The Bastard Swordsman Of The Imperial Guard [EN]: Chapter 78

< Vassaload >

“Fancy.”

Ra-El gazed at the towering magic tower of the Empire and quickened his pace.

He intended to speak directly with the wizard from the magic tower who had encountered the demons, as Begus was still tracking their movements.

‘He’s a friend of the Blue Magic Tower, so he should be willing to help.’

Besides, he needed to see Magic Tower Lord Perma in person, at least once.

He had been mistaken for a dragon.

‘It’s too late to correct that misunderstanding now…’

Or rather, it wasn’t a matter of timing.

He’d lost his composure the moment he witnessed the dragon’s magic.

Ra-El hadn’t had a chance to explain.

“Hello. I’m here to see the Magic Tower Lord.”

The first floor of the magic tower served as the lobby.

Ra-El addressed the receptionist nearby.

“…Magic Tower Lord? You need to make an appointment in advance to meet the Magic Tower Lord.”

“He’ll know who I am if I say it’s Ra-El.”

“Ra-El? Ah, are you Lord Ra-El, a friend of the Blue Magic Tower?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Please wait a moment. I’ll check and then escort you.”

This is why power is so useful.

Ra-El smiled as he watched the wizard contact the upper floors.

‘If I ask for some help in a quiet setting, he’ll surely assist me, right? I should listen to the wizards’ accounts of the demons, and if they know anything about the elves, I should hear that too.’

Ra-El initially planned to simply ask Perma for assistance.

However, he underestimated the wizard’s obsession.

“Ra-El!”

A man with blue hair, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, rushed towards him.

It was Blue Magic Tower Lord Perma.

“M-Magic Tower Lord!”

Wizards behind him were astonished to see Perma running.

Ra-El could only blink in surprise at the sudden commotion.

“Ra-El! You’ve finally come!”

Perma approached Ra-El with a beaming smile.

Panting, he grabbed Ra-El’s hand.

Anyone would think they were the closest of friends.

“No way. I’ve never seen Perma-nim [term of respect] react like that.”

“Even if Lord Ra-El is impressive…”

The wizards of the Blue Magic Tower were equally surprised by Perma’s behavior.

Perma enjoyed gambling and betting, but he was also the most powerful wizard in the Empire.

His dignity as the Magic Tower Lord was a key reason why the Blue Magic Tower was the best in the Empire.

Seeing him act this way was unsettling for the wizards.

‘…’

Ra-El sighed as he looked around.

This was precisely why he had wanted to meet in a quiet place.

“I’m close with Perma hyung-nim [older brother – term of endearment]. Haha, hyung-nim seems happy to see me after a long time, right?”

Ra-El had no choice but to find a diplomatic solution.

He subtly punched Perma in the side, who was slowly lowering himself as if to kneel.

“Keuhup…”

The blow to the side seemed to snap Perma out of his excitement.

He must have been overly enthusiastic about meeting Ra-El after so long.

‘The Dragon wants a quiet life.’

That was the Dragon’s persona he was trying to project.

He hadn’t consciously used honorifics, but this reaction was a misstep.

Perma straightened his posture.

“Ahem. Everyone, pay no attention. I’m going to have a conversation with a friend I haven’t seen in a while.”

Perma led Ra-El to the Magic Tower Lord’s room on the top floor.

Squeak-

Once the Magic Tower Lord’s door was firmly shut,

Perma sat down and adopted a reverent expression.

‘This is insane.’

Ra-El sat opposite Perma and sighed.

Even after all this time, the man hadn’t changed.

“What brings you here?”

Perma spoke first, breaking the awkward silence.

He bowed politely as he spoke.

“…”

Ra-El stared at Perma.

Then, he surveyed the Magic Tower Lord’s room.

The room was filled with magical tools and circles.

Most of them were designed to interpret Tia’s magic and the magic contained within the Gaksital [magical mask].

‘The Dragon’s magic must be something else.’

Ra-El recalled Tia’s words.

High-ranking wizards are blindly devoted to magic, and once they witness the Dragon’s magic, they can’t help but worship it.

Seeing that even the Blue Magic Tower Lord was acting this way, Ra-El realized he might have underestimated the fervor of wizards who are completely consumed by magic.

‘Is this just going to be a situation where I say something, and they’ll do everything I ask?’

Ra-El’s sharp instincts kicked in.

He sensed that Perma was a pushover.

‘He said he’s Eric ajusshi’s [uncle – term of endearment] friend… should I just take advantage of him moderately? It’ll be annoying if I tell Eric ajusshi.’

Whatever the case, this was advantageous for Ra-El.

He was an ace who concealed his street smarts and joined the guard.

He was quite confident in his acting abilities.

“I came because I need something.”

Ra-El said, crossing his arms.

He was going to proceed with the ‘I didn’t lie’ strategy.

“D-Dragon…”

Perma knelt down as he looked at Ra-El.

He remembered the first time he saw his magic.

The Dragon’s magic had deeply impacted him, a wizard who had become complacent in his position as the strongest in the Empire.

Perma was still reflecting on the enlightenment he had experienced at that time.

He was a wizard first and foremost, before being the Blue Magic Tower Lord.

He couldn’t help but feel awe when he saw the master of magic who was so far ahead of him.

“Get up. I clearly told you I’m not a Dragon.”

“Ah… I-I’m sorry.”

Perma slowly rose from his kneeling position.

Then, he shook his head and looked at Ra-El.

“I heard that the wizards of the Blue Magic Tower are training in the abandoned forest.”

“Should I order them to withdraw immediately?”

“…No. Please continue the training. We must protect the abandoned forest.”

“Ah, I see.”

Perma nodded, understanding the situation.

The giant of the Empire, the man protected by Grand Duke Eric Grace.

Ra-El.

He is a Dragon.

The fact that the Dragon himself came and instructed him to protect the abandoned forest meant that it was a truly important location.

‘Is it the elven migration led by the 2nd Princess?’

Only then did the pieces fall into place.

The fact that Grand Duke Eric Grace suddenly supported the 2nd Princess could be explained if the Dragon was backing her.

‘2nd Princess Uriel. There’s something special about her.’

Perma made a firm decision.

The Blue Magic Tower had maintained political neutrality for a very long time, but maintaining a friendly relationship with the master of magic was even more important.

Until now, he had hesitated to act, worried that his actions might be a nuisance to that person, but after receiving such direct instructions, he had no choice but to act.

‘I’m finally being helpful to you.’

Perma nodded as he looked at Ra-El.

It was a silent promise that he would unconditionally follow his will.

‘…’

Ra-El avoided Perma’s gaze, filled with respect.

“That’s all I needed. I’ll come again next time.”

“I understand, Ra-El.”

“Ah, and could I meet some wizards? The wizards who encountered the demons in the abandoned forest.”

“If you go down to the first floor, I’ll have them ready right away.”

Ra-El nodded and left Perma’s room.

He was worried about what would happen if he was exposed later, but…

‘Isn’t it enough to hold on until Yuri becomes the Emperor?’

There’s no way anyone would dare to attack the Emperor’s personal knight.

Besides, Ra-El never explicitly claimed to be a Dragon.

Perma was simply misunderstanding and spouting nonsense on his own.

Ra-El went down to the first floor feeling satisfied.

“M-Magic Tower Lord. Are you okay?”

“Hmm… I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

“Ah, yes.”

“I need to meditate for a while. Don’t call me unless it’s important.”

After Ra-El left, Chiron, who had belatedly arrived at the Magic Tower Lord’s room, admired Perma, who was meditating with a serene expression.

‘Lord Ra-El… what on earth did you do to the Magic Tower Lord?’

How did he win over someone who only cared about gambling and betting?

Chiron shuddered at the thought of Ra-El.

He resolved to be more cautious around Ra-El.

*

“Haa…”

Reina looked at the sky outside the Special Guard headquarters for the first time in a while.

The sky was blue, but she sighed.

Thanks to Ra-El, the piercing pain had lessened considerably, but her heart remained uneasy.

‘Headache.’

She didn’t mind sacrificing herself for the elves.

However, each time she did, she couldn’t help but wonder if it was the right thing to do.

Giving Vassaload the spirit world meant that he would become stronger.

She felt it more and more with each passing day. Vassaload was growing stronger and stronger.

Was it truly acceptable to do that to the elves’ natural enemy?

‘No. If I kept fighting Vassaload, the elves would have definitely been destroyed. It’s okay as long as I can keep holding on…’

It wasn’t as if Reina was cooperating with Vassaload without thinking.

The elves could never defeat Vassaload.

However, as long as he was targeting her, the elves would continue to be attacked by the demons.

She couldn’t bear to see her fellow elves die because of her.

‘It would be nice if there was a way to overcome the magic of annihilation…’

Reina had tried to find a way to overcome the magic of annihilation, but no matter how much she pondered and searched for information, she couldn’t find an answer.

Humans couldn’t overcome demonic energy, so there was no way an elf could withstand the magic of annihilation, which was their natural enemy.

‘I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me.’

Sometimes she longed to reach out to someone.

However, Reina had witnessed her parents’ death and Reine’s blindness firsthand.

She didn’t want anyone else to suffer because of her.

That was nothing more than a morbid obsession for Reina.

Cooperating with Vassaload for the sake of the elves was also a part of that.

Step. Step.

As Reina was lost in thought, a man approached.

“Ra-El!”

“Oh, you’re still alive?”

Ra-El had stopped by the beggar’s den for a while before coming to see Reina.

It had been two days since he visited the magic tower.

The migration of the elves was almost a certainty now, and nearly all the nobles were aware of it.

There were simply too many elves wandering around the abandoned forest.

In other words, the time was drawing near.

“What’s wrong? Why did you ask me to meet you here? Have you finally realized the greatness of the elves?”

“…Be quiet and follow me.”

Ra-El led Reina, who was smiling, through District 3.

Once they were in a sufficiently quiet area, Ra-El spoke.

“Reina.”

“Yeah?”

“I told you to tell me if you needed help.”

“You did.”

“Don’t make things worse by suffering alone, and tell me in advance if you need help.”

“Nothing’s wrong. I’m really okay.”

Reina shook her head with an innocent expression.

“Ha, I’m going crazy.”

Ra-El sighed at the sight.

He had already learned from Reine that Reina had allied herself with someone named Vassaload.

The fact that she was in pain once a month must be related to that.

“Reina. Get a grip!”

Ra-El hadn’t intended to pry like this.

However, he had heard from the wizards at the magic tower that the demons had already completed their preparations for battle.

He had confirmed this information using Begus’s network of beggars, so he couldn’t remain idle any longer.

Vassaload would soon invade the elven race.

“Why, why are you getting angry?”

“I said I’d help you. There’s no time left, you know?”

There are people like that in life.

People who make things worse by not speaking up about problems that could be easily resolved.

Ra-El had encountered such people in the army in his previous life, and he had also seen them in the guard in this world.

If they would just admit, ‘I made a mistake,’ things could be taken care of, but they make things worse by trying to solve it alone.

Reina was acting similarly now.

“The demons are mainly moving around the abandoned forest. Why would the demons be wandering around the abandoned forest if they weren’t idiots?”

“H-However… the promise…”

“Tsk.”

Ra-El clicked his tongue.

Did Reina truly not understand the danger of the situation?

No, she must have sensed it to some extent.

But the reason she was remaining silent was similar to what Gent had said.

People don’t objectively assess their situation as much as they think they do.

Even when the probability of something happening is high, they think, ‘It won’t happen to me. I’ll be okay,’ and then they realize the truth after they’re in trouble.

“Just tell me if it’s a demon or something. I’ll kill them all.”

Ra-El truly hated that.

Because he knew that living so naively in this crazy world was useless.

“R-Ra-El.”

Reina swallowed hard as she looked at Ra-El.

She had thought it would be enough if she sacrificed herself.

Even if the entire elven race hated her, she believed she had to do it.

She hated the thought of someone getting hurt because of her.

But why was Ra-El angry?

Reina couldn’t understand.

“I, I…”

Reina began to speak without realizing it.

But at that moment.

Kwaaaang-!

A massive explosion erupted from the outskirts of the capital.

*

“This place is brimming with the energy of nature!”

“Elorin, go slowly.”

A young female elf, Elorin, smiled as she walked through the forest.

This place, untouched by other living beings for a long time, was as full of natural power as the World Tree Forest.

“Yes. We’re going to move the World Tree’s seed here. The beginning will be humble, but someday this forest will grow as large as the World Tree Forest.”

“Yes. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Elorin smiled and continued through the forest.

‘If only Reina were here on such a happy day…’

She, who was Reina’s close friend, still couldn’t believe Reina’s betrayal.

It was unimaginable that an elf as kind and pure as her would join forces with the devil.

Tuk- Tuk-

Reine was at the very back of the elven procession.

Reine walked carefully, stepping on the leaves.

Even though she was blind, she could sense her surroundings using the magic of nature.

That’s why she could detect danger slightly faster than others.

“Augh…”

Reine felt a sudden pain and sat down.

Her eyes, which had been struck by the magic of annihilation, began to throb.

“Hey, Reine. Are you okay?”

“E-Erengor. This is a disaster. We have to run away.”

“What are you talking about… um?”

In the distance, shadows attacking the forest could be seen.

A foul demonic energy permeated the air.

“I smell elves.”

Step. Step.

The elves’ doom was approaching.

“Y-You bastard!”

The warriors of the tribe who saw Vassaload charged forward.

They glared at Vassaload, standing as if to protect the other elves.

‘Damn it, the pressure is too strong…!’

Kern, a warrior of the elven race, bit his lip.

The magic of annihilation drained the elves’ power simply by touching it.

“Bring the tribe’s traitor too! We’ll cut off their heads together!”

Kern shouted as he looked at Vassaload, trying to shake off his fear.

“Traitor? Ah, are you talking about that elf?”

Vassaload, who was looking at the elves, smiled involuntarily.

I see.

These foolish creatures didn’t even know why they were still alive.

“You ignorant and worm-like creatures. You don’t even realize how you’re maintaining your pathetic lives.”

In truth, he didn’t care at all.

All he needed was spiritism.

“Catch them all.”

Kwaaaak-

Demons surged out from behind Vassaload.