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Chapter : 41
The capital of the Cyern Empire, the Imperial Audience Hall.
“Your Majesty, urgent news has arrived from Kester.”
The chief steward knelt and reported. The Serenor Emperor of Cyern leaned forward on his throne.
Before Reivan could even send a formal report, the intelligence agents had already been there. The disaster that occurred in Kester had already reached the ears of the Serenor Emperor. And so had information about the savior.
Although a 72-year-old man, his gaze remained sharp.
“Report.”
“A… a Swordmaster has appeared.”
Silence fell over the audience hall. The chancellor accompanying the emperor raised his head in surprise.
“A Swordmaster? Is this true?”
The emperor, however, remained calm in expression.
“It is said that the entire naval fleet witnessed it. A knight single-handedly repelled hundreds of Bardanos…”
The Serenor Emperor rose slowly. Though aged, his dignity remained. He descended from the throne with his hands behind his back. In truth, his heart was racing, as it had since the first report of the Swordmaster reached him.
For some time, the Serenor Emperor had been predicting the fall of Cyern.
It was natural— the seed of Swordmasters had dried up, and Poseidon’s last defensive barrier was on the verge of collapse. Poseidon, installed near the Monster Sea, consisted of seven units defending the First Zone, the final line of defense.
There were fourteen units in the Second Zone, and twenty-one in the Third.
The Poseidon units in the Third Zone had gone eighty years without inspection; those in the Second Zone slightly over fifty.
After their energy depletion, monsters continually expanded their territories. Access to the Second and Third Zones was impossible except during periods when monsters were inactive.
Once their energy was fully depleted, the machines could not even be recharged, so people refrained from approaching.
If the defensive lines failed, monsters would pour into Cyern. It was a catastrophic scenario, reminiscent of the distant past when ancestors had driven monsters from the land into the sea.
Back then, there were many Swordmasters. Before Poseidon’s creation, a mad scientist released Poseidon into the world, and peace followed. As monsters disappeared, Swordmasters began to vanish as well.
Amid such times, news of a Swordmaster was like rain after a long drought.
“What is his name?”
“Kaisa. He is a stranger who drifted here from Luikaron. He was shipwrecked and is currently residing at the manor with a woman who drifted along with him. He leads three knight orders under the Kester domain.”
“Luikaron…”
The Serenor Emperor muttered, narrowing his eyes.
Though communication had been severed across the Monster Sea, rumors had circulated. A few months ago, there were stories of those aboard a ship wrecked and sunk beneath the waves.
‘Could that rumor really have been true?’
The young Swordmaster was said to be the Grand Duke of Lorensia. There had been widespread chatter about the supposed live burial. People argued that even his body should be retrieved. It seemed he had drifted here. The master of the sea itself.
The Serenor Emperor returned to his throne and commanded:
“Do not wait for Reivan’s formal report. Bring him immediately. I will hear it directly. And you—go and verify this Kaisa yourself.”
“Your Majesty, you must not be swayed by unverified stories. It could be the work of conmen.”
“Chancellor.”
The emperor’s voice turned icy.
“How long have we waited? One hundred years. Not a single Swordmaster has appeared in a century.”
The chancellor lowered his head.
“During this time, Poseidon units have gone offline one by one, and now monsters have reached the First Zone. If this continues…”
The emperor paused. Everyone present could guess the rest.
At that moment, a new report arrived from a courtier.
A letter from Count Reivan of Kester.
The Serenor Emperor broke the seal himself. As he read quickly, his expression darkened.
[To Your Majesty,
I report that the Bardanos that appeared in the Kester territory have been repelled.
I also report the facts confirmed during this process.
A man named Kaisa, who drifted from Luikaron, wielded a golden aura freely and single-handedly annihilated the Bardanos.
Through negotiation with him, I achieved the following agreement:
- Kaisa will use his power for the empire while residing in Cyern.
- He will cooperate in recharging Poseidon.
- In return, his safety will be guaranteed, and communication with Luikaron permitted.
Your Majesty, this is a blessing from the sea goddess upon Cyern.
We cannot let a Swordmaster who has appeared after a century slip away.
I humbly request: open all Poseidon units in the Cyern waters so Kaisa may recharge them with his aura.
The fate of Cyern is at stake. I also request that an appropriate title be granted to Kaisa. I am considering naturalizing Kaisa Lorensia into Cyern. I stake my own fate on this.
Once again, I beseech you.
Count Reivan of Kester]**
The emperor set the letter down. His hands trembled slightly. If Reivan reacted this way, the rumors and reports were true. He blinked. As Reivan said, this was the last chance granted by the sea goddess.
With the emperor’s approval, Reivan’s letter was also disclosed to the chancellor.
“Your Majesty, what will you do?”
“Are you asking the obvious, Chancellor?”
The Serenor Emperor rose.
“Issues the decree immediately. Open all Poseidon bases to Kaisa Lorensia, who drifted here. And…”
His gaze gleamed.
“Invite this Kaisa to the capital. I will meet him myself. No—better, yes.”
The emperor paced, revising his command once more, full of life and vigor for the first time in a long while.
“Yes, you shall go and bring him here along with Reivan.”
The steward bowed.
The chancellor, worried, said,
“Your Majesty, but this stranger—”
“A stranger or not, it does not matter!”
The Serenor Emperor’s voice resounded.
“If he can save Cyern, I will even make a pact with a demon.”
The steward interjected cautiously.
“Your Majesty, there is one odd point.”
“What is it?”
“According to intelligence, this Kaisa cannot speak the Cyern language at all.”
The emperor furrowed his brow. An unexpected problem indeed.
“It is said the woman who drifted with him serves as an interpreter.”
The emperor fell silent for a moment.
“He has been here quite some time, yet cannot speak at all?”
From records, Swordmasters were all remarkably intelligent. The experienced emperor suspected they might be hiding something.
The chancellor spoke hesitantly:
“Your Majesty, could this be a trap…?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
The Serenor Emperor’s gaze moved to the map on the wall, marking the positions of Poseidon units across the Cyern waters. The sea beyond the coastline was black—the Monster Sea.
“Do we have a choice? Half of them have already ceased functioning. The rest are only a matter of time. Haven’t we already endured whatever disasters would come? Without him, we would all be dead.”
