Notification (1)
"My Dominating Dragon Fang was scared of that scrap metal."
"Ha, haah!"
Kelbian, the loyal aide, covered his mouth in shock at the Heavenly Sword Lord's words.
The sword of the head of the Heavenly Sword House—Dominating Dragon Fang—was one of the top, ultimate swords on the continent, counted among the greatest. It was a supreme blade with such a high class that it could stand side by side with the Divine Sword Genesis without being outclassed, yet... it was afraid of that chunk of scrap metal?
'Is that even possible...?'
It was hard to believe, but there was no way the head of the Heavenly Sword House could be mistaken.
From the look on his face, it was clearly not a joke.
If so, this was an even more shocking event than the appearance of Genesis, returning after a thousand years.
'Perhaps this is... an ancient relic with a history longer than Bladelake... no, longer than Hisperion's own history, revealing itself again.'
Kelbian, quick to realize the importance of the situation, bowed his head to the Heavenly Sword Lord.
"If you command it, I will retrieve the sword from Ian Greysel and conduct a thorough investigation."
"Hmm..."
Darkan stroked his scratchy white beard, then waved his hand dismissively.
"No. This isn't something we should deal with so recklessly."
Darkan sensed that some fate was entwined with that scrap sword.
He could not know how ancient that sword was or who had placed such a powerful blade at Bladelake, but...
'At the very least, it did not appear merely by coincidence.'
There was a very high possibility that someone's intention was involved.
If it was such a powerful relic that even Dominating Dragon Fang was terrified of it, then whoever left that mysterious artifact must be on par with, if not above, the Heavenly Sword Lord himself at the very least.
'Is it a relic arranged by the first head of the Household...? Hm. But even as the current head, I've never heard of such a thing... However, the odds are high it was prepared by someone on par with the first head. Unless that being bears hostility towards the House, it would be foolish to meddle with their plan carelessly.'
Although Darkan, the Heavenly Sword Lord of Hisperion, was deemed the continent's strongest, he was neither arrogant nor prideful.
His firm caution was the reason he could handle the wild Dominating Dragon Fang and the Black Dragon Armor without issue.
'It's best to approach this cautiously and respectfully.'
But...
'I must uncover the intention behind this.'
As the Heavenly Sword Lord, obligated to protect all that belonged to the family, he had no intention of carelessly investigating a mysterious relic that emerged from the sacred grounds.
And...
'If that scrap sword harbors hostility towards Hisperion...'
A primal gleam flashed in the Heavenly Sword Lord's calm eyes.
'Even if a god is behind it, I will cut them down.'
Having finished his thoughts, the Heavenly Sword Lord rose from his luxurious jade throne.
"I'll handle this matter personally."
"Y-You yourself, my lord...!"
Whether the relic was the arrangement of the first head or the seal of an even more ancient being—
Darkan sensed instinctively that the enormous gears of fate, dormant for so long, had just begun to turn once more.
"I'll be visiting House Greysel soon. Prepare for it."
"Gasp!"
For the Heavenly Sword Lord himself to visit someone personally was a rare event indeed.
He was always the one who summoned others, not the one to go to them.
This was bound to attract much political attention and speculation.
"......."
But Kelbian refrained from unnecessary advice.
He knew there was no way the Heavenly Sword Lord would be unaware of this.
'The Heavenly Sword Lord intends to handle this with utmost respect.'
At the same time, Kelbian could sense his resolve to handle the matter without leaving a single blemish.
"Understood! I will ready everything for departure at any time."
"I leave it to you."
– Step. Step.
Heavenly Sword Lord Darkan left the central hall after entrusting the matter to Kelbian.
Even as he walked the corridors, the image of that mysterious relic and the boy who summoned it lingered in his mind.
'The name of the child who summoned that relic... Ian. Ian Greysel, wasn't it.'
Darkan's lips curled in a glint of interest.
'What kind of talent must the boy possess, to bring forth such a menacing greatsword? I'm looking forward to this.'
Darkan, Lord of Hisperion, the continent's mightiest house of swordsmanship—
At that moment, the presence of Ian was etched deeply into his memory.
* * *
As soon as the Sword Ceremony ended, Ian headed for the banquet hall entrance where he had agreed to meet Sophia.
The Vladiark he received at the ceremony was neatly wrapped in a priest-given cloth and slung across his back.
"Young master! Over here! Here!"
Waving both hands above her head from a distance was a girl in a yellow dress.
Sophia had arrived at the banquet entrance first and was waiting for him.
"Did you wait long?"
"No, I just got here. Oh! What's that on your back? Is it the sword you got from the ceremony?"
"That's right."
"Wow! I want to see it too! Show me, please!"
Sophia bounced on her feet, eyes shining with anticipation at Vladiark strapped across Ian's back.
"It's not very pretty, you know."
"I have to see for myself!"
"Alright, let's head out of here first. I'll show you once we check into an inn, so you can look at it properly there."
"Okay!"
Though there was a banquet scheduled to run late into the evening after the Sword Ceremony, neither Ian nor Sophia had any intention of staying longer in the Sword Palace.
They had already eaten plenty, and the post-ceremony banquet was more of a political gathering anyway.
Even the main spectacle—the warriors—were now leaving in crowds.
There was nothing left to enjoy at the banquet.
"Should we get a place to stay around here, or look for a carriage first?"
"The carriage. We'll return straight to the Greysel estate."
"Ugh! I don't want to go back!"
Ian grinned.
"I feel the same."
But there was a reason he had no choice but to return to the mansion.
'To enter the Sword Dragon Academy, I'll need the notification letter.'
Those who participated in the Sword Ceremony would receive a notification from Hisperion within a few days.
Only with that letter could they enter the Sword Dragon Academy.
'The letter will be sent to the family's main estate, so there's no choice but to return first.'
If the letter landed in Hugo's hands first, he would surely try to dispose of it again.
'I'll make sure to get to it before Hugo can destroy it.'
Were it not for that, Ian would have no reason to return to that wretched mansion.
"Anyway, once I enter the Sword Dragon Academy, I'll hardly ever have to visit the mansion again."
"Young master! You won't forget you promised to take me too, right?!"
"Of course. Even if you protest, you're coming."
"Promise! Because I'll never say I don't want to go, just don't forget!"
With that chatter, they soon reached the main gate where carriages waited.
"Should we get a carriage here?"
"Hmm."
Ian crossed his arms, thinking for a moment before answering.
"Let's shop a bit before we leave."
"Shopping?"
"Yes."
Ian was sure that the moment he returned to the mansion, Hugo would not leave him alone.
He had already spent over 1,000 gold under the family's name in one day and caused ridicule at the Sword Ceremony.
'If I'm going to have a major confrontation anyway, I might as well wring out everything I can beforehand.'
Considering Hugo's temperament, Ian was prepared even for expulsion, so he needed to take everything he could while he still could.
"Might as well buy up all the elixirs we can find here."
The elixirs sold in shops were expensive and mostly mediocre in effect, but they would suffice for Ian's needs.
At least until he entered the Sword Dragon Academy, they would be enough to completely cure his aura disorder and raise his level to top-tier user.
"Sophia. Was there anything you wanted? Today, I'll buy it all for you."
"Y-You're putting this all on the family account again, aren't you?!"
"Of course."
"Is that really going to be okay? The master will surely blow his top..."
"I told you, the clash is inevitable now. I'm better off taking what I can while I can."
"Um... Well, if you say so..."
Sophia, blushing, hesitated on her lips.
"Hmm? You seem to have something in mind?"
"I... I want to pick out my own sword today!"
"Oh. That sounds fun. Sure. Let's stop by the best armory in town."
* * *
Late at night, under a high moon.
Ian and Sophia, having enjoyed shopping in the Hisperion main city, returned to Greysel estate via the warp gate.
"It took a week to get here the first time, but we're back in less than a day."
"Thanks to Hugo."
Inside Greysel territory, they couldn't use the warp gate due to Hugo's interference, but there were no such restrictions in Hisperion lands, allowing them to return in a day.
Naturally, the cost of the warp gate was put on the Greysel family account.
"Haah... What a crazy day! We went to a banquet, participated in the Hisperion Sword Ceremony, and just now in the city..."
Ian chuckled.
"The clerks seemed to take you for a noble lady."
"Pfffft! I know, right? Maybe it was the dress..."
Ian imitated the stoic clerk from earlier.
"Lady Marigold. It is an honor of my house to serve you. This way, please. Step, step."
"Oh, come on! Pfff!"
Sophia playfully bumped his shoulder.
"Ow!"
That did hurt...
"And the sword you bought me... my very first sword... I'll really treasure it."
She rubbed her cheek against the scabbard she was hugging.
"You like it?"
"Of course! This is my number one treasure now!"
"Don't get too attached. Unless it's a masterwork, every sword is a consumable and will need to be discarded someday. Don't give it too much meaning."
"Discard it? How could you say that to my sword!"
"... It's not like it has ears."
"No, I can feel it. It has a soul."
"The price did come close to that of an ego sword."
A whopping 5,000 gold.
It was almost 17 years worth of Sophia's wages.
"Right! Uwaaah! What do I do now! I never imagined a sword could cost so much!"
"That's because of the materials. They used top-grade stuff."
The sword Sophia bought was a masterpiece of modern metallurgy.
The frame included adamantite, said to be indestructible, the hilt was made with a mana-conductive alloy from the mage tower, and the blade itself was of light and sturdy mithril.
"Just use it up and toss it."
Of course, compared to the master blades Ian had used in his previous life, it was just a disposable item not much better than ordinary steel.
"How could I! I'll take really good care of it... thank you...."
"......"
Ian fell silent, caught off guard by Sophia's awkward gratitude.
In his previous life, Sophia was very stingy with words of praise or thanks.
A flood of emotions crossed his mind.
"Ahem! You shouldn't bring it into the mansion. If Hugo sees it, he'll definitely confiscate it."
"Yes. Let's also hide the elixirs you bought!"
"Hm. I'll be using the elixirs soon, so that's fine, but I should bury the rest of my weapons too."
Speed was of the essence—he only needed to retrieve the notification letter quickly from the mansion. Leaving heavy weapons behind was a good idea.
"Let's find a secluded spot."
"Yes... Ugh... If I bury this, my sword might get scratched... sniff..."
"Don't worry. It's made with such good materials, it won't even get scratched."
"Oh! Then I'm relieved!"
"Yeah. Lend me your sword for digging."
"What are you going to use my sword for!"
Ian and Sophia buried their weapons and luggage in a secluded forest area, away from prying eyes.
"You should change your clothes here, too."
If Hugo saw Sophia in such an expensive dress, she'd be in for trouble as well.
"I'll change over there—keep watch for anyone coming!"
"Don't worry. I'll keep lookout with hawk-like eyes."
"Young master, you can't peek!"
"... I won't."
While Sophia struggled to change out of her dress, Ian stood guard, organizing his plans.
'There's really no need to rush straight back to the mansion.'
The only reason to go is to get the Sword Dragon Academy notification letter.
That letter wouldn't arrive today, so there was no need to go back early and suffer seeing Hugo.
'I'll find a quiet place nearby, and fully cure my aura disorder tonight.'
[《Projection progress of Sophia's Dantian and Mana Circuits: 88.7%》]
He'd stocked up on plenty of elixirs in the city, and with plenty of night left, he was sure to finish repairing his dantian and mana circuits tonight.
'I should have plenty of time left.'
He could use the extra hours to raise his aura level with Heavenly Dawn Technique.
'If I train until tomorrow morning, I should at least reach the intermediate user level.'
If he kept consuming elixirs and used the supreme cultivation method Heavenly Dawn Technique for another day, reaching high-rank aura user was within reach.
'For now, that should be enough...'
It would be more than sufficient to handle the useless Hugo.
'Hugo. A man I don't even want to acknowledge as my biological father.'
He remembered getting beaten by him so many times as a child.
That man, who would hit for every little thing, would surely raise his hand again this time, too.
But...
The current Ian was no longer a helpless child.
If Hugo dared to raise his hand against him again this time...
Ian would discipline Hugo with a fist imbued with the enlightenment of a Heavenly Sword Lord.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】