Spring passed and autumn came. Jason was now eighteen, and he had been in this world for ten years.
"A seventh-level warrior. I finally made it!"
He had trained in a technique that helped him break through quickly, had the support of the royal family's superior resources, and had worked hard at his cultivation. Together, these had finally made Jason a seventh-level warrior at eighteen.
In truth, Jason's own talent as a warrior was still a little lacking. Across the Yulan Continent, a few seventh-level warriors of eighteen appeared in every generation.
Jason had heard that, in his parents' generation, the Rhine Clan had produced a seventh-level warrior at eighteen who had made the breakthrough a little earlier than he had.
Even so, Jason was very happy.
"It's been ten years since I transmigrated. I train my battle-qi during the day, study academic subjects on my own at night, and meditate for two hours before bed, without a day off all year. I really haven't been riding high with a beauty on each arm like those other transmigrators." Jason lay on his bed.
"Maybe I could take a break for a while? And see what it's like to have a beauty on each arm?"
Recently, Emperor Maisiji had brought up finding Jason a match several times, but Jason had refused every time. Once he reached the Saint-level, he could do whatever he wanted on the Yulan Plane.
"Tomorrow I'll find someone to custom-make a few weapons. Then, hmm... I won't go out just yet. I'll spend some time learning to fight first. Instructor Feidier did say my practical combat skills were too poor."
Jason's practical combat skills weren't just poor. He didn't have any at all-
That was how the Rhine Clan educated its descendants. During their youth, it used superior resources and targeted instruction to quickly improve their strength. Once they came of age, they decided their own paths.
Those who wanted to enter politics did so, those who wanted to marry married, and those who wanted to cultivate continued cultivating-
Jason's older sister Yunika was three years his senior and had married two years ago. Her husband was the eldest son of an earl of the Rhine Empire, and the two had been childhood sweethearts.
Yunika had already been a sixth-level warrior when she married. Though her practical combat skills were terrible, with her talent, reaching the seventh or eighth level in her lifetime should have been easy if she kept cultivating. Unfortunately, that wasn't where her ambitions lay.
When Yunika married, all three of her siblings gave her their heartfelt blessings. Yunika had never had any intention of competing for the throne, and Barek and Lucy both treated her very well. Jason, of course, had been close to his sister since childhood.
As for Jason, once Barek and Lucy confirmed that he truly had no interest in politics and no intention of using his power to oppress others after reaching the Saint-level, they began treating him with the affection and respect due between siblings.
In the Rhine Empire, Barek and Lucy had now entered the final round of the struggle for the throne.
But Jason didn't care much about any of that.
"What kind of weapon would Your Highness like?" The imperial palace had its own dedicated forging craftsmen, and they were highly skilled.
"I've always used a saber in training."
Jason had no practical combat experience, but he had learned the basic movements of fighting, using unsharpened training sabers.
The smithy's apprentice indicated that he understood. He was accustomed to the palace's "nobles" having little idea about weapons for actual combat, so he took out several unsharpened iron sabers.
"Your Highness, these are some of the more common saber styles. First choose the styles, then the materials, and we'll custom-make them for you."
Perhaps because of their bloodline, most members of the Rhine Clan preferred sabers as weapons, especially two-handed ones.
First, Jason chose a medium-length two-handed saber. Its style resembled a Tang saber, which he liked very much. Next was a one-handed curved saber, to go with a shield Barek had given him earlier. Then came a long two-handed saber, which he expected to need against large beasts. Finally, he chose a cavalry saber. Jason had learned to ride before; as a noble, fighting on horseback was unavoidable.
"These four? All right, Your Highness, please follow me to choose the materials."
"A seventh-level lightning-attribute warrior, and Your Highness also practices some magic?" After listening to Jason introduce himself, the apprentice indicated that he understood.
"For a seventh-level warrior, a weapon should weigh less than a thousand jin. Considering that Your Highness will grow stronger, we'll set the two two-handed sabers among the four weapons at fifteen hundred jin.
"For the materials, we'll mainly use Purple-Spotted Copper and refined steel, combined with some lightning-attribute materials and a small amount of Mithril to conduct magic. What do you think?"
"Mm, that's fine." Jason didn't have much experience, but his current training saber weighed three thousand jin, and he found it very strenuous to use.
(In the original story, Linley's heavy sword weighed three thousand jin. When it was made, it was said that a seventh-level warrior was needed just to lift it, while an eighth-level warrior could barely use it in battle.)
"Please wait a moment, Your Highness. I'll go inform my master."
Along with the four weapons, Jason bought another shield and a chainmail shirt, for a total of thirty thousand gold coins.
(The Slaughterer of the Baruch clan cost tens of thousands of gold coins to make in the original story.)
Jason had been quite well-off over the years. Ever since he displayed outstanding talent for cultivation, his father, Emperor Maisiji, had raised his monthly allowance to five thousand gold coins. He also received various precious items to assist his cultivation, far more than he could use.
Barek also doted on his younger brother Jason and had previously given him a suit of plate armor and a shield captured on the battlefield. But both were rather heavy and suited for use on the battlefield, so Jason probably wouldn't be able to use them while traveling on his own.
His younger sister Lucy also often dropped by to visit Jason and had even given him a manor, though it was rather far from the royal capital.
Lucy was now a graceful young woman of seventeen. She was already a sixth-level magus, and with help from her mother's family, she had acquired quite a few investments and businesses in the royal capital. She seemed to be starting in commerce before attempting to compete for power.
Jason returned to his small courtyard. He had moved there five years ago. It was laid out like a traditional courtyard residence, and the empress had also assigned him two attendants and two maids.
Jason was now treated as a fairly favored prince.
In Emperor Maisiji's words, "There are four children in the family. One is married, and two are fighting openly and in secret. That leaves just one who's well-behaved, sensible, and reasonably talented. If I don't dote on him, who should I dote on?"
With his maids' help, Jason put on his chainmail shirt and helmet, then tried out his four weapons one by one.
I can take at most two when I go out. I'm starting to look forward to getting an Interspatial Ring, Jason thought privately as he swung the large two-handed saber.
But he had no way to obtain an Interspatial Ring. The necromancer in the original story seemed to have acquired one by chance, but the place and circumstances hadn't been written down.
As for the Coiling Dragon Ring, Jason didn't dare set his sights on it.
Leaving aside the fact that the benefits of a single Coiling Dragon Ring offered less promise than relying on Linley when the time came, Beirut's attitude alone was hard to predict. After all, it belonged to the Azure Dragon. Linley was a member of the Azure Dragon Clan, so it was one thing for him to take it, but Beirut might not agree to an outsider like Jason taking it.
If that drew Beirut's attention to Jason and led him to search Jason's soul, he would be completely screwed.
Jason had made his plans long ago.
He didn't know the exact situation at the Rhine Clan's holy land. As for the Divine Plane in the Chaotic Territory, entering it required at least Saint-level defenses, so he couldn't get in either. Besides, he couldn't dig through the magicite mines on its outskirts himself.
But he could try looking for Mist Canyon.
It was now the year 10015 of the Yulan Calendar. At this time, the Spined Iron-Armored Dragon probably hadn't yet taken that cave from the Purple-Striped Black Bear.
For now, though, Jason probably only had enough strength to survive on the outskirts of Mist Valley, so he wouldn't come into conflict with them.
Jason was going to travel anyway, so he might as well look for Mist Valley along the way.