Chapter 505

That ‘Senior Elsi’ was the apprentice of the Great Witch. And she was killed by a vampire raid, and besides, hadn’t I already found traces of vampires before?

The elves of the Northern Region.

It was said that those who came to find them were members of the vampire bloodline.

Even Ceria’s mother.

There is something. A secret method that allows vampires to infiltrate the Academy beyond the ‘barrier’.

And who would know the most about this?

Someone who was around the Great Witch, maintaining the barrier, and witnessed the vampire attacks.

There was only one.

“Now, how about we deliberately pick an expensive drink for today…”

“…Wait a minute!”

I quickly grabbed the slender shoulder of the girl.

Senior Elsi’s hollow gaze turned towards me. It was a look that clearly expressed doubt.

In the end, I had no choice but to stammer and retract my previous statement.

“Let’s, let’s talk for a moment… It seems like there might be parts where we need assistance.”

Senior Elsi was silent for a while.

After a moment, raising her eyes and narrowing them with a strange sound.

Fortunately, the answer that finally slipped out from her lips was what I had hoped for.

“…Alright.”

Of course, it couldn’t be that easy.

“Instead, just one condition.”

After that, another special unit was formed.

Senior Elsi mentioned that she would conduct an investigation alone for a while. Until appropriate information gathered, she instructed me to roam around to resolve the incident in my own way.

However, that condition was troublesome.

“You know, the ‘junior’ that I know, right?”

“Well, who… Oh yes, I do.”

I tried to feign ignorance, but as soon as Senior Elsi turned her back, I had no choice but to modify my answer.

Only then did Senior Elsi reveal her demands.

“…Could I meet him?”

It was a rare request, delivered in a cautious tone.

It was strange to see her fidgeting with her hooded hat while avoiding eye contact. It was in sharp contrast to the strong and confident impression she had shown until now.

Thus, I had no choice but to hesitate even more.

Anxiety, longing, and urgency.

Several emotions burrowed into my retina and pierced my heart like a awl. It was a dream I desperately wanted to make happen.

But.

Just as I was about to utter that one word, I locked eyes with ‘Senior Elsi’.

Her eyes were glimmering with a faint moisture.

In the end, I was left with no choice but to reveal the truth.

“…Yes.”

Then ripples of various emotions flooded across the girl’s face.

Joy, happiness, tension, and ultimately determination.

“Then let me meet him.”

“Right now, I…”

“Anytime is fine.”

With a firm voice that I couldn’t dare to challenge, Senior Elsi pleaded.

“For the last time, I want to see him again… that’s all I need.”

That was the end of the discussion.

Without giving me a chance to respond, Senior Elsi hurried off in a brisk walk towards somewhere. A sense of despair covered my face as I stood there staring at her retreating figure.

It wasn’t that I had no desire to facilitate a meeting between the young man and Senior Elsi.

However, several conditions were necessary for this.

In particular, the part that weighed heavily on my mind was, after all…

It was an issue that could not be overturned now. I decided to cease this unresolvable pondering.

Ultimately, it would be a problem resolved through meeting the young man.

I wished I could get drunk tonight and lie down, but I resolved to postpone the meeting with him by one day.

It was unavoidable.

Tomorrow was the day the Emperor would arrive.

And it was also the day I would meet the ruler of the continent.

The next day, the figure who came to guide me looked quite familiar.

“It’s been a while, Fercurus’s brat.”

The beaming face of a middle-aged man was quite unpleasant. The robust physique and white hair clashed with each other, and the ‘sword master’, known as the continent’s strongest swordsman, was here to escort me to the Emperor.

Truly, it was an extravagant selection.

To meet the Emperor, one of the three masters who could be counted on fingers, I was guided by one of them.

Yet, despite enjoying such luxury, my expression was nothing but filled with dissatisfaction.

“Surely, is this what you meant?”

“What do you mean?”

Lately, it felt like more people were trying to feign ignorance in front of me.

Unable to contain my frustration any longer, resentful words spilled from my mouth naturally.

“Last time, you mentioned the Academy would be in an uproar! Given this important event involving His Majesty and the Great Witch of the Southern Kingdom, couldn’t you have informed me earlier? No wonder the Alphenhausen twins have been causing a ruckus!”

However, my complaints only seemed to please the sword master.

He appeared to enjoy that I was irritated. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be stroking his chin with a satisfied smile.

“Ha ha, were you surprised? You should have shown more loyalty to the Empire.”

“Right now, that steel-like loyalty feels like it could waver.”

“Don’t be too hard on yourself; the movements of His Majesty are classified matters… Even as an insider, it’s not something I can carelessly share.”

Even my sulky remarks could not rattle the sword master’s calm demeanor.

He seemed to already know that what I was saying was merely minor complaints. It was as if he was pretending to understand me from just a few encounters.

Yet, I could not deny his assumptions.

Regardless, the sword master gently laid out his warnings to me.

“First, there’s no need to be overly formal. After all, it’s a personal meeting rather than an official one, so His Majesty likely won’t concern himself too much with it. In another sense, it’s a significant opportunity.”

“…Opportunity, you say?”

“True confidant.”

That word carried a unique weight.

Just as that brief phrase slipped from his lips, the sword master’s demeanor turned serious. As I met his gaze, my breath caught in my throat.

A blade.

It was no exaggeration or metaphor. The man moving in front of me was akin to a finely honed sword himself.

Every gesture, every motion, and every glance held the potential for a fatal wound.

It was shocking.

The feeling prickled at my nape, sharper than if I had been caught off guard.

I’d be dead.

If that inhuman monster had the desire, I would have already died countless times over.

This was the Empire’s master, the sword master (??).

Then, the sword master burst out laughing.

“Ha ha ha! Of course, high expert… Now you can feel this much, huh?”

“Wh-what… what is this…?”

“‘Sword Soul’ (??).”

In response to my stammering and inability to articulate a coherent sentence, the sword master replied with a fierce grin.

“Perhaps, you might learn it… So do your best.”

It was at that moment the sword master’s pace came to a halt.

While I was still lost in confusion, he approached a magnificent door located at the end of the corridor and knocked without hesitation. Soon, the door creaked open.

His thick hand shoved me into the room.

And then, the sound of the door closing with a thud.

I stood there in shock, engraving the scenery of the room into my sight.

Amidst the antique furniture, I saw an old man.

There was no detectable aura of a powerful individual. At first glance, he seemed merely an elderly man, yet there was an inexplicable presence surrounding him.

Gradually, the old man’s gaze shifted.

Soon after meeting those blue flames, I instinctively realized.

A dragon.

Moreover, there was only one person in the Empire who could be referred to as a dragon.

It was only natural that my knees buckled involuntarily.

“…Your Majesty.”

“Ian Fercurus.”

Even just that low call made my entire body stiffen immediately.

My heart raced as I stood before the ruler of the Empire I had only heard of in words. The respect and fear I held towards the Imperial Court were emotions shared by all subjects.

I had learned to revere and fear the Imperial family my whole life.

This teaching could not be easily overcome in a short time.

The Emperor also did not impose unreasonable demands on me.

“Since it’s such a sudden meeting, there must not have been time to gather your thoughts. I’ve heard about the exploits you’ve shown as a knight of the Empire, even from afar… Not only the Empire, but the continent owes you a great debt.”

“I-I’m overly honored…”

Swallowing dryly, I barely escaped a breach of etiquette.

If the Emperor was commending my merits, it would be remiss of me to not have a proper response.

I felt like a failure as a noble.

Moreover, the way the Emperor treated me was unexpectedly gentle. He didn’t seem to care about formality or grandeur, and his warm tone even conveyed a sense of consideration.

Yes, I must calm myself.

Just as I managed to soothe my heart.

“Indeed, how fitting for ‘the Rusty Blade’.”

“…What?”

It was a term I had never heard before.

However, the Emperor spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world, stroking his beard and maintaining a steady gaze upon me.

“Didn’t you say? ‘The dragon concealed in the cradle, a rusty blade sharper than a fine sword’…”

His gaze was deeply submerged.

So weighed down that I could hardly dare fathom its depths.

Thus, I could not open my mouth.

“…How did you know?”

His vague yet heavy voice pressed down on me like a weight.

I could feel cold sweat trickling down my back.

“About the long-standing wish of the Imperial family.”

Silently cursing a man within my mind.

What is that, chewing…