The Returned Sword King Decided to Become a Tyrant Chapter 165
Pendant (4)
[Then prove it.]
A blurry hand moved.
Soon, the energy released from Richard began to wave in response to the gesture.
[Are you the one who can succeed me, the King of Knights, Richard?]
Kookookookook!
It reached out towards me as if pressing me and surrounded me in an instant.
I just accepted what was coming, and the will that came from there was imprinted in my head.
It was different from previous trials that simply tested the knight’s abilities.
‘The final test… … I see.’
The outstretched energy was a part of his mental power.
And now that it was enveloping me, it was practically as if it was seeing through everything about me.
That is, at this moment, the two people were in harmony with each other.
‘Was it true that even maintaining one’s sanity was only a small part of one’s ability?’
I stared at Lahart, feeling the energy surrounding my body.
soul.
Now, only a little bit of self is left.
Surprisingly, he was a being with enough power to do something like this on his own.
[As you may have already felt, your soul and my soul are bound together by mental power.]
“… … .”
[It would be more correct to say that we share each other’s thoughts and even our true intentions.]
As if to prove that what he said was true, the image he had encountered was clearer than before, and the ‘voice’ that had been ringing was also flowing in in its entirety.
That was also Richard’s intention.
He spoke solemnly, wiping away the smiles he had seen earlier.
[If you can answer these two questions in that state, I will recognize your qualifications.]
Clearly he was discussing the qualifications of a monarch.
And now we are in a situation where we have to confront it head on.
“That sounds fun.”
In the end, he meant to determine his true successor with his own hands.
[… … You seem confident.]
Slurp-
As that interesting answer continued, Richard took a step closer.
[Let me ask you first, young descendant. For what purpose do you desire power?]
All force is a double-edged sword.
If it is used to protect the body and family, it is righteous, but if it is used only for personal dirty desires, it is wrong.
It was a basic mindset that I would ask the knights first.
Even though it has long since been faded by those in power.
So the point of asking that was simple.
‘… … Are you only pursuing your personal desires?’
It was literally a question of whether or not he was worthy of holding power.
One, there is no need to worry about the answer.
I responded arrogantly, twisting the corners of my lips.
“To take revenge on my enemies who looked down on me.”
[……her.]
Richard looked surprised at the murderous intent that suddenly burst out.
Revenge is the most primal of filthiness.
The malice that comes from the desire to harm the other person. Revenge is the condensation of that from the depths of the heart.
‘I thought you’d at least say something polite.’
At least, it was probably the exact opposite of the answer he wanted.
I can tell by that look of confusion.
Still, I didn’t hesitate to put those feelings into words.
Because from the beginning, I never had any other purpose other than revenge.
[… … Revenge, if that is your answer, then that is enough.]
Richard lowered his voice as he realized that it was true.
Is this an illusion?
Before long, the shape had taken on a more distinct form than before.
[A monarch with power and authority is the most dangerous of all. This is something proven by the countless nations that have fallen throughout history, and it is also a truth that must be kept in mind first.]
He soon took a step closer and asked the second question that was scheduled.
[Can you promise to use it more wisely and lovingly than anyone else?]
“I am…….”
That was when.
“… … .”
[… … .]
For a split second, their eyes met and their lips stopped moving.
The eyes that were on me as I was taking the test were staring at me more intensely than ever.
It meant one thing.
‘You’re urging me to nod.’
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Then this ordeal will also end.
I will let you claim your inheritance with pride and proclaim yourself king.
That’s what he was saying.
But even for him, what he would say next was almost a given.
“no.”
[… … .]
The answer was no.
The smile that lingered at the corners of my lips grew deeper.
“It is not my place to judge wisdom and kindness. Just as the victors write history, only the results will ultimately judge my achievements.”
okay.
I am the only one who can discuss qualifications.
Also, my choices will always be consistent, and petty emotions like compassion and wisdom will be completely excluded.
Only for my future and my country’s future.
It means that you will not hesitate to step into the mud yourself.
So the result will be the same.
“The people will praise me and all people will look up to me forever.”
That much doesn’t change.
I am confident that even if that power is used in a stupid and cruel way, it will never be wrong.
[… … I see.]
The last prepared ordeal ended there.
Kugugugugugugu!
“… … .”
The large statue began to move, kicking up a cloud of dust, and the altar dispersed into the air as if it had never existed.
And Richard, who had stepped aside to block the way, paid his respects instead of the results of the ordeal.
[A ruler who has firm convictions rather than madness may fail, but he is not wrong, even if it is only a feeling of revenge.]
“Do you acknowledge me?”
[okay.]
Richard nodded.
The initial curiosity had now turned to respect, as if he were treating a true successor.
[I just hope that your determination doesn’t waver.]
Soon, Richard’s body slowly became blurred.
The ego that had been held here for a long time has finally achieved its purpose and entered the path of natural order.
And on the other side, where the statue had been, there was only a passage leading somewhere.
After checking it, I turned my gaze again to Richard’s disappearing ego.
“Is it disappearing?”
[It doesn’t disappear. It just goes to where it should have been.]
“It seems you’re not afraid of death.”
[at all.]
He spoke so decisively, and it seemed as if he had no fear at all. Rather, it was as if he had poured out all his foolishness, and it seemed as if he had been relieved.
[But it’s a bit of a shame that I won’t be able to see your progress.]
The speed at which the body dispersed gradually increased, and soon it became almost invisible.
The energy that had surrounded me also completely disappeared.
That was the last one.
[Thank you, young successor, for fulfilling my long-cherished wish after so many eons.]
“… … .”
[… … No, you are a monarch who has overcome failure and grown in the abyss.]
Ssuk-
So Richard finally disappeared, leaving behind only a meaningful sentence.
Was it something I noticed when my soul was fused?
I gathered my thoughts and turned my gaze to the revealed passageway.
Inside, there was only a single door with a groove engraved on it that matched the size of the pendant.
Of course, the artifact no longer had any energy.
Step by step – step by step –
I walked up to the door.
Then, he picked up the pendant he had kept in his bosom and put it in like he was moving a key.
Squeak-
Then the door began to open slowly.
“… … .”
And beyond the doorway I could see it burning.
The source of Richard’s power, which is evaluated to have surpassed that of a superhuman.
[A fiery sword strike will split the sea and cut down a hundred thousand troops in one blow.]
The element of pure flame.
The primordial flame.
* * *
Woohoo!
“… … .”
When I opened my eyes, I was in the secret room in the library where I had first entered the trial.
I could roughly guess how much time had passed.
Because my father was looking at me with a shocked expression and his mouth was stammering.
“Father.”
“You, you… … what on earth are you… … .”
He must have been running in such a hurry that his clothes were quite disheveled.
He was holding a fountain pen in his hand, as if he had completely forgotten to put it down.
But why are you so surprised?
‘hmm?’
At that moment, I suddenly realized that my father’s gaze was strange and turned my head there.
It was the location of the obelisk that led to the trials. To be exact, it was the location where it ‘was’… … .
‘… … None.’
His eyebrows twitched.
The obelisk that fulfilled the founding king’s long-cherished wish disappeared without a trace.
There was literally only empty space left.
It might have been natural, but it was surprising that it disappeared without a trace…
In this situation, it was completely understandable that he would notice it immediately, come running, and be shocked.
‘Did the royal blood react?’
Of course, since it was my first time experiencing this, I was also embarrassed.
Because I never expected to get caught in the first place.
‘Tsk, that’s difficult.’
But without showing it outwardly, he made an excuse that he had prepared just in case.
“Oh, where the hell is the obelisk… … and more importantly, how did you get in here?!”
“The pendant Albedo had led me here.”
“pendant?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
I shrugged and handed her the pendant.
Now, it was an antique that had fulfilled its role and was left with only the function of a ‘pendant’.
“This is… … .”
“That was the final key to the ordeal we had here.”
“trial!”
Even in the midst of the confusion, my father came to his senses at the mention of that name.
An obelisk that contains the legacy of the founding king.
Because you must have personally witnessed the sight of it disappearing before your eyes.
“If it’s the last key… … Are you sure you challenged the final trial?”
“Yes, father.”
“Then, the obelisk disappeared… … .”
“It’s just that I don’t need it anymore. I’ve overcome all the trials.”
“… … !”
My father’s mouth was wide open and he didn’t think about closing it. He was so shocked that he couldn’t even speak properly.
I slightly rolled up the sleeve of my right arm, revealing the magic engraving tattoo there.
The imprint is now dyed a pale red.
“The legacy left by the founding king was the ability to manipulate flames. More precisely, the ability to infuse the aura with the destructive power of flames.”
“That, that is… … .”
“It is the power of the absorbed founding king. Perhaps the phrases in the legend came from this ability.”
Richard, who lived before the Age of Chaos, would have been familiar with the artifact called the Magic Seal.
And you would have also known the true ability to contain pure elements.
So, just as I had incorporated the element of wind into my swordsmanship, he would have incorporated the properties of the element of fire into his sword.
‘That is the basis of the power that could surpass even superhumans.’
In other words, it was a clue to the next level.
It was also proof that my actions up until now were not wrong.
My father looked back and forth between my right arm and the spot where the obelisk had been, then nodded absentmindedly.
“I, I see. By the way, I never thought you would find something that is only handed down to the king… … .”
“There won’t be a problem since you would have told me when the time came anyway.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Still, it seemed like it would take time to understand this situation.
I turned away from my father, who was still confused, and stroked his right arm.
My lips were smiling contentedly.
‘Of course, what I gained there wasn’t just the power of the elements.’
A space where the ego of the founding king remains.
What the founding king did to hold onto the self that would disappear with the flow of time was to permanently hold onto the time flowing in that space.
‘At least that way we can prevent the self from disappearing.’
However, in that time, which was flowing tens of thousands of times, no, hundreds of millions of times slower than the outside, there was a high possibility of going crazy… … .
Richard was not exaggerating when he said that it felt like an eternity.
And what’s important, in any case, is that time there was fixed by the archmage who created the obelisk.
‘And I took advantage of the fact that time passed slowly there.’
That is, training on how to utilize the newly acquired power.
Infinitely fixed time means, in other words, accelerated consciousness!
Although it would be impossible to train Aura directly there.
At least it is possible to engrave the experience into one’s memory.
This was also related to the fact that my skills before the regression had rapidly improved since the war.
‘Did you practice swordsmanship back then?’
This usage alone was satisfying enough for me.
Swish-
I nodded, stroking the magic seal that had a faint red tint added to it.
‘I got my hands on the inheritance earlier than expected, so it’s time to get moving.’
Now that I have strengthened my body’s power again.
Now it’s time to take the next step you’ve been thinking about.
