Genius Swordsman of the Mage Empire

Chapter 80 : Chapter 80

Chapter 80. Submerged Fortress City (1) Three hours remained until arrival at the mission site. I sat in the seat of the tactical vehicle as it sped along. Perhaps because I had just gotten back in after returning from the Joint Mission, the interior felt somewhat familiar.

The scenery outside the window rapidly flashed by. A landscape overgrown with lush green vegetation. It was quite different from the downtown area with its tall buildings and asphalt roads that I had seen until now.

「Mission deployment for urgent requests is carried out swiftly.」

I didn't remember it clearly, but was this a setting that appeared in passing in the part mentioning the Main Houses in the original story? Experiencing it in reality this time, I could feel it. I hadn't known that the mission deployment would proceed so abruptly, without a proper explanation of what kind of urgent request it was.

"Hey!" Just then, a pair of perked wolf ears popped up beside my vision. I turned to see Sirocco looking up at me.

"Hey, what exactly happened at that ruin site called Rhodes? And what's the Academia?"

"You didn't read the mission material I gave you, did you?"

"Yeah. But I wouldn't know even if I read it anyway. I still don't really know what kind of people are in the Empire." Sirocco tilted her head and said. I could easily understand her position. Sirocco had just been assigned a mission immediately after leaving the Beast-kin village, which was cut off from society. In such a situation, it would be stranger if she understood everything in one go just by reading a single mission material full of proper nouns.

"The Imperial Academia is an academic institution that receives full support from the Imperial Family. It's a place where many scholars and students are affiliated, and the 'Expedition Team' is one of its subordinate organizations."

"So something went wrong there?"

"Yes. If a problem arises during exploration by an Academia expedition team belonging to such an organization in Elsyde territory, the responsibility falls back on the Main House. If that happens, the reputation of the Main House might be damaged."

Sirocco rested her cheek on the window frame and made a nasal sound. "Hmm~ Reputation, huh? Is that so important?"

"At least to the Main Houses." Enoch added simply. "There's a reason why powerful mages rampage across the Empire but docilely join the Main Houses and carry out missions."

"Hmm, a reason, huh..." Sirocco thought deeply and then, as if realizing something, lifted her head with a 'ha!', saying, "The meal we had earlier, except for the bell peppers, was super delicious. Could it be that they all joined to eat that...!"

She said that with a serious expression. Joining the Main House to eat delicious food... It was a rather novel idea, but unfortunately, not the correct answer.

"It's because their reputation improves that much. The Main Houses are the focal point of the mages who support the Empire's society and are in a position to maintain order." Enoch glanced at Sirocco and asked. "In the first place, Sirocco, that was the reason you wanted to become a Follower Family, wasn't it? Wasn't it for the improvement of the Beast-kin's treatment?"

"Huh? What's that?" But unexpectedly, Sirocco tilted her head. "I didn't know that?"

"What. You didn't know?"

"Yes! Of course!" Sirocco looked up at me and smiled brightly. "It's much simpler than that. You're strong, so I thought it would be alright to entrust the future of our tribe to you!"

"...Okay. Well."

"Hehe, you can like me a little more than that, you know. Since I, the successor to the Great Chieftain, have acknowledged you?"

Perhaps the reason was much simpler than I thought. After all, if Sirocco had truly believed she was making a wrong choice for the tribe, the Chieftain, who was more knowledgeable about the internal affairs of the Empire than her, would have opposed it.

Suddenly, I briefly glanced at Sirocco. For some reason, she kept looking at me intently. When our eyes met for a moment, Sirocco smiled slightly with a saucy look in her eyes, as if purely happy.

'Anyway. Now that she's by my side, I understand clearly.'

Sirocco's bright smile was full of innocence. It was definitely different from the appearance of her I had seen in the original story, which had been deeply tinged black with guilt for failing to save her tribe. However, her inherent personality, uninhibited and free-spirited, remained unchanged. Similarly. Even though the future she would experience had changed. Her overwhelming potential and abilities were purely Sirocco's own.

If that were the case, the 'training method' would also be no different. Now that I had Sirocco in my party, the methods for 'spec up' would become diverse. Continuing to inherit the sword, of course. I also had to recruit powerful Follower Families like Sirocco and train them in parallel.

'Above all, I still have to hide my sword.'

At least when others were watching, drawing my sword was impossible. But now I had one more card I could show. And a very powerful one at that.

'I'm no longer a lone wolf with no Follower Families.'

Now, it was possible to fight by 'commanding' a squad made up of Follower Families. It was like achieving the goal I had set from the beginning. It was nothing new. In the game, the player also held the position of a commander, directing the characters they had formed into a party.

Just then, guidance came from the driver's seat.

"Lord Enoch, we are almost at the operation site, Rhodes. You should be able to see the area outside the window now."

Hearing that, Sirocco, who inadvertently looked out the window, widened her eyes with a small gasp.

"Woahhh!"

Watching her, Enoch also glanced outside. The scenery outside the window came into view. Above a vast lake spread out under a clear sky. An island rising from it.

─There, was the appearance of a colossal fortress city.

Above the surface of the lake, which shimmered in the midday sun. Giant walls and towers, which must have protected the city built on the island in the past, stood tall. Walls that were broken in places by time. Stone structures covered in moss and trees, soaring towards the sky. It was a fortress city left as a ruin of the past.

However, the ground of the island where the fortress city was located seemed to be sinking, and parts of the fortress, which had become quiet ruins, were submerged in water. Only the towers and walls of the vast fortress rose above the water's surface.

「Ruin Site of the Submerged Fortress City: Rhodes」

Just like the name in the original story. Rhodes was a submerged ruin site.hing was certain. This meant Dionil's rescue operation would end successfully without any major problems in this mission. In many ways, not getting involved would be the right answer.

And that was the most important point.

'In the meantime, I have something else to do separately.'

Enoch turned his head and looked at the vast ruin site of the Rhodes fortress. Swallowing the feeling that made his mouth water unconsciously, he calmly surveyed the farming area before him.

Rhodes, a location that also appeared in the original story. Somewhere in this half-submerged ruin site, there was another Sword Saint's sword that he absolutely had to find. He just had to find it and bring it back.

However, just as Enoch was thinking that.

A piercing scream echoed from afar.

"Kyaaaaak! Save me!!"

Everyone's gaze quickly turned in that direction. And in the next moment, countless shouts from a distance chillingly pierced everyone's eardrums.

"Magical Beasts are attacking the base camp!!"

As always. Things wouldn't always go according to plan.