Speedweapon often tells me like a broken recorder that I’m the most insensitive person he’s ever met in his life.
During my first year at the academy, I couldn’t understand how I didn’t notice what Ryozo felt until almost the end of the second semester.
But Speedweapon is completely wrong.
‘It’s not easy to have better intuition than me.’
Did you know this? The ability to read the atmosphere is a more important virtue than sword skills for a swordsman.
I was the best in the guild. I’m not saying it to boast; it’s simply a fact. An objective fact.
Anyway.
Whoooosh…
That’s exactly why I knew immediately, the moment I felt the piercing gazes of the imperial guards on my skin. Jealousy and envy.
Two negative emotions dominating their brains.
Wow, how suffocating.
With all those intimidating-looking men emitting hostility at once, I got chills. It’s like that officer who was dating a very popular female officer in the military. I’ve become exactly that kind of guy. The enemy of all men.
‘Hmm.’
I came to this sweat-scented place accompanied by women.
In the army, even an average woman can magically look like an idol.
And I came flanked by women even more beautiful than an actual idol.
‘Unintentionally.’
I swallowed hard discreetly.
‘What can you do.’
Since they’ve painted me as a man full of sins, I might as well provoke them properly. In fact, this works in my favor. If I want to make the Guard slip up, this is the ideal setup.
‘After all, those guys are nothing but enemies to me, right?’
I sat on the chair they had prepared. Then crossed my right leg over my left with total arrogance.
“I’m ready.”
“Now that I think about it, I believe it’s inappropriate to conduct a demonstration of the Imperial Guard’s training in front of outsiders…”
Oscar clenched his jaw tightly on the inside.
Of course. I respect that opinion.
“I’m also an outsider.”
So I ignored it.
“They’re acquaintances of mine.”
I clasped my hands over my knees.
“Well then.”
I tilted my chin arrogantly toward the Guard. Shail and Choi Seol-Ah discreetly positioned themselves at either side behind me.
The gazes directed at me became even more intense.
“Begin.”
And for the record, I don’t get excited by things like this.
Speedweapon also often tells me something else.
‘President, you simply are…’
***
The training parade of the Imperial Guard was so impressive it was astonishing to watch. I tried to detect any flaws but ended up forgetting my original purpose and just observed their formation.
“Impressive.”
It was Shail’s brief but strong assessment.
Maybe her words reached the guards’ ears because the sweat on their foreheads grew even heavier.
However, Shail didn’t seem particularly impressed. She leaned forward slightly and murmured.
“It’s not easy to see heroes line up this flawlessly. Each one has their own blessing.”
“And still, there’s no conflict between their blessings. It’s like… a puzzle.”
“Ah, ‘puzzle’. That’s a perfect comparison.”
Most heroes are temperamental. Each one with a strong ego.
Unless they face a high-ranking commander, like a supreme general, they all live by their own code. They lack any team spirit.
“But here, their rough edges fit perfectly. It’s not just a matter of rigorous training, they must’ve had a tough time just with the team selection.”
I nodded.
“I guess it’s only possible because it’s the imperial family. Do you know the market capitalization of the East India Company, Shail?”
“I know it’s astronomical, at least that.”
“They say it’s eleven gyeong.”
“That’s more than the stars. Suddenly I feel a kind of emptiness…”
“Me too.”
While we whispered, we felt gazes of protest again. It seemed the Royal Guard couldn’t stop paying attention to us. Their bodies were moving, but their eyes were fixed on us.
“Hmm…”
Choi Seol-Ah tilted her head with an unsure expression, so I asked her:
“What’s wrong? Bathroom?”
“That too… but no, it’s not that!”
Choi Seol-Ah nearly jumped but quickly regained her composure. She covered her mouth with her hand and murmured softly:
“It’s nothing weird, just that… I sense mana.”
“Bah, these days everyone knows the world is in decline and that mana flows everywhere.”
“That’s not it…”
Choi Seol-Ah glanced at the Royal Guard, who were focused on their training. Some of them smiled faintly, as if their mood had improved.
Even if they seemed a little dumb, they were still part of the Royal Guard. It’s just that the military atmosphere tends to dull people.
“…I feel mana coming out of people,” Choi Seol-Ah explained.
I quickly turned to make eye contact with her.
“Are you saying there’s a villain among us?”
Choi Seol-Ah had signed a contract with Agor, former Commander of the Fifth Corps. Then signed another with Horntail, and that one was still active.
Her ability to detect mana was exceptional. In these times, when “villains” had been almost completely wiped out, she had no rival.
“They seem like a villain… but not completely. Besides, you’re the one who wiped out the Villain Alliance, right? No one in their right mind would try to revive it. And even if they wanted to, there isn’t a suitable host to become a vessel.”
“And that’s also thanks to me?”
“Thanks to you, yes.”
Well, you didn’t mention any of this before.
“See, there are two cases where a person might unintentionally release mana. First, when conflicting emotions mix. That is, when someone feels happy and sad at the same time, mana can leak out unknowingly. Because the emotions clash.”
“And the second?”
“…It sounds a bit weird, but… the scent comes from bodily fluids. In my case, it’s something specific…”
“Are you a succubus or what?”
“Don’t you remember that my teacher was Agor? The queen of succubi. Maybe that’s why.”
Choi Seol-Ah lowered her voice to the verge of tears. Then discreetly pointed to the side with her lips.
“…”
Victoria was watching us sideways, with a look that said she was dying to know.
‘Sorry, but I can’t say it yet.’
Only after confirming the facts. Then I’ll explain. I pressed my lips together and focused back on the training. Victoria also turned away with a slight pout.
‘Are you listening?’
Without turning my head, I spoke mentally.
‘Are you there, Garyeon?’
‘I know you’re listening to everything.’
Finally, Garyeon responded with a mental sigh.
— Even though direct reading is disabled, I can’t ignore whispers. Forgive my lack of discretion, Lord Heavenly Sword.
‘Instead of apologies, give me your opinion.’
— ……
Garyeon swallowed nervously. And responded in a dry tone.
— It’s shocking…
‘There’s someone in the Royal Guard who can manipulate charm. Within the same royalty you so deeply respect. Even if it doesn’t seem like it, I don’t think they’re possessed. If it were a mana vessel, even I would’ve noticed without needing Choi Seol-Ah to say it.’
— If that is Lord Heavenly Sword’s opinion…
‘Do you already have a general idea of the plan?’
— I’ll investigate it separately. I’ll also look into how to strengthen the legitimacy of your presence at this event.
What quick perception of the situation.
The relationship between heroes and demons remains strictly forbidden.
If discovered, it’s considered high treason. Therefore, if the Royal Guard or anyone in their circle has any ties to demons—
‘If a connection is revealed between them…’
I already had legal grounds to interrogate those people. Garyeon let me know she would handle tracing the links from her position.
‘Choi Seol-Ah turns out to be more useful than I thought.’
Even if she always shows up unexpectedly, she ends up offering crucial leads. Like catching a mouse while walking backward, but still. I guess it’s due to her “survival instinct.”
Seen this way, my team is solid. Shail has the Royal Guards enchanted, Choi Seol-Ah detects mana, and Garyeon reads their minds.
‘I have good luck with people… though in a rather strange way.’
A while later.
Huff, huff.
Harsh, almost animalistic breathing filled the air. The ceremonial training, pushed to its limit, was finally over.
Clap.
I applauded without thinking. Shail and Choi Seol-Ah joined in with soft claps.
Clap, clap, clap.
A modest round of applause. The Royal Guard, slightly embarrassed, reformed their ranks.
“It was a poor performance, but thank you for your recognition.”
Oscar stepped forward, wiping his chin.
“It was excellent. And at the same time, a shame. If warriors like these had participated in the Second Human-Demon War, casualties would have been much lower.”
Oscar frowned with visible displeasure.
“The Royal Guard serves only the imperial bloodline.”
“Yes. That’s clear just from watching your training.”
“…What do you mean?”
“I noticed your entire training seems centered on facing a single opponent. Doesn’t look like someone who uses magic.”
“…”
In the silence, I stood up and walked toward the Royal Guard. Their eyes flickered—confused, unsure whether to attack or stay alert.
“Since we’re here, why don’t you train with me too?”
When we entered the training hall, Garyeon had already told me.
— Mmm… it seems the Guard members want a sparring match against you as a finale. How shameless.
But it’s not shameless.
‘The Guard is planning to use me against you.’
They wanted to record how I struck them without restraint—to document that I’m a dangerous individual.
— Why not just ignore them?
‘If I do, they’ll say I chickened out.’
Checkmate. They’re leveraging the fact that, as Heavenly Sword, I have much to lose.
‘That’s how this works.’
— So what are you planning to do?
I smirked faintly.
‘I’ll play along.’
***
Back in the present.
“Watching you train made me want to move a bit.”
Kang Geom-Ma pulled out two Daiso-brand sashimi knives. The Royal Guards exchanged brief looks. The second-in-command, with squinted eyes, gave Oscar a small nod.
It seemed they reached a silent agreement, because Oscar spoke.
“If you wish…”
He too raised his weapon, a double-handed longsword, to chest height. Kang Geom-Ma said,
“What are you waiting for?”
“…Huh?”
One of them let out a confused sound. Kang Geom-Ma frowned impatiently.
“I told you, all of you arm yourselves.”
“…?”
“You really think one commander can stop me?”
Oscar’s expression changed slightly, as if accepting the challenge.
Snap.
Ignoring everything, Kang Geom-Ma snapped his fingers. In that instant, a soft-curved purple veil spread across the area.
Everyone froze, looking around in confusion.
“It’s a temporary subspace barrier.”
Kang Geom-Ma could use both the blessings of his sword and Lycan’s mana fluently.
Although the environment wasn’t ideal, he could deploy subspace even outside Joaquin Academy. Granted, only temporarily.
“The timer’s set to one minute.”
Kang Geom-Ma did a couple of light jumps. He felt nimble today.
“I’ll focus on hand-to-hand combat, so come at me with everything. It’s been a while since I broke a sweat.”
Oscar responded.
“…Even so, this is—”
Shiiing—
A flash of light passed by him. Oscar turned clumsily toward the presence behind him.
“Ghh, grrghhhgh!”
The second-in-command clutched at his throat. A red line coiled around his neck like a living rope, tightening.
It was a thread of blood.
Thud.
His head rolled on the floor with a dull thud. It didn’t stop until it hit the wall.
All eyes turned to the new center of attention. Kang Geom-Ma calmly turned from his position.
“I have a habit of starting with the squinty-eyed ones.”
He said, pulling the sashimi knife from his arm.
____
Join the discord!
https://dsc.gg/indra
