The Swordmaster Who Returned After 1,000 Years

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 158

"Yes. I originally had light blonde hair, but at some point, my hair color changed."

"Then, does this happen to everyone in the Sanctuary?"

"That’s right. It happens to all of us."

As Theresia nodded, Kaylen furrowed his brows.

‘Looks like I have another reason to visit the Sanctuary.’

The people of the Sanctuary revealed black hair when they exhausted their divine power.

If it were just a change in hair color, that would be one thing, but what if—like the Holy Emperor—dark mana was hidden within that black hair?

He had to confirm this.

‘No… I don’t even need to go all the way to the Sanctuary.’

Theresia, standing right in front of him, also developed black hair.

Kaylen reached out, grasping Theresia’s hands, his voice dropping to a deep, serious tone.

"Theresia."

"Y-Yes…?"

"I have a favor to ask."

Swoosh.

Kaylen leaned in, bringing his face right in front of hers.

His golden eyes gleamed with an irresistible intensity.

‘W-Why is he acting like this all of a sudden…?’

Gulp.

Without realizing it, Theresia swallowed hard.

She had admired Kaylen for so long.

Now that he had returned, she had been forced to maintain her distance due to her position as a Saintess.

She had only been able to linger nearby, unable to approach him.

But now, he was the one drawing closer.

And she had no defense against it.

"W-What… what kind of favor?"

Theresia averted her gaze slightly, as if overwhelmed by the intensity of Kaylen’s stare.

But despite turning her head, she kept sneaking glances back at him.

"It’s something only you can do."

His voice, so close, was impossibly soft and smooth.

Before she knew it, Theresia found herself repeating his words.

"Something… only I can do…"

"That’s right."

"W-What exactly are you asking me to do? You’re acting so differently than usual—"

"I want to see your black hair."

"…My black hair?"

"Yeah. Theresia."

So that was why he kept asking about black hair?

Was this his reason for getting so close?

Theresia felt her pounding heart settle slightly.

Somehow, she had known he was acting unusual.

"Why do you suddenly want to see black hair?"

"I think it would suit you."

"Kaylen…"

"I mean it. I’ve never seen a woman with black hair before."

Kaylen grinned mischievously.

"So? Will you show me?"

"Sigh…"

Just because he thought it would suit her… he wanted to see it?

That couldn’t be his real intention.

Theresia let out a sigh.

She felt like she had lost out by getting flustered for no reason.

"Showing you isn’t difficult, but…"

"Really?"

"I’m not the same little Theresia from the past. Saying you want to see it because black hair would suit me—stop joking around and tell me the real reason."

"A joke? That’s harsh. I really do think black hair would suit you. But… there is one more reason."

"And what is that?"

"I’ll tell you if you show me."

How petty.

So he wouldn’t even say the real reason and just claimed black hair would look good on her?

‘Does he think I’ll fall for such sweet talk?’

Muttering to herself, Theresia still took a small step back.

One way or another, she always ended up doing what Kaylen asked.

"Fine. I’ll use my full power to bless you."

"Oh? A blessing? Are you going to make my heart race like last time?"

"Ugh… You knew?"

"How could I not?"

Theresia’s face turned slightly red.

Back then, when she first met Kaylen—

She had played a small trick with the Blessing of Life to draw the promising Meister into the Sanctuary.

A blessing meant to make his heart race for her.

So he had realized it even back then.

"This time, I’ll make you fall completely."

"Ugh… Alright. I’ll use my full power to make you utterly captivated!"

Theresia took a step back and activated her divine power.

The light mana flared up far more intensely than when she had blessed him before.

It was clear that she was using all her strength.

"Our Father in Heaven…"

Unlike last time, when she kept the blessing short, Theresia recited a long prayer.

Her divine power poured out, enveloping Kaylen.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

His heart pounded wildly under the surge of light mana.

Kaylen smirked bitterly.

‘If I were an ordinary person, my heart would have exploded by now.’

As the blessing continued for over ten minutes, a change began in Theresia’s body.

Ssssshh…

Her hair, which had been radiating white light, gradually lost its glow and darkened to black.

‘Oh… finally.’

Her hair had taken on the appearance of a demon’s, but there was no trace of dark mana on the surface.

Still, it had been the same with the Holy Emperor.

Dark mana had only been noticeable when touching the hair.

"Excuse me for a moment."

Swoosh.

Kaylen reached out and touched Theresia’s hair.

Just from touching it, he couldn’t sense any dark mana.

Instead, the divine power felt even stronger—completely different from what had happened with the Holy Emperor.

Did he misinterpret the dark mana back then?

‘No. There’s no way I was mistaken.’

It was faint, but there had definitely been dark mana within her hair.

There was no way Kaylen, a Grand Swordmaster, had misjudged it.

He recalled the situation with the Holy Emperor.

‘The hair had been separated back then.’

The strands that had fallen to the ground and the ones still attached to the head.

Keeping that in mind, Kaylen gently spoke to Theresia.

“Theresia, black hair really does suit you.”

“Haa… Haa… I used up all my divine power in such a short time—I feel like I’m going to die from exhaustion. Instead of that, tell me the real reason.”

“Well, this might sting a little.”

Twtwtuk.

Kaylen plucked a few strands of Theresia’s hair.

“Ack! W-What are you doing?!”

She was already drained of strength, and now he was pulling out her hair?

Theresia frowned at the sharp pain and glared at Kaylen, but—

Her eyes widened in shock.

“Huh… My hair…”

The black strands in Kaylen’s hand were slowly burning away.

Along with an extremely faint trace of dark mana, so weak that only a Saintess would be able to detect it.

Seeing this, Kaylen spoke in a low voice.

“This is the real reason.”

* * *

Kingdom of Lahendra.

A nation bordering the western side of the Starn Kingdom.

Once its central government lost control, it fell into decline.

Without national management over dungeon portals, transportation collapsed, and nobles focused solely on defending their own lands.

However, without Meister-level forces, they couldn’t suppress the dungeon portals.

Most nobles below the rank of Count couldn’t withstand the dungeon outbreaks and perished.

Even high-ranking nobles were barely holding onto their territories.

With roads cut off and each lord struggling to defend their lands,

the nobles of Lahendra were slow to receive information about other territories.

Even about their neighboring lands.

‘What a pathetic country.’

Siven, the captain of the 7th Dragon Knight Order of the Geysir Empire, smirked from atop his drake.

Even after conquering multiple castles in Lahendra, there was no sign of resistance.

When the Dragon Knights attacked, they crumbled without a fight.

“M-Monsters…”

The weak defense forces could only mutter in horror before being annihilated.

It felt like they spent more time moving than actually fighting.

‘His Majesty ordered us to occupy the region bordering the Starn Kingdom as quickly as possible.’

They couldn’t directly invade the Starn Kingdom itself—

but Siven had been ordered to seize every bordering territory without exception.

Five Dragon Knight Orders had already been dispatched for this operation.

—"We cannot invade the Starn Kingdom due to the treaty, but we can surround them. Seize all the land and plant our flags. Leave no resistance alive. Your only mission is to advance and instill fear in the humans."

Raising the flag of the Geysir Empire and engraving fear into their hearts—

That was what the Dragon Knights did best.

“Grrrrr…”

“Hungry, are you? Hold on a little longer. Your feast is coming soon.”

Siven stroked the Drake’s scales and spoke gently.

However, contrary to his tone, he, too, drooled as he bared his fangs.

Fangs too long and sharp to be human.

It was one of the characteristics of a Dragon who had merged with a Drake.

‘Just thinking about eating lower beings makes my mouth water.’

Even though he was originally human, after becoming a Dragon, he regarded humans as an inferior species.

It wasn’t just him—this sentiment was shared among most Dragons.

And the consumption of humans was no different.

The 7th Dragon Division, who had merged with Blood Drakes, loved human flesh more than any other food.

“The commander! The castle is in sight!”

At the report from the vanguard, Siven swallowed his saliva.

At last, the long-awaited—

Mealtime had arrived.

“Prepare to breathe! Wait until the enemy takes up a defensive position!”

The Dragon Division descended in a sudden aerial assault.

They could have secured an easier victory by striking before the castle was fully fortified, but—

Siven did not do so.

—Instill fear into the humans.

If the goal was to instill fear,

Then utterly trampling their pathetic defenses head-on was the most effective method.

“Ah! Commander! If you burn the prey, what are we supposed to eat?”

“Roasted meat tastes good too!”

“It’s not roasting, it’s turning to ash!”

A Drake’s breath was too powerful—humans couldn’t withstand it.

Pathetic creatures.

Clicking his tongue, Siven spoke to his subordinates, who had all bared their fangs in anticipation of the feast.

“Then only scorch the castle walls! We must preserve the prey.”

The breath attack was merely a warning that the Dragon Division had arrived.

It would be enough to leave some scorch marks on the walls and break the defensive magic barrier.

At Siven’s words, the Dragons cheered.

“Haha! Understood!”

“Woohoo, it’s a feast!”

Siven smiled at them.

Once mere herbivores, now carnivorous hunters, the chosen Dragons.

They had acquired appetites befitting their evolution.

‘It’s fortunate that my division has all properly evolved.’

He had heard that in other divisions, some Dragons still clung to their humanity from before their transformation and were reluctant to consume humans.

How pitiful.

To not know this flavor.

Siven let out a chilling laugh, looking forward to the upcoming feast.

His stomach rumbled before he knew it.

And then—

As the fortress came into view—

“All units, spread out and encircle the castle!”

At Siven’s command, the Dragon Division dispersed widely.

With 500 Dragons forming an aerial siege formation,

At a glance, the encirclement seemed loose, but the reach of the Drakes’ breath could engulf the entire fortress.

“Breathe!”

KAAAAAH!

Some insignificant count’s castle—Siven couldn’t even recall its name.

They would instill terror in the prey, consume about half of them, and then plant the Geysir Empire’s flag.

Having already laid out his plans, Siven watched the breath attacks with satisfaction.

The castle walls burned in all directions.

Just imagining feasting on the humans drenched in fear made his mouth water.

As the Drakes’ flames were about to directly strike the castle—

“No…”

The breath attacks suddenly stopped before reaching the walls.

Not just in one direction, but simultaneously across all fronts.

Rather than being blocked, it was more like they had been severed.

“He’s here.”

And then—

A person who had not been visible before now stood atop the castle wall.

All eyes turned toward him.

At dusk, as the sun was nearly set,

He alone stood on the battlements, radiating sacred mana that illuminated him.

“Knights who have forsaken their humanity—consider this your honor.”

He extended his hand.

“You shall be the first to witness the pinnacle of the sword.”

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]