The Duke wore a reluctant expression, perhaps having sensed Duke Squaret’s presence from afar.
“Why have you come out here, Your Grace?”
“Why? Is there a problem?”
“Well… isn’t this related to personal privacy? I’d rather not show my private feelings.”
“Privacy, my foot. Then why don’t you write the Letter yourself instead of making someone ghostwrite it?”
The Duke still didn’t know.
All those Letters sent this way—this old man peeks at them all in the middle.
When Duke Squaret gets home, I’ll have to quietly tip him off.
In any case, Duke Squaret had no intention of leaving, and Duke Helpion started a conversation with an uncomfortable look.
“What did you do this morning?”
“I meditated. It’s about calming the mind before swinging the Sword.”
“And in the afternoon?”
“The topic during meditation was interesting, so I decided to meditate a bit more.”
“What was the topic?”
“It was about the mindset needed to wield a Sword. To swing a Sword well, you have to truly know the Sword.”
“Understood. I’ll write the Letter with that content, then.”
“All right.”
Just as the conversation was about to end, Duke Squaret opened his mouth in disbelief, and the Pipe he was holding fell with a clatter.
“Hey. That’s it?”
“Pardon? Yes.”
“Really? That’s seriously it? Has it always been like this every time?”
Duke Helpion nodded as if he didn’t see the issue, while Duke Squaret covered his face with a hand.
“What kind of ghostwriting is this? Isn’t this just some scam novel-writing, you rotten charlatans!”
Duke Squaret’s lament, which was close to a sigh, soon turned into a loud shout.
“I thought that bumbling fellow, though clumsy, at least put his honest experiences and feelings on paper and sent them himself! That’s why my daughter liked it, and even when she started swinging a Sword, I didn’t say anything! And now you tell me it was all a sham?”
“Lady Titania likes my Letters?!”
“Silence! And how is it your Letter?!”
This is chaos—complete chaos.
Duke Squaret, now completely out of control, started yelling out truths he should’ve kept hidden, while Duke Helpion was overjoyed at the thought that Lady Titania liked his Letters.
And wait, what?
Lady Titania started swinging a Sword because of those Letters?
Hahaha. What on earth are these two doing?
Are they really courting? I sent love letters, but why is the recipient busy training instead?
“Hey, Laward.”
“Yes.”
“So, after hearing all that, what on earth do you plan to write in the Letter? Do you even understand what that means?”
At first I didn’t, but now, well, I just go along with it.
If I say I don’t understand, the training will probably get harsher. That’s scary.
Let’s see… what should I write this time?
“Duke Helpion said the theme was that to wield the Sword well, you must truly know it. So I usually recall a theme related to a Sword Bearer from memory. As it happens, there’s a saying passed down among the Northern Sea Warriors, so maybe it would fit. ‘A Warrior is not a—Ct.’”
“There’s such a saying?”
Of course, only people obsessed with Swords would care.
Duke Helpion looked at me with more interest than Duke Squaret.
“Yes. It’s a sort of wordplay: the moment a person takes up the Sword, they’re no longer just a person holding a Sword—they become a Warrior.”
“What’s the difference between a Sword Bearer and a Warrior? Isn’t it just a different title?”
“If you say Sword Bearer, it implies that the person and the Sword can always be separated. But a Warrior is different—it means the Sword and the person become one, as if they’re a single body. So the Sword is the person, and the person is the Sword.”
At my words, Duke Squaret snorted.
“That’s the sort of joke only the barbarians of the Northern Sea would make. Making children hold Swords from age seven.”
“Well, the land is barren. Since they can’t farm, they have to fight Monsters and migrate, so it’s probably unavoidable.”
“Even if a seven-year-old picks up a Sword, can they even cut a rabbit? It’s just a way to make sure only the strong survive, like wild animals, and to cut down on mouths to feed. And what’s wrong with this guy now?”
Duke Helpion’s expression was odd.
His pupils were slightly unfocused, his lips murmuring ceaselessly, and his whole body trembled.
“I see. I’ve been thinking about this all wrong. The moment I pick up the Sword, it becomes part of my body. The moment I pick up the Sword, my mind isn’t that of an ordinary person, but of a Warrior, a Swordsman! The Sword is me, and I become the Sword!”
This scene… for some reason, it feels like I’ve seen it somewhere before. Should I brace myself?
“What on earth is happening here! Why, Your Grace?!”
For the first time, I could faintly hear the Head Maid’s voice, emotional and shaken.
“What in the world!”
Then, as I expected, Butler Apel’s shocked voice rang out, and my vision suddenly shifted from the ground to the sky.
Fortunately, I’d steeled myself and wasn’t as startled as before, but Duke Squaret was not so lucky.
“Aaaagh?! What is this! S-somebody save me! Let go, let me go!”
“Please calm down, Your Grace. Butler-in-Chief is only trying to save you. If he lets go here, you might really die.”
“What are you talking about?!”
“Look down.”
Following my advice, Duke Squaret looked beneath his feet and his face went as pale as a sheet.
He’d just witnessed visible energy exploding in all directions.
“……Thank you.”
Well, anyway.
Looks like I’ve stirred up trouble again.
This time, on a much larger scale than when it was just the Butler-in-Chief.
I glanced at the training ground where a storm was raging, and clenched my fists tightly.
Based on all the stories I’d learned from the Akashic Record, I could now help guide countless martial artists to Ascension.
The thing I once thought was only a hypothesis…
It works.
Lady Elsia stared at me in disbelief.
“It was astonishing enough when Apel awakened, but now the Duke too? I thought my daughter was just spouting nonsense, but are you really a legendary hidden master, concealing your power?”
“No, this really just happened because luck and more luck overlapped. It has nothing to do with my will or ability.”
“What are the odds of a lightning strike happening twice in a row? More likely, you’re secretly a Grand Swordmaster.”
“Why would a Grand Swordmaster hide his ability?”
“Well, you’d know best, since it’s your secret identity.”
“I’m really not, though.”
“All right, then I’ll trust you’re not a Grand Swordmaster. But then, are you really a Sage?”
Probably not yet, right?
Last night, I’d talked for two hours with the Head Chef and Head Maid, bringing up various stories, but neither of them reached enlightenment.
Duke Helpion awakened while getting advice on a love letter, and the Butler-in-Chief awakened while watching my footwork.
Maybe there are certain conditions for it to work?
“By the way, how do you know in such detail what happened in the mansion yesterday?”
“You know the Head Chef? That child’s a regular at our Magic Tower.”
The Head Chef—that solidly built person about 170 centimeters tall. He said he was an S-rank Mercenary.
He didn’t seem the type, but apparently he’s quite the chatterbox.
“Anyway, we need to prepare for war.”
“War?!”
I looked at Lady Elsia in shock.
“Come to think of it, you’ve only just arrived, Sage. Do you know the boundaries of Duke Helpion’s territory?”
The Duke Territory? Well…
I hesitated, unable to finish my answer.
Not because I didn’t know, but because I knew too well.
The Duke Territory of Helpion covers the northeastern border of the Delphi Kingdom, and includes the Demon King’s Castle and the Demon Zone.
Therefore, the effective range of the Duke Territory is up to what’s commonly called the ‘Monster Line,’ and the exact boundary shifts depending on the situation with the Monsters.
Seeing that I’d figured it out, Lady Elsia smiled and continued.
“Let me ask you again, then. Who creates that Monster Line?”
“It would be… the Duke.”
“Correct. No matter how hard we try, even all of us can’t do what the Grand Swordmaster Duke handles alone. When the Duke regularly hunts Monsters to maintain the ecosystem, the Mercenaries only handle the few that spill over. But if the Duke gets stronger? Then he can eliminate more Monsters, more efficiently.”
“The Line will truly move forward.”
“I’m only a Six Circle, so I don’t know the full extent of a Grand Swordmaster’s awakened abilities. Maybe, like the mythical Swordsmen, he can split the sky or make a mountain fly with a single gesture. Even if it’s only a tenth of that, the changes in the Duke Territory will be enormous.”
She was right.
A huge change is coming…
“But Sage, you should be careful.”
“Huh?”
Lost in thought, I was startled by her sudden remark.
What’s she talking about? Could it be that remnants of the Grizzly Mercenary Corps are still around?
Who’s after my life now?
“It’s only a rumor for now, so there’s no movement yet. But once Duke Helpion stabilizes his enlightenment and begins the campaign against the Demons, people will start paying attention to you. Who knows, some reckless types might even try to kidnap you.”
“Ahaha… Surely not.”
“Don’t underestimate people obsessed with enlightenment. I, at my age, am tired of fighting and have lost my obsession with Seven Circle. But my daughter? She’d stake everything she has to reach Six Circle, if you could help her.”
That Jamie person, I suppose.
Somehow, chills ran down my spine.
“Of course, your abilities are outstanding, so I think you can handle yourself.”
“Ma’am, you’re teasing me on purpose, aren’t you?”
Lady Elsia laughed out loud as if she’d discovered something amusing.
“And it’s not just people who want to kidnap you. Some will want to protect you. Don’t forget, most people in this Duke Territory are obsessed with enlightenment. What do you think will happen if those who’ve gotten nothing for twelve years find out about you?”
Hahaha… That’s a problem worse than the Grizzly Mercenary Corps.
Now there are people all over the world who want a piece of me.
Maybe I should train so I can at least protect myself.
On the third day, Duke Squaret departed and returned home.
“Wouldn’t you at least stay to see the Duke’s face once he wakes?”
“Clicking his tongue— I said I’d stay three days, and I’ve restrained myself until now! Now that the continent’s strongest Grand Swordmaster has achieved enlightenment, it’s natural for the entire Kingdom to need to discuss things. The balance of power will shift.”
I reflected on Lady Elsia’s words.
Even now, the Helpion Duchy has the broadest territory in the Delphi Kingdom.
Now that territory will expand.
Especially since I took care of the Sandworm and secured the trade routes.
What about the Kingdom’s position?
It’s not all good, nor all bad.
On the surface, the Duke’s enlightenment is a great blessing.
The reason the Delphi Academy—focused on history and the arts—has real influence on world affairs is because of the Duke.
Even the Empire of Sim has high-ranking Swordmasters, but none have reached the highest tier and earned the title ‘Grand.’
But there are downsides.
The Kingdom may be stronger, but Duke Helpion is still like a Sword sheathed in its scabbard.
He calls himself the Commander of the Border, living in the Demon King’s territory to protect against Demon invasions.
He might help when the Kingdom is truly in peril, but honestly…
‘I have no ties or debts to the Delphi Kingdom, so I won’t interfere in anything.’
If he made such a declaration, there’d be little anyone could do.
Of course, I’m not saying Duke Helpion ignores his duties.
He attends all Royal meetings without fail, and the records show he’s diligent with taxes.
Honestly, the ones most nervous should be the neighboring kingdoms and empires.
“If he wakes up, give him my regards.”
“What should I say?”
“Tell him, even if the Letter’s clumsy, he should write it himself. And you, don’t help too much. You’ll spoil him.”
Now this old man treats someone who ought to be called a Super Grand Swordmaster like a pet.
“Understood. I’ll try to get him to write his own letters as much as possible.”
And just like that, Duke Squaret came and went like the wind.
Honestly, it’s like a father-in-law visiting his future son-in-law’s messy house, scoping it out for his daughter’s sake.
Despite being called an iron-blooded Chancellor, who’s even mentioned in textbooks, he’s surprisingly humble and human.
Anyway, until the Duke settles his enlightenment, both letter-writing and training are paused.
With storms raging in the training grounds, there’s nothing much to do anyway.
Having handled Duke Squaret’s visit well, I thought I’d reward myself with a good rest.
But that peace was short-lived.
One storm passed, but the aftershock came straight at me.
“Hello.”
‘……Why are you here?’
Two days after Duke Squaret’s departure, and without any notice, Lady Titania barged into the territory.