(Paul POV)
The past few days have been quiet since the incident with the assassins. I've kept my contact with Claire to a minimum—not that it was much to begin with. But it turns out she has been doing the same. I can only hope she is reflecting on her actions for the sake of Zenith.
Kagami, on the other hand, sent me a message through Roxy. It was delivered in a sealed black box that required an incantation in her native tongue to open.
Inside was a simple note:
"To Paul. Spirits training has been canceled for now. Continue training with Ghislaine."
A mixture of relief and annoyance washed over me. Relieved that I wouldn't have to leave the city every three nights, but irritated that Kagami had the audacity to leave the box directly inside Roxy's room. He must have been too afraid to face me. He did say that if I ever tried to kill him, I would succeed—whatever that meant.
On the other hand, the opportunity to test my strength against Ghislaine intrigued me, and she was just as eager. We went to an open field to spar in our free time.
The results? Nine out of ten matches, I won. That's right. Good old me managed not only to outspeed her, but Ghislaine barely managed to land, and I hit on me at all.
My detection allows me to predict her moves fast enough to strike her where she is or parry and counter her attacks as they come.
Ghislaine only managed one victory; even then, she admitted it was out of luck.
But in truth, the loss of that one match was something... else entirely. Her exposed breasts had been bouncing a little too much, and my eyes betrayed me.
What can I say? Abstinence since the disaster has been gnawing at me.
Lilia even suggested she could help relieve some of my pent-up frustration, her voice sultry and teasing. But I turned her down, shaking my head. It wouldn't be fair to Zenith—who had been complaining about the same issue. I argued that we should wait until we were free of the Latreia family's political mess before resuming anything of the sort.
Lilia, of course, arched a knowing brow, skeptical that I could hold out that long. And honestly, so was I.
The longer I stay in this god-forsaken country, the more stressed I become over any potential threat that could harm my family. The paranoia eats at me, settling deep in my gut like a coiled snake.
But back to the main point.
With my repeated victories over Ghislaine, I could no longer deny it—Kagami had indeed been making me fight spirits in the realm of King-class.
Ghislaine seemed to come to the same realization. As I held my wooden sword against her neck after another victory, her sharp eye locked onto mine, her lips parting slightly.
"You're a... Sword Emperor."
I stiffened, my breath hitching. That caught me completely off guard.
Ghislaine isn't the type to make baseless claims, let alone joke about something like this. She's a Sword King, and she would never disrespect the school of swordsmanship she was trained in.
"Elaborate?" I asked, lowering my wooden weapon, my grip tightening around the hilt.
"It's a tradition in the Sword God Style—the victor between two Sword Kings earns the rank of Sword Emperor. The victor between two Sword Kings demonstrates that they have surpassed the level of King and are worthy of the Emperor rank."
"I see. I figured there must be something like tha— Wait! Are you saying I'm a Sword King—no, a Sword Emperor?!" I blurted, eyes widening.
"I wish I could," she admitted with a small sigh, rolling her shoulders. "But only the Sword God has that authority. I determine that your strength is at the Sword King level, at least. I always believed you could reach that level if you put in the proper effort."
I let out a slow breath, running a hand through my hair. Was she congratulating me or scolding me for taking so long? Either way, it felt like I had accomplished something significant—even if I didn't get the official title.
"But I noticed you've been avoiding the North God Style," she added, her sharp gaze narrowing, crossing her arms over her chest. "Still clinging to that ridiculous disliking?"
"No," I answered honestly. "I know it's ineffective against the Sword God Style you're using. That's why I've been focusing on the other two."
"Makes sense." She nodded slightly before tilting her head. "Have you considered getting more weapons? North God Style users tend to equip themselves with more than one."
I shrugged, shifting my stance. "I've thought about getting a second sword, but since I primarily use Sword God Style, too much gear would slow me down. A short sword might work, but I haven't found one I like."
"A Magic Sword from a Labyrinth might suit you," she mused, stroking her chin. "But those are rare and cost a fortune."
"Yeah, no kidding. If those were that easy to find, we would have found lots of them in our adventurer days," I chuckled, shaking my head.
"By the way, you've gotten a lot more talkative than I remember."
"That's from working as the Boreas family's bodyguard." I exhaled through my nose, my shoulders relaxing slightly. "Rudeus would take Eris and me to the market and quiz us on prices and other things."
I smirked, placing my hands on my hips. "I still can't believe your son dragged me into things other than swordplay. I've really changed."
Ghislaine let out a breathy chuckle before her expression darkened slightly. "Can't say the same about you."
The air between us shifted. My smile dropped into a frown the moment she shot that comment at me. Why did she have to bring that up? I've at least become more responsible than I was in my adventurer days.
Ghislaine sniffed the air before pinching her nose, a grimace twisting her features. "I don't care how you do it, but you really need to let off some steam. My nose is about to fall off."
"Oh..."
My face heated slightly as realization struck.
Never mind what I said earlier. She definitely noticed me staring. I probably should have figured that out earlier. She is a beastfolk, after all.
***
That concluded our training session. Ghislaine and I were making our way back to the inn.
It might be a stretch, but I feel like I've made much smoother progress with her help. Unlike the countless trainers I've had before, she actually speaks to me—and gives me feedback in clear words. That alone makes all the difference.
Speaking of those trainers, I can't shake the feeling that Kagami is up to something. He seems to have taken an interest in my son's magic potential. I know he intends to save him from that White Fire Coffin place, but whatever plan he has, I'll do everything in my power to stop it.
And then there's Elinalise. What could he possibly want from her? Sometimes, I wonder if he's secretly enamored with her. I wouldn't put it past Elinalise to use that to her advantage—seducing him and twisting the situation in her favor.
While we were discussing the people I needed to keep an eye on, someone I'd lost trust in appeared before us.
Therese. Zenith's younger sister.
I hadn't seen her since I indirectly sent her to take Zenoth to meet Lilia and Aisha. She's a Temple Knight, and patrolling is below her rank, so if she's here, it's for something serious.
Sensing my shift in demeanor, Ghislaine glanced at me as we approached.
Therese stepped forward.
"Paul! We need to tal—"
"There's nothing to talk about."
With a quick step, I maneuvered past her, continuing my stride as if she weren't there.
"Wait, Paul! This isn't about my mother's actions against you. It's serious!"
I ignored her. I didn't care what she had to say.
"Listen! Zenith and Norn are in danger of being murdered."
My hand instinctively gripped my sword's hilt. In one swift motion, I unsheathed it and swung—stopping the blade right before her neck.
She gasped, startled, frozen in place. Given the force of my swing, she might've felt as though she had walked into it herself.
I glared at her, though it was difficult to meet her eyes—her face resembled Zenith's too much.
"Calm down, Paul," Ghislaine's voice cut through the tension. "If this is serious, we should at least hear her out."
I was surprised. Ghislaine wasn't as invested in protecting Zenith as I was, but to hear her advocating for a rational approach? She'd really changed over the years.
"Fine," I said begrudgingly, sheathing my sword. "Say your piece. Then I'll decide what to do with you."
Therese exhaled sharply, taking a step back.
"Geez, you're really on edge," she muttered. "But with the crisis in Millishion, maybe that's appropriate."
"Just get to the point."
She hesitated before glancing around, scanning for eavesdroppers. I could've told her there were none, but that would've meant revealing more than I wanted to.
"People have been disappearing—nobles, commoners, even children. Many of them were connected to the Demon Expulsion faction."
That wasn't news to me. The conflict between the two factions had been simmering for decades. The idea of coexistence with non-human races had always been a source of tension in Millis.
Once, I might've shared some of their sentiments. But my time adventuring with my old party—where race had never mattered, only the person—had changed that.
"I don't see why this concerns me," I said flatly. "Those two factions have always been at each other's throats."
"This is different," Therese insisted. "Entire families are disappearing. Even children and pregnant women."
That made me pause.
What kind of monster would go that far?
Ghislaine and I exchanged glances. We were thinking the same thing.
'It wasn't me this time. I swear.'
"What the—"
I immediately went on guard, scanning the area.
"What is it?" Ghislaine asked.
"You didn't hear that?" I looked between her and Therese.
They both stared at me like I'd lost my mind.
'Weren't you less surprised last time you heard me? Ah. Maybe my voice sounds different in your head. Just calm down and focus.'
"Paul?" Therese looked concerned. "Are you okay?"
"... Kagami. He's speaking to me. Telepathically."
"What?" Ghislaine's ears twitched, her brows furrowing.
'Oh boy. The lap kitten sure looks pissed to hear from me.'
"And," I added, still shaken, "he can see and hear everything I can."
"What the hell do you mean?" Ghislaine asked, looking even more confused—and angrier.
'No time for that. Therese is leaving something out. Ask her who the main suspect is.'
I turned to Therese.
"Who do the higher-ups suspect?"
She stiffened. That was answer enough.
'That's never a good sign. I'd bet my stolen fortune the suspect's name rhymes with 'haul'.'
"They think I did it?!"
Therese flinched.
"But why?" I demanded.
'That's on me,' Kagami admitted. 'The training routine I gave you must've made them suspicious. Didn't intend for that, but… I should've seen it coming.'
'What the hell do you mean?'
'Hold that thought. I'm eavesdropping on the cardinal. Turns out, he hired those assassins. Your lovely mother-in-law tipped him off about your schedule to send his men.'
I stiffened.
"The cardinal?"
Therese's reaction confirmed it.
I exhaled sharply, my mind racing.
"You're here because your mother is meeting with the cardinal."
Her face paled. "How could you possibly know that?"
That sealed it. God, her guilt must run deep if it makes her an open book.
"What's a cardinal?" Ghislaine asked.
"He's basically at the same order like the Prime Minister of Asura," I explained. "Second only to the pope. More authority than even the royal family really."
'Wait,' Kagami muttered. 'What is that old hag doing so far from Asura?'
"*Sigh* Hold on, he's talking to me again."
'Oh, now I get it.' Kagami's tone darkened. 'That wannabe god's been planning something for a while now. No wonder the aft pig's been quiet so long. I should've caught it sooner.'
"What now, Paul?" Ghislaine pressed.
"... Nothing good."
'Paul. Get your family and leave Millishion. Now.'
'I'm sick of your cryptic warnings. Just tell me what—'
'OH CRAP! SHE NOTICED ME! ARGH!'
I staggered, clutching my head as pain lanced through it.
"Paul?!" Ghislaine was at my side.
'What happened?!' I barked in my mind. "Kagami!"
'The cardinal hired the Water God. She's on her way. To kill you and your family.'
I went rigid.
"WHAT?!"
Therese flinched. "What the hell is wrong with you? And who is Kagami?"
I ignored her.
"Ghislaine. We need to leave. Now."
"What? Why?"
"The cardinal hired the Water God. No time to explain."
Her ears flattened. Her fur bristled. She understood immediately.
No more words were needed. We turned and sprinted, leaving Therese shouting after us.
I couldn't trust that family anymore. They only cared about shaping their own blood into perfect puppets, destroying anything they deemed unworthy.
And as much as I doubted Kagami, the truth was undeniable—he had helped us in ways we could never repay. Maybe he was toying with us. Perhaps he had his own agenda.
But I wasn't about to gamble my family's lives on finding out.
///