Chapter 206: Recognition

The one who suddenly appeared was a very familiar face.

It was Baskan Magres, the Great Chieftain of the Mandus tribe whom I had thoroughly beaten and sent running in a panic. He had popped out from the ground.

“I thought you were smart because you used such strange tactics, but in reality, you’re nothing but a fool!”

Baskan burst into loud laughter, his face full of ridicule.

The situation was absurd, yet I couldn’t move. An alien energy was flowing through my entire body.

This feels pretty unique. It’s not aura or magic.

A blazing, dark-red power. It felt slightly different from Beast’s Heart. In any case, I couldn’t figure out the identity of the energy infused in the greatsword right now. Escaping took priority.

Honestly, the scene was strange no matter how you looked at it. A single large greatsword was just stabbed into an empty plain. Naturally, one should have been suspicious and scouted the surroundings first.

No, but how am I supposed to resist this?

Just imagine it. A graphics card worth millions of won sitting on top of a giant bear trap. Even if you know it’s a trap, your hand still reaches for it, right? Especially when it looks like you might be able to pull out just the graphics card if you’re careful. My physical abilities are different from others, after all. Besides, men naturally have the mindset of “Eh, something like that won’t kill me.”

“If it weren’t for you, that fortress would have fallen into my hands. Then I would have had a foothold to conquer the Empire again.”

Baskan Magres wore a rotten smile, his eyes filled with hope. He really seemed to believe that if he seized Yates Fortress, he could even threaten the Empire’s mainland.

But my opinion was different.

“You?”

“Huhuhu! It looks like you’re trying to buy time somehow, but it won’t work. It won’t work.”

“No, I’m asking seriously. Do you really think that’s possible?”

“I don’t know what your intention is, but it won’t work on me……”

“Wow! This guy only knows one thing and nothing else. There’s a monster in the Empire who’s even worse than me.”

So who was that?

No, you know who I’m talking about. Karon Enpher. The owner of monstrous political ability. If that man’s eyes flipped over? A Great Chieftain of the Mandus tribe or whatever would be nothing more than a firefly before a typhoon.

Of course, I don’t know exactly how strong that guy really is, but he probably isn’t someone you can take lightly.

He was the half-demon who had completely blocked Shugl’s abilities. Someone like that was by his side. Anyway, after fighting, I understood. This guy was strong, that was true, but he wasn’t at the level to become part of the Empire’s leadership. To do that without any foundation, you needed truly overwhelming military power.

“Hmph! No matter how much you struggle, it’s useless. You’re finished now.”

Baskan still wasn’t listening to a word I said. He simply dismissed it as nonsense meant to buy time. Well, it couldn’t be helped. If I told him there was an incredible monster in the imperial family, who would believe it?

The senators of the Imperial Assembly…… No, those guys would probably nod right away.

They were the ones who had repeatedly experienced Emperor Karon’s overwhelming charisma.

Flap! Flap!

At Baskan Magres’s gesture, the camouflage cloth was removed, revealing around a dozen people. They were all warriors with sharp, fierce eyes. They gave off the feeling of a final suicide squad.

Their presence is impressive. How did they hide their presence like that?

I stared at the thin camouflage cloth. It had a very thin and soft texture, yet it seemed surprisingly durable. Even though it was covered in gravel and dust, it hadn’t torn at all. However, I didn’t have time to examine the item for long.

“Finish him for certain.”

Baskan’s voice had lost all traces of laughter. The Mandus warriors began closing the encirclement. Their long lances, meant for anti-cavalry use, looked like toys. Because they were so large, it couldn’t be helped. But the sense of pressure they gave off was incredibly intense.

The last remaining elites, huh. They’re terrifying.

If I had been able to move, I would have dodged immediately. There was no need to fight at such a disadvantage.

“Go!”

“Stab him!”

Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!

The Mandus warriors all stepped forward at once. Their spearheads poured in without the slightest gap. It was truly a life-or-death crisis.

—Hwaaaam!

Right then, a long yawning sound was heard. Shugl was stretching on my shoulder.

“Oh? You’re pretty relaxed for someone who says this isn’t your problem.”

—What are you talking about? You’re going to wipe them all out anyway.

“How do you know that? I’m caught in a trap right now.”

—How could I not know? I saw you pull out the greatsword and everything.

“Hah! Your senses have gotten pretty sharp.”

Because I hadn’t fought many battles, my Weapon Mastery skill hadn’t increased much. My greatsword mastery was at 999, but my warhammer was only at level 88. In any case, what did that mean? It meant that if I switched to using a greatsword as my main weapon, I would become at least several times stronger.

—Ahem! As they say, even a dog learns poetry after three years at a private school.

“You don’t even know what a private school or poetry is, yet you’re bringing it up?”

—Isn’t that what the Human Duke always says in situations like this?

At his nonchalant answer, a hollow laugh escaped me. Honestly, Shugl was right. In truth, I wasn’t completely caught in the trap. I just couldn’t use my legs. My upper body could still move freely. What did that mean?

“It means exactly this.”

Shuuuung—!

I immediately drew the greatsword and swung it horizontally in a clean motion. Dark-red flames formed a massive circle.

Kwaaaaaah!

“Ugh?”

“Kyaaak! W-What the hell is this?!”

The Mandus warriors panicked at the sudden appearance of flames. Their terrifying momentum of thrusting their lances without any gaps had completely vanished. In a single strike, their formation had been completely disrupted.

“W-What are you all doing?! Calm down and maintain formation!”

“It’s too painful, Great Chieftain!”

“No, how can something like this……”

At his subordinate’s cry, Baskan Magres approached. But he didn’t have any clever solution either.

Kwa-ching! Zzzzzzt!

“Keuugh!”

Unable to withstand the immense power, he staggered backward. I smiled meaningfully and checked the information on the greatsword.

Why is this thing so good?

<Item Information>

Name: Igteine

Grade: EX

<Item Abilities>

Superheat: Extreme flames and physical force are applied to all attacks.

Absorption: Continuously absorbs the energy of the earth and channels it.

Recognition: Those who are not acknowledged by the sword become bound by it.

Extreme: In crisis situations, the effects of Superheat and Absorption are doubled.

I couldn’t close my mouth. Honestly, I hadn’t expected there to be an item better than Hector Punisher.

The Recognition ability is what’s binding me.

Baskan had probably aimed for exactly this. While I couldn’t move, he planned to finish me off with a pincer attack. However, he never imagined I would pull out Igteine and swing it — and do so while properly wielding this EX-grade legendary weapon.

“H-How did you……?”

“I don’t know. It just worked? Maybe this thing acknowledged me.”

“That can’t be. Even the first Great Chieftain could only use Igteine in a limited capacity!”

I could roughly guess what “limited” meant. It seemed even the first Great Chieftain hadn’t been fully acknowledged by Igteine. After pulling out the sword, he probably hadn’t been able to take a single step. But what could I do?

Step.

“Sorry, but it works for me.”

It was difficult, but surprisingly, my feet moved. Even though it was only a single step, the expressions of the Mandus warriors distorted. They looked back and forth between Baskan Magres and me, as if asking what the hell was going on.

Regardless, I gritted my teeth.

Damn, this is really hard. Can’t you just acknowledge me already?

Step.

When I took the second step, the pressure on my entire body seemed to double. It was extremely difficult, but I didn’t stop. Why wouldn’t I take advantage of something this good when I could overwhelm my opponents just by walking?

Thud!

When I took the third step, a heavy vibration spread out along with a loud noise. Shock appeared on the faces of the Mandus warriors.

“T-The legend of our ancestors……”

“Whoever holds Igteine and takes a step shall rule the continent.”

“Does that mean that young imperial commander is the true master?”

Whether they were confused or not, they couldn’t do anything. I had only overheard it, but I could roughly understand the feeling. Igteine was a sword that had been passed down through generations in the Mandus tribe. There was probably a legend that whoever was acknowledged by this sword would rule everything. Baskan Magres had probably become Great Chieftain because he could use it to a limited extent.

Does that mean I’ve become their master?

The thought suddenly crossed my mind, but I immediately shook my head. For example, imagine there was a gun with infinite bullets and tremendous power, but with enormous recoil. No one had been able to shoot it properly, but suddenly a chimpanzee succeeded in that incredible feat. Would people then bow their heads to that chimpanzee? They would think it was crazy and try to take the gun away. The relationship between the Mandus and humans was similar. They didn’t see us as their own kind. And neither did we.

“Everyone, come to your senses! He’s nothing more than a human! He can never become the Great Chieftain!”

At the shout, the warriors’ expressions returned to normal. They had escaped from the ancient myth and were facing reality again.

“Tsk, what a shame. I could have gotten everything for free.”

I stopped walking, leaving my regret behind. Honestly, I felt like I could have gone up to four steps. But if I did that, my feet would be bound again. Then I wouldn’t be able to attack before they reached me.

I think I can let go of it now?

Igteine still hadn’t fully acknowledged me. However, the binding only applied to my legs. If I let go of the sword, I would be able to move. Then I could just beat them up with Hector Punisher. But then, something caught my eye — the items hanging from Baskan Magres’s waist. Two sword sheaths were slanted across his body.

Huh? One is probably for the sword he’s holding. What’s the other one?

The red gem decorating the surface looked similar to Igteine’s pommel. If I sheathed the sword in it, it would probably fit perfectly. I nodded with a meaningful smile. I had figured out how this guy had been using Igteine. In that case, I should use it the same way too.

If you’re going to give me the sword, you should give me the whole set. When something is missing from a set menu, it feels really disappointing. Complaints come flooding in right away.

“What the hell are you babbling about?”

“Hand over the sheath.”

“W-What……?”

“Your acting is terrible.”

If I wanted to close the distance with an opponent who was far away, what should I do? I had already said I could manage up to the fourth step. The answer was simple.

I just need to make my stride ridiculously long!

Kwoooong!

I kicked the ground hard. My body was launched forward by the tremendous repulsive force. I was already used to correcting my posture in midair. I had fought so many insane battles that it had become second nature.

Shiiiiiik—!

“Y-You crazy bastard!”

When I flew toward him like a cannonball, Baskan’s face turned pale. He seemed to have realized that he couldn’t dodge. He thrust his greatsword forward. It looked like he was planning to use my own speed against me to inflict a fatal wound. But it wouldn’t go his way.

I strongly swung Igteine downward.

Kwaaaaaak! Kwoong!

The moment the blade struck the ground, the earth was torn apart and a shockwave spread out. A brief silence followed. Then, with a deafening roar, a massive pillar of flame decorated the middle of the eastern plains.

「You have defeated Baskan Magres, Great Chieftain of the Mandus tribe.」

「You have protected the peace of the eastern plains by stopping the rampage of a warmonger.」

「Rewards have been granted.」