The Old Republican (1)

Three days later.

The three-day consecutive banquet celebrating the victory ceremony and the purge of the noble faction finally came to an end.

Ethan, who had finished preparing to return home with Oros and the children who had rested well during that time.

“…What is this?”

“It’s a reward for defeating the demon worshippers. Is it not satisfactory because it’s too meager?”

“Ah, no. That’s not what I meant.”

When they came to Etre, there were 3 carriages, but.

“It’s too much. I’m not sure if I should accept such a generous reward…”

When trying to return home, 30 more cargo carriages were added.

The contents were various resources including gold coins and treasures.

“Too much? Considering Ethan-ssi’s efforts, I think it’s far from enough? And when you combine what was confiscated from the underworld and the assets of those traitors who accumulated wealth through corruption, this much is not even a speck of dust.”

“I-Is that so?”

If that’s what they say, what can he do.

‘I really won’t have to worry about living expenses…’

He smiled at the thought of reinvesting this money in the children.

Ethan finished his greetings and got on the carriage.

But then.

“Excuse me. Is Jenny getting on here too?”

“No, Prin… Miss. Have a comfortable time.”

“???”

Elizabeth was getting on Ethan’s carriage.

“Um, Princess?”

“Ah, Ethan-ssi. When we’re outside the castle, could you call me ‘Miss’?”

“Yes, Miss. No, that’s not it. Why are you in the carriage…”

“Why, to follow the hero, of course?”

“Pardon?”

“Here.”

Only then did Elizabeth hand over a letter.

A personal letter from the king.

The content was roughly this:

[As the country will likely be noisy and chaotic for a while, I want to entrust Elizabeth to the safe Serdin. I’ll be counting on you.]

‘As expected, I thought something was strange.’

Pellis II had Elizabeth contact him and then suddenly purged a large number of nobles.

Naturally, it will be chaotic for a while.

The king personally called him out and even asked about his impression of meeting Elizabeth.

The fact that he even wrote this personal letter means.

‘It seems something dangerous has definitely happened.’

So he’s sending Elizabeth, who changed into plain clothes, to Serdin for refuge with only one maid.

When his thoughts reached there, he couldn’t refuse.

“I understand.”

“Thank you. Honestly, I was nervous you might refuse.”

“Refuse? Not at all.”

They praised him as a hero and whatnot.

They held banquets for him and even gave him this much wealth.

‘If I coldly refuse here, I don’t think I’d be able to set foot in the Kingdom of Etrion.’

He didn’t have the guts to dare defy a royal order.

If it was an unreasonable request, he could refuse and flee to another country, but.

It wasn’t as unreasonable a request as he thought, and he didn’t want to lose the foundation he had built in Serdin.

That was settled, and.

As they were about to depart in the carriage.

• Clunk.

  “?”

  Suddenly, the left door of Ethan’s carriage opened.

  Someone abruptly entered.

  “May I intrude?”

  “Levi? What’s going on?”

  “Due to the other carriage becoming cramped, I decided to move over.”

  “Ah, is that so? Come here and sit.”

  Bow.

  Levi, who lightly bowed her head in greeting.

  Raised her head and scanned Elizabeth with a cold gaze.

  Then she showed an expression that said ‘Pft!’

  ‘See this?’

  ‘How clumsy. If the red-haired woman has an innate talent for seducing men, this one doesn’t seem to be that type.’

  ‘I heard she was a ward like a kind older sister, but she’s actually a pitch-black child inside. I need to be careful.’

  A silent battle of nerves continued between the red eyes and blue eyes.

  Meanwhile.

  Ethan had his eyes closed and was deep in thought about future schedules.

  [The World Tree’s root asks the user if it’s okay.]

  ‘What is?’

  [‘Destruction’ advises that it’s nothing to worry about.]

  [‘Maintenance’ provides shock and noise prevention functions for the user’s comfortable journey.]

  ‘Oh, thank you.’

  Thanks to that, Ethan’s eyes slowly closed.

  Without knowing what was happening.

  He was able to fall asleep comfortably.

  ‘When I get home, I should rest comfortably. There probably won’t be anything special for a while…’

The free city of Serdin.

As it was developed in commerce and many people came and went, there were also many bizarre and strange people to be seen.

This old man staggering with a liquor bottle in broad daylight was one of them.

His clothes were so tattered they could hardly function as clothing.

Passersby frowned at the stench coming from him.

However, there was a reason why no one scolded the old man harshly.

• Clank. Clank.

  It was because of the sword at his waist.

  No one was brave enough to say “Hey, go wash yourself. You stink to high heaven, really!” to an old man whose pupils were dilated from alcohol and whose gait was unsteady.

  “Hmm, am I almost there?”

  He walked and walked following the address written on the note.

  It was the moment when the end of the long journey from the eastern to the western continent was almost in sight.

  “Ah, is that it?”

  A white mansion.

  It was the place where the man who took the child said he would prepare travel expenses and told him to come.

  “That brat, living in luxury in a place that doesn’t suit him. Kack~ Ptui!”

  The old man staggered.

  Without hesitation, he climbed over the mansion’s wall.

  “I hope the sword hasn’t dulled. Urgh!”

  The trespasser immediately moved towards a place emitting aura on one side of the mansion.

  “Come here!!!”

After Ethan left for Etre.

Yuria and Recid, who remained in the mansion, strived to surpass their limits.

Yuria not only increased her study time.

She used magic excessively for her mana circuit rehabilitation.

• Crackle!

  And after efforts that crushed even scarecrows made of shield wood with high mana resistance.

  She finally succeeded in recovering to the level of the 7th circle.

  “Haa, haa.”

  “You worked hard.”

  “Thank you. Did Sir Recid make any progress too?”

  He shook his head with a bitter smile.

  “I see a little clue, but it’s not easy.”

  A small wish to remain a swordsmanship instructor who wouldn’t be ashamed to stand beside the children who were growing day by day.

  That moved Sir Recid, but.

  He was troubled.

  ‘What kind of sword should I learn?’

  Should he continue the straightforward and destructive sword preferred by Ligrion’s warriors?

  Is it right to train in the completed sword passed down through the Lacan family for generations?

  The answer couldn’t be easily made, and.

  He reviewed his family’s swordsmanship, finding flaws and supplementing them.

After repeating this countless times.

Finally, he seemed to see a little light of what his own sword was.

Just a little, though.

“Cheer up!”

Yuria’s encouragement was somewhat comforting.

As he was about to take his stance again.

A loud voice was heard from outside the training ground.

“What’s going on?”

“Please rest. I’ll go check.”

Heading towards the main gate, one servant was dealing with a beggar.

“Call the owner of the house!”

“I’m sorry, but you can’t do this here. I’ll assume you made a mistake because you’re drunk, so please leave now.”

“What??”

The old man was very arrogant despite trespassing on private property.

“What’s the matter?”

“Ah, Sir Recid. Well…”

The old man examined Sir Recid, who was listening to the situation, with narrowed eyes.

“Are you the owner of the house?”

“What? Suddenly, what are you-“

Swish!

Sir Recid froze on the spot.

The old man was still holding the liquor bottle with his left hand, gulping down alcohol, but.

With his right hand, he drew his sword at a speed too fast to see and pointed it at Sir Recid’s neck.

It happened in 2 seconds, no, even less time.

The old man withdrew his sword and said.

“Hey, you look like you’ve eaten some sword rice. Don’t babble with your tongue, come in.”

“Barging in and swinging a sword without warning. This is too much even for you.”

“Haha, what’s too much is your reaction speed.”

Sir Recid, who had come out due to the noisy sound during training.

He raised his sword as he was.

“I don’t have a hobby of cutting down old men.”

“Kekeke, who said a youngster like you would cut me?”

“This is the last warning. Will you quietly leave the mansion like this?”

“Go fuck yourself, you bastard!”

He instructed the servant to step back and took his stance.

‘I probably can’t test my sword on an old man like this.’

Sir Recid decided to take it seriously.

He was in charge of the mansion while Ethan was away.

Until about 10 seconds ago, he was thinking of subduing the drunk and going back to training.

But then.

“Urgh?!”

“Tsk, a guy with a decent build can’t even see this one?”

He was completely defeated.

If the old man hadn’t hit with the back of the sword, Recid’s head would have fallen just now.

“Oh my, at this rate, the sword of the guy I taught would have all dulled.”

“…Excuse me, but what is the name of the disciple the master taught?”

“At least it’s not you, you bastard. Don’t casually call me master.”

“…I apologize.”

The old man naturally sat on his back, which was still dizzy and unable to get up, and crossed his legs.

“Whew~ The view from this mansion is breathtaking.”

After staying like that for a while, he suddenly stood up.

He tapped Sir Recid with his scabbard.

“Get up. You told me to come all the way here after taking the kid, and when I graciously come, you show such a pathetic sight?”

“Pardon?”

“What do you mean ‘pardon’? Stay like this. Aren’t you the owner of the house?”

“I’m not.”

“Huh?”

At Sir Recid’s introduction that he was a swordsmanship instructor employed by the owner of the mansion.

“Ha, really. It’s ridiculous that a guy like this is a swordsmanship instructor. Did the owner go on a trip with the kids?”

“He didn’t go on a trip, he was summoned to the royal capital…”

“That’s going on a trip, you idiot!”

Thwack!

Sir Recid clearly didn’t see it, but he was hit on the crown of his head.

‘Who on earth is this old man?’

The Lacan family has been in charge of the swordsmanship instructor position in Ligrion for generations.

Therefore, unlike other knights who only use simple and crude swordsmanship.

The members of the Lacan family learn a bit of swordsmanship from other countries as well.

The ordinary Etrion style, the Heikel Republic style which is adept at both offense and defense, and Kragent’s regional styles divided by small countries.

But the swordsmanship he faced was none of these.

‘It’s a completely new swordsmanship.’

Sir Recid’s eyes shone.

“Elder.”

“What.”

“Are you perhaps an incredibly skilled person?”

“And what if I am?”

Sir Recid immediately bowed his head.

“Please teach me!”

Perhaps he could be of great help in honing his own sword.

So he forgot all shame and inferiority and bowed his head.

But.

“No.”

“Wh-Why…”

“Well. If I had to give a reason…”

The old man lowered his head to meet Sir Recid’s eyes.

“I’m a ‘revolutionary’ that you guys guard against, curse, and swear at. I also hate knight bastards who support kings and nobles and squeeze the blood of the people.”

“May I ask your name?”

“Just call me Leg.”

It was a name he had never heard before.

Leg smirked and hit Sir Recid’s head once more.

“You think I’d tell my real name to a dog of the kingdom? Foolish bastard.”

The old man insulted him with a chuckle, but.

Sir Recid didn’t mind.

Besides not being able to resist when seeing a newbie, the members of the Lacan family have a unique tendency.

When they see a master, they seek teachings and cling to them until they are accepted.

And such a scene.

Was witnessed by Albert, who had stopped by the mansion for a work report.

“Uh… excuse me.”

“Ah, that gentleman from back then! It’s been a while.”

Leg gestured for Albert to come over and said.

“Come here. Let me ask a few things about how our Greg has been doing.”

There was no option to refuse.

The old man had a sharp sword in his hand, after all.