Flash (4)

Aster stared for a moment at the sword revealed before him.

Nimue, the Lady of the Lake, known among users as the Lake Witch, wore a proud expression.

“There’s no need to be surprised. Frondier didn’t mention your name directly.”

Frondier hadn’t directly mentioned Aster’s name to Nimue and Merlin. He simply said they would know when they saw him.

He had intentionally concealed Aster’s name. He wanted their eyes to determine if Aster was worthy.

“And you’ve proven yourself.”

Nimue said.

“When everyone was trembling in fear, you showed strong will with your own strength. A hero is a being who inspires hope in humans. You have that qualification.”

Whether he was listening to Nimue or not, Aster silently looked at the sword.

Nimue was satisfied with his appearance, even though he didn’t seem to be listening to her words.

‘Hehe, his gaze is completely captivated by the sword.’

The ultimate treasure that all swordsmen in the Falind continent yearn for.

What Nimue handed over was worth that much.

Excalibur∙Beta

• Rank: Legendary

• Description: The second sword King Arthur received from the Lady of the Lake. If the sword stuck in the rock determines the qualities of a hero, this sword proves that the hero is complete. It is the closest weapon to divinity among the hero's weapons.

Detailed Abilities >

- Lake's Legacy: By giving this sword to King Arthur, the Lady of the Lake declared him a hero. The wielder of this sword shares Mana with the lake. As long as the lake does not dry up, the wielder's Mana will never run out.

“Consider it an honor. You may be the last to wield this sword again.”

Aster accepted Excalibur and stared at it blankly.

He checked the horizontal balance, examined the blade, and gripped the hilt.

And then he said.

“It’s a good sword.”

“……Huh?”

Nimue asked back awkwardly at his words.

Aster’s all too obvious statement caused a moment of anxiety to wash over Nimue.

“It looks very sturdy. The blade is very sharp.”

“Huh? Wait, hold on.”

Something felt off about Aster’s words.

Meanwhile, the minotaurs swept away by the waves reappeared. They had been pushed back by Nimue’s magic, but they didn’t seem to have taken much damage.

Aster confirmed this and passed Nimue to face the minotaurs.

“If it’s a sword this good…”

Aster raised the sword and took a middle stance.

Seeing this, Nimue spoke in disbelief.

“Hey, don’t tell me you don’t know what this sword is…”

Shhh!

In an instant, Aster cut through the midst of the minotaurs.

The bulls, thinking Aster would unleash ‘One Flash’, raised their weapons and solidified their defenses.

However, despite reaching them at such speed, the blow was not delivered.

The minotaurs’ greatest fear at the moment was ‘One Flash’.

Knowing this better than anyone, Aster deliberately refrained from using it.

...More than anything, Aster didn’t even know what this sword was, so he was worried about his remaining Mana.

In the brief moment the bulls’ bodies stiffened, Aster widened the blade horizontally from their center.

‘Earlier, I was nervous about the sword breaking with every swing.’

When he had cut down one bull with the first ‘One Flash’, Aster felt that their bodies were quite tough.

Carelessly swung blows would only damage the blade.

Even with such care, the sword eventually broke.

But this sword was clearly a masterpiece at first glance.

Therefore.

“Even if I swing it a little roughly…”

It wouldn’t break, right?

Evans Family Swordsmanship

Rotating Slash

Aster used his foot as an axis and swung the sword in a full circle.

No matter how well this technique was executed, it was impossible to maintain a firm center, so a perfectly clean sword path could not be drawn.

However.

Slice—

“Huh?”

The minotaurs’ legs were severed. The sword seemed to pass through all the obstacles blocking its path.

Calves and shins, muscle tendons were severed or bones were broken, and one unlucky one had a whole leg blown off.

Aster, who had used the technique, was surprised.

Uwaaaaah!!

The bulls rampaged. When his original sword passed beneath them, it had been painful but bearable.

But not this time. As much as the sword passed through, it was all cut off. Those who had lost their legs entirely, as well as those whose tendons were severed, lost their posture and fell to their knees.

The bulls’ heads lowered to the height where Aster’s sword could reach.

And once again, a Rotating Slash.

Thud!

Thump!

This time, necks and faces were blown off, and the minotaurs’ terrifying heads fell, separated from their bodies.

With just two sword strikes, exactly five minotaurs were dead.

“Wow.”

Aster let out a dry exclamation. He looked at Nimue.

‘This sword really is a good sword!’ Aster was shouting with his eyes.

Nimue read his meaning exactly and…

“…….”

Her eyes narrowed into a very displeased expression.

***

Belphegor was still seated in his chair, receiving reports.

The war situation was not good. The barriers were not being breached as easily as expected. No one from Manggot had yet crossed the barriers.

The Tyburn side, in particular, had inflicted almost no damage on the Empire.

“Wouldn’t it be better to infiltrate personnel even if it means forcing it? If even one person crosses the barrier, we can soon invade from that side using Shadow Transfer.”

Hagley offered his advice. Belphegor sighed in response.

“I would do so if I could.”

“Why not…”

“Don’t assume all the Manggot folks are as rational as you. This war may seem like it’s fueled by Manggot’s thirst for revenge, but greed fills its undercurrent.”

“...Does that mean Manggot won’t cross just any barrier?”

“That’s right. At least all the Shepherds think so.”

Manggot’s Shadow Transfer wasn’t something everyone could use.

To be precise, most could use the transfer itself, but connecting with each other to utilize it was difficult.

Since not just anyone could make that connection, important decisions ultimately fell to the few who could.

It was literally a small number, with only the Shepherds of Manggot and Hagley, leaving few others. At least among Hagley’s successors, Selena was the only one.

Even Selena had to get Hagley’s permission to connect a new shadow.

‘I was prepared for death, but not a dog’s death…’

Manggot was the Empire’s inferno.

This was both a fear for the Empire and a shackle for Manggot.

Manggot had to become an inferno.

An inferno that would destroy the Empire’s most critical foundation and burn the entire Empire.

Everyone in Manggot wanted their death to be like that.

‘And someone is reading that intention.’

The current barrier deployment situation could only be seen that way.

The Empire wasn’t blocking all the barriers. They were boldly abandoning what needed to be abandoned, even while knowing the threat of Manggot’s Shadow Transfer.

In other words, someone who had set up this deployment had seen through Manggot’s ‘greed’.

“The preparation is excessively thorough.”

Belphegor muttered quietly.

Was this truly Osprey’s intention?

Could the wisdom of a human called a sage really see this far?

As if he had known something from the beginning.

“The Shepherds will understand the intention. Let’s contact them now and…”

“No, it’s fine.”

Belphegor shook his head at Hagley’s words.

“I don’t want to bend the Shepherds’ will now. That would break their morale and lose the original purpose of being an ‘inferno’. I don’t want to miss the big picture by trying to gain small benefits.”

“Are you sure?”

“Right now, the Empire’s morale seems high. That’s how ‘sieges’ are. The side trying to break through the walls starts from a disadvantageous position.”

Belphegor leaned back in his chair as if lying down.

“But the Empire is vast.”

“…….”

“Unlike the Empire, which has to defend all the barriers, we only need to break through one.”

The Empire’s personnel deployment, as Belphegor had confirmed, was quite exquisite and appropriate, but overall, it was slightly lacking in manpower.

In other words, just like Manggot, the Empire also had greed. The greed of not wanting to give up any territory. Belphegor read that in the Empire’s personnel deployment.

“No matter how high the morale is, reality alone is not enough.”

No matter how much one dreamed of ideals, it was not realistic to defend the entire Empire.

“What will you do when that time comes? Strategist of the Empire.”