Ch.25The City of Opportunity, Cambria (1)

# Sword Aura (劍氣), the symbol of a Sword Expert.

Though it’s said to be the exclusive domain of those who have reached a certain level, for transcendents like Merlin, sword aura wasn’t particularly special. In the arena where she was active, those who could freely unleash sword aura were everywhere.

The sword aura itself isn’t something to be amazed by.

The same goes for the level of Sword Expert.

After all, Merlin had seen countless individuals who surpassed Sword Expert to reach Seeker, and even Master. This meant she wasn’t impressed by ordinary talent. Then what exactly had left her speechless?

The answer was simple.

-···How old are you?

“Eighteen.”

-By Empire standards?

“Yes. By Briton Empire standards.”

First was the boy’s age.

18 years old. Not too young in general, but far too young to manifest sword aura. Though Merlin wasn’t particularly interested in worldly affairs······.

「Merlin!」

「Look at this. The youngest Sword Expert in history has emerged. Can you believe he manifested sword aura at just twenty-three? It’s unbelievable.」

「My goodness, twenty-three!」

From roughly a dozen years ago, she clearly remembered Bedivere making a fuss about the birth of the youngest Sword Expert. She also distinctly recalled expressing her own surprise upon hearing the news.

Manifesting sword aura at twenty-three was certainly impressive. The man who was called the youngest Sword Expert in history, excluding the exceptional case of King Arthur. Now he’s supposedly the head of the Order of the Sword?

‘The one called a once-in-a-generation genius manifested sword aura at twenty-three.’

Yet the boy before her was eighteen.

When did Arthur manifest sword aura? Since Arthur was already handling sword aura when she met him, she couldn’t be certain, but he seemed to be around the same age as the boy before her.

-······.

Merlin silently gazed at the boy’s sword.

Even setting aside his young age manifesting sword aura, the color of the sword aura gleaming before her wasn’t something she could simply overlook.

She was so stunned she couldn’t speak.

Platinum-colored sword aura. That was Arthur’s exclusive domain, something only Arthur could wield. Of course, it’s too early to judge based solely on the color of the sword aura. She would need to confirm again when the boy reached the level of Sword Seeker, where he could imbue his mental imagery into his sword aura, but······.

If by some remote chance.

If the boy’s sword aura had similar properties to Arthur’s, this wasn’t a matter to be taken lightly. The platinum-colored sword aura was like a reverse scale to anything related to Camlann.

And above all.

The moment dragons confirmed the boy’s sword aura, they would try to kill him by any means necessary.

‘···This has become complicated.’

Even if it wasn’t revealed that Najin was the owner of Excalibur, the moment his sword aura was exposed, he would be targeted by numerous entities.

The light the boy possessed.

It was something the current boy couldn’t handle.

In the boy she had thought would be fortunate just to handle a bit of mana, Merlin discovered something beyond her imagination. She let out a hollow laugh. The things the boy held in his hands were far too dangerous.

Things that would make him a target for the entire world if discovered.

To help the boy grow strong enough to survive being targeted by the world while keeping these things hidden—that was Merlin’s role as his guide.

Not an easy task. A path where everything could collapse if mishandled.

But, to borrow the boy’s words… it was a path worth challenging. A smile spread across Merlin’s lips.

2.

While traveling, Najin had various conversations with Merlin.

There were several points he learned from these conversations, and Najin organized this information.

“First, you said that you and… the constellations likely to become my allies are far from here, right?”

-Yes. We’re bound near Camlann.

The Knights of the Round Table.

And the heroes who fought alongside Arthur.

Merlin explained that they were stationed not inland but at the boundary at the edge of the world, spending their time hunting the cursed things of Camlann that slip through the cracks of Arthur’s seal.

-Even apart from that, constellations typically find it difficult to intervene inland. To intervene, they need to create an Order, which is quite troublesome.

The fact that ordinary constellations cannot intervene inland.

The areas where constellations can intervene are intermediate regions beyond the inland, the battlefield of stars, and the vicinity of Camlann.

-Normally, even just conversing with you would require me to bear an enormous burden. It’s only because I transferred my consciousness through Excalibur as a medium that we can talk so comfortably.

Though Najin didn’t fully understand, Merlin boasted that what she had done was incredibly impressive and something ordinary constellations couldn’t even dream of. From Najin’s perspective, he simply accepted it without much thought.

-The point is this.

Merlin said.

-Unless you have your own star and reach a certain level to come to the battlefield of stars, we’ll have a hard time protecting you. Within the inland, you must survive on your own.

“Like King Arthur did?”

-Yes. Arthur was hunted by countless demons and nations that worshipped demons… for you, it’s just different entities doing the hunting.

Of course, there might be constellations and forces that were favorable to Arthur and would be favorable to Najin as well…

-But relying solely on goodwill is insufficient when the malice of those determined to kill you is so intense.

There were too many enemies to rely on goodwill alone.

Merlin gave a bitter smile as she muttered this.

-Do you understand what I’m trying to say?

“Roughly.”

Najin was quick to understand and had a good sense of what Merlin was trying to convey.

“Hide the special things I possess. That’s what you’re saying, right? If they’re discovered, I’ll be targeted by troublesome entities.”

-Exactly.

Whether fortunate or unfortunate, very few knew that Najin had drawn Excalibur. The Order was somewhat concerning, but they wouldn’t want to expose their own shame either.

“For now, I just need to be careful around the Sacred Host Order.”

-······.

When the name of the Order was mentioned, Merlin fell silent.

Having briefly heard about Najin’s background and how he had lived, Merlin let out a long sigh and spoke.

-···That’s my oversight.

Her voice was somewhat subdued.

-I never thought the Order’s judgment institution would be maintained in such a way, in such a manner.

She couldn’t have imagined they would immediately try to kill a candidate who had drawn the sword. For the sake of preserving the Order’s reputation, they unhesitatingly did something that might challenge Arthur’s authority?

-The ‘Lighthouse Keeper’ I know wouldn’t have the capacity for that. Whether it was the subordinates acting independently or if the Lighthouse Keeper was involved, I’ll have to find out. I’ll ask Bedivere to······.

“Don’t.”

While Merlin was muttering about how to respond to the Order’s actions, Najin spoke up, cutting her off.

-···What did you say?

“I said don’t. Leave them alone. The Order.”

Najin stated firmly.

“Whether it’s revenge against the Order or punishment… I’ll do it with my own hands, without anyone’s help.”

He had promised.

Ivan had told him to become someone no one could ignore and to restore his honor. With those words, Ivan had made Najin his squire.

Although that promise was broken.

And overlaid with a new oath.

Najin still considered himself Ivan’s squire. The honor of Ivan, trampled by the Order, could only be restored by the hands of Ivan’s squire—himself. He didn’t think Ivan would appreciate having his honor restored through someone else’s help.

‘Someday.’

Beyond Sword Expert.

If he reaches the level of Sword Seeker, the next stage after Ivan’s level. And if that’s not enough, if he rises to the even higher level of Sword Master…

When he has sufficient qualifications.

When he has sufficient power.

Then he will return to that city and proclaim: He has come to reclaim the honor of Ivan, Knight of Atanga. The starlight they tried to trample has returned like this. Imagining this distant future, Najin said:

“There are things I can only reclaim if I tear them down with my own hands, things I can only obtain that way. So please don’t interfere.”

Merlin remained silent.

She felt the weight in the boy’s voice.

-If that’s what you want, I understand.

He wants to achieve his goals solely through his own power. Some might mock such stubbornness as foolish, but Merlin liked that foolishness. After all, those who stood with Arthur were all such fools, regardless of what others said.

…He’s a youngster worth guiding.

Thinking this to herself, Merlin returned to her original role. A guide who shows the way. She would merely advise; walking the path was the boy’s responsibility.

3.

Cambria, City of Opportunity.

The city that served as the backdrop where King Arthur began to stand out and his epic story began to take shape.

Perhaps because Arthur built his reputation in Cambria and gathered his companions there. Or perhaps because Cambria was the starting point of his journey. At some point, Cambria came to be known as the “City of Opportunity.”

With its background of magical beasts and various anomalies, and the legend of King Arthur tied to that background, it naturally attracted adventurers and mercenaries.

The city of adventurers that formed this way drew noble families seeking to discover hidden talents, as well as external capital and merchants targeting adventurers and mercenaries.

The developed city attracted academy students, apprentice mages from magic towers, apprentice knights, and other young sprouts seeking to gain real-world experience before formally entering society.

Hence the nickname, City of Opportunity.

If one had talent, if one had the qualities, one could rise high regardless of how lowly their origins—that’s why Cambria was called the City of Opportunity.

Chasing opportunities.

Or chasing gold coins and power.

Every year, countless people come to the City of Opportunity with grand dreams. But naturally, not all of them can succeed. While some succeed, others realize the limits of their talents and end up tucked away in the city’s alleys.

So.

Though the situation is a bit different, like the current Najin.

-······.

“······.”

Both Najin and Merlin were silent. Unable to accept the current miserable situation.

…The context of the situation is as follows:

Following the path Merlin guided him on, Najin arrived at Cambria, the City of Opportunity, after a journey of ten full days. Camping in the forest, hunting animals to fill his stomach, and barely managing to hitch a ride on a carriage to reach this city—all that was fine.

Arriving in this city was all well and good.

But there was a small problem. He had run out of money. And he felt like he was about to die of hunger. The emergency rations he had stored were long gone, and it had been days since he had a proper meal.

After wandering the city while clutching his hungry stomach for a while.

When he came to his senses, Najin found himself in a secluded alley. It was almost like a habit.

-···Why did you come here?

“I was thinking of going through the trash.”

-···Really?

Najin nodded, and Merlin was horrified.

-That’s, that’s a bit much, don’t you think?

“No, I need to survive right now.”

-At least beg for alms…! No matter what, going through trash is not…!

Najin laughed as he heard Merlin’s screams.

In truth, Najin had no intention of going through trash either. He would do so if truly desperate, but for now, he still had some leeway.

There was a reason he came to this alley.

“I’m joking.”

Najin exhaled deeply.

“I’m planning to rest a bit before moving on.”

-Really?

“Why would I lie about something like this?”

-···Why not rest outside?

“It’s too bright and hurts my eyes.”

Najin was still unaccustomed to sunlight. While he could manage when moving around, during rest, he found himself seeking shade where light couldn’t penetrate.

‘It’s also somewhat cozy.’

It had only been ten days since he left the underground city.

Habits formed over 18 years don’t disappear so easily. Leaning against the alley wall, Najin slowly exhaled.

Cambria, City of Opportunity.

The city was quite different from what he had seen in fairy tales and was much larger than he had imagined. An expanded stage. An expanded background. By drawing Excalibur and escaping the underground city, he had concluded the prologue of his story.

Now, it was time to enter Chapter 1.

Najin suddenly shifted his gaze to those dozing off while leaning against the alley. They were probably the failures who had fallen by the wayside in this city. There were many such people in the underground city as well.

‘If I settle for comfort…’

He too would fall by the wayside like them.

After exhaling deeply, Najin pushed himself. Hunger won’t disappear just by staying still. He needed to do something.

Just as Najin was about to rise from the alley, he turned his gaze toward an approaching presence.

At the entrance of the alley, a girl stood with her back to the sunlight. She was looking down at Najin, who was about to get up, with narrowed eyes. Najin met the gaze of the girl looking down at him.

‘The one who’s been watching me since earlier…’

More precisely, she had been watching this alley, not him. She had been sitting on a bench with a clear view of the alley, observing it all along.

“It seems.”

The girl smiled.

Light brown hair glistening in the sunlight. Her half-closed eyes reminded one of a snake. Najin knew that kind of gaze well.

The eyes of a moneylender or a merchant.

Eyes glistening with greed, commonly seen in the underground city. Moreover, the girl didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding that greed. Najin sensed that the greed was directed at him.

“You haven’t had a proper meal in a while.”

She extended her hand toward Najin.

“I know a good place. Would you like to come with me?”

The girl’s name was Dieta Albania.

The nobles of the city called her the abandoned child of Albania, but the adventurers and mercenaries of this city called her this:

Snake that Swallows the Gold Coins.

A nickname given because she would pounce on anything that could make money. Dieta rushes to wherever gold coins can be found, regardless of the field.

Be it artifacts, requests, or even…

“I’ll treat you to a meal.”

Even humans.