Chapter 76

Platinum symbolizes the stars.

The brilliant stars in the night sky, a blend of pure white and gold, are platinum-colored, as is the blade of Excalibur, known as the Sword of Selection. Thus, people often associate platinum with stars.

Platinum symbolizes the stars and is also sacred.

The constellations in the night sky are all great beings, and the orders that serve the stars also hold starlight sacred. Therefore, platinum, resembling starlight, was considered divine.

Resembling stars and being sacred.

Thanks to these symbolic elements, platinum was used in various places: in the lighthouse of the Starlight Order, in the platinum tower at the empire’s center, in the imperial family’s emblem, and in countless precious things.

However, there were places it was not used.

Flames fueled by souls.

Platinum mana, circles, sword aura…

Many aspired for platinum, but no mage or swordsman could ever ignite platinum flames. It was a color granted to only one person in human history.

The great hero, Arthur.

Only he possessed the platinum flames. Only Arthur could wield the platinum sword aura. It was a well-known tale, and with no exceptions arising in the hundreds of years since Arthur’s death, it became an established truth.

It surely must be so.

It definitely should be so.

Fauve’s eyes shook wildly.

She saw the sword aura burning before her, emanating from Najin. If her eyes were not deceiving her, it was unmistakably containing platinum. Fauve swallowed dryly before the distinctly platinum sword aura.

“Deception. Illusion. Misunderstanding.”

Numerous possibilities flashed through her mind. However, her intuition denied all of them.

“But.”

Fauve clenched her teeth.

Even if that was indeed the platinum sword aura, she knew there was only one thing she could do. Kneeling and bowing now would only lead her to death.

Above her, four circles spun wildly.

Having voraciously consumed the mediums prepared in the workshop, Fauve’s circles were ready to unleash a spell. Feeling her mana churn, Fauve forced a smile. There was only one option given to her.

To kill the opponent before her.

That was the only way for her to survive.

Fauve aimed the tip of her staff at Najin, enveloped in platinum sword aura. It was the most powerful spell she could cast, and the spell’s power, amplified by the workshop’s full mediums, was comparable to that of a fifth circle.

4-circle magic, Hunger of the Dead.

A pulse emanated from the tip of the staff. Following the radially spreading pulse, the grasps of the dead surged forth. The risen grasps clawed, contaminated, and shattered everything they touched, ultimately turning them into the dead as well.

The rotting dead, forever unable to satiate their hunger, are doomed to eternally gasp in starvation.

The intense resentment, the souls’ echoes of corpses and live sacrifices, made the power of “Hunger of the Dead” far from trivial. If one hadn’t received the church’s baptism, their flesh would rot and crumble upon contact with those grasps, ultimately turning into the dead.

DRDRDRDRDRDRDR!

The grasps of the dead filled the view, leaving no place to escape. Watching the spell unleashed by Fauve, Najin clicked his tongue. Indeed, a 4th circle spell’s effects are menacing.

-Of course, it would be. From the fourth circle onwards, they’re like siege weapons.

Merlin whispered.

-Normally, you shouldn’t let such spells be cast.

-In a battle of this level, using a fourth circle spell is almost decisive.

Merlin was right.

If a typical mage had manifested a spell with similar power, one would have to be prepared for a fatal injury. The spell that surged broadly without giving a place to escape seemed threatening even to Najin.

Is this what it feels like to battle a mage?

With that thought, Najin steadied himself. Even though it might seem like he was cornered, his breathing and gaze remained coldly calm.

Well, a fourth circle spell being menacing is a story when ‘typical’ spells are involved.

The opponent before him was a dark mage, and as usual for dark mages, Fauve’s spell wasn’t righteous and tainted the principles. Then, Najin judged, it’s not a problem.

Clank.

Lifting his sword high, Najin took a step forward.

Without backing down, Najin charged straight towards the grasps of the dead. The moment the reaching grasps were about to touch Najin’s body.

Ssshh, Najin’s sword sliced through the hands of the dead.

Fauve’s eyes widened.

It wasn’t impossible to cut through a spell. However, this case was different. The grasps touched by the platinum sword aura were burning away.

Hssssss!

The spell was burning away.

The grasps of the dead were cut by Najin’s sword and burned away by the starlight as soon as they emerged. Wherever the platinum sword aura touched, the grasps crumbled away like shadows retreating.

…Platinum symbolizes the stars and is also sacred.

The platinum sword aura, possessed only by Arthur in human history and known by many names like the Dragon Slayer’s sword, the Star’s sword, among demons, it was called this:

The Judgement Sword Aura.

It burns what it touches. It severs.

And thus, it judges the wicked and vile. It burns the flesh of demons, hinders regeneration, and outright denies corrupted mana.

-It’s all about compatibility, after all.

Watching the scene unfold before her, Merlin chuckled dryly. It was an absurd situation even for her.

The day Najin’s platinum sword aura was first seen.

At that time, it seemed unlikely, and not being certain, Merlin decided to withhold judgment until the Sword Seeker test, where the sword aura’s nature would become evident. Now, as Najin approached the realm of the Seeker… Merlin had no choice but to acknowledge it.

It was merely imbued with a fragment of Imagery.

It’s not yet complete.

Yet, it possesses the qualities of a star.

The sword aura feared by demons, hated by witches and dragons, and cursed by fallen stars. The sword aura blooming on Najin’s sword is of the same kind as Arthur’s.

‘Is it because he drew the Excalibur that he possesses such sword aura?’

If not that.

‘Is it because the star he wished for, the star he envisioned, was Arthur’s star, that he possesses such sword aura?’

Which one it was, remained uncertain.

Uncertain, but…

Looking at Najin’s mournfully shining star, Merlin bitterly smiled. The starlight wrapping Najin’s sword resembled Arthur’s, yet it was different.

The spell was severed. The grasps were burning away.

Fauve’s gaze wavered, and the staff she extended forward also shook. At this moment, Fauve felt fear.

Her fourth circle spell was being shredded.

Her most powerful spell was being cut through so effortlessly. Each time Najin swung his sword, a mass of hands was swept away, and with every step forward he took, the distance between them closed instantly.

“How…?”

It was incomprehensible.

It defied all logic, but the hands, turning to ash in the starlight and screaming this reality to Fauve, were undeniable.

Ssshh.

The chilling sound of slicing echoed. The sound resonating in her ears was the sizzling of the severed parts burning away. The dead were being consumed by the starlight, drawing nearer.

Before she knew it, all the numerous grasps were cut down and gone. Only wisps of mana, like mirages, rose from the tip of her now powerless staff.

And then, thud.

The sound of steps rang out right in front of her. Najin, having demolished the fourth circle spell head-on and closed the distance, had finally reached right before Fauve.

Swoosh!

Najin swung his sword. The swung blade cut through Fauve’s staff. Cutting the staff and soaring up, the blade fell diagonally, smoothly slicing through Fauve’s protective barrier.

There was no resistance, no repulsion.

The blade, cutting through the barrier and reaching Fauve’s neck, shone mournfully even in the darkness with its platinum sword aura. That was the last scene Fauve saw.

Ssshh.

The end of the dark mage, who had dreamt of grand ambitions, was pitiful. Her severed head tumbled to the ground. Leaving Fauve’s falling body behind, Najin let out a long breath, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over him, draining his strength.

“It’s still quite tough, isn’t it?”

-You’re not a Sword Seeker yet, after all.

Merlin remarked.

-The sword aura isn’t yet shaped to properly contain Imagery, and forcing Imagery into it without the right form is bound to be straining.

Listening to Merlin’s muttering, Najin flicked his sword lightly and sheathed it. Indeed, he hadn’t yet reached the realm of a Seeker, so the duration he could maintain the Imagery-infused sword aura was short.

“It seems to run out much faster than the white sword aura.”

The sword aura containing the pure white star ran out several times faster than the one with the platinum star. It was still a power that was difficult to handle. With that thought, Najin surveyed his surroundings.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“This place has a foul vibe.”

Kefalon’s workshop, where he had planned something in this city decades ago. Capturing the workshop’s scene in his sight, Najin frowned. Even Najin, who wasn’t easily disturbed, couldn’t suppress the nausea from the ‘objects’ placed around.

-It’s strange how dark mages don’t change their ways even after hundreds of years. The unpleasantness remains the same.

Merlin also showed a disgusted reaction.

Najin thought it would be best to report this place and have it dealt with separately. It wouldn’t do any good to have such a thing remain beneath the city.

“Huff…”

Exhaling deeply, Najin pulled out a stake embedded in his body. He took out an emergency potion from his pouch, sprinkled it on the wound, and then poured a potion with the Dieta Trading Company’s mark into his mouth.

-Did you only pick out the high-quality ones?

“It seems like the effects are kicking in already.”

Najin dragged Fauve’s body.

It needed to be shown to the client. Finding the passage he had entered through, Najin moved on. The passage leading upward. The door was firmly shut, but after bringing Fauve’s face close to it a few times, it creaked open.

Thud.

Stepping outside the opened door, the first thing Najin encountered was Kapman, aiming a crossbow at him.

Najin emerged into the passage and locked eyes with Kapman. Lowering the crossbow, Kapman approached Najin.

“I expected Fauve to come out, but it’s you.”

“Didn’t I say I would handle it?”

“I thought it was just bravado. Who’d charge at a Circle’s dark mage with holes all over their body?”

“I would.”

Kapman chuckled.

He pointed at the body of Fauve that Najin was dragging.

“You won, I take it?”

“It turned out that way.”

“Well, damn. How did you manage?”

“What else is there for a swordsman? I charged and cut her down.”

“That’s rather straightforward.”

Kapman let out a long, very long sigh.

“Well, it made things easier for us. With Fauve out of the picture, dealing with the rest was simple. See those holes I made?”

“I see them clearly.”

“Now we just need to report back…”

Kapman fiddled with his neck as if it was itching. He trailed off, then looked at Najin.

“Do you remember what I asked you last time?”

“What are you referring to?”

“The question about whether you’re part of the Order’s secret division.”

“I remember. Do you need an answer?”

It was a question that didn’t need an answer last time, something Kapman had dismissed as thinking out loud. Kapman shook his head.

“No need. It seemed unlikely after observing you.”

“What does that mean?”

“The Order’s secret division doesn’t fight like you do. But it seems like you’re related to them somehow… Can I ask you one more thing?”

Najin nodded, and Kapman asked.

“Underground City Artman. How’s it these days?”

An unexpected question from an unexpected person.

Najin’s mind momentarily froze. Why this person was asking, how much he knew, and what his intentions were—all these thoughts flashed through Najin’s mind.

And he came to one conclusion.

Which was to do something immediately.

Najin let go of Fauve’s body and drew his sword. But the time it took to draw the sword… was a second slower than Najin’s usual decision-making time, due to the turmoil in his thoughts.

And one second was…

“I thought so.”

Enough time to lose the initiative.

“Damn it all.”

An arrow lodged into Najin’s body