As a result, the expedition to the Holy Kingdom ended in success.
Although there were heartbreaking sacrifices, the deaths were not in vain as many achievements were made over the weeks. Not only did we uncover the powerful forces of the Dark Cult that were active within the Holy Kingdom, but one of our party members, the Lady Virgin Saint, ascended to the rank of Saint.
Furthermore, we even grasped the long-desired political power in the Holy Kingdom.
We could now expect substantial support not only from the Empire but also from the Holy Kingdom. Since the Lady Virgin Saint was chosen by the Heavenly Deity, it would be hard to refuse that request.
However, whether she would heed my request was a separate issue altogether.
In addition, there were many other achievements.
First of all, I rose to the rank of “High Expert.” This placed me among the powerful few, with only about twenty in the entire continent, meaning that anyone below a certain level could no longer be a match for me.
What about my companions?
Senior Elsi had withdrawn into seclusion to focus on her training after the death of her uncle, and the Lady Virgin Saint’s divine power had dramatically increased since receiving revelations from the Heavenly Deity.
She was already considered the best in healing abilities across the continent.
Now, her abilities could even be regarded as the best ever. Indeed, the advanced healing capabilities of the Lady Virgin Saint could almost be described as a “miracle.”
A level that could even reverse the passage of time for both living and non-living things.
Although it was still too early to call her a “Master,” she had certainly reached the levels of a “High Expert” or even an “Archmage.” With that, among our party, there were now two exceptionally skilled individuals amidst the mere twenty of such experts on the continent.
However, as they say, good fortune often brings misfortune.
Good things were invariably accompanied by bad. The presence of an unwelcome guest sitting right in front of me was proof of that.
He was a middle-aged man with a strong physique.
Strangely, only his hair was gray, giving him the aura of an old man. Yet, given his solid muscles, fiery eyes, and overflowing vitality, it was impossible to find any trace of aging.
He was wearing a jet-black coat. This symbolized the upper echelons of the Empire’s shadows, operating covertly in darkness— the Intelligence Department.
As the world loudly praised him, the “Sword Prince.”
He was one of the three Masters left in the continent.
What was rare was that he was visibly excited.
“…Now, look here.”
The fountain pen gently glided across the blank page, and eventually, the completed drawing was presented to me.
Contrary to his dazzling hand movements, only a short phrase was written on the drawing paper.
“Obligation vs Love”
My reluctant gaze inevitably turned towards the Sword Prince. Regardless of my feelings, he leaned closer, his voice low yet dangerously commanding.
“Which one will you choose?”
“…Is it necessary to answer?”
“Ah.”
In the end, I sighed and stared at the drawing paper with a sulky expression for a while.
A glance at him made it clear what kind of answer the Sword Prince desired.
Still, since he was a senior figure in the Imperial Court, I decided to humor him and circled “Obligation.”
As expected, the Sword Prince smiled in satisfaction at my choice. He seemed ready to applaud if left alone.
“Excellent… This is how nobles of the Empire should think!”
“Is that enough?”
Unperturbed by my feeble question, the Sword Prince quickly devised the next question.
A new option was drawn on the drawing paper.
“Empire vs Holy Kingdom”
The intent was so blatant that I could only send him a look of disbelief.
Still, the Sword Prince shamelessly pressed me for an answer.
“What do you think of this?”
Since I was already in for the ride, and the dilemma was rather straightforward, I circled “Empire” without hesitation.
At that, the Sword Prince beamed brightly.
“Good, very good… Now, for the last one.”
Finally, liberation?
With a mix of relief and annoyance, I looked down at the final choice.
“Empire vs Lady Virgin Saint”
Ultimately, unable to endure any longer, my hand ripped the drawing paper to shreds.
“No, what are you doing? Are you saying you can’t choose between the Empire and a romantic partner…?!”
“Am I not showing enough loyalty?! I won’t go to the Holy Kingdom; I would rather die in the Empire!”
Only after our shouting match subsided did the Sword Prince appear somewhat calmed.
Still, his vaguely displeased expression wasn’t exactly reassuring.
The middle-aged man’s arms crossed, his gaze drifted to the side.
“By the way, Shi-en, that girl was close with you… She was called the flower of the Imperial Palace for a time.”
As he spoke, the Sword Prince’s eyes subtly flicked toward me.
Clearly, he was trying to hint at something.
“Could it be you have feelings for her? The other day, I heard she was talking privately with my nephew because of you…”
“There was nothing of the sort.”
The Sword Prince groaned and leaned back against his chair, a frustrated expression crossing his face.
“Well then, what about the Second Imperial Princess? Iris, she might be a bit aloof, but she’s a strong contender for the next Emperor… Even if she falls short in the succession line, marrying her would ensure your safety. It’s a good choice in many ways.”
“I have never even seen her face.”
“Then how about the twins of Alphenhausen? The Alphenhausen family has been loyal to the Imperial family for generations… They are reliable. Above all, aren’t they pretty?”
“Senior Shiene is irritating.”
In the end, the Sword Prince clicked his tongue, wearing an expression of resignation.
His disgruntled gaze turned toward me.
“You are quite the greedy man.”
“On the contrary, let’s say I’m a friend modest enough to decline such an excessive honor… After all, Lady Iris is the second in line for the throne. Are you really suggesting I should be matched with such a figure?”
At my serious question, the Sword Prince squinted his eyes.
It didn’t take long for his hesitant mouth to open.
“…I heard you dealt a blow to that man.”
“Excuse me? That ‘man’?”
“Of course, I mean the ‘Saint,’ that damn serpent!”
As he slammed his hand on the desk, excitement was clear on the Sword Prince’s face.
He seemed unusually emotional today.
Even the mighty Sword Prince turned into a child in front of his rival. Perhaps that was why he was particularly wary of the Holy Kingdom.
“You don’t know how fearsome that old thing is! Even when I chopped him into thousands of pieces, he didn’t die! In fact, he could even pulverize a mountain with a single punch!”
From the perspective of someone who faced the Saint, the fact that he could chop the monster, which didn’t even wield a sword, into thousands of pieces was more astonishing.
How on earth did he do that?
Seeing an opportunity, I decided to ask about the tale surrounding the two Masters.
“Why did you end up fighting such a terrifying individual?”
“Well…!”
Ahem, the Sword Prince finally regained his composure and cleared his throat.
It seemed he felt embarrassed for losing his composure at his age.
Comparing to the ever-calm demeanor of the Saint, there was certainly a difference in attitude. Despite being at an age to be called an old man, he was the youngest among the Masters.
Seeming to be aware of my gaze, the Sword Prince spoke nonchalantly.
“There was a trivial dispute… You know how it is. It happens sometimes when walking the path of martial arts.”
“What could possibly be such a topic…?”
Facing my eager and tense gaze, the Sword Prince subtly turned away.
His middle-aged voice dipped low.
“It was a debate over which weapon is the best…”
Ha, a snicker involuntarily escaped my lips.
Before I could even scold him, the Sword Prince began to get flustered and made excuses on his own.
“But is that really reasonable?! There’s a sword known as the King of All Weapons, yet you claim the body of a warrior is the best weapon! I couldn’t resist experimenting!”
“So, what was the conclusion?”
“Of course, the sword was the best!”
I had a feeling that if I asked the Saint, I would get the exact opposite answer.
Yet, it no longer seemed important now. I was ready to move on to the main topic.
“Is it really that significant that you dealt a blow to the Saint? To arrange a marriage for a prominent next-in-line candidate?”
“Hmph, others may not see it, but… I feel potential. Being a Master is not simply a realm achieved by talent and effort.”
His voice was notably serious, different from before.
His demeanor hadn’t changed much, but the weight of his words felt on another dimension. Without realizing, I held my breath.
“Luck, you must have luck… And you are someone who can manipulate luck.”
“Manipulate luck?”
“Those who await luck will never reach the realm of Master. Only those who grasp luck with their own hands can attain it.”
His words were somewhat ambiguous.
However, the Sword Prince seemed uninterested in discussing that further. He merely shook his head with a stubborn demeanor.
“If you had shown just a bit more loyalty toward the Empire, I would have bestowed my teachings upon you…”
“But I am already loyal.”
“That’s enough, enough! It’s already grown cold. I was about to give you an important piece of information, but, tsk.”
“Important information?”
Upon that one word, I reached out to grab the Sword Prince, who seemed ready to rise. However, before I could, he wore a strange smile and left me with his final remarks.
“The Academy will soon be bustling. So, I’ll see you then.”
Just as he appeared, the Sword Prince vanished like the wind as he left.
Afterward, I found myself lost in thought for a while.
The Academy will be bustling?
I could not think of any valid reason for that. What kind of matter would require someone of the Sword Prince’s caliber to maintain confidentiality?
In any case, the answer was unlikely to come.
I shook my head and cleared my thoughts. After all, there was a pressing dilemma right in front of me.
In the room of the Academy dormitory where the Sword Prince had just left, I carefully picked up the notice I had placed on the table.
“Star Night Festival”
It was an event that commemorated the day the Heavenly Deity descended to the ground. As one of the most significant holidays of the Heavenly Deity Sect, it was famous for hosting a large martial arts festival.
The highlight was the “Dance of the Star Night.”
Right before midnight, thousands of couples would pair off and dance—it was the pinnacle of the Star Night Festival.
The odd couple is said to receive the blessing of the Heavenly Deity, resulting in their relationship advancing in the following year.
Now that I had returned to the Academy, there was no way I could skip this event.
I was already feeling a headache about whom to dance with, and there were two more letters that added to my troubles.
First, the letter from the Rainelle Clan.
I was too frightened to even open it yet. The second letter was a note that had come from the Yuridina Clan.
“I’m departing for the Academy.”
It was a terse piece of information, so dry that I couldn’t even discern who the sender was.
With a sigh, I organized the notice for the Star Night Festival along with the two letters.
It seemed that a series of challenges were about to come crashing down on me.
In many ways.
This story was merely a record spanning only a few days.
