Reaching the Transcendent Realm

When the Mad Dragon Subjugation Expedition finally returned to the Imperial Capital, the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠first thing that greeted us was the roaring cheers of the crowd. It felt as though a festival had been prepared; flower petals drifted down from the sky, elevating the city's atmosphere to a fever pitch. Yet, my mood was far from celebratory. While it was true we had returned safely and successfully slain the dragon, my mind was a tangled mess after witnessing a transcendent being like Jeral Schuhartz meet his end. To make matters worse, because the dragon had been contaminated, we couldn't even harvest its Dragon Heart...

"Look over here, Viscount!"

"Oh my, is that him? He's so handsome."

"I want that man."

My thoughts had been heavy just a moment ago, but hearing their praise made the corners of my mouth twitch upward. Well, with a reception like this, I had no choice but to wave back.

Upon our return to the Imperial Capital, our immediate task was to hold the funerals for the Second Order of Knights and Jeral Schuhartz. The crowd was immense—there seemed to be more mourners than there were graves. One by one, I took the dog tags I had stored in my Subspace Pocket and hung them over their respective tombstones. Even though I couldn't bring back the bodies of the deceased, these tags would serve as a beacon to guide their souls home.

Pitter-patter.

Rain began to fall. It was as if the heavens themselves understood our grief on this somber day and were shedding tears alongside us. Thanks to Apel Cloud, Jeral Schuhartz's body had been safely recovered and brought back to the capital. Everyone was clad in black mourning attire, and I, too, wore a formal black suit.

"Sir Schuhartz, why did you have to leave us so soon?!"

"I can't believe it. For that old man to pass away so abruptly..."

"His end was just like him, though."

Some were consumed by a profound sense of loss, while others wailed in despair. A few remained stoic, commenting that after hearing his final words, it was indeed a death befitting Jeral Schuhartz. I, too, was stoic. A man who lived as a great swordmaster, dying as a great swordmaster. It was a damn good way to go.

"Sigh..."

As I let out a heavy sigh, Apel Cloud approached and spoke to me.

"Sir Schuhartz was a truly magnificent swordmaster."

"He certainly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠seemed so."

"...Will you take up his mantle now? Dragon Slayer, Sir Hound Egil Yohanes."

He gazed at me with absolute gravity. However, I shook my head.

"I appreciate the offer, but I am not qualified to fulfill the role you play for the Empire, Principal. Besides, I have my own goals to achieve."

"I see..."

There were plenty of others who could handle those tedious administrative duties. It was only right to leave such matters to them. My only tasks were to unravel the mystery of Igrit's final words and protect my girls. But to protect them, I would first have to save the world—this bleak, rotting world.

"Once the funeral concludes, my inauguration ceremony as the Principal will begin."

"Right after the funeral? Is there a reason to rush things so much?"

"Estrada Academy cannot keep its classes suspended indefinitely."

It seemed they had already decided on the next Principal. Apel Cloud, an 8-circle Archmage and one of the Empire's transcendent beings—no one could possibly object to his appointment. I nodded in agreement. However, a question crossed my mind. Was there a difference between the Principal and the Headmaster? Perhaps they divided the external and internal affairs. The Headmaster handled school matters, while the Principal dealt with external affairs.

As I was pondering this, Apel Cloud adjusted his mourning clothes.

"An invitation from the Imperial Palace will be sent to you soon. Let us speak further then. I must take my leave now."

"Understood. It was an honor to slay the dragon alongside you."

Thus, following the funeral, Apel Cloud's inauguration as the Principal was announced in the grand auditorium of Estrada Academy. Perhaps because it took place immediately after the funeral, everyone was still dressed in black mourning attire.

"If it's Sir Cloud, there won't be any issues."

"He is one of the Empire's transcendent beings, after all."

"Who could possibly doubt Apel Cloud?"

True to his upright nature, it was a perfectly standard inauguration. The crowd's reaction was favorable, though his expression remained quite heavy. As the brief ceremony proceeded, Reinhardt Eriksen approached me.

"I was hoping we could all grab a drink with the old man," Reinhardt said.

"Unfortunately, the only thing I can drink is champagne."

"Haha! You're quite the straight-laced young man, aren't you? It's perfectly fine to drink alcohol when an elder pours it for you."

...I've heard that line somewhere before. Back in my previous life, when I went to a vocational high school and got a job during the second semester of my third year, my boss said those exact words at a company dinner. 'It's perfectly fine to drink when an elder pours it for you.'

"Aren't you a busy man yourself, Sir Eriksen? You are a Paladin of the Empire, after all."

"I can always make time for a drink. What do you say? Shall we go sometime?"

"Let's make that promise for my coming-of-age party."

"Haha! A straight-laced fellow indeed. Very well, send me an invitation, and I will be sure to attend."

Reinhardt Eriksen offered a warm smile before moving along. As a Paladin, he naturally had many people waiting to speak with him. Once the inauguration and funeral concluded, I left the grand auditorium to return to the Marquis's estate.

Waiting to greet me outside was Sojeon.

"Ah, you have arrived."

"I haven't even sent a carrier pigeon yet. How did you know?"

"Lady Mikaris informed me of your return date."

It seemed Mikaris had been keeping constant tabs on my status. I smiled.

"Let's head back quickly. Mika must be waiting. She's probably crane-necking for me."

"I will prepare the carriage immediately. I am glad you returned safely, Master."

Dragging my exhausted body, I finally arrived at the Marquis's estate. Standing at the entrance of the mansion was Mikaris, anxiously biting her handkerchief. The moment I stepped out of the carriage, she ran over and threw herself into my arms.

"Thank goodness... Thank goodness..."

"Didn't I tell you? I'd return with a dragon's head in hand."

"I'm not in the mood for jokes."

Mikaris buried her face in my chest and wept. With dark circles under her eyes and disheveled hair, she looked like she had been through hell worrying about me.

"Mika, I'm really tired. Can I go rest first? We can talk in my room later."

"Oh, look at me. You must be exhausted. Go rest first. I'll come find you later."

After returning to my room, the very first thing I did was pay off my debt.

The loan was repaid. The lingering anxiety and dread that had been weighing on my chest washed away all at once. Now, this was what I was talking about.

As I collapsed onto the bed with a sigh of relief, a series of unread notification windows shimmered in the air.

Dragon Slayer? An update?

The trait was probably some game-like setting that granted bonus damage against dragons, given the name. But more importantly, the shop inventory had been updated. Unable to contain my curiosity, I scrolled down the Special Shop interface. What caught my eye was more than enough to leave me utterly stunned.

A package that raises my realm in direct proportion to the coins I dump into it? This was an absolute cheat. Was this the reward for slaying a dragon? My heart swelled with excitement. Looking at it now, I felt a deep pang of regret over the 50 coins I had just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠used to repay the loan. If only I had dumped all those sponsored coins into this...

Since I had spent 50 coins to repay the loan, the total amount of sponsored coins had been 300.

If only I had dumped all of that into realm advancement...

No, there was no point crying over spilled milk. It was a debt I had to repay anyway. I poured all of my remaining 250 coins into the Realm Advancement Package. Instantly, my heart began to throb violently. An overwhelming surge of power flooded my veins, making my entire body tremble. Eight stars. With this, I had finally reached the realm ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of a transcendent.

Unable to contain the explosive power coursing through me, I felt an urge to swing my sword right then and there. To appease my restless energy, I clenched and unclenched my fists, flexing my muscles.

"Incredible."

The 8-star realm was on a completely different dimension compared to the 7-star realm. I had always felt the gap between realms, but this time, it was truly a world of difference. With this level of power, I would be able to summon far more wraiths and cast dark magic of a much higher tier. After all, stars were essentially reservoirs that could substitute for magic circles. Though mastering it would be insanely difficult...

With a touch of narcissism, I stared into the silver-plated mirror. I flexed my back muscles and then my proud triceps. Compared to my body before transmigration, these arms were still relatively lean, but I had built up a significant amount of muscle compared to when I first arrived. This was exactly why I swung the sword. Just then, a soft knock sounded at my door.

"Can I come in?"

"Of course."

Dressed in comfortable attire adorned with pure white lace, Mikaris stepped inside and gently sat on the edge of my bed.

"Hey, promise me you'll never go to such dangerous places again."

"Well, even so, don't you think I'm the one who has to go?"

"Why?"

Mikaris leaned against my back, wrapping her arms around me and squeezing tightly.

"Hmm, let's call it the duty of the powerful. I am a Sword Saint, after all."

Displeased with my answer, Mikaris's face clouded with a pout.

"Before you're a Sword Saint, you're my beloved fiancé."

"..."

Mikaris's occasional bursts of raw honesty never failed to tug at my heartstrings.

"If I deem a situation too dangerous, I promise I won't go. I make it a rule to only fight battles I know I can win."

"How can you say that? Even the Principal passed away."

"He died protecting us. He said he wanted an end befitting a great swordmaster."

Mikaris fell silent for a moment, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

"Mika, why don't we head out into the fief? Your husband has returned from the jaws of death, so we're overdue for a date."

"I didn't know you had it in you to say things like that. Then again, our first meeting was quite unusual. But aren't you tired?"

"I'm fine. A Sword Saint's stamina is no joke."

Mikaris stood up and opened the door.

"Then I'll go get ready. Wait for me."

Humming a cheerful tune, she slipped out of my room. By the way, when are we going to share a bed?

"..."

Let's not get ahead of myself. The values of this world are different from modern times. Just wait until the coming-of-age ceremony. Once that's done, the wedding will follow, and then our first night...

Looking up at the mirror, I caught sight of myself wearing a rather wicked grin. Since Hound was exceptionally handsome, even a smile like this looked decent, but that was only from my perspective. I had no idea how the girls would react to it.

Shaking off the stray thoughts, I began browsing through my suits to prepare for our outing.

"This one looks good."

I selected a beige suit that exuded an elegant aura. It was casual yet formal enough to be respectable. Once dressed, I walked down to the lobby, where Mikaris, fully dolled up, was descending the stairs.

"Mika, aren't you a bit too dressed up just for an outing in the fief? Everyone's going to recognize you..."

"This is perfectly fine. There are plenty of wealthy people in our fief."

Come to think of it, she was right. The Dinlight fief was overflowing with gold and diamond mines, and with low taxes, the residents were bound to be affluent. Perhaps the reason Marquis Dinlight desired the power of a ducal house was to prevent the Imperial family from seizing their mines.

"Shall we head out, then?"

"Let's stay out late today."

"Is there a reason?"

"It's been so long since I've seen my husband. I want to see you smile as much as possible."

This lady must have really suffered while I was away. She usually only showed this level of honesty on very rare occasions.

"Mika, you're saying some embarrassing things yourself."

"There's nothing wrong with that, is there? Let's go."

And so, Mikaris and I set off on our date in the fief.