Sword Devouring Swordmaster-Chapter 81 : Chapter 81

Chapter 81 — The Whirlpool (4)
Witches. They were mysterious magical beings who lived in the Sky Empire. As their very existence was wrapped in mystery, their visits were never ordinary. To begin with, a witch’s visit never happened in the real world.
“...You brought me here without a word, but if I say I don’t want to be here, will you let me go?”
My encounter with the witches happened very late at night. Just when I’d barely managed to calm my restless mind, twisting and turning in an uncomfortable bed until I finally drifted off.
Right before I fell asleep, when my eyes closed and my mind began to dream—I woke up in a dreamlike space. I knew this place now. I’d experienced it before.
The spiritual world.
“Yes, if you wish to leave, we’ll send you back.”
“Is that so?”
“But if you go now, it will be hard for you to speak with us sisters again. We’ll be leaving the Iron Kingdom tomorrow to return to the Sky Empire.”
“Then you could’ve just come directly. Why all this trouble?”
“That would be difficult. How could a married woman visit a man’s chambers at such an hour? Our husbands would be furious.”
What the hell are they talking about? I wanted to say it, but I held my tongue.
The witches giggled among themselves as they watched me.
“Well, perhaps such warnings wouldn’t work on the descendant of Steel. The one guarded by the Master of All Swords.”
“...”
“Ah yes. When we transferred your spirit to the spiritual world at the request of the Arena, it was truly enchanting. The presence dwelling within your spirit was... astonishing.”
It was really hard not to blurt out, what the hell are you talking about?
There was a reason people said, “You sound like a witch” when someone spoke nonsense out of nowhere.
Witches loved to babble about things only they understood, then giggle among themselves, leaving their listener utterly irritated.
I clicked my tongue and glared. Liam spoke.
「That’s how witches are. Pretty faces, but their heads are all broken.」
“...”
「And it’s because some idiot can’t stop protecting them just because they’re pretty. Mages are all the type who only learn when they’re beaten, but thanks to that dark fool shielding them, they’ve grown spoiled.」
As usual, Liam clicked his tongue. But then—
“Thank you. I’ve been told I’m pretty many times, but to be praised by the Master of All Swords himself—it’s truly an honor.”
“To correct our spoiled behavior, we’ll study even harder.”
Strangely, the witches responded to Liam’s words. As if they could see him—hear him.
The air grew sharp. Liam’s tone turned deadly.
「Wretches of the sky, who gave you permission to eavesdrop on my voice?」
The dreamlike space turned cold, as though winter had arrived.
The witches’ chatter stopped instantly.
「Did you think I would cherish you because that fool favored you? Mages—so ill-mannered. Remember this. I show leniency only to my descendants, to those who bear the Steel Blood. Only my children of steel may stand as my equals.」
“...”
「Lower your gaze from me. Shut your ears. Do not stir my temper again. Understood?」
“...Yes, understood.”
Liam’s voice dominated the entire space.
The sight of the witches, silent and bowing their heads, was almost awe-inspiring.
Honestly, I was impressed. It felt as if my master’s long-faded dignity had returned. Yes, this was my master—the greatest Swordmaster, the pride of the Karavan family...
Pride welled up in my chest.
Yes—
「Well? As the young folk say these days, wasn’t that badass?」
“...Please, please just keep your mouth shut after doing something cool.”
「Hmph! Is that how you speak to your great ancestor—」
“You ruin every moment the second you open your mouth...”
As always. Just one sentence is too many.
「Ha! That’s my charm, don’t you know? Back in my youth, women would swoon over this hidden side of me—」
“Please stop.”
As Liam rambled on, the witches struggled to hold back their laughter, bowing their heads. They were pretending not to hear him—but clearly did. My soaring Karavan pride plummeted in real time. To shut him up, I cleared my throat and changed the subject.
“So... you said you had something to ask of me?”
At my words, the witches nodded.
“Then let’s hear it. I admit, I’m a little curious.”
***
Before we began, one of the witches snapped her fingers. Warm tea and sweets appeared neatly before me. A wondrously convenient trick.
“First, allow us to say it’s an honor to meet the descendant of Steel, whom we thought extinct. We hadn’t expected to encounter you here. It would’ve drawn too much attention to greet you in public, and so—”
“Please, spare me the preamble. Just the main point.”
I grimaced as they launched into another long, florid speech while I sipped my tea.
Why did mages always talk so much? Even the orc shamans, who lacked sense, got straight to the point.
‘...Though that was because they didn’t have much in their heads.’
Anyway, the witches tilted their heads, clapped lightly, and said they understood. After I’d eaten about three cookies, they finally got to the point.
“Have you ever fought a mage before, descendant of Steel?”
“I once defeated a black mage who fled from the Sky Empire.”
“A black mage... Ah, Jerry Selfit. We were wondering why his life signal vanished. To think the descendant of Steel himself judged him.”
Jerry Selfit. I hadn’t expected to hear that name from their mouths. So he was a known mage.
“Good. Then you’ve fought one before.”
“And why is that good?”
“Because we have a favor to ask of you, descendant of Steel.”
A favor? That was unexpected.
Witches—honored in the Sky Empire, counted among the continent’s most powerful mages, with their own faction—were asking a lowly 「Sword Walker」 from a border territory of the Iron Kingdom for help?
Unease crept into my mind. Was I about to get dragged into another mess? I had enough already. So before they could continue, I spoke first.
“You may not know, but I’m still just a Sword Walker. If you’re asking me to deal with a black mage or fight a war for you, that would be... difficult.”
“Eh?”
One witch replied.
“Why would we ask something like that? Even with your boundless potential, you’re insignificant compared to us. And mages should handle mages. All you do is swing a sword—you’d be no help.”
“...”
“Perhaps you’re overestimating yourself? Sadly, that’s not a healthy trait. To be an adult, one must be self-critical and objective. Of course, you are still a young man, and adolescence often brings inflated egos, but it’s not a good look. You might even be called ‘pathetic’—”
I decided right then.
Yep. Best to keep my mouth shut.
And another decision.
‘Never, ever get involved with witches again.’
These women—had a gift for driving people insane. Almost like a spell in itself.
「Young one, are you sulking?」
“...”
Well...They still had nothing on my master, who could irritate me with a single word.
「Are you sulking or not?」
“I’m not sulking.”
With my mouth shut, the witches explained their request. As usual, their speech was long and laced with flowery nonsense, but I pieced together the gist.
「They found a map containing a treasure important to the witches, but it’s encrypted with a code they can’t break.」
“...”
「Along with the map, they found a blade. They want to borrow the power of the Karavan bloodline to read the memories within that blade—since the Karavan can perform Ingestion.」
This was something only the Karavan could do.
“It’s a treasure we’ve searched for over centuries. We poured everything into deciphering the code, but it was impossible. We only learned that it was designed by a legendary adventurer of the past—and the sword found with it was his own.”
A legendary adventurer. That caught my interest.
“If it’s beyond your ability, please say so. There’s no need to strain yourself. We couldn’t solve it, so we don’t expect the descendant of Steel to succeed either. Truly, we expect nothing. If witches couldn’t, how could someone who only swings a sword and knows nothing of mystery possibly manage? So if you fail, it’s quite alri—”
“I’ll do it.”
The words burst out before I could stop them. Her voice was so innocently condescending it was infuriating. No wonder my master hated mages.
Where did they learn to talk like that? In the Iron Kingdom, that tone would get you killed within a week.
“...Really?”
“Yes. I can do it.”
“You shouldn’t say that if you can’t. That sword is our last clue. It’s precious. I told you, adolescent males tend to act cool in front of pretty women—if that’s why you’re pretending, please know we’re already married—”
“I understand now why my master despises you. Please, stop talking.”
“...”
Anyway, I agreed to the witches’ request.
“In three days, one of our sisters will visit you. She’s clever and capable—she’ll assist you with whatever you need. The item will take a little time to arrive, since we must remove all our enchantments and follow proper procedure. Once it’s ready, she’ll contact you.”
“Alright.”
“And even if she’s beautiful, please refrain from any indecent behavior. When we said she’d assist you in any way, that referred only to decoding the map. We know young men tend to misinterpret such phrases, so—”
“If you say one more word, I swear I’ll challenge you all to a duel the moment I become a Swordmaster.”
Thus ended my meeting with the witches in the spiritual world.
“One more question, if I may?”
“Yes?”
“What’s the name of that blade?”
They answered.
“「Flight」... I believe that was its name.”
***
The whirlpool of events that had come rushing after the War Duel soon passed.
The Iron Prince disappeared after saying he was looking forward to seeing me again.
Thankfully, neither he nor Swordmaster Carlos appeared afterward. If Carlos had shown up, he might’ve recognized me even with my helmet on. And without the helmet, it would’ve been worse.
That monster would surely know my face. I wasn’t yet eighteen, but even so, facing him was unthinkable. That bastard who’d taken everything from me—unpredictable, insane.
I hadn’t run into him yet, but I worried about the future.
The Iron Prince said he expected to see me in the 「Infinite Duel」. And the Iron Prince never came alone. His most loyal protector, Swordmaster Carlos, would be with him. And that monster would recognize me—helmet or no.
I knew it instinctively.
So what should I do?
Join the Infinite Duel, or retreat to my domain and bide my time?
Even if I chose the latter, I wouldn’t be safe. If I didn’t show up, the Iron Prince would hunt me down. And if he acted, capture was only a matter of time. In this kingdom, the Iron Prince could do anything.
「Enter the duel.」
“...Are you sure that’s wise?”
「Yes. Whatever you choose, danger follows. So face it head-on. If he meant to kill you, you’d already be dead—back when you first met him in your domain.」
“...”
「Then don’t run. Stand and fight.」
My master ended my dilemma.
「Didn’t you once say you’d stop running?」
Then I would join the final event—the 「Infinite Duel」. That was my decision.
“It’s been a good deal. Thank you.”
“No, I should thank you.”
I sold the empty shell of the Dragon Sword to the 「Red Bank」. Their offer was the cleanest.
The noble title and magic tools from the Machine Empire were valuable, but not as much as what Red Bank offered.
“Please use our services anytime.”
They promised me gold membership and an enormous sum in coins. But what truly drew me was their final line—
“You won’t regret it. Others may offer many things, but all those things can be bought—with money. And as a Gold Member, the Red Bank will ensure that the Sword Demon Liam can buy anything he desires.”
Membership meant access to the Black Market—a place where anything could be bought for the right price. Titles, tools, artifacts—everything. And now, I had both the means and the access.
“You said you’d leave the gold with the Red Bank, correct? Then I’ll prepare the proper documentation. You may withdraw it as a coin from any of our branches across the continent. We also exchange for any nation’s currency upon request.”
“Alright.”
“We look forward to doing business again. Hahaha!”
I shook hands with the Red Bank representative, satisfied. No regrets.
Banks on this continent were rarely trustworthy—many vanished overnight.
That’s why most people hoarded gold at home.
But the Red Bank had survived every war and upheaval.
Becoming a member was difficult, but once accepted, it was the safest place in the world.
Because—
「That fool still running his money games in the mortal world?」
—the owner of the Red Bank was a Swordmaster. A powerful one from the age of war.
「Don’t trust him too much. He’s a bit of an idiot.」
“...Haha.”
「Almost as bad as you, young one.」
“...?”
Anyway, the deal was done. Public attention faded as new headlines took over—the Arena’s auction of the Dragon’s Relic, for one.
My name stopped being the talk of the city. And in that quiet, I waited for the witch who was supposed to visit within three days.
They hadn’t even asked for my location, but I figured—if anyone could find me, it would be them.
And then—
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience!”
Before the witches could arrive—
“Now, the flower of the Arena! The event you’ve all been waiting for! The true Infinite Duel begins—!”
The curtain rose on the grand finale. And before that monumental event, I had one last task.
“Huff—!”
「Endure. More.」
The 「Light」. To make the Dragon Sword truly mine.
「Come now, just three more times. For real this time.」
“You’ve said that over ten times already!”
It was a strange training method, but...
「One!」
“Huff!”
Anyway—The 「Light」 had finally taken root within me. Hot. Blazing hot.