REAPER SCANS
The Reincarnated Martial God Brings Down the Heavens
[Translator – San]
[Proofreader – Abstract]
Chapter 175 - Rising Star Tournament (2)
A nearly unbelievable rumor began spreading rapidly across the entire continent.
“What? Th-The Swordsman of Embers has died?”
He was a renowned swordsman hailing from the Empire, and yet, the rumor claimed that such a formidable figure had fallen at the hands of a measly kingdom-grade swordsman.
“Isn’t that nonsense?”
“Hahaha! Ridiculous. The Swordsman of Embers, losing to an unknown swordsman from a kingdom?”
“If that rumor is true, the entire balance of the continent will be upended. Haven’t warriors from kingdoms always been considered levels beneath those from the Empire?”
Gossipers, who thrived on such stories, even traveled directly to the Swordsman of Embers’s household in search of the truth.
Yet—
“Leave at once. Sir McGree is currently on an extended mission.”
Not a single one of them was able to meet the Swordsman of Embers himself. As the doubts of the continent’s people continued to deepen—
“It is with great sorrow that we announce Sir McGree has died in an unfortunate accident while on duty.”
The Swordsman of Embers’ household issued an official statement. They could not delay the funeral indefinitely.
Naturally, few believed the claim that he had perished during a mission.
“A swordsman of his caliber, just suddenly dying in an accident?”
“That’s absurd.”
“Goodness. Does that mean the rumors were true, after all?”
Before the continent could even recover from its initial shock, another shocking rumor spread like wildfire.
The swordsman who had defeated the Swordsman of Embers was not only from a kingdom, but he was a mere teen, not even of age.
“Wh-What? How is that possible?”
“So who exactly is this boy?”
“I’ve heard that he’s the seventh prince of the Principality of Meeke, but others say he’s the youngest baron in the Kingdom of Hart…”
“I heard they’re the same person.”
“Rumors tend to be exaggerated, but this one is beyond belief.”
“We’ll find out soon enough whether it’s an exaggeration or not.”
“What do you mean?”
“That genius boy from the rumors is set to compete in this year’s Rising Star Tournament.”
“Oho. I was debating whether to attend this year, but now I have to go. This is something I need to see with my own eyes.”
Of course, not everyone was amused by these rumors.
“…Count Kaiman, you really are an irredeemable madman with your obsession with swords.”
Theorg’s gaze darkened.
The more the rumors spread, the more troublesome it became for him as well. After all, the fallen Swordsman of Embers had been his subordinate.
“Not only did you dare to kill my subordinate, but you also helped the culprit escape by providing an underground passage. You are well aware of how serious this crime is, aren’t you?”
Before him, Count Kaiman put on an insincerely remorseful expression.
“That is precisely why I have come to swear my loyalty to you, Sir Theorg.”
“...”
“The Imperial Palace may soon summon me to answer for my crimes. As my lord, won’t you protect me? If you do, I will serve you with unwavering devotion.”
At his words, Theorg scoffed.
“Loyalty? You mean you plan to stay close so you can strike at me the first chance you get.”
“Now, how could you say something like that! Are you perhaps afraid of me? If so, you may send me far away. I will understand.”
Faced with this thinly veiled provocation, Theorg merely hardened his expression.
“Remember your words. I will not allow you to refuse any orders I give.”
“Of course.”
Seemingly accepting the situation, Theorg continued.
“There has been a series of conflicts at one of our business operations recently. You will be sent there.”
“Conflicts? In the Blaze’s territory… Who dares?”
“Those from the Full Moon.”
For a brief moment, Count Kaiman flinched before forcing a bitter smile.
“…I get that you despise me, but are you trying to send me straight to my death?”
This time, it was Theorg’s turn to smirk.
“Are you scared?”
And with that, he threw Count Kaiman’s own words back at him.
“Of course not.”
Shrugging, Count Kaiman rose to his feet.
Yes.
The reason the Empire was often likened to an active volcano on the verge of eruption was because of situations like this.
Even among those who belonged to the same side, internal strife never ceased. If a full-scale battle were to break out, it would spiral beyond anyone’s control.
‘Well, not that it’s my problem.’
Straightening his back, Count Kaiman locked eyes with his new lord.
“If I happen to kill some Full Moon members in the process, you’ll take responsibility for it, won’t you?”
“I wouldn’t dream of unleashing a mad dog without a leash.”
“And what would that leash be?”
“Punishment after action. That is your leash.”
“Tch.”
Count Kaiman clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.
“Still, if they attack first…”
“I won’t order you to die in such a case. Handle it as you see fit.”
Finally, a bright grin spread across Count Kaiman’s face.
“Is the situation truly so urgent that you’d send me?”
“Well, the Rising Star Tournament is fast approaching.”
“…?”
Count Kaiman tilted his head.
“What does that tournament have to do with this?”
“Did you forget? This year’s tournament is being held in the City of Dawn.”
“Ah!”
Only then did realization dawn on Count Kaiman’s face.
The City of Dawn, also known as Gaia, was located between the territories of the Blazes and the Full Moon.
“The entire continent will gather for the festival. Securing more businesses in the region means greater profits for us.”
“That makes sense.”
“The other side is surely thinking the same. As the tournament nears, the conflict will only escalate further.”
Count Kaiman’s smile grew even wider. This first mission was shaping up to be far more entertaining than he had anticipated.
“In that case, I’ll leave immediately.”
“Wait.”
“…?”
“I never said you’d go alone. You’ll be accompanied by Breed.”
“...”
A watchdog, in other words.
“…Hahaha. As you command, my lord.”
Still, Count Kaiman’s grin did not fade.
‘It seems our fates are more intertwined than I thought, Your Highness.’
He would be seeing the one he longed for much sooner than expected.
* * *
Reaper Scans
[Translator – San]
[Proofreader – Abstract]
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* * *
The content of the invitation was just as I had heard.
[We wish to invite Baron Ancelot of the Kingdom of Hart to this year's Rising Star Tournament.]
That was the essence of the message.
However, it contained the signature of none other than the emperor himself. The news quickly reached Marquis Foltaine.
“Absolutely not!”
He shouted immediately.
Duke Herman, who had been drinking with us, let out a deep sigh as if he had expected this.
“This time, I have to agree. Their intentions are too obvious. It will be a dangerous journey for you.”
“You openly killed an imperial knight, and now you’re going to run over just because the emperor calls? Is there even a brain inside that skull of yours?”
Their words were harsh, but I knew they were just worried about me. That’s why I did my best to reassure them.
“And that’s exactly why I have to go.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Because right now, the emperor holds the justification.”
Before Marquis Foltaine could furrow his brow, I quickly continued.
“Let’s go over the facts first. I entered the Empire as a guest and killed one of its prized knights. But the emperor has not raised an issue about it yet.”
“Well, that’s because those bastards picked the fight first…”
I shook my head.
“I’m sure you’re well aware—someone died. And not just anyone, but an imperial knight. If they wanted, they could easily use this as a major political incident. If the emperor officially declares my actions as ‘murder,’ even the Kingdom of Hart will be in trouble.”
“But those rats were the ones digging tunnels like cowards! How dare they!?”
“Those tunnels have probably all been sealed off by now.”
“And what does that matter? We saw them with our own eyes!”
“In international relations, the stronger party’s voice is always louder. You know that better than anyone.”
At last, Marquis Foltaine’s face twisted like crumpled paper.
“Damn it. Those imperial bastards.”
A faint smile appeared on my lips.
“More importantly, the Empire has already cut off my retreat.”
“Cut off your retreat? What do you mean by that?”
This time, it was Duke Herman who asked.
“The rumors about me spreading across the continent? Their source is the imperial palace itself.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes.”
I had already confirmed it through Narakas.
At the same time, Duke Herman’s expression shifted as if he finally understood.
“...So that’s why the rumors spread so quickly. The Empire is deliberately fueling them.”
This was a common tactic of the Empire. They promote someone temporarily—only to crush them later for a bigger goal.
Yes.
Just like in my past life.
‘Just like the day I beheaded the previous emperor.’
Even back then, they turned me into some Great Hero for their own purposes.
‘…But this time will be different.’
Back then, I had died.
Now, I was very much alive.
“Anyway, you’re as stubborn as ever, I swear!”
Marquis Foltaine grumbled for a while.
Seeing him like that, Duke Herman let out a bitter chuckle and swiftly changed the subject.
“Speaking of which… Since you’ve heard the rumors, you must have also heard about the new title they’ve given you.”
“Huh? A title?”
I tilted my head in confusion at Duke Herman’s words.
“Don’t tell me you haven’t heard yet?”
“It’s possible. We only just found out for ourselves, didn’t we?”
At that moment, Duke Herman and Marquis Foltaine exchanged a knowing smirk.
“Hahahaha.”
They were laughing just from thinking about it.
“Care to take a guess?”
I thought for a moment before answering.
“…The Swordsman of Lava? Or maybe since I extinguished the embers, something like the Swordsman of Suppression?”
“There’s no rule that says a title has to follow a certain structure. Especially at your age, they tend to get more elaborate.”
Promising warriors always had unique titles.
Especially titles such as Flames, Blazes, Full Moon, and Undefeated—those were only earned after years of building a reputation.
“But you’re an exception since you defeated a knight who already had a title. That’s why you’ve been given two titles.”
Suddenly, I felt uneasy.
Even hearing the title ‘Great Hero’ made me cringe inside.
It felt like I was being toyed with by the Empire, and more than anything, it was just embarrassing at my age.
‘Please, just don’t let it be something humiliating.’
Once a title was given, people across the continent would use it instead of my name. But my hopes were soon completely shattered.
“Your new title is… Hahaha. ‘Hope.’”
“…Pffft. That name gets me every time. ‘The Swordsman of Hope.’ Ahahaha!”
Even the previously sulking Marquis Foltaine burst into laughter.
“And do you know what your other title is?”
“…What is it?”
“The Greatest Rising Star Under the Heavens. The Greatest! Wahahahaha!”
Thud!
Before I knew it, my hand had smacked my forehead.
“That expression of yours is priceless. You never listen to a damn word I say, so this is satisfying. Hahahahaha!”
“Don’t be too harsh. If you think about it, it’s not too bad.”
“Please. You laughed just as hard as I did when you first heard it.”
“You’ve gotten ill-natured with age. Still, how could you laugh like that in front of the person in question…”
“I can see that you’re trying not to laugh.”
“…Was it that obvious?”
“Very.”
“Heheheh.”
“Pfft. Ahahahaha!”
I silently grit my teeth.
‘…Father or not…’
I seriously considered committing some light filial betrayal. Sensing my frustration, Duke Herman awkwardly tried to comfort me.
“Well, titles always sound a bit childish at first. But in any case, congratulations on your new title, Baron Ancelot.”
“Forget it.”
I muttered coldly, bringing the conversation back to the main issue.
“Regardless, I will go to the Empire.”
“…”
As if on cue, their laughter disappeared, replaced by tense expressions.
“You idiot. Like I said before—”
“No. I have to go. I’ve now become the officially recognized, so-called ‘Hope’ of a small kingdom. I can’t afford to show weakness by cowering before villains.”
“…You fool. That’s exactly what those villains are counting on.”
“They sent a formal invitation, so they won’t resort to cowardly assassination attempts.”
If anything happened to me, the Empire would bear the disgrace. More importantly, the other kingdoms wouldn’t stay silent.
‘I’ll make them fall into their own trap.’
The Empire’s plan was obvious.
They gave me these ridiculous titles—‘The Swordsman of Hope’ and all—just to build me up before crushing me in front of everyone.
So—
“I’ll do exactly what they want. I’ll face them head-on—and return victorious.”
* * *
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