Chapter 106 - Unwelcome Guests (5)

“There’s something I’d like to ask.”

I raised a question in the middle of the meeting.

“Why did they bother declaring war? Instead of giving us time like this, they could have sent powerful fighters to crush us all the moment they grew angry.”

I asked because I genuinely wanted to know.

Those oh-so-great Five Families could reduce this estate to ruins simply by dispatching a few truly powerful knights. Or Hugo Rhapsody could come in person. I knew better than anyone what horrors a single swordmaster could wreak. I knew all too well.

“Because that is the law of the continent.”

It was Tom who answered my question.

“A lesser family would have done exactly as you say, young lord. They would have scraped together mercenaries or a knightly order and launched a surprise attack. But the Five Families cannot do that. The other four would demand to know why they had broken the law and hold them accountable.”

“...”

“The authority and power of the Five Families exceed anything you can imagine, young lord. But authority and power always come with responsibility. Noblesse oblige. They cannot act recklessly. Especially a family with a swordmaster among its members.”

Tom patiently explained.

“A family that has a swordmaster must not act recklessly. A swordmaster personally taking action to interfere in worldly affairs is particularly forbidden. The other swordmasters would not stand idle, and above all, the nine goddesses and seven chief gods would not let it pass. The gods would hold them accountable and mete out divine punishment.”

“...”

“Only five swordmasters are alive today, but far more are recorded in history. If they break the law, the swordmasters who have left the middle realm to wander the spirit world, or those who have departed to the gods’ side, will hold them accountable. This rule has existed since the moment the continent was created. Great power brings great responsibility.”

Great power brings great responsibility.

That sentence explained why 「Rhapsody」 had acted as it had. To kill someone as insignificant as me, they had found a justification, declared war, and announced in advance that they would trample this land. An old saying came to mind: even when hunting a single rabbit, a tiger gives its all. However hollow the fine exterior might be, Rhapsody had at least established a pretext. Yet the more I listened to Tom’s explanation, the more one question arose.

“Then why does the Iron Prince’s executioner run rampant like that?”

The Iron Prince’s executioner.

The swordmaster Carlos.

“Why does no one judge swordmaster Carlos when he wields his power so freely? Why don’t the nine goddesses and seven chief gods punish him? Why does no swordmaster hold him accountable?”

Carlos’s actions contradicted Tom’s explanation. He went about wielding great power, but he did not seem to bear any great responsibility. After listening to the questions I poured out, Tom closed his eyes for a moment, then shook his head.

“I don’t know either. It is one of the continent’s mysteries.”

“...”

“Surely only the gods know the whole truth.”

That was not the answer I wanted.

“In any case, Rhapsody will not be able to act recklessly. The continent’s laws and their responsibilities will bind them like chains...”

* * *

「Hugo Rhapsody, you of the seven swords.」

“...”

「Why do you break the law and run rampant as you please?」

The head of the Rhapsody family.

Hugo Rhapsody heard a voice echo through a pitch-black world. The moment he heard it, he knew he was dreaming. More precisely, he had been invited into someone else’s spirit world while asleep. And on this continent, only beings like himself could invite a swordmaster into a spirit world.

Swordmasters, or...

“It has been a long time since you summoned me, spectators above the clouds.”

Gods.

The seven chief gods and nine goddesses.

“Why have you summoned me?”

「Did we not tell you? Because you broke the law.」

“Have you come merely because I took my sword to a few worthless entertainers?”

Facing the seven chief gods and nine goddesses, Hugo Rhapsody spoke.

“Are those entertainers precious to you, but not the blood of Hugo Rhapsody, who devotes himself to the continent?”

「...」

“What did you do while my son suffered that horrific ordeal? Answer me, seven chief gods and nine goddesses. My son must have cried out your names as he screamed. Why did you not help him? Why do you hold only me accountable, and not the insignificant fighter who committed those vile deeds?”

Hugo Rhapsody spoke as he glared into the empty air.

An answer soon came.

「... We shall overlook your killing and threatening the entertainers. Rather than rushing straight to that fighter and slaughtering him, you declared war under the continent’s laws and conducted yourself as a noble.」

“Just answer my question.”

「But go no further. A swordmaster must not interfere with the course of the world. Do not leave your estate, Hugo Rhapsody.」

“I told you to answer my question.”

The gods’ voices were heavy.

As each of the nine goddesses and seven chief gods made their presence felt, Hugo Rhapsody dared to face them in his human body.

Into the silence, the gods’ voices poured forth.

「Obey the law.」

“...”

「There is only one swordmaster on this continent who is not bound by the law. And it is not you, descendant of the foolish idler.」

* * *

The unwelcome guests had said:

They would give us ten days.

Those ten days were the time remaining until our death sentence. The unwelcome guests called themselves an advance force, but surely they knew it too. Even if this place had acquired some of the trappings of an estate, burning down this backwater village on the fringes would be far too easy for them.

What if Tom, the caretaker and a 「sword expert」, had not been here?

What if Audrey the witch had not been here?

If only the estate’s original residents had been here—me, Seolyun, Haylin, and elderly residents who had never held a sword in their lives, peaceful country folk who knew nothing but farming—the result would have been horrific.

They would not have needed the mage called Wavecatcher. Nor would they have needed Rhapsody’s second son, who had declared war. A band of thirty-odd knights alone would have wiped this village off the map. Its simplehearted residents would have died horribly, and my land would once again have been stained with blood. Just as it had been in the past.

I did not believe violence could solve everything. No matter how much I trained with the sword, I could not manage the estate as well as Haylin. I could not rebuild this land that had reeked of blood, gather people here, and restore its welcoming scenery.

Everyone had a role in this world.

Violence was only one part of those roles.

But.

“Master.”

If others inflicted violence on what I cherished...

If unjust forces wielded violence in a world gone wrong, only violence could oppose them. Those who valued strength above all ignored philosophical questions. Those who valued strength above all rejected logical discussion. Only strength could stand against strength.

“Can I face them?”

And I asked myself:

Was my strength enough to stand against the world’s injustice?

“Can we defeat their advance force, and the Great Family’s army that will descend on us in ten days? No matter how I think about it, I cannot picture it. I simply can’t...”

No matter how many times I weighed it, my strength was not enough.

I would break.

I would buckle.

Everything I cherished would vanish once more.

I wanted to prevent that.

“Please give me the answer.”

So I asked my master, who was always right.

“What should I do?”

Liam slowly turned his gaze toward me.

Master’s eyes shone fiercely. Just like the portrait that hung proudly in Caravan manor. His gaze held the majesty of a lion.

「Ten days.」

“...”

「Spread your wings within ten days.」

His tone was commanding.

「Otherwise, you will lose everything once again.」

His voice was heavy.

「There are no second chances, young descendant.」

「That is the world.」

* * *

Audrey the witch had said she could handle Wavecatcher, the mage the advance force had brought. That was probably true. Witches stood at the very pinnacle of the many magical beings who practiced the arcane. But the advance force was not stupid. Now that they had confirmed Audrey’s presence, they would ask the main force for support. Magical beings fully capable of facing a witch would come. Beings hired by a Great Family bent on vengeance.

Tom had said he could hold off Rhapsody’s second son, Edan Rhapsody. That was probably true as well. According to Master, Tom had not fully matured as a 「sword expert」. But mature or not, the title 「sword expert」 alone settled the matter. Such people were not mere war heroes; they were beings comparable to figures from legends or myths. Tom was more than capable of fulfilling his promise.

I had such dependable allies.

But the enemy was far too strong.

Thirty-odd knights.

How were we to face knights made up entirely of 「sword runners」? If those were merely the advance force sent to declare war, how powerful would the army arriving in ten days be? I did not know the full might a Great Family could bring to bear. I did not truly understand the power of the Five Families.

So I asked how powerful the legion they would bring in earnest would be.

The answer?

“I will be frank, young lord. If you want to bring this situation to an end somehow, you would do well to settle it before their army arrives.”

“Is it that bad? However powerful they may be, they are still only a ‘family.’”

Tom briefly cleared his throat at my question.

Then he answered.

“Young lord.”

“Yes?”

“You were born and raised here and never received a formal education. You likely know little of history or of the many powers on this continent. So I will explain it plainly.”

There was not a trace of humor in Tom’s tone.

“The armies of the Five Families can fight on equal terms with the armies of every nation except the Heavenly Empire and the Great Land. You must not think of them as ‘families.’ They already possess power equivalent to independent nations.”

Damn it.

「There is not a word of exaggeration in that.」

“...”

「In fact, the Black Archipelago and the Machine Empire have both suffered crushing defeats in wars against the army of one of the Five Families. How do you think Rhapsody became master of the six free cities in the first place?」

“Ah.”

「Rhapsody subdued the six free cities with a single sword.」

Yes, the enemy was too strong.

Far, far too strong.

Too much for me to handle alone.

The maelstrom the Iron Prince had created was far too vast. To withstand that f*cking maelstrom, I needed more than personal growth.

I had to raise the stakes.

“Haylin.”

I had to create another maelstrom to oppose this one.

“Climb the mountain right now.”

“What? What do you—”

“Go to the summit and cry out for help. Shout for help from a place close to the sky.”

“... Uh, don’t tell me...”

To survive, I had to draw on every connection, however shallow or deep.

“We are going to call the orcs.”

The orc elder had said:

[“If you are in trouble, climb to the mountain’s summit. Then cry out for our help from a place close to the sky. Wherever we may be, we will come to help our friend. Whether your enemy is a dragon that rules the Sky Mountains, the Dragon King who governs the vast seas, or the emperor of an empire renowned across the continent.”]

I knew the orcs well.

They truly would come to help, no matter who the enemy was.

They would not care whether they faced the army of a Great Family headed by a swordmaster, or the swordmaster in person. There were no more dependable allies in the world than orcs.

And...

“Whew.”

I took out an object I had left in a corner of the manor.

My reward for fighting and winning as my kind neighbor’s champion. But I had never touched it, believing it was not mine. It should have belonged to Petel the Loyal. To the man who had lived as a knight to the very end. So I had never even considered touching it.

[“This is my thanks for seeing my dear friend off so he wasn’t alone.”]

But now, I felt I had to use it.

[“When you desperately need help, break the medal. When it splits, I will come to help you. Whatever danger you face, I promise.”]

To stand against the Five Families, I had no choice but to call on the Five Families.

[“The watchers will safeguard your future.”]

CRACK!

The pure-white medal broke.

The instant it shattered, a blinding white light burst forth. The light gathered in one spot, then took the shape of a beautiful bird. The bird of light flew high into the sky, so fast I could no longer see it.

As my gaze followed the bird, I remembered Petel’s words.

[“For some reason, I feel you will leave your name in the history of this continent.”]

The longing lasted only a moment.

With that, I had drawn on all my connections, old and new. Nothing would have been better than calling Dwight the dwarf as well, but I knew no way to ask him for help. After gathering the fragments of Daisy’s medal in one place, I slowly walked outside.

Master spoke.

「Young descendant.」

“Yes.”

「You have just stirred up an outrageous maelstrom.」

I looked at Master calmly.

“This is only the beginning.”

As I spoke, I slowly took hold of my sword.

The sun was hot.

“Master, with my ability, I cannot spread my wings no matter how hard I train over the remaining ten days. I can feel it myself. It is impossible.”

「...」

“So I will stop training. Instead, I will choose Caravan’s way.”

Master had once told me: