Reincarnation Sword God

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Chapter 1 – Dark Heaven Village

“I had an idea while listening to their proposal.”

“Yeah. After all, I have to go to the West at least once, right?”

The one who sealed the dragon was undoubtedly an incredibly powerful sorcerer, capable of offering me great assistance from the West. Besides, since he promised to give me excellent treasures once the seal was lifted, there was no reason to hesitate any further. Now that I confirmed I could break the dragon’s seal at my own discretion, it would be wise to establish a cooperative relationship with the sorcerers in the West.

Suuuu—

I slowly ceased breaking the seal, and at that moment, the ice encasing the dragon’s body began to regenerate. This seal had a self-repairing property, so even though I had broken it halfway, it started to reappear.

Belov, who had been watching, exclaimed in surprise.

“That’s incredible!”

To his eyes, it must have seemed like I lacked the strength to fully break the seal. As I stopped the unsealing process, the voice of the self-proclaimed “sorcerer of the West” echoed in my mind.

[Thank you. The seal must not be broken. Going forward…]

I solidly thought in my mind.

[I don’t care about that; can you give me treasure?]

[You desire treasure?]

[Yes.]

[Come to Cornwall in Britannia! I shall welcome you as the King’s sorcerer and give you treasure.]

Sssss—

In an instant, the sorcerer’s apparition appeared before my eyes, pointing in one direction with his staff, and then vanished. It wasn’t just me who saw this apparition; Belov and other knights seemed to be murmuring in bewilderment.

At the same time, the fierce voice of the dragon reverberated in my head.

[Hehehe… Quite clever, aren’t you? But against Merlin, can you truly leverage any advantage… oh, genius of the East?]

[Merlin? Is that the name of the sorcerer?]

[Hahaha… Regardless, I shall be freed from the seal as the constellations find their place. When that time comes, I will go to the underworld and chew on your soul.]

Whether the dragon was just being spiteful or what, its threatening tone made me chuckle instead.

[Oh? Even if you searched the underworld, you wouldn’t find my soul.]

[What…?]

Zzzzz—

The sound of the ice hardening was crystal clear. As the seal grew stronger, the dragon’s voice quieted down.

“Phew.”

I discerned that this situation was roughly wrapping up and sighed, then began to explain the circumstances to Belov. He listened carefully to my story while the other knights stood by, and then let out a sigh.

“Whoa! If what you say is true, then the one who sealed the dragon is the legendary ancient sage, Merlin… How surprising!”

“You know that Merlin character?”

“He’s more of a legendary hero than a historical figure. To think he was a real person…”

“How does he compare to you? You’re also the patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church, had some fantastic sorcery skills, right?”

At my question, Belov looked taken aback and then smiled bitterly.

“Don’t be ridiculous… I can’t even compare to him. He’s a legendary hero and sage, the ancient elder of the druids, and an idol of all the sorcerers in the West.”

Is he really that impressive?

Surely, a great sorcerer of such caliber is likely to provide powerful artifacts that I desire. Just when I thought I had made the right decision, Belov continued speaking.

“Regardless, according to you, that dragon from Romania was originally an incredibly evil dragon. I must commend your wise choice.”

“I apologize. The secret weapon against Ivan IV has disappeared…”

“No, even if we were to defeat Ivan IV, if the evil dragon resurrects and wreaks havoc in the West, it would all be meaningless.”

Belov sighed.

“Baek Woong, may I ask one favor of you?”

I retorted blandly.

“If you’re going to ask me to fight against Ivan IV, then I’ll have to refuse.”

“……”

It seemed I struck a nerve, as Belov hesitated. I shot him a cold glance and said,

“What I want is a powerful sacred artifact. Unless you lift the seal, there’s no reason for you to give me one. Therefore, I don’t have any more reason to be involved in your affairs.”

“Umm… that is true…”

“I will go to Cornwall to meet Merlin. I wish you luck with your matters as well.”

As I turned my head sharply, Belov hesitated before seemingly making a decision.

“Baek Woong! Then, could you deliver a letter on your way?”

“A letter?”

Belov nodded.

“If you could stop by Paris and deliver a letter to someone, I would be grateful. After all, since you’re heading to that land…”

“Paris, is that the city in the country opposite the British Empire?”

Since I had once traversed the Western Regions and used sorcery to summon the souls of Westerners, I had some geographical knowledge.

“Indeed. If you deliver this letter to Catherine de Medici, the dowager queen, I would appreciate it. She has been supporting us, and I wish to gain her assistance in this matter.”

Swoosh—

Belov handed me the letter.

“……”

Though I didn’t quite understand Western words like Paris or Catherine de Medici, it appeared that this man wanted me to deliver a letter. When I stared at him, puzzled as to why he was giving me this task, Belov wore an awkward expression.

“Of course, I wouldn’t ask you without offering something in return. Though it’s not the same level as a sacred artifact, I can offer you a secret spear that is treasured in our Eastern Orthodox Church.”

“A sacred spear? That’s a weapon?”

“Indeed.”

“Hmm…”

A spear, huh.

Since my primary weapon was the sword, I didn’t particularly need a spear. Besides, what would I do with a spear that didn’t even reach the level of a sacred artifact? However, considering that I was planning to develop Jin So-cheong among my companions, I hesitated, knowing a good weapon would only make a martial artist stronger.

‘It’s not too much to deliver a letter after all.’

I nodded and accepted Belov’s proposal.

Eventually, he went off somewhere and returned with a large silver spear. This spear undoubtedly radiated an impressive aura, possessing a vitality that a warrior would fall in love with at first sight. Even I, as a non-spear wielder, could tell it was a renowned spear of the realm. As I found myself speechless, Belov grinned.

“This should suffice for your delivery fee.”

“Hmm… What’s this spear called?”

“We’re not entirely sure.”

“Eh?”

“We don’t know its origins, but it’s a sacred spear so we have kept it stored.”

“……”

These guys really seem to live haphazardly…

I acquired the nameless spear, tucked it into my wooden armor, and bid farewell to Belov.

“Then I’m off.”

Pa-at!

I instantly moved to the land near the British Empire. Previously, I had crossed the Western continent from the Arasa Empire to reach the British Empire, and my coordinates were already noted. While using a technique to enter the territory of the British Empire would technically be easy with the Golden Lamp, there was a risk of being detected by the sorcerers, which could complicate things, so I decided to first reach the country opposite the British Empire while delivering the letter.

I activated the Heavenly Secret Technique and began moving swiftly toward the city of Paris. Once I arrived near Paris, standing on a hill overlooking the outer city, I turned to the summoned soul.

“Hey, do you know who Catherine de Medici is?”

At my question, the soul summoned with the Heavenly Secret Technique frowned in annoyance.

[I, Maestro Pietro Monte, am a martial artist! It’s been quite a while since I died, so I wouldn’t know. Were you not trying to summon me to fight?]

“No, I called you because you said you knew where Paris was…”

[……]

“I am curious about Western swordsmanship, but right now, I can’t indulge in your techniques.”

Then Pietro erupted.

[Uoo! Regardless, it must mean you are saving me! Let’s not quibble!]

Intrigued by his loud shout, I asked, “Saving? I’ve been curious about that. What exactly does that mean? And why do you respond without question when I summon you with the Heavenly Secret Technique?”

[… Um. You are a sorcerer, yet you don’t know?]

“I’m asking because I don’t know.”

After a moment of hesitation, Pietro replied.

[Those who had exceptional capabilities in life are granted a grace period, allowing their souls to linger without moving straight to the afterlife. During this grace period, they must make a choice.]

“A choice?”

What is this all about?

As I stared in confusion at Pietro’s apparition, he continued, [Though I’m not entirely sure, I recall a being resembling an angel appearing before us during this grace period, asking if we wished to proceed to the afterlife for judgment, or if we wanted to carry out tasks until the day of the end and escape our doom…]

“What do you mean? So, you’ve made the choice to either go to the afterlife or perform tasks?”

Pietro nodded.

[Though the latter has lower odds, the angel explained that if someone like you summons us, we could avoid our fated destruction until the end.]

“What!!”

I was astonished by his words.

‘Could it be?’

If it is as he says, then the ‘angel’ that appeared after Pietro’s death showed them the scenes of the day the [Old Ruler] descends! The nightmare moment when the constellations find their place! In that case, what is the true identity of this ‘angel’? I urgently asked,

“What kind of being was this angel? What kind of proposal did it make?”

[I was just a martial artist who only wielded a sword in my life, so I wouldn’t know that. But I could instinctively tell that it was something beyond human. Many souls stronger than I existed, yet witnessing that being’s proposal, I could trust it without question.]

“Umm.”

Pietro’s prowess seems to fall around the beginning level of a Peak Master, which I’ve roughly gauged. In the West, the highest-tier martial artists are often referred to as swordmasters or maestros, and he must have been that skilled a swordsman in life. He claimed to be the strongest swordsman in the southern continent during his lifetime, and it seems he had a right to such self-confidence.

[Now that I think about it, that being didn’t exude any wicked energy at all. Perhaps that’s why I trusted it.]

Hearing Pietro’s words, I deduced.

‘There must be something fishy about the Heavenly Secret Technique. Even in the afterlife…’

The one who created the Heavenly Secret Technique was not a Westerner, but rather one of the most revered beings among the Great Immortals, Guang Chengzi. He had offered advice and assistance even to Emperors, and was also the highest elder of the Celestial Realm. Although he seldom revealed himself, he remained hidden away.

The technique was designed by this ancient Great Immortal, and yet, it somehow influences even the eminent figures of the West? Not to mention that it was an ambiguous entity called an angel that informed them about the afterlife and the doom?

What on earth is Guang Chengzi, to enable such things?

I shook my head and mumbled, “…Thinking about it won’t yield any answers now.”

I quickly moved toward the inner fortress of Paris and dismissed Pietro before summoning a soul that seemed familiar with the internal matters. Soon after, the summoned soul spoke.

[Catherine de Medici? She is my daughter-in-law.]

“Who are you?”

[Does a genius like you even need to know my name? I shall guide you to where she resides.]

It seemed that the being I had summoned was once a king of this land. Following his guidance, I headed to the Grand Empress Dowager Hall and revealed myself before her resting place.

“Kyaaah!!”

At that moment, the maidservants attending the dowager queen screamed in shock. However, the dowager queen remained unfazed, her expression composed, and I stuttered in the language of this nation with the help of the soul’s power.

“I, came, at, Belov’s, request.”

The dowager queen raised her hand, signaling the maidservants to leave silently, then extended her hand towards me. I handed her the letter, and she said,

“How strange. Is it really wrong for the Eastern Orthodox Church to use the dragon’s power to overthrow the Emperor?”

It seemed the dowager queen and the Eastern Orthodox Church had struck a private deal, and she appeared to be supporting the church from the shadows. I didn’t know for sure, but perhaps from her perspective, she wanted to exert influence over the Arasa Empire? However, I didn’t need to delve into the Western political scene too deeply, so I simply nodded and replied,

“My task is merely to deliver this, so I will take my leave now.”

“……”

Pa-at!

As soon as I finished speaking, I utilized the Golden Lamp to escape from that place. Then, I moved to the church where I had previously met Thomas More, seeking contact with him.

Upon hearing my entire story, Thomas More responded fluently in the language of the Commonwealth.

“Cornwall is near Camlan. Furthermore, if you are to meet Merlin, he undoubtedly wants you to come to the lake.”

“A lake?”

I asked, and he elaborated.

“Lord Merlin is an elder of the next rank after the protector of the West. He is also facing the [Old Ruler], leading the sorcerers.”

So, he is effectively an ally of mine?

“Please tell me its exact location.”

“I will provide you with a map.”

I accepted the map and quickly began racing across mountains and rivers. Along the way, I avoided any soldiers from the British Empire or detected presences. I didn’t know if the sorcerers had sensed me, but it was best to err on the side of caution.

How much time passed? Eventually, following the map given to me by Thomas More, I was able to reach Cornwall. Upon arriving near Camlan within Cornwall, Merlin’s voice called out to me from afar.

[You truly are remarkable… I never thought you would reach here in such a short time.]

[Where are you?]

[Come to the lake.]

Obeying Merlin’s words, I headed to the lake. As soon as I arrived at the shore of the lake, Merlin’s apparition manifested before me.

[It’s a pleasure to meet you, genius of the East, Baek Woong.]