CH 193

"It's not as oily as southern cuisine usually is, is it?"

Kishiar started the conversation as if reading Yuder's thoughts.

"Yes, it's delicious."

"You eat well. It's good to see. If it's not enough, I'll order more. Eat plenty."

With that, Kishiar naturally picked up a deep-fried bean, complete with shell, and tossed it into his mouth. His behavior didn't seem out of place, even when compared to the surrounding commoners.

For a while, they ate their meat and fried food in silence, sipping their drinks. Once his belly was somewhat full, Yuder raised his head and saw Kishiar, who sat opposite him, resting his chin in his hand and gazing to one side. Yuder turned his head in the same direction.

There, three men were heartily drinking and chatting.

"I'm thinking of importing goods from the north next year..."

"When I've saved enough for retirement, I might open a place like this. I'll have to discuss it with my wife, though..."

"After all, despite everything, this place is the best..."

Even though their conversations didn't seem to follow a coherent theme, it was intriguing how they could continue conversing. It didn't seem like an interesting conversation, but Kishiar continued to sip his drink, watching their chatter with a slight smile playing on his lips.

What could possibly be so interesting about it?

Was he simply fascinated by the act of observing commoners, with whom he usually didn't interact?

While Yuder was musing over these thoughts and sipping his beer, which wasn't strong enough to get him drunk, the men finally got up, paid their bill, and left the pub. Kishiar's gaze turned back to Yuder.

"Your eyes look like you're unsure of what I find so interesting."

"...No, not at all."

"Well, there's nothing I can do if it seems strange to you. I quite enjoy listening to such conversations."

"You enjoy them?"

Despite his denial, Yuder couldn't help but question him. Kishiar kindly refrained from pointing out the contradiction.

"Yes. There's nothing as intriguing as observing strangers engaging in peaceful conversation."

The conversation of strangers. How could that be enjoyable?

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand your meaning, Commander."

As Yuder responded cautiously, Kishiar shook his head.

"There's not a deep meaning to it. But isn't there anything better to understand the public sentiment than the stories shared over drinks? Listening to peaceful conversations like earlier, no matter how troublesome things are at the top, it reassures me that someone still thinks this country, ruled by His Majesty the Emperor, is okay."

While speaking at a leisurely pace, Kishiar ran his finger over the bead of condensation on his glass.

"Well, it is childish of me to constantly seek reassurance that the path I have willingly chosen is correct. Hence, it's a secret that I listen with such thoughts in mind."

“Others would think that I'm simply too interested in the common people.” As Kishiar murmured this, he quickly suppressed his laughter and finished off the last of his beer. Yuder, leaving only a few pieces of bone and nearly finishing his grilled hind leg, opened his mouth with difficulty.

"So... it's not a secret to me?"

"Will you insult me as a hypocrite because you heard this? Or despise me for being childish?"

Naturally, it was neither. Upon witnessing Yuder's silence, a soft satisfaction rose and disappeared on Kishiar's face, as if saying, 'That's exactly why.'

"Will you have more?"

At that moment, a man with a bandit-like demeanor, having cleared all other tables, approached and looked down at their nearly empty table, asking. Tilting his head as if it didn't matter what Kishiar chose, he turned his gaze towards Yuder.

"More to drink?"

"No, thank you."

"Alright, get up then."

Rising from his seat, Kishiar took a few coins from his pocket and handed them to the man. They had finished their meal and he assumed they would leave, but the direction Kishiar began to walk was the exact opposite of where they had originally come from.

"Commander... where are you going?"

Kishiar, rarely more serious than usual, swallowed the word he had intended to use and responded.

"I'm going for a walk. The night breeze feels good and I'm full from the meal. That's what rest is."

It seemed that he still had not given up on his dream of teaching Yuder what real rest was. Yuder swallowed his words of protest and sighed.

"Is there a place to walk around here?"

"Why wouldn't there be? If we walk, we'll come across numerous beautiful sights in the capital. The closest place from here is... yes, it must be where the Emperor's Sword Mark is."

Despite his face being too faint to remember after using the magic tool, Kishiar's voice in the darkness of the street was consistently low and beautiful.

"Come closer. There's no need to follow me from behind."

He blocked Yuder's attempt to subtly back away, leaving him no choice. Yuder walked shoulder to shoulder with Kishiar. Even though nobody would know who they were, he felt an odd tension seeping through his palms. As Yuder was feigning calmness, Kishiar suddenly opened his mouth to ask a question.

"Have you seen the Emperor's Sword Mark?"

"...No, I haven't."

The only time he'd seen it was in passing in his previous life, so it seemed right to say he hadn't seen it now.

"It's the trace of a gigantic sword left on a solid wall built by the first emperor. Originally, they were going to build a city wall there, but after the first emperor died, they knocked down everything except that one piece of wall."

"I see."

"It's said to be the largest mark among those left in history by Swordmasters. Every Swordmaster thereafter visited the place at least once to compare their own marks left with wooden swords. Yet, not a single one left a larger mark."

While walking and talking, a stone wall erected not far away revealed itself. The old wall was left standing like a fence along the thicket, and a deep sword mark horizontally etched without end at chest level was clear even from a distance.

"Do you see it? That sword mark."

"Yes, I see it."

Kishiar leisurely walked closer to the Emperor's Sword Mark. Yuder looked at the similar yet different marks around the sword mark. Plaques indicating who had challenged and left a mark were attached to the other sword marks left above and below the Emperor's Sword Mark.

'There were really a lot of names that I had only seen in history books who had come here to challenge.'

However, as Kishiar had stated, there were no traces more profound, clearer, and lasting than the Emperor's Sword Mark.

"There's a superstition that one's luck improves if they walk around this sword mark from end to end."

"Really?"

"Do you really think so? It's just a myth created for diplomatic and tourism purposes. Those learning the sword among foreign dignitaries always wish to visit here. It was created to make them feel better, believing they could attain some luck while they're at it."

Kishiar, who freely spoke words that would disappoint the visiting dignitaries, started walking along the sword mark slowly. Yuder, following him, suddenly wondered if any of these countless sword marks were Kishiar's.

He and his adjutant, Nathan Zucker, were both capable of using sword aura. So, might they have secretly come and challenged the Emperor's Sword Mark? Once curiosity took root, Yuder found himself unable to suppress his desire for an answer. After a moment of hesitation, he finally asked,

"So, Commander, you can also use sword aura, right?"

"Hmm?"

Kishiar turned his head. He was not only capable of using sword aura; he was also the owner of a divine sword. Although Yuder had rarely seen him carrying the divine sword properly.

"Why do you ask?"

Looking at the traces of others left on the Emperor's Sword Mark, Yuder continued,

"Could there be any of your marks among these sword marks?"

"Are you referring to me? No..."

As if unexpectedly, Kishiar turned his gaze to the deep traces left by time.

"I don't have any here."

"Why? You're more than qualified."

"Well, because... I guess I've never thought about it."

Kishiar smiled and shrugged.

"I never considered challenging this place as it's not a power to reveal openly. I apologize if this disappoints you."

"I see."

He wasn't disappointed. Just a bit regretful. As Yuder continued walking along the rugged wall of sword marks, he spoke,

"It's a pity. Who knows, if you had left a scar, it might have been bigger than the Emperor's Sword Mark."

"You think so?"

Kishiar broke into laughter.

"You always overestimate me."

Overestimating someone who held four powers within one body? Yuder felt as if he was underestimating him, unable to know the limits of his power.

"But... yes. Listening to you reminds me of something."

Kishiar suddenly stopped walking. Raising his hand towards the Emperor's Sword Mark, a smile played at his lips.

"I think I wanted to leave my name here when I was young. The one who taught me swordsmanship kindled an unwarranted hope that I could do it if I tried."

The mysterious smile in his eyes as he traced the deep sword mark, large enough to fit a wrist inside, suggested he was recalling an unfathomable past moment.

"It's not a pleasant memory. That's probably why I didn't cling to this place."

"You could do it now."

"Do you want me to challenge this place?"

That question, oddly, seemed to imply more than just a literal challenge.