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Chapter : 17
As I wandered around the harbor, familiar faces greeted me. Soon, one by one, naval ships began to arrive—returning from their reconnaissance missions.
And then I saw Kaisa.
He looked a bit confused, riding on the shoulders of the exhausted knights, all of whom looked tired but were laughing. They were talking animatedly to Kaisa, but I was certain he understood not a single word.
That was exactly who Duke Kaisa was.
The moment he spotted me, his face lit up with a bright smile.
“I told you there’s nothing to worry about.”
He murmured softly. My concerns had been unfounded. Kaisa had, once again, become the hero of the day. Watching him run toward me with that smile, I couldn’t help but laugh too.
“Have you been waiting?”
“Yes! I’ve been waiting so, so much!”
I was grateful once again that Kaisa had returned safely.
And for a fleeting moment, I was glad we had been apart. Alone, I doubt I would have managed so well.
Reivan calmed the knights, who were chattering excitedly.
These were the knights who had accompanied Kaisa on the ship to the First Zone for his first real training. Usually, few monsters appeared there, but somehow a giant sea beast had shown up, posing a significant threat during this voyage. Reivan had been on board too, and even he had faced the possibility of death.
Elite knights had been aboard as a precaution, but they were too few to face the giant Bardanos alone. The Bardanos was whale-shaped, and a fully grown adult could swallow a ship in one bite. The one they encountered wasn’t a full adult—only in its growth stage—but it was still large enough to capsize a vessel.
Everyone had sensed death. Reivan included.
“I really thought we were going to die. I thought the ship would be destroyed for sure. The harbor was already far away… ha ha, I thought we’d be dead for sure.”
“But then a miracle happened, my lord!”
“Good heavens, who would have guessed that scoundrel foreigner had such skill!”
The knights, still unable to contain their excitement, sniffed and glimmered with admiration. They all spoke in unison, praising Kaisa. These were the same men who had previously hidden no ill will toward him before departure.
But in the face of death, all hatred vanished, and unity took over.
“If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t have returned.”
“To think a man with that skill was treated like this…”
“A true knight speaks with his sword. I believe this foreigner is perfectly suited for our army.”
Reivan let out a bitter chuckle at the endless chatter of his subordinate knights. Kaisa had, with barely any effort, completely turned the hearts of those men. And it was as if it were nothing at all.
“Seems Kaisa has won your hearts too.”
The knights blushed and cleared their throats. If even prideful knights had changed their minds, it was clear that Kaisa had shown truly exceptional skill.
“……He clearly has outstanding talent.”
Even the captain leading today’s knights said this, and Reivan couldn’t help but think:
“Could he have reached some extraordinary level?”
At his words, the murmuring knights fell silent, all eyes on the captain.
“No aura manifestation was observed.”
Reivan exhaled. He hadn’t seen Kaisa’s aura either. Of course—a Swordmaster wouldn’t reveal themselves so easily. Reivan smiled wryly. The presence of a Swordmaster would greatly strengthen national defense—but in Cyern, not a single Swordmaster had appeared for nearly a hundred years.
“However, when facing the growing Bardanos, he hesitated not at all and defeated it swiftly. My lord, you must have seen it too. He never appeared strained in the slightest.”
A century had passed since tracking the footsteps of the great grandfather who transcended human limits. Now, no one knew more about Swordmasters than Reivan. With a little more observation, he would surely recognize Kaisa’s level.
Even if he wasn’t a Swordmaster, such skill would be a tremendous asset for the empire’s defense. Perhaps the sea had brought this luck to Cyern. If Kaisa could be persuaded to remain in Cyern, it wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Reivan licked his lips thoughtfully.
Kaisa, a little excited, recounted the day’s events.
It had felt like a proper hunt after a long time. The suffocating stench, the instinctive malice of monsters, the immense darkness stretching toward him—all of it felt familiar. It was easier for him to face a monster’s killing intent than that of humans.
In the army, no one tried to cheat or deceive him. They followed orders, moving under a single purpose: to protect Cyern. That made things much simpler for Kaisa.
Milena muttered, confused:
“What’s so fun about that?”
“It’s not fun, Milena. I’m just relieved I made it through this time.”
Kaisa spoke with a serious expression.
“Relieved? I don’t get it. Fighting monsters with your life at stake, and you call it relief? Isn’t it dangerous?”
Milena muttered as she ate fruit. She helped grill the meat we’d bought at the market—a task she could actually do—while Kaisa seasoned and cooked it as usual.
It was an ordinary day.
And an ordinary mealtime, too.
The only difference was that Kaisa had become a hero again today.
“The relief of having safely protected someone today. Knowing that my people are safe because of it. Isn’t that enough? That’s why I do this.”
Kaisa said slowly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“See? I protected today, and we’re all safe here. That’s why we’re enjoying this delicious dinner. That alone is enough for me to be proud of what I’ve done.”
Milena pondered his words for a moment, then giggled.
“Maybe you’re right, Duke. So that means you’ve protected everyone’s dinner tonight?”
“Dinner?”
“The happy dinner that everyone can share together. You’ve protected all of our happiness. If even one person were missing, a happy dinner would be impossible.”
“Happiness?”
Kaisa laughed as if it were amusing. He had never thought of it that way. He didn’t see it as an extraordinary act—it was a duty and a driving force in his life. Through these actions, Kaisa found purpose in living.
A process of giving meaning to a life that once had none.
A commitment never to lose anything precious to monsters again—and the act of carrying out that resolve.
