Chapter 172.1

Bang! Bang! Bang! King Edelred, who had arrived unexpectedly in the middle of the night, greeted Isaac with a bewildered expression.

"Master? What brings you here..."

"The Holy Sword Kaldbruch. Where is Kaldbruch?"

"It's in the royal treasury underground..."

"Lady Rosalind plans to steal Kaldbruch!"

At those words, Edelred's expression snapped to alertness. He realized that action was needed before logic, grabbing a sword and starting to run with Isaac. The Aldeon knights who were on guard duty hurriedly followed.

As they rushed, Edelred asked,

"That, Holy Grail Knight, you said Lady Rosalind intends to steal Kaldbruch? But how could that old woman manage?"

While Kaldbruch, the holy sword, was somewhat negligently stored, it wasn't without guards, locks, or traps. The treasury was always under guard.

It wasn't a place an old woman could breach alone.

"Swordmaster Cedric is aiding Lady Rosalind!"

"Cedric? But, why would Lady Rosalind want Kaldbruch?"

The reason Kaldbruch was stored carelessly was that even if someone possessed the power of an angel, surviving with it was difficult. While a Swordmaster might withstand it to some extent, old Rosalind wouldn't last a moment.

"I'm not sure, but we must secure Kaldbruch first..."

Isaac stopped. Two knights lay unconscious in front of the basement door leading to the treasury. They weren't dead but had lost consciousness.

Rosalind and Cedric had just passed through.

'How? Ah, damn it. It's because of Hesabel.'

It was good that Hesabel had discovered his intentions. However, Cedric wasn't just weak around women; he wasn't foolish either. Realizing that his slip could affect their plans, he had immediately put their plans into action with Rosalind.

It was a sudden execution of what might have been planned for days later. Whether it was good or bad luck, it was hard to tell.

"Has Cedric already broken into the treasury?"

"It seems so. Your Majesty, it might be best if you stay here."

Isaac considered the possibility that Rosalind might have already obtained Kaldbruch. Bringing Edelred, who bore grudges against the royal family and might gain the power of an angel, seemed foolish. It was akin to delivering the target to them.

Edelred, understanding his implication, hesitated but decided firmly to proceed.

"No, I will go."

"Your Majesty..."

"Kaldbruch is a symbol of the royal family. Who else but me should retrieve it? I already owe much to the Holy Grail Knight. Let us not owe more honor to you."

It was a matter of royal pride. Isaac had no choice but to accept. But he couldn't help making one request.

"Very well. But whatever happens inside, please remain silent. I will do whatever it takes... to protect you."

Isaac instructed the other knights not to follow and to block the approach.

There might be a need to unleash his tentacles in the worst case.

If Rosalind, consumed by vengeance, started wielding Kaldbruch, protecting even Edelred alone would be challenging.

Especially if he had to contend with Cedric as well.

'Hesabel, protect Edelred. We don't know what will happen inside.'

'Yes.'

Isaac stepped into the vast treasury of the kingdom of Elil.

***

How powerful is a Swordmaster?

While it's hard to define strength precisely, Isaac viewed a Swordmaster as a transcendent being, somewhere between humans and angels. It's not a position one can achieve merely through effort. Most Swordmasters reach this state at a young age.

Lianne is in her early twenties, and Cedric is at most in his thirties. Edelred, who might become a Swordmaster in the future, reached this stage before turning twenty in the game.

This insane talent doesn't appear commonly outside the followers of Elil. It seems to manifest easily only among them.

Talent, blessing, effort, and luck combined create such beings.

So, how many people would it take to stop a Swordmaster?

The answer is 'they cannot be stopped.'

It's no coincidence that Swordmasters are called transcendent beings. Without knights trained in advanced swordsmanship or borrowing divine power, it's impossible to stop them.

"Although I expected it, this is disastrous."

Edelred groaned as he looked at the soldiers collapsed in the corridor. They had been taken down without even drawing their weapons. Even the soldiers on night duty in the break room, over eight of them, were downed without resistance.

No one was dead, but they were so unconscious that shaking them wouldn't wake them. It must have been Cedric's unique technique.

Considering that this was the heart of the royal castle, even at night, the situation was grave. If Cedric had decided to take Edelred's head instead, who knows what might have happened.

"Did I not warn you that our guard system was lax?"

The kingdom of Elil is too weak against assassination and espionage. Whether it's overconfidence in their own skills or trust in the enemy's honor, Isaac saw it as a critical issue that needed revision.

"For many years, no Swordmaster has ever infiltrated like this. But we have seals and traps prepared for such an invasion..."

Perhaps they thought, 'Why would a world-renowned Swordmaster commit assassination?' In Elil, it was almost common sense.

However, Edelred soon found a unicorn steel statue shattered into pieces. Positioned next to a massive steel door, this statue, animated to charge at unauthorized intruders, was sliced as if cut by paper.

Isaac examined the scene of the battle and spoke.

"It seems he was delayed here a bit. He struggles a bit with this type."

"But not enough to stop a Swordmaster."

Isaac reflected on Cedric's capabilities and fighting style.

Cedric employs swift and sharp rapid sword techniques.

In the game, perhaps, but how would one counter such rapid sword techniques in reality?

Isaac considered whether he could overpower Cedric but knew that without using his tentacles, victory was uncertain. After all, he had never defeated a swordsman of such caliber before.

'To defeat a Swordmaster means reaching the pinnacle of swordsmanship...'

Isaac and Edelred continued forward. The underground held vast treasuries, formed into multiple rooms.

It was said that in the era of the Supreme King Elil, these spaces were filled to the brim with treasures and relics. Now, only empty spaces dusted with neglect remained. What once boasted of the tyrant's wealth now marked the poverty of the Kingdom of Elil.

"Over there..."

Edelred pointed at something in the distance. Before he could even speak, Isaac, already tense, stiffened further.

In the center of the last treasury, the Holy Sword Kaldbruch was embedded.

And already in front of it stood Swordmaster Cedric and Lady Rosalind.

***

-TL Notes-