Chapter 66

Reincarnated as a Sword Emperor in the Sword Saint Family (66)

The Santa Maria Adventure Guild.

Among the guilds that have entered the A-rank, they were the weakest, known for their poor quality.

Each member's individual skills were at the top of the B-rank or even higher, allowing them to barely meet the A-rank standards.

Since once they ascend, they won't be demoted unless there's a disqualification, they reportedly parade around, exploring only small-scale rifts.

That day, Ninyan's luck was even worse.

The person he hurriedly went to meet was the guild leader of 'Santa Maria,' Christopher Conrad.

"Where is Vivian, my little sister?"

"Huh? Your little sister?"

Conrad's eyes widened in surprise at the words.

However, he laughed mockingly, more delighted than surprised, and sneered at Ninyan's murderous gaze.

"Hey, you came to save that woman? You're fearless!"

The smell of alcohol was so strong it almost burned Ninyan's nose.

Despite this, there were almost no openings in Conrad's body, revealing the gap in their skills. Ninyan had also built up considerable strength, but the talent to reach the A-rank in Atlantis was extremely rare.

A 10th-level External Force Realm swordsman and a 5th-tier mage.

Conrad's true nature was that of a sword-mage, a rare breed that became even harder to find the higher one ascended.

"What did you do to Vivian?"

"Nothing much! Her innocent, giggling face was a bit annoying, so I thought I'd use her for a hundred years with a fake contract and then let her go."

"…What?"

"Isn't it good for her to gain some life experience? It's not easy to get a chance to work in an A-rank adventure guild! Hahaha!"

In the end, despite knowing the gap in power, Ninyan still attacked.

"Aaaah!"

He gained a sword wound and lost an eye.

"Heh, not only a cripple but now a one-eyed cripple? In a way, it's a well-balanced look. Since you made the first move, I didn't do anything wrong, and even if you complain to Bermuda, only you will be caught."

"Even a dog is better than you, trash!"

"Still, there is one legal way to free your sister. Do you want to hear it?"

Ninyan had to listen, even though he didn't trust Conrad's words.

Here, in the Atlantis Maritime Union, no one was on her side.

The only person who could save Vivian in this city was herself. Ninyan, who had been brought back to life from a state of living death, would do anything to save Vivian.

Conrad sneered at the determination in her eyes.

"30,000 gold."

"What?"

"That's the penalty fee written in your sister's employment contract."

He blew the whistle in his left hand, which he had been holding, and Conrad sneered with a mocking tone.

"Bring 30,000 gold, and I'll free your sister, Vivian. Accept my generous offer or keep struggling in vain. It's up to you, one-eyed cripple."

He added that he would kill her if she attacked again and then closed the door.

That was the end of it.

The half-elf who had lost an eye lay in the courtyard of the Santa Maria adventure guild's mansion, her blood-stained face uncovered as she crossed the city. There was only one way to earn money quickly here.

The birth of the B-rank adventurer, "One-Eyed" Ninyan.

"…Even after five years, I've only managed to save 3,000 gold. If this continues, Vivian's suffering will be too long. Even if I sell myself into slavery, I can't raise more than 10,000 gold, and the earning potential for a B-rank adventurer is clearly limited."

With that, Ninyan looked at him.

"I want to learn your archery. As you know, my archery skills are not proper. I use primitive wind elemental magic to manipulate arrows shot with the power of the External Force Realm."

Leonard easily understood.

"Indeed. It's not archery (弓術) but wind magic (風術)."

The strange stance and finger grip, yet the arrow's movement was bizarre, which made sense if he could control the wind's path.

No matter how strongly an arrow is shot, it can be deflected by crosswinds or opposing winds.

However, Ninyan's arrows could accelerate indoors without any wind, drawing a zigzag trajectory and piercing the target with eerie precision. Leonard might have mocked it, but to ordinary people, it was like a divine archer.

'He doesn't seem to know how to use qi in his bow and arrows. If he masters even basic bow qi gong, he could become a monster.'

Ninyan was a rare talent, hard to replace in naval battles where long-range attacks were crucial.

Feeling his judgment was accurate, Leonard reconsidered her situation.

'A-rank adventure guild, Santa Maria.'

They were third-rate scoundrels, but their mediocre strength made them hard to deal with.

If they had acted like this in the B-rank, Bermuda would have had no reason to leave them alone, likely punishing them to maintain discipline.

But once they reached the A-rank, touching 'Santa Maria' would cause issues with other A-rank guilds. Even if they were scoundrels, they were on the same level. If there was a precedent for punishing an A-rank guild, the implicit inviolability would be shaken.

'If things were normal, Bermuda should have blocked the fraudulent contract that binds Ninyan's sister. The fact that they not only approved it but made it unbreakable shows the extent of their bias towards A-rank guilds.'

Leonard's conclusion was simple.

"I can teach you archery."

"…Really?!"

Ninyan, who hadn't expected much, was elated but then startled by his next words.

"First, we'll save your sister, then I'll teach you. What's the point of training if your mind is elsewhere?"

"Can you… save Vivian?"

"You're mistaken. Even if you gather 30,000 gold, he won't release your sister. The power and status of an A-rank guild outweigh the life of one elf. The contract is fraudulent, so the penalty fee won't work."

You shouldn't trust the words of people who say one thing and do another.

Leonard knew how to deal with such scoundrels.

In the martial world, he would have killed them first and thought later, but here, he needed to take a longer route.

"If the island's rules don't favor us, we need to force a situation where they do or overturn the table."

Ninyan felt a chill at the smile on Leonard's face but sensed the fear wasn't directed at her, bringing a strange sense of relief.

Leonard, standing up, said,

"Let's go. There's someone we need to meet at the magic tower."

"The magic tower?"

That was all that was said in Bermuda.

* * *

Jack Russell, the chief elder of the Atlantis Magic Tower, didn't frown at the unexpected visitor.

The visitor was Leonard, the boy who had revolutionized his magic decades ago.

With the 8th tier within reach, even the notoriously irritable Jack Russell softened his tone.

"Hmm."

The great mage, who had listened to Leonard and Ninyan's story, said with a troubled look.

"A fraudulent contract. If they weren't A-rank, the contract wouldn't have been valid in the first place. It's best to abandon the idea that they'll release her for 30,000 gold."

"Such…!"

"Ninyan, right? Your sister is a high-level wind spirit mage. The right to use her for decades is worth far more than 30,000 gold. They won't let her go."

Jack Russell's statement was more realistic than Leonard's, and Ninyan lowered her head, staring at the floor.

It was as if five years of effort had been in vain.

Leonard, who had expected this, said,

"If Russell points out the fraudulent contract to Bermuda, is there a chance they'll take action first?"

"…It's uncertain."

Jack Russell, adjusting his glasses, explained.

"The Atlantis Magic Tower is on equal footing with the Union Council and Bermuda. However, each organization has its own domain, and they don't allow outside interference. Employment contracts between guilds and adventurers fall under this domain."

"Especially for A-rank guilds. Many are connected to the Union Council, so if their backers get involved, we'd have to face both organizations at once."

"…I appreciate the straightforward explanation. I wish Esther could follow even half, or a quarter of your advice."

Seeing the boy conversing familiarly with the chief elder, Ninyan was confused about his identity.

He didn't seem like someone who belonged in a crumbling guild.

But it wasn't a bad thing to have a new card to play.

"If you truly want that, I can take a loss and help. It's not impossible."

Jack Russell looked at Leonard, his usual light tone and gaze replaced with a serious one, demanding an equal exchange.

"I can handle a conflict with Bermuda and a strained relationship with the Union Council. Your value isn't something that can be settled with such a task. If you help me with my research for a few years, I'll do it."

Ninyan's head snapped up, but Leonard's answer was set.

If he were bound to the tower, he couldn't act as a member of the Aquamarine Guild.

It would be putting the cart before the horse.

"I'm sorry."

"Well, I expected as much."

The tension eased, and Russell burst into laughter, looking out the window.

The clouds in the blue sky were as peaceful as ever.

"Leonard, what about this method?"

Leonard, as usual, spoke calmly, and both Jack Russell and Ninyan's remaining eye widened.

It was understandable.

Anyone would call it absurd.

But because it came from Leonard, Jack Russell considered it seriously.

"…It's possible. If I participate as a notary to ensure fairness, the Union Council and Bermuda have no grounds to object. I'll come if you call me."

"Thank you for your help."

"However, there's a prerequisite. Can you guarantee victory against that man? If you lose, the consequences will be hard for you to bear alone."

Ninyan, in agreement, turned her gaze.

She hadn't expected the person who was her only hope to set up such a reckless plan.

Still, Leonard didn't back down.

"No problem."

Leonard stated confidently.

"Russell, what about the mana concentration room's schedule?"

"Hmm? Suddenly? …Neither I nor the tower master need it today. You can use it freely."

"Understood."

Even now, he could defeat those who hadn't reached the Transcendent Realm, but in the fight with the fifth shadow, he realized:

At the 3rd level of the External Force Realm, there are too few variables to handle.

If his internal energy level increased by more than 50%, he could freely use sword beams and temporarily deploy protective qi. Then, he wouldn't fear high-level area-of-effect spells or sudden variables.

'At least, I need to break through to the 6th level.'

It was time to explosively accelerate his growth rate, which had already been exceptional in the Cardenas family.