City of Ars.
Water God Style Dojo.
The morning sunlight streamed through the wooden lattice windows into the spacious dojo, where dozens of disciples dressed in white swordsmanship were practicing the basic sword techniques of the Water God Style in pairs, holding wooden swords.
The crisp, rhythmic clash of wooden swords echoed through the training ground, accompanied by the disciples' synchronized breathing.
Among the many disciples, one stood out in particular.
She had long, light blue hair that reached her waist and cascaded down her shoulders...
Her features were so delicate, like those of a finely sculpted doll, yet her eyes and brows carried a cool and serene air.
Her figure was slender yet upright, and her movements with the wooden sword were fluid and graceful, each move as precise as if it were from a textbook.
However... no one around approached this unattainable beauty.
Simply because she is too outstanding.
She is not only the granddaughter of the contemporary Water God Reida, but also the youngest " Water King " of the Water God Style.
He earned the title of " Water Saint " at the age of twelve.
At the age of fifteen, she earned the title of " Water King " through amazing perseverance.
She is seventeen years old this year, which is the most beautiful age in a girl's life.
Isolte, this genius girl of the Water God Style, is steadily progressing on the path to becoming the Water God.
Everyone knew that as the granddaughter of the Water God Reida, the girl's ambitions certainly went beyond this.
Perhaps it won't be long before she, currently stuck at the level of Water King, becomes Water Emperor and eventually, naturally, takes over the title of Water God Reida.
In fact...
That was indeed the girl's goal.
At least that's what Isolte thought before she met that man.
She only wanted to become the Water God and never thought about anything else, devoting herself wholeheartedly to the swordsmanship training of the Water God Style.
But at this moment, the girl had another goal in her life.
That is, on the path to becoming the Water God, constantly striving to chase after that person's shadow.
Then one day, I can finally stand in front of him and express my feelings to the person I have a crush on.
Isolte had hidden her feelings very well, both her brother and her grandmother, the Water God Reida, had vaguely sensed them.
In particular, the Water God Reida did not express any objection.
She has always been lenient in disciplining her granddaughter and has no intention of marrying her off to a nobleman for personal gain.
Objectively speaking, the Water God Reida was even unwilling to let Isolte get involved in the factional struggles between the noble interests of Asura.
Because Isolte's parents died in political struggles not long after her birth, Reida protected Isolte very well from childhood to adulthood.
However... despite all the precautions, a certain blond-haired kid who suddenly appeared out of nowhere managed to find a loophole.
As Izo was instructing these new disciples in the Water God Style swordsmanship, the figure of the Water God Reida arrived at the dojo, instantly creating a tense atmosphere throughout.
Everyone bowed respectfully and addressed her as Reida Leda.
Reida nodded to the others to indicate that she understood, and then she turned her gaze to Isolte.
" Isolte..."
"Master? Is there something you need?"
"Well, let's call it a day. Come find me later... I have something I'd like to talk to you about privately."
"Yes, Master!"
Isolte curious, but didn't think much of it.
That evening, she changed into a clean and neat outfit and went alone to the courtyard behind the temple to meet the grandmother who had arranged to see her.
I just arrived here.
Isolte saw her grandmother sitting alone at the stone table in the courtyard, with two cups of hot tea on the table, the aroma of which rose gently in the moonlight.
Isolte was taken aback, while the Water God Reida smiled slightly.
"Oh, it's Isolte."
"Yes... Master, it's me."
"There are no outsiders here, so just call me Grandmother. Please sit down!"
"Yes, Grandmother."
Isolte had great respect for Reida, and her words and actions were impeccable.
She sat upright opposite her grandmother, her hands on her knees, her back straight.
Looking at her granddaughter, who was so well-educated and sensible, the Water God Reida nodded in satisfaction.
Such an outstanding Isolte, I wonder what kind of man will be worthy of her in the future.
"... By the way, Grandmother, is there something you wanted to discuss with me tonight?"
"Oh, it's nothing serious, I just wanted to tell you a story."
Reida picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then put it down.
" Isolte, do you know why every Water God, after inheriting the Water God, has to abandon her original name? Is it Reida?"
Isolte shook her head.
The Water God Reida's gaze held a profound depth as she began to speak.
"That's because a long, long time ago, our first Water God Style, Water God Ledar, encountered a princess from a great nation. In order to marry her, the king promised him that if he could defeat the Sea Dragon King who led a sea army to invade the country, he would be given the princess in his marriage."
"... But when the First Water God defeated the sea dragon king and thought he had finally fulfilled his promise and could marry the princess in glory, the king went back on his word at the last minute."
Disheartened, the First Water God left the country.
"However... no one expected that the princess had already fallen in love with Ledar, who had become a hero. She voluntarily abandoned her country, gave up her original surname, and chased after Ledar with nothing."
"In the end, the lovers were united in marriage, becoming a widely circulated and beautiful story."
"Later, this became a tradition of our Water God Style. After the Water God Reida inherited the title, her partner had to give up her original surname..."
After hearing the story, Isolte sighed softly, "What a romantic story."
At the same time, an extremely romantic scene involuntarily surfaced in her mind.
After overcoming numerous hardships and trials with her beloved, the two finally tied the knot.
The wedding took place in the sacred and solemn Millis Church, where she wore a white wedding dress and was the center of attention.
As for the groom...
Isolte naturally thought of that man.
"Groom Rog Greyrat, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer... do you solemnly swear that you Isolte for the rest of your life?"
"I swear, I, Luo Ge, will only ever Isolte."
"Would you be willing to give up your original surname?"
"I do... From the very first time we met, I fell deeply in love with Miss Isolte, and I will only ever love her."
In full view of everyone, the priest offered his blessing, and his beloved walked up to him step by step. Finally, he gently kissed her forehead with his loving eyes to express his feelings.
It's perfect...
Thinking about it this way, Isolte couldn't help but close her eyes and imagine what two adults would do next.
A faint blush crept onto Isolte's cheeks, though it was barely visible in the darkness.
"Cough cough!"
" Isolte??!!"
In the end, it was a single sentence from the Water God Reida that pulled Isolte back from her beautiful, false fantasy to reality.
She gave her grandmother a reproachful look, really... why didn't she call her earlier or later?
Just when I was about to reach the crucial final step, I was suddenly jolted awake. I was so close, so very close.
" Isolte?"
"That's strange... why is your face red?"
"Grandmother!"
"It's fine..."
"Go on, I'm listening."
"Hmm! Remember not to get distracted again. After all, in the two years since you earned the title of ' Water King,' you've clearly started to slack off a bit... Have you encountered some kind of bottleneck?"
"I'm so sorry to have disappointed Grandmother." Isolte lowered her head, her voice filled with guilt.
However, Reida didn't blame her. She waved her hand and said, "It's okay... Isolte is actually very good. She did a great job."
"By the way, Isolte... how old are you this year?"
I'm seventeen.
"Is Isolte already this old? Come to think of it... time really flies. At your age, shouldn't you be thinking about marriage by now?"
"Marry?"
"Huh?! No way!"
Isolte immediately waved her hands hastily, almost jumping up from the stone bench. "Master! I don't want to get married... at least not until I become the Water God, I don't want to get married in my entire life!"
"Yeah?"
The Water God Reida's lips curled slightly upwards; she saw through it all but said nothing, her eyes filled with amusement.
" Isolte, what would you think if I arranged a marriage for you?"
"Marriage?"
"Is he a nobleman? Is Master suggesting I marry him for the sake of the family's interests?" Isolte's narrowed eyes suddenly widened, feeling both surprised and taken aback.
"Yes."
"... Although my family isn't exactly a prominent noble family, our status in Asura isn't too low either. I've been quite troubled lately."
"It's all because our Isolte so outstanding... Recently, nobles have been coming in droves to propose marriage to you."
"Perfect."
"I've also taken a liking to a few, but I'd like you to decide on your future husband yourself. What do you say, Isolte?"
Isolte's face immediately turned anxious. She realized that her grandmother had suddenly summoned her because she wanted to arrange a marriage for her.
"That kind of thing..."
"Hmm, no rush... there's no rush at all, Grandmother! Let my brother handle carrying on the family line!"
Isolte was anxious and strongly resisted the arranged marriage, completely unaware that the smile in the eyes of the Water God Reida was growing stronger.
"I see?"
Reida suddenly waved her hand, looking very regretful.
"In that case, Isolte, it's such a pity. I was originally planning to help you arrange this marriage... Since Isolte has already made up her mind, let's just leave it at that."
Hearing her master say that, Isolte finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, with some curiosity, she asked, "Grandmother, why the sudden arrangement of a marriage? Has a nobleman come to propose? Or... is it a promising young man from royalty?"
In fact, arranged marriages were already commonplace in Asura, a country ruled by nobles. In order to consolidate their family's status, nobles would arrange for their children to marry into other families.
It's like the Water God Style...
Similarly, with intricate ties to the nation of Asura, children from noble families are often sent to dojos to learn swordsmanship from a young age to enhance their social standing, and most of them later become knights.
The Water God Style Water God Style its influence in the world through this cooperative approach of recruiting and training noble disciples.
Compared to the Water God Style style, the Sword God Style is much simpler and more direct. It only considers talent, not personality, and has no status or position; strength is everything.
If the Water God Style was primarily composed of cultured individuals, then the Sword God Style was a group of uncouth martial artists.
As for the last North God Style, let's not even mention him; he was a bunch of despicable villains.
It is an existence despised by both of their schools of thought, and it occupies the low end of the food chain among the three major schools.
" Isolte..."
"Do you remember when we went to the Sword Sanctum to see young man Gal?"
"Huh?"
Isolte puzzled, wondering why her master would say such a thing.
Weren't we just talking about her marriage? Why did we suddenly change the subject?
" Isolte, do you still remember that handsome young man, Luo Ge?"
Isolte's heart skipped a beat. She tilted her head, her face full of confusion.
"Hey, Grandma, what exactly are you trying to say?"
"I think that young man is quite good. My original plan was to facilitate your marriage. For this matter... I have already written to Gal to discuss it in advance, thinking of asking him to act as a matchmaker."
"Of course, we mainly need to ask Luo Ge's opinion. If Luo Ge doesn't object after we ask, then we'll finalize your marriage..."
"But since Isolte so firmly opposed, I have no choice but to retract my previous idea."
"???"
Isolte's mind went blank.
"No, Grandmother!"
"I think there's still room for negotiation. Can't I give it some thought?"
Isolte excitedly rushed forward and grabbed the hands of the Water God Reida, her whole body trembling.
"Oh?"
"But didn't Isolte just now swear that she would only live for the sword and only want to become the Water God?"
Isolte blushed. "Grandmother! These are two different things, and they don't conflict... You can still become Water God even if you get married!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, our Isolte is quite the little rascal!"
"Grandmother!"
"... You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
"Hehehe, since I've been seen through, I won't pretend anymore. That kid Luo Ge is indeed quite good... and how could Grandmother not know what Isolte thinking?"
Under the watchful, enigmatic gaze of the Water God Reida.
Isolte took a deep breath, then stood up and bowed solemnly to the Water God Reida.
"Please, Grandmother! You must make this marriage happen."