The Sword Master’s Son-in-Law

– To the Hooreun Kingdom

My entire body felt drained of strength.

I imagined this was the best I could do in a duel.

Looking around, the training grounds were scarred and gouged everywhere.

Traces of a fierce battle.

And in the center of the training grounds,

Lord Ailer gazed down at me and spoke.

“Hmm… you don’t seem to have fought many people, do you?”

I, slumped on the ground, nodded in response.

“That is correct.”

With the strong, I had sparred hundreds of times.

But—

‘The so-called strong ones were all just old geezers.’

In practical terms, I’d only sparred with a truly strong opponent once.

And I, too, came to a distinct realization through this duel with Commander Roedeller.

My experience is lacking.

“Still, your mana is remarkably searing. Even the Sword Master’s aura struggled to defend against it.”

Searing, huh…

The fact that it ended at merely ‘searing’ felt miraculous to me.

Unprotected, it held the power to unleash a grotesque spectacle.

Yet, even with unique mana, penetrating a Sword Master’s aura seemed impossible.

A slight disappointment lingered.

“Ah… Thank you.”

First, I expressed gratitude to Commander Roedeller for the spar.

Judging by the previous exchange and my current seated position,

the result was, of course, my defeat.

And quite—

‘Utterly crushed.’

A complete defeat.

I could feel the difference in skill keenly.

Frankly, I believed my aura was capable of withstanding even a Sword Master’s.

It certainly didn’t reach the old geezer, though.

Still, I thought I could handle a lower to mid-level Sword Master.

Roedeller was a mid-level Sword Master.

Having been so overwhelmingly defeated, my assumptions were clearly wrong.

Of course, the defeat wasn’t solely due to the difference in aura.

Mastery, and experience.

There was a gap in everything.

Commander Roedeller dodging my punches as if he’d anticipated them.

His attacks, seeming to warp their trajectory even when I thought I’d blocked them.

It felt as if I was dancing in the palm of Commander Roedeller’s hand.

And likely, I was.

Commander Roedeller, receiving my thanks,

spoke thus:

“Gratitude… Well, no need. I, too, enjoyed moving my body after so long.”

Commander Roedeller’s reaction, as if he’d merely done some light stretches,

stung my pride somewhat.

I suppose this is what they call competitive spirit.

Of course, this defeat wasn’t entirely without meaning.

It had been a long time since I fought using even my aura.

Though defeated, I too had been able to move my body properly, and felt refreshed.

And then—

‘Feels like I’m finally getting somewhere.’

In a word, I’d managed to chip away, even if just a little, at the wall standing before me.

‘Dueling against strong opponents is definitely worthwhile.’

So that’s why the old coot engaged in those relentless sparrings.

Because it truly helped a lot, and the effect was significant.

“So, when are you thinking of departing?”

“When… do you mean?”

“Yes. It’s been quite a while since you arrived here, hasn’t it?”

If you just heard those words, it felt like Commander Lordeiler was subtly kicking me out.

But Commander Lordeiler wasn’t that kind of person.

This must be a question born from pure curiosity.

I paused to consider.

‘Asia has achieved her objective, and I too have gained results.’

There was no reason to linger.

Nothing more to do, even if I stayed.

It would be better to go to the Horun Kingdom as soon as possible and have a sword forged to withstand my mana.

And also, to acquire that sword and have a rematch with Commander Lordeiler.

Therefore—

“I am planning to leave sometime soon, probably.”

I’ll be leaving soon.

“Is that so?”

Commander Lordeiler slowly approached me.

A serious expression etched on his face.

He lightly tapped my shoulder and said:

“Then I leave my daughter in your care.”

“Pardon?”

Before I could even reply, Commander Lordeiler finished speaking and left the training grounds first.

“Leave his daughter in my care? What does that even mean?”

It was beyond my comprehension.

He asks about my departure time, and then suddenly asks me to take care of his daughter.

It sounded almost as if Lily was coming along on our journey.

But I hadn’t heard any such thing from Lily.

“He must just be saying that because Lily wants to marry me…?”

I decided to think that way for now.

*

A workshop with a sign that read ‘Hephaike Workshop’.

A guest seat prepared for customers there.

Bertnia was sitting in it.

Bertnia was staring fixedly at the entrance.

“Ugh, such tedium.”

I’d arrived at the meeting place, but no one was there.

Perhaps something grave had befallen Asia, causing the delay? Yet, that seemed unlikely.

At least, I hoped it did not.

With a heart simmering with impatience, Berhtenia waited for Asia.

And after what felt like an eternity.

The doors of Hephaik’s workshop creaked open.

Berhtenia leaped to her feet in an instant.

“Miss–?”

A small stature.

Sturdy arms.

And a long, flowing crimson beard.

It was not Asia, the one Berhtenia awaited.

A dwarf with a red beard.

It was Rednil.

Rednil gazed at Berhtenia, a question on his lips.

“Uh… pardon?”

Berhtenia said nothing, quietly resuming her seat.

Ignored, Rednil scratched the back of his head, a tad awkward.

And then, he continued onward.

The direction Rednil headed.

It was toward the heart of the workshop.

There, artisans belonging to Hephaik were immersed in their craft.

Clang! Clang!

The resonant sounds emanating as numerous dwarves swung their hammers, each in their own rhythm.

Those resonant sounds filled the core of the workshop.

“I’ve… returned.”

Rednil announced his return.

Yet, none responded.

Each was engrossed in their own work.

Rednil spoke once more.

This time, with a resounding voice, unlike before.

“I! Rednil! Have returned!!!”

The hammering ceased abruptly, all at once.

Every eye in the workshop turned toward Rednil.

And then–.

“Eh? Prince Rednil?”

“First Prince Rednil has returned!!!”

“We were worried sick, seeing as you’d already completed your artisan apprenticeship and hadn’t come back.”

The red-bearded dwarf, Rednil.

He was the First Prince of the Ho-orn Kingdom, returning from his journeyman’s travels.

Rednil Hepike.

The Ho-orn workshop buzzed with a boisterous clamor at news of the prince’s homecoming.

However—

“Ah… I wonder when he’ll arrive…”

Unfazed by the hubbub.

No, perhaps entirely unaware that such a commotion had even transpired, Berthnia.

She stood fixed at the workshop’s entrance, endlessly awaiting Asia.

*

The Ho-orn Kingdom’s mountain range.

The tallest peak within.

Here lay the largest known quarry of rare mithril.

Rare mithril.

A precious mineral found only in the Ho-orn Mountains.

As such, the entry of outsiders was strictly forbidden.

And yet—

On the opposite side of the quarry.

Within a cave, now long forgotten, bearing only the faintest traces of its mining past.

And deep within that cave’s recesses.

An outsider existed where he could not possibly be.

A man cloaked in a dark robe.

“Fools! To waste such precious magic stones on experiments with monsters.”

The man’s name was Belgite.

The foremost golem researcher from the Demon Realm.

He recalled the words of his companions who had come here with him.

To squander valuable magic stones on monsters.

It was something Belgite simply could not fathom.

“If one makes good use of rare mithril’s qualities, a golem more powerful than any other can be crafted.”

The greatest attribute of rare mithril.

That was its ability to fuse with magic stones.

Belgite knew this well.

He had already finished the fusion of rare mithril and magic stones.

Now, he merely needed a golem’s frame, and it would be complete.

“Heh heh heh… I anticipate the trial run with great excitement. Ah ha ha ha!”

The narrow cave.

Belgite’s sinister laughter echoed within, filling the confined space.

*

I now understood the commander of Rodeller had said something to that effect.

Because of the scene unfolding before me.

“Why have we stopped? Let’s depart at once!”

It was Lily who spoke, trailing after us.

I thought back to just before our departure.

Lily, along with the rest of the Crimson Flame Mercenary Company, had come to see us off.

Quite the grand send-off, in fact.

A small warmth bloomed in my chest.

Retid, the captain, Teddy, Asia, and Melia must have felt the same.

We’d grown close sparring with them.

And so, with their farewells echoing behind us, we’d set out.

But…

‘Just how far does she intend to see us off?’

One particular farewell was proving rather persistent.

I knew from the presence alone that it was Lily.

Keeping a set distance from the carriage Asia rode in, Lily followed.

And continued to follow, even as the time stretched on.

Then, I realized.

Lily had never intended to see us off at all.

She was simply tagging along, joining our journey.

Of course, I couldn’t say for sure.

And so, cautiously, I approached Lily and asked,

“Lily… How long do you intend to follow?”

“Hmm…? What do you mean?”

Lily feigned ignorance.

To which I replied,

“…You’ve been following us for a full hour already.”

A whole hour.

Far too long to call it a simple send-off.

At my words, Lily offered a smile.

An unexpected reaction.

“…Hmm. Has it really been that long? It’s too far to turn back now… I suppose I have no choice. I’ll just have to stick with Arthurs oppa for a while.”

My eyes met Lily’s.

And I saw it.

Whether she realized it or not,

A red current swirled within Lily’s eyes.

Seeing this, I knew she had no intention of turning back.