The Bastard Swordsman Of The Imperial Guard [EN]: Chapter 49

< Celestial Killing Sword >

Ra-El entered Yuri’s office and paused briefly, noticing the two women.

One was Yuri, seated at her desk, and the other was the maid he’d seen at the party.

She stood respectfully next to Yuri, her hands clasped in front of her.

‘Bringing a maid means she’s serious about this conversation,’ Ra-El thought.

He had been wondering how to begin the conversation, but seeing the maid, it was clear Yuri was equally prepared.

This would make things easier.

Ra-El bowed his head slightly and took a seat.

“Greetings, Ra-El. My name is Isabel. I am the personal maid of the Second Princess, Yuriel.”

Isabel spoke first, bowing politely.

“Nice to meet you, Isabel.”

“…”

Isabel paused, studying Ra-El.

The imperial personal maids were expected to have impeccable etiquette and were usually high-ranking nobles.

She wasn’t accustomed to being treated so casually by a commoner.

‘Perhaps he doesn’t know. Besides, he did save my life.’

Isabel hesitated, then shook her head.

This was no time for such thoughts.

“First, I must thank you again, Ra-El. If it weren’t for you… I can’t imagine what might have happened to the Princess.”

“It was nothing.”

“… Ahem. Yes. But we still don’t know you very well…”

Isabel continued, slightly bothered by his informal tone.

“Isabel, I’ll speak now.”

“Understood.”

Isabel nodded and quietly moved behind Yuri, secretly relieved that she was no longer being addressed so casually.

“Ra-El, I was too flustered to thank you properly before. I want to express my gratitude again. Thank you so much.”

Yuri’s gratitude was heartfelt.

Ra-El had saved her life, and she felt she could never thank him enough.

“It’s nothing, Yuri.”

“Ra-El, your tone doesn’t change, even knowing I’m a princess.”

“… Sorry. I come from the streets.”

“It’s alright. I like that it’s so… you.”

Yuri smiled faintly.

She wasn’t overly concerned with her royal title.

She believed that true leadership came from Yuri the person, not the title.

‘As expected of the future emperor. She has a broad mind.’

Ra-El was impressed by Yuri’s perspective.

He couldn’t believe such royalty existed in a medieval fantasy world.

She was indeed a golden opportunity.

“It would be polite to tell you my story first, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to hear yours, Ra-El. How did you find your way to the party?”

“I’ll explain everything.”

Ra-El recounted the same story he had told Rein.

He was hesitant to reveal too much about the Beggars [an information guild comprised of beggars], but figured it wouldn’t matter much if Rein and the Second Princess knew.

“…So that’s how I arrived at the party. Calling the Rein Knights and the Blue Magic Tower was my insurance. I told them to follow me if I didn’t return within an hour.”

“To gather such information… do you have your own independent information network? What are you, really…?”

It was true that he was manipulating the Beggars, but the way she phrased it made him sound like some kind of mastermind.

Ra-El waved his hand dismissively.

“It’s not that impressive. It’s a group called Beggars where beggars gather. It’s just a growing information guild.”

“Beg… Beggars?!”

Isabel, who was standing behind Yuri, gasped.

“Are you talking about the Beggars that’s been rapidly expanding in the lower districts of the capital?”

“… That’s probably it. There’s only one Beggars, after all.”

“Oh, my goodness. What was I about to do to the owner of Beggars…”

Isabel breathed a sigh of relief.

She congratulated herself for overlooking Ra-El’s casual tone earlier.

She had almost corrected him, but thankfully, she hadn’t made a mistake.

‘Beggars is more famous than I thought?’

Judging from Isabel’s reaction, the beggars were doing well.

He should treat them better in the future.

“I apologize for interrupting. Yuriel, may I ask Ra-El a few questions?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Ra-El, I’d like an explanation about the Rein Knights and the Blue Magic Tower. The fact that Rein and the Blue Magic Tower Master moved personally, not just their subordinates… does that mean there’s a powerful figure backing you?”

Isabel was grateful to Ra-El, but she couldn’t completely trust him.

It wasn’t a matter of his character.

She suspected someone was pulling the strings, and Ra-El was just a puppet.

She had to consider all possibilities for the Second Princess’s sake.

“… Isabel, you shouldn’t pry too much into Ra-El’s affairs.”

“No. Yuriel is royalty. Even if it’s embarrassing or requires an apology later, we must address this clearly. We cannot allow the empire’s royalty to be used by anyone. Because the empire’s royalty should never be used by anyone.”

Isabel felt it was her duty to ask these questions, not Yuri’s.

If Ra-El was offended, Isabel would take responsibility.

‘She’s smart.’

Ra-El nodded, observing Isabel.

He initially thought she was odd, but she was surprisingly sharp for a palace maid.

“Besides, Ra-El has no obvious motive to save Yuriel. There’s no reason to risk his life fighting the Carmen Knights [a notorious group of assassins] simply because the Second Princess is in danger.”

Well, the Carmen Knights had attacked him first…

Regardless, Ra-El answered Isabel’s questions.

“I became friends with the Blue Magic Tower Master because of the Celestial Offering ceremony. You know he likes to gamble, right? I won the bet and became friends with the Blue Magic Tower.”

“…”

She knew about the Blue Magic Tower Master’s eccentric personality, so it was plausible.

Whether it was true could be confirmed with the Blue Magic Tower.

Isabel focused on Ra-El’s next words.

“The Rein Commander is similar. He was the first to recognize my talent.”

“Then are you affiliated with the Rein Knights?”

“No, I’m just maintaining a personal friendship with the Rein Commander. If I had to say, I belong to Beggars.”

“Beggars…”

Ra-El’s claim that he belonged to Beggars made sense.

If they had such a strong leader, it was understandable that Beggars had grown so quickly.

‘There’s a rumor that Beggars is friendly with the Blue Magic Tower, but Ra-El is a swordsman. He can’t be affiliated with the Blue Magic Tower.’

The Magic Tower generally excluded non-mages.

It was unlikely he was affiliated with them.

‘The Rein Knights are also unlikely.’

If such a strong swordsman was a member, Rein wouldn’t have been silent.

Given his personality, he would have boasted about having the next generation Sword Master in his ranks.

Only then did Isabel accept that Ra-El was acting independently.

“Then why did you come to the party as soon as you realized the Second Princess was in danger?”

“Because I want to support the Second Princess.”

“…!”

Yuri, who had been listening intently, widened her eyes.

It had been a long time since she had heard such words.

However, she lowered her head.

“Ra-El, I’m grateful for your support. But supporting me is dangerous. You could rise to prominence in the empire without the help of a princess like me.”

Ra-El was a strong swordsman who could defeat three Carmen Knights, and he led the formidable Beggars.

He could become a powerful figure in a few years if he chose to.

“The power struggles of the imperial family depend on the strength of their supporters. If you support me, you’ll be targeted.”

No matter how strong Ra-El was, siding with her alone was risky.

Even with Beggars’ support, it would be difficult.

Yuri lacked the backing that the nobles valued.

“… The Grand Duke and the Rein Knights will support the Second Princess, along with me.”

Ra-El casually mentioned the Grand Duke and the Rein Knights.

He made sure to elevate his own status by adding “along with me.”

“Yes…?”

Yuri stared at Ra-El, her eyes wide.

“The Grand Duke and the Rein Knights?! Is that true?”

Isabel, standing beside her, asked in surprise.

“Yes. The Grand Duke believes that… someone who loves the common people should become the emperor.”

Ra-El recited the words he had heard from Rein.

That the Second Princess, who cared for the common people, should rule the empire.

“And I agree. I only want one thing: a better world for the common people. The Second Princess will create that world.”

Of course, the common people Ra-El was referring to included himself and the orphans.

Ra-El intended to protect the empire for them.

“Ra-El…”

Yuri recalled Ra-El’s background.

Since he donated most of his earnings to the orphanage, his words seemed genuine.

Above all, she was overjoyed to find someone who shared her ideals, which had been met with indifference until now.

“My story is over. I’d like to hear something from Yuri.”

“Yes. Ask me anything.”

Yuri swallowed and looked at Ra-El.

If everything he said was true, it could drastically change the succession race.

Ra-El, the leader of Beggars and friend of the Rein Knights, was a valuable ally.

“… I want to know the truth about the Special Guard.”

The Imperial Special Guard had never been properly explained in the original story.

What was this place where the future emperor and her aides resided?

Why were there monsters like the Dragon, the Celestial Killing Sword Master, and the Ghoul King?

Ra-El knew nothing.

“Ah…”

Yuri hesitated, then nodded.

The Special Guard was an imperial secret, but she trusted Ra-El, who had saved her life.

“The Special Guard is… as you know, a place to monitor the Ghoul King. But monitoring is just a pretext.”

“…”

Ra-El had suspected as much.

He listened to Yuri’s explanation.

“In reality, the Ghoul King is a dangerous being who could go berserk at any time. The upper echelons of the empire and the clergy are aware of this, but they’re neglecting it.”

“… What do you mean?”

Ra-El frowned.

If the empire and the clergy knew about the Ghoul King’s potential rampage, why weren’t they taking preventative measures?

“I don’t know all the details. Perhaps only the Emperor and the Knights Commander know the full story. In the clergy, it would be the Pope. Everyone else connected to the Ghoul King, except for the imperial family, has been executed.”

“…”

Ra-El summarized Yuri’s words.

The leaders of the empire and the clergy had confined the Ghoul King to the 5th District.

However, the reason remained a secret.

“What about the Celestial Killing Sword Master and Tia? Why are they here?”

“Tia is here to research the Ghoul King, but I don’t know about the Celestial Killing Sword Master. He’s like the wind…”

“Then why did you come here?”

Ra-El asked about Yuri’s motives.

Even if she didn’t know about the others, she would know about herself.

“I came here to delay the Ghoul King’s rampage. I have a constitution that can suppress it.”

“A constitution?”

“… I’m sorry. I can’t tell you more.”

Yuri’s innate murderous intent was a secret she couldn’t share.

Everyone who knew about it, except for Isabel, was dead.

“Then why are guards who have committed offenses demoted to the Special Guard?”

“That was a request from the clergy. Since their manpower was used to seal the Ghoul King, they argued that the empire’s manpower should be used for maintenance. I tried to prevent it, but… just coming here was the limit of my influence.”

The Ghoul King needed to interact with intelligent beings periodically, and Yuri volunteered for the Special Guard.

It wasn’t easy for royalty to be stationed in a remote guard post in the 5th District.

Yuri had to sacrifice the support of some nobles to do so.

“What kind of crazy bastards are they…”

Ra-El frowned at Yuri’s words.

To think that those who preached doctrine were valuing it over human lives.

The clergy were indeed insane.

“I only want one thing… to delay the Ghoul King’s rampage for as long as possible.”

Yuri’s focus was solely on that.

*

Ra-El left the Special Guard building and blinked at the sky.

The familiar blue sky seemed distant today.

‘Did I grasp this golden opportunity too tightly?’

Ra-El only knew that Yuri was destined to be the next emperor.

He didn’t know the trials she would face to get there.

‘Reina or Ghent… they must be involved. Why is there no one normal in this guard unit?’

Ra-El was now committed to supporting Yuri until she ascended the throne.

It was truly the start of a difficult journey.

“The Special Guard is… Ugh. I don’t know anything about it.”

It was difficult to uncover the hidden truths that weren’t in the original story.

The novel Ra-El read only depicted him interacting with the heroines at the academy, but the empire held unimaginable secrets.

“That Ghent bastard is never around when I need him.”

He wanted to ask Ghent something, but he was nowhere to be found.

Even if he were, Ghent probably wouldn’t know anything.

‘Should I go see Reina and Tia?’

He was tired, but he was also curious about Reina.

Ra-El turned towards the lake instinctively.

Then, a gust of wind blew.

Ra-El stopped.

“…”

Thud. Thud.

A light, yet heavy footstep he recognized.

Ra-El turned to see a man approaching.

“The dog’s life is already over, and you’re only showing up now.”

Ra-El chuckled at the approaching figure.

The Celestial Killing Sword Master.

The old man was walking towards him, radiating magical power.

Unlike their first encounter, he was now displaying his strength.

“Ra-El, your face has improved. It seems you’ve finally found something. Your eyes no longer deny the flow of the times.”

“… Yes. As you said, I’ve found a reason to become stronger.”

“My judgment of swordsmen is never wrong. As I said, we would meet again soon.”

“Ha, you’re right.”

Ra-El chuckled, noticing the slight upturn of the Celestial Killing Sword Master’s lips.

He didn’t know why he found him so annoying, but he couldn’t deny his words.

This damn world.

Ra-El had become someone who couldn’t resist the currents of fate.

He had to become stronger.

“… Celestial Killing Sword Master, may I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“How strong can I become?”

“That depends on what you do.”

“Not that generic answer.”

“Hmm.”

Swish-

At Ra-El’s words, the Celestial Killing Sword Master drew his sword.

A sword cannot be described with words.

‘He’s not going to attack me for being rude, is he?’

Ra-El stepped back, startled, but the Celestial Killing Sword Master ignored him.

“The Celestial Killing Sword is a sword made to cut the sky.”

He swung his sword slowly.

The faint magical power at the tip fluttered like a dance.

“To cut the sky, you must defy the sky. To defy the sky, you must first rise to the same level as the sky.”

Ra-El watched the Celestial Killing Sword Master’s sword, mesmerized.

His sword wasn’t flashy or beautiful.

But he couldn’t look away.

“First Form: Entering the Sky (入天).”

The Celestial Killing Sword Master moved his sword silently.

His surroundings were still, as if time had stopped, and only the sword was alive.

“Second Form…”

Ra-El watched, drawn into the flow of the sword.

“… Last, Fifth Form: Reversing the Sky (逆天).”

Reversing the Sky (逆天).

As he spoke the name, the Celestial Killing Sword Master raised his sword from below.

And the sky split.

Ra-El stared at the divided sky.

The black line drawn across the blue sky defied all scientific explanation.

It was the pinnacle of magic and swordsmanship.

“This is an incomplete sword.”

“… That is?”

Ra-El shifted, looking at the sky as it rejoined.

The sword that cuts the sky was incomplete? How powerful was this old man?

“You asked how strong you can become. Ra-El, if you can complete this, you can cut down anyone before you.”

Clang-

The Celestial Killing Sword Master sheathed his sword.

“Even if it is the sky.”

“… Can I do it? No, why me?”

Ra-El couldn’t even comprehend the Celestial Killing Sword Master’s sword.

He didn’t understand why the old man was interested in him.

“The Celestial Killing Sword can only be taught to those who are prepared. And you, Ra-El, are a prepared swordsman.”

The conviction of the strongest human on the continent.

Ra-El drew his sword as if possessed.

“Celestial Killing Sword… a name that suits this rootless world.”

Swish-

The solid sword hilt fit perfectly in Ra-El’s hand.

Ra-El recalled the split sky and raised his sword.

“It’s just as well. If I have to become stronger… I thought I had to reach the sky.”

Ra-El knew the monsters of this world.

Now, it was time to reach them.