The Bastard Swordsman Of The Imperial Guard [EN]: Chapter 14

Butterfly Effect

Clang- Clang-

Lael pushed open the door of a quiet bar in District 4.

This place was even less busy than Sara’s inn.

“Hmm? Lael?”

As he entered the bar, a man with a kind face, who was polishing a glass with a cloth, greeted Lael.

“It’s been a while, Uncle Eric.”

Eric.

One of the few normal people in this goddamn medieval fantasy.

He runs a terribly slow bar, but he occasionally supports the orphanage and grabs passing children to give them food or drinks. He’s a good guy.

“Wow. It’s been a while. I thought that troublemaker had become the captain of the guard and forgotten about me.”

“What are you talking about, Uncle? You can see me anytime you come to the orphanage.”

“I’ve been busy lately. My side job is busier than the bar.”

Lael chuckled and sat at the bar.

Eric’s bar isn’t just a place to drink.

‘How should I put it? A labor dispatch center?’

Originally, fantasy bars don’t just sell alcohol.

Eric, who has been in District 4 for a long time and has become a fixture, used his connections to bring in good wanted criminals.

He even found materials for the Gaksital [a masked vigilante] with those connections, so I came in case he could help.

Lael immediately got to the point.

“Uncle Eric. Can you get a World Tree branch?”

“You come after a long time and ask me to get a prohibited item?”

“Hey. Do we need formalities between us?”

“Humph. Why do you need a World Tree branch? A lot of people are looking for it these days.”

“I need it urgently. Can you get it? If not, I need to find another place quickly.”

Eric, who seemed to be contemplating Lael’s words, nodded.

“I’ve refused other people’s requests several times, but… if you need it, I can get one. Wait a few days.”

“Oh, really? I honestly thought it would be difficult.”

Lael’s eyes widened at the unexpected answer.

A World Tree branch is a valuable item that isn’t even handled in most black markets, but he can get it.

“The Magic Tower has everything. If I ask my friend in the Magic Tower, he’ll sneak one out.”

“You have a friend in the Magic Tower, Uncle? Anyway, thank you. I’ll pay the price.”

“Yeah. Come to think of it, are you selling it to that sucker too?”

“Sucker?”

“The traitor elf. It’s famous that if you get a World Tree branch, she’ll pay whatever you ask.”

“…”

Lael recalled Reina’s face and swallowed a bitter taste.

Why is she being treated like a sucker even here?

“Be nice to her. Uncle. She’s kinder than she looks.”

“I’ve only heard rumors. I’ve never seen her. If she’s friends with you, send her this way. I can’t get her a World Tree branch, but I’ll treat her well.”

“Thank you.”

He thought Reina’s life was difficult because of the butterfly effect he created, but it seems she was just everyone’s sucker.

Lael sighed and got up from his seat.

*

Snip- Snip-

Gent’s pruning sound brings peace of mind.

One of the advantages is that it’s too tall and unintentionally blocks the sunlight.

Lael lay on the hammock, blankly watching Gent prune.

“Lael. Aren’t you going out today? You’ve seemed quite busy lately.”

“Yeah. I’ve finished all my work. I’m going to rest today.”

While Uncle Eric is getting the World Tree branch, a few days have passed.

It’s Lael’s specialty to spend time doing nothing, but he had a lot of random thoughts because he was about to face the villain in the novel.

‘Lately, so many strange things have been happening that it reminds me of the old days.’

The days when I first possessed this novel and tried to enter the academy and make connections with the main characters.

I lived so hard back then.

“If it weren’t for those discriminatory bastards, my life wouldn’t be so twisted. Don’t you think so? Gent.”

“Indeed. I’ll throw away the branches, so contemplate life, Lael.”

“You really have no affection.”

Are all giants like that?

Or is that guy unique?

‘Tsk. Thoughtful me has to understand.’

Lael closed his eyes and entrusted himself to the hammock.

The hammock he is lying on now is a hammock full of the blessing of the forest that Reina made herself.

It is said to emit good energy for the body with the magic of nature.

Now that Reina is in the forest, I have to monopolize this good hammock.

‘It’s amazing how peaceful it is.’

He beat up a noble and was dragged to the Special Guard, and met a monster called the Evil King.

Perhaps Lael is closest to the destruction of the Empire.

A strange feeling that the future only he knows is approaching covered Lael’s heart.

Snip- Snip-

How many minutes had he been closing his eyes?

He heard the pruning sound again.

“Gent. Come to think of it, I’m curious. When will I see the Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord and the Dragon… Huh?”

Lael, who turned his head, blinked at the unexpected sight.

An old man he had never seen before was standing in front of the tree, holding pruning shears.

Every time the scissors in the old man’s hand moved, fresh branches were cut off.

No matter how you look at it, it wasn’t a small branch that deserved to be pruned.

‘That old man is so bad at pruning?’

He was destroying the tree so badly that he was afraid Gent, who loves nature, would get angry.

No, before that, who the hell is that old man?

“Grandpa. Who are you here…”

“Oh!”

At that moment when Lael spoke to the old man, Gent, who was walking with a trowel and seeds, widened his eyes and threw away what he was holding and ran towards the old man.

Lael knew how much Gent loved nature, so he was worried that he might be hitting someone.

“Hey. Gent. Don’t abuse the elderly.”

“How did you get here! Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord!”

“Huh?”

Lael, who heard Gent’s words, stopped in an awkward posture trying to get up from the hammock.

Lael looked at the old man holding the pruning shears again.

‘…Is this person the Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord?’

Lael widened his eyes and examined the old man’s appearance.

In fact, if there is an old man he has never seen before in the Special Guard, it may be natural to think of the existence of a dragon or the Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord.

“Gent. Is this Lael you were talking about?”

However, the only reason Lael didn’t think of his existence even after seeing the Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord.

‘I don’t feel anything.’

He couldn’t feel anything from the old man in front of him.

Lael’s sharp senses could not obtain any information from the Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord.

Not feeling anything meant that there were no gaps.

Lael tensed and looked at the Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord.

“That’s right. He’s the new guard I mentioned.”

“Hmm… That’s really amazing. I’ve never seen a guy like this before.”

A gaze that seemed to see through everything scanned Lael.

It was a feeling similar to the Evil King’s murderous intent, but different.

“Nice to meet you. Thousand Slaughter Sword…”

Lael, who was about to get up from the hammock and bow his head, felt the magic power covering his surroundings and widened his eyes.

‘When did this old man do this…’

Was it because of the evil energy and magical energy filling the Special Guard?

Lael belatedly realized that he had entered the Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord’s ‘domain’.

“…”

The Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord’s eyes filled with interest.

The swordsman in front of him endured the pressure of the Sword Master with his whole body without collapsing or kneeling.

It was an achievement that none of the Imperial Knights could have done.

‘I can’t move.’

Lael did not let go of his tension as he looked at the Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord looking at him.

Lael was on the verge of death.

If he tries to cut, he will die.

That was the domain of the Sword Master.

“You’re peeking into the realm of the Sword Master, but your swordsmanship has no essence, and if you look at the pure magic power, you wouldn’t have made a contract with a demon, but you’re unbelievably strong for your age.”

Lael bit his lip at the Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord’s words.

The old man in front of him grasped everything about Lael in an instant.

“You are a truly mysterious being.”

“…”

Lael swallowed at his sudden words.

It was true that his swordsmanship had no roots, but he couldn’t understand the flow of the conversation.

“I want to give you teachings, but there is hesitation left at the end of the sword.”

“…I never said I would learn, and I haven’t even drawn my sword yet.”

“I see. You can’t find a reason to become stronger. Are you afraid of the flow of the times? But the Thousand Slaughter Sword is a sword that cannot be taught to those who are not prepared…”

“…”

Lael quietly looked at the Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord.

His deep eyes only looked at Lael, but it felt like all his thoughts were exposed.

“Don’t worry. My eyes that see swordsmen are not wrong. Lael. I’ll see you again soon.”

The Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord glanced at Lael’s scabbard and turned his body.

“Gent. I’ll go today. It was a pleasant experience.”

“Ah, yes. Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord.”

Gent bowed his head and saw him off.

Gent is older, but it was a giant’s respect for a strong man.

“…”

After the Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord disappeared, Lael slowly took a deep breath and clenched and unclenched his fists.

Fortunately, his senses were fine.

“Gent. Is that old man’s personality originally like that?”

Lael, sitting on the hammock, said in disbelief.

He suddenly came and pressured him with his momentum, then only criticized him and disappeared.

If he wasn’t strong, he would have received Lael’s old man attack punch.

“It was a very interesting experience to see the conversations of high-level swordsmen directly. Lael. What did you talk about with the Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord?”

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

Did he just have a high-level conversation between swordsmen?

I feel like I just accepted the old man’s chatter.

“Why didn’t you learn the Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord’s swordsmanship? Is hesitation a story about the enlightenment of the sword?”

“I just didn’t learn it.”

“What?!”

Gent looked at Lael in surprise.

“I’m not a hero to save the world, nor am I the commander of the Imperial Knights, so why do I need to become stronger? The old man said he didn’t want to teach me, so I just agreed with him.”

“Lael, what are you talking about! The Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord is a great warrior! The opportunity to learn from such a person may not come again!”

Gent glared at Lael.

Even though Lael was his friend, he couldn’t pass by what he had just said as a giant warrior.

“Calm down.”

It was quite amazing to see Gent’s excited appearance for the first time.

Even if he loves nature, a giant is a giant.

He probably doesn’t understand Lael missing the opportunity to become stronger.

“Lael! This is not something to calm down…”

“Gent. Having power also brings unwanted responsibilities.”

Lael recalled when he first created sword energy at the age of 10.

To be honest, he was still full of hope at that time.

He knew the story of the original novel perfectly, and he thought that if he became an adult, he would enter the academy and be successful.

‘But reality was cold.’

It is possible for the protagonist, who was a low-ranking noble of the Empire, to save the world because it is a novel.

No matter how talented the orphan Lael from the street is, the limit was an excellent soldier of the Knights.

Even if he was born with the talent of a Sword Master with astronomical probability, he would only become a lowly Sword Master.

‘They won’t even let me live until then.’

The evil that if you can’t have it, you’ll break it.

Lael saw too many dirty sides of the medieval fantasy world.

That was why he wore the Gaksital [a masked vigilante] while hunting bounties.

“It’s hard enough to protect what I have now, so what will happen if I become stronger.”

“…”

Gent calmed his excitement after reading Lael’s expression.

He was not a coward but a warrior’s face.

However, it was still difficult to understand.

“It’s hard to understand. Even if you learn the sword from the Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord and become stronger, you can just not reveal it to others, right?”

“Gent. Have you ever told the old man information about me? Did you say, ‘I wish you would teach an excellent swordsman’ or words like that?”

“I didn’t commit such rudeness as a warrior. I only said that your name is Lael and that you are a newly joined guard.”

“Then what was the first thing that old man said when he saw me?”

“…!”

Lael didn’t show his magic power, nor did he take out his sword.

But the Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord instantly read his swordsmanship and grasped his strength.

“That’s… isn’t it because the Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord is an overwhelming strong man? In his eyes, we may be similar to passing ants.”

“Haa. Why do you and Reina have so much to explain.”

Lael, who got off the hammock, squatted in front of the garden.

Looking at the surrounding bushes, a group of ants was passing by.

Lael pointed at the ants with his finger and said.

“As you said, there aren’t many psychopaths who would bother to step on and kill ants passing by in front of them. But what if it’s a mosquito? What if it’s a wasp? What if it’s an existence that could harm you even a little?”

“…”

Gent was finally able to understand Lael’s thoughts.

Lael is a very talented warrior.

But, if you ask if that talent has reached the sky…

‘It’s not certain.’

Hiding power doesn’t work for real strong people either.

No one knows how strong Lael will become at the last moment.

“This is enough. Enough to protect my body and protect my people.”

Lael knows his talents well.

To be honest… Lael’s body is quite useful.

If he’s lucky, he might reach the realm of the Sword Master that people talk about.

But will that have a positive impact on this world where a happy ending is planned?

Lael didn’t know.

“Lael. …What are you looking at?”

“…”

Lael knows.

He knows that a great war will happen someday, and he knows that many demons will invade the continent.

It is not Lael who has to stop them, but the hero, the saint, and the characters in the novel.

‘…The old man has good eyes.’

As the Thousand Slaughter Sword Lord said, Lael didn’t want to interfere with the flow of this world.

He didn’t want to cause a butterfly effect due to his existence.

All he wanted was to protect his home.

“If I have to become stronger… I have to go beyond the sky. If not, it’s meaningless.”

He was lucky enough to get into the guard, but Lael knows the monsters of this world.

Lael thought he couldn’t reach them.

*

There wasn’t much meat left in the freezer.

Reina felt it was time to find a job.

“Are you getting a World Tree branch again this time?”

“…No. I need information on wanted criminals.”

Reina went to the mercenary group in District 4.

The mask covering her face had recognition-inhibiting magic, hiding that she was an elf.

Of course, the mercenary in front of her who was providing information knew about Reina.

“I see. Ah, the next World Tree branch will be more expensive. It’s really hard to get now.”

“You robber… Are you really going to report it to the guard?”

Haa.

Reina sighed and checked the information on the wanted criminals.

No matter what she says, these guys will raise the price of the World Tree anyway.

This was the only place in this vast capital that accepted Reina, so she couldn’t go anywhere else.

The repeated conversation was now familiar.

“I really can’t help it this time. There’s demand besides you.”

“Don’t lie! What idiot would try to get a World Tree branch?”

The World Tree branch is a very important item for the Elves.

The spirit of the Elves that allows blessings to continue even for Elves who live far from the forest.

Those who touch it will never be forgiven by the Elves.

“It’s true. There’s a guy who bought all the World Tree branches that recently came out on the black market.”

“What? Is it another elf? No… that can’t be.”

If it was an elf, they would have overturned the black market instead of buying the World Tree branch with money.

“It’s not an elf. What was it? They said he was a shaman.”

“Shaman…? What’s that guy’s name?”

“Bennet. It’s written here too. He embezzled funds from the academy and ran away, but the academy asked to handle it quietly, so ordinary people wouldn’t know.”

Shaman Bennet.

Reina stared at the information on the wanted criminals and engraved his name in her head.