A Special Experience
The girl burst into Cael's room. Panting for breath in simple training clothes, she was none other than Isabel, the youngest daughter of the ducal family and Cael's little sister.
What an utterly disgraceful outfit... It was the kind of thing he'd seen back on Earth—a sports bra top and leggings.
Tadak— Before Cael could even speak, Isabel dashed inside and threw herself into his arms.
"Big brother!"
Even with the sudden impact, Cael didn't budge an inch. Rather than panic, he found himself wrapped in a strange sensation. In his hundreds of years navigating the martial world, had he ever felt someone's body heat this close? And it was pure, innocent affection, free of any ulterior motives. The soul of the Heavenly Demon, Cheon Woo-jin, froze for a moment at this unfamiliar familial warmth. The instinctive memories lingering in his body kept him from pushing her away.
Awkwardly, Cael raised a hand and patted Isabel's back.
"Yes, it's been a while."
"Big brother, are you really okay? I heard you went through something huge in Vollex Territory!"
Isabel lifted her head from his chest and began scrutinizing his face closely. Her eyes were already glistening with moisture, her voice trembling with worry.
Cael stared straight into her eyes. Amid Silina's razor-sharp surveillance, she was the only one who had ever truly worried about him. In this cold ducal household, she was the sole blood relative he could trust.
"As you can see, I'm perfectly healthy. The trip for recovery did me a world of good."
"It's true. Your complexion is so much better, and most importantly, your eyes aren't dull like before. Your body's gotten sturdy too?"
"Haha, you think so?"
Isabel let out a sigh of relief, stroking her chest.
"I'm so glad. I was praying every night that nothing bad would happen to you again."
Cael let out a soft chuckle at her earnest words mixed with a hint of petulance. It was a ticklish warmth in his chest that the Heavenly Demon era had never allowed him to feel.
Cael seated Isabel on the sofa and slid a teacup toward her.
"Nothing happen while I was away?"
At his question, Isabel hesitated for a moment before shaking her head.
"What could happen? I just felt suffocated every time there was no news of you."
But her faintly trembling fingers told the real story. To Silina, the one wielding real power, Isabel was little more than a decorative ornament. Her closeness to Cael must have left her isolated within the main estate. Invisible oppression and disdain—it drew blood from people far worse than any blade.
"Now that you're back, it's all good. Just having you by my side makes me feel secure."
Watching Isabel force a smile, Cael quietly reached out and gently stroked her silver hair.
"No more worrying."
"Huh?"
"From now on... no one will treat you carelessly."
Even if it was empty words, Isabel was grateful for a big brother like that. She beamed and grabbed his arm tightly again.
"Hehe, I only need you, big brother."
At the edge of the main estate, the Blue Wolf Knights' dedicated training grounds. Leading the way was apprentice knight Roben Banis, followed proudly by Weger, Ella, and Oden. In their midst strode Oliver, his golden fur rippling with dignified grace.
"Hm? Isn't that Roben?"
"And who's the ragtag crew trailing him?"
The knights paused their sword drills, murmuring at the sudden appearance of this mismatched group.
Stepping forward to greet them was the vice-captain of the Blue Wolf Knights. He was the sharp, clever sort who'd first noticed Cael's changes from his sickbed and assigned Roben to him.
The vice-captain narrowed his eyes, taking in Roben's transformed aura and the caliber of those beside him.
"Roben, you're back. Enjoy your vacation escorting the young lord?"
"Yes, Vice-Captain. I saw and learned a great deal."
There was no trace of Roben's former hesitation or lack of confidence in his reply.
Stroking his chin, the vice-captain fixed Roben with a piercing gaze.
"So, what was the young lord like, from what you observed?"
Without a shred of doubt, Roben answered.
"The young lord is someone I'd gladly devote my entire life to serving, and it still wouldn't be enough."
"Hoo..."
"Vice-Captain, the young lord I saw dreams of a better world. And he possesses both the martial prowess and wisdom to make it real."
Roben gripped the hilt at his waist and declared boldly.
"The path for our Blue Wolf Knights is clear. We must become the young lord's sword!"
The training ground erupted in murmurs at Roben's proclamation.
"Has that punk lost his mind? An apprentice knight saying that..."
"Become a proper knight first before mouthing off about the young lord."
That was still the extent of Cael's standing among the knights.
The vice-captain stared Roben down.
"We can't decide the knights' order's fate on words alone."
Sring— He half-drew the sword at his waist.
"Knights speak with steel in the end. You confident?"
"You'll be shocked, Vice-Captain."
And so the sparring began.
The first up was Weger, facing a formal knight from the Blue Wolf Knights known for his brute strength, who stepped forward confidently.
"Arrogant bastard. A mere guard... I'll teach you what a knight's swordsmanship really is, down to your bones!"
"All you guys who looked down on me for being ex-guard are laid up in the infirmary now."
A formal knight meant someone who'd transcended aura user to reach Adept rank—able to wield aura at will beyond mere manifestation. Knights took immense pride in that, and they dismissed Weger, an ex-guard, as incapable of such heights. The outcome was a foregone conclusion.
"Urraaaah!!"
Kwaaaang—!!
As Weger's heavy sword cleaved the air downward, the training ground quaked. The opposing knight hastily summoned his aura to block with his shield. But the strike infused with the Eight Heavenly True Sword's destructive power crumpled the steel shield like a soda can.
Kwajik—!
"Kaaaak!"
With a gruesome snap of his arm breaking alongside the shield, the knight flew backward across the grounds.
"Wh-what...!"
"Shattered in one blow!? What kind of power!!"
Amid the stunned knights, Ella stepped up next. The slender girl in maid attire drew her worn sword, but no one laughed this time. They could feel her presence was no joke.
"Wh-what are these guys?"
As Ella kicked off the ground and soared, the knights' eyes widened.
"Haat!"
Seogeok— Her sword, infused with Mount Hua Sect's esoteric arts, bloomed dozens of crimson plum blossom afterimages in the air. A beautiful yet chillingly sharp swift sword. Her blade tip halted a mere inch from the opposing knight's nape.
"Kuh...!?"
The knight hadn't even grasped the sword's trajectory, let alone defended, and surrendered helplessly.
"I-I lost."
When Oden finally drew his sword, a heavy silence blanketed the grounds.
"Th-that's...!"
"Sir Oden, the Swift Sword of Vollex!"
The vice-captain's face hardened.
"Sir Oden following the young lord—quite unexpected. Mind crossing blades with me?"
"By all means."
The vice-captain's rank wasn't won by chance. He too was an Expert-rank powerhouse. But...
Chaeng—!
One clash. The vice-captain's sword spun through the air and stabbed into the ground. Oden's blade already chilled his nape.
"...Indeed... So this is the Swift Sword Oden..."
A defeat so swift he hadn't even registered it. The vice-captain smiled bitterly and conceded.
"A perfect loss. Any objections?"
With the vice-captain's surrender, the Blue Wolf Knights bowed their heads and sheathed their weapons.
"I'd love to say the Blue Wolf Knights will serve the young lord from now on... but one obstacle remains."
Oden prompted the vice-captain, who spoke gravely.
"What's that?"
"The captain."
The vice-captain sighed, shaking his head.
"The reason our order stays neutral is the captain. Pride... no, it's plain pigheadedness."
"What exactly?"
"He says raw strength alone isn't enough. But damn if we know what that means."
At the vice-captain's worried words, Roben, Weger, and Oden exchanged glances.
"He means we need something special?"
"Exactly. But not knowing what is the problem."
A prideful knight captain. Crushing him with sheer force would only breed resentment and inflate his ego further.
Then Weger spoke up.
"Not enough shock value? Y'know those types who won't admit defeat even in loss? The ones who think 'train more and I'll win next time'?"
"Shock? So we need an overwhelming win?"
"That's one way... but there's a special method to shatter that pride completely."
At Weger's words, their gazes converged as if by agreement—on the golden beast in the corner of the grounds, yawning lazily while scratching his ear with a hind paw. Oliver.
"What if he loses to a beast? Pretty damn special, right?"
Oden let out a hollow laugh at Weger's mischievous suggestion, while Roben slapped his knee in realization.
"Losing to a human wounds pride, but to a spirit beast like that? Might see it as heaven's will."
"Or his pride turns to dust."
At the mention of his name, Oliver cocked his head and rose.
"Woof!"
His eyes gleamed with confident eagerness, as if ready for any mission.
Roben smiled at the vice-captain, resolute.
"I think we've got a way. Fetch the captain."
The vice-captain stared in disbelief.
"You lot... serious?"