Ch.101The Youngest Sword Seeker (5)

White and gold coexisting in the sword aura.

Though he could have mixed the two colors if he wanted, Najin deliberately displayed them separately. If he had revealed a platinum-colored sword aura, there would be no room left even for minimal excuses.

‘I could unify it with white, but…’

That would make the form of the sword aura waver.

Of course, the wavering would be so subtle that most people wouldn’t notice, but right now Najin was under the scrutiny of three Sword Masters.

Sword Master.

Transcendents who had mastered the art of the sword.

With senses far beyond human capability, they would see through even the slightest wavering in Najin’s sword aura. And at that moment, they would immediately realize.

Ah, this fellow is hiding his power.

If the Emperor had called out “Prove your worth,” and Najin deceived him by hiding his power, he would deserve execution without question. That’s why Najin chose to separate the colors while maintaining the form of his sword aura.

‘Still, they can’t deny that it resembles King Arthur’s sword aura.’

-Not necessarily.

Merlin said.

-Arthur’s symbol was a platinum-colored sword aura. But gold and white sword auras haven’t been unheard of throughout history. Though no one has possessed both simultaneously… anyway.

She exhaled deeply.

-The form of your sword aura is different from Arthur’s.

-I can guarantee this. I, who saw Arthur’s sword aura up close, can be certain. They differ in their fundamental nature. Most people would be too distracted by the distinctive platinum color to notice, but…

From the moment he drew out his sword aura, Najin felt as if Merlin was standing beside him. This wasn’t an illusion. Najin could see Merlin’s figure, albeit faintly.

Something that changed when he reached the realm of Sword Seeker.

Merlin’s figure, visible only to Najin’s eyes.

She extended her finger toward the Emperor. The sun of the Empire, staring at them with wide eyes. Pointing at him, Merlin continued.

-The Emperor sitting there is different.

-Even without being blood-related to Arthur, he is the descendant of the Wise King whom Arthur personally chose.

If that brilliant Wise King’s blood hadn’t thinned.

If it hadn’t stagnated and rotted with the passage of time.

-He would recognize it. For a ruler, the most important quality is the discernment to see through everything.

What if he doesn’t recognize it?

What if he fears the appearance of Arthur’s descendant and tries to suppress us? After asking herself this question, Merlin snorted with a coldly settled voice.

-Then we must take it back.

Take what back?

-The name of Pendragon and Britain.

2.

The Emperor of the British Empire.

The Sun of the Empire, Eldwin Pendragon.

He stood up instinctively, his eyes wide open. Though it was the Emperor’s daily routine to exaggerate his actions according to the situation, in this case, it wasn’t an act. He moved involuntarily, truly surprised.

‘A platinum-colored sword aura!’

No, that’s not quite right. More precisely, it’s a sword aura where white and gold coexist. But the sword aura the boy had drawn took the form of a constellation.

Resembling platinum color.

A sword aura in the form of a constellation.

Anyone would associate it with the stars in the night sky, and what such a sword aura symbolized was obvious. Only one person in history had possessed such a sword aura.

‘The true master of Britain, the great hero Arthur.’

The sword aura the boy had manifested resembled his. Had a true descendant of the great one appeared here, transcending a thousand years of time? The Emperor’s mind became confused, and his eyes began to waver.

With a single thump.

The Emperor’s heart suddenly turned cold.

“……”

His eyes narrowed.

Though his body had moved first out of surprise, he quickly composed himself. He poured cold water over his confused mind and made it work rapidly. He assessed the situation.

It was a habit cultivated since childhood.

The supreme Emperor must never be flustered or excited, as the previous kings had taught.

Having composed himself, Eldwin calmly observed Najin’s sword aura. His bluish eyes moved slowly. And after a few seconds, Eldwin could make his judgment.

‘If one is captivated by the color, they might think it resembles his. But if you look at its foundation…’

It’s different. It clearly has a different form from Arthur’s sword aura recorded in history. Arthur’s sword aura, engraved on artifacts passed down through the imperial family, had a different form than this.

This boy’s sword aura is a constellation, but.

Arthur’s sword aura was merely a star.

The sword aura of the great one consisted of a single star. A fiercely shining platinum star. One that is all, and all that is one. In contrast, this boy’s sword aura didn’t symbolize oneness.

‘However.’

He couldn’t deny the resemblance.

Upon seeing this boy’s sword aura, the world would first recall King Arthur. That fact couldn’t be denied. The Emperor exhaled deeply.

“You may withdraw your sword aura.”

Najin sheathed his sword.

After pushing the sword back into its scabbard, Najin knelt again and bowed his head. It was the perfect knightly etiquette. No one present was petty enough to criticize a non-knight for adopting knightly manners.

The Emperor felt a throbbing in his head.

When he heard about the appearance of the youngest Sword Seeker, he had clapped his hands thinking a treasure had rolled into the Empire on its own, but when actually seeing it, what was this?

’18 years old. The youngest Sword Seeker. Active for half a year. Owner of a sword aura reminiscent of King Arthur.’

Half a year. A smile escaped the Emperor’s lips.

‘How coincidental that it’s half a year.’

Half a year ago, a major event had shaken the entire world, both heaven and earth. The historical event of someone completing the Trial of Selection.

Half a year ago, Excalibur was drawn.

By someone unknown.

The public rumored that one of the three Sword Masters of the inland had drawn Excalibur and the Empire was hiding this fact, but that was incorrect. The Empire had not been able to find the owner of Excalibur even after half a year. They were merely pretending to “have found out.”

This was a fact shared only by the Emperor of the Empire and his closest confidants.

‘But…’

The Emperor looked at the boy before him.

An 18-year-old who had set the impossible record of being the youngest Sword Seeker, who had started his activities half a year ago, and who possessed a sword aura resembling King Arthur’s. By sheer coincidence, a person with all these overlapping factors was standing before him.

It was reasonable to harbor suspicion.

Could this boy be the owner of Excalibur?

This wasn’t a suspicion that only the Emperor would harbor. The same thought would cross the minds of countless others. Of course, it was merely circumstantial evidence without concrete proof.

‘No constellation has noticed, and the Master of the Platinum Tower’s precise examination found no connection to Excalibur.’

But sometimes, circumstantial evidence is enough.

From the Emperor’s perspective, this boy was an extremely dangerous existence. What he thought was a treasure for the Empire turned out to be a bomb packed with gunpowder.

Depending on the circumstances, he could possess legitimacy surpassing the Emperor’s. Even without concrete evidence for that legitimacy, justification can be created from circumstantial evidence alone. If by any chance he fell into the hands of traitors, he could become a threat to imperial authority.

With no proper foundation.

Of unknown origin.

A person who hasn’t sworn allegiance to the Empire.

Not a speck of trustworthy elements.

He is a person full of elements that could become seeds of great discord. The politically correct decision here would be to put a leash on this boy or kill him on the spot. If he were the ruler of a kingdom or the United Kingdom, he would surely make that judgment and act without hesitation.

That would be the right decision as a ruler.

But.

For the Emperor of the British Empire, it is clearly the wrong answer.

“……”

The Emperor sat down.

He rested his chin on his hand and looked at Najin. In his mind, numerous pieces of information were being combined and options were being eliminated, but in reality, barely a few seconds had passed.

The Emperor of the Empire, Eldwin Pendragon, recalls.

The testament of the Wise King passed down to the emperors of Britain… to those who inherited the name of Pendragon.

“I merely borrowed the name from him.”

“I was just entrusted with Britain at his request, I am not the true master of Britain.”

“The only master of the British Empire is him.”

The first Emperor, Arthur Pendragon.

The second Emperor, known as the Wise King, who inherited the name of Pendragon and the Empire from that great knight-king, left a testament to his bloodline. That testament has been engraved at the center of the Empire for over a thousand years.

“The great Arthur Pendragon.”

“Never tarnish his name. Be fair. Be just. Be good. Know honor. Live with pride. Though blood is not connected, we are descendants of the great hero. Do not forget this fact.”

“If you forget this.”

“The Round Table will revoke all qualifications.”

It was a contract, a pledge, and a warning.

A warning that the moment one acts unworthy of the Pendragon name, the Round Table above will directly intervene in the Empire and revoke everything.

That’s why the Emperor of the Empire always had to be good and fair and just. Imperial authority could be taken away at any time by the stars above.

‘Hone oneself.’

Do not forget honor and pride. That is the destiny of those who inherit the name of Pendragon. Recalling the cry he had heard since childhood until his ears bled, Eldwin smiled bitterly. Being an Emperor is truly difficult.

“You, raise your head.”

Najin, still kneeling, raised his head.

Eldwin met Najin’s gaze.

The moment he met those sunset-colored eyes, the Emperor felt as if he was being pierced by that gaze. It was as if a massive presence was watching him from behind those eyes.

‘These are not the eyes of an ordinary person.’

Well, who in the world would call someone who reached Sword Seeker at 18 an ordinary human?

“I have not yet heard your name from your own lips. I have only read it in writing. Tell me your name.”

“I am Najin.”

“Yes, Najin. I must tell you that I am in great anguish right now.”

The Emperor smiled bitterly.

“Your sword aura resembles that of the great King Arthur. Though its foundation may be different, it’s enough to evoke Arthur. You must be aware of this.”

The Sword Masters gasped at the Emperor’s words.

They had thought the same, but voicing it was a different matter. If they had mentioned such a thing in front of the Emperor, it would have led to extremely complicated issues.

However, the Emperor himself had brought it up first.

“If you belonged to a specific family or group, they would gain justification. Danger would arise. Of course, the current Empire is peaceful and far from discord. Thanks to the efforts of the previous kings, is it not?”

The Emperor smiled.

“But the flames of rebellion, discord, often start from very small places. And in my view, you are a flame. A flame that might burn the Empire.”

Whether that boy had possessed Excalibur or not, that fact remained unchanged. He already had too many similarities with Arthur.

“Therefore.”

The Emperor looked at Najin.

“Convince me. Tell me why I should not consider you a flame.”

3.

Ordinarily, regardless of Najin’s will, he would have had to become a knight belonging to the imperial family. That would be the maximum mercy the Emperor could bestow.

But the Emperor gave him a chance.

He asked him to try to convince him.

Najin was well aware of this fact. Merlin’s whistling sound reached Najin’s ears. She muttered that there was no need to mention the covenant. Ignoring her muttering, Najin exhaled deeply.

Now was the time.

Najin was certain that his life would be determined once again at this moment. The conversation held here would surely be recorded somewhere and engraved in the Empire’s history books. It meant that this part would definitely be mentioned when talking about his life in the future.

Declaring his ambition to the world.

That was as inevitable as fate for a hero.

This place is too small to be called the world. There are only four individuals and one constellation listening to his story. But considering the presence of each of them, this place was no different from a world to Najin.

The master of the Sword Order, Charon, Star of Sword.

The executioner of the Sacred Host, Juel Lazian.

The first pillar of the Empire, Gerd.

The Emperor of the Empire, Eldwin Pendragon.

The magician of the lake, Merlin.

Three are Sword Masters, one is a constellation, and another is the Emperor of the Empire. They are individuals worthy of being called bigwigs. It didn’t seem like there would be another opportunity to declare his ambition in front of such figures. Najin felt his heart pounding inappropriately for the situation.

Isn’t it like a scene from a heroic tale?

Still, Najin was a boy who admired heroic tales.

“I report to the Sun of the Empire.”

At this moment.

He chooses the sentence that will be written in history with his own words.

“I have no intention of belonging to any group. If there is a place where I should belong, if there is something that should be called before my name.”

How could his heart not pound?

“It is—”