“……?”
Zion and Enrite stopped in their tracks, puzzled. They hadn't yet demanded anything from Oz; they had only clarified his situation and explained their stance.
"Duke Ternein's family won't permit this."
"I'll handle it. I'll fight for the order, and I hope you'll forget about the past."
"Even if you renounce your family, we can't just let you join. Duke Ternein's family will oppose it."
"I'm not asking you to trust me right away. Just give me a chance to prove myself."
Zion hesitated, deep in thought. If Oz could truly distance himself from Duke Ternein, they could avoid causing a scandal by admitting him into the order. Perhaps they could temporarily entrust Oz to the Sylase Order, with Enrite's oversight.
‘It’s a good plan, but I'm not sure it will work.’
Zion pondered, glancing at Enrite, who nodded. They left the room to discuss further.
"We can't get involved, Hanette and I. If a conflict arises between the Dukes, the palace will find it difficult to manage."
"I understand. It's better if our order takes him in."
"It might not go as planned. Are you okay with that?"
"...Don't worry. I have a plan."
Zion already knew what Enrite was thinking. With the title of Setinos Quasar, the position of Cardinal in the Kinesien Sacred Sect, and as the knight who vanquished the Shadow Dragon, Enrite commanded respect even from the king. Duke Ternein wouldn't easily challenge his authority.
‘Two Magic Swords remain.’
The Ice Magic Sword Ferndira and the Earth Magic Sword Gerganver. The third princess would eventually claim the Ice Magic Sword, and Keramion currently held the Earth Magic Sword. While the princess would come in due time, Keramion would have to be defeated to reclaim the Earth Magic Sword.
‘Is this the right path?’
Even in the original story, the seven Magic Swords never came together. The Wind and Earth Magic Swords never found their rightful owners, and the protagonist rejected the Dark Magic Sword. Only four Magic Swords were used against the Three Great Kings and the Four Calamities.
‘There’s a chance the Demon God might be resurrected.’
Enrite suspected that the human form created by La Bler was the Demon God. If that was true, then the Demon God had survived all this time and created the artificial Magic Swords. He would undoubtedly use the remaining artificial Magic Swords to threaten the Magic Sword users and the Alain Kingdom.
‘The Demon God is stronger than the Three Great Kings...’
The Demon God was the source of the Three Great Kings and had once ruled the continent. Humans alone couldn’t oppose him, and only a dragon could fight him on equal terms. If the Demon God revived, they would need to use the Light and Dark Magic Swords as they did before.
‘We achieved resonance back then.’
He and Enrite had recreated a near-ultimate power. It was imperfect and a chance phenomenon, but it showed the potential of what they could achieve.
‘Since Exceed Rain and Brecht resonated, maybe Brecht and El Tesoykve can too…’
“However... I don’t know if we can trust him. He attacked us to become stronger, didn’t he? Even if we send him to Duke Ternein, he might act differently.”
"He chose an easy path because he couldn't handle it alone. He’s sincere about joining the order."
Oz Ternein had a strong desire to grow stronger and had admired Hanette. In the original story, he joined the Sylase Order as a beast hunter. However, due to the different circumstances now, they couldn’t fully trust him.
"Even if I'm wrong, there’s nothing we can do now. What happens if we send him back to Duke Ternein?"
“…He might escape or take his own life.”
"That's one possibility, but Oz Ternein would also lose trust in us. If we let him go now, we can bring him back later."
Enrite nodded, looking towards the room. They needed allies, and losing trust was worse than waiting for another opportunity.
"I'll keep the Wind Magic Sword."
“Yes, he hasn't bonded with it yet, so he can't take it.”
The Wind Magic Sword would be a way to bring Oz Ternein back. If he truly repented and joined the order, he would get the Wind Magic Sword. If he lied, they would keep it.
'There's a lot to consider. Now I need to get Gerganver from the King of the Abyss...'
Karonbellaz Continent, Fortress of the King of the Abyss.
King Keramion of the Abyss rejoiced to see the Earth Magic Sword Gerganver return. It was his most cherished treasure and powerful weapon. Though he wasn't its rightful owner, he could wield its power through sheer magical force.
‘I didn’t kill that guy, but I got the Magic Sword back, so it’s fine.’
Keramion raised his left arm while seated on his throne, resting his chin on his left hand as a blue glow emanated from his eyes. With the Earth Magic Sword back, it was time to proceed with his plans.
'There are strong humans. If I could control them as undead, my order would grow even stronger.'
While other beasts couldn't be controlled, undead could. Weak beasts were useless, and strong beasts wouldn’t submit. Killing strong humans and raising them as undead was a better strategy.
'With more troops, I can expand my territory.'
Though he had established a domain around his fortress, it was still overrun with beasts. Constant skirmishes with beasts made maintaining order difficult. Occasionally, strong beasts would appear, forcing him to deploy his knights or personally decimate the area.
Expanding his territory and increasing his forces was the only sustainable strategy.
'I want to build a new fortress in human lands...'
This was his ultimate goal, a dream he had held for a long time. Humans had built civilizations and large groups, establishing front lines to fend off beast invasions. In ancient times, beasts had threatened humans, but now they couldn't even breach the walls. Only beings like him, the Kings, or the Four Calamities, could challenge human lands.
‘The human king is strong, and his subordinates aren’t to be underestimated.’
Keramion had invaded the Alain Kingdom with his undead order over a decade ago. He had faced the king of Alain Kingdom and thought he could quickly end the battle. However, he found himself pushed back, with his undead knights also holding their ground.
‘One of the dragons is dead.’
Keramion was aware that the Shadow Dragon, Grosiran, had been killed. The Four Calamities were formidable opponents, and the Shadow Dragon was elusive, making it difficult to track. While the dragon had initially invaded human lands, its complete demise raised questions.
‘I could be defeated.’
Keramion had utmost faith in himself and his forces, but he wasn’t complacent. He had experienced human resilience and seen one of the Four Calamities fall. However, he had prepared extensively since then and wouldn't fall easily.
‘I have the Magic Sword.’
He hadn't possessed the Earth Magic Sword during his last invasion, and humans had fiercely resisted, pushing back his forces. Since then, mastering the Earth Magic Sword had elevated him, and he had strengthened his undead order.
This time, he was confident in defeating the king of Alain Kingdom.
‘Human bodies weaken over time. He must have grown weaker too.’
Though neither humans nor beasts could escape time’s effects, he was one of the Three Great Kings. His potent and resilient magic allowed him to withstand time’s ravages.
‘But I should consider other humans.’
Like himself, a ruler commanding many wouldn’t easily take to the field. Generally, forces were deployed strategically, with responses tailored to specific situations. The humans who defeated the Shadow Dragon were likely others, indicating that more strong individuals had emerged over the years.
‘I didn’t have much time. Only a few could become truly strong.’
Considering military strategy, there wasn't much difference between humans and beasts. While there were distinctions, the ones who could grow stronger were limited. Humans’ higher intelligence allowed them to quickly unite and effectively counter beast invasions.
‘They might have acquired Magic Swords.’
Magic Swords held unique attributes and powers, accessible only to qualified individuals. If humans wielded Magic Swords, it wouldn’t be difficult to face the Shadow Dragon.
‘But… I can’t wait any longer. The time is ripe.’
Keramion rose from his throne, reaching out to Gerganver. The sword initially resisted his magic but soon submitted. Even without rightful ownership, overwhelming force could subdue the Magic Sword.
‘This time, I’ll surely breach their walls.’
At Duke Adelaira's estate, in Zion's room.
Hanette was still dissatisfied with the decision made back then. She couldn’t trust Oz Ternein and couldn’t predict what actions he might take. Despite his ability to wield a Magic Sword, was it safe to let him go without any countermeasures?
“I really don’t get it. Why did you do that?”
“I discussed it with Cardinal Serenine. This is the right thing to do.”
“Right? He attacked us! He’s the Duke Ternein’s daughter! We could have just handed him over. Why…”
Hanette trailed off, filled with regret. She should have used magic to prevent it. If she had called the guards or security, it might have been resolved more easily.
“He ran away from his family. What if he dies after being sent back?”
“Whether he lives or dies is his problem! One wrong word and we’ll be the ones in trouble!”
“Don’t worry. Because of the Magic Sword, he won't do anything rash.”
“Ha… He might throw away the
Magic Sword. He could have lied to us!”
“Sis, we have Setinos Quasar with us. And we won’t blindly trust Oz Ternein either.”
“Okay, be honest. Are you interested in him?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Did you fall for Oz Ternein? Does he seem so pretty to you?”