Chapter 18 : How Do I Return Home

Chapter 18: How Do I Return Home?

But this wasn’t even the end of it.

“Seriously, that Laitena bastard. I even recommended good disciples, but he rejected every one of them.... And in the end, he takes in such trash? A Grand Duke with such poor judgment of people? Clearly, I should have inherited the position of head of house...!”

This bald man’s remark crossed the line—by a long shot.

Iodin, who lived and breathed for her Master, could no longer hold back and finally burst out.

“Uncle Master! There are many eyes watching here! To address Master in such a disrespectful manner is against all propriety!”

“What? Did you just try to lecture me?! Just because Laitena named you his successor, you think you’re already a Grand Duke?! You don’t even see me as your Uncle Master anymore?!”

“That’s not what I meant...!”

“Not what you meant? Don’t make me laugh! You look down on me, don’t you! This is why Laitena’s judgment is a complete disaster! He picked up some beggar girl who would’ve starved to death on the streets, raised her into a person, and she doesn’t even know gratitude! If your character is that rotten, at least your swordsmanship should stand out! But no, not even that!”

“I was in the wrong. But at the very least, in regard to Master....”

“Shut your mouth! Who do you think you are! I don’t acknowledge any of you! Beggars! Vagrants! And that new one—he’s just a Low-grade Expert, isn’t he? What madness is this. He rejected all of my recommendations, only to take in trash like this and call them disciples.... Laitena must have lost his mind!”

“Uncle Master!”

Ah, my head hurt.

Kashigier came charging like a crazed boar, snorting through his nose, while Iodin floundered helplessly.

‘So even the Grand Duke is still human after all.’

He looked like a transcendent beyond the world, but perhaps he couldn’t sever his blood ties. To let such a disgrace go unchecked like this.

But that was his business as Grand Duke.

Me? I wasn’t bound by such things.

“Uncle Master. Then why don’t you confirm it for yourself? Whether Master’s judgment was correct or not.”

“What?!”

He wasn’t even my real Uncle Master to begin with, and he was the one who first crossed the line, so the justification was on my side. Besides, it wasn’t as if I planned to live here for a thousand years.

There was no reason to swallow the sight of something so disgusting.

“What’s the use of long arguments when we have swords? If my swordsmanship doesn’t reassure you, why not test it in a match? If I lose, won’t that only give your words more weight?”

“Junior!!”

Iodin tried to stop me, but my eyes stayed fixed solely on Kashigier.

Flinch.

His shoulders trembled.

He narrowed his eyes.

He seemed to be trying to gauge my strength.

Truly consistent, this one.

You really hate fights where you might lose, don’t you?

So, what do you see? Do you think you can beat me?

And after a moment,

The result became clear.

His scalp flushed red as he let out a scoffing laugh.

“Arrogant brat! Tell me, in this world, who would ever stoop to spar with a mere disciple-level whelp? How utterly base. This insult—I’ll be demanding an explanation directly from Laitena himself!”

So.

You weren’t confident you could beat me...?

Figures.

By ancient standards, my level of swordsmanship was considered low, but in exchange, I could directly wield Aura.

That unknown power of mine made him afraid he might suffer humiliation.

But he underestimated one thing—my talent for provocation, honed during my rough days in Roberland.

“Why? Isn’t it simple? All you have to do is silence everyone with that hairless strength of yours, isn’t it?”

I stretched out a finger and pointed directly at his shiny bald head.

For a second, Kashigier blinked in confusion at my words. Then belatedly realizing the insult, his face flushed bright red.

“Y-You…!”

Just as he was about to explode with rage, I cut him off.

“What’s wrong? Am I too hairy to spar with you?”

Tap.

This time, I gestured with my finger at my own thick, blue-black hair.

“You…! Ha… ha…!”

Kashigier forgot even his anger, letting out nothing but hollow laughter.

And then—

“Hrmm! Hem! Sir Ransen. No matter the circumstance, mocking a man’s physical shortcomings… hrmm!… is not proper.”

Brook Dunar stepped in, trying to mediate.

But between his coughs, the laughter leaking out gave him away. Brook, you sly devil—you really were a bad person, weren’t you?

In the end—

Pfft...

Pfft! Khh—pfft!

Laughter spilled out here and there.

Even someone as shameless as Kashigier could hardly endure that much ridicule.

“Y-You lot...! Laitena put you up to this, didn’t he?! To humiliate me like this! I’ll be watching closely to see just how long you keep up this insolence!”

Spewing paranoid accusations to the very end, Kashigier hurriedly fled the scene.

Yes, run away. That was exactly your level.

As I watched his pitiful back retreat, Iodin approached with a worried look.

“Junior Ransen....”

Ah, she didn’t need to say it. I already knew.

“It’s fine.”

That petty, bald-bellied fool would no doubt try something during this Exchange Tournament.

Some scheme meant to disgrace me.

But so what? That held no real meaning for me.

Whether I was shamed or not—what did I care?

The only thing that mattered to me now was the sword.

Nothing but the sword.

Srrng.

I drew my blade and asked Iodin,

“What shall we begin with today?”

She looked at me with a complicated expression, then shook her head and drew her own sword in reply.

And at last,

A thrilling day began anew.

*         *         *

After a full day of training, night came once more.

I’d gone so long without sleep... even a body as sturdy as one who had reached Swordmaster needed rest at some point.

But sleep wouldn’t come.

“I’m starting to get worried...”

It had already been the twelfth day since I arrived here.

I had been completely absorbed in sword training all this time, but a growing unease gnawed at me.

“How long am I supposed to stay here? How… do I return?”

The last time I traveled through time, the ratio had been six to one.

If it was the same this time, then two days had already passed in my original timeline.

Two days was fine.

The Count had been suddenly beheaded, so everyone would need time to grasp the situation.

One wrong step and their heads could roll too, so they’d proceed cautiously.

But if it stretched any longer, it would become dangerous.

Rumors would spread that I was the one who cut off the Count’s head.

And the fact that I was nowhere to be seen would only fuel suspicion.

The territorial army, the Family… the reckless ones would soon start running wild with their happy delusions.

‘Ransen perished along with the Count!’

‘He killed the Count, but, as before, he was gravely wounded and left crippled!’

‘If we seize this chance, we might grab a huge profit!’

Before greed, such nonsense would soon be accepted as truth, and heads that had been bowed would begin to lift, one after another.

I could already picture the chaos unfolding in Kushan City.

Our people’s strength was no small matter, and Rivera Pietro, who had joined our side, held great power and connections. They wouldn’t be in immediate danger.

But the longer time passed, the greater the chance that some unpredictable variable would arise.

Kushan City was crawling with lunatics, after all…

That’s what worried me.

Because I had no idea what condition allowed me to return.

Srrng—

I drew the Book of Fate from subspace.

When I flipped it open, there were only two pages I could actually read.

One was the previous one that began, ‘The Cultists’ Secret Chapel…’ and the other was the current page that read, ‘Master seized the Cultists’ treasure and returned.’

Strangely enough, even though I could now read and write the ancient language fluently, I still couldn’t decipher any of the other pages.

Whenever I tried, it was like hearing gibberish mumbled in a half-asleep state—the meaning simply wouldn’t form.

“Anyway, it does seem to have something to do with the cultists….”

Last time, I returned after killing the head of the Secret Chapel.

Then this time?

‘It must have something to do with the treasure the Grand Duke brought back….’

Even Kashigier, that pig, had shown curiosity about it.

But I had no way of seeing it for myself.

Not only the Horizon Knights, but also the two male and female magicians who had come with the Grand Duke were guarding it with utmost vigilance.

“Damn it, this is frustrating.”

And even if I did see it, there’d still be a problem.

What was I supposed to do to return?

Destroy it?

Or… protect it?

My head was too cluttered for sleep.

So I stepped out to clear it, letting the night air wash over me.

In the distance, the buildings glowed with bright magical lanterns, and in the Grand Duke’s garden, the moonlight poured down in silver sheets.

Beneath that moonlight, a golden-haired woman sat perched on a rock, gazing up at the sky.

Her hand stretched out, as if to measure a single point above.

“Iodin…?”

I called out without thinking, and her blue eyes turned toward me.

“Junior Ransen…?”

“Looking at the moon?”

The words slipped out before I realized it. Ah—too late. I’d dropped honorifics without meaning to.

Was she about to scold me again…?

But Iodin didn’t seem to care. She answered calmly, in the same casual tone.

“No. I was looking at the stars.”

“…You’re not going to complain about me speaking informally?”

She glanced around, then answered softly.

“No one’s watching right now. And I’m not without shame—you saved my life, didn’t you? A little casual speech is nothing I’d fault you for.”

“Oooh\~”

At my genuine admiration, for some reason, she shot me a sharp glare.

“…Anyway, I never got to say this, but thank you for that time. Thanks to you, I survived. And thanks to you, the children were saved too.”

“How are the children doing?”

“Good. I sent them all back home. They even send me letters every holiday.”

She smiled warmly, and for some reason, a mischievous urge welled up in me.

“Then how about this—why don’t you always use honorifics with me when we’re alone? I mean, I am your lifesaver. Plus, I’m three years older than you.”

“…Even so, speaking formally to a junior is a bit much….”

I chuckled and sat down beside her.

Iodin shifted slightly, moving her hips just enough to make space for me.

“You like stargazing?”

She shook her head.

“Not just stars. I like looking at the Thirteen Gods.”

“The Thirteen Gods?”

“Honestly… the more I see of you, the more I realize how much common knowledge you’re missing.”

She sighed lightly, then began pointing out stars one by one in the sky.

“The stars all move. You know that, right?”

“…The stars move?”

“Yes. They rotate around the center of the heavens.”

I didn’t know that.

Well, I never had much reason to look up at the sky anyway.

“All stars rotate around the center of the heavens… but there are thirteen that never move, always staying fixed in place. Each is named after a god, and together, they’re called the Thirteen Gods.”

“Ahh… I see. So why do you like them?”

At my question, Iodin once again lifted her hand, sighting along her fingers at the nearest god’s star.

“That star is the Goddess of Wisdom, Mivabar. And this place right here is the only spot in the world where Mivabar rises directly overhead, at this exact angle. Because that star never moves.”

“Hoooh…?”

“So through the gods, I can recognize my place in this world. That I am here, that I have come this far. This exact spot, where Mivabar watches from that angle above—that is the place I must protect. The place I belong. The purpose of my life.”

…Come to think of it, Kashigier had said so, hadn’t he? That Iodin was an orphan.

For an orphan girl to rise to become the disciple of the world’s greatest swordsman—there must have been hardships beyond measure.

Perhaps because of that, her expression as she looked at the stars was both sorrowful and earnest.

Suddenly—

She leapt to her feet, flustered, as if only now embarrassed by her own words.

Turning her back, she tried to hide her slightly flushed ears.

“Anyway, I’m leaving. I need to prepare for the special lecture I’m giving at the Exchange Tournament.”

Adding an unnecessary excuse, she walked a few steps away, then turned back to stress her point.

“In front of others, you’d better use honorifics!”

“Yes, yes, senior.”

I watched Iodin walk away, then tilted my head back to the sky.

‘They really don’t move….’

After staring long enough, even I could tell.

Amidst the slow-flowing river of starlight, thirteen stars remained perfectly fixed in place.

Perhaps even in this ever-changing world, there were things that never changed.

‘Well, I have mine too.’

The people I would protect, even if it cost me my life. The children I wished to keep safe.

For me, they were like stars that would never change.

Thinking that, I let out a bitter smile.

Haa… I really needed to return soon. But how?

Still lost in unanswerable questions, I trudged back to my quarters.

*         *         *

A few more days passed.

And I still had no clue how to return home.

At last, the day of the Exchange Tournament dawned.

Early in the morning, I met Iodin. She was a bundle of nerves.

“Okay. Special lecture perfectly prepared. I’ve memorized all the trainee information. Junior Ransen, you’re ready for your swordsmanship demonstration too, right?”

“Perfectly. But…”

“Good. Next, what else… I’ve prepared answers for all possible Q&A. Ah, right, hair! Yes, today my hair is perfect too. Everything’s ready. Perfect. Just stay calm. All I need is to stay calm.”

Perhaps still traumatized by the mess her hair had been last time, she checked her hair over and over with her hands, then tried to steady her breathing, controlling her mind.

But…

Iodin?

Your hair wasn’t the problem this time…

“Senior.”

“Don’t talk to me. I’m controlling my breathing.”

“No, senior.”

“Wait a second.”

“That’s not it. Your clothes. Look at your clothes.”

“Hm?”

At last, she looked down at herself.

Through the golden strands of her hair, her round ears flushed bright red.

“U-uh… u-uh… uwaaah!”

With a shriek, Iodin bolted for her quarters.

Her yellow chick-patterned pajamas fluttered in the breeze as she ran.

Wait—so she’d been fussing over her hair so much, she hadn’t even realized she came out in pajamas?

Truly, she was consistent.

Sharp and precise at times, yet always leaving some little gap.

And chick-print pajamas, of all things….

Suppressing the laugh that bubbled up, I turned my gaze toward the training grounds.

The trainees should already be gathering there by now.

Hoo…

I exhaled once, then stretched, tuning my body with precision.

Good. Perfect. Combat readiness complete.

“Then… I suppose it’s time I let myself feel some nerves too?”

I steadied my heart and widened my awareness.

With the mindset of stepping onto a battlefield.

Until now, I hadn’t placed much meaning on the Exchange Tournament, but this time was different.

Not because I wanted to make some great impression here…

But because of a thought I had.

The Exchange Tournament lasted an entire month.

And today—its final day—was one of the rare occasions when outsiders were permitted to enter even this deep into the Lord’s Keep.

If the Book of Fate didn’t send me to just any random point in time, but to moments tied to the cultists—

If I could only return home by resolving such incidents—

Then that incident would likely occur,

on the last day of the Exchange Tournament,

With hundreds of outsiders flooding into the Lord’s Keep,

which meant—

It will happen today.

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