67. Qualifications of a Successor (2)

“What are you doing, George?! If you take it easy, your head will fly off!”

Izelteer shouted. Erti bought me time well, but there was a limit since I couldn’t use Aura.

[Go back, Erti!]

I sent Erti away like that and regained complete ownership of my body. At that very moment.

Guuuuuuuuuung-

It was impossible to fly just by swinging a sword. A sonic boom, as if a fighter jet was flying, tore at my ears.

“Was I a more boring man than I thought!”

The greatsword imbued with Aura drew a semicircle in an instant. I barely moved my body back to avoid it.

“Hooh. You can react. I swung it with all my heart, though.”

But there was no time to answer. And that wasn’t true. Izelteer raised his sword straight up and brought it down.

‘This is the real attack.’

The combo following the first feint was too fast. Of course, there was no time to dodge. I infused Mana, no, Aura, into the Imperial Sword.

Paaaaaang-

Silver and black flashes sparkled on the spot as if lightning struck. Izelteer and I each retreated from our initial positions.

Admiration settled on his face.

“It was a proper Aura-infused strike. But you still blocked it. The High Knight from before couldn’t block this strike and his sword broke.”

The High Knight, Light, who was defeated by Izelteer, was also an Aura Expert.

‘He says there’s nothing he can’t cut with that Aura, but…’

Aura is the energy newly reborn from extremely refined Mana in the Mana Heart. But there were levels even in that Aura.

“And black Aura. An Aura I haven’t seen before… Ah, now that I think about it, I heard that Wilhelm, a hero of the Great War era, once used such an Aura.”

As expected of a mercenary who roams all battlefields. Izelteer knew a lot about swordsmen.

“Hooh. So, could you be a bastard of Reinhardt? It’s famous that the blood of that family is special.”

And while he paused his attack for a moment, I hurriedly calmed the magical energy flowing backward in my Mana Heart.

‘Remegaton? A book of demons?’

Following that, I became aware of the legacy of Liel, with whom I had just finished the contract. That legacy was absorbed into me.

‘This sheet music floating in my head right now… is the book of demons.’

I don’t know how to use it right now. But judging from the sudden increase in magical energy, it was certain to be the legacy of the Ice Demon King, Lucifer.

I gathered that magical energy and pointed my sword at Izelteer again.

‘Lion Heart Sword. Those two forms.’

Once you reach the realm of Aura, it’s a battle of form and form. The Lion Heart Sword, which infuses the sword itself with immense power and swings the sword.

‘So, I’m even more competitive.’

A weapon of mass destruction close to siege weaponry. And I wanted to see how well I could stand up against that sword, which was imbued with furious Aura.

“Hooh. You’re coming in first!”

This time, silver flashes shone from my Imperial Sword. Seon’oe, Extreme Night, consumes a lot of Mana. If you swing it recklessly, your energy will weaken and you may be put on the defensive.

‘For now, ordinary Aura.’

Shuuuuuuk-

Based on the fusion formula, the rapidly accelerated Aura further increases the speed of the sword strike.

“Ugh! Damn fast.”

All the sword strikes I tried first were surprisingly speed attacks. The fusion formula also contains the mysteries of the Orhain family’s training method, which is famous for its speed attacks.

Pretending to aim for Izelteer’s neck, the sword slides into his solar plexus. Then, aiming for his lower abdomen again, I use quick steps to turn to his side and aim for his blind spot.

‘Lucia might be faster in terms of pure speed, but…’

The important thing is to find Izelteer’s gap. And put the most intense Lion Heart Sword strike into that gap.

Because in a battle with a skilled person like Izelteer, that single strike will determine the outcome.

“You’re using your head. You’re not thinking of colliding head-on. I like it. For a guy who doesn’t look that old. You move like a soldier who’s been rolling around on the battlefield for decades.”

I didn’t let Izelteer’s sword strikes connect properly, and I kept swinging my sword. His sword strikes seem dull at first glance, but they are very fast and the power is also ferocious.

‘Even a graze is death.’

So, I prevent his sword strikes from connecting, and actively aim for the gaps that arise in between.

[Not a bad tactic. Against a monster like that… But.]

Suddenly, Erti’s voice sank. I soon knew why.

“But that’s also orthodox. There weren’t just one or two swordsmen who attacked me like you!”

Izelteer, who hadn’t been able to land a proper sword strike on my attacks. But when he shouted, the surrounding air changed.

“It’s not just about loading Aura into the sword!”

At the same time, his sword exploded, releasing Aura all at once.

---

Izelteer’s Aura, which he emitted all at once, pushed my body back for a moment.

So, my sword strike that was rushing towards him was neutralized, and a gap was created on my side instead.

[Yulian!]

Erti shouted urgently. And faster than that shout. Izelteer’s sword strike, a strike imbued with Aura, was completed and reached my vicinity.

“Pulverize.”

Judging by the calm chanting, this strike must be his ultimate technique.

[It’s dangerous!!]

But I was calm. I expected him to unleash his ultimate technique like this. Pretending to retreat, I was already using the fusion formula to rapidly accelerate Mana.

“You won’t be able to block this, George!”

However, Izelteer, who had no way of knowing my inner thoughts. He shouted as if he was sure of victory. Unlike the strikes that were blocked every time. The current sword strike called Pulverize was drawing a perfect path.

And at the end of that was my neck. I shouted inwardly.

‘Extreme Night.’

Kwakwakwakwang-

An explosion that could not be compared to the sound of swords clashing a moment ago echoed in the banquet hall.

And after a while. Izelteer stepped back, saying as if he couldn’t believe it.

“How… such a sword strike? My sword clearly took the lead first…!!”

And from his wounded chest. Blood flowed down. It’s not a big fatal wound. But Izelteer couldn’t believe that his attack had been thwarted.

“Keuk. Is that so. The form your sword has. It’s quite interesting. Even though my sword is quite crude. You’ve been fighting against such a sword.”

Even after releasing Aura like that, Izelteer’s momentum did not die down.

‘It’ll be different from a Mana Blade. He’s really crazy.’

The current strike was as I intended. But I can’t use Extreme Night one more time.

“A guy who knows how to draw a proper form! My eyes weren’t wrong!”

My current Mana Heart is in an unstable state with the existing Mana and the magical energy of Remegaton mixed together. But I wasn’t worried.

[That muscle pig… is a crazy bastard. He doesn’t get tired… At this rate, you might be in danger…]

[There’s no need to worry, Erti. We’ve bought enough time.]

It was as I expected. The moment Izelteer tried to rush at me again. Rene and the rest of the Assassination Squad arrived here.

Familiar orange hair, Rene shouted.

“What are you doing, Izelteer! Hurry up and get the Tears of an Angel and get out of here! If all the Royal Guard reinforcements arrive, the escape route will be blocked!”

“Don’t talk nonsense, Rene! The match with that man is still…”

“Are you going to disobey Chris’s words? Do you know how important this mission is?”

Rene shouted viciously. And Izelteer, who had nothing to fear in the world. He became quiet at the word Chris.

‘Chris… is the leader of the Assassination Squad.’

Izelteer reluctantly put away his sword.

“Damn it. Then you should have brought a porter instead of me. There are people other than me who can carry the statue…”

He looked at me with regret.

“Well, we’ll be able to see each other again soon. The Empire isn’t going to be peaceful in the future anyway.”

Saying that, Izelteer carried the Tears of an Angel on his back. Then Rene shouted again.

“Okay. We need to get out of here quickly… Wait. Why is Cardinal Grius still alive! Reister, you idiot!”

Rene looked at Reister, who was fighting Lucia, as if she was dumbfounded.

“Tch. I’ll have to do it myself… The rest of you get out of here quickly! I’ll follow you soon!”

Saying that, Rene rode her magic wand and quickly headed to where Cardinal Grius was.

And the blood arrows that were filled around her in an instant flew to Grius all at once.

“Wh, what is that! Guard… that pink-haired guard…!! Save me…”

And Grius, sensing the danger, shouted. He was also a high priest, so he used divine power. But as a corrupt priest, he couldn’t properly demonstrate his skills.

Rene’s blood magic exploded.

‘Did he indulge in aphrodisiacs too much? And Rene… her black magic has become stronger in the meantime.’

Following that, Rene’s black magic quickly destroyed the Holy Shield that Grius had created.

‘But Grius. You can’t die yet. You’re worth exploiting.’

I hurriedly stood in front of Grius.

Rene, floating on her magic wand, was preparing an even more powerful strike. She looked at me and sneered.

“What. A bug. You’re going to block my black magic?”

The power was enough to be confident like that. The magical energy felt around her was completely different from what I had seen before.

‘Did she make a contract with a new demon noble? Well. Teneb, who I had planted, was bounced back a while ago.’

Following that, the spell was completed in her outstretched hand.

“Then die with that idiot Cardinal!”

Rene’s hand was dyed with a clear crimson magical energy. That mass of magical energy covered me and Cardinal Grius.

“Young Master!”

Lucia shouted urgently.

Rene’s black magic, that blood magic, was very dangerous. It had neutralized all of Cardinal Grius’s divine spells.

But me and Cardinal Grius were safe.

“Wh, what? You blocked this?”

Rene said with a dumbfounded expression. The strike she put her heart and soul into. That blood magic was neutralized by my sword strike before it even exploded.

“What happened! One more time… Keuheuk!”

And the moment Rene was about to create a black magic spell again. Suddenly, she vomited blood and the spell was canceled.

‘It’s not surprising.’

Rene’s black magic. Its hierarchical order can never be above me no matter what. So, the black magic aimed at me must have backfired.

“What… Damn it. Is it because it’s the damn Great Temple. Tch. Reister! Run away! We got the Tears of an Angel, so that’s enough!”

Reister hesitated at those words. She glanced at Lucia, then turned around and moved away from us with Rene.

“Are you okay, Young Master!”

And Lucia hurriedly approached me. Fortunately, Lucia fought well even against Reister.

‘The Yin Gate. Is it thanks to that.’

Thanks to receiving my essence through that Yin Gate. Lucia felt more energy than usual.

Above all, the kind of suggestion that the Yin Gate creates. It seemed to have a good effect on Lucia.

‘Maybe for me. Lucia would do anything now.’

I felt a moment of affection for such Lucia. But there’s something I need to do before that now.

“So, you protected me!”

Cardinal Grius said to me. At that time, Carmen, who had come to my side, answered him.

“Yes, Your Eminence Grius.”

“Oh… Carmen. That guard… is he someone you brought? He’s not wearing the Royal Guard uniform?”

“That’s right, Your Eminence. That person is George-nim of the Schuderborn Swordsmanship Guild. George-nim saved Your Eminence’s life.”

“I see…!! George… George. I will definitely remember that name!”

In the meantime, the Royal Guard rushed in and guarded Cardinal Grius.

‘Okay. I’ve created a debt to Grius like this.’

He’s a corrupt priest I don’t want to associate with, but he’ll be helpful in many ways.

Me and Lucia left the banquet hall in a hurry after the commotion was over.

---

The chaotic Grius’s banquet came to an end. Several days have passed since that banquet.

But despite the major incident in which the Empire’s top authority was almost assassinated, the Imperial Capital was quiet.

“It’s as Young Master said.”

“It’s only natural. The holy relic was stolen in the middle of the Great Temple, and he almost died. If that fact is known to the world, it will be a very big disgrace to Grius.”

I answered Aylin.

And the moment Grius realizes that the Assassination Squad and Duke Pedro are behind this incident. Good information will come to me even if I do nothing.

‘There’s nothing bad for me.’

I still lack information about Duke Pedro. I don’t trust Cardinal Grius. But the information gathering power of the Inquisitors he employs is the best in the Empire.

Also, I am his savior. I can use the fake identity of George to move Grius to some extent as I please.

But I put aside my thoughts about Grius for a while. The goal I prioritized most at that banquet. Liel’s last sheet music.

‘Remegaton.’

It’s time to open that book of demons. I glanced at Aylin.

“Why are you doing that, Young Master?”

It was already late in the evening and I had returned to the mansion from the Pantheon.

I had dinner and called Aylin for a while and was sharing tea with her.

Time was passing from evening to night. When I kept looking at Aylin without saying a word, she lowered her head.

“Um… is my makeup strange…”

“No. It’s not that.”

Aylin’s makeup was perfect. Makeup is like a painting drawn on a bare face.

‘Of course, her bare face is also pretty, but…’

Anyway, Aylin’s artistic talent was needed tonight. It wasn’t art, but music. As a member of the Gloria Royal Family, Aylin had talent in everything related to art.

I hesitated for a moment and said to Aylin.

“Aylin. Sleep in my room tonight.”

Then Aylin stared at me intently.