NOVEL NEXT Chapter 28
Drip.
“Tch…”
Knight Commander Palm of the Triad Swordsmen.
Palmer Pendray shook the muddy water off his shin guards roughly.
‘Mission area is filthy in the lower levels, and now it’s raining too.’
The faintly glowing blue light reflected off a puddle on the ground.
After staring at the puddle for a moment, Palmer looked up at the sky.
“What a beautiful sky.”
When one becomes a mana awakener, their perception of the world changes.
The scenery you see literally transforms. You can see with your own eyes the mana that permeates the world.
To the common folk, the black rain is merely a dreary and unpleasant weather phenomenon where dirty water falls from the sky. But it isn’t so for the mana awakeners.
In the world of these superhumans, black rain is nothing but beautiful blue light adorning the world. That’s why Palmer loved rainy days.
“If only the monsters hadn’t appeared, it would’ve been even better.”
The faintly terrifying roar could be heard in the distance. The clamor of weapons resounded.
After admiring the sky for a brief moment, Palmer resumed his steps.
“The smell is awful and it’s dirty.”
For Palmer, the lower levels were a place he occasionally visited when gathering information about the capital.
Normally a dirty and damp place, it had turned into a cesspool with the added rain. Fortunately, it was black rain.
Palmer sighed as he recalled the tidy and serene landscape of his hometown.
“What kind of hardship is this…?”
It has been ten years since Palmer, a commoner in Sylvester with vast fields, left Sylvester after receiving a secret mission from the Swordmaster to deliver a message to the Emperor.
Though adapting to life in Altain is proceeding smoothly, a part of Palmer’s heart still longs for the food and customs of his hometown.
“What good is it to be a noble?”
By chance, he caught the Swordmaster’s eye and received instruction in part of his swordsmanship, awakening as a mana awakener.
A roof to shield him from the rain, walls to protect from the wind, and enough abundant food to eat three meals a day appeared.
Tattered and dirty clothes were exchanged for a splendid and stylish uniform. Commanding subordinates who obey orders and obtaining all the goods he desired filled his hands.
The commoner Palmer of Sylvester had become a noble in this way.
“I should’ve thought about it more back then. I shouldn’t have accepted it so easily….”
On the day he awakened as a mana awakener, the Swordmaster visited his hometown again with the name bestowed by the Emperor and numerous followers and said to Palmer.
“Accumulate merit and build your reputation until you reach where I am, and I will teach you the latter half.”
The latter half of the swordsmanship that made him a mana awakener.
The power that completely changed his life.
Hypnotized, Palmer nodded his head to the offer and earned a reputation by traversing various regions of the empire, eventually rising to the position of Vice Chief of the Thirteenth Peak.
The lowest rank among the thirteen divisions managing the empire in the Celestial Peaks. The Vice Chief of the Thirteenth Peak.
At this prestigious inauguration ceremony, the Swordmaster suddenly proposed a covert mission, which Palmer accepted and headed towards Altain.
“Finally, my foreign life has come to an end.”
The national charter of Altain has been established, and signs of a shift in the power structure within the empire are becoming evident.
The information about the national charter and the imperial palace’s interests regarding Cain Macbilian, the situation of the Dukedom of the Northern Province, and the movements of the Southern Fiefdoms.
This should be more than enough to handle Altain.
Palmer smirked.
“I might be able to return sooner than I thought.”
Thinking that he was quite lucky not to have encountered any aberrations yet, he turned the corner.
Palmer inadvertently stopped in his tracks at the sight of a monstrous figure in the distance.
Geeeee-
In the downpour, there was a giant man with a faintly glowing sword slung over his shoulder.
The face under the hood was hidden in shadow.
Palmer instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword at the strange pressure but relaxed almost immediately and approached.
“Hey, you gave me quite a scare.”
The residents of the lower levels had evacuated to different zones at the command of the Guard Headquarters.
A glance at the metal armor on the arm revealed that those dressed in heavy full-body armor with their cloaks flipped up in the northern zone could only be members of the Royal Knights.
And among the Royal Knights, there was only one person with such a massive build.
“Director. There were no unusual incidents in the north.”
Even though the face can’t be seen well in the shadows, it must be glaring at me with its characteristic sourness.
Thinking it was an annoying sight as always, Palmer moved forward.
“Still in the middle of combat, are you all? Well, it’s their first time, so it can’t be helped.”
Unlucky to be alone with the director.
Looking around to see if anyone who quickly dealt with the aberrations and came to join them was nearby, there was no one around.
None of the presences he could sense were nearby.
“Director, how much longer do we have to scout the northern zone?”
Surely not until the rain stops, right? Leaving some guards behind and continuing like this is…”
“Palmer.”
Suddenly, a voice interrupted, causing Palmer to stop in his tracks.
“…What is it?”
With a calm expression, he continued walking while raising mana in preparation for an unexpected situation.
“What’s all this sudden commotion about? Are you checking the secret code here? Today is sugar…”
“Palmer Pendray.”
Palmer stopped walking.
While maintaining a smiling face, he started raising mana in response to the unexpected situation.
Cain’s composed voice echoed in Palmer’s ear.
“One of the thirteen rulers governing Sylvastr, the knight of the human race assisting Lord Cheyden. Spotted by the Swordmaster of Sylvastr, the Dragon-Slaying Lord, when he was young, and received sword training at the age of fifteen, awakening as a mana awakener.”
The low and composed voice reverberated through the sound of the rain.
“Selected as the youngest Vice Chief in the Thirteen Peaks due to his outstanding skills and recognition, then left for the Eastern Continent on a long-term mission ordered by the Emperor to search for something while disappearing from sight.”
As Cain continued speaking, all traces of a smile disappeared from Palmer’s face.
“Infiltrated the core of the Altain Empire. Acting as a secret agent to monitor the enemy country’s movements and create information confusion, he is currently serving as a knight commander in the Altain Royal Knights.”
When Cain finished speaking, he removed his hood.
And Palmer’s eyes caught a glint of blue light.
“You know quite a lot, Director.”
A white light flowed from Palmer’s sword.
The light of mana revealed by the will of the wielder.
Unlike the faintly flickering light emanating from other knights’ swords, the mana on his sword sparkled like a small flame.
Seeing his gradually rising momentum, Cain asked curiously.
“You’re not denying it?”
“It’s meaningless. That look, it’s a look of certainty. One I’ve seen many times.”
The black rain covering Altain was gradually losing its intensity.
The torrential downpour had transformed into a drizzle, gently soaking the ground.
Palmer pushed back his hood that had been obstructing his vision since earlier.
Through his wet bangs, the blue eyes of the mana awakener stared at Cain.
“You know quite a lot, down to the details. How did you find out? I was extremely careful when transferring to Altain, you know.”
“There’s no need to fish for answers. There’s no point in telling someone who’s going to die.”
“Haha…”
A mild breeze blew around Palmer.
The falling raindrops were gently pushed aside in all directions, creating violent ripples in the puddles.
As Cain tightened his grip on the hilt sensing the intangible aura closing in, Palmer began speaking with a tone of disbelief.
“But Director… or rather, Duke Macbilian. For someone who’s not even a mana awakener, you’re awfully confident. Coming alone despite knowing my identity? Don’t you know what a mana awakener is?”
Palmer twisted his lips into a smirk at Cain standing alone.
“Surely you don’t think it was enough just to practice with wooden swords in the training ground?”
“Secret agents shouldn’t talk so much. Thus, it’s now revealed.”
“Kuh… Hahahaha!”
Cain’s ridicule made Palmer burst out laughing without realizing it.
After laughing for quite some time, he lightly wiped away the tears welling in the corners of his eyes.
“I’ll report that you died heroically fighting aberrations. Sorry for making the Empress a widow, but there’s nothing I can do about it.”
He threw off his coat and dashed toward Cain.
The fluttering coat momentarily obscured Cain’s vision, and in that split-second gap, Palmer slipped through the corner.
The superhuman-level violence imbued with mana in his sword swung by Palmer was brimming with a fierce aura that seemed ready to sever limbs immediately.
Swish!
The sword had already reached in front of Cain.
Mocking Cain in his mind who had beaten him in the training ground, Palmer confidently and decisively swung his sword down filled with firm certainty.
However…
“!”
BOOM!
A powerful gale followed Palmer being pushed back and water spray scattered noisily.
The sharp metallic sound scratched against the ground, spreading around the area.
“Ugh…!”
Palmer desperately tried to stop his body being pushed back.
His hand gripping the sword tingled. His back felt as if it had been soaked with icy water.
Breathing heavily after his abruptly stopped breath, Palmer turned his head.
Cain, whose sword had been swung down, was casually resting it on his shoulder as if nothing had happened.
The unscathed great sword looked perfect. Palmer’s trembling gaze followed the heavy great sword to Cain.
Their gaze met, and Cain calmly spoke with his dark eyes.
“Are you done talking, Palmer?”
“What the… how…! Why is the sword unscathed? What have you done, Macbilian!”
To Palmer’s exclamation filled with shock, Cain pointed Cailion.
“Choose your method of death. Will you die honorably or miserably? Decide.”
“Huh…?”
Palmer’s expression, which was momentarily dazed, twisted.
“You arrogant bastard…! Do you think you’re someone special just because you blocked a mana-infused sword once? Stop joking around!”
“You talk too much, Palmer.”
Whoosh!
After lightly swinging Cailion in the air, Cain lowered his stance and rested the sword on his shoulder again.
“If you want to die honorably, stay where you are. If you want to die miserably, I won’t stop you.”
BOOM!
A cloud of dust mixed with water and mud erupted around Cain’s moving feet.
A very brief moment when Palmer’s vision was obscured.
Cain burst through the dust cloud and swung down his great sword.
BOOM!
A deafening sound erupted and a pink-haired man tumbled helplessly across the ground.
Palmer stood up from the puddle he was pushed into, and roughly shook off the mud obscuring his vision.
“Are you some kind of mana awakener…!”
“Is that what you see with your eyes?”
In the blink of an eye, Cain had closed the distance and kicked out with his foot.
The kick hit Palmer’s abdomen, and he once again tumbled noisily across the ground.
“Macbilian! That sword! It’s Cailion, isn’t it? Are you relying on the sword to fight…!”
Palmer’s growling figure. The blue light in his eyes flickered like fire.
The mana concentrated on his sword shimmered brilliantly in response to his intense will.
Looking at his dirty appearance reflected in the puddles of the lower levels, Palmer bit his lips.
“Miserable death it is then. I’ll cut off all your limbs! And throw you to the dogs before hanging your head at the top of the Imperial Palace!”
The momentum which was lightly pressing down on him changed.
Ripples formed gently in the puddles that had gathered on the ground, and the earth trembled violently.
Violent air currents swirled around the white-clad sword, forming the shape of a dragon, just as Palmer prepared to deploy the incomplete swordsmanship of the Dragon-Slaying Lord.
“I already said it. You talk too much for a spy.”
Cain gripped the handle roughly, expelling the heat rising from within.
“I’ll use your death appropriately, so you don’t need to worry.”
“Die, you damn Macbilian!!”
The sword Palmer swung distorted the very air.
A white lighted sword falling from the sky as if to split it in two.
The incomplete swordsmanship of the Dragon-Slaying Master was unfolded in the world through Palmer’s sword.
In response to that intense strike, Cain delivered a full-force upward swing with Cailion.
“!”
The mana-infused sword shattered into pieces with the deafening sound.
Above Palmer’s head, looking upward with a look of helplessness, a massive sword fell—and that was it.