C370 - A Sword (1~)
Alberu Crossman adjusted the straw hat he was wearing slightly. He had already changed into the attire of the Kingdom of Lan. The wide, long sleeve, and long tunic that looked like a skirt.
“The escort has changed!”
Whispers were heard, but Alberu remained impassive, standing behind the Heavenly Demon.
—Crown Prince, Crown Prince, doesn’t the Human look quite curious?
A smile appeared without him noticing, but he quickly restrained it.
“Young Master, take a sip of this. It’s a drink I prepared for you to relax before the first preliminary round.”
Cale was playing his role as a servant very well.
-Crown Prince, that’s surely a divine drink!
“…Servant.”
The Heavenly Demon’s face wrinkled, and Raon’s cheerful voice echoed again.
“Pff.”
Alberu had to hold back his laughter.
“…”
“…”
The Heavenly Demon and Cale looked at Alberu.
They felt an inexplicable distrust in their eyes, which were visible through the straw hat, but Alberu was calm.
“The escort has changed.”
At that moment, a woman approached.
Snow Death Flower.
It was Hyun Sung, who had participated as a representative of the warrior group that was only made up of women from the Five Great Powers of the Kingdom of Lan.
The clan leader’s sister greeted the Heavenly Demon, Kim Haeil, cheerfully.
“Will you participate today?”
“Yes.”
300 participants in the preliminary round. Their numbers were determined randomly again, and matches would be held in three different locations for a week.
“…”
Kim Haeil nodded without saying anything, and Hyun Sung, who seemed to have nothing more to say, smiled and left.
Of course, she left a word.
“They say an assassin attacked.”
“…”
When the Heavenly Demon’s gaze turned towards her, Hyun Sung, who was still smiling, continued speaking.
“They say several participants in the preliminary round have disappeared. I really wonder why.”
After saying that, she went to the corner of the participant waiting room, sat cross-legged, and closed her eyes tightly, entering meditation.
But the impact of her words was quite big.
The participants in the third preliminary round couldn’t hide their uneasiness.
“Disappeared? Who?”
Someone who didn’t know anything about the news that someone had disappeared.
“Hmm.”
Those who had heard the news, but didn’t expect it to be mentioned so openly, were surprised.
“…”
And those who were silent, looking around...
-Cale.
Alberu transmitted his voice to Cale with magic.
-Were there 10 in total?
This morning.
Passote, the leader of Dark Abyss, had transmitted information.
Cheonrye, the sub-leader of the assassin group that had targeted the Heavenly Demon, had brought a paper where it was written.
<The people who disappeared this morning have appeared.>
<They are not from our side.>
<It is presumed that another power is involved, and we are currently investigating.>
Cale transmitted his will to Cheon Rye, who was trembling in fear, while waiting.
‘Please let me know if you find any more information.’
‘…Yes.’
Cheonrye replied with difficulty and left. Alberu spoke to Cale again, who was remembering the events of this morning.
-It seems there is another power involved, besides Dark Abyss, that has been involved. I don’t know how the rumor will spread.
It’s true.
But-
-Maybe it happened without the involvement of the Wanderers.
Cale didn’t continue with his thoughts. Because Alberu was speaking according to his line of thinking.
‘Truly.’
It’s easy to talk to someone who understands you.
“Silence!”
The competition official entered the waiting room.
“The preliminary round starts in ten minutes, please wait everyone!”
The noise that had been in the surroundings calmed down.
“Also, those who are not participants, please leave!”
Cale and Alberu left.
“…….”
The Heavenly Demon sat on the wall, arms crossed, calmly.
“Young Master, you can do it!”
Of course, Cale didn’t forget to cheer shamelessly.
Pff.
The Heavenly Demon smiled at Cale, who seemed quite arrogant and shameless, and closed his eyes.
* * *
Cale moved to the stands with Alberu.
“Here!”
Rosalyn had been waiting in their seats. By the way, she wasn’t alone.
-Human, have you arrived?
Nyaaaaong!
Nyaaaong!
Two cats and a transparent young dragon.
An egg wrapped carefully in a cloth in a small basket.
There was quite a commotion around Rosalyn.
“Even the preliminary round is full of excitement!”
Rosalyn’s voice was slightly excited. Cale received the basket and sat in the seat.
“Truly, it doesn’t seem like a preliminary round.”
Cale also marveled a little.
“I’m selling skewers! If anyone wants, raise your hand and I’ll come over!”
“Cold barley tea! I have barley tea!”
“I’m selling umbrellas, hats! I’m selling!”
There were many street vendors around the seats of the combat arena.
“Who do you think will win?”
“Is this today’s participant list? Wow, even the royal palace prepared this. It’s perfect!”
“Me, this side. Do you want to bet?”
“How is it possible?! Hyun Sung is going to participate! I came this morning from dawn to see Hyun Sung!”
Besides that, there were so many filling the seats that there were even people standing behind them or squatting at the side of the road.
The combat arena of the third round was full of people.
According to rumors, there were many people waiting outside.
Simply to watch the competition.
Or to gamble.
Or to see who will be the next king.
The capital of the Kingdom of Lan was buzzing for various reasons.
“Young Master.”
Rosalyn gently tapped him.
His gaze turned to the opposite side of the arena.
“He’s persistent.”
Alberu’s voice echoed beside him. On the opposite side of the arena.
“…….”
There was the Phantom Swordsman, also known as the Phantom Sword, sitting with his arms crossed.
“Damn, it’s the Phantom Swordsman!”
“Why is the Phantom Swordsman here? The preliminary round is in three days, right?”
“It’s obvious, he came to see the competitions of the other participants. But the heir of the Heavenly Sword is in the first arena today, right?”
The Heavenly Sword.
A place where those who only train with the sword gather.
Of course, people complained that there were people who were crazy about the sword. But everyone recognized their skill, so they assumed that the Phantom Swordsman would be interested in the place where Sorak, the heir of the Heavenly Sword, was.
“Ha!”
But the voices that were whispering stopped.
“Why-”
“Ha, they-”
A group of people entered the stands of the combat arena.
Five in total.
“The Ten Tigers of the Heaven!”
The Justice Alliance.
The largest group among the Five Great Powers.
They are said to be a group that follows justice and loyalty, but there were some who only served their leader.
Among them, the Ten Tigers of the Heaven meant ten tigers who moved only for their leader.
Their faces were quite well-known, because-
“Tiger-”
They all had a blue tiger engraved on the back of their clothes.
“…Ha, five tigers at once-”
Not one or two, but five tigers had appeared here!
“…Isn’t something happening here?”
“Give me the participant list! I have to see it again!”
People started getting busy.
“…….”
“…….”
But the five tigers, three men and two women, sat calmly, looking down at the combat arena.
“…….”
The Phantom Swordsman’s gaze turned to the five for a moment, but then it turned to the arena.
“…….”
Of course, he stayed a couple of seconds longer looking at Cale.
At that moment...
Doong-!
A loud drum sound echoed in the arena.
Everyone closed their mouths.
First day of the preliminary round.
The competition of the third preliminary round began.
* * *
“Oh!”
“Everyone has considerable skill!”
“It’s not from the Kingdom of Lan, it’s from the Eastern Empire! Well, it doesn’t matter, if they only have skill!”
“It’s fun. This person was eliminated, but he has a future.”
The atmosphere, which had been a little tense at first, became more intense as the competition progressed.
“Third competition!”
Dong!
With the sound of the drum, Hyun Sung of Snow Death Flower slowly came out.
Waaa!
Hyun Sung! Hyun Sung!
Cheers were heard from everywhere, directed towards her.
“Hmm.”
The Ten Tigers of the Heaven. One of them transmitted a message to his companion.
-Leader, didn’t you say that Hyun Sung was infiltrating?
-Yes.
The leader of the Ten Tigers of the Heaven.
Cheon Po, the Blue Tiger, stared intently at Hyun Sung.
-Leader, but even if that’s the case, I don’t think Hyun Sung can find out what we did?
-Wasn’t it a clean job?
-Probably, the clues that Hyun Sung found with so much effort in Snow Death Flower will point to Dark Abyss.
He didn’t respond to his subordinate’s words.
“…”
He simply raised his hand, and the Ten Tigers of the Heaven focused on the competition.
“Please take care of yourself.”
“Me too, please take care of yourself.”
Hyun Sung briefly greeted the young warrior, and the competition began. Her opponent was an unknown, but his posture was straight and his aura was pure.
At that moment, Hyun Sung took out her lance.
Swoosh-
The long lance was revealed.
Waaa!
Waaa!
The people’s excitement increased when a master, whose name was known throughout the Kingdom of Lan, appeared in the third combat arena.
Dong!
And the competition began.
Kwang! Bang!
Hyun Sung calmly blocked her opponent’s attacks.
“Hyun Sung is really compassionate.”
Cheon Po nodded at the words his subordinate transmitted to him.
Kwaa- Kwang!
Hyun Sung was giving her opponent enough time to show his skill.
Unknown.
She knows how important this place is for this nameless warrior.
She’s surely using her time for this young man.
‘Maybe she’s teaching him a trick.’
Hyun Sung is a person who can do that.
‘She has a lot of ambition, but also a lot of compassion.’
The leader of Snow Death Flower and Hyun Sung tend to be like that.
Cheon Po’s face became colder and colder.
‘Therefore, she’s surely doing something useless.’
Currently, the ten tigers of the Ten Tigers of the Heaven were visiting each combat arena, divided into groups of two, three, or five.
-Hyun Sung seems to be too kind, uselessly.
Cheon Po didn’t respond to the words his other subordinate transmitted to him.
-If we had been kind and eliminated the competitors, shouldn’t we be happy?
Ten participants in the preliminary round who disappeared. All of that had been the work of the Justice Alliance, to be exact, the Ten Tigers of the Heaven.
-Well, anyway, even if they found evidence, it wouldn’t affect us.
-Ah, it will be fun.
The subordinate was delighted.
-Wouldn’t it be fun if Dark Abyss and Snow Death Flower fought?
-Dark Abyss’s reputation will fall to the bottom. Jaja.
The moment the subordinate’s laughter was heard.
Ching!
The young warrior’s sword fell to the ground.
“I have lost.”
He admitted his defeat. But his expression was bright.
“It was an honor.”
“I hope you remember it as a good memory.”
Hyun Sung shook the warrior’s hand with ease.
Waaa!
Hyun Sung!
Cheers were heard from everywhere, directed towards her.
Clapper!
People applauded the young warrior, who had kindly accepted his opponent’s consideration, showing his skill with confidence.
Probably, that young man’s future will be bright.
“It’s beautiful.”
As Alberu had said, it was a sight to behold.
Clapper!
Rosalyn applauded and responded to his words.
“It’s alright.”
Cale, who was listening to the two, straightened his posture.
“Fourth competition!”
The last competition that would be held today in the third preliminary round.
Cale jumped up from his seat. And while holding the basket, he shouted.
“Waaa! Young Master, win!”
No matter how Rosalyn and Alberu looked at him, Cale cheered for Kim Haeil, who was coming out to the arena.
“…….”
Swoosh.
Kim Haeil, who had taken a look at the arena, smiled at Cale, and then went up to the combat stage.
“Oh. He doesn’t have a weapon. Does he enjoy martial arts without weapons?”
“Ah, ah, ah! I remember! They say he’s the one who passed the qualification test in the shortest time!”
“Really? Kim Haeil, it’s the first time I’ve heard of him.”
There were no cheers for the Heavenly Demon. Because there was little information about him. Only some who knew that he was the one who had passed the qualification test in the shortest time, showed their curiosity.
-I’m leaving.
Cheon Po, who had gotten up from his seat, as if there was nothing more to see, stopped. The moment Kim Haeil’s opponent went up to the combat stage.
Waaa!
Path of the Wind, Path of the Wind!
Cheers were heard towards the 30-year-old man, who was dressed in a white suit of a mysterious color.
Path of the Wind.
A place where those who seek the path and value training gather, their mysterious colored white suit, which swirled towards the color of silk thread, was famous.
“…”
He was the first disciple of Path of the Wind, and although his influence was less compared to the young master, who had participated in this competition.
However, he was a master.
The five great powers had allowed anyone who wished to participate in the combat competition, besides their representatives.
-Leader, just look at the first disciple of Path of the Wind!
At his subordinate’s transmission, Cheon Po hesitated for a moment and then sat down again.
“…It will end in an instant.”
If it’s the first disciple of Path of the Wind, his opponent will lose in the competition in an instant.
“Hmm.”
But the moment he saw the opponent, Kim Haeil.
-Leader, how many moves do you think he will make? I think Path of the Wind will win in three moves!
-Path of the Wind is not an opponent that an unknown can play with.
Ignoring his subordinate’s words, his gaze focused on Kim Haeil.
“Leader?”
The moment the subordinate, who had been silent until now, felt a sense of déjà vu and looked at Cheon Po.
“…”
He raised his hand. He didn’t say anything, didn’t transmit a message, didn’t speak.
‘What’s wrong?’
He was feeling an inexplicable strangeness in Kim Haeil, who was standing calmly.
It’s strange.
Suddenly, he remembered something.
“Is it Kim Haeil?”
The subordinate, who had been silent, transmitted a message.
—Yes. Dark Abyss sent assassins after him, but they failed.
Dong!
At that moment, the competition began.
Kim Haeil and the first disciple of Path of the Wind were standing, separated by a considerable distance.
“…”
“…”
The two greeted each other with a nod.
They weren’t the type to be treated kindly.
They only showed the minimum courtesy.
And in the combat competition, courtesy-
‘It’s just combat.’
Tap.
The first disciple of Path of the Wind lightly stepped on the ground.
‘I can’t believe Hyun Sung has reached this place!’
All attention was focused on Hyun Sung.
And also on the unknown warrior who had fought against her.
‘I can’t lose attention.’
As he bears the name of Path of the Wind.
He can’t be surpassed by Snow Death Flower.
Although this personal ambition might not be right for someone who seeks the path.
‘As a human, it’s possible to have these calculations and ambitions!’
It’s not that he’s doing something useless. He’s just receiving attention fairly.
It wasn’t a bad thing.
And the best way to receive attention now is-
‘One move.’
Eliminate his opponent with a single move.
The first day of the preliminary round, the last competition of the third combat arena.
There’s no better way to decorate that competition.
The moment his two hands traced a strange shape.
Wooong-
The aura gathered.
His specialty is martial arts.
The same as his opponent, Kim Haeil.
“I’m sorry, young master.”
After apologizing to Kim Haeil, who would surely be eliminated despite having passed the qualification test in the shortest time.
He put force in his feet.
Kung!
The moment his foot sank into the ground.
“Wind Dragon!”
Someone shouted.
Kwaaang-
A stream of wind came out of his hand and headed towards Kim Haeil.
That wind, which was shaped like a dragon, had a noble and profound energy.
“Oh!”
“As expected!”
The moment the audience flinched, their hips and shoulders moved, seeing the high-level martial arts that the master was showing.
Kwaaang!
A roar echoed.
From a jump.
“!”
The five of the Ten Tigers of the Heaven got up from their seats.
“…….”
With strength.
The Phantom Swordsman tightly gripped the scabbard of his sword, which he was holding.
“…As expected.”
And Hyun Sung, who hadn’t left, turned around and left the arena.
Swoosh-
A stream of wind passed over the combat stage.
“Ha, ha, ha, ha.”
Thud.
The first disciple of Path of the Wind sat on the ground, gasping for breath.
He lowered his head.
“…….”
It’s a dragon.
The shape of a dragon was engraved in the ground.
It was definitely the Wind Dragon he had created a moment ago.
A wild and free dragon, containing wind.
The shape engraved on the ground of the combat stage looked very much like that dragon.
“…….”
And, that dragon-
It was cut vertically.
His hands, no, his body trembled.
The line that had pierced the dragon stopped right in front of him, on the ground where he had sat.
“…….”
He raised his head. He could see Kim Haeil, who was still standing in that place, staring intently at him.
“Ah-”
He was the same as before. However, the first disciple clearly saw. A hand movement that had torn his dragon, brutally cutting his martial arts.
That hand looked like a sword.
And the black eyes that were looking at him beyond the torn dragon.
It seemed like they didn’t contain anything, but at the same time, his eyes were as if everything existed in them.
“He, he lost-”
The first disciple of Path of the Wind lowered his head.
The Heavenly Demon stared intently at him.
It was something natural for him.
