Ch.106Conquest Battle (4)

Throughout the Empire and other nations, the authority of warriors who had reached the level of Sword Seeker was respected. Regardless of humble origins or lowly birth, those who reached the Sword Seeker level were granted authority at least equal to that of knights.

In other words, they didn’t have to kneel before nobles or bow their heads in respect.

‘So that’s it.’

Najin looked ahead.

People wearing uniforms representing various groups. Normally, Najin would have had to bow his head before them, but now that was no longer necessary. Najin faced them with his head held high.

They too showed Najin minimal courtesy as they approached him. Though the reception room was a mess with traces of battle, it didn’t hinder their conversation.

“The Schlet Mercenary Group offers you the position of vice-captain, Sir Najin. We promise three hundred platinum coins for a one-year contract, with an additional thirty platinum coins for maintaining your dignity. Commission fees will be calculated separately.”

The first to present their business card was the Schlet Mercenary Group. Schlet was among the top three mercenary groups in the Empire and was famous for “definitely” completing their missions.

The fact that such a prestigious mercenary group offered the vice-captain position was surprising to everyone. And three hundred platinum coins? It was truly an exceptional offer.

Since the reception room door had been destroyed during the recent battle with Gerd, the conversation inside was clearly audible outside. As those waiting outside heard the contract terms offered by the Schlet Mercenary Group and swallowed dry saliva, Najin opened his mouth.

“I decline.”

A rejection without the slightest hesitation.

Even such conditions weren’t enough? What kind of offer was he expecting? The Schlet Mercenary Group member left the reception room dejectedly, leaving only his business card behind.

Next to present a business card was a knight from the Blansia Duchy. Blansia was a family renowned for martial prowess, a prestigious house that had produced numerous knights. They had six Sword Seekers in their family alone.

“Duke Blansia…”

The knight recited the Duke’s personal letter and then stated the contract terms. The knight had received instructions from the Duke to “change the terms as needed, but bring him in somehow,” so he offered even better terms than the Schlet Mercenary Group.

Four hundred platinum coins. Plus a title.

But again, Najin’s answer was no different. As if he had been waiting for the speech to end, Najin uttered a simple “I decline.”

“I decline.”

To the Lempon Knights who came next.

“I decline.”

To the offer of becoming an exclusive adventurer for the Loctid Association, the most renowned trading company in the Empire.

“I decline.”

Magic towers, adventure groups, prestigious family knights, the Empire’s notable military forces, united city guilds, the Sacred Host Order…

“I decline.”

Najin rejected all offers presented to him. No matter how exceptional the conditions, his answer remained unchanged. As if he had no interest in such things from the beginning, Najin simply shook his head.

And so Najin left the reception room.

No one could stop him.

When the scouts gathered in front of the reception room returned and reported this news, the leaders of each group couldn’t help but wonder: He didn’t accept any offer? Then who on earth?

Who had managed to catch this prize?

The first to come under suspicion were the knight orders under the Imperial family. However, Najin had returned to Cambria, and there was no unusual movement from the Imperial family. There were no reports of him joining the Royal Guard or being seen with the Imperial knights.

Next to come under suspicion were the Order of the Sword, the Order of Sacred Blood, and Gerd’s knights.

When they arrived at the reception room, Najin was already conversing with two Sword Masters, and Gerd had joined them afterward. Could one of the three Sword Masters have caught him?

But this too was not the case.

Najin didn’t visit the Order of Sacred Blood, the First Tower, or the Order of the Sword. There was no interaction at all. The only news was that he had returned to Cambria.

“Then who on earth is it?”

A boy who reached the Sword Seeker level at 18.

The boy’s value was already high enough, but in a few more years, his worth would increase even more. What if he reached the level of Sword Master? It would be impossible to measure his value.

So they needed to secure him now.

But who had already taken him?

After several days, they obtained some information. Najin was still unaffiliated, but there were two entities supporting him. Leaders of groups who had been interacting with and supporting the boy even before he reached the Sword Seeker level.

Dieta, the head of Dieta Trading Company.

Marquis Eldelmar, the owner of the Cambria Foundation.

Among them, attention focused on the owner of Dieta Trading Company. Her name was familiar because many remembered the incident involving her and the Albania Duchy a few months ago. It was a rare romantically concluded incident in this era.

The story of an abandoned girl from a noble family, and a mercenary who willingly risked his life to confront the knight captain of the duchy for her sake. As some pondered this story, their eyes widened. They hadn’t paid much attention to that mercenary at the time… but now things were different.

“Send someone to Cambria to investigate.”

“His alias at the time was Ivan.”

“Focus on the relationship between President Dieta and this individual.”

When they sent people to Cambria, it was revealed that the young man called “Ivan” was indeed the “mercenary” from that incident. And that he also had a close personal relationship with President Dieta.

When the leaders of each group realized this fact.

As if waiting for just that moment, a play opened in the Trebache territory ruled by Marquis Eldelmar. A play centered around Najin, the youngest Sword Seeker. Seeing the Marquis begin to attract audiences from across the Empire, the leaders of each group let out hollow laughs.

They realized there were those who had recognized the star’s potential before it began to shine, and had already lined up.

“The winner of this competition is the head of Dieta Trading Company.”

“The one who caught the youngest Sword Seeker is the merchant queen of Cambria. Be wary of her.”

Along with Najin’s name, Dieta’s name also began to spread among the Empire’s power players.

2.

“Call me Dieta, the investment genius who won the favor of the youngest Sword Seeker with just one meal.”

“What are you suddenly talking about?”

Najin tilted his head, looking at Dieta who was smiling brightly before him. Recently, the smile never left Dieta’s face, as if she found everything in the world too delightful to bear.

“It’s like I picked up a coin from the ground, but it turned out to be a platinum coin… no, a diamond, or wait, not even a diamond? How should I put this? A star?”

Najin smirked as he glanced at the cheerful Dieta. He had a pretty good idea why she was so happy these days. From what he’d heard, wasn’t her company’s stock price breaking new highs daily?

The title of ‘one of the top three trading companies in Cambria’ had long since been replaced by ‘the number one trading company in Cambria’… and their expansion into their base in the Imperial capital was also progressing smoothly.

‘In a month or two, I heard.’

She was planning to move to the capital and significantly expand her scale. Despite her busy schedule preparing for this, Dieta kept smiling. As if she enjoyed working.

“Well, anyway,” said Dieta.

She exhaled deeply and narrowed her eyes.

“Najin, you.”

“Yes?”

“You weren’t twenty-eight or even in your early twenties. What is this?”

She pointed to a frame hanging in her office.

It was a frame displaying a newspaper clipping, which showed Najin’s photo with the large headline: “Najin, the youngest Sword Seeker who reached the level at 18.”

“Unless my eyes are deceiving me, it says eighteen years old here?”

“……”

“There you go avoiding my gaze again…!”

When Najin subtly averted his eyes, Dieta slapped the table and pointed at him.

“You said you were the same age as me!”

“I never said that.”

“You said there wasn’t much age difference…!”

“Two years isn’t much of a difference, is it?”

“No, that’s, ugh, really…”

Dieta brushed her bangs back.

“You’re two years younger than me…”

“That’s how it turned out.”

“I thought for sure you were older than me.”

Later, much later.

If they developed a romantic relationship, would she have to call him “oppa”? Dieta had been having such fantasies, smiling creepily under her blanket before falling asleep. The memory made her face turn bright red.

‘Not oppa, but he should call me noona… huh?’

That wouldn’t be bad either?

Dieta covered her mouth with her hand. She imagined it briefly and thought it might not be so bad.

“Dieta?”

“Y-yes?”

Dieta’s shoulders jerked slightly at Najin’s call.

“I’m sorry for lying about my age. I feel like I missed the right moment to reveal it…”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. I was just surprised.”

Dieta smiled faintly.

“Anyway, congratulations, Najin.”

She handed Najin a letter.

These were letters that had arrived for Najin while he was visiting the Imperial capital. She pointed to the top two letters in the thick stack.

“One is a congratulatory letter from the Emperor of the Empire.”

A letter bearing the Imperial emblem.

“The other one is from the Knights of Atanga.”

And a letter bearing the emblem of Atanga.

Both were letters congratulating Najin on reaching the level of Sword Seeker. As he received the letters, Najin was silent for a moment. It finally hit him that he had truly reached the level of Sword Seeker.

He was born in an underground city where stars couldn’t be seen.

His name wasn’t known anywhere.

Even the fact that he existed wasn’t recorded anywhere. Therefore, Najin was practically a non-existent person.

But not anymore.

Not anymore.

His name had spread throughout the Empire. The name Najin, along with the title of youngest Sword Seeker, would be recorded in the Empire’s history books. He had engraved proof of his existence in the Empire’s history.

‘But this is just the beginning.’

From now on, he would leave more records.

He had no intention of being satisfied with adding just a line or two to the Empire’s history books. He would make them rewrite the entire history book. And not just history books. The myths that began with King Arthur would also need to be rewritten.

He would make it so.

With none other than his sword.

Looking at the letters, Najin smiled.

3.

The vast landscape of the underground city.

In his much expanded inner world, Najin sat on a wall. Looking down below, there was a lake that seemed out of place.

The lake that Merlin had been begging for.

Merlin was splashing around with her feet in the lake, which Najin had finally managed to recreate after reaching the Sword Seeker level. Glancing at her playing in the water, Najin spoke.

“Merlin.”

“Hmm? What?”

“About the dragon you and Arthur caught.”

The two dragons sealed beneath Stonehenge.

“Can you tell me more about those dragons?”

“I was going to tell you even if you didn’t ask.”

Merlin curled up the corners of her mouth.

“You’ve reached the level of Sword Seeker, and you’ve built a sufficient foundation. Now you need to stand at the proper starting point, right?”

“This isn’t the starting point yet?”

“No. You need to have at least one star before it can be called a start, don’t you think?”

She flicked her finger. Water droplets rippling from her fingertips scattered in the air. The scattered droplets hung in the air, sparkling.

“One is the White Dragon, the other is the Red Dragon.”

Water droplets tinted red and white.

“Dragons that I and Arthur brought down in the past.”

The two dragons that once terrorized Cambria. As she began explaining about those dragons, Merlin stretched out her hand. The tip of her snow-white finger pointed at Najin.

“Dragons that you must bring down once more.”