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“You’re awake. How are you feeling?”

“Ugh……”

With a stiff face, Russ groaned. He had guessed as much when he saw Sillan, but seeing Repenhardt again was still disconcerting. Wasn’t this aura wielder an enemy of the Tenes Knight Order?

“Was it… you guys who saved me?”

Russ asked in a gruff voice, his gaze full of wariness, to which Repenhardt replied,

“We found you drifting in the river, close to death, and pulled you out.”

It seemed that they were indeed the ones who had saved him. Still wary, Russ looked around and asked again.

“Then where is this place?”

It was plains in all directions. It certainly didn’t look like the mountainous area of Viscount Kelberen’s territory. He appreciated being saved, but why had they brought him here?

Seeing the dubious and gruff expression on Russ’s face, Repenhardt gave a wry smile. Well, it wasn’t an incomprehensible situation.

“This is the territory of Baron Baid. It’s already been three days since the commotion at Kelberen Castle. It wasn’t urgent, so under normal circumstances, it would have been best to wait for you to wake up and treat you in an inn or something similar…”

Repenhardt and his party were in hot water for causing a huge uproar at the lord’s castle. They couldn’t stay in the viscount’s territory since a warrant for their arrest could be issued at any time.

“It felt wrong to leave a dying man behind, and given our situation, we couldn’t stay in one place either. We thought about leaving you at a nearby temple, but Sillan said your injuries were so severe that only a priest of his caliber could save you.”

Russ felt an odd sensation. The brother with whom he shared blood had ambushed him, attempting to take his life, yet the enemy with whom he shared a sword had spent money to save him.

A peculiar emotion welled up inside his chest. Never in his life had he felt such kindness.

Honestly, he was profoundly moved.

With a rigid face, Russ slightly bowed his head.

“I sincerely thank you for saving my life.”

He meant to express his gratitude genuinely, but despite his intentions, his voice sounded awkwardly stiff.

‘Ugh, this isn’t what I intended,’ Russ thought to himself. Having only ever received animosity, he wasn’t used to expressing gratitude. Hence, his tone came out bluntly.

Fortunately, Repenhardt didn’t seem to mind. Scratching his head, he casually gestured towards Sillan.

“It’s because he’s quite nice. He’s the one who paid, so thank him.”

In reality, he hadn’t contributed a single penny to the purchase of the carriage. (Not that he had any money to contribute.)

“Now that you’re awake, you should return to your family, right? Want me to chip in for your travel expenses?”

Repenhardt made a show of generosity with money that wasn’t even his. However, Sillan wouldn’t mind. Besides…

‘Having the future Sword Saint being indebted to me could bring good fortune later, right?’

Even if Russ was Tassid’s enemy, that was a matter of a past life; the outcomes in this life were uncertain. Showing kindness here meant no loss!

‘After all, I’m the benefactor of his life. At the very least, he won’t recklessly attack me as in the previous life.’

At this, Russ showed a troubled expression.

“Ah, about that…”

Hesitating for a moment, Russ slowly began to explain. He talked about being the illegitimate child of the Tenes family, the relationship between himself and Eusus, and how Eusus stabbed him after he awakened his aura.

Russ had long discarded any reverence for Eusus. With a clear mind, he could easily guess what Eusus might have done afterwards.

“So… returning to my family might be difficult for me. I will likely be branded as a traitor who ambushed the heir.”

“Hmm.”

Repenhardt stroked his chin in thought. Had something like this happened to Cyrus, the Sword Saint? Upon reflection, there had been a similar incident. Repenhardt, who had thoroughly investigated Cyrus’s history during the era of the Antares Empire, remembered even the events of his youth.

‘Wasn’t it said that after awakening his aura, he officially dueled with his older brother, who was the original heir, and took over the family?’

Eusus’s name was so insignificant that it hadn’t even made it into that information. Such was the extent to which Eusus had been forgotten.

‘It seems history has changed because I intervened.’

Repenhardt smirked bitterly. Somehow, ruining Cyrus’s fate felt oddly satisfying, yet he also felt a sense of guilt.

Anyway, it seemed Russ’s life had become quite complicated. Well, saving his life was already more than enough, so Repenhardt felt no obligation to take responsibility beyond that.

Seeing Russ looking dejected, Repenhardt casually asked,

“What will you do now?”

Russ looked up at the sky. Not a single cloud could be seen in the chilly winter sky.

It was clear.

‘What should I do?’

Unable to return to his family, Russ felt as if his purpose in life had vanished. Everything seemed to be floating in uncertainty.

He was in turmoil, his thoughts tangled and running wild.

Eusus was not the ideal knight Russ had imagined. Even the love of his father, upon reflection, seemed dubious. Was it truly love for his son, or was it because he saw potential for aura awakening in him?

Russ tried to organize his thoughts.

‘First, I must find a way to return to my family…’

However, if he returned to the Tenes count’s household in his current state, he would only be treated as a traitor. He needed something solid, a proof of his worth, to present upon his return.

And for a knight, that proof was his skill with the sword.

Gradually, his thoughts began to clear.

‘I must become a swordsman with undeniable skill.’

If he returned as a full-fledged aura wielder, even the Tenes County could not ignore his presence. So, how could he reach such a level?

Suddenly, Russ’s gaze landed on Repenhardt.

A formidable martial artist walking far ahead of him, the first true aura wielder he had ever met, the man who had shown him the genuine path of aura.

‘And, the one who saved me without asking for anything in return…’

Russ made his decision.

* * *

Repenhardt’s question was merely part of the flow of the conversation, not out of any particular curiosity about Russ’s future plans. Suddenly, Russ knelt before him, bowing deeply.

“If I am not a burden, please allow me to follow you.”

“Huh?”

Russ continued, addressing the bewildered Repenhardt.

“You are my life’s savior. As a knight, it is my duty to repay this debt, but, as one disowned by my family, dedicating my service to you is the only way I can repay your kindness.”

“No, there’s really no need to worry about that…”

Had he gone too far in seeking recognition? Repenhardt looked down at Russ, perplexed, just as Russ raised his head, his eyes shining with determination.

“Moreover, it’s thanks to you that I’ve awakened to my aura. You are the first true powerhouse I’ve ever encountered, and I wish to follow you to further hone my skills.”

In essence, he wanted to repay his debt and steal some martial arts skills by following him around. Repenhardt stared at Russ, dumbfounded. Russ met his gaze squarely, his eyes filled with resolve, clearly having thought this through carefully.

“Still, you don’t even know who I am…”

“Being the heir of Fist King Gerard is sufficient.”

“But why me? Our specialties are different, aren’t they?”

What could a swordsman possibly learn from a fistfighter? Repenhardt’s confusion was justified. Yet, Russ shook his head.

“What I need is not merely swordsmanship but aura mastery itself.”

Indeed, as a swordsman, Russ had achieved his awakening by observing Repenhardt, a martial artist. The reasoning made sense.

“But, you’re an aura wielder too, right? Can’t you just work on it by yourself?”

“I was just lucky to awaken my aura; I have a long way to go. I’m aware of that.”

“Hmm…”

Repenhardt was contemplative. He understood Russ’s situation. Awakening to aura was just the beginning; honing and mastering it required learning its proper use. Even Repenhardt had spent over two years training under Gerard after awakening his aura.

Normally, Russ would return to his family and seek out aura users in the Graim Kingdom to improve his skills. He would receive various teachings, face countless real-world challenges, and only after nearing his forties would he finally earn the title of Sword Saint, standing tall among all swordsmen on the continent.

However, now branded a traitor and treated as a criminal by his family, that path was no longer possible. His only options were to seek teachings from aura users in other countries or wander the world alone to enhance his skills…

‘But that foreign aura user… is me, isn’t it?’

Considering aura users weren’t exactly common, it was somewhat understandable from Russ’s perspective to approach him in this manner. Though Repenhardt, originally a mage, felt awkward about it, the truth is that in the martial world, it’s not rare for warriors to temporarily pledge themselves to a stronger individual to improve their skills.

Russ knelt on one knee before Repenhardt.

“Given my circumstances, I must eventually return to my family, so I cannot pledge myself as your vassal. However, until my sword finds its place, I will follow your commands and serve loyally. Please accept me!”

Looking down at Russ, who voiced his strong will, Repenhardt’s expression was ambivalent.

‘Cyrus… The Sword Saint Cyrus is following me?’

The enemy of his past life, Tassid’s nemesis.

That was Repenhardt’s impression of Cyrus. Though he had saved him, Repenhardt had only regarded Russ as a potential future enemy. The possibility of him actually choosing to follow had never crossed his mind.

But upon reflection, why couldn’t it be? After all, everything had been reset. They were starting anew. So, there was no reason a future enemy couldn’t become an ally.

‘Especially if he’s a genius swordsman destined to become the Sword Saint in the future?’

The more he thought about it, the more appealing it seemed.