Academy’s Genius Swordmaster

Chapter 234

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 234: The Black-Clad Man (2)

“So… hic, where is Navardose?”

The black-clad man spoke, his tongue slurring from excessive drinking. Ronan lightly gripped the hilt of his sword and opened his mouth.

“What did you say?”

“Don’t play dumb… I know you’ve received the woman’s power. At first, I thought it was just the mark, but upon closer inspection, she seems to have transferred a true ember.”

Ronan’s eyes widened. He was blatantly advertising his connection to Navardose.

Just as Ronan was about to respond, he quickly looked around. Fortunately, the tavern was noisy enough that their conversation wasn’t overheard.

‘What the hell is with this bastard?’

Only one person could eavesdrop on their conversation. The owner, who had been silently wiping a cup, suddenly started rummaging through a cupboard filled with ingredients. After searching for a while, he let out an awkward laugh.

“Oh dear, we’re out of Radian cheese. I’ll just step out to buy some.”

“Just stay here, old man. I’m going to drink more anyway.”

“It’s our most popular snack, so I really must. I’ll be right back. I’ll leave the brandy here, feel free to help yourselves.”

He left before Ronan could stop him. The owner placed a bottle of brandy on the bar table and exited the tavern. Ronan bit his lower lip.

‘Damn it.’

He was surely going to report their conversation. Probably to inform someone that a person related to Navardose had appeared. Ronan urgently stood up and spoke to the black-clad man.

“You seem to have had too much to drink. I have no idea what you’re talking about. I have some urgent business to attend to, so I’ll be leaving.”

“Hic, don’t do that, just sit down. We still have so much to drink.”

“I’m telling you, I have something urgent to do. Stop with the nonsense…”

【I won’t say it again. Sit down.】

Suddenly, the man’s voice changed. The oppressive aura rising like wildfire weighed heavily on Ronan’s shoulders. Ronan’s brow furrowed deeply.

“This son of a bitch…”

Shiiing! Reflexively drawing his sword, Ronan pointed it at the man’s neck. The speed was so fast that bystanders couldn’t even perceive it. The tip of Ronan’s sword stopped just a paper’s width from the man’s throat. The man glanced down and tapped the blade with his index finger.

“It’s a good sword.”

“Where does a guy who grows his hair like a woman get off acting tough? You wanna to give it a try?”

Ronan growled. It wasn’t because he looked strong, but he had ignored the man to avoid causing a scene. If this kept up, he wouldn’t hold back. The man, who had been chuckling for a while, finally spoke.

“You’re an interesting fellow indeed. To point a sword at me and even be willing to fight…?”

“This is no joke. Threaten me one more time, and it’ll be either you or me.”

“Kek… I’ll forgive your rudeness this time since I’m in a good mood. Now, sit down.”

The black-clad man gestured to the chair with his chin. Reluctantly, Ronan sheathed his sword and sat down again. He thought it might not be a bad idea to play along for a bit.

‘This guy’s crazy… maybe I can get some information.’

Ronan’s mind was racing. He had to act rationally. Catching up to the owner now was impossible, and it seemed like this man had some specific reasons for seeking Navardose.

Navardose was also closely tied to Adren, so there might be valuable information to uncover. With that in mind, Ronan picked up a glass and poured some brandy. He slid it towards the man.

“Alright. Let’s talk.”

“That’s more like it.”

The black-clad man took the glass. His demeanor was noticeably different from when Ronan had seen him at Aurora Skar. Perhaps he was one of those people who changed when they drank. The man took a sip of the brandy and let out a sigh of appreciation.

“…This is good. The best I’ve had since coming here.”

“Glad you like it. When did you arrive in Adren?”

“I came with you guys. The ship was quite cozy.”

“What the fuck?”

Ronan frowned. The man, who had drained his glass, wiped his mouth. He revealed that he had stowed away on the Red Gale.

“Damn it, when did you sneak on?”

“Who knows… Anyway, I owe you thanks. I have my reasons for not being able to enter Adren legally. Hic.”

“You’re a strange guy.”

Ronan couldn’t guess what this guy did to be banned from entry. It seemed like it was time to get to the point. Ronan refilled his glass and continued speaking.

“Navardose, Navardose… Why do you keep looking for that married woman? You can’t be one of the Dragon King’s minions if you’re banned from entering.”

“I don’t even know who the Dragon King is. Nor do I care. Probably just some insignificant dragon.”

“Then why?”

“To kill her. What else?”

The man spoke flatly. In the brief silence that followed, the sounds of the surroundings grew louder. Ronan’s mouth slowly opened.

“Kill her? Navardose?”

“Why do you ask twice? I mean it literally. To kill her. She’s the biggest obstacle to my goal.”

“…Do you honestly think that’s possible? Have you ever seen Navardose in person?”

Maybe it was because the alcohol was too strong, Ronan couldn’t help but laugh. Was this drunkard serious?

Ronan was sure of one thing. The drunkard in front of him looked quite strong, but he was nothing compared to Navardose. That woman, like Cain and Abel, was on a completely different level. The black-clad man shook his head.

“Not yet, but I have killed one of her kin. His name was… Gargarens, I think.”

“Gargarens?”

Ronan’s eyes widened. It was definitely a name he remembered. The Red Dragon he had seen while traveling through the memories of Savior Cain. One of Navardose’s kin and a disgraced dragon who fled after having his horn cut off by the Savior.

“Yes, he picked a fight with me, so I killed him. He put up a decent fight for a hornless dragon.”

“…And you faced no repercussions?”

“Hmph. There were no repercussions to be had. If anyone had come to threaten me, I’d have killed them on the spot.”

The black-clad man emptied his glass. It was unclear why Navardose, who cherished her kin, hadn’t taken any action. Perhaps she had been busy with something in Drimore or there had been some other issue.

‘He’s more of a big shot than I thought.’

Defeating Gargarens was indeed impressive. Even if he had been a disgrace after losing his horn, a Red Dragon was still a Red Dragon. Though Navardose was in a different league altogether.

“You seem to have some power, but you still can’t beat Navardose. Honestly, one of her breasts is probably stronger than you.”

“You won’t know until you’ve fought… hic, I have a trump card.”

“A trump card?”

“Yes. You must have seen it too.”

Ronan realized he was referring to the weapon he had created at Aurora Skar. Wasn’t it a spear as thick as a pillar?

He didn’t know where the man had hidden it, but he couldn’t see it right now. The image of the brutally murdered two poison dragons flashed before his eyes.

“Is that what you used to kill Drahavier and Landoheidel?”

“Dra… what? I don’t remember the names of every insignificant creature.”

“That’s harsh. They were two Green Dragons, you know.”

“…Ah, right. They picked a fight, so I tested its performance on them. Not bad.”

The black-clad man chuckled. It was indeed he who had killed the poison dragon father-son duo. Hearing this, Ronan felt a bit worried.

Although the scale thickness of Drahavier and Navardose was incomparable, the weapon had still managed to pierce through dragon scales and bodies in one go. Ronan asked,

“So why exactly do you want to kill Navardose? What’s your plan?”

“I plan to destroy the Balon Empire.”

“…What?”

“To be precise, my goal is to throw everyone enjoying that land into a sea of fire. It has taken a long time. Navardose is the Empire’s most powerful ally, so I need to remove her first.”

Ronan was speechless. It felt like he had been hit on the head with a battering ram. Aside from his arrogant attitude treating Navardose as a mere obstacle, the goal itself was absurdly unexpected.

“Why the Empire all of a sudden…?”

“It’s a personal grudge… hic, and there’s something that’s been bothering me for a while…”

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Suddenly, the man grabbed the brandy bottle and started drinking directly from it. The contents disappeared quickly with each gulp. After five swigs, the man emptied the bottle and spoke.

“Puha… where did you get that sword?”

“Sword? This one?”

Ronan held up Lamancha. The man slammed the bottle down on the table. Crash! The bottle shattered into pieces under the force, scattering glass fragments everywhere, but he didn’t seem to care.

“Yeah… let me see it.”

“I don’t like your attitude.”

【Shut up and hand it over. I need to check something.】

The man’s eyes suddenly turned fierce. The murderous intent rising from his black coat filled the tavern. It was incomparable to the pressure he had exerted when he forced Ronan to sit down.

“Ugh…!”

“Hey, hey, snap out of it!”

Unable to withstand the pressure, three or four patrons fainted, foaming at the mouth. The entire tavern descended into chaos. Ronan’s face hardened grimly.

“What are you trying to do to me now?”

【I won’t say it twice. Hand over the sword.】

Ronan gripped the hilt, but the man was adamant. The murderous intent was so intense that Ronan’s bones felt like they were about to crack.

‘Why is he suddenly acting like this? Should I just cut him down?’

While Ronan was contemplating, the tavern patrons began to rise. They, too, could see the murderous intent emanating from the man.

“Hey, this is going too far.”

“The alcohol buzz is gone. If you want to fight, take it outside, what are you doing?”

They all looked like they could throw a punch. Each had large, ornate tattoos that caught the eye. Glancing at them, the black-clad man growled lowly.

【Stay out of this, you dregs of lesser dragons. Do you want to die?】

Ronan flinched. The man’s demeanor was now no different from when he had seen him at Aurora Skar. The patrons, who had been dumbfounded for a moment, laughed in disbelief.

“Hey, dregs of lesser dragons? Did you just call my master Lavientera a lesser dragon?”

“Don’t cross the line. You must be an outsider, but where do you get off causing trouble here?”

“Grab him! Let’s beat him up!”

Finally, things came to a head. The angry patrons began to rush in one by one. They looked like a herd of buffalo charging from all directions except the front. The black-clad man, who had been quietly staring at them, spoke.

【If you want to die… I’ll oblige.】

“This is crazy.”

In an instant, the black-clad man’s hand blurred and disappeared. Ronan cursed under his breath, pulling at the hilt of his sword. Kaang! A sharp metallic clang echoed. The eyes of the man charging at the front widened in shock.

“Gah, gah!”

Lamancha and the black-clad man’s hand clashed right in front of his nose. The pale white hand, like that of a shark biting its prey, was gripping the blade.

Thud. The man collapsed to the ground. A yellow stream of urine leaked out between his trembling legs. He knew he would have died if this young man hadn’t stopped the attack. The blade, shimmering with aurora hues, had faintly pierced the man’s palm.

‘It’s tough…!’

Ronan gritted his teeth. This wasn’t even close to what it felt like when his blade clashed with Shullifen’s mithril longsword. The black-clad man, staring at Lamancha, spoke.

【Indeed, it’s the Holy Sword. I never forgot it for a single moment.】

“…Who the hell are you?”

Ronan asked, astonished. It was the first time someone recognized Lamancha as a Holy Sword without being told. Numerous intense curiosities arose, but now was not the time to indulge them.

‘Fuck, this isn’t going to be easy.’

Ronan clenched his teeth. The blade gripped by the man was immovable, as if trapped between rocks.

Avoiding a fight seemed impossible. As Ronan gripped the hilt tighter, the sword turned crimson. Swoosh! As he pulled his arm back, blood spurted. The black-clad man took a few steps back, groaning.

【Ugh…!】

“I warned you. It’ll be either you or me.”

Ronan growled. Blood dripped from the man’s hand. A long gash ran across his palm.

【To think you could wound my skin. As expected…!】

The corners of the man’s mouth lifted into a grin. Despite the severe injury, he showed no signs of pain.

The patrons who had been charging were now frozen in place. As Ronan took a deep breath and prepared for his next move, a girl’s voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

[Run.]

“…Lynn?”

Ronan’s eyes widened. It was undoubtedly the voice of Lynn, the Holy Sword. It was the first time she’d spoken since interrupting the events at Aurora Skar.

[You can’t win against him as you are now. Hurry.]

Lynn’s tone seemed urgent. He couldn’t understand why she was acting like this after such a long silence. Was this guy really that dangerous?

‘Wait.’

Suddenly, a name flashed through Ronan’s mind. All the information so far fit perfectly. Unusual strength, black coat, hatred for the Empire.

“You… could it be…?”

【Let’s continue. I’ll ask again about Navardose’s whereabouts after I rip off your limbs.】

He thought he knew the man’s identity. The red eyes gleaming beneath his hair burned with hatred. Just as Ronan was about to say something, a loud crash came from the tavern ceiling. A massive dragon’s claw burst through. The frozen patrons screamed.

“Ahhh! What, what is that?!”

“D-Dragon?!”

The blue-scaled claw was large enough to grasp a bull. The tension that had been taut suddenly snapped. The claw, moving like the wind, grabbed the black-clad man’s body.

【Found you!】

【Guh…!】

The man gritted his teeth. The giant claw withdrew, taking him along. Through the gaping hole, the enormous form of a blue dragon was visible.

“What the hell just happened?”

Barely regaining his senses, Ronan dashed outside the tavern. Crash! As he kicked the door open, dozens of soldiers and three dragons appeared, along with the tavern owner who had gone out to buy cheese. The tavern owner, meeting Ronan’s eyes, shouted.

“Young man, are you alright?!”

“What the hell is going on?”

“Ah, I’m glad you’re safe. We hurried as much as we could. I didn’t expect that guy to come into our tavern.”

The tavern owner sighed in relief. As Ronan turned his head, he saw a blue dragon, similar in size to Drahavier, holding the black-clad man in its claw. The man was gritting his teeth, caught in the blue dragon’s grasp.

【Let… go…!】

【Resistance is futile. Abandon hope.】

The blue dragon spoke calmly. On closer inspection, geometric magic circles were wrapped around the man’s body like shackles. It seemed to be a restraining spell. Then, a white dragon stepped forward from behind the soldiers.

【You dared to come in brazenly. If you were going to sneak in, you should have hidden better. Your arrogance has undone you.】

“The examiner?”

Ronan’s eyes widened. The voice of the white dragon matched that of the old man who had been the examiner. The soldiers, tense, aimed their spears at the man. Returning to his true form, Vanartier shouted at the black-clad man.

【Dark Dragon Orsay, you are hereby arrested for illegal entry and the murder of several guards!】

[Translator – Peptobismol]