The Super Cell hadn’t fully gone to sleep.
Half-broken.
Though it had lost its speed and power, it maintained its form.
To me, the very idea of a single human going up against a natural phenomenon was an awe-inspiring event.
But for the Sword Master, it felt as routine as everyday life.
The composed demeanor of the old man drawing his sword and stepping forward.
He walks steadily with measured steps as the wind begins to lazily pick up around him.
“Your move was impressive, I must say.”
“Thank you…”
“My turn now. You should watch closely if you don’t want limbs flying off during our next training match.”
It was a terrifying statement indeed.
My inability to respond wasn’t due to lack of words but because all my strength had drained away, leaving me collapsed on the ground gasping for breath.
“Haaah…”
The old man steadies his breathing.
A white beam of light is drawn into the mouth of the Sword Master.
An endlessly gathering pinpoint of light.
Under the infinite condensation of magic power, its center wildly fluctuates.
With a slow slicing motion of the sword.
Finally, the light vanishes into a distant point.
When the light reached the core of the Super Cell.
A colossal wave of light that seemed to engulf the world spread out then abruptly subsided.
In that fleeting moment, an immense amount of energy gathered at the center of the light before evaporating somewhere.
At the end of that brilliance.
It was as though the Super Cell had disappeared beyond space, leaving no trace behind.
“Hmm.”
“Rather than confronting it directly… did you send it away?”
“Caught on, have you?”
“Yes. I saw how you made it vanish into another dimension.”
“Heheh. It’s probably floating in the middle of the ocean right now. It’ll quietly dissipate soon enough.”
Is this what they call elemental advantage?
The method of expending less effort by sending it elsewhere is something I couldn’t perform.
Perhaps it could be considered a type of elemental advantage.
“Isn’t this more fun?”
“Pardon?”
“Playing around with nobility in a small country or whatever… isn’t it more entertaining to face grand nature like this?”
His words stirred something within me.
He wasn’t wrong.
Compared to headache-inducing political battles, I do prefer the refreshing release of power.
Still, I don’t think I’d enjoy this every day.
Even gaining enlightenment, my ultimate goal remains the happiness of my family.
“That’s better.”
“Isn’t it? Hahaha. Once you reach higher levels, the view changes, doesn’t it?”
“Did you always play this role?”
“Something like that. Follow me. There’s something we need to check.”
I slowly follow the path carved by the Sword Master.
The distance where the Super Cell vanished was quite far.
Though it appeared close, that was merely an illusion created by its enormity.
“A near-perfect strike. Is fire the ability of your sword?”
“Yes. I forged it myself.”
“Hooh. So you know how to craft swords too?”
“Just picked up bits and pieces here and there.”
“Excellent.”
Despite the praise from the Sword Master, I feel somewhat awkward smiling about it.
There’s something unsettling about the sly remarks he subtly drops.
“Anyway, what do you make of this Super Cell?”
“What… Isn’t it just one of many natural phenomena?”
“It might be. But what I’m about to tell you is confidential, so keep it to yourself.”
After walking for some time, once we’re far enough from the astonished and admiring crowd…
The Sword Master quietly brings up a topic.
“Yes.”
“It could truly be a natural phenomenon.”
The Sword Master stops mid-stride and tears open space.
Beyond the rift lies the direction we were heading towards—the core of the Super Cell.
Together, we cross over.
On the floor lies something frozen white.
The Sword Master examines it, makes a clicking sound with his tongue, then picks it up.
“It could also be something not so natural.”
“…Are you saying someone deliberately caused it?”
“Yes.”
The Sword Master picks up the cold glowing stone and inspects it from various angles.
“Don’t misunderstand though.”
“Huh?”
“It’s just a joke. Nothing serious. Just a casual ‘how are you?’ kind of greeting.”
“…You mean to tell me such a natural disaster is a casual greeting?”
“Exactly. They’re bored, so it’s both a visit and a ‘how are you?'”
“Isn’t that dangerous? If you hadn’t stopped it, countless lives in the capital would’ve been injured or killed.”
“It’s their way.”
As he says this, the Sword Master gently places the stone on the ground.
The frost and lingering magical aura dissipates into thin air.
It was a faint trace left behind by someone who had reached the level of Master.
“What do you think a Master is?”
“Someone who has attained enlightenment, correct?”
“Very accurate. Now, here’s a question: Are the enlightenments of Masters all the same?”
I shake my head.
Impossible.
Whether human or otherwise, everyone comes from different environments and ways of thinking.
How could they be the same?
“They differ.”
“Correct. All are unique.”
“Are you suggesting these differing enlightenments cause such phenomena?”
“Is it difficult to understand?”
“Yes.”
“Truly…”
The Sword Master flashes a deep smile.
“Truly wonderful news! You’ve gained enlightenment without losing your humanity!”
“Huh?”
Suddenly, the Sword Master starts clapping for me.
Confused by the situation, all I can do is stand there dumbfounded.
“Clap clap! Absolutely perfect.”
“Does that deserve applause?”
“You wouldn’t understand if you met the ones who cast aside their humanity upon enlightenment. Quite a few of them exist.”
“Oh… So…”
“It’s just a game to them. They don’t care about others’ perspectives. The question is whether it causes them problems. At the level of Master, there usually aren’t issues. More accurately, there aren’t beings who pose a problem.”
“Arbitrary, aren’t they?”
“Yep. Arbitrary.”
Normal thinking.
More specifically, it’s related to the common sense and morality shared by most people.
Upon reaching the level of Master, perhaps they prioritize matters of enlightenment so much that they ignore everything else?
I might have developed a similar tendency.
The happiness of those around me.
If it falls within my circle of care, I will gladly protect it.
Especially my family.
I find myself spending more and more time for them instead of myself.
I thought it was simply a change in mindset after becoming a father.
But maybe it’s intertwined with enlightenment.
“I almost went down that path too.”
“Huh?”
“What’s surprising? Most who attain enlightenment face similar situations.”
“How did you overcome it?”
“I didn’t win. I lost. More accurately, I’m still grappling with it.”
Saying this, there’s no hint of regret on the Sword Master’s face.
Instead, there’s relief.
A sense of catharsis even.
“Simple logic. My enlightenment seeks strength, yet here I am stuck in a small country protecting lives. Isn’t that contradictory to my enlightenment?”
“If so, why not pursue your enlightenment further?”
“It’s a matter of priority. I can’t deceive myself. To do that, I’d have to abandon this country. Then again… As I mentioned earlier, there are plenty of lunatics among Masters. It’s beneficial for someone like me to maintain sanity.”
“Sacrifice?”
“Not really. I’m just living like a human.”
I didn’t know that.
Maybe because my enlightenment stems from family, it aligns with that.
Other beings aiming for higher realms likely seek extreme strength, often inhuman.
In that sense, I’m an anomaly who ascended with the help of the system.
The type and essence of enlightenment are fundamentally different, which makes sense now.
“Well, things turned out well, didn’t they? With you around, I feel more at ease.”
“You’re trying to pass the buck to me?”
“It’s preparation for emergencies. Plus, you can be my sparring partner. Not planning to leave anytime soon, are you?”
“My home is good as it is.”
“Then that settles it.”
The Sword Master casually places a hand on my shoulder and starts walking.
Towards where the people are.
“Looks like there’s much to talk about and show.”
“More?”
“Endless. First, since you’ve become a Master, you need to attend a meeting of lunatics and take an oath.”
“What kind of oath?”
“Simple. A vow not to destroy the world. It’s both a minimal safety measure to protect the world from lunatics and the reason they develop.”
“Why does it lead to development?”
“Reason’s simple. Most Masters are powerful. The majority refuse to acknowledge defeat by others. Hence, they lose their minds and do crazy things to display their strength.”
“Like the Super Cell earlier?”
“Hmm? No, this was just a joke. Imagine crazier stuff beyond what you can imagine. What happens then?”
“Quite a difficult situation arises.”
“Exactly. That’s why we agreed to gather and kill anyone who does such things. That’s the content of the oath.”
“Why does it encourage development then?”
“If you become strong enough to kill the rest alone, you can break the oath. And when someone tries to break the oath and we fail to kill them, it pisses us off, so we grow stronger. Killing a Master isn’t something easily done elsewhere.”
“Sounds like a gathering of lunatics.”
“Congratulations. You’re now part of that gathering.”
“Compulsory?”
“If you don’t take the oath, they’ll come to kill you.”
“Gladly join then.”
“Not much to it. Doing nothing is fine too. In fact, I recommend that. You won’t have many reasons to attend meetings anyway.”
“Just formalities.”
“Still, we need to tie you down somehow.”
Saying this, the Sword Master looks quite exhausted.
Just hearing about it sounds like a tough group to manage.
Nothing in life flows smoothly, huh?
Creating and destroying Super Cells is considered a joke by these beings.
Once again, the scale is far greater than I imagined.
If this is just a joke, how far would they go with seriousness?
“Do you understand why I’m uninterested in noble politics within the country?”
“Yes.”
“Still, let me know if it gets boring. I’m not completely useless yet.”
“Scary thought. You might pass all your duties to me.”
“With the title of Duke, perhaps it’d be manageable?”
“Noble politics hold no interest for me.”
“Ah, what a shame.”
The Sword Master grins mischievously.
Feels like he was just testing me, knowing I’d refuse.
Title of Duke.
Hmm, not sure.
Even the title of Baron feels uncomfortable.
“There’s a crowd praising you ahead.”
“Intimidating.”
“Isn’t fame great?”
“Not really. What’s so good about being famous?”
“If you care about village development, talented individuals will flock to you.”
“Lately, there are too many random people. Screening them is exhausting.”
“True? I never cared about managing people.”
“Besides, I didn’t handle the entire Super Cell situation alone. You dealt the final blow.”
The power of appearances is mighty. The massive wave of flames. Those who witnessed it will naturally spread rumors about you.
Our conversation continued for quite a while as we strolled through the quiet field.
Lunatics.
The straightforward term used to describe Masters was rather amusing.
Seeing them treat Super Cells as mere jokes, the label “lunatics” seems fitting indeed.
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