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“…”
Shortly after the reunion with Airn Pareira, Vulcanus, who came to his senses, was living every day in anguish.
He remembered it when he closed his eyes. No, even with his eyes open he could still see it.
The 10th Numbering Sword that he so proudly brought, far surpassing the… great sword of unbelievable quality.
‘Really… that was an object that can only be seen as made by the God of blacksmiths.’
That was how he felt when he saw Airn’s sword for the first time.
The rigidity he felt when he looked at the great sword. Even though that alone was like an artefact of the mythical era, the golden greatsword transcended the limitations of its appearance revealing the grace it possessed.
The cutting force it had.
The balance.
The durability.
Even the handle and the beauty of the most trivial parts, not a single thing was missing. There is no need to have a closer look at it.
A strong shock was transmitted as if his eyes felt burned, and Vulcanus felt like he had lost his mind as he saw the new form of the sword.
‘… I am done.’
The dwarf, remembering what had happened hundreds of times, drank with a depressed expression.
He couldn’t live without drinking. Of course, drinking didn’t change a thing.
It was done.
It was the birth of a great sword that cannot be bested even if he spent the rest of his life trying to do it.
Frustrated by that, he poured strong whiskey down his throat. It was the time when he downed three bottles.
“Can I come in?”
“…”
A nice, soft voice.
Airn Pareira.
Vulcanus didn’t like his visit.
He was embarrassed. Mistaking his sword to be the greatest in history, he confidently declared and spoke too much to Airn.
‘I’m sorry, Vulcanus! If you say that… I am willing to forgive and acknowledge you as the owner of this sword, the 10th Numbering Sword.’
“Acchhhh! Ackkkkk!”
The dwarf who remembered it once again, yelled by ripping his hair out. And banged the bottle on the floor.
Vulcanus didn’t care. Rather, he struggled with his mind going crazy.
But Airn was calm. It was as if he had expected this to happen. Or, the calm attitude was his way of being kind to him.
He approached the dwarf with a speed that was neither slow nor fast and held his hand, and raised his aura.
Wooong!
While returning to the Pareira estate, there was a part of the journey where Airn considered new methods of usage for the aura.
Should it always be used to intimidate the opposite person?
‘Not at all.’
From the basic level of exhaling the force to the enemy, to the ultimate level of creating an Aura Sword.
It was true that most Aura manifestations are used as tools to harm the opponent. However, the Aura itself wasn’t dangerous energy. Rather, it was the opposite when the Aura was inside a person.
It calms the owner's mind and ignites their enthusiasm, and sometimes gives them courage to stand up in threatening situations as well.
Then.
If the expressed aura can be passed to someone…
‘Wouldn’t it be possible to relieve them a bit and maybe even change their mind?’
He was convinced.
No, recalling everything that had happened, Airn had actually already used this before. He had helped calm the mind of the swordsman from the Land of Proof, Grayson.
He had also used it to purify the darkness in Ilya Lindsay.
It was the same in the barrier of the clown devil. The strong energy he projected out was like a lighthouse and bonfire for those who needed hope in that dark situation.
‘If there is a difference between then and now… at that time, I relied solely on intuition.’
Now it was different.
The strength of his mind had of course grown, but in terms of swordsmanship and Aura operation, the current Airn had reached a level that couldn’t be compared to before.
Extensive and deep knowledge as well as his technical know-how were all mixed together to create a new theory, and the intuitive energy from before was much more refined now.
Among the five spirits too, the energy of flame was reinterpreted in another way, and a slightly different concept of ‘appearance’ was added to it.
When the water was added to the Aura he was applying on Vulcanus’s body, the Aura, which couldn’t enter before, naturally seeped into Vulcanus’s body.
And with it, warmth, calmness, comfort and other positive energies flowed in.
Vulcanus felt it too.
Although he was a little drunk, he raised his head with a puzzled expression, still looking haggard.
However, unlike before, his eyes were returning to normal.
Confirming that, Airn used his sorcerer’s abilities now.
The will and belief that were inside him spurted out as if they could be held on to with a hand.
Wheik!
“…!”
Vulcanus was shocked. Contrary to his small and dull appearance, he was very sensitive to things. He also had superior intuition than most people.
That was why 2 years ago, he chose Airn as the winner without even a match.
He saw the heart of steel inside the young man.
Then, what about now?
“…confounding.”
The dwarf mumbled.
It was much bigger and greater than he felt 2 years ago.
It was a lot clearer. As if one could hold it in their hand.
The courage in him rose.
An inspiration that was enchanting enough to straighten out a broken will gave Vulcanus a new hope.
Compared to then, Airn Pareira, had grown beyond comparison, even for him.
Even if it cannot be as nice as the great sword, wouldn’t it be possible to make a greater sword than his 10th numbering sword?
“… please, allow me to stay in the territory.”
The proud dwarf who got up from the seat, turned around and asked in a polite tone.
Airn, who watched him, smiled and answered.
“Of course.”
“No, brother, what did you even do? How can they… no, did you force those people to stay in our territory?”
“That is right, young master! What you did was truly amazing! Even the Baron will love it!”
“Uh? why?”
“The most skilled artisans on the continent want to settle in our territory, why would any Lord hate it? From now on, the Pareira estate will develop beyond comparison! As soon as you return, you do such a great duty to your family… really, you really are amazing!”
Lulu was dazed at this situation while Kirill and Marcus were happy.
When asked who was closer to Airn, it was the former.
It was because he didn’t do this for the sake of his land or for his parents.
‘It was just that Vulcanus didn’t want to leave so…’
This wasn’t a bad thing, but he was a bit shocked, yet, he truly liked this.
However, it didn’t last long. The words which Marcus said resounded in his mind.
The duty to family.
It caused a huge wave in Airn’s heart.
‘… thinking of it, the people I neglected the most were my parents.’
After attaining enlightenment from the conversation with Lord Lloyd, he was more conscious of the precious people around him.
This was because, despite receiving so much help and love, he felt like he didn’t do his best and he felt that he clung on to useless and uncertain things.
If so, who among them showed him what he was lacking?
It was family.
Especially his mother and father.
Those people had supported him for longer, and thinking that he left them alone till now hurt his heart…
‘No, this isn’t a good thought.’
Airn shook his head.
For 10 years, he had confined himself to his room and had worried his parents sick.
The past couldn’t be changed, no matter how much he looked back and regretted it, nothing would change.
Just as one shouldn’t be too invested in the future, one shouldn’t be caught up in the past either.
Living in the moment is good.
He shouldn’t of course forget his days as a lazy prince, where he did nothing for his parents, but he should focus more on the present.
Thinking that, he asked Marcus.
“Marcus.”
“Yes, young lord.”
“What kind of gifts would my parents like?”
“Uh? But hasn't the young lord already brought them?”
“Um, I’m just worried. It was chosen after me and Kirill thought, but… what if they don’t like it?”
“…”
“And it is Marcus and not us who have been with our parents the longest, so if you have a better idea let me know.”
“…young lord. It is fine.”
“Uh?”
“The presents you have prepared for them are the greatest they’ll ever get.”
Marcus answered with a serious expression. That made Airn puzzled.
What he prepared was alcohol for his father and perfume for his mother.
It was true that he prepared good things because he had money, but he didn’t think that this was something to be given such praise.
It was then,
When he was in the midst of thoughts about the words that were said, there was some kind of fuss.
Airn and Kirill looked at each other at the same time and moved.
Papat!
Swosh!
Aura and sorcery were simultaneously used to move quickly.
After a while, he stopped in front of Baron Pareira who had returned with the escort knights.
Harun Pareira’s surprised face and Amelia Pareira’s shocked face were what they saw.
And Airn saw the knights including Zukran.
‘The number of people I don’t know have increased.’
Once again, he felt like he had been away for too long.
Joy and regret came up at the same time. Airn bowed his head, and a trembling voice came up.
“I am back… father, mother.”
Silence fell. No one dared to speak or move.
Was it because they all met after two years?
It was one reason, but that wasn’t the only one.
The present.
However, until now, to Airn,.. considering the shadows cast on this family, the present scene was bound to be more special.
“… ah, Father, Mother! Come inside! Come inside! I have so many things to tell you all! There are things I want to hear from you too! And I managed to prepare a present that, um, I don’t know if you’ll like it, but…”
Airn spoke, and as usual it was gibberish.
He couldn’t help himself since his emotions weren’t organized, so his words came up without any coherence.
There would be no parents who would be annoyed at their son who was lacking a bit. And that was especially true for Pareira.
Of course.
“Airn.”
“Yes, father.”
“I heard that you reached the status of a Master.”
“…”
“Can you show that to me?”
It must be the greatest wish of a parent to see that for themselves.
Hearing Harun’s words, Airn remembered the words which Marcus had said.
‘… the greatest present is me.’
Right.
If he was really worried about his parents the most, then being here was all he could do to make them happy.
The appearance of him, who had grown so much more than before, was a gift for them.
The lazy prince of Pareira family had finally realized it.
… no, Airn Pareira, the most famous member of the Pareira family, replied with a nod.
“I will show you.”
Swosh!
Wooong!
A golden sword appeared in an instant.
And golden energy soared at the same time. The Aura Sword is the most perfect one.
The knights who were looking at the Sword Master for the first time looked shocked.
“…”
“Uh…”
“Uh…”
“Wah…”
A knight who recently entered the estate.
Before Airn left, the knight knew that the young lord was an Expert.
But even Zukran couldn’t speak despite staying so long here.
No one was able to speak anything.
People who didn’t know Airn and those who knew him too were all too shocked.
They looked at that blade whose aura soared through the sky.
But not Harun Pareira, and not Amelia either. Their gaze was on something other than the sword.
The Aura Sword, the symbol of a Sword Master, was important, but more precious than that was…
Seeing his parents look proudly at him, Airn who teared up once again said,
“I am back.”
After many years, the young hero who removed the stigma of being lazy returned with the honor of being a Sword Master.
As they heard the news, the entire Hale Kingdom, including the 6 Southern families, shook.