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Chapter 33
“Don’t worry, Young Master. You just have to become stronger. Then you’ll be able to protect everything. You won’t lose anything.”
Hider nodded after a moment of thought. Of course. Becoming a Sword Master meant transcending human limits.
Once he crossed that threshold, he’d be able to understand things beyond normal human comprehension.
He’d be able to understand Lani’s world too.
‘Yeah. I really have to get stronger, fast.’
Hider’s misunderstanding deepened. And Hilden looked at Hider with proud eyes.
He found the boy’s love for his grandfather endearing.
Their conversation hadn’t connected at all, but at least their goals were the same: to grow stronger.
Hider picked up his sword again.
“I’ll go again, Master. This time, I’ll do it properly.”
“Excellent!”
Hider and Hilden resumed their training.
Kiera left quietly, without a trace. With Herdem, Kiera, Sornia, and Karte all gone, the mansion became truly peaceful.
This tranquility.
At this rate, Hider would grow up safely and smoothly, right? Don’t ever come back.
I hummed to myself while tending the vegetable garden.
“Hmm.”
These days, I sold most of the crops grown here. Ever since Tayburn arrived, I didn’t have to worry about food anymore.
“Maybe I don’t need to farm anymore?”
A bit of a shame. Still, this garden had fed Hider and me for a long time, and I was grateful.
At first, I thought about managing this place with Dania.
But Dania couldn’t see this garden. She said it just looked like an empty field.
I tested it again another day, and it seemed she could see the produce I brought out from it.
It felt like the space itself was under some kind of magical spell.
At this point, I was curious about what kind of power the system was using, but there was no one to ask.
This was a space that disappeared if I willed it gone.
“Maybe I should plant something valuable. Like wild ginseng… Does that even grow here?”
I tilted my head as I stood up. Today again, the basket was filled to the brim.
The cool morning air was refreshing. And what I decided to plant in that garden would soon be determined—
Not by my own will, but by external forces.
Northern Border Region
“Graaaaaaagh!”
Wolf-shaped monsters stood upright and charged. Their bared white fangs gleamed menacingly.
They were about twice the size of regular wolves and had five eyes embedded in their heads.
“Now! Attack! Fire the flaming arrows!”
The knights moved in perfect coordination.
“They just keep coming, don’t they?”
“Tch.”
“This doesn’t look like a battle that’ll end easily, Sir Klook. Shouldn’t we contact Lord Tayburn in the capital?”
It was a fact too undeniable to ignore. The relentless wave of wolf-like monsters sprayed blood and foul-smelling stench as they charged.
It seemed the area had recently undergone purification, yet the remnants of the decaying forest squelched beneath their feet.
Normally, monsters would retreat once the source of contamination was eliminated. It was rare for new sources to appear again so soon.
According to the subordinate knight, this region had been purified just before Tayburn left.
Meaning it had been less than three months.
It was far too fast.
“…Send a message to Lord Tayburn—immediately!”
Only the power of a Sword Master could destroy them. The aura they emitted was specialized in cutting through and purifying corruption.
“Should we also contact the Imperial Court?”
There were three Sword Masters currently employed by the Imperial family. Though not as strong as Tayburn, they were still formidable forces.
But the political entanglements were the issue.
“That’s Lord Tayburn’s call to make. Just report the situation immediately! He needs to come before the contamination spreads further!”
Once a land was contaminated, it could not be restored. The knight rushed off. Fierce fighting continued.
Klook sighed.
Worry gnawed at him.
Having an unexpected variable appear at this point was dangerous. Tayburn’s declining health—and his trip to the capital—was a secret only Klook knew.
Tayburn had said he was going to evaluate a potential successor. Someone who could reach the realm of a Sword Master and carry out purification missions in his stead.
Unfortunately, Herdern didn’t have that kind of talent.
Tayburn was running out of time.
‘We’ll be fine for three years. In the meantime, we must raise one of the children into a Sword Master. That’s our only option.’
‘What about requesting help from the Imperial Sword Masters?’
‘The Emperor would never allow it. The Sword Masters under the Winged Knights are assigned to protect the Emperor. He would never approve their dispatch.’
If this crisis couldn’t be overcome, the Emperor would blame the North and Cartieron for everything. He would question the special privileges granted until now.
There was even a chance they could lose control of the northern territories. If that happened, the region would plunge into irreversible chaos.
Klook bit his lip.
The future looked grim.
Three days after the Duchess and her family left, Tayburn had recovered enough to resume training. As expected of a knight, he was built differently.
Watching him move energetically—like he had never even been poisoned—I checked his status screen.
[Name: Tayburn
Status: Fully Recovered]
Come to think of it, the stealth skill had been updated recently. While browsing the screen, I saw the updated stealth skill.
“Now even fewer people can see me?”
Just how far had its effect expanded?
That day, Tayburn had kept looking in my direction, without even blinking.
Hmm… Then what about Hider?
I looked toward Hider, who was training with Tayburn. He was charging at him with everything he had, while Tayburn dodged playfully.
Could it be that Hider couldn’t see me anymore?
I recalled the shocked expression on Hider’s face when he grabbed me that day. He still had the potential of a Sword Master in the making, after all.
This seemed like the most reasonable explanation. That might mean Hider couldn’t see the vegetable garden anymore either. I should take him there again sometime to check.
“Faster! Sharper! Swing your sword with weight! Were you just goofing off while I was bedridden?!”
“Haa, haah, haa!”
Watching Hider charge with gritted teeth, I shook my head.
That grandfather really has a twisted personality. Why poke at his pride like that?
As I watched Tayburn and Hider train, a servant came running frantically.
The head butler was currently absent. Tayburn had dismissed him as soon as Kiera left.
He said a capable replacement from the north was on the way. What would he do after pulling everyone from the north?
“Lord Tayburn!”
“What is it?! You know it’s dangerous to interrupt training!”
“S-sorry, sir!”
The servant flinched and shrank back. Tayburn sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
He sheathed his sword and walked over.
“Speak. What is it?”
“A dire message from the north, sir! From the Cartieron territory!”
The envelope in his hand had a red seal marked urgent.
What could it be?
I stood up and brushed off my pants.
Tayburn tore open the envelope with his rough hand. I noticed his brow twitch as he read, and instinctively knew—
It wasn’t ordinary news. If it could make that old man tense, it had to be serious.
“What is it?” I asked.
Tayburn silently stared at Hider and me. His gaze was dark and heavy.
He handed the letter to Hider. Hider read aloud in a low voice:
“…Rapid expansion of the contamination source. Wolf-type monsters pouring out. Request immediate return. Jason, who was en route to the capital, has died due to a monster attack.”
A chilling wind swept across Cartieron.
This was a development none of us had foreseen.
