“My apologies! You may pass now!”
The imperial border guard, who had blatantly demanded bribes and even struck from behind when posing as peddlers, stiffened and saluted.
Despite the flags and the knights’ armor clearly marking them as nobles from another country, they treated them with the respect due to their own superior officers.
All this was due to the emblem of the golden dragon embossed on the invitation extended by Logan.
“Is the verification complete?”
“Yes! The authenticity has been confirmed. We apologize for the delay.”
The attitude of the imperial high knights was excessively polite, and the same could be said for the other knights who appeared to be their subordinates.
With all the knights bowing their heads, the soldiers standing rigidly behind them almost looked pitiful.
Their only fault was stopping a suspicious armed group of 20, clearly foreign knights at that.
‘Is there such a disparity in treatment?’During the time of the independence army, or even during his recent visit due to Krauwn, the imperial border guards were unbearably arrogant.
Of course, it would be strange if the way they treated a mere peddler and a national envoy were the same. Nevertheless, their attitude seemed excessive.
“With just this…”
The invitation fluttered in Logan’s hand.
Beneath his gesture, the knights’ eyes darted about busily.
The sight of them reacting to a piece of paper with the imperial emblem was both amusing and sent a chill through him.
A ruler who can make border soldiers play dead at the sight of an invitation…
Memories of the one who invited him drilled back into his mind.
‘The Emperor…’
Siegfried von Sainz the Third.
The Emperor who conquered Asman, the western powerhouse, and expanded the empire’s territory by one-third upon ascending to the throne.
And if things went as in his previous life, in five years, he would completely subdue Grandia and the small kingdoms to the east, becoming one of the most renowned conquerors in the history of the Ares Empire.
Even after he completely conquered the Eastern Continent and passed on the throne, he continued to be called the Regent, exerting immense influence over the empire.
‘He’s searching for me… but why?’
Ever since he first heard the words, he had pondered, but now it seemed there was only one likely reason.
‘It’s probably because of a weapon.’
Among them, the repeating crossbow.
The repeating crossbow had originally been a weapon introduced by the empire during the conquest war against Grandia and could already be in development at this time.
Is there someone in the neighboring country who has used a weapon they are developing?
He himself would be curious about such a person.
‘Well, I’d say I made it first.’
What can be done if I created it first?
It was unlikely that the Emperor who personally sent an invitation would do anything to him right away.
Even if it wasn’t for this reason, his stance had to remain the same.
‘Retain maximum courtesy, but seem to know nothing.’
It would be better to be dismissed by the Emperor of the empire rather than receive high praise.
With these thoughts in order.
“My liege, we should depart now.”
Perhaps he was lost in thought for too long, Victor approached him and urged his departure.
“Ah… Right, we should go.”
If the reason wasn’t as he had thought, then he’d find out by encountering it himself.
Meeting the Emperor in person and understanding his true intentions would help in planning his future moves.
Flap.
At the sound of the horse’s hooves, Logan cleared his mind and started galloping westward once again.
* * *
Since the schedule was tight, the party’s rush continued throughout the day.
When night fell and it was time to camp, Logan repeated sword training and meditation.
Although he could feel the eyes of the surrounding knights on him, there was nothing better than practice to soothe an uneasy mind.
Expectations and worries about the Emperor and the problems that might arise in his domain or kingdom while he was away.
Those complex thoughts seemed to melt away with every swing of his sword.
“My liege, may I request a sparring session?”
“Certainly.”
It was even better if the knights could learn something by watching him.
Logan gladly accepted Victor’s request for sparring.
‘This situation and still training… Logan McLaine is truly impressive.’
Luther Kyle, leaning against a tree and watching the clearing, had a complicated look in his eyes.
‘He’s on his way to meet the Emperor and he’s not even nervous.’
While others would likely lose sleep, this red-headed braggart hadn’t shown any change through several days of traveling.
Though Luther knew well of the formidable strength that belied his young age…
‘It must mean he is a man of great capacity. Truly befitting the title of a hero.’
Luther smiled bitterly.
While he was impressed, there was also a tinge of bitterness.
The hero had climbed up on a pedestal that was once his.
Demoted in title, half his domain confiscated, and bound to the Espérance Knights under the Sword Saint, he had lost his freedom – all because of Logan.
Frankly, it would be a lie to say he held no resentment.
But…
‘It’s my karma. It’s just that I’m still narrow-minded and want to blame others.’
A self-deprecating chuckle escaped him.
“I allowed myself to be swept up” and waged war.
Though this had been the nominal reason for his merciful punishment, he knew very well it wasn’t true.
His own greed had played a part.
Striving for more than his abilities could grasp, he had fallen from grace. There was no point in attaching pathetic excuses.
He was just grateful that even so, he was still alive and his direct family remained safe.
As he calmed his spirit, the face of the man who had subdued and defeated him—and simultaneously allowed him to receive such merciful treatment—came to mind.
“I wish you would help my disciple. It’s not an obligation, of course. After observing, if you deem him worthy…”
Wracked with mixed feelings of love and hate towards that wizened face, Luther chuckled again.
‘I’m not sure yet, Sword Saint. But just going with the flow isn’t exactly to my taste.’
Luther stood up as soon as he made his decision.
Then he yelled toward the young hero, full of youth and promise.
“Hey, brat. How about sparring with me instead of him?”
The clearing fell silent for a moment.
Amidst all the eyes of the party on him, the giant smiled broadly.
“You’re always welcome.”
Logan’s words brought a smile to Luther.
Truthfully, at a time when he was just beginning to grasp the aura, the feeling was delicate—elusive, just out of reach.
In such a situation, sparring with a superhuman felt like rain after a long drought.
“But I don’t know how to go easy in a spar. My combat style doesn’t even show 30 percent of real skill if I do. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”
“Give it your all. You seem to have forgotten, but even the Wiken Duke couldn’t beat me.”
Faced with those words, Luther Kyle’s expression hardened slightly.
“…I think it’s time to show you how different I am from that bag of bones.”
With a vicious smile, the superhuman unsheathed a warhammer as large as an adult man and wielded it.
He looked ready to rush forward at any moment, wielding his Warlord hammer; however, the giant, after looking around, frowned irksomely instead.
“Hmm… wouldn’t want to wreck the camp we’ve so painstakingly set up. Let’s move locations.”
Disappointing the knights who had been eager for the spar with an unexpectedly considerate remark, Luther watched as Logan followed him with a slight chuckle.
Thump.
“Come on.”
A wide clearing in the forest, slightly away from the campsite.
As Luthor assumed his stance, a menacing aura emanated from him, amplifying the already massive presence of his gigantic frame.
“Then, I won’t hold back.”
Logan let that imposing pressure wash over him without resistance and charged straight towards Luther.
To the onlookers, it seemed as if Logan had magically made the distance between his starting point and target disappear.
Luther caught a glimpse of a familiar figure in Logan’s eerily ghost-like movement.
‘The Sword Saint!’
As he gritted his teeth, his warhammer swept horizontally, cleaving the air in front of him.
Boom!
The intense strike seemed capable of bursting the very air, yet its target was long gone, and a golden light surged from Logan’s sword, his Snake Blade coiling to strike Luther’s neck.
‘Behind me!’
Ignoring the incoming attack, Luther swung his hammer backward with all his might.
Crash!
The intense sound of the impact echoed, but again, there was no sensation of contact in Luther’s hands; his strike had missed while the enemy’s blade had precisely targeted his vital spot.
He had lost in the tactical opening move.
‘…This could be embarrassing if I’m not careful.’
Surprised by the even greater speed difference than he had anticipated, Luther’s face grew stern, mirroring Logan’s expression.
“Using the aura over your entire body, that’s cheating, isn’t it?”
His planned Snake Blade, confident to strike Luther’s vital spot, had been repelled without leaving a scratch, and the enemy’s strike felt like it could ferry him straight to the afterlife.
“Hmph. Envious? Then use aura yourself.”
Wrapped in an ominous red light, Luther retorted casually as he brandished his warhammer once again.
Just one exchange was enough to confirm that his opponent was faster.
‘Even though I’m on the slower side, that’s something you say to someone at the superhuman level.’
While Luther found Logan’s inexplicably swift actions to be ridiculous, he also had his own ways to counter them.
Having spent a lifetime competing against rivals who targeted his weakness with similar methods, Luther was no amateur.
“Come at me!”
The warhammer descended like lightning, but as it swung down, his target had already vanished again.
Simultaneously sensing a sword strike aiming for his flank, Luther didn’t flinch but put more strength into his downward strike.
Boom!
Logan, who had skirted around to aim for Luther’s flank and attempted to strike from behind, lost his balance momentarily due to the shaking ground.
However, in that short instant, Luther’s warhammer reversed and fell once again toward his head.
‘Ugh!’
Barely dodging, Logan invigorated his Pegasus Boots and pushed off the air, accelerating to escape the massive clump of red aura bearing down on him.
Boom!
The aftereffects of the exploding air sent tingling sensations through his entire body; retreating backward, Logan saw Luther evaporating the sweat on his skin as steam rose from his heated form.
“Did you intentionally vary the speed of your strikes?”
“If you’re slow, you learn to disrupt timing. Once you get used to it, it’s hard not to fall for it.”
“…Interesting.”
“Yeah. But I bet you won’t find it so amusing?”
“No. I think I will. I have some moves of my own.”
“What?”
At that moment of Luther’s puzzled look, the Force Blade on Logan’s treasured Lux began to concentrate on the tip of the blade.
Suddenly, the golden light, which had been somber, blazed brightly in an auspicious manner.
“…Aura?! You couldn’t possibly…”
“I’ll take this opportunity to learn from you properly, Luther.”
Luther’s eyes widened in surprise, while Logan, with sweat on his brow and a pale smile, swung his sword.