Ch.25183. It’s stranger that there are multiple suns in the sky.

The rain pours down.

An unseasonable downpour mingles with the autumn weather, bringing a chill to the air.

And through the raindrops, near the training grounds, a young man pitifully swings a steel sword with one arm.

“……”

Meanwhile, a young girl sits quietly in the falling rain, steadying her mind and body.

The wolf prince, who had been awkwardly peering through the corridor window at this scene, continued on his way.

Swish! Swish!

Upon arriving at Kariel’s guest room, he found him diligently whittling a wooden stick with his iron-gauntleted hand.

Though called a simple stick, it had already taken on a form closer to that of a blade.

“What are you making?”

“A training sword.”

It appeared to be sized more appropriately for one-handed rather than two-handed wielding.

“A sword has two edges and the ultimate art lies in thrusting. But mastering that requires considerable time. A knife is different. With only one edge and the art in the swing, it’s simpler to handle.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Starting with a sword is certainly one approach, but it takes time to master. On the other hand, if you learn to handle a knife first, mastering one aspect, that skill transfers seamlessly when you later take up the sword.”

“From the way you speak, you must have considerable expertise in swordsmanship.”

“…I wouldn’t say I’ve mastered it myself; it’s more what I’ve heard.”

Kariel still believed he hadn’t properly grasped swordsmanship.

He could handle a sword like an extension of his body only because he had invested an immeasurable amount of time into it.

That wasn’t the same as reaching mastery through pure swordsmanship and skill.

Though he understood after reaching that point, in the end, it had simply become as natural as a fish breathing and swimming in water.

“But while you might teach a boy how to use a sword or knife, what exactly are you teaching that girl?”

“Delica doesn’t need to learn swords or knives. Once her body is properly conditioned, those skills will follow naturally.”

Delica had already experienced countless battles and battlefields in her previous life.

Though the combat techniques she developed weren’t particularly outstanding or special.

In fact, they were rather clumsy, inadequate, and filled with bad habits, so forgetting them or relearning would be more appropriate.

“Like a river flowing to the sea, if one can follow the proper course, whatever the journey, the destination will be the sea.”

“With such poetic words, you’ve become quite the bard. I heard you often recited verses and lyrics in the past…”

“Is that so.”

Kariel responded calmly.

Eventually, he picked up the knife he had been shaping and began examining it carefully, turning it this way and that.

Anyone watching might mistake it for a masterfully crafted blade.

“We had judged that you were holding back due to some hidden agenda.”

“After returning to the Empire, you mean?”

“That’s right.”

At some point, various unfavorable news and rumors began circulating about Kariel, who had once been considered a treasure of the Empire.

“Looking at the outcome, the Emperor used it as a pretext for a major purge and innovation, so we thought we were right, but after hearing what you said yesterday, I understand that wasn’t the case.”

“There’s no need for self-reproach. Back then, everyone was caught in such a delusion.”

People are dull creatures who, despite having eyes and ears, cannot grasp the true intentions and nature of others even when they see and hear.

“Even myself.”

It took quite some time to acknowledge that what I had assumed was mine wasn’t actually mine.

But did things improve after acknowledging that? Not at all.

Instead, what followed was bottomless frustration and resignation.

Only frustration and resignation based on despair.

Yet I was disappointed in myself for being frustrated, and angered by my foolish struggle against complete resignation, rebelling against it.

But in the end, I never crossed the line.

I’ve wondered countless times what would have happened if I had crossed it, dreaming about it so often.

I was, in truth, in despair about everything.

In reality, it would have been better if I had ignored it all, shaken it off completely.

The world that confined me then didn’t allow me such luxury.

In a way, my surroundings and I created our own hell.

“Your younger sister?”

“She seemed shocked but quickly got over it. She’s always been strong-willed.”

“She did seem that way.”

An impressive woman.

And one whose fate was deeply intertwined with mine, whether she knew it or not.

“By the way, that proposal you made to Lord Aseth about returning to his homeland—was that sincere?”

“I meant every word.”

Without being forcibly escorted by them.

Enter on your own terms, command them, rule them.

Yesterday, I suggested this course of action to Aseth.

In response, Aseth neither opposed nor agreed, but first asked for my reasoning.

Why should he bother with such a troublesome task, he asked.

What benefit would there be in it?

The expression on the wolf prince Barzento’s face as he listened was quite a sight to behold.

“And it’s for the people, not for herself. I recall you once said that a ruler claiming to act for the people is a grand lie sworn to the heavens. Ah, but you said you don’t remember that now.”

“But if lies can become truth, then universal prosperity can also become truth.”

Those in power.

Eliminating such corrupt rulers, such rotten authorities, is in some ways a king’s duty.

When a king pursues only personal safety, security, and pleasure, everything becomes impoverished.

But if the opposite is true…

“Isn’t that just telling her to sacrifice herself and devote herself to the state one-sidedly?”

“She was born with the vessel of a ruler. Why do you think the lake spirit tried to select her when she was young?”

“…When you put it that way, it makes sense.”

It’s actually obvious.

But because she had the vessel of a ruler, she conversely rejected the throne without any desire or longing for it.

She firmly denied it.

She understood from the beginning the weight of that position and the hardship of its responsibilities.

Unlike the fools who blindly sought to become rulers just to wear a crown, to occupy a throne, to be revered by all, seeing only the glamorous side…

Aseth had seen through to the essence from the very beginning.

“So of course she would refuse.”

The more you know, the more you learn in detail, the more the disadvantages stand out over the advantages.

Like how mages curse the limitations of their chosen specialties and primary spells with frustration.

“But she doesn’t seem likely to agree at all.”

“It’s only a matter of time.”

Eventually, she will agree.

That’s the future.

In return, she will naturally make one demand of me.

And I will readily accept it.

“……”

Yes.

A promise is, after all, a promise.

====

The Avas Tournament of Warriors was a traditional festival with a rich history.

What began as a tribal event to determine superiority while fostering unity

Has now become a warrior’s arena for recruitment and gaining fame and honor.

Some are selected here as officers of Davas, while others, immediately after winning, make public marriage proposals and gain titles and entry into noble families regardless of their social status.

The tale of a mere woodcutter who won to denounce his lord before the king is a legend that’s not quite a legend.

Thus, during this time, dreams that would normally seem impossible actually come true.

Therefore, many who have impossible dreams and wishes they want to fulfill resolutely participate in the Tournament of Warriors.

A toast and support to the God of Battle!

Blood and cheers to the God of Battle!

“It’s too barbariiiiic.”

The girl lamented, drawing out the end of her words.

Though not extremely dark, her skin tone was somewhat unusual among the predominantly fair-skinned locals.

Moreover, she carried something almost as tall as herself—something that didn’t quite look like a weapon—which made her stand out even more.

It resembled an oversized lute, and someone with a keen eye might recognize it as a similar musical instrument.

But to the uninitiated, it would be too vague to identify at first glance.

“I shouldn’t have listened to Mayerrr, I hate fighting as it iiiiis.”

“How long are you going to whine? You’re not a little girl.”

“Little girl?! I am a woman! Why are you acting like I’m not?! Are you doing this too?!”

Next to the girl stood a young man who appeared to be at least a head taller.

With moderately grown reddish-brown hair and dry blue eyes that seemed somehow melancholic.

His striking features attracted the gazes of passing women, but he paid them no mind.

“Haa.”

He wished the complaining woman beside him would just disappear, but since she was technically a fellow student, he couldn’t completely ignore her.

Despite her demeanor, when she picked up a sword, there was something about her that demanded caution.

Rather than bickering, it was more like one side whining while the other tolerated it. Somehow, they managed to push through the gathered crowd and complete their registration for the tournament.

Surprisingly, the sun was already setting.

It was far too late to look for lodging now.

“I’m back.”

“You, you?!”

The young man brazenly entered a house.

“What? Are you dissatisfied?”

“Lyurik?! Where on earth did you disappear to?!”

“Someone asked if I wanted to learn swordsmanship, so I followed them.”

“……”

While the old man was dumbfounded, he tried to compose himself upon noticing the hesitant girl behind Lyurik.

“Ahem! Hmm! So the brat who disappeared to learn swordsmanship has brought back a woman to be his bride?”

“Bride?”

Lyurik, the young man, glanced at the girl behind him with a dry smirk.

“She’s already got a man she likes, so I’m not involved.”

“A-ahem! Hmm! Hmm-hmm!”

The girl behind him pretended to be embarrassed and cleared her throat repeatedly.

“Then what? Just a traveling companion?”

“Something like that.”

Whether viewed narrowly or broadly, it wasn’t an incorrect description, so he let it be.

“I see. Young lady there, we’re meeting for the first time. Pleased to meet you. I’m Magnon. What’s your name?”

“Ah, hello. I’m Aristetis.”

“That name… from Krik? You’re quite fluent in the local language for someone from there.”

“People around me only used this language. Oh, but I’ve also learned Imperial.”

“You seem quite educated.”

“What? Knowing a few languages doesn’t make me educated.”

“You lack self-awareness, I see.”

Krik had always been that way.

While some were incredibly ignorant, it was also a sanctuary of learning where various ancient disciplines, including philosophy, continuously flourished.

It’s well-known that many contemporary mages, magic practitioners, and the logic and foundations of numerous belief systems are based on Krik’s knowledge systems.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that a third, or even half, of the world’s knowledge originates from there.

“So. Since you’ve returned during this time, are you planning to participate in the tournament?”

“That’s right. If I win, I’ll have enough money to focus solely on training without having to work.”

“Training, you say. Where and from whom are you learning?”

Though he didn’t show it, the old man secretly acknowledged that his grandson, Lyurik, was an extraordinary being.

Without any formal training, from childhood he would one-sidedly beat up kids five or six years older than him.

Yet he himself never got hit even once.

Even when multiple kids ganged up on him, he always came out unscathed.

It was so unusual that if he ever got a nosebleed or a bruise, the old man would wonder if he had eaten something bad that day.

In other words, he was so robust that even in such a state, his body remained intact.

“I’ll give you some of my winnings too, so don’t worry.”

“Don’t talk as if winning is guaranteed! Do you think it’s that easy?!”

“I’m not exaggerating. There are probably fewer than a hundred people on the continent stronger than me. And in ten years, that number will drop to ten.”

“You casually mention there are still a hundred people stronger as if it’s nothing.”

“In Davas, there are probably fewer than ten.”

“Who taught you to be so confident?!”

“I was taught by the Lake Dragon.”

“Lake Dragon? What’s a Lake Dra…?”

As he spoke, something seemed to catch the old man’s attention, causing his brow to furrow and then smooth repeatedly.

“With her and me taking first and second place in this tournament, the prize money should be decent, right?”

“……”

Lyurik spoke matter-of-factly, not boasting.

Meanwhile, Aristetis, who had been pondering where to put down her guitar, noticed the old man and poked Lyurik’s shoulder with her finger.

“I think he’s shocked by what you said. Is he okay?”

“What did I say that was so shocking?”

Lyurik tilted his head, unable to understand.

“But we are amazing, aren’t we?”

The Lake Dragon—unless it refers to Rueld Brendiar, the Empire’s great hero and Knight of Radiance—is an absolute powerhouse whom no one on the continent would dare to predict the outcome against.

Even Gazef, one of the Nine Heroes, openly admitted he couldn’t defeat him.

“To be amazing, I’d need to be among the top ten on the continent. I can’t be amazing if I’m not even in the top hundred.”

“…Lyu. Your goals are too high, that’s the problem.”

“It would be stranger if there were multiple suns in the sky.”

It’s abnormal for the weak to claim to be strong, so isn’t it even more abnormal for me, being weak, to claim I’m strong?

“What could be more dishonorable than appearing strong merely because others are weak?”

“There you go again. Again.”

While Aristetis and Lyurik continued their subtle bickering…

‘This boy, he’s truly returned as a monster.’

The old man didn’t think Lyurik was lying or exaggerating.

From the past, he was someone who might say outlandish things but never told lies.

According to him, there was no reason to speak falsehoods.

From that alone, he was already a formidable person, though the boy himself didn’t seem to realize it.

“Shouldn’t I at least be at Kariel’s level?”

“Lyu! That’s too much, even for you! Mayer just told us that even Master Lansrus, the Lake Dragon himself, can no longer confidently predict the outcome of a match with Kariel.”

“That’s exactly my point.”

The old man just blinked.

Listening carefully, even more outrageous statements kept flowing.

‘But who is this Kariel?’

It was a name the old man had never heard.

He thought he might have heard that the son of the Empire’s great hero Rueld had such a name, but surely they couldn’t be the same person? Must be someone with the same name.

Come to think of it, Kariel is quite a common name, isn’t it?

The legend of Saint Kariel is widely spread in towns and cities near the border between Davas and the Empire.

“More importantly, I’m hungry. Do you have anything to eat?”

“…You’re quick to ask.”

The old man reluctantly got up, patting his waist.

“Oh, let me help too!”

Aristetis began skillfully assisting the old man as if she were in her own home.

‘She’s perceptive and seems kind-hearted. And her appearance… gulp.’

What a disgrace at my age!

Having no particular aversion to foreigners or different races, the old man quite liked her.

…What was surprising was that neither his grandson Lyurik nor she seemed to have any special feelings for each other.

Their behavior was almost like siblings, but was it normal for a man and woman to be so familiar without developing any feelings?

“Here!”

“I come back after so long and this is all you prepare?”

“Boy! Without anyone to feed, do you think I have ingredients just lying around to prepare a feast?!”

The old man scolded Lyurik, saying he’d go shopping tomorrow and to just eat what was available for now.

Then he specifically apologized to Aristetis, earning an indifferent glance from Lyurik.

“What are you looking at?! Just eat up!”

For a skinny old man with white hair, his temperament was quite resolute and firm.