Episode 111: A Strange Guest (3)
The Master.
A being so powerful, they could single-handedly challenge a nation. Every knight dreams of becoming a Master, but only a handful ever reach such heights. Out of the hundreds of thousands of knights born each year across the continent, only a rare few possess the genius to become a Master.
Reaching the level of a Master allows one to transcend the pinnacle of swordsmanship and forge a new path, known as the “Realm.” The all-seeing insight of the Sword Saint and the deadly precision of the Blade Phantom are examples of such mastery.
“How did you know I was a Master? I’ve hidden my presence perfectly. Even the young lady didn’t notice.”
As he said, Demian couldn’t sense any aura from David. It was inevitable; no matter how skilled Demian was, the gap between him and a Master was insurmountable.
“You looked like someone from a noble family. I doubted you’d be traveling alone.”
“And guessing I was a Master?”
“I couldn’t sense any magic from you, so I took a wild guess. Didn’t expect it to be true.”
In truth, it wasn’t a wild guess. Though Demian couldn’t sense David’s aura, his experience and knowledge told him otherwise. The subtle grace and precision in David’s movements were traits only a Master could possess. It was something only Demian could perceive, and even David couldn’t completely hide it.
“How embarrassing, to have my identity uncovered by a junior,” David said, scratching the back of his head.
“Should I call you senior then?”
“I’d rather not hear insincere flattery.”
David grumbled as he sat beside the young lady. “Your skills are impressive. To defeat the young lady so swiftly, and with such control. I’ve never seen anyone like you, even in the Empire.”
It was a given. There was no one else in the world with Demian’s talent. If there had been, humanity wouldn’t have been doomed in his previous life.
“If you had harmed the young lady, I wouldn’t have let it slide, would I?”
“Who knows what I would’ve done.”
David stared at Demian intently. Suddenly, Demian realized something. The world had gone silent. No birds flapping, no insects chirping, not even the rustle of leaves. Only then did Demian understand that David had spread his aura, dominating the area. He hadn’t noticed until the space was completely engulfed.
This is why Masters are called true superhumans. They can perform feats beyond human comprehension with ease.
“Even if you had, you wouldn’t have killed me.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I don’t sense any killing intent.”
If David had harbored even a hint of malice, the air would have been filled with a murderous aura, assaulting Demian’s mind. But the world remained calm, indicating David bore no ill will towards him.
David clicked his tongue and withdrew his aura. The once silent world erupted with noise again.
“To think you’d notice even that. You’re too competent; it’s no fun,” David shrugged.
“The young lady was the one who challenged you. She can’t complain if she gets hurt.”
Though he was her protector, David didn’t seem inclined to coddle the young lady.
“She’s probably learned a lot from this. It’s a valuable experience.”
David was right. The young lady had known only victory. To her, the world seemed like a smooth, obstacle-free path. But meeting Demian had shown her a wall. Her perspective on the world would undoubtedly change.
“I’m Artus Verber. I serve the young lady’s family as a Master.”
Artus Verber. Demian had never heard of him in his past life, nor had he heard of Artus Verber.
“Strange. If he’s a Master under the young lady, I should know of him.”
Perhaps he had retired for some reason or had already passed away by the time Demian was active.
“Why is a Master acting as a bodyguard?”
Considering a Master’s stature, it seemed a waste to use them as a bodyguard, even for someone as valuable as the young lady.
“I owe the young lady’s mother a debt I can never repay. To repay even a fraction of that debt, I volunteered to protect the young lady.”
Artus Verber looked at the young lady with a gentle gaze.
“I’d appreciate it if you kept my identity a secret from the young lady. She believes she’s traveling on her own strength.”
“Must be tough keeping up the act.”
Artus Verber burst into laughter at Demian’s comment.
“Ah!”
The young lady regained consciousness the next day. As soon as she opened her eyes, she sat up and shouted.
“What happened to the duel? Why am I lying here?”
Demian and David, who were sipping tea by the campfire, turned to her.
“You’re awake, my lady!”
David discarded his teacup and rushed to her side, only to be pushed aside.
“Demian Haxen! What was that? How could you move so fast? How did you break through my defenses?”
She bombarded Demian with questions, but he merely sipped his tea, looking annoyed.
“You shouldn’t try to learn someone else’s techniques so easily.”
“True… How about we exchange knowledge? I’ll teach you all the techniques I know!”
“My lady, you can’t do that!”
David exclaimed urgently. Demian was equally taken aback.
“Is she trying to make me an enemy of her family?”
The young lady was from the prestigious Lichtauer family, one of the Empire’s ducal houses. Naturally, the techniques she practiced were the family’s secrets. If those secrets were leaked, the family would likely send assassins after him.
Besides, Demian already knew most of her techniques. He had absorbed them in his past life while fighting her.
“No need.”
Demian’s firm refusal left the young lady deflated.
“I noticed your footwork was sloppy when you swung your sword. Focus on strengthening your lower body for now.”
“Really?”
“And your attacks are too light because you focus too much on speed. There’s a mana technique that temporarily increases weight. Look into that.”
David’s eyes widened in shock. As a Master, he could tell Demian’s advice was spot on. No, it was more than accurate. Demian was guiding the young lady, showing her the path she would take in the future. He was even offering improvements based on his own insights.
“But the family instructors said…”
“You often didn’t understand what they were saying, did you? Didn’t it feel better to follow your instincts?”
“Yes, how did you know?”
The young lady was a genius among geniuses. Ordinary instructors couldn’t possibly teach someone like her.
“Forget everything except the basics of the family’s teachings. From now on, think of it as forging your own path.”
Demian spoke with conviction, and the young lady nodded repeatedly. Then, her expression suddenly turned fierce.
“Wait a minute. Why am I taking advice from you?”
“Isn’t it a good thing?”
“Good? You’re someone I need to defeat! Enough with the nonsense, let’s fight again!”
She tried to stand but collapsed back to the ground.
“What? What’s happening?”
The young lady looked at her body in disbelief. She was currently under the effects of a pressure point technique, temporarily immobilizing her and preventing her from using mana. It would wear off with time, but for now, she couldn’t move.
“This can’t be… Just wait a moment!”
Ignoring her, Demian stood up, packed his belongings, and stored the dishes in his spatial pocket.
“Wait! Where are you going?”
“It’s morning. Time to move on. We have a long journey ahead.”
“Where are you headed?”
“The Holy Order.”
The young lady’s expression turned urgent. The Holy Order was abroad, while she was headed to the Kingdom of Apple, in the opposite direction.
“Looks like this is where we part ways.”
“Before that, fight me one more time!”
“In that condition?”
Demian looked down at her with a condescending gaze, causing her face to flush with embarrassment. Suddenly, she removed a ring from her finger. It was a simple silver band, worn with age.
“Take this!”
She tossed the ring to Demian, who caught it, puzzled.
“My lady, that ring…”
“Be quiet, David.”
At her sharp command, David fell silent.
“Demian Haxen, listen carefully. My name is Rachel Lichtauer! I am the heir of the Lichtauer ducal house, one of the Empire’s great seven families!”
Demian already knew her name and family. But what she said next surprised even him.
“In our family, when we owe a great debt, we give an item that symbolizes our family! And that ring is the heir’s ring!”
If what Rachel Lichtauer said was true, the ring held immense value.
“I’ll head straight back to my family once my business in the Apple Kingdom is done. If you bring me that ring, I’ll make sure my father rewards you!”
“And maybe we can have a duel while we’re at it?”
“Of course!”
In her past life, the Sword Queen had roamed the continent, eager to meet strong opponents, before returning to the empire. It seemed she intended to cut her travels short this time around.
“Well, if there’s a reward involved, I can’t exactly refuse.”
Damian tucked the ring into his dimensional pocket and mounted his horse.
“You better not forget! I mean it!”
“Alright.”
“If you do, I’ll never let it go! I’ll chase you forever!”
With the Sword Queen’s shouts echoing behind him, Damian left the forest.
After crossing the border, Damian made his way to the Holy Order.
The Holy Order was practically a nation in its own right. It boasted a territory rivaling that of any kingdom, and a significant number of people lived within its borders. Even after entering the Holy Kingdom’s lands, Damian had to travel quite a distance to reach the main headquarters.
A week later, he finally arrived at his destination.
“Finally here.”
From atop a hill, Damian gazed ahead. In the distance stood a massive fortress.
The fortress was enormous, likely twice the size of the capital of the Apple Kingdom he had visited recently. Its colossal walls encircled the fortress, towering and formidable like sheer cliffs. Inside, even higher walls were layered one after another.
This was the heart of the Holy Order.