Invitation

Invitation

Hundreds of years ago, before the Fero Empire split apart, what was now the Kingdom of Gondo had merely been a duchy.

According to the records,

It had been an era teeming with talent.

Martial prowess flourished, giving rise to countless Legendary figures.

Among them was a swordsman named Mayer, revered as the Sword Saint. His swordsmanship formed a school of its own.

Sword Saint Mayer was the first to establish the eight trajectories of a longsword slash. No matter which direction a practitioner slashed from, they could remain in the process of transitioning from one form into another.

In other words, they could always freely switch between attack and defense.

It was an unprecedented innovation.

The eight trajectories seemed simple, but when combined, they produced endless variations and gave rise to many sword arts.

Gale Swordplay belonged to this school.

Grip! (One-handed or two-handed, forward grip or reverse grip)

Stance! (Defense)

Slash! (Attack)

Finally came the combat skill that could only be used after fully integrating the sword art!

Sweat beaded on Karl's forehead, heat steaming off his body as the broadsword in his hand whirled around him like a gale.

Its fierce sword momentum could shred anything that came close.

"Hah!"

"Ha!"

Unlike in that mysterious place, where he possessed absolute rationality and perfect control, practicing swordsmanship in the real world was far more strenuous.

Fortunately, his previous experience remained. His body was merely unfamiliar with exerting force this way; with more practice, he could still reproduce it.

"Whoosh!"

Combat skill—Gale Slash!

Three afterimages appeared out of thin air and slashed past one another.

"Whoo..."

Karl stopped, excitement appearing on his face.

"First master the swordsmanship there, then practice it in reality while my body still retains some muscle memory."

"The experience remains, the memories remain. Even if I can't reach the same level, it will still let me achieve twice the result with half the effort."

At a normal pace, even after becoming a Knight Squire, it would have taken him at least a month to reach his current level of swordsmanship.

Perhaps even longer.

Now,

A few days were enough for him to steadily produce three afterimages. He was no worse than many Knight Squires.

"And that's not all!"

Karl loosely clenched his five fingers and felt the strength in his body. He had the urge to punch straight through a wall.

"Because I can control my body perfectly, taking Secret Potions there allows me to absorb their effects to the fullest."

"The Breathing Technique is also more effective."

"If I'd taken the Secret Potion here, I probably still wouldn't have stabilized my Knight Squire realm."

With the help of that mysterious place, Karl's physical abilities and swordsmanship had both reached the level of a Knight Squire in just a few days.

Moreover,

His strength was still increasing rapidly.

If Gale Slash could produce four afterimages, he would no longer be weak even among Knight Squires.

Good news put a spring in Karl's step. Even though his vacation was over and he had to return to work, he still wore a smile.

The red-and-white uniform was slightly loose on him, but it could not hide his spirited demeanor.

He adjusted his clothes in the mirror. The crest symbolizing the Bergman Family was embroidered on his collar, especially eye-catching.

Every noble had a crest unique to their family.

The Bergman Family's crest was the most common clover found by the roadside.

Some said the clover had been chosen because it symbolized an unyielding, tenacious vitality.

That was not true. Karl's grandfather had simply been uneducated and too lazy to think about it, so he picked it at random.

Strictly speaking, a proper noble crest needed plumes, a coronet, a shield section, a motto on a banner, and more...

"I'm only a minor Baron without a territory. There's no need to be so particular."

Shaking his head, Karl stepped outside.

Patrol Hall.

"Baron Karl!"

"Good day!"

"Baron, you're here."

"Mm."

"..."

Very few commoners could work at the Patrol Hall, but nobles were still a minority.

News that Karl had inherited his father's Nobility Title had long spread. The others became much warmer when greeting him.

"Karl!"

"Officer Dina."

Karl stopped before the valiant woman.

"At the end of the month, Count Recton will hold a coming-of-age ceremony for his son at his estate outside the city and invite the city's nobles." Dina handed him an exquisite invitation. "My Cousin Martha will be there as well."

"Hm?"

Karl frowned.

"Officer, I really have no plans to marry right now."

"You can get to know each other first, whether you intend to marry or not. It won't take much of your time." Dina's expression remained blank. "Or are you planning to refuse a Count's invitation?"

"Well..." Karl sighed and accepted the invitation. "All right."

"Don't look so wronged." Dina twirled the beautifully crafted cane in her hand and lightly pointed it at him. "Martha's family has enough wealth to be a suitable match for a Baron without land."

"Yes."

Karl nodded.

He could not deny that.

After parting with Dina, a plump figure hurried over and threw his arms around him in a tight embrace.

"Karl, you're finally back! You have no idea how bored I've been without you!"

"Kaili!" Karl laughed. "It's only been a while, and you've gotten fatter again."

"Hehe..." Kaili released him and took a step back, scratching his head. "Not by much."

Kaili's father was also a Baron. Unlike Karl, however, Kaili had several siblings, and his eldest brother had already been designated as the heir to the title.

The title and family estate had nothing to do with him. So although he was a patrol officer, his life remained rather tight.

The two had joined the Patrol Hall one after the other. Neither was particularly well-liked, so they naturally stuck together for warmth.

"Come on!" Kaili waved a hand. "Let's get a drink."

A patrol officer's job was easy. They only needed to report in each day, then they could leave under the pretense of making patrol rounds.

Of course,

They had to remain there whenever it was their turn to be on duty every few days.

"Have you heard?" Kaili lowered his voice as they walked. "It's been decided. Grand Duke Saxen will take over command of the army campaigning against Coburg, and they'll be conscripting soldiers again."

Every Marquis and Count had their own Grand Duke to follow. With Gumbisis dead, the nobles under him naturally had no desire to continue serving after being assigned a new leader.

With insufficient soldiers, another conscription was inevitable.

"Mm." Karl had expected it. "Do you think they'll conscript us?"

"Probably not." Kaili shook his head. "Even if they recruit from Signo City, they won't recruit patrol officers. Who would maintain public order if we left?"

"True."

Karl relaxed slightly.

Patrol officers were mostly just for show, but it would still look bad without them.

"But did Grand Duke Gumbisis really die of illness? He was only in his fifties. For a knight, that was the prime of life, let alone for a Legendary Knight."

"I heard..." Kaili lowered his voice, looking mysterious. "The Grand Duke was burned to death!"

"Burned to death?" Karl's expression changed. "The Fire Thief?"

"Maybe." Kaili nodded. Just as he was about to continue, he turned down a street and collided head-on with someone.

"Ah!"

Despite Kaili's bulky body, he had little strength. A light bump sent him stumbling backward.

Fortunately, Karl caught him. Otherwise, he would have ended up covered in mud.

"What's wrong with you?"

Having just regained his footing, Kaili immediately shouted in anger.

"Don't you watch where you're going?"

The other person was a fair-skinned young man. His expression darkened at the words, and his triangular eyes narrowed.

Whoosh!

In an instant,

Karl's body hair stood on end, and a sense of terror rose in his heart.

Danger!

He instinctively grabbed Kaili beside him and took a step back, his eyes filled with alarm and suspicion.

"Miles." Not far away, the curtain of a carriage lifted, and a glamorous woman waved toward them. "Hurry over here."

"Hmph!"

The young man's gaze flickered. He snorted coldly at Kaili.

"You're lucky!"

With that, he turned and headed for the carriage.

The fat on Kaili's face tensed, and anger filled his eyes, but he did not stop the man. He simply watched as he boarded the carriage.