Episode 90
Chapter 32: The Battleground of Cosmos (1)
Not much is known to the world about the so-called ‘Otherworld.’
Until now, the existence of other dimensions has only been vaguely proven through places like the ‘Unprotected Zones’ in the Black Sea, where monsters spawn, or through various mythical beasts like the phoenix.
Even Jin, who was well-versed in magic studies—on par with most academy professors in his past life—had never heard the term ‘Flame Realm’ before.
“The Flame Realm? That’s pretty advanced knowledge. Usually, insignificant creatures don’t need to know about it. Even among dragons, few truly understand what the Flame Realm is, and those who’ve actually been there can be counted on one hand.”
“It’s common knowledge that phoenixes are summoning beasts from the Otherworld, but I’ve never heard of the Flame Realm as an official name,” Jin said, resting his chin on his hand.
Murakan shook his head. “The name ‘Flame Realm’ is just a convenient label from our dimension. It’s a world filled entirely with fire and phoenixes. Even the highest gods don’t know its true name.”
Everyone listened intently, fascinated by Murakan’s explanation. Enya, a magic student, seemed even more excited than Jin himself.
“The gods don’t know? So the Flame Realm is outside their domain?”
“Ding ding, correct. Even Shinujo, the god of fire, can’t freely control the flames of the Flame Realm. Likewise, Tes—the master of the Flame Realm—can’t manipulate Shinujo’s fire at will.”
“Huh… So that means such a powerful being has become your summoning beast, young master? Murakan, isn’t that something to celebrate?”
“Strawberry Pie, you’re right. But whether it’s something to celebrate… I’d say it’s quite the opposite. It’s a bad thing.”
Murakan’s expression darkened sharply as he clicked his tongue. Quikantel, standing nearby, still looked somewhat stiff, unable to shake off the shock of meeting Tes.
One second, two seconds, three seconds…
As the silence stretched, people swallowed nervously. Some even wondered if the summoner of Tes might be cursed in some way.
“Come on, stop stalling and just say it. Why is it bad?”
Unable to hold back, Jin snapped. Murakan bowed his head deeply.
“For you, it’s a blessing… Damn it, I find that guy uncomfortable! Why Tes of all phoenixes? There are plenty of other fine phoenixes—Manier, Senkish!”
Murakan slammed his fist into the air in frustration, prompting sighs of relief around the room. Jin thought to himself that this black dragon would never grow up.
“Well, I’m annoyed, but I’ll offer my sincere congratulations, kid. Your magic isn’t strong enough yet to fully harness that guy’s power, but still, he’s better than any other mediocre phoenix.”
“How strong will I get once I unlock all of Tes’s power?”
“You’ll never unlock it all. At full power, your summoning beast could wipe out a mid-tier god with a single breath.”
Quikantel shuddered at that, recalling the nightmare he experienced when he went to the Flame Realm with Olta. He had witnessed five gods vanish in an instant right before his eyes.
Murakan and the two dragon gods, Solderet and Olta, had been there too.
“W-what…? That powerful?”
Jin eyed Quikantel’s uneasy reaction.
“They can’t use their full power outside the Flame Realm. From my perspective, that’s a huge relief. It’s why we can afford to be cocky. Likewise, our world’s gods lose their full abilities when they cross into the Flame Realm… it’s a kind of penalty.”
“Hmm, I see.”
Even without that godlike level, Tes’s documented combat power was more than satisfying. What pleased Jin most was that Tes’s flames were completely unaffected by Shinujo’s influence.
A full-scale war between Runkandel and Ziphl was inevitable someday.
If Jin had to face Keliak then, Tes’s power would be a huge advantage. No matter how high-grade normal fire magic was, it would never work against Keliak, who was contracted to Shinujo.
“By the way, what was the message Tes wanted you to deliver? And how do you even talk to Tes? I can’t do that, can I?”
“No, you can’t. It’s a spiritual conversation. The message was nothing special… Tes said he really likes you. You’re the first human to summon him so casually. He’s a pretty unique character. When you grow stronger, you should visit the Flame Realm for a long stay.”
“Hey, can I go there too?”
“If you reach a level where you can naturally breathe in flames with roughly ten-star power, then maybe. That place is… well, it’s something else.”
After Murakan’s explanation wrapped up, the group spent the rest of the night talking about Jin’s victory and Tes.
As soon as the party ended, Kashimir resumed his bath, then sat upright in his study to write a letter.
January 1, 1796.
The new year had dawned.
Ideally, the first day of the year is when families gather to wish each other safety and happiness, strengthening bonds of kinship, or when lovers and friends pray for a bright future together…
But this man, the guardian knight Kan, was unfortunately drenched in the blood and entrails of dark monsters in the middle of the Black Sea.
Once again, he held a neatly sealed letter in his arms. His first task of the new year was to deliver mail.
‘It’s been three months this time. Could it be that the young master really defeated Alisa Badger? I think I’m starting to look forward to these letters a little…’
Kan was curious about the contents too. Perhaps that’s why he arrived at the heart of the Black Sea, where Siron was, earlier than usual.
“My lord, guardian knight Kan reporting…”
“Hand it over.”
“Yes, sir!”
Siron took the letter with a stern expression and quickly broke the seal, looking no different from any father who had sent his child off to study abroad.
(Dear and most respected great knight, Siron Runkandel,
Ah, this is the second letter. I am writing this with a clearer mind than ever before, facing the rising sun…)
“Keep it brief.”
“Pardon?”
“Tell Kashimir to write as briefly as possible from now on.”
“…Understood, my lord.”
Once again, over seventy percent of the thick letter was filled with unnecessary flowery language.
But by the fourth page, Siron’s lips slowly curved into a smile.
“It seems young master Jin has defeated Alisa Badger.”
Kan, who had been watching carefully, spoke first. Siron smiled down at him.
“Heh heh, he won by catching her off guard. And it seems he gained a phoenix named Tes. You know what that is, right?”
“Apologies, my lord. I do not.”
“It’s a phoenix that emits blue flames. Those who summon it always become the greatest magicians of their time.”
“Congratulations!”
“But I’m not interested in phoenixes. This letter is all about the phoenix. There’s only one line about how much his swordsmanship has improved.”
(Jin’s swordsmanship has improved greatly. He’s growing at an excellent pace.)
Siron was displeased by that.
He had allowed Jin to use sword, magic, and spiritual energy simultaneously, but naturally, Siron hoped that Runkandel would focus most on swordsmanship.
Kan quietly nodded.
“That’s a problem. I worry the young master might be too absorbed in magic.”
“Yes, you’re right. I’m sure he’ll manage well, but it still worries me… hmm.”
A long silence followed.
As Kan bowed his head, Siron suddenly spoke as if remembering something.
“Find out what Ron Hiran’s grandson is up to these days.”
Ron Hiran.
Head of the Hiran family, a famous swordsmanship clan in Bimont, and once Siron’s rival.
But after Siron rose to prominence, the gap between them became clear, and public opinion held that even the second generation was outmatched by Runkandel’s children.
Now, a child with the greatest talent in the family’s history had been born to Hiran—the grandson of Ron.
Despite being a grandson, he was already designated as the next head of the family, a rising star.
“You mean Dante Hiran? I already have some information on that boy’s recent activities.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. Recently, a request related to the Battleground of Cosmos came in. Looking at the list of assassinations of pirates, Dante Hiran registered under a pseudonym to participate in the battleground.”
Siron’s eyes gleamed.
“The Battleground of Cosmos… That’s the martial arts tournament hosted by some pirate, right? I remember Mary got second place there about ten years ago and was furious.”
“That’s right, my lord. As far as I know, that was Miss Mary’s first defeat. She avenged it two months later.”
It was one of the few secrets known to the family.
“Send Jin there. Let him face Dante Hiran. That’ll be interesting. I suppose the youngest won’t be able to use magic or spiritual energy there? So he’ll have to fight with sword alone.”
Jin could only use spiritual energy and magic alongside swordsmanship when no witnesses were around—or when he could kill all witnesses.
Naturally, in a martial arts tournament, he couldn’t use all three powers simultaneously. He had to enter either as a magician using only magic or as a warrior using only swordsmanship.
And Dante was still a formidable opponent—too much for Jin to handle with pure swordsmanship alone.
Shiron wanted Jin to be challenged by someone like Dante. Phoenix flames and magic were impressive, sure, but the sword had to remain the top priority, always.
“Yes, I will deliver the head of the family’s wishes to Kashimir,” Jin replied.
But Shiron’s concerns proved unfounded. At sixteen, Jin was dedicating the majority of his time to sword training.
“Ten thousand swings, with the same start and finish…!”
Ever since his sparring sessions with Alisa had ended, he had thrown himself into rigorous sword practice from dawn till dusk every day.
Yet, unlike before, he no longer seemed impatient or restless. Defeating Alisa had brought him a new sense of clarity.
“Aren’t you getting bored, Young Master Jin?”
“No, it’s actually quite enjoyable…”
“Bored, you say!? Well, I’ve prepared something just for you! Ta-da!”
Kashimir pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket and waved it teasingly in front of Jin’s eyes.
“What’s this?”
“It’s an application to participate in the Cosmos Arena. Our Seven-Colored Bird informants recently uncovered some interesting news—there’s a competitor worth your attention. Dante Hiran! The next head of the Hiran family!”
“Dante Hiran? Why would someone of his caliber even bother with that…?”
In Jin’s mind, the Cosmos Arena was nothing more than a playground for pirates. Most participants were low-level fighters, barely reaching second or third rank—a rather unimpressive tournament.
“You don’t seem to understand. This is a far more dangerous martial arts competition than you think,” Kashimir said, narrowing his eyes as he continued.