Swordmaster of the Great Wall

Prologue

Dark crimson clouds filled the sky.

A man, barely managing to remain standing, staggered as he drove his sword into the ground.

From the shattered gaps in the armor encasing his body, red blood gushed out in spurts.

That blood mixed with the blood flowing from the severed flesh strewn across the battlefield, pooling into puddles.

The wounded man—Erich, the last commander of the resistance—gasped for breath.

'Where did it all go wrong?'

He had spent twenty years fighting these monsters here.

But what was the result? Now, all he could see were the blood and corpses of the soldiers who had been so amiable just moments before.

Even the soldiers who had survived and formed up by his side were already little more than walking corpses.

–Grrrrrr

Their chilling howls. It resounded from every direction.

Would it have been different if the Sword Saint had been here instead? Erich let out a bitter smile.

'There's no point in thinking about it.'

The Sword Saints had all died long ago. Not at the hands of that undying army, but at the hands of humans, who refused to believe in their existence and split into factions.

There were no more heroes left.

He had to do it himself.

"... For—!"

Erich stood at the front line and swung his sword.

–Paaaang!

The phalanx of the army of skeletons broke apart for a moment. Through that opening, thousands of soldiers surged in as one.

–Grrrrr!

The sight of them charging forward, as if defying death, seemed to make even the skeletons hesitate for an instant.

However—

–Kwaang!

Soldiers who had broken into the skeletons' lines began to fall, one by one. A being not included in the original plan had appeared.

Frost-coated silver armor and a massive ice spear. A Death Knight.

'Can I do this?'

Erich wiped his weary eyes once.

If his body were at full strength, a single Death Knight would have been no problem. But now......

–Chaeng!

The creature lunged in an instant, thrusting its sharp ice spear.

But at that very moment—

Erich's eyes turned crimson.

And then, as if time itself had stopped, the creature moved sluggishly. No, it wasn't that the creature had slowed; it was Erich's perception that had accelerated.

Erich twisted his body-nimbly along the trajectory of the creature's spear.

[...!]

He could sense the Death Knight, who had lunged with its spear, recoil in shock.

But it was already too late.

Erich's sword slid between the joints of the creature's armor and, from the tip of the blade, drew a single long line.

–Pasak.

And so.

The long line traced in the air tore through the void, slicing the very space where the Death Knight had been in half.

–Gegegegeug!

The enormous explosion that erupted from the rending of space struck his ears like the clang of metal.

But.

–Grrrr!

When he glanced around, he saw that countless skeleton soldiers were now surrounding him on all sides.

He had no plans left. All the soldiers nearby had already been annihilated.

But as he tried to grasp his sword once more, Erich looked up at the sky with eyes full of regret.

'What's the point in doing this?'

Once the monsters had breached the Great Wall, humanity's annihilation had already entered its final countdown.

Killing a few of them here wouldn't change anything.

'.......'

But as he hesitated like that, the skeleton soldiers around him didn't miss their opportunity and lunged with their spears.

–Paang!

Erich spun around, knocking aside their spears. In unison, their spear attacks rebounded, and fragments of their bones scattered across the ground.

But immediately after, what entered his gaze was a swarm of massive ice spears.

"Kuhk!"

He dodged as best he could, but one of the ice spears impaled his abdomen. It was a fatal wound.

'All because I couldn't open the 'eye' for just a moment, and now I'm in this state.'

After gasping for breath, Erich glared at the mage who had summoned the ice spears.

Blinding white eyes and a massive crown.

He instinctively understood.

It was that being. The King of Nameless Dead. The Lord of the Dead.

[Impressive, human.]

The creature's voice rang clear in his ear as though whispering right beside him.

A chill like ice clawed its way through Erich's mind.

[A most appetizing vessel.]

The creature's ghastly voice was filled with joy.

To that monster, he was just raw material for forging a Death Knight.

He wanted to shatter that delusion, but he truly had no strength left. Death was right before his eyes.

'How lamentable... all of this.'

If only there hadn't been civil war among humans.

Or at least, if even just the North hadn't turned their blades on each other...

Could things have been stopped then?

The shattered Great Wall, the ruined North, and ultimately the downfall of humanity itself.

Erich closed his eyes.

It wasn't the ending he wished for...

But now, it was time to accept everything.

'Anyway, I did my best. I have no regrets.'

He was just coming to terms with it in his heart when—

–Kwaaaaaaang!

A blinding golden flash and explosion. Even with his eyes closed, the light seemed like it would burn his vision away.

'What is...?'

When he opened his eyes, a scene he had never witnessed in his life unfolded before him.

An infinite space, where darkness and cloud mingled.

Every life and existence faded into dust and beyond,

The sun shattered and broke, flowing like the Milky Way.

Amidst it all, a colossal being placed a finger over its lips.

Shhh.

But the moment he recognized that being—

Unfortunately, death no longer allowed him time to take in such sights.

***

"-!"

As Erich flailed in the void, he heard a voice murmuring at his ear, though he knew it couldn't be real.

A warm and soft sensation spread through his whole body.

"Young master!"

Young master?

Erich rubbed his heavy eyelids, feeling a curious sense of estrangement.

For nearly twenty years, he had slept only on the hard bunks of the watchtower's soldiery, making this a scene utterly foreign to him.

But as he opened his eyes, he realized he was lying in the center of a luxurious mansion's room.

To be exact...

"My room?"

The room he had used during the days he lived in the Krupp Grand Ducal Palace.

Inside, several maids were moving busily. One of them brought a washbasin to him.

Was this a dream? Heaven?

But when Erich saw his own reflection in the water, he jumped in shock.

'This is... my face from when I was young!'

And, startled by that, as he unconsciously rubbed his cheek—

He felt something was off.

'No beard?'

Only then did he realize for sure. He had returned to his body from before he became a commander, to his twenties.

***

Chapter 1

Krupp Grand Ducal Family.

The Krupp Grand Ducal Family, the great lord of the South, wielded power befitting its prestigious reputation.

There was even talk that, when major political issues arose, even the imperial family would be mindful of the Krupp Grand Ducal Family's opinion.

Moreover, the prestige of the current Grand Duke Krupp, hailed as the incarnation of Reinhardt Krupp, the founding Swordmaster of the house, was such that it would not be an exaggeration to say he could make birds fall from the sky.

But even in such a house, a subtle rumor was circulating. It was a rumor about the grand duke's third young master.

"Did you hear about that?"

"You mean Young Master Erich, right?"

"I heard a rumor that he injured his head."

Erich Krupp.

The third young master of the Krupp house.

He was, in a sense, born with a diamond spoon in his mouth, but a tone of pity lingered in the servants' voices whenever they mentioned his name.

"Of course. It seems he was seriously hurt. He's suddenly pouring all his effort into everything now..."

"It's meaningless, though, since he's an illegitimate child. No matter what he does, it won't amount to anything."

"Still, isn't it better than how withdrawn he usually was?"

The southern tradition never recognized illegitimate children as legitimate heirs. Because of this, despite being the house's third child, Erich was excluded from all the important and minor affairs of the family.

Even among the servants, seeing Erich walking around with his shoulders perpetually drooped was enough to evoke sympathy.

But what on earth could have happened? The illegitimate young master who had recently injured his head after falling from a horse underwent a sudden change that became the subject of lively gossip among the servants.

"Are you enjoying yourselves?"

"S-Steward Finn."

A cold gaze descended upon the servants who had been talking so cheerfully. An elderly man with a sharp and frosty presence approached them—Finn, the steward.

"Loose lips in the grand ducal house often hasten the end of one's life."

"S-sorry, sir."

Finn did not raise his voice. He simply spoke calmly and tersely. Yet even a single word from him made the servants' shoulders tremble like aspen leaves.

Stewards and servants—while both served nobles, stewards were lower-ranking nobles themselves, quite unlike the commoner servants.

Among them, Finn had joined the Krupp estate at a young age and had remained until his hair turned grey, so he could have handled these greenhorn servants before matters escalated.

Especially since the person being gossiped about was the very master he served.

"Get back to your duties."

"Yes, sir!"

But Finn did not scold them any further. After all, what they said wasn't entirely untrue.

What use was effort for an illegitimate child? That was a saying his master of nearly twenty years never failed to repeat.

'... And yet—what made him suddenly change like that?'

With measured steps, Finn walked down the hallway of the mansion. Of all the numerous rooms in the house, he headed for a relatively shabby room at the end, not befitting a noble. He opened the door.

"Two thousand nine hundred eighty-eight..., two thousand nine hundred eighty-nine..."

Finn bowed respectfully. Inside, someone stood on their hands, drenched in sweat.

"Young Master Erich."

"Two thousand nine hundred ninety..."

There was Erich Krupp.

The talk of the house lately, the grand duke's illegitimate child. After finishing his last exercise, he got up from where he stood.

"Thank you."

He took the towel Finn handed him and wiped his sweat.

"You seem to have something to say, don't you?"

"Forgive me if I am presumptuous, but..."

"If it were truly unspeakable, you wouldn't have said anything, Finn. Don't worry, go ahead."

Finn's eyes twitched slightly. For some reason, ever since Erich's head injury, his tone had felt a little odd—each word seemed to hit right on the mark.

"With all due respect, you cannot become strong this way. More than anything, swordsmanship must be tempered through real combat..."

"Finn."

Erich cut Finn off with a faint smile.

Finn's meaning was clear.

Instead of practicing secluded away, go out and experience real combat, spar with others.

But, if no one else knew, Erich did not need actual combat.

'It's been a year since I came back to the past, huh.'

Erich Krupp.

Before returning, he was stationed at the great northern wall. As the commander of the Watch, and even before that as an ordinary watchman, he had experienced enough life-and-death combat to last a lifetime. If anything, he had more than enough experience—what he needed now was time to train his weakened body.

But rather than what Finn said, Erich saw what was hidden between his words. How could he not recognize this old man's loyalty?

"It's not just that, is it? You also want me to show the grand duke my effort—maybe even show off how I can beat one of the house knights in a spar."

"... That's correct."

"Thank you for your concern, but I know all that too. You may leave now."

"Understood."

Finn did not argue further. It seemed Erich could already see through his intentions.

Gathering the water glass and towel Erich had used, Finn exited the room.

Once the steward left, Erich sat on the window sill and began to steady his breathing. Outside the window, the grand duke's private soldiers were in training.

'... Erich Krupp, grand duke.'

A fleeting smile touched his lips. Perhaps, once upon a time, he had dreamed such a dream—Erich Krupp, grand duke. How thrilling a thought that was. When he had actually returned to the past, it wasn't as if he hadn't considered such things.

But at those times, white lights would always flicker across his mind. Millions of lights filling the snowy fields— remembering that each one was the eye of the dead would still make him shudder.

And at the end of those imaginings were always the deaths of the Watch brothers who had stayed by his side. Their screams still echoed vividly in his ears. The onrushing tide of the undying legion; comrades falling helplessly, with nothing to be done. Their faces would appear before his closed eyes, over and over.

"Hoo."

In time, Erich composed his breathing. Timing how long it took for his heart rate to recover, he smiled in satisfaction.

'Looks like I'm almost ready. And it's time.'

Erich hadn't spent all his time just training. He remained in this mansion because he was waiting for something. If his memory from the past was correct, 'they' would be arriving soon.

"'Iceborn'... I suppose I should consider this some compensation for returning to the past."

Erich stood and dropped to the floor, resuming his exercise. As always, his training continued until he had reached his limits.

That night as well, the last light to be extinguished in the Krupp mansion was from Erich's room.

***

"Are the guests outside?"

"Yes, sir. I shall invite them in."

With those words, the servant headed to the main gate. As he did so, Finn straightened Erich's clothes and said,

"Young Master. This is a great opportunity. If you show a dignified side, the grand duke surely will—"

"Finn, don't make a fuss. What kind of behavior is that in front of guests?"

Deflated by Erich's words, Finn fell silent. Still, there was good reason for his concern.

Erich, always excluded from the family's public and private matters.

Today was a monumental day—by the grand duke's order, he would be welcoming guests.

But watching Erich, who seemed completely indifferent, Finn could only look on in pity.

Simply because he was an illegitimate child, Erich's circumstances were utterly different from those of his brothers.

'If today brings the grand duke joy, perhaps another opportunity will come.'

As he was inwardly cheering on his master,

The servants opened the gates.

—Creeeeak.

The massive front doors of the Krupp mansion opened, and a group of soldiers entered.

—Thud, thud.

With a free-and-easy gait and an assortment of gear, their only commonality was the long longswords at their waists and the black cloaks upon their shoulders.

They all cast dark glances about as they moved inside. Finn's expression darkened when he saw them.

"... Young Master, this is—"

"That's why I told you not to fuss."

Their almost criminal behavior only made Finn more flustered.

In that moment, Finn's hopes of making a good impression on the noble guests and earning points with the grand duke were shattered.

"... Young for a grand duke."

The man at the front swept Erich with a threatening gaze, meeting Erich's stern stare head-on.

"I'm not the grand duke."

"Young man, mind your tongue. Go fetch the grand duke. We're not people with time to waste."

The man sneered, pointing his finger at Erich's face. At that moment—

—Crack.

"Arghhh!"

The man, whose wrist was twisted by Erich, collapsed to the floor, screaming.

But Erich spoke past him, addressing someone further in the back.

"And you are not Sir Konrad, are you? Just as I am not the grand duke,"

A tall man with a neat moustache and an air of composure stepped forward. The long split at the corners of his lips gave the impression that he was smiling no matter his expression.

"My subordinate was rude. I'll see to him; why not let him go now?"

At his words, Erich shoved his subdued opponent back toward his group. The man withdrew, his face twisted with pain.

Konrad, after glancing sideways at the man, turned to Erich again.

"To subdue a Watchman so easily... You must be Sir Friedrich, the first son of Krupp. An honor to meet you."

"Regrettably, you're mistaken. I am Erich Krupp—the third son."

Konrad's gaze flickered with confusion, and after glancing again at his subordinate, he seemed to stifle the words threatening to escape.

The words he swallowed were probably...

'Even an illegitimate child is this strong...?'

He couldn't just say 'illegitimate child' to Erich's face. The grand duke of the South, being so far away, was notoriously uncooperative with the Watch, and the Watch's attempt to assert their dominance over Krupp had backfired.

'They probably never imagined I'd be the one to greet them.'

The grand duke had sent Erich to greet the Watch as an insult.

Ordinarily, no matter the actual situation, guests of the Watch would be greeted with proper ceremony.

By sending out the illegitimate son, rather than an heir, the grand duke was delivering the message, 'You're not important.'

Erich knew all this only because he had lived through this future once already.

"The grand duke is waiting inside. Shall we go together?"

"... Let's."

Together, they crossed the vast garden within the grand ducal residence and made their way to the central audience chamber.

When the grand golden doors opened, the grand duke awaited within with his retainers.

Long flowing black hair; features so sharp he looked like a sword personified. The piercing gaze he emitted was directed at Konrad as he entered.

"Welcome, sir Konrad."

"Grand duke."

Konrad bowed slightly. The grand duke smiled meaningfully and spoke again.

"I wonder, did my son greet you properly?"

"It was certainly a... surprising welcome."

"That so? Well, I suppose it makes sense. The customs of the North and South differ somewhat."

"Our very purpose here being what it is, and considering the display of martial strength capable of subduing a Watch veteran... I could hardly be more satisfied."

At Konrad's lighthearted reply, the grand duke's eyes flickered ever so slightly. It was not the answer he had expected. Still, the grand duke answered smoothly.

"I'm glad you're satisfied. You should rest now. We'll discuss that 'matter' tomorrow."

"No, we don't have such leisure. Let's settle it here and now."

The grand duke's face twisted subtly. For someone to go against his wishes in his own domain—his knights and stewards watched his reaction closely.

"Settle what, exactly?"

"For this year's southern 'Iceborn' trials, I would like the children of Krupp to participate."

At Konrad's bold request, everyone awaited the grand duke's response, most of them clearly tense or shocked—except for Erich, who already knew everything.

"That's an interesting suggestion. Still, according to the tradition of 'Iceborn,' even as my sons, I can't force them to participate. Friedrich, ludwig."

"Yes, father."

The two young men seated to the grand duke's left—sharing Erich's features except for their blond hair—answered in turn.

"Do either of you wish to participate?"

"No, father."

"Nor do I."

They, as expected, refused the grand duke's suggestion. Just as the grand duke was about to turn back to Konrad, as if he had expected this—

"I'll do it."

"...?"

A strange voice volunteered to participate.

All eyes turned to a single man.

The outcast of the house who had never pulled such a stunt before.

It was Erich Krupp.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】