Squeak!
Amidst various noises and announcements, the resonance train arrived at the station.
As the doors opened, a familiar landscape came into Linne’s view, and simultaneously, a crowd began to gather around Ulysses.
“It’s a relief above all else that you have returned safely, Your Highness Ulysses.”
The first to speak was a face Linne knew all too well.
Seden Orvian, the Chief of Staff of the Royal Secretariat.
“Yes, thanks to the excellent guards, there was no trouble at all, you know.”
As Seden looked on with a worried expression, Ulysses laughed off his concern.
Around them, aside from the Chief of Staff, there were many nobles and individuals who appeared to be from the press.
Are the reporters here to cover the story? To confirm that he has safely returned from the enemy nation, the Holy Nation?
‘If it were other royals or nobles, they might indeed check in this manner.’
As expected, there would have been stern warnings from royal officials about undermining the authority of the royal family.
Linne shrugged her shoulders, feeling unexpectedly popular; it was none of her business, after all.
“It’s like a critically endangered species that escaped from the zoo has returned.”
As Ulysses’ concerned acquaintances looked on, Julian made a sharp critique.
“You speak too bluntly.”
“This too, is a way of expressing loyalty, isn’t it?”
With that, Julian casually made his way into the crowd around Ulysses.
The sly-smiling man with narrowed eyes spoke softly, and the gathered crowd flinched.
‘What on earth did he say?’
Certainly, despite his smiling face, he must have said something quite threatening.
As Linne clicked her tongue at Julian’s demeanor, she suddenly thought back to the incident in the Holy Nation.
‘That time, in the underground arena, Julian’s aura was different from usual.’
In the last moment, as he mercilessly cut down the Tri-horn demon, a black aura, similar to a shadow and bearing a sinister atmosphere, emerged—quite different from the ‘moonlight’ Julian had always embodied.
‘Is he operating two types of auras on his own?’
That’s impossible.
‘Maybe…’
But it wasn’t easy to be sure.
A swordsman using a method far removed from conventional concepts, that was Julian.
Moreover.
‘He told me to find my own way.’
Unlike his teacher, Hayden Reich, he did not assign a ‘conventional concept’ to the aura.
The ‘modern methods of aura manipulation’ are an accumulation built by countless norms and a few stars.
‘If you train according to its teachings, you would become a conventional swordsman.’
Linne knew this too.
Nevertheless, Julian denied it and told her to find her own way.
‘Master would never have said such a thing.’
It’s like forsaking an easy path to walk through a thorny one.
A misstep might lead to losing your way.
However, after witnessing the battle in the arena, she began to somewhat understand his words.
The aura Julian exhibited underground was far different from the typical aura she knew.
They say that observing the battles of accomplished swordsmen can be enlightening; thanks to that, she felt like she could advance to another level.
That pride was fleeting, however.
‘But….’
Focusing again on the ‘black aura,’ she shifted her gaze to Julian.
‘It feels like something I’ve seen before.’
In the deserted dawn, when the fierce moon rises, there’s always a ‘shadow’ beneath it.
The recent ‘shadow’ that stirred up the capital was the ‘Black Knight.’
Julian’s ‘black aura’ somehow felt similar to that.
‘Ah.’
An idea akin to an overactive imagination momentarily crossed her mind.
‘Is Julian the Black Knight?’
Could the smiling executioner and the people’s hero be one and the same?
If he, who is ruthless and enjoys killing, finds out her thoughts.
—’How dare you compare me to such a disrespectful person? I am Julian Crypart Frason.’
She could vividly imagine him retorting with high self-esteem.
Linne shook her head, but still.
‘Still, it’s too similar.’
Lost in thought for a moment, she snorted in derision.
‘Surely not.’
***
It was undeniably amusing.
As soon as I arrived at the estate, who would have thought I’d miss my mansion this much?
Even the thought that ‘home is the best’ crossed my mind, and it wasn’t even bought with my own money.
‘At this rate, I might really start thinking of myself as Julian.’
I’m already halfway there.
Initially, using honorifics felt awkward, but now doesn’t it seem natural?
“Have you returned, Lord Julian?”
“Yes, could you please move these to the garden?”
“It seems you’ve airlifted these orchids from the Holy Nation. Understood.”
The mansion’s butler, already accustomed to ‘Julian’s’ whims and the orchids, did not hesitate at my words and immediately moved forward.
It was a journey neither too long nor too short.
It wouldn’t have been strange if I had been exhausted, but as if enchanted, my body headed towards the mansion’s training ground.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been here.”
I casually threw my coat aside, closed my eyes, and chewed over the chilling sensation I had felt underground once more.
The combination of Sombra and the Moonlight Sword, the Eclipse.
Remembering the sword that pierced through Idel’s body, which was harder than steel, and brought him peace, my mana veins began to heat up.
‘My body is reacting.’
This screw-loose body only felt human warmth when handling a sword.
It’s crazy that I only feel warm when I hold a sword.
In the midst of my disbelief, the aura in my entire mana veins concentrated into the sword.
Uuung.
‘It’s weaker than before.’
I tried to overlay Sombra on the ‘Moonlight Sword’ like I had felt at the time, but I could sense that the color was lighter than what I saw underground.
The output was definitely weaker than when I cut through Idel.
I roughly knew the reason.
‘It must be because the Opened eye hasn’t manifested.’
Yet, unlike before, the ‘invisible’ had become more ‘distinct.’
For example.
Whoosh.
When I withdrew Sombra and swung only the ‘Moonlight Sword,’ a gentle ripple flew towards the wooden dummy in the center of the training ground.
Although not as sharp as a dagger, the aura had its own speed.
The commonly mentioned ‘sword energy’ touched the dummy’s body, leaving a small scratch.
Sigh.
In a world where magic is common, the ability to release mana in this way can be easily found.
It’s one thing for magicians, but for swordsmen to release mana, they must reach quite a high level.
‘Aura’ uses mana but follows a different track from magic.
The user’s colored ‘aura’ tends to lose power and disperse as it moves further from the source.
However, once one reaches a certain ‘level’ like now, even that becomes possible.
‘Ilpilhuiji.’
It’s a name given because it’s like writing elegantly with ‘aura.’
Originally, it should have been the protagonist, the Sword Saint, who obtained this ability, but somehow, I acquired it.
Probably, it’s a byproduct of the ‘new Sword Saint’ trait I obtained before.
‘I’m not yet able to shoot sharp sword energy, but still, I can see the potential blooming.’
At this age, to feel my heart pounding at the thought of potential, I guess I’m helpless after all.
I hope there’s a proper way to utilize this ability.
Feeling somewhat regretful that I’m only verifying this ability on a ‘wooden dummy,’ I sensed a certain disappointment.
“Lord Julian, I have placed the pots as you instructed.”
The butler approached me, who was standing idly in the training ground, and spoke again.
“Did you come directly home without stopping by the royal palace?”
“Yes.”
“Is that so…?”
He seemed a bit puzzled, or perhaps, I could guess what he was hinting at. If it were the old ‘Julian,’ obsessed with honor, he would have certainly paraded around the royal palace, boasting about his achievement—especially since he had safely completed the mission of escorting the prince to the potentially hostile Holy Nation.
However,
‘Right now, there are more important things to do than broadcasting my achievements.’
As I was about to walk towards ‘that place,’ putting my sword back in its sheath.
Pause.
Suddenly, ‘Julian’ stops me.
‘What now?’
When I instinctively headed towards my chamber, I finally understood.
‘Someone’s got to be a clean freak.’
Wearing the same outfit I returned in from the Holy Nation and having wielded my sword, I guess I wouldn’t want to wear dusty clothes.
***
In the rain-soaked, gray realm.
Normally absent, the heavy rain made Razlot frown as he hurried down the rain-soaked road.
Amidst the pungent smell of his damp raincoat, a large carriage appeared before him.
Razlot ran to it and knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
Hearing a solemn voice inside, Razlot naturally opened the door and climbed in.
“Did you bring the item you spoke of?”
The one already inside the carriage was Aiden.
With a haughty posture and an attitude that seemed to look down on someone, he didn’t even glance at Razlot who entered.
Familiar with his manner, Razlot simply nodded and handed over what he had prepared.
“Here are the copies of the reports from the Mage Tower.”
“Tsk.”
No matter that he had kept them dry under the raincoat, the documents had gotten somewhat dirty from the drops of water that fell from it.
Aiden clicked his tongue once, took the documents handed by Razlot, and began to examine them one by one.
As his gaze moved from the top to the bottom of the page, his expression grew sterner.
“The research on the Soul stones is progressing steadily. Aileen, that filthy half-breed.”
Muttering venomously to himself, Aiden was a notorious pure-blood supremacist, a fact well-known among those involved in the empire’s magic affairs.
“Despite having impure blood, the problem is that she’s too clever.”
“Still… as a member of the same house, doesn’t that mean there are no major issues from the family’s perspective?”
Razlot added this comment. Coming from a background as an orphan from the slums, he had always harbored doubts about the actions of the nobles who insisted on ‘pureblood’ ideologies.
From his experiences, those they called ‘dirty half-breeds’ had proven to be more capable and had shown better results. Examples include Aileen, who researched Soul stones, and wasn’t Julian the same?
As he unintentionally voiced the thoughts he usually harbored, he could tell from the rapidly cooling atmosphere that he had made a mistake.
“You’ve started to form your own opinions.”
“I’m sorry, Bishop Aiden, for speaking out of turn.”
“No, it’s alright. If something is wrong, it can be corrected.”
Aiden spoke in a tone not as cold as usual.
Thud.
At the same time as a dull sound, Razlot began to feel heat under his chin.
Enduring the pain that followed late, Razlot lowered his gaze.
There, Aiden’s magic staff, which he always carried, was prominently positioned.
“How about now, does this bring you to your senses?”
“Ugh… uh…”
Thud, thud!
This time, the staff struck Razlot’s head and back.
Thud, thud.
Several more times.
With each strike of Aiden’s staff, suppressed moans escaped from Razlot.
“The legitimacy of magic. What right does someone who doesn’t even understand that have to question it?”
“I’m… sorry…”
“You still haven’t come to your senses, it seems.”
As Razlot spoke through his moans, Aiden was about to swing his staff again when suddenly:
Whinnying!
Startled by the sudden cry of a horse, Aiden stopped his staff.
“What’s happening?”
“Sir, someone jumped out in front of the horse.”
Panic was evident in the coachman’s voice, who was outside in the rain.
After giving Razlot a sharp look, Aiden slightly opened the door to check outside.
He wanted to see who dared to stop a noble’s carriage in such foul weather.
There stood a man with an umbrella.
Somehow, the chilly aura around him was familiar, not a first-time experience.
Based on that experience, Aiden guessed the name of the man under the umbrella.
“Julian?”
As the name of someone who shouldn’t have appeared here was mentioned, the air tensed, and Razlot, who had been groaning in pain, flinched.
“You’ve caused unnecessary trouble, Lord Aiden.”
Aiden flinched at the voice that was gentle yet carried a hint of murderous intent, but he tried his best not to show it and greeted the man with the umbrella warmly as he approached.
“When did you return? I thought it would take quite some time.”
“I just did.”
“Is that so? I’m relieved that you have returned safely.”
“Do you really think it’s fortunate?”
Aiden hesitated for a moment at the probing tone but then acted composedly.
“Of course. Aren’t we serving the same royal house and sharing the same creed as fellow members of the order?”
“And yet, you allowed demons on the train where His Highness the Prince was?”
“Hmm.”
Julian’s direct approach made Aiden pause momentarily, but he quickly regained his composure.
“I had no choice from my position. You know that the Third Prince does not favor the actions of the Fourth Prince, don’t you?”
Aiden, a staunch pureblood supremacist, found it displeasing to engage in such a conversation with someone he considered a ‘half-breed.’
“That’s all in the past now. Besides, if I had truly intended to derail the train, you wouldn’t have returned unscathed, would you?”
He made a somewhat over-the-line remark, but Aiden didn’t care.
“How about we consider it water under the bridge? My anger towards Lord Julian’s unilateral actions has also delayed the research on the ‘Horn.'”
He was about to add, ‘Thus, I’ve only been watching as a ‘half-breed’ fulfills the desires of the family,’ but knowing that Julian in front of him was also considered a ‘half-breed,’ Aiden swallowed his words.
“So, let’s forget the past and start with a new heart…”
Crack!
“Ugh, arrrgh…”
Like a flash of lightning, a sharp sword pierced Aiden’s shoulder.
Cliche Novel 