âWhy are you only saying that now?!â
âMaster didnât give me a chance to speak.â
âA chance should be won by yourself! How can a Sword Saint be easily overthrown and lose his chance?â
âAs Master evaluated earlier, I am still lacking. On the other hand, Master is a member of the noble tower. I couldnât resist.â
â
Aish
, kids these days are weak. I used to beat a dragon with one hand when I was the Sword Saint.â
âIâve never heard of a legend like that.â
"
Hum hum
, you are brave and fearless. You shouldnât have said anything. Do you know how to respect your elders?â
âIâm sorry.â
â...
Cough
.â
The unidentified man felt something called shame.
He might be irresponsible by nature but he couldnât hold Kraugel accountable.
Kraugelâs polite attitude to the end despite the unjust situation made the mysterious man feel ashamed.
âThere are no true wise men.â
The mysterious man had lived hundreds of years and knew that the personality of a person was innate and not easily corrected.
He wasnât an elder just because he lived a long time and being young didnât necessarily mean being ignorant.
If a person who lived for a long time was unconditionally wise, would the world be like this? It would be peaceful because it was overflowing with wise men.
âI donât know anything else but this childâs personality is real.â
The mysterious man let out a deep sigh.
â
Sigh
, what does it matter? I will die soon.â
âIs it because you leaked the circumstances of the tower to me?â
"That's right. I canât avoid punishment.â
âIs it punishable by death?â
âThose are serious words! Donât you know the words metaphor and exaggeration? Iâm so afraid that I canât even joke around!â
âIâm sorry.â
â
Sigh...
â
âIs he afraid?â
Kraugel was quite surprised when he saw the mysterious manâs slumped shoulders.
A person who thought he was the best in heaven and earth.
He thought that the weight of the punishment must be unusual for the mysterious man with a strong self-esteem to show such a frightened expression.
Kraugel confirmed that he didnât have to pretend not to know about the towerâs underground association.
âDonât worry. I will never tell the outside world what I heard today.â
âYou donât know why the tower is called the Tower of Wisdom.â
âHow can a person like me dare to discern the associationâs deep meaning?â
There were many reasons why Kraugel had been ranked number one for several years. One of them was the way he treated people.
The mysterious man had a great liking for Kraugel.
âIt is because the Tower of Wisdom is a tower of wise people. It is impossible to cover up my mistake because theyâll look at my whereabouts and figure out most of what happened here. It is a sense that you canât cover the sky with your palms.â
âI... see.â
Of course, Kraugel also knew it.
He had visited the tower six years ago and witnessed that most of the tower members had a creepy perception.
However, there were exceptions, such as the mysterious man in front of him.
At this point, Kraugel felt envy beyond absurdity because the mysterious man was implying that he was the same as the other association members.
âHe is a great guy in many ways... he seems to live without any particular worries.â
It might be the secret to longevity.
Kraugel was thinking seriously while the mysterious man talked to himself.
âWell, you donât have to worry. Iâll try my best to stop you from being punished.â
â...â
Kraugel just listened.
If it was another association member present today, they would offer an apology rather than punishing him
It was because the Tower of Wisdom was a very rational organization.
Kraugel was so dumbfounded that he closed his mouth.
The arrogant man asked proudly, âThen who is the new Pioneer?â
Answering that he didnât know wouldnât work.
It didnât make sense for him to not know the competitor who pulled him down from his position.
In the first place, there was no reason to avoid answering.
The Tower of Wisdom and the Pioneer had a relationship of cooperation.
An exchange with the tower was unconditionally beneficial to the Pioneer.
The story that the mysterious man told meant Grid would get a hidden quest and a huge reward.
âThe ruler of a nation called the Overgeared Kingdom.â
âOvergeared? Thatâs weird.â
âIt is a word that means to borrow the power of items.â
âBorrow the power of items?â
The mysterious manâs face wrinkled like he was eating shit.
The sword shone because of swordsmanship.
In other words, it was natural for technique to be greater than tools. The ruler of the Overgeared Kingdom seemed to have an opposite idea, making the mysterious man already dislike him.
He even thought that he had left the tower for no reason.
However, this only lasted for a moment.
He consoled himself by saying that he was happy to be reunited with Kraugel, who was comparable to Muller and had good manners, and then he shook hands with Kraugel.
âIt was nice to see you. The next time we meet, you will be the Pioneer again.â
âI will try.â
â
Hrmm...
â
The mysterious manâs eyes slightly widened. He felt enthusiasm from Kraugel but no confidence.
How good was the ruler of the Overgeared Kingdom that Kraugel lost confidence?
âRuler... Ruler... Donât tell me?â
The mysterious man got goosebumps.
He was reminded of someone who had superior talent than Muller and was also the ruler of a nation.
âIs he Madraâs descendant?â
Undefeated King Madra.
The miserable genius who spent his life locked up in a cage and whose life ended before he could spread his wings.
If Muller was a genius that appeared once in a thousand years, Madra was a genius who would never appear again.
If Madra was alive, the Tower of Wisdom wouldnât exist now. This was the evaluation of the towerâs chief.
Why?
The dragons wouldâve been sealed and the need for the towerâs existence gone.
âHeh, Iâm going too far.â
The mysterious man shook his head.
Madraâs descendant couldnât exist because no secret techniques were left behind. In addition, he wasnât someone obsessed with items.
He was a great man who slaughtered tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands with a paltry weapon.
âThe Overgeared kingdom's ruler is probably a resourceful person.â
It was correct to assume that he was a person who overcame his limitations by relying on a rulerâs power and tools.
He would be a big barrier for Kraugel, who was only an individual.
The mysterious man judged and turned away. He knew the identity of the other person so visiting would be a piece of cake.
Kraugel asked the mysterious man who was about to leave, "Can I ask Master for Masterâs name?â
Kraugel had provided the mysterious man with the information he needed. Therefore, he thought he had the right to ask for this manâs name.
As expected, the mysterious man willingly answered, âBiban.â
".... It was an honor to meet you."
The identity of the mysterious man was as Kraugel expected.
He was the second generation Sword Saint.
***
-What are you doing?
[The target canât receive a whisper.]
-Sir~?
[The target canât receive a whisper.]
âWow, really great.â
Grid needed information about the Tower of Wisdom and had been trying to contact Kraugel for a fortnight.
Yet for the last fortnight, Kraugel was in an area where it was impossible to send whispers.
Areas where whispers were blocked were mostly special areas such as instance dungeons or forbidden places. Therefore, Grid had to marvel at Kraugelâs concentration and endurance.
âHe has been training or hunting for at least a fortnight...â
He mustâve prepared a bag of jerky. He didnât pick up miscellaneous items or threw them away. He mustâve minimized his consumption of potions. The repair kit was heavy so he couldnât have brought too many. Then how did he handle the durability of his items? Could he keep hunting while using secondary weapons?
âI feel sorry when thinking about it.â
Grid was able to repair items without a repair kit, his strength stat was abnormally high and he could hold a much larger weight than Kraugel. He was also advantageous in terms of maintaining stamina thanks to Overgeared Corn that he obtained from Kir.
In the first place, he had Sticksâ Mass Teleport so he didnât need to worry about the time spent travelling to and from hunting grounds.
He was advantageous in all respects compared to Kraugel.
Grid felt sympathy for Kraugel.
Of course, Kraugel wasnât aware of this difference between the two of them.
Kraugelâs situation was the same as others.
Yes, Kraugelâs situation was ordinary. He took for granted the circumstances that he had to overcome.
Gridâfeeling sorry for Kraugelâwas the abnormal and fraudulent one.
âHmm, what is the Tower of Wisdom?â
The tower was accessible only to the Pioneer.
Was it an organization engaged in the destruction of the insane dragon iron?
He was somewhat wary.
It might be an insidious place like Goldhitâs Tower of Eternity.
Ttang!
Ttang!
It was an unknown area even for Great Sage Sticks, so Grid wasnât comfortable as he made items using the portable furnace while his pets hunted.
[You have completed the production of Sword Breaker.]
âIt is another failure.â
Grid had invested the last fortnight in himself.
He focused on the growth of the Overgeared Skeletons, Noe, Randy, and Tiramet, while trying to recreate the Blue Dragon Sword Breaker used during the National Competition.
The reproduction here naturally referred to the âformâ, not the âperformance.â
Grid had already consumed the Blue Dragonâs Breath and Astarothâs Horn while crafting the Blue Dragonâs Boots. Of the two materials, Astarothâs Horn was out of stock so it was impossible to reproduce the performance of the Blue Dragon Sword Breaker.
Still, he judged that it would be useful to reproduce the form since the Blue Dragon Sword Breaker was ideal from the beginning.
âIt isnât easy.â
After all, there were limitations to the items made using the portable furnace and anvil.
However, he didnât want to be stuck in the smithy for two days for an item that would be used in the next National Competition.
âThis isnât going to work. I have to briefly return home.â
Grid summoned his pets scattered everywhere and returned to Reinhardt. He put nine of the 10 Sword Breakers he made in the last fortnight into the guildâs warehouse.
He set it up so that those who had the right to take it out were the top swordsmen of the Overgeared Guild such as Peak Sword and Ibellin.
They would take it when they saw it in the warehouse later.
They would pay a fee according to their conscience.
âThe problem is that their conscience is too great.â
It was often more than the market price.
They were always more grateful than necessary.
âThis type of item can be taken for free...â
The items were produced from materials Grid obtained from his colleagues. Grid always felt beholden to his colleagues.
âAre you going to the smithy without a break?â
Mercedes followed Grid, who took off his armor and changed into cloth upon his return.
On top of her head was a circlet with blue jewels.
It was made by Elizabeth, the only accessories maker of the Overgeared Guild, out of the tears of the water clanâs king. The magic stored in it was the 1st ranked fire magician Laellaâs passive magic âBlessing of Fireâ which helped with recovery.
The tough Mercedes was no longer weary.
"Yes, I think I need to focus a bit more.â Grid answered with a smile.
He was naturally happy walking alongside Mercedes, who was as beautiful as a magnolia. He was like a caterpillar crawling on the petals. After all, appearance was relative.
âYour Majesty.â
After exiting the castle, Grid was heading for the smithy using a shortcut when Mercedes stopped him.
â...?â
It wasnât until Mercedes pulled out the White Tiger Sword and stood in front of Grid that Grid could see the reason.
A suspicious figure in a robe turned upside down was approaching. The atmosphere around them was unusual.
'I'm still not good enough.'
Despite having reached transcendence, he lacked Mercedesâ ability to detect danger.
Grid clicked his tongue and asked the man who was 10 meters away from him.
"Who are you?"
âThis is no place for the public.â
â
Nyahahahat!
â
Noe, who had been flapping his wings around Grid, laughed.
âMaster is dressed like a beggar so you are mistaken for a slave,
ong~
â
â
Cough...
be quiet, Noe.â
Grid pinched Noeâs chubby belly and studied the situation.
The unidentified man was showing interest in Mercedes.
âYou rely on items. I donât think there is anything that isnât luxurious from head to toe.â
âWho are you?â
Mercedes's tone was surprisingly polite.
This was strange because this person dared to block the kingâs road and mistook the king as an ordinary person.
âIt is hard to gauge his skills.â
Mercedesâ Keen Insight wasnât complete.
Still, it was growing steadily and she could easily figure out the targetâs skills.
Yet Keen Insight didnât work well against this mysterious man.
It was proof that his skills surpassed Mercedesâ.
âI came from the tower to meet you.â
âTower?â
Mercedes was confused.
It was hard to understand because only the tower was mentioned.
Meanwhile, Grid was astonished.
âDoes he mean the Tower of Wisdom?â
Greed was already consumed and the nature of the insane dragon iron suppressed yet the location was detected?
Grid didnât know exactly what the Tower of Wisdom was doing so he opened his inventory to take out his equipment.
âJust once! Let me see the skills of the new Pioneer!â
The mysterious man screamed.
As expected, he was the killer (?) sent from the Tower of Wisdom.
Mercedes and the sword of the mysterious man collided five times in a row.
It was all Mercedes defending.
The mysterious manâs sword rotated smoothly and Mercedesâ sword couldnât easily maintain its center, slipping steadily.
The mysterious man felt admiration.
âI canât believe you held out for a second! Great! There are two geniuses under the sky!â
â...?!â
The mysterious man spoke nonsense and slipped past Mercedes to fly at Grid.
Mercedes followed but the mysterious man was a bit faster.
His finger was aimed at Gridâs pressure point.
However...
[The +4 Lightning Sword Born from Enlightenment and Strong Desires has been equipped.]
[The +3 Valhalla of Infinite Affection has been equipped.]
[The +4 Lantierâs Cloak has been equipped.]
[The +7 Cone Helmet has been equipped.]
[The +7 Overgeared Crown has been equipped.]
[The +4 Alexâs Quick Gloves (Produced by Pagma) have been equipped.]
[The +1 The Arrogant Blue Dragon's Boots have been equipped.]
Grid rapidly pulled out all his equipment from his inventory.
For reference, Kraugelâs armor was a cloth âdopoâ. (
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)
It facilitated agility but was vulnerable to physical shock.
On the other hand, Gridâs armor was very high in physical strength.
â
...?â
The mysterious man, the second generation Sword Saint Biban, was obstructed by Valhalla.
Then Mercedesâ sword cut Bibanâs back.
To be exact, she cut Bibanâs robe.
The baffled Biban still managed to respond to and dodge Mercedesâ attack. It was the power of the repetitive training and experience that he built up for hundreds of years.
âIndeed...! A ruler wouldnât have an ordinary servant!â
Biban stood quietly for a while before shouting.
He warned Mercedes.
âThe existence of the tower should never be leaked to outsiders. Send your knight away for a while.â
âWho are you?â
âI said I was from the tower.â
âThe Tower of Eternity?â
âHah, how can the Tower of Wisdom be compared to such an insignificant tower?â
âTower of Wisdom...? This is the first time Iâve heard of it.â
â...â
A moment of silence followed.
Once again, it was a long silence.
Bibanâs eyes trembled for a long time before he barely managed to settle himself.
He spoke slowly, âI saw you coming out of the palace. I have confirmed that all the soldiers and knights in the palace are polite to you and found that your prowess is the best in the city.â
So, please say it.
Biban eagerly prayed as he asked, âArenât you the ruler of this country?â
âNo.â
âWhy are you only saying that now?!â
â...?â
âIs this person crazy?â
âCrazy,
nyong
.â
Grid and Noe had the same thought at the same time.
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