Illusion Sword Master

＜ Heading to the Southern Front (1) ﹥

I received the Third Prince’s summons and went to meet him.

Since Rolrand, who always stood by his side, was on a mission, only the two of us were in the room.

“I heard you’ve been working hard on your training without taking a break. You’re getting stronger without limits. In these tumultuous times for the empire, it’s a great comfort to have a subject like you.”

The Third Prince poured expensive liquor into my cup as he spoke.

Although my intention was to substitute my vacation with hellish training, to others, it would seem like I was obsessed with training.

“I’m still far from satisfactory. I haven’t even reached Rolrand’s toes.”

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“Rolrand also said that he found his own direction thanks to you, and you’re always too humble.”

I wonder what kind of realization Rolrand got from our duel, but if he really learned something useful, I wish he’d teach me too.

“A hero isn’t just someone who achieves great things with their individual strength. They must be able to lead those around them to a better direction and higher standards. The you I see is definitely a hero.”

The Third Prince poured liquor into his own cup.

“I know you pursue a frugal lifestyle, but I believe you have the generosity to allow me to share a drink with you.”

I clinked cups with the Third Prince and downed the liquor in one gulp.

“It’s sweet, sweet. This is indeed expensive stuff.”

The bitter liquid slid down my throat, and my body felt warm and flushed.

I wouldn’t dislike this good stuff even if I wanted to.

But the situation didn’t allow me to relax and enjoy my drink.

Anyway…

“It looks like they’re going to make me work.”

I put on a golden smile as I savored the expensive liquor.

This was a traditional build-up method used by high-ranking officials to manipulate people.

“There’s a place that needs a hero again.”

No surprise there.

He immediately moved on to talking about work.

“Where is that place?”

“It may be unfortunate for you, but it’s not the Western Front.”

What a pity.

If it’s not that orc’s den, then it’s fortunate for now.

Which front of the Empire is peaceful, anyway? The Western Front and I don’t get along, especially.

“I know you have an attachment to the Western Front. You’re also close to the Duke of Zephyr’s daughter.”

Neither of those was true, but the Third Prince, unaware of my thoughts, continued with a apologetic tone.

“However, the dispatch of an inspector, especially your assignment, is a matter of great interest to everyone. If we’re not careful, it could be seen as me, the Third Prince, giving power to the First Prince’s faction and provoke their backlash.”

The First Prince Benedict and the Second Prince Wilhelm were in a competitive relationship, vying for the throne.

As the Third Prince, who wanted to ease the factional strife and maintain balance, I had to avoid provoking either side.

The Western Front, including the Duke of Zephyr, was a region where the nobles of the First Prince’s faction held sway, so sending me, who had a close relationship with them, would only lead to misunderstandings.

“Then, where am I going to go…?”

“That’s right. You’re going to the Southern Front.”

Avoiding the Western Front wasn’t a good thing, after all.

Just looking at the situation on the battlefield, the Southern Front was an even more intense war zone than the Western Front.

“…What am I supposed to do in the South?”

“The Southern Army intentionally doesn’t share information about the front lines, you’re aware of that, right?”

“Yes. I’ve read the relevant documents.”

The Southern Army, with the Second Prince as its commander, was nominally an imperial army but was actually closer to a massive private army.

It only moved according to the Second Prince’s orders, and the central government, wary of his influence, kept its distance. Naturally, cooperation between the central government and the front lines, as well as between different front lines, was not smooth.

“I want you to grasp the reality of the South. If possible, it would be even better if you could build a relationship with Prince Wilhelm.”

“Am I supposed to talk to the Second Prince?”

“That’s right. Cooperate with him on the Southern Front and build trust. He has a strong sense of self-respect, but he opens up greatly to those he acknowledges. I believe you can become a bridge between the central government and the South.”

The Second Prince, whom I had briefly met before, didn’t seem like an easy person to deal with, so this was an unappealing task.

“There’s a part that concerns me. The Southern Front, which is wary of central interference, might not welcome an inspector.”

“That’s true. It will be a difficult task. That’s why I’m leaving it to you. Only you, with your wisdom and bravery, can do it.”

“I don’t know what to do with the trust you’ve placed in me…but it’s a heavy burden for me.”

“If you’re unwilling, I’ll respect your decision and reconsider. The Western Front is also strongly requesting your deployment, after all.”

The image of 6th Division Commander Crenek piling up tasks for me to do and then hitting me with a hammer appeared in my mind.

“…”

I fell silent for a moment, lost in thought.

In any case, I had no choice but to accept the difficulties that lay ahead.

It was just a matter of whether I would suffer less or more.

I quickly simulated the situation in my mind.

The difference between going to the Western Front and going to the Southern Front.

“If I go to the West, it’ll be a repeat of last time.”

The Western Front was in a state of preparation for a counterattack against the orcs.

Given my strong influence, I would likely be tasked with handling everything, and they would try to use me to their advantage.

“If I get caught up in it, I might even be dragged into the Umbra, where the Orc King awaits.”

On the other hand, I had no influence in the South.

As an inspector, I’m being kept at arm’s length, and it’s difficult to take action with important tasks being withheld from me.

“It’s better to go to the South.”

Maybe I can just pass the time and return when the timing is right.

“Mnkdori is also worried.”

The image of her with severe injuries to her eyes and arms, which I saw in the newspaper, flashed before my eyes.

“What’s there to worry about when my nose is already three inches long?”

Either way, Mnkdori was someone who had been with me for three years, and she was particularly obedient to me.

Since I’m going to the South, I might as well meet her once. Given Mnkdori’s personality, she wouldn’t care about her injuries and would choose a fierce battleground, so I should at least say something to put her at ease.

“I’ll head to the South. Although it’s insufficient, I’ll do my best to meet your expectations.”

“I appreciate your hard work. You’ve always been all talk, but this time, you’ll definitely receive a great reward if you return.”

The Three Princes nodded his head in satisfaction at my response.

“Let’s stop talking about this for now. Today, let’s drink and take a good rest.”

“Then I won’t refuse. Ah, this time, I’ll pour a drink for you.”

I poured a full glass of liquor for him and did the same for myself.

“I’ve also wanted to drink with the Prince until my nose goes crooked since a long time ago.”

“Hahaha. Those are kind words. However…”

The Three Princes smiled faintly.

“I have a very strong tolerance for alcohol. I’m worried that you might ruin your body if you try to keep up with me.”

“I can handle it. Don’t worry about it.”

I had an unofficial record of being able to drink a lot of liquor, dubbed “Snake Liquor,” during my time at the Western Front.

The refined and clean liquor he drank was like a greenhouse flower to me, who had been trained on industrial-grade alcohol.

“It’s getting late, so let’s disperse for now…”

Before long, the Three Princes, who had repeated toast after toast and was tired, began to make weak sounds.

“Thank you for your consideration, but I’m still fine. Isn’t there still a lot of liquor left?”

This person had a huge stake in messing up my life.

If you go, then go. If you’ve gone, then suffer.

I couldn’t even curse him out loud. After all, he was a member of the royal family.

“Your Highness, please drink more. It’s fun to drink together like this.”

“Hahaha… You also enjoy drinking quite a bit.”

However, I could kill him with liquor.

“Your Highness? Is the bottom of the glass still not empty? Are you feeling drunk?”

Let’s see if he’ll get drunk and pass out.

#

[Kkkkk!]

The next day, I saw the Three Princes, who had become drunk and fallen asleep with his forehead on the table.

“That guy, I think his head will explode soon.”

Having exacted my petty revenge, I walked away with a refreshed heart.

Before heading to the Southern Front, I arrived at the blacksmith’s to retrieve the Black Thunder I had left behind, and an old dwarf greeted me with a piercing gaze.

“I’m back.”

“Yes. I’m also glad to see you, sir. You look like you haven’t slept, is something wrong?”

“It’s all because of you! I’ve spent a whole week on it. I didn’t even eat or sleep, just like a blacksmith who’s obsessed with making a masterpiece sword. Ha ha ha!”

The old man suddenly burst into laughter.

“But thanks to you, I was able to create a masterpiece. You’ll be amazed when you see it. Ah, bring it over!”

The old man’s shout was followed by the dwarves, who brought over a massive black sword with a serious expression.

It was even bigger than before. Now, it was so massive that even a strong man couldn’t wield it alone. The Black Thunder, which had become even more powerful, was now in my hands.

“Is it getting bigger every time? I thought I had customized it to fit my hand perfectly…?”

Despite its increased size, the sword felt much lighter than before. The result of my training had indeed increased my strength, but the sword itself had also become lighter.

I swung the Black Thunder in various ways, feeling its weight and balance.

It was much lighter and more solid. Even with its changed shape, it still fit perfectly in my hand.

“Is this going to kill me?”

I tried using the sword to cast a spell, feeling its power and speed. The output of my mana and the sword’s magic transmission rate had both increased.

“How’s that? Can you feel it? Your Black Thunder has become a masterpiece that represents our tribe’s technological prowess. We’ve achieved maximum durability, increased magic transmission rate, and even made it lighter.”

“You must be proud. You can use it for the rest of your life!”

“Heh heh heh! The dwarves’ technological prowess is the best on the continent!”

The old man’s words were echoed by the other dwarves.

“Thank you. I’ll use it well.”

Their pride was justified, and I bowed my head in respect, feeling a sense of reverence towards the craftsmen.

“But, there’s one thing…”

There was one small flaw in this perfect sword.

“Why is this gemstone embedded here?”

A gemstone was embedded in the center of the Black Thunder, which looked like a decoration. It was the gray gemstone that the old man had asked me to identify.

“Ah, that thing? Everyone was curious about what it was, so we tried to figure it out. We even tried to break it or melt it, but we couldn’t find any clues about where it came from or how it was made.”

The old man’s serious expression turned grave.

“This gemstone, which was used by the orcish shaman Maktobre to contain the devil’s power, holds a mysterious power that even the experienced dwarves can’t fully comprehend.”

“So, why is it embedded in the Black Thunder?”

“Well… we were so excited to have created a masterpiece that we got a bit carried away.”

“That’s right, that’s right. The sense of accomplishment was overwhelming.”

“And, it’s better than ten bottles of fine wine and ten beautiful women.”

The other dwarves chimed in, making excuses.

“It’s nice to have a decoration on a masterpiece like this, isn’t it?”

“That’s right! It adds a touch of elegance. It’s like a king wearing a crown.”

“Thanks to you, we didn’t sleep for ten nights and our judgment was clouded.”

In the end, they had worked on it in a frenzy and added the gemstone as a custom touch. As a result, this mysterious object was embedded in my Black Thunder.

“Hmm, I see. Can you remove it for me?”

“Well, there’s a small problem with that…”

“What problem?”

“It won’t come off.”

The old man hastily added.

“We were going to take out the spirit after we regained our composure, but it’s not working out. No matter what we do, it won’t come out. We need to melt the sword and recreate it.”

The situation was urgent, and we had to head to the southern front lines immediately.

Even without considering the dwarven blacksmiths’ workload, we didn’t have time to remake Black Thunder.

“It’s confirmed that there’s no anomaly, so it should be fine.”

We had no other choice but to use it as is.

“There’s no way around it. Please just work according to the plan from now on.”

“There’s no next time, right? Even if you try to break it, you won’t be able to.”

“I also hope that it won’t break until the end.”

I felt an uneasy premonition, but I changed the subject to dispel the awkwardness.

“That’s right. Are there any other good items? Something to give to a friend who’s heading back to the battlefield for the empire’s peace?”

“Ah, unfortunately, we didn’t have time to make anything else because we were focused on Black Thunder. Isn’t one enough?”

The old man’s words were like a boast, but the dwarven-made longswords that were usually hung on the wall were nowhere to be seen.

However, as the empire’s inspector and a sword enthusiast, I couldn’t ignore the fact.

“Oh dear, you should take care of your health. It seems you’ve forgotten something here.”

I reached out between the scattered swords in the corner, and among the low-quality, poorly made swords, I found exquisite masterpieces with a radiant glow.

“What, why is that there? Are you planning to ask for it? If you take it, you won’t be able to go back home…”

The old man laughed awkwardly.

“I see. I also understand that feeling. I haven’t been able to go home for over a decade.”

I smiled back at him, feeling a sense of camaraderie without any unease.

#

I once again took on my official duties as an inspector.

The journey to the front lines was always heavy, but it was better than before.

Thanks to the eighteen dwarven-made masterpieces and the newly born Black Thunder Mk-II, I felt more confident.

A carriage stopped in front of me, and a familiar face saluted me.

“For the glory of the empire! Inspector Olek, I’ll be accompanying you.”

It was my loyal subordinate, Olek.

“For the glory of the empire. It’s nice to see you again, Olek. Have you been well?”

“No, I’ve been doing more valuable work. I’ve been training to better assist you, Inspector.”

He said it with confidence.

“I hope you didn’t focus on swordsmanship?”

I asked, trying to hide my unease.

My loyal subordinate was skilled in many areas, such as cooking, brewing, and driving a carriage, but unfortunately, his swordsmanship was terrible.

To be honest, it was a waste of time to even try. No matter how hard he trained, it would be like throwing time away.

So, when I returned last time, I hinted that he should focus on other skills, but I wasn’t sure if he had taken my advice to heart.

“I followed your advice, Inspector, and honed my skills in sewing, brewing, and cooking. I’ll do my best to ensure that your dignity isn’t tarnished, even on a long journey.”

“You’ve done well, Olek. Having a subordinate like you is a great comfort.”

I got on the carriage.

“Let’s depart now.”

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Once again, I was heading to the front lines, where unknown threats lurked.

This time, I held a vague hope that things would be better than before.

＜ Heading South (1) ﹥ End