Chapter 31

The news of the duel between the two successors was new to me, but I could vaguely guess the other circumstances. After all, the duties and rights of the Jiancheng family were well-known in the Magic Alliance Army. The Berkeley Greighton Dukedom. 'The guardians of the Pen Rota Imperial Family.' Their power comes from the duty of self-sacrifice to protect the empire. Only the strongest in the empire could become the head of the Berkeley Greighton family, and the family's doors were open to anyone with power, regardless of age, gender, or origin. Anyone with exceptional talent in martial arts could aim for the position of successor in the Berkeley Greighton family. Only the successor recognized by the previous head and the emperor could become the new head, and thus the Berkeley Greighton family was historically known as the emperor's sword. This was also the reason why the aristocrats, who valued tradition and dignity, had to respect and acknowledge them.

'This time, the duke is a Jiancheng. Does a successor who can catch his eye even exist?'

I naturally put my arm around the newspaper company president's son and asked, "So, if one person dies, the duel ends?"

"Who would have a barbaric duel like that nowadays? You must have been stuck in the countryside for about four years, right? Our conversations don't really connect anymore."

A faint suspicion flickered in the two men's eyes. I used the 'if you're sick, you must die' method on the quick-witted upper-class guys.

"My friend, understand. I've been sick for a long time. I've been in bed, so I don't know much. Ha ha, I should have just stayed at home, right?"

The effect was excellent!

"Oh, my. Such a sad situation..."

"Huh? I didn't know you were sick! Well, I'm glad. If you have any questions, just ask. I'll answer as long as it doesn't cost me. By the way, my information is very expensive, you know."

What a cute offer.

Just as I was about to ask, 'Do you think the Diyan Ket relic still exists?' a strong wave spread from the center of the deck and hit us.

"Ah, aah!"

I grabbed the arms of the two men who were being pushed away like dust and confirmed the source of the wave. It seemed the duel had already started.

'Jin, right?'

The wave definitely came from the sword of a woman with long silver hair. A faint aura was scattered thinly on the blade.

Sword Qi.

'At her age? She's a genius, a genius.'

Fortunately, the deck had a transparent barrier installed to prepare for any emergencies.

The newspaper company president's son, who had been flung into the air, shuddered as he saw people slide down the invisible wall.

"Ugh. I almost got a terrible trauma? Thanks for helping."

"Goodness, that was sword qi. My skin is still tingling... How did you hold up?"

I gave a vague answer to the question that felt tinged with awe.

"By perseverance."

They say that the most interesting thing to watch in the world is a fight. I focused on the duel, leaving the spectators' excited atmosphere behind.

Actually, there was no need to focus. The momentum was overwhelmingly one-sided.

They hadn't even exchanged seven strikes, and Oster, who was ranked fifth in the succession line, was already cornered.

"Huff, huff."

I concentrated all my attention on Jin's sword.

'My ears have been itchy since the beginning.'

If it wasn't a hallucination, some kind of 'sound' was coming from her sword.

It's not a hallucination.

The sword is shouting.

—Come and finish it. Come! I won't hold back. Hurry up!

How can a sword speak?

While Jin's sword was noisy, Oster's sword was silent.

No matter how hard I listened, I couldn't hear any resonance. I could vaguely guess the reason.

'Oster hasn't reached the level of infusing his will into his sword.'

The stark difference in the aura from the two swords surprised me.

'But the Duke of Berkeley Greighton clearly said...'

"Sir Andert, don't load your self into your sword. Leave the sword as a sword. The sword is a means, not a goal. The sword should be wielded by you, not the other way around."

But isn't the person who infuses their self into the sword achieving much greater success?

However, what was important to me now wasn't the relationship between the self infused into the sword and the achievement.

The emotions of the sword can be read.

How is that possible?

'...The state of mind-body unity.'

Was that the turning point?

This amazing insight seemed to be a new ability I gained when I surpassed the first level of mind-body unity a few days ago.

Thanks to this, I suddenly wondered.

'Will my sword resonate?'

If it does, how will it resonate?

While I was pondering, Oster fell, and the tip of Jin's sword pointed at his chin.

The newspaper company's son clicked his tongue as soon as the winner was decided.

"Until last year, the two of them didn't seem to have much difference in level. When did the gap become so big?"

"It's Jin Berkeley Greighton, after all. I think she can do it and more."

"The duels that will take place this week will have obvious results. Since the first in the succession line is absent, it will be Jin Berkeley Greighton's time."

From what I heard, the succession duels of the Berkeley Greighton family continue throughout the noble assembly period.

'Some kind of annual event, maybe?'

While I was thinking that it would be nice to have a lot to see, the non-stop chatter of the two men suddenly fell silent.

And before I knew it, a swordsman with an excited body stood in front of me.

"Excuse me for the intrusion."

Jin Berkeley Greighton.

"I am Jin Berkeley Greighton. If you don't mind, could you spare me a moment?"

Looking into Jin's eyes, which were boiling with unhidden competitiveness, I recalled the secret meeting with the butler assassin two days ago.

"You said you would attend the noble assembly this year? I have a favor to ask."

"What is it?"

"I need you to deal with a specific person among the noble assembly members boarding the private airship."

The butler assassin took out a black and white photo and a few thin sheets of paper from the envelope he had brought.

"The target is 'Jin Berkeley Greighton.' She is one of the successors of the Berkeley Greighton Dukedom and a sponsor of the assassination guild <Clone>."

I snatched the photo from his hand.

The woman in the photo looked to be in her mid-twenties at most. Her sharp features and piercing gaze gave off a formidable impression.

A figure as significant as a duchy's successor.

A butler assassin, whose goal is survival, wouldn't provoke her for trivial reasons.

That means...

"Have you ever worked under this woman?"

The butler assassin's eyes turned cold.

"Yes, the true master of the assassination guild <Clone> is this woman. If Jin Berkeley Greighton dies, <Clone> will collapse. The assassins targeting me will disappear."

"Killing her isn't difficult. But assassinating a noble assembly member in the isolated space of a private airship will complicate things."

"Don't worry about that. What I hope for is not Jin Berkeley Greighton's death. I just want her succession rights to be revoked."

Revoking succession rights in the Berkeley Greighton family means becoming completely estranged from the family.

"<Clone> is, to be precise, not a personal but a family-owned covert guild. If her succession rights are revoked, it will take considerable time to determine the next owner and establish a new system. That gap is my opportunity."

"…How?"

"I don't know either."

"Are you kidding?"

"Didn't you entrust me with the management of this pub? I trust you, too. If this plan succeeds, our trust will be even stronger. Moreover, I'm not asking you to do this for free."

The butler assassin dangled a bait I couldn't refuse.

"I've obtained some useful information. If you succeed and return, I'll tell you the clue and the owner's information about the Diyan Ket relic."

Thus, I met Jin for the first time.

Jin, in a word, was a person who couldn't be understood without raising questions.

'Is this woman the master of <Clone>?'

Jin Berkeley Greighton.

Even without any special signals, she instinctively found and tried to probe me.

I've seen people like her on the battlefield a few times.

A sword demon.

Jin is utterly obsessed with the sword, living and dying by it. She doesn't have the personality to run a covert guild that engages in dirty and despicable deeds.

'The Jiancheng must have judged her the same way. But why did they entrust <Clone> to her among so many successors?'

Well, no matter what the inside story is, the answer I will give is already decided.

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry, but that's going to be difficult. I'm already married, you see. Ha ha. I hope you find a good match, Miss Jin Berkeley Greighton."

"…A good match? Wait, that's not what I meant..."

"Oh, my! It's already this late? I have to go, or I'll be late for my appointment."

I quickly said goodbye to the bank president's son and the newspaper company president's son and returned to the cabin.

This outing was enough to confirm what kind of person Jin Berkeley Greighton is.

'The next time, I'll meet her after formulating a plan.'

That day, I spent the whole day in the cabin, playing card games with Lu.

At least until the second day, everything went smoothly and peacefully.