By Zephyria 
Some time ago, I taught Rubel the Namgung’s sword.
This was during the time I still couldn’t let go of my ambition for the Heavenly Thunder Emperor Divine Art. During the time I struggled to keep my roots in this world I was dragged into alone, I wanted to pass on what was most precious to me to the child most precious to me, so I wrote down the Secret Manual of Martial Arts all night.
I had to reinterpret many ultimate techniques when transcribing the Secret Manuals for the three schools—the Changcheon Muae Sword Art, the Thousand-League Guardian Spirit, and the Divine Art of Heavenly Wind—into the Sierren style. The memory of painstakingly explaining each step with my body, word by word, for fear of harming the child’s body, resurfaced vividly.
Since then, I have shed and added much in this world.
Now, I no longer cling to the form of the sword. I can imbue a single breath or a gesture with the marvels of the heavens and the principles of Mount Tai. Yet, my eyes stung at the azure trajectory I drew in the air, following the sword’s path that flowed correctly in its appointed sequence.
Rubel’s neck, where his dark hair was tied up high, shone white.
The sword energy blooming from the tip of Rubel’s sword, with the sky at his back, stirred my chest and captivated my eyes. Rubel’s cool gaze never left the tip of his sword. Each stroke, drawn without smile or jest, seemed to prop up the sky and trace the clouds.
I watched, holding my breath, as the blue sword energy bloomed and faded, faded and bloomed again. The sweeping arc that cut through the air rippled and surged like waves, reaching my heart as a tempest.
“Fish sink, geese fall; moon hides, flowers blush.” If they saw Rubel now, Sīxī and Wang Zhaojun would be no different from me, unable to do anything but stare in a daze.
At some point, I saw an illusion of a blue robe draped over Rubel’s sleeve.
The energy that danced with the child’s inhales and exhales was imbued with the scent of a blue wind. The child, who stopped with not a single deviation, turned his bright face to me.
My chest swelled with pride, and my eyes grew hot. I couldn’t clap, nor could I praise him. I simply stood there in silence.
The child, sheathing his sword, ran into my arms with delight. Without hesitation, I opened my arms and hugged him close.
“Why are you crying, Mika?”
“…”
“Was I that good?”
“…Yes.”
I wanted to say something, but I didn’t know where to begin.
“It was perfect. Especially the part where you channeled the marvels of the Azure Wind into your thirty-sixth step, keeping your upper body steady. That’s incredibly difficult… and to do it just by looking at a Secret Manual, without anyone teaching you.”
“If I’m to marry a Grand Sword Master as my consort, I have to be this good.”
“…”
Rubel, hanging from my neck, smiled brightly and examined my face. He grabbed my wrist as I fumbled to wipe my wet cheeks, stopping me, and then stared intently at me, as if trying to devour me, before declaring,
“From now on, when you see the Namgung’s sword, I’ll be the first person you think of.”
“You already are.”
“…I know. It’s just… I wanted to show you.”
My beautiful one.
Seeing me happy, the child, now eager for sparring, quickly drew his sword and pointed it at me. With a joyful heart, I exchanged blows with Rubel, and the child kept throwing himself into my arms, making me laugh a lot. Later, he even tied his sword to his waist and practiced kicks, and we frolicked together.
Rubel, drenched in sweat, playfully suggested we wash together. I quickly grabbed him, pushed him into the bathroom, and by then, the sun was already setting. I pushed the door shut, blocking out the sound of the child stomping his feet and pouting, while I couldn’t help but let out little giggles.
By what fortune did I acquire such a person?
My grateful heart, lost for a recipient, drifted to my eldest sister, then to the Jade Emperor, and even paid a visit to all the gods of heaven and earth. In the end, all those feelings were gathered within me as divinity.
Monday.
Rubel asked me to join him for the morning meeting, and I was a little surprised.
I had lived believing that the only individuals at the Hwagyeong realm in this land were Wesley Kiadris and Maelo Sanson. However, the person before me now had an incredibly deep gaze. I couldn’t tell if his silver-grey hair was its natural color or had faded with age.
Was he around Maelo Sanson’s age? No, perhaps a little older.
Now, I could discern much about an opponent’s realm just by looking at them. Despite his small stature, his energy was quite formidable. If Maelo Sanson and this person were to spar, they could easily exchange over four hundred blows.
As I observed her, she also studied me intently.
Unlike the study, the meeting room was circular, with chairs arranged around a large table. Rubel, naturally seated at the head of the table, tapped the edge of the table once, and everyone else promptly pulled out their chairs and sat down.
Only then did Rubel introduce her to me.
“Mika, this is Lady Rosalia Pitche. She became the Sierran Empire’s third Grand Sword Master shortly before you returned, and she is currently the commander of the Imperial Knights. Lady Pitche, this is Duke Michael Ernhardt, my fiancé.”
“It is an honor to meet you, Duke Ernhardt.”
“Yes. I am pleased to meet you as well.”
Come to think of it, I hadn’t even formally succeeded to the title yet. When would that happen?
Lady Pitche rose from her seat and bowed, so I also rose and returned the courtesy.
After gazing at me for a moment, the woman extended her hand, and I accepted her offer of a handshake. I thought that a handshake was usually initiated by the elder, but I couldn’t suppress a chuckle that escaped my lips.
What a competitive spirit this one has.
She must have been curious, unable to read my realm through my Qi sense. Lady Pitche clasped my hand, infusing it with her aura, and I dispersed her power with my own energy. The woman, looking up at me with surprise, smiled and withdrew her hand.
He then bowed his head deeply and offered a more formal greeting.
“Please forgive my rudeness. I was so curious when I heard you defeated a god at the mere age of twenty.”
“There is no need for apologies. We are both walking the path of the sword. I look forward to working with you.”
“Yes. I will serve you with all my heart.”
She is quite a capable individual. I was rather pleased.
Aside from Rosalia Pitche, everyone else seated around the table was a familiar face. Mage Boulder, Leon, and several Imperial Knights who had accompanied me on the Floyd Expedition were among them. I looked at Rubel, wondering what he intended to announce with all of them gathered.
Rubel, waiting for the seating to settle, announced calmly,
“Lady Pitche and nine others here will depart for the Magic Territory today. I wanted you to meet them before you go.”
“To the Magic Territory?”
“I have tasked them with capturing human-friendly goblins and bringing them back. Our primary goal is to visit the Training Grounds before the end of June this year, and if we encounter any docile monsters that can be captured along the way, we plan to bring them back as well.”
I had already traveled beyond the Yuil Mountains to Grimsvein from the Training Grounds. Among those who accompanied me then, Boulder was particularly good with directions. Sending a Grand Sword Master alongside him would be sufficiently reassuring.
I looked at Rosalia Pitche once more. She winked and gave me a knowing glance, as if to say, Don’t worry.
A nearby attendant distributed a simply drawn map. It showed the approximate locations of the capital, Duke Ernhardt’s Territory, the Yuil Mountains, and the passage to the Training Grounds.
“We plan to create a small monster habitat to the right of Tunnel 48 in Old Grimsvein. The medium-to-large monsters we will bring from Withrow will be placed to the left of Tunnel 1, along the ridge of the Yuil Mountains.”
“Will that be alright?”
“Yes. For a while, many Sword Masters and High-level Magicians will be frequenting Duke Ernhardt’s Territory. It will take several years to make it habitable for civilians, so it should be safe until then.”
“…”
“We plan to install defensive Magic Circles around the Duchy… but Mika and I will go together later to check the extent to which communication with the monsters is possible before we handle that.”
As if waiting for Rubel to finish, Mage Boulder quickly added,
“We have received confirmation that Duke Withrow will send Kkokko! For now, it will be protected at the First Magic Tower, and once other goblins are brought in and the situation stabilizes, I plan to visit and care for them myself.”
“Thanks to Mage Boulder, I can rest easier. As for their food…”
“First, we’ll see if the goblins can eat Armored Crabs, and if not, we’ll have to buy meat dumplings from the Magic Tower. So, about that…”
Mage Boulder rolled his round eyes, looking at me and Rubel.
“Please, go ahead.”
“Where should I send the invoice? Well, since it’s a project within Duke Ernhardt’s Territory, after all.”
Invoice?
How much money do I have right now? Before I could ponder, Rubel answered instead.
“We’ve allocated an annual budget of three hundred thousand gold. For now, stay within that amount.”
“Huh? Three hundred thousand just for setting up the goblin habitat?”
“Of course not! That includes medium-sized monsters as well. Considering the collapsed ducal castle walls, make sure the monster habitats are not located within 50 kilometers. Large monsters are still premature, so first, deploy small and medium-sized monsters and observe their behavior.”
“Yeeees…”
Three hundred thousand gold. Just hearing the amount was overwhelming.
I remembered spending four hundred and fifty gold to purchase Nadi at an auction not long ago. Even Rubel had been shocked to see me casually spend hundreds of gold on jewels. But back then, I hadn’t worried much about such things. It was because I considered it within the scope of what I could afford.
However, now, the cost of rebuilding the city was immense from the start.
If merely constructing monster habitats required three hundred thousand gold, how much would it cost to rebuild the city walls? Was he going to bear all of this himself? I couldn’t allow such a pathetic display.
Smiling faintly, I made a firm resolution.
I would have to ask the First Goddess soon to mine or obtain something.
555 – 555.
After coaxing Rosalia Pitche, who pleaded for just one sparring session upon her return, and learning and memorizing the names of those embarking on the dangerous, distant journey, I sent them off. All of them, except for Boulder and Leon, belonged to the Imperial Knights. I had also sent wedding invitations with them, so I could only hope they would return on time.
Left alone with Ruben, we discussed the monsters I would be looking after in my territory over a lavish lunch.
“Do those dazed monsters look like they can stand on their own?”
“Well. It’s better than killing them without giving them even a sliver of a chance, wouldn’t you say? I just hope that mages who grow fond of monsters don’t get hurt by approaching them unnecessarily.”
“You said they fear humans.”
“Until now, they’ve always been wearing control devices from the Magic Tower. Once they’re released near the Mana-rich Yuil Mountains, who knows? My biggest concern now is that most monsters are carnivorous.”
“Why is that?”
“I don’t know what form the food chain around Duke Ernhardt’s Territory will take when a new group of monsters intrudes. If the number of small monsters suddenly decreases, diseases from rats or insects could spread.”
“Ugh…”
“When you planted the Source of the Waterproof Forest, did it require a particularly large amount of power?”
Did it?
It felt like a very long time ago. I paused my meal, clenched and unclenched my left fist, and gauged the amount of my internal energy. My internal energy, tinged with a blue light, flowed along the edge of my hand, then faded into invisibility.
“No, I used a lot of power back then… but now I can wield tens of times more power than that.”
“…Are you talking about compared to when you sparred with Spiritus?”
“Yes. So…”
I pondered how to explain it easily, then cut a piece of meat from a large plate, about the size of my thumb, and placed it on my side plate.
“If a Sword Master could wield an energy the size of this small piece, a Grand Sword Master could wield energy the size of the entire plate supporting that chunk of meat. Roughly… there’s a difference of anywhere from ten to thirty times.”
“…That much?”
“Yes. While the gap can widen depending on martial arts compatibility or the nature of internal energy, it’s generally around that much. Professor Maelo Sanson and Rosalia Pitche fall into this category.”
“Then, Mika, what about you?”
“At the point when I planted the Source of the Waterproof Forest in the old Grimsbein Territory, meaning when I sparred with Spiritus, I could wield an energy roughly the size of this dining table. It was possible because various fortuitous encounters occurred, and I had absorbed about half of the Ninth God’s power. I was still weaker than Spiritus then, but about eight to ten times stronger than a Grand Sword Master.”
“…”
“And now, I can control an energy roughly the size of… this castle’s main hall.”
The me who faced Gano Paquin was at the Hwagyeong realm. The me who sparred with Spiritus possessed the realm of Hyeon-gyeong, and by defeating the Ninth God, I reached the realm of Saengsa-gyeong.
However, in this world, not a single human had ever ascended to a martial realm higher than Hwagyeong or Grand Sword Master. I now knew that even if I had absorbed the Mana territory’s energy step by step under the guidance of the First Goddess, instead of devouring the Ninth God, I could have reached my current state.
The realm of Saengsa-gyeong was the domain of gods.
Whether a wall reached my knees or my head, it would look equally high to an ant. Why would I need to invent a name for a new realm? The title bestowed upon me, Grand Sword Master Mikael Ernhardt, is sufficient.
Ruben, who had listened to my story and understood it, responded cheerfully.
“Then, let’s plant a good number of sacred trees in your territory to form a fence. After all, it’s a given that monsters are familiar with contaminated Mana and shy away from Divine Power.”
“Yes.”
“And if problems still arise, we can send the dangerous monsters beyond the Magic Territory.”
“Yes. Let’s do that. For now… it would be best to try adaptation training so the monsters can learn to hunt prey on their own.”
“Mm. I’ll also look into whether there’s a way to handle Divine Objects more delicately.”
As we talked, a question suddenly came to mind.
“Speaking of which, when I first arrived in Withrow, I heard about Raul.”
“Owen?”
“Yes. That… are you leaving it as is?”
“For now, we have no choice but to.”
“Why?”
Ruben moved a larger piece of meat onto my plate.
Was this lunch or dinner? But I didn’t refuse what was offered and ate it.
“As I said before… I don’t want to be a conquering monarch.”
“But…”
“Even while digging reservoirs in Floyd and luring medium to large monsters, the Black magicians didn’t harm most of Floyd’s citizens. Thanks to that, many villages, including Floyd’s capital, Galia, were spared great damage.”
“…”
“Currently, Floyd’s citizens are praising King Floyd for protecting them from the monsters that traversed their country. That’s what media control is.”
“But Owen…”
“Owen is the same. Just because I am wealthier and know more doesn’t give me the right to reform those who don’t wish to be reformed. Once I resolve the Empire’s issues and have spare capacity, I should consider ways to assist kingdoms that ask for help.”
“Hmm.”
It seemed right when I heard it. I should put out the fire in my own house before helping my neighbors. Even the gods drew lines on the land, dividing the world into ‘this is mine to rule, and that is yours,’ so it would be better for Ruben to do the same.
Deciding not to argue further, I resumed my meal. Ruben, who waited until I fully understood, smiled gently and continued.
“Still, with you in my reign, I have less worry about wars with other countries. That aside… I need to start writing the wedding invitations to House Ernhardt and House Valentia soon.”
“Now?”
“Yes. I’ve already delivered invitations in person to acquaintances who warrant it. Now I need to focus on those to be sent by mail. After sending the mail, the scribes will begin writing invitations to be distributed to all nobles of Count rank and above.”
“Come to think of it, my siblings were talking about gifts.”
“Yes. It seems… I want to prepare separate outfits for your siblings.”
“Outfits?”
“It’s common for the bride and groom’s younger siblings to wear matching colored clothes and carry bouquets. Hael and Adel resemble Mika a lot, so I thought they would look very cute dressed alike.”
That’s true. They would look lovely dressed in matching colors. Would the children like it too?
Thinking of the siblings who bickered every day, I felt a sense of contentment.
“What about Lucilla Senior?”
Ruben’s expression became suddenly inscrutable.
“She… isn’t a young sibling. And not cute.”
“You said you found her cute when she was younger?”
“She hasn’t been cute for a single moment since she turned thirteen.”
“You’re cute even now, Ruben.”
“…”
“…Hmm?”
“…Thank you…”
“Yes. Let’s ask Lucilla Senior about it once.”
Ruben, who responded weakly, covered his forehead and eyes together with his large hand.
In any case, he’s so endearingly shy even over trivial matters. Watching Ruben blush with contentment, I changed the subject, wanting to see his face.
“Ah. And I would like to take etiquette classes for another month.”
“Really? It seems you got along well with Young Lady Poplar.”
“Not exactly.”
“…Then why?”
The child peeked at me through his fingers.
It’s quite strange. Can one miss someone even more while looking right at them?
“Starting in May, the fitting for the wedding attire will begin. I want to learn everything I can before then. I also understood well by watching Mother-in-law use her fan in various ways this time.”
“…That, …Yes. Alright, then let’s do that.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“And… for the month of April, let’s go look at rings together.”
“Yes.”
Everything was proceeding very smoothly.
❖ ❖ ❖
Time truly flew by.
Every weekend, Ruben and I spent a lot of time trying on dozens of rings, comparing which shapes suited each other better.
To me, all rings looked round and not very different, yet Ruben’s deliberation never ended. I enjoyed watching him ponder as I followed him around, and I enjoyed having good meals and going for walks, so I didn’t rush him.
Ruben was too embarrassed for us to go watch a play together. Still, it was all enjoyable and fun to visit permanent art museums displaying various artworks or to tour temples to discuss how they could be decorated and ceremonies held.
These days, I had little to do other than attend etiquette classes.
I met with friends to chat and share snacks, and I had discussions with Marianne and her seniors about the magic circle left by the Ninth God. Occasionally, I went to see plays or walked the streets with my siblings, and I spent time personally delivering wedding invitations to Michael’s friends.
I also met with the First Goddess for a brief chat.
She playfully told me to consider her an elder sibling, but when I asked for something valuable as a wedding gift, she feigned ignorance. Only after much pestering did she hint that Spiritus had a lot of money. However, neither the First Goddess nor I knew where she was now.
On the other hand, Ruben became increasingly busy.
I heard that he was often bringing forward and completing tasks that were supposed to be done later, in addition to his regular duties. Judging by his words, it seemed like he was cramming about two to three years’ worth of work into one go.
Most tasks were completed by systematically creating manuals and assigning responsible individuals, but he seemed to have many concerns regarding tasks where assigning a supervisor was difficult.
Sometimes, he would work overtime past ten o’clock at night, skipping meals.
On such days, I would visit Ruben and feed him finger foods like sandwiches, which he would accept shyly without refusal. Thanks to that, becoming close with Ruben’s aides could be considered an achievement.
And so, on Wednesday of the second week of April.
Lucilla Anti Sierran returned.