SWNOVELXO Chapter 45 - Fiery Jade Stone (1)
Chapter 45. Fiery Jade Stone (1)
Yan Flonica. Or rather, the man hiding his real name, Yan Sevillon.
Rubin looked at Yan’s flowing silver hair and his violet eyes. His gaze eventually fell to the distinct scar on Yan’s neck, which would one day become his symbol.
“To think I’d meet Yan here like this.”
At that moment, Haneke, noticing Rubin’s surprise, stepped forward.
“Yan? Who is that young man?”
It was only natural that Haneke, who had met his death eleven years ago, wouldn’t know Yan.
“When I turn thirty, the Lillic Empire will, under Telmach’s orders, conduct a purge of the Assassin Blade Family.”
With the objective of “annihilation,” the empire’s full might would be directed at the Assassin Blade Family.
Around that same time, a rebellious force emerged from the empire’s southern region. They rose like a storm, as though they might overthrow the empire any day.
“A rebellion? Are you saying that man becomes a rebellion leader?”
“Yan never wanted to be called a ‘rebel.’”
“Then, what did he call it?”
Retribution.
Yan referred to the war he was starting as retribution. He intended to punish Emperor Telmach for his sins.
“Retribution, you say?”
“Haneke, he is the heir to the Kingdom of Sevillon.”
At those words, surprise crept onto Haneke’s face—exactly as Rubin had expected.
It had been a century since the Lillic Empire was founded.
In most history books, the name had either been erased or defiled, but originally, Sevillon was the kingdom that had led the way before the empire’s completion.
Sevillon and Lillic had once shared a master-subordinate relationship.
When Lillic, a vassal state, committed a historic betrayal, the fates of Telmach and Yan were also reversed.
“He’s of Sevillon’s royal blood?”
Haneke still struggled to accept Rubin’s words.
Rubin had also been skeptical before his return.
A descendant of the Sevillon royal family, thought extinct long ago, appearing now—it was hard to believe.
“How did he survive?”
After the empire’s founding, traces of the Sevillon royal family had been rapidly erased.
Not only the royals, but also everyone who had obeyed or been connected to them, were killed.
It was a relentless purge.
Beginning with the first emperor, the massacre continued across generations until it reached Telmach.
All those proceedings were cloaked in various false pretexts.
Imperial soldiers and traditional sword families, raising the banner of justice, hunted down and eliminated the remaining Sevillon.
“It wasn’t just the imperial soldiers. In the empire’s early days, even assassins from the Assassin Blade Family continuously took on missions to eliminate Sevillon’s remnants.”
Before his return, Rubin had also handled several missions concerning Sevillon, issued by the Imperial Edict Office.
But then.
When the “silver-haired rebel” Yan appeared, it was as if forces across the empire had been waiting for him.
They gathered under the banner he raised, rallying against Telmach.
“So, what happened then?”
Haneke, curious about the continent’s fate, urged Rubin to continue.
“If Yan had defeated Telmach and become the new emperor, he would’ve been remembered as the ‘Avenger’ rather than the ‘silver-haired rebel.’ I might not have dreamed of vengeance, either.”
The Lillic Empire didn’t fall.
Yan’s forces, which had advanced quickly northward, near the empire’s capital, were ultimately crushed by Telmach.
According to reports, countless people, including Yan, died in the aftermath.
“Yan died around the same time I did. He may not have died directly at Telmach’s hand, like I did, but…”
Rubin left Haneke with a low remark, ending their internal conversation for the moment.
“……”
Yan stood before him.
He dismounted and met Rubin’s gaze. Then, abruptly, he extended his hand.
The heir of Sevillon, who would one day reveal himself to the world, extended a handshake to Rubin.
“A family called Poinen? I haven’t heard of such a family around here.”
After a brief handshake with Rubin, Yan expressed his suspicion, befitting the heir of the Flonica family, at the unfamiliar travelers passing through his territory.
Currently, the Flonica family was a small family affiliated with the Kingdom of Lihon. Though minor in influence, they were formally responsible for this area.
“I also hadn’t heard of the Flonica family before now.”
Rubin noted the modest reputation of the Flonica family as he observed Yan’s reaction.
“The Flonica family is an ancient family in the Kingdom of Lihon. Though the kingdom’s territory isn’t large compared to the empire, we maintain the tradition of knighthood through our own swordsmanship.”
Stepping in for Yan, who was bristling, was the knight-captain, Silos.
Though from a lesser family, one could sense the pride befitting a man who had risen to the rank of knight-captain.
“Then, would you care to introduce the Poinen family?”
Yan’s suspicion of Rubin remained evident. It seemed he found it odd.
A young child traveling in a carriage with no guards?
“Kuze, show the young lord our travel pass.”
“Yes, young master.”
At Rubin’s words, the coachman, Kuze, fished around in his coat pocket.
Soon, he produced a travel pass.
Yan bypassed Rubin and approached Kuze, accepting the pass.
“An imperial pass, is it? That’s a rare document.”
The pass had been issued under Rubin’s alias by the main family.
Though not the highest grade of travel pass, it allowed entry to all paths within the empire, except those restricted to the imperial family and royals of various kingdoms.
Essentially, it was proof of nobility or aristocratic lineage anywhere within the empire.
But at that moment, Rubin noticed Yan’s hand lingering near the hilt of his sword.
“So, the imperial pass isn’t enough to convince him?”
As expected, Yan circled around Kuze and approached the carriage.
“I’ll still need to inspect the carriage. Please consider it a routine procedure.”
Yan circled the carriage, observing it keenly. Though he could’ve had a knight do it, he seemed the type to feel secure only by checking things himself.
After examining the carriage’s exterior, Yan then looked inside.
“Hm, a cat, I see.”
He was referring to Tina, who was curled up in the corner of the carriage.
When Yan reached out, Tina hissed, looking displeased.
Watching this, Kuze stepped forward with an awkward smile.
“Ah, my lord, she may scratch if you touch her. She’s quite the temperamental cat.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Hiss! Hiss!
“See? Just look at those eyes. They’re anything but ordinary.”
Just then, Menkers, who was bound, lifted his head and glanced at the carriage.
“Lord! Is there only a cat?”
Swish.
At Menkers’ sudden outburst, Silos drew his sword.
“Can’t you keep still?”
“No, please hear me out, captain! Isn’t there a middle-aged woman inside the carriage?”
“……”
Was this situation about to go sideways?
Rubin bit his lower lip.
When Menkers had started trailing them in the village, Tina had not been in her cat form while riding in the carriage.
“What nonsense is that?”
“When I was following them, there was a middle-aged woman with them. It’s true! Lord, captain, I swear it!”
Silos approached and peered into the carriage.
Of course, there was no middle-aged woman, just a moody cat glaring at them.
“Hm……”
Rubin once again watched Yan’s hand drop to his sword at his waist.
“Will Yan actually believe this?”
Menkers was nothing more than a bound criminal, willing to accept any disgrace for survival.
Lying would be second nature.
Moreover, Rubin’s group possessed a legitimate imperial pass.
“Will he still draw his sword?”
Rubin’s answer was “Yes.”
He couldn’t begin to imagine the battles Yan had survived to evade the emperor’s pursuit.
He would have lived constantly assuming the worst.
Therefore, Rubin had to assume the worst as well.
“If a fight breaks out…”
Rubin began mentally preparing for an unintended escalation.
He envisioned a skirmish against the Flonica knights.
All the regular knights were at the level of 2-star combatants.
That level wouldn’t pose a challenge, whether there were five or ten of them.
The knight-captain Silos seemed to be between 3-star and 4-star. He’d be no issue if handled by Kuze.
The problem was Yan.
“He won’t be easy.”
Yan’s exact level remained unclear.
At least 4-star, but he was certainly stronger than Silos, the knight-captain.
It would be a tough fight. Compared to Rubin, who had only recently begun using aura, Yan possessed the weapon of a strong, solid aura.
“I need to offset our physical difference as well.”
Rubin’s body was not yet fully developed. Even if their swordsmanship levels were similar, the physical disparity between them would put Rubin at a disadvantage.
It would be a close match. Rubin could not guarantee victory against Yan.
“Maybe I’ll have to use Dark Ripple.”
That would change the situation.
No matter if Yan was the heir of Sevillon, he wouldn’t be prepared for Dark Ripple.
He probably wouldn’t even know what it was.
As Rubin took a step toward Yan, he constantly envisioned the unfolding battle. With each step, dozens of possible scenarios for the fight played out in his mind.
“If he’s at 4-star…”
“If he’s at 5-star…”
Every scenario, whether attacking from the left or the right, held no possibility of Rubin’s defeat.
But when he finally stood before Yan…
Even with openings in Yan’s defense, Rubin refrained from making any move. Suddenly, Rubin’s own conviction surfaced.
“The enemy of my enemy is an ally.”
The heir of Sevillon, Yan.
Or the man who wanted to kill Telmach, Yan. Rubin knew he would stir a storm across the continent.
For now, it was just a ripple, but the massive storm that was Yan might one day strike Telmach.
He couldn’t extinguish that potential here and now.
“It doesn’t matter if Yan’s goal is the throne.”
So long as vengeance against Telmach was achieved, what followed was none of Rubin’s concern.
Breaking the silence, Silos let out a laugh, as if in disbelief.
“Menkers, did you just say ‘swear’? The word ‘swear’ coming from the mouth of someone who uses family swordsmanship for petty thievery.”
“Lord! Captain! Please, just listen to me!”
With Menkers continuing his frantic appeals, Yan turned away, his brow furrowed.
“Those little brats are suspicious. Last night, my brother was attacked. And it was done so flawlessly. What you see isn’t all there is. There could be others!”
“You continue to wag that filthy tongue.”
Silos’ hand, gripping his sword, trembled, as though he wanted to kill Menkers on the spot.
“That kid, that coachman—they’re both suspicious! They could be here to spy on us!”
In a desperate attempt to avoid punishment, Menkers kept shouting.
And then, Yan acted.
Taking Silos’ sword, he quickly drew a slash.
Slice.
With a single strike.
Amplifying his vision with Dark Ripple, Rubin saw that the blade was briefly cloaked in a vivid violet aura as it cut across Menkers’ chest.
“A violet aura.”
Apparently, it was unique to the Flonica family’s aura. And the aura had five layers, meaning Yan was a 5-star.
“At that age, a 5-star. Quite talented. Flonica family, was it? Seems like a well-honed aura.”
As Haneke murmured in admiration, Yan spoke in a low voice.
“Disgusting. I couldn’t stand to look at him any longer.”
Then he looked at Rubin.
“Apologies for the unpleasant sight, Lord Luden. Although he was an exile from the knighthood, I couldn’t let him tarnish our family’s honor any further.”
Accepting Yan’s apology, Rubin turned his head, pretending to be sickened by the gruesome scene.
“Is… is he dead?”
Yan, not realizing Rubin’s expression was feigned, responded with a gentle smile.
The faint doubt that had remained seemed to vanish entirely.
“The silver-haired rebel, Yan. They say he lived as a madman obsessed with survival, constantly hunted. I guess it was all rumors.”
This was very different from the rumors Rubin had heard in his past life.
Only one part matched: the level of his aura.
Though it wasn’t certain, he must have reached 6-star before his death.
“Well, then, may we continue our journey now?”
While the knights disposed of Menkers’ body, Kuze politely asked.
Yan glanced at the cat, Tina, then nodded without hesitation. It seemed he had concluded there was no reason to obstruct the journey of a noble with an imperial pass.
“If you ever visit Flonica territory again, please feel free to visit our residence. We’ll wash away the bitterness of today’s encounter.”
“Thank you.”
“Farewell, then.”
Rubin and Yan exchanged farewells, looking into each other’s eyes.
Yan and the knights were the first to leave. Watching their retreating figures, Rubin climbed into the carriage.
“We almost encountered some trouble. Shall we head off now, young master?”
“……”
Rubin recalled the aura Yan had displayed and their brief encounter.
There was no telling how or when they’d meet again.
Then suddenly.
“Hold on.”
“Hmm? Is something the matter?”
Meow.
Tina rubbed her face with her paw, as if curious.
“Yan’s base is somewhere nearby, right…”
Rubin sifted through his memories from his past life.
Amid the layers of memories, certain ones began to ignite, revealing a detail he’d almost overlooked.
“…Then perhaps the ‘Fiery Jade Stone’ might be near here as well?”
Rubin decided to change his plan.
“I think we can spend a bit more time here. Let’s find a new inn in the nearby village.”
Meow?
“…Young master, wouldn’t it be better not to delay? Are you sure it’s fine?”
More than fine.
If he’d realized this later, he’d have regretted losing out on such an invaluable opportunity.