Chapter 94
Chapter 94
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Sword (1)
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"Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Ayrak Tedley, Holy Executor of the Pyro Church, dispatched as the bishop's proxy. It is an honor to meet a Sword Master."
"Pleased to meet you. I am Argent Welton."
"Why don't you both take a seat first."
Sears invited the Count of Welton and Ayrak to sit while they shook hands.
They had gathered in the count's study after finishing dinner.
As soon as the Count of Welton sat down, he spoke to Ayrak.
"Archbishop Sephira's death is truly regrettable. The church has been through so much."
"Thank you for your concern."
"Zenith Church, those filthy bastards."
The count muttered with a displeased expression.
He patted the back of Sears, who sat beside him with a sorrowful look. Though he hadn't met Archbishop Sephira many times, he knew the archbishop had been her mentor.
He could clearly imagine how devastated she must have felt at the time, even without seeing it.
Moreover, he had heard that Jamie and her father, Marquis Bell, had nearly been targeted by the Zenith Church as well.
He was so furious from head to toe that he didn't know what to do.
If he could, he wanted to storm straight into the Zenith Church headquarters and slaughter every last one of those mongrels.
Suppressing his anger from back then, the count spoke in as calm a tone as possible.
"I will make them pay dearly for touching my family."
Many things were already underway.
The Kingdom of Seldam was uniting with the other northern kingdoms to put pressure on the Zenith Church.
And as the head of the eastern nobility, the count was pooling their power to add political weight.
"Our church will never forget the count's assistance."
"We're in the same boat now. I look forward to working with you."
As the count extended his hand to Ayrak, Ayrak clasped it firmly and nodded.
"Thank you once again for your consideration, Count. We also appreciate you providing us with a portion of your territory. Our church will never forget this grace."
The Welton family and the Pyro Church were now one.
On top of that, he had heard the news that Jamie had been appointed a saint.
He had thought it was a lie at first, but seeing the scales on Jamie's left hand earlier made it impossible to deny.
"We have private matters to discuss, so please excuse us first."
"I'll take my leave then."
"See you later."
Ayrak left the study after receiving farewells from the count and his wife.
Once alone, the count leaned back on the sofa with a much more relaxed expression. Then he said to Sears,
"I heard from your father about Onyx. It went well?"
At the mention of Baylor, Sears nodded slightly.
"Yes. It went well."
The count smiled faintly at her subdued response and smiled back.
"Well done."
"You're not angry?"
"Why would I be angry?"
"It wasn't just my issue, but I made the decision on my own."
At her words, the count blinked before bursting into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"Why are you laughing?"
Sears furrowed one eyebrow at her husband's sudden laughter.
The count wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and apologized to her.
"Hahaha. Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to laugh."
Once he stopped laughing completely, he answered her question with a slightly serious face.
"My dear, what matters to me is your happiness."
"Darling..."
"Honestly, I don't have kind feelings toward that Onyx fellow, but that was only because of how he treated you. No other reason. If you're fine with it, so am I."
The count added one more thing.
"Ah, there was that. Back when he was called the demon, I wondered how deep his inferiority complex toward me must have been to act like that."
"You really..."
"What can I do when your husband is so outstanding."
"Ugh, you're so cheesy."
"Oh no, I can't be cheesy? What if you end up hating me?"
"Even if you became the cheesiest person in the kingdom, I'd love you forever, so don't worry needlessly."
"That's a reliable answer. Maybe it's because it's been a month, but you look especially beautiful today."
"Hey, hold on a sec..."
The eavesdropping ended there.
Jamie severed the mana connected to the count's study.
Listening any further would be invading their privacy.
Even family deserved some boundaries, right?
"They were just getting to the good part..."
Meanwhile, Vena, who had been snorting excitedly, glared at Jamie with a deeply disappointed face.
What a lecherous squirrel.
"Shut up and get lost."
"Eek!"
Jamie grabbed Vena's tail and tossed her onto the bed.
[Why is my master so pathetic?]
Philion clicked his tongue at Vena rolling around on the bed like a paper doll.
Jamie ignored them and organized the eavesdropped information in his mind.
'As expected, Father is already making moves.'
It wouldn't make sense if news from Upton hadn't reached the Count of Welton.
But the northern kingdoms uniting was unexpected.
Especially the northeastern kingdoms, which fell under the domain of Arvela, the god of wisdom and folly.
Their involvement was proof that Arvela also disapproved of Zenith.
'It could just be them jumping in over the demon contract issue.'
Whatever the reason, the increased pressure on them was enough to make him grin just thinking about it.
Those Zenith mongrels were probably kicking their blankets in rage right now. That was their personality.
'But I can't let my guard down.'
True to his petty nature, Zenith was a meticulous god as well.
The situation was unfavorable for him now, but he would thrash around desperately to turn it around.
'And he has allies among the gods.'
Dragon God Brahman and Goddess of Beauty Lily.
Their domains were on the central continent , adjacent to the eastern continent <cariren> where the Zenith Church was based.
If war broke out, they could move together immediately.
'Still a distant prospect for now.'
It was only political pressure at the moment. It would take years for tensions to escalate to war.
War doesn't start just because someone yells 'Let's go!'
Of course, that mad bastard Zenith might declare war without looking back.
If the plan in Upton had succeeded, the Zenith Church would have detonated a massive bomb.
But it failed, and the initiative had fully shifted to this side.
'And Ra's distance has grown, they said.'
With Ra, who dominated the southern continent, out of the picture, the burden lightened considerably.
The situation was developing entertainingly.
"So, what are you going to do now, Master?"
Vena, who had snuck up, climbed onto his shoulder and asked.
"Lots to do from here on."
"Eep!"
As Jamie suddenly stood up, Vena lost her balance and fell to the floor.
Even in squirrel form, her landing was impeccable.
I wondered if she'd really turn into a squirrel at this rate.
"That's dangerous!"
"Who told you to climb up?"
Jamie brushed her off casually and formed a sword with mana.
He swung it lightly in the air and said,
"Anyway, for now, I'm thinking of learning the sword."
He planned to ask the count tomorrow morning to teach him the sword.
He wasn't sure what reaction he'd get, but he doubted it would be rejection.
Thinking that, he swung the sword repeatedly.
"Master, you don't seem to have any talent for the sword."
A small lump appeared on Vena's forehead.
Morning broke.
After getting ready, Jamie prepared to head out for breakfast.
That's when he spotted the squirrel Vena sprawled on the bed, belly up and fluffy.
Her mouth agape, drooling obliviously—it was an eyesore.
"Mmm, mmm."
She looked blissfully happy, probably dreaming of something delicious.
"Lazy bum."
So he stuffed something tasty in.
"Mmmph!! Mmmp mmph!"
It was a large cherry, perfectly sized for Vena's mouth.
Jamie grinned and left the room.
The muffled sounds from behind suggested she really was enjoying it.
Upon arriving at the dining hall, his parents and Sara, who had arrived first, welcomed him.
"Come sit."
"Come eat your num-nums... wait, no. Our Jamie's grown so much, can't call it num-nums anymore."
"Haha..."
Sears stuck out her tongue teasingly.
Jamie sat with an awkward smile.
Breakfast was served. The marquis household's meals were impressive, but the chef who knew the Welton tastes perfectly was unmatched.
"Let's all eat well."
As the count ladled his soup first, the others began eating.
This was it.
He'd eaten well on the journey, but their chef's skill was the best!
Yesterday, fresh off arrival, dinner had been a blur—food going in nose or mouth unclear—but this refreshed morning let the flavors dance on his tongue.
'Truly the best.'
After the satisfying meal, a simple dessert was brought out.
"It's been a while since we had such a peaceful breakfast."
The Count of Welton sipped his coffee, looking content. Having eaten alone for over a month, his face beamed with smiles.
He must have been lonely without the family dining together daily.
"Yummy."
Sara devoured strawberry cake, smearing it around her mouth.
Sears wiped her daughter's face with a napkin.
A peaceful time.
Jamie glanced at his half-finished juice, then said to the count,
"Father, I want to learn the sword."
The count paused mid-sip.
Thinking he'd misheard, he set down his cup and asked Jamie again.
"What did you just say?"
"I want to learn the family swordsmanship."
At his son's sudden declaration, the count stared silently before turning to Sears.
Sears sipped her coffee calmly.
She seemed aware of Jamie's intentions.
As the count pondered what to say, Sara chirped excitedly,
"Oppa gonna be knight?"
"Yeah. Oppa will become a knight too."
"Wow!"
Sara's big eyes sparkled as she looked at Sears.
"Mommy! Oppa says he's gonna be knight!"
"Yes, Mommy heard."
"Daddy knight! Oppa knight too!"
Sears smiled, stroking her cute daughter's hair.
The count, face full of concern, asked Jamie,
"What about magic?"
"I'll train in magic alongside it."
"So you want to learn the sword just for self-defense in emergencies?"
"No. Like I said, I want to learn the family swordsmanship."
The count's expression hardened at that.
He scolded his son,
"You're underestimating the sword."
"I'm not."
"The family swordsmanship can't be learned alongside magic. The sword isn't that easy."
Jamie would grow faster than others even learning the sword—Welton blood demanded it.
But alongside magic? That changed things.
Even focusing solely on swordsmanship, many ancestors never achieved mastery.
No matter one's magic talent, some things were possible, others not.
To the count, his son's words sounded immature.
"I've never underestimated the sword."
"No. You are. I can't teach someone like that."
Jamie was quite taken aback by his father's reaction.
Until now, the Count of Welton had never blocked what he wanted to do. He'd encourage effort, never interfere.
He'd expected the same this time.
But the count turned away with a resolute face.
"Pretend you didn't say it."
"I'm serious!"
The mood between them sank.
Sara, startled by the sudden change, looked anxiously at her mother.
But Sears ignored them both, sipping only her coffee.
She knew she shouldn't interfere. Whatever the outcome, she would watch.
"Mommy..."
Sara tugged her arm worriedly.
Sears hugged her daughter, reassuring her it was fine.
The count stared piercingly at his son for a while before abruptly standing.
"Get ready and come to the training grounds."
"Father."
"I'll test your resolve."
The count left those words behind and departed.
Test his resolve.
He knew what that meant without asking.
'I need to earn his approval.'
Thinking about it, he and his father, the Count of Welton, had never had deep talks about sword or magic.
Naturally, he'd never received direct instruction from him.
This new side of his father flustered him, but Jamie quickly regained composure.
'Actually, this is better.'
The Count of Welton seemed even more reliable seeing his attitude toward the sword.
So he just needed to show what the count wanted.
'If all it takes is proof.'
He would provide it.
After changing clothes, Jamie headed straight to the training grounds.