The Son-In-Law of the Magician Is a Transcendent Sword Master - Chapter 1

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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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Chapter 1

It was a connection that lasted barely over a year.

In the flames of war that struck the continent, even romances that seemed impossible to bloom would inevitably blossom.

“I heard you know how to handle a sword.”

My meeting with Lyrnia Erahan von Benheim began in that process.

“The wandering mercenary Reagan. The natural enemy of mages. They call you the Sword God in the world, don’t they?”

Renia Benheim seemed to have heard rumors about a certain mercenary called the Sword God.

That mercenary was, needless to say, me.

At the time, I was living as a mercenary on the battlefield.

I hadn’t joined the war with any particularly grand purpose.

I started my mercenary life with just swordsmanship learned in the marketplace, and awakened my talent.

Perhaps because I was born with nothing, I learned quickly too.

Sword God. It was a nickname that stuck while I swung my sword to survive in the war that had conveniently broken out.

“Sword God. It’s nothing special.”

“What do you mean? As you know, Reagan, in a situation like this, it’s impossible for a Sword Master-level force to be unaffiliated.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s late, but let me introduce myself. I’m Lyrnia Erahan von Benheim. I’m the heir of the Benheim Count’s Family. Though it doesn’t mean much now that the family has fallen.”

The last remaining bloodline of Benheim, Renia extended her hand to me. Her purpose was to recruit me.

“I’d like to formally employ you, Reagan. I’ll pay you generously. I have money left from disposing of the family’s treasures.”

“What business does a noble lady of Benheim have in such a battlefield?”

“It’s because I’m a noble lady of Benheim that I have business here. I intend to kill him. The Archmage King who started this war and brought down my family.”

The Archmage King.

He was both the mastermind who plunged the continent into chaos and the person who broke through the 8th circle with a human body, reaching closest to divinity. He had destroyed several prestigious magic families and stolen their secret techniques, now on the verge of the 9th circle.

The second daughter of the count family Benheim, once one of the five great magic families but completely collapsed during the war, Lyrnia Erahan von Benheim had apparently come to the battlefield to kill the Archmage King for her family’s revenge.

What dwelt in Renia’s eyes was intense fury.

Even I, who had continuously rolled through the line of death as a wandering mercenary swinging my sword, could not easily bear the emotion contained in Renia’s eyes.

“…Payment is upfront.”

“Of course I should pay you.”

Though I had no desire to get involved in some brat’s revenge game, the payment Renia offered was sweet.

For a mercenary who had lost his employer to war, the resistance army led by Renia was quite attractive as a final destination.

“Well then, let’s shake hands.”

“Do we have to?”

“It’s important to me.”

I reluctantly clasped Renia’s hand.

It wasn’t the soft touch of an ordinary woman’s hand, but a rough hand with calluses. I could tell how hard a life Renia had lived.

“Please take care of us. Let’s work together to end the war.”

“…Yeah.”

That’s how I joined the continent’s resistance army led by Renia Benheim.

The resistance army was of considerable size, and the skill level of its members was also outstanding.

Even I, who had initially started with just an employment relationship, felt a sense of belonging as I spent more time with Renia.

For a wandering mercenary who had lived without belonging anywhere, it was an emotion felt after a long time.

Thus we roamed across the continent, facing the Archmage King’s forces.

Our achievements were quite excellent too.

At that point, the Royal Court was still intact, so we viewed the situation optimistically.

The hope that no matter how strong the Archmage King was, the war would end soon.

However, after a year passed, our hope was shattered.

The Royal Court had fallen.

In the aftermath, we were defeated.

* * *

I run through the dense forest.

In my arms was Renia, who had injured her leg. She trembled her lips with a pale complexion, clutching a pendant tightly in her hand.

The end of the long battle was tragic.

The resistance army was annihilated.

“It’s all because of me. Because I was inadequate…”

“Don’t blame yourself. It wasn’t a difference in military strength that an individual could overcome.”

That was the truth.

Before the Archmage King’s forces, Renia’s resistance army was less than dust.

In a situation where there was a significant difference in both quantity and quality of personnel, even our supply routes were cut off. Even if a war god came, they couldn’t have reversed the war situation.

“First, we’ll escape and plan for the future. If we go to the Southern Great Forest, there will be many places to hide…”

While I was continuing to speak, Renia quietly slipped out of my arms.

When I turned around, Renia was standing alone with a bitter smile.

“I’ll stay here.”

“What?”

“This place is perfect. If I block the Narrow Gorge Pass and engage in a war of attrition, you’ll be able to return alive, Reagan.”

“…Are you planning to die?”

“We’re defeated soldiers anyway. The resistance fighters have scattered in all directions, and only the two of us remain. Then shouldn’t at least one person with healthy legs survive? And I don’t plan to die quietly either. I’m going to kill the Archmage King. That’s my last remaining duty.”

Renia laughed desperately.

That laugh was strangely unpleasant.

That detached attitude as if she had lived through everything in the world irritated me.

So I decided.

“I’ll stay too.”

“…What?”

As if she hadn’t expected my reaction, Renia’s eyes widened.

“I don’t have any more money to give you, Reagan.”

“I’m not staying because of money.”

I was aware of it myself.

A mercenary’s cold reason said it would be better to run away from here.

However, as they say, reason draws conclusions but emotions give birth to actions.

“If you die, the continent’s future ends too. If that’s the case, it’s better to bet our lives on even a slim chance of victory. Even if we fail, we can leave our names in a corner of the history books.”

Now that the Royal Court had fallen, Renia was the only archmage capable of opposing the Archmage King. If she died, there would be no one left on this continent who could stop the Archmage King.

It didn’t seem like the Archmage King, who had conquered the continent, would spare the wandering mercenary who had been the leader of the resistance army.

Rather than surviving disgracefully and struggling until death, wanting to land at least one final blow was a gambler’s mindset.

Of course, I wasn’t a gambler.

Renia chuckled and said.

“That’s not like you.”

“You’re right about that. In this past year, I must have been influenced by someone.”

“Still, I’ll pay you.”

“Didn’t you just say with your own mouth that you have no money?”

“Yes. That’s right. So I’m thinking of paying in a different way instead of money.”

Renia slowly approached and took my hand. Then she pulled our clasped hands up to her chest.

“Take me.”

“…Are you serious?”

“I don’t do things like lying. And, when a lady has gathered courage, isn’t it proper manners to embrace her without asking again?”

Renia said this while winking one eye. She rolled her other eye to point at a cabin that happened to be at the pass.

“That cabin looks nice. We should have about a day’s reprieve. It’s rough, but wouldn’t it be enough to decorate our last night?”

Led by Renia, I entered the cabin.

Hidden there, we enjoyed a night’s reprieve that was short if short, long if long.

“Do you know something?”

“What?”

“I actually couldn’t become the family head.”

In that process, I was able to hear various stories from Renia.

The main topic was Renia’s past. That was natural since my own experiences weren’t particularly noteworthy.

I heard about Renia’s childhood memories of being raised like a precious jewel in Benheim. And various stories about the power struggles between the Five Mage Families and the incident when the Archmage King raised an army.

“When I was little, I was quite the troublemaker. Exceptionally so, even by Benheim standards. I gave my father so many headaches.”

“I can see that.”

“Haha. That’s how you’re going to respond?”

Our conversation continued on and on.

We were facing the final battle. It was inevitable to become sentimental.

I spent the entire night keeping Renia company.

As dawn approached, Renia took out a pendant from her bosom.

It was the pendant that Renia had clutched tightly in her hand even during our retreat.

“Please, take this.”

“…Isn’t this something precious to you?”

“Yes. This is the last payment I can give you, Reagan. It’s an artifact passed down through generations in my family. So, you could say this pendant symbolizes the head of Benheim.”

“Is it alright to give me such an important item?”

“Since you have me, you have Benheim. So the symbol of the family head belongs to you too, Reagan. Do you see this? This pendant has the final runic characters engraved on it that no one has ever been able to interpret.”

As Renia said, a clear geometric pattern was etched on the central ring of the pendant.

I intuitively understood that this wasn’t much different from the structure of the rune magic she usually used.

“Reagan, if you survive this war, please rebuild the Benheim Count’s Family. And interpret these runic characters to make them known to the world.”

“I’m not even a mage, just a simple swordsman.”

“It’s fine. Reagan, you have more outstanding magical talent than you think. More than someone like me. Even if you had learned magic instead of the sword, you would have achieved greatness.”

I couldn’t bring myself to smile.

Because I had grasped the hidden meaning in Renia’s words.

“…It sounds like you’re saying you won’t survive. No matter how I look at it, isn’t this like entrusting me with your keepsake?”

“Oh my, how mischievous of you. If you noticed, the proper thing would be to accept it quietly, wouldn’t it?”

“…I’m sorry.”

I reluctantly accepted Renia’s pendant and said,

“I’ll definitely return it to you.”

“…I hope so.”

Renia added those hopeful words.

In hindsight, her words were not to be fulfilled.

In the battle that took place the next day, Renia’s chest was pierced by the Archmage King’s magic.

* * *

“Excellent, the last bloodline of Benheim.”

The Archmage King looked at Renia, who was kneeling and coughing up blood, with continuous admiration.

“Amazing, truly amazing. Who would have thought that a great mage surpassing the 8th circle would emerge from Benheim. It’s truly regrettable that I must kill such talent with my own hands.”

The Archmage King said something, but I wasn’t listening. Only the sight of Renia with a huge hole in her chest filled my vision.

The bright red blood flowing from her lips, her trembling eyelashes, and her limp white hands were telling the story.

It was clearly a fatal wound.

At that moment, Renia turned her head. Her violet eyes, filled with the color of death, were directed toward me. Unable to even make a sound due to her pierced lungs, Renia could only smile desperately.

As if telling me to run away.

As if telling me to survive somehow and fulfill her dying wish.

“Little brat, know your place.”

Who was lecturing whom?

I drew my sword and charged. If fleeing would only lead to destruction anyway, I felt I needed to at least take an arm from that detestable man who had taken Renia’s life.

“Who are you? That child’s companion?”

“…No, an employee.”

“A relationship bound by money, then. At least you know your life is precious. Turn around and flee right now. I might not be unable to spare you.”

The Archmage King babbled on as he pleased.

He spread both arms with a sneer.

“How about it? If you flee and preserve your life, you might get a chance to kill me someday.”

I stopped listening to his words.

Deep down, I knew.

That without Renia, living wouldn’t really be living.

That there would never be another connection I cherished so dearly in my short life.

“Shut up!”

I swung my sword in a trance.

The culmination of all the martial arts I had built up.

For a moment, admiration flashed across the Archmage King’s face.

“A Sword Master at that age… They say heroes emerge in troubled times. Though not as much as Benheim’s daughter, your level is also excellent. But it’s unfortunate. You can never defeat me.”

The Archmage King shot out a crimson spear blade.

The soundlessly flying magic contained an ominous aura. I swung my sword with all my might, infusing it with aura.

Slash.

My sword cut through the Archmage King’s magic.

“…What?”

For the first time, the Archmage King showed signs of surprise.

He seemed quite shocked that my sword had cut through his magic.

“Huh… You cut through my magic? Are you a mage?”

The muttering Archmage King soon shook his head.

“No, no you’re not. Interesting. This is a talent I’ve never seen or heard of. I suppose I’ll have to take back what I just said. I can’t let you live. You’re more dangerous than that wench.”

“I told you to shut up!”

I gritted my teeth and charged. But the moment the Archmage King unleashed his magic at full power, my desperate struggle became nothing but futile flailing.

While the Archmage King’s magic reached the heavens, my martial arts could not. Even drawing out all my life force to resist, I could barely manage to leave a long sword scar on his face, let alone achieve mutual destruction.

Soon, covered in blood, I grasped my fading consciousness and thrust my sword into the ground.

“…Pathetic.”

As wretched as my life had been, its end was equally hollow.

I placed my hand on Renia’s cold corpse lying at my feet. Her face was unrecognizable, covered in blood.

Soon my vision became distorted.

The Archmage King chanted magic. An unfathomably deep great magic rushed forth, and my body was crushed together with Renia’s corpse.

That’s how we met our end.

For the last heir of Benheim and a mercenary called the Sword God, it was a hollow finale.

* * *

Right.

I met a hollow death.

I certainly should have.

“Hey!”

That was a memory from just one day ago.

No, I wasn’t sure if it was a memory from one day ago or ten years later.

“Hey you! Reagan! What are you doing not carrying things! Do you want to starve! There’s a mountain of luggage to move!”

A middle-aged mercenary with a long scar on his face shouted at me loudly. The mercenary’s face was familiar. He was the captain of the mercenary group I had briefly belonged to in my childhood.

The location was also the mercenary camp.

The memories of the past were vivid. Enough to evoke a strange nostalgia.

My face reflected in the puddle on the ground was that of a teenage boy. It was unmistakably my past appearance.

“…I should have died for certain…”

Then what exactly was this situation I was facing now?

Was I seeing my life flash before my eyes at the moment of death?

“No.”

As I looked at the scene before me, I felt an alien and cold sensation from my chest.

The source of that alien feeling was none other than a pendant.

The symbol of the Benheim Family head that Renia had entrusted to me on our last night together.

A pendant engraved with the final rune.

Renia’s keepsake had traveled back through time into my hands.

“…You little brat.”

I don’t know how far Renia had planned this.

If there’s one thing certain, it’s that her final words to me were never wrong.

I had returned to the past.

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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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