The Sword Genius of the Magic Empire - Chapter 49



Only Noblemtl

Elseid stock price.

The central corridor of the castle.

The large gathering held there had many more wizards than usual in attendance.

Whatever happens in any household becomes a rumor that spreads throughout the empire.

This time too, as always, the eyes and ears of various famous media outlets that take charge of such matters were gathered.

Journalists from broadcasting companies, newspapers, magazines, etc.

They each stood in their seats, staring intently, holding their breath, in the middle of the hallway.

– I absolutely could not miss this ordinance.

The daily assembly usually includes a series of announcements related to the stock market, but nothing as momentous as today happens very often.

Because it’s about ‘one’ of the direct descendants of the Elseid family, which is the hottest topic these days.

And just now, the ordinance had just made public to the world what the direct line had done.

“…Nemesis’ first test report is abnormal.”

Theano’s concise report echoed throughout the room.

Meanwhile, the audience in the hall, who had heard the unbelievable news, were as quiet as mice.

Except for one person.

“… Did you really say that Enoch passed the first induction test, Sir Theano?”

Dionil, the current 8th rank who attended the ordinance.

He stammered and asked Theano, who was standing in the middle of the hallway, as if representing the feelings of everyone around him.

“Yes.”

Theano answered his question calmly, holding the hat that was lying loosely on the chest of his uniform.

“As reported, Enoch Elseid passed Nemesis’ first test to determine his capacity for cooperation with an exceptionally high score.”

Dionil questioned her report, still seeming in disbelief.

“Sir Theano. May I ask if there is another reason for Enoch’s passing the test?”

“Dionil Elseid, current 8th rank.”

Theano spoke in a concise voice.

“Our knights of Nemesis have no family name.”

Her polite and calm answer caused the surroundings to become quiet for a moment.

– A reply to Dionil that implied, ‘Stop saying stupid things.’

Knights who join the Nemesis Knights, who advocate absolute neutrality, are ordained as knights and must all abandon the surnames that represent their families.

In an empire where the talents of numerous magicians and powerful people return, cutting off one’s own roots is the foundation of absolute neutrality.

Therefore, all of Nemesis’ knights have no last name.

Only the name that represents oneself remains.

“The Silent Knights”

That was the nickname given to Nemesis with reverence.

The Zhou family is the pillar of the empire, where all sorts of forces are ingeniously intertwined.

In order to remain neutral among so many wizards, you must first be pure.

And the things that such an order announces to the public carry a certain weight.

Because it is a completely objective fact that is not influenced by the opinions of other forces or external pressure.

That is precisely why the stock family appointed them as notaries to determine Enoch’s abilities.

“Enoch Elseid, the current 9th rank direct descendant, has officially passed Nemesis’ first test.”

And Nemesis’s Vice-Captain Theano once again announced their opinion in a calm tone.

“Not only did he demonstrate outstanding ability in the testing room, but all the knights who supervised the tests were also deemed fit for the joint mission.”

Dionil’s face slightly crumpled at those words.

Theano looked straight at him and said.

“Therefore, as the direct line official leader of the Alliance mission, we have concluded that Enoch is no less capable. That is our Nemesis’ assessment of Enoch Elseid.”

There was no longer any doubt about her words.

If you don’t trust the words of the Nemesis Vice-Captain, it will be difficult to obtain more reliable and objective information from the stock family.

Theano turned his head quietly.

“The report is strange, sir.”

She nodded politely and glanced at Enoch sitting next to her.

A boy with pitch-black hair.

Theano’s eyelashes, looking at him, briefly became thinner through the shadow of his hat.

‘Enoch Elseid.’

The test was over. But still, the personal curiosity she had about him was not resolved.

No, this only made me even more suspicious of Enoch’s identity, which I thought would be revealed in this test.

She was watching Enoch’s actions closely through the footage sent by the drone at the testing site.

A remote underground waterway in a ruined city.

A place that cannot even be seen by a drone.

There Enoch lured Baphomet and killed him.

‘That person is clearly the only one who entered the waterway.’

So, without a doubt, Enoch fought and killed a special beast there, all by himself.

‘… Really, I never thought he would have the skills to kill such a special beast all by himself.’

But that made me even more curious.

‘Until recently, the current 9th rank was non-magic. But how can they suddenly have such great power?’

It was not clear how he managed to capture a special-class demon classified as high-risk on his own, or what powers he really possessed.

‘Still, I’m suspicious.’

Theano’s eyes were hidden by the shadow of his cap.

So, regardless of the results of this test, I still couldn’t take my eyes off Enoch Elseid.

‘He has the power, but the question of what power he has is still not resolved.’

Enoch showed no magic in the test.

If so, then the suspicion that he may be involved in black magic is also still unproven.

Therefore, since we don’t know exactly what kind of magic he uses, from Nemesis’s perspective, who has to keep the family’s rules, we can’t help but have doubts about him.

After finishing his report, Theano slowly turned around and left the hallway, passing Enoch.

Again.

In the brief moment that passed by him, Theano turned his gaze from under the shadow of his hat and glanced at Enoch.

‘I guess I’ll have to watch for a while.’

The parts that were not confirmed in the test will be revealed in this mission.

Moreover, she herself was dispatched by Nemesis and went on a mission. She had ample time to observe.

‘At least the current 9th rank. Until we are certain that Enoch Elseid is not truly a warlock.’

Theano walked away, passing Enoch.

Above the sound of her footsteps, the vast hall was filled with the clatter of typewriters as newspaper reporters recorded the events that had just been announced.

Without a doubt, the news about Enoch will spread quickly throughout the Empire.

And unlike before, we have the clear assurance of the Nemesis Knights.

“…According to the report from Nemesis, the person who will command this joint mission has been decided.”

As Theano left, Grantal, who was conducting the ordinance as a bailiff, made a series of proclamations.

“The current 9th rank Enoch Elseid will be in charge of a joint mission related to the village of the water tribe. He will do his best to prove Elseid’s official duties.”

Countless people’s eyes were focused on Enoch.

Swish.

Enoch, who had been called by Granthal, slowly stood up from his seat, nodded, and confirmed that he had been given the mission.

Meanwhile, the seat across from you.

I could see Dionil, who was sitting there, looking at me with a rather agitated look.

It’s quite a sight to see their expressions filled with question marks, as if they still don’t understand the test results.

“This concludes the ordinance.”

Beyond his expression, Grantal, who was conducting the ordinance, looked around the audience and concluded.

“We will soon call and convey the details of the mission separately to the participants involved in the joint mission, including those in the direct line.”

***

Immediately after the ordinance ends.

In the office, a call came in as scheduled.

Enoch took a moment to gather his thoughts and shake off the fatigue from the exam in the hallway leading to his office.

‘First of all, the Nemesis Knights’ exam passed as expected.’

Originally, it wasn’t such a new thing.

I was confident that I would pass from the beginning, but the first test of the Knights was only the final proof of qualification to go to the village of the Suin tribe.

‘I definitely thought it was nothing more or less than that…’

Enoch thought for a moment.

During the final battle with the special beast of the test, one unexpected thing kept bothering me.

‘In the original, a special-class demon who was merely an obstacle in the examination room recognized the last swordsman of the empire?’

Type 2, when the fire wheel is finally perfected and unfolded to the level of a swordsman.

At the last moment, Baphomet clearly recognized this sword and worshipped it before dying.

‘Come to think of it. I’ve known for a long time that the last swordsman of the empire had a connection to the demons in the past.’

Because I had already guessed it from the words, “the demon flower experiment,” which were mentioned in the memory inheritance of Jechoi Sword.

But I don’t know about anything else… .

-The special demon even knelt down and bowed before losing his life?

The last actions of a man who is not readily understood.

But even if you have doubts, there aren’t many clues that can even make predictions.

Somehow, the more I learned about it, the more difficult it became to guess what kind of connection Jechoi Sword had with the demons of the past.

Enoch decided to turn his attention to the nerves.

Even if we keep questioning things here, we won’t be able to find the answer right away.

First of all, there was something else that had to be done immediately.

“Enoch, the steward is waiting.”

The butler opened the door and ushered him in.

A tall office located on the upper level of the castle that has become somewhat familiar by now.

Grantal greeted him with his back to the window of the spacious office.

“You have come, Master Enoch.”

As always, Grantal greeted Enoch briefly as he entered the room.

Then he personally handed me the sealed document that was on his table.

Sigh.

A document detailing the joint mission.

Handing it over, Granthal said to Enoch:

“Congratulations. You’ve finally received the official mission you’ve been waiting for. Even a large-scale joint mission.”

Official mission.

What does that mean for Enoch?

There is no citizen of the empire who does not know this.

A boy who had been locked in a dark room for 17 years takes his first steps toward a world filled with light.

It was something that no one thought would happen.

For the first time, a faint smile appeared on Granthal’s face as he looked at Enoch as if he was amazed. However, his expression soon became serious.

“But, Your Majesty. I know it’s a bit odd to say this, but…”

On Grantal’s face, who had suddenly begun to speak, there was a look of concern rather than congratulations.

“You must be especially careful with this mission.”

“caution?”

“Yes. First, the documents.”

He continued speaking, nodding as if to tell me to open the documents he had handed me and look at them.

“The water people residing in this mission area are a very powerful race. They are the only ones who can reside in the southern part of Elseid, which is overflowing with ferocious demons.”

Granthal added, watching Enoch break the seal.

“The Suin tribe is a race that is born with an innate ability to respond to mana, and is especially born with a natural talent for magical warfare using physical strengthening magic. That’s how strong they all are.”

Enoch nodded absentmindedly.

Wizards who are born with a talent for combat.

Because that was a major characteristic of the Suin tribe.

“I see. I’ll be careful.”

“Yes. However, the water people have refused to follow the laws of the empire and are very dangerous as they are out of control, and are known to only follow the bloodline of the ‘chieftain’, the leader of the water people.”

“So you’re talking about an out-of-control fighting race?”

“Yes.”

He nodded.

“So in many ways, the water people have been considered a bomb-like existence in Elseid territory since the past… The water people have been relatively quiet until now, and the southern part of Elseid territory, which they have made their home, has been neglected because there are many demons and it is difficult to access.”

Granthal added with a heavy expression.

“But their recent movements have been unusual.”

“Why?”

“For several months now, there have been reports that the Suin have been raiding and kidnapping civilians living in the southern regions. This is considered a clear threat.”

“Kidnapping. I guess the purpose isn’t just simple plunder.”

Granthal nodded meaningfully.

“Yes. For some reason, it has been reported that they kidnap only ‘people’ and not for goods or money.”

Kidnap people.

Enoch frowned for a moment.

Somehow, the human experiments of Vendetta that had taken place in Leopolis flashed through my mind.

“So we sent a family wizard to investigate… but he disappeared after leaving a message that the Suin tribe was plotting a rebellion against the Empire in collusion with the Vendetta.”

Granthal added in a tone of extreme concern, having said this up to that point.

“Honestly, I don’t think it would be an easy burden for Lord Enoch to take on such difficult missions right after completing his exemption mission without even taking a break…”

“Thank you for your concern.”

Enoch answered calmly.

“But I still have a long way to go.”

Granthal also nodded heavily.

“I can imagine your hardships, Young Master. Since you remain as my direct descendant, I’m sure there are many tasks to be solved in the future.”

He looked at Enoch and said,

“First of all, Your Majesty has not even recruited the most important ‘following families’ yet.”

The following family.

Those who pledged to share the same purpose in the empire and declared themselves to be the most trustworthy allies.

The best cooperative system, in some cases even receiving support from the clan powers they belong to.

Even in the modern-day Magic Empire, the system of following families was considered to be quite old and important.

But as Grantal said, Enoch still had no strong followers whom he could trust with his life. He continued with concern.

“I’m sure that’s a particular concern for you in this joint mission. After all, not having a magician you can trust and act with in times of emergency will be a hindrance to all missions.”

Enoch nodded.

As Granthal said, of course the clan was important.

Of course, in a battle where life and death are at stake in a split second, you can trust each other with your backs.

On a larger scale, the ‘Chaejong family’ is an entity that has a great influence on the political position within the empire depending on the family’s prestige and affiliation.

Yet the reason why Enoch had not been able to recruit even one such important follower was obvious.

Enoch was a direct descendant of the Juga clan, but he was on the verge of being excommunicated and his position within the clan was unstable.

As a non-magician and even my position as a direct descendant was in jeopardy, it was naturally impossible to recruit anyone until now.

Only now did those adverse conditions disappear.

But that doesn’t mean that they can just randomly recruit any wizard to become followers.

‘For a follower family, recruitment isn’t the end.’

Enoch recalled his original experience.

‘First of all, as someone who accompanies the mission, the ‘following family’ is a kind of party concept.’

Even in the original, when going on a mission, the following families had to be chosen and organized very carefully.

It’s not that I didn’t, but I was able to experience the importance of combinations once again while taking this Knights’ exam.

This process of forming a team of followers that can be used for a mission is called ‘organization’.

‘Knowing how to freely use flexible combinations is one of the basic qualities that a player of must have.’

However, in-game, it was the privilege of only the veterans to know the characteristics of all the characters of the following clans, which were ridiculously over a hundred.

Enoch thought about it for a moment and smiled.

The Magic Empire Atlas.

Here, the wizard he ‘must unconditionally bring in first as a follower’ was already decided from the beginning.

‘In the original, there was a Tier 1 magician who was not affected by any combination of formations.’

An all too familiar silhouette of the figure flashed through Enoch’s mind.

When comparing the fighting power of characters in a community where users gather, there is a girl who is compared to a nuclear bomb.

‘A wizard who was a tier 1 wizard in the original work!’

For a moment, a very familiar silhouette flashed through Enoch’s mind. Enoch smiled without realizing it.

Before I knew it, my heart was pounding.

The first follower must be ‘her’ and no one else.

because…….

‘Because he’s a wizard who was always used as the main character in the original work!’

Main character.

The character that the player controls most as their main character in the game, commonly referred to as the ‘main character’.

Of course, she is the girl who is most familiar with it, understands it better than anyone else, and knows how to maximize her already outstanding potential.

That is, once you become Enoch Elseid.

In fact, the family that would be recruited first was practically decided a long time ago.

Because ‘she’ knows more about growth potential and utility than any other wizard in the empire.

Use it.

Enoch’s mouth began to water without him realizing it as he thought about it.

That makes sense, because in fact, the final task of spec-up in the original work was to recruit and train followers.

“…Master Enoch?”

Granthal called Enoch, who was lost in thought for a moment.

“This is about the family line I just mentioned. Choosing a family line requires great care…”

“You don’t have to worry.”

Enoch answered, half-taking out the document containing the mission details.

His dark blue eyes turned to the words written on the map enclosed with the documents.

“Operation Area: Village of the Suin Tribe”

A village where beastmen, a race of ‘subhumans’ considered extremely dangerous by the empire, live together.

In fact, this was one of the reasons why Enoch absolutely had to participate in this mission.

Enoch added with a faint smile.

“I plan to meet my first follower during this mission to the Suin tribe village.”

“yes……?”

Grantal looked at me with a slightly puzzled expression. It seemed as if he didn’t quite understand what I was talking about.

But Enoch had already turned around and left the office. In his head, the old man’s switch had been turned on for the first time in a long time.

‘Absolutely. Only the best followers are recruited.’

The magicians who reigned as Tier 1 in the original work.

Make them all over to your side.

Because that is also the way to survive as Enoch Elseid in this harsh magical empire in the future.

‘And five years later, about the people who are reborn as the most powerful wizards in the empire… … ‘

Enoch smiled meaningfully.

‘Because I know better than anyone else.’