Arent’s eyes widened.
“That is…”
“The sword called the ‘bladeless sword,’ right?”
“That is definitely Regenshauer’s beloved weapon. How does a stranger like you have his sword? Don’t tell me something happened to Resha…”
His gaze shook violently.
At the same time, wariness toward me was visible.
No, think logically.
If I were already strong enough to kill Regenshauer and steal Ure, I wouldn’t be running around desperately laying groundwork like this.
A quasi-Twelve Heroes-level powerhouse should at least have the insight to gauge an opponent’s strength at a glance.
“It’s not like a nobody like me could pull any tricks on the Thousand-Man Slayer. I just picked it up after he left it behind.”
“Left it? That miraculous sword?”
He still seemed unable to easily dispel his suspicion of me.
Arent is one of the few who knows about the duel between the Thousand-Man Slayer and the Sword Saint.
Before departing on his long journey, Regenshauer had confided his future plans only to this close friend.
Even he apparently did not know Ure’s whereabouts.
But it is true that Regenshauer left Ure in Licht Territory.
The novel vaguely packaged it as entrusting it to his foster mother, but judging from the context, he had no intention of retrieving it later.
He excluded equipment advantages to perfect a technique that would guarantee victory over Edval—I personally wonder if that was really necessary.
“You knew that too.”
When I mentioned the duel between the Thousand-Man Slayer and Sword Saint—two of the most renowned swordsmen on the continent—Arent narrowed his brow.
“So what does that have to do with joining Blispiel clan?”
“The reason I came all this way is because I personally admire the Thousand-Man Slayer as a swordsman. There could be no greater honor than to operate under the name of the clan he was part of.”
Arent made a complicated expression.
His glorious past made the current state of the clan—on the verge of ruin—all the more bittersweet.
He let out a deep sigh and said,
“…I roughly understand the situation. But you still haven’t explained how you know about Regenshauer’s secrets.”
I glanced around.
In this room were only the three people who would walk the path with me going forward; the elite knights on escort duty were waiting outside the clan building.
Moreover, Arent is a man with an extremely tight lip, so there is little burden in speaking about future knowledge.
“It’s complicated to explain, but twenty years ago, didn’t Regenshauer disappear somewhere following a woman with strange hair named ‘Iris Vinter’?”
“You know that well too. And after that, I heard nothing about Resha. Because of my duties as clan master, I never had the leisure to track him… but I was planning to settle things soon and set out.”
“There’s no need to go looking; I know where Regenshauer is.”
“What…! Is that true?”
“Of course. I saw it all in dreams.”
I brought up the prophetic dreams.
Obtaining Ure—because of prophetic dreams.
Knowing the Thousand-Man Slayer’s whereabouts—because of prophetic dreams.
Knowing the duel between Regenshauer and Edval—because someone mentioned it in prophetic dreams.
Hearing the everything-leads-to-prophetic-dreams story, Arent looked flustered.
But soon he accepted it calmly, perhaps finding it credible.
Having worked long in the clan industry filled with all sorts of mysterious ability users, it was a natural flow.
Afterward, the names of the four of us were safely recorded in Blispiel’s roster.
And we were all issued badges engraved with the clan name.
I quietly gazed at the “Seal of Utility” that Arent possessed, symbol of the clan master.
In truth, besides Regenshauer, there is one more character with extraordinary setting who was part of Blispiel.
A female mage nicknamed the “Green Witch,” one of the three daughters of the “Witch Empress,” strongest on the distant Ciencia continent.
After Regenshauer left and Blispiel lost its center, she too departed as the clan slowly declined.
Yet the loyal Green Witch left one contingency for when the clan faced crisis—activating it requires that seal symbolizing Blispiel’s master.
However, to properly utilize that contingency, I need to evolve my 『Spirit Affinity · Weak (C)』 trait, so it is still premature.
“My goodness. It’s been nearly five years since new members joined the clan! And four at once!”
Upon our joining Blispiel, Jaela was extremely surprised.
Blispiel’s current members consisted only of the clan master—her father—and a few ghost members who never showed their faces.
If the original timeline held, it would collapse completely in two years; even now, it was already non-functional as a clan.
Then it happened.
“My, the inside is unusually lively today. Quite rare, isn’t it?”
“Ah… Lady Chloeria.”
Jaela’s expression hardened the moment she greeted the sudden visitor.
She seemed somehow flustered.
The visitor had bright, soft-looking blonde hair, tall for a woman, and striking upturned eyes.
Behind her followed over a dozen rough-looking martial artists.
Character sheet.
<Chloeria Altus>
[Level: 34/39]
[Stamina: 07]
[Strength: 03]
[Agility: 07]
[Mana: 26]
[Spirit: 07]
[Perception: 12]
[Divinity: 01]
[Traits: Multi-Caster (A), Magical Prodigy (B), plus 4 others]
[Techniques: Green Tower Secret Magic (A), Spell Storage (B), Mana Rampage (B), Torture Arts (C), plus 5 others]
[Description: 29 years old, human. Only daughter of the Caracol clan master and one of the clan’s top five executives.]
This ill-tempered woman appears here.
I know the surname Altus well.
The master of the neighboring clan “Caracol,” “Giant” Citrio Altus, is one of the Continent’s Twelve Heroes, like my great-uncle.
Soon a bear-like man stepped forward from behind Chloeria.
“We have come to collect the debt Blispiel has long overdue, Master Lindal. Even for us, this is as patient as we can be. Pay the principal of 90 platinum coins immediately.”
He exuded presence on a different level from the other martial artists.
Seeing the man’s character sheet, my eyes lit up.
<Rexar Faber>
[Level: 38/43]
[Stamina: 18]
[Strength: 13]
[Agility: 13]
[Mana: 11]
[Spirit: 04]
[Perception: 08]
[Divinity: 01]
[Traits: Blunt Weapon Genius (A), High-Speed Reaction (B), Indestructible Body (B), plus 2 others]
[Techniques: Blunt Weapon Arts · Extreme (A), Bisellio Heart Method (B), Rastil Defense Arts (B), Bisellio Insight (B), plus 4 others]
[Description: 35 years old, human. One of Caracol clan’s top five executives.]
In a little more time, he reaches quasi-Twelve Heroes level.
In the original novel, he appeared in the final chapter of Part 2, participated in a showdown against the Schnifelt family, unluckily faced the Part 2 final boss, and was killed in one strike.
“O…”
Feeling the pressure Rexar emitted, Linia took a slight step back.
Arent, directly receiving that momentum, stood unmoving and said,
“Unfortunately, we lack the funds.”
“Quite boldly declaring you will continue defaulting, Master Lindal.”
“It all stems from your schemes—truly shameless. Had I known Citrio Altus was such a black-hearted man, I would never have associated with him from the start.”
Arent glared at the Caracol clan members with fierce eyes.
Some with insufficient training trembled.
About three years ago, an incident caused Blispiel’s already declining power to plummet.
Several key members became incapacitated in an accident during a request.
With poor finances, the clan had no money to pay the retirement compensation stipulated in contracts.
Then the neighboring clan Caracol readily lent money—but the contract hid outrageous poisonous clauses, and three years later the debt had snowballed.
One might question how a clan of such fame fell for something so obvious, but the accountant who reviewed the contract had been bribed by Caracol.
Moreover, the accident itself was orchestrated by Caracol.
In short, Blispiel had been dancing in their palm from start to finish.
The rage Arent felt upon realizing this must have been indescribable.
Chloeria sneered at Arent, who hid his anger.
“Hmm… If you truly lack funds, we can show some leniency. If you hand over Blispiel’s Seal of Utility as collateral, we could specially reduce the debt significantly.”
“No chance! Even if we go under, I will never hand this seal to you.”
Handing over the Seal of Utility is equivalent to surrendering the clan’s authority entirely.
It means the name value and authority built with comrades fall into enemy hands.
Chloeria sneered.
“Well, if you insist, we have no choice. We will have to formally sue through the Church of Utility.”
“Hm…!”
Arent groaned.
Current Blispiel struggles to accept even simple requests.
If audited by the church, the outcome is obvious.
The clan’s very existence would be in jeopardy.
“By the way, these children seem to be new Blispiel recruits, judging by their badges? I’m curious how you persuaded them to join a sinking clan.”
Speaking sarcastically, Chloeria suddenly looked at us with interest.
From little Amiel, past maid Linia, to me, and finally fixing her gaze on Chesa.
“My, a flower that doesn’t suit this place at all.”
“…………”
Chloeria approached Chesa, who wore a puzzled expression.
“Caracol dominates the entire entertainment district of the free neutral city. How about working there?”
“…What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said. A lady like you would surely become the top earner in the city. Far better than taking filthy requests in a clan like this…”
Clear provocation.
The instant Chesa’s eyelids trembled, my hand moved like lightning.
Smack!
“Kyaaah!”
Hit squarely in the cheek by something flying at her, Chloeria rolled across the floor.
I had infused it with Thunder God Physique (S)’s unique spell <Infinity Shock>, so her face must be tingling right now.
“Could you refrain from running your mouth at my woman, ma’am?”
“M-ma’am…”
Hearing the unrestrained words, Chloeria’s face turned crimson with humiliation.
“W-what have you done!”
Shiiing!
The martial artists who came with Chloeria drew their weapons as if to charge immediately.
The only calm one among them was, naturally, Rexar.
Arms crossed, he said to me,
“Young one. You have just insulted the daughter of Citrio Altus, one of the Continent’s Twelve Heroes. Are you prepared for the consequences?”
“I just repaid a debt.”
“…What?”
Rexar’s expression twisted slightly.
No lie.
What I threw at Chloeria was a pouch full of money.
One of the Caracol members, catching Rexar’s eye, checked the pouch’s contents and exclaimed in admiration,
“I-it’s true. We’d need an exact count, but at a glance, it looks like over 100 platinum coins…”
Chloeria, Rexar, and even the Lindal father-daughter pair on the same side stared at me, dumbfounded.
“And if consequences must be faced, that would be for that lady or your clan to handle.”
“What nonsense!”
Chloeria ground her teeth and shouted.
I showed her the Seal of Struggle.
“Aiden Stroke, bearer of the Stroke family’s Seal of Struggle and eldest son of the principality. You insulted my fiancée, the young lady of the Utland Ducal house.
Is that not reason enough for me to be upset?”
Seeing the seal identical to her father’s, Chloeria trembled in disbelief.