Chapter 9

Ashel Gronhild (1)

Level 70.

Considering various factors, at least a level 70 guardian was needed.

Compared to the monarchs, it was a meager level, but they were essentially out-of-the-ordinary monsters. Even at level 70, one was already a formidable powerhouse.

If a level 30 could easily slaughter a hundred ordinary soldiers, a level 70 could massacre them in droves no matter how many gathered.

'Finding a guardian shouldn’t be a problem...'

I could easily find someone who met the conditions by just going to the Monarch’s Castle of the Seven Monarchs.

However, the issue was how much I could trust them.

What I needed was a helper who would always stay by my side and protect me. Trust was a bigger issue than ability.

Even as a precaution, I needed to have someone I could somewhat trust as my guardian.

"Quite a dilemma."

A position that doesn’t match one’s abilities is indeed burdensome.

I hadn’t done anything yet, but just thinking about the future already felt stifling.

I let out a small sigh and leaned back in my chair.

Suddenly, an idea popped into my head, and I called out to Kaelen, who was outside the room.

"Do you want to read a book? Is there a library in the castle?"

"Yes, it exists."

I had asked just in case, and I received a positive answer.

There were several libraries, and even a central library.

Upon reflection, it wasn’t strange that there was a library in the castle.

The Monarch’s Castle was essentially the imperial palace of the Saintea Empire. The name was different, but the essence was the same.

"If you tell me what kind of books you want, I can bring them to you immediately..."

"No, I’ll go myself. Please guide me."

"I will accompany you immediately."

Kaelen relayed something to the nearby attendants.

Startled, the attendants hurriedly ran off somewhere. I had only asked for guidance, so I wondered what they were doing.

In any case, I followed her to the library.

As I walked down the corridor, some people were startled and bowed when they saw me. I could feel their gazes from time to time.

I had hardly shown my face, yet rumors about me had already spread quite a bit within the castle.

'Indeed.'

Elves, merfolk, dwarves, giants, and even some rare races.

While humans were the majority, Caldric was home to a truly diverse array of races.

The scene still felt alien, but I would get used to it over time.

The central library was a few buildings away from where my room was located.

The training square where the knights were practicing, which I had seen from the window earlier, was near the path, and my eyes were drawn to it as I passed by.

Upon entering the library, I saw an old man standing politely at the entrance, as if waiting for me.

Judging by his small stature and the tail at his back, he seemed to be a mouse-type merfolk.

"Welcome, 7th Monarch. It is an honor to have you visit the central library."

...I wondered if they had already spread the news of my arrival.

The old merfolk, who introduced himself as the librarian, offered to guide me through the library, but I declined as it wasn’t necessary.

I left the two of them behind and slowly made my way inside.

The library was completely empty, and there was not a single sound.

I didn’t know if it had always been empty or if everyone had been cleared out before my arrival.

'Quite spacious.'

As I looked around, I understood why the librarian had offered to guide me.

The books were not classified in such detail by each shelf, so it would take quite a bit of time to find what I was looking for.

But it didn’t matter.

I wasn’t looking for a specific book; any martial arts or magic book would do.

'This way.'

I soon found a shelf filled with magic books and stopped.

I picked up a random book and started flipping through it.

There was no problem understanding the content.

The common language of the Lakironia continent, which I had encountered for the first time in this world, was naturally understood from the moment I was reincarnated, as if it were my native language.

"..."

Of course, the content of the book I was reading was completely incomprehensible.

Magic theory... It seemed to be related to some mathematical principles, but I couldn’t understand what it was saying.

'So, it’s no good after all.'

I had flipped through the pages to the end and let out a small sigh as I closed the book.

I hadn’t looked for a magic book to leisurely learn magic.

When I played the game, I sometimes learned skills from book items, so I had hoped for a similar experience.

But it seemed I was being too optimistic. If it were that easy, it would be a complete cheat.

After looking through a few more books, I gave up.

Since I was already there, I decided to spend some time browsing other books before leaving the library with Kaelen, who was waiting at the entrance.

'I’m hungry. Maybe I’ll ask for a snack.'

As I walked back to my room, I noticed the knights training again.

A considerable amount of time had passed since I first saw them, yet they were still training intensely.

"..."

As I looked at them without much thought, my gaze suddenly stopped on one of them.

【Level 81】

A white-haired female knight was clashing swords with another knight, as if in a sparring match.

The one who stood out was her.

After all, she was at a completely different level from the other knights, who were at most level 40.

I wondered if she was a superior, but there was someone else who looked like one.

Most importantly, that face... I had seen it somewhere before...

"What is it?"

I had stopped walking and stood still for a while, which made Kaelen look at me curiously.

I pointed to the knights and asked.

"What are they?"

"They are the apprentices of the White Lin Knights, a part of the castle. They seem to be conducting their noon training."

The White Lin Knights were the elite forces directly under the Monarch’s Castle.

Still, while a typical noble family’s regular knight was around level 30, the apprentices at the Monarch’s Castle were over level 40...

"..."

Ah, I remember.

That white hair, a knight of Caldric.

While there was a significant difference between the game graphics and real appearance, it was enough to evoke a familiar feeling.

"Is that man the superior of the knights?"

I pointed to a man who was walking among the knights, seemingly guiding them.

"Yes, he is the deputy commander of the 5th White Lin Knights..."

"Can you call him over here for a moment?"

It was a rather random request, so Kaelen looked surprised.

But she quickly agreed and approached the knights.

After a brief conversation, she brought the man to me. This is what power is.

【Level 63】

"It is an infinite honor to meet you, 7th Monarch! I am the deputy commander of the 5th White Lin Knights, Kamsen."

The man, completely tense, gave a stiff salute.

Your name doesn’t matter.

"I have a question."

"Of course! I will do my best to answer anything!"

"See that white-haired woman over there."

I pointed to her and asked.

"What is her name?"

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Deputy Commander Kamsen looked momentarily perplexed before quickly answering.

"She is an apprentice knight named Ashel. She joined three months ago and is currently going through the apprenticeship process."

...Indeed.

The moment I heard her name, I felt a slight shiver run down my spine.

I couldn’t believe it, but could such a coincidence exist?

'Ashel Gronhild.'

One of the main protagonists in the Rashia main story.

She initially appears as an enemy but gradually joins the protagonist’s side, becoming a powerful ally.

'She was an apprentice knight at the Monarch’s Castle at this point.'

A natural question followed.

Why was she just an apprentice?

With a level over 80, she could have been the commander of the White Lin Knights or even a member of the elite Black Lin Knights. This was true even in the game.

'...I have a rough idea, though.'

But I knew her background and circumstances.

So, I could quickly come up with a plausible guess.

Is she still cautious about her surroundings? That’s why she joined as an apprentice and is hiding her strength?

'What should I do about this?'

After the sparring match, Ashel put away her sword without showing any signs of fatigue.

She glanced at me while smoothing out her disheveled hair.

I fell into a brief contemplation.

This was a golden opportunity.

I needed a trustworthy guardian, and she was a character with a reliable personality.

Moreover, she was already strong, and in the future, she had the potential to grow to a monarch-level.

'The question is how to persuade her.'

Currently, Ashel is a knight under the Monarch’s Castle.

While the power of a monarch could easily bring an apprentice knight from the Monarch’s Castle, there was a different issue.

Ashel had a clear purpose for becoming a knight at the Monarch’s Castle.

If I ignored that and forcibly brought her as a guardian, she might not only dislike me but also harbor hostility.

"..."

I’ll give it a try.

If I hadn’t found her, it would be one thing, but now that I have, it would be a waste to let her go.

Having made my decision, I spoke again.

"When does the training end?"

"We plan to continue for about another hour..."

"I want to talk to her. Can I take her with me when it’s over?"

The deputy commander’s face turned blank. It was the expected reaction.

In Caldric, the monarchs are like the sky.

For a monarch to have a reason to take an apprentice knight personally was an unusual situation.

"Of course! You can take her immediately..."

"No, in an hour."

I said firmly.

I needed time to gather my thoughts before the conversation.

"I’ll go back first. Bring her to my room slowly when the training is over."

Kaelen’s gaze became a bit strange.

I realized I might have caused a misunderstanding.

"I just want to talk."

I added, and she bowed apologetically.

I turned around after giving Ashel one last look.

My mind was racing. How could I persuade her to become my guardian?

***

Ashel came to my room about an hour later.

"It is an honor to meet you, 7th Monarch. I am an apprentice knight of the 5th White Lin Knights, Ashel."

She saluted with a blank expression, wearing casual clothes instead of her training armor.

"Sit down."

I gestured to the seat opposite me.

After a moment of silence, Ashel finally sat down.

The room was filled with a heavy silence as we sat across from each other.

I sipped my tea in silence and glanced at her.

Ashel, who had been staring at her teacup, looked up, sensing my gaze.

The various emotions in her vivid crimson eyes were faintly perceptible.

Tension, caution, and confusion. She clearly didn’t understand why she was here.

...Honestly, I was more nervous.

The woman sitting in front of me was a level 80 monster, and what I was about to say would surely provoke her.

But this was the best way to persuade her.

I opened my mouth.

"Are you hiding your strength?"

Straight to the point, no beating around the bush.

"..."

Ashel’s expression slowly hardened.

"Your skills are far beyond an apprentice knight. I’m curious why you’re hiding your strength."

"..."

"I don’t understand what you mean."

Her voice was slightly sharp, clearly filled with caution.

"If you’re going to deny it, I’ll get straight to the point."

Her eyes widened at my words.

"White Moon Clan."

"!"

"Thought they were completely extinct, but there was a survivor. What’s your reason for coming to the Monarch’s Castle?"

The sharp hostility immediately pierced through me.

Compared to the aura of the brain lord I had encountered at the monarchs’ meeting, it was much weaker, but it was still a tremendous pressure.

I met her fierce gaze calmly.

"Give up on pointless thoughts. It’s beyond your capabilities."

Of course, it was just a bluff.

If she drew her sword and attacked, I would die without even realizing it.

But I believed she wouldn’t.

First, Ashel isn’t the type to kill indiscriminately. Even though it’s the past, it’s only been a few years, so her nature shouldn’t have changed.

Most importantly, she isn’t the type to recklessly attack someone much stronger than herself.

No matter how confident she is in her abilities, she must recognize that the monarchs of Caldric are on a different level.

"..."

The bluff seemed to work. Ashel bit her lip and withdrew her energy.

Blood trickled from her bitten lip, making me feel a bit guilty.

She must be incredibly confused right now.

How did I know her true identity, and what is my purpose? She must be completely bewildered.

The persuasion begins now.

Well, let’s see how this goes.