---

I was in the middle of pondering their proposal when a thought struck me.

“Right. I have to venture to the West at least once, don’t I?”

Surely, the one who sealed the dragon must be an incredibly powerful sorcerer, someone who could be a great help to me. Plus, since they promised to give me a valuable treasure if I interrupted the seal, there was no need to hesitate any longer. Now that I confirmed that I could break the dragon’s seal at will, it made sense to establish a cooperative relationship with the sorcerers in the West.

Slowly… I ceased breaking the seal, and at the same time, ice that had been encasing the dragon began to regenerate. This seal had a self-repairing property, which meant that even though I had partially broken it, it was coming back to life.

Belov, who was watching this, gasped.

“Goodness!”

In his eyes, it must have seemed like I lacked the strength to fully break the seal. As I paused, a voice from the ‘self-proclaimed West Sorcerer’ echoed in my mind.

[Thank you. The seal must not be broken. In the future…]

I concentrated hard.

[I don’t care about that; can you give me treasures?]

[You want treasures?]

[Yes.]

[Come to Cornwall in Britannia! As the King’s sorcerer, I will welcome you and provide you with treasures.]

In an instant, the image of the sorcerer appeared before my eyes, pointing in one direction with his staff, then vanished. It seemed that this vision wasn’t only visible to me; Belov and the other knights were buzzing with excitement.

At the same time, the fierce voice of the dragon echoed in my mind.

[Hahaha… quite clever… But can you really gain anything by competing wits with Merlin… Oh, Eastern Genius?]

[Merlin? Is that the sorcerer’s name?]

[Hahaha… Anyway, I will break free from the seal when the Constellation finds its rightful place. When that time comes, I will go to the Underworld and chew on your soul.]

The dragon seemed to be in a foul mood, threatening me in a harsh tone, but I couldn’t help but chuckle.

[Really? Even if you look in the Underworld, you won’t find my soul.]

[What…]

I could clearly hear the sound of the ice solidifying. As the seal grew stronger, the dragon’s voice started to fade.

“Phew.”

I sighed, feeling that this incident was coming to a close, and then I began to recount the details to Belov. Belov, with the knights in tow, listened carefully to my tale and let out a sigh.

“Oh! If what you say is true, then the one who sealed the dragon is the legendary ancient sage, Merlin… Goodness!”

“Do you know this Merlin fellow too?”

“He’s more of a mythical hero than a historical figure. I never thought he actually existed.”

“Compared to you, how significant are you? You wield considerable magic as the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church.”

At my question, Belov made a distressed face and chuckled bitterly.

“Don’t be ridiculous… I can’t even compare to him. He’s a legendary hero, a sage, an ancient druid elder, and an idol for all sorcerers in the West.”

Is he really that esteemed?

If he’s that great a sorcerer, then there’s a high chance he’ll grant me a powerful relic that I desire. Just when I thought I made the right choice, Belov continued.

“Anyway, it seems that dragon in Romania was originally a fearsome evil dragon. I commend your wise decision.”

“Sorry, but now that the secret weapon against Ivan IV is gone…”

“No! Even if you defeat Ivan IV, if the evil dragon resurrects and ravages the West, that would be meaningless.”

Belov sighed.

“Baek Woong, may I ask you for one favor?”

I responded tersely.

“If you’re asking me to fight against Ivan IV, I refuse.”

Belov seemed taken aback by my bluntness. I shot him a frosty glance and said,

“What I desire is a powerful sacred relic; unless you release the seal, there’s no reason for you to give me one. Then I have no reason to concern myself with your affairs.”

“Hmm… that’s true, but…”

“I’m going to Cornwall to meet Merlin. I wish you good fortune with your endeavors.”

As I turned sharply, Belov hesitated before apparently making a decision.

“Baek Woong! In that case, could you deliver a letter on your way?”

“A letter?”

Belov nodded.

“If you could drop by Paris and deliver this letter to a certain person, I would be very grateful. After all, you’ll be heading in that direction anyway…”

“Paris, the city across from the British Empire?”

Having once used magic to contact a Western spirit during my travels to the Western Regions, I knew a bit about the geography.

“Indeed! If you deliver this letter to Catherine de Medici, the Queen Mother, I would be much obliged. She is supporting us, and I hope to gain her assistance in this situation.”

Belov handed me the letter.

Although I wasn’t well-versed in Western names like Paris or Catherine de Medici, it seemed he wanted me to deliver a letter. When I gazed at him quizzically, Belov offered an awkward smile.

“Of course, I wouldn’t ask you with nothing to give in return. It’s not as significant as a sacred relic, but I can offer you a sacred lance that’s been preserved in our Eastern Orthodox Church.”

“A sacred lance? Is that a weapon?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm…”

A lance, huh.

Since my primary weapon was a sword, I didn’t really need a lance. Plus, what use would a lance of lesser quality than a sacred relic even be? But I was trying to nurture Jin So-cheong, and I knew that a good weapon would make any martial artist stronger, so I hesitated.

‘What the heck, delivering a letter can’t be that difficult.’

I nodded in agreement to Belov’s request.

Eventually, Belov went off to retrieve a large silver spear. It radiated a miraculous aura, and any warrior would be captivated by its exceptional presence. If I, not a spear master myself, was impressed, it surely was a famed spear. As I involuntarily dropped my jaw, Belov smirked.

“This should cover the delivery fee.”

“Hmm… What is this spear called?”

“We’re not sure.”

“Huh?”

“We don’t know its origins, but it’s a divine spear that we’ve kept safe.”

“……”

These guys seem to live rather carelessly…

I obtained the nameless spear, tucked it into my wooden armor, and bid farewell to Belov.

“Well then, I’m off.”

With a swoosh!

I moved to the land near the British Empire. Having once crossed the Arasa Empire and sailed to the British Empire over the sea on land, my coordinates were already recorded. Entering the British Empire would be easy with the Golden Lamp technique, but I was concerned about getting detected by the sorcerers and turning things inconvenient, so I decided to first arrive in the country across from the British Empire while delivering the letter.

I activated the Heavenly Secret Technique to summon a nearby spirit and began to leap towards the city called Paris. Shortly after arriving near Paris, I stood on a hill overlooking the outer city and questioned the summoned spirit.

“Hey. Do you happen to know who Catherine de Medici is?”

The spirit I summoned cheerfully replied.

[I, Maestro Pietro Monte, am a warrior! It’s been a while since I died, so I don’t know who she is. Were you not summoning me to fight?]

“No. I just summoned you because I thought you might know where Paris is…”

[……]

“As much as I’m curious about Western swordsmanship, now is not the time for that.”

Then Pietro shouted angrily.

[Uooh! Anyway, you’re trying to save me, right? Stop asking questions!]

Intrigued by his shout, I asked.

“Save you, huh? I’ve been wondering about that; what does it mean? And why do spirits respond without any hesitation when I summon them with the Heavenly Secret Technique?”

[… Hmm. You’re a sorcerer, yet you don’t know this?]

“I wouldn’t be asking if I knew.”

Pietro hesitated for a moment before answering.

[Those who were remarkable in life have a grace period to linger on Earth instead of heading directly to the Underworld. During that grace period, they get to make a choice.]

“A choice?”

What’s that supposed to mean?

I looked at Pietro, bewildered, and he continued.

[I’m not sure, but during that grace period, a being that looked like an angel appeared and asked us if we wanted to go to the Underworld for judgment or complete a task until the end of time to escape our fated destruction…]

“Are you saying you chose to either go to the Underworld or complete a task?”

As I challenged him, Pietro nodded.

[While the latter is less likely, the angel explained that someone like you could summon us, and we could avoid the destiny of destruction until the end comes. I don’t know when that destruction will be, but I chose the latter.]

“……”

[But… now that I’ve made the choice, I kind of regret it.]

“Why do you regret it?”

Pietro lamented.

[Many souls of great figures also chose the latter. However, most of them have been sitting idle for decades, even centuries, just waiting for someone like you to summon them. I was also worrying about turning into a ghost and disappearing when you summoned me.]

“……!!”

[Well, I’m grateful. I feel sorry for the others, but I’ve avoided annihilation.]

Something feels off.

I pondered for a moment.

‘So, that’s why spirits summoned by the Heavenly Secret Technique follow my orders without a second thought.’

For me, it was just another use out of the ten opportunities provided by the Heavenly Secret Technique, but for them, it was a significant summoning determining their fate in the afterlife. Whatever ego they had in life didn’t matter when they had to follow my orders.

But there’s still something I don’t understand. I asked Pietro again.

“Of course, if someone has committed many sins, they might fear judgment in the Underworld… but what exactly is this ‘fate of destruction’ that makes you choose to stay on Earth?”

[…]

Pietro fell silent before shuddering as he spoke.

[Ehh… Thinking about it again, it’s terrifying. That angelic entity showed me a glimpse of the approaching fate of destruction.]

“Showed you?”

He said in a somber tone.

[The stars were boiling in chaos. As incomprehensible horrors descended through the trembling starlight, the seas and lands overturned. Once lively hills became breeding grounds for chaos, and humans were left howling in states even worse than livestock. Anyone who saw that vision wouldn’t be able to make a decision like mine.]

“What!!”

I was taken aback by his words.

‘Don’t tell me?’

If what he said was true, then the ‘angel’ that appeared after Pietro’s death showed the souls the scene of the day when the [Old Ruler] descended! The nightmare moment when the Constellation finds its rightful place! Then what on earth is the true identity of that ‘angel’? I hurriedly inquired.

“What kind of being was that angel? Why did it make such proposals?”

[I was a mere warrior who only ever wielded a sword, so I wouldn’t know such things. But I instinctively knew that it was something beyond human. Even though there were many stronger souls than me, seeing them accept that being’s proposal without question made me trust it.]

“Hmm.”

Pietro’s skill seemed to hover somewhere around the early stages of a Peak Expert. In the West, a nation’s top expert is referred to as a Swordmaster or Maestro, meaning he was a great swordsman in life, boasting that he was the strongest swordsman in the southern continent.

[Now that I think about it, that being didn’t emit any evil energy at all. That’s why I trusted it.]

Everything clicked into place when I heard Pietro’s words.

‘There must be something rotten about the Heavenly Secret Technique. Even the afterlife…’

The creator of the Heavenly Secret Technique was not a westerner but one of the greatest beings among the Great Immortals, Guang Chengzi. He had offered advice and assistance to the emperor and was known as the highest elder of the Celestial Realm. However, he hardly ever showed himself and lived in seclusion.

For such an ancient Great Immortal to create the Heavenly Secret Technique and for it to influence even great figures in the West? And that sketchy entity referred to as an angel was revealing the whereabouts of the afterlife and the fate of destruction? What kind of being was Guang Chengzi to have such power?

I shook my head and muttered.

“… I can’t figure it out just by thinking about it.”

I quickly moved towards the inner city of Paris and released Pietro. Instead, I summoned a spirit that could give me insight into the internal circumstances using the Heavenly Secret Technique. Shortly after, a spirit appeared before me.

“Catherine de Medici? That girl is my daughter-in-law.”

“And you are?”

“Do you really think someone like you needs to know my name? I’ll guide you to where she resides.”

It seems that the spirit I summoned once ruled this country. Following his guidance, I headed to the Grand Empress Dowager Hall and materialized in front of the Queen Mother.

“Aaaaah!!”

The handmaidens attending her screamed. However, the Queen Mother displayed remarkable composure and, without much fuss, gestured for me to approach. I handed her the letter, and she spoke.

“That’s strange. Is it wrong for the Eastern Orthodox Church to strike down the emperor with the dragon’s power?”

It seemed that the Queen Mother and the Eastern Orthodox Church had some pact, and she appeared to be offering them her support. I wasn’t entirely sure, but perhaps the Queen Mother desired to wield influence over the Arasa Empire? Nevertheless, I didn’t really need to know in detail about the political affairs of the West, so I nodded vaguely and said,

“I was only tasked with delivering this; I will take my leave now.”

With that, I swiftly activated the Golden Lamp technique to exit the scene. Then I moved to the church where I had previously met Thomas More to make contact with him.

Upon hearing all the details, Thomas More spoke fluently in the language of the British Empire.

“Cornwall is near Camlann. If you’re to meet Merlin, it is undoubtedly near the lake.”

“A lake?”

When I asked, he replied.

“Sir Merlin is the second-in-command guardian of the West. He is also fighting against the [Old Ruler] and leads the sorcerers.

So, basically, that means he’s an ally?

“Please inform me of his location.”

“I will provide you with a map.”

I accepted the map and began running swiftly over mountains and rivers. I made sure to hide whenever I saw soldiers from the British Empire or any signs of life. I wasn’t sure if the sorcerers had detected me, but it was better to avoid trouble altogether.

After some time, I finally reached Cornwall, following the map from Thomas More. Upon arriving near Camlann within Cornwall, Merlin called out to me from a distance.

[You are quite an impressive individual… I never expected you to reach this place in such a short time.]

[Where are you?]

[Come to the lake.]

Following Merlin’s instructions, I approached the lake. The moment I reached the lake’s shore, Merlin’s apparition appeared before me.

[It’s a pleasure to meet you, Baek Woong, the Eastern Genius.]

 

---