I Pulled Out the Excalibur

Chapter 32 – Mid-Rank Priest Volkman (3)

“Have you considered joining the Order of the Sword?”

Faced with Volkman’s proposal, Najin remained silent.
The offer was light-hearted in tone, but he knew it was not made lightly.

It was an appealing offer.
He couldn’t deny that.

Standing before him, the priest named Volkman might be exceptional, but sparring with Volkman gave Najin a positive impression of the Order. He felt a pure desire from the priest before him.

Even as Najin mimicked his techniques on the spot, reducing a lifetime of Volkman’s training to a moment, Volkman didn’t hesitate to show more diverse techniques.

As if challenging him to copy even those.

Receiving all those techniques, Najin couldn’t help but feel grateful to Volkman. He also felt a kind of awe. Volkman’s focus on the Sword, immune to feelings of inferiority, jealousy, or futility, was admirable.

Indeed, it was a tempting offer.

Of course, not all members of the Order might be like Volkman, but at least it was a place where only those truly dedicated to the Sword gathered. A place where background and origin didn’t matter; joining could offer protection and stable growth.

-……

Najin pondered, while Merlin remained silent.
Merlin was a guide, not one to impose a path. The choice of which path to walk was solely up to the walker.

An attractive offer.
An easy and stable path.

As Najin looked at the well-paved road before him, he bitterly smiled, knowing well.

“I’m sorry.”

He knew such a path wouldn’t lead him to where he aspired to be.

“I cannot accept your offer.”

Najin bowed to Volkman.
Joining the Order of the Sword, practicing against a wall to ascend in skills was an easy and simple path. But that wasn’t what Najin desired.

Najin had just stepped into the world.
He had much to see, much to experience.

Only by experiencing and learning from the world could he aim for a broader horizon. Not an easy and simple path, but a rough and perilous one, would lead him higher.

‘Like King Arthur did.’

A path akin to Arthur’s.
That was the path Najin had vowed to walk. As Najin looked up again, Volkman was smiling at him.

“If that’s what you choose, I can’t argue. It’s a shame, but you have your own way, after all.”

There was no sign of disappointment in refusing the offer.
Rather, as if he expected it, Volkman stroked his beard and then let out a short sigh before speaking.

“Ivan, you plan to stay in this city, don’t you?”
“Yes, I’m thinking of staying for at least a year.”
“That’s quite specific. Do you have a particular goal?”

After a brief hesitation, Najin spoke, unafraid to reveal his ambition.

“To reach the White rank.”

The White rank.
The pinnacle of the City of Opportunity, Cambria. A rank belonging to Sword Seeker-level warriors. Hearing Najin’s aspiration, Volkman burst into laughter.

The young man before him was just a novice with a newly dyed Black badge. Yet, this novice spoke of reaching the city’s summit in just a year.

A delusion, something everyone would laugh at.
But Volkman didn’t laugh at Najin. Instead, he heartily laughed and patted Najin’s shoulder.

“Ah, one should dream big.”

The young man had talent.
Of course, reaching White in a year might be a stretch. But, Volkman believed it wouldn’t take long for Najin to reach the city’s summit.

‘He seems close to a Sword Expert…’

He couldn’t be certain without seeing Najin draw sword aura, but how long would it take for him to reach Sword Seeker? Volkman pondered, then shook his head. Applying common standards to a genius was foolish.

And, above all, there seemed to be much that Najin was hiding. His name, age, even his realm, nothing could be confirmed with certainty.

‘Suspicious, but…’

It didn’t matter.

After all, the young man was sincere about the Sword.

Volkman knew from their duel. Najin was serious about learning the Sword, relentlessly pushing his limits without settling for his talents.

“So then.”

Volkman took a liking to Najin.
Thus, he made an offer.

“Let me help you.”
“…Yes?”
“I often come to this city to test my sword. Not often, but once a month or so. I’ll check on your swordsmanship each time.”
“That’s…”
“Let me be your swordsmanship mentor. Well, it feels like you’ve already picked my brain dry today.”

Volkman bitterly smiled, shrugging his shoulders.

“If you manage to draw sword aura, it’ll be a different story. I haven’t shown you swordsmanship using aura yet.”
“If you would, that would be great, but…”

Najin hesitated.

“Why would you go to such lengths for me?”

It was too good to be true for Najin. Why would Volkman offer this without any gain for himself? Sensing Najin’s doubt, Volkman smirked.

“You know the Order of the Sword’s rules, don’t you? Surely you didn’t just memorize the convenient ones for challenging me to a duel?”

Chastened, Najin averted his gaze as Volkman chuckled. He knew Najin had lured him into a duel using a shallow tactic. But he had no reason to refuse, so he accepted the challenge.

“There’s a phrase in the Sword Rules.”

Volkman fondled his sword hilt.

“There is no high or low in seeking teachings.”

Whether the opponent is an unparalleled genius, a ruffian from the back alleys, or a student they’re teaching… If they wield a sword, there’s always something to learn from them.

“The duel with you was beneficial for me too. My sword feels sharper, thanks to it. So really, I’m the one asking for your favor.”
“In that case.”

Najin smiled.
He grasped the hand Volkman extended.

“I look forward to it.”
“My words exactly, Ivan.”

“I ended up getting a swordsmanship mentor out of the blue.”
-The Knights of the Round Table really loved such guys. Bedivere, especially, went crazy over them.

Merlin mumbled, somewhat incredulously.

-They say it has a certain romance. Seeing someone so engrossed and madly dedicated to one thing, it sets their hearts ablaze?

And with that.
Merlin exhaled briefly and continued.

-What you did earlier was pretty good.
“What do you mean?”
-That thing. Refusing the priest Volkman’s offer. That was quite good.

Najin looked puzzled, not understanding what Merlin meant, to which Merlin replied with a somewhat sheepish expression.

-You know, that inner monologue of yours. About how the hard and perilous path is the one worth taking. I liked that part.
“You heard that?”
-I can hear almost everything you mutter to yourself. So don’t even think about badmouthing me.

Sneaky old mage, indeed.

-I said I can hear you! Are you really asking for it?

Amused by Merlin’s threat, Najin laughed.
Continuing their conversation, Najin entered the guild’s counter. He handed over the bag containing the orc heads and received the completion fee for the request.

Click.

When Najin inserted his badge into the magical device at the counter, the numbers increased and his information was updated. Operating the device, a list of quests Najin had undertaken so far appeared. For now, it was full of mundane errands.

“It’s time to take on some proper quests.”

He needed to start climbing the ranks.
Higher ranks meant access to higher-level quests and a wider range of experiences.

Black. Purple. Blue. Green. Red. White.

Six tiers of classification.
Moving up to the next rank, Purple, wasn’t too hard. He could easily progress with a few more quests like this.

But he had no intention of taking it slow.

He had acquired basic knowledge of the outside world. He was steadily building his mana cultivation and swordsmanship, and had a fair grasp of how the city operated.

That should be enough, Najin thought.

He had no intention of hiding his strength forever.
Nor did he plan to settle for simple tasks. After all, what he needed most was experience. Real-world experience.

Even if he kept Excalibur and the platinum sword energy hidden, showing a fragment of his sword energy should be fine.

“Would be nice to get a higher-ranked quest.”

The problem was that Najin was unproven.
For simple tasks, sure, but mercenaries and adventurers ultimately relied on trust. A degree of achievement was necessary to be trusted with significant quests.

But currently, Najin had no track record.

Even if he showed a fragment of his sword energy, without a track record, he wouldn’t be entrusted with important quests.

“But there should be at least one if I look…”

As Najin was browsing the quests at the guild’s counter, he felt someone approach from behind. Someone tapped on his shoulder.

Najin turned around.

There stood a familiar-faced girl. Unlike last time, her auburn hair was neatly tied in a single strand, and her sparkling yellow eyes shone brightly.

“We meet again here?”

The owner of Dieta Commerce.
Dieta Arbenea was smiling at Najin.

“It seems like you’re looking for a decent quest.”

She pointed at the badge pinned on her chest.
The recognized head of one of the three largest mercantile houses in the city, as certified by the guild. Najin, now aware, understood the power this girl wielded in the city.

“Would you like to make a deal with me?”

She clumsily removed her gloves.
Then she extended her bare hand to Najin.

“You won’t refuse this time, right?”

The Order of the Sword’s headquarters.

Returning to the Order late at night, Volkman unpacked and immediately headed to the training hall. He had been replaying his duel with Najin in his mind throughout the carriage ride.

‘I want to swing my sword!’

A fleeting enlightenment.
Eager to imprint this revelation into his body, Volkman rushed to the training hall and swung his sword. Late at night, in the deserted hall, Volkman swung his sword for a long time.

The young man he met in the City of Opportunity, Cambria.

He might have been a chance encounter for the young man, but the young man was also an opportunity for Volkman. He felt his swordplay had become more refined thanks to the duel with the young man.

“Phew.”

As he contentedly swung his sword and wiped off sweat, a voice came from behind.

“Back and straight to training, that’s like you.”
“…Were you here?”

Volkman turned around.
Unaware of any presence, he found his long-time friend standing there. A swordsman who looked in his twenties despite being in his forties, just like Volkman. He narrowed his eyes, stroking his chin.

“Your sword has become sharper? Did you gain some enlightenment?”

He shook the bottle in his hand.
An invitation for a drink. Although the high priests would scold them for drinking in the training hall, Volkman laughed and accepted the offered cup.

Even the high priests wouldn’t dare say a word to this man.

“I seized a good opportunity and gained some insight.”
“Oh? A good opportunity?”
“Yes. I met a young man in Cambria…”

Volkman spoke while sipping his drink.
He hadn’t planned to tell anyone about the young man he met in Cambria. The young man’s talent was dangerous, and someone might envy it and try to forcibly induct him into the Order.

But it was different with the man before him.

He knew this man wouldn’t do such things, nor was he petty enough to be jealous of someone’s talent.

“I’ll accompany you next time you go there. I’d like to see this young man myself.”
“…You will?”
“Cambria, the City of Opportunity. I’ve been there before. It’d be good to visit again.”

Outside the wide-open training hall window.
Six stars twinkled in the vast night sky, shining solely for the man gazing up at them.

The owner of the Order of the Sword.

The man who broke all records and ascended to the youngest Sword Master, the pinnacle of the Order of the Sword.

“Who knows?”

The Sword Saint, Karan, smiled.

“Maybe that young man will be an opportunity for me too.”