Sword Devouring Swordmaster-Chapter 58 : Chapter 58

Chapter 58 — Race Duel (7)
Among the Dwarves who made their home halfway up the Sky Mountains, an ancient legend had long been told.
『In a distant age, there lived a great Dwarf in whose veins flowed the blood of Steel.』
It was a tale even Dwarven children knew by heart.
『The great Dwarf was loved by Iron itself, able to consume the spirit dwelling within metal and contain it within his body. In his age, no one dared to belittle us as “dwarfs,” and even the Giants could not look down upon us.』
Most Dwarves knew the tale. But most dismissed it as mere myth — a story passed from mouth to mouth.
『We must never forget that age of glory. And we must remember.』
Yet some Dwarves did know the truth.
『When the Master of Steel returns, we will rise again. The shame of the heavens will end, and we shall no longer live in fear of the lords of the sky.』
It was not a fable.
It was history — erased, but real.
『Forget not the Age of Steel, O Dwarves.』
For reasons unknown, the “Age of Steel” vanished from the continent’s chronicles. The people forgot; all records were cut away as if by a blade. Yet the age of glory had indeed existed.
And now—“So you truly remain, Karavan.”
The Dwarf clad in black iron armor — Dwight the Iron Man — was one of the few who knew the truth.
“Never thought I’d meet a descendant of Steel again in my own lifetime.”
The moment Dwight recognized who stood before him, all his killing intent vanished. Instead, he straightened his posture and acted with utmost respect. He removed his helmet, and a full beard spilled out like a waterfall. Showing his face, Dwight extended his thick, forge-scarred hand.
“It is an honor.”
He smiled, a man’s smile — earnest and proud.
“From now on, I will serve you.”
***
The Dwarf in black armor — Dwight — introduced himself and lifted us out of the pit. Once we stood on solid ground again, all eyes of the surrounding Dwarves turned toward us. Confusion flashed in their gazes, and before long, the confusion turned into words.
“Why are you letting them out of the trap? Without taking their tags?”
Dwight’s reply was simple.
“I’ll handle it.”
And, shockingly, that was enough. The other Dwarves didn’t argue or ask questions. They only nodded and said, “Understood,” before withdrawing. Their obedience was absolute.
Liam’s amused voice echoed in my mind.
「He must be a General. Even among Dwarves, only a General could afford to wear black iron from head to toe.」
“……”
「You’re lucky, boy.」
A General.
I didn’t know much about military ranks, but even I knew what that word meant. A position so high I could hardly dare look up at it.
But that wasn’t what mattered now.
Whether he was a mere soldier or a General—What truly mattered was the strangeness of it all.
Why had this mighty Dwarf’s attitude changed so completely just because he’d heard the name Karavan?
Was it possible that revealing my lineage alone could turn a hopeless situation around so easily?
What on earth was happening right now?
Perhaps sensing the questions raging inside me, Liam spoke again.
「Don’t trouble yourself, young descendant.」
“……”
「It’s only because you don’t know.」
“What don’t I know?”
His voice lowered, as if whispering directly into my ear.
「What the name ‘Karavan’ means to the Dwarves.」
That didn’t exactly clear my doubts — but the situation was moving too fast to dwell on them.
“This should be far enough.”
Dwight, who had led the way, stopped in a secluded part of the forest. No Dwarf warriors. No chaotic fighting among the other races. Just the three of us. Turning to face us, Dwight stood in silence.
As the quiet stretched, Seol Yoon spoke first.
“Are you going to kill us? That wouldn’t be smart. The Arena won’t take kindly to that. If you break the rules and kill us when you could’ve let us go, the Arena’ll take it personally. You know a huge portion of Iron City’s weapons are sold through the Arena. If they decided to cut you off—”
She spoke seriously, but—
“Pff—! This human girl says the funniest things. Kill the descendant of Steel? Don’t even joke about that.”
Dwight burst out laughing, wiping tears from his eyes.
“A Dwarf killing a descendant of Steel — now that’s a nightmare. Why, if I did that, my soul would be dragged out of the afterlife by the swordsmen in the Land of Swords! I’d rather go to Hell itself, ha-ha-ha!”
“Then why bring us all the way out here…?” Seol Yoon asked blankly.
Her question mirrored my own. Why take the trouble to pull us out and bring us to this remote spot amidst an ongoing war? Dwight soon answered.
“I wanted to speak somewhere away from prying ears.”
“Speak about what?”
“Oh, not with you, human girl. Please, keep quiet for a moment.”
He turned his head sharply — and fixed his eyes on me.
“Descendant of Steel, for what purpose have you entered the ‘Race Duel’?”
His gaze gleamed with interest.
“Be honest. No need to lie. I intend to help you.”
“Help me…?”
“Our Dwarves didn’t join this Duel to win. We’re just filling the numbers and promoting our new weapons. There’s no better stage than this one to showcase a new invention.”
“……”
“So speak freely. If what you seek is victory, I’ll mobilize my own warriors to find the kings of other races for you. And I’ll give you the Dwarves’ identification tag, number 444, myself. If you don’t trust me, I can swear it — by the Goddess Sergen, offering my mother’s and my children’s souls in flame.”
At the mention of the goddess’s name, I realized he was completely serious.
No one on the continent would dare swear falsely by their family’s souls before the Goddess of Flame. And Dwarves, who revered the Goddess Sergen above all, never lied under her name.
So Dwight was telling the truth.
I thought for a while — and then chose honesty.
Truth must be answered with truth.
“I came seeking a trial.”
Dwight stroked his great beard.
“A trial. I see! The legend says the descendants of Steel are like heated blades — the more they’re hammered, the stronger they become. Such is the nature of Steel itself.”
“That’s right.”
“Judging by your aura, you’ve only recently taken up the sword. You haven’t even formed a single pair of wings yet, have you?”
He’d seen straight through me.
“A blade newly thrust into the forge must be hammered without pause. The quality depends on how well it’s tempered. You’re in the same process, I take it?”
“……”
“Don’t take offense — I mean no slight. I know the blood of Steel grows slowly, unlike that of the other Great Houses. While others might reach the rank of Sword Runner just by breathing, the heirs of Steel must carve their power through excruciating trials.”
I listened quietly. But one phrase caught my attention.
“Reach Sword Runner just by breathing”? I’d never heard of such a thing.
「He means the Five Great Houses. Once, the Karavans were among them. After we vanished from history, they filled the gap with lesser bloodlines.」
“……”
「Don’t give me that look. Do you not know how hollow a strength gained without effort is? Sure, we sweat blood and hang from cliffs and risk our lives every day — but in the end, those bastards can’t even touch the Karavans’ toes.」
Liam sounded oddly defensive.
I just rolled my eyes, half listening. He never lied when it came to the sword — so it must be true. Still, I couldn’t help but feel a stab of envy.
Those people became strong without bleeding for it? Without tearing muscles, without dueling for their lives — just existing?
“Haha. Judging by your face, you didn’t know of the blessings flowing through the other Great Houses’ veins. But don’t be too envious.”
“……”
“No matter how fast they grow, the Age of Steel always returns in the end. The pinnacle has always been yours, descendant of Steel.”
Dwight smiled brightly. With a deep chuckle, he added:
“I’ve talked long enough. So, I take it my help ends here? Just ensuring you face your trial properly in this Duel?”
“That’s all I need.”
“Aha. So that’s why you revealed yourself. Falling into a Dwarven trap would’ve been a waste of time.”
“Yes.”
“That I can do. I’ll show you how to avoid our traps, and I’ll see you to a safe area so you don’t fall too soon. No more than that, though — too much help, and the trial loses its meaning.”
“That’s more than enough.”
He nodded, smiling. Then said:
“You must find all this strange, don’t you?”
“Sir?”
“A stranger offering help simply because you bear a name. You must wonder if I’m deceiving you.”
“……”
“You needn’t worry. Other races might not care, but we Dwarves… we are bound to do this.”
His voice softened — tinged with something bitter.
“Descendant of Steel.”
“Yes.”
“When wings sprout from your back, come to the Land of Steel halfway up the Sky Mountains. The sword you wield now is fine, but it’ll be lacking once you reach Sword Runner.”
“Thank you.”
“And…”
He opened his mouth to say something more — but froze. Then he shook his head.
“No. Not yet.”
“Were you going to say something?”
“It was nothing. Not something I should say now.”
“You can tell me.”
“I realized it’s too soon. When you’ve grown firm enough — then I’ll tell you, carefully.”
He smiled faintly, but something heavy lingered in his tone.
“Descendant of Steel.”
“Yes.”
“May I ask one thing?”
I nodded. Then he asked:
“…How old are you?”
“Excuse me?”
“Have you passed eighteen?”
The question startled me. His next words came grave and slow.
“There’s something bothering me.”
I understood instantly what that “something” was.
“Right now, the Iron Kingdom is shrouded in blood. At the heart of that storm stands the Prince’s Executioner — the most fearsome Swordmaster in recorded history, the unyielding guardian of the Iron Kingdom…”
Swordmaster Carlos.
“I can roughly tell when you first took up the sword. And oddly enough, that timing seems very close to when that bloodstorm began.”
My enemy.
“…Descendant of Steel, has the Prince’s Executioner ever visited the Karavan family?”
His question came carefully — but I answered immediately.
“Does that matter?”
My tone carried clear anger.
“It matters.”
“May I ask why?”
“When the Duel ends, I plan to return to the Dwarven lands and mobilize everything we have — arms, resources, connections — to help you grow faster.”
“……”
“But if the Prince’s Executioner has visited you — if that monster’s eyes are on you — then we can’t help you openly. We could only offer the smallest of aids. That’s why I ask. Forgive me.”
Dwight’s face looked genuinely regretful.
I stared at him and said quietly:
“An entire race fears a single man?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
There was a pause.
Then he answered.
“Because he’s a Swordmaster.”
And once again, I heard the phrase that had long been branded into my heart—“Only a Swordmaster can kill another Swordmaster.”
***
「Don’t be too disappointed, young one. It’s only natural.」
“……”
「It’s that Carlos who’s unnatural. Swordmasters aren’t meant to meddle in worldly affairs — yet that man swings his blade at his kingdom’s command like a soldier.」
“……”
「The Dwarves have already shown great courage. You don’t yet understand what a Swordmaster truly is — what they’re capable of, or what that name means.」
My master was right.
There was still far too much I didn’t understand.
“Little Gladiator.”
“……”
“There’s so much I don’t understand either. But I won’t ask. You have your reasons. I’ll learn them not from your mouth — but from your sword.”
“……”
“I’ll stay by your side and watch your blade until the end.”
I barely heard Seol Yoon’s words.
It wasn’t Dwight’s sudden caution that stirred my fury — no, nothing had really changed.
The Dwarves still helped me freely, asking nothing in return. I should’ve been grateful.
This anger wasn’t for them. It was for myself.
For all my struggle, I still couldn’t resist Swordmaster Carlos. The man who took everything from me still reigned as a living terror — unpunished, celebrated, feared by all.
The world refused to judge him. And I could not accept that.
I could not accept the way this twisted world worked.
“Head that way and you’ll be safe. Just take care not to run into Orcs. Cross paths with them, and you won’t live to regret it.”
Time passed after that day.
“Be careful—”
“General—! Bad news!”
My once-scrawny body had hardened.
I now bore a second heart filled with the power of Steel, and a sturdy Path within me that would not break. Even the soul of my ancestor stood with me.
“The Orcs! Those green monsters are charging toward the forest edge!”
“What? Why would they—”
“No idea! They’d have the advantage of staying put, but they’re going mad!”
The traces of boyhood had faded from my face.
The body that once looked delicate as a girl’s now held the frame of a young man.
Yet somehow… I hadn’t grown at all.
I was still the “boy Arhan.” My youth hadn’t ended. It was still ongoing.
“Hold the fortress!”
“Not just the Orcs — the Demons, Elves, Beastkin — everyone’s gone berserk!”
“Bloody hell—!”
The reason was simple. Since that day, my time has never moved forward.
Though my body grew and my strength sharpened, I had not truly grown.
The boy remained.
“Damn bastards!”
I had not changed at all.
It was still unbearable to breathe in the same world as him.
I still couldn’t accept that the devil who’d destroyed everything I loved lived on, praised by the world.
I still couldn’t accept the world’s madness.
“Descendant of Steel, you must flee! It’s too dangerous here!”
“Little Gladiator, if you run into the Orcs, you won’t survive!”
There were too many things I could not accept. So I made a clear decision that day — breaking the final promise I’d made with my mother.
“No.”
I turned slowly. From beyond the darkness came screams, the clash of steel, and the splatter of blood.
A battlefield. Endless struggle.
And my master’s words echoed: The Karavans grow through struggle.
“I’ll fight.”
“That’s reckless! If you die—”
“Then I die. But if I don’t, I’ll become stronger. Far stronger than I am now. The blood of Steel hardens only when it’s struck.”
Then I could not run from battle.
All those I’d loved had said it before me.
Only a Swordmaster can kill another Swordmaster. So I decided to become one.
“You said you’d stay till the end, Seol Yoon. Then come with me.”
The path to Swordmaster was impossibly long. The time I had left was short. So I had to hammer my soul harder.
“I must fight.”
I had to grow stronger.
「…That is right.」
My master’s spirit smiled faintly from afar.
「Raise your sword, young descendant.」
I did as he said.
The silver blade caught the moonlight and gleamed.
And then—
『Even on the fields where beautiful flowers bloom,』
『Even upon the heart of the seven seas,』
『Even upon battlefields where countless lives crumble into dust—』
「Gale」 opened its eyes.
『The wind blows.』