The next morning, I put on my cleanest and most formal set of clothes to set out. As I left the Cluel house, I met Ken waiting, wearing the same metal armor he used to wear back in Milbotts.
I think it's been two years since I last saw him dressed so formally.
Usually, Ken just wears dirty, raggedy clothes that look rather rough. He explained that it makes it easier to blend in with life outside the city walls, attracts less attention, and saves money. After all, who would try to squeeze money from a shabbily dressed bald guy?
"You're late, Atur." Ken commented on my schedule, as was his habit. "It's not good to keep your partner waiting. He's a very busy man."
"Sorry, I had to wait for someone."
I sighed and glanced lightly at the person standing right behind me. Who else could it be but the genius girl, Isolde Cluel?
"Sorry, I'm not used to waking up this early." The girl with the shoulder-length hair (my fault) said. Her voice was a bit sleepy, but a friendly, calm expression was perfectly plastered on her face.
The reason Isolde was coming with me was because of the Water God. She didn't want me getting into trouble with the nobility, so she requested the Water Saint to tag along to supervise and protect me 'from the temptation of sweet, false words.' That last part in quotes is a direct quote.
I think I can perfectly protect myself from the things Master Reida is worried about. After all, I'm not exactly a normal, naive 7-year-old kid. I know what all the dirty, deceitful tricks are...
Sometimes, being cared for and protected like this feels nice, though.
Ken didn't seem to mind Isolde coming along. He just set off, and we quickly followed.
The Royal Capital in the early morning was quieter than I thought. The stone-paved streets were completely empty. Except for a few patrolling soldiers and servants out shopping for breakfast, there were no other sources of sound, like the usual carriages or whispers.
The late autumn air was also starting to get cold. Luckily, I was used to wearing a ton of layers like all the Water God swordsmen at the headquarters, so I didn't feel cold at all. Come to think of it, if it weren't for seeing a few yellow autumn leaves fall, I wouldn't have even realized that I'm now a year older.
So, it's been 7 years in this world, huh?
More has happened in this time than in the last 7 years of my previous life, by many times over. If I'm being honest, it's probably more than my entire 30-year past life.
The number of people I can call friends is also several times greater. Even though I don't want to admit it, if I had the choice to return to my old world or stay here, I'd lean towards the second option.
Even though my problems with this place are still there, in the spirit of learning from the great example of my idol - Ieyasu, I'll decide to be patient. After all, maybe in a few years, Pilemon and Darius will just drop dead, and I won't have to get my hands dirty dealing with those two.
I still want to be that annoying fly that makes people like those two unable to eat or sleep in peace. But I'm also gradually learning the reality that life isn't like the movies. Not every grudge can be avenged, and the main character isn't always the one to finish off the villains.
The most important thing to do right now is to just live.
I followed Ken for about ten minutes. He led me to the eastern part of the upper-class district and into a restaurant with no sign. Inside, the restaurant had clean stone walls and wooden floors, and brand-new furniture, a stark contrast to its somewhat dilapidated exterior. I think I could even smell the scent of fresh wood from the workshop.
Ken didn't stop for a single step. He walked right past a somewhat skinny old man without a greeting or a glance. The old man didn't react either, just glanced at us lightly, as if scrutinizing something, before returning to his sweeping.
Isolde was the only one who gave a slight bow to the old man, even though he didn't respond. She didn't seem to mind and continued walking, her eyes on Ken and the stairs ahead.
Above was a fairly wide mezzanine and a hallway leading to guest rooms. Ken ignored the mezzanine, walked to the third room from the stairs, and knocked.
"Come in."
A slightly high-pitched voice called out. Ken immediately opened the door. "Pardon the intrusion."
The room inside wasn't too large; it was a typical upper-class guest room. The sleeping area was shielded behind a rather elegant partition. The outer area was for receiving guests, with a round table already set with cakes and tea. In the chair opposite the door, a young man in his late 20s or early 30s with narrow eyes sat with his hands interlaced, a knowing smile on his face.
"It's been a while, Atur."
"Greetings, Lord Philip."
I immediately performed the noble greeting. Seeing Philip's expression, it seems I didn't do anything wrong, even though it's been a long time since I've bowed like this.
"Mm." Philip's gaze moved slowly from me to Isolde. I could see a spark of interest in those eyes.
"This must be Lady Isolde Cluel, disciple of Water God Reida Lia, I presume?" Philip had stood up at some point and was now greeting Isolde. "It is an honor for me to meet such a young Water Saint."
Standing right next to me, Isolde also curtsied lightly, performing the female greeting flawlessly. "The honor is all mine, Lord Philip. My master sends her regards to you and Lord Sauros."
"I will be sure to pass them on," Philip smiled.
Sometimes I forget that Isolde is also a noble.
Imagining her drinking afternoon tea, discussing things girls usually talk about, and laughing... it seems to fit her quite well. Especially with that naturally gentle and cute face, and her skill at hiding her true emotions.
"Please, have a seat." Philip gestured to the two chairs opposite him.
Isolde and I walked over and sat down, while Ken stood silently behind me like a true bodyguard. On Philip's side, he only had two maid girls, one with cat ears and one with rabbit ears. I'd heard people like them are called Beast Folk, originally from another continent, so I didn't expect to see them in person.
I wonder what it feels like to touch their ears? What do they smell like up close?
I don't know when it started, but I was staring so intently at the cat-eared girl pouring tea that Isolde had to nudge my shoulder to get me to focus on the situation. And the situation at hand seemed to be smirking in amusement.
"It seems the Boreas part in you is stronger than I thought, eh?" Philip said as he stirred his tea.
"The 'Boreas' part?"
This, I genuinely didn't know.
"Ah, your grandmother was my father's sister."
"Oh!"
So that means this Philip is my cousin-once-removed. Interesting. I didn't expect this guy and I to be related.
"So, should I call you 'Uncle'?"
"Oh, no need. Just speaking normally is fine."
But according to Philip, it seems the Boreas family likes Beast Folk. While the Notos family likes big breasts. Does that mean I like big-breasted Beast Folk? I don't know if it's genetic, but I think I've had that preference since my past life.
More accurately, I just like pretty girls. And they have to have big breasts.
Ah, right, I almost completely forgot what I was planning to say.
"First of all, I would like to thank you, Lord Philip, for your support." I bowed my head, speaking sincerely. "If it weren't for you, I'd still be struggling to make money. So I am very grateful for the faith you've shown in my Holy Water Saint Wine product."
As soon as I finished, I don't know why, but I felt a murderous aura. Ah, right, I accidentally mentioned 'wine' in front of Isolde. Sorry about that. This is your fault for following me; if you have a problem, go ask your master for compensation.
"You're too kind, Atur." Philip didn't seem very impressed by my heartfelt thanks and slowly sipped his warm tea. "This is just business, after all. It's not like I gave it to you for free. To be honest, I had no expectation that you would succeed. My investing in your project was just in the hopes that you'd fail and owe me even more money. Things turning out this way was, I must say, beyond my expectations."
I already knew you were that kind of person, but did you really have to say it out loud, Philip?
"But success is always good, isn't it?" Philip put his teacup down and smiled lightly again. "That's why I bought this restaurant and made it the only place that serves our Holy Water Saint Wine."
"Ah, so that's it."
No wonder this place is full of new furniture; it's about to have its grand opening.
"At first, I intended to turn this into an inn for politicians, mid-level nobles, or lower, to come for tea and to receive guests. But thanks to your alcohol, I changed my mind."
"Mm." I didn't know what to say, so I just nodded.
"And because of that, I have a proposal for you, Atur."
Oh, time to get serious.
"I am listening," I sat up straight. Preparing to refuse immediately if he invites me to Roa with him.
"Do you want to sell the business rights of the Holy Water Saint Wine to me?"
"No." I answered immediately.
Ah, it's not a slip of the tongue or anything. Even though I was prepared to refuse a different question, this is one I would also never agree to.
"You haven't even heard my price or the terms," Philip still smiled, not looking offended. "It might be enough to pay off all your debts."
"Even if it's enough to pay off all my debts, I still won't agree. Because this liquor is my passion project. Besides, Isolde also helped a lot, so I can't just abandon it."
And yet Isolde didn't look touched or anything. I just saw her smiling face radiate even more killing intent.
Okay. Okay. Sorry for using you as an excuse.
The real reason I don't want to sell the rights or the formula is because I'm still young. As Ken said, even if I earn less, I can still earn it over a longer period. Plus, with gradual expansion of production, I'll pay off my debt soon enough. After that, I'll earn my own money and finally become rich.
God knows if anything I do in the future will be as successful as this. If I fail again, I'll just be in more debt, so I shouldn't take the risk.
However, I didn't intend to refuse him flat out.
"However, if you wish, I am willing to share the formula, and we can expand production together."
"Oh? You're not afraid I'll steal the formula and kick you out of the game?"
"I trust you wouldn't do that to your own blood, right?" I grinned back.
"My, my. You have more faith in me than my own father does, Atur."
"We're partners, we have to trust each other."
"Very good." Philip also nodded.
To be honest, this isn't exactly giving it away for free. I also know I can't do it all myself; I still need time for training. So, I'd rather hand it all over to Philip and let his people do it. That way, I just have to count the money rolling in each month without doing anything, hehe.
That right there is passive income. I've always preferred long-term, sustainable money over short-term cash.
"So, if I pay you 10 gold coins to come to Roa with me for a trip to set up the distilleries. If it's convenient, you could try to teach my daughter-"
"I'll go!"
Before Philip could even finish his sentence, I slammed the table and shot up, my face beaming. I'm sure my golden eyes have turned into the shape of Asura gold coins.
Then I mentally slapped myself for being an idiot.
Seeing that everyone was staring at my strange behavior, I waved my hands, trying to save a little face.
"I mean, I would be honored to go with you, Lord Philip. But I also have to train with Master Reida, so leaving doesn't seem very appropriate. How about I just teach your people, and they can go back to Roa to do it?"
"I don't think a three-month trip is too long," Philip said. His voice didn't sound forceful, but it carried an invisible pressure.
"Three months is a long time for a swordsman."
"If you want, my family has a famous swordsman who can help you train during that time."
"If my master finds out, she'll slit my throat-"
"Twenty gold coins," Philip cut me off, his voice light.
I got goosebumps. 20 gold coins. Enough for me to pay off almost 10% of my debt. That's quite tempting, but still not worth it.
Not worth it, not worth it, not worth it. I repeated that three times to convince myself.
"I'm very sorry, money isn't the issue-"
"Thirty. If you can 'deal with' my daughter, I'll pay another 70."
"Let me go talk to my master."
…
After striking the deal with Philip, he had some other business and left. Isolde and I also returned to the headquarters to train as usual. However, on the way, I could feel Isolde occasionally glancing at me, as if she wanted to ask something.
"What is it?"
"You know what."
Yeah, I know 'what', but I don't know how to start.
"I'm not really planning to go. Don't worry."
"I'm not worried about that. Whether you go or stay is for you and Master to decide." Isolde kept looking straight ahead as she walked. She really didn't seem worried. "I just don't understand why a great noble is so interested in you."
"About that..."
I also have no idea. I don't understand why he's so insistent on me coming to Roa. Even if 100 gold coins is only equal to about 2 years of passive income from the brewing business for Philip, it's still a number that even high nobility would call 'a lot'. You don't just throw that kind of money around. And yet that guy is ready to throw it in my face like it's scrap paper (even though paper in this world is still damn expensive).
Because he wants me to meet his daughter?
That seems even less likely. I'm just a commoner now. That marriage alliance(?) plan is useless now unless...
Unless he *really* needs me to "deal with" his daughter.
Even though it's been two years, I still occasionally hear rumors about the rebellious young lady of House Boreas Greyrat. She's still the same as before. Even though she's older, her temper has only gotten worse. Still stubborn, loud, and violent with anyone she wants. In short, a walking nightmare. I hear she's even learning the sword now, so her destructive power has reached a new level.
Does he need a Water God Style person like me to come and knock some sense into his daughter's head? Or to teach her etiquette, as he suggested? Whatever the case, it's still weird. Shouldn't he hire someone with more experience and professionalism?
"It really is confusing..."
I gave up, not wanting to think about it anymore. For now, I'll go see Master Reida and report the situation. I'm willing to bet she won't let me go anyway.
…
"Go. I think this is a good opportunity. You can even stay there for a few years."
"Huh?"
Wait, Master Reida is telling me to *go*? What the hell? And "a few years"?
"Are you kicking me out, Master?" I pretended to cry.
"Stop acting, kid." Without a shred of pity, the Water God bapped me on the head with her sheathed golden sword.
It's true, you can't play mind games with Master Reida. They say to steal someone's conscience, the other person has to *have* a conscience, but it seems my master doesn't have one. Sitting next to me, Isolde didn't even react, and even seemed to agree with her master. Are these people trying to get rid of me?
"Listen. I understand why your progress has been slow lately. If you have a debt, it's best to seize every opportunity to pay it off before it's too late."
"Yes..."
So Master also thinks I should focus on making as much money as possible to pay off my debt.
"Besides, from what I know, Sword King Ghislaine is in Roa. I believe she is a bodyguard for the Boreas family. So if you ask, she might not refuse to spar with you, kid."
"Sword King?"
I asked again, feeling like I had just heard a terrifying title. But wait, THE Sword King!? If I remember correctly, there's only one Sword King in the world right now, the Black Wolf Sword King Ghislaine!? One of the legendary S-rank adventurers, the 4th strongest swordsman of the Sword God Style!?
What did the Boreas family do to recruit such a terrifying figure!? The Notos family, at best, only has Advanced-ranks!
If that's the case, shouldn't I be latching onto the Boreas family even more? If they're that strong, having a good connection with them will make it easier for me to crush Pilemon later. I've heard rumors that their current family head, Lord Sauros, doesn't like Pilemon very much.
It makes sense. That's the decision, then.
"However, you can only return from this trip when you have made good progress."
"What?" Hearing my master's last words, I blinked twice.
Progress in what? Making money and paying off debt?
"The next time we meet, I expect you to be able to use Perfect Reverse on the 'Longsword of Light' of the Sword God Style. If you can't, I'll cut off one of your hands."
"WHY!?"
…
The final result was that not only was I not allowed to stay, but I was also kicked out of Royal Capital by Master Reida.
As for the reason, Master Reida said I'm the type of person who only gets stronger when under pressure. The proof is that for the past few months, no matter how crazily I've trained, my development has stagnated. She compared it to the time I had to find a way to surpass Isolde and came up with this plan to make me more serious.
That means she really *will* cut off my hand if I don't complete the mission she gave me!
"How am I supposed to use the Perfect Reverse on the Longsword of Light!?"
That's the strongest technique of the Sword God Style! And as the name implies, if used well, the user can slash as fast as light. As in, LIGHT! 300,000 km/second! Are you kidding me!? I'm not even sure I can *block* that move, let alone use Perfect Reverse on it! I've never even successfully used Perfect Reverse on anything but a basic attack!
"Aaaaaaaaaa! I'm going to die! Why is my life so hard!"
I clutched my head and cried to the heavens, ignoring the fact that my shouting would bother the only other person sitting in the room with me.
"You're being too loud, Atur," Ken sighed. "What good is crying like that going to do?"
"It's to annoy you." I said my intention out loud. "This whole thing is your fault for dragging me to meet that Philip guy in the first place!"
"You went voluntarily."
"Aaaaaaaaaa I don't care! It's all Ken's fault!"
"Sigh..."
In general, I'm not just sitting here crying for fun. This is actually a training exercise. Really, trust me.
Because, first of all, I'm not just planning to go for 3 months, grab 30 gold coins, and come back. If I come back too early, Master will cut off my hand. So I'm planning to stay for a year or two. And to be able to stay that long, and to aim for that enormous 70 gold coin bonus, I absolutely *must* 'educate' that demon young lady.
This is me trying to figure out how: by becoming an unruly child just like her, to see what other people will do.
And in Ken's case, he took out his sword and knocked me unconscious.
So, that's 1 method to the list.
…
I have three days to prepare to leave, corresponding to the three days Philip is staying in the Royal Capital to resolve his business. During those three days, I went to say goodbye to everyone I knew.
Veronica and the fan club had mixed reactions. Some were sad because it would be harder to see me. Some were happy because their families are also in Roa, so they could see me during the holidays. Henry's little sister was in the "sad" group. She made me promise to write letters, and I had to agree.
Even though sending a letter from Roa to the Royal Capital costs half a silver coin each time… ugh…
Next were the acquaintances at the Water God Style headquarters. It's a bit hard to believe, but I've actually made a few friends here. At first, they were quite wary because of my appearance and the rumors about my 'origin.' But when they found out I was just a normal Beginner-rank brat, they treated me as an equal and sometimes invited me to eat with them.
Now that I said I'll be gone for a few years, I didn't expect some of them to hug me and slap me on the back.
I still don't remember all their names, which is awkward, so I just went along with it.
Finally, saying goodbye to the Cluel siblings. Isolde, as usual, was the most thoughtful person I know. She had already prepared my belongings, my clothes, and a few other things like a wool scarf and a new coat. Even though I don't think I'll be cold, since I'm always wearing at least 3 sets of clothes, I won't complain about being cared for by a pretty girl.
Ah, come to think of it… this eagerness looks like she's trying to get rid of me.
"Can you stop thinking badly of others for more than five minutes, Atur?" Isolde suddenly spoke up. I could see a vein popping on her forehead.
"Ah! You can read minds with 'Reading' now!?" I immediately went on guard, protecting my thoughts.
"I can tell just by looking at your face. Who scrunches up their face like a monkey when someone is worried about them?"
She's... worried about me?
Suddenly, I felt quite touched. Maybe she thinks I'll be less handsome if I lose a hand?
"I'm not worried about you getting your hand cut off."
"Eek. You really can read minds."
"It's because you were thinking it while grabbing your left shoulder."
Ah, right… body language, huh? Isolde is a superhuman at that.
"In any case, you'll complete Master's challenge soon enough." Isolde said as she toyed with the single blue lock of hair that fell past her shoulder. "What I'm worried about is I don't know what stupid thing you'll do in Roa. If something happens, Brother Tantris and Master can't protect you."
"You have very little faith in me, don't you?" I smiled sarcastically.
"It comes from experience," Isolde replied with a similar sarcastic smile. "After all, just a few days ago, someone from the Silver Palace came looking for you. He claimed to be Princess Ariel's personal mage."
"A personal mage?" I raised an eyebrow. "I don't know the princess, so why would someone come looking for-"
Ah, but wait, I think there is a small connection.
A childishly handsome but somewhat perverted face appeared in my mind.
"Is it news about Brother Luke?" I asked, excited. "Did Luke come to find me?"
Isolde took a defensive stance, taking a step back, her worried gaze still on me before she continued. "The person called himself Derrick Redbat, not Luke. And he said he wanted to meet you to talk about the 'exorcism lantern' that you were trying to sell over a year ago."
"Exorcism lantern? The one I gave you?"
"Yeah." Isolde nodded. "I was planning to say you had thrown it away, but when I saw someone from the Knights' Guild with him, I had to let them see it."
The Knights' Guild... I think that's where Tantris works. If I'm not mistaken, they are a knight organization that acts as a management and support body for all knights in the territory. Sometimes they even conduct investigations, like a police organization.
But wait, why are the police looking for me? And why do they need the exorcism lantern? Could it be...
A chill ran down my spine. The image of what happened in the city sewer a year ago suddenly appeared. If I'm not mistaken, Ken himself said the Knights' Guild had concluded the case was an internal conflict between underground gangs. But now they're investigating again? And with someone from Princess Ariel?
Hmm...
Should I start to worry?
"What's so special about my lantern that they wanted to see it?"
"I don't know. The Knights' Guild and that mage just took a look at it and left."
So they didn't notice anything unusual. Good.
"I thought Lord Philip coming to find you might be related to that, but it seems not."
"Yeah, I don't even know why the Knights' Guild is paying attention to me."
"Brother Tantris doesn't know either," Isolde agreed. "He said it was because the mage guy asked for someone to come along to add credibility."
So it was to shake the tree and see what falls out? How scary.
"He probably just liked my lantern," I came to a temporary conclusion. "After all, I'm good at making magic tools."
"Maybe so."
Isolde didn't seem to doubt it anymore and just nodded. She was probably worried I was doing something dangerous, so she's been watching me. Now that she knows I wasn't doing anything wrong, she must have relaxed.
As for why they're looking for me, it's possible that the mage found the connection between me, Tristina, and Henry. And he also found information that I had once sold a glowing lantern, so he hypothesized it was the thing that created the light in the sewer that day. Too bad I've already removed the switch. No matter how they try, they can't make a flashbang out of it.
I thought everything had been cleaned up, but it seems someone is still interested in what happened that day.
I've heard rumors that Pilemon is a supporter of Second Princess Ariel's claim to the throne. So it's highly possible that this mage named Derrick is an enemy. I must be more careful.
After that, I talked more with Isolde. She also explained to me why Master Reida had given me such a terrifying demand, like blocking the Longsword of Light.
She told me about a place called the Sword's Sanctum—which, as the name implies, is a cathedral of swordsmanship. According to a tradition nearly a hundred years old, each new generation of Sword God or Water God will challenge each other to see which style is worthy of ruling the place. So, me being sent to train with a top-tier swordsman of the Sword God Style must be part of Master's plan to retake the Sanctum.
Although I find it a bit weird. The Sword's Sanctum was originally founded by the Sword God Style. The Water God Style just came, challenged them, occupied the place for a while, and then it was taken back. So, isn't the Water God Style the unreasonable one here?
But whatever the case, I have to accept the mission. Even if I don't know if I can defeat the Sword God, I have to worry about keeping my hand from being chopped off first.
Speaking of which, it's a bit of a pity Isolde can't come with me. After all, she's the one who should be the next Water God, but Master thinks it's best for Isolde to perfect her first secret art first.
So, Isolde and I promised to meet again in two or three years. That means I have a deadline to use my secret art on the ultimate technique of the Sword God Style.
The next morning, I set off.
A few of my friends from the Water God Style headquarters, the fan club from the academy, and the Cluel family came to see me off. This time, it wasn't as tearful as when I went to say goodbye to each person individually. They just came, patted me on the shoulder, wished me a safe journey, and then I got on the carriage with Ken. By the way, Master Reida didn't show up. She seems to be very serious about that 'next time we meet' of hers.
Thinking about it gave me a bit of a shiver, but thanks to that, I'm even more determined.
I looked out of the carriage as it gradually left the Royal Capital. A complex emotion suddenly welled up in my heart, making me feel a bit like crying.
The past two years have truly been an unforgettable experience. There was pain, despair, and utter contempt. There was also happiness, joy, and fun. Those emotions and memories have mixed together to create this colorful melody called the Royal Capital.
But this isn't the end.
I swear I will return.
And when I do, I will finish the things I've left undone.