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Although the sword that had suddenly swung into the air stopped right before his neck, Kim Seon-Hyeok wasn’t relieved just yet. The Sword Star hadn’t pulled back his sword and his eyes were still cold.

Sigh.

Kim Seon-Hyeok held his breath and prepared to release his Dragon Fury at any moment. It probably wouldn’t happen, but he wanted to be able to immediately counterattack if the Sword Star changed his mind and swung his sword. 

However, the Sword Star didn’t swing his sword or withdraw it. He merely continued to stare at Seon-Hyeok with cold eyes.

Kim Seon-Hyeok slightly admired him. He couldn’t help but question whether the person in front of him was really the Sword Star that he knew. 

The old knight who had no sense of tact and only knew how to be competitive was no longer there. His deep eyes were unfathomable and his expressionless face was as empty as an inorganic matter. 

This wasn’t a question of fighting spirit. It was as if the Sword Star had become someone else, his temperament had completely changed.

Kim Seon-Hyeok knew that this was the real face of the man named Marek that had been hidden under the shell of the Sword Star. 

While he was looking, the sharp sword that had been digging into his neck disappeared.

“Let’s take a seat first.”

The Sword Star’s voice was dry when he finally opened his mouth after a long while.

Thud. 

Although the Sword Star had looked like he would stab a sword into his neck until a second ago, Kim Seon-Hyeok took his seat casually as if he had no memory of such a thing happening.

“I’ll ask you first, how much do you know?”

Kim Seon-Hyeok was asked a question before he could even properly sit down. He gave a short answer. 

“All I know is that on the continent, there are people in all four cardinal points who balance the world and that you are in charge of the East and that you are much older than you seem.”

The Sword Star’s face became heavier at his answer.

“And I know that the duel you’re so hung up on is only a façade, and in fact, you never actually cared about it from the beginning.”

The world said the Sword Star was a sword-crazed knight, that he was a man who would do anything to prove his swordsmanship.

However, Kim Seon-Hyeok was saying that all of that was just an illusion. 

“What you wanted was an excuse to keep an eye on me and see what kind of person I am. And if you decided I was dangerous, weren’t you planning on getting rid of me?”

Surprisingly, the Sword Star didn’t deny Seon-Hyeok’s words.

“So it’s safe to assume that you have a rough idea about everything.”

“Most likely.”

After a short pause, the Sword Star slowly spoke.

“I won’t ask who you heard it from. In the first place, Adjuster is an old title that’s been pushed to the side by the world and is only spoken by the old beings. And if there’s any old being who likely has a connection to you, then it can only be her.”

The Sword Star seemed to know about the dragon. 

Even though everyone else in the world didn’t believe the dragon existed, the Sword Star spoke with conviction, almost as if he had seen the dragon himself, and Kim Seon-Hyeok took that as a matter of fact.

Considering how the night before, he had heard about the beings known as Adjusters from the dragon, it wasn’t surprising that the Sword Star knew more.

“Do you understand what it would mean if the Countess Mangsk becomes my successor?”

Kim Seon-Hyeok nodded.

“Even knowing that, you still want her to be my successor?”

The Sword Star’s voice had a strangely deep resonance to it, and because of that, his words felt even heavier. 

Instead of responding, Kim Seon-Hyeok quietly recalled the conversation he had with the dragon the night before.

***

“What is the true identity of the Sword Star?”

Based on the dragon’s tone, it seemed like she knew the true identity of the secretive old knight known as the Sword Star. That was why Kim Seon-Hyeok repeatedly asked the dragon about the identity of the Sword Star. 

[After beings like me were pushed to the outer domain, there were people who corrected both the big and small disturbances and distortions in the world.]

He had only asked because he felt uneasy about the identity of the old knight who had too many secrets. But then, the dragon’s answer was completely different from what he had thought. 

[In order to balance the tilted scale, the world prepared an iron mass and only then would the scale finally be balanced.]

She was talking about the great truth that sustained the world. 

[The Adjusters are sages who never stop contemplating or mediating. At times they may behead an emperor of an empire, but at the same time, they are contradictory beings who do not meddle in the affairs of the world. That is what an Adjuster is.]

Kim Seon-Hyeok was able to find the answer to his troubles in the dragon’s words.

[Anything set before the Adjuster will pale in comparison to their noble duty as the Adjuster’s duty takes precedence over anything else.]

***

“I will ask you again. What is it that you really want from me?”

Kim Seon-Hyeok was shaken out of his thoughts at the Sword Star’s dry voice. He answered without hesitation.

“What I want is a new destiny to be given to Julian so that she would be set free from all her pre-existing bonds.”

Seon-Hyeok was convinced that that was the only way for Julian to escape her cruel fate as the dragon slayer. 

The Sword Star frowned as he looked at him. It was the first emotion the Sword Star was expressing since revealing his true self.

“I cannot leave the East. It will be the same for the Countess Mangsk if she becomes my successor.” 

“I know.”

It was doubtful that Julian would ever leave the eastern region of the continent, but even if she did, it would still be better than her dying at his hands. 

“And in the future, she will not be able to influence this world of her own will.

“It may be selfish of me, but I simply do not want her to fight against me.”

Kim Seon-Hyeok’s expression was extremely dark, but there was no way he would change his decision. 

The Sword Star didn’t speak for a long time. He just stood still and stared at Kim Seon-Hyeok.

“Huu.”

Time passed like this. The Sword Star let out a long sigh as he stood up.

“I will accept your terms.”

Although the other party had accepted his request, Kim Seon-Hyeok did not smile.

“Keep this in mind.”

The Sword Star gave a chilling warning as he looked at him.

“A lifetime’s enlightenment as the Duke Marek Schnail Roachim of the Empire allows me to freely wield the sword, but Marek the Adjuster is much more than that. And I intend to face you as the Adjuster.”

The Sword Star was chillingly making a distinction between himself as the Adjuster and himself as the Reclusive Duke, and made it clear that Seon-Hyeok’s request was being accepted by the Adjuster and not the Duke of the Empire.

“Do not think that the sword of an Adjuster who cannot be involved in the world will be a shield for you. I have mastered enough to cover the eyes of the world for a while and if necessary, I’m willing to pay the price for it.”

The Sword Star was warning him that if Seon-Hyeok was going to arrogantly attack him, then he should correct himself.

“I am prepared.”

Kim Seon-Hyeok once again gave him a clear answer with a firm expression. 

“Let us have the duel after the Countess of Mangsk gives you an answer. If she doesn\'t want it, then I will pretend today’s conversation never happened.”

“I’ve already sent her a letter, so I’ll have an answer soon.”

For a moment, the Sword Star frowned as if he was displeased, then he left. 

[Perhaps he is not satisfied with his own destiny.]

Once Kim Seon-Hyeok was left alone, the dragon spoke again.

[Do you plan to pressure her into accepting the Adjuster’s fate?]

The dragon was asking the same question the Sword Star had asked multiple times.

“It’ll at least be better than her dying.]

And Seon-Hyeok gave her the same answer this time as well.

[If this is really what you want, then I will not involve myself.]

He questioned her when she sighed out her words.

“Will her fate as a dragon slayer really disappear if she becomes an Adjuster?”

[As the world’s scale is never weightier on one side, should things happen as you wish, then her fate as your adversary will disappear.]

However, he couldn’t be happy even after hearing the dragon’s confirmation. He knew very well that no matter what he decided, he would end up regretting it.

But as of right now, there was no other choice.

The dragon knight and the dragon slayer were currently as hostile to each other and their instincts were no different from a snake eating a frog or a wolf eating a pig.

In the end, it would be Julian who would be the one to be eaten. After all, she had not yet fully awakened her powers as the dragon slayer. 

“By the way, since things turned out like this before the final test, what will happen next?”

Eliminating the dragon slayer was the last test for him to prove himself as a dragon knight. But if Julian became an Adjuster and escaped her original fate, then the dragon slayer would no longer exist and the outcome of the test was unknown.

[I do not know either.]

The dragon didn’t know whether another adversary other than Julian would be born, or whether there would be a completely unexpected result. 

“Then whatever happens, you’ll have to wait a bit longer.”

[Since the time is ripe, the wait won’t be long. Even if that time is longer than expected, I have waited a thousand years, there is no reason why I can’t wait a little longer.]

He had expected the dragon to kick up a fuss at his arbitrary decision, but she was unexpectedly meek. 

If the dragon had made a fuss in their current situation, he would have been really tired. Perhaps the dragon had dropped it because she had known that.

[But there is something else that you should be concerned about.]

“I know.”

Kim Seon-Hyeok had a determined expression at the dragon’s words.

For now, the most important thing was for him to win the duel against Marek, who would draw upon all his strength as an Adjuster.

***

It had been several days since he sent a letter through Asha Trail, however, Julian didn’t respond.

But that was only natural. Before she could even accept her fate as a dragon slayer, she was approached with another fate. There was no way she could make such a decision easily. 

Kim Seon-Hyeok calmly waited for her to make a decision, and thankfully, the Sword Star didn’t do anything until she gave her answer.

Another day passed, and yet again, another day passed.

“Grand Duke, a mage communication has arrived from the Imperial family, sir.”

“A mage communication?”

Kim Seon-Hyeok tilted his head when he heard the message from the Imperial knight from outside the door. He couldn’t think of a reason why the Imperial family would use a mage communication to speak with him.

After asking for permission, the Imperial Knight opened the door and entered.

“Here it is, sir.”

“Hm.”

When he took the message from the knight, Seon-Hyeok realized that it wasn’t only one.

One was from the Imperial capital and the other was from the distant central kingdom Astoria.

Kim Seon-Hyeok read the message from the Imperial capital first. He was worried that something had happened to Ophelia while he was away.

***

“After the Grand Duke left the Imperial capital, a request for a two-way communication came in from the Holy Kingdom. But due to your absence, the communication did not happen and the Holy Kingdom has sent a separate message. For this reason, I am attaching the entirety of the Holy Kingdom’s message separately.”

***

Fortunately, the message from the Imperial family only contained ordinary words of greeting and the reason for suddenly sending the message.

The problem was the message from the Holy Kingdom. 

***

‘Hyung-nim, I tried to talk with you, but you weren’t there.’

***

Just as if he was sending a text message in the other world, Park Joon-Min’s words were short and sweet. But, because of the contents after that, Kim Seon-Hyeok couldn’t laugh at the tone of the message.

***

‘Hyung-nim, I thought if I talked with you before leaving, I’d feel relieved, but there’s nothing I can do about that.’

***

Kim Seon-Hyeok’s expression hardened.

***

‘I’m leaving to fight the Demon King. Wish me luck.’