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Chapter 14: Leaving Home (2)

Back at the estate, Bern questioned Hans to see if Henry’s words were true.

“My Lord, did you really permit the Young Master to venture into the Demonic Beast Forest?”

He spoke politely, but he had entered the estate very hastily and spoke harshly as he caught his breath. Hans responded as if it was a meaningless question.

“I did. But under the condition that he must defeat you, correct?”

At that moment, Henry answered on behalf of Bern without hesitation.

“That condition, I have just fulfilled.”

There was a look of shock on Hans’ face.

“W-what? Is that true? Bern, answer me!”

“...Unfortunately, it is the truth.”

“What nonsense!”

Hans’ breath became rougher. This was Bern, after all. Hans had fought side by side with Bern during wartime, so he knew better than anyone how skilled Bern was. The fact that his son, who was barely twenty years old, had defeated Bern, was unthinkable.

Unlike Bern and Hans, who were filled with mixed emotions, Henry felt calm. He spoke in a measured tone.

“I’ve only faithfully kept my promises. In exchange, please allow me to enlist in the Demonic Beast Forest.”

Bern turned towards Hans. “My Lord, this cannot be. Even though you may have made that promise, I’m sure it wasn’t a sincere statement, was it?”

“W-well, yes, but…”

Hans looked at Bern and Henry’s faces as this unexpected situation unfolded. There was a stark contrast between their facial expressions.

“Father,” Henry spoke calmly.

“Y-yeah. What is it?”

“Give me a chance to prove that I am worthy. I need to see more of the world.”

“But the world you see doesn’t have to be the Demonic Beast Forest, does it? You’re still young so you may not be aware, but the Demonic Beast Forest is…”

“I’m well aware. It is also called ‘the end of the continent’, where the door to the Demon Realm is opened, right?”

The Demonic Beast Forest. It had a long history as one of the most dangerous places in the empire, a place where many demon kings had appeared in the past. In his previous life, Henry had helped Golden kill the demon kings in that area.

“Do you really want to go to such a place, despite knowing all the dangers? I may only be a baronet, but you’re still the eldest child of our family. I cannot afford to send you to such a dangerous place.”

Hearing Hans’ decisive answer, the look on Bern’s face finally eased. But Henry was not going to give up so easily.

“That’s it? That’s the only reason?” Henry replied.

“What?”

“If that’s the only reason, then I will give up my position as the eldest son of this family. What could I possibly achieve as the heir to a family with no power?”

“T-that’s not what I meant!”

“I have already made up my mind. I will leave this estate by tomorrow morning, so this will be my final evening here. Goodbye.”

Henry had no interest in a meaningless family squabble, and had no intention of going through the trouble of convincing Hans.

‘Annoying bastards.’

After a brief silence, Henry left the room, leaving behind a bewildered Hans and Bern.

* * *

Rumors of Henry’s shocking remarks quickly spread throughout the estate. But Henry did not care about others’ whispers and murmurs. As usual, he skipped dinner and immediately began practicing the Hector Step. He trained until dawn. When he finished, he was drenched in sweat as if he had been caught in the rain.

Henry wiped the sweat from his forehead. As he was about to use Clean on himself, a voice spoke from behind him.

“I have never seen that style of swordsmanship before.”

“...Father?”

The Lord of the estate, Hans Morris, emerged from the shadows. He must have thought that everyone was still asleep, as the sun was still low in the sky. Seeing Hans, Henry quickly straightened his posture as a display of respect.

“At ease. It’s just the two of us, why the fuss? That aside, this is the first time I have seen such a technique. What is it? From what I heard, you created it yourself.”

“It’s just a modified version of the Imperial Swordsmanship, tweaked to my own preferences.”

Henry had combined two different styles of swordsmanship into a unique blend, so it was technically not a lie.

“It seems that all this time, I’ve misunderstood you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Still feigning ignorance, I see. I realized it after you defeated Kevin. Why have you hidden your power all this time?”

“I’ve never hidden it.”

“So I was just being dull.”

“No. I simply didn’t reveal it… Anyway, what brings you here?”

Henry was certain that Hans did not show up so early in the morning just to praise him. He wondered what Hans would say next.

“You used to be so weak, but you’ve grown a lot. So, I’ll get to the point. I’ve decided to respect your will.”

“By that, you mean…?”

“You may head to the Demonic Beast Forest.”

“Thank you, Father.”

Henry pretended to be moved, bowed his head, and thanked Hans.

“I’ve been thinking about it all night, and you’re right. I became a baronet without completing my military service. But what use is a title that is merely a formality? That’s why you, at the very least, should leave this place and showcase your talent.”

“Thank you, Father.”

“There’s something I would like to give you.”

“This is…”

Hans took out two sets of letters. One was an application letter, and the other was a letter of recommendation.

“I heard that an old friend of mine is currently serving as a fairly high-ranking officer in the Caliburn Fortress, a unit stationed in the Demonic Beast Forest. This is a letter of recommendation and an enlistment application for you to pass on to him.”

“May I ask what this person’s name is?”

“He’s called Iselan. When I was first drafted into the military as a young boy, he was my platoon leader.”

Iselan of the Caliburn Fortress. The name was not familiar to Henry.

‘Doesn’t sound like someone that important.’

Henry knew many people across the empire, but there was no way he could memorize everyone’s name.

He took the two letters in his hands and bowed once more to express his gratitude.

“Thank you, Father. I will honor your reputation.”

“Alright. You’re a smart kid, so I’m sure you’ll do well.”

Hans also handed Henry some essential items for his journey, such as a status badge that indicated the rank of a baronet.

“Do you really plan on leaving tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“Then I suppose it is decided. I wanted to share a drink with you at the very least, but since you’re leaving tomorrow, we can save it for another day.”

“Thank you, Father.”

With that, Hans left the training hall.

“How cute.”

As Henry looked at the items that Hans had handed to him, he could not help but appreciate Hans’ fatherliness. At the very least, Hans had proven that he was not ignorant. In addition, the unexpected letter of recommendation made Henry feel better.

With his new belongings in hand, Henry hummed as he headed for his room.

* * *

Henry did not have many items to pack. After all, the military would be able to provide him with almost anything he needed. Henry only asked for his horse and a small amount of spending money needed for the long journey.

The residents of the estate gathered around to see him off.

“Is one horse really enough?” Hans asked with a concerned look on his face.

“It’s enough. If I bring a coach or carriage, then it’ll only make the return journey more difficult.”

Everyone was befuddled by Henry’s simple requests. Their response was expected, however, since the Demonic Beast Forest was located at the furthest western edge of the continent.

“Still, we’re at polar opposite ends of the continent…”

Their concerns were highly justified, considering that the Morris estate was located at the eastern edge of the continent. To them, it seemed like Henry would be severely under-equipped for the journey.

‘Wagons and whatnot will only get in my way.’

If Henry was an ordinary swordsman, greater preparations would have been necessary. However, Henry was the continent’s first ever magic swordsman, through just one single Awakening and the power of a mage.

“Ugh, if that’s all you want, then there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“Thank you, Father.”

“It’ll be a difficult journey. Please take care of yourself.”

“I’ll write you a letter when I arrive. Don’t worry too much.”

With that, the formalities were over. Most of the people in the estate had come out to bid Henry farewell, including Caughall and Bern. Henry waved to those with whom he had formed a bond, even if it was just for a short time.

‘Guess it’s goodbye to here too.’

It might have been home to the young wizard, but not to Henry. Thus, despite the fact that he was going on a long journey, he did not feel a strong sense of attachment to the estate.

Henry grabbed the reins and set off.

“Let’s go!”

Neeeeeigh!

At Henry’s command, Jade neighed loudly. It was a louder and more powerful cry than he had ever let out before.

‘Yeah! That’s the spirit!’

Seeing how much Jade had grown, Henry smiled proudly. Right after reaching the rank of mage, he had used a secret technique on Jade that replaced the incomplete Fine Horse Restructuring technique that he had used first.

Click-clack! Click-clack!

Jade, now sporting a jet-black mane, sprinted forward spiritedly.

“Haste!”

Henry cast a spell on Jade, who was already sprinting, to further increase his speed. Jade was now moving as fast as the wind, but Henry looked comfortable, as if riding in a luxury carriage. He had also placed a magic spell on the saddle, granting him a comfortable riding experience. The two rode for a long time.

Henry needed to go from one end of the continent to the other. Normally, this would take a month at the very least. But now that Jade had been upgraded to a fine steed, he was capable of quickly traversing any terrain.

‘Looks like we’ll be there in a week.’

Not even the most legendary rider would be able to reach that speed without magic. Nevertheless, Henry was still not satisfied. After reaching the state of transcendence in his previous life, he had relied on teleportation spells to reach far-away destinations. Using other, slower means of transportation was not something he was accustomed to or enjoyed.

But on the other hand, it was a breath of fresh air for him. He could now freely use his magic without being wary of others, and he felt a sense of speed that he had not felt for a long time.

The sun set, and the moon rose. Jade continued sprinting forward. A while later, Henry finally pulled back on the reins.

‘This place should be fine.’

After passing through several mountains, Henry decided to set up camp at the base of an unknown mountain. He had not packed a sleeping bag or any cooking utensils. However, he had something else prepared.

“Stone House.”

Rumble!

When Henry cast the spell, a cave the size of a house emerged from the ground. Upon entering the cave, a flat rock the size of a bed awaited Henry.

“Light.”

The interior of the cave lit up brightly. Standing in front of the flat rock, Henry used spells to clean it, turn it soft, and transform it into a warmed mattress.

“Clean.”

“Soft Stone.”

“Warm.”

The end result was a warm, comfortable bed.

‘Tsk, if only I had 6 Circles, then I could have done all this in one spell.’

Despite the longer process, Henry had finished setting up his camp. This style of camp was called the ‘Mage’s Camp’, and it was wonderfully designed. There was no need to light a bonfire that could disturb his sleep, and the cave protected against the wind. In addition, he had a soft bed to himself, so it was truly a camp that allowed for comfort while immersed in nature.

“Jade.”

Neeeigh.

Jade approached Henry at his calling.

“Take care of yourself. Eat up and rest well.”

Neeeigh!

Thanks to Henry’s perfect restructuring technique, Jade was now able to fully understand human language. Jade had endured his hunger for the entire day, and when Henry went to bed, Jade’s relentless hunt began.