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“A demon that can only be confronted by an Aura User…”

He was not an Aura User. Eusus had never learned how to awaken Aura. His family, the County of Tenes, had been renowned for their knighthood for centuries. However, despite their fame, the County of Tenes no longer possessed the formalized swordsmanship that led to the awakening of Aura. It had almost been lost during the civil war within the Graim Kingdom about a hundred years ago.

Yet, he was as strong as an Aura User, thanks to the weapon he now held.

Eusus’s weapon, the golden magic sword, was wrapped in a complexly shaped scabbard. Its form, adorned with countless bumps and dozens of interlocking pieces, looked more like a bizarre sculpture than a scabbard. As Eusus held the sword, he pronounced an incantation.

“Awaken, Eldrad!”

The scabbard exploded, transforming into dozens of golden tendrils that wrapped around Eusus’s body. The metal fragments entangled in the tendrils intricately rearranged themselves into another form. Soon, the scabbard disappeared, and instead, a dazzling golden armor, the strongest artifact from the Age of Silver, the magic armor Eldrad, was draped over Eusus’s body.

The magic sword, now called Eldran, revealed its brilliant golden blade as the scabbard vanished. Eusus pulled Eldran from the ground and took his stance, easily wielding the giant sword with one hand. This display of strength was clearly beyond human limits, empowered by the muscle enhancement spell cast by Eldrad.

“Come forth, demon of another world!”

Eusus proclaimed with a solemn voice, radiating a splendid light. Sephiatan, enraged, stamped its four feet on the ground. With a fearsome momentum like a lion stalking its prey, the demon charged towards Eusus. In an instant, Eusus kicked off the ground and soared into the air.

“I shall become a feather riding the wind!”

A broadsword swung horizontally towards the soaring Eusus. He kicked through the air, sidestepping in midair. He activated the magic of Wind Walk granted by Eldrad, using the air as a foothold. Then, as he swung down his magic sword, Eusus yelled.

“Awaken, Eldran!”

A sharp energy rose above the blade, glowing brightly. Unlike the Aura Users, it was faint, but its destructive power was second to none.

“Taah!”

Eusus activated the 8th Circle Material Destruction Spell, “Material Destroy,” and struck down with his demonic sword. Sephiatan crossed his broadswords to block the attack. Flames and magic collided, causing a loud explosion. Sparks flew in every direction, setting various parts of the garden ablaze. The demon twisted the crossed swords upwards to bend them. Eusus dodged swiftly, continuously shouting.

“Eye of the Reaper, piercing the shadows, and the cry of the leopard, dwelling in the limbs! With the sense of a dragon, I shall look down upon the world!”

Increased dynamic vision, reflexes, and hyper-sensory perception occurred simultaneously. Eusus, with enhancement magic cast all over his body, skillfully dodged Sephiatan’s incoming blade and burrowed into his bosom. His movements were comparable to those of an Aura ability user.

Normally, when magic swordsmen fight with enhancement magic, their movements become exaggerated because their physical performance, heightened by their spells, can’t keep up. Although stronger, their actions become full of openings. However, Eusus, despite casting powerful magic in succession, moved without any unnecessary motions.

Confused, Sephiatan swung his front limbs, but Eusus avoided every attack by kicking off the ground and the air alternately. The golden sword began to leave wounds all over the demon.

“Gruah! Graaah!”

Failing to hit his opponent despite repeated strikes, Sephiatan let out a scream filled with humiliation. Eusus declared in a cold voice.

“Let’s end this, demon!”

Continuously stepping, he placed his right hand on the blade of his demonic sword.

“Breath of Corrosion, flowing through the void!”

The magic sword Eldran started to emit a dark green mist. The smoke of the acid fog hazily enveloped Sephiatan. The two broadswords began to corrode, and the demon’s skin melted away, causing black smoke to rise.

“Blaze, coalesce and strike the enemy!”

Dozens of fireballs formed behind Eusus and struck the demon. The fierce flames scorched the demon’s already injured body. Sephiatan screamed in pain and thrashed about.

“Graaah!”

Raising his right hand, Eusus continued with his magic. The magic armor Eldrad was covered with a dazzling pattern of magic circles, shining brightly.

“Frost Mist, obscuring the earth!”

Spraying white frost, Eusus swung his sword, enveloping the demon in a mist of cold. With the onslaught of acid, flame, and frost attacks, Sephiatan’s movements noticeably slowed down. Eusus kicked off the air and soared up to the demon’s head. Wielding Eldran, he delivered the final blow.

“Disappear!”

The demon’s upper body shattered, scattering in all directions. The demon’s screams filled Kelberen Castle.

“Graaah!”

Woosh…

With the tremor-filled roar, the figure of Sephiatan gradually became blurred. It was the summoned demon disappearing back to its own realm. Eventually, its form vanished completely, and the statue, which had been a relic, began to shake on its own before crumbling away. As Sephiatan died, the statue seemed to have lost its magical power as well.

Eusus flashed a satisfied smile.

“Ha! Did you think a demon would stand a chance against the Sword of Tenes?”

Everyone showered Eusus with praise, marveling at his prowess.

“Well done, Sir Eusus!”

“Indeed, before the power of the Golden Knight, even a demon like Sephiatan is no match!”

“Let’s all tidy up the situation! Lord Lot, please take care of it.”

After giving orders for the cleanup, Eusus transformed his armor back into the form of a scabbard. All those in the garden looked upon his retreating figure with eyes of admiration, all except for one.

“Damn it…”

The reckless young knight, Russ, who was lying down receiving healing magic, glared at Eusus’s back with burning eyes. Feeling the gaze, Eusus suddenly turned to look at Russ. With a cold glare, Eusus taunted him.

“A trash swordsmanship that only knows how to swing downwards is no longer the Sword of Tenes. Know your place, Russ.”

Russ’s head drooped. However, Eusus did not care. He simply slung his greatsword over his shoulder and returned to the mansion. Russ’s shoulders shook as he felt the utter contempt and disregard.

“This too is the Sword of Tenes…”

Clenching his bastard sword tightly, he muttered with a face about to cry.

“I, too, am a Sword of Tenes…”

* * *

“Really? So the Golden Knight of this era is Sir Eusus.”

“Yes, he’s very famous. Didn’t you know?”

“Ah, I’ve lived in the mountains all my life…”

Repenhardt scratched his head, making an excuse. In his past life, when he had roamed the world, the Tenes County was famous for a different reason, so the renown of the Golden Knight was not widely known. Sitting on the bed and swinging his legs, Sillan continued the conversation.

“But still, haven’t you really heard of him? He’s one of the strongest magic swordsmen on the continent, said to be on par with Aura wielders.”

Currently, Repenhardt and his companions were spending the night at the inn where they had eaten. Since it was getting late, they had decided to stay in the village of Gehallen for the night. Being a rural inn, the facilities were not very good; there was just one large room with four beds in it.

Repenhardt spoke towards a corner of the room where the curtains were drawn.

“Is he that famous? Have you heard of him, Siris?”

“Yes, Lord Repenhardt.”

Pulling back the curtain, Siris responded, having changed clothes in a makeshift changing room specially prepared by Repenhardt. It was clear that Repenhardt had no intention of letting an outsider, even Sillan, who was a man, witness the sight of his beloved Siris changing.

“The pajamas look nice. How do they fit?”

“Ah, yes……”

Repenhardt chuckled as he saw Siris dressed in bear pajamas. It seemed he found the sight pleasing. Siris, feeling awkward, sat down on the bed across from him. Repenhardt waited for her to continue, but she simply nodded in response before closing her mouth again.

‘Tsk… it’s not easy.’

Despite his attempts to strike up conversation whenever an opportunity arose, her attitude remained largely unchanged. It appeared she wasn’t yet ready to open up and converse naturally with him.

Then, the oblivious Sillan continued the conversation.

“No matter how strong, I don’t think a magic swordsman can compare to an aura user. After all, isn’t it just the power of a magical artifact?”

His tone didn’t seem to hold much regard for Eusus, reflecting the common perception. It was typical to belittle magic swordsmen, who rely on the power of magic, compared to true warriors.

However, Repenhardt, who was also a magician, disagreed.

“Well? The magic armor Eldrad, made of Eldril by the great Eldrad himself, is certainly one of the strongest weapons of our time. But how skillfully one can wield it is another matter entirely.”

Eldril, true gold, a magical metal far rarer and more powerful than Mithril, true silver.

The magic armor Eldrad and the magic sword Eldran, passed down through generations of the Count family of Tenes, were artifacts made entirely of this true gold Eldril, ranking among the strongest artifacts from the Silver Age. Although Repenhardt didn’t know who the Golden Knight of the current era was, he was well aware of the existence of the magic swordsman who wields Eldrad, a legacy of the Count’s family of Tenes throughout the generations.

This artifact, covered in powerful protective magic and capable of unleashing powerful magic with a simple command word, undoubtedly granted its wearer combat abilities on par with an aura wielder. That is, if they could properly utilize it.

‘No matter how powerful a tool is, it’s no more than a decoration if you don’t know how to use it.’

Having created various magical tools in his previous life and distributed them among his subordinates, he was well aware of this fact.

After all, an artifact is merely a tool, and its effectiveness greatly varies depending on how skillfully the user can wield it.