Illusion Sword Master

＜ The Tool Does Not Blame the Craftsman (4) ﹥

My luck was really terrible.

I didn’t want to attend the banquet, but I ended up getting challenged to a duel by a knight I had just met.

“I, Magic Academy student Ethan, challenge you to a duel.”

As I followed him out to clear up the misunderstanding, the first thing he said was, “What’s going on? The host is challenging a guest to a duel?”

Before I could say anything, one of the banquet attendees asked. I was also curious about his answer, so I listened quietly.

“He deliberately came to my banquet and exposed my shame, humiliating me. As a member of the Deimbert family and an imperial knight, this is an unavoidable choice.”

He glared at me with eyes full of anger. The pretence on his face was obvious.

‘Hmm, that crazy guy?’

With the sword in my hand, my judgment improved, and I quickly grasped his intentions.

There’s no doubt that he has connections with the black-handed crime organization.

It’s a fact that they’re involved in human trafficking, targeting different species, and even kidnapped a dwarf to bring back to their mansion.

So, when his shame was exposed, he thought he could silence me with a duel, using his honor as an excuse.

As a knight, he’s aware that his reputation is built on honor, and that’s why he’s willing to take such drastic measures.

“Apparently, that Ethan guy has committed a grave offense against the lord.”

“Ah, young people these days make mistakes like that.”

“As a guest, he’s tarnished the lord’s reputation. Tsk, tsk. Even the young heroes of the empire, like magic users, are belittled by him. He looks down on knights.”

Even the audience was whispering words in his defense, and it seemed like his reputation wasn’t entirely bad.

If I accepted the duel, I’d end up facing a skilled knight who had fought on the battlefield just a while ago.

But if I ran away, I’d worry about the consequences.

If I destroyed the evidence, it would only make my situation more precarious.

[I’ll just wait and see how things unfold around here.]

By now, Roland should be dealing with the human trafficking ring and taking some action. I’m waiting for him to do something.

“Lord Deimbert, you’re accused of being involved with the black-handed crime organization and human trafficking. I’m just following the orders of His Highness, Dietrich.”

“So, the Third Prince is trying to intimidate me with these accusations?”

I brought up the name of the highest authority I could, but it didn’t have much effect.

Lord Deimbert is also a noble with close ties to the Second Prince, and if we compare their backing, his is stronger.

“There’s evidence, too. You used dwarves and elves for human trafficking, didn’t you?”

“Even if that’s true, are you trying to intimidate me, a noble and a knight, over some non-human species? You’re sending a novice who can’t even graduate?”

Lord Deimbert’s body trembled with indignation, as if he was being deeply humiliated.

‘What a ridiculous human.’

Not all knights are like Roland, unable to even hold a woman’s hand or tell a lie.

Lord Deimbert was trying to manipulate the situation to his advantage.

“You’re going to take care of non-humans and insult me? Tsk, tsk. You’re a narrow-minded friend. You’re still young, aren’t you?”

“I thought you had some flexibility, considering the First Prince’s gaze is upon you, but… tsk, tsk.”

“You’re a famous close aide to the wise Third Prince.”

The crowd didn’t take the human trafficking of non-humans seriously. Instead, they focused more on the noble’s damaged authority.

In the empire, where human-centered and noble-supremacist ideologies prevail, the idea that people have value regardless of their skin color or physical characteristics is not accepted.

“If you’re not going to apologize for your rudeness, then draw your sword. I’ll have to defend my honor with a duel.”

With the crowd’s reaction on his back, Lord Deimbert drew his sword.

‘Hmm, I think I’ll run away for now.’

That’s what I decided.

“Stop, Lord Deimbert! What’s going on here?”

Roland appeared, pushing through the crowd, already covered in blood from somewhere.

‘Roland! You’ve come to save me!’

I realized for the first time that it’s nice to have someone who can handle such situations.

“I found dwarves being forced to make weapons in the basement of the mansion. I’ll have to explain this in court, Lord Deimbert.”

Four dwarves with shackles on their ankles were following Roland, their faces pale and exhausted from forced labor and sweat.

“Roland… You’ve been trespassing on the mansion without permission, it seems. Did you have to trample my honor like that?”

Ugh, Deimbert’s self-made idol gritted his teeth and said,

“I’m sorry it had to come to this, but I, Deimbert, have broken the Empire’s law. You can resent me all you want, but hear my explanation in the interrogation room.”

Roland, with an expressionless face, received Deimbert’s anger and brought out a golden badge.

Even Deimbert, who had been bossing people around, couldn’t dare to open his mouth carelessly in front of the imperial authority. Wouldn’t there be witnesses to testify against him right away?

I distanced myself from Deimbert and glanced at the dwarves.

They all looked similar, making it hard to tell who was the blacksmith’s granddaughter.

I thought the situation would easily come to an end, but…

“Ah, Your Imperial Highness, Wilhelm, the great emperor, has arrived!”

What? The imperial highness? Suddenly?

“It’s been a while since I returned to the capital, and I’m having a fun time.”

A tall, muscular man with a knight’s escort walked in. His massive physique was imposing, and his natural mana surrounded his body without any effort. Wilhelm.

The southern front’s commander, a master knight, and the Empire’s imperial highness.

Everyone in the banquet hall kneeled on one knee to show respect to the imperial family. I hurriedly followed suit.

The imperial highness walked past Deimbert and me, who were facing off, and picked up a wine bottle from a nearby table.

“While I was fighting on the front lines, the nobles were gathered here, enjoying good wine.”

Gulp, gulp.

The way he drank the strong liquor in one go, sitting carelessly, seemed more like a barbarian warrior than an imperial highness.

“So, what’s the situation?”

The imperial highness, who had finished a bottle of wine in one go, asked.

“I, Roland, the Imperial Inspector and knight, will explain.”

Roland stepped forward and explained the current situation amidst the silence.

“Deimbert, is that true?”

“…I have no excuse.”

Deimbert couldn’t dare to lie to his master and answered with his head hung low.

“Hahaha! No excuse, indeed. You’ve worked hard on the front lines, so you can enjoy a drink or two in the capital. It’s not a big deal to sell off some non-human species, is it?”

The imperial highness laughed heartily, but it was hard to tell if he was genuinely amused or mocking Deimbert.

“But why did you get caught? Everyone knows you’re my person, and you’re ruining my face.”

He added, his expression stern.

The imperial highness’s cold reaction made Deimbert’s face contort.

“Roland, what do you think I should do? Even if it’s a small mistake, Deimbert is my person. Please protect his honor here.”

I desperately hoped that Roland would adjust to the imperial highness’s mood.

“Your Imperial Highness, his honor has already been ruined. As a knight, the only way to maintain the minimum dignity is to follow me and conduct a thorough investigation.”

This damn guy.

This stubborn knight didn’t intend to compromise his beliefs, even in front of the imperial highness. No wonder he had never held a woman’s hand.

“Hahaha! That’s right. I’ve heard that Dietrich’s favorite knight, Roland, is loyal, and it seems to be true. You’re very stiff, just like your master.”

“Your praise is excessive.”

“Let’s ask another question. If I, as a member of the imperial family, were to pardon Deimbert’s crime?”

“I don’t think the Empire’s law is beneath the imperial family’s dignity.”

The imperial highness gazed at Roland with an intense, almost laser-like stare. Roland received that gaze without flinching.

“Ugh, I should have run away earlier.”

I just hoped that the trouble wouldn’t find me.

“Then there’s no choice, is there? The duel proposal has already been made, after all. We’ll settle it with a duel trial.”

This was the conclusion reached by the Emperor, who was deep in thought.

Duel trial.

A primitive and simple tradition among knights, where disputes are resolved through one-on-one combat, as the law finds it difficult to make judgments.

Although it’s called a tradition, in reality, it’s a bad habit among the Empire’s nobles, where they kill each other, and it has almost been abolished. Now, it’s only occasionally carried out under the auspices of the Imperial Family.

And, as it happens, the Imperial Family member was right here.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying. Why…?”

“Will you accept the duel, Roland?” the Emperor asked, cutting off Roland’s words.

“Yes, I’m ready.”

Daimbart Roland immediately drew his sword. For him, who was cornered, this was a welcomed opportunity.

“If you want Roland, win the duel. If you don’t accept or lose, I’ll do as I please.”

I could read the Emperor’s intentions.

Regardless of Daimbart Roland’s flaws, he was the Emperor’s person. If he were to let him go here, it would be a problem for his dignity.

However, if they were to drag the situation into a duel trial, regardless of the outcome, the Emperor wouldn’t lose anything.

If Daimbart Roland won, this problem would be resolved here, and he could also get rid of the nuisance who was trying to undermine him.

On the other hand, even if Roland died, it wouldn’t be a big problem. It would just mean one less servant who dared to go behind his back.

Roland couldn’t answer easily.

In reality, he couldn’t refuse the Emperor, so his only choices were to accept the duel or give up here.

“That’s enough, isn’t it? We’ve even caught the dwarves. Let’s just go home and rest.”

I spoke with a pleading expression, but this annoying human’s choice was ultimately the former.

“I accept the duel trial.”

“Wait, why are you drawing your sword?”

When Roland was about to draw his sword, the Emperor stopped him and added, “Wasn’t it Eutan, the student, who received the duel proposal from Roland in the first place? The trial should be between the two of them.”

As expected.

In the end, the trouble even spread to me, who had been quietly standing by.

#

A brief strategy session before the duel begins.

“The situation has become complicated, but if we just win the duel, everything will be resolved cleanly. We need to get information from Roland, so let’s not kill him.”

Roland spoke with a relieved expression, as if he were pushing me into a desperate situation because of his own convictions.

“Are you saying it’s going to be an easy win?”

“Of course. I believe in you. You defeated the Marquis of Mercel and even took down the Orc tribe leader, didn’t you?”

Well, the Marquis of Mercel was already wounded when Roland fought him, and the Orc tribe leader was only defeated because I used a clever trick. If I had faltered even a little, I would have died.

A mage like me engaging in a duel with a knight? Is this even reasonable?

But the water had already been spilled.

“Do you have any advice to offer?”

Instead of cursing Roland, I decided to ask for his help. As a fellow knight, he would know best about the opponent’s strategy.

“It’s advice. Recently, I gained an insight after meeting the Swordmaster… but it’s still hard for me to fully understand, so I’ll tell you.”

“What is it?”

“Most knights think of their sword as an extension of their arm. I used to think that way too, that I’d become one with the sword.”

Roland continued with a serious face.

“That’s not enough. To reach true mastery, you need to become the sword itself.”

I was about to die from frustration, hearing such nonsense.

“What about the opponent’s weaknesses or habits?”

“Hmm? Although he showed a disgusting appearance, the Swordmaster is a skilled knight. There’s no way he’d have such weaknesses.”

He then raised his thumb and gave a refreshing smile.

“Don’t worry and just do as you normally would. A corrupt noble like him can’t beat a loyal servant like you. It’s just another heroic tale for you to tell.”

#

I was standing in the circular arena, facing the Swordmaster.

The situation was unfavorable to me in many ways.

My opponent was a knight, and I was a mage.

Moreover, according to the duel’s rules, the only weapon I could use was the sword given to me by the Swordmaster.

“The duel’s rules are simple. You either surrender or lose when you can no longer continue fighting. The duel continues until there’s a clear winner and loser.”

The referee, Lee Hwang, recited the rules.

“Let’s fight moderately and surrender later.”

I made up my mind.

Knights might consider surrendering in a duel as the greatest shame, but I prioritized my safety over my pride.

After all, I wasn’t a knight to begin with.

“Then let’s start the duel.”

As soon as the referee declared the start, the Swordmaster unleashed his strengthened body like a cannonball.

He was trying to end it quickly without any exploration.

The thick aura surrounding his sword proved that he was using his full strength.

─ Chiying!

I also compressed mana into a wave-like slash to counter his sword.

Thanks to my training, my wave-like slash could surpass a knight’s sword aura.

“Hmph.”

The Swordmaster’s face contorted in surprise, as if he hadn’t expected to be pushed back by a mage.

However, it was only for a moment.

The compressed aura was inferior to a knight’s true aura, and my body, unable to wield aura directly, was no different from a normal person.

“Hahp!”

After a few exchanges, the Swordmaster struck his sword with a fierce cry.

My stance crumbled, unable to withstand it.

The Swordmaster’s sword, aiming for my opening, was about to pierce my abdomen.

I instantly cast a lightning spell targeting the Swordmaster’s sword.

Zzziit. The electricity sparked from the sword, and the Swordmaster flinched. I took advantage of the moment to straighten my stance and try to snatch the sword with my aura.

“You’re using tricks,” he said.

Kwak! He grasped the hilt of his sword with all his might. The force of pulling and pushing collided, causing the sword to vibrate.

“Damn it. It seems I’m no match for a knight.”

My mental strength was dwindling faster than my physical strength.

As I gathered my spirit, his offense resumed.

The situation was tilting in his favor, and I was struggling to keep up. Every time his sword, wrapped in Sword Aura, clashed with mine, the impact resonated throughout my body.

“Ugh…”

It wasn’t just my body that couldn’t withstand it. My sword was already showing signs of fatigue, with cracks spreading across its blade.

That damn Deimbat’s self-made sword was far superior to the one he had given me.

Thanks to my experience evading Mencar’s flames, I was familiar with anticipating attack routes by observing the flow of mana.

Instead of blocking his horizontal slash, I ducked and dodged, then quickly executed a swift retreat to create distance between us.

Deimbat swiftly chased after me.

“There’s no room for further exchange of blows here.”

Having calculated the odds, I prepared my final strike – a new technique I called “Gobokcham” (High-Explosive Slash).

I infused mana into my sword and slammed it onto the ground.

─ Kwang!

The sword blade shattered, and the mana-infused fragments flew towards Deimbat, who was rushing towards me.

The fragments scraped against the marble floor, sending dust and debris flying, momentarily obscuring my vision.

And when it all settled…

“…”

Deimbat was still standing. Although his clothes were tattered and he was bleeding from various wounds, he seemed unhindered in continuing the fight.

“My favorite sword is now useless…”

Deimbat casually discarded his damaged sword, which had lost its functionality, and approached me.

A knight remains a knight even without a sword, for their aura-wrapped body is a weapon in itself.

On the other hand, I was nothing without a sword – just a useless trash who couldn’t even wield magic or aura.

I should surrender.

“No more! I surrender…”

“You dare suggest surrender to a knight!”

My next words were drowned out by Deimbat’s angry roar.

No, you crazy bastard! I’m the one who’s surrendering!

Deimbat suddenly charged towards me again.

I hastily dodged to the side, avoiding his attack.

Kuung! His fist pierced the ground.

He then kicked me, who was lying on the ground, with all his might. I had no chance to regain my footing.

This wasn’t the time to worry about dignity.

I rolled around on the ground, dodging his kicks.

I had spent ten years on the battlefield.

Rolling around was a piece of cake.

Left, right, front, back.

Although I avoided having my head crushed by the expertly executed kick, there was a limit to how much I could evade the knight’s attack with a normal person’s body.

In the end, I was caught by his powerful hand and my neck was grasped.

“Ugh…”.

“Surrender pitifully and accept your defeat.”

I had already accepted my defeat.

You didn’t give me time to surrender.

The hand that grasped my neck was raised high.

“Gasp!”

I couldn’t breathe.

His fingers were choking my neck.

If this continued, I would either break my neck or suffocate to death.

My head was spinning white.

“Ugh…”.

They say that when a person is about to die, their past flashes before their eyes like a lantern.

My entire life up until now rapidly flashed through my mind.

···.

But all I remembered was the hardship.

“What the hell. How did I survive until now?”

Not somewhere else, but at a banquet, getting entangled in someone else’s business, and dying at the hands of a despicable knight I had just met for the first time?

I couldn’t die like this.

I had to do something.

I grasped my fading consciousness and raised my arm.

But even that didn’t work properly because of the hand grasping my neck.

I could only barely lift my trembling arm, which was stiff from muscle cramps. I couldn’t do anything with this.

But.

Just like when I sensed mana through the sword, I felt blue particles enveloping my arm like a galaxy.

[I must become the sword.]

Suddenly, the words Roland had left behind came to mind.

The words that had felt like grasping at clouds now seemed to make sense somehow.

Magic was a technique that realized one’s thoughts in the world, and the sword, which was a way to survive and live, was my world.

“I am the sword.”

So, this arm that I was wielding to survive would also carry out my will through mana.

I lowered my arm.

It wasn’t losing strength and collapsing.

With extreme focus, I coated my arm with mana and slashed at my opponent like a gunshot.

The sensation of cutting something.

Thud. Thud.

The sound of something falling, twice in a row.

One was my body.

Another one was my arm.

Ahhhh!

Blood spurted out from my chest.

A swift and fierce blow had cut off my arm, leaving a deep wound on my chest. I fell to my knees and buried my face in the ground.

“Ugh!”

After vomiting a mouthful of blood, I looked at my arm.

The arm that had directly become a medium for magic and received the aftermath was in a pitiful state.

The skin and muscles were torn, exposing the bones, and I felt extreme pain.

“Shit. My arm? Is it okay?”

No. First, I had to finish this miserable situation.

“The duel is over.”

I said, looking at the emperor.

He got up and approached me, with Roland standing beside him like a guardian, and said without hiding his intentions.

“You’re quite bold. You managed to survive in a situation where you were supposed to die.”

The emperor seemed to have no intention of hiding his true thoughts.

“What if… a person like the emperor, who’s supposed to be wise, would overturn the board just because their feelings are hurt?”

While I was worried about the mountain of troubles ahead.

“Hahaha. Thanks to you, I got to see a good show. I won’t hold it against you for being a small fry. You’re a mage who fights better than a knight, and Detrich has found a talented person.”

The emperor burst into laughter, then glanced at the unconscious Zach, who was breathing shallowly, and continued speaking.

“Since the master is in that state, the banquet is over. As promised, I’ll hand over Deimbert Zach to you. And, wasn’t it Ethan? Let’s have a drink together next time.”

The emperor left a ominous remark and departed from the banquet hall with his knights.

“Ethan. I trusted you. You’re indeed the one.”

Roland smiled brightly after confirming the emperor’s departure.

“Hehe. Thanks to you.”

“What did I do, though? It’s all thanks to you.”

No. I almost died thanks to him.

Perhaps it was fortunate that my arm was injured. If not, I would have struck the face of that knight who was rejoicing over justice.

＜ The Tool Does Not Blame the Craftsman (4) ﹥ End