Sword Emperor, Becoming the Young Lady of a Viscount House

Chapter 36: Division (3)

Beatrice stood confidently.

However, cold sweat was running down her back.

‘This isn’t good.’

Her shoulder and wrist were injured.

She had thought it was just a minor sprain, but the pain was worse than expected.

Her physical condition was far from ideal.

[Why did you choose such a method? There was a safer route.]

Solid rebuked her.

This was not an individual match but a team game.

There was no need to overexert herself alone.

‘Because this is more fun.’

[…Throughout history, tragedy has always stemmed from arrogance. How foolish.]

Of course, it wasn’t just for fun.

‘Which leaves a greater impact: annihilating everyone alone or merely creating a favorable situation?’

Simply put, she didn’t want to prepare the table just to give it away to others.

Beatrice wanted a destructive impact—an achievement so formidable that no one would dare to look down on her, a power so undeniable that it left no room for doubt.

Since she was born, she had to become the best. If she wasn’t going to be the best, it was better to end her life right away.

This was the conviction that allowed her to attain the title of Sword Emperor.

That’s why Beatrice, even when she lacked the strength to properly grip a sword, boldly walked forward.

The others showed no action.

It must have meant her persuasion was insufficient.

Beatrice understood the reason.

There were five of them.

Among them, three were losers.

While Gareth was strong, the skills of the other losers were not enough to stand against Argos and Tar.

In short, Gareth’s defection was crucial.

Fortunately, Beatrice’s assessment of Gareth was that he was ambitious and cunning.

He was someone who could easily abandon his convictions for his own safety.

While such people were unreliable to keep close, they were easy to persuade.

“In war—or in life—something as important as practical ability is the line you follow.”

She looked Gareth straight in the eyes.

Gareth slowly retreated.

He gathered mana, preparing to attack.

“I am strong. Stronger than anyone here. Even if you all choose not to betray me, I am confident I can subdue everyone with my power alone. That’s why I came forward.”

She smiled seductively and raised her sword.

“So, choose: Argos or me. Think long-term. This isn’t just a mock war. This training will extend far into the future, even into real war.”

She was telling them to pick a side.

At least, no one in this space failed to understand her.

“Will you finish this game with nothing to gain? Or will you at least gain the second-best, if not the best? The choice is yours.”

“Don’t be swayed! Beatrice is exhausted! If we work together, we can defeat her!”

A faint, strong glow appeared in Gareth’s hand.

And then—

Without hesitation, he threw it at Argos.

-BOOM!

‘Success.’

Gareth’s attack marked the beginning.

Rather than hesitating, the two other losers also moved.

“Damn it, Gareth!”

“I’ll handle Argos! The two of you take care of Tar!”

The shift in their stance was so swift it was hard to believe they had just been consumed by emotions.

In an instant, the hall turned into chaos.

The sounds of weapons clashing, Argos’s enraged shouts at being betrayed—everything was palpable.

Beatrice twitched her lips.

It had been child’s play up until now, but now it finally felt like a real battlefield.

She lowered her sword.

Gareth and Argos—both, as magicians, unleashed countless orbs of magic that collided against each other.

She walked lightly toward Argos.

“Don’t hate them too much, Argos.”

“Beatrice! I can’t hold out for long!”

Gareth shouted urgently.

Argos, though initially caught off guard by the ambush, quickly regained his composure and found his rhythm.

The difference in skill between the two was undeniable.

Argos was that strong.

At this rate, Gareth would soon be subdued.

The situation needed to be resolved quickly, yet Beatrice appeared calm.

No, to be precise, she feigned composure.

‘I can’t use my sword.’

Gripping the sword would inevitably strain her wrist.

Even holding it was painful for Beatrice. She couldn’t muster the strength to swing it as she normally would.

So, she simply let go of her sword.

-Clink.

“…!”

Argos widened his eyes at the sight.

“Where are you looking?!”

Gareth’s beam of light fiercely surged toward Argos.

It was the strongest attack he had launched so far.

Magicians use conductors to cast spells more easily.

These weapons, made of special materials, amplify magic. Without them, magical power is halved.

In other words, Gareth had just expended most of his mana in a final attack.

‘I don’t know why she dropped her sword, but…’

Argos thought as he stared at the blinding beam of light.

‘That was a mistake, Beatrice.’

He clenched his fist.

Before Beatrice could approach and before Gareth’s light could strike—

Argos swung his fist.

-BOOM!

Though there should have been nothing but empty air, a heavy sound, like a hammer striking, echoed.

And then—

The space where Argos’s fist struck crumbled.

It was a sight almost impossible to believe.

The collapsed space was about the size of a human head.

-Grrrrr.

From within, the sound of a predator emanated.

Beatrice frowned at the chilling noise.

‘What is that…?’

Her gaze met a pair of golden eyes.

They were reptilian, resembling those of a lizard.

They were massive—about the size of a human head.

It was impossible to estimate the size of the creature’s entire body.

[A spirit’s aura is emanating. Flee. You can’t handle this with your current abilities.]

A chill ran down her spine.

To Beatrice, this moment felt as though it was moving in slow motion.

The eyes stared at her briefly before disappearing.

The space then turned into an abyss of darkness.

-Whoosh.

At that moment, all the mana in the vicinity was sucked into the black vortex.

The trees shook, and the ground was partially upturned under the tremendous pressure.

Even Gareth’s attack was useless.

The strange space devoured Gareth’s light greedily.

It made sense since it was a crystallization of mana.

The problem was the impending attack, filled with that immense mana.

‘…That’s an absurd amount of power.’

[It’s not without reason that Argos is who he is. But, Beatrice, in your current condition, you cannot block that attack. Nor can you evade it. …Will you make a contract?]

‘If I make a contract, can I stop it?’

[As a higher-ranking spirit, I can crush something like that with ease. Do not underestimate me, the full-fledged Solid.]

‘That was tempting, Solid. From now on, don’t nag and suggest more creative solutions like this.’

Time resumed its flow.

The space stopped absorbing mana.

Beatrice instinctively knew that it was the calm before the storm.

Something unimaginable would emerge from that hole.

-Huff.

She took a short breath.

She concentrated all her strength in her lower body.

Even the minuscule amount of mana she had left was entirely used.

This was her last chance.

Here, she would pour out all the strength she had left.

The distance between her and Argos was approximately 1 meter.

It was just the right range for Beatrice’s current state.

She smirked as she thought.

‘They say there’s a priest who can revive even the dead, huh? I’ll have to see their skills.’

Technically, she was only “on the verge of death,” but who cared about the details?

Beatrice’s figure shot forward like a bullet.

Her target was singular.

It wasn’t Argos.

It was the flag.

“Breath!”

Argos chanted.

Beatrice closed in on him at nearly the same moment.

She reached out her hand toward the flag.

At that moment, a crimson breath spewed from the black hole, heading toward her.

‘It’s going to hit.’

Beatrice realized that the breath would reach her hand if she continued like this.

If she stopped now, she could avoid it.

But she wouldn’t be able to seize the flag.

In her near-exhausted state, there was no way she could let this chance slip by.

If she missed this opportunity, there wouldn’t be another.

‘I have to finish it here.’

Beatrice had no choice but to decide.

She might sustain serious injuries.

But it didn’t matter.

As long as she could win—

-Thwack!

“…!”

Beatrice snatched the flag.

At the same time, the crimson breath engulfed her left arm.

“This, this is insane…!”

Argos’s expression turned to shock.

He hadn’t expected her to keep moving even after seeing the breath.

Argos turned around to look at her, who had just dashed past him.

Though the breath’s power was halved because he hadn’t used a proper conductor,

The same applied to his opponent, who wasn’t wearing any defensive gear.

…She must have been gravely injured.

And yet,

Beatrice only frowned as she clutched her arm.

There didn’t seem to be anything unusual.

‘I’m lucky I was a little faster.’

She had only brushed against the breath slightly.

If she had taken a direct hit, her injuries would have been much worse.

Thanks to her slightly unorthodox movements, Argos seemed to have misjudged his timing.

[It’s fortunate the result turned out well, but it was reckless, young Beatrice.]

‘Stop nagging, Solid. Your constant chatter is annoying. I might just melt you down.’

[…]

-Tsk.

Whatever the case, she had won.

That was what mattered.

“Argos, this time it stung a bit.”

This game,

Ended with Beatrice’s one-woman show.

**

“Your Highness, what do you think?”

In the palace of Krapos,

Sebastian, the advisor, and Crown Prince Luel were watching a crystal orb.

Indeed,

What was called the “mock war” had been entirely recorded without missing a single moment.

Luel had witnessed the entire spectacle.

“If my memory serves correctly, Argos was still a successor until just a few months ago, wasn’t he?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“He was stripped of his status for a rather peculiar reason. And according to your report, he was the strongest and most exceptional among the noble faction’s cadets sent this time, right?”

“I submitted such a report.”

“And yet—”

Luel smirked with interest.

“It doesn’t seem that way. There’s someone far more exceptional.”

“Are you referring to Beatrice Cenci?”

“Yes. Look at that unbelievable performance. I can’t believe what I’m seeing is the work of a girl who hasn’t even reached adulthood.”

Beatrice’s actions were hard to believe even after seeing them firsthand.

Her martial prowess was one thing, but her sheer dominance threw the balance completely off.

She had done everything by herself.

The other cadets displayed unexpected skills,

But compared to Beatrice’s display of power, they were mere specks.

“Especially that last scene—it left me speechless.”

“…I was equally astonished.”

The “Breath,” a magic spell passed down in the Argos family for generations.

Its destructive power was legendary within Krapos.

It was so famous that even the crown prince had grown up hearing tales of the dragon contracted by the Argos family decapitating the Demon King with this magic.

“She showed no fear. It was as if she didn’t know what death was.”

Even after seeing the casting of the Breath, her eyes didn’t waver.

The aura was so intense that it made those watching from beyond the crystal orb flinch.

In person, the pressure must have been even more overwhelming.

But instead of fearing it, Beatrice hadn’t even considered dodging.

And this wasn’t even real combat.

It was just a game.

“However, Your Highness, according to Reiser, there’s no evidence that she has contracted with a spirit.”

“I’ve heard as much.”

“…With respect, this mock battle was conducted with penalties imposed on the cadets. Actual combat will be different. The power of spirits cannot be defied.”

There was a reason people in this era placed such importance on spirits.

It wasn’t out of foolishness.

The difference between a mere “mana user” and someone contracted with a spirit was so vast it was almost disrespectful to compare them.

Even a single step in rank made an overwhelming difference, and the gap between non-contractors and contractors was like that between a newborn and an adult.

“I know.”

Yet, Luel couldn’t take his intrigued gaze off the scene.

In the recording, Beatrice, looking exhausted, lay sprawled out, waving her hand as she spoke.

“Argos, I’m in so much pain. Hurry and take me to that priest who supposedly revives even the dead.”

“But tell me. Have you ever seen it before?”

“…What do you mean?”

“A non-contracted fighter, albeit without using a conductor, single-handedly defeating over a dozen spirit contractors. I’ve never heard of it—not even as a rumor.”

“…That is…”

“…Does she really seem like a non-contractor to you?”

Sebastian’s eyes widened.

Luel chuckled quietly.

“Fascinating, absolutely fascinating, Sebastian.”

He rose from his seat.

Then, in a low voice, he commanded.

“Bring me Beatrice Cenci. I must see her myself.”

“As you command.”

Luel was still smiling.

Beatrice Cenci.

Her name was already deeply engraved in the crown prince’s mind.