Sword Pilgrim

“For Lactus!!”

Swords and spears clashed.

The cold air under the calm moonlight was suddenly burning with rivers of hot blood and serrated flesh.

Some screamed, others bellowed in joy.

The royal castle that’d been pierced through by the giant spears –

Was burning with a blaze of light.

The imperial forces appeared there.

The blood of the defending soldiers sprayed over the burning castle walls.

“Sir Callius!! We have to run!”

It was Allen.

Callius silently looked at Allen’s screaming form.

Seeing his calm face, Allen asked with a bewildered expression –

“Are you going to fight?”

Half of Carpe had revolted, and the empire was taking advantage.

Things were not ideal, to say the least.

Anyone would choose to flee in such a situation.

But –

Callius wasn’t just anyone.

“When am I going to fight, if not now?”

Callius closed his eyes and listened to the noise of the battlefield.

The sound of footsteps running away.

As well as the sound of footsteps charging towards the enemy.

Screams of pain and loss.

As well as joyous laughter.

All those sounds rang inside his ears.

Closing his eyes to block out the dizzying sights, he could hear everything.

The scene became clear in his mind’s eye.

The ones laughing had to be killed first.

Step.

Callius plunged into the battlefield.

The landscape blurred before his sudden burst of acceleration.

And at the same time, he drew his sword.

“!”

The enemy commander, who’d been wholeheartedly slaughtering the kingdom's soldiers, burst out with an insidious yet astonished laugh.

"Come on then!"

A straight line punched through the mass of troops.

Callius, whose charge was like that of a loosed arrow, swung his sword.

Swoooosh.

A single heavy sword stroke swung with all his heart, pounced upon the enemy imperial commander like a tidal wave smashing against a rocky shore.

Craaaaaack!!

Slaaaaaash!!

“Uugh!”

“Aaaaaah!!”

A single blow.

It made all the onlookers freeze. The imperial commander, who’d been unilaterally slaughtering the soldiers of the kingdom, was killed with just one blow.

Callius, the cause of such a sudden reversal, had a calm expression on his face, but as he gave orders to the soldiers a little note of urgency crept into his voice.

“The queen's in danger. I’m going straight to her, so you all, also have to fight.”

About to leave, he stopped for a moment and looked at the soldiers.

“…”

“…”

The empire’s invasion had coincided with a sudden internal rebellion. The soldiers were naturally low on morale. So Callius tacked on a sentence.

“For Carpe.”

Allen, immediately realizing the issue, rallied with a loud shout.

“For the honour of Carpe!!”

Even the frozen soldiers couldn’t fail to understand what he meant.

Soon, more shouts began to resound.

“For Carpe!!”

“For Valtherus!!”

“Waaaaaaaaaaagh!!”

With the slogans of his allies ringing over the battlefield –

Callius ran towards the queen’s position.

Craaaaaackkk, slaaash!!

A mound of enemy corpses.

The man seated above it looked at the traitor bearing a spear in front of him.

"Please open the door."

“You know I can’t.”

“Gerald of Judgment. You aren’t going to live up to that name today.”

“For the archbishop of the Order to sell the country to the empire! What the hell have you done?”

The one leading the imperial forces in front of him –

A traitor who’d once been called the archbishop of the Order of Valtherus, stood there.

"I've never been a Carpe loyalist. I just served my mother, and served Valtherus. If you say I’ve sinned, then I have only betrayed God, not sold out my country.”

“Sophistry!”

“Even if it’s sophistry, you’ll just have to accept it. There’s nothing Carpe can do about it anymore.”

Contrary to his calm look, the archbishop's heart was boiling inside his chest.

Because despite his long and meticulous preparations, he’d faced obstacles that were beyond imagination.

‘The rebellion’s a mess.'

It might’ve looked flashy, but in reality, it had no substance[1].

Because more than half of the major nobles who were his accomplices had been neutralised, and as a result there was a severe lack of coordination. As long as the central authority preserved its power, the rebellion would be suppressed in less than a week.

‘Only five Grand Spears of Gollus activated.'

For some reason, three pieces had failed to trigger.

No one could’ve known of the locations of those relics.

It was as if some of the relics of Lactus didn’t function properly because of Valtherus' protection.

‘But how’s that going to save Carpe?'

His mother was dead.

There was no hope left for Carpe.

“What have you done?”

“I borrowed the imperial troops using their relics. I also lured some foolish nobles into starting a revolt.”

"Those fools…”

“They’re smarter than you. They’ve suffered enough that they aren’t trying to fix this crumbling country back up anymore.”

Gerald of Judgment grabbed his sword hard enough to make it creak.

Alhamtra had always considered him a man obsessed with power, but it looked like he was a patriot at heart.

“Carpe is already done for.”

And the same went for Valtherus.

“It’ll sink into the river of history, and disappear.”

Archbishop Alhamtra –

No, the imperial agent, Alhamtra, raised his sword.

And slammed it against the blade of his spear.

Claaang-!!

Half the sword snapped off at once.

Crack-thud-craaaash!!

At that moment, a golden leonine form clad in plate armour broke through the walls.

A lion with a swaying golden mane.

The leader of the Golden Lion Knights –

Ruen von Ruydren.

“Sir Gerald! Are you alright!”

“I’m fine.”

Ruen cried out as he looked his ally’s condition, which didn't look very good.

There was blood on his side, and he was covered in bruises.

“The queen…”

“She’s inside. Victor is protecting her, so there's nothing to worry about."

The kingdom's greatest protector, the Guardian Sword, Victor, was by her side.

That was reassuring news.

The Golden Lion’s appearance made Alhamtra's forehead furrow. As if he couldn't help it, he looked back and called out.

“I don’t have the time to spare.”

“I know.”

Gerald's age-white eyebrows rose at the hoarse voice of the man who walked in from the darkness.

“Gerald, long time no see.”

“Paceton! How could you…”

Gerald's face twisted.

He felt a sense of disappointment.

The third best spear of the empire. ‘Spear Freak’[2] Paceton.

He, who’d always boasted that he’d never been defeated by a swordsman, pointed his spear at the opponent who’d first scored a draw against him.

“You’re here, how could I stay away? Don’t we have unfinished business?"

“… We should’ve met each other on an honourable battlefield.”

“I have my spear and you have your sword. Wherever we meet, is a battlefield.”

Paceton’s form disappeared.

Claaang!

A sword and a spear crashed into each other, and a great turbulence stirred the sky.

It was hard to believe that this was the result of two decrepit veterans clashing.

The tremor left the walls rumbling in its wake.

Just from the collision of two weapons.

This was the power of Masters! The Golden Lion gulped unconsciously at the sight.

“Gerald. I feel sorry for you, but what else can I do? This too is the will of God.”

“Lactus’ will ever opposes Valtherus. But your God’s will won’t come true today.”

"Impossible."

Both of them exhaled a breath full of intense energy and shouted in unison.

“This is my sanctuary!”

“My battlefield is my sanctuary!”

Thoom-!

The two opposing sanctuaries intertwined and twisted space itself.

Soon, the forms of the two disappeared, and only the ringing sounds of weapons clashing, coming from some invisible place, indicated that the fierce battle between the old knights was still ongoing.

“…”

The environs of the royal castle had become a barren desert full of ignorant pawns.

Even the famous Golden Lion became infinitely small in front of the sanctuaries of the two knights which devoured the area.

But he wasn't afraid.

Behind the door where he stood guard, was the queen.

He was determined –

To protect this place even if it killed him.

That was the best that he could do.

The Golden Lion raised his sword up with both hands.

“It’s no use, Golden Lion.”

"Archbishop. Why did you do this?”

“It’s meaningless to ask that now. What matters is that I'm trying to destroy Carpe, don’t you think?"

Creak.

Hearing the archbishop's answer, the Golden Lion severed his extraneous emotions. His sword creaked in his grip.

The opponent facing him was an enemy.

A traitor to the nation, who wanted to overthrow Carpe.

“Come! I will propitiate the souls of our brave martyrs with your head.”

However, Alhamtra shook his head.

“Unfortunately, I’m not the one you’ll be fighting.”

Behind the archbishop stood a man, his blonde hair shining luminously even in this barren sandy desert.

"You…”

It was his little brother.

It was Lutheon.

"Long time no see, Big Brother."

“Lutheooooon!!!!!!”

Claaang-!!

The sword of the Golden Lion, struck with all his rage, was blocked by the hilt of the Explosive Spear.

“You still have the face to enter Carpe! You dare!!”

“I have my own circumstances. Just like everybody else. Just like you when you sent me away that day, Big Brother.”

Just like how you exiled me.

At those words, the Golden Lion's face darkened.

“… I gave you a chance.”

“And that chance left me dead, that time.”

Swish.

As Lutheon twirled the Explosive Spear, the Golden Lion stepped back.

There was a moment of silence between the two brothers who’d become enemies.

Eventually, Lutheon adjusted his posture and pointed his spear forward.

"Let’s go, Big Brother."

“You haven’t even mastered the Golden Cloak Qi. Do you really think you can give me a fight?”

“I haven’t wasted all this time either, I’ll have you know.”

Craaaack, claaang!

A huge explosion bloomed. However, the Golden Lion shot out of it and charged at Lutheon.

Booooom-!

Whooooooosh!

A circular indentation was carved out of the desert sand, and Lutheon's spear again started emitting light.

Claaang-!

Alhamtra, taking in the scene with apathetic eyes, quickly moved forward.

“These brothers have got a deep relationship.

“What do you think, Alhamtra?”

A large hooded figure appeared behind Alhamtra.

He politely turned his head and nodded at the newcomer, who was holding a gigantic spear.

"It’s as you say."

“Guide me to Carpe’s Guardian Sword. I’m eager to find out for myself, just how good the best in the kingdom really is.”

"All right."

Alhamtra pulled out a wooden compass and splashed it with a drop of his blood.

The compass began to whirl, and finally pointed towards a place.

“Stand back.”

The large man stretched out a palm and dragged up the spear at his waist.

Then he stabbed, once.

Claaang-!

A hole was drilled into the barren land, and through the hole they could see a room inside the royal castle, where a knight stood firmly with his sword in hand, pointing down.

“Are you the Guardian Sword, Victor?”

“Seeing how easily you broke that sanctuary, you must be the one they call the Ghost Spear in the empire.”

The big man took off his hood.

One of his ears was torn, and there was a large scar on his cheek.

His face did remind one of a ghost.

“You can’t get past this place.”

“Let’s find out if that’s true, shall we?”

“You really can’t, trust me.”

Boom!

Victor struck the floor with the sword he’d been holding in a reverse grip, pointed down.

Crackackackack.

Behind Victor, the queen's audience chamber parted from the earth and soared into the sky, and twinkling stars filled the surroundings, as if they were surrounded by the canopy of a starry night sky.

“Alhamtra. Go! To kill the queen is our victory!”

“I won’t let you!”

The battle between the Ghost Spear and the Guardian Sword began.

And in the meanwhile –

Alhamtra advanced.

Moving forward, and further forward, stepping on the floating rocks and debris, he reached the royal throne chamber floating high in the sky.

Raising up his spear, he slowly headed towards the queen.

"Archbishop. You’ve come a long way.”

"Indeed. Have you been waiting?”

“I could only watch. Because there’s nothing else a powerless ruler can do.”

“Then quietly give me your head.”

“I wouldn’t have tried so hard if I wanted to make it easy for you.”

Alhamtra pointed his spear. But even so, the queen stood quiet and still.

“It's no use. This place is under the protection of the Guardian Sword of this kingdom. Victor is guarding it.”

As the queen said –

Her surroundings were protected, covered by something transparent and flickering.

The sanctuary of the Guardian Sword.

Absolute Defence.

However, Alhamtra only sneered lightly at the sight.

“You know how much I’ve looked forward to this day, and how much preparation I have put into it.”

“…”

“The Absolute Defence of the Guardian Sword. It’s famous! The sword that’s always guarded the monarch by their side. His Absolute Defence has never been broken.”

But –

“Do you think I’ve done all this without even considering that?”

An ominous light began to shine from the tip of his spear.

A glob of something that looked like red-black sludge fell into the queen's protective barrier.

Craaackle!

Soon, sparks formed, and the Absolute Defence began to shake.

“!”

“Amazing, isn’t it? Do you know how the empire created this spear?”

“… That must be a demonic weapon.”

"Yes. It wasn’t made from some simple demonic beast either. It’s made from a true demon.”

True demon (眞魔).

Not just some animal with a demonic bloodline.

A true-blue demon.

The corpse of a fallen.

“You’ll be punished by God…”

“But all this, too, is for God. While the empire, even on the path to extinction, undertook this challenge, what was Carpe doing?!”

“Carpe…”

“It was just scraping by. Barely surviving. Even so, it too ended up walking the path of ruin.”

An incompetent ruler.

An incompetent God.

Those two had come together to create such an incompetent country.

“Now it’s time to pay the price for that incompetence.”

So, o incompetent queen of the Carpe Kingdom –

“I may be incompetent, but Carpe never is.”

“You think so?”

Screeeech.

Along with his question, Alhamtra again brought his True Demon Spear to bear against the Absolute Defence.

Even though it was a spear made with the best of imperial technology, and made from the corpse of a true demon, it was impossible to easily break the protection of the Guardian Sword, which deserved to be called ‘absolute'.

Alhamtra knew why the kingdom's Guardian Sword was called its best expert, and why he was the closest to the monarch.

But this too was only a matter of time.

“Do you know why the balance between the sword, the spear, and the mace, that made up the three great kingdoms, was broken?” The queen asked calmly.

“Because the Kingdom of the Mace was destroyed.”

"No. Because they became slaves to the spear.”

“But that’s why they’ve managed to preserve their own existence as a principality to this day. Unlike what’s going to happen to Carpe.”

“Even if they call themselves a principality, they’re still slaves of the empire in the end. We shall never let ourselves be slaves. We’ll fight to the bitter end.”

"Why. Why?!”

“Because Carpe is strong.”

Alhamtra smiled a twisted smile.

His face, which had been laughing at the absurdity of the statement, quickly turned cold.

“You fool. I’ve been treating you with courtesy as the ruler of this country, but no longer. It's a waste of time to listen to a little girl's nonsense."

"It’s not nonsense. Carpe –”

“Carpe!! Will be destroyed!!”

“…”

“How about I explain in detail what’ll happen once you die? First of all, all the knights of the royal castle will die. Will that be the end of it? No, those arrogant imperial troops stationed at the border will flow in like a flood.”

To set an example for the other small countries.

What was to be the fate of a nation that resisted the empire’s might.

“And finally, we shall conquer this corrupted land that goes against the will of God.”

Everything for God.

Even so, the queen was unfazed.

Despite the fact that the spear’s tip was inching closer and closer.

She stood upright even after hearing of the kingdom's grim future.

“Carpe is strong.”

“Where does that self-confidence of yours come from?”

“Unlike your empire, Carpe – is not controlled by God.”

That was the reason why Carpe had never united with the Church of Valtherus.

“So you’re using God as your tool? That’s quite some nonsense. You’ve been surviving by borrowing the power of that God!”

“We are no one's slaves. God simply exists, and He only asks us a question. Whether or not to use His power is entirely up to us. Haven’t you understood that yet?"

“Again with your nonsense!!”

Snikt.

The sharp spear point was aimed at the queen's neck.

The Absolute Defence of the Guardian Sword was broken through.

With intense malice –

Bearing a freezing, ferocious murderous intent –

Thoooooooooom!

Was even the sky announcing the end of Carpe with a peal of thunder?

“This is a perfect day.”

Alhamtra’s spear came down.

Claaaaaaaang!!

"What…”

But it couldn’t pierce the queen's neck.

Because a blue lightning bolt had fallen.

And blocked his spear’s path.

“So it’s you, you bastard.”

The meddler was a wolf from Jervain.

It was Callius.

Editor's Notes:

[1] 강정 (gangjeong) is a Korean sweet, a deep-fried hollow “rice puff”. Here the comparison basically means something that may look good from the outside but is actually hollow inside.

[2] 괴창, monster/freak/strange spear.