The visit of the Swordmaster was sudden.
Without any sign, he walked through the main gate of the manor. The servants were confused at first, not even recognizing his identity.
The Swordmaster did not chastise the servants who stood in his way.
He simply engraved letters in the void.
Crimson magic flowed down, inscribing geometric patterns.
The meaning was unknown to anyone, but there was no one who did not know the origin of those characters.
Dragon Blood Script.
It was the symbol of the true sovereign above the Empire and the legacy left by the dragon tribe, the great masters of humanity.
The servants were astonished and had no choice but to kneel immediately.
The owner of the Dragon Blood Script was nothing less than the Emperor’s representative.
It was disrespectful to even try to match his gaze.
Blocking his steps was something they could not even dream of.
Thus, the Swordmaster could enter Percus Manor without incident.
The ones in chaos were the Percus Family.
They could not afford to neglect the owner of the Dragon Blood Script. Rather, it was barely enough to treat him with the utmost courtesy as a vassal of the Empire.
After all, the Swordmaster was none other than a significant figure of the Imperial Court.
Offering a generous reception was the proper thing to do.
However, it seemed that the Swordmaster did not particularly come seeking lavish receptions.
This could be inferred from the fact that he called me to the reception room as soon as he entered the manor.
His purpose for the visit was clear and simple.
To talk with me.
Any other business appeared to be unnecessary for him.
He had only exchanged a few words with my parents, the owners of the manor.
It was rather a relief.
The Percus Family was just a rural noble family.
They had neither the means to entertain a suddenly visiting royal nor did the servants fully understand the etiquette required to treat royalty.
It was far better to have only practical discussions than to find themselves pulling at trivial matters.
The Swordmaster was likely expecting the same.
He was the Empire’s only Master and the Emperor’s uncle. If he wished, he could obtain anything.
There was no need to waste time tormenting a humble family.
That was likely why he had come without any notice.
As I kneeled to pay my respects, the Swordmaster offered a soft greeting.
“There’s no need for unnecessary formalities. By the way, this time is for our actual conversation.”
I had to pause for a moment at his words.
He seemed to have spoken with me before.
However, no matter how much I racked my brain, I could not recall a conversation with the Swordmaster.
There was no way I wouldn’t remember discussing with such an important figure.
Then, there was only one possibility.
The Swordmaster must have spoken with the “me” from the future.
Why was he not telling me such an important fact in advance?
I felt a surge of resentment towards someone, but I managed to control it.
I merely pretended to be calm and expressed my gratitude.
“Thank you for last time, Swordmaster.”
“Oh, no. I’m the one who is sorry for being late. In the past, I would have arrived much sooner…”
The Swordmaster spoke with a distant tone and raised his teacup.
The tea flowed down his throat, emitting a gentle aroma. It was a fine tea, one of the few that existed in the manor.
It seemed they hurriedly brought it out because royalty was visiting, but even as he drank, the Swordmaster did not utter a single common compliment.
That was understandable.
The Imperial Court only dealt with the finest teas. Given his seniority compared to the Emperor, there was no way he would drink ordinary tea.
Rather, there was something else that impressed him.
“As people age, they grow more suspicious and clever… And then their actions are often mixed with hesitation. That’s why I admired you.”
With a loud thud, the middle-aged man’s sharp gaze fell upon me.
Caught off guard by the sudden compliment, I averted my eyes slightly.
To be honest, it felt burdensome.
In terms of status and ability, he was someone on a level I couldn’t compare to.
It was great to be recognized by a legendary swordsman, but I also feared that I might be setting myself up for excessively high expectations.
Either way, it was merely a greedy complaint.
There were countless people on the continent who wished to even catch the Swordmaster’s gaze.
Compared to them, I was indeed quite fortunate.
The Swordmaster seemed to interpret my awkward behavior as humility.
He nodded with a satisfied smile.
“It felt like I was looking at my younger self… Charging at an enemy when victory cannot be guaranteed is reckless, but it is also a virtue that a young swordsman should have. If it weren’t for you, my arrival would have been even later.”
It was then that the Swordmaster gestured for me to sit across from him.
I hesitated for a moment.
After all, he was royalty.
Sitting across from him meant talking from an equal position. While it may not have mattered with other royals, when it came to the Swordmaster, it was insufficient to discuss while kneeling.
Yet my indecision did not last long.
It was an invitation from the Swordmaster.
There was no option for me to refuse his proposal.
I had no choice but to carefully take a seat across from him.
The Swordmaster kindly poured tea into the cup in front of me.
In my life, I never expected to receive tea poured by royalty.
If it were to happen, one would think it would be from Imperial Princess Shi-en.
With my mind still reeling from the situation, the Swordmaster continued speaking.
“Originally, I planned to enter with the White Wing Knights. It would have only been a few days of difference, but once that monster starts rampaging, one territory can be destroyed in an instant… You have saved this territory.”
Thanks to me, the territory could be saved.
Since it was the Swordmaster’s remark, it couldn’t have been empty words.
So, I let out a silent sigh of relief.
It was a relief.
To me, Percus Territory was not just a simple countryside.
It was my hometown where I was born and raised, the living ground where the people of the territory had their roots.
If this place fell into chaos, countless citizens would have no choice but to become displaced.
And the future of displaced people who had nothing was predictable.
Most would go silent and die.
For the sake of preventing such a tragedy, it was worth risking my life.
Noticing my relief, the Swordmaster wore a wry smile.
“However, despite that, for a while, an Intelligence Department agent will be staying in Percus Territory. Considering your contributions, the Percus Family won’t be punished, but as you know, it’s related to the Dark Cult…”
“I understand.”
Worried that the Swordmaster might apologize, I quickly responded that way.
The Swordmaster’s gaze became peculiar.
No one would feel secure knowing that an Intelligence Department agent would be watching their family.
While one could be relieved to avoid punishment, it was normal not to erase a bitter feeling on the other side.
Yes, if it were a normal situation, that would have been the case.
I took it a step further and bowed my head again in gratitude.
“Thank you instead. I appreciate you being considerate…”
“…You are a clever friend.”
The Swordmaster wore an even more satisfied smile and let out a soft chuckle.
At that moment, it might have been possible that an unidentified person was staying with the Percus Family.
A masked stranger.
Since I hadn’t uncovered his identity, there was still the possibility of him remaining in the manor.
Therefore, the monitoring by the Imperial Intelligence Department was rather a decision I should welcome.
Saying they would keep an eye on things meant that they could also protect against dangers in case of emergencies.
I felt like I had finally shed one worry.
To be honest, I felt that the Intelligence Department was more reliable than Lady Airen.
Just looking at the skills of Neoris, who was merely an intern, I could tell.
At first glance, she might seem foolish, but she was someone with a solid understanding of her field.
In this way, the Imperial Intelligence Department was fundamentally a capable group.
Although somewhat quirky, at least they were more suited for protection than any force I could muster.
In many respects, it was fortunate.
Power truly has its usefulness when it’s close by.
However, the Swordmaster’s business did not seem to end there.
It appeared as though there was something more significant left to discuss, as he showed a moment of hesitation.
For me, it was perplexing.
I couldn’t fathom why such a figure as the Swordmaster would hesitate.
However, the words that soon left the lips of the middle-aged man were enough to surprise even me.
“…She may still be alive.”
It was an unexpected statement.
My puzzled gaze turned towards the Swordmaster. But he simply looked at me with an even more serious gaze.
He handed me several sealed documents with a sigh.
The documents were tightly sealed.
That indicated they were classified documents.
My confusion deepened.
But when the Swordmaster added right after,
“Your ‘real’ sister.”
My thoughts came to a halt.
My mind went completely blank, and for a moment, I had no thoughts at all.
I merely stared absentmindedly at the Swordmaster.
The Swordmaster let out a deep sigh, as if he had expected this reaction.
“…Refer to the documents for detailed information. Although I couldn’t find her exact whereabouts.”
Suddenly, the few sheets of paper in my hand felt unbearably heavy.
With trembling hands, I looked at the meager stack of documents, no more than three or four sheets.
“A ‘real’ sister?”
