The Swordmaster Who Returned After 1,000 Years

Chapter 99

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 99

“You want to join the reinforcements now?”

“Yes, Your Highness, Second Prince.”

The Second Prince, Bellos, frowned as he looked at his half-sister, Violet, who was smiling brightly in front of him. Not long ago, despite repeated requests for help, she had refused to act, citing the capital's precarious situation.

Still, having her, the owner of an S-class mana suit, on their side would be a great asset... but her sudden change in attitude was unsettling.

“Aren’t you under house arrest?”

“Father lifted it on the condition that I reach the 5th Circle.”

“Father did...?”

“Yes. It seems he is wary of the Sword Master.”

“Sir Stein? Why?”

“Perhaps because if he were to invade the royal castle, no one would be able to stop him.”

“Why would he invade the palace?”

“Who can truly know a person’s heart? He might suddenly develop ambitions, even aspire to become king.”

“That’s unlike Father... he’s worrying too much. If Stein had such ambitions, he would have started by accepting a count’s title and building his influence.”

Bellos said this while studying Violet.

“In any case, if Father wants you to reach the 5th Circle, there’s no need for you to join the reinforcements.”

“We need to save the kingdom before I reach the 5th Circle.”

“I didn’t expect you to have such a noble mindset.”

“Oh my, I’ve always put the kingdom first.”

“...Fine.”

If Violet were to join the battle, it would indeed be a great help.

She would undoubtedly stand out on the battlefield.

Then, rather than being remembered as someone who supported the First Prince, a known follower of the Otherworld, she would be praised for her bravery in fighting against the monster wave.

Bellos, who had firsthand experience of Violet’s capabilities while competing with her for power, didn’t like it... but—

‘No matter how much merit Violet earns, she can never become queen.’

The Bormian Kingdom had never had a queen.

The heir to the throne had to be male.

With that thought, Bellos felt he didn’t need to worry too much about Violet gaining recognition.

“Fine. You may join. You are welcome.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

“But don’t stir up any trouble among the reinforcements.”

“What trouble could I possibly cause?”

“Haha. Right. You won’t mind that there are members of the First Prince’s faction among the reinforcements, will you?”

Bellos’s words carried a deeper meaning.

The reinforcements were primarily composed of his supporters.

If there were remnants of the First Prince’s faction among them, it meant some had already switched sides.

Bellos was pointing that out.

“Are you referring to those who have switched to your side, Your Highness? Why would that bother me? In fact, I’m grateful you accepted them.”

“Well... after all, the First Prince was a follower of the Otherworld...”

“Yes, that’s right. They sure know how to go with the flow. But you should manage them well—they’re as fickle as reeds. If they find out I’ve joined the Royalist faction, they might waver again.”

“What... Royalist faction?”

“It seems His Majesty is planning to take a more active role in state affairs. As a member of the royal family, I must cooperate fully.”

Bellos’s eyes trembled slightly.

‘Wasn’t Father’s only order for Violet to reach the 5th Circle? The Royalist faction, huh...?’

Bellos had thought that once the power struggle with the First Prince was over, he would firmly seize control of the kingdom in place of the disinterested king.

But now, things were taking an unexpected turn.

“Come to think of it, Father has quite a lot of children. And quite a few sons, too.”

“...What are you implying?”

“Oh, nothing. Just a passing thought. But if Your Highness continues to cooperate, I suppose I’ll soon forget about it.”

Seeing Violet smile slyly, Bellos gritted his teeth.

With the First Prince's disgraceful death, Violet should have remained under house arrest, and the remnants of the First Prince’s faction should have been absorbed...

However, due to the king's sudden change of heart, she had managed to make a comeback.

“...Fine. Since you’re offering help, I have no reason to refuse.”

“That’s a wise decision. By the way, is Sir Stein also joining the battle?”

“Yes. But Sir Stein will not be joining the reinforcements. He will arrive separately.”

“I see.”

“Why do you ask?”

“Someone I know is traveling with Sir Stein.”

“Someone you know...”

“Yes.”

“Who?”

Violet recalled Kaylen's face.

She had invited him to join the reinforcements together, but—

—"I'm sorry, Your Highness. I’ve already agreed to travel with the Sword Master. I’ll see you at the duke’s estate."

She had been rejected once again.

With a wry smile, Violet remarked, “He’s a hard person to get close to.”

Swish. Swish.

Alkas sighed as he swung his sword.

‘I can’t seem to find a breakthrough...’

Turning his gaze to the side, he saw Eldir leaning against a tree with his eyes closed in deep thought.

‘Eldir is improving rapidly, but I feel like I'm stuck in place.’

Although Eldir had been a Sword Master, it had been a long time since he last held a sword.

But once he recommitted himself to training, his aura grew noticeably stronger.

—"Eldir, you no longer need to spar with Alkas. Your rusted blade has been reforged."

Even Kaylen, after observing Eldir’s sword, had made that remark.

Since then, Eldir had spent most of his time meditating.

—"Alkas, there’s no need to be impatient. The lack of mana in this world makes it harder to manifest an Aura Sword. But you're steadily making progress."

That’s what Kaylen had told him.

Yet, watching Eldir’s rapid growth from the sidelines, it was hard for Alkas not to feel anxious.

Just as he let out a deep sigh, someone entered the training ground.

A lively girl with twin blue pigtails—his younger sister, Roenna.

“Big brother! I’m here!”

“Oh, Roenna. You came.”

“Why is this place so far from the Southriver district? I’m already so busy, and now I have to tutor too? I’m a student at the Bormian Magic Academy, you know!”

“Just think of it as exercise.”

“Excuse me? I’m a magician, remember? If you weren’t my brother, I wouldn’t have come here at all.”

As Roenna continued grumbling, Alkas regretted recommending her.

When she initially refused, saying she was too busy with her recent admission to the academy, he should have looked for someone else.

—Still, since Royen's condition is unique, we need someone discreet. Your sister should be fine. We can afford to wait a bit, so try persuading her again.

Kaylen, his lord, had said so, and after much effort, Alkas had managed to bring her along...

‘I must have made a mistake.’

Roenna, standing next to Alkas, was chattering non-stop.

“So, is this Kaylen’s mansion? Wow... Kaylen must be rich.”

“Kaylen? Have you met him before?”

“No, but he’s so famous. I’ve just heard of him.”

Although Kaylen had caused quite a stir at the academy with his changed appearance, not everyone had actually seen his face.

He rarely visited the academy to begin with.

“They say he’s really handsome...” Roenna said wistfully, looking around.

Her eyes sparkled when she spotted an elf meditating with a staff, an eyepatch covering one eye.

As the wind blew, his hair swayed like a painting, making Roenna gasp in admiration.

“Wow! An elf, an elf!”

“Roenna! Do you even know who he is? Sir Eldir... I apologize.”

“Hehe, it’s fine. She’s cute—your sister.”

Eldir, who had opened his eyes and waved, made Roenna even more excited, and she bounced on her feet.

“Brother, is he here every day?”

“Ha... you don’t need to know.”

“Judging by your answer, he must be. Hehe, this place is worth the trip.”

“...Let’s just go inside.”

Roenna, who had been staring at Eldir with sparkling eyes, swallowed nervously and entered the mansion.

The moment she spotted the female elves inside, she caused another commotion.

“Wow... female elves. They're gorgeous!”

“Stop reacting to everything. It’s not like you’ve never seen elves in the capital.”

“Yeah, but I’ve never seen so many at once. Over here an elf, and over there another one? What’s with this place? Why are there so many elves here? Lucky you, huh?”

“What’s lucky about it?”

“Why? You don’t have anyone you like? Wow, you’ve got high standards, brother.”

Throb. Throb.

Listening to Roenna’s endless chatter, Alkas felt a headache coming on.

“So, how did Kaylen manage to buy such a huge mansion? This is his house, right, brother?”

“I couldn’t check properly because of the elves, but this place looks kind of old. It won’t collapse, right?”

“Hey, among these female elves, is any of them dating Kaylen? You should figure that out in advance so you don’t end up competing with our lord.”

‘I must have been crazy to bring her here...’

Regretting his past self for recommending Roenna, Alkas knocked on Kaylen’s office door.

“My lord, it’s Alkas.”

“Come in.”

Kaylen, who was reviewing documents at his desk, lifted his head.

Roenna’s mouth fell open on its own.

The elf from earlier was impressive, but...

This man was on a whole different level.

“Wow...”

“This is your sister?”

“Yes, this is Roenna.”

“I see. Nice to meet you.”

Kaylen stood up and approached Roenna, extending his hand for a handshake.

“Heh...”

“...Roenna, get a hold of yourself.”

“Ah, Ka-Kaylen! H-Hello! My name is Roenna, and I’ve just entered Bormian Magic Academy as a first-year! Please take care of me!”

Roenna repeatedly bowed her head, her face turning bright red.

Seeing his sister flustered, Alkas felt a little relieved.

It seems even she can’t help but be affected by Kaylen.

“The academy is quite far from here, isn’t it?”

“N-No! Not at all!”

“Really?”

“Y-Yes! Kaylen, please speak comfortably with me!”

“Alright. Royen, would you come to my office? Your tutor is here.”

Vwooom.

As Kaylen spoke, the entire room vibrated briefly.

Roenna looked around, thinking it might be due to a younger brother nearby, but she couldn’t sense anyone.

“Take a seat for now. Your brother will be here in about five minutes.”

Five minutes?

How did he call his brother who’s five minutes away?

‘What is this? It’s not even magic...’

Still puzzled, Roenna sat down on the sofa and stared blankly at Kaylen.

—Hey, hey! Kaylen’s at the library!

—Really? Let’s go see him!

She was starting to understand why her academy friends were always talking about Kaylen.

Coming from a poor background, she had always focused on her grades and declined when friends invited her.

Now, she was glad she hadn’t gone with them back then.

‘If I’d seen Kaylen at the academy, my grades would have dropped for sure.’

She would have been like her friends—neglecting her studies and following him around.

“Royen is quite a special case, so teaching him won’t be easy. He has a great aptitude for fire magic, but there might be parts you won’t understand... I ask you to keep this confidential.”

“Y-Yes!”

“In return, I’ll offer generous pay. How about four lessons a week, 500 gold a month?”

“My lord! That’s too much! 500 gold...!”

Alkas was startled, but Roenna quickly jumped up and covered his mouth.

“Ah! Brother! Be quiet! Kaylen, I’ll do my utmost to teach your brother!”

“Alright, alright. Roenna, it is a large sum, isn’t it?”

“Ah, yes...”

“This amount includes a condition to strictly keep Royen’s unique condition a secret.”

Kaylen gazed steadily into Roenna’s eyes.

“Can you keep that promise?”

“Yes, of course!”

“Good. Then, I’ll leave my brother in your care while I’m away.”

“W-Where are you going?”

“Oh, I’ll be heading to the duchy with Alkas for a while.”

“I... see.”

Kaylen spoke so casually, as if he were just visiting a neighboring town.

Because of that, Roenna didn’t even consider that he might be heading to the Oblaine Duchy.

Knock, knock.

“Come in.”

And so, thoughts of the duchy quickly left her mind.

‘Is that him? He doesn’t look anything like his brother.’

‘So... this is my tutor...’

As Royen entered shyly, Roenna observed him closely, trying to get a first impression.

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]