Ch.6060. A Date?

People don’t change easily.

The way one has lived their entire life is like a firmly rooted old tree, neither swayed nor broken by ordinary storms. For dramatic changes to occur, a catalyst is needed.

A shock that pierces one’s entire way of thinking, or an event that makes one determined to change.

For Rex, the past three months had been that reason.

Gears was not the kind of trial one could get used to. Just when he thought he was adapting, the intensity would inevitably worsen. The nightmares became as vivid as reality, with endlessly varying content.

Sleepless nights remained constant. Yet they were no longer painful. Numbed would be the accurate description.

The restriction that drained his vitality grew worse with each passing day, but it wasn’t a major problem. His accelerated growth rate had long surpassed the effects of Gears. His body no longer felt heavy.

Suddenly, the thought of writing a letter came to mind.

Words to send to his mother.

[I hope you are well? I am doing fine. I promised to keep in touch when I left home, but I’m only sending my regards now. I’ve come to Lindvale. Since arriving here, I’ve met new people and experienced a completely different world.]

Thanks to Elin’s consistent teaching, he could now write simple sentences on his own. Though he had learned all the letters, composing a letter took a very long time. Since ink once inscribed couldn’t be erased, he carefully wrote each line after much deliberation.

[I’ll write again soon.]

With that, he placed the final period.

Since his mother and Anna couldn’t read, Tom would probably read it to them. Having expressed everything he wanted to say, he felt somewhat unburdened. Rex stretched and scanned the letter from beginning to end.

“Good.”

Leaning back against the chair while stroking his chin, he reflected on the past three months. He easily erased the memories of hardship and fatigue, and organized what he had newly gained.

His body had become much stronger than before forming Gears. He could now maintain Holy Law all day. He had mastered the precise control of holy power. He understood the imagery contained in Kaiserion style. Now he could wield a sword quite impressively.

In short—Rex had become stronger. Incomparably more than before.

Drawing out Holy Flame while wearing the Vassal Armor and Celibacy Chain. That goal he had not yet achieved. It wasn’t due to lack of skill, but merely a matter of time. He simply lacked sufficient holy power.

It was a realm he had already experienced once. There was no wall blocking his path. He was confident that even now, he could manifest a faint Holy Flame if he forced it. But having invested so much effort thus far, he wanted to finish with perfection.

He desired a flawless result that no one could criticize.

A matter of time meant more effort was needed.

Rex quietly gazed out the window. Night had fallen, darkness thick outside. Though summer made the sun set slowly, night had come nonetheless.

The world where everyone slept was quiet. Rex’s day was just beginning. Gripping his zweihander, he stepped out into the yard.

And swung his sword.

***

Flames bloomed.

“How bright.”

After staring at the brilliantly burning golden Holy Flame for quite some time, Berger let out a hearty laugh from irrepressible delight. How should he take this… His emotions were too complex to define as one thing.

His first impression was pride. Rex had truly succeeded in wielding Holy Flame, overcoming all those hardships and trials. Of course, he hadn’t thought it impossible.

‘You never cease to amaze me.’

He was simply surprised by how quickly Rex had achieved it compared to his expectations. The Vassal Armor had lowered Rex’s level to Revelation. On top of that, he bore the restrictions on dreams and vitality. No matter his innate ability, raising his level again was no easy task. He had been certain it would take at least half a year.

Yet only three months! This wasn’t achieved through pure talent alone. Effort and obsession beyond talent had produced these unbelievable results. A disciple’s achievement is a master’s joy.

However, Berger didn’t show his delight. Even Rex himself seemed indifferent, and it would have been embarrassing to react too enthusiastically. So he simply stated:

“Well done.”

Rex calmly nodded. Seeing this, Berger wore a complicated expression. Having witnessed firsthand how grueling Rex’s journey had been, Berger was truly grateful that he had persevered without giving up.

Should he praise him more? While pondering this, Rex spoke first with an impassive face.

“I intend to keep wearing the training equipment.”

Though he had succeeded in drawing out Holy Flame, he wouldn’t remove the training gear. If Holy Flame was the first goal, now he was aiming even higher.

“Hmm…”

Somehow sensing Rex’s thoughts, Berger asked directly:

“Do you want to become Radiance?”

“Yes.”

As expected, the answer was affirmative.

As Berger had mentioned before, Holy Knights are considered true superhumans starting from Radiance. There’s a fundamental difference from previous stages.

Specifically, those who haven’t reached Radiance cannot defeat those who have. While there are no absolutes in this world, the point is that it’s extremely difficult.

Holy Flame is wrapping holy power around a weapon in the form of flames. A blade wrapped in Holy Flame becomes sharper than any famous sword in the world and is said to be able to cut through anything—or so it’s known.

But naturally, there are beings immune to Holy Flame. Powerful magical beasts and monsters are prime examples. Radiance is also included.

Holy Flame cannot penetrate Radiance. That difference creates an unbridgeable gap. What is needed to advance from Holy Flame to Radiance? Despite pondering this question countless times over the past three months, he couldn’t find the answer.

“Radiance isn’t something you can achieve through mindless repetition of training.”

“I know.”

Rex had vaguely sensed it. Simply removing the training equipment and Gears now wouldn’t make him Radiance. To advance to Radiance, he needed a kind of enlightenment fundamentally different from what he had experienced so far. It was an abstract concept that couldn’t be conveyed in words; one had to realize it oneself.

Yet he couldn’t abandon the training he had been doing. Honing swordsmanship, accumulating holy power, operating Holy Law—these efforts might not immediately help in reaching Radiance, but all these processes would eventually lead to enlightenment.

“It seems meaningless to add more Gears at this point. It would be better to add them after reaching Radiance.”

“Yes. I think so too.”

Berger understood Rex’s concerns. Though their talents were incomparable, he had walked the same path first. Enlightenment needed to reach Radiance… Each Holy Knight reaches Radiance in their own way. Berger sharing his own enlightenment would be meaningless to Rex.

“How about trying this?”

Still, he could offer simple advice. Berger pointed at Rex’s zweihander. Rex’s Holy Flame was a brilliant golden color, bright as the sun. Berger had never seen such a dazzling hue. His own Holy Flame was sky blue, as were most Holy Knights’.

“Focus on your Holy Flame.”

That alone was unusual, but Berger focused on the size rather than the color.

“Your Holy Flame is larger than others’.”

“Is it?”

“Yes. At least twice the size of ordinary ones.”

The size of Holy Flame is innate. No matter how much holy power one pours in, there is a predetermined limit. Increasing the area isn’t entirely impossible, but few attempt it.

It’s a matter of efficiency. Holy Flame consumes holy power, and exceeding one’s limit causes consumption to increase exponentially. Rather than forcibly increasing size, it’s better to maintain a smaller flame for longer.

But since Rex’s upper limit was already high, it was worth trying to increase his Holy Flame’s size. Moreover, inefficiency doesn’t mean there’s no benefit. The more fiercely Holy Flame burns, the more destructive it becomes. Also, Holy Flame wraps holy power around a weapon, while Radiance emits holy power throughout the entire body.

This means there’s a connection between them.

“Focusing on Holy Flame might help you find a clue.”

“Understood.”

Rex nodded. To lighten the now-heavy atmosphere, Berger shrugged and said:

“And don’t enter the dungeon for the next week.”

“What?”

“Weren’t you planning to resume exploration soon?”

“Well… yes.”

Rex scratched his cheek with a disgruntled expression. For the past three months, he couldn’t enter the dungeon due to training. Of course, the party continued their exploration. Elin helped the party without complaint. Though they said not to worry, he couldn’t help feeling sorry.

Having achieved his goal, he had planned to return. So why?

Seeing his puzzled look, Berger smiled mischievously and said:

“The lord wants to meet you.”

The lord of Lindvale, Raimund von Lindenbach, is the head of the Lindenbach baronial family. Rex had heard the name on his first day as Berger’s disciple. At the time, he thought they wouldn’t have occasion to meet, so he simply committed the name to memory and forgot about it.

“I understand.”

He answered readily. He didn’t know why the baron wanted to see him. Though he had many questions, he suppressed them for now. He wasn’t in a position to refuse anyway, nor did he want to.

“It’s exactly next week, so don’t cause any trouble until then.”

“Yes.”

Rex looked up at the clouds drifting in the sky, then abruptly said:

“I won’t be coming tomorrow.”

“Why?”

Rex was silent for a moment. After brief consideration, he hesitantly continued:

“…I have an appointment.”

“A date?”

At this direct question, Rex gave Berger a look of disbelief. The flustered reaction was enough to understand the situation without needing an answer. Berger chuckled with a sly face.

“I knew it.”

Rex shook his head with a deep sigh.

“It’s not.”

“Well, do as you please. You’ve been going non-stop until now, so it’s about time you took a break.”

Berger raised his head, following Rex’s gaze. In the distance, thick black clouds were slowly rolling in.

“The rainy season is starting. Don’t get soaked and catch a cold.”

“Come on. How could a Holy Knight catch a cold?”

“I’m just saying. You heartless fellow.”

Berger clicked his tongue and grumbled. Only then did Rex smile faintly and lower his gaze.

‘The rainy season, huh.’

He hoped it wouldn’t rain. Though he had made excuses to Berger, he was indeed looking forward to tomorrow.

Come to think of it, he had never met alone with a woman in his entire life.

Tomorrow was truly something to look forward to.