The God-Possessed Swordsmanship Genius - Chapter 46

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Swordsman Genius Blessed by a Divine Spirit, Chapter 46

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Allen walked down the corridor alongside Lucas.
The corridors of Steel Castle were cold. Partway down, they came across a group of Steel Castle swordsmen.
The swordsmen spotted Allen and Lucas, halted in their tracks, and bowed their heads.
Beneath their crisp, disciplined movements lay genuine respect and admiration for Lucas and Allen. These were not the same looks they had been given when they first arrived at Steel Castle.

“Your reputation has skyrocketed within Steel Castle.”

Lucas recounted what had happened while Allen was unconscious.

“More than a few swordsmen saw you take up the fake Demon Sword in place of the Castle Lord.”

The Castle Lord, possessed by a demon’s soul.
Just as Sword Squad, Steel Castle, and the Empire joined forces to subdue him, Allen had appeared, and he had truly been the hero of the ravine.
He had taken up the fake Demon Sword in the Castle Lord’s stead, and even gone so far as to shatter it.

“I did look pretty cool, didn’t I?”
“Getting cocky again.”
“Because it’s true.”

On this point, Lucas had nothing to say.
Setting aside how cool he looked, Allen’s performance on this mission had been dazzling.
Even now, thinking about what might have happened had he not been there, Lucas felt his vision go dark.
If it was that bad for him, how much worse must it have been for the Castle Lord, whose body had been seized by the Demon Sword?
The two of them made their way to the room of the Castle Lord, located at the end of the castle’s corridor.
That was when—

“I’ll get cocky one more time.”

Allen strode ahead with long, confident steps, then turned back toward Lucas.
Lucas caught his meaning and furrowed his brow.

“You’re going to meet him alone?”
“It’s not like before, is it?”
“Even so, it’s been less than four months.”

Allen’s relationship with the Castle Lord had begun on bad terms.
The Castle Lord had sabotaged Allen’s mission from behind the scenes, and as a result, Allen had earned the disgrace of failing his very first assignment.
After that incident, Allen had gone to see the Castle Lord. The friction between them had never become widely known, but Lucas was aware that the two of them did not get along.

“Don’t underestimate that old man. He’s a slippery one, with a fox’s cunning hidden inside.”
“That’s exactly why it’ll be fine.”
“Exactly why?”
“Because he’s a slippery one.”

Lucas was momentarily at a loss for words at Allen’s answer.
The implication was that since the Castle Lord was a slippery sort, he would surely recognize Allen’s worth now.
Looking at him like this, Lucas couldn’t help but wonder whether Allen was the slippery one himself.

“Fine. I’m sure you’ll handle it just fine.”

Lucas had decided to trust Allen now.
On this mission alone, the kid had outperformed him by a wide margin.
He wasn’t a child, and Lucas couldn’t hold his hand through every step, including the meeting with the Castle Lord.

“I’ll be off, then.”
“Don’t be late. We’re moving out at noon sharp.”
“Got it.”

With that, Lucas turned on his heel.
Allen watched his brother’s back grow smaller, then went the opposite way. His steps led him to the Steel Castle Lord’s study.

Two Steel Castle swordsmen stood guard outside the study. They bowed their heads to Allen and called inside.

“My Lord. The Sword Squad’s Second Team Leader is here.”
“Send him in.”

The reply came instantly, as though he had been waiting.
The two swordsmen opened the door and stepped aside.
Allen walked into the study. The smell of old paper and ink hit him first.
The Steel Castle Lord was reading at the far end of the room.

“So you’ve come?”

His voice was as flat as ever.
It was the very same reaction he’d given the last time Allen had come to see him, months ago.

“Sit there.”

A pair of small sofas and a table sat where the Lord pointed. Allen dropped into one of them.
The Lord closed his book, rose, and picked up a bottle that had been sitting there more for show than for use.
He brought out two cups along with the liquor and settled across from Allen.

“Are you feeling any better?”
“Every bone in my body aches, thanks to you.”

Allen rubbed his shoulder with an exaggerated wince.
At the blatant show of self-pity, the corner of the Steel Castle Lord’s mouth twitched.

“For someone who claims to be fine, you’re awfully good at complaining.”
“Does it look that way to you?”
“Do you know what your face looks like right now? You’ve got something you want to hear from me, and you’re grinning like a kid who can’t wait.”
“You always did have a good eye for people.”
“Hah-hah-hah!”

The Steel Castle Lord burst into loud laughter. There was no warmth in it at all.
He pulled the stopper and poured the same amount into both cups.
The clear liquor filled the cups. The Lord pushed one of them toward Allen.

“Listen, Second Young Master.”

Instead of telling him to drink, he said something else.

“I’m sorry.”

At those words, a smile tugged at the corner of Allen’s lips.
An apology.
It was something the Lord should have said before any word of thanks.
Perhaps the words needed some courage behind them, because the Lord downed the drink he had poured in one gulp.
The sharp scent of alcohol drifted across the table to Allen. It was a potent liquor.
Only after he’d finished it did he ask.

“Why did you do it?”
“Saving you, you mean?”
“Wasn’t there no need for that? If it were me, I’d have let you die on purpose.” → “There was no need for that, was there? If it were me, I’d have let you die on purpose.”
“So you’re finally admitting your mistake?”

Allen laughed as if amused.
The Steel Castle Lord didn’t smile back. He asked instead.

“I asked for your reason.”
“You’re probably expecting some grand reason, but there isn’t one. It was simply my mission.”
“Your mission was to secure the Demon Sword. Not to save me.”
“Weren’t you part of that mission too, Lord?”

Allen picked up the cup the Steel Castle Lord had offered him.

“Then we’re comrades.”

He drank.
The liquor was as harsh as ever, yet it carried a refined fragrance that made it clear this was a rare and fine drink.
Wincing at the sharp bite of the liquor, Allen spoke.

“That’s bitter. Where’s this from?”
“…Quite a sentimental reason, then.”

The Steel Castle Lord’s words had nothing to do with Allen’s question.
Noticing that he seemed lost in some deep, private thought, Allen asked.

“Yes, that’s the reason. Why? Don’t you like it?”
“I’ve always thought you’re the lesser of the two, and your brother is the better choice.”

After a moment’s hesitation, the Steel Castle Lord continued.

“But that doesn’t mean you’re unsuitable.”
“Lord.”

That was the moment Allen’s mood changed.

“Don’t say things like that.”
“…What do you mean?”
“As if I could choose the head of the family. No, as if we lords could choose the head of the family. I’m telling you not to speak as though that’s the case.”

Allen could see it.
Inside the Steel Castle Lord’s mind, as he looked at him, there was a single scale.
Both Allen and Lucas sat upon that scale.
It had always tilted toward Lucas Bishuken.
But now Allen Bishuken on the other side had grown, and the balance had shifted, if only slightly.
It was certainly good for him.
Yet Allen had never liked the very existence of that scale to begin with.

“I know you act for the family’s sake. If that weren’t the case, I wouldn’t have saved the Lord this time. No, I would never have forgiven him in the first place.”

At Allen’s sudden words, the Steel Castle Lord’s eyes narrowed.
Like a man whose thoughts had been read, he quietly poured liquor into his own cup.

“Erase the word ‘head of the family’ from your mind. Erase your brother too, erase everything. Our relationship will begin from there. I’ll drink this one again when that time comes.”

He took a single sip, then pushed the rest of the cup forward and rose from his seat.
Just as Allen was about to leave.

“Thank you.”

The Steel Castle Lord blurted out the words he had been putting off.

“I said that too late. Thanks to you, I’m alive.”

The apology belonged to the past now, and the thanks was for saving him during this mission.
Allen, who had been about to leave his seat, paused and looked at the Steel Castle Lord.
It was a greeting from a man with a steel-hard pride. Those words of apology and gratitude could not have come easily to him.
There was only one way to preserve the pride of a man like that.

“Just words?”

At Allen’s teasing, the Steel Castle Lord answered as if he had been waiting for it.

“Whatever it is, I’ll help you once.”
“Only once?”
“Didn’t I say ‘whatever it is’? I promise it. I swear it on the name and honor of Saul, Lord of the Steel Castle.”

A serious answer to a joke.
Allen met the Steel Castle Lord’s gaze and spoke.

“I didn’t do it expecting anything in return. As I said earlier, as long as we’re on this mission together, we’re comrades, and your death would be a loss to the family.”

After the serious words, the teasing crept back in.

“Still, it’s better that we don’t owe each other anything, right? Whenever you need something, I’ll come running to you, Lord.”
“…Didn’t you just say you didn’t do it expecting anything?”
“Refusing would be bad manners, wouldn’t it? I don’t know when, but I’ll be counting on you, so please look after me later.”

Allen smiled faintly, bowed his head, and turned to leave.
Just as he was about to walk out of the study like that.

“Ah, right.”
“…?”

As though he had remembered something, Allen stopped in his tracks and looked back at the Steel Castle Lord.

“For your reference, I don’t care for strong liquor. Neither does my brother. Just so you know.”

That was his parting remark.
Allen strode briskly out of the study.
Left alone in the study, the Steel Castle Lord chuckled in disbelief and looked at the far side of the liquor table.
Allen’s cup had gone down by a single sip.
The Steel Castle Lord stared at the cup for a while, then muttered.

“Well, he did drink some after all.”

* * *

In front of the Steel Castle, a transfer gate back to the main castle had been prepared.
Each team of the Sword Squad lined up in neat rows and got ready to move. There was still some time before the transfer gate would activate.
Normally they would have been glad about a mission that ended early, but their attention was elsewhere.

“Is that really true?”
“You mean the Demon Sword?”

Allen had appeared while the Steel Castle Lord was fighting a demon who had taken over his body.
Everyone here had seen him rescue the Steel Castle Lord and carry the real Demon Sword.

“It must be. Otherwise, why would we be going back?”
“Then what about the bet?”
“What bet?”
“Didn’t you make a bet with Squad One and Squad Two? About this year’s results.”
“Oh, right.”
“Why even ask? We’ve been out on missions all year long. If that’s real, then of course…”
“It could be fake, you know?”

The Sword Squad’s swordsmen had their attention fixed entirely on the wager between Squads 1 and 2.
The point was who had won the bet between Squads 1 and 2.
Before setting out on the mission, most of the swordsmen had naturally assumed Squad 1 would come out ahead.
But now the outcome had become impossible to predict.
Everyone was itching to know how the wager would turn out.
Only Squad 1 was trembling with unease.

“Hey, Mary.”

At last, Squad Leader Kasar of Squad 1, unable to hold back any longer, approached Mary.
His whole body was wrapped in bandages, the wounds from his fight with Belbemos still fresh.

“That thing… is it really true?”
“What thing?”
“Don’t play dumb. The Demon Sword, I mean.”

Sensing Kasar’s anxiety, Mary curled one corner of her mouth and asked.

“Why? Are you worried we’ll win the bet?”
“Please. However important that Demon Sword is, can Squad 2’s results really overtake us on the strength of that alone?”

Kasar strained to keep his voice from trembling.
If they lost this wager, not only would Squad 1 hand over every one of its mission results, but they would also be humiliated by having to publicly apologize before the Path of the Sword.

“I’m just curious, that’s all. Whether we really succeeded on the mission. If it turns out we did…”
“You should choose your words carefully, Squad Leader.”

Just then, a voice cut through Kasar’s words from somewhere within the crowd of Squad 2.
Already on edge, Kasar scowled deeply and turned toward the direction the voice had come from.
In that instant, his expression twisted sharply.

“Get a grip. You’re not included in that ‘we.'”

It was Allen, appearing with a beaming, cheerful grin.

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