Chapter 8

8. The Lord of Destruction

Thanks to Nils, I was able to reach my destination after just one night of camping.

It took us only a day and a half to cover a distance that would normally take three days.

Of course, the hard work of those who rode in the cart was significant.

“Ugh...”

At the edge of the grassland, there were low mountains as Mazzuk had said.

“This is it.”

It seemed to be a branch of the mountain range behind the western forest.

“Let’s walk down the mountain path. Nils, you can pull the cart. Everyone, are you confident about hiking?”

“Yes. We sometimes come here to hunt animals.”

As we climbed the mountain, the vast grassland came into full view.

Although there were animals, they were not numerous enough to hunt easily.

“Do the barbarians not often appear?”

“Yes. Can you see the saddle between those mountains?”

A saddle refers to the low part between mountains.

It was quite wide, and it seemed that even an army could pass through.

“Is it used as a passage...”

“Yes. They raise sheep, and when the grass becomes scarce, they come over to this grassland. We have to be careful not to provoke them when that happens, as we can’t communicate with them.”

“I’ve heard that the barbarian army is formidable.”

“That’s true. I once fought a barbarian mercenary, and their innate strength is incredible.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. They are also excellent hunters. The animals on the grassland can be considered the property of the barbarians.”

Since the number of barbarians is quite large, the troops in the western frontier cannot resist them.

While obtaining various information through Galant, I soon arrived at the target location.

At a point where the slope became significantly steeper, some rocks were exposed.

Judging by the color, it was indeed magnetite as I had expected.

The quality is not great, but it is sufficient for making farming tools.

Indeed, being a remote area where few people venture, nature has been preserved here.

I stopped Nils near some well-grown grass after taking a slight detour.

“Good. Nils, wait here.”

Neigh.

Nils, perhaps hungry, started to graze.

“What are you doing?”

“This guy has very sensitive ears.”

After putting thick earplugs on Nils, I drew the sword I had brought.

“What are you going to do?”

“It doesn’t matter, just back away.”

“You don’t need a pickaxe...”

“That’s right. This is enough.”

It’s not a special sword, but it’s a heavy sword made by folding and forging it multiple times according to my spell, making it quite sturdy.

It’s a bit longer than a short sword but much shorter than a long sword, so I call it a medium sword.

Due to its weight, it couldn’t be made any longer.

The techniques I use all require the strength and hardness of the sword.

Durability is the most important.

I slowly started to breathe while holding the sword.

I closed my eyes and formed an image in my mind.

After a moment, my body shivered.

This is a sign of the activation of one of the Berte family’s techniques.

Rumble!

The moment the sword emitted a light, I strongly thrust it forward.

“Haah!”

Boom!

A deafening sound, like an explosion, echoed through the mountain.

Flap!

All kinds of birds that were hiding here and there flew up into the sky.

There were so many birds?

If I had known, I would have brought a bow and arrows.

As the dust settled and the view cleared, Galant rushed over.

“L-Lord! Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

Although I was covered in dust.

I wiped my face with a cloth I had brought and examined the ground.

Hmm, the technique has a long activation time, so its power seems to have decreased a bit after being sealed for a while.

I should practice this way from time to time.

Still, it looks like there’s enough to fill the cart.

Looking back, Galant was staring at me with his mouth open.

“What are you staring at? Quickly load the iron ore onto the cart.”

“A, yes.”

“Use a shovel to scoop the powder into bags. Since we only have one cart, it’s better to load the darker powder, as it has a higher iron content.”

“Yes, my lord. You are well-informed.”

Galant looked at me with surprise.

Of course, it’s knowledge from my previous life.

I made a casual excuse.

“It’s knowledge I picked up while serving Duke Gareth.”

“Oh, I see.”

This world is a class-based society.

If I use Gareth, the Duke, as an excuse, everyone will nod in agreement.

Watching the three men move like robots, I brushed Nils’ mane.

Neigh.

Nils, covered in dust, complained to me.

The direction was a bit off due to not using the technique for a long time.

“I’ll give you a bath when we get back. I didn’t expect so much dust here.”

Seeing the magnetite and rock powder filling the cart, I felt a bit regretful.

If we had more horses, we could have loaded more at once.

When I have money, I might buy more horses.

Even if Nils is a half-elf horse, he can’t pull multiple carts.

“We’re done.”

“Good. Let’s head down now.”

Although I was reluctant to leave the remaining rocks, I had to give up.

I stopped the four who were about to get on the cart and asked.

“What are you doing?”

“We’re getting on the cart.”

“It’s a downhill slope. If you add your weight, Nils will be crushed. Get off and push the cart. You can get on the cart when we reach flat ground.”

“Oh, I understand, my lord.”

Galant and the three vassals hurriedly jumped off the cart.

Nils snorted at them.

The meaning was simple.

Pathetic guys.

* * *

Perhaps because they were shocked by what I showed, the three were silent as we passed through the grassland.

I was more shocked when I met a mage or saw Gareth’s vision sword techniques.

When I lived as a serf, I thought there was no difference between this place and Earth.

But after seeing the game-like skills Gareth used, I realized this place was entirely different from where I lived.

Although Galant had served in a mercenary group, he probably never saw vision sword techniques directly.

Vision sword techniques were rare and precious.

Even out of curiosity, they remained silent, holding onto the cart.

I occasionally looked back to see if they had fallen asleep and fallen off the cart, but they all quickly turned their eyes away.

Since we had just started working together, I had nothing to say and continued to ride.

However, before sunset, Nils got tired first.

Unlike the way here, the cart was now loaded with magnetite, so it was inevitable.

It would probably take twice as long to return.

“Let’s take a break. Let’s also have something to eat.”

“Yes.”

After chewing on the bread we brought and drinking water, we sat in the shade for a while to enjoy the breeze.

Leaning against a tree and looking at the grassland, it was truly a magnificent view.

The wind made the grasses sway, creating a pleasant sound that filled my body.

Caw!

This kind of leisure is what I truly desired, not fighting monsters.

While I was lost in the scenery, Galant quietly approached me.

“L-Lord.”

“Hmm?”

“By any chance, are you a member of the Dawn Knights?”

The Berte territory in the east is famous for being the first place to see the sunrise because it borders the sea.

The view is so beautiful that it attracts many travelers.

Inns are lined up along the beach, offering a view of the sunrise.

This is a project I created by convincing Gareth, and the funds collected are naturally used for military expenses.

I took a portion, but I had to leave most of my wealth behind when I fled the Berte territory, fearing that Gareth would cancel my lordship when he woke up.

Anyway, those waiting to see the sunrise in the eastern coast have another attraction to look forward to.

It’s the morning jog of the Berte Knights.

Even though the knights train their bodies to the extreme, they can’t help but complain about the daily jog.

The members are all very strict.

I’ve seen it myself; they wake up at 4:30 AM, tidy their hair, and wash their bodies.

Then, they run on the beach in just their pants.

Cheers pour out from the lined inns.

Sometimes flowers or handkerchiefs are thrown.

After all, there are many noble ladies among the spectators.

Seeing the knights exercise, some ladies even propose marriage to them, so they can’t show up with messy hair or a swollen face.

Over time, this tradition became a local attraction.

To me, it’s like a dating event, but the knights see it as romance, which is shocking.

Anyway, due to this morning jog tradition, the Berte Knights are known as the Dawn Knights.

They didn’t intend it, but as a result, the Dawn Knights are all in excellent physical condition.

“No, I’m not a member of the Dawn Knights.”

I fled to Haarun as soon as I received my knighthood.

Of course, if I had stayed in Berte, I would have naturally become a member of the Dawn Knights.

—You must follow in my footsteps. But your laziness is a problem. Follow me.

Suddenly, the face of Samuel Canatu, the captain, came to mind, and my body shivered.

While Gareth was a complete troublemaker, Samuel was the epitome of a strict old man.

Naturally, I didn’t want to work under him.

Thinking about it, there were many reasons to escape.

“I see. Then, the technique you showed earlier isn’t from the Dawn Knights?”

“No. While a Dawn Knight might be able to do something similar, this is the Berte family’s sword technique.”

There was no need to lie.

“B-Berte family’s sword technique?”

Galant’s mouth dropped open in amazement.

After all, the Berte family’s vision sword technique is quite famous.

The previous Berte Duke was a powerful swordsman known throughout the kingdom.

The Duke’s eldest son was also talented but died young due to illness, leaving only two daughters.

The eldest daughter had already married into the empire, so it was natural for the second daughter to inherit the title.

However, when the illegitimate son Gareth appeared and achieved many feats, the situation changed.

Ultimately, the Berte family is still in a power struggle between the second daughter and Gareth.

The faction supported by the maternal relatives is stronger.

However, Gareth’s popularity is higher due to his many achievements.

Although he has ascended to the position of Duke, there is still an unstable atmosphere within the family.

In short, it’s an uncertain situation where one might be killed at any moment.

Fighting monsters is better than worrying every day in such a place.

“You are truly an amazing person, my lord.”

“Well, I was given the right to learn vision techniques as a reward for my achievements.”

I recited what we had agreed on, and Galant and the others looked at me with awe.

Receiving a noble family’s vision sword technique means being highly trusted.

That doesn’t mean I don’t know the Dawn Knights’ techniques.

I learned spear throwing, horseback spear techniques, and archery from the knights.

However, the foundation of my sword technique is undoubtedly the Berte family’s vision sword technique.

Thinking about it, the reason I started learning vision sword techniques was due to a ridiculous incident.

While wandering with the runaway Gareth, I sometimes used his sword.

‘The Lord of the Frontier Land’ is a healing territory simulation game.

Sword techniques were just a characteristic of the subordinate characters.

I unknowingly learned the vision sword techniques from the memories embedded in Gareth’s sword.

—Did you mimic my techniques after seeing them?

Gareth probably still thinks I’m an incredible genius, but in fact, it was just the characteristic ‘Omnipotent’.

To be honest, I know most of the Berte family’s vision sword techniques, except for .

Of course, Gareth doesn’t know.

I only used the techniques he taught me in front of him.

“Indeed, it was an incredible sword technique. It makes sense that it’s the Berte family’s technique, given its immense power.”

Galant’s mouth twitched, and he suddenly said with a serious face.

“...My lord. Is there any chance you could teach us martial arts?”

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