Ch.98The Youngest Sword Seeker (2)

Sword Seeker, the Sword Pursuer.

I declare in this place that such beasts must be strictly managed. Their power is far too dangerous for any individual to possess. They can face dozens of knights alone. Dozens! Dozens!

None would forget the abhorrent incident where a single Sword Seeker infiltrated and slaughtered the lord of Arhebutz, his vassals, and all his knights.

Ah, Arhebutz!

Remember Arhebutz, the loyal servant of the Empire!

These are the Sword Seekers who face dozens of knights alone and sweep away well-trained soldiers by the squad. Can we call them individuals? They are already walking armies!

Just as the private soldiers that nobles may own are strictly limited and managed by the Empire, Sword Seekers must also be under the Empire’s management. At minimum, their existence must be known.

Therefore, I propose the enactment of the Arhebutz Special Law. The contents of this bill are as follows:

To prevent another tragedy like Arhebutz, those with power equivalent to a Sword Seeker must be forced to disclose their identity and capabilities. Those who set foot in the inland, away from the battlefield of stars or the frontlines of the magical realm, must ‘absolutely’ disclose their information.

Should they refuse.

You will understand why the Empire is called the Empire. This is a warning, and also mercy. If you understand honor and pride, walk on your own feet to the heart of the Empire…

* * *

“—And that’s the Arhebutz Special Law.”

Dieta closed the Empire’s history book.

“It was a law enacted by ‘Kalitz Pendragon,’ the fourth emperor of the Empire. Under this law, those with power equivalent to a Sword Seeker must disclose their information.”

“What kind of information?”

“When they became a Sword Seeker, what weapons they use, what form their sword energy takes. Right after the bill was proposed, they had to disclose everything including weaknesses, but I’ve heard that’s no longer the case after hundreds of years.”

She tapped the table.

“Real name, age, weapons used, and when they reached that level. That’s roughly what they track. After all, the original purpose of this bill was to draw out ‘hidden powerhouses.'”

The Empire was in chaos back then.

Powerful individuals were hiding everywhere, causing various problems large and small. Dieta explained that this law was enacted to solve those problems.

“From a nation’s perspective, nothing is more dangerous than unmanaged raw power.”

Najin, who had been listening quietly, nodded.

“So most Sword Seekers voluntarily disclose their information and level.”

“That’s right. There’s nothing more frightening than being labeled a ‘dangerous person’ by the Empire. Even the most renowned Sword Masters can’t turn their backs on the Empire.”

Juel Lazian would be an example of that.

Najin smiled bitterly, recalling the conversation he once had with her. When he saw the Empire’s capital, it felt like an enormous wall.

“And your case is special.”

While Najin was thinking, Dieta continued. She tapped the documents summarizing Najin’s activities over the past half year.

“You appeared out of nowhere in Cambria, City of Opportunity, and accumulated achievements and rumors at an alarming rate. Defeating the Fallen Knight, dueling the knight commander of House Albania, eliminating the dark mage Faube…”

And becoming the youngest Red-rank adventurer.

Each incident was attention-grabbing.

“Rumors are spreading that you’ll soon reach the level of Sword Seeker. It means you can’t hide anymore even if you wanted to. It’s only a matter of time before the Empire’s core takes interest in you.”

She was right.

Until now, they hadn’t intervened because Najin’s identity was tied to Cambria and protected by the Cambria Foundation. But if Najin reaches the level of Sword Seeker, things would change.

“They might already be moving. Though the attack from a few days ago was cleaned up without witnesses, if the Empire decides to investigate thoroughly, evidence might surface. Then your level would be exposed.”

The Sword Seeker-level powerhouses who attacked Najin.

They were individuals who had long been missing or whose whereabouts were unknown as they belonged to the battlefield. So cleaning up didn’t leave many traces, but…

‘It’s hard to be certain.’

It was unpredictable, and above all, how the Order would react was unknown.

“We don’t know what means the Order might use to pressure you. And to counter that…”

“We need to make the first move.”

“Exactly.”

Dieta snapped her fingers.

“All eyes are on you, and above all, you’re young. I don’t know your exact age, but you’re not even thirty, right?”

Even with his disguised identity, he was twenty-eight.

And the youngest Sword Seeker in history was 30 years old. The moment Najin revealed he had reached the level of Sword Seeker, the attention focused on him would be immeasurable.

“Even the Star of Sword, called a once-in-a-generation genius, reached Sword Seeker at 30. And that was an unbelievable record that broke hundreds of years of precedent.”

But now, someone who would break that record had appeared.

It would be a sensation that would turn the Empire upside down.

“The Order of the Sword, all sorts of nobles, battlefield commanders, the Empire’s core—they’ll all have their eyes on you. When that happens, even the Order won’t be able to touch you easily.”

If they made a wrong move, all the attention on Najin would shift to the Order. No matter how powerful the Order is, they can’t escape the Empire’s gaze.

“That’s the plan so far…”

Dieta trailed off.

After finishing her explanation, she narrowed her eyes and glanced at Najin. Her eyes were full of suspicion.

“At this point, can’t you tell me? Najin, how old are you really?”

“……”

“I’m starting to wonder if you’re actually younger than me. You’re at least twenty, right?”

Najin avoided her gaze.

Dieta’s pupils trembled.

“Really?”

2.

The Arhebutz Special Law.

Najin faithfully followed the procedures of that law. He notified the central guild that he had reached the level of Sword Seeker and sent a letter to the Empire’s core through the Cambria Foundation.

And Najin could realize:

How quickly the Empire could move in such cases. Just half a day after sending the letter, a carriage arrived at the entrance of Cambria. Considering it takes three days to travel from Britten to Cambria when hiring an ordinary coachman, this was indeed an impressive speed.

But the surprises didn’t end there.

The carriage that arrived at Cambria’s entrance bore the emblem of the Britten Empire along with the imperial family’s crest.

The Arhebutz Special Law is administered by the imperial family.

Naturally, the imperial family is involved in the execution of this law. Adventurers at Cambria’s entrance whispered about the carriage that had appeared. How often does one get to see a carriage bearing the imperial family’s crest in their lifetime?

Who? Why is the imperial family here?

What on earth is happening?

The confused adventurers’ voices grew louder. Moreover, the armor of the knight guarding the carriage bore the imperial family’s crest. Everyone knew that only one force was permitted to bear that crest.

The Royal Guard.

The Empire’s sword loyal to the imperial family.

The Royal Guard and the imperial carriage. Realizing this was no ordinary event, the adventurers’ gazes gradually converged on one spot. There was a figure approaching the carriage, cutting through the crowd.

Red-rank adventurer, Ivan.

He cut through the crowd and stopped in front of the carriage. Then he knelt before the Royal Guard and bowed his head. He was showing respect to the knight representing the imperial family. The satisfied Royal Guard nodded and opened the carriage door.

With all eyes on him, Najin boarded the carriage. Even after the carriage departed and was no longer visible, adventurers remained gathered at the city entrance.

One of them muttered:

“Looks like we’ll have another White-rank adventurer.”

* * *

Royal Guard, Soltis.

Soltis wasn’t particularly pleased with this situation.

Having served the imperial family for many years, he knew well that the Arhebutz Law wasn’t usually carried out so dramatically and swiftly.

Of course, that was natural.

The level of Sword Seeker isn’t achieved overnight, nor is it a level one can reach without warning signs. So when someone reports reaching the level of Sword Seeker, the imperial family moves with the attitude of “it’s about time.”

But this case was different.

There were no warning signs, nor precedents.

A Sword Seeker appearing out of nowhere. Moreover, the individual registered with the Cambria Foundation was only twenty-eight years old. It was only natural that the department in charge of the Arhebutz Law was thrown into chaos.

‘Of course, the information registered with the Cambria Foundation is likely inaccurate.’

In the City of Opportunity, identity registration is relatively free, and identity disguise is commonplace. So the detailed identity would need to be verified again at the magic tower, but… if by any chance that identity is accurate.

This would be a sensation that could turn the Empire upside down.

That’s why the Empire dispatched personnel urgently and swiftly. They even took the unprecedented step of mobilizing the Royal Guard. That’s how surprising this event was.

“……”

And the protagonist of this event was sitting right in front of him.

Soltis looked at the young man sitting across from him. A young man, or perhaps a boy? As is often the case with those who have reached the level of Sword Seeker, it’s difficult to determine age by appearance alone.

But he had materials related to this individual.

Defeating the Fallen Knight, dueling the knight commander of House Albania, eliminating the dark mage Faube… Checking these significant incidents, Soltis inwardly clicked his tongue.

‘Not bad.’

Especially the part about defeating the Fallen Knight. The Knights of Atanga defended this young man? That was surprising. Recalling the documents he had skimmed on the way here, Soltis glanced at Najin. Come to think of it, had he knelt and shown respect in front of him?

Regardless of his displeasure with the situation, his impression of the young man before him wasn’t bad.

“This isn’t the place for idle chat.”

That’s why Soltis spoke up.

Because he liked the young man in front of him, he thought it appropriate to offer a piece of advice or two.

“Let me give you one piece of advice: at the magic tower, it’s best to tell only the truth. Even if you’ve disguised your identity, you should reveal your real age and name there.”

It’s probably not his real age and name.

Identity disguise is a serious crime, but for those who started their journey in Cambria, it’s sometimes overlooked depending on the circumstances. This would likely be the case for this young man as well.

28 years old, Ivan.

This is clearly a false identity.

Didn’t even the great Star of Sword reach Sword Seeker at the age of 30? There’s no way someone would suddenly appear to break that record. Soltis was convinced of this.

“If you give false information even at the imperial magic tower, the severity of your crime will increase. Remember that.”

“I will remember.”

“You still won’t escape criticism. It would have been better to write your real age when submitting the documents. Your identity will be exposed anyway. Drawing attention like this will only harm you.”

“I didn’t think that far. I was just excited about reaching that level.”

Najin smiled sheepishly.

Well, he’s someone who reached the level of Sword Seeker without proper backing. He probably didn’t have many people around to advise him. Soltis nodded significantly.

So he did disguise his identity after all.

Soltis was dispatched here just in case, but it was just a precaution. It meant this was something that wouldn’t normally happen.

‘Suddenly reaching Sword Seeker is surprising enough, but breaking the youngest record? That’s nonsense.’

It was probably just an overreaction from the department in charge.

Thinking this, Soltis closed his eyes. Of course, this was Soltis’s misunderstanding. There were reasons for them to make such judgments, but Soltis, who had been hastily assigned this mission, was only provided with basic information.

‘But if this is true…’

In the bumpy carriage, Soltis could only imagine. What if the young man in front of him really did reach Sword Seeker at the age of 28?

The Empire would be turned upside down.

And they would be summoned.

To evaluate this unprecedented talent.

‘Who?’

The Empire’s Sword Masters.

Superhumans who have reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

Of course, such a thing wouldn’t happen, but Soltis smiled as he imagined the scene of three Sword Masters gathering in one place. It would be quite a spectacle.