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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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She was young and beautiful.
She introduced herself as the third princess, Sharon, and told us to address her casually.
“I’ve come as my brother’s representative, on his orders. He asked me to convey his apologies for not being able to come in person.”
“I see.”
“He has his reasons.”
Prina interjected,
“A full-scale war has broken out across the kingdom.”
“…….”
It seemed countless territories had clashed, just like Doriem and Jutus.
“As you’ve heard, my brother is very busy. That’s why I’ve come as his representative.”
While they could have sent another royal family member, they had specifically chosen a young and beautiful princess.
Naturally, it reminded me of the crown prince’s subtle attempt to sway me.
Of course, I wasn’t affected.
‘This princess seems a bit naive.’
She seemed oblivious to the reason she had been chosen.
Interestingly, Prina didn’t seem to view the third princess as a threat.
Based on their conversation, she hadn’t deemed her a significant rival.
“The message he left for me…?”
“He hasn’t left any specific instructions yet.”
It seemed they had decided against deploying me on the front lines immediately.
It wasn’t a bad thing. I had planned to visit my former master and continue improving the quantity and quality of my undead, and with no immediate assignments, I could focus on that.
Of course, it wasn’t all good news.
‘I’ll have to acquire Mutre’s family with money.’
Offering jewels to territories weakened by war… it would be difficult for them to refuse.
Even if the price was a dwarf, it wouldn’t be more valuable than their territory.
“Please don’t be too offended. He really wanted to come. And for this matter, I’ve come as his plenipotentiary representative. He even wrote the certificate of appointment himself.”
The third princess was still defending the crown prince.
‘At least he kept his promise.’
A handwritten certificate of appointment. Honestly, that was enough.
“So, who is the one I’m knighting?”
Knowing that the recipient was female, she looked back and forth between Athena and Prina.
I glanced at Kayla, and she stepped forward cautiously.
“This is her. We’re planning a simple ceremony. Is that alright?”
“Of course.”
The kingdom was at war, essentially a civil war. A lavish knighting ceremony wouldn’t be appropriate.
Moreover, we weren’t fond of formalities.
While it was a significant event for Kayla, we preferred to keep things simple, and Kayla herself, recalling the arduousness of her previous knighting ceremony, agreed to a simplified version.
‘It shouldn’t take too long anyway, since there’s only one recipient…’
Even so, she still disliked the idea of a lengthy ceremony.
Thanks to that, the ceremony was incredibly brief.
The third princess, holding a sword, touched it to Kayla’s shoulders and head as she knelt, reciting a short speech. She didn’t even ask for the usual oath of fealty.
It seemed she had taken Kayla’s relationship with me into consideration. The crown prince was certainly efficient.
The brief ceremony concluded, and the certificate of appointment was handed to Kayla.
She stared at it with a strange expression.
“Congratulations. You are now officially a free knight.”
Perhaps overwhelmed by the moment, Kayla trembled.
Thud. Thud.
As if something within her had shattered, Kayla’s aura began to shift rapidly.
Her aura intensified dramatically.
It was far beyond the level of an Expert, and I stared in disbelief, while Athena gazed blankly at Kayla’s back.
Prina and Princess Sharon, sensing the change, took a few steps back.
“This is…”
The transformation was brief.
Kayla soon stood up, her expression calm, as if nothing had happened.
Outwardly, she appeared unchanged.
However, everything had changed.
Her aura, her gaze, her posture, her presence, her mana… Everything felt different, except for her appearance.
It was as if the person before me was Kayla, yet not Kayla…
I slowly spoke,
“Kayla, did you… break through the wall?”
My words, spoken in a daze, unsure yet certain, reflecting my struggle to adapt to the sudden change, were readily confirmed by Kayla.
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Hmm… how should I explain this… I wasn’t fully aware of it myself, but it seems a part of me still yearned for knighthood.”
Kayla chuckled, as if she herself found it absurd.
“Honestly, I was surprised when I realized it. I considered myself Master’s knight and thought I didn’t care about what others thought, but I was wrong. It seems a part of me still desired external recognition.”
It was understandable.
Kayla was human, and the desire for recognition was a fundamental human desire, regardless of its intensity.
“I was ashamed when I realized that small delusion. I thought I was content, but deep down, I wasn’t.”
“…I don’t think it’s anything to be ashamed of. The desire for recognition is natural.”
“Is that so? I thought Master’s recognition was enough, but it seems I was more ambitious than I realized.”
Kayla smiled wryly and continued,
“At the same time, I realized it was meaningless. I was already a free knight recognized by the royal family, and my hidden desire had already been fulfilled. And you were the one who made it possible. When I realized that, I understood something absurd. The one holding me back… was myself.”
And at that moment, she broke through the wall, Kayla said.
“Should I say I understood myself, or accepted myself… or perhaps, acknowledged myself. It doesn’t matter. I was more ambitious than I realized, and even if I was wrong, I had to accept reality. Once I acknowledged it, I felt at peace.”
However, there was no dramatic outward change. She already possessed a body befitting a Master.
“But there’s still room for growth. I need to strengthen my Mana Heart and adapt to my new Aura.”
Saying that, she materialized Aura in her hand.
The shimmering, hazy Aura gradually solidified, taking the shape of a blade.
“Hmm… my control is still lacking.”
An Aura Blade. She had manifested an Aura Blade immediately after becoming a Master, yet she claimed it was lacking.
She had even manifested it without a sword, using just her hand.
As she had admitted, she was ambitious. It seemed to have influenced her growth.
“Anyway, that’s it. It happened so quickly, and there’s no dramatic outward change, so it still feels surreal, but I’ve definitely become a Master.”
“…Judging by what you just did, there’s no doubt about it.”
“Indeed. Something I couldn’t do a moment ago is now possible.”
Kayla finally smiled genuinely.
“I’m glad I can finally stand beside you, Master.”
Indeed.
Masters were considered equals to warlocks.
While their relative strength depended on preparation, environment, and circumstances, the assessment was accurate.
Athena, finally snapping out of her daze, congratulated Kayla, while Princess Sharon, still stunned, asked if it was real.
“Did you really… become a Master? Just now? Before my eyes?”
“Yes.”
At Kayla’s calm reply, the princess’s eyes lit up.
“A Master… appearing before my eyes… and a female Master, at that!”
Indeed, female Masters were rarer than their male counterparts. While mana allowed even those with weaker physiques to become Masters, more men pursued the path of the warrior.
Moreover, female Masters, unless their talent was discovered early, usually came from knight or noble families, further contributing to their rarity.
A female mercenary, starting from the bottom and becoming a Master without any noble or knight family background, was a once-in-a-generation occurrence.
“Judging by your willingness to speak so openly, should I assume you’re alright with the royal family knowing?”
“Yes. I intended to inform them anyway.”
‘The royal family’s courtship will intensify.’
It was fortunate she had become a free knight before reaching Master level.
Unlike warlocks like myself, Masters faced no restrictions on their activities.
If she had become a Master without a knighthood, they would have done everything in their power to recruit her. They wouldn’t have granted her knighthood so easily.
‘Just like with Lineta, they would have approached me, even if it meant straining our relationship.’
It was especially true in the Septran Kingdom.
Their first king, the most revered ancestor, had been a Master.
Therefore, they valued Masters more than mages.
While it wasn’t exclusive to Septran, they were the most fervent believers in the Master’s superiority.
While Princess Sharon excitedly bombarded Kayla with questions, and Athena eagerly tried to join the conversation, Prina stared at Kayla and me with a grave expression.
‘Come to think of it, Kayla said she would become a Master and claim her place beside me.’
Prina likely hadn’t anticipated this.
It was understandable. Masters weren’t common… Most people never broke through the wall from Expert to Master.
Even if Kayla had reached Expert level at a young age, the chances of her becoming a Master within the next decade would have been considered slim.
However, Kayla had defied Prina’s expectations and proven herself.
Prina must be feeling conflicted.
“Could you please stay here for a while instead of returning to the Barren Lands? The royal family might formally invite you. Although we’re at war…”
That was probably why they wanted to keep me here.
“I’ll return as soon as possible. Or perhaps, you could come with me…”
“That would be… difficult. I have somewhere I need to be.”
I cut off the third princess.
“Where…?”
“The Monster Forest. It’s a personal matter, so I’ll be away for a while.”
“Ah…”
Unsure of what to do, the third princess bit her nail, then quickly pulled her hand away.
It seemed like an old habit.
“Then… I suppose there’s nothing I can do. But please visit us when you’re finished. I’ll leave someone here…”
I said to her,
“I presume what you want is my assistance in this war?”
“For now… wouldn’t that be the case? While it might be rude to say, while I’m unsure about you, Do Inha, as a warlock, we can freely utilize Kayla, as a Master.”
While I had the royal family’s recognition, as a warlock, I was still a political liability.
That’s why they had emphasized my connection to Doriem when I assisted them.
‘Undead on the battlefield wouldn’t exactly inspire positive sentiments.’
Especially now. They needed to unite the nobles and mercenaries under the royal banner to quell the internal unrest.
Openly deploying a warlock like myself could push some towards the Goddess Religion and betrayal.
Of course, I was too valuable to ignore completely. If they used me, it would be in a covert operation.
‘They might not even ask for my help during the civil war.’
In a war against the Empire, the Septran royal family wouldn’t be solely responsible, so it wouldn’t matter. They might formally request my assistance then.
I believed the latter was more likely, and I planned to demand the corpses of powerful individuals and dwarves as compensation for my services during the civil war.
However, Kayla’s growth had changed the situation.
They might request my assistance now, during the civil war.
‘Would I become Kayla’s… accessory?’
The royal family could request Kayla alone, but would she accept if they only asked for her?
‘I doubt it.’
Her subtle glances at Prina suggested otherwise.
I suspected she would bring up the engagement as soon as the third princess left.
“Then let me make a preemptive offer. Kayla won’t be going alone.”
“…….”
“And it would be difficult for you to involve me directly.”
“…Yes.”
“So, I’ll make the first move. I’ll eliminate House Priogaha for you.”
“What?”
“Kayla and I are enough. However, I can’t do it for free.”
“…What do you want?”
“One hundred intact corpses of Expert level or higher, and dwarves.”
“Corpses and dwarves?”
“Yes.”
The corpses, however, are to be paid in advance.
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