novelraw Chapter 279 : Southern Invasion (3)
Chapter 279 : Southern Invasion (3)
“You must have come here because you have something to say. Go ahead.”
“…….”
As expected, the Emperor gave his permission. Rather than answering, U-jin immediately began to untie the bundle he carried on his back.
Sarak—
As he carefully undid the knot, the contents revealed were, of course, the ‘fragments of the Nameless Sword.’
He had judged that showing it directly would be faster than giving a long-winded explanation.
When U-jin carefully took out the fragment and held it out to the Emperor, a low groan escaped the Emperor’s lips.
“Hoo…….”
Until the moment the bundle was opened, the Emperor had looked on with curiosity, wondering why U-jin—the man currently at the center of all rumors—had sought him out.
However, the moment the fragment of the ‘Xuanyuan Sword’ emerged from the cloth, he was so shocked that he momentarily forgot U-jin was even standing before him.
“…As I thought. You recognize it.”
“That is…….”
Just as U-jin had anticipated, Emperor Gongsun Chan knew about the fragments of the Nameless Sword.
No.
It wasn't just the reaction of someone who simply ‘knew’ of it.
If that were all, there would have been a slight delay while he recalled its identity after seeing the object.
But the Emperor had let out an exclamation the instant it was revealed, as if he had recognized it immediately.
That meant he hadn't just known about it; he had been thinking about the fragments of the Nameless Sword until very recently.
In other words.
“…I have been looking for it as well.”
The Emperor had also been searching for the fragments of the Xuanyuan Sword.
U-jin’s judgment—that showing it first would be better than engaging in various conversations—had been correct.
Thinking to himself that he had made the right choice, U-jin quickly moved the conversation forward.
“Do you happen to know that I was in the Shandong Peninsula of the Murim Empire?”
“…I know. It was a battle that took place on our territory; how could I not know?”
“This is an object found during that process. In other words, it was within the territory of the Murim Empire.”
To be precise, it would be more accurate to say he had pulled it out of a mass of a Primordial Demon that had been buried alongside the ‘Demonic Sword Chiyou.’
However, there was no need to reveal all those details.
If U-jin’s hunch was correct, the Imperial Family likely had their own legends regarding it anyway, and there was no reason to show all his cards from the start.
For now, he would lay this card on the table and observe the situation before deciding whether to say more.
U-jin had come here solely to obtain ‘additional clues regarding the Four Divine Beasts,’ not to offer treasures and swear loyalty to the Emperor.
Even as U-jin spoke, the Emperor could not take his eyes off the fragment of the Xuanyuan Sword. Keeping his gaze fixed, he murmured softly.
“…It is an heirloom that has been passed down through my family for generations. It is a fragment of the sword said to have been used by the First Emperor.”
U-jin’s memory was accurate.
In his past life, he hadn’t known the circumstances of how the completed version of this Nameless Sword was obtained.
But if what U-jin remembered was correct, the weapon the Emperor had used during the Great War—the one where he died alongside the fall of the Murim Empire—was indeed the ‘Xuanyuan Sword.’
“…I do not know how much you have learned before coming here.”
The Emperor remained silent for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts, then stopped his low muttering and called out toward the outside of the reception room.
— Come in.
He wasn't speaking to U-jin.
Immediately, an official who seemed to have been waiting outside pushed the door open.
The Emperor rose from his seat, headed out of the reception room, and added to U-jin:
“…Follow me. There is something I must show you separately.”
* * *
『These are the Vermilion Bird’s tail feather, the Azure Dragon’s reverse scale, and the Black Tortoise’s cold iron, in that order.』
『……!』
Ever since receiving the divine artifacts—symbols of the Four Divine Beasts—from Kim Satgat, U-jin had been planning to visit the Emperor.
He didn't know the reason why Kim Satgat hadn't shown him those artifacts before his Regression, but it was an undeniable fact that his chances of finding the Four Divine Beasts—whose existence had been confirmed during his conversation with the thought form of ‘Allen Tigris III’—were now much higher than back then.
The Vermilion Bird’s tail feather symbolizes the energy of Fire.
The Azure Dragon’s reverse scale symbolizes the energy of Wood.
And the Black Tortoise’s cold iron, symbolizing the energy of Water.
Though the three artifacts appeared to be mere antiques, having lost their original power, U-jin believed that if he could just find a trigger, he could revitalize that energy once more.
…And he suspected that the trigger would likely be the ‘Xuanyuan Sword.’
『It has been a full 100 years.』
『…….』
『That is all I have found in all that time. Yet, you found the White Tiger in such a short period. It is better for you to have these than me.』
It wasn't just U-jin’s personal matter.
The weight on his shoulders felt heavier because these were the results of Kim Satgat’s hundred-year search.
U-jin wanted to somehow assemble these pieces and complete the puzzle of the Four Divine Beasts' resurrection.
Of course, considering his past life where Kim Satgat never managed to find the Four Divine Beasts, it was only natural to hand them over to U-jin.
But that was only from U-jin’s perspective as someone who had seen the future; for Kim Satgat, that future had not yet arrived.
『…I’ve decided not to board the Floating Territory, though.』
『That has nothing to do with this. What matters is whether you can do it or not.』
『…….』
『Why, isn't there an old saying that if you hoard things, they eventually go to waste? Rather than me holding onto them and wasting time indecisively, it is better for someone to achieve something, even if they leave the Floating Territory.』
『Is it not so? I’ve only seen you a few times, but I don’t get the impression that you’re the type to do anything foolish.』
Kim Satgat’s decision to hand over all three divine artifacts—which could have been the military strength of the Floating Territory—was certainly not born from a lighthearted thought like, ‘I couldn’t do it anyway.’
He had phrased it that way, but as someone who had been closer to him than anyone else, U-jin could feel it.
It was closer to a desperate prayer that U-jin would somehow succeed.
That was why, before he could even catch his breath after the Northern Subjugation War concluded, U-jin had taken the Xuanyuan Sword and sought out ‘Gongsun Chan,’ the Emperor of the Murim Empire.
‘…Somehow.’
Whether the Four Divine Beasts were here or there was a definitive clue, he had to gain something.
Thud, thud—
As they walked, Emperor Gongsun Zan broke U-jin’s deepening reverie and spoke.
“How much do you know about that object?”
It was a formal question. U-jin shrugged at the Emperor’s inquiry.
“Well. What I told you earlier is pretty much everything. I’ve had it for a while… but I only recently learned that this object was related to the Imperial Family of the Murim Empire.”
It wasn't a lie.
When he first learned of its existence through the mention of the ‘Demonic Sword Chiyou,’ U-jin hadn't had the slightest clue what this scrap of a sword was.
He had carried it around like a white elephant for a long time before accidentally discovering its identity while searching for Valencia.
Before that, U-jin knew nothing about this Nameless Sword.
If he hadn't had the memories of his life before the Regression, he wouldn't have been able to guess its identity even when Allen Tigris III added that it was the ‘Sword of the Son of Heaven’ and the ‘Xuanyuan Sword.’
“…Then I suppose some explanation is needed from the beginning.”
Thud, thud—
Where exactly were they heading?
U-jin was curious about the direction the Emperor was taking after leaving the reception room, but he didn't speak up about things the Emperor hadn't mentioned.
However, seeing as the Emperor had dismissed even the servants who usually attended to him within the palace, U-jin could guess they were going somewhere extremely important.
Judging by how the Emperor suddenly asked him a question after they had walked in silence, it was clear that not only were there no servants, but there were no other ‘humans’ nearby at all.
…Normally, this would be unthinkable.
An Emperor of a nation meeting an outsider without any guards was, in itself, absurd.
But.
‘…….’
If it was this man, it was understandable.
His personal martial prowess was already at a level above 5-stars.
To provide him with guards, one would have to assign at least 5-star Heroes.
The Emperor had judged it better to deploy the few such guards available in the vast Murim Empire elsewhere rather than keeping them by his side, so he did not use personal guards.
Anyway.
The important thing was that he was leading U-jin alone toward a certain space.
And it was a space so secret that he had to dismiss even his own servants.
From the Emperor’s subsequent comments, U-jin could roughly guess where they were heading.
“As I said before, the Xuanyuan Sword is an heirloom passed down through our Imperial Family for generations, and it was the weapon used by the First Emperor himself.”
“…….”
“As you can see, it is currently broken.”
“…….”
“The exact time it broke is unknown. We can only speculate that it happened during one of the many Righteous-Demonic Wars, or perhaps immediately after the First Emperor used it. While the records of the Imperial Family have been maintained continuously, there was no specific mention regarding the Xuanyuan Sword.”
In Emperor Gongsun Zan’s calm voice, there was a hint of expectation.
Expectation.
Yes, expectation.
There weren't many things that could make an Emperor—who had enjoyed almost every luxury and pleasure imaginable—feel expectation.
And unless he was a deviant, there was only one reason he would feel expectation while looking at a broken sword fragment.
“…Do you possess the remaining fragments?”
U-jin immediately voiced the thought that had occurred to him. Instead of answering verbally, the Emperor nodded and came to a halt.
Tak—
There was no other reason.
They had simply reached their destination.
Unlike the rest of the palace, which was brilliantly decorated with all sorts of gold, silver, treasures, and gems, this door was a simple, plain white paper sliding door.
As the Emperor slid the door open, the other fragment of the Nameless Sword sat in the center of the revealed space, just as U-jin had suspected.
Under the faint light, the elegantly decorated blade reflected the glow.
Its appearance was closer to a ceremonial tool than a weapon meant for cutting.
“…Do you recognize it?”
The fragment U-jin possessed was the hilt of the sword.
“…….”
And the object kept by the Imperial Family of the Murim Empire for generations was none other than the ‘blade’ of the sword.