Duke Yuma stared at Luke, the chieftain of the White Night tribe.
He had blue hair.
“White Night tribe.”
No need to beat around the bush.
“I have business with you.”
Luke glared at Yuma.
“Business?”
“There’s someone I’m looking for. I’d like to check around your tribe.”
Yuma glanced at Cloney beside him.
He had already given her a heads-up on the way here. If she sensed anything, she could speak up at any time.
But she still wasn’t reacting at all.
Right in front of the White Night tribe chieftain, Luke.
‘Well, considering the title “Sword Star,” and looking at Cloney, a blue-haired sword star probably isn’t all that old.’
In the future, it seemed likely that the one with more potential to grow was
Luke furrowed his brows.
“Does this White Night tribe look like a place where outsiders can just stroll in whenever they want?”
The bodies of the White Night tribe behind Luke trembled.
This was because an intimidating aura was emanating from Luke.
Cloney and Hestia, standing behind Yuma, also shivered hard.
Yuma, however, seemed unaffected by the menacing energy.
[Noble Dignity]
– Does not yield to external pressure.
This was one of the powers of the Noble trait. It naturally made one regard themselves as the most noble being in the world, raising their head high.
Amid the overwhelming wave of intimidating energy that made everyone else shrink back, only Luke and Yuma remained unbent.
Luke squinted.
‘…There’s definitely something about this guy.’
Yuma spoke again.
He had no intention of seeing unnecessary bloodshed.
“On the map, this area is part of Pineon. Do you know the Conqueror King Kament of Pineon? Given his personality, he wouldn’t just leave this place as White Night territory.”
With Yuma trying to initiate conversation, Luke decided to step back a bit.
“The Conqueror King Kament visited three years ago. I explained the heritage of our tribe to him and gave him a real insight into it.”
Luke gave a bitter smile.
“He called me a practitioner suffering from a flawed legacy established by our ancestors. He said he would respect that noble duty. He also mentioned that he had received info about our tribe’s duty from the previous Conqueror King. That made it easier to talk.”
Duty (業).
Yuma couldn’t even begin to guess what that duty could be.
“So Kament decided to give up on occupying this White Night land.”
In conclusion, Luke knew about Kament and had even spoken to him directly.
Yuma pulled a red cape out of his Spatial Pocket.
And he tossed it on the floor.
Thud—
“This is the cape that Conqueror King Kament wore on the battlefield.”
All eyes of the White Night clan gathered on Yuma, who stood at the entrance, cloaked in a red cape.
“I am Yuma, the representative of Princess Brigitte, the First Princess of the Astes Empire. A few days ago, I took the head of Kament.”
As Yuma finished speaking, a stir spread among the young men of the White Night clan.
“So that’s the guy who killed Kament…? I couldn’t believe it when I heard from Hurka that the Conqueror King was dead!”
Yuma realized from the startled reactions that these folks lived completely cut off from news of the outside world.
The gaze of the men, who had lingered on his cape for a while, shifted to the young man standing beside Luke.
Hurka, the young man, scrutinized Yuma’s face.
“Y-yes. He looks just like I imagined. Grayish hair… bluish eyes.”
After swallowing hard, the brown-haired Hurka continued, “He’s the one who made that black dragon disappear from the sky, the one who defeated the legendary sword god Chronos. And he’s the Grand General who toppled the Conqueror King of Pineon, the God of War… Yuma.”
With Hurka’s words, the buzzing among the men of the White Night clan grew louder.
“That guy is the one who annihilated the dragon that appeared in the sky…?”
It was a dragon nearly 100 meters in size. Some of the White Night clan had even caught a glimpse of the dragon’s sudden appearance to the south of the continent.
Hurka was not of White Night blood. Until five years ago, he was clearly an outsider. He had fled from orc hordes in the Gelpiel Forest, leading a group of a dozen or so orcs to the White Night fortress.
Back then, the men of the White Night had swiftly defeated the orcs, allowing Hurka to survive. He began his life among the White Night tribe afterward, drawn by their strength and infinite reverence for their deeds.
To the descendants of the White Night tribe, who couldn’t venture outside, Hurka’s presence was a great blessing. He acted as a source of information, gathering vast amounts of intel from the outside world.
Hurka had originally worked as a guide for mercenary groups within Pineon, so he had carried out that role skillfully.
He frequently brought with him news from outside and even special or delicious foreign foods, instantly earning the trust of the White Night tribe.
Yuma clicked his tongue internally.
The individual achievements that had once roamed freely were now wholly attributed to him.
‘Damn those high-ranking nobles.’
With the tale of the black dragon spreading, it was clear that one of the nobles at the meeting, who had designated him as Grand General, must have been the one spreading the rumors.
Luke narrowed his eyes at Hurka’s words.
“If what Hurka said is true, then you are quite an extraordinary person. So what’s this favor you mentioned? Someone you are looking for?”
“Yes.”
Luke twisted his lips.
“Even if someone is looking for me, as long as that person is tied to the bloodline of the White Night, they won’t be able to break the chains that bind our clan. The moment they step out, their body will be shattered.”
Yuma showed no sign of retreat.
“Explain it. Just like you did to the Conqueror King Kament.”
The informant Hurka planned to use his own achievements to persuade Luke.
“I could potentially break those chains you say bind your clan.”
He had no choice but to add words that might sound somewhat outrageous.
“Heh heh….”
Luke, the chief of the White Night clan, could only find it ridiculous. So, he burst into a great laugh.
“Ha ha ha ha ha!”
How dare this sudden arrival discuss saving the clan!
‘But if that cocky guy is the one who took down the Black Dragon of the Sky…’
There must be some basis for that confidence. The chief’s laughter slowly subsided.
“…You may enter. Grand Marshal of the Astes Empire, Yuma.”
The fact that Yuma came with only two people, not countless followers, was a major factor in allowing entry into the land of the White Night.
“I will explain the deeds of the White Night clan.”
Yuma nodded at Luke’s words, who stood beside him.
*
It was a dreadful story.
It was about a cursed clan that had been forcibly trapped in this land for 400 years.
As Yuma listened to Luke, he observed most of the clan with the Search Eye.
However, there was no sign of someone thought to be the “Blue-Haired Swordsman.”
“Are there people not present here right now?”
“There are those who have grown weary of this wretched fate and live alone even while remaining in the land of the White Night. And… I have children in my direct line whose thoughts I cannot fathom.”
The chief’s children.
Yuma instinctively felt that one of those children would be the Blue-Haired Swordsman.
“Chief, it’s time to start preparing.”
A middle-aged man clad in sturdy armor knelt beside Luke.
“I understand.”
Replying, Luke looked back at Yuma.
“Do you want to see? The ancient hero weighing down the White Night. The God of Giants, Ades.”
Yuma nodded.
He’d see him, whether to kill him or not.
“About one clan member dies each year at the hands of Ades… Even though I’ve read all their movements, sometimes variables occur.”
Luke continued speaking while moving with a sharply pointed sword.
“The clan has devised formations that have been studied for hundreds of years, binding him for 12 hours. There are hardly any casualties, but we can’t kill him due to that damn regeneration.”
The divine power still tightly packed in the heart of the God of Giants Ades could instantly heal even the scar left by the Grand Swordmaster’s Aura Blade.
“Yuma.”
Luke’s tired eyes fixed on Yuma.
The friendly eyes stared at Duke Yuma.
“If you save our clan, every member will consider you a lifelong benefactor.”
Thud.
Luke’s footsteps suddenly stopped.
Yuma understood the reason.
A massive giant was curled up. White light was seeping from its eyes.
Its body seemed to be at least 90 meters long.
“Just because he’s curled up doesn’t mean he’s sleeping. My ancestors recorded it as a time when divine power is being circulated throughout the body.”
Yuma focused his Search Eye on the giant.
[Lv.223] Ades
Race: Giant
Alignment: Cannot be measured
Class: Cannot be measured
Rank: Grand Master
Features: Possesses unique recovery and regeneration abilities typical of the giant race through divine power.
A demigod-like being with divine power, yet has completely lost its self.
The time spent in the state of losing its self caused a drop of 100 levels. Its rank drastically fell from ‘Demi-God’ to ‘Grand Master’.
Kugugugu…
He saved the world but lost everything— the giant.
The giant’s body slowly began to move. Its curled back gradually straightened.
Yuma was concentrating on its movements.
However, it seemed Luke noticed something different.
“Haven! Didn’t I tell you you’re not ready to stand at the front lines yet? Stay back!”
Luke shouted at a young man standing beside him.
The young man resembled Luke and had blue hair.
Yuma shifted his Search Eye to the young man.
[Lv.78] Haven
Race: Human
Alignment: Good
Class: Swordsman
Rank: Intermediate Sword Expert
It was certainly an impressive achievement for his age, but he seemed far from being the ‘Blue-Haired Swordsman.’
A voice came from behind Yuma.
“Duke Yuma.”
It was Cloney.
“Something’s resonating in my head… I feel like it’s reacting to the person on that cliff behind us.”
A cliff?
Yuma looked up.
Above the thirty warriors of the White Night tribe surrounding the giant with lost self.
On the edge of an ice cliff, a woman stood.
She looked to be around twenty years old.
Like Luke and Haven, she had blue hair.
In her right hand was a rapier.
And in her sunken eyes, a pink gleam was noticeable.
[Lv.125] Bell
Race: Human
Alignment: Good
Class: Swordsman
Rank: Sword Master
Innate Traits: Genius, Unity of Body and Sword, Heavenly Martial Physique
Overwhelming talent shines through her innate traits.
She had already reached the Master level.
And the resonance that echoed in Cloney’s mind.
‘I found you.’
Yuma was sure.
‘The Blue-Haired Swordsman.’
Bell was the ‘Blue-Haired Swordsman.’
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