Chapter 19

### Chapter 19: The Sword Emperor Reincarnated in the Sword Family

The estate of the Cardenas family was indeed larger than Leonard had anticipated. Despite the carriage moving at a decent speed, it took nearly half an hour to reach the destination. If it were a typical barony, they would have long left the territory behind.

The knight, with practiced movements, calmed the horses and dismounted first, handing the carriage over to a servant. He then turned to Leonard and said, "Just go through that gate. From there, someone else will guide you, so don't worry."

"Thank you for your hard work."

"Yeah, sorry about earlier."

Leonard was curious about what the knight was sorry for, but he had already turned and was leaving.

'Was there something wrong with the bread? It tasted fine.'

Shaking off the unresolved question, Leonard finally stepped into the building before him. The moment he entered, the atmosphere changed dramatically. The very weight of the air felt different.

Was it because this area was considered an important facility within the family? Strong individuals, far more formidable than the instructors at the training grounds, patrolled the area.

"Are you the last trainee for this year?"

A knight who had appeared beside him like a shadow spoke up.

"Yes, I'm Leonard."

The knight, seeing Leonard's calm response, smiled faintly.

"...You have good composure. I'm Bradley, a Bachelor of the Dragon Knight Order. I'm responsible for explaining the areas you can choose and their details. Call me Sir Bradley."

"Understood, Sir Bradley."

"Follow me."

Bradley, who introduced himself as a mid-level knight, led the way with a confident stride, clearly familiar with the annual routine of the Dragon Knight Order. Leonard, following behind, cautiously observed the facility but, like the Blood Ritual Room, his senses were almost useless in this space.

'They must have used an array or special materials. It's impossible to see through it indirectly.'

In the Central Plains, such facilities would only be found in the headquarters of the Heavenly Horse Divine Sect or the imperial palace. It was as if the entire area was filled with facilities that even major sects didn't have.

Leonard, impressed by the family's wealth, noticed that the scenery around him had changed.

It felt similar to passing through an illusionary array.

"Surprised?"

"...Yes."

Bradley, understanding his surprise, explained, "This facility is off-limits to those without authorization. I can only visit when escorting trainees."

As he explained, Bradley pointed ahead.

A stone gate, about three meters high and wide enough for five or six people to pass through at once, stood before them. The most notable feature was that the gate was completely open, with no door.

Leonard's pupils narrowed.

'Is this the gate that transcends space?'

It was a device unimaginable in the martial world. It wasn't the teleportation technique used by immortals, and yet, a facility capable of traversing tens of thousands of miles in an instant existed?

The abilities of mages transcended the norms of martial artists in ways that were hard to fathom. If one could freely traverse space, subduing an opponent would become extremely difficult.

"The procedure is simple. I'll show you all the areas you can choose from, explain their advantages and disadvantages, and then activate the gate to send you to your chosen location."

"Sir Bradley."

Bradley nodded, signaling Leonard to speak.

"I want to go to an area where I can obtain the maximum amount of training resources based on my abilities."

While achieving the unification of the five elements had slightly improved the efficiency of the Pentacore, it was still far behind single-core or dual-core systems.

Most importantly, in this world, abundant training resources meant a rich natural energy in the area, and the difficulty and required skills for operating in the area would be proportionally higher.

'A martial artist who cannot walk the Path of Asuras is ultimately just an empty shell.'

This was why mages were considered superior to both orthodox and heterodox martial artists. From a young age, they trained in a culture of the strong ruling the weak, constantly fighting to survive and refine their martial arts. Even if they wanted to be lazy, they couldn't, and they had to live intensely.

"...There is a place that meets your requirements, but it's not suitable for a first-year."

Bradley, unusually anxious, continued, "Normally, you wouldn't even have the option to choose it, but as a special case, you can go. I don't recommend it, though. Even single-core owners can't last more than a couple of months and request a transfer."

"What is the name of that area?"

"Galapagos."

Bradley, sighing deeply at Leonard's determination, pulled out a large map from somewhere and laid it out on a table.

"It's almost on the outskirts of the Arcadia Empire, an uninhabited island except for our family members."

He also explained that it was the most dangerous and had the highest mortality rate among the areas where the Dragon Knight Order was stationed.

"Though it can't compare to the Demon Realm that the seven great knight orders are tackling, the deepest part is as dangerous as the Demon Realm. Even Sir Bradley, the Galapagos Banneret, needs to request help from Director Fabian when things get out of hand."

Despite this, Bradley's gaze asked if Leonard still wanted to go.

"Send me to Galapagos."

Leonard answered without hesitation.

Bradley wanted to dissuade him further but, as a guide, his advice had its limits. With a resigned expression, he turned and handed Leonard a small pouch. Though it looked shabby, Leonard sensed a strange power emanating from inside.

"You have good instincts. It's a pouch with a subspace enchantment."

"Subspace enchantment...?"

"It looks small, but it has the space of a decent-sized warehouse. Your allocated training resources are already inside, so use them wisely. If you use them all at once, you'll be in trouble later."

Bradley, giving detailed advice, inserted a few remaining spirit stones into the pouch in precise steps. Manipulating space was extremely dangerous, and even a slight mistake could lead to a catastrophic disaster.

The preparation for the spatial gate was completed in a few minutes.

Woooom!

The spatial gate shook violently as it activated. The inside of the open stone gate connected to the other side, drawing in the surrounding mana, similar to osmotic pressure.

Bradley urgently shouted, "Go! Hurry!"

Leonard, forgetting to respond, threw himself into the stone gate. The sensation, unlike anything he had experienced even as a Sword Emperor, made his heart and liver turn cold.

It felt like falling from a cloud or plummeting from a ten-thousand-foot cliff. His soul seemed to leave his body and drift away.

Whoosh!

Fortunately, the seemingly endless floating sensation subsided quickly. The feeling of his feet touching the ground returned a moment later.

"——Big."

Leonard barely managed to swallow the food that had risen to his throat. Could the knight's apology for the bread on the carriage have been because of this?

However, the dizziness from the spatial travel subsided before he could take a few breaths.

The next sensation was an intense heat.

'This is... Galapagos.'

As Leonard straightened his body, a dazzling sea and a tropical rainforest along the beach came into view. The sharp sunlight and humid air were extreme conditions he had rarely experienced, even in the Southern Barbarian region.

'Without achieving Water and Fire Immunity, it will be tough for a while.'

Leonard, who had traveled through the new martial world, including the Northern Sea and Southern Barbarian region, knew well that while people often thought of deserts and glaciers as barren lands, the most challenging environment for survival was a tropical rainforest like this.

The dense forest limited visibility, and venomous snakes and insects could attack from unseen places. The animals that could be hunted were smaller and harder to track compared to those in mountains or plains.

"...Someone's coming."

Leonard sensed the approach of several people from a distance. They were older trainees from the Dragon Knight Order, a few years ahead of him.

They were all referred to as Pages in terms of rank, right?

If they were staying in the Galapagos area, they were undoubtedly among the most skilled in their cohort.

"Really, a first-year is here?"

A young man, who had spotted him first, spoke casually.

"It's been a while since a new recruit lost their mind. Want to bet how many days it'll take for them to whine and ask for a transfer?"

"I'll say a week."

"I'll say a month. If a first-year came here directly, they must be a special case. They might be useful."

The harsh life in Galapagos was evident from their worn-out armor and cloaks. They were only a few years older than Leonard, but their rough skin and unkempt hair made them look more mature.

Leonard, instinctively assessing their skills, nodded inwardly.

'All three are at the initial peak stage. They are well-trained in practical combat.'

In the orthodox martial world, it was rare for someone to become a peak expert before the age of twenty, even among the best of the Five Dragons and Three Peaks.

But for the knights on this island, it was not special.

"—Interfering with a first-year is strictly prohibited. If you don't want to be disciplined, step back."

At that moment, a deep voice stopped them.

"I, Knight Banneret! I apologize!"

"I will step back immediately!"

"I will correct my behavior!"

The young men, not daring to resist the voice, scattered.

It was understandable.

Leonard, turning to the shadow that appeared beside him, said, "Pleased to meet you, Knight Banneret."

The man was as tall as Fabian, with a face that looked like a roughly carved rock.

An immovable presence.

Evidence that he had forged his own path in martial arts.

'He is knocking on the door of the Fire Stage. With the right opportunity, he can break through quickly.'

The man, Bradley, the Banneret in charge of this area, scanned Leonard and spoke.

"I have been informed about you. A special case, recommended by Director Fabian himself. Leonard."

"Yes, Sir Banneret."

"My name is Bradley. I am a senior knight of the Basilisk, the 1st Division of the Dragon Knight Order, responsible for managing this Galapagos island. I will ensure your safety and teach you basic mana cultivation."

The stone-like, inorganic face moved only the lips.

"From today, the next six months will be your protection period, and the following six months will be your probationary period. During this time, no one on this island can touch you. However, once this period is over, you will have to protect what you possess on your own. Understand?"

"Yes, I understand."

"Good. We will start the mana cultivation lessons immediately. If you need rest, I can give you a few hours."

Without hesitation, Leonard answered, "I don't need it."

"I like your attitude."

Bradley smiled for the first time.

"I hope to see you here for as long as possible."

The permanent population of Galapagos Island was around 1,000. Excluding the mid-level knights and above of the Dragon Knight Order who managed and supervised, there were about 800 children. The youngest Page was in their third year, and the oldest was in their seventh year. While first-years had occasionally come to this island before, none had ever stayed until the end.

Despite being a Pentacore and having a recommendation from the director, whether Leonard would be an exception was still unknown.