Chapter 286

EPISODE 286 – ARGON EMPIRE (1)

After defeating Leisegang, the group decided to stay at Count Bayer’s territory for a while.

It was necessary to get used to the explosive growth of their various stats because of the sudden increase of their levels, and it also took time to make new equipment again with the newly-acquired materials.

‘We have to prepare for our trip to the empire.’

After all, there was a huge difference between traveling inside the Sälen Kingdom and traveling outside its borders.

In particular, preparation was necessary because they were going to the Argon Empire which had been at war with the Sälen Kingdom several times since the kingdom’s founding, though the two countries were maintaining a good relationship now.

“I will go then. It will probably take a week or so.”

“Okay, leave everyone to me and have a safe trip.”

Cordelia replied and tightly hugged Jude for a long time without moving. Because she wanted to recharge for a week’s supply of Jude, though everyone except Jude looked at them with lukewarm expressions.

In any case, Jude left Count Bayer’s territory in Bailon and returned to Mount Damos to stay for around a week as scheduled.

“It’s not easy.”

At the mansion of Count August Bayer situated in the middle of Mount Damos.

Jude was sitting alone in the training room as he meditated, and exhaled as sweat poured down.

Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors – Seventh Door.

It had already been 4 months since the sixth door was opened, but the road to the seventh door seemed to be far away.

‘It seems like I need to build a foundation for it.’

Jude had gone through a lot since he first opened the sixth door in the royal capital.

With his acquisition of Sword Origin, his body’s durability had become stronger than before, and because of the series of battles against powerful enemies and defeating a huge chunk of experience points that was called the Ancient Black Dragon, he had immensely leveled up.

In order to open a new door of the Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors, he needed to have a strong body capable of handling the immense Qi energy and the new door.

Jude judged that he could do it now because of the explosive level-up and other things mentioned earlier.

However, no matter how much he meditated and chanted the mnemonic chant of the Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors, he could not open the next door like previously.

‘Is this what Valencia-nim meant?’

That one needed enlightenment from the seventh door upwards.

It was only up to the sixth door that one could open new doors by simply pouring in more power.

In a way, that was actually quite natural. Rather, what he had done so far was unnatural.

‘Still, it’s four months… No, it will be frustrating if I remain stagnant for around five months.’

If Landius had heard Jude’s thoughts, he would have gotten annoyed, but Jude couldn’t help in thinking that.

Until now, he had been opening new doors at least once every two or three months.

‘Enlightenment.’

A word he only encountered in martial arts novels he had read several times in his past life.

Even in the practical martial arts he had learned in his previous life, there seemed to be something called enlightenment.

‘No, rather than enlightenment, it’s more like the know-how I gained from experience.’

Whether it was in his past or present lives, Jude’s battles were always based on calculations.

He predicted how the enemy would move and come up with an appropriate response.

Optimal battles were conducted through the simulations created by his natural rationality and accumulated experience.

“Ah, I don’t know.”

Jude lied on his back and looked up the training room’s ceiling.

Landius said that he had an epiphany after continuous battles, but what the hell is that epiphany?

‘I don’t know.’

He said that he deliberately used his limbs and not his sword for the sake of enlightenment.

‘I don’t understand.’

What on earth is the relationship between muscle strength and enlightenment?

In fact, given that Landius has been trying everything to achieve enlightenment, enlightenment itself seems to be something ambiguous in the first place.

“Valencia-nim, can you give me some advice?”

Jude asked in his mind and Valencia immediately gave an answer.

[Nothing.]

“Excuse me?”

[Because my successor, I really have no answer. There is no correct method to an epiphany. Just as a thousand different flowers each possess a unique beauty, the epiphany for each person is also very different. There is no guarantee that the method I used will work for others. There is also no guarantee that the enlightenment that you will gain is the same as mine.]

“Can I at least use it as reference?”

[No, as it could be a hindrance. If the enlightenment of my successor is the opposite of the enlightenment I have attained, my advice will rather be poisonous to you if the forms are completely different.]

Usually, successful condescending older people who were confident in their methods would say “I’m absolutely right. Just do what I tell you to do,” but Valencia had very little of that attitude.

‘Rather, it’s somehow like neglect play.’

What Valencia was actively talking about were established skills and techniques.

Things like the so-called Yang Family Spear Form or powerful one-shot killing techniques.

“Haa.”

What the hell is this enlightenment?

I have to open the seventh door.

But I still have a long way to go.

‘Come to think of it…’

Jude closed his eyes and thought of a woman’s face.

It was neither Cordelia nor Valencia, but the face of a graceful woman with long black hair.

The unknown female sage.

The woman who appeared when he opened the third door and taught him various skills such as using the energy of the black dragon.

However, she had not appeared since the fifth door.

Why?

Who was she in the first place?

“Why are there so many hidden elements? Will I be able to figure out everything?”

Jude complained to the unknown woman before clearing his thoughts. There was no answer so he continued to think.

If I just increase my abilities to the point of recklessness, I can forcefully open the seventh door. I may even awaken in a fight against a strong enemy!

Aren’t scenes like that common in movies and novels?

But it was then.

[My successor, it’s a really bad habit to rely on things that can only be found on hero novels such as awakening at a dramatic moment. There’s no way things in this world will always work that well, right? Even if that kind of awakening is possible, you can’t always do it. So don’t get rely on things that don’t always work.]

Valencia usually talks very casually, but why does she sound like a condescending older person these days?

Of course, if the condescending older person was such a pretty person, there will be plenty of people who will welcome her words with open arms.

‘I must be tired already.’

Jude stopped his thoughts and lightly shook his head before standing up.

“Anyway, Valencia-nim, today’s training will end here.”

It was now time to head back to Bailon.

After leaving the training room, Jude washed his body while watching the sunset over the mountain in the west.

It would be night soon, so Jude decided that he should leave at night.

“Are you going?”

When he stood in the garden and looked up the moon, Maja approached him and asked.

She began wearing glasses for some reason after she became a maid, but she remained calm and elegant like always.

Maja Tantalotte.

A person he knew since his childhood and was like a real older sister to him.

She was the person who knew Jude best aside from Cordelia.

So she already had a hunch to some extent.

The reason why Cordelia remained in Bailon and what Jude intended to do from now on.

Thus, Jude spoke without hiding it.

“I’m going to the empire.”

Maja’s expression slightly shook at Jude’s words.

Jude had already traveled all over the Sälen Kingdom, so she had a vague thought that his next one would be a foreign country, but she felt like being choked when she really heard the word ‘empire.’

But Maja soon regained her composure. No, she wasn’t that composed.

“Young master.”

“Yes, Maja.”

Maja bit her lips when Jude answered. After taking a step, she raised her head and looked at Jude.

Unlike before, she now had to look up in order to see Jude’s face.

It had only been a year and a few months.

But a lot had of things had changed.

It wasn’t about him becoming a count or one of the Ten Great Swordmasters.

“I miss you sometimes.”

The Jude of the past.

The young master who always depended on Maja because of his weak body.

The past days they spent most of their time together.

“But I think it’s much better now.”

You’ve grown up to the point where I have to look up.

You’ve become so strong that I can’t recognize you.

The kingdom’s hero. The royal family’s protector. The Ancient Dragon slayer.

She unconsciously smiled.

Jude felt so far away despite him being so close to her now.

‘My little young master.’

She smiled again at that thought. Without realizing it, she said with a bright smile that she normally didn’t make, as though to hide the forming tears in her eyes.

“Be safe and take care.”

Why is such a smile on my face now? (Jude)

Why do I feel so sad?

Jude faced Maja. He smiled at her while feeling that something was out of place.

He lightly hugged Maja in response to her smile that he had never seen before, but strangely felt familiar deep inside his mind.

“Y-young master?”

“I’ll be back.”

Maja lightly bit her lips at his words. She closed her eyes and hugged back Jude who had suddenly grown so big that she could fit herself in his arms.

“Have a safe trip.”

“Yes, Maja. I’ll be back.”

Jude patted Maja on the back before summoning his Phantom Steed and riding on its back. He looked at Maja again.

A Maja with her hair loose as she broadly smiled and shed tears.

A Maja who said that she was happy as her body completely lost her warmth.

Those were all fantasies. An illusion only.

Maja’s long blue hair hung over the shawl on her shoulders as she widely smiled at him. Instead of shedding tears, she waved her hand to see him off.

“You must come back safely, okay?”

“I will. I’ll get you a present when I return. Maja, stay well and healthy too, okay?”

Maja smiled again when he greeted back.

For Jude, the Maja who smiled so much was unfamiliar. But he thought that it was very nice to see.

“I’ll be back.”

He consciously spoke before prodding the Phantom Steed into the night sky.

Instead of the smiling Maja with tears in her eyes, he thought of the brightly smiling Maja he just saw as he headed north.

***

“I’ve become stronger.”

The next morning.

In the training room, Lucas faced Jude who had arrived at dawn, and said with a confident voice.

[He really got strong.]

Jude nodded at Cordelia’s further explanation.

Because he had already heard Valencia’s evaluation.

[His aura is different than before. I think he really became stronger from the last fight.]

The effect of their explosive level-up.

Humans in Pleaides did not have the level-up effect that Jude and Cordelia saw, but it was possible for them to level up.

In other words, level ups were not a cheat that Jude and Cordelia had, but was more of a law of the world that everyone in Pleiades enjoyed.

‘Of course, we’ve already proven that the level-ups Cordelia and I have are far more efficient.’

Only Jude and Cordelia had a level-up effect.

Lucas and Kajsa had not seen a ring of white light even though Jude leveled up in front of them.

In any case, their Leisegang Raid definitely worked.

Because the levels of both Lucas and Kajsa had risen by almost a dozen, though they hadn’t gone to a temple to accurately measure it.

He didn’t know how much, but if they had leveled up that greatly, their physical abilities and mana must have more than doubled.

“I feel like I’ve fully adapted now.”

“Hehe, me too.”

Kajsa leaned against Lucas’ shoulder and smiled as if they had become closer in the past week.

‘Because Kajsa has a good level-up efficiency.’

She was a woman whose physical abilities grew higher than other playable characters even if she only went up by one level.

Looking at her proud smile full of confidence, it seemed like her physical abilities had really grown explosively.

“Oppa. We’ve become stronger too. I can handle Phoenix better now.”

Red Wind said with shining eyes as she ignited her rivalry with Lucas, and Sun Song behind her showed off his chest and nodded.

[She’s really strong. She’s still inexperienced but it’s possible for her to unite spirits now.]

Jude exclaimed in admiration at Cordelia’s message.

Spirit Fusion was the ultimate skill of Red Wind. She could do it now despite being inexperienced, so perhaps the strongest of the four people in front of him at the moment was Red Wind.

‘Good, good. It’s worth our hidden card.’

And how should he say it?

Should he say that the feeling of guilt that remained in the corner of his heart was slightly relieved?

Because Jude and Cordelia had unintentionally (?) stolen the various experience points that Lucas, Kajsa, and Red Wind should have obtained.

“That’s good. I’ve brought a present for everyone who worked hard.”

At Jude’s words, the group’s eyes began to shine again.

After receiving the dragon equipment, Jude was like a Santa Claus who came to visit several times a year.

“First of all, Kajsa, this is the Divine Chain.”

“Oh yeah!”

The chain was made by melting the chains that the Solari’s denomination used to seal the limbs of Leisegang, and various materials were added to it.

Not only had it been improved to a suitable size for Kajsa’s use, but Cassius’ special magic was added, making it really strong.

“Hehe, I’m excited.”

As Kajsa spun the chains, Jude was startled by the voice of a beast girl, but decided to move on because he was her beast.

“As for the rest…”

A Demon Bane scabbard for Lucas, a mana amplifier made with Leisegang’s Soul for Red Wind, and a spear made from Leisegang’s horns for Sun Song.

After he handed it out one by one, Cordelia drew closer and began pulling his sleeve.

“Me? What about me?”

Don’t I have any?

Jude smiled at her begging expression and took out the last items from his space expansion bag.

“Here, a newly-upgraded detonating cord and a new bomb.”

The items were made with the blood of Leisegang and Malekith, and differed from the ordinary detonating cords and bombs in terms of power.

“Wow.”

Cordelia had a happy expression on her face and hugged the detonating cord and new bomb tightly as if it was a teddy bear, and began to jump on her spot.

And seeing that, Kajsa said in a very low voice.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but aren’t they a bit crazy?”

A fiancé who gave his fiancée a bomb as a present, or a fiancée who received it and was truly happy.

Lucas had a lot of things to say, but struggled to keep his mouth shut because it was against the way of a knight to gossip.

In fact, he questioned if Kajsa was qualified to say that as she was really happy from receiving a chain.

“Anyway, oppa, are we going to the empire now?”

Red Wind asked in the continent’s common language, and Jude nodded his head. However, an unexpected news came an hour later to the party who had just finished breakfast.

“Contact from our branches in the empire have been lost.”

Kamael’s voice was heard from the crow that flew in haste.

The imperial branches of the Guardians of the Holy Cross.

Jude and Cordelia looked at each other.

Because they had expected the demon followers who had created a mess in the Sälen Kingdom to unite in the empire and do something bigger, but they did not expect that the demon followers would launch an attack on the Guardians of the Holy Cross like the situation now.

“Their exact state is unknown. But it doesn’t seem like they’ve been suddenly destroyed. Rather, we presume that the communication network itself has been tampered with.”

The Guardians of the Holy Cross were able to communicate with each other at a very fast speed over a long distance through the legacy of Gabriel, an archangel who descended with Solari in the past.

To be exact, it delivered magic signals through transmitters located throughout the continent, but if there was something wrong with the empire’s transmitters, contact with them would indeed be lost as it was now.

But it was at that moment.

Just as Jude was about to ask a few more questions, the door swung open and Dahlia entered.

“Miss! Something big happened!”

What in the world happened this time?

Perhaps something happened to Count Chase or Adelia?

Fortunately, that wasn’t it. But it was not entirely fortunate.

“The empire has declared the truce annulled! All borders have been closed!”

Even Kamael’s crow widened its eyes as it was startled at Dahlia’s words, and Jude and Cordelia looked at each other again.

The empire destroying their ceasefire agreement and the border blockade.

What it could only lead to was an all-out war with the empire.

An unprecedented situation that did not happen in the original storyline where the kingdom collapsed.