”

Rael nodded as he watched the two men flaunting their muscles in front of him.

‘What a crazy family.’

I don’t think there’s any need to think too deeply about the person called Geomryong.

Think of him as someone similar to Kyle.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Rael. Rumors about the Sword Dragon have been heard often even in the Kamen Empire.”

“Hmm? Ahahaha! You’re a polite friend.”

The sword dragon smiled as he watched the inspector praising him.

They say he is one of the three great men of the empire, and he seems to have both character and ability.

‘huh···?

And only then did the sword dragon properly examine Rael’s body.

Now that I look at him, he has an air of a guy that makes it hard to believe he’s Kyle’s peer.

‘There’s someone as strong as Kyle… Huh, the guys around him are monsters too. Are these guys rampant in the Kamen Empire?’

No, that can’t be.

The young men that the Sword Dragon saw while traveling around the empire were nothing like Kyle.

It means that the three heroes of the empire are unusually strong.

“Rael. How is it? It’s a feeling of meeting the greatest swordsman on the continent!”

“You’re the best swordsman on the continent, Hosooin.”

“You bastard! Are you insulting my grandfather? It’s a showdown!”

“If you win, you die. You have to go to the quarterfinals, Kyle.”

Rael looked at the sword dragon, trying to calm down Kyle who was talking nonsense.

‘It’s better than Captain Rain or Namaha.’

Even among the same sword masters, there is a difference in rank.

Perhaps Geomryong is not a beginner sword master, but a seasoned sword master.

Certainly, he had the skills to be called the best swordsman on the continent.

“Did you say Lael? What are you talking about to my grandson, whom I would not mind putting in my eye?”

“Grandpa-!”

Kyle acted cute while hugging the dragon.

My head started hurting when I saw that big guy doing that.

‘If you put that pig in your eye, even the Sword Master will be shocked.’

Rael looked at Carlson and Lucas with that thought in his mind.

They were blinking as if they didn’t understand the sudden situation.

“Oh. Carlson, Lucas. Say hello. This is the Sword Dragon.”

“Gaia-men. Nice to meet you. I am Carlson of the Knights of the Silver Cross.”

“Nice to meet you. My name is Lucas, Master Sword Dragon. I’ve heard so many times that you are an excellent swordsman, but it’s not an exaggeration at all.”

“Haha. These are some really polite young people. Do you want to spar with me?”

By the way, the duel that the Sword Dragon is talking about is a duel between leaders.

In the original, Lucas grows tremendously through his fight with him.

“It is an honor, Your Majesty the Sword Dragon.”

Lucas’ eyes lit up as he looked at the sword dragon.

“Wow. You are a rare and fine young man. Judging by your red hair, you are Lucas of the Three Heroes.”

The swordsman nodded, glancing at Lucas.

This one was just as much of a monster as Rael.

No, in some ways he might have been better than Rael.

‘It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such deep eyes.’

The eyes of a warrior who walks straight on the path he has set for himself.

The sword dragon smiled as he looked at the warrior he liked.

“Follow me, Lucas. I will hand you the great sword of the Belmos family.”

“thank you!”

Lucas bowed his head.

Learning a new sword was always an exciting experience.

“Carlson. You should learn something from Sword Dragon.”

Rael, who was watching their conversation, pushed Carlson’s back.

“Me too? I think it would be better for me to learn from Captain Marco at the school···.”

“Kyle! Take Lucas and Carlson to the dorm.”

“Huh? Me? Okay, I get it!”

Kyle approached Lucas and Carlson and put his arm around their shoulders.

“My friends! Let me guide you to the training grounds that Grandfather uses!”

“Thank you, Mr. Kyle.”

“No, wait a minute. Why me too···”

After the three disappeared.

Rael bowed his head as he looked at the sword dragon.

“Please take good care of my friends, Sword Dragon. They are talented, so if you raise them, you won’t regret it.”

“Hmm. What are you thinking?”

The sword dragon tilted its head while looking at Rael.

It didn’t matter that he asked his friend to take care of him.

Teaching outstanding young warriors is something he also enjoys doing.

But I felt something strange was going on with that guy.

“Your Majesty, please make Lucas stronger.”

“···That guy?”

“Yes. He is a man of great talent. If you, Sword Dragon, guide him, then becoming the true best swordsman on the continent will not be a dream. Perhaps… he will be exactly the talent you were looking for.”

The reason the Sword Dragon guides young warriors is to teach them how to use their swords.

Sword Dragon, who is looking for a genius swordsman who will continue the will of the sword that he has dedicated his entire life to, passes on the ‘big sword’ to Lucas in the original work.

“That’s interesting. But you know.”

“yes.”

“You don’t want to learn swordsmanship from me?”

Lael, that guy, seemed like he was going to leave his friends behind and escape on his own, and that hurt the pride of the sword dragon.

Does this mean that the first sword of the Vanessa Kingdom does not need its own map?

“I would appreciate it if you could give me a map lesson, but I have a teacher.”

“Wow. Are you saying that there is a greater teacher than me?”

Rael bowed his head silently.

Even though the Sword Dragon was strong, it couldn’t compare to that old man.

“Good. Come to Belmos’s quarters in three days. I’ll teach that red-haired fellow how to use my sword. In return, I’d like to see how you use your sword.”

“All right.”

Rael smiled as he watched the sword dragon walking towards him.

Now it was time for the real beginning.

Because Rael won’t wait for Lucas any longer.

*

Thud. Thud.

Rael walked along the quiet night streets.

As I walked alone for the first time in a while, I had a lot of time to think.

“Even if it’s just for a short period of time, someone like Sword Dragon will be able to teach Lucas well. The Taegeuk Sword or whatever it is will also develop further.”

Lael liked Lucas.

As expected of a protagonist, he was fair and fundamentally good.

You can tell just by looking at him fighting for the Namgung family, who had no connections, or risking his life at the orphanage to fulfill Rael’s request.

Lucas is a sage who doesn’t fit into medieval fantasy.

That’s why, if possible, I didn’t want to take anything from him.

“But if it doesn’t work out after doing this much, then there’s nothing I can do, Lucas. I have a lot to protect, too.”

Lael smiled wryly.

A week ago I would never have imagined I would be thinking this.

‘Whether they’re warriors or heroes… if they can make you stronger, you should take them all without any distinction.’

Rael knows better than anyone.

He is stronger than Lucas now, but Lucas has a good chance of surpassing him.

Knowing that, Rael also supported Lucas.

But we can’t just wait until Lucas gets stronger.

Because this world isn’t that easy.

“So I had to find a way to gradually become stronger… You came at a perfect time.”

Rael turned around with the corners of his lips raised.

Suddenly, an old man was standing in the middle of a dark alley.

Even with Rael’s keen senses, he didn’t notice until he showed his momentum.

“I never thought I would see you in a place like this, Master.”

Rael looked at the Thousand-Year Sword.

And, I swallowed dry saliva at the sight of his overwhelming momentum that filled the alley.

When I first met the Thousand-Year Sword Master, I couldn’t feel anything from him.

But now I can feel how strong the Thousand-Year Sword is.

‘The monster is not me, it’s this person.’

The Sword Dragon was incredibly strong, but the Thousand-Sal Sword Master was on a different level.

He stood at least one level higher than the other sword masters.

The very fact that he could feel it was proof that Rael had grown.

“It’s been a while, Rael.”

Thump, thump.

The best sword on the continent, the Thousand-Sale Sword Master.

His deep eyes stared intently at Rael.

“You have cut off the last bit of hesitation that remained at the tip of your sword.”

“···Yes. What the Thousand-Year Sword Lord said is right. In the end, this is what happened.”

Rael smiled.

How does this old man know my mind and come to me at just the right time?

It was amazing every time I saw it.

“Do you now have the confidence to cut down the sky?”

The Thousand-Year Sword Master looked at the swordsman in front of him and asked.

A multitude of emotions were bursting out of his eyes.

“The sky… No. I want to cut down the world.”

Rael wanted to protect the orphanage.

It’s a very small nest that he loves and cherishes.

But in this world that is not easy, it takes a lot of strength to spread your wings to protect your nest.

Rael has only now acknowledged that obvious fact.