Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 89

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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One-Strike Kill Swordmaster Episode 89

Episode 89. Emergency Strategy Meeting (3)

I silently faced the old man.

Judging by how he asked if I was the Thirteenth Sword Master right from the start, it seemed Selena had already spilled everything.

Considering how I’d been trying to hide my existence until now, this was a rather sudden situation.

Of course, I could easily guess the reason.

‘The incident has grown too big.’

Right.

The situation had spiraled out of control to the point where the Adversary incident could no longer be covered up.

Since key instructors including Lugwin had been massacred during the ritual, everything was bound to surface.

In the end, Selena had chosen to resolve the situation even if it meant exposing me to the forefront.

‘You could also see it as a kind of shifting responsibility.’

As I said earlier, Selena’s cunning move was slightly annoying, but… well, it wasn’t particularly problematic either.

I had expected her to make this kind of decision from the beginning.

Having led the Holy See as the Crimson Empress for decades, she was always skilled at protecting herself.

The decision to reveal my existence and shift responsibility onto the authority of a Sword Master was exactly like the Selena Servich I’d seen when playing the game.

‘Rather, this is what I wanted.’

To exert influence even over Wintershield Magic Academy, stepping forward like this was much more convenient.

It was also the perfect opportunity to play my trump card.

Thud-.

With these various thoughts, I sat down following Selena’s guidance.

“Ahem!”

Then, the old man who had been staring at me with an uncomfortable expression cleared his throat and spoke again.

“I heard that the thirteenth star had risen over the Holy City… but I didn’t expect to meet you this quickly.”

【Lv. 85】

Tordham.

That was the old man’s name.

An 8th Circle mage, he was the chancellor of Wintershield University and also the chairman of this emergency strategy meeting.

Though his magical achievements didn’t match those of Biyolf or Professor Selena, he was an unparalleled tactician in terms of political sense and administrative ability.

The reason this Tordham was showing displeasure was none other than this:

“That aside… if you had planned to visit our university, wouldn’t it have been proper etiquette to seek permission beforehand?”

Middle Temple and Wintershield had long maintained a non-aggression pact respecting each other’s territories.

These two were in a solid symbiotic relationship, indispensable to each other. If Middle Temple’s barrier was the shield protecting the continent, then Wintershield was the source that breathed power into that shield.

‘The continent’s largest magic stone reserves. And magical knowledge passed down for hundreds of years. All of this is a core element maintaining Middle Temple’s barrier.’

That wasn’t all.

The high-ranking mages of the Inner Tower possessed military power equivalent to Middle Temple’s senior knights.

Chancellor Tordham, as well as most of the high-ranking mages sitting in this meeting room, were terrifying beings who could easily devastate a small city each.

Thus, both sides maintained equal balance, and that was the biggest reason they didn’t cross each other’s boundaries.

…At least, the mages here seemed to think so.

‘Even the self-willed Sword Masters respected that tacit agreement to that extent.’

If this agreement hadn’t existed, there would have been 30 chancellors killed by Sword Masters, not just 3.

“However…”

Tordham continued speaking.

“…you ignored all procedures and infiltrated our university through the disguise of a ‘dragon-slaying adventurer.’ Not stopping there, you caused tremendous commotion underground.”

Tension filled the meeting room. Several professors nodded slightly in agreement with Tordham’s words.

“Interesting.”

Watching this scene quietly, I spoke in a blunt voice.

“I took care of the dirty work on behalf of the Magic Academy, yet instead of gratitude, you’re going to nitpick first?”

“It’s not nitpicking but following principles. And our Magic Tower never requested external aid to subdue the underground monsters.”

“…”

“A treaty is a treaty, Sword Master. You have violated the pact made between Middle Temple and Wintershield hundreds of years ago.”

I remained silent for a moment, then looked around the meeting room. The mages sitting at the round table were casting dissatisfied glances at me.

“You called me to an emergency strategy meeting, and now you’re going to question my crimes first? I clearly heard this was a place to discuss the Magic Academy’s crisis and subsequent measures.”

“Everything has its priorities. Subsequent measures will be discussed later, as the name suggests.”

Tordham replied.

“There’s no law saying we must give special treatment just because you’re a seeker. Questioning responsibility for violating the treaty is a natural principle. That too is a matter threatening our university’s safety.”

As I observed the cunning glances flowing around the round table, my thoughts became increasingly certain.

The reason they were trying to find fault with me even while being unreasonable.

Beyond the power struggle, they clearly intended to use this opportunity to exploit the Sword Master.

Anyway, cunning mages.

Actually, Wintershield’s attitude wasn’t surprising.

This was originally why I mainly played swordsman characters in the game. I was sick of dealing with these gloomy mages.

I don’t know how that Strawberry Latte guy always plays only mages.

Well, that didn’t mean I intended to be played by the mages’ gloomy schemes.

A Sword Master just needed to act in a Sword Master’s way.

“Hmm?”

Tordham and the other mages frowned.

Because I had suddenly placed my hand on the hilt of the Feather Sword.

“What are you… doing now…?”

What am I doing?

Since they started the power struggle first, I was just returning it in kind.

This was the same situation as when I first opened my eyes in this world and met Karayan at the Underground Arena.

Before playing my trump card, I first had to seize control of the conversation by overwhelming the opponent.

“Mages spend every day holed up in their rooms reading grimoires and scrolls, so they don’t have time to read history books, I suppose.”

“What does that…?”

“I mean it’s surprising that you’re being so bold when you know that three chancellors have had their heads taken by Sword Masters.”

“…!”

Bang-!

Tordham’s face reddened as he struck the round table hard and shot up from his seat.

“How dare you!”

The chandelier hanging from the ceiling shook.

Tordham’s mana had begun resonating as he lost self-control.

“Even the Sword Masters of that time strictly observed the ‘treaty’! Their execution of chancellors was legitimate enforcement carried out within the treaty!”

“…”

“But if you cause a rampage, that would be an act that completely violates the treaty, beyond just ignoring it!”

Several mages sitting around the round table also stood up one by one and began shouting. Their wrinkled faces contorted with anger.

Their pride is disgustingly strong.

Backed by the support of others, Tordham shouted even more triumphantly.

“Think carefully! No matter how much you are a seeker chosen by the Great Ones, do you think you could survive if you cause a rampage here where a dozen high-ranking mages are gathered?”

Right.

Tordham’s words were completely correct.

If the dozen or so mages here attacked all at once, ‘I’ would absolutely not survive.

One-on-one against transcendent beings like the Adversary had some chance of victory. But one-against-many battles with strong people were absolutely disadvantageous.

What I could practically use in combat was only 【Soul of the Sword Master】 and 【Ultimate Auto-Parrying】. In a situation where high-level magic poured from all directions, there wasn’t much I could do.

The only time I’d faced multiple enemies with 【Soul of the Sword Master】 was when I met the three bandits underground in Labyrinth Village.

But unlike then, this time all dozen or so enemies were tremendously skilled. Looking around, I couldn’t see a single person below level 80.

‘But….’

Shing-!

I slowly drew my feather sword.

“Why do you think I won’t be able to survive?”

“…!”

Though ‘I’ might not survive.

A typical Sword Master could easily survive in this chaotic battle.

Unlike me, whose actual abilities were pathetically poor except for a few skills… Heukgol, Tyrant Dragon, and the other Twelve Sword Masters were all monsters that transcended common sense.

But now.

Among the mages here, no one thought I wasn’t a ‘typical Sword Master.’

Everyone was trembling just from seeing the title of Seeker of the Sword.

‘In other words….’

…my bluffing was bound to work without fail.

“Biyolf.”

Flinch-.

When I called Professor Biyolf quietly, he sitting beside me trembled with a start.

Professor Biyolf’s complexion had already turned deathly pale some time ago.

Indeed, he was one of the few mages who had witnessed the ‘catastrophe’ from a hundred years ago.

From the moment arguments broke out in the meeting, he had been frozen, trapped by those terrible memories from that day.

“You said you’ve lived for 212 years.”

“….”

“Then you must have witnessed that day directly. The moment when the dean’s head was severed by a Sword Master’s blade.”

Professor Biyolf’s lips trembled.

According to the game’s setting, it was an incident from about a hundred years ago. The event when the dean met his death at the hands of a Sword Master.

Among those participating in the emergency meeting, there were hardly any mages who had seen this directly. After all, most mages were pure humans with lifespans around a hundred years.

But Biyolf was different. At 212 years old, he was one of the few who had directly witnessed the catastrophe that befell Wintershield.

That’s why, unlike other mages who acted arrogantly, he had trembled in fear the moment he first heard the name Sword Master.

‘When subjugating The Adversary, I specifically chose Biyolf as an ally for this reason.’

Among the mages belonging to Wintershield Magic Academy, Professor Biyolf was the only one who truly feared and revered Sword Masters.

“Everyone.”

Just then, Biyolf spoke up with a trembling voice.

Having directly witnessed The Adversary’s power, and seeing me unharmed without a single major injury despite having defeated such an Adversary.

Naturally, Professor Biyolf had no choice but to tremendously overestimate my abilities.

“Everyone calm down and take your seats.”

“Professor Biyolf, what do you mean…!”

“That person is right.”

“…?”

“Even if everyone here attacked together, we couldn’t touch a single hair on a Sword Master’s head.”

Instantly, everyone in the meeting room looked at Professor Biyolf with puzzled expressions. Regardless, he continued speaking while recalling memories from the past.

“What did you all sacrifice… to reach the 8th tier?”

Professor Biyolf’s voice trembled endlessly. His gaze swept around the round table, looking at everyone.

“Decades of training, thousands of magic books, and tens of thousands of experiments. Melting blood, sweat, and time to barely reach your current position.”

“….”

“But don’t you all know? How many made the same efforts as us yet couldn’t reach the 8th tier. 7th tier, 6th tier… no, countless others who disappeared without even crossing the wall of the 3rd tier.”

Biyolf squeezed his eyes shut.

“That is ‘talent.’ In the end, magic is a realm that cannot be reached through effort alone. Without talent, no matter how much you struggle, you can’t even see that threshold.”

“What are you suddenly talking about….”

“Do you know what I saw that day?”

“….”

“I saw the most talented 9th-tier Grand Mage in magical history collapse in an instant.”

Tordham unconsciously closed his mouth, and Biyolf continued speaking.

“The talent we were proud of, the tower of magic we built over our lifetimes… before them, it’s nothing but a sandcastle. We spent decades honing our skills to barely stand before the door of the 8th tier, but they are beings who have stood beyond that door from the moment they took their first steps.”

Slowly-.

Biyolf opened his closed eyes.

Soon his gaze turned toward the old mage sitting in the chairman’s seat.

“Don’t be mistaken, Tordham.”

“….”

“….”

212 years.

A terrible silence began to pervade the hall after the speech from the mage who had lived those long years.

No mage dared to open their mouth.

“The ‘treaty’ you keep mentioning isn’t a means to check Middle Temple.”

“….”

“It’s merely the last mercy that Middle Temple bestowed upon us.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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