The Swordmaster Who Returned After 1,000 Years

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 156

"It's been a while, Emperor. You look exactly the same."

"It seems that Your Holiness has grown even younger."

Kaylen gazed at the Holy Emperor, who had suddenly manifested in the human realm.

The Holy Emperor, Benedict.

[TL/N: Holy Emperor is basically the Pope]

The last time he had seen him, he had the appearance of a middle-aged man. But now, he looked like a young man with long, white hair.

However, even though his outward appearance had changed, Kaylen could tell that he was still the Holy Emperor Benedict.

His face was younger, but he still looked exactly the same as before…

'His divine power seems even stronger than before.'

It was because he could sense the Holy Emperor’s uniquely overwhelming divine energy.

"Why have you come here instead of staying in the Sanctuary?"

"I heard that the Emperor has become a Grand Sword Master. I couldn't just remain in the heavens. I came to offer my congratulations."

The Holy Emperor spoke with a smiling face.

However, his gaze was cold as he observed Kaylen closely.

It was as if he wanted to personally confirm Kaylen's condition with his own eyes.

"I'm glad I came down to see for myself. It seems the Emperor has regained his former strength."

"It must be thanks to the grace of the Celestial God."

"Hearing that from the Emperor himself is truly pleasing to me as a servant of the Celestial God."

The two conversed with smiling faces.

From a distance, they seemed to be having a friendly discussion, but Saintess Theresia, who was watching nearby, couldn't shake off an uneasy feeling.

'There's a sharp tension in the air. Especially from the Holy Emperor…'

Compared to Kaylen, the Holy Emperor's wariness was far more evident.

It had always been this way.

The Emperor of the Continent, Ernstine, had little interest in the Holy See.

However, the Holy Emperor had been wary of Ernstine even before he unified the continent.

'If it weren’t for Lord Ernstine, a thousand years ago would have been an era ruled by the Holy Emperor. It's understandable that he harbors ill feelings.'

But this was no longer the peaceful era of a thousand years ago, when only the Demon King would occasionally appear.

The middle realm had already been consumed by the demon realm, and the Holy See had fled to the Sanctuary.

Even Ernstine, once the Emperor of the Continent, was now just a king of a nation oppressed by the Geysir Empire.

In such dire circumstances, they should be setting aside past grudges and working together.

Yet, Holy Emperor Benedict still did not seem to be on friendly terms with Kaylen.

'…How narrow-minded.'

Saintess Theresia glanced at the Holy Emperor, thinking so.

Benedict then shifted his gaze toward her.

"Theresia. It seems you are having impure thoughts."

"A-Ah, no. What do you mean? I was simply hoping that the two of you would cooperate a little more."

"Hmph. Cooperation, huh. If it's for the sake of humanity, I must not hesitate to work with the Emperor."

With that, Benedict dropped his smile and, with a now expressionless face, turned to Kaylen.

"But before that, there is something I must confirm with my own eyes.".

"What is it that you wish to see?"

"Could you show me the Six Swords Path?"

The Six Swords Path?

Why was he suddenly bringing that up?

"I may reside in the Sanctuary, but my eyes and ears remain sharp. I have some understanding of the Helmeier clan. Especially regarding the Six Demonic Paths."

"You have knowledge about them?"

"Yes. But before we discuss that, I would like to see the Six Swords Path first."

The Holy Emperor did not seem willing to speak until he had seen it for himself.

If he wanted information about the Helmeier clan, there was no other choice.

Kaylen nodded calmly and unleashed the Six Swords Path.

Six swords extended from his back.

Each of the six blades was flawless, radiating a brilliant aura.

The Holy Emperor observed them carefully.

And then—

‘Ugh…’

Sssss—

A portion of the Holy Emperor's pure white hair darkened to black.

One by one, strands fell, only to regrow in their original white, repeating the cycle.

'The Holy Emperor's hair turning black…?'

Both the Holy Emperor and the Saintess were known for their sacred, silver-white hair, glowing with a faint radiance.

Yet now, of all things, black hair had appeared on him.

A stark, deep black—resembling that of demons.

It was a peculiar phenomenon.

'His divine power is unchanged.'

The luminous mana of the Holy Emperor remained undisturbed.

And yet, only his hair had momentarily changed, falling out before returning to white.

Was it because he had lived for a thousand years?

Kaylen felt a sense of doubt.

"The aura of the Sixfold Sword… It feels as if I am looking at the past. This is reassuring."

"Are you satisfied now?"

"Yes, Emperor."

As the Holy Emperor faintly smiled, his hair returned to its pristine white.

"Fortunately, it is not the heretical power of the Six Demonic Paths."

Holy Emperor Benedict now regarded Kaylen with a much friendlier demeanor than before.

"Theresia, bring us some tea."

"I am the Saintess. And you want me to serve tea?"

"Yes, you are the Saintess. But I am the Holy Emperor."

Flick. Flick.

Benedict waved his hand dismissively, as if he couldn't be bothered.

Though she wore a dissatisfied expression, Theresia eventually left the room.

"Tsk, tsk. Even after a thousand years, she still lets her emotions show so plainly. Our Saintess truly lacks discipline."

"I'm not so sure. If anything, it seems she feels comfortable around Your Holiness. It is a sign of closeness, which is good to see."

“Haha. She’s like a daughter to me. We’ve shared a bond for a thousand years, though I must admit… it’s becoming a bit tiresome.”

“Sorry for being such a bother.”

It hadn’t been long since she left, yet Theresia returned almost instantly, carrying a tea set.

She all but tossed the teacup in front of the Holy Emperor, whereas she carefully placed Kaylen’s down with a polite gesture before stepping back.

“Well then, please continue your conversation.”

Watching Theresia leave the room, the Holy Emperor smirked and remarked,

“At least she knows when to excuse herself. A thousand years haven’t been entirely wasted on her, it seems.”

So telling her to bring tea was really just a way to send her out.

Kaylen nodded slightly and took a sip of the tea Theresia had prepared.

‘…It’s practically boiled water.’

He couldn’t even tell what, if anything, had been added to it.

The Holy Emperor barely touched the tea before quietly setting the cup aside, pushing it far away.

“A thousand years, and she’s still learned so little. That is my failing.”

“No, it’s understandable. It’s not as if a Saintess needs to be skilled at making tea.”

“I appreciate your understanding, Your Majesty.”

The Holy Emperor, having discarded the teacup, gave Kaylen a slight nod.

“Your Majesty, before we proceed, allow me to apologize for my earlier discourtesy.”

“You mean verifying the Six Sword Path?”

“Yes. But as the Holy Emperor, it was a necessary precaution. I ask for your understanding.”

Seeing that it was the Six Sword Path and not the Six Demonic Path had clearly put the Holy Emperor at ease.

There was no doubt he knew something—hence his caution.

As Kaylen gazed at him with calm yet sharp eyes, Benedict met his stare and spoke.

“What do you think of the sword, Your Majesty?”

“The sword?”

“Yes. It may seem an odd question to ask the Grand Swordmaster, but I’d like to hear your thoughts.”

“The sword is merely a weapon suited to the human hand. What other meaning could it hold?”

Hearing this from the greatest swordsman of the era, Benedict smiled.

“Yes, the sword is humanity’s weapon. Of course, many races besides humans have wielded swords… But none have used them as extensively as mankind. The sword and the knights who mastered it played a pivotal role in humanity’s settlement of this continent. It is the weapon of mortals. That is what the sword has always been.”

“I never expected a lesson on the origins of the sword from the Holy Emperor.”

“Haha. Nor did I ever expect to discuss such a topic with the Emperor of Swords. However, I wanted you to understand that, in a way, the sword is a symbol of humanity.”

The sword as a symbol of humanity.

At those words, Kaylen recalled the Six Sword Path and the Six Demonic Path.

The Six Sword Path, which retained the form of a sword.

The Six Demonic Path, which transformed into pure mana constructs.

When he had completed the Six Sword Path, he had once faced the temptation to abandon it in favor of the Six Demonic Path.

Had he succumbed to that temptation…

He himself might have transcended humanity, becoming something else entirely—something tied to dragons.

“The reason you were relieved upon seeing the Six Sword Path… was it because you confirmed that I am still human?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“You seem to know quite a bit about both the Six Sword Path and the Six Demonic Path.”

“How could I claim to know more about the Six Sword Path than Your Majesty? But… I do know about the Six Demonic Path.”

The Holy Emperor’s eyes turned cold as he spoke.

“The enemy of the Celestial Gods. The power wielded by dragons—that is the Six Demonic Path.”

“Dragons… Does this have anything to do with Helmeier?”

“Yes. The Helmeier lineage was founded by Caius, the second emperor of the Meier Empire. Their goal is to bring dragons back to life.”

As he spoke, the Holy Emperor pointed at Kaylen.

“And if Your Majesty had transformed the Six Sword Path into the Six Demonic Path… you might have become a dragon yourself.”

At the mansion of House Starn, Kaylen’s younger brother, Royen, was seeing off Roenna, Alkas’s younger sister.

“Roenna-noona, when will you come again?”

“Oh dear, Your Highness. You shouldn’t call me ‘noona.’”

“What do you mean, ‘Your Highness’…”

The title referred to the younger sibling of a king.

By blood, Royen was indeed Kaylen’s younger brother, but he never truly felt like royalty.

‘Not like my brother cares about the family anyway.’

If he had any interest in them, he would have brought his parents and sibling to the royal palace after ascending the throne.

But Kaylen only sent guards and attendants—he never summoned them to the palace.

‘Well, that works better for me.’

With their mother mentally unstable and their father tending to her, moving the Starn family to the palace would have put Royen in an awkward position as the king’s half-brother.

On top of that…

“This time, it’s exam season, so it’ll take a while. I’ll probably be back next week. Make sure to study on your own—and don’t just practice fire magic.”

Roenna smiled and waved, and Royen blushed as he looked at her.

For the past year…

The boy had harbored feelings for his magic tutor.

‘This is perfect.’

If he were living in the palace, he wouldn’t have been able to take private lessons from her so leisurely.

Hoping this routine would continue, Royen waved at Roenna.

“Noona, come back soon!”

“Alright! Keep up with your studies!”

As Roenna left the mansion, Royen turned around and muttered under his breath.

“Study, huh… Ice Spear.”

A Third-Circle water spell, Ice Spear, materialized in Royen’s hand.

No, his magic was far stronger than usual—

The Ice Spear was far too thick to even be called a spear.

At this level, his mastery had already surpassed his tutor, Roenna.

“Water magic is easy now.”

Dismissing the Ice Spear, Royen slowly made his way back inside.

And watching from nearby—

‘That child…’

Hidden from view as she scouted the Starn estate, Melvria observed the scene.

‘He’s already halfway to becoming a demon.’

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]