Chapter 28: The Utility of Law (4) [Name: Pexy von Arjen]
[Birth: November 1, 1012, Imperial Calendar; Capital, Arcadia]
[Status: Eldest Daughter of House Arjen]
[Affiliation: Sentio Magic Tower, 5th Circle Mage]
Pexy von Arjen.
She held a respectable position within the nine-circle hierarchy of mages. With only seven active 8th Circle mages in existence and zero 9th Circle mages—only three having ever existed in history—she was an elite prospect, likely to reach at least the 7th Circle if she stayed the course.
As an Izenheim, she was naturally proficient with mana. Their method of communication, after all, involved blending their own vibrations into it.
"Ezel. The report...?"
Pexy tilted her head as she looked at me, standing beside Ezel. Ezel introduced me.
"This is Maximilian. A knight from the Sentinel Knights."
Pexy looked back and forth between us and gave a bright smile.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Pexy, 5th Circle... Ah, I suppose a knight wouldn't be familiar with that sort of introduction."
"I am. Mages always seem to put their circle first."
"It's our own sense of hierarchy. Quite embarrassing, really."
It was the voice of a noble. Even her manner of speaking was perfect.
I asked tentatively, "By the way, haven't we met somewhere before?"
"Oh... I wonder?"
She didn't bat an eye as she feigned ignorance. Fine, I would play along for now.
"Hmm. I must have been mistaken."
"What brings a knight from the Sentinels here?"
"I have a case I'm handling lately. I was wondering if there might be a mage willing to cooperate..."
"Huh? Is that what this was about?"
Ezel tapped my shoulder. Pexy chuckled and asked, "I see. What kind of case is it?"
It was the question I had been waiting for.
"I'm hunting a 'Head-Eater'."
I continued, observing the changes in Pexy's expression.
"You know about the Head-Eaters, don't you? One of the victims was a mage."
"Yes. I'm aware. It was a gruesome incident."
As expected, she remained composed. She showed only the most mundane and natural of reactions.
Beside me, Ezel also turned serious.
"A Head-Eater... Max. I think I can connect you with a mage specializing in tracking. I actually met them last week."
"Oh, really?"
In truth, I didn't need one.
Pexy checked her wristwatch and raised an eyebrow.
"Ezel, send the report up once it's finished. I have things to do. Sir Knight, I hope you catch them."
"I will."
I gave a slight bow. Pexy hurried off somewhere. Watching her retreating figure, I muttered intentionally, "...She's beautiful."
Just loud enough for Pexy to hear.
Ezel let out a smirk.
"You certainly have an eye for talent. She's quite famous."
"Is she? Do you know her well?"
"I've known her for about three months, since I joined the Magic Tower. Why? Interested?"
I nodded immediately.
"Yeah. Set me up with her."
A strange light flickered in Ezel's eyes for a moment, but she soon grinned and slapped my shoulder.
"You rascal... Finally acting like a man, are you?"
Our engagement had been cleanly nullified. Ezel's family hadn't liked me, and Zebestian had never cared about my private life to begin with.
"Yeah. I want to talk to her about the Head-Eater case as well."
"Hmm. Using cooperation as an excuse?"
"Something like that."
Ezel tapped her chest with a sly look.
"Fine. Just trust me and wait."
Her smiling face was clear and bright.
* * *
After returning home from the Magic Tower, it was time for Priya's swordsmanship lesson.
Somehow, I had found myself walking the path of Ebenholtz again, but I no longer had any complaints. Improving my personal martial strength was essential. In a few years, I would become the top assassination target for both the Revolutionary Group and the Izenheims.
"Whew..."
Repeating the Ebenholtz breathing technique, I drew up the pure crystals that had been deposited in my body since childhood. I spread mana throughout my entire body, tempering my bones, muscles, and blood vessels.
Thump—
The virus resonated within me.
Thump—
The breathing was harder than expected. The particles of mana were quite painful, feeling as if they were clawing at my internal organs.
"Ugh..."
I opened my eyes amidst the pain that felt like my heart and lungs were burning.
Before I knew it, Priya was standing right in front of me.
"The intervals of your breathing are good. The mana circulating between the inhale and exhale is very cleanly refined. You've learned Mana Breathing very well."
"...Thank you."
"Now, stand up. Any more and your organs will tear."
I pushed myself up. I looked at Priya while swaying slightly.
To be honest, this woman was still a complete mystery. I wondered if someone like her had existed before my regression. It was likely a pseudonym, but I didn't recall seeing anyone even remotely similar.
"Now, show me. Your sword."
"Yes."
It was time for my homework to be checked.
I drew my longsword and swung it through the air. The sword extended fluidly and elegantly. I didn't use unnecessary force. I simply cut through the air naturally.
————!
The sound of the blade slicing the wind, a clear resonance as if cutting through space itself.
In that moment, Priya's dagger flew toward me like a bolt of lightning.
Whoosh!
"Holy—! What are you doing!"
I recoiled in shock. The dagger grazed my cheek and embedded itself in the tree behind me.
"I believe I told you not to move."
Priya replied coldly.
"What?"
"It's unsightly. The sword of Ebenholtz is an elegant blade. It is a sword that resembles the moonlight of a silent night. You must not move so frivolously, nor should you swing it so ostentatiously."
"..."
I brushed back my hair. I felt a slight surge of anger.
Priya kept equating the Ebenholtz sword with nobility.
"But listen. What's so great about a sword being elegant? Swinging a sword just to look good for others—"
"Because that is the only way to reach the Goku-i."
"...The Goku-i?"
Priya reached out her arm. The dagger embedded in the tree returned to her hand.
"I am not asking for superficial flashiness. Flashiness is nothing more than bravado. Elegance, on the other hand, stems from within."
"What does that have to do with the Goku-i?"
"Think of a mage's magic circle. Do they draw them carelessly? No. They complete the magic with every ounce of their strength, stroke by stroke. Because if it's even slightly off, the magic collapses."
At her words, which suddenly brought up mages, I realized something.
"The Goku-i of Ebenholtz is more than just simple swordsmanship. It is a perfect 'Sword Array' completed by the trajectory of the blade. That is the Secret Sword of Ebenholtz. To achieve that, you must establish perfect habits from the very beginning."
Priya swept her sword. A trail of light leaked from her clean trajectory. My eyes widened.
"When holding a sword, always maintain a composed and orderly posture. Furthermore, ensure that no sound comes from your strike. That is your second task."
Make no sound while striking with the sword.
It was a task more difficult than swinging the sword ten thousand times.
"Try it."
"...Yes."
I swung the sword for now.
Vroom—!
It made a sound. Naturally, it had to.
Vroom—!
The more I became conscious of the noise, the duller and louder the sword became.
"Use your entire body, not just your arms. Eliminate unnecessary waste of power."
Priya's calm advice followed.
I closed my eyes.
"Instead, focus on the minute movements starting from your toes. Even if only the axis of your feet moves, the body will naturally advance."
The soles of the feet treading the earth, the ankles pushing off the ground, the rotating pelvis.
The line of the sword form formed through the whole.
"Move your entire body like a sword."
The arm is merely the terminal point where the swordsman's power reaches. The sword is not deployed as a part of the body. One must perceive the sensation of projecting the sword through the flow of the entire body.
Then, the noisy sound of the air being torn gradually subsided.
I suppressed all other distracting thoughts.
A noble does not show emotion. They do not reveal it. They simply maintain their composure.
They are merely refined.
...A refined sword.
I trained all night until I collapsed from exhaustion on the ground. The rustling leaves served as my bed. A full moon hung in the sky.
Suddenly, Priya looked down at me, blocking half of that light.
I looked up at her.
—When elegance reaches its peak.
Her words drifted distantly. They shimmered in my ears as if I were underwater.
—Resembling the moonlight...
The blade flashed. Like silent moonlight, dozens of silver rays bloomed in the air, overlapping.
It was serene.
It was brilliant.
Yet, it was never extravagant.
A silent sword dance.
—It becomes the freest sword.
Truly, it is indeed elegant.
This woman, at least, does not lie.
I closed my eyes tightly.
I fell into a deep sleep.
* * *
The next morning. When I arrived at work with a stiff body and sat in the knight's office, a certain document was delivered to me.
At the same time, I realized that I had quite a few obstacles in my way.
"...I see."
In a Knight Court, a knight's sentencing recommendation is practically a demand, but the master of the courtroom remains the judge.
Even in the declining Empire, there were still those who sought to protect their conscience.
──[Notice of Stay of Judgment]──
Case: Conspiracy for Insurrection at the Paper Mill and Charges of Organizing a Revolutionary Group
Defendants: Daniel Mateo and 2 others (Fatima Muller, Maria Schulz)
Court: 3rd Criminal Division
Judge: Klaus von Limperk
Order:
· The judgment for this case is stayed, and the case is remanded to the presiding knight for a supplementary investigation.
Reasoning:
· The charges against defendant Daniel Mateo are clearly recognized based on the evidence submitted.
· However, the charges of conspiracy for insurrection and organization against defendants Fatima Muller and Maria Schulz are significantly insufficient to prove the defendants' crimes beyond a reasonable doubt with the evidence currently submitted.
· In particular, the portion of the indictment defining certain defendants as members of a 'Revolutionary Group' appears to be based entirely on the presiding knight's subjective judgment and interpretation, without objective physical evidence.
Therefore, unless clear and specific proof regarding the degree of involvement of the two defendants in said organization is provided, the court cannot sentence the two defendants to death.
Accordingly, the court stays the sentencing and demands a thorough and complete reinvestigation and the submission of additional evidence from the knight regarding this matter.
────────────
The judge assigned to the case had rejected my recommendation for the death penalty.
"..."
I set the notice down. I ran my hand roughly through my hair.
It couldn't be helped.
I picked up my terminal and called Schatz.
"Schatz. It's the second mission."
—Yes. I was waiting.
Klaus von Limperk. Was he a member of the Revolutionary Group? I couldn't know yet. At the very least, a judge who rejected a case even after seeing the name Ebenholtz would not bend his will, even if it meant losing his job.
"Judge Klaus Limperk. Dig into his background."
Therefore, for an efficient negotiation, one must first find 'what the opponent values more than themselves.'
"Focus on his family relations... especially his children."
Those are the things one must seize and exploit.
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