The Bastard Swordsman Of The Imperial Guard [EN]: Chapter 197

The training grounds of the Rein Knights were still bustling. Rael picked up his sword as usual.

Before him stood Lucas, the red-haired knight, holding his holy sword.

“If you don’t do it properly, I’ll take back the holy sword. Focus, Lucas.”

“Yes…! I understand!”

Simultaneously with Lucas’s reply, Rael shot forward.

Clang-

Rael pressed down on Lucas’s holy sword with Flash, his own sword covered in Divine Power.

A thick Divine Power aura also formed on Lucas’s holy sword. Hanging around with the Silver Cross Knights had taught him how to use Divine Power.

But even so, it couldn’t stop Rael’s sword. Lucas stepped back and regained his stance.

“Lucas, can’t you be a little faster?”

“I’ll try!”

Thud-! Clang-!

Rael narrowed his eyes as he swung Flash.

Clearly, Lucas was getting stronger than before.

Even if Lucas had encountered Kaiman, he would have suppressed him without any problems. Of course, catching him as he fled would be another story, but if they fought fair and square, that is.

But that wasn’t enough.

“Try harder, Lucas. You can’t reach me with that.”

After a light sparring session, Rael sheathed Flash and said.

“… Yes! I understand!”

“I believe in you, Lucas. When the war starts, you’ll be one of the Allied Forces’ executives. Be prepared.”

“Excuse me? Sir Rael, me as an executive? There will be complaints from other places.”

“What complaints? You and Carlson are stronger than most knights. Let’s have our Empire’s Trio dominate the Allied Forces.”

Rael smiled and patted Lucas on the shoulder.

“Sir Rael. Now that you mention it, didn’t you dislike the term ‘Empire’s Trio’?”

“…Ahem.”

Rael coughed and turned away.

*Empire’s Trio*—at first, he thought it was a terrible title, but as he used it, he surprisingly liked it.

In this world, there were things like the Soma Association and the Orthodox Heavenly Alliance, so the Empire’s Trio wasn’t so bad.

“Executives, my ass… I’m never listening to Rael again.”

At that moment, Carlson approached, groaning. He didn’t seem to be in good condition after being defeated by Kaiman.

Rael patted Carlson on the shoulder and said.

“The Holy Knight who got beaten by a demon is here.”

“Beaten? I was careless! If I had known that Divine Power wouldn’t work on that bastard, I wouldn’t have fallen so quickly!”

“Alright, alright. A man shouldn’t be in so much pain over that, Carlson.”

“No, Captain. Aren’t you being too harsh? Shouldn’t you at least say ‘thank you’ to the younger brother who got hurt standing where you told him to stand?”

Carlson said, seemingly wronged by Rael’s words.

“Tch, fine. Thank you, Carlson. I lived thanks to you.”

“Captain Rael.”

“Yeah?”

“Comrades don’t say thank you to each other. Haha.”

Carlson tapped Rael on the shoulder and walked past him.

“…Crazy bastard.”

*What kind of guy is this?*

Rael chuckled and walked towards where Carlson had come from.

“Lucas! Sparring!”

“Ah, yes. I understand.”

Rael crossed his arms as he watched Lucas and Carlson, who had already started sparring.

“Sigh… Something’s missing.”

Clearly, both of them were excellent swordsmen.

Sparks flew every time their swords collided.

Lucas, as a swordsman trained in the academy, wielded a restrained and precise swordsmanship.

Every attack and defense was textbook perfect.

In contrast, Carlson’s swordsmanship was more chaotic than Lucas’s.

However, it was also more unpredictable and diverse. The sword that emerged accurately from the irregular rhythm was quite threatening.

But… something didn’t sit right with him.

“It’s always a pleasure to see young swordsmen growing every day!”

“If the world were full of such talents, there would be nothing to worry about.”

At that moment, the Sword Dragon and the Alliance Lord stood on either side of Rael. They nodded in satisfaction as they watched Lucas and Carlson’s sparring.

“You’ve come at the right time. Sword Dragon, Alliance Lord. What should we do to make Lucas and Carlson stronger?”

The Sword Dragon and the Alliance Lord shook their heads at Rael’s question.

“Lucas and Carlson. There’s nothing more to teach those two. There’s nothing more foolish than forcing someone else’s sword onto a genius.”

“That’s like cutting open the belly of a goose that lays golden eggs. The two of them have already reached the peak that young swordsmen can reach.”

“That’s the peak? It looks like they can get stronger to me.”

Rael looked at them with a puzzled expression.

How could they be at the peak when they had so many shortcomings?

“…Rael. Don’t force your standards on others. That’s the way to ruin Lucas and Carlson.”

“No, still. Both of them are material for heroes. Sigh.”

Rael sighed as he looked at them.

Lucas and Carlson were talents who would support him in the war against the demons.

To be honest, he wanted them to get a little stronger.

‘Should I throw them at the demons?’

There’s nothing easier to get stronger than a life-or-death battle.

Rael nodded, thinking that.

“…Lucas, don’t you feel a chill?”

“Yes. Me too, a little…”

Lucas and Carlson, who were focused on sparring, shuddered for no reason.

* * *

Monsters living beyond the Forbidden Alheim, the demons.

They are different from humans from birth.

No, to be precise, they should be described as superior.

The demons are a much more superior race than humans in the field of combat.

First of all, their lifespan is much longer than that of humans. Since they don’t age, they become that much stronger.

Their natural strength is also strong, and their resistance to all kinds of infections is high.

Unless their heads are completely cut off or their entire bodies are erased without a trace, they can regenerate even if their limbs are cut off.

Moreover, the demonic energy possessed by the demons is extremely poisonous to humans.

Just touching it will erode the soul and make it impossible to properly use magic.

It can be said that they are a race born to kill humans.

The only reason humans can resist them is because of the power of Divine Power.

The power of Divine Power is needed to suppress the demons’ regeneration and resist their demonic energy.

And, the power that was stronger than that Divine Power to the demons was Divine Authority.

“It’s funny how peaceful it is in a world with such monsters.”

Rael thought as he swung his sword.

Flash, created by Serena, shone like its name every time it received Rael’s Divine Authority.

‘Divine Authority. If I can make this power more my own….’

Divine Authority is a strong power, but it is not a power that humans can handle in the first place.

Unlike the sacred light, it is ignorant, violent, and ferocious.

If someone other than Rael had handled Divine Authority, they would not have been able to withstand this power and would have gone berserk.

But Rael could handle Divine Authority.

To be precise, it’s closer to entrusting himself to Divine Authority and following its guidance….

‘I’ll be able to handle it more perfectly soon.’

That was the feeling he had at first with the Thousand Slaughter Sword.

However, Rael mastered even the Fourth Form of the Thousand Slaughter Sword, Crushing the Sky.

There’s no way he can’t handle Divine Authority.

“But Rael. Why are you here?”

At that moment, someone poked Rael in the side as he was lost in thought. He turned his head and saw an elf blinking her eyes while holding a branch.

“Reina. Didn’t I tell you not to disturb me when I’m training?”

“Nooo. Why are you training here? I was going to play tag with Vermeil III here.”

“…Why are you playing tag with a fox?”

“Vermeil III likes playing with me too!”

Reina held out Vermeil III, whom she was hugging, to Rael.

[Rael! Save me! Reina is trying to kill me…!]

“Well, whatever. Do as you please.”

[Aaaagh!]

Rael quickly lost interest in Vermeil III, who was back in Reina’s arms.

*Seeing that he goes to Reina even though he says he’s being tormented every day, that fox must be enjoying it.*

“Rael. So why are you here?”

“Can’t I be here?”

“It’s not that, but you weren’t usually here when you were training. You went to the Gaia Order or the noble’s training ground that you went to every day. Why are you here today?”

“Ahem. There are just various circumstances….”

“Aha, you wanted to train with me? Then you should have said so in advance!”

“…What nonsense are you talking about, Reina.”

Rael looked at Reina in disbelief.

Reina was grinning, as if she was very happy.

“Then why are you here? Explain.”

“…I thought it would be annoying to go outside.”

Rael sighed and thought of the outside of the Special Guard.

A giant statue of Rael (or rather, a sacred image) was erected on the street, and statues were said to be erected throughout the capital and the empire.

As if that wasn’t enough, the greatness of the hero was taught when teaching the teachings of Gaia [a religious organization].

‘As much as it’s good for Divine Authority to increase… I don’t think I can walk around outside right now.’

Until yesterday, he trained with the Rein Knights, but people’s eyes were slowly filling with awe.

If he went outside now, he had a feeling that he would have to do something extremely annoying and very embarrassing.

Thanks to that, Rael was focusing on sword training here.

“Well, that’s pretty much the same as saying you want to train with me. Okay. I’ll go get ready too!”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Rael said the same thing from beginning to end, but Reina didn’t even pretend to listen and twisted the ends of her hair with her fingers and went into the forest.

Vermeil III also followed behind her.

“That crazy fox must just like pretty things.”

Rael muttered to himself and picked up his sword again.

He was going to continue the training that Reina had interrupted.

At that moment.

Thud- Thud-

Familiar footsteps were heard from behind.

“You are foolish, disciple. What you need is not physical training, but why are you wielding a sword? You have already surpassed that realm.”

“…If you knew that, you should have come and taught me sooner. Master.”

Rael slowly turned his body at the voice he had been waiting for.

The Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord was walking from one side of the Special Guard. He walked confidently, as if he had no regrets for hiding his appearance until now.

“I was organizing my enlightenment. Fortunately, I’m not too late.”

“What enlightenment all of a sudden? You’re talking nonsense.”

“I’m going to die soon. Disciple.”

“What are you talking about now?”

Rael stared intently at the Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord.

He continued speaking with a serious look in his eyes.

“I can feel it. The promise engraved in my heart with the demons. I can feel that time approaching.”

The demonic inscription engraved in his heart. He felt a sense that it would be activated soon.

This was not a simple intuition. It was the conviction of the continent’s strongest swordsman, the continent’s greatest swordsman.

“The war will be an unavoidable trial. Before that… I must pass on the final stage of the Thousand Slaughter Sword to you.”

“…”

The Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord drew his sword without waiting for Rael’s answer.

The sword aura on his sword was shining brighter than ever before.

“I will teach you the final form of the Thousand Slaughter Sword. Defying the Heavens (逆天) [Reversal of Fate].”