A Swordmaster's Homecoming
It took Yohan and Wilhelm four days and five consecutive transits through long-distance teleportation magic circles to finally reach their destination.
"Whoa..."
The bustling streets had an entirely different atmosphere from those of the Holy Kingdom. Looking at the spectacle unfolding before his eyes, Yohan couldn't help but marvel.
*This is incredible. It's way flashier than the royal capital of Westania.*
The Goddess's impression wasn't much different from his.
"This is Allen, the largest city in the Waldeck Marquisate," Wilhelm said, glancing sideways at Yohan.
"Look at you, giving me a tour without even being asked. I guess you're secretly excited to be back in your hometown?" Yohan teased.
"Well, let's go with that."
Yohan had poked fun at him just to get a reaction, but for some reason, Wilhelm didn't fire back with his usual dry wit. He simply went along with it.
*This guy... is nervous. Extremely nervous.*
Yohan quickly realized that although Wilhelm looked perfectly calm on the outside, he was shaking like a leaf on the inside.
As the highborn son of a prominent Imperial noble family who had abandoned his lineage and run away, facing his family again was bound to be incredibly stressful.
Yet, the fact that he had returned to his hometown anyway... meant he was truly determined to throw his full weight behind Yohan.
Realizing this made Yohan feel a bit self-conscious. He cast a look at Wilhelm that was half-grateful and half-apologetic.
*Man, this guy must have really, really wanted to quit being a sheriff.*
"Why are you looking at me with such a creepy expression?"
"Oh, nothing. Come on, let's get moving, milord."
Of course, that didn't mean Yohan had any intention of stopping his teasing.
"'Milord'—you little... Whew, never mind. Just follow me quietly."
"Sure, sure."
The two left the magic circle station and headed toward the lord's castle.
Allen felt like Balifield scaled up about four times, with the architectural quality of its roads and buildings elevated by several levels.
Honestly, this grand, continent-spanning scale was only natural for the Empire. After all, the size of each territory within the Empire was comparable to the entire landmass of most small-to-medium-sized nations.
"To be honest, it's been so long since I've been here that I was worried I might get lost," Wilhelm muttered, crossing his arms as they neared the castle.
"For someone who was worried, you walked us here without a single hesitation."
"Well, the castle's location hasn't changed since I was a kid."
Their eyes naturally drifted toward the castle. After a brief pause, they resumed their march.
Since the castle of Allen also functioned as a public administrative office, a steady stream of people moved in and out. Yohan followed Wilhelm, naturally blending into the crowd.
"Halt. State your identity and purpose of visit."
"I wish to audience with the Lord."
A guard blocking the checkpoint stopped them. Wilhelm stated his business and smoothly pulled his identification token from his coat, presenting it.
Instantly, the guards' blunt, dismissive attitudes vanished, their eyes widening so much they looked ready to pop out of their sockets.
"Th-this is...?!"
"P-please wait! Just a moment, please!"
It was a classic scene of slack-jawed guards suddenly snapping to absolute attention. Yohan had to sweat to keep himself from bursting into laughter.
"The Marquis is currently in a meeting with her vassals. We ask that you please wait comfortably."
"Understood."
Yohan and Wilhelm were immediately escorted to the drawing room by a servant. Because a member of the Marquis's family had suddenly shown up without any prior notice, the servants were visibly flustered.
They spent about two hours passing the time with tea and refreshments.
Click.
The firmly shut door swung open, and the person they had been waiting to see stepped into the room.
The older sister of the muscular sheriff Wilhelm, the current head of the prestigious Waldeck Marquis family, and the Lord of the Waldeck Marquisate.
Marquis Waldeck, who entered the drawing room, was a woman whose appearance differed quite a bit from the monstrously imposing figure Yohan had imagined.
Of course, her eyes were a spitting image of her brother Wilhelm's, making it obvious at first glance that they were closely related by blood.
"When I received the report, I doubted my own ears at first. But you really have returned."
After staring at her brother in silence for a moment, she finally spoke.
"It has been a long time, Sister."
"Indeed. It has been a very long time. More than twenty years, if I recall correctly."
A problem had arisen. Far from sharing a joyful reunion, the two siblings were exchanging words with expressions as cold as ice, leaving Yohan squirming in the suffocating awkwardness.
"Since you never sent a single letter, I had no way of knowing whether you were dead or alive. Seeing you so hale and hearty, it seems my worries were entirely in vain."
"I apologize for causing you worry."
*Are all Imperial nobles this incredibly awkward with their siblings?* Yohan felt his mouth go completely dry from the tension, despite having just downed several cups of tea.
Whatever. Why am I so intimidated? I've literally faced down a god, the supreme authority and focal point of an entire nation. He calmed his racing heart, mentally patting himself on the back.
"So. My dear brother, who threw away even the title of Swordmaster to vanish into thin air. What business could possibly bring you back to our family estate?"
*Wait, did she just say Swordmaster?!*
"G-gasp—!"
The sound escaped him reflexively. Yohan hurriedly clamped both hands over his mouth, but the damage was done; the siblings' gazes snapped directly to him.
"Right. And who is this young man? Judging by his attire and bearing, he doesn't seem to be your servant."
"He is my companion. He is quite capable, despite his appearance. And..."
Sure enough, the sharp arrow of Marquis Waldeck's gaze had pivoted toward Yohan, but Wilhelm quickly stepped in to intercept it.
"...he is also the reason I have shamelessly returned to seek your help, Sister."
"..."
Marquis Waldeck fell silent. Both Yohan and Wilhelm waited with tense expressions for her to speak again.
"It seems this conversation will be rather long. Let us move to a more suitable location."
Wilhelm and Yohan followed Marquis Waldeck to her office.
Inside the office, a massive bookshelf lined an entire wall, packed so tightly with all kinds of volumes that it resembled a library.
For a family of marquis rank, this was likely only a fraction of their actual collection. Yohan clicked his tongue in awe as he scanned the wall of books.
"Now, I have provided the setting. Go ahead and try to convince me."
*This lady is definitely no pushover.* Yohan realized that Wilhelm's assessment of his sister had been an understatement.
But this kind of direct opportunity was exactly what they wanted. Yohan clenched his fists and nodded.
Thus, Yohan and Wilhelm explained the reasons that had brought them all this way. In the process, Yohan even got to hear stories about Wilhelm's early days settling in the Balifield area—details he hadn't known before.
"So your plan is to make this man a knight, and to do that, you need to borrow our family's name."
"Yes. While I have prepared some personal materials, having the backing of an Imperial Marquis family will force the local lord to consider our proposal much more seriously."
Strictly speaking, the Waldeck Marquis family had absolutely no connection to Westania, where Balifield was located.
The distance between the two territories spanned from the center of the continent to the southeastern edge, and they were entirely different nations to begin with.
However, in this world, there were two entities whose influence transcended national borders to affect the entire continent: the Central Church of the Holy Kingdom, and the Empire.
From the perspective of the Lord of Balifield, accepting a highly capable individual backed by an Imperial Marquis family as his knight would undoubtedly be an incredibly attractive proposition.
"To be perfectly frank, I have no reason to grant your request. Our family name is not something to be tossed around lightly."
But Marquis Waldeck was cold. Speaking as the head of the family, she clearly disliked the idea of an outsider utilizing their family name.
While developing the Nameless Village was a matter of life and death for Yohan, to Marquis Waldeck, it was merely a trivial affair in some far-off country.
"Yohan, was it? This Church of the Unnamed Goddess you mentioned is, in the end, just a newly established religion that has only recently begun its activities."
"Well... yes, that's true."
It wasn't exactly wrong. Yohan nodded sheepishly.
"Of course, I acknowledge that the legitimacy of the deity you serve is quite extraordinary. However, we of the Waldeck family already adhere to our own faith, the Imperial Orthodox Church, which we have worshipped for generations."
The Imperial Orthodox Church was an officially recognized religion sanctioned by the Central Church. Within the Empire, it stood alongside the worship of the Primary God as one of the two major religions boasting an immense following.
"..."
Yohan and Wilhelm exchanged a brief look. They had gone through all kinds of hardships to get here, and now they worried that all their efforts might go down the drain.
"However... listening to your story has piqued my personal curiosity."
"Pardon?"
Marquis Waldeck suddenly stood up and walked toward the bookshelf with elegant strides.
"Let's see. It should be around here..."
After searching the shelves for a moment, she pulled out a book and handed it to Yohan.
"This is..."
Checking the cover, Yohan's eyes widened in shock.
*Wait, why is this showing up here?!*
At the same time, the Goddess's astonished voice echoed in his head.
Until recently, the Church of the Unnamed Goddess had not been in a position to openly proselytize. Therefore, before actively gathering believers, Yohan had laid the groundwork by distributing educational books containing their doctrines under the radar.
The book Marquis Waldeck had pulled out was the Imperial edition of Martin's Fables.
Hilariously, the seal of the Dorleans Merchant Group was stamped on the back of the book. It seemed the Dorleans Merchant Group had handled the printing and distribution of the Imperial edition.
To be honest, Yohan had completely forgotten about it. Although he had personally rewritten Louis Dorleans's corrupt mindset, once the activities of the Church of the Unnamed Goddess were officially recognized, he had no reason to pay attention to such details anymore.
"The core theme of this book seems remarkably similar to the doctrines of the Church of the Unnamed Goddess you just described."
"Well..."
"Of course, the Central Church of the Holy Kingdom also claims to pursue justice. However, if this book truly contained the values of the Primary God, there would be no reason to hide its message beneath the surface and disguise it as a simple book of fables."
If it were a book produced by the Central Church, they would have proudly stamped their name on it. It was an incredibly sharp observation, and Yohan swallowed hard.
"In my estimation, the author of this book must also be a member of your Church of the Unnamed Goddess."
"Whew... You're right. Actually, I wrote it."
Yohan honestly admitted that her guess was correct. At his confession, a faint smile finally broke across her face, which had maintained a solemn expression until now.
"To be perfectly honest, as I listened to your story earlier, I suspected that your church might be a cult worshipping an evil god or a demon masquerading as a benevolent deity."
*What did she say?!*
The Goddess, highly offended by Marquis Waldeck's confession, shrieked in outrage. Of course, her voice was completely inaudible to anyone else.
"But it seems that was my misunderstanding. Your church is indeed a religion that helps the weak and realizes true justice."
The atmosphere had noticeably warmed up. Yohan and Wilhelm exchanged glances and gave each other a subtle nod.
"Furthermore, Wilhelm. Though you chose to wander, it seems you have not strayed from the righteous path. As your sister, I am deeply pleased."
Wilhelm's eyes widened at her words. After a brief pause, his face softened with a complex mix of emotions, and he bowed his head.
"I grant my permission. You may use the name of the Waldeck Marquis family to persuade the Lord of Balifield."