The Death Mage that doesn't want a fourth time

Side Chapter 22 The Fifteen Swords and the sixth reincarnated individual

The Fifteen Evil-breaking Swords... a secret fighting force prided by the Amid Empire, comprised of warriors who possessed the highest skill in combat.

They were feared beings who were rumored to have used their power to turn the tides of numerous battles, stop monster rampages on their own and erase traitors to the nation, pulling out any roots of rebellion.

If one considered the S-class adventurer, the 'Thunderclap' Schneider and his party to be the greatest fighting force that didn't belong to the empire's government, the Fifteen Evil-breaking Swords were the greatest fighting force that did.

"This is an unpleasant mission," muttered the 'Light-speed Sword' Rickert Amid, who belonged to the Fifteen Evil-breaking swords and had been assigned the number three, as he continued down the highway towards his mission.

Despite being as young as being in his late twenties, the Third Sword was such a master of the blade that he was said to be "faster than light." In fact, his abilities were equivalent to those of an A-class adventurer.

He was a handsome man with a shapely nose. While he was a member of a secret force, he was highly popular among the ladies of the upper class; there were endless marriage talks despite the fact that he was already married to three wives.

He even came from an excellent bloodline; he was the grandson of the previous emperor of the Amid Empire, with the current Emperor Marshukzarl being Rickert's uncle.

As an honorary duke, he owned no land, but he had received offers of recommendations to become the First Sword in the future, and he was in a position where his name would certainly be among the candidates to become the next emperor if something were to happen to Marshukzarl and the newly-born First Prince.

But Rickert knew that all of these were lies.

His sword was slower than light.

He had simply been chosen as a decoration among the Fifteen Evil-breaking swords because of his good looks and heritage. The position of Third Sword and the position of First Sword that he had been promised were simply for propaganda.

And nothing would happen to Marshukzarl during his lifetime.

That was how things had been up until today, and things wouldn't change from tomorrow onwards.

"Is it unpleasant?" asked Buss, Rickert's attendant. "The stable ruling of the former Sauron region is currently the greatest unresolved problem in the empire. The outcome of the war against the Orbaume Kingdom depends on it. If you can suppress things, my lord, your achievements will echo across the entire empire."

The Fifteen Evil-breaking Swords were a secret force, but Rickert's existence itself was an advertisement sign that displayed the empire's military strength. Thus, a carriage was used to transport him to places and he was constantly accompanied by knights wearing gaudy armor and Buss, who was his attendant and essentially his secretary.

Rickert was inside a carriage so extravagant that if he were to tell someone that he was going to a ball rather than to a mission, nobody would have doubted him.

"How can I be happy over being praised for a hollow achievement gained through something that is disguised as a mission?" he said with a sigh, his words dripping with sarcasm.

"My lord, you will be heard from outside. If you wish to complain, you must inform me in advance," said Buss, remonstrating his master as he activated a Magic Item that prevented sound from extending past a certain area, allowing private conversations.

"I did put thought into that. The armor and helmets that our empire provides to the knights that guard us have too many decorations, so those sounds are very loud. They can't hear my complaints as they're walking. You're wasting your Magic Stones," Rickert said.