Hard Carried by My Sword-Chapter 47

Chapter 47
Rationally speaking, this kind of meeting shouldn’t even be happening. Bernard, the Guildmaster of the Blaine branch of the Guild, was a former A-rank adventurer and a man of authority presiding over an entire city. He may not hold a formal title, but the extent of his influence rivaled that of many nobles.
That much was obvious just by looking at the way he handled the preparations for the recent raid of Evil. It was Bernard who secured a private audience with the lord of the city, Count Blaine, and convinced him to mobilize the military.
I heard even B-rankers—core personnel of the Guild—rarely get to see him, yet I’ve seen him several times already,
Leon thought and gave a wry smile.
Merchants would pile up bribes just for a single audience with Bernard. That was how much there was to gain by building a relationship with the Guildmaster.
It came with exclusive access to confidential intel and even first picks on capable adventurers and mercenaries. Considering that even one of those benefits would be enough to outpace your competitors, was no wonder merchant guilds swarmed around him like moths to a flame.
No, it’s not just the merchants, either.
What about the nobles? Unlike the Holy Church, which was repelled by the aristocracy, the Guild didn’t shy away from dealings with the powerful. As long as the demands were met and tempers soothed, a noble could recruit talents that would take decades to raise themselves.
A-rankers were hard to come by, but even B-rankers were strong enough to serve as mid-level leaders in most knight orders. Raising one from scratch would take at least twenty years.
And if they were actually lucky enough to secure an A-ranker? That would be a powerhouse in their household—stronger than most warriors in the royal palace.
“
Hm
, now where to begin...” Bernard mumbled and emptied his teacup in a single sip. “Sorry if I sound like I’m still figuring things out, but this whole situation is unprecedented for me too. I ask for a little understanding.”
“Of course. Please take your time to get your thoughts in order. I understand,” Leon replied.
“
Haha
, I appreciate it.”
Bernard wasn’t wrong. Evil raids were rare, but not unheard of. They were large-scale operations by the Holy Church to exterminate the beings known as Evil.
The Holy Iron Inquisitors would take the lead, crushing all interference. Borders, laws—none of it mattered in the face of justice. In fact, Bernard had participated in one himself during his adventuring days, earning significant merit.
Recalling that, Bernard muttered, “But this last raid was... different.”
A mere C-rank like Leon had uncovered the clue, then took charge of the operation with support from the Church. The mission involved mobilizing over a thousand adventurers, mercenaries, and soldiers.
He boldly used that force as bait to form a rush team, successfully recruiting two of the three slum kingpins. In the end, he personally took down the head of the enemy force who sought to “swallow” the city. It was a performance worthy of the title “hero” of the operation.
“
Tch
. Alright, I’ll speak frankly.” Bernard twisted his mustache and finally continued, “Based on your achievements, it wouldn’t be strange at all to promote you to A-rank. There’s no precedent for it, sure, but nothing says it’s against the rules. It’s just that no one’s pulled off what you have.”
He paused and added, “But... your feat will have to be made public. Unprecedented actions naturally attract attention. Even if your promotion followed the proper procedures, keeping the reasons secret would deal a serious blow to the Guild’s transparency.”
“People would think I got promoted unfairly.”
“Exactly. The Holy Church’s testimony will stop most from saying it out loud, but rumors spread. Quietly and insidiously.”
Leon nodded, understanding. Secrecy always invited suspicion. Add in a bit of jealousy and misunderstanding, and it would quickly turn into malice.
It seemed he stood at another crossroads, but the answer was already set.
Well, no point in thinking about it.
Leon had already made up his mind. He said, “Guildmaster Bernard, please put my promotion on hold.”
“Are you serious...?” Bernard asked, eyes widened.
Technically, Leon only had to make his accomplishments public. He could’ve become a hero—the young man, not even twenty, who led a massive raid and earned the Holy Church’s recognition!
Bards would compose ballads in his name. Nobles and merchant guilds, greedy for talent, would shower him with lavish offers.
It was the literal embodiment of wealth and fame falling into his lap. And he wanted to turn it all down?
“Yes. That is my decision.”
Well, Leon had his reasons. If word of his feats spread far and wide, it would also reach the ears of Evil hoards hiding in the city. He had directly interfered with a major ritual like City Swallowing, and once his personal information leaked, they would surely come to kill him.
With my current strength, I can’t even defend myself.
The only reason he’d been able to defeat the exolaw wielder was because of the Holy Sword. His raw power was still below that of a typical B-ranker.
The reality was that Leon could have died even if Evil had sent their underlings instead of sending in their elite. There was no reason to chase wealth and fame while putting his life at that much risk.
“I also plan to delay my promotion to B-rank for a while,” he added.
In truth, it was because he couldn’t yet manifest his Aura—but Bernard had no way of knowing that, so he simply nodded. A youth disinterested in fame—that was probably how Bernard interpreted it.
“Understood. If that’s your wish, I won’t press further. I’ll make sure no one below me can access the records of this raid.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“No, thank you. If not for you, this city would be in ruins right now. Truly shameful.”
Bernard glanced bitterly at his prosthetic leg before flashing a grin and clapping Leon on the shoulder. He continued, “But I’m glad I got to meet someone like you. If you ever change your mind, just let me know. I know a lot of bards—more than I care to count. I could have your name echoing across half the continent in two months flat.”
“T-that’s a bit much...”
“
Hahaha
! Where’s the boldness, Hero of Blaine!”
He patted Leon’s shoulder heartily. Leon wobbled under the force, then spoke up as something came to mind.
“Come to think of it, sir...”
“Yes?”
“What happened to Khan after the raid? I haven’t heard a word from him. Did he just go back to the slums?”
Bernard’s brows knit together.
“
Tch
. That bastard? He already ran off.”
“I beg your pardon...?”
“The very next day after the raid ended, he liquidated his assets in the slums and fled the city. No idea where he went. He’s slippery like that—couldn’t even assign a pursuer.”
Leon was dumbfounded. He had expected a disappearance of some kind as the slums had been half-obliterated during the raid and were now just waiting to be swept away. Even if Khan had participated in the raid, he couldn’t escape the judgment of the Holy Iron Inquisitors.
As Karen had said, it was practically guaranteed he’d face forced labor or at least a few years behind bars.
Still... I didn’t think he’d run off this soon.
Normally, the more a person has, the more reluctant they were to leave it behind. That wasn’t the case for Khan. He had bolted without a shred of hesitation. Once again, Khan showed unbelievable initiative.
Leon was reminded once again of Khan’s cunning. He thought,
I have a feeling we’ll run into each other again.
Hiding his unease, Leon let out a deep sigh. With that, he shook it off and looked at Bernard. It seemed he still had something left to say.
“
Ahem
, this really is the last thing.” Bernard cleared his throat repeatedly, perhaps sensing that Leon had just gotten out of bed. “Have you thought about meeting the lord?”
“The lord...?”
“Yes. Bishop Caesare told me you’re affiliated with the Church, but not a paladin. If that’s the case, there’s no harm in becoming familiar with nobility.”
Leon hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
“No, thank you. I’m not familiar with noble etiquette, and I feel like getting involved with them would pull me away from my goals.”
“Is that so? Then I’ll accept the Lord’s commendation on your behalf.”
Some might call it foolish, but Leon never had a good impression of the nobility. He had seen their arrogance firsthand at the Academy, and according to El-Cid, they were traitors.
Nobles were the ones who had turned their backs on the Goddess’s grace and used it to trample others. He couldn’t imagine getting involved with people like that would lead anywhere good.
“Well, then. That’s all from me. Shall we wrap up here?”
“Thank you, sir.”
Leon rose and shook Bernard’s hand.
“I look forward to our future cooperation sir.”
“
Mhm
!”
Bernard returned the handshake with a broad grin. And just like that, Leon’s first private meeting with the Guildmaster came to an end.
***
“Oh, hey there, rookie!”
As Leon stepped out from his meeting with the Guildmaster, Karen, who had been waiting outside, waved at him cheerfully.
Her pale gray hair was tied up in a ponytail, and her eyes, well, still seemingly unfocused, hadn’t changed.
She had taken some injuries during the raid, but unlike Leon, they had been shallow. Thanks to her impressive regenerative ability, she had healed completely.
“How’d your talk go? Good?”
“Yes, it went well.”
The air between them had changed in the past few days. She was an A-rank, and he was a C-rank. Under normal circumstances, they should’ve had a towering senior-junior dynamic, but the truth hidden behind the scenes was quite the opposite.
Four days ago, Leon had made Karen an offer: would she not rather live under the light than hide in the shadows?
“
I am the Hero of this era.”
It was a chance for her to go from a lowly assassin in the slums to the Hero’s companion. To Karen, it was no different from a rope descending from the heavens. Before the brilliant glow of the Holy Sword, she had closed her eyes.
She had confessed what she had buried deep within.
“
Before I accept that offer, rookie, let me be honest. I don’t feel guilt for all the blood on my hands. I was born in the gutters, and I had to do it to survive. I didn’t care about the death and suffering of others.”
However, she also had her own wish.
“I don’t want there to be any more people like me.”
Born without parents, living without love, learning only how to kill without hope. She didn’t want others to suffer the same.
The assassin Karen made a wish. For the first time, she knelt of her own will and swore an oath.
“
If you, Hero, can make that happen. If you tell me you will. Then from this day forward, I devote this sinful life to you.”
And Leon also made a promise. There was no need to say it out loud—it was the duty of a Hero.
To build a better today than yesterday, and a better tomorrow than today. To reduce the suffering of those like her, even by just one.
That day, the Keeper died, and only Karen remained.
A few steps ahead, Karen spun around and asked, “So then. What are you planning to do now? You haven’t said anything about your next move. Don’t tell me you’re just winging it?”
She smiled faintly, her lips forming the words
Hero
.
Leon thought for a moment. He did have a plan. After being promoted to B-rank, he would head toward the Titan Mountains.
“I’ve still got quite a bit of time before the hundred days are up.”
El-Cid had once said that a hundred days would be more than enough for him to learn how to manifest Aura. For someone aiming for B-rank, that was a realistic goal. The only issue was that El-Cid was still asleep.
“Karen,” he called out.
“Yeah?”
Conveniently, a perfect training partner had appeared right in front of him. An A-rank rogue and elite assassin.
Leon looked into her clueless eyes, recalling the things he lacked. Sensing presence and detecting enemies, using the environment, and increasing mobility—Karen could teach all of it.
“I’m going to need your help for a while.”
Her eyes widened in shock.
“
Huh
? With what?!”
“Let’s head to Bishop Caesare first. We’ll need a spacious place.”
“Wait, what kind of help?! You know I hate this kind of suspense! Just tell me already!”
Ignoring her desperate tug on his sleeve, Leon made his way toward the Prima District where Bishop Cesare was waiting.
Three weeks and two days remained until El-Cid would awaken. Before then, he had to master Aura manifestation—at the very least. He also planned to try his hand at the Grand Chariot, even though he hadn’t yet learned its formal techniques.
Just wait and see, El-Cid!
Eyes blazing with an odd sense of competitiveness, Leon pressed forward.