Chapter 25

The Genius Knight Who Devours Memories

Chapter 25

Mushurin did not come back out for quite some time after going inside.

Only those with permission could enter, so Rohan had no choice but to wait for Mushurin in a nearby clearing.

‘There’s a lot to sort through.’

Sitting in the clearing, Rohan sank into thought.

The memories Rohan had absorbed during this operation were incomparable to those from before.

Noxis soldiers, reconnaissance members, the mage, and even Myuria.

Among them, however, there was something of particular value.

‘Reinag.’

Rohan’s expression hardened.

Reinag existed within Myuria’s memories.

He was the one who had taken in the young Myuria.

He was also the one who placed daggers in her hands and taught her how to fight.

He had ordered her to join the Black Dawn Knights.

He had told her to secretly take in and separately raise students attempting to enter the Imperial Magic Tower.

And he had ordered her to learn how to control familiars.

‘They kidnapped and raised mages.’

Among all of those orders, the one concerning mages had continued for the longest.

It had not happened only once or twice.

‘Why did he emphasize it so much?’

In Myuria’s memories, Reinag had repeatedly stressed that she should kidnap mages and raise them.

The mage Rohan had killed at Niagara Gorge had also been one of them.

‘There must be a reason.’

Was it simply to use them in war?

Rohan shook his head.

Mages were beings who could not move freely even within the Empire.

The gains were far too small compared to the risks.

There was no way Reinag would have continued doing such a thing without a reason.

Instead, there was something Rohan could check immediately.

‘Magic.’

Rohan closed his eyes.

Then he recalled the memories of the mage he had killed.

How to move the mana inside the body.

How to arrange it into a certain form, and then turn it into a phenomenon through a formula.

Rohan concentrated just as he had seen in the memories.

He sensed the mana inside his body.

And tried to slowly draw it up.

‘...’

But nothing happened.

‘It doesn’t work.’

Rohan opened his eyes.

Apparently, obtaining the memories did not mean he could immediately use magic.

‘I might be able to find a clue about magic there.’

Deep within the Imperial capital.

The prison for mages planned by Myuria and Reinag.

That was when it happened.

Caw- Caw! Caw!

The cries of a crow interrupted Rohan’s thoughts.

Rohan raised his head.

On one side of the clearing, a crow perched atop a large tree flapped its wings.

Flap-!

‘A familiar.’

Rohan closed his eyes.

He followed the sensation Myuria had repeated countless times.

He extended his consciousness thinly.

And focused his awareness on the crow taking flight.

Rohan opened his eyes.

At that moment, both of Rohan’s eyes glowed red.

The crow that had been taking off stopped flapping and froze in place.

Then, as though struck by lightning, it plummeted downward.

“Hup.”

Rohan hurriedly grabbed his head.

Pain surged through him as though needles were stabbing into his brain.

At the same time, the crow flapped its wings and flew away.

The corner of Rohan’s mouth slowly curled upward.

‘It works.’

It was not perfect.

He had only interfered with its mind for a brief moment.

But that was enough.

‘I just need to refine it.’

Myuria had not been able to freely control familiars from the very beginning either.

Then all he needed was time and effort.

“Rohan.”

At that moment, a voice came from behind.

Rohan turned his head.

Mushurin stood there with her usual calm expression.

She looked at Rohan, then frowned slightly.

“What is that unpleasant expression?”

“...Company Commander.”

Mushurin did not ask any further.

Instead, she turned around and spoke briefly.

“Follow me. His Majesty the Emperor has summoned you.”

______________

The Emperor’s chamber was more extravagant than any place Rohan had ever seen.

A floor that shone so smoothly one had to be careful even stepping on it.

A ceiling as high as the sky.

‘So this is where the Emperor lives.’

The Imperial Palace he had seen from outside had been impressive enough.

But once inside, it felt as though he had stepped into an entirely different world.

And at the far end of the enormous room.

Someone sat with his back to the window.

The Emperor of the Empire.

Following the advice Mushurin had given him before entering, Rohan lowered one knee to the floor and bowed his head.

A brief silence passed.

“Please rise.”

A voice far gentler than expected sounded.

“You must be Rohan.”

Rohan slowly stood.

And the moment he properly looked at the Emperor’s face for the first time.

‘Young.’

Rohan’s eyes widened slightly.

Perhaps one or two years older than himself.

Even being generous, he did not look twenty.

He had golden hair and skin so pale that it was rarely seen in the north.

Perhaps noticing Rohan’s reaction, the Emperor smiled faintly.

“I have heard everything about your accomplishments.”

It was a gentle smile.

“You achieved remarkable results despite your young age. You have gone through a great deal.”

“You flatter me.”

The Emperor laughed softly.

His gaze naturally shifted upward.

More precisely, above Rohan’s head.

-Pya?

Nir, who was sitting atop his head, tilted its head.

“That friend must be the phantom beast called Nir.”

Rohan looked at the Emperor with a surprised expression.

The Emperor had been the one who ordered the phantom beast egg brought to the capital.

Yet despite the egg hatching on its own, there was no sign of anger whatsoever.

The Emperor instead looked at Nir with interest.

Rohan asked.

“What will happen to Nir?”

“...?”

The Emperor looked at Rohan strangely.

“Do you truly know nothing?”

“...Yes.”

“Hmm.”

The Emperor looked at Nir for a moment.

“Come here.”

Then he extended his hand.

-Pya!

Flap flap―

Without any wariness, Nir landed on the Emperor’s hand.

The Emperor stroked Nir’s back with his fingertips in fascination.

He spoke to Rohan.

“A phantom beast is not something that can be awakened simply because one wishes it. It is said they awaken from their eggs solely by their own will.”

He lightly stroked Nir’s head.

“Then why do you think this friend awakened... Do you have any idea?”

“...”

Rohan remained silent.

The black energy that had supposedly left his body while he was unconscious.

And the mysterious black energy Nir had also tried to suck out of Kaisen.

Nir had clearly reacted to it.

But even Rohan could not define exactly what it was.

“It is only natural that you do not know. Phantom beasts were treated almost like legends even within the Empire.”

Rohan’s gaze changed at those words.

“Still, there are a few known facts. One of them is that once they acknowledge someone as their master, they never change that choice.”

“Master?”

“Yes. From Nir’s perspective, that would be you.”

Rohan’s gaze turned toward Nir.

Master. He had never thought of it that way.

Rohan asked.

“Then does that mean I am allowed to keep him?”

“...”

The Emperor stopped speaking.

This time, he truly looked bewildered.

“Why are you asking me that? That is not for me to decide. It is for this friend to decide.”

He lightly tapped Nir’s head with a fingertip.

“The reason we intended to bring the egg to the capital in the first place was to prevent the enemy from taking it. If the phantom beast has awakened, and on top of that chosen one of our own as its master.”

The Emperor looked at Nir and spoke.

“Then it is actually a fortunate outcome.”

Rohan found that unexpected.

He had naturally assumed it was something he would have to surrender to the Empire.

“However, there is one request I would like to make.”

“Please tell me.”

“There is a professor in the Empire who has researched that egg for a very long time.”

The Emperor nodded.

“That person also possesses a phantom beast.”

Rohan’s eyes widened.

‘There’s another one?’

That meant another being like Nir existed.

“Coincidentally, that person has left the capital to obtain herbs needed for research. They should return in a few days, so speak with them then.”

The Emperor looked down at Nir.

“It will probably be of considerable help to both of you.”

“Understood.”

Rohan answered without hesitation.

The proposal was not a bad one for him either.

If he could learn how phantom beasts could be used, he had no reason to refuse.

“Take this.”

The Emperor stepped closer and held something out.

It was a metal plaque about the size of his palm.

“What is this?”

The Emperor’s gaze shifted toward Rohan’s waist.

“You are still using a standard-issue sword.”

“...Yes.”

Rohan also looked down at his sword.

After several battles, the blade had been badly damaged.

After repeatedly using Condensed Burst as well, it was difficult to find any part of it that was still intact.

The Emperor spoke.

“That plaque is proof allowing you to commission a blacksmith in the center of the capital. In terms of skill, he ranks among the finest on the continent.”

A smile spread across the Emperor’s lips.

“If you show him that plaque, he will forge Private First Class Rohan’s sword before anyone else’s.”

Rohan looked down at the plaque for a moment.

Until now, he had either taken swords from the dead or used weapons provided to him.

He had no idea what it would feel like to use a sword made specifically for himself.

“Of course, that is not all.”

“...?”

“I have no intention of settling the reward for killing an enemy commander and eliminating a mage with only that plaque.”

The Emperor smiled playfully.

“We can decide on your official reward in due course. Lastly.”

The Emperor took a letter sealed inside a paper envelope from his clothing.

It was sealed with the Emperor’s insignia.

“May I ask you to handle one request?”

“What is it?”

“It is a letter to be delivered to the Magic Tower. A mage took part in this battle, correct?”

“...That’s right.”

The continent did not use magic in warfare. This was a matter strictly enforced by the Magic Association.

It was a grave rule of the continent that transcended nations and ideologies.

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed.

“Please deliver this to Ordin, the Master of the Magic Tower. If you show this imperial decree, you should be able to enter the Magic Tower without much difficulty.”

“Why are you giving this to me...”

Rohan accepted the letter.

But doubts filled his mind as well.

This was the Imperial Palace in the capital. There should have been countless capable people besides Rohan.

Even so, the Emperor was giving the order to him.

Realizing his intention had been noticed, the Emperor grinned.

“The capital has stagnated. Stagnant water inevitably rots.”

“...”

“I am considering the possibility that the Empire itself may be involved in this matter.”

“...I will obey your command.”

Rohan answered with a grin.

The Emperor’s insight was unusual.

_____________

“Whaaaat-! A blacksmith’s plaque?!”

Kaisen’s voice boomed through the quarters.

Holding a bottle of alcohol from who knew where in one hand, Kaisen gulped it down.

No sooner had he lowered the bottle than he snatched the plaque.

He looked at the front, flipped it over, examined the pattern.

Then his eyes widened.

“This is Dorvan’s plaque!”

Hearing that, Creed also snapped his head up.

“Dorvan?”

Only Rohan looked confused at their reactions.

“Is he really that impressive?”

“Impressive?”

Kaisen laughed incredulously.

“That man isn’t just some blacksmith. He’s one of the greatest craftsmen in the Empire.”

He shoved the plaque right under Rohan’s nose.

“Even famous knights have to wait years just to get one sword from him! A lowly nobody like me couldn’t even dream of getting one of his weapons.”

“Years?”

“Yeah! Money alone won’t do it either. Dorvan only makes swords for people he wants to make them for. Noble or knight, if he doesn’t like them, he sends them right back.”

Rohan’s gaze shifted toward the plaque.

Kaisen smirked.

“But with this, the story is different.”

A plaque granted by the Emperor.

That alone explained everything.

No matter how eccentric the craftsman, he could hardly ignore even the Emperor’s name.

“More importantly, I heard the weapons that man makes are tailored specifically to the user.”

Kaisen looked toward Rohan’s waist.

“That makes him perfect for a weirdo like you who uses two swords.”

Rohan naturally looked down at his own swords as well.

The standard-issue sword in his right hand.

The Nakandiya sword in his left.

Until now, he had fought by adapting himself to whatever swords were available.

“I’m coming too. Take me with you!”

Kaisen threw a fit.

“Do whatever you want.”

Rohan replied indifferently.

Meanwhile, Creed did not join their conversation much.

He merely sat on one side of the bed, quietly cleaning his sword.

Rohan knew why.

‘Because he couldn’t find his brother.’

The greatest reason Creed continued fighting in the White Wolf Knights.

His younger brother, who had been taken prisoner.

They had ultimately failed to find him during this operation as well.

‘But he’s alive.’

After obtaining an enormous number of memories, Rohan was certain.

And to rescue him, they would have to go further.

‘There’s a lot to do in the capital.’

Visiting the blacksmith was not the only thing Rohan needed to do while he was in the Empire.

“Squad Leader.”

“Yeah, Rohan.”

When Rohan called him, Creed raised his head.

Kaisen also stopped bringing the bottle toward his mouth.

“There are things we need to do.”

“...”

The quarters instantly fell silent.

Creed and Kaisen’s expressions hardened at the same time.

Whenever Rohan said something like that, things had never proceeded normally.

Kaisen suddenly clutched his stomach.

“My stomach hurts, so I’ll be going.”

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Ghk.”

Creed grabbed Kaisen and asked Rohan.

“What is it this time?”

Rohan looked at the two of them and spoke.

“There’s a force in the capital secretly diverting mages.”

“What? That’s possible?”

Creed blinked.

Secretly taking mages away was something close to impossible.

“Wait.”

But for that to be possible...

Creed asked Rohan in an uneasy voice.

“Where are we going?”

Rohan grinned.

“The Magic Tower.”

Rohan was now suggesting that they rob the most powerful organization in the Empire.