Chapter 105: The Owner of the Letter (1)

Clatter. Clatter.

Raion rode the carriage that the administrator had prepared in advance, heading toward the lord’s castle.

Silence filled the carriage.

Before long, the carriage arrived at the lord’s mansion.

Standing before the gate was Count Jeffrey Harrison, the lord of Chelon.

“Welcome to my estate. I am Count Jeffrey Harrison, the lord of this territory.”

“I’m Raion Dragonia. Please, speak comfortably.”

“I’ll guide you inside. Sir Fred, thank you for your work. Go tend to your other duties.”

Following Count Jeffrey Harrison, Raion arrived before the reception room.

The door wasn’t open.

“You may go inside.”

A count was of quite a high standing.

Even so, Count Jeffrey Harrison had spoken formally to Raion from the very beginning.

Raion had noticed it right away but chose to remain cautious just in case.

Now, his suspicion was confirmed.

“You knew from the start, didn’t you?”

“That’s not it. But I realized it when His Grace arrived.”

“I see.”

At Raion’s response, Count Jeffrey Harrison opened the door.

Inside, an elderly man with broad shoulders stood by the window, gazing outside.

As the door closed, Raion approached him and spoke.

“It’s been a long time.”

Swoosh.

The old man slowly turned around.

The identity of the elder who revealed his face was none other than Duke Saliann Arenvatz, known in the north as the iron-blooded general.

“……Is it truly Prince Raion?”

The last time Duke Saliann Arenvatz had seen Raion was when he was practically a newborn.

After losing his only daughter, Sierra, he had left the royal capital and hadn’t returned since.

But now, Raion’s appearance was not only strong and composed—it even overlapped with that of the current king, Laskan Canel.

“Grandfather.”

“Are you truly the prince?”

The duke’s deep voice trembled as disbelief lingered in his tone.

Then, his hand moved—not as a military man, but as Raion’s maternal grandfather.

Before he realized it, Saliann Arenvatz was gently stroking Raion’s red hair, which had grown to match his own height.

“……Have you been well?”

“Yes. I’ve been doing fine.”

“Please, speak comfortably, Grandfather.”

Saliann Arenvatz nodded and stroked Raion’s head once more, smiling faintly.

It was an expression that had never appeared even before the king himself—a rare sight on his usually stern face.

“Alright, alright. Let’s sit first.”

The two sat across from each other with a small table between them.

Raion was the first to ask a question.

“How come you’re here, Grandfather?”

Originally, Raion had planned to visit the Arenvatz Territory to meet him.

Yet, completely against expectation, his grandfather Saliann Arenvatz had left his own lands and come to Chelon, which was surprising in itself.

“I heard a rumor spreading from Praizen.”

“A rumor?”

“A red-haired Sword Master……. Of course, I thought it might be someone else. But a few days ago, I received this.”

Saliann took out a letter from the table and handed it over.

After reading through it, Raion immediately understood why.

“Ha! Patrick……”

“He told me that you would come to Arenvatz one day and described your current strength.”

“So that’s why you came here in advance. I didn’t expect Patrick to make a move first.”

“He’s a sharp one.”

Patrick had foreseen Raion’s journey ever since he left Kanas.

Using the Eye of the Moon, he had left a letter and returned to Kanas.

Later, while Duke Saliann Arenvatz was passing through the royal capital on his way back to his domain, he received that letter.

“He’s always been the best butler—far beyond expectations.”

“I’m truly glad I left that man by your side.”

“He’s been a great help.”

“But a Sword Master, you say? Just what kind of training did you undergo to reach such a level so soon?”

The rank of Sword Master was not one easily attained.

Even King Laskan Canel and the Royal Knight Commander Trine Diego, both blessed with immense talent, had only achieved that realm in their mid-thirties—alongside Saliann Arenvatz himself.

Naturally, it was hard to believe that Raion had already become one.

“It’s thanks to the rigorous training I did while staying at Taron’s Palace.”

“Hm……. And I’m supposed to believe that?”

“If you don’t, what shall we do about it?”

“I want to see it with my own eyes. Let’s go!”

The two rose from their seats, exited the room, and made their way to the knights’ training ground behind the lord’s mansion.

There, the knights who had arrived earlier were already in training.

While the two waited briefly, Count Jeffrey Harrison also entered the training ground.

“The Duke will be using the grounds. Everyone, clear the area.”

As the knights bowed and began to step back, Duke Saliann Arenvatz raised a hand.

“Wouldn’t it be a good learning experience for them, one way or another? Let them quietly observe.”

“Will that be alright?”

In truth, the duke’s and Raion’s visit to Chelon was meant to be kept strictly confidential.

Especially, it must never leak back to the royal capital.

However, Duke Saliann Arenvatz trusted the knights under Jeffrey Harrison’s command.

“They’re your men, aren’t they? And as long as we don’t reveal any identities, they won’t know.”

“Understood.”

Count Jeffrey Harrison stopped the knights and had them sit around the training ground.

Meanwhile, Raion and Duke Saliann Arenvatz stepped into the center and faced each other.

“That’s quite an unusual scabbard. Is the sword the same?”

Raion was holding a sword with a wide scabbard.

He had passed his old sword to Jade and forged a new one—its shape distinctly that of a Korean-style sword.

In contrast, Saliann Arenvatz’s weapon was a double-edged broadsword, about 120 centimeters long and thick in build.

Shhhk……

As both blades were drawn, Saliann’s eyes widened even more.

“A single-edged blade? How peculiar. But with only one edge, doesn’t it become inconvenient in combat?”

For a knight, the sword was both a weapon to protect their liege and to cut down their foes.

Since it had to serve both defense and offense, a single-edged sword naturally appeared unconventional.

“Once we cross swords, you’ll understand why my blade is shaped this way.”

“Is that so? Well, a swordsman answers questions only through the sword.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“You’ve truly become a swordsman. Then come at me first.”

Saliann’s sword, which had hung low after being drawn from its scabbard, lifted forward.

At the same time, Raion raised his own sword to meet it and slowly shifted to the side.

“I won’t go all out.”

“Are you worried about this old man?”

“It’s just that the training ground might get damaged.”

Before Saliann could respond, Jeffrey Harrison spoke up.

“Even if there’s some damage, it won’t be a problem.”

“You heard him. What will you do now?”

“Well, if you insist that much, I suppose I have no choice.”

At that moment, Raion activated Specific Analysis to check Saliann Arenvatz’s information.

[Target Information]

Name: Saliann Arenvatz

Age: 77

Occupation: General of the Canel Kingdom’s Border Defense Forces

Health: 999 / 999

Stamina: 3,520 / 3,600

Mana: 420 / 600

Abilities:

Swordsmanship – Level 10

Archery – Level 9

Dagger Technique – Level 8

Horsemanship – Level 10

His physical attributes were outstanding for a knight.

And his skills were near their limits. With both swordsmanship and horsemanship at the master level, Saliann Arenvatz on horseback would be a force to be reckoned with.

‘As expected of Grandfather… His stats are even higher than Father’s.’

It was impossible to see him as a seventy-seven-year-old man.

Of course, by sheer numbers, Raion’s stats were higher.

However, experience and technical mastery couldn’t be dismissed so easily.

“Will you not make your move?”

“No. I’ll start first. Huu—!”

Raion raised his sword, and blue aura flared to life.

From that alone, Saliann could tell—he had surpassed the beginner level and reached the intermediate stage of a Sword Master.

“Oh-ho… an intermediate Sword Master at your age? Remarkable.”

At the same time, aura also emanated from Saliann’s sword.

Unlike Raion’s blue aura, his shone with a nearly invisible white hue.

Two Sword Masters released their auras simultaneously.

The knights surrounding them could only gape in awe.

But neither Raion nor Saliann paid any attention to their reactions—they were already in motion.

“Come!”

“Very well!”

Sshk—!

Raion was the first to move.

His sword, wreathed in blue aura, sliced through the air, drawing a long arc.

Cheng—! Chacheng!

Sharp, fierce clashing of steel rang out in the air.

“You’ve got quite the strength! That’s not something learned easily!”

“I’ve only worked hard, that’s all!”

Cha-cha-cheng! Cha-cheng! Cha-cha-cheng!

Their blades met faster and faster as they closed in.

Their strikes intertwined like a mesh, making it nearly impossible for anyone to follow with their eyes.

Cheng! Shraaaak!

For a brief moment, their swords collided violently, sending both of them sliding back.

Neither could hold their ground under the impact.

“Oh-ho… your swordsmanship is quite unusual.”

The technique Raion used—Raizen-Style Swordsmanship—was a creation of a close friend connected to Trine Diego.

Though invented by a knight of common birth, its power was formidable.

In particular, it emphasized slashing over thrusting, differing greatly from conventional sword styles of the continent.

“It’s Raizen-Style Swordsmanship.”

“Raizen?”

“It was developed by the family of my escort knight.”

“Raizen, huh… Impressive. And to think you’re already at the intermediate Sword Master level.”

Saliann Arenvatz had assumed Raion was merely at the beginner stage.

But to have surpassed that before even turning twenty was astonishing.

“It’s thanks to training as if my life depended on it.”

“I’ve seen enough. To be evenly matched with someone like me… at this rate, you’ll be fine.”

“Grandfather, there’s something I wish to discuss with you regarding that.”

“What is it?”

Raion started to answer, but his gaze drifted toward the surroundings.

It was because of the knights from the Chelon Territory who stood encircling them.

Sensing this, Count Jeffrey Harrison ordered them to withdraw.

Once silence fell around them, Raion spoke again.

“Grandfather, do you truly believe that the Canel Kingdom will become peaceful if I inherit the throne?”

It was a serious question.

Saliann Arenvatz sheathed his sword before answering.

“What’s the meaning of that question? Don’t tell me you intend to refuse succession.”

A Sword Master had appeared among the princes.

Regardless of judgment or politics, such power was unquestionable.

Naturally, Saliann found the question strange.

“I wish to ask whether it’s truly possible to erase all traces of Duke Alito Kright and Queen Elina from this kingdom.”

“That is something you’ll have to do once you ascend the throne.”

“Because it’s impossible.”

At that reply, Saliann Arenvatz’s expression hardened.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep