The Sword Genius of the Magic Empire - Chapter 38



Only Noblemtl

Enoch looked blank.

It was because of the sight of the training ground spread out before him.

“What is this?”

A personal training facility used by Enoch in the past.

A facility as large as the castle of the Elseid family, large enough to rival any sports field.

But it was a place that was left abandoned by Enoch for four years.

Of course, when I first saw it, it was a complete mess.

A place where dust and mold, broken training materials, and cobwebs all lived together in harmony. To be honest, it wouldn’t have been strange if a ghost had jumped out at any moment.

‘It definitely was like that.’

But then what about the sight unfolding before my eyes?

Enoch rubbed his eyes for a moment and opened them again. However, the appearance of the training ground had changed 180 degrees.

The underground training grounds were incredibly clean and bright, with sparkling sound effects ringing in your ears, unlike any other place in the world.

“What is this?”

Enoch looked ahead with a somewhat dazed expression.

Cobwebs, dust, and moldy wooden training tools were all gone. The furniture and equipment, which looked brand new, were shiny and shiny.

Moreover, the dark and gloomy interior was gone, and the ceiling was brightly lit. At this level, I would believe that they had really just changed the interior.

“… Did I come to the wrong place?”

Enoch muttered once and then walked backwards to check outside the door again.

But no matter how many times I checked, this was his training ground.

It was truly a horrifying sight.

“What the….”

A blow.

At that moment, Lien appeared from the other side of the underground training grounds, holding a broom.

She glanced over here, her silver hair flowing as usual, and then began calmly organizing the cleaning supplies in the storage container she had brought.

It seemed like Lien had just finished cleaning the training grounds.

“Did you clean all this by yourself?”

Lien nodded as if it was obvious.

Her hands were full of various cleaning tools.

Enoch was speechless at the unfamiliar sight.

She responded coldly, taking off her black gloves one last time.

“Because hygiene issues might have a negative impact on your health.”

“hygiene?”

At her short answer, Enoch finally remembered something.

Last time at the training ground, Enoch inhaled dust and coughed just once.

Lien, who was watching from the side, seemed to have cleaned up this place all by herself.

Of course, considering Lien’s personality for Enoch, that would be understandable…

“No, that’s not it. Why are you cleaning…?”

Enoch, who had been speaking up to that point, stopped talking when he saw her white apron.

Only when he saw the maid outfit did he remember Lien’s original occupation.

right.

Was that a maid?

It’s such an obvious fact, but I had forgotten it for a while. But honestly, it’s not that I’m being indifferent, it’s that it was natural for me to do so.

In fact, anyone would think so just by looking at her performance so far.

An image of Lien indiscriminately annihilating enemies with wires flashed through Enoch’s mind.

Swish.

Leaving him alone, Lien went outside with her cleaning tools in her usual calm demeanor.

Enoch stared blankly behind her for a moment.

‘At this point, isn’t Lien more talented at cleaning than at level 10 magic?’

He looked back at the training grounds, which were so shiny and glossy that it was almost unbelievable.

Honestly, I can’t say anything other than it’s amazing.

The vast training ground that had been neglected for four years was cleaned to perfection in less than four hours, without a speck of dust.

The training ground I saw back then was really just a garbage dump, with only knives strewn across the floor to ruin the atmosphere, even though they were really good at it… … .

‘Anyway, I should be grateful to Lien.’

Anyway, it was a hundred times better for this side.

The underground training grounds were an important place for Enoch. It was almost the only place in the citadel where he could practice his sword without being conscious of other people’s eyes.

If you keep training in a place like that while smelling musty, you might end up with problems with your respiratory tract.

Enoch glanced around, inwardly admiring the sight.

‘It really became clean as if magic had been used.’

It was really neat and tidy without a speck of dust.

But even in the wide training ground, there is only one.

There was a place that had not changed.

-A graveyard of countless swords abandoned in one training ground.

It seemed that Lien had not touched it at all.

‘… Did he leave it behind as a trace of the previous Enoch?’

Enoch, who approached the tomb of swords lying on the floor, stopped for a moment.

As I looked at each of the training swords, the curiosity I had vaguely felt before grew stronger.

‘It’s still strange.’

At first glance, I thought it was just a collection of training swords. It wouldn’t be strange if Enoch’s purpose was to train with the sword.

But now that I’ve come to look at them closely, there’s something quite peculiar about the swords left here.

‘There is not a single sword of the same kind here.’

Of course, it was a one-handed longsword with a sleek appearance similar to the one that Jechoi Geom was using at the time.

A long, well-balanced, massive, double-edged sword for both hands,

An oriental single-edged sword with an elegant curve,

Two pairs of twin swords, custom made as a pair.

A sharp and sophisticated sword,

A huge and heavy moon sword,

etc….

The sword he trained with was literally ‘all kinds of swords’.

‘What on earth is the reason?’

A very common-sense question crossed my mind.

Of course, you can only train one type of black.

Realistically, it would be impossible to use all those different types of swords one by one during a battle.

But why did Enoch practice with so many different types of swords?

‘… It’s not information I need right now, but I’m strangely curious about it.’

Enoch, who had thought about it up to that point, shook his head.

The clutter in my head dispersed.

Anyway, there are still too many things that have not been revealed about what the original Enoch was thinking.

This is also something that is not too late to learn slowly.

There are more important things to worry about going forward.

Swish.

Enoch, who had thought that far, slowly took down the cloth bag he had been carrying on his back.

When the knot was untied, the sword was revealed.

‘First of all, I have to think about how to hide the fact that I use a sword and not magic.’

The empire is a meritocratic society.

But before that, 90% of the empire’s citizens are magicians. It is a magical society where everything runs on magic.

The day when the direct lineage of the main clan that supports the Magic Empire is revealed to the world to be using powers other than magic…

It was obvious what would happen to the family’s reputation.

If that happens, there may be another crisis of expulsion. I had to consider that possibility as well.

‘Whatever it was.’

Raise your sword and face forward.

‘We need to start with what we can do right away.’

One side of the field of vision aimed at the sword.

The deep blue light of mana rose vividly.

Woohoo

Enoch slowly raised his head.

His dark blue eyes were now staring sharply at the nothingness ahead.

Increasing the efficiency of mana projected onto the sword may be possible simply by training the sword.

Even though I haven’t had enough rest since returning to duty, I can’t slack off on my training.

‘Because soon, a ‘big incident’ that occurred in the original will occur.’

Opportunity comes to those who are prepared.

In order to succeed in the upcoming event, I had to grow a little more.

because….

‘That’s a mission that must be successful in order to prepare for the original point in time!’

***

When I finished training and came out of the basement.

Before I knew it, the sun was setting outside.

The vermilion hue that dyes the massive Elseid Citadel.

That quiet liveliness faintly colored the crowd of magicians walking around Elseid Castle.

People were going their separate ways, bustling about here and there in the vast castle as usual.

Glass bottles filled with various colored reagents, and young wizards holding their own artifacts.

Even the white-haired wizards walk with modernized staffs that look like they are riding horses.

Enoch, who was walking around looking around, realized that this was the pillar of the Magic Empire, the Juga Gate.

‘Come to think of it, I never had the leisure to properly feel these emotions.’

Is it because the expulsion issue, which was a fire that fell on my feet as soon as I mentioned it, has finally been resolved?

The sudden sense of reality was a bit strange.

However, Enoch was not the only one who was unilaterally observing the people around him.

– … Hey, you look over there too!

Enoch heard someone’s voice in his ear.

-Oh, is that you?

-That person is Enoch Elseid, who succeeded in the exemption mission this time… .

The small sounds of a man and a woman talking to each other on the balcony of the castle a little way away.

And it wasn’t just them.

From many other places too, whispers were faintly directed at Enoch.

It seems like rumors have spread throughout the family.

‘I expected it to some extent, but it seems like the topic of exemption missions has become a bigger topic than I thought.’

Enoch also seemed to have quite good hearing.

Even though these voices would normally not be heard in this crowded street, they are quite audible.

at that time.

Enoch’s eyes narrowed slightly as he walked down the hallway.

“Enoch Elseid! Here I am again!”

In front of the hallway he was heading to, there was a familiar boy standing there.

-Dionil Elseid.

Direct descendant of the current 8th rank.

The brother who was closest in age to Enoch, whom we saw last time.

A direct descendant who has been hostile to Enoch since the past.

Honestly, I had forgotten about it until now… …. I didn’t think I would meet you here again.

He seemed to have completed his training with his own family of followers, and he was accompanied by several magicians.

“I heard the news.”

He stood facing this side and sneered.

“To solve that impossible mission? What kind of luck is that… Wait, hey!”

But Enoch had already turned the corner across the hallway.

There is no need to engage in childish bickering that only reckless teenagers would engage in.

‘… But, if I think about it, I’m still around that age, right?’

Enoch walked, briefly shaking off the sense of alienation that came from being in a strange place.

Thump.

Just as Enoch reached the end of the hallway, another familiar face caught his eye.

“Ah, Master Enoch! You’ve just returned.”

The exclusive butler of the clerk, Grantal.

The name was definitely… Batlek.

“Master Grantal Skyle wishes to see you, Young Master.”

He approached Enoch and bowed his head respectfully as he added:

“The clerk would like to hear your opinion on some of the reports on the exemption mission to which the previous master was dispatched.”

Call of Granthal.

But Enoch had already finished reporting to him about his past mission.

Still, the story of him calling again… .

‘It looks like it’s about to start.’

Enoch nodded slowly toward the butler.

Enoch watched Bartlek, who was leading the way through the halls of the castle, for a moment, and then slowly walked forward. Then Bartlek glanced back and opened his mouth as if he had remembered something.

“Oh, by the way. Someone else also wanted to see you for the same reason.”

“Anyone else?”

“yes.”

The butler glanced back at Enoch and said:

“If you go, you will know.”

***

“You have come, Master Enoch.”

The great fortress of the Elseid clan.

The office located on the high upper floor.

As usual, Granthal greeted Enoch with his back to the large glass windows of his office.

But this time, Grantal wasn’t alone.

Enoch, standing in front of Granthal, glanced sideways at him for a moment.

Inside, a female sorceress wearing a familiar black uniform was standing.

‘I think it was called Theano.’

A graceful beauty with long violet hair and amethyst eyes.

She was the one who arrested Enoch during the theft that was staged as soon as he first encountered her.

‘I never thought I’d see you here again.’

Swish.

She was dressed in her knightly uniform as usual, and took off her hat as a gesture of respect to Enoch.

Theano, who had taken off his hat and placed it on the chest of his uniform, closed his eyes slightly and bowed his head politely to Enoch.

Her long, straight hair flowed slightly.

Granthal introduced her to Enoch from the side.

“I am the Vice-Captain of the Nemesis Knights, Teano. I am here to act in place of the currently absent Knight Commander. I have come to share with you the details of the mission you reported to me, regarding the vendetta.”

“Nemesis Knights”

A knight order that is loyal only to the orders of the lord and the precepts of the family.

The direct and ancestral families. The factions and subordinate organizations of the battle magicians belonging to the family, etc.

Among the magicians belonging to the family that rolls over all the complex and sophisticated balance of power, the only one who symbolizes ‘absolute neutrality’ is the elite of the elite of Elseid.

The vice-commander of that elite order of knights.

Theano opened his mouth quietly.

“…Congratulations on completing your mission of exemption.”

Enoch nodded briefly.

Although it was a self-directed play, it was still a bit awkward since he was the wizard who had previously arrested him.

Moreover, Theano is one of the wizards who did not appear in the original work.

This was still an opponent that required some caution.

Beside her, Grantal also opened his mouth.

“I also congratulate you, my lord. The news that you have succeeded in the mission of exemption that no one has ever succeeded in before is already spreading like wildfire throughout the empire.”

Enoch smiled somewhat bitterly at his congratulations.

You’ve become famous.

It’s not a very pleasant situation from this perspective.

I wanted to avoid unnecessary attention as much as possible, but this was unavoidable.

“Ah. I’m sure you’re not used to it yet, but… The people of the Magic Empire are very interested in the main clans that govern each field of magic.”

Grantal said as if to warn us to be careful this time.

“Even in media outlets such as major newspapers that have influence on the people of the empire, there are many who focus solely on reporting on the main families.”

But from the family’s perspective, it might be nice to see a despised direct lineage firing a signal flare for revival.

I actually didn’t find it very fun.

“…Why did you call me?”

To change the subject, Enoch brought up the main topic first.

“Oh, Lord Theano will ask the question himself.”

Grantal looked at her next to him with a sidelong glance and said.

“In the first place, the Vice-Captain asked me to meet with you first regarding a mission.”

Granthal nodded to Theano, who was standing next to him, as if to hand over the floor.

“Then let me tell you.”

She nodded once and slowly opened her mouth to speak to Enoch.

“As you know, the Persona that you have subdued this time is a black magician who murdered a magician belonging to our family in the past. He was a key figure in the Vendetta group directly under the black magician Tantalus.”

“I know. It was a mission.”

“In that regard, I would like to ask you one thing.”

“what?”

Theano straightened his back and his eyes sparkled.

“In the past, there have been attempts by the wizards of the family, including our Nemesis, to capture or eliminate her, but they have always ended in failure.”

After saying that, she paused for a moment.

Theano’s stern eyes, which had been watching Enoch until now, narrowed slightly.

“That is precisely why I wanted to ask Enoch, who succeeded in this mission, directly.”

Theano asked in a cold tone, his amethyst-like purple eyes shining darkly.

“… Enoch 9th Rank. How did you defeat Persona, a 10th rank black magician?”