Chapter 93: The Holy Sword and the Oath (9)
“This way... I felt like I’d regret it otherwise.”
As she spoke those words, the man before her began to walk toward Rubia slowly.
“Foolish. From now on, you will bitterly regret the decision you’ve made until the end of your days.”
At that declaration, her legs began trembling uncontrollably.
Because she knew.
She knew those words were true.
What awaited her future was clear.
Horrific torture.
Pain so unbearable that she’d beg for death.
And it would persist until she revealed the information they sought.
But Rubia had no intention of divulging any information. That much was certain. The torture would continue until her mind was utterly shattered.
‘There’s... no hope for rescue, is there?’
Perhaps the captain would co to save her.
Perhaps, as always, he would appear and resolve everything.
To say she hadn’t even entertained such a thought would be a lie.
But the miraculous descent of the holy sword from the heavens to strike down the man before her did not occur.
And that, perhaps, was to be expected.
Even the captain couldn’t wield such divine power consecutively.
After all, a divine entity’s intervention in the mortal world was an extraordinary act. It was better not to pin her hopes on such help.
“I’ll ask you one last ti. Are you truly certain you won’t regret your choice?”
The overwhelming bloodlust emanating from the man poured over Rubia as he asked.
After a brief hesitation, Rubia answered.
“If you guarantee my life, I might be willing to make so compromises.”
It was a calm and deliberate lie.
Taking a step back, Rubia quietly prepared her final move.
She guessed that the man didn’t want to complicate matters, given his question. She expected him to respond sowhat positively.
However, the man’s expression remained dark and unmoved.
Without even glancing back, he swung his sword.
The artifact Rubia had secretly directed behind him collided fiercely with his blade.
The sharp sound of clashing tal echoed.
But the stalemate didn’t last even 0.1 seconds.
The artifact, a treasure passed to her by the captain during the Black Market incident—imbued with mystic energy and moving according to her will—was utterly ineffective.
The cut was so clean it bordered on artistry.
The artifact Rubia had been secretly controlling split cleanly into two in an instant.
“It seems your decision is firm after all.”
As he spoke, the man continued advancing toward her.
Whether he had detected her lie, sensed the artifact’s energy, or both, it wasn’t clear.
But one thing was certain…
“Since you’ve made your choice, you must also accept the consequences.”
The future awaiting her didn’t seem very bright.
*****
Sothing Was Going Terribly Wrong
The shattered gates of the ruined mansion.
The remains of a guard golem, broken into countless pieces.
The mont I saw the clean, precise cuts on the fragnts, I understood.
Who could possibly have the skill to do this?
And among those who could, how many would dare trespass into this mansion uninvited?
…It was the Empire.
Soone from the Empire had co here.
And not just anyone—a formidable opponent.
‘Balzac? Heinrich? Or Carl?’
I wasn’t sure which of the three it was, but judging by the oppressive aura and the devastation before , one thing was certain: the intruder who had entered this mansion had reached the level of a Swordmaster.
A transcendent being.
A force so powerful they could rival a nation on their own—a monstrous figure that the Empire counted among its greatest assets.
And of all tis, such a creature had co when Miss Rubia was alone in the mansion.
‘…So that’s why I had a nagging feeling I should return quickly.’
Bad premonitions never failed.
The earrings that were usually so useless, my instincts that often led astray—why did they have to be accurate now, of all tis?
Cold sweat trickled down my back.
It was almost certain that a Swordmaster from the Empire had co to this mansion.
Miss Rubia’s life was in danger.
Unlike others, she had no ans to defend herself. She couldn’t possibly withstand soone of a Swordmaster’s caliber.
Running away wasn’t even an option for her.
…Given the situation, there was only one thing I could do.
Suppressing my presence, I quickly entered the mansion.
The powerful aura was palpable, even from this distance.
Though my body trembled from suppressing my mana to avoid detection, I didn’t have the luxury to worry about that.
Silently, I moved toward the source of the aura.
Eventually, I reached Miss Rubia’s office.
From the aura emanating inside, it was likely where the intruder was.
Cautiously, I peeked through the slightly open door.
And what I saw made my heart sink.
Miss Rubia was in a pitiful state.
She was tied up, her face pale and weary. A blue liquid coursed through her veins.
I recognized it imdiately.
It was the torture serum used by the Empire.
Among the various substances employed to extract confessions from criminals, this was the most malicious. It utterly ravaged a person’s mind.
The man was injecting it into Rubia.
“……”
For a fleeting mont, Rubia’s eyes t mine.
The instant she saw , hope flickered in her gaze.
But it didn’t last.
She said nothing. She didn’t scream for help or beg to save her.
Miss Rubia, who was usually so easily frightened, forced herself to feign indifference.
She closed her eyes.
Even after realizing I was there, she shut her eyes and shook her head.
What did that an?
It was all too clear.
She was telling to turn away.
She was saying that abandoning her was the right decision.
Normally, she always appeared clumsy and unguarded.
But at her core, she was an exceptional businesswoman.
Soone who could calmly calculate risks and rewards in any situation.
And now, she had made a decision.
A perfectly rational and justified decision.
‘If I step in now…’
Could I win?
I couldn’t even guarantee that.
And that wasn’t the only problem.
What if the enemy used a recording transmission spell during the fight to report to their superiors?
What if soone witnessed the battle, and the Empire discovered my identity?
The massive force of the Empire would co for with everything they had. Not only would I fail to stop the impending destruction, but I would struggle to preserve my own life.
In all likelihood, the world’s destruction would proceed as foreseen.
So Miss Rubia’s judgnt was correct.
If I wanted to survive, the best choice here was to flee.
For the sake of the future, abandoning Miss Rubia and escaping was the logical course of action.
After all, the weight of one person’s life could never compare to the weight of an entire world.
But.
Even so.
I didn’t want to do it.
I couldn’t accept it.
I didn’t want to make such a choice, no matter how rational it seed.
…The vibration of the holy sword in my hand reached .
It was asking .
What would I swear upon it?
What conviction would guide forward?
The previous wielder had sworn never to break before the holy sword.
Yet sohow, that vow had been broken. And because of that, the unbreakable holy sword had been shattered.
So, what should I swear?
The answer was already decided, without the need for contemplation.
I stood up.
And at that mont, a ssage appeared before .
Run away.
Unlike usual, the words were intact and unmarred, as if every ounce of their strength had been mustered for this desperate plea.
Even so.
I ignored the ssage and took a step forward.
Without concealing my presence.
Naturally, the man before noticed. His murderous intent bore down upon .
An overwhelming aura.
The Empire’s Swordmaster turned his gaze to .
It’s not too late yet. Saving everyone is impossible. For survival, you must sacrifice sothing. Please, run away.
The ssage reappeared, but I dismissed it from my sight without hesitation.
‘You can’t save anything without losing sothing, huh…’
Indeed.
The ssage was likely stating the obvious truth.
This was an inefficient choice.
It could very well render everything I’d worked for aningless.
The classic mistake of refusing to let go of anything, only to lose everything.
‘But so what?’
Betraying, using, and abandoning others.
Even forsaking those dearest to to ensure my survival would undoubtedly increase my chances of staying alive.
But is that a life worth living?
Would I feel pride in surviving like that?
Could I truly laugh and celebrate the fact that I’d made it through?
No.
Never.
So, my path was already determined.
“I swear upon the holy sword.”
Even if it was a perilous road.
Even if it was a foolish choice.
“I will not give up on anything.”
I would not abandon anyone.
I would save everyone I could and protect all those I could reach.
“I will reach the end without losing anything.”
…And with those words, a pure white light engulfed the world.
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