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estimate
···Gulp.
Dylan swallowed heavily as he lay face down.
It just felt like a tiny, ticklish feeling.
It was just a minor feeling that could have been overlooked, but since it was something that involved his life, Dylan fell flat on his face.
Just in case the imperial knights or the knights of the castle tower who had been pushed aside might be after them, the ugly swallowtails were also placed on top as shields.
however-.
“···Ningiri?”
Dylan muttered a curse at the subtle sensation, then lifted his head to look around.
Those who had been moving as if time had stopped were still.
Those who were swinging their swords and those who were screaming in pain after being stabbed by the swords all stopped as if frozen.
Pitter-patter, pitter-patter. All I could hear was the sound of raindrops hitting the ground and someone’s soft breathing.
Then-.
Crunch. The shredded flesh fell at the same time, breaking the silence. The blood pouring out reminded me of the time that had stopped.
A section about one-third of the main square was cut down lengthwise.
It was literally cut down, as if someone had swung a very long sword.
Those present were all divided into two along a certain line.
The lower bodies that had lost their upper bodies did not fall over even though they were spewing blood. As if they still had some regrets.
The sight of hundreds of people being split in half at once was a sight that was hard to believe, even if you saw it with your own eyes.
The sight of blood-spurting chunks of flesh rolling on the floor was certainly grotesque, but it was so unrealistic that no one screamed.
Everyone just turned their heads blankly.
There was an old man standing there quietly.
He was just an old man with a straight posture, holding nothing, but everyone knew it instinctively.
The person who did this now is an old man.
The old man’s face was expressionless, which made it even more bizarre.
Because the tragedy just now seemed like nothing to the old man.
As everyone froze, unable to breathe, and stared at the old man, Dylan rolled his eyes.
‘That crazy old man, did you cut your side too?’
About a third of the plaza was blown away by that single blow.
Among them were imperial knights, religious orders, unidentified people, and even nobles.
If he’s the master of the sword, he should be from the royal family, but he’s also cutting down the royal knights.
Dylan squinted his eyes as he nudged Swallows aside. For some reason, he remembered Aaron saying that fists don’t have eyes.
I was just joking when I was beating myself up, but if that old man isn’t crazy-.
‘He was trying to make everyone scared by showing us how strong he is!’
Dylan nodded, pulling up his soaking wet pants. It was a common tactic among the city thugs. That was why it was effective.
Aren’t the guys who were killing each other just now frozen and just watching?
If the guys were to run away or be subdued like this, Dylan, who had shouted first, would definitely get screwed.
‘There’s nothing I can do. You little bastards-.’
Dylan pulled Swallows up and lifted them. When Swallows resisted, he punched them in the head a few times.
And push the ugly Swallows’ faces all the way down-.
“He killed the imperial knight! He’s a senile old man!”
I don’t know if it’s right, but I just blurted out whatever I could. It felt like my mouth was moving on its own. I was surprised at how logically I was speaking.
The Swallows struggled against him, but he easily subdued them with his ten-year-old skills.
“Ah… The imperial knight is dead! Attach yourself to the imperial knight! The empire will no longer have the luxury of imperial knights-!”
At that time, a pretty smart looking guy said something pretty plausible.
Dylan nodded, as that was exactly what he wanted to say. Then, voices rose everywhere-.
The plaza was more of a mess than before.
“Get up! Quickly!”
Dylan pulled the Swallows to block the sword owner’s path and looked around. The sound of swords clashing and screams could be heard from the street leading from the main square.
What had happened in the plaza was spreading outside. Screams could be heard from further and further away.
Things were getting more and more complicated. Dylan focused on the master of the sword.
The sword master just stood there, completely soaked in the rain. Dylan prayed fervently that the old man would shit and piss right now because he looked so old.
At that moment, the old man’s feet began to move. But the movement was subtle. It was as if someone was pulling them, and they moved with a jerk.
‘Geography? Geography? Geography is not shameful!’
Dylan secretly cheered the old man’s senility.
Dylan knew because he had tried it many times. Geography was a little embarrassing at the time, but once you get used to it, there is nothing easier and more refreshing than that.
There was a saying that the lighter the better. So, putting on pants was the first step toward freedom.
Dylan looked down at his pants and noticed they were slightly soaked with rainwater.
However, contrary to Dylan’s expectations, the old man did not hesitate and simply walked on.
Still, it wasn’t bad since the direction was opposite to where Dylan was.
The old man was leaving the main square. He waved his hand and quickly took care of a few more, but soon he was dragged away and disappeared.
As I watched him from behind, my mouth started to itch as if the old man was running away.
Then Dylan looked for the windcatchers he had seen earlier. As expected of windcatchers, they were not fighting and were in perfect condition.
Even though they clearly saw the old man running away, they kept their mouths shut.
No matter how much he tried to catch the wind, he seemed to hesitate because his opponent was the master of the sword.
But Dylan wouldn’t stand it.
“The master of the sword ran away while shitting and pissing! The master of the sword ran away!!! Shitting and pissing-!!”
Dylan, with the Swallows in the lead, screamed at the top of his lungs.
It felt so good to let it out with all my might. I felt a little more free.
Swallows tried to cover his mouth in horror, but the bastard was a piece of shit.
However, unlike before, this time there was no immediate response. When I glanced at them, everyone had hesitant faces. Some of them were so shocked that their eyes were wide open.
Then Dylan brought out the Swallows and shouted again, “The old master of the sword has run away, shitting and pissing himself!”
After shouting that twice, I started to get a response. Everyone turned their heads.
Then I realized that the sword really had no owner.
“The sword master is a piece of shit… no, he ran away! I see victory! Don’t back down!”
The polite guy shouted.
Dylan, who felt a strange sense of intimacy, poked his head out to check on the guy. He was an unlucky guy who had a lot of articles surrounding him and even a very pretty woman. He felt bad for no reason.
Why is a guy who is obviously not a wind catcher taking on this role?
“···It’s the Grand Duke. Damn it! Why do you keep bringing me forward?”
“Just stay still, you ugly piece of shit-.”
The Swallows made a small protest, but Dylan easily subdued them and looked around again.
The news that the sword’s master had withdrawn seemed to have invigorated everyone, and they all raised their voices.
The imperial knights seemed bewildered by the fact that the sword’s owner had escaped. It was a reversal of momentum.
As Dylan turned his head, wondering if he could somehow escape now, he saw the crown prince.
Even in this situation, the crown prince still sat still.
Dylan licked his lips and looked at the crown prince. There were so many royal knights around him that it seemed like it would be difficult to avoid him.
If I can get rid of that guy, I think I’ll be able to enjoy being rich for the rest of my life.
At that moment, the crown prince stood up from his seat. His indifference was out of place with the chaotic surroundings.
Soon the crown prince stepped forward. Then the old man who had been hiding on one side came out trembling and holding the crown.
‘···Are we really holding the coronation ceremony right now?’
Dylan blinked at the unexpected situation. A third of the plaza was filled with corpses cut in half, and the corpses were piling up in real time.
The crown prince put the crown on his head with a blank expression. And he even stepped forward. As if he was trying to show the public what it would look like to wear the crown.
Then, a few angry men rushed out, pushing past the royal knights.
Looking at their gleaming armor and luxurious swords, they were no ordinary men. They broke through the royal knights and rushed towards the crown prince on the platform.
Pitter-patter. Everyone was focused on him amidst the heavy rain.
The number of people rushing towards him was close to ten. In contrast, the crown prince was delicate and only wore a crown.
Even the sword’s master was absent, and the imperial knights escorting him were quite a distance away.
‘This is-.’
Everyone thought the same thing. The Crown Prince was finished. The rebellion was successful.
But at that time.
“It was not permitted.”
A low, dry voice with no highs or lows at all resonated.
That soft voice was clearly heard by everyone even amidst the din of rain, screams, and clashing weapons.
As if God was whispering-.
Then-.
Phew. The dirt rose violently from under the rushing men. The ground split open and something rose up. It was a pure white feather. The huge wings tore apart the rushing men in an instant.
Soon, red blood was sprayed. The wings disappeared in an instant as if what had just happened was a lie.
The only evidence was the torn pieces of flesh rolling around.
Gulp. The atmosphere froze again.
What the heck were those wings just now? What the hell is under the capital-.
At that moment, the crown prince opened his mouth again.
“Get up.”
The low, unpitched voice cut through the heavy rain and people’s screams.
So commanded-. White feathers flew in from somewhere and attached themselves to the imperial knights who were rolling around in half.
Dylan, who saw that, stabbed the neck of the imperial knight’s corpse with his dagger without hesitation. After stabbing it three times, the corpse that had been shaking stopped moving.
Dylan threw one dagger at Swallows and pulled out the other dagger, stabbing him diligently. He worked so hard that his body felt hot.
So when Dylan stabbed six and the Swallows stabbed two-.
The corpses of the imperial knights, wrapped in white feathers, began to stick together. The imperial knights who were stuck together started to groan and get up.
The sight of the corpses that had been split in half rising again, wrapped in white feathers, seemed like a miracle performed by God.
But the ones who had their necks strangled could not get up.
A strange atmosphere suddenly spread throughout the place.
When everyone was dumbfounded and unable to judge the miraculous steps taken by him-.
“Let’s start now.”
Dylan knocked on the Swallows and ran away.
The Swallows, who had come to their senses, quickly followed suit.
And then-.
“Seven imperial knights, and two magic tower masters-. Hmm, should I cut the fallen ones in half?”
The Swallows were astonished at Dylan’s constant babbling.
***
‘The palace really collapsed.’
The five eldest sons muttered as they watched the palace burning and collapsing.
The palace was burning terribly and then completely collapsing.
It was so badly burned that not even a single piece of debris remained, so it won’t be easy to repair.
Something I had wished for for a long time, but never thought would actually be possible, has come true.
And that too by just one person.
‘What the heck is this guy···.’
The five eldest sons muttered as they watched Aaron walking calmly despite the incident.
Perhaps because he had become more adept at handling the spirit, his arm had now returned to its original thickness. He had covered it again with the shoulder pads he had taken from the imperial knight.
After stopping by the Central Management Office, Aaron’s mood changed again.
Before entering the Central Management Office, it didn’t seem strange that it could collapse at any time.
But now it feels like it’s going to explode at any moment.
‘Has transcendence been achieved?’
The five elders swallowed their saliva and muttered. The five elders who had not reached transcendence could not judge.
However, the owner of the sword that had transcended, the third eldest son of the previous generation, and Aaron felt differently.
While they were neatly refined and felt pressing, Aaron was stretching out without control.
As if I had been given an overwhelming amount of power.
Even now, my skin feels hot and tingly for no reason because I’m next to him.
And the most annoying thing is-.
It was the bastard’s face.
Aaron muttered, running his hands through his rain-soaked hair.
Then, the five elders frowned at the revealed faces.
When the scars that covered his face disappeared, the face of the bastard was revealed to be exactly like that of the third eldest son of the previous generation.
The third eldest son of Jeon Dae was so handsome that he had many wives.
Just resembling him was already a remarkable appearance, but the subtle expression on his face was even more of a problem.
The expression on his face, as if he was crying while crying, naturally created an indescribable atmosphere. It gave off a deep and mysterious feeling, as if there was some great story behind him.
The five elders, who knew that he was just an ignorant person, felt uneasy for no reason.
However, it was true that he had destroyed the palace. It was due to his ignorance to an extent that was hard to predict, but he had destroyed the palace as he had promised.
At that moment, the imperial knights came out of the alley in front. They seemed to be rushing from the main square to the palace.
Aaron, who saw him, handed the woman he was carrying on his back.
“Take good care of yourself, if you get hurt even a little bit···.”
Aaron muttered softly. The five eldest sons opened their eyes wide. Wasn’t he already injured to the point where his face was covered in bruises?
However, I nodded for now.
‘But what happened to the main square?’
The five elders turned their heads and muttered. Judging from the noise and the atmosphere, it was clear that something had happened there too.
“Shouldn’t we go quickly?”
The fifth eldest son asked Aaron slyly.
“What are you going to do? It’s already going to be a mess.”
The bastard answered in a deep, hoarse voice.
“···Then why are you going?”
“To make a quote.”
“estimate?”
“okay.”
The five elders furrowed their brows at the bastard’s firm answer.
They said they were going to destroy the capital, but it was already well underway. Screams and the sound of weapons could be heard from all directions, and everything was on fire.
But what else are you going to do here… Are you going to make an estimate?
I tried to ask him again, but Aaron turned around. The royal knights coming from ahead bowed their heads slightly and passed by.
One of the imperial knights passing by turned his head and stared at Aaron. When Aaron raised the corner of his mouth, the other knight flinched greatly.
The opponent took a step closer and looked up at Aaron.
“If there was such a handsome man among the imperial knights, there’s no way I wouldn’t know. Who is he?”
The imperial knight asked in a slightly raised voice. Then the other imperial knights stopped and looked back.
‘It was a woman.’
The fifth eldest son bit his lip. He didn’t expect his outstanding looks to be a hindrance here.
Then the fifth eldest son felt annoyed that he had described the boy’s appearance as outstanding.
At that moment, Balhar Khan gave a nod. In the narrow alley, the opponents were four imperial knights. They were not that difficult of opponents, but what happened after that was the problem.
There were imperial knights and imperial troops all around. If there was even the slightest disturbance, they would swarm like bees, so it had to be dealt with very quickly and quietly.
When you slowly lower your hand to the hilt of the knife-.
“If there was such a beautiful woman, how could I not have known about her? Who are you?”
Aaron lifted the woman’s helmet slightly and spoke proudly.
It’s such a weird nonsense that the tension that had been building up exploded.
“Hanaro, you might not know how many knights there are in the Imperial Household. There are many knights who were on business trips and returned in a hurry this time.”
Another imperial knight came forward to defend her. From the sound of her voice, it seemed to be that of a woman again.
‘What is this-?’
The five elders couldn’t shake off their trembling at the absurd development.
After a brief and friendly conversation, they promised to talk more deeply once the commotion died down before parting ways.
As the royal knights passed by, Aaron lifted his wet head and smirked.
“Oh, I almost got in big trouble because I forgot you were handsome.”
Aaron chuckled, seeming to like his own joke. The five eldest sons could not understand.
Aaron, who had been laughing like that, suddenly clicked his tongue as he looked at them.
“If you fail, you’ll only think about drawing your sword. You ignorant bastards.”
Aaron clicked his tongue, pushing back his wet hair.
It was ridiculous to hear such words from an ignorant guy who would throw a punch even if the numbers weren’t wrong, but I couldn’t refute them. It was true that he had smoothed over the situation.
“Don’t just draw your sword foolishly. Think about it.”
The man spoke in a peculiar voice that alternated between high and low. Just as the five elders were about to answer him-
“Fuck.”
The man muttered softly and twisted his right hand.
Then the arm surrounded by the shell split open and a black skewer popped out.
It overlapped the guy’s arm so it looked exactly like a claw.
The bastard crouched down urgently and lifted him up obliquely, a series of movements that took place in a split second.
Thud. The guy’s arm shook violently at the heavy sound. He gritted his teeth and desperately raised it up-.
Crunch. The top split open with a cool sound.
Pitter-patter. The sound of heavy raindrops. As I let out the breath I had been holding, the buildings on either side of me split and collapsed.
The five elders were astonished at the sharp lines engraved on it.
At that moment, I heard footsteps from in front of me. Even though it was just the sound of footsteps, I felt as if my heart was being squeezed.
When I turned my head towards him, I saw an old man walking monotonously.
‘Master of the Sword···!!’
The five elders bit their lips and hurriedly drew their swords.
but-.
“Get out. To Cassidy.”
Just as he was about to answer, Aaron looked back at the five eldest sons.
As I met Aaron’s unfocused eyes, a variety of emotions came over me that were difficult to handle.
The five elders bit their lips, unable to gauge how much weight the man was carrying.
Then the corners of his mouth lifted. It seemed as if he had used force to raise them, and the tips trembled.
“It’s a nickname.”
He spoke in a voice that seemed to split because of the unusual pitch.
It was a cheeky joke, but the weight felt through the bastard’s eyes was not light.
To him-.
“I will obey your orders.”
The five elders bowed their heads deeply.
Like a knight following orders.
***
‘We met surprisingly quickly. No, did you come from over there? You annoying old man.’
I muttered, shaking my cold hands.
The master of the sword was walking towards me with heavy steps.
He started swinging his sword right away without even saying hello when we first met. He was a very rude old man.
Kkaaaak! Eww!
A scream was heard from the collapsed building, but the sword’s owner had no expression.
It was a dull face, just trying to get the job done.
I guess they’re thinking of taking it lightly, considering my manners.
Others would do it moderately if they let their guard down, but the old man split the building from the start even though he seemed to let his guard down.
He clicked his tongue and looked at the sword’s owner. He had nothing in his hands, but it looked like he was holding something.
As I looked at the sword’s owner through my black-and-white vision, I saw things I hadn’t seen before.
The old man’s entire body was covered in something stubbornly dirty and black. It was similar to the shape Selena had seen during the erosion, but its size was different.
Unlike Selena, who had only covered her body, the old man’s had taken on a gigantic form.
The old man’s face was also more blunt than before. He couldn’t feel any emotion. It was like that last time too, but it seemed to have gotten worse now.
‘I’ve almost lost my sense of reason.’
In some ways it resembled extreme erosion, but there were clearly other aspects.
If excessive erosion is the collapse of reason that cannot withstand excessive force, then that is-.
‘···I guess it worked.’
It wasn’t that he lost his sense of reason because he couldn’t handle the force, but rather that his sense of reason had been consumed. It felt like something black behind him had grabbed the old man’s collar.
Although they were both similar in that they lacked reason, they were clearly different.
Of course, a more important issue is-.
‘You’ve gotten stronger in the meantime.’
It was a step towards the sword’s owner at that time, but the old man had become even stronger than before.
Isn’t it proper manners to wait until the weaker person comes up?
How can the guy above be stronger? He really was an immoral bastard.
Even if I got so angry, nothing changed.
Yes, I will have a fun birthday next year like I did today!]
“I’ll try,” Kanna replied softly to her cries.
The threat emanating from the sword’s master made my hair stand on end.
It felt like I was on the gallows. No, it was a tense feeling, like I had already been sentenced to death.
‘I thought it would be somewhat difficult-.’
He muttered, shaking his right hand.
The distance was greater than I expected.
– Didn’t you kick it?
The still-sad tenant grumbled. What a narrow-minded bastard. And-.
‘Are you telling me to become a puppet like that?’
If I lose, I lose, I didn’t intend to.
The tenant who found out what I was thinking kept his mouth shut.
Through the black and white vision, I could see a small gap on one side of the old man. It seemed like that was the last part of the old man. If that part disappeared, it would be similar to the end of Hendrix.
Yeah, he wasn’t completely over it either. And no matter how much he talked about transcending or whatever, in the end, it was the same as dying after cutting his neck.
‘It’s worth doing.’
He muttered and held out his sword.
The memory was vivid.
The tenant cursed the eternal memory, but the vivid memory was a distinct power above all else.
I remembered all the swords I had seen. No, I remembered them even without thinking.
I continued to sharpen the sword in my memory. I had learned everything in the past and acquired only the core, but there were parts that I inevitably missed.
Vivid memories filled the gap.
I thought of Hendrix’s sword. I vividly remembered the countless hours I had spent trapped in that strange place with Hendrix.
It had been a long time. Hendrix’s sword was rough and unpolished, so it was impossible to tell how much time had passed.
If the vertical slash shown by the sword’s master was perfect, Hendricks’ sword was as destructive as it was imperfect.
It was Hendrix who had spent countless years in that unknown space.
There must be a reason why Hendrix used an imperfect sword, not a perfect sword like its owner.
I thought of Hendrix’s sword. That savage, uncivilized sword that tore through space.
He lowered his posture and turned his sword firmly.
“You’re alive.”
The old man spoke lightly and aimed his sword at me.
It seemed like there was no intention of ending the conversation.
That was common sense.
“Unfortunately.”
[Even if a knife is put in front of your throat, smile. Even if you feel like there is nothing more you can do, smile. Then, the other person will be on guard and think there is something about you. You will be able to create an opening.]
I smiled broadly, the corners of my lips raised like a Gorgai’s.
The old man moved his arm as if there was no need to say anything more.
It was a perfect vertical slashing stance.
It was a kind of sentence that split even the clouds in the sky.
The old man’s sword was invisible. It was not even caught in the black and white vision.
It was quite difficult, but originally, the inspector didn’t see the opponent’s sword. If he saw the sword and reacted, he would be slow, so he guessed the sword’s path using his feet, waist, shoulders, and wrists.
The old man’s specialty, vertical slashing, was already perfectly mastered.
‘It’s worth doing.’
He muttered to himself and readjusted his grip on the sword.
The old man’s hand was raised vertically, as if it were reaching the sky.
I took a deep breath and squinted my eyes.
I was completely focused on the old man. It felt like the only people in the world were the old men.
The screams and clashing sounds of weapons that had previously made me dizzy were no longer heard.
In the endlessly lengthening time, memories became confused.
But for now, there was only one.
The old man’s hand moved slowly. Then, an invisible line came down from above.
The concise verdict came as if the world was splitting apart.
I already knew the timing. I already remembered the old man’s vertical slash.
I twisted my foot. The road below me crumbled and my foot was buried about an inch deep. The solid support sent all the force upward.
The first thing that happened was that the old man’s sword parted the dark clouds. The moon peeked out through the gap.
The moonlight shone brightly on me. I raised the corners of my mouth as if I was standing at the center of the stage.
I pulled hard, putting strength into my waist. The strength coming up from below built up and became taut like a bowstring pulled all the way back.
The old man’s sword that cut through the sky gradually became faster. An indescribable pressure pressed down on my shoulder.
It was hard even to breathe-.
Not yet.
He muttered like that and now focused on me. The old man’s sword was an unavoidable sentence that would fall anyway.
All I can do, as always, is do my best.
The more I concentrated, the heavier the sword became strangely.
My terrible but pretty cool hands grew thicker. I held the sword tightly. My shoulder felt like it was going to fall off, but it was okay. Even if it falls off, it will grow back.
The pressure was getting closer and closer. Soon my body was trembling. It was so hard to breathe that I even stopped breathing.
Under such increasing pressure-.
now.
I muttered and released the strength I had been holding back. All the strength I had been holding back poured out at once, and the heavy sword moved slowly.
Although I couldn’t see it, I knew the path perfectly.
The old man’s vertical slash that even cuts through space is aimed at-.
‘think.’
Perfect straight lines intersect with irregular, ugly curves here and there.
Now there was no sound of rain.
Because all the dark clouds in the sky were torn apart.
In the silence, a red line was drawn on the old man’s nape.
Push. There was quite a bit of blood spurting out with a shallow sound, but-.
It didn’t meet my expectations.
On the contrary, I rolled on the floor. My strength gave out because my spine was cut so badly that it was completely exposed.
‘This isn’t working.’
He clicked his tongue slightly.
Since he knew his opponent’s sword perfectly, his timing was perfect and he let his opponent down his guard. He even prepared a way to deal with him.
The results weren’t very good.
I was embarrassed to even think about holding the form.
However, I could definitely feel the gap.
The original estimate started with the recognition of the gap.
– So didn’t I say it clearly!
I chuckled at the tenant’s grumbling and braced myself.
The split body was reassembled and the wounds healed quickly. The body was completely exposed because the armor was blown away.
It was completely eroded.
In return, I caused further erosion.
Now I feel confident that I can handle erosion.
No, it was meaningless to differentiate between me and erosion.
I wish I could wake up in style, but the erosion that slowly rose up was not very impressive.
Soon, my face was completely covered by the erosion, and it was strangely warm.
– So why did you make that choice, you piece of shit.
To the inconsiderate grumbling tenant.
“If it’s easy, it’s not fun.”
He answered, swallowing the blood that had risen.
The corners of the lips, created by erosion, rose so high that they reached the ears.
