Inheriting the Novel

Chapter 99 : Madness Sword(狂劍) Hella (1)

Madness Sword(狂劍) Hella (1)

"Is it really true that Count Deoric was involved in such an immoral act?"

By order of Duke Gale, Aldred Ribina was moving with a significant number of knights to arrest Logan Deoric.

Among them was his son, Zelbin, who wore an expression that showed he simply couldn't believe what was happening.

"It's only natural to be surprised. I couldn't believe it myself until I heard the details from His Grace..."

The House of Ribina and the Deoric family, as the leading martial houses of Talua, inevitably clashed often.

Having competed fiercely for generations, Logan and Aldred were never able to become friends, but there was a strange sense of kinship between them.

"He was a man with great ambition, but never a foolish one..."

Had age changed him?

Just thinking of Logan left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Father, do you think Count Deoric will submit peacefully?"

"I don't think he'll resist. If he does, he'll lose everything he's built up so far."

He'd really only been sent as a precaution in case of the unlikely worst-case scenario.

The matter was certainly serious, but this alone shouldn't have been enough to do away with Logan entirely.

His honor would take a severe blow, but he wouldn't fall to ruin like other nobles often did.

"There—right over there is Count Deoric's villa!"

The Deoric family's villa in the capital came into view.

Aldred approached it slowly, accompanied by dozens of knights.

'... Something's not right.'

At that moment, he felt a strange sense of unease. The closer he got to the mansion, the stronger that feeling grew.

"Stop!"

Unable to endure it anymore, Aldred raised his hand and halted the advancing knights.

'This energy...'

There was but a single presence I could feel inside the mansion.

The energy emanating from it was alien—even I, who had survived countless battlefields, had never felt anything like it before.

It was so gruesomely savage I could hardly believe it belonged to a human.

"Father?"

Noticing the tension in my demeanor, Zelbin couldn't help but feel confused.

Who could possibly be inside to make a Swordmaster tense?

"Step back."

Slowly, I made the knights retreat behind me, reaching for the sword at my waist.

"What in the world...?"

Zelbin eventually opened his mouth, unable to suppress his curiosity a moment longer.

Just then, the door to the mansion exploded, and something pitch-black shot out at tremendous speed toward Zelbin's head.

No one present could react in time.

Kaaang!

Only Aldred moved.

Hastily, he struck it aside, and the whip-like object immediately snapped back into the depths of the mansion.

"W-what was that just now?"

"The mansion's door...!"

The knights began murmuring in shock at the events that unfolded in an instant.

"Pull yourselves together!"

At his shout, their murmuring stopped at once.

As they nervously drew their weapons, I addressed them slowly.

"The plan has changed. Leave this place to me and withdraw at once—"

Thunk.

Before he could finish, someone slowly walked out of the shattered entrance.

Every gaze turned toward that figure.

"As expected of Aldred. Impressive skill."

The one who spoke as he emerged... was none other than Logan Deoric.

"Logan...?"

Doubt flickered in his eyes as Aldred confirmed it was Logan.

So, that strike a moment ago was Logan's doing?

It was hard to believe.

Even for him, a Swordmaster, he had barely managed to react to it.

Aldred then noticed the blood-red sword clenched in Logan's hand.

"... Logan, I have just one question."

"Ask as much as you wish. Isn't that fitting for us?"

"What did you do with that sword?"

At Aldred's inquiry, Logan grinned slyly.

"Many things."

"... You..."

So much was implied in those words that Aldred furrowed his brow.

No, truthfully, he could understand even without asking.

The thick stench of blood wafting from within the mansion explained everything.

"Drop that sword right now, Logan."

"And why should I do that?"

Logan raised the sword, gazing at the blood-red blade with enraptured eyes.

"With just this sword, I can become stronger. A Swordmaster... no, I can surpass even that—to transcend humanity itself."

"Is that worth killing so many people for?"

"You wouldn't understand."

Logan slowly lowered the blade and stared straight at Aldred.

Logan was no longer in his right mind.

But he himself could not see that.

He believed he was perfectly in control of the demon sword, mistaking everything as his own will.

"If it hadn't been for you—if only you weren't here, I would've been the kingdom's greatest swordsman. The only reason I failed to reach Swordmaster was because of you!"

All of his former composure vanished as his pupils turned jet-black and horrifyingly bright.

"But now it's different. I've been given my chance to surpass you. Just a little longer. Tomorrow, in front of everyone—"

Logan's speech stopped there.

Like a broken machine, his head jerked unnaturally.

"... No, there's no need to wait until tomorrow."

Though it was a small mumble, Aldred heard it clearly.

"You must have come here to see me, after all. Bringing knights with you, you clearly don't have good intentions."

"Logan."

"Don't speak my name so lightly. I hate you. Yes, now that it's come to this, perhaps this is for the best."

Logan slowly raised his sword and pointed it at Aldred.

"From now on, I'll kill you, and take my place among the Seven Heroes."

"You're not sane! Drop that sword right now!"

"Kuhuhu. And why would I? This sword is the only thing that can save me."

The blade in his hand began to tremble.

To me, it felt less like a sword and more like a living creature.

"... Zelbin."

"Yes, father."

In response to Logan's strange aura, Zelbin answered tense and wary.

"I'll handle this. You take the knights and leave this place at once. And prevent anyone else from approaching here."

"But...!"

"It'll be fine."

Crack, crackle!

Logan's body began to split as if he were turning to stone, revealing pitch-black flesh beneath.

"I am the executor of the Kingdom of Talua, one of the Seven Heroes. There's no way I'd lose to something like that."

Despite his attempt to force a smile, Aldred's voice held an undeniable tension.

He'd instinctively realized that Logan was no longer any ordinary being.

"Go, Zelbin."

Despite his father's words, who stood before him radiating red sword aura, Zelbin grit his teeth and turned away.

After watching Zelbin for a moment, Aldred shifted his gaze to Logan, who was slowly approaching him.

"Come to think of it, it's been quite some time since you and I crossed swords."

Though he'd never wanted to fight like this.

Aldred gave a bitter smile.

* * *

After finishing all my business in Lavantara, I immediately hurried back along the same road with Riya.

'Please, let there be no problems!'

I'd spent three days in Lavantara.

Honestly, not an especially long time.

But this was a situation where anything could happen at any moment.

As soon as I passed through the now-familiar city gates of the capital, a familiar face greeted us, as though he'd been waiting.

It was Jade, a man with squinting eyes and an otherwise ordinary impression.

"Welcome back, Count. You've arrived right on time."

His tone was as usual, but... I could sense the anxiety in his voice.

"... Something happened, didn't it?"

"I wish I could say nothing happened..."

Jade's normally squinty eyes slowly opened, his sharp gaze fixing somewhere in the distance.

"But something did happen."

"Where?"

"Logan Deoric."

"What?"

I couldn't help but be shocked by the unexpected name.

Logan Deoric? Why?

He shouldn't have had anything to do with this incident.

"Among those who attended the recent slave auction... was Logan Deoric. And he purchased the sword you mentioned, Count."

"... Don't tell me, he actually drew that sword?"

"Yes."

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

An explosion rang out from afar.

The ground shook, a shockwave strong enough to flutter our collars swept across us, and screams echoed in every direction.

"Sir Aldred is barely holding him in check right now... but honestly, I advise against getting involved."

"Why?"

"That's not a fight between humans."

I could guess what he meant.

That explosion just now... there was no way it could have come from an ordinary human fight.

'But I've already seen battles that transcend humanity.'

I had already witnessed fights far beyond human boundaries.

The Sword God Damian and the Saintess Grancesia.

Their battle had been on an entirely different plane from humanity.

Maybe it was that previous experience, but I felt little fear now.

"It's alright. Where is it?"

"... Hoo. I knew you'd say that."

Jade lightly pointed with his chin for me to follow.

Before doing so, I spoke to Riya, who was quietly watching me.

"Riya, can you try to keep any damage to the surroundings to a minimum?"

"Yes, of course. But... will you be alright on your own?"

She'd asked me that before.

No, every time I had to deal with some calamity, Riya always asked me that.

And my answer had always been the same.

"Of course. I never start something I can't finish."

"I'll trust you."

No sooner had she replied than I dashed after Jade.

As I drew closer, what I thought had been an explosion became recognizable as the clash of swords.

'This...'

Along with it, I could feel an eerie, chilling aura creeping up my spine.

I sensed a powerful warning—any closer would be dangerous.

[No matter how many calamities I've seen before...]

Grancesia spoke calmly.

[It's the first time I've felt something this foul from a living, not the dead.]

She was exactly right.

The aura and sensation were much like when I faced Dark King Lugal.

No, that time I could simply call it miasma, but this was different.

"Jade, this is far enough. Any further and you'll be in danger."

"... How did you know? As expected of you, Count."

Jade shrugged and added,

"If you go further, you'll find a perimeter set by the knights. The absolute edge of where a human can safely be."

The absolute edge of where a human can be?

It was a foreboding phrase.

I wanted to ask more, but there was no time.

"Got it."

"Then I'll be taking my leave."

With that, Jade vanished in an instant.

For him, accompanying me this far was more than enough to show loyalty.

'I'll have to repay him properly someday.'

When something is given, it should be repaid.

Gazing a moment longer in Jade's direction, I broke into a run toward the epicenter of the explosions.