Chapter 003: The Path of the Stars Leads to the Grave
"Grandmother, the wind is cold. Let's go inside."
Palas approached, leaving his escort swordsman behind, and knelt on one knee.
His cloak trailed long across the ground.
"It's fine. Even if I skip a meal, I must keep my evening walk with my dear. It's the most precious time of my day."
Back then, it didn't bother me, but now, being treated like a child in front of others made me slightly embarrassed.
The moment I turned my head back, my eyes met Palas's.
"Bihen, you should have persuaded Grandmother better. They say a fever's been going around lately."
"Well, it is that season, isn't it."
"……."
Palas stood quietly and faced me.
My sarcastic attitude didn't even faze him.
"Any progress?"
"What are you asking about?"
"Your swordsmanship. It's about time you reached first-rate."
"I'll achieve it when the time comes."
I scratched my ear and answered curtly.
Even with the insights gained from regression, facing the starting point where my past life began to unravel made it hard to stay meek.
Childish or not, I couldn't help it. My nature was far from that of a saint.
I would reach the first-rate realm a year from now, by this timeline.
After Grandmother passed, I locked myself in my private training hall, swinging a wooden sword like a madman.
It was, in essence, a secluded training.
And another year later, when I turned nineteen…
I was forcibly dragged into the world by Palas.
It was for a formal 'family trial' to decide my future.
'Thinking about that time after so long makes my blood boil.'
A family trial in an imperial warrior clan was no big deal.
The family elders gathered in one place, and a formal duel was held over the issue.
My opponent back then, who proposed the issue as the heir, was none other than Palas Benkou.
'If I lost, I’d be sold off to some old widowed noble.'
If I won, it was a deferral, or something like that. Anyway.
In a critical duel that decided whether I'd become a pawn in a political marriage…
I got thoroughly beaten, refused to admit defeat, and caused a scene.
'Not only did I ambush Palas from behind, but I also spewed insults at the elders.'
…And so, I was completely disowned by the family.
"Huuu."
I sighed to quell my anger. My breath was hot.
Palas touched his forehead.
"A year from now, you'll be an adult, Bihen. How long do you plan to hide within the family's walls?"
"Ha, you’re already talking like the family head."
"…What?"
Palas furrowed his brow.
Startled by his angry tone, Grandmother glanced nervously and stepped between us.
I pretended to shut my mouth, but our future family head showed no such intention.
"You immature brat. By now, you should understand the head's intentions. How long will you keep throwing tantrums like a child?"
"The child isn’t me, it’s you, brother. At least I can tell the difference between sincere advice and overstepping meddling."
"You little—!"
"Or perhaps you’re just itching because I’m an eyesore."
Palas squared his shoulders.
If not for Grandmother’s intervention, his fist would’ve smashed into my face by now.
"Enough…! Both of you, stop! What is this nonsense!"
At Grandmother’s glare, Palas’s escort pulled his master away from me.
Palas let out a long sigh toward the sky.
"…Fine, Bihen. It’s been a while, but I want to see your progress with my own eyes. What do you say?"
I shrugged lightly.
"Just what I wanted."
That was sincere.
* * *
Back in my chamber, I bathed for the first time in a while and sat cross-legged in the center of the room.
The duel with Palas Benkou, disguised as a spar, was set for a week later.
"Hoo."
I regulated my breathing.
The truth was this:I provoked Palas to bring forward the family trial that would happen in the future.
'Don’t waste time. Focus on what needs to be done, Bihen.'
My first goal was to properly interpret the resonance given to me by the Old Knight in my past life.
The second was to surpass the wall of the absolute peak.
Ultimately, it was to find the meaning of this new life.
'The answers can’t be found within the Empire.'
That was my conclusion.
In that sense, the week leading up to the duel… was a sort of grace period for me.
'The last days I’ll spend with the Benkou family.'
Thus, I intended to fully, unreservedly enjoy this week.
Especially making more memories with Grandmother, cautiously stepping into Father’s shadow at times, and maybe even joking around with my cousins. I’d eat until I was sick of it.
'To do all that, time’s tight.'
There was no time to dedicate to training just for a duel.
Besides, I was already stronger than Palas.
'Still, I should confirm it at least once at this point.'
For a moment, my stray thoughts scattered.
My steady breathing began to feel distant, as if entering a vacuum.
'Benkou Vision.'
Though I was expelled from the family and never properly inherited it, through stolen glances, real combat experience crossing the line of life and death, and the awakening of my bloodline…
I ultimately mastered the Benkou family’s unique mental technique on my own.
Gooo.
A sound like wind sweeping around me echoed once.
Auuuu…
Kkik, kkik, kkik, kkik.
Kyaaaa—!
A series of ghastly wails and eerie noises followed.
These were like gatekeepers guarding the portal to my deepest self.
Ignoring the shrieks assaulting me from all sides, I reached toward a dark wall flickering like black flames.
Ssss.
The moment I crossed the boundary, all noise was cut off, and the surroundings fell silent.
In that stillness, I opened my physical eyes.
Only then did my fully unified conscious and subconscious gain a new vision.
Hwaruk.
I gazed at the altar before me.
A deep purple flame blazed in a brass brazier at the center.
This was the manifestation of my mastery of Benkou Swordsmanship.
Hwaruk.
As I shifted my gaze, another brazier ignited beside it.
A dark gray flame. This signified my mastery of Imperial Swordsmanship.
'It's much denser than when I observed it at the end of my past life.'
I keenly felt the gap between my past and present lives.
The flames’ intensity, size, and color depth were overwhelmingly superior.
'The threshold of the peak.'
Just as I was about to conclude my assessment, a strange sensation made me turn back to the altar.
My eyes widened.
Between the braziers holding the flames of Benkou Swordsmanship and Imperial Swordsmanship, there was another empty brass brazier.
'No…'
Dazed, I looked around.
Wherever my gaze landed, empty braziers began to appear one by one, as if they’d always been there.
When I came to my senses…
I was surrounded by empty braziers forming a circular formation around the two blazing ones.
'What… what is this…'
A sudden realization flashed through my mind.
The Benkou Vision was a representation of the subconscious.
It didn’t just observe achievements but allowed a broader view of the entire mental realm.
'There were no empty braziers in my past life. If the braziers represent vessels for talent or potential…'
The process of filling these braziers must be the path to advancing my realm.
'…'
In my past life, the path was shrouded in darkness.
Now, I saw a glimmer of light.
I concluded the mental technique.
Turning my head, I saw my face in the mirror.
In the pupil of my newly gained left eye, a faint blue ghost flame burned quietly.
'Ghost Eye.'
I felt it was right to carefully examine the new things I’d gained after regression and assign meaning to each.
That would be the first step to cherishing this new life.
* * *
I never knew a week could feel so short.
I hoped one day I’d return in glory…
But no one knows how life will unfold.
If I had more time, I’d have liked to visit the old capital, Gerinhild, or take in the ruins of the old church, but even spending time with Grandmother was barely enough.
"Grandmother, don’t eat persimmons for a while."
"Persimmons? They’re in season. Why not?"
"I had a kind of prophetic dream. You got terribly sick after eating one."
"Hohot. My dear must be thinking of me all the time. You see me in your dreams every day."
That day was unforgettable. Her stomach pain was so severe, I worried she might pass away.
Thankfully, she recovered after a few days.
A year from now, Grandmother would pass away peacefully in her sleep. Truly, like a lie.
'Even with regression, I can’t defy such natural order.'
The greatest relief was that I wouldn’t have to endure that grief twice.
I planned to bury Grandmother in my heart and leave.
I looked up at the sky.
The early-setting sun had begun to tint the sky a deep navy blue.
I patted my thigh as I looked at Grandmother.
"Grandmother, lie down. Let’s stargaze."
"Oh, that sounds nice."
A shy girl lay in Grandmother’s beaming smile.
In this moment, I became a sanctuary where she could rest.
"This is my favorite place in the mansion. This back courtyard’s open platform has good energy. The stars are so clear, aren’t they?"
"They are."
"Look over there, Bihen."
Grandmother pointed somewhere in the sky.
I reluctantly shifted my gaze from her wrinkled finger.
It was still early evening, yet a single star shone alone.
"Beautiful. How can it be so bright?"
"It’s far from night. That one’s an impatient little guy."
"When was it… Some astrologer said stars are just dust floating in the sky."
"What a nasty fellow, calling them dust."
"Exactly. So I asked, how can dust sparkle like that, sir?"
I glanced down at Grandmother. In that moment, she smiled like a girl again.
"And what did he say?"
"He said it’s not the dust that shines, but something that was once part of the night sky became dust and glows like that. What we see is its trace."
"Trace…"
So that’s why ancient sages likened great heroes to stars.
To praise and eternally honor their history, their very existence.
'Hmm…'
My heart tickled faintly.
A swordsman’s organs, always chilled by the blade at their side, reacted easily to the slightest warmth.
That’s why old swordsmen often retired to become scholars of literature.
"Eiyap."
With a cute grunt, Grandmother sat up. Her eyes still held the stars.
"You don’t become a star by dying, do you, Bihen?"
When I turned, Grandmother was delicately removing a hairpin with both hands.
She held out her palm with the six-pointed star hairpin to me.
"You are a star, my dear."
"…Grandmother."
"That’s how you live. As a person who shines brightly."
I stared at the six-pointed star hairpin I’d given her… and took it back.
The star I’d given Grandmother returned to me.
"Got it."
A today that didn’t exist in my past life.
I decided to become a star.