Chapter 56

### Chapter 56: The Sword Emperor Reincarnated in the Sword Clan

### Second Stage of External Force Realm.

Although it was only one level below Leonard's true strength, even that level was not something one could reach in their teens.

Having been born and raised in Cardenas, his standards were inevitably a mess in many ways. By the late teens, most people would have broken through to the External Force Realm, reaching the second or third stage and being appointed as a Squire, a junior knight.

The general achievement in mana cultivation over those ten years was to break through the Body Tempering Realm and, if one could enter the External Force Realm in their early to mid-twenties, they would be considered a genius.

Yet, here was Leonard, who looked like he hadn't even turned twenty, already at the second stage of the External Force Realm?

Even Clara, the veteran counter clerk, was momentarily speechless.

"…Mr. Leonard, it would be appreciated if you could prove it."

"Understood."

At the sound of something that couldn't be believed without seeing it with one's own eyes, everyone in the hall turned to look at Leonard.

And then.

*Whoosh.*

Seeing the overflowing sword qi on the sword he drew, everyone couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"Really…! At that age, with that face, and that talent?"

"The gods must have all died in the Mythic Era. Otherwise, it couldn't be this unfair!"

"Both Marian and this kid. I don't understand why talents are gathering around the princess."

"Righteousness, friendship, love! Something like that, right? It's romantic, isn't it?"

"Romance can freeze to death. If you fall out of favor with the Council of the Union, it's all over!"

Ignoring the intense reactions of the adventurers gathered in the Zephyrus Hall, Leonard calmly sheathed his sword.

Clara, seeing this, said with a slightly faster heartbeat.

"Please state your age now."

"15 years old."

"Huh?"

Just like the previous question, her body stiffened, and this time, Francis and Marian were no different.

His face looked a bit young, but he was over six feet tall, so they thought he had already completed his coming-of-age ceremony.

If Marian had known he was 15, she would have lied and said he was at the first stage of the External Force Realm. Francis, who approached him even faster than Marian, whispered.

"Really 15 years old? Really?"

"Yes."

"I thought you looked 17 or 18… Do you want me to call you 'sister'?"

"That's something I wouldn't do even if you asked me to owe you a life debt."

"Cheeky!"

At his firm voice, not only Francis but also Marian and most of the female adventurers in the hall showed deep regret.

Clara was no exception.

"Mr. Leonard, second stage of the External Force Realm, 15 years old. Confirmed. The following questions don't need to be answered if you don't want to."

"Understood."

"Where are you from?"

Revealing that he was from the Arcadia Empire or keeping it secret wasn't a particularly good choice.

Hiding something meant there was information that could be a weakness. So Leonard mentioned a country other than Arcadia, the one that sent him here.

"Kingdom of Cruzis."

If the Shadow Knights were watching, they would be spitting blood in the Netherworld.

But neither Clara nor anyone in the hall knew much about Cruzis.

"Cruzis, Cruzis… Ah! The country located in the northwest of the Arcadia Empire, right?"

"Yes, that's what I've heard."

When Clara tilted her head, sounding like an outsider, Leonard added a few words.

"I only heard that I'm from there, but I don't have any memories of staying or growing up in Cruzis. I know less about it than this place."

"Ah, I see."

After writing 'Cruzis' in the place of origin section, Clara asked a few more questions, and the registration process was quickly completed with Leonard's simple answers.

The second official member was added to the B-rank adventure guild, 'Aquamarine.'

Including the guild leader Francis and Marian, there were three members.

It was a small group.

Apparently, the sailors seen on 'Aquamarine' were just manpower for managing the ship and were not registered as official guild members.

"Alright! That's all Leonard needs to do. The rest are administrative procedures we need to handle, so I'll give you some free time!"

Francis said this with a grin.

"Nothing comes to mind for free time in Manrita Harbor? If there's something you want to do or a place you want to go, tell me now. I'll assign a guide to you."

"Something I want to do…?"

Leonard pondered for a moment.

It would be nice to take a tour of the Atlantis Maritime Union, or to walk around the towers of the Council of the Union and the Magic Tower, which could be considered the dominant forces in this region.

Listening to other adventurers' stories or forming a shallow friendship to gather information within the *Bermuda* also seemed like a good option.

However.

'Even if I combine all of that, it still can't match [Magic].'

He wanted to learn about magic.

If he delved into the mysterious power that had carried him from Galapagos to Atlantis, his enlightenment might advance even further.

"I want to learn a bit about magic."

"Huh? Magic?"

Francis looked surprised and asked.

"Leonard, you're a talented and excellent swordsman. Are you aiming to become a Sword Mage?"

"No, I don't plan to seriously cultivate magic. I just want to know more about it."

The unknown is what is truly terrifying and what needs to be addressed first.

The Sword Emperor Lian Wuxie had continuously proven this throughout his life.

Leonard also agreed with this.

"If I had known more about magic, I could have avoided the失控 of the spatial magic. This time, I survived thanks to Francis, but we shouldn't expect the goddess of fortune to smile twice."

"R-right?! Hehe, no, I understand!"

Francis, for some reason, blushed and fumbled, then ran to the counter and quickly returned.

Then, she puffed out her chest and became as confident as ever.

"You want a general knowledge of magic? Then a simple lesson request will be enough. I called someone I know from the Magic Tower, so learn from them for a day!"

Leonard was grateful for the offer but felt a bit awkward as the favor he owed kept growing.

"Thank you, Francis. It feels like I'm only accumulating debts without giving anything back."

"Don't worry! If you stay with my guild like this, you'll be able to pay it all back!"

"Well, I guess so. I look forward to working with you."

His greeting made Francis grin and Marian smile warmly, while Leonard, who was unaware of their different thoughts, didn't realize how happy they were about his joining.

The trio, who had drawn attention in the Zephyrus Hall, dispersed because of the arrival of the person Francis had called.

"Francis! Long time no see!"

"Sister Esther!"

A woman, unmistakably a mage by her attire, walked elegantly from the entrance of the hall and embraced Francis.

Her chestnut hair swayed down to the back of her robe.

She looked to be in her mid-twenties.

Unlike martial artists, mages have a lower resistance to aging, and those who haven't reached the 7th tier maintain their age-appropriate appearance.

Even if Francis had an impressive network, it was unlikely she could easily call a 7th tier, Transcendent-level mage. So Esther was probably at the 6th tier, or perhaps the 4th or 5th tier. For a B-rank mage, she wouldn't be below the 3rd tier.

'If we compare it to the realm of martial arts, she would be at the peak of the supreme level, but…'

Leonard thought it was wrong to judge her that way.

The power to fly tens of thousands of miles with a single sheet of paper. Trying to understand magic from the perspective of martial arts might make it even harder to approach.

Esther, the mage called by Francis, looked at Leonard and said.

"So, you want me to teach this man magic? Not as a formal master-disciple relationship, but just general knowledge?"

"Yes! Teach him about the mage hierarchy, the attributes of magic, and the things to be cautious about! Asking for more would be too much, even for us."

"Well, if Francis asks, I might do it once. Twice would be too much, though."

Esther gently stroked Francis's head and recalled the debt of gratitude she owed her.

The memory of the day 'Aquamarine,' once an A-rank guild that explored the 5th sea region and was admired by the entire Maritime Union, suddenly came to an end.

At that time, Esther was a novice at the 4th tier but was highly valued for her potential and became a member of 'Aquamarine.'

'…I left this child behind and ran away back then.'

Even now, that situation was irresistible.

A conspiracy that even the *Bermuda* turned a blind eye to, a threat from the majority of the Council of the Union, left no room to save others.

A 4th tier mage was as useless as a pebble in that situation.

The only one who protected Francis until the end was Marian, brought by the former leader of 'Aquamarine,' Njord. If it weren't for her unwavering loyalty, willing to repay a life debt with her own life, Francis would never have seen her again.

'It's a blessing that she doesn't resent me, but if I can repay this debt of gratitude even a little, it would be good.'

It was also not a bad thing for her, who was still stuck at the 4th tier due to the trauma of that day.

Esther's green eyes looked at the new member of 'Aquamarine,' Leonard. She was surprised by his appearance at first, but after hearing his story, she was amazed by his skills and age.

'Suspicious.'

A handsome young man and a genius swordsman, straight out of a novel.

Was it too much to suspect that he was a handsome trap targeting Francis, who had no one to rely on except Marian?

The mage's mindset, which was inherently distrustful, scrutinized Leonard.

'He's cautious. Are all mages like this?'

Despite trying to hide his gaze, it was useless against a martial artist who had opened the upper dantian.

Leonard inwardly chuckled at her clumsy probing.

It was one thing to be cautious of a stranger, but it was awkward to be caught like this. Marian also seemed to notice and looked at him with a pained expression.

If this continued, the atmosphere would become even more awkward.

"Please take care of me, Miss Esther. I am Leonard, the new member of 'Aquamarine.'"

So Leonard extended his hand first.

Esther glanced at his palm for a moment but did not shake his hand.

"I'm Esther, 4th tier of the Atlantis Magic Tower. Just drop the honorifics. And as a mage, most of us are sensitive to physical contact, so it's better to avoid shaking hands on first meeting."

Unlike Francis, her words created a sense of distance.

Leonard, not offended by her response, retracted his hand.

"I will keep that in mind."

Esther nodded once and turned to Francis.

"Francis, I'll teach him as much as I can in a day. If you need a mage, call me. Returning to 'Aquamarine' might be difficult, but helping with a request is possible."

Francis, with her usual cheerful smile, replied.

"Yes! I always rely on you!"

"Take care of things in *Bermuda* and let's have a meal together later. I'll make a reservation."

"Got it. Leonard, learn well from Sister Esther!"

With that, Francis and Marian left to handle their work, leaving Leonard and Esther in the hall.

After a moment of awkward silence,

"Have you eaten?"

"Not yet."

"Then let's have a meal while we talk. It's hard to teach or learn in this atmosphere."

Without waiting for his answer, she turned and walked away.

Esther walked a few steps ahead, and Leonard followed her out of the Zephyrus Hall. Their footsteps matched perfectly.

This was the first meeting between Esther, the former member of 'Aquamarine,' and Leonard, the current member.