Ch.9696. Departure

“Edenhar is a peaceful place.”

Charlotte, who had been constantly urging them to depart, became relaxed once they left Lindveil. As she stroked her horse and looked around at the surrounding scenery, there was even a hint of enjoyment in her demeanor. Just the fact that she was explaining about her domain without anyone asking showed as much.

“Lindveil is a decent city to live in, but there are too many people.”

“Is Edenhar different?”

“Yes. To be precise, I should say the castle where I live is different. In Lindveil, noble houses are within the city, but in Edenhar, we built a separate villa a bit away from the city. I dislike being surrounded by crowds of people.”

Charlotte replied with a smile at the corners of her lips. In truth, this attitude of hers was unexpected. I had thought she wanted to return to her marquis estate as soon as possible.

“I can’t end a rare outing so quickly. While I’d decline being cooped up in a stuffy room, I welcome enjoying nature.”

“Still, wouldn’t it be more comfortable to use that… technique you showed us before, rather than traveling on horseback?”

The memory of Charlotte slicing through space with her longsword was still vivid. It had been such a shocking sight. When she inserted herself into the rift carved in midair, she was able to instantly traverse a great distance and arrive near Lindveil. Even if there were distance limitations, repeating it a few times would quickly get them to the Edenhar estate.

“The Void Rift is not an ability that can be used so easily. First, it must be a space I’ve personally experienced at least once, and even if I know a place, I can’t manifest it repeatedly. And as I said, I have no intention of returning quickly to the marquis estate.”

“…If you say so.”

“Besides, isn’t it nice to be able to chat about various things along the way?”

Charlotte turned around with a bright smile.

“I’m well aware that our meeting was sudden. Just as I’ve taken an interest in you, you must have things you want to ask me. And the girls who followed you—I’ve allowed them to accompany us for now… but since we’ll be together from now on, we should exchange introductions.”

Chloe flinched as Charlotte’s gaze fell on her. She still couldn’t ride a horse, so she was leaning against Elin’s back.

“I heard your names. The children who were there when I drove out Shaharon. No, one of them might be too old to be called a child. She might even be older than me.”

“…By elven standards, I’m young.”

Elin retorted in an indifferent tone. Seeing that she didn’t deny it, Charlotte burst into laughter and shifted her gaze.

“Though hidden by this fellow, you also have considerable talent. How old are you?”

Chloe opened her mouth with a cautious expression.

“Eighteen. Um, I apologize for the late introduction… but I look forward to working with you.”

“Eighteen and approaching your Holy Ignition. Good. I don’t dislike exceptional young people. While we’re at it, I’ll bestow my teachings upon you as well.”

“…Pardon?”

“I won’t force you if you don’t want it.”

“Oh, no! Thank you very much!”

Chloe hastily bowed her head. Charlotte added with a satisfied smile:

“It would just be giving some pointers on your movements. I can’t pass down the main branch’s secret techniques. If you said you wanted to join the Order, that would be a different story, but it seems you’ve already formed a contract with a deity.”

Rex looked at Chloe with a puzzled expression. Contract? This was something he had never heard of before.

“…I wasn’t trying to hide it. What happened was, during my previous trial, Lord Boreas approached me first. He said I had high elemental adaptability and suggested forming a vassal contract. He offered to introduce me to other elemental deities too, so after some consideration, I accepted.”

“A good choice. Being chosen as a deity’s vassal is a rare opportunity.”

Charlotte murmured while stroking her horse’s head. Vassal. The fact that Chloe had become Boreas’s vassal wasn’t particularly relevant, but the word “vassal” itself couldn’t be ignored. Rex pulled on his reins to approach Charlotte.

“What is a vassal?”

Come to think of it, Caordix always referred to him as a vassal too. Until now, he had thought it simply meant a devotee blessed by a deity, but hearing Charlotte’s explanation, it seemed to have a somewhat different meaning.

“A more intimate relationship.”

Charlotte said that, then after pondering for a moment, added:

“Not just an ordinary deity and devotee, but to put it in terms… yes, like family bound by blood. If family is connected by bloodline, then deities and vassals are connected by soul. Once a contract is formed, it cannot be unilaterally severed by either party. Not even by the deity.”

“Does becoming a vassal change anything?”

“What kind of question is that? Of course it changes things. Everything changes. The amount of divine power you receive is at least doubled compared to ordinary devotees, and you have more opportunities to receive blessings. When you reach a high enough level, you can even directly perceive the deity.”

Charlotte shook her head with an incredulous expression.

“What exactly did you learn from Berger? For a disciple of the main branch, you lack even basic knowledge. I’ll have to teach you from the beginning.”

“…I did learn various things.”

“It’s obvious. He probably just taught you trivial history and etiquette, then made you train mindlessly. What combat arts did you learn?”

“I learned the Kaiserion style and the Celestial Binding technique.”

“At least you learned some essentials. Seeing that he taught you secret techniques only passed down to certified disciples, I suppose he was quite passionate about it.”

Berger hadn’t given detailed explanations about his school. Rex had heard about secret techniques and had noticed the profound insights embedded in the Kaiserion style and Celestial Binding technique, but he hadn’t realized what a tremendous privilege such teachings were.

“Since you’re a proper disciple of the Order, you should know the origins of the main branch. Engrave this in your mind.”

“Yes.”

Charlotte tapped her chin with her finger and began her explanation.

The Order of the Sword has an abnormal structure compared to other orders. Rather than being formed for the purpose of worshipping a deity, it was established to cultivate swordsmanship. Of course, there are sacred texts and doctrines, but they were created merely as formalities and aren’t actually used much. What sustains the Order is not doctrine but martial prowess.

Though they started from the same school, over the ages, swordsmanship has branched into numerous styles. The five who stand at the pinnacle of each main branch compete with each other in recurring periods, and whoever is deemed the best becomes the Pope, the Master.

Charlotte has not stepped down from the position of Master even once in the past several decades.

“That’s because the Kaiserion style is the true swordsmanship of the Sword Deity. Do you know the name of the Sword Deity?”

“…No, I don’t.”

“The Sword Deity is a saint who ascended to godhood in human form.”

Rex stared at Charlotte with a surprised face. As if expecting that reaction, Charlotte chuckled and continued.

“You’ve heard of the Great War, haven’t you?”

Since history began being recorded, countless conflicts have erupted in the world, but only one was called the Great War. The first emperor to unify the continent. Kaiserion Leonhart. Wait. Kaiserion… that was also the name of the sword style he had learned. Why hadn’t he made this connection until now? Rex widened his eyes as the realization suddenly struck him.

“Kaiserion is the Sword Deity. It’s an open secret that he handed over the imperial throne to the Callistur family, but few know the circumstances behind it. Of course, I know the reason. He ascended to a dimension different from the earthly realm, where deities reside, so he had no choice but to transfer the imperial throne to his most trusted subordinate. He had no children and no family.”

There are no remaining records of what happened after Kaiserion’s ascension. Only his spirit, which transformed into divinity, remained. And his swordsmanship. The Order of the Sword was formed by those who inherited it. Compared to other orders, oracles and revelations come less frequently, but the divinity known as Kaiserion definitely exists.

“Remember clearly what I’ve told you.”

Rex slowly nodded. Charlotte didn’t say anything more.

They traveled in silence for quite some time. The sun was gradually setting.

“We’ll camp here tonight.”

Charlotte pulled on the reins and stopped her horse. They were on a mountainside with a small cave, making it a suitable place to stay. Though cold and other elements didn’t affect her much, she wanted to sleep comfortably just like anyone else.

“Unpack. Gather some branches too.”

“Understood.”

Rex dismounted and tied his horse’s rope to a nearby tree.

“I’ll bring the firewood, so please prepare the meal. Elin, please help Chloe.”

“Okay. Don’t go too far.”

Elin and Chloe moved the provisions they had brought. After watching them for a moment, Rex entered the forest. The reason he volunteered to gather firewood first was that he needed time to organize his thoughts.

‘Lord Caordix.’

[Why do you call, my warrior?]

‘Am I not your vassal, Lord Caordix?’

[That is correct. It’s a fact no one can deny. Your soul and mine are firmly bound together.]

Caordix replied in a pleased voice. Rex asked with a dubious expression:

‘It’s not that I mind, but don’t you need to form a contract to become a vassal? I don’t recall ever forming a contract with you, Lord Caordix.’

[…Ahem]

‘Hello? Can you hear me?’

[…I hear you well. To answer your question, we did indeed form a contract. I gave you power, and you promised to offer me honor and blood. On the eve of your coming of age, remember?]

Rex nodded with a disgruntled face. He hadn’t been explicitly told about soul subjugation or the concept of being a vassal, but he decided to let it go for now.

[Do you have any other questions?]

‘Is it true that Kaiserion became a deity?’

[It is true. However, as he ascended to divinity, previous impurities were removed, so I cannot say with certainty whether it’s appropriate to call him Kaiserion. In any case, it is true that the human Kaiserion became the Sword Deity.]

It was a strange answer. Caordix’s words seemed to suggest that the human Kaiserion and the Sword Deity were different entities. As Rex pondered the meaning, Caordix showed signs of displeasure.

[You need not concern yourself with this. The only thing you should focus on is becoming stronger.]

‘I just asked out of momentary curiosity.’

[I see. Well then, will you enter the mental realm today as well?]

‘Yes.’

The advantage of mental training is that it has no spatial or temporal limitations. Training should not be neglected even while traveling.

‘You said you’d tell me what I’m curious about if I win our bet. I’ll do my best.’

[……]

No answer came.

Rex let out a hollow laugh. Surprisingly, Caordix was a very cunning deity who would slip away whenever things weren’t in his favor.

After gathering firewood and returning to the campsite, Rex stared wide-eyed at what lay before him.

“What is this?”

“What does it look like?”

Charlotte tapped a long branch against her palm with an indifferent expression. Elin was quiet as always, and Chloe stood awkwardly beside her.

His gaze was directed a little distance away.

Five grown men were kneeling with their arms raised.

“Don’t lower your hands. You’ll die.”

When Charlotte frowned, the men raised their hands even higher, tears streaming down their faces.

“Bandits.”