Chapter 65
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: That Boy is a Monster
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In response to her proposal, I silently adjusted my grip on the sword, twirling it lightly before swinging it gently through the air.
Seok!!!
A chilling resonant hum sliced through the empty space.
It wasn't the kind of sound you'd expect from just slashing the air with a sword...
This must be why demonic swords and spirit swords are so dangerous.
They produce effects beyond the user's skill level, inevitably leading to a decline in the wielder's own abilities over time.
Unless you're a true expert, you'd end up devoured by the sword itself.
Truth be told, I'd never wielded a sword of this caliber before.
Even in Labyrinthos, swords were just disposable tools—pick up a new one when it broke.
To me, a sword was just a sword, a tool, an extension of my will.
Of course, scoring this item wasn't a bad haul at all.
"Thank you. I'll take my leave now."
"What a refreshingly straightforward reaction."
"The moment you get lost in a sword's performance, you start to regress. Demonic swords and spirit swords aren't called that for nothing."
I treated holy swords the same way.
A faint smile crossed her cold features at my response.
"Correct, young lord."
After Leon departed, Catshi Mielephon scanned the training grounds from the center.
"Family Head."
"The report?"
"He's been spotted again. Shall we prepare the subjugation force?"
"Ready the knights for dispatch. This time, we must exterminate that damned bastard."
She muttered with a fierce, chilling aura.
"But it's astonishing. To think there's a boy who received your sword and still stands on his own two feet. That's on par with the handful of elites in our family."
The knight murmured in amazement, gazing at the spot where Leon had left.
"I can see why the Sword Saint praises him so. In ten—no, twenty years, he'll shake the continent."
It might sound dismissive at first, but it wasn't.
Mielephon was the continent's greatest sword clan.
In other words, their top experts were all phenomenal swordsmen.
Comparing a teenage boy to them was praise of the highest order.
But Catshi just chuckled and shook her head.
"You didn't see it properly either."
"Pardon?"
Before the knight's eyes, she swiftly drew her sword.
A silver blade gleamed into view.
"What do you mean... Gasp?!"
At the same moment, countless cracks spiderwebbed across the sword in her hand, and it shattered completely.
Leon had wielded a fine treasure sword, while hers was an ordinary iron blade—excuses like that meant nothing.
She had definitely held back some of her power when attacking Leon.
But a sword master like her couldn't have missed it.
Leon had concealed his true strength just as much as she had.
When their swords had clashed.
At first, she'd thought his movements still had some rough edges.
But looking back now, those weren't flaws.
If the swords had been of equal quality, he wouldn't have been pushed back at all. But this was a spar between her—a mid-tier Sword Master—and Leon, a young prospect still growing.
Even holding back, her sword breaking was absurd.
It was potential no ordinary teenager could possess, yet he had demonstrated it.
Not mere luck, but clear intent. Not just raw power.
This was the realm of enlightenment or seasoned technique that even veteran swordsmen rarely achieved.
Something a young boy could never have, the very reason young talents struggle to catch up to their predecessors.
Ten years? Ridiculous.
If someone not even a Sword Master showed this much potential, how strong would he become after breaking through?
And he hadn't even revealed all his cards.
At this point, she understood why her father, the ever-analytical Sword Saint Osberg Mielephon, had made such a fuss.
You had to have exceptional talent yourself to even feel jealousy.
She found it amusing that she felt not jealousy, but awe, toward a boy far younger than herself.
"That kid's a monster."
Catshi echoed the exact words of her father, Sword Saint Osberg Mielephon.
"Isna found herself a fine husband."
Even after the knight left, Catshi sat on the training grounds, gathering her aura.
With the engagement confirmed, she no longer intended to treat Leon as an outsider.
At the very least, the Leon she had seen was exemplary son-in-law material.
There was a gap in family status, but this was a boy who might become the continent's greatest swordsman.
Investing in him was no hardship.
Besides, finding someone open-minded enough to accept her young daughter Isna wasn't easy.
Of course, she didn't consider the possibility that her inscrutable daughter might develop feelings for him.
At that moment, she sensed eyes upon her.
"What is it?"
Without turning, Catshi called out, and a figure in a black robe approached.
A startlingly beautiful face peeked from within the robe.
Her eyes were closed, yet she faced forward perfectly, and even the faint dark circles under them added to her allure.
With a beauty like that at Leon's side, ordinary stunners wouldn't even register.
"You're Leon's healer, aren't you?"
"Correct. Luna Basilyn Raphaelria."
"Raphaelria... It sounds like an angel's name."
"Just a misunderstanding."
Her tone held no courtesy.
Yet somehow, it felt perfectly natural.
"Did you come with something to say?"
"No. Just took a stroll and got lost."
Catshi let out an involuntary chuckle at the calm reply.
How many in the world could be so nonchalant before the head of a great house like Mielephon?
"The annex is that way."
"Much appreciated."
She turned, a bag of fruits from who-knows-where slung over her back.
Then, she stopped in her tracks.
"I should repay the favor."
"Repay?"
Luna, who had been quietly watching her, slowly extended a hand.
Prismatic light instantly stretched out, seeping into Catshi.
The sudden event happened before Catshi could even react.
"This is..."
"Just a temporary measure. True healing would require more power than I have now, so ongoing treatment is necessary."
Catshi's eyes twitched at the cryptic words.
"But I have no intention of leaving Leon's side. I recommend eliminating the root cause."
"Eliminate the cause? You speak as if you know everything."
"You've had frequent headaches lately. I don't know the culprit behind the symptoms, but..."
Catshi's eyes widened at her words.
She had indeed felt headaches, even at the banquet hall.
Few knew of it—how had she noticed? Catshi eyed Luna warily.
"I never told anyone."
"It's nothing difficult for me. Without my intervention, you'd have suffered complete mental collapse in about two months, falling into eternal sleep syndrome."
Catshi flinched, her eyes bulging in shock.
"Eternal... sleep syndrome?"
"Simply put, a disease where you sleep forever like the dead. Close to a curse. Practically brain death."
Luna turned away matter-of-factly.
"Eat peaches often. They ease the symptoms."
With that, she walked off.
Catshi suddenly realized the stabbing headache that had plagued her was completely gone.
The finest priests and doctors had all shaken their heads.
As she said, it was a curse.
The curse of the Sea King species, the Kraken. Unless she slew the Kraken, her headaches would never end.
"Hah..."
"Family Head?"
"Bring some peaches. Suddenly craving something sweet after so long."
What on earth did Leon keep around him?
With the original goal achieved, preparations to return to Cascadia territory proceeded smoothly.
Unfortunately, the Sword Saint had left the territory on urgent business, so we didn't meet, but Head Maid Misha, acting on Catshi's orders, took meticulous care of me until my departure.
"You've worked hard these past days."
"Not at all. Thanks to your consideration, I was able to serve without issue."
I took in the sight of Luna, cloaked in her robe and waiting for me, as the maid bowed calmly in farewell.
She looked quite satisfied.
And why not? Not only had she acquired an artifact to locate her ring, Fate Road, but she'd also received a bounty of premium wines she favored.
She had escaped a sealed space to find Fate Road.
—And once you find it, what then?
I'd asked her that once before.
I'd intended to respect her choice to some degree—if she wanted to leave, I wouldn't stop her.
But she had no plans to depart, making my thoughts moot.
—Planning to kick me out?
—Just asking.
—I'll stick around.
So she said.
One of the jewels she'd given me was worth enough to live luxuriously for life.
Just before leaving the mansion, Catshi Mielephon, the ever-busy head of House Mielephon, appeared to see me off.
Unlike expected, however, Isna Mielephon made no appearance.
"I had planned for our Mielephon knights to escort you back."
"No need for that."
"Very well, I respect your wishes. Take this."
She handed me a small pouch.
"What's this?"
"An expansion pouch. It's filled with gifts for House Cascadia. I hope they please the Border Count."
"This is too generous; it'll burden our side."
"Think of it as an investment."
It wasn't a fake engagement anymore.
I gave a wry smile, understanding her implication.
"By the way, where's Lady Isna?"
"Grown fond of her already?"
As if there was reason to. We'd barely shared any episodes.
Still, I'd sought her out because she'd helped buy Laplace's Compass.
"Hardly. It just seems proper to thank her before leaving, doesn't it?"
"Think as you like. I won't force a decision. Besides, by your side... Hm."
She glanced at Luna and let out a thoughtful hum.
She must have thought that after seeing Luna.
Even though she usually hid her face, more men than you'd think had been captivated after just one glimpse.