Chapter 56

The “Sword of Four Seasons.”

Why is that being brought up now…?

I never expected it to be mentioned at this point in the story.

First the Emperor’s Hunter, and now the Sword of Four Seasons. Is there some kind of magnetic pull between random, unexpected things?

What on earth is the connection…?

‘Wait, there is a connection.’

Come to think of it, I was about to say it earlier.

The Emperor’s Hunters. Their official title is the Imperial Guard Bureau, Mausoleum Subjugation Department. What would be the only reason they’d bother entering a noble’s fief?

There’s only one.

A dungeon.

A dungeon officially recognized as the property of the Emperor had drifted into Denabi. The dungeon was the common denominator between the Emperor’s Hunters and the Sword of Four Seasons.

‘The White Basin… that was it.’

The Sword of Four Seasons that Adele mentioned. Specifically, the Sword of Spring—Cherry Blossoms Reflecting on the Trees.

I had discovered it in the basement of the “White Basin” dungeon. Adele had come looking for it.

But as luck would have it…

I’m the only one who knows that.

“…The Sword of Four Seasons?”

Alejandro repeated Adele’s words. He, along with almost everyone gathered in the Great Hall, wore the exact same expression.

‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’

—What is the Sword of Four Seasons?
—Do you know?
—If I knew, would I be making this face?

The officials whispered among themselves.

Avenger also leaned in to ask me.

“The Sword of Four Seasons… I’ve never heard of it. Do you know what it is, Young Master?”

I quickly switched my expression to match the “no idea” vibe of the room.

“…Beats me.”

“Beats you?”

“I said I don’t know either.”

“Ah.”

It wasn’t a total lie. While it was true I’d seen the blade, I actually didn’t know much about it.

I looked down at my right hand.

‘Now that I think about it… wasn’t that sword stuck to my hand?’

Didn’t it get attached when my arm started crystallizing? Where is it now? Maybe Izack, who rescued me from the bottom of that well, might know…

While I was lost in thought, Adele spoke up.

“Umm…? Everyone looks like they have no clue. This is strange… and a bit problematic.”

Alejandro asked the muttering Adele.

“What exactly is this ‘Sword of Four Seasons’?”

Yeah, let me in on it too. My status window hasn’t told me a thing. What is it that makes you come all this way to find it?

But Adele’s response was a masterpiece.

“I can’t tell you that. It’s classified.”

—Classified…?
—Hah.

The officials sighed in disbelief. Adele, unbothered, continued.

“However, you will all have to provide every bit of cooperation and resource necessary to search for the Sword of Four Seasons without hesitation.”

One official asked, “And why is that?”

The answer was simple.

“Because it is the will of His Imperial Majesty.”

Well, her answers sure are straightforward. So straightforward it feels like I might freeze to death from the chill in the air.

Alejandro asked Adele, “Can you swear there isn’t a single lie in those words?”

“My, you’re asking the obvious.”

Adele spread her palm and looked at her fingernails. She seemed to be checking for hangnails or seeing if they were well-trimmed.

As she did, she spoke.

“If it wasn’t His Majesty’s will, why would I go out of my way to suffer through this?”

“I see. I understand perfectly.”

Alejandro exhaled a shallow breath through his nose. Adele beamed.

“Excellent. My superior, who will arrive shortly, will have a detailed plan. So, according to what’s written there—”

“No.”

Alejandro cut Adele off. He leaned back against the armrest, resting his chin on his hand as he sank into the throne. It was an uncharacteristically arrogant posture for him.

“Denabi has no intention of providing any cooperation, including Denabi’s resources, for your search.”

“Hmm. Is that a Denabi-style joke? I’m afraid I don’t have the refinement to appreciate such sophisticated humor.”

“It is no joke.”

At those words, Adele’s eyes narrowed.

“…Are you saying you intend to defy the will of His Imperial Majesty?”

“That is not it.”

“I believe I told you I don’t enjoy jokes.”

Alejandro exhaled another sigh through his nose. He spoke.

“As you have surmised, we know absolutely nothing about this ‘Sword of Four Seasons.’ We do not know what it looks like, its value, the stories entwined with it, or why you believe such an object has drifted into our territory. Not a single thing. We are ignorant of it all.”

Alejandro’s tone was relaxed yet resolute and clear.

“So, how are we supposed to cooperate with you? Do you truly believe such a thing is possible? I do not for a moment think your foolish proposal genuinely represents the will of His Imperial Majesty.”

“…”

“I say this once more because I do not want you to misunderstand. I am challenging your intent, not His Majesty’s. You said your colleague would arrive soon? I hope they are someone slightly more reasonable than you. If you continue to act like this, it will not end well for any of you.”

As Alejandro finished speaking, the officials all nodded in unison. They looked at Adele with a singular gaze, signaling their agreement with their lord.

‘Wow. I felt this last time, too, but Shane’s father really has a killer way with words.’

I fell for that silver tongue at the beginning, too. It almost cost me my entire business plan.

‘But why won’t this anxiety in my gut go away…?’

I felt a strange tension flowing between Alejandro and Adele. As Alejandro said, Denabi truly knew nothing about the Sword of Four Seasons. And I wasn’t much better. I had only managed to read the name! Honestly, my memory of what it looked like was hazy, and I had no clue where it was right now.

Of course, I also didn’t know how the Emperor’s Hunters had obtained information regarding the sword. However, it was crystal clear that this mysterious object was incredibly important to the Emperor. Why else would she mention it being “classified”?

Furthermore, the person standing before us was one of the sharpest blades held by the Emperor.

‘So, there’s no way she’ll just leave just because we told her to…’

Why do ominous premonitions always hit the mark? Adele, as expected, seemed to have no intention of backing down.

“Tsk.”

Adele clicked her tongue.

“I’ve thought about it, and the conclusion is the same. I haven’t forgotten a thing. Information regarding the Sword of Four Seasons must be absolutely protected, and its recovery must be absolute. This is perfectly in line with the will of His Imperial Majesty.”

Adele nodded as if agreeing with herself.

“If you won’t cooperate, I have no choice but to resort to extreme measures.”

That was when Jin cut in.

“Extreme measures?”

The look on Jin’s face as he asked that was almost… excited. This feels dangerous…

Adele replied.

“The Imperial Guard Bureau’s Mausoleum Subjugation Department will regard you all as traitors who have infringed upon the property of His Imperial Majesty.”

Treason. At that word, the string of tension began to pull even tighter.

“And even if it means burning every barley field in this land to ash and grinding every marble brick of this castle into dust… we will recover His Majesty’s property. Do you understand?”

The Great Hall fell into a heavy silence once more. But that silence felt like it was resting on a tightrope about to snap. A single-strand wire that would break if someone even let out a small cough. Once the wire snapped, the quiet would be gone forever. And something ridiculously chaotic would break loose…

“Hahaha…”

Suddenly, the sound of laughter shattered the silence. Jin was chuckling to himself. Adele tilted her head.

“Why are you laughing?”

Jin answered.

“Go ahead.”

“?”

“Burning every barley field in this land to ash and grinding every marble brick of this castle into dust. Go ahead and try.”

—Whoosh!

Adele drew her weapon instantly. There was no visible gap between her movements. It was truly lightning-fast. The weapon that emerged from beneath her cloak was a long mace. It looked to be about a meter long from head to the end of the handle.

The mace pointed at Jin did not tremble in the slightest. It was a level of physical strength that seemed impossible for Adele’s small frame.

Adele spoke.

“I don’t have a very tolerant personality when it comes to provocation. And I’ve said it twice—no, for the third time now—that I don’t enjoy that brand of sophisticated humor.”

She tilted her chin slightly.

“So… care to say that again?”

“Go ahead.”

A flash. And a split-second later, a storm erupted.

—Clang!

Jin’s sword, drawn at some point, parried Adele’s strike. The impact was monstrous. Jin was pushed back a bit, but he closed the distance with Adele without a moment’s delay. His sword lunged.

—Whish!

Strands of Adele’s cut hair fluttered at the tip of his blade. It all happened just a few steps away from me.

‘This is seriously dangerous…!’

I scrambled back from the fight. The officials did the same. I checked their faces, but they didn’t seem as flustered as I expected.

I swallowed hard.

‘I guess they really are Denabi warriors.’

Conflict is a daily routine for them. This fight couldn’t be a completely alien sight. It seemed I was the only one truly on edge here.

Okay… fine. Being calm is good. But…

‘Is no one going to try and stop them?! Someone’s actually going to die at this rate! Am I the only one taking this seriously!?’

My eyes trembled as I followed the duel. The exchange between Jin and Adele continued at a terrifying speed. It was a struggle for me even to track their movements. What was happening wasn’t just a duel between two people; it was closer to a miniature war.

In this era, where wars between nations are a thing of the past, the Empire’s greatest enemy is the dungeon, and the front line is right here in Denabi. It’s no exaggeration to say that you’d be hard-pressed to find a fief harsher than Denabi in the whole Empire. Denabi’s warriors are the elite of the elite guarding that front line.

And Jin Astrier is the vanguard of those elites. He could hold his own even against an Emperor’s Hunter.

Jin’s sword whipped the air. Adele’s blonde hair, dodging his strikes, looked like stalks of grain swaying before a gale. They were perfectly matched.

In other words, Adele wasn’t falling behind Jin at all.

‘Adele introduced herself as a Third-Class Knight. In the Mausoleum Subjugation Department, a Third-Class Knight is…’

The lowest of the low. Yet Jin is the undisputed strongest in Denabi.

‘…You’re telling me even a low-ranking Emperor’s Hunter can stand toe-to-toe with Denabi’s strongest?’

This was a legendary duel rarely seen even in the original work. There aren’t many people in this world who know Jin’s strength as well as I do. After all, the original story I read was entirely about Jin. Jin is a protagonist who is nearly “perfect” from the start—at least in terms of combat power.

That was why I became afraid. I began to imagine it—the sight of those with even more power than Jin arriving in entire units.

I felt it in my bones. If I didn’t stop this nonsense, my fief really might meet its end.

But how? Should I bring in the Great Lord, the Margrave of Adria? Should I appeal this to the Council of Nobles? All sorts of thoughts flashed through my mind.

‘But wait…’

Did I really need such a complicated answer? That sword. The Sword of Four Seasons.

‘Can’t I just give it to them?’

Right then, that thing chimed in again.