studiobondurri Chapter 180 : Chapter 180
Chapter 180 : Chapter 180
Translator: AkazaTL Pr/Ed: Sol IX
***
The Golden Star. One of the Five Great Houses. Descendants of the Fair Scales—the Gold family’s divine authority. To the world, it’s known simply as “the eye that discerns value.” But Liam described it differently:
“The power to find what is most needed at this moment.”
***
“...My lord, are you familiar with the Golden Star?”
“Not in detail.”
“The, the Golden Star is—ugh—j-just a moment, please…”
Zeppelin Gold hurriedly led me into his mansion. In the middle of what began as a smooth conversation, he suddenly clutched his mouth, bolted for the washroom, and threw up.
When he returned, his face was pale.
“M-my apologies, I still… can’t quite shake the memory of that time.”
“……I’m sorry about that. As you heard, it was unavoidable if we were to become true partners.”
“I-I understand. Having heard your circumstances, I can’t blame you. But every time I look at your face, my stomach still churns. You just… look too much like him, the one I saw in that horrific place…”
He gets nauseous just looking at me? My master wasn’t that ugly.
「That’s not what he means, and you know it.」
…I averted my eyes from Liam’s amused look.
Zeppelin soon steadied his voice.
“...The Golden Star, as you know, is the Gold family’s power. It’s said to be why we could establish the Red Bank on the Black Archipelago and monopolize the continent’s gold. But in truth, the Golden Star isn’t that kind of power.”
“Not that kind?”
“The public story about the Golden Star is a fabrication. A rumor deliberately spread by the Gold family itself—to hide the truth of this authority.”
He exhaled deeply.
“The Golden Star is the power of the scales.”
“The scales?”
“Yes. The Gold family descends from the Fair Scales, and the power flowing through our blood—the Golden Star—befits that name.”
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Zeppelin continued:
“The Golden Star’s power is indeed great. It allows one to find exactly what is most needed. But… in all our history, the number of Gold descendants who have ever used the Golden Star can be counted on one hand.”
“Why? If it’s that powerful—”
“Because its price is just as heavy.”
He raised both hands.
“If you invoke the Golden Star, it will find anything you need. But the Golden Star never acts without payment. To activate it, one must offer a price equal in value to the thing desired.”
“You mean… money?”
“No. Something of equal worth. More precisely—”
He looked at me seriously.
“—it takes away the power to find what you need.”
The power to find what I need? I couldn’t quite grasp it. Fortunately, Zeppelin realized that and gave an example.
“Let me make it simple. Imagine a bird with wings. This bird wishes to find a delicious fruit through the Golden Star. When the Golden Star answers, the bird will know exactly where the fruit is—high up in a tall tree. But—”
“But?”
“The bird can no longer fly. Because the Golden Star takes its wings as payment. It is a power of balance, and this fair scale grants what is desired while taking away the means to obtain it. A cruel balance indeed.”
Take away the bird’s wings… Now I understand.
“Then the price paid when using the Golden Star—can it never be reclaimed?”
“No. Once the desired thing is found, the price can be returned. But that process is nearly impossible.”
Zeppelin looked at me gravely.
“To this day, fewer than ten members of the Gold family have ever successfully obtained what they sought through the Golden Star. And among the outsiders who begged us to use it, only two have ever succeeded. It’s a dangerous power.”
“……”
“My lord, if you truly need something, allow me to get it for you instead. I’ll use all my resources. This power is too risky. Even my elder brothers rarely dare to invoke it.”
A power too dangerous to use. After hearing that, I looked toward my master—my eyes asking: “You knew?”
「Of course I knew.」
“……”
「My young descendant, where else would you find such an opportunity? A new sword and a merciless trial—both at once. Two crashing waves that will forge your growth.」
Damn it.
「Or… are you afraid?」
“…Do it. Use the Golden Star on me.”
And no, it wasn’t because he called me scared. It was because both things a Karavan could never resist—a new sword and a brutal trial—were right there in front of me. No way I could walk away.
***
Zeppelin explained that using the Golden Star required preparation. So I left his mansion for a while and returned to my quarters.
What kind of trial will it be this time? Impossible to guess. Unexpected trials had become a routine part of my life.
I began reviewing what I’d gained so far.
From the Great Warrior Ismael, I had learned much: the gods’ purpose, the Sword of Heaven, and Carlos. Those would all need to be uncovered slowly—and only in front of people like Zeppelin Gold, a partner I could trust completely.
Speak of such things elsewhere, and I might draw an enemy I could never hope to face.
Even against Ismael, hadn’t I nearly lost? I needed to be more careful.
...Speaking of which. There was one other thing I’d gained from that fight.
“Master.”
「What is it?」
“When I fought Ismael and she was dying, I felt something strange. A warmth unlike mana—and it vanished immediately after. You saw it, didn’t you? Do you know what that was?”
「Hmm… did you feel love?」
“Please don’t joke right now.”
Liam laughed softly.
「That was a fragment of divinity.」
“A fragment of… divinity?”
「The key to transcendence.」
He crossed his arms and looked at me.
「I told you before: you’re not meant to be a hero here, but a myth.」
“Yes.”
「Then know this—the faintest beginning of that myth has now stirred within you. I could explain more, but you wouldn’t understand yet. Not until you’ve digested the ‘second fragment’ of my sword you swallowed.」
“Can’t you at least tell me a little more? I’m curious.”
Liam thought for a moment, then answered.
「Young descendant.」
“Yes?”
「Why do you think the so-called Seven Lords and Nine Goddesses, who created this land, chose to drown it in war and chaos—destroying the world they could have simply remade from nothing?」
“For the order of the world, perhaps?”
「That’s not wrong. But it’s not the true reason. The reason they hide their nature behind scriptures and creeds—the reason they spread doctrine instead of light—is tied to divinity itself.」
“……”
「The low must exist for the high to mean anything. If all the lowly vanish, the high are no longer high—and the highest of all becomes the lowest.」
Hard to understand. After listening, I drew my own conclusion.
“So… you’re saying I can’t use this for anything yet.”
「Exactly.」
Damn it.
***
Ever since I obtained 「Flight」, my growth has mostly been refined. Despite Liam’s talk of myth and transcendence, that so-called “fragment of divinity” gave me nothing tangible. After surpassing the stage of Sword Runner, my progress had slowed dramatically.
Then again, that was natural. Among mortals, Sword Experts were considered the pinnacle— except for those chosen by gods. If I hadn’t aimed so absurdly high, reaching this level at my age alone would’ve already made me a legend on the continent.
Well, still… I’ve learned plenty.
The gods’ true purpose had expanded the scope of my revenge.
The revelation that Swordmaster Carlos might be the Sword of Heaven gave me insight into his motives. And since his and the gods’ goals aligned, that opened the possibility of new allies for me. After all, their targets weren’t just the Karavan line—they included all Swordmasters and all Five Great Houses. And the enemy of my enemy— is a potential ally.
If I could win over the remaining Swordmasters and the Five Great Houses, excluding Carlos, the entire situation could flip.
The Five Great Houses and the Swordmasters must know what happened to Karavan. If they realize the same fate could await them, who knows how they’ll react? Even if they’ve transcended humanity, they were once human. Just as Hugo Rhapsody threw everything away for his son—there could be others like him among them. But first, I’ll need qualification. Right now, I’m just a Sword Runner from a ruined family. If I show up at their gates, they won’t even open them.
They might just cut me down for wasting their time.
“Well, anyway—there’s really nothing good to buy around here.”
「That’s the South for you.」
At this point, the only tangible growth I could pursue was better equipment. If Liam would reveal the next verse of Steel, I’d train it immediately—but he’d said nothing of the next Steel yet. And all I’d learned from looking around was that southern weapons were, frankly, trash.
「They’ve known peace for too long. No dwarves, no true smiths—and no one here can even recognize quality when they see it.」
Most weapons here were decorative at best—ceremonial at worst. Useless to me.
The only worthwhile things I had were the Sky Armor and the three enchanted daggers Zeppelin had gifted me. Perhaps I should just leave armament matters to him. As my true, perfectly trustworthy partner, it would only be fitting to receive another gift or two…
“Hmm?”
As I walked aimlessly, I noticed a line of people gathered before the Statue of the Sun.
The statue glowed red—unlike before. Drawn in by the sight, I moved closer and spotted a familiar face.
“May the Eternal Day be with you.”
“…May the Eternal Day be with you.”
Monks. The same order I had met in the Sky Range.
I returned their greeting awkwardly, pressing my palms together.
Then, from within their ranks, an old monk stepped forward.
“We meet again, in the homeland of the Sun. It is good to see you.”
It was the Monk Buddha.
“I thought you were still training in the Sky Range. What brings you here?”
“We have come for the oppressed. Not everyone can endure the Sun’s heat. To protect the weak—there is no duty greater. Even if I lose what I have built, I must shield the smallest and lowliest of lives.”
So the ascetics of the Sky Range had come south to protect the Church of the Sun here.
Good. That’s reassuring. With them around, the Crusaders wouldn’t dare attack Visente again.
The monks were truly formidable—and the power of the Monk Buddha was beyond my estimation, even now. After fighting Ismael, I can sense it clearly. That old monk is on another level.
Could I win even if I used Polished Steel? No—just because a sword can be drawn doesn’t mean it can reach. Even in my mind, I couldn’t picture a victory over that old monk.
While I was still pondering, the Buddha spoke.
“I heard you protected this statue and the persecuted beside it. You even said something wise—‘Only oneself can guard oneself.’ Our young cleric, Oren, told me of your words.”
“I only did what had to be done.”
“And you defeated a Great Warrior blinded by false faith. A fine deed indeed.”
Compliments rained down. Hmm. I preferred gifts over praise.
“From now on, we monks will protect this place. We will also walk wherever the Sun shines, to aid those in pain. Another pilgrimage of sorts.”
Still no gift.
“O traveler on the path of hard steel—”
Ah, well, maybe this counts as one.
“…Whatever awaits you at the end of your road, do not grieve too much.”
With a face full of quiet pity, the old monk turned back toward the statue and began to pray. For some reason, both his words and that expression lingered in my mind. Ominously so.
***
“Monks have arrived, I hear.”
“It complicates things. A Great Warrior of the Cross dying to a mere swordsman was bad enough, but her betrayal froze the Crusaders in place. And now we can’t act either. Unless we’ve got mercenaries from the Black Archipelago willing to face the Great Warrior of the Sun, we’re stuck.”
“To drive away that old monk, we’d need at least an Heir of the Great Houses—or maybe that Orc warrior woman. The one who fought the Orc chieftain ten times and won all ten, who crushed a Sword Expert in thirty exchanges.”
“She doesn’t move for money. And we can’t afford to pull elite forces for a southern port city. Important, yes—but we can wait until the monk leaves.”
“Agreed. With the Crusaders halted, let’s stay quiet. There’s too much else to handle. The missing Rhapsody family, the Khan of the Great Land waiting to cross the sea… and of course, the biggest concern—”
“Right. The Iron Kingdom.”
…
…
“They say soon, the Iron Kingdom might finally conquer the Machine Empire.”
***
“You’ve come…”
Zeppelin Gold looked utterly exhausted.
“I’ve had too much work lately—and preparing the Golden Star takes time. There are procedures, and we need permission before using this power on an outsider.”
“Permission? From whom?”
“Let’s just say it’s been handled. Everything’s ready.”
He scratched his head.
“Before we begin, you must remember a few warnings.”
“Warnings?”
“After the Golden Star is invoked, you won’t be able to use powerful weapons easily. If your wish is something small, fine—but there will be many restrictions. And it’s best not to rely on others afterward. You can travel with companions, yes—but that could lengthen the journey to find what you seek, or worse, drag your companions into the balance’s price.”
“……”
“In the worst case, the scales might shift—and your wish could be replaced with theirs.”
That won’t do.
So I’ll have to give up my new weapons, my Gaia Blade, and even Zeppelin’s support for a while, huh? Let’s hope it’s worth the cost.
“If you’re ready, take my hand.”
I exhaled once— then clasped his hand. And in that instant.
“……!”
My vision turned to gold. A brilliant golden light gathered, forming into an enormous scale.
Beyond it lay a faint, formless sword.
As I stared, the scale tilted sharply— and an invisible force pulled me in. When I opened my eyes again, I was on the scale itself. It creaked, tilting further toward me— and the more it sank, the weaker my body felt.
Like I was being rewound to before I’d ever gained strength.
『───.』
Then— the sword on the opposite side of the scale vanished. In its place sat a boy. A boy with quiet, sorrowful eyes— pure, and yet unbearably sad.
The two sides of the scale slowly balanced, creaking into symmetry. And when perfect equilibrium was reached, the boy and I locked eyes.
Then, inside my mind, a voice echoed— a voice I had not heard in so very long.
『The most important things are invisible to the eye.』
The voice of a sword.