Osiris (1)
Chapter 113
It had been a week since Jimy ascended to the Graduate level.
Due to the sudden rise in his level, Jimy had been floundering around but as time passed, he gradually became able to wield sword energy more stably.
Once Jimy was able to flawlessly manifest sword energy, he was promptly summoned by the count to demonstrate it.
On the day of the demonstration,
the training room of the manor, where the demonstration would take place, was filled with knights from the count’s family.
The knights wanted to confirm Jimy’s level with their own eyes.
Ray also quietly followed the knights and entered the training room.
Mohamed stood facing Jimy at the center of the training room, ready to receive Jimy’s sword energy.
With everyone’s attention focused on him, Jimy calmly drew his sword.
Swoosh!
“Hoo…”
After regulating his breathing, Jimy slowly moved his sword horizontally.
Flow leads the sword, and the sword creates flow.
Mana that had harmonized with the flow gently flowed over the sword before fusing together.
Hummm…
Jimy’s sword energy was fundamentally different from the typical sword energy produced by an ordinary Graduate.
Most sword energies condense different streams of powerful mana to emit scorching blade energy.
Even someone ignorant of swordsmanship would feel an overwhelming pressure if they were to encounter sword energy up close.
However, Jimy’s sword energy was different.
Instead of explosively surging and repelling, the mana streams flowed peacefully like a single river.
Is this really sword energy?
All the knights harbored doubts.
But after witnessing Jimy blocking Mohamed’s sword energy head-on, everyone sighed in amazement.
“My goodness.”
Jenkins momentarily forgot that he was supposed to be guarding the count and burst out laughing.
To be honest, Jenkins wasn’t feeling particularly cheerful.
Since Ray had possessed extraordinary talent from a young age and was destined to go down in history, Jenkins accepted being surpassed by him long ago.
Confronting such incomparable talent made even feelings of jealousy seem like a luxury.
But Jimy was different.
Jimy was about the same age as Jenkins and his sword skills were far inferior.
While Jimy had slightly better innate talent than Jenkins, the cheap sword techniques he’d picked up during his mercenary days had held him back.
Because of this, Jenkins had never imagined that he would be overtaken by Jimy.
“Phew…”
Feelings of inferiority and defeat.
Jenkins clenched and unclenched his sword hilt repeatedly while mulling over the emotions he was feeling.
Such negative emotions aren’t something you can control just because you want to.
Still, Jenkins blamed himself for being complacent and decided to use these feelings as fuel for improvement, gritting his teeth.
The sentiments of the other knights weren’t much different from Jenkins’.
Though they acknowledged Jimy’s nobility, none of them had expected to be surpassed by him.
Their mouths were dry.
The knights reflected on their lack of progress while sinking into a murky sense of dissatisfaction.
Meanwhile, Mohamed too wore a grim expression.
When sword energies collide, they normally clash fiercely, trying to tear each other apart.
However, when Mohamed’s and Jimy’s sword energies met, only a gentle resonance echoed through the space.
It felt as though he had struck a pool of water, the sensation traveling through his hands.
Boom! Boom!
Mohamed’s and Jimy’s sword strikes clashed several more times in the air.
Since this was a demonstration rather than a sparring match, Mohamed and Jimy synchronized their timing to make their swords collide in mid-air.
Had they actually engaged in combat, Jimy, whose sword skills were much less refined compared to Mohamed, would have been overwhelmed instantly.
Despite knowing he had the upper hand, Mohamed couldn’t hide his grim expression as he glanced at Philip Count.
Philip Count similarly wore a grim expression, holding his forehead.
The fact that the count, as a noble, had forgotten his dignity and was holding his forehead indicated how flustered he was.
Mohamed understood the count’s emotions.
After all, Jimy was currently wielding the Sword Energy of No-Self, a secret technique passed down in the Phillip family.
The count lost composure and let out a hollow laugh in front of the knights.
In truth, the so-called secret technique of the Phillip family wasn’t anything special.
There was no unique method of refining mana, nor any grand sword art within the Phillip family.
Only a few aphorisms had been passed down from their ancestors.
Something about discarding arrogance, transcending worldly suffering, and surrendering oneself to the flow… such lofty phrases.
“…Through mental cultivation, attain the realm of No-Self.”
And your sword will naturally follow the flow.
What was thought to be merely advice on mindset for members of the Phillip family turned out to be the real secret.
Moreover, Jimy, an outsider not part of the Phillip family, had completed this secret sword art without any hints, after hundreds of years.
The count’s head spun.
“End the demonstration.”
At the count’s order, Mohamed and Jimy stopped their movements.
The count took a deep breath, trying to steady his mind.
Having had his secret sword art stolen by a former mercenary and underworld leader was an embarrassing situation even for the Phillip count.
After dismissing most of the knights, the count went to the reception room and sat face-to-face with Jimy.
The count first asked Mohamed.
“Knight Mohamed, what are your impressions of Jimy’s sword energy?”
“The power is not outstanding. However, its presence is faint, and it very smoothly absorbs and deflects shocks.”
This matched the characteristics of the Sword Energy of No-Self passed down from the ancestors.
The count, feeling a headache coming on, looked at Jimy.
“I congratulate you on opening a new realm.”
“All of this is thanks to your grace, my lord.”
Jimy rose from his seat and knelt respectfully.
Unable to fully smile, the count asked Jimy.
“Jimy, do you have any thoughts of leaving the baron’s territory?”
Graduates are welcomed wherever they go.
Even a mediocre graduate could easily obtain a title and small fiefdom.
It wouldn’t be unreasonable for Jimy to harbor ambitions now.
However, Jimy slowly shook his head with an expression of enlightenment.
“What meaning would there be in turning my eyes outward from the baron’s territory to seek worldly power?”
“…?”
“If I become blinded by fleeting greed and try to go against the flowing river…”
Jimy’s unnecessarily long speech was cut off by Ray.
“Jimy, I get that you’re excited about your new level, but stop exaggerating.”
Jimy’s gaze turned to Ray.
Cracks appeared on Jimy’s face, supposedly full of compassion from reaching enlightenment.
“Ugh…! Urgh…!”
Thinking he had attained enlightenment and reached No-Self, upon seeing Ray’s face, a swirling anger surged and pounded his chest.
“K, Kaaah…!!”
“Dad? Are you hurt?”
As Ray mimicked Lea’s tone, Jimy immediately lost his temper.
“Don’t call me dad!”
“Sounds like Jimy. I thought maybe his soul had changed.”
Stop mouthing off and go home to take care of your daughter.
After shaking Ray by the collar a few times, Jimy was eventually kicked out of the reception room.
Seeing Jimy’s usual backside, the count inwardly sighed in relief.
Jimy knew too much to let him leave the baron’s territory.
From the actual strength of the Phillip’s barony to the existence of Lea, who had royal blood, Jimy was fully aware of everything.
Not only that, but Jimy had even independently completed the Phillip family’s secret sword art.
If he were to leave the territory now, the count wouldn’t have many options.
Fortunately, Jimy remained his usual self.
Shaking off his thoughts, the count looked at Ray.
“Do you have anything to say?”
“I heard a rumor.”
At this, Ray’s expression soured.
Mohamed, who was waiting behind the count, cleared his throat awkwardly to manage his expression.
Before Ray could invite further misunderstanding, he pointed at his lower region.
“Could~ this possibly be related? It’s just a false rumor. I’m very healthy.”
My equipment stands firm at the master’s command, Ray declared, but the count still harbored suspicions.
“You are a swordsman who has reached the Graduate level, are you not?”
“That’s right?”
“Manipulating blood flow should be possible at will.”
“…”
The count was correct.
A Graduate who can overlay sword energy on their blade would surely be able to interfere with internal blood flow.
In short, it means that both making blood rush and withdrawing it would be easy tasks.
Thus, we roughly conclude that Ray doesn’t meet women not because he can’t perform, but simply because he doesn’t like women.
“Do you perhaps have interest in male beauty?”
“No, Count!”
At this ridiculous misunderstanding, Ray shouted loudly.
Mohamed, standing behind the count, bit his lips hard to suppress laughter.
Ray wiped his face while shivering.
“No, I… I like women.”
“That’s quite…”
Whether to approve or disapprove, the count couldn’t decide immediately.
Three years had passed since Lea’s birth without any significant issues.
Three years was enough time for complacency to bloom in the count’s heart.
Perhaps hiding Lea’s true identity might indeed proceed without major problems, such optimistic thoughts occasionally surfaced.
Efforting to shake off these thoughts, the count entrusted Ray.
“Please… take care of Alesya.”
The count was still conflicted.
If things remained peaceful for another year or two, the count would have attached Ray to Alesya’s side without hesitation.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as smoothly.
*
The weather was getting warmer.
As the sun grew stronger, children gathered in groups to splash around by the stream.
However, today was different from usual, with a large number of children crowding by the stream.
About 20% of the children from the baron’s territory had been invited here today because it was the day of ‘Karga Ride.’
“Aaaaaaaaah!!”
A child suddenly floated into the air and slid down to splash into the stream.
After rising, the child giggled and exited the stream as the next child floated into the air.
“Aaaaaaaaah!!”
Splash!
Excited chatter filled the air as Ray watched from the shade.
Beside him, Luna quietly read her magic book.
Last year, seeing that the children in the baron’s territory lacked entertainment and were bored, Ray started operating the Karga Ride with Luna’s help.
The Karga Ride wasn’t anything spectacular.
The high-level spirit Karga lifted the children with wind and dropped them into a suitable section of the stream repeatedly.
Karga was diligently working invisibly beside Luna.
Although invisible, Karga’s expression of self-loathing was clearly visible to Ray, who could see through spatial blades and detection abilities.
[Grumble…]
Karga began growling, showing signs of dissatisfaction.
Ray subtly drew his sword and waved it in front of Karga.
“If you’re upset… you know the drill, right?”
[…]
Karga resumed faithfully playing the role of amusement ride.
Recently, after various agreements, the Phillips family partially revealed the skills of Johanna and Luna to the outside world.
Just enough to appear as “prodigies” that anyone might covet once.
This was preparation for when Luna and Johanna would one day leave the baron’s territory to explore a wider world and make a name for themselves.
Therefore, activities like the Karga Ride could be openly operated among the children of the baron’s territory, although assigning Karga to perform tasks that intermediate spirits could handle was purely Luna’s decision.
Nonetheless, the names of the magical prodigy Luna and the swordsmanship prodigy Johanna were gradually spreading to neighboring territories, albeit ignored by most.
“Ray, there you are.”
Ropheiren approached Ray.
Ray greeted Ropheiren with a delighted expression.
Because of his disguise as a “magic teacher,” Ropheiren periodically visited Osiris County to provide basic magic education to Florya before returning.
This time too, after ten days away, Ropheiren seemed to have come straight here without even going home upon return.
When Ray gestured with his eyes, Ropheiren began speaking.
