episode_0228

“I was wondering what question you were going to ask, and it was about that sword.”

Victoria responded with a subtle expression to Eugene’s offer of negotiation.

“Yes. I know you got a weapon inventory faster than your experience would suggest because you have a sister who is a magician, but I’ve heard that there are almost no swordsmen who use two weapons. And I didn’t think that was your style, Victoria.”

Eugene explained the reason for his question quite eloquently.

For a swordsman, a sword is an alter ego.

All classes cherish their weapons, but swordsmen with strong egos cherish them even more.

That’s why there are hardly any cases of using two swords.

Such people are classified as heretics, and especially in noble families, such behavior is taboo.

So, the justification for Eugene’s curiosity is by no means unreasonable.

‘Hmm… a face optimized for negotiation indeed. I can’t read what state of mind she’s in.’

However, Eugene felt a slight faltering in her momentum compared to her outwardly fluent manner.

Frankly, it was a reckless stab.

Even though they roamed the battlefield together this time as comrades, they’re not close enough to drop honorifics, and asking about something this sensitive is just asking for trouble.

Nevertheless, he blurted it out.

And the reason was to see Victoria’s reaction.

‘As far as I know, that sword back then was our father Ulysses Schneider’s sword.’

The reason for trying to see her reaction,

The identity of the sword that Eugene is curious about is none other than Ulysses Schneider’s sword.

To be exact, it is Ulysses’ old sword.

It was the sword he used before becoming a Sword Master, and in Eugene’s case, he had only seen it briefly when he was very young, but

At some point, it was no longer to be seen.

‘The possibility of her accidentally possessing it is extremely low. According to Vivian, she was very interested in our father. So, I think there’s a high probability that it’s not a coincidence.’

Eugene thinks that Victoria likely learned some of Ulysses’ swordsmanship from her father, Constantine.

His father, Ulysses, may have shared his swordsmanship with his friend Constantine as a sign of friendship.

However, knowing the swordsmanship and having the sword itself are different.

As someone who pursues the sword, one can agree with and learn the Sword Saint’s swordsmanship, but

On the other hand, holding a sword, especially one that has disappeared, is interpreted as a very direct connection or interest.

“……”

At that moment, Victoria stared at Eugene silently for a moment.

“That sword is the sword of Sword Saint Ulysses Schneider. As far as I know, it is said to be the sword he used before he became a Sword Master.”

Then, very directly and without any concealment, she revealed the identity of the sword.

‘Wow… definitely a formidable opponent!’

It was unexpected.

Eugene thought she would vaguely say it was the sword of his father’s friend, like last time.

But she mentioned Ulysses Schneider in such an obvious way.

‘At this point, I wonder if she knows my identity, that I am Ulysses Schneider’s son?’

The reason Eugene thinks she’s a formidable opponent is not Victoria’s lack of hesitation.

It feels like a very meticulous situation,

The reason is that, rather than just being honest, it feels like she is probing Eugene.

‘She knows, or she suspects. If she’s suspecting, I’ll be caught if I jump at it.’

Eugene is at a crossroads of conflict,

If she knows, he could confidently say that he is the son or acquaintance of Ulysses to raise his momentum, but there is also a possibility that this is a trap.

“Ulysses, you say…?”

However, since Eugene is not the type to particularly enjoy adventure,

He just reacted with an expression as if he had heard the name of someone very famous.

“That’s right. The greatest Sword Master in the history of the Empire, the one called the Sword Saint. And the being who was corrupted and erased from the history of the Empire. That is indeed Ulysses Schneider’s sword.”

Then, Victoria explained the original owner of her other sword in even more detail and explicitly.

“Perhaps you want to point out that Victoria, a servant of this Imperial Knights, is disobeying the orders of Grand Duke Kaiser Antoine, the commander of the Knights?”

Then, with a rather serious expression, she asked an aggressive question.

“Absolutely not. If I were going to argue about that, I, who induced the Imperial Knights’ audit team to lie, would not be in a position to be proud either. Wouldn’t it be more of a loss for me to have such intentions? It’s just that, as someone who also pursues the sword, I have an affection for Ulysses Schneider. So, I can’t help but be curious. That someone who even joined the Imperial Knights continues to possess Ulysses’ sword.”

Victoria has the audacity and meticulousness to play mind games with Antoine.

However, Eugene is not someone who can be unilaterally swayed.

Isn’t he a human who leads a harem?

What other situation requires as much GM power as a harem?

Moreover, he is a man with over 50 years of experience, including his past life.

Therefore, Eugene inwardly stuck his tongue out at Victoria, but he managed to respond in his own way in front of her.

“I see. I apologize for the misunderstanding.”

Swoosh…!

In response to Eugene’s answer, Victoria bowed slightly and apologized.

“The swordsmanship of the friend that my father learned is none other than the swordsmanship of that Sword Saint, Ulysses Schneider. The two were so close that they shared swordsmanship. Having heard from my father, I didn’t think he was someone who would negate his entire life based only on his last appearance.”

Then, she calmly explained why she learned Ulysses’ swordsmanship and why she was holding the sword.

“I thought the intention and meaning of the swordsmanship were fresh, and as a result of researching it in depth, the utility of the sword he possessed before he became a Sword Master was truly outstanding. As a swordsman, what could be more meaningful than this?”

Her usual personality seemed meticulous, but that was methodological.

What Victoria pursues is simple.

She wants to become the best swordsman.

And that best sword is not a murder sword, but the concept of swordsmanship,

She judged that Ulysses before he became a madman was the Sword Master who best fit that.

‘Wow, damn it…’

Eugene Schneider’s heart was filled with strange emotions when he heard that answer.

‘Why do I feel so good?’

He feels good.

‘Even I was quiet about our father’s existence, but Victoria acknowledges it, so I feel a surge of emotion.’

Humans have various appearances.

Yesterday is different from today, a year ago is different, and being young is different from being grown up.

Ulysses Schneider is the same.

He has various footsteps.

But the footsteps of Ulysses Schneider that remain in the world now are the disgrace of being a corrupted Sword Saint and the Sophists of the corrupted Sword Order.

And one more, Eugene Schneider, the bloodline hiding his identity.

Even his son, Eugene, was like that.

Eugene Schneider focused on his father’s last appearance and suffered,

And he is chasing after his mysterious side.

In the end, it is no different from Eugene himself indirectly denying Ulysses’ bright footsteps.

But Victoria is looking at and learning from those bright footsteps.

It is a sight that makes Eugene himself ashamed and grateful.

“Amazing. Wonderful. To be able to pursue the sword so purely.”

However, Eugene could not fully express his emotions.

Therefore, he eventually had to take a step back again and mention his father’s pride.

“Assault Captain Eugene is also amazing. And I think my eyes were right. I thought Assault Captain Eugene would understand my answer.”

Smile…!

Victoria smiled an uncommon smile.

Of course, Victoria sometimes smiled out of courtesy, but now it was more than that, it was Victoria’s appearance responding with a smile that contained quite a bit of emotion.

“Then can I make my request now, Assault Captain Eugene?”

But Victoria, who is as sharp as a knife in negotiations, changed her expression to her usual one and mentioned that her turn had come.

“Of course. Since Victoria has such a great mindset as a swordsman, I don’t think she will make an unreasonable request. I will gladly grant your request.”

However, Eugene Schneider no longer disliked Victoria’s thoroughness.

Even though it’s not easy to know her inner thoughts, she acknowledges and admires Ulysses Schneider, his father, who has been abandoned by the world.

That’s why, even though he didn’t make that posture, Eugene answered with a feeling of almost welcoming her with open arms.

“Yes, then let me tell you. What I ask is.”

Victoria opened her mouth again at Eugene’s declaration.

“I want you to be the bait to infiltrate the enemy camp for the Imperial Knights’ unofficial special mission.”

And the price that Victoria demanded afterwards was truly audacious.

“Unofficial? And bait… you say??”

Eugene Schneider’s face turned into one with a sense of déjà vu at the two unusual keywords.

“So that’s what happened.”

A middle-aged man with brown hair nodded slowly as he looked at the documents stamped with the Imperial Knights’ seal.

He is Antoine des Ailes Oblean, the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Knights and, furthermore, the de facto ruler of the Empire.

“I saw the Great Swordsman’s blow with my own eyes. He split the rock as described in the report in one fell swoop. I have come to the conclusion that there were no errors in Saber Victoria’s report.”

It is a report from the Imperial Knights’ audit team.

An internal investigation was conducted for a long time after the Drake Quest, and the internal investigation was formally completed with Eugene Schneider’s visit to the Imperial Knights’ Arena.

In fact, compared to the importance of the quest, the Drake Quest was not the type to have such a long internal investigation.

If it failed, it was unofficial, so it could be easily concealed, and if it succeeded, there were plans to promote it extensively,

However, the plan went awry because a mercenary of unknown identity intervened.

“I guess so. Servant Victoria is thorough, after all.”

So, Antoine, who originally had that plan, should have shown his displeasure, but he was surprisingly indifferent.

That’s why the Imperial Knights’ audit team is submitting the report without looking at his reaction.

“He’s quite an interesting friend. He uses a greatsword, which is a symbol of the demons.”

As expected, Antoine was just showing a dry reaction.

Smirk…!

And a very faint smile appeared in the meantime.

“I’m sorry, Assault Captain Eugene Schneider. As I told you, it’s an unofficial operation within the Imperial Knights, so I’m telling you the details in this situation.”

A few days later, Eugene Schneider and Victoria met in a remote location outside the capital, Helios.

“Let’s hear it for now. I’ll keep my word, and please satisfy my curiosity quickly.”

Eugene Schneider, who was hooked, said with an almost resigned expression, with his arms crossed.

“The unofficial special quest we’re going to do is none other than entering the Sophist Order headquarters.”

Victoria is telling Eugene about the plan,

Victoria will strike the Sophist Order without Antoine’s knowledge.