Chapter 16: Enlistment (2)

Chapter 16: Enlistment (2)

‘This crazy bastard!’

The wild swing of Iselan’s sword came crashing down like a tidal wave, creating immense pressure in the surrounding atmosphere. In response, Henry held back his curses and quickly armed himself with magic buffs. Then...

Crash!

Henry was not confident enough to block the attack with just one hand. Instead, he held his sword at an angle and supported the blade with both hands. When Iselan’s sword made contact, Henry felt an immense weight press into him. He felt as if he was blocking a landslide with his body.

‘This crazy old fart!’

Henry’s legs went numb. It was a blow of pure physical strength alone, without any assistance from an Aura. After all, Iselan was not just a Sword Expert from the outskirts of the empire, but a Sword Master who was worthy enough to be the leader of the fortress.

No matter how much Henry had awakened and trained, he would have certainly been split in two if he had not armed himself with magic beforehand.

‘Oh ho?’

The corner of Iselan’s lips began to curl in surprise.

“You stopped this?”

“Urgh...! Is this good enough?”

Henry asked as he channeled all his remaining strength into his trembling legs.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Honestly, I didn’t think you’d be able to block this. Try it one more time.”

“Huh?”

“Here I come.”

Iselan raised his sword once again. Henry was freed from the enormous weight pressing down on him, but it was only for a brief moment, right before the second blow.

‘This guy is crazy!’

Henry meant it. As soon as he saw Iselan’s sword being lifted, he had no choice but to cast his magic buffs again.

Crash!

Once again, the two-handed greatsword fell. The impact was much stronger than the first strike. This time, Henry could feel the wind on his face before he felt the impact.

“Heok—”

Henry’s legs shuddered with fatigue. He was at his limit. No matter how much he buffed himself and his sword with magic, he was like a candle’s flame against a raging wind, facing an overwhelming force that he could not stop.

Henry focused all his strength on his legs, which felt like they were about to give way at any moment. His tenacity and persistence seemed to come as a refreshing surprise to Iselan.

“One more...” Iselan said.

At that moment, Henry’s savior appeared. Iselan’s aide and attendant, Tini, blocked the third blow.

“Captain.”

“Oh, what’s up?”

“I think it’s time to stop. You’re going too far with your prank.”

“Tsk, did it seem that way? I was honestly just impressed. This kid hasn’t even learned Aura yet and he’s managed to block my blows twice.”

Henry felt truly grateful to Tini. If she hadn’t intervened, things would have ended rather poorly for Henry. Tini herself was surprised as well.

‘This Learner-class swordsman managed to block the captain’s attack twice?’

‘Sword Learner’ was the term for swordsmen before they reached the rank of Sword Expert. Tini pretended to be calm on the outside, but on the inside, she was shocked. After all, she herself had tried to block Iselan’s attacks before, but failed to do so even once without the help of her Aura.

‘Is this the birth of yet another monster?’

She was a capable attendant who handled most of Iselan’s work for him. Apart from her abilities as an attendant, she was also smarter and wiser than any other knight in the fortress. She had an eye for spotting talent in people, and quickly caught on to Henry’s immense talent.

Upon Tini’s intervention, Iselan sheathed his sword and sat down at the table again, as if nothing had happened.

‘That son of a bitch!’

Henry had to contain the curses that almost spewed out of his mouth. Despite being armed with magic, his sword was now in a terrible state; one more hit would break it. Additionally, the aftershock of Iselan’s blows was so great that Henry still trembled.

However, he could not let it show. After all, he was the one that had accepted this test. Even as his legs trembled, Henry tried his hardest to keep his composure and returned to his seat. After taking a sip of water, Iselan spoke.

“You’re one fine specimen.”

Henry would figure this out in the future, but Iselan was known to be an oddity, even within the fortress. He had a reputation as someone with a cunning personality and outstanding strength and ability, but he was also known for mercilessly tossing men aside if they proved to be lackluster, no matter how close they were to him.

Moreover, he was someone who secured his position as a leader with pure strength alone, not politics or funambulism. Considering that Henry had passed Iselan’s joke test, given Iselan’s personality, it was only natural that he would show interest in Henry.

Iselan looked at Henry with a pleased expression and chuckled.

“Those that came recently asking for favors were all flashy with nothing to prove, but it looks like we finally have the real deal here.”

“Thank you.”

“Like father, like son. You’ve certainly not dishonored your bloodline. Hey!”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Are you aware of how this world works?”

“What kind of world are you talking about?”

“Politics.”

Henry did not expect someone like Iselan to bring up something as troublesome as politics.

“I’ve been keeping up by reading the newsletters.”

Unlike expensive newspapers, newsletters were one-page newspapers that provided a lot of condensed information at a low price. Henry had been a loyal subscriber to the capital’s newsletters since right after his resurrection.

‘Although I’ve received information a bit slowly.’

The information in newsletters and newspapers were more up-to-date the closer one lived to the capital. However, since the Morris estate was on the eastern edge of the continent, it took at least a week or so to receive the latest newsletters due to its distance from the capital. Usually, the information was old news by then.

“Then that makes things easy.”

Henry tilted his head at Iselan’s sudden shift to politics, but he was curious too. Just a few months ago, Henry had been the hottest topic in the kingdom’s political circle.

“Actually, it’s quite common for less prominent nobles who are below the rank of viscount to enlist in the military. You must be aiming for success as well, aren’t you?”

Ordinary volunteers usually chose the route of honorary enlistment for the purpose of career advancement, so Iselan’s assumptions were reasonable. It was a rather accurate guess, but incorrect. Henry had no interest in advancing his career.

Henry said nothing, which prompted Iselan to continue.

“There’s no need to hide. You can be honest in front of me. And allow me to compliment you for enlisting in the military for the sake of your own success. Hans will never be able to get ahead by fooling around as a landowner. You...You said that you weren’t coming from the Swordsmanship Academy, right?”

“Yes.”

“So why did Hans not send you, the eldest son, to the Academy and send the other boy instead? Was that your idea as well?”

Henry had not read it, but it was clear now that Hans’ letter was a greeting letter disguised as a letter of recommendation. Otherwise, Iselan could not have known about the recent incidents Henry was involved in. Henry answered honestly this time too.

“That’s correct.”

“Heh, you’re a clever one.”

Iselan’s grin grew wider. He looked like a proud grandfather looking at his wonderful grandchild.

“Why did you yield to your brother?”

“I saw no future.”

“What future?”

“I recently heard the news that the last remaining hero of the empire, Henry Morris, has died.”

“That’s right. But why bring that up?”

“He was the last force of justice left in the empire. Since he was killed, I figured that the empire would become a tainted place full of corruption.”

Henry was praising himself, but at the same time, this was what he truly thought. The nobles who were responsible for his death were all rotten to the core, and Henry had no intention to sell his honor to win the favor of a man who was only a captain.

When Henry finished answering, the smile disappeared from Iselan’s face.

“Henry Morris. He was a great wizard. Do you know the nature of his crime?”

“I recall that it was treason.”

“And you’re still looking up to this guy? You think you know something, huh?

“I’m not being thick-headed. I have a brain too, I made a judgment based on my values and what I saw and heard.”

“Haha, look at this smartass.”

The smile on Iselan’s face completely disappeared, and his face twisted further and further.

“I am a knight and soldier who has sworn allegiance to the empire. For a traitor to dare stand before me like this, you must have completely lost your mind.”

He growled angrily as he grabbed his two-handed big sword. Henry felt a tremendous sense of danger, but this was something he had experienced countless times in his previous life.

Henry continued speaking, still maintaining an expressionless face.

“I, too, have sworn allegiance to the empire. But it is to the empire that I have sworn allegiance to, not a person. The stability of the empire is more important to me than such political issues.”

Henry’s words evoked a brief silence. Tension filled Iselan’s eerily quiet office. Tini could sense an invisible typhoon crashing between the two men.

But...

“Kahahahaha!”

Iselan’s uproarious laughter finally broke the silence.

He laughed until tears formed in the corners of his eyes, and when he finally stopped, he clutched his belly and said, “Damn... this guy, you’re the real deal.”

The twisted look on his face eased and he smiled widely once more, revealing his gums.

“Yes, you’re right. You little bastard, not only are you full of talent, but you’re sure of your own convictions. Most of all, you’ve got balls beyond belief, and I like that. What was your name again?”

“Henry Morris, Captain.”

“Yes, Henry. As you said, the empire is in chaos right now. The previous emperor passed away, and his wretched son is ruining this country.”

Henry had expected this kind of reaction. Seeing how Iselan tested even a Learner-class swordsman in the way that he did, Henry had judged Iselan to be an honest person, despite his belligerence. Henry had lived for almost a hundred years collectively and encountered countless people, so he had developed a keen eye for people.

However, Henry did not expect what Iselan said next.

“But what’s even worse is that said wretched son is being controlled by scumbags.”

The people Iselan cursed were none other than the very Nobles who were Henry’s downfall. Contrary to his appearance, Iselan seemed keenly aware of the state of affairs in the empire.

“You did well to give up on the Swordsmanship Academy. When the rot is at the top, it’s the bottom that’s the dirtiest. The academy is probably being controlled tightly by the Foram family.”

‘Foram? Don’t tell me, Kington Foram?’

Kington Foram. He was the head of the Foram family, the second among the Ten Imperial Swords, and the second strongest man after Valhald.

“You’re talking about Kington? Isn’t he the second strongest man in the empire? How can the person second-in-line take control of the academy over the top rank?”

“Looks like your information is outdated. It’s been a while since Kington became the Grandmaster. Valhald has retired.”

“That Sir Valhald?”

It had only been a few months.

It was unbelievable that Valhald had retired in such a short time.

‘No way, is it because of me?’

Valhald was a man of few words, and an upright character. As a Grandmaster himself too, Valhald had also been Henry’s drinking buddy from time to time. He was the man who had apologized to Henry before beheading him.

‘To think that Valhald retired.’

The news of this remarkable change in the ranks of the empire’s armed forces was nowhere to be found in the newsletter. Valhald’s retirement left Henry with much to think about.

‘Now I’ve got more work to do.’

The news was truly unexpected. Whether it was good news or bad news, Henry could not be sure yet.

“Anyway, with Foram taking over the academy, which is the pathway to knighthood, it has become defiled with corruption.”

Iselan proceeded to give a heated account of how rapidly the empire was rotting and crumbling. It was what Henry had expected. He had been the last beacon of justice in the empire, and with his death, it was only natural that something like this would happen.

After explaining for a while, Iselan grinned once more and spoke to Henry.

“Do you really want to make it big?”

“Yes, I do.”

Now, there was no need for any sort of hesitation. Iselan recognized Henry’s talent, conviction, and courage. All Henry had to do now was respond to Iselan.

“Yeah, well thought! If you were born as a nobody, then you should die a somebody! Welcome to Caliburn Fortress. You’ll be under my care, and I’ll give you the push you need.”

“Thank you, Captain.”

“Now, shall we start the next test?”

“Is there anything else to test?”

Iselan chuckled mischievously.

“I’ve gotten myself a new hobby, you see.”

Henry felt a sense of reluctance at Iselan’s sly smile.