13 (21)

Hearing that, it did seem plausible. Skin peeling off like a shed husk and the foul odor could also happen if one had been poisoned. But how could one explain the joints twisting and the phenomenon of absorbing surrounding mana? Even Ferdinand, with his vast experience and seniority, considered it an unprecedented event.

‘H… how enviable.’

For some reason, a new body was being overlaid upon the young man’s form. It was likely the dream of every swordsman in the world who had reached the level of Sword Master—not just Ferdinand himself.

Yet it was not only envy he felt. For Ferdinand personally, this was also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Many swordsmen in the Duchy of Eron boasted of their prowess, but none had ever reached such a realm. It was a phenomenon rare enough to be counted on one’s fingers even across the world. It was only natural that people found it strange. He had to observe Louis thoroughly, and when Louis awoke, determine what had caused it.

‘If he would only teach me, I would give not just my granddaughter but my entire house. Yes… But it truly is astonishing…’

The speed of the transformation was almost impossible to follow with the naked eye. As far as Ferdinand knew, Rebirth normally took about a week to complete. Either the rumors had been wrong, or Louis was abnormal. Most likely the former, Ferdinand thought as he stroked his beard.

The tent suddenly burst open, and a High Priestess rushed in, panting. She wore the expression of someone facing the worst possible situation of her life. It was only natural. If something happened to Louis, she might be held responsible and even excommunicated.

In any case, she was the only one capable of medical treatment inside, so she told the nobles to leave. Naturally, there was dissatisfaction, but in the end everyone except Spessart—who possessed medical knowledge—was forced outside. Normally she would never have dared speak so boldly, but when one’s livelihood was threatened, people tended to grow sharp.

Those filing out were already whispering rumors that Louis was undergoing Rebirth. They grumbled about missing such a rare sight and asked about her origins, but the only vague answer given was that a High Priestess was likely the daughter of foreign nobility.

“You’re not leaving?”

The one still standing there was Ferdinand, but he had every reason to remain no matter what.

After pondering briefly for an excuse, Ferdinand spoke to her.

“I have a duty to watch over the Duke. I must report directly to the King.”

Even he thought it was the perfect excuse. He had invoked the King’s name somewhat shamelessly, but what could he do? Rejuvenation was at stake. Since he had mentioned the King, she had no real grounds to refuse Ferdinand, and she quickly began treatment with Spessart’s assistance.

For about an hour she poured divine power into Louis like a madwoman. Soon she realized that Louis was not deteriorating at all—in fact, he was growing more vigorous. And that vitality had already surpassed the bounds of a normal human.

‘Whew… Just how far will this man recover?’

In terms of appearance, she herself was not unattractive and usually had some confidence in dealing with men. Yet before Louis she always felt small. Judging by the situation, however, it seemed Ferdinand’s claim about his condition might be correct.

“So… the condition Duke Louis is experiencing—is it truly the bodily transformation that swordsmen undergo when they reach the ultimate stage?”

Ferdinand clapped his hands in delight, happy that the rigid woman had finally begun to understand.

“Exactly. You finally get it.”

“Since you seem to know so much about it, Sir Ferdinand, have you experienced it yourself?”

His cough was born of embarrassment. Perhaps because she had been left behind by the Pope, her words had carried hidden barbs all along. She soon stepped outside. Dozens of officers had gathered there, watching.

“Based on my diagnosis so far, not only is he not worsening—he is actually becoming healthier. Even if the Pope himself blessed someone, such overwhelming vitality would be rare. There is no need to worry. Please rest well. He will likely awaken by tomorrow.”

A murmur spread through the crowd.

“Huh, does that mean the Duke truly reached that realm?”

“I’ve never heard of a Sword Expert achieving it.”

“Perhaps our previous understanding was wrong. Even among Sword Masters, few in history reached such a stage.”

Various speculations flew around, but ultimately they could only wait for Louis to awaken.

Louis awoke the next afternoon. His eyes suddenly opened, and he realized his body felt as light as a feather. Not only that, but his mind was incredibly clear—so refreshing that it almost made him uneasy. After staring blankly for a moment, Louis suddenly recoiled at the foul odor piercing his nose. It did not take long to realize that the smell was coming from his own body.

As he raised himself halfway up, things stuck to him slid off and fell.

‘What is this… my skin? It seems I truly underwent Rebirth. The smell is terrible, but it doesn’t feel like it belongs to my body anymore. It must be what was expelled from it.’

“Y… Your Grace! You’re awake? How is your body? Do you feel anything strange? May I ask what happened? I will call someone immediately.”

Louis raised a hand toward the soldier who was bombarding him with questions.

“Wait outside. Tell those who wish to see me to remain outside. And bring water for a bath.”

The soldier left, and Louis remained alone in the spacious tent.

Strange. It seemed like he had grown taller. His clothes had become small, which confirmed it. More than that, vitality overflowed through him.

Louis looked in the mirror.

It was still him—but clearly a different person. Even his face had changed. His skin looked as if it had been newly born, and the most significant transformation was his skeletal structure. Even to his own eyes, the structure of his body looked perfect.

The bathwater arrived. Louis washed himself briefly and put on simple clothes. Then he spoke to the soldier staring in amazement outside.

“Let them come in.”

Those who had been waiting filed inside one after another. Almost all of them nearly failed to recognize Louis. His impression had changed that much. He had grown noticeably taller, and his pure white skin seemed so flawless it now appeared almost noble.

“I can’t believe my eyes.”

“Agreed.”

“Did he truly reach that realm?”

Louis sat down and spoke.

“It seems I startled you all.”

“Startled us? You nearly gave us heart attacks. Is what we suspected true?”

“Probably… yes.”

“Everyone has been worried about you.”

“I see. I did not expect to collapse either.”

Louis decided to go outside. The soldiers needed to see that he was unharmed. A considerable number had already gathered in front of the tent. Seeing two nobles suddenly rush inside earlier had led them to assume something serious had happened. Some even feared the worst.

Since Louis became Duke, Pontina Territory had developed rapidly. Naturally, life had improved greatly. None of the residents wished to return to the days when Remitri ruled.

In any case, the tent opened, and Louis stepped out first in light attire. At first the soldiers did not recognize him. But seeing Akiteia and Spessart speaking with him, they soon realized it was Louis. Above all, no one else could wear that personal longsword at his waist. The soldiers’ eyes widened. The rumors spreading through the night had been true.

Soon Ferdinand arrived in haste, his expression completely changed. Now he had more than enough reason to cling to Louis. The priestess who had treated Louis all night blushed deeply, her mouth slightly open.

‘Good heavens, O God.’

Louis shook the heart she was sworn never to give to a man.

‘My perspective has changed.’

Louis looked over the soldiers. Everything seemed higher and wider.

Mihoff approached him from the side, her face flushed.

“I was very worried, Your Grace.”

Anok, who had been restraining the soldiers earlier, ran over as well. Looking at Louis, he muttered,

“Huh… Your presence has grown brighter.”

From Ferdinand onward, the questions that had been piling up burst forth like a flood.

Euclid had arrived in Gedria not long before. He reached the city around the same time Louis returned. Before that, after seeing the ducal territory, he had already sensed Louis’s potential.

Wheat filled the vast farmland benefiting from the Hanging Gardens, and thanks to the Pope’s visit and the Golden Age buff, the citizens were highly satisfied. The population continued to grow, and the city had developed into a mid-sized commercial hub even by world standards.

During his journey to Gedria, Euclid heard nothing but stories about Louis. He had always been curious about the man, but now he was almost impatient to meet him. In fact, his female disciple was even more eager.

He had left his first disciple behind at the Mage Tower, trusting him to manage matters. The female disciple, however, had insisted on coming along. Now she had been locked in her room applying makeup for three hours straight—probably repeating the process again and again. Even when told to hurry, she did not listen. She was at an age where marriage would not be unusual.

At last, Euclid met Louis.

Strange rumors had already spread before Louis arrived in Gedria—rumors of Rebirth. Euclid knew the term, though only vaguely. To him it had always sounded like nonsense swordsmen liked to boast about.

But when Louis stood before him, Euclid let out an involuntary gasp.

He felt that even if he lived his entire life again—or combined it with the rest of his remaining years—he would never meet someone as impressive as this man.

Louis, too, found the Archmage impressive.

Euclid truly looked like a wizard from legend—somewhat antique and dignified. The faint mana rising from his body proved that his years had not been wasted. His mind was probably even more formidable.

Louis opened Euclid’s status window.

The most striking detail there was Euclid’s intelligence stat, which reached 14. Louis had never seen a human with such a high value before. Moreover, Euclid had mastered up to the 7th Circle and possessed the specialty Magitech Stimulator, which increased the speed of Magitech development within a territory by 10%.

Louis was already grateful that Euclid had come, but this extraordinary specialty made it even better.

Beside him stood his disciple, a young woman. Female mages were not particularly rare, so it was not surprising. Her face was flushed red like a strawberry.

She behaved shyly and warmly toward Louis. The old mage clicked his tongue, knowing her usually fierce personality. Even Arimeus, who had brought them here, seemed unable to adapt to seeing his once hostile junior disciple acting like this.

In any case, since Louis had already planned for this meeting, he accepted their request surprisingly easily. He provided them with residence and promised financial support.

Ding.

His points began accumulating again.

His remaining points were now 15,000.

The newly obtained body had strange qualities. It never grew tired. Even short rests restored fatigue almost instantly. Moreover, with this body he could now improve his swordsmanship proficiency through training alone.

For the first time, Louis truly understood why people valued talent.

The fact that he could now reach the realm of Sword Master through normal training alone freed him from the impatience that had long plagued him.