Overpowered Sword Chapter 45

Level up with swords (45)

Guild.

It is the name of an organization that manages both groups, adventurers and mercenaries. People who don’t know well think of it as a group that handles chores, but in reality, it was a vortex of power that no country could touch.

A swordsman who won a thousand duels.

An explorer who single-handedly broke through the pitch-black forest.

A spearfisher who defeated Kraken, the tyrant of the southern seas.

Many strong people belong to the guild. Of course, the guild could not control them as it pleased, but it was clear that they had a certain level of friendship and influence. That alone is a reason not to touch it carelessly.

Human connections.

It is a force that is not physically real, but those who have experienced the world even a little know the horror of that power.

And the guild was like the center of those connections.

―They are like clouds, spreading across the entire continent, and when gathered in large numbers, they cover the entire sky.

This was what an emperor said.

Because the guild is not a forest, its foundation cannot be burned down, and because it is not a castle, the army cannot capture it. By what means can one subdue an organization whose borders have no meaning?

The emperor of Clyde, an empire that once tried to subdue the guild, fought to the death several times and eventually gave up.

So how on earth was that network created?

―Rather than offering a thousand to one strong, do good to a thousand weak. The strong will regard your devotion as common flattery, but the weak will have your grace engraved into their bones. Someday, there will be someone who will come to you and offer to pay you back in thousands.

This was what a wise man said.

I don’t know if it was a coincidence or not, but the guild’s policy was also like that.

Rather than investing in the already strong and honorable, we paid attention to young people with future potential. Even in the mud that everyone ignores, beautiful lotuses bloom.

Those who did not discover their talent because they were born in a lowly world, those who were exiled by their half-brother’s trick, those who fell after being falsely accused… . A person who has seen the abyss of life becomes more fierce than anyone else. The guild became a stepping stone for those outsiders to make a comeback.

A hundred years have passed since then.

More than a hundred years have passed since then.

The guild’s sphere of influence spread across the entire continent, and it developed endlessly under the full support of those who were indebted to them.

And now.

A warrior was lying in the guild VIP room.

“… … “Umm.”

Leon opened his eyes.

As my consciousness slowly rose, the unfamiliar ceiling began to blur and then become clearer.

Perhaps because of the fatigue that permeated my entire body, I couldn’t wake up refreshed like always. Unlike usual, his back was wet with cold sweat and his stiff muscles were evidence of this.

“Pfft… ! Ugh… !”

Leon, who was trying to raise his upper body, fell back on his back and convulsed.

It was a pain beyond imagination.

My bones throbbed with every word, and my muscles burned as if I had touched a heated iron plate. Once I became aware of it, I found it difficult to even lift my fingers. Even my blood vessels were tingling from the blood flowing inside my body, so there was no need to say more.

‘Well, what happened…? ?’

My head doesn’t move well either.

Leon, who only blinked, thought for a moment. How much he remembered, he thought back to his consciousness before it was cut off.

He defeated the giant with Karen’s help.

In the end, he was caught up and received El Cid’s help.

Defeated the preacher with three strikes of the Seven Star Sword.

and-

‘Ah, you fainted right after asking the bishop.’

Only then did my consciousness become clear.

Leon moved his eyes left and right to look around the room. The pungent smell of medicinal herbs, bandages wrapped all over the body, and a white lantern hanging from the ceiling appeared to be healing artifacts.

Although it was not extravagant, it was a fairly well-equipped room. This is not a recovery room worth giving to a C-rank adventurer.

It seemed like I received special treatment.

“El Cid.”

Leon, who roughly understood the situation, carefully muttered his partner’s name.

Then, as always, there was a voice that answered.

[Leon, listen carefully.]

No, it was a little different than usual.

[If you are hearing this message, it means you have regained consciousness. First of all, congratulations on your return. Honestly, I won’t celebrate the victory because it was thanks to me.]

“No, this demon sword guy… ?”

[I’ll leave the lame jokes here. The main topic begins now.]

Leon listened to those words with a serious expression.

[You won’t be able to talk to me for another month. Are you upset? Still, I can’t help it. The problem may be that I jumped out at will, but the power of the holy sword is restraining my consciousness. From the beginning, the sword was a magic sword when it controlled the hero, but I was really good at it.]

“Yes, your poop is thick.”

[Because it’s not thick? It’s not cheap anymore?]

Leon gasped and was shocked. I had no idea that he had predicted everything he said to himself and left his message.

Whether he was surprised or not, El Cid continued speaking.

[Anyway, did you understand what I said? It’s been a month. Next time we see each other, we should be able to classify Aurors, right? I personally showed you the Seven Star Sword, so try to follow along accordingly. Oh, don’t overdo it until your body is completely healed. It can be truly crippling.]

Leon’s face hardened reflexively. This was because he was reminded of the intense pain he felt a moment ago.

But I soon understood.

It was only three times, but the power of the Seven Star Sword was terrifying. The starlight that easily cut down the cave giant, which could not be helped even by masters like Cesare and Khan, was still vivid in my eyes.

Even with Leon’s body, which was still only C rank, it was that much, so how amazing would it have been when Roderick performed it himself in the past?

‘I’ll definitely learn it!’

Leon, lying on the bed, clenched his fists. The movement alone was painful, so he quickly let go, but his burning motivation still remained.

In the end, I could not understand the principles of the Seven Star Sword.

However, the sensation remains in the body. All I had to do was reproduce the perfect form that El Cid had displayed himself. If you lack talent, your body will have to work hard to make up for it through effort.

[…] My message ends here. You must have gone through a lot of hardships to be involved in an incident like ‘Swallowing the City’ when you are still a child.]

And El Cid spoke in a somewhat embarrassed voice.

[Well, you did pretty well.]

That was it.

As soon as the voice stopped, Leon was left in a daze. It was truly rare for El Cid to give such an honest compliment.

‘I don’t feel bad… .’

For no reason, I felt a tickling sensation in the back of my head.

It seemed like the corners of his mouth would lower if he relaxed just a little.

As Leon was barely able to keep a straight face at the unexpected compliment, the closed door suddenly opened.

“ah! “Brother, you are awake.”

It was Cesare.

Perhaps he had come with the intention of wiping off the sweat, but he was holding a basin filled with clean water and a towel.

Leon said after realizing something from that appearance.

“Bishop, how many days has it been since I collapsed?”

* * *

Cesare’s explanation was short and concise. The way he spoke, conveying only the facts without any rhetoric, was truly priest-like.

The war to subdue evil ended exactly three days ago.

It is said that the moment the five-member team escaped the labyrinth, the labyrinth collapsed and all of the Abominations disappeared. It was probably a foreign method connected to the labyrinth itself.

“There were 56 dead and 107 seriously injured. Other than that, I heard that it was a minor injury that did not need to be treated as an injury.”

Cesare, who brought the soup, spoke from next to the bed.

“A lot of sacrifices were made to make us happy that the damage was minimal, but as always, ‘evil’ did not achieve its goal. “Isn’t this a result that can be called a victory?”

“Yes, I guess so.”

“I also looked into ‘Swallowing the City’ that he mentioned. “It was truly a terrible act.”

Cesare lamented with a somewhat gaunt look on his face, as if he had done a lot while Leon was lying here.

“You throw a city into the jaws of a monster and laugh at it, saying it’s God’s grace. As a life born from the bosom of a goddess, how could it be… .”

Compared to <Swallowing the City>, serial killings are also child’s play. If they hadn’t stopped it, if Leon hadn’t stayed in this city, it would have definitely happened.

Cesare also felt this fact.

“This is all thanks to your hard work.”

He smiled brightly and put his hands together.

An expression of gratitude that borders on reverence.

Unless he was someone he could truly respect, he would not adopt an attitude even when facing the emperor of the empire.

But Leon didn’t know that, so he just blinked.

“no. “This was only possible thanks to the bishop and everyone else who participated in this operation.”

“well.”

Cesare smiled strangely at that specification.

“It would have been different if the hero wasn’t there.”

“… … .”

“Are you very surprised?”

He immediately froze, and Cesare grinned.

After a moment of shock at having his secret revealed, Leon regained his composure and carefully asked back.

“Did you know?”

“The only thing I was sure about was after the plunge.”

This means that I had guessed it from the beginning.

Leon, who understood those words, let out a laugh. Well, if you were a member of Seongcheolsae, you would have experienced a lot of upheaval. He, who had limited life experience, was not someone he could fool for a long time.

Cesare continued speaking in a calm voice.

“No matter how good the solar auror is, there is no way he could cut down the outer magic so easily. Besides, the warrior’s capabilities are not yet at the level of being called a master.”

“Ugh, I’m just embarrassed.”

“no. “In fact, I was even more impressed by his courage in jumping into a dangerous place despite knowing his inexperience.”

Courage and recklessness depend on one’s mindset.

If you were determined to move forward even after realizing your own strength and the walls of reality, it was courage; if not, it was recklessness.

Cesare, who knew the difference, spoke kindly.

“And the sword you showed me at the end was decisive.”

“If it’s the last time… .”

Leon paused, saying ‘Ah’.

Cesare immediately nodded in response.

“Grand Chariot. I remembered seeing it in a book that recorded the achievements of past warriors. The sword of the seven stars said to have been created by the greatest warrior, Roderick. “That vein has already been cut off for a long time, so if it reappeared, wouldn’t there be only one possibility?”

“Whew, I can’t even get away.”

Leon, unable to find a way out, surrendered.

I had no intention of deceiving it any further. He is not an unreliable person, and it was Cesare who risked his life with him ever since he did not know his true identity. If it weren’t for him, the attempt to subdue evil would have been impossible, regardless of Leon’s efforts.

He moved his creaky arm, and before he knew it, he focused his attention on the holy sword in the back of his hand.

‘Come, El Cid.’

Even without El Cid, the Holy Sword itself could be handled. As soon as Leon called, a holy sword popped out from the back of his left hand.

Not a shabby long sword, but the original appearance of a holy sword.

“Ahhh… !”

Cesare looked at the holy sword and immediately knelt down.

A priest could not have known this.

The holy sword El Cid is also recorded in sacred paintings. When in the hands of Roderick, it cut out the heart of the Demon King, and was a symbol of justice wielded by past warriors every time they punished countless evils.

The divine power and godly waves overflowing from the sword body were something that could not be imitated by any skill.

“Goddess… .”

Cesare, perhaps feeling some kind of divine power, was so moved that he recited a prayer as he fell. The unique light of the holy law fluttered all over my body, so much so that my eyes were completely blinded.

Fortunately, his prayer ended quickly. Cesare, still kneeling, turned his eyes to Leon.

“Hero, do you plan to keep your identity hidden in the future?”

“yes.”

Leon agreed.

“The seal on the Holy Sword has not yet been fully lifted, and my capabilities are still very immature. “When I am not ashamed to call myself a warrior, I will try to reveal myself from then on.”

“In my eyes, you already look like a worthy warrior, but you are humble.”

said Cesare, praising his attitude.

“Then I will also keep the secret. However, is it okay if I tell just one person?”

“To whom…” ?”

“You are a saint. “The succession ceremony hasn’t been completed yet, but I thought you might feel a little more energized if you heard this news.”

Leon thought for a moment, but then nodded.

I thought it would be okay if it was a saint and not someone else.

“Thank you, warrior.”

Cesare was happy and put his hands together several times. Was it such a joy to deliver his news?

It was then.

smart.

Someone knocked on his door.

Leon, who had not sensed any presence at all, became stiff, but Cesare calmed him down because he knew the reason.

“Rest assured. “This room is blocked from sound both inside and outside, so the conversation from before wouldn’t have leaked out.”

“Oh, I see. then… .”

“Visit. Or maybe it’s a guest who came to see the hero.”

With a look in his eyes as if asking what he was going to do, Leon immediately made a choice.

I’m sorry.

The door opened softly.

However, the person who came out from beyond was unexpected in many ways.

“Hello, junior. “Is this the first time we’ve seen each other in three days?”

“… Karen.”

Karen, with a shocked expression, looked back and forth between him and Cesare. For some reason, it seemed like Leon himself had a similar face.