Ch.152152. The Master’s Obsession

Brianna Tepeo Malkirav.

She was the heir to a marquis family representing Infractus, known as the strongest military power among the continental powers, and was called the Empire’s First Sword.

In Tactical Combat, she was a short-lived character who was sacrificed in the early protagonist awakening part for the game’s tension, and regardless of which route in the game scenario you took, her death was inevitable.

When Gilbert first struggled to save her, it was partly due to personal preference, but mainly because he was dazzled by her willingness to sacrifice herself to save her students.

Disregarding one’s own life for others was not an easy thing. Since humans have survival instincts, it was natural to be concerned about one’s safety in life-threatening moments.

When anyone’s life is in danger, they think of themselves first.

This was a natural phenomenon and should not be condemned in itself.

Nevertheless, throughout history, there have always been people who put others first. On a small scale, parents did this to save their children, and there were certainly many who rushed into dangerous situations to save people they had never even met.

People called such individuals saints, and Professor Brianna in Tactical Combat was certainly worthy of that title. Even in her dying moments, she worried about students who hadn’t evacuated and mourned those she couldn’t save.

Though it was an intentional scene in a created game, it resonated deeply with Gilbert—or rather, Kang Do-jun—who had been devastated by war. Looking back, people like her went to war for similar reasons.

Knowing they were heading to their deaths, they boarded fighter jets to protect others, and countless comrades perished on the battlefield that way.

The same was true for the enemy forces he fought against. They were simply people who risked their lives to protect their families, their homeland, and their citizens.

Though placed in the extraordinary circumstances of war where they hated and killed each other, when everything ended and he returned with a broken body, all that remained in his heart was guilt.

Guilt for surviving alone.

Guilt for taking lives.

Despite receiving counseling and medication, that one emotion continued to torment him relentlessly, eating away at his insides.

It was around that time that Kang Do-jun discovered Tactical Combat. As his mind grew increasingly desolate, he needed something to immerse himself in, and that’s when games caught his eye.

He chose Tactical Combat, which many people played despite its criticisms. He believed there must be a reason why so many people played it.

Indeed, Tactical Combat was a game packed with every element that could make it popular. Its vast storyline and freedom surpassed any game released until then.

If there was one issue, it was that the game was too difficult. Not just difficult—it was brutally hard.

He couldn’t tell how long he had been devoted to the game until he became familiar with it and was called a veteran player. He simply needed to immerse himself to forget his guilt, so he invested most of his day in the game, and by the time he had somewhat regained his mental stability, he had reached veteran status.

Eventually, by finding something to focus on, he was able to prevent himself from being consumed by his emotions, and his condition naturally improved. It was somewhat amusing that a mental illness that showed no improvement despite hospital visits and medication was healed thanks to a game, but Kang Do-jun, finally mentally healthy, didn’t think too deeply about it.

Having grown attached to the game, Kang Do-jun began to obsess over clearing all achievements—the ultimate content possible in the game—and eventually crossed over to this world.

After coming here, he had managed to save Brianna—something impossible even in the game—and had done his best to prevent unnecessary sacrifices, but he couldn’t understand how the situation had turned out like this.

Gilbert couldn’t help but sigh when he saw Brianna’s face, which, like Seraphina’s, was a mixture of obsession and desire.

It was a face in which he could no longer find the cold, rational Brianna who always thought of her students. He couldn’t figure out where he had gone wrong, since he was apparently the cause of this transformation.

“What does it mean to be a companion of the sword?”

Gilbert thought he needed to understand what that meant first. She had said she was obsessed with him because he was a companion who would walk the long path of the sword with her.

If he knew what she meant by “companion of the sword,” he might be able to take appropriate action.

After a moment of silence as if organizing her thoughts, Brianna gave a small smile.

“It means exactly what it says. Gil, as you know, seeing the end of the sword is not an easy path. Even I sometimes doubt whether there is an end to it, so vast is that path. That’s why those of us who pursue this path are inevitably lonely. We can’t expect anyone to understand, and can only walk silently forward.”

Her eyes gazed somewhere far away. As far as Gilbert knew, Brianna’s interests could be classified into two categories:

Nurturing future generations and the sword.

Her interest in nurturing future generations was largely influenced by the battlefields she had traversed since childhood.

Having witnessed countless young people fall on the battlefield before they could bloom, she came to the academy to teach students, hoping to prevent such tragedies. She wanted as many as possible to survive in this harsh world and to honor those who had gone before.

But the sword was different.

The sword was the one area Brianna loved purely, without any external influence.

And for good reason—she had a natural talent for swordsmanship.

The saying “learn one, understand ten” was made for her.

Within just a few years of picking up a sword, she surpassed her swordsmanship instructor. After her first instructor, the cycle of replacing teachers became increasingly rapid.

Eventually, she met the previous inheritor of the Winter Sword, the only person she called master. After studying under him for quite some time, Brianna became the current inheritor of the Winter Sword at the age of twenty.

Since then, she had never stopped training, and had never put down her sword.

The reason Gilbert was able to build a rapport with Brianna in such a short time was entirely due to the sword. Brianna had mistaken Gilbert’s experience accumulated through years of gaming as talent for swordsmanship.

She probably thought of him as a kindred spirit, seeing his rapid progress at such a young age, similar to her own. To Brianna, who stood on a path where few could understand her genius, he might have appeared as a ray of light.

“But Gil, you and I are different. You and I can see the same place and walk together. We exist in such a world. Only we can stand in the same place, at the same eye level, looking in the same direction.”

“Master.”

“So, Gil, take my hand. Let’s walk that path together.”

Brianna extended her hand. Gilbert didn’t take it, falling into thought for a moment.

The system told him he had reached the first branching point for Brianna, the second seeker. If he outright refused here, her distortion index might increase like Seraphina’s, possibly leading straight to some “annihilation ending” or whatever.

The right choice here was to accept her proposal. Postponing the answer, as he had done with Seraphina, would not be a good choice.

“If someone like me is acceptable.”

“I knew you felt the same way.”

When Gilbert took her hand, Brianna smiled brightly.

The face that had been dripping with obsession just moments ago was now radiant just to look at.

Moreover, seeing Brianna smile so brightly was a first. She was usually someone with minimal emotional changes, so being able to walk the path of the sword with him must have been good enough to cause such a dramatic emotional shift.

“I look forward to working with you.”

Gilbert felt a bitter taste in his mouth as he realized those were the only words he could say in this reality.

***

Left alone in the infirmary after Brianna’s whirlwind visit, Gilbert quickly opened his mission window.

He needed to check the progress of the sub-scenario to plan his next moves.

< Sub-Scenario – Seekers of Twisted Possession >

Type: Sub

Clear Condition: Guide the seekers to the right path.

Seekers: Seraphina, Brianna, ???

Reward: Reward grade determined by progress (F~S)

– ???

Progress: 20%

Information:

– The seekers have lost their way due to their twisted hearts.

1. Seraphina – Distortion Index 70%

– Princess Seraphina, one of the seekers, has become twisted due to her overwhelming possessiveness.

– Her once brilliant eyes have now become eyes of desire that cannot stop until she obtains what she wants.

– The first branching point has been selected.

You, the object of her possessiveness, refused to become hers. (Distortion Index increased by 30%)

– The second branching point has been selected.

You proposed to serve her if she becomes Emperor.

* You must guide her to the right path so she doesn’t stray from the proper course.

* When the Distortion Index reaches 100%, the Ruin Ending begins.

2. Brianna – Distortion Index 40%

– Brianna, one of the seekers, has become twisted due to her overwhelming desire for a companion to walk the path of the sword with.

– The once cold-rational woman is likely to break if she cannot walk with the only companion she has acknowledged.

– The first branching point has been selected.

You, the object of her possessiveness, agreed to walk the path of the sword with her. (Distortion Index does not increase.)

* You must guide her to the right path so she doesn’t stray from the path of the sword.

* When the Distortion Index reaches 100%, the Massacre Ending begins.

3. ???

Distortion Index at 40%… Massacre Ending?

Gilbert felt dizzy seeing those words.

While Seraphina had a Ruin Ending, Brianna had a Massacre Ending.

Did this mean she would become a murderer if he didn’t walk the path of the sword with her?

It was hard to imagine someone who didn’t hesitate to sacrifice herself to save others becoming a mass murderer.

But Gilbert, who knew well what people could do when psychologically cornered, couldn’t ignore this information. It was entirely possible that she might truly lose her mind and become a murderer.

For now, he needed to make sure her Distortion Index didn’t increase.

The bigger problem was Seraphina’s Distortion Index, which was already at an alarming 70%. It had increased significantly since he last checked.

His severe injury was probably the cause.

I can’t even get injured freely now.

It was almost laughable, but he needed to take action. He had to quickly let her know he was fine, or her Distortion Index might increase further.

He hurriedly called for the attendant waiting outside. The attendant was assigned to handle miscellaneous tasks during the subjugation operation.

“Tell the Commander that I’ve awakened.”

“Yes, sir.”

The attendant bowed politely and left the tent with quick steps.

About five minutes after he left, Seraphina entered the medical tent, trailed by her aides.

“Disciple, are you alright?”

“Fortunately, my body is fine.”

“I was informed that your mana circuit was severely damaged. What’s your assessment?”

“Though the injury was quite severe, I can recover. It will take some time, but the condition has already improved significantly.”

“I see…”

Seraphina’s tense expression finally relaxed upon hearing those words. Being in a position where she always had to consider the worst, she must have thought Gilbert might never be able to pilot a god-machine again.

So that’s why her Distortion Index rose so much.

It seemed that her strong possessiveness intensified her obsession when faced with the possibility of losing what she wanted.

If she thought he might have lasting aftereffects from severe mana circuit injuries, it made sense that her Distortion Index had skyrocketed. It was fortunate that it had only reached 70% since nothing was confirmed yet.

“Professor Brianna has also checked, so it should be fine.”

“There’s no more certain word than that. Very well. Confirming my disciple’s condition is enough.”

[Distortion Index slightly decreases.]

The system, which had only been delivering bad news, finally sent a welcome message.

Gilbert breathed a sigh of relief at the slight decrease from the worrying 70% figure.

“By the way… how is the subjugation operation progressing?”

Having put out the immediate fire, Gilbert asked about future plans. He was still concerned about the unusual situation where a monster subjugation had turned into a magical beast subjugation.

“We’ve reorganized the subjugation force around the faculty. Since gathering troops takes time, the operation will proceed with academy students. So, disciple, don’t worry and focus on your recovery.”

Gilbert, who couldn’t pilot a god-machine immediately, was of no use to the subjugation force.

No matter how innate his piloting skills were, or even if he had the ability to handle a magical beast ogre alone, that was only possible when he was in normal condition—when he could pilot a god-machine.

In his current state with damaged mana circuits, he couldn’t pilot a god-machine, so he was naturally excluded from the subjugation force. It was only reasonable.

“How is the morale of the subjugation force?”

“Morale?”

“This is a sudden appearance of a magical beast. From the students’ perspective, this is their first real combat experience, and now an off-spec magical beast has appeared. I think morale might not be good.”

“Morale…”

Seraphina nodded at Gilbert’s point.

She hadn’t considered this aspect because she was so focused on Gilbert’s severe injury.

“You’re right. This is a time when morale needs to be boosted.”

While she had encouraged the subjugation force out of duty, that didn’t necessarily translate to high morale. The fear of death was not something easily shaken off.

In that sense, Gilbert was the strange one for walking into danger. His calm demeanor despite pushing himself to the point of damaging his mana circuit and risking his life showed how different he was from ordinary people.

“In that sense, I think it would be good to prepare a banquet this evening. There’s nothing better for raising morale that has hit rock bottom.”

Gilbert’s purpose was not only to boost the morale of the subjugation force but also to set the stage for testing the skill he had recently acquired.

The skill “Einherjar’s Feast,” whose grade was unknown, had the effect of dramatically increasing the efficiency of super-regeneration when a feast was declared. Interpreted literally, it meant that holding a feast after battle would increase the efficiency of super-regeneration.

He was already benefiting greatly from super-regeneration, and he was very curious about what synergistic effect would occur if its efficiency increased dramatically. While it probably wouldn’t heal all wounds instantly like drinking an elixir, it was worth looking forward to.

Seraphina thought Gilbert’s suggestion wasn’t bad. Holding banquets or feasts was a method she often used herself. There was no better way to boost morale than to acknowledge efforts and reaffirm purpose.

After making some calculations, she glanced behind her.

“I will prepare a light feast today. Make sure all members of the subjugation force can participate.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The attendant waiting behind her immediately rushed out. Given the large number of people in the subjugation force, it would be tight even if they started preparing now.

“I would like you to say a few words at the feast, disciple. After all, you are the Magical Beast Ogre Slayer. I think one word from you could raise even the lowest morale.”

“I understand.”

“Good. I’ll call for you when the feast is ready, so rest until then.”

Seraphina left the tent, barely hiding her thought that he was indeed a coveted talent.

***

Knights, raise your cups.

You who boarded god-machines to protect the Empire, you who burn your lives to protect the Empire’s citizens.

Even if we die tomorrow, be grateful that we survived today.

Knights who know honor.

Warriors who know how to pursue glory.

Raise your cups.

Even if this gathering is our last.

Enjoy the feast today.

Knights, raise your cups.

***

After finishing his speech, Gilbert raised his cup and drained it in one go.

Following his lead, the members of the subjugation force who had been cheering also emptied their cups.

[Einherjar’s Feast is declared.]

[The efficiency of super-regeneration increases dramatically.]

Einherjar’s Feast was truly an amazing skill. As soon as it was declared, he began to feel the increased speed of recovery.

Gilbert smiled deeply as he felt the effects of the feast declaration and saw the subjugation force filled with high morale.