Chapter 16: To Kill or To Let Live The Ebenholtz armory was like a small museum. Ornate suits of armor and swords used by successive heads of the household were displayed chronologically along the walls, alongside numerous magical artifacts worthy of being called national treasures.
Among these countless armaments, none were mine. I still lacked the skill and the right to claim them.
"Hmm…"
I strolled slowly, looking around. Engie wasn't with me; only those of the direct Ebenholtz bloodline were permitted entry here.
"...Hey. Do you know something?"
I spoke to the Virus.
Thump.
There was an actual response. It was a faint but distinct pulsation.
"You understand me well."
Maybe I should give it a name.
Following the fragment's pull, I walked deeper into the armory.
Ba-dump!
My heart jolted. The Virus's reaction was quite intense.
"Where? What is it?"
In a corner of a dust-covered weapon rack, an old longsword lay discarded on the floor like a piece of junk. It looked like a total antique.
"This?"
The blade was tightly wrapped in worn bandages, but given its total length of 1.6 meters, it was definitely an Ebenholtz longsword. However, the blade was slightly thinner than a typical longsword, and it was single-edged, closer to the shape of a dao.
I picked it up. The sensation of it in my hand felt strangely familiar.
"I don't know what you are, but..."
I fastened the longsword to my waist. It snapped against the small of my back as if drawn by a magnet. Usually, carrying a sword this long is a chore in itself, but it seemed I wouldn't have to worry about that.
"..."
I was about to leave when I noticed elixirs piled behind a glass case in a corner.
These were elixirs so rare that the word 'precious' didn't do them justice. They were the very things I had gulped down like water as a child.
Such elixirs have the greatest impact during one's growth years. Regardless of whether the user is talented or not, high-purity mana is permanently accumulated within an infant's immature body.
However, the effect is negligible for adults. A fully developed body actually has lower mana compatibility; the higher the purity of the mana, the harder it is to retain, causing it to leak out of the body.
The Ebenholtz Mana Breathing was designed to digest the 'purity' already deposited in the body. These elixirs were likely intended for my future sons, daughters, or descendants.
Sons. Daughters.
Would I ever have such a future? I couldn't even imagine it anymore.
Thump!
The Virus suddenly writhed. That reaction sparked an idea.
"...No way."
Generally, elixirs only show explosive efficacy during the growth period before the age of eleven.
But what if that limitation didn't apply to 'humans' and could be applied to the Virus inside me?
"Are you still in your growth phase?"
The Virus didn't answer, but I opened the glass case. I grabbed an elixir by the neck and popped the cap.
Thump.
Feeling the Virus's pulse, I poured it down my throat.
Thump.
After swallowing it all, I looked down at my collarbone. The Virus had absorbed the elixir. The area where the creature lurked glowed blue.
I let out a hollow laugh.
"...Fine. Let's try to survive this together."
Keep this in mind.
If I die, you die too.
* * *
The new house was perfectly organized. The exterior that Rodriguez had smashed was completely repaired, and the interior was decorated in a minimalist style to my taste.
Furniture was kept to a minimum, and the walls and floors were all a monochromatic marble texture.
A state-of-the-art security system was installed outside. In particular, the outdoor training ground in the backyard was a fortress-level facility, covered in all sorts of magic circles.
I stood in the center of the training ground, preparing for my ten thousand swings.
"Am I supposed to start commuting here now, too?"
Priya appeared out of nowhere. I flinched. How did she get through the security?
"Didn't you say you wouldn't come to work until I finished the ten thousand swings?"
"As an instructor, I have to make sure my student isn't doing something stupid."
Is she here to shake me down for money again?
I gripped the bandage-wrapped longsword with one hand.
"Oh. A new weapon. I'm jealous. Let's see it."
"Yes, ma'am."
Whoosh!
I swung my arm. It was a simple horizontal slash.
Extending the sword, one.
Drawing a diagonal line back, two.
Three, four, five...
I swung like that dozens of times.
Sweat poured down like rain. My chest felt like it was going to burst, but I didn't stop. I repeated the slashes through the creaking pain in my joints. I only counted up to 573.
"Stop now."
"..."
I let the sword hang by my side without a word. I didn't let go.
I know myself well. I'm the kind of guy who, the moment he lets go, won't want to pick it up again. That's how lazy I am.
"Now, connect the slashes."
"...Connect them?"
What is she talking about now?
I wiped back my sweat-soaked hair and frowned.
"Yes. Like flowing water. Let the end of the first slash be the beginning of the second, and the second be the beginning of the third. Like one long breath."
Priya picked up a tree branch and demonstrated.
Swish— Swish— Whoosh!
It was three strokes in a single, fluid motion, as if she were painting.
"This is called the Ebenholtz Yeon —The Link."
The Link. I chewed on her words and took my stance again.
Whooooosh!
I unleashed a horizontal slash. The moment the sword's center of gravity reached its peak, instead of relaxing my strength, I used that centrifugal force to transition into the second slash.
Swaaaaak—!
The blades crossed, cutting through the air. At the end of that motion, I swung the sword upward. Three slashes were drawn in space, and then my wrist twisted naturally, sending out a fourth.
"...?"
The strikes were linked. The strength and stamina I consumed were less than thirty percent of what I'd used before.
I blinked blankly.
"That's it."
My master smirked at me.
"It's not about power. It's not about speed, either. What matters is the 'flow.' The flow of strength, mana, and the physical body. Connecting all of them into one."
I nodded. Each slash wasn't an independent movement. It was part of a great wave, a river that never stopped.
Ebenholtz was the sword of a noble who maintained the flow.
"Do it again."
"Yes."
The moment I realized it, the sword became incredibly light. I no longer needed to swing it with brute force. The rotation of my hips, the movement of my feet, even my breathing—everything was a fundamental movement for The Link. The sword moved like my own limbs, becoming an extension of my will.
Priya smiled with satisfaction.
"Do you know the real advantage of Ebenholtz swordsmanship? You don't need to move much. Because the sword is very long."
She was right. A longsword reaching 1.6 meters possessed an overwhelming reach by itself.
"The moment some half-wit tries to dig into your space, their head will already be gone. You just have to swing your sword elegantly from where you stand. Approaching you is simply impossible."
Priya took a step toward me and asked.
"In that sense... Maximilian. What is a noble?"
I caught my ragged breath and smirked.
"One who does not permit the lower classes to approach."
"Exactly. The Ebenholtz were the first nobles to build their own fences. There are many secret techniques designed to be passed down only to blood relatives. They are as refined and secretive as they are arrogant."
She picked up the branch again. Twirl. She spun it lightly up and down as she continued.
"The lineage of the Iron Man has continued in the Ebenholtz family for quite a long time. I thought your father, Zebestian, was the finished product of that ideology."
Priya looked at me with a strange glint in her eyes.
"...Anyway. Do you understand now why I described Ebenholtz as the sword of a noble?"
"Yes. I understand, but it seems I still have much to learn."
She nodded.
"Yes. Become the 'real deal,' Maximilian."
At that moment, I launched a series of linked attacks at Priya. She wove through my strikes and closed the distance in an instant.
"Ugh!"
The edge of her palm struck my solar plexus. My breath hitched.
"Get up."
It was a level of strength in a different league, but I stood up with a smile.
In the old days, this kind of training was incredibly boring. The reason was simple: I was bad at it.
"I'm coming again."
The better you are at something, the more fun it is. The worse you are, the more tedious it becomes.
"Yes. Come at me."
Right now, I was having plenty of fun.
* * *
...Last night, I fell asleep amidst muscle pain that felt like my body was being torn apart.
When I opened my eyes this morning, I felt as refreshed as if I'd been washed clean.
This, too, must be thanks to the mana core.
As soon as I woke up, I grabbed my car keys and left the house. Driving myself to work at the Knights' headquarters, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
"Maybe I should hire a chauffeur."
Just then, my personal terminal rang with a call from Dieter. It hadn't even been a few days since I bought him a computer and a terminal, but he seemed to have mastered them already.
—Sir. This is Dieter Schmidt.
"Go ahead."
—I am reporting on the land acquisition in the southern district of Bermus.
"Speak—"
—We have begun purchasing the land by dividing it into five sectors, each under the name of a different shell corporation. To avoid market suspicion, we intentionally varied the timing and price of the purchases. We have currently completed contracts for Sectors 1 and 3, and we plan to proceed with the remaining sectors sequentially so that 'Veritas' ultimately secures all ownership. The total estimated acquisition cost is approximately 2.2 million dollars.
I listened quietly while driving. Some of Dieter's sentences were skipped over in my head. I didn't quite understand them.
Thump!
Suddenly, the Virus pulsed and replayed Dieter's voice.
'...begun purchasing the land by dividing it into five sectors, each under the name of a different shell corporation. To avoid market suspicion, we intentionally varied the timing and price of the purchases, and we have currently completed contracts for Sectors 1 and 3...'
I didn't really need to dwell on this stuff.
Regardless, the Virus was definitely enhancing my memory. I had become capable of never forgetting anything I saw or heard.
"Proceed."
—Yes. Understood.
It was then. A loud alarm suddenly blared from the terminal.
It was an emergency alert from the Sentinel Knights.
[Eastern Genen Autonomous Region — Large-scale protest broke out]
[Local security forces may have difficulty maintaining control. Knights without separate assignments are to move to the site immediately and report on the situation.]
My first official deployment order had arrived.
I searched my memories. The Genen Autonomous Region was the empire's powder keg. Around this time, such protests and riots always occurred.
"This is Knight Maximilian. I am heading to Genen."
I replied through the terminal and turned the steering wheel.
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