Ch.38The Emperor’s Sword

A gaze that held the sky swept over Seo-erin’s small body. Unlike other men, it didn’t contain any sticky emotions. It was completely emotionless, as if examining an object.

“Have you started training recently?”

It was a question filled with genuine curiosity. Seo-erin calmly nodded. In just a moment, he had noticed that she was training her body. There was no point in hiding her aura.

She was already within his attack range. Even though they were physically too far apart for a sword to reach, it felt that way. It was as if a large blade was hanging just below her neck.

“Father, what do you mean by training? What are you…”

Only Rowen failed to understand the intention behind Baron’s question. He looked back and forth between his father and Seo-erin with a puzzled expression.

“Impressive…”

A deep smile spread across Baron’s face.

What does he see? Seo-erin stared at the small girl reflected in Baron’s gaze. She couldn’t even sense hostility. Perhaps he hadn’t noticed her true identity yet.

‘If that’s the case…’

Being tense and guarded would seem strange. Seo-erin exhaled with a small breath, releasing the tension in her body. As her contracted muscles relaxed, the mana that had gathered at her toes gradually dispersed.

Step-

The sky approaches. Seo-erin swallowed dryly as she watched Baron draw near.

“Pleased to meet you, Miss Sera. I am Silverhill Baron, the lord of Silverhill. I’d appreciate it if you’d address me comfortably.”

“My name is Sera, Lord…”

It felt like walking a tightrope. Seo-erin’s gaze fell on Rowen. This guy couldn’t possibly be a reincarnator. How could someone who couldn’t even sense the sky’s energy dominating this space be a reincarnator?

Seo-erin wanted to punch Rowen in the face.

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Rowen. That there’s an herbalist who recently came to the territory.”

“Father…”

The conversation continued normally. However, sharp questions occasionally flew in.

“So, you’re researching herbs by traveling around the territory?”

“Yes…”

“You’ve lived diligently. Digging in the soil tends to damage one’s hands. I can see your hardships from the calluses.”

A swordsman knows another swordsman’s hands. The calluses on Seo-erin’s hands weren’t from digging soil. Baron was pointing out this fact.

Seo-erin spoke casually.

“Ah, the calluses… they’re from sword training.”

“Sword…?”

“What? Sera, you know how to handle a sword?”

Only Rowen was surprised. He exclaimed in shock beside her. He even asked when she had learned it.

Seo-erin answered.

“You never asked…”

“Ah, I didn’t know… but why did you learn swordsmanship?”

“Well… when collecting herbs deep in the mountains, I often encounter wild beasts, so for self-defense, a little…”

She was handling it well. At least that’s how Seo-erin felt. She wasn’t sure what the other person was thinking, but for now, he didn’t seem likely to lay hands on her.

Seo-erin, Rowen, and Baron walked through the garden together before moving to where the meal was prepared.

The interior of the mansion was extremely luxurious. The red carpet laid on the floor and the chandelier hanging from the ceiling reflected light, dazzling the eyes.

The dining room they arrived at was very quiet. There was no one else besides the three of them. Nevertheless, steaming food was prepared.

Baron sat at the head of the table. It was a central position that allowed him to see everything at a glance. The aura emanating from his body was extraordinary. It felt similar to the emperor she had met once before.

Seo-erin sat across from him with Rowen. As if it had been decided that they would be together, the two were seated very close.

‘This is maddening.’

Curses welled up in her mouth.

“If there’s any food you avoid, please tell me in advance. I’ll have it set aside.”

“No, there’s nothing I avoid…”

As Seo-erin ate, she wondered if perhaps she was the only one taking this seriously.

She looked at Baron sitting before her. He was eating and conversing with Rowen like an ordinary father. Even his occasional sharp questions were nothing more than a careful examination of the woman his son had brought.

The meal ended. As servants entered to clear the empty dishes, Baron spoke to Rowen.

“I have some urgent matters to discuss with Miss Sera. Could you give us some privacy?”

“Ah, yes…!”

Only after all the servants who had filled the dining room had left did Baron speak.

“I thought you had been avoiding me well.”

“… When did you notice?”

“When do you think I noticed?”

A quiet voice cut through the silence. Seo-erin immediately rose from her seat. Her body reacted. She tensed all her muscles, raising mana to fight the opponent before her.

Yet Baron showed no particular reaction.

“Family affection has become an issue… The Empire’s sword has begun to point here.”

“Family…? How amusing.”

He admitted to being a reincarnator while speaking of family affection. Reincarnators are those who steal others’ lives and twist their destinies. His shameless attitude was truly disgusting.

Tap- Tap-

Baron tapped the table as he spoke.

“I’ve lived as Baron for a long time. I’ve managed the territory and maintained family relationships. After discovering the existence of reincarnators like myself and the Cheongik who hunt them, I became even more careful. To extend Baron’s life longer.”

“You are not Baron.”

The conversation didn’t mesh. Baron continued to spout only what he wanted to say.

“Suddenly, I found myself concerned about that child. Baron’s child who had been ill since birth. A child whose blood and energy were twisted, destined to die young. So I saved him. A child who couldn’t be saved with this world’s technology. My child…”

“He is not your child.”

“Young lady of Cheongik. Is this really so wrong? I saved someone who was meant to die and sustained a declining territory. Truly, must reincarnators be killed?”

Baron’s words cunningly dug into Seo-erin’s mind. She must not waver. Seo-erin recalled what she had learned at Cheongik.

Someone who should have died lived. Conversely, it meant someone who should have lived died elsewhere. The White Frost tribe also wasn’t originally destined to die. They all died because of reincarnators.

The distortion of fate begins with small changes. Changes caused by reincarnators destroy the world’s balance, bringing about great calamities. That’s why balance must be maintained.

“Thieves talk too much. The twisted fate caused by you will bring calamity to this land.”

Silence fell after Seo-erin’s words. Baron wiped his mouth with a napkin placed beside him. Then he gently pushed the large dining table.

Thud-!

Tremendous energy was contained in the sliding table. The cleanly finished wood grain burst forth, charging toward Seo-erin.

“Hup!”

Being alert, her reaction wasn’t slow. Seo-erin struck down the table approaching her with force. Her small fist swung like a hammer, smashing the massive wooden table.

Crash-!

The debris from the exploded table scattered. Through the debris, Baron flew forward, shouting.

“I’ll capture you and make you bear my son’s child!”

Her whole body shuddered with goosebumps. She thought it would be better to die. How could she bear a child with this small body? Her belly would burst and she would die.

Seo-erin shook off the terrible imagination and immediately raised the incantation of the White Dragon Heart Sutra.

Whoosh-!

Hands interlocked in midair, tangling chaotically. Every time the powerful fist technique struck Seo-erin’s arms and legs, her small body was pushed back repeatedly.

“Excellent! A fine child will be born!”

He continued to speak while not stopping his attacks. It meant Baron had breathing room. In contrast, Seo-erin felt like she was about to lose her breath.

She dodged, deflected, and blocked. Every time the massive fists pounded her body, her insides felt like they were turning over.

“Kuk…!”

Red blood flowed through her tightly clenched teeth. Seo-erin extended her small fist toward the straight-flying attack.

Bang-!

Fists imbued with mana and inner strength collided. With the tremendous impact, Seo-erin’s tiny form flew rapidly. She had used the impact to propel herself.

“Cough!”

Her body was severely injured from taking the impact head-on. Seo-erin coughed up red blood and curled her body. At the same time, a large window shattered, and her small form shot out onto the terrace.

“Think you can escape!”

Thud-!

Baron’s form, having struck the ground, shot like a cannonball. His straight-flying speed surpassed Seo-erin’s. It was at that moment.

Crackle-!

Just before Baron’s hand could grab Seo-erin, a blue light flickered faintly. Baron’s gaze swept across the room. The girl’s hair rose upward, and the grass inside the mansion tilted in one direction.

‘This is…?’

His sense of energy rang an alarm. Baron immediately drew up his inner strength. The inner strength that started from his dantian enveloped his body, forming a sturdy barrier.

Crackle-!

As the light became clearer, the sound grew louder. Immediately after, a blue lightning bolt shot straight into the air.

Rumble-!

Seo-erin, who had landed on the ground, immediately looked up. As if time had stopped, two men were floating in the air. It was the sight of Theo, his body wrapped in blue lightning, and Baron, who was holding Theo’s sword with his bare hand while covered in a strange power.

“Seo-erin!”

Seo-erin. A name she hadn’t heard in quite a while. The small girl immediately raised her left hand. The White Dragon Sword that flew quickly wrapped around her small hand with a snap.

Right after, a black jacket and cape that fell from the sky covered Seo-erin’s shoulders. The blue feather-shaped badge attached to her shoulder gleamed in the moonlight.

At the same time, Flora and Andur landed beside Seo-erin.

Rumble-!

After a massive thunderclap, Theo fell down in front of them. Four members of Cheongik gathered in one place.