After finishing the deal with the princess, Kail returned to the guest room with a big grin. While he was passing time there, Bellion burst through the door.
“Kail-!”
“Leon, were you here?”
“I’ve been waiting to go with you.”
“The Academy?”
“What professor would take attendance when the prince is around?”
Bellion smirked as he looked at him, then snapped his fingers. A maid standing behind him wheeled in a cart carrying a large sealed box into the room.
Kail cautiously emitted Aura as he eyed the box the servant had brought in. The sealed box, covered in numerous magic circles, ominously leaked menacing magical energy.
“What’s this?”
“The promised item.”
“Ah, a magic sword….”
Kail tilted his head quizzically as he speculated what might be inside the sealed box.
The enchanted sword that Mingweol possessed was just an ordinary sword imbued with magic—it didn’t emanate such menacing magical energy, nor did it need to be sealed away in a box like this.
But wasn’t the thing before him emitting an aura completely unlike Mingweol’s enchanted sword?
“—It doesn’t seem to be one.”
“That’s right. It’s a magic sword… but more accurately, a Demon Sword.”
“A Demon Sword, huh.”
Smirking, Kail approached the sealed box. Sensing the aura leaking from the Demon Sword inside, Bellion subtly stepped back.
Once Kail confirmed that Bellion and the maid had moved away, he immediately ripped open the lid of the sealed box. As the seal broke, the energy that had been slowly seeping out now exploded forth.
“Not on my watch.”
Kail grabbed the sharply spiking murderous intent with his Aura and began shoving the dark energy back into the Demon Sword.
As the dark energy that had been pouring out flowed back into the blade, the Demon Sword seemed to panic and started releasing even more violent bursts of energy.
However, without an owner and having been sealed away, there was no way the Demon Sword’s energy could break through the Aura Master’s Aura and escape. Kail gently held the gradually calming Demon Sword, stroking it carefully.
“Oh, ohhh—.”
The moment he grasped the Demon Sword, the dark energy that had been spreading in all directions suddenly surged toward Kail’s brain.
If Kail had been an inexperienced Expert in handling Aura, his mind and sanity would have been overwhelmed by now, and he’d be wildly swinging the Demon Sword around.
Kail smiled approvingly at the Demon Sword’s relentless spirit and turned to Bellion.
“What’s its name?”
“Apophis.”
“Nice name… What does it do?”
“All I know is that a demon resides within it.”
Hearing Bellion’s words, Kail grinned mischievously. He would have been satisfied with just any enchanted sword, but one inhabited by a demon? That was something else entirely.
Such items weren’t easily obtained. Perhaps the princess’s deal played a part in getting him something other than a mere enchanted sword.
“Oh, right. Leon, I made a deal with the princess.”
“I heard from my sister. Where did you get something like that?”
“During vacation?”
“You don’t just pick up something like that during vacation….”
“Guess I got lucky.”
Though Kail hadn’t given Ludmira the full details, he saw no reason to hide it from Bellion and explained how he obtained a talisman for tracking the Evil God Cult.
During the break, he visited the Great Witch’s Forest, defeated millions of evil spirits sealed there, freed the Great Witch, earned her gratitude, and received a one-time wish token in return.
Upon hearing the entire story, Bellion stared at Kail in disbelief.
“Kail……”
“What, too awesome for words?”
“Are you an idiot? Why’d you use it for that!?”
But Bellion’s reaction was quite different from what Kail expected. Scratching his cheek, Kail asked why he reacted that way.
Bellion barked in frustration, looking as if he’d suffered a personal loss.
“Of course I’m upset! You wasted your one-time-use item on my sister’s mission—you should’ve negotiated for reimbursement!”
“Uh… Was that really necessary? I just used it because I wanted to…”
“No! I can’t stand seeing you get taken advantage of! I’m going to talk to her and get more out of her!”
With that, Bellion stormed out of the room. Seeing Bellion leave, the maid stood dazed for a moment before wheeling the cart and box out after him.
Silence fell over the now-empty room.
Kail stood still amidst the quiet, feeling the wriggling dark energy in his grasp and smirking mischievously.
‘What am I doing just standing here.’
I should train.
With that thought, Kail headed to the training grounds of the Imperial Capital.
* * *
The Emperor’s Audience Chamber.
A noble place where the Emperor usually resided, unknown even in appearance to common folk.
Two members of the royal family were present. Emperor Langrey Dairos gazed down at his daughter, Ludmira, with a contemplative hum.
“—Is that true?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will present this as evidence.”
Ludmira handed over the talisman she had received from Kail. Langrey, having a subordinate retrieve it, skeptically examined it while giving it a little shake.
“What can we possibly learn from this?”
“It has been verified by the palace sorcerer. The magic within points to a location—”
“You trust his word? Truly?”
Langrey looked down at his daughter with a bored expression. Meeting his gaze, Ludmira nodded firmly without hesitation.
“He has nothing to gain by deceiving me. I believe him.”
“A truly statesman-like response. If only the world revolved solely around profit and loss, how convenient life would be.”
“Regardless, I have no choice but to trust him.”
“…No choice but to trust him?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Ludmira looked up at her father, her eyes sparkling.
“He’s a new Master who has appeared in our Empire. To gain his trust, we must believe in him.”
“Even if he’s playing a prank to put you in a difficult position now, are you saying you trusted him just to buy his belief in you?”
“—Even if my credibility is damaged and you exile me for this, the Empire gains justification to use him. In that case, it benefits the Empire.”
“So you’re sacrificing your own credibility for the Empire’s gain?”
“If he’s playing tricks on me—then yes.”
The Emperor began to smirk. Ludmira’s dedication to the Empire pleased him immensely.
Since his daughter had shown such resolve, it was time for him to act less like an emperor and more like a father.
“Very well. Ludmira. If this matter checks out and this item is genuine…”
“And if it is?”
“I will officially declare the extermination of the Evil God Cult. The success will be yours.”
Ludmira concealed her joy at the Emperor’s words. Internally throwing a wild dance party, she half-listened to the rest of his speech.
After all, most of what followed was likely unimportant. Once dismissed from the audience chamber, Ludmira met Bellion waiting outside the door.
“Oh, Bellion.”
“Sister. You look pleased.”
“Do I?”
Seeing Ludmira unable to hide her wide grin, Bellion muttered softly.
Without denying anything, Ludmira quietly covered her mouth with her fan. Her slightly crinkled eyes betrayed her good mood.
“So, what brings you here?”
“I came to talk about Kail.”
“Kail? Did he cause trouble again?”
“You know exactly what I mean. Don’t play dumb.”
At Bellion’s words, Ludmira tilted her head, genuinely puzzled.
Seeing this, Bellion sighed lightly and began explaining.
“The task you assigned him. Apparently, Kail presented a Master-level Sorcerer using the one-time opportunity.”
“I wasn’t informed of that.”
“Anyway—I need to collect the reward for him.”
“Why should I?”
“It happened while completing the task you gave him.”
“I didn’t ask for that much. Do I have to reward him extra for doing something I didn’t request?”
Ludmira’s argument was sound. She wasn’t obligated to give Kail additional compensation. Contractually, nothing required her to do so.
This was a moral issue, an action taken by those hoping for smoother cooperation in the future. Even if she didn’t compensate Kail now, there wouldn’t be immediate repercussions for her. If she withheld rewards, perhaps next time Kail wouldn’t exert himself fully to solve a problem.
In short, failing to reward him wouldn’t harm her directly. Any fallout would fall upon other royals or the Empire itself….
BOOM!
“Kyaaah!?”
“What!?”
Startled by the distant explosion, both turned toward the source of the sound.
Outside the window, near the training grounds, thick black clouds billowed upward.
Sensing the dreadful magical energy, Bellion roughly guessed what had happened and bolted toward the scene.
‘Damn it, Kail…!’
What kind of mess have you caused this time…!
* * *
“Wow… this is pretty intense.”
I gazed down at my sword and muttered that assessment.
This Demon Sword is no ordinary blade.
Glancing around,
‘…What do I do about this?’
All around, knights who had fallen victim to the Demon Sword’s power lay unconscious. Among them was the Knight Order Captain, another Master.
