The Regressed Magic Swordsman Devours the North - Chapter 58

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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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Episode 58. Special Investigation Division
A large notice had been posted in the central hall of each floor in the Inspection Bureau building.
『Recruitment Notice: Special Investigation Division』
-Deadline
October 2nd through 8th.
*Knights will be prioritized for recruitment, as dangerous assignments are expected to be frequent.
*Apprentice Knights who have not yet manifested Aura are also eligible.
*Administrative Officials will be accepted, but administrative duties will be the priority.
*Final selection will be determined following interviews with Inspection Bureau Director Midgal and Special Investigation Division Commander Sion.
This was the notice posted in the Inspection Bureau.
Silvia, Lui, Bwindol, and Bill received separate request letters instead.
Lui held what was formally a request letter—though he might have called it a plea—and read it carefully.
『To my esteemed fellow Knight Lui—』
The content was simple enough: Sion lacked strong standing within the Inspection Bureau and possessed few connections, so he was asking for help recruiting personnel.
After reading the letter from Sion, Lui walked through the courtyard in front of the Inspection Bureau to gather his thoughts.
Step… step…
The air grew colder with each passing day, but it was bearable for a Knight.
What is a Knight?
A Knight is a special existence in and of itself.
Perhaps one in a thousand trained soldiers achieves it.
This means that every soldier has the potential to become a Knight, and every soldier dreams of achieving it.
The minimum condition for becoming a Knight is the ability to channel Aura through a weapon.
Aura is Mana that has been refined and processed within the inner universe of a person—their Core—and every Knight’s Aura bears its own unique resonance.
To possess Aura requires a process of filling one’s Core with Mana, and for that, one must first be able to sense the Mana—the foundation upon which all power rests.
How does one sense Mana?
The most basic theory currently accepted is Talent, followed by blood-soaked training.
Those with Talent sense Mana effortlessly, naturally awakening their Core and forming Mana without struggle.
But those without Talent must hone their senses to a razor’s edge through grueling training and brushes with death to perceive even the faintest shimmer of Mana.
As Knights often say:
-Even if one has the Talent to awaken a Core and manifest Mana, actually circulating that Mana through the entire bloodstream and strengthening the body requires a different kind of effort entirely.
Therefore, Talent only accelerates the starting point. Having Talent does not make one a Knight.
Lui deeply agreed. He despised this concept of ‘Talent.’ In fact, he thought it was complete nonsense.
And his own life proved his point.
He had taken up a sword from childhood.
To protect the family members who barely survived a Magical Beast attack.
That day—after the Magical Beast smashed through the cottage and invaded—his parents’ strength faded, and they became bedridden in a hospital.
His two younger siblings enrolled in an academy that trained Knights and Mages, but tuition was steep.
Lui found himself responsible for the entire family.
All that remained to him was the grit to wield a blade.
He put in blood and sweat. Called a genius, so he must have had Talent, right? Not a chance.
Lui had awakened to Mana three years later than his peers Bwindol and Bill at the Inspection Bureau.
He trained his muscles until they tore, and never shied away from dangerous field work.
To push himself to the point of tasting blood, yet still feel himself falling behind…
It felt like sinking into the deepest ocean.
That small, blue particle.
What right did it have!
But.
Lui never gave up.
Not metaphorically—he truly bled and toiled. He eliminated days off, indulged in nothing, and cut his sleep short.
From the moment he opened his eyes until he fell asleep, he thought only of training.
And the result.
He manifested Aura at the same time as Bwindol and Bill.
He defeated both of them in sparring by an overwhelming margin, and at some point came to be called a genius.
And what did he hear?
-Lui is a genius, after all.
-Must be nice to be a genius, Lui.
It infuriated him. A genius? Did any of you work as hard as I did? Defeatists. Lui despised such trash.
And there was another piece of trash he despised:
Sion—born of noble blood yet unwilling to exert himself, or worse, one who gave up after a pittance of effort and wandered in despair.
Lui truly hated Sion.
No, he had despised him.
Until the Red Fang elimination operation, that is.
‘That’s right. Everything changed after that.’
When Lui fought Jephren, the leader of Red Fang, the Sion reflected in his eyes was utterly, completely different.
Everything he’d observed until then felt like a mirage.
What about the Golden Star Tournament?
Sion wasn’t some half-wit who relied on talent alone and refused to put in effort.
He’d defeated Lui himself, even defeated the knight Silvia whom he respected, and seized the championship.
That’s when it hit him.
Ah. I was wrong about this.
From then on, Lui Daiken moved in Sion’s wake. He wanted to understand more.
And then came the Special Investigation Division’s founding mission.
Lui found himself thinking without even realizing it.
If true genius existed, wouldn’t it be someone like that? A flame kindled in the heart of a pristine, snow-covered wasteland.
The Sion he rediscovered was operating on a different plane entirely.
He was nothing like those fools scattered everywhere who thought themselves talented, nor like Lui himself, who sought to overcome his limits through effort.
In the cold winter, amid the blizzard.
A man like a flame that never went out.
He was asking Lui for something—to recruit fellow members for the Special Investigation Division.
Could he refuse? No.
But could he invite just anyone? No.
After returning from Travis, Lui threw himself into the busiest work of his life—to complete the mission (if that’s what it could be called) that Sion had entrusted to him.
And Bwindol felt the same way. So did Vil.
What about Silvia? She didn’t move about with the same frenetic pace as the three knights, but she made her effort nonetheless.
***
Meanwhile, Sion Karsen spent October second through the eighth living deep within the Carsen Family Underground Ruins.
He’d brought along the Dimension Capsule that Doctor Crombell had given him.
This capsule was a truly absurd invention that could store vast quantities of goods inside a small container.
Sion collected all the remaining Sunstones from the first level of the Dungeon, and gathered the bodies of Magical Beasts that had been treated with preservatives to prevent decay.
Ember Wolf.
Magma Turtle.
Red Wyvern.
Each one boasted tremendous material value.
After that, he absorbed the Flame Dragon Vein and trained with sword and Magic. Harshly. As though in real combat.
He was resuming training that had been postponed due to the extended mission.
There was a part of him that thought—after all that hardship, shouldn’t I rest a little? But he didn’t indulge it.
Because rest meant death by the hands of Demon Races in the future, and that was nothing short of suicide.
Not a single moment went to waste.
And when the eighth day had passed, Sion ascended to the surface to begin the interviews.
‘To be honest, I’d be satisfied if even just ten Apprentice Knights applied.’
That was his genuine thought.
The Special Investigation Division was dangerous, after all.
And while things were different in Travis, he believed his reputation in Seiren wasn’t particularly deep.
But what awaited Sion was far removed from expectations.
Personnel who had gathered from each regional Inspection Bureau.
Forty-seven Apprentice Knights.
Twenty-four Junior Knights.
Two hundred twenty-nine Administrative Officials.
“Wow.”
Sion and Midgal stood slack-jawed at the sheer number of applicants that exceeded all projections. They were truly, utterly stunned.
‘Why did so many come?’
Anyone with even a shred of perception couldn’t have failed to see it. Their comrades had lent their support.
‘Those fools. Even if they seem dense, they’ve got deeper connections than I thought.’
Sion proceeded through the interviews with joy. The thoroughness of his work took two full days.
The final count of selected personnel?
Twelve Apprentice Knights.
Eight Junior Knights.
Fifty Administrative Officials.
Those who saw the results were taken aback, calling it unexpected.
Turning away knights who had applied in the first place was something of a rigorous standard, in truth.
Of course, Sion had his reasons.
First, he’d filtered out nobles with questionable backgrounds. He’d need to arrest and crush such men in the days ahead, and there was a risk they’d leak information.
After summoning trustworthy knights, he’d weeded out those with poor reputations as well.
He’d even cut anyone who’d given ambiguous answers during the character interview. What was the Special Investigation Division, after all? It would become the sharpest blade in the Northern Region.
Which meant, conversely, that this group would wield power without limit.
The moment they stepped onto the streets wearing the Special Investigation Division Uniform, they’d draw goodwill simply by walking.
Entrepreneurs would flash them friendly smiles and invite them out for a meal.
Nobles would approach first, extending their hands to build rapport.
They had to be strong enough to resist such temptations. In fact, anyone who’d fall for them was worthless from the start.
Thus, official notices went out to the newly selected Special Investigation Division agents: report to the Special Investigation Division headquarters tomorrow.
***
Lui entered the new Special Investigation Division building together with Bwindol and Bill.
The exterior was unremarkable. Construction was still ongoing, besides… honestly, it looked plain.
But the moment they stepped inside.
“Huh? What? What is all this?”
Everything they’d thought before vanished in an instant.
“What exactly… what is this?”
“I have no idea.”
The vast interior was pristine and luxurious throughout.
Floors and walls fashioned from White Granite. Lighting that put chandeliers to shame.
All of them stood bewildered at how utterly different it was from the old Inspection Bureau.
And then, cutting through it all—
Someone walked toward them.
Footsteps echoed—tap, tap.
Brilliant golden hair and eyes like fathomless depths. An impeccably maintained uniform.
Sion Karsen.
He greeted the newly arrived Special Investigation Division knights with a gentle smile.
“Let me show you around.”
First, the dining hall on the left side of the first floor—reserved exclusively for the Special Investigation Division.
“Skilled chefs are stationed here at all times, and any Special Investigation Division agent can enjoy excellent meals whenever they wish.”
The knights’ jaws dropped. Benefits like this? Was he insane? Their expressions spoke volumes.
The old Inspection Bureau had nothing like this. There was a cafeteria, but it was so unpalatable no one ever went there.
Next, the cafeteria on the right.
“Similarly, any Special Investigation Division agent can enjoy the finest coffee beans whenever they please.”
“That can’t be real.”
“Pfft!”
Someone had spoken, and had immediately sucked in air sharply.
Yet no one reproached him. They all felt the same.
Apprentice Knights, even Junior Knights, whistled under their breath. Even Silvia, who rarely showed surprise, had her eyes wide as saucers. Her expression seemed to say:
‘This is where we’re going to be living from now on?’
Sion simply nodded and led the knights downstairs.
“This is similar to the Inspection Bureau’s underground training grounds.”
Lui doubted his own eyes looking at the training grounds Sion had introduced.
Had he misunderstood the word ‘similar’?
The training grounds weren’t one unified space like the old Inspection Bureau.
There were what looked to be over fifty individual training rooms for the knights, each equipped with air conditioning and ventilation systems.
Lui stepped into the training room with his name inscribed on it. It was spacious, immaculate, and the air was fresh. The walls and floor were made of material that absorbed Aura. The soundproofing seemed excellent too.
‘I can’t believe this.’
Something… something was deeply moving.
It wasn’t merely because the facilities had improved.
Memories surfaced of sweating through training sessions in the old Inspection Bureau basement.
He’d believed his effort was worthwhile even if no one acknowledged it. A knight proves himself through skill. That’s how he’d steadied his resolve.
But now that Sion recognized his efforts, affirmed them, and treated him with such respect, emotion welled up within him.
Just as you can know ten things by seeing one, he could understand exactly how Sion regarded them simply by seeing how meticulously he’d prepared all these facilities.
‘That’s right. It was the same when we bought clothes in Travis.’
He didn’t demand duty from knights as a burden. Knights were people too. Knights had lives. That’s what he acknowledged, and demonstrated through his actions.
“Once you’ve seen the training grounds, come back up.”
Sion led all the knights up to the second floor.
There, each knight had been assigned a private office, and outside each private office was a desk for the Administrative Official who would oversee that knight.
Not a single person stood unmoved. None of this could even be compared to the old Inspection Bureau.
“Now, let me show you the great hall.”
The knights followed Sion. They had always thought it magnificent, but now that conviction solidified into certainty.
Above all, the space itself commanded an awe that was almost palpable.
Sion surveyed the assembled knights in the hall and smiled gently. Then he issued his first command.
“From this moment, we begin our investigation in absolute secrecy. The methodology will be explained by myself and the knights who handled the Travis case. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir!”
The knights’ response rang out like thunder.
“Don’t even think of abusing your authority in haste. For now, gather only circumstantial evidence—the bare minimum. Under no circumstances act rashly. Understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
The Special Investigation Division headquarters practically trembled with the force of their answer.
Sion heard that resounding affirmation and reflected silently.
‘Unknown to me, perhaps the carefully prepared facilities have made an impression.’
What Sion did not know was that most of the knights gathered here came from commoner stock—men and women who had clawed their way up from nothing with relentless determination.
And he did not know that the respect shown by a high-born noble to such people kindled a loyalty beyond measure.
From that day forward, the Special Investigation Division fell silent, conducting their work in shadows so complete that people forgot the division had ever been established.
Yet in the eyes of those knights, the pristine snow-white field bloomed red.

The Returned Demon Swordmaster Devours the Northern Region
Author
: Bang Shim
Date of Creation
: June 16, 2026
Publisher
: ACES Media Co., Ltd.
Editor-in-Chief
: ACES Media Editorial Team
Address
: 10F Urban Bench Building, 325 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Email
: [email protected]
※ This work is published by ACES Media Co., Ltd. under contract with the copyright holder,
and no part of its contents may be used in any form or by any means without the permission of the publisher and author.
This e-book is protected by copyright law; unauthorized reproduction or distribution may result in legal liability.
UCI
: G720:N+A129-20260615032

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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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