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Translator: M.S
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: The Greatest Swordsman's Disciple
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Am I caught? Really?
In that brief moment, countless thoughts raced through my mind.
Should I run?
Should I take the mages hostage first?
If I somehow stab his leg with the same strike that killed Ksias, won't he be unable to follow?!
I'm even willing to sacrifice my left arm if it comes to that...!
My explosive thoughts all veered toward the extreme.
It was because my instincts feared the man before me that much.
‘Calm down. Get a grip.’
I barely managed to suppress my spiraling thoughts.
‘It's fine. Even if I'm caught, he isn't hostile. No, if anything, he's very friendly, isn't he?’
That was true.
When he watched me in silence, there was no way of knowing what thoughts lay behind his distant gaze, but once he started speaking, it was a completely different story.
Curiosity, and an unconcealable sense of delight. And when he said, "I'm counting on you," there was even a sense of camaraderie.
‘What on earth does he know to react like that?’
By my common sense, I couldn't understand it at all.
If it were me...
If someone I didn't know suddenly inserted themselves beside me...
That is, if a stranger appeared out of thin air, claiming to be my sibling, and my other siblings treated this stranger naturally, as if they'd known them all along,
wouldn't drawing my sword be the natural response?
Why is this man like this?
I was becoming a mess of confusion. This wasn't good.
In this already unfamiliar ancient era, being swayed like this, knowing nothing, could be truly fatal.
I need to grasp the situation.
I was trembling.
I was afraid of the man before me.
But I took a deep breath and met his gaze.
Right. In a way,
this might be a chance to uncover the true nature of the Book of Fate.
“Master. It is an honor for me to be with you as well. But... are you truly sure about this? You don't know me, do you? And yet, you also know, don't you? That I'm someone who appeared out of nowhere.”
It was an attempt to read his true intentions.
To others, it would probably sound like I was just asking if it was okay to take me, a person of unknown origin, as his disciple.
But between us, it had a different meaning.
A question asking if he knew that I was someone who had suddenly 'inserted' myself into this reality.
Sure enough.
“That is true. Which is why I find this feeling I'm having now quite fascinating.”
Grand Duke Laitena's reply also contained a subtle nuance that only the two of us could understand.
He looked at me intently, a faint smile in his eyes, and said.
“But one thing is certain. What is happening now aligns with my purpose... and it may be something I agreed to long ago.”
“...Pardon?”
“I don't know the details myself. It's just something I feel instinctively. That's what makes it so fascinating.”
It seemed he thought he was explaining something to me, but... his words only plunged me into deeper confusion.
What the hell. Speak plainly. Do you know or not?
What did you feel instinctively?
As I blinked at the Grand Duke, the man gave a soft smile, patted my back, and then spurred his horse forward.
As if to say, 'Relax, don't worry.'
Wow, really... this is driving me crazy.
Why are you like this?
* * *
Grand Duke Laitena was surprisingly kind.
Even when he seemed to lose interest and ride on indifferently, he would toss out a few words, providing me with various pieces of information.
Thanks to him, I learned several things.
For instance, the city of knights we were heading to, 'Glowingsteel,' was like his home.
Though he ruled over a vast territory as a Grand Duke, he seemed to have little interest in its wealth and power.
It seemed he left that large land to his confidants and lived separately in Glowingsteel, teaching the next generation.
He didn't just provide this broad background information; he also helped me adapt by subtly hinting at the common sense and etiquette of the ancient era.
For example, he would slowly and clearly recite the prayer said before meals so I could easily follow along, or he would slowly demonstrate the knight's salute for my benefit, even though his status meant he didn't have to.
Honestly, it was a huge help.
Thanks to him, the others didn't find me strange.
But I didn't let my guard down.
Who knows?
It could all be a ploy to make me complacent.
After all, I knew nothing about this man or this world.
‘To be honest... I want to say I need to relieve myself and just run away...’
But there was a reason I couldn't.
‘But he said I'm his disciple.’
Greed.
It was because of a greed so immense it made my chest simmer.
Grand Duke Laitena Celsius.
A man so powerful his limits were nowhere in sight.
The greatest under heaven in this era.
From him...
The desire that I might be able to learn the sword from him was making my heart swell like a balloon.
I couldn't help it...
I had cut down Ksias with just a sliver of ancient swordsmanship I'd picked up by watching.
I already knew what absurd things could happen when ancient and modern swordsmanship were combined.
But what if I learned properly from the best master...?
Just imagining it made me breathless.
To run away in the face of such a possibility would mean I didn't even deserve to be called a swordsman.
That's why, despite my conflict, I continued to follow the man.
‘...My siblings must be in an uproar by now, with me gone.’
I'm supposed to be the one to sort out Kushan City, which will be in chaos after the Count's death...
The territorial army, not to mention the larger families, will all be scrambling to seize power...
Still,
I feel sorry for my siblings and Rivera.
But still...
‘A day or two should be fine, right...? That means I can stay here for about five or ten days in this timeline...’
I followed the man, secretly hoping for that.
I'd need some time to learn anything, after all.
If I hadn't come, that would be one thing, but since I'm here, I have to gain something substantial, just like last time.
Besides, I don't even know what conditions need to be met to return to my own time, right?
Let's just focus on the present.
The fear that this could all be a trap,
the worry for those struggling back in my original timeline,
they were all there. But.
The greed I held as a swordsman pierced my chest like a harpoon.
* * *
A day and a half passed.
We arrived at our destination.
I was still in the past.
Glowingsteel, known by the epithet 'City of Knights,' was a cozy city of about 200,000 people, but it was incredibly vibrant.
*Clang— Clang—!*
The buildings' walls were white and seamless. Such elegant houses climbed the hills, creating a layered landscape, and every street was well-paved with ink-black stone, while the sound of hammering filled the air from every blacksmith's shop.
‘Wow...’
This was my first time visiting a city from the ancient era.
Last time, I was stuck inside a sunless dungeon.
And the ancient city I witnessed with my own eyes was a shock in itself.
‘What is that? A cart moving on its own? Why are there so many tall towers? Is that construction? Good heavens, are they using magic to build a building?’
The overall quality was different. The beautifully colored signs and the stylish details of the buildings immediately caught my eye. The clothes people wore were also of a luxurious hue.
‘That's a color I've never seen before... Was that kind of dyeing possible? The whole city is like an art museum.’
Should I call this the Age of Magic, then?
It was a known fact, revealed through various ruins and relics, that the Luceras civilization was highly advanced, but... experiencing it firsthand... I realized even that was a gross underestimation.
The streets were so splendid and the passersby so affluent that the modern era I came from seemed shabby in comparison.
*Clip-clop, clip-clop.*
We slowly crossed the city on horseback.
The citizens who spotted the Grand Duke offered a light nod and greeted him.
“Lovely weather, Your Grace.”
“Have a good day, Your Grace.”
People who didn't even stop, just giving a slight nod as they passed.
The greetings were also very casual and commonplace.
‘...How strange.’
In my time, this would have been unimaginable.
A high-ranking noble, a Grand Duke no less, is passing by, and people don't even stop?
Even in Roverland, known as a lawless land, when a Count went out, it was basic etiquette for people to stop and bow their heads deeply.
‘But this is actually quite nice, isn't it? Simple. They look happy.’
When I build my own kingdom later, should I do it like this? The more I see it, the more friendly and nice it seems.
As I passed through the city, I noticed one peculiar thing: a great many of the passersby were knights or aspiring knights.
It seemed the 'City of Knights' epithet wasn't for nothing.
“Hail!”
“An honor to see you, Your Grace!”
Their salutes were certainly more formal than the citizens'.
They would first stop in place and show their respect by placing both hands on their sword hilt, left hand over right.
The Grand Duke would meet their gaze and acknowledge the salute with a brief nod.
Each time, those who received the Grand Duke's gaze would be so delighted their cheeks flushed. Respect dripped from their eyes.
Well, he's the greatest swordsman under heaven, so what more needs to be said?
Wading through this wave of greetings, we finally arrived at the lord's castle.
Though it was called a castle, it was very different from the ones I knew.
It wasn't a true castle built with high ramparts, but rather a mansion surrounded by a high wall.
A group of people was waiting in front of the mansion to greet the Grand Duke.
“Master!”
The woman at the very front of the group, with blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes, smiled brightly.
But,
“...Huh?”
Surprisingly, it was a familiar face.
Meeting someone I know again in the past, 10,000 years ago? A coincidence? Is that even possible?
“Uh...? You are?”
The woman's eyes went wide, as if she recognized me too.
Yes. That face.
It was undoubtedly the female knight I had run into at the cultists' chapel, the one who said she was there to save the children.
“Do you two know each other?”
Sensing the strange atmosphere between us, Grand Duke Laitena asked. The female knight snapped to attention and answered.
“Yes, Master. Do you remember? The man who helped me at the cultists' chapel about a year ago is this man right here.”
“Ah, yes. You said he used a peculiar Sword Ki, didn't you?”
“Yes, that's right.”
“Well then. It's good you know each other. He's your junior now. As his senior, teach him well.”
“Pardon?”
The woman's eyes grew round.
“I've just taken him on as my direct disciple.”
“M-My junior?!”
“Yes. I've taken him as a disciple, but as you know, I'm quite busy these days. For the time being, you will teach him. Be it swordsmanship or etiquette.”
“Whaat?”
Clearly flustered, the woman's blue eyes darted back and forth between me and the Grand Duke.
But I was just as surprised.
I'd thought I might have a senior, but I never imagined it would be someone I knew...
We blinked at each other.
What kind of fate is this...?
Are we going to keep meeting like this in the future?
I couldn't make heads or tails of it,
but a strange sliver of emotion I couldn't identify—be it gladness, joy, or sorrow—flickered through my chest.
‘What was that just now?’
It felt strangely significant.
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