The Sword Genius of the Magic Empire - Chapter 21



Only Krnovel

My inner world changed once again.

Under a dark night sky.

The flickering flames colored the night.

Hurrah!

Torches lit up everywhere in the middle of the night.

The light of the flames illuminated the rocky cliffs shrouded in darkness.

A large number of people were visible on the rocky cliff. Above the crowd, the crimson shadows of the flames were cast.

‘… That?’

Enoch opened his eyes wide.

In front of a steep cliff.

There appeared the figures of countless people kneeling, bound in chains of glowing mana.

Moreover, they were people with strange features that looked like beast ears, tails, etc.

It was dark so I couldn’t see very well, but I could guess who they were.

‘Are they the Suin tribe? But in the original, they are… .’

But there was no time to think any further.

Because I saw several battle mages standing in front of the bound people.

They stood tall, each holding his own horse.

Judging from their attire and the flow of mana, it was clear that the wizards were quite skilled.

Battle wizards with mounts and bound people.

Between these two groups, there is such tension.

Geomseong was standing alone, holding his sword.

As if he alone was the dividing line between the two groups facing each other.

‘What’s the situation?’

First of all, this is probably a memory of the past of the swordsman.

I have already inherited Enoch’s experience and have been through the process of inheriting his past, so I can guess.

But I still don’t have a feel for what exactly the situation I’m seeing now is.

[… You still don’t get it?]

And at that moment, one of the magicians standing in front of the sword shouted.

[You, the so-called ‘Last Swordsman of the Empire’, understand this the best!]

A black knight with his robe pulled down so deep that his face cannot be seen as usual.

As if threatening him, the wizards shouted while spreading mana into the air. Another person took his words and opened his mouth.

[The times are already changing, my lord.]

Enoch watched the sudden turn of events from a distance.

A group of wizards with their mana pumped up and on alert.

‘Judging by the mana aura surrounding them, all of the wizards are around level 6.’

But even after seeing that, Enoch doubted his own eyes.

‘If they are 6th-grade magicians, they are practically those who have reached a level just before surpassing human level.’

The 6th graders I saw in-game were literally monsters.

Among the many magicians in the empire, there are many who hold a unique position.

Five of those guys at once.

‘Even the imperial family does not have the capacity to mobilize that many people at once.’

Those wizards were clearly harbouring hostility, and were aiming their magic spears at the confronting swordsmen. One of them pointed a finger at the bound ones.

[Even if those who were captured were active on the battlefield, they are the ones who will eventually become ‘demonized’ as a result of the experiment. If that happens, there could be countless more victims.]

‘… Wait, [Masuhwa]?’

Magic flower.

A connection flashed through Enoch’s mind at the familiar word.

Clearly, in the original, it’s in the basement of the Leopolis Orphanage. There, Vendetta’s experiments create demonic test subjects. Enoch also dies because of that.

‘But the memories of the swordsman now must have been from a very distant past?’

And yet, the word ‘Masuhwa’ appeared here again. Enoch tilted his head in puzzlement.

‘The swordsman who lived so long ago had some kind of connection to the demon reaper experiment?’

How on earth could an experiment that appeared five years from now be related to a swordsman who lived much further back in time?

But Enoch’s doubts did not last long.

chuck.

A figure who appears to be the leader of the magicians. He pointed to the bound people behind the sword.

And then he said in a soft tone.

[Hand them over to us. This is my final recommendation.]

However, the swordsman still stood in front of them and maintained his silence.

[… … .]

“I am annoyed by that attitude,” said another wizard.

[Follow me. It is the Empress’s order. I do not wish to harm you, the last swordsman of the empire.]

A sharp silence fell.

Only the torches burning around them swayed without a form.

After a long moment of silence, Geomseong slowly opened his mouth.

[I refuse.]

A deep voice, as if echoing from a cave.

[That is no reason to let my innocent people and families die in vain.]

One of the female wizards cried out in frustration.

[It is a sacrifice that must be made for a new era! If they live, countless people in the empire may struggle in greater misery. Your Majesty, you know that too!]

However, the big man raised his hand and stopped her.

It seemed that he already knew that Geomseong was not an opponent that could be persuaded.

[I’m sorry, but the age of swords is over, Sword Saint. The age of magic has already arrived.]

Geomseong listens to those words silently.

The wizard pointed to the sword he was wielding with the tip of his chin.

[This is an ultimatum. No matter how powerful the swordsman is, he cannot fight magic with just one sword.]

A silver-white blade and a straight guard.

His one-handed sword was infinitely familiar to Enoch.

[With this number of people, and even with all of them being 6th-grade wizards. You, who are old and have lost your skills, cannot handle us alone. Choose wisely.]

Geumseong tilted his head back for a moment and looked up at the night sky.

The night sky, lit by the torches around it, was covered in red light.

He muttered quietly as he watched the dancing flames.

[…Mana is said to be colored by the life its owner has lived.]

At those words, the captain clicked his tongue lightly and gestured to the magicians next to him.

[Hit it.]

The magicians’ mana instantly creates a magic circle.

Geomseong slowly raised his sword as he watched the scene.

On his sword’s blade, red mana turned into flames and bloomed into dazzling sparks.

[Perhaps I am truly the last spark of the Empire remaining as an Empire.]

The swordsman’s mana exploded.

Whoosh whoosh!

A roaring flame that looked up at the night sky was etched into the sword.

The torches on all the surrounding torches went out at once, succumbing to the overwhelming power of the Black Flame.

The black saint’s legs, wrapped in the white smoke of the dying torch, took a step forward and spread mana to each part of his body.

Taaaaang─!

The sword spirit that had spread mana throughout its body shot forward as if it were exploding.

At the same time, the magic of the wizards who created the magic circle was activated.

In an instant, boulders exploding like shotgun blasts and ice storms tearing through space appeared before his eyes and poured down.

Enoch’s back suddenly became cold.

Attack magic spells that not only have the power of a 6th-grade wizard, but also maximize casting speed.

‘You won’t be able to cut off the Mana line like that!’

But the swordsman did not back down.

Dodge all those attacks by a sheet of paper.

The hem of the swordsman’s robe was cut off by a storm of shards of ice that felt like they were cutting through flesh, and a volley of rock bullets flying at a deadly speed grazed his cheek.

However, he dodged all of those attacks with explosive maneuvers, and in an instant, the swordsman dug deep into the wizards’ formation.

[… … !]

The moment the astonished wizards were about to cast their next spell.

Hurrah!

His sword, which had been flying in the darkness of the night, trailed a long flame, and finally spun around powerfully in all directions, drawing a trajectory of flames.

And─

Binggle.

Type 2, wheel.

A swirling circle of flames that dyed the darkness red.

A dance of blazing flames burned the wizards surrounding him and cut them down in one blow.

A red, rotating blast of lightning struck three times, engulfing the darkness of the night like a storm.

Whoosh whoosh!

And the moment I witnessed that scene.

‘no way…?’

Enoch’s dark eyes widened in realization.

The unidentified voice I had heard while inheriting Enoch’s memories overlapped in my mind.

[The highest level that only a very small number of swordsmen can reach is called Sword Saint. Only after reaching that level can one project one’s own mana onto the sword. The mana thus placed into the sword creates movements that are traces of the swordsman’s entire life, thus completing ‘swordsmanship’.]

I could tell.

Now, Enoch has become the only sword genius in the Magic Empire.

As soon as I saw his past recreated in his inner world, I was able to immediately confirm the intention of the swordsmanship he had displayed.

‘This was a sword technique created from the beginning to deal with magicians.’

The swordsmanship of the “Last Sword Master of the Empire” that has been passed down until now was not originally designed for normal combat where swords clash with swords.

A sword is, after all, a weapon created with normal combat in mind against weapons.

‘But what if the opponent is a magician who can project magic from a distance with such great power and range that it is impossible to block or evade with things like swords or shields?’

The story is completely different.

‘A movement created to thoroughly cut down magicians who use attacks that cannot be defended against as an inspector.’

That is why there was no defensive form in his swordsmanship.

If an attack comes that you can’t block from the start, you just need to strike faster and more powerfully.

Those values ​​were completely reflected in the swordsmanship that his mana had perfected.

The movement that Geomseong truly wanted to pursue was ‘giving up defense and attacking the opponent first’.

The “Mana Sense” that he initially inherited as a basic item was a technique for blocking magic casting.

Even the 1st and 2nd types that were inherited since then were moves that could quickly close the distance and cut down enemies at explosive speed.

‘So that’s why it was made up of such extreme movements.’

? Progress of inheriting the memory of the sword’s owner: 20%

? Increased understanding and proficiency in the relevant swordsmanship

Just a little bit now.

It seemed like I understood the swordsmanship of the Black Sword.

? Lack of understanding of the mana of “The Last Swordsman of the Empire”: Experience reproduction stopped

? The progress of memory inheritance for the sword’s owner has also increased significantly.

Before I knew it, my inner world was disappearing, spreading out into crackling noise and glitches as it always had.

? Condition for absorbing the next stage of experience: [Masuhwa] Rescue the children kidnapped for experiments.

Blink.

Enoch slowly opened his eyes, his whole body covered in cold sweat.

Looking around, it was the lodgings of a mansion. The room that had clearly been filled with sunset light just a moment ago was now immersed in the darkness of night.

‘… By the way, I never thought the word [Masuhwa] would appear in the inner world.’

Enoch took a moment to clear his confused mind.

In the memories of the swordsman I suddenly inherited, I never dreamed that the word ‘Demonic Flower’, which was identical to the mission right in front of me, would appear.

‘Why are the quests given from the inner world becoming more and more concrete, and why are they connected to the real world like just now? Is this all just a coincidence? Or maybe… .’

Enoch looked down at the cloth bag containing the sword for a moment, then turned his head away.

Since there was no definitive information yet, there was no point in worrying about it.

Instead, it was time to do something meaningful.

Outside, night was already falling.

Click

He takes his pocket watch out of his pocket.

A pocket watch made of black steel that he had previously acquired from the underworld. Enoch checked the current time on the dial and slowly stood up from his seat.

Although his body was tired from the aftereffects of the succession, his mind was incomparably clear.

This level of preparation was sufficient.

Now, it was time to move.

***

‘It’s about to get started.’

The administrator gave his staff a quick shake in the dark study room.

Wheein

In an instant, mana forms a shape while emitting light.

A small communication magic circle floating in the air next to his mouth began to rotate and activate.

“I’m reminding the vendetta agents here once again.”

To those who were listening beyond the magic, Oscar said with a leisurely smile.

“Lure him into the maze garden at midnight. Deal with him cleanly and make it look like an accident.”

The wizard who was dispatched from Elseid last time was kept alive in case he could be useful in the future, but this time it’s different.

Although the announcement of expulsion from the family was made, the direct lineage is still the direct lineage.

What if Enoch was declared ‘missing’?

The Elseid family may release a large number of magicians and launch a large-scale search. If that happens, we may be left helpless.

‘Therefore, it is definitely necessary to show the body.’

Enoch’s sign is enough to create evidence that no one would doubt.

And that kind of thing is something I’ve become quite familiar with as a member of the vendetta.

There is no more certain way to handle things than the vendetta method that has allowed it to grow in power by living in the shadow of the empire.

Oscar smiled coldly.

‘… It’s fortunate that he doesn’t have any followers.’

No matter what mission you are given by your family, the presence or absence of a follower makes a huge difference in your power.

The following families, who thoroughly support and move the masters they serve, are annoyances in many ways from the standpoint of those who deal with them.

However, Enoch was a famously incompetent direct descendant who did not have even a single follower to this day.

‘I don’t know how Enoch found out about the safe, but in the end, it was just the count’s incompetence that didn’t even need to be cared about.’

Oscar looked out the window and smiled leisurely.

As expected, up until this moment, Enoch had not even asked for any support from the Elseid family.

‘Surprisingly, it seems like he has some basic sense.’

This was his mansion. It seemed that he understood that if Enoch made any move to request external support, they would show quite an impressive response.

Enoch is probably feeling anxious by now.

‘Anyway, now that he’s noticed, we need to finish this off quickly.’

To be honest, I’m afraid of the repercussions of touching my direct family.

But if that’s a ‘non-magician’, then no matter how you deal with it, isn’t it an excellent opponent to beat around the bush?

He smiled dryly as he recalled memories of the past.

‘Non-magicians are beings who cannot even choose how they will die.’

The plan has already been made.

Now all that needs to be done is to implement it.

Human experimentation through magic, regardless of the reason, is branded a black magician in the Empire.

In addition to dealing with Enoch quickly, we just need to destroy some of the relevant evidence just in case.

That’s it.

It was unexpected that a hidden safe was robbed, but I expected that something like this would happen at least once.

That’s exactly why I asked the Annihilation Officer to station Vendetta fighters, with an average rank of 14, in the mansion.

‘What can a mere seventeen-year-old non-magician do?’

He lifted himself up by placing the staff he was holding in his hand on the ground.

Magic is not limited to weaving providence by mana.

If you weave events together using a thorough plan, that too would be magic.

That was the kind of true magic that Oscar had learned from the Elseid clan.

‘I was once a battle mage belonging to Elseid, but I never thought I would aim my magic at that direct lineage.’

He walked slowly out of the room.

Enoch’s body would soon be reported, and many preparations had to be made for that time.

To commemorate Enoch, who lost his life in a ‘simple accident’ during a mission.

But he didn’t know.

At this very moment, what on earth is happening at the entrance to the underground facility?