Chapter 16
“Out of all the options presented, it’s the most realistic, least polarizing, and easiest to objectively quantify the value of,” Lucadias commented, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
“Is it just me, or do all your proposals ultimately hinge on beheading the Emperor for everything to go smoothly?”
Sephiros chuckled softly.
“If you want things to go ‘smoothly’ and ‘easily,’ then yes, that’s how it would have to go.”
“But you’re not actually asking me to behead the Emperor, are you? Since you’re only offering the opportunity if I want to, it must mean that’s not your real request.”
Lucadias popped another cookie into his mouth.
“So, why don’t you finally tell me what it is you actually want from me?”
Sephiros calmly emptied his teacup before replying in his usual composed manner.
“Compared to what I’ve proposed, it’s not even that grand of a request. Go to the Klein region—which has turned into a dark zone due to the demonic beasts—and retrieve the cursed sword, Fenidran.”
Lucadias froze mid-chew. He swallowed with difficulty and tilted his head.
“You said the Emperor is going to retrieve Fenidran.”
“Yes.”
“I thought you brought me here to stop that from happening.”
“You’re to get there before him and retrieve it first.”
Lucadias looked up at the ceiling, then pointed rudely at Sephiros.
“Didn’t I already say it’s obvious what’ll happen if someone pulls that sword out?”
Sephiros just smiled faintly and asked,
“What’s going to happen?”
Lucadias felt ridiculous having to spell it out himself.
“You stuck that magic sword—made by squeezing out every last drop of my mana—into the middle of a region swarming with demonic beasts. It’s been holding off mana depletion and preventing the land from decaying further. If someone pulls it out, the beasts, hungry with nothing left to absorb, will swarm out to find new territory.”
“That’s a strong possibility.”
“And the land itself, already contaminated, will start corroding again without the sword. We’ll lose our only chance of restoring it.”
The cursed sword, Fenidran.
That was the weapon Aris had used up until five years ago. It had been the first real sword he’d ever wielded. It wasn’t born a magical sword.
Originally, it was just an ordinary sword, save for the fact it had been crafted by a master artisan. What made it extraordinary was its owner—Derkaid. As Aris used it, the sword reacted to his sword aura and absorbed his mana. Not intentionally—just as a result of prolonged use.
And so, Fenidran came to be known as a “magic sword.” It emitted mana, allowing the user to perform magic without casting spells and even amplified its owner’s magic power like a mana stone.
But it wasn’t a sword just anyone could use. Fenidran was fiercely loyal to its owner and wouldn’t lend its power to just anyone. People were already wary of it simply because Lucadias had used it.
Still, it had enough power to seal off the Klein region overrun with demonic beasts.
“People think the opposite,” Sephiros continued. “They believe the magic sword is the reason the beasts are gathering there, not the other way around. That’s why the Emperor wants to retrieve the sword, exterminate the beasts, and reclaim the land. That’s his goal.”
As Sephiros said, this belief was one reason the people of the Ruad Empire despised Lucadias.
“I told you already—it’s a crazy idea. And you said yourself it wouldn’t succeed.”
“The Emperor has a backup plan. He’s planning a joint operation with Teline’s elite anti-beast unit.”
Lucadias let out a bitter laugh.
Teline’s mercenary group existed solely for hunting demonic beasts. Unsurprisingly, they didn’t have warm feelings toward Derkaid—and especially not toward Lucadias, with whom they’d had past conflicts.
“So, a bunch of people who want me dead are getting along great. Lovely.”
“Doesn’t change the outcome I predicted.”
“What difference would I make?”
“I received a report that you witnessed the land purifying itself and demonic beasts disappearing in Mairen. That artifact wasn’t supposed to be revealed to you at that time…”
Sephiros muttered, mentally cursing Mirea, while Lucadias recalled the event. He had seen it with his own eyes—an incredible sight where holy and magical energy created a wide-area barrier that annihilated beasts and purified the land. He still found it hard to believe.
“You mean that ‘Holy Mana Catalyst’ thing?”
“That’s the one I intend to use.”
“Sephiros, that village and forest were tiny. The area sealed by Fenidran is at least hundreds of times larger.”
“You forged Fenidran by draining your own mana. If we use that mana, the catalyst will amplify the holy power enough to cleanse the area. That sword has been sealing the entire region—it has more than enough mana stored.”
Lucadias felt his head spinning. More than half of what Sephiros said didn’t even make sense to him. A headache was coming.
“Okay, let’s say I agree with that. How are we supposed to get to the sword?”
“Efficiently.”
That absurdly simple answer infuriated him.
“Do you even have a plan?”
“Now that you’ve joined, we can start forming one. Like I said, I planned to bring you in later, but had to accelerate the timeline. So I haven’t had time to make one.”
“I haven’t agreed to anything yet.”
“You’re free to refuse.”
Lucadias narrowed his eyes.
“Really?”
“I don’t care either way. But you might regret it. You may not get to be the world-saving hero, but at least you could silence those whispers that you’ll bring about the end. In the royal family, aside from the Emperor, everyone who knew the truth is dead—thanks to you. As for the Frost Sect, I’m the only one who can silence them. If this works out, you won’t get dragged into any more messes. Of course, a few others know, but they’re not a concern right now. When this is all over, take the money I gave you and live the rest of your life somewhere peaceful.”
“…Haa.”
Lucadias felt a twinge of pride at how tempted he was by Sephiros’s words. But instead of answering, he narrowed his eyes and replied bluntly:
“Give me time to think.”
Sephiros smirked as if he’d expected that. That only made Lucadias feel more irritated. At that moment, someone knocked on the office door. Just from the sound, Sephiros already seemed to know who it was and answered promptly.
“Come in.”
Before the word was even fully spoken, the door swung open halfway.
“I got kicked out of my dorm apartment!”
No greeting, no preamble—just a loud complaint. Sephiros cut her off coldly.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because those are the rules.”
“You’re saying no because I’m here asking for an exception!”
“Exactly. So the answer’s still no.”
“But why?”
“I already told you. It’s the rules.”
The girl arguing with Sephiros still had wet hair, likely from just washing. Her thick, curly red hair was a pain to dry, and clearly, she hadn’t even used a dryer—just gave it a quick towel rub.
“You’ve broken those rules plenty before. One more time won’t kill you.”
“We’re short on dorm space. There’s no choice.”
“But—”
Mirea brushed her messy red hair off her forehead and marched in—then locked eyes with Lucadias. Being informal with a superior was one thing, but she wasn’t even in uniform—just a casual outfit with a training jacket thrown over it, unkempt hair, and complete disregard for the other person in the room. Lucadias was baffled by her appearance.
Mirea was too busy talking to realize he was there, and when she did, she gave a sheepish smile.
“Oh, you’re still here? Sorry, didn’t see you. You look… fresh? Wait, Sephiros, if you were going to call someone in, couldn’t you wait a bit longer? I thought you two were done. Anyway, sorry—I got kicked out of my place, so I’m a bit out of sorts…”
Lucadias couldn’t think of a polite reply. Fresh? Sure, he’d washed up, changed, and braided his long hair neatly before coming to see Sephiros. But why did she, who also washed up, look like she rolled off her bed and wandered outside?
(Granted, she hadn’t even touched her bed before getting kicked out—but Lucadias didn’t know that.)
Mirea glanced at the teacup in front of him and made a face-to-face inquiry with her eyes.
Did you drink it?
One sip.
Poor thing.
While Mirea gave him a pitying look, Sephiros spoke again.
“I told you. It’s the rules. And you won’t need that room anyway. Even if I gave it back, you wouldn’t be using it for a while.”
“Huh? What are you making me do now?”
Sephiros jerked his chin toward Lucadias.
“Stick close to him for a while. I can’t leave him alone. I’ll provide a residence—both of you will stay there.”
