Ghislain was more immersed in the battle unfolding before him than ever before. The techniques used in mana cultivation and swordsmanship were distinctly different from the ones he had refined. In some ways, they were even superior. Could it be... is that man the founder of the Ferdium family? Or perhaps it was one of his successors who later established the Ferdium family. At this point, he couldn’t definitively conclude anything. His thoughts wandered back to a conversation he had with his father when he first started refining their mana cultivation method. — "Still, it’s the mana cultivation method that has sustained our family for a thousand years! How can you guarantee that your improvements are better than our traditional one?" — "Honestly, does it even make sense that our family has been around for a thousand years?" — "...It’s true. Oh, you were born in the year that marked our thousandth anniversary. It was such a momentous occasion." — "Do you have any proof?" — "...I heard it from your grandfather." At the time, he had laughed it off. He couldn’t believe the claim that their family had existed for a millennium. He dismissed it as a made-up story to instill pride in their lineage. But now, here it was. Someone wielding the lost swordsmanship of Ferdium was fighting in the Great War a thousand years ago. The idea that this man could truly be the founder of the Ferdium family grew stronger in his mind. Could our family really be a thousand years old? And to think it all started with someone who was active in the Great War... Ghislain stared at the man’s sword as if hypnotized. It was an opportunity to uncover the lost techniques of the Ferdium family. But... it was incredibly difficult to focus. The man’s combat style was outrageously flamboyant, to say the least. “Hu-rah-cha-cha-cha!” He swung his sword incessantly while shouting at the top of his lungs. He even used his mouth as a weapon, taunting his opponent nonstop. “How does it feel? My overwhelming swordsmanship! It’s killing you, isn’t it? Can’t you feel the difference in strength? Doesn’t it feel like you’re up against an unstoppable force?” “...” The Apostle said nothing, his only visible effort being to concentrate. Despite this, the man continued his incessant chatter while attacking. “Fighting you reminds me of the countless battles I had with my rival. Ah, we were so young back then.” “Hey, can’t you show me your face? I’m curious. If you’re beautiful, I don’t care about gender—we could run away together.” “This sword I wield carries a tragic legend. What? You’re curious about the legend? Hmm, sorry. I don’t believe in legends. If you really want to know, cough up five gold coins.” “...” “...” The Apostle remained silent, as did Ghislain. The man’s tongue was as unrestrained as his sword. The atmosphere was completely different from the other three. If Claude ever learned swordsmanship, wouldn’t he turn out exactly like this? Ghislain inhaled deeply as he thought about it. This man isn’t an ancestor of our family. No one in the Ferdium lineage had ever acted like this. No matter how long ago he lived, he couldn’t accept it. He couldn’t be their family’s founder. In fact, the Apostle seemed far more impressive. Staying calm and composed in the face of such relentless mental attacks was no small feat. Their skills were evenly matched. The endless chatter of the man and the silent focus of the Apostle ensured the fight wouldn’t end anytime soon. Ghislain scrutinized the man’s face closely. As expected, shadows concealed the area around his eyes. It was worse than with the knight. The harder he tried to focus, the blurrier the shape of his face and hair became. He couldn’t make out any details. The only discernible feature was his scruffy, unkempt beard, which suggested he didn’t care much about his appearance—a reflection of his free-spirited nature. Ugh... The more he tried to figure it out, the more frustrated he became. He decided to stop trying, telling himself there must be a reason why his face wasn’t revealed. In the end, the only one whose face he’d properly seen was the mage. There was one more clue about the mage’s identity, something that tied back to what the Saintess had said in the dream. — "Did that help you? I was told it would be helpful." — "I don’t know much about you, but my mage friend has spoken about you a lot." — "Our friend from the future." Mage friend. The person who was both a companion and ally to the Saintess and the Hero—that must be the mage. But the Saintess’s words remained vague. He was indeed seeing the past from the future, but could he really call himself their “friend”? What did the mage mean when speaking to the Saintess? How could someone from that era know someone from the future would be watching? The only certainty was that, as the Saintess had said, this dream was proving to be a great help to Ghislain. The Hero and his adversary. Their companions and the Apostles. The battles they showed him were continuously pushing his abilities to new heights. Who are you all... Why were they showing him these dreams? Based on the Saintess’s words, it seemed the dream was meant only for him. — "I know it’s confusing, but don’t doubt. You have to trust us. There’s not much time left." — "Only you." — "You’re the one who can save us." Ghislain reflected on the Saintess’s words. The dream was already starting to blur. He naturally opened his eyes and got up from his seat. The vivid scenes from the dream still lingered in his mind. “Hmm.” After organizing his thoughts for a moment, Ghislain turned to Dark and asked, “Did you see that too?” — "I saw it. A thousand years ago, it was crawling with monsters. Both you and Julien would just be fodder there. Not just fodder—absolute garbage." “...” This guy was starting to remind him of Ascon or Alfoy. Either way, his language was growing increasingly coarse. But to be fair, they weren’t that weak. The Seven Strongest of the Continent could still hold their ground even in that era. If I had to compare, maybe... just a hair weaker than the Apostles? Yeah, it would be tough, but it wasn’t as if they couldn’t fight. Battles aren’t won or lost until they’re fought. Ghislain spoke curtly. “Times were different back then, that’s all.” Not only were the strong individuals from a thousand years ago formidable, but even the level of the soldiers was significantly higher. After all, as Ereneth had mentioned, they had been fighting the Demonic Realm for a long time. It was an era where battles were a way of life. Naturally, the overall standard had to be higher. Thanks to this, Ghislain finally understood why Ereneth grew stronger as time passed. Just as she had said, she hadn’t been able to regain the full power of her prime due to the constraints placed upon her. “Hmm, so Ereneth in her previous life might have been the strongest on the continent at full power.” Of course, Julien was a monster who grew stronger with every breath, so nothing was certain. With monsters like them around, there was no time for Ghislain to rest either. He needed to grow ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ even stronger. Ghislain smirked as he organized his thoughts about the knights’ battles from a thousand years ago. The swordsmanship of the Radlan royal family is focused on defense. Truly, it is the unshakable sword of a king and a knight. That steadfast image was still vividly etched in his memory. Having directly experienced the secret techniques of the former royal family, he found it easy to understand. Watching the knight’s swordsmanship gave him insights into the direction he needed to take. He began analyzing it, considering how to incorporate those aspects into his own techniques. The same applies to my mother’s secret technique. Belinda had once shown him the book where it was recorded. Although he hadn’t trained in it, he had already committed it to memory. And now, he had the perfect technique to apply it to. Whoosh. Mana spears materialized around Ghislain. Up until now, he had only been able to launch them at desired targets. It may not look different on the surface, but it’s actually not the same. Like Belinda’s technique and the masked woman’s skill, these spears seemed almost alive, each imbued with its own will as they moved. It wasn’t just about firing them in a chosen direction. Reaching that level will take significant effort. It’s going to take a lot of time. The technique had a different focus from the swordsmanship he had mastered so far, so delving into it deeply wouldn’t be easy. But with practice over time, it could become a trump card. As he imitated the movements demonstrated by the masked woman a few times, Ghislain turned his attention to the most important aspect—the swordsmanship of the Ferdium family. I think I know what was missing. He had found the missing piece. With the foundation already in place, it wasn’t hard to figure it out. In fact, it felt more like an instinctual understanding of how to move rather than logical deduction. Whether it was thanks to the Saintess’s help or because of the Ferdium swordsmanship itself, he couldn’t say for sure. Ghislain gripped his sword and moved. The techniques of his family’s swordsmanship unfolded once more in his hands. The sword, which had previously slashed through the air with rough ferocity, suddenly hesitated. Originally... The next sequence of movements hadn’t been passed down. However, now that he understood the principles, Ghislain naturally executed the next part of the sequence. The mana cultivation method, which had seemed incomplete, began to flow smoothly, supporting the sword techniques. Swish! The northern swordsmanship, once rough and unrefined, transformed into a free-flowing breeze. Just as a raging wind can turn into a gentle stream, Ghislain’s sword moved fluidly through the air, almost as if dancing. Ghislain closed his eyes and steadied his breathing. Mana swirled within him, enveloping his entire body. From the tips of his fingers gripping the sword to the soles of his feet, every muscle felt connected. So this is it. Each time he swung his sword, he felt an unparalleled sense of freedom. His movements became increasingly fluid. His sword seemed to break free from the constraints of fixed forms, embodying infinite possibilities. Sometimes fierce like a raging torrent, other times gentle like a drifting leaf. At moments, it resembled the wild winds atop a mountain peak; at others, it mirrored the ferocious charge of a predator across the plains. Swish! At last, Ghislain’s sword stopped. Though incomplete, he now understood what his ancestors had been striving for. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺 “So this is it... I’ve finally reclaimed the true essence of my family’s swordsmanship.” A satisfied smile spread across Ghislain’s face. He had gained something entirely unexpected. The swordsmanship he had refined was a culmination of countless battles, filling in its weaknesses through experience. The mana cultivation method had been inspired by an incomplete ancient grimoire. Compared to the complete swordsmanship of his family, it was hard to say which was superior. Their foundations were similar, but their focus diverged. While his swordsmanship emphasized explosive power and destruction, his family’s swordsmanship sought freedom and adaptability. “Good. This means I can grow even stronger.” He had a new goal now. He planned to merge what he had learned into an even more advanced swordsmanship and mana cultivation method. Of course, further research was required. Even though he had seen the answer, he hadn’t fully grasped the process. Regardless, he now had a clear understanding of the level of strength wielded by ancient warriors. He would surpass them. By combining the power to command will with a new, advanced technique, he could undoubtedly ascend to greater heights. “Was this their plan all along?” He had felt this way before, but now he was certain. The recurring dreams were designed to elevate his abilities. The dream seemed to show him the way to grow stronger—strong enough to rival or even surpass the warriors of a thousand years ago. And as a bonus, it had begun to unravel mysteries that had long puzzled him. “After the war ended, it seems the Hero’s companions each left something behind...” The mage likely established the tower where Jerome resided and developed new forms of magic. While this wasn’t particularly relevant to Ghislain, Jerome’s lineage carried its weight. Ghislain, however, was more interested in the knight and the masked woman. “If the knight became the founding king of Ruthania... and the masked woman led the Shadow Knights... it’s reasonable to assume they founded the new kingdom together.” As comrades, it was entirely plausible. Perhaps they united their strength to protect the Saintess’s relic, as Berhem had said, or for some other reason. “And as for the Ferdium ancestor, whether or not he’s truly our ancestor, let’s assume he was involved too. He must have been there.” After all, he was also a companion of the Hero. The Ferdium estate had long protected the northern borders of Ruthania. It made more sense to believe that the three of them had founded Ruthania together. “Hmm, but it just doesn’t fit.” One became a king. Another governed the kingdom from the shadows. But the third? He left behind... a disgraceful family. As he reached this thought, Ghislain’s expression soured. “Ugh, this looks terrible. How can one companion of the Hero end up with such a mess of a legacy?” The disparity was striking. It was as if he had fallen behind the others. A warrior of that caliber couldn’t have left behind such a pitiful lineage... Then again, judging by his behavior, maybe he could have. Even so, the kingdom wouldn’t have treated him lightly. What could have happened in the interim? “All they did was fight northern barbarians for generations... living like beggars because of a lack of funds. There’s no way someone who helped found the kingdom would be treated like this...” As Ghislain muttered to himself, something Ereneth had said suddenly crossed his mind. — "The Demonic Realm... is the Forest of Beasts." “Oh.” Finally, Ghislain understood. The true duty of Ferdium wasn’t to simply fend off northern barbarians. Their real mission... ...was to guard against the Demonic Realm.