Reincarnated Swordmaster

Translator: Aoe

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

I suddenly had a thought while listening to their proposal.

'Right. I was planning to head west at some point anyway, wasn't I?'

The one who sealed the dragon was likely a mage of tremendous power, and he could provide significant aid from the west. Moreover, since he promised to give me a fine treasure he possessed if I stopped the unsealing, there was no need to hesitate further. Now that it was confirmed I could break the dragon's seal at will, it would be better to first establish a cooperative relationship with the mage in the west this time.

Ssssss—

I slowly stopped breaking the seal, and at the same time, the ice that had been cracking on the dragon's body began to reform. This seal had a self-repairing property, so even though I had broken it halfway, it was reviving itself.

Belov, who had been watching the scene, let out an exclamation.

“Whoa!”

[Thank you. The seal must not be broken. From now on as well...]

I thought strongly in my head.

[I don't care about that. Can you give me a treasure?]

[You desire a treasure?]

[Yes.]

[Come to Cornwall in Britannia! As the king's mage, I shall welcome you and give you a treasure.]

Sssssh

For a moment, the mage's illusion appeared before my eyes, pointing in one direction with his staff, then vanished the next instant. It wasn't just visible to me—Belov and the other knights were murmuring in surprise as well.

At the same time, the dragon's ferocious voice boomed in my head.

[Kukuhu... Quite cunning, aren't you... But can you truly gain any advantageous matching wits with that Merlin... O eccentric of the East?]

[Merlin? Is that the mage's name?]

[Kuhahaha... In any case, I will be freed from this seal when the stars return to their proper places. When that time comes, I shall go even to the underworld and chew your soul to bits.]

The dragon, in a foul mood, threatened me with savage words, but I merely smirked.

[Is that so? Even if you scour the underworld, you won't find my soul.]

[What...]

Crack!

The sound of ice hardening rang out clearly. As the seal gradually strengthened, the dragon's voice faded.

“Phew.”

Feeling that this incident was more or less resolved, I let out a sigh and explained the full story to Belov. Belov dismissed the knights and listened to my account carefully before letting out a sigh of admiration.

“Oh! If that's the case, then the one who sealed the dragon must be the legendary ancient sage Merlin... Incredible!”

“You know this Merlin fellow too?”

“He's less a real person and more a heroic legend. To think he actually exists...”

“How does he compare to you? You're the Archbishop of the Eastern Orthodox Church, so you wield considerable sorcery yourself.”

At my question, Belov looked stunned, then gave a wry smile.

“Don't talk nonsense... I can't even compare. He is a legendary hero and sage, the ancient elder of the Druids, and the idol of all mages in the west.”

That level, huh?

A great mage of that caliber was highly likely to give me a powerful relic as I desired. As I inwardly thought I'd made the right choice, Belov continued.

“In any case, as you said, this Romanian dragon seems to have originally been a tremendous evil dragon. I salute your wise decision.”

“I'm sorry. Your secret weapon against Ivan IV is gone now...”

“No. Even if we defeated Ivan IV, it would be meaningless if the evil dragon revived and ravaged the west.”

Belov sighed.

“Baek Woong. Might I ask one favor?”

I replied curtly.

“If it's to fight against Ivan IV, I refuse.”

“......”

Belov hesitated, as if I'd hit the nail on the head. I fixed him with a cold gaze and said.

“What I want is a powerful holy relic. Unless I unseal it, you have no reason to give me one. Thus, I have no further reason to meddle in your affairs.”

“Hmm... True, but...”

“I'm going to Cornwall to meet Merlin. I hope things go well for you.”

As I turned sharply, Belov hesitated before seeming to resolve himself and spoke.

“Baek Woong! Then, on your way, would you deliver a letter for me?”

“A letter?”

Belov nodded.

“If you stop by Paris and deliver it to one person, I would be grateful. Since you're heading that way anyway...”

“Paris is the city in the country across from the Great British Empire, right?”

I'd once used sorcery to summon a Western soul when I was in the west, so I had a rough knowledge of the geography.

“Yes. If you give this letter to Catherine de' Medici, the Queen Mother there, I would be thankful. She supports us, and I hope to gain her aid in this crisis.”

Swish

Belov handed me the letter.

“......”

I didn't know much about places like Paris or names like Catherine de' Medici, but it seemed he wanted me to play messenger. As I stared at him wordlessly, my expression asking why he was giving this to me, Belov looked embarrassed.

“Of course, I wouldn't ask empty-handed. It's not quite a holy relic, but I'll give you the Holy Lance, a secret treasure of our Eastern Orthodox Church.”

“The Holy Lance is a weapon, right?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm....”

A lance.

My main weapon is the sword, so I didn't really need a lance. And what would I do with a lance inferior to a holy relic? But I hesitated, thinking of Sisi So-cheong among my companions, whom I planned to train this time. I knew a good weapon would make a martial artist stronger.

'Aw, what the hell. Delivering a letter is no big deal.'

I nodded, accepting Belov's offer.

Soon after, Belov fetched a large silver lance from somewhere. It clearly emanated a mystical aura and possessed such outstanding presence that any warrior would fall for it at first sight. Even I, no lance master, was impressed—it was undoubtedly a famed lance of the world. As my mouth unwittingly gape, Belov grinned.

“This should suffice as payment for delivery.”

“Hmm... What's this lance's name?”

“We don't know.”

“Huh?”

“We're not sure of its origins, but it's a divine lance, so we kept it.”

“......”

These guys seem pretty lax...

I took the nameless famed lance, stored it in my neck guard, and bid Belov farewell.

“Then, I'm off.”

Paat!

I first teleported to land near the Great British Empire. I'd once crossed the Arasa Empire overland, traversed the western continent, and even leaped across the sea to reach the Great British Empire, so the coordinates were already recorded. Entering the empire proper would be easy with teleportation, but it risked detection by mages, complicating things. Since I had a letter to deliver anyway, I arrived in the country across from it first.

I activated the Heavenly Nerve Scripture's sorcery, possessed a nearby soul, and began dashing toward the city called Paris. Upon reaching the outskirts of Paris, I stood on a hill overlooking the outer walls and questioned the possessed soul.

“Hey. Do you know who Catherine de' Medici is?”

At my question, the soul possessed via the Heavenly Nerve Scripture replied with a displeased expression.

[I am Maestro Pietro Monte, a warrior! It's been quite some time since I died, so I wouldn't know. Didn't you summon me to fight?]

“No. I called you because you said you knew where Paris was...”

[......]

“I'm curious about Western swordsmanship too, but now's not the time to spectate yours.”

Pietro then bellowed.

[Uooo! You'll save me anyway! No more chit-chat!]

Curious at his shout, I asked.

“Save you? I've been wondering—what does that mean? And why do you all obey without question when I summon souls with the Heavenly Nerve Scripture's sorcery?”

[...Hmm. You're a sorcerer, yet you don't know?]

“I wouldn't ask if I did.”

After hesitating, Pietro explained.

[Those who excelled in life are granted a grace period where their souls linger on earth rather than going straight to the underworld. During that time, they must choose.]

“Choose?”

What was this about?

Bewildered, I looked at Pietro's illusion, and he continued.

[I don't know the details, but during that grace period, a being like an angel appeared before us and asked: Go to the underworld for judgment now, or perform a task until the end times to escape the fate of annihilation...]

“What? So you chose between the underworld or performing a task?”

Pietro nodded at my question.

[The latter has low odds, but the angel explained that if someone like 'you' summons and uses us, we can avoid destruction at the end times. I don't know when doom comes, but I chose the latter.]

“......”

[But... after choosing, I regretted it a bit.]

“Why the regret?”

Pietro said with a sigh.

[There were many souls of great figures who chose the latter. But most had been waiting endlessly for someone like you—decades at least, centuries for some. I was worrying if I'd just dissipate as a lingering spirit when you summoned me.]

“......!!”

[I appreciate it. Sorry to the others, but I've escaped doom.]

Something felt off.

I pondered deeply.

'Hmm... Well, at least now I understand why the spirits summoned by the Heavenly Nerve Scripture obey without complaint.'

To me, it was just using one of the ten chances from the sorcery, but to them, it was a pivotal summons deciding their afterlife. No matter how proud they were in life, they had no choice but to comply.

But one thing still puzzled me. I asked Pietro again.

“Sure, if you've many sins, judgment in the underworld is scary... But what's this 'fate of annihilation' that makes you choose to linger on earth?”

[......]

Pietro fell silent, then shuddered as he spoke.

[Ugh... Even recalling it is terrifying. The angel-like being who made the offer briefly showed me the fate approaching at the end times.]

“Showed you?”

With a grim voice, he said.

[Stars boiled in chaos. Amid the churning starlight, unspeakable ancient horrors descended, overturning seas and lands. Hills once teeming with life became fodder for chaos, and humans wailed worse than livestock. Anyone who saw that would have no choice but to choose as I did.]

“What!!”

I was startled by his words.

'No way?'

If true, the 'angel' that appeared to Pietro after death had shown souls the scene of 'that day' when the [Ancient Ruler] descends! The nightmarish moment when the stars realign! Then what was this 'angel's' true nature? I hurriedly asked.

“What did that angel look like? Who make such an offer?”

[I was a warrior and maestro who only knew the sword in life, so I didn't know such things. But instinctively, I knew it was something beyond human. There were far stronger souls than mine, yet they all accepted its offer without question, so I trusted it.]

“Hmm.”

I'd gauged Pietro's skill at early-to-mid Peak Expert level. In the west, the top experts in a country were called Swordmasters or Maestros—he'd been one in life. He claimed to have been the continent's strongest swordman in the south, and it seemed justified.

[Come to think of it, it emitted no evil aura at all. That's why I believed.]

Hearing Pietro, I could conclude immediately.

'The Heavenly Nerve Scripture's sorcery has something fishy about it. Even the afterlife...'

The Heavenly Nerve Scripture's sorcery was created not by a Westerner, but by Gwangseongja (廣成子), one of the great among the Great Law Immortals. The Gwangseongja, who advised even the Yellow Emperor, was of the same generation as the Queen Mother of the West and a top elder in the heavens. He rarely appeared, living in seclusion.

For such an ancient Great Law Immortal's creation to influence outstanding Western figures? And via a suspicious entity called an 'angel' informing them of afterlife paths and end-times doom?

Just what was Gwangseongja?

I shook my head and muttered.

“...No point thinking about it now.”

I swiftly moved toward Paris's inner city, released Pietro, and summoned a soul via the Heavenly Nerve Scripture likely knowledgeable of internal affairs. Moments later, the summoned soul spoke.

[Catherine de' Medici? That child is my daughter-in-law.]

“And you are?”

[Does a wanderer like you need my name? I'll guide you to where she resides.]

This one seemed to have been this country's king once. Following his guidance, I headed to the Queen Mother's palace and revealed myself prior to her quarters.

“Kyaaah!!”

Her attending maids screamed. But the Queen Mother remained calm and composed. Borrowing the soul's power, I haltingly spoke in this land's tongue.

“By, Be-lov's, re-quest, I, came.”

The Queen Mother raised her hand, and the maids silently withdrew. She silently extended her hand to me. I gave her the letter, and she said.

“How strange. Is borrowing the dragon's power from the Eastern Orthodox Church to subjugate the emperor a mistake?”

It seemed the Queen Mother and Eastern Orthodox Church had a secret pact, with her supporting them from behind. I didn't know details—perhaps she wanted influence over the Arasa Empire? But I didn't need to delve into Western politics, so I nodded vaguely and said.

“My, task, is, de-liv-ery, a, lone, so, I'll, go.”

“......”

Paat

As soon as I finished, I teleported away. Then I moved to the church where I'd met Thomas More before and contacted him.

Thomas More, hearing the full story, spoke fluent Ming Empire tongue.

“Cornwall is near Camlann. And to meet Merlin, it's surely the lake.”

“The lake?”

At my question, he replied.

“Lord Merlin is an elder of the hierarchy just below the West's guardian. He stands against the [Ancient Ruler], leading the mages.”

An ally from my perspective, then?

“Tell me the location.”

“I'll give you a map.”

Taking the map, I dashed swiftly over mountains and rivers. En route, I avoided all British soldiers or signs of people. I didn't know if mages detected me, but evasion was wisest.

How long did I run? Following Thomas More's map, I finally reached Cornwall. As I arrived near Camlann within Cornwall, Merlin's voice reached me from afar.

[You are remarkable... To think you'd arrive here in such short time.]

[Where are you?]

[Come to the lake.]

Following Merlin's words, I went to the lake. The moment I reached its shore, Merlin's illusion appeared.

[Pleasure to meet you, Baek Woong, eccentric of the East.]

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