CHAPTER 152
The Divine Lord, Aigis.
Having watched her from the side, I knew her skills better than anyone.
She was truly a powerhouse worthy of the title of Lord.
During the fight with Bloody Crown, we would not have won without Aigis’s help.
It wasn’t for nothing that she alone was assigned as my bodyguard.
“I see. A spar with Lady Aranseol.”
At my proposal, Aigis broke into a broad grin.
“Excellent.”
“To think you’d want a duel right after getting back.”
Rapiel gave us a look of disbelief, but it couldn’t be helped.
Both Aranseol and I had endured all that hardship on the mountain for this very day.
We had to see the results with our own eyes.
“Alright, I admit I’m also curious about Danmyung, the sword said to create a genius of the blade.”
In the end, Rapiel seemed to share our sentiment, giving in and showing her interest.
“Lady Aigis, if you would.”
“Yes. Come at me with all you have.”
Aigis drew her greatsword, her entire body flexing with menacing muscles.
It seemed she intended to fight with her full strength as well.
Facing Aigis, Aranseol drew Danmyung.
Fwoom—
In that instant, the surrounding atmosphere changed completely.
I could feel an unknown current of power swirling around Aranseol.
The pure killing intent inherent to Danmyung itself.
The pressure emanating from that killing intent was on a different level than before.
Aranseol’s hair fluttered in the wind.
Her very aura was different.
“...Hoh.”

It was so impressive that even Rapiel let out a gasp of admiration.
Both Aigis and Aranseol had entered a combat stance.
It was a situation where neither would be surprised if the other initiated.
Thump!
It was Aigis who moved first.
Curious about Aranseol’s growth, she decided to take the initiative.
With an explosive push from her leg strength, the distance between the two closed in an instant.
Aigis was clad in various blessings that enhanced her physical power.
At this point, there was an immense difference in physique between Aranseol and Aigis.
No matter that Aranseol had obtained Danmyung, there was no way to overcome the pure difference in weight class.
It should have been impossible to block Aigis’s greatsword head-on.
That’s what I had thought.
Until Aigis, having swung her sword, was sent rolling on the ground.
Aigis scrambled to her feet, her eyes wide with shock.
What just happened?
Aranseol’s sword had met Aigis’s.
But instead of breaking through, Aigis was pushed back and sent tumbling.
It was as if she had been tripped up by her own strength.
Aranseol stared at Aigis with calm eyes.
Perhaps it was because half of her hair had turned white.
Aranseol’s expression felt much colder than before.
It was the gaze of a predator that had weathered countless battles.
Aigis kicked off the ground once more.
This time, she distributed her strength properly throughout her body, as if to avoid being pushed back again.
CLANG!
Thanks to that, Aigis’s sword clashed with Aranseol’s.
The crossed swords between them collided relentlessly.
As mentioned before, in terms of pure physical class, Aigis had the upper hand.
Normally, Aranseol should have been the one continuously pushed back.
But what I was seeing was an astonishing sight.
Aranseol’s feet were fixed to the spot, not moving an inch.
Her sword simply met Aigis’s attacks without missing a single one.
Could it be that Aranseol was meeting Aigis’s power head-on?
“She’s deflecting the flow of power, every last bit of it.”
That wasn’t it.
As Rapiel said, Aranseol was perfectly deflecting every one of Aigis’s strikes.
A perfect parry, without a single margin of error.
Aigis was forced into a sword dance that seemed to sap her own strength.
And that wasn't all.
Through the gaps in Aigis’s attacks, Aranseol’s blade was slowly closing in.
Even though Aigis was the one on the offensive, the space she had to swing her sword was gradually shrinking.
The Slow Sword.
A slow but exceptionally effective swordsmanship style for controlling space.
It was a bizarre technique where, even as you attacked, you would find your opponent’s sword tightening around your neck.
Grind!
Aigis gritted her teeth and amplified all the strength in her body at once.
Simultaneously, pure white wings sprouted from her back.
The Holy Magic, Wings of the Azure Sky.
It was the same Holy Magic she used against Bloody Crown, a spell that boosted everything—strength, speed, and Divine Power.
KRA-BOOOOM!
Thanks to the instantaneous surge in output, Aigis was able to break free from Aranseol’s blade.

Aigis took a moment to catch her breath.
For the ever-energetic Aigis to be breathing heavily was a testament to the pressure.
In contrast, Aranseol was still composed.
In fact, Aranseol still had a card she hadn't played.
“Lady Aranseol, you have truly reached a realm of swordsmanship that is beyond reproach.”
Danmyung, a sword containing the trials of countless masters and geniuses of the blade.
Having broken through those trials through endless repetition, Aranseol had truly ascended to the pinnacle of the sword.
Crackle—
Red lightning began to coil around Aranseol’s blade.
“Yes. I decided I had to do whatever it takes to move forward.”
Attribute Enhancement.
It was the ace Aranseol had yet to use.
“So, Lady Aigis, you can come at me with even more of your strength.”
That wasn’t arrogance.
Her expression showed that Aranseol herself wanted to test her own limits.
Aigis smiled at Aranseol’s growth.
At the same time, an even more explosive power erupted from her.
“It seems a new Lord may have been born today.”
Aigis’s words were filled with acknowledgment for Aranseol.
She was saying that Aranseol was now worthy of being recognized as a Lord-class powerhouse.
Aranseol’s and my efforts had not been in vain.
Aranseol and Aigis clashed once more.
As I watched the scene unfold, I quietly thought of the day we would finally confront Black Dawn.

The duel between Aranseol and Aigis came to an end.
Aigis said that Aranseol could ascend to the rank of Lord at any time, as soon as she made a name for herself.
Additionally, I also received more lessons from Aigis and Rapiel.
“Your Seed is about to enter the next stage.”
As a result, I received some positive news from Rapiel.
My little Seed, you’re growing up so well.
It seemed that training like hell with Aigis while Aranseol was drawing Danmyung had paid off.
“With that much Divine Power hammered into your body, your Seed will have to keep growing for a while just to handle it all.”
So it was a Divine Power buff.
The Transcendent was endlessly generous.
“You really do get caught up in the most absurd things.”
“Like master, like pupil. Only a grand scale suits me, right?”
After another day of being trained to death by Rapiel, I was walking when I saw Aranseol in the distance.
She was sitting quietly in meditation with Danmyung placed before her.
She said it was a process of reviewing the countless life-and-death struggles she experienced in the trial.
Through that alone, she claimed she could retrace the footsteps left by the masters of the sword.
Even after becoming so strong, Aranseol had not stopped trying to grow stronger.
In fact, I could feel that she was happier now than ever before. The talent she had so desperately yearned for but could never grasp.
She had finally obtained it.
For Aranseol, every day of growth was a moment of joy.
A world where Aranseol could continue to train in peace.
As I was dreaming of such a world, I saw someone rushing toward me from afar.
“Lady Ririran.”
Ririran, the master of Space Magic.
The moment she appeared, my expression hardened.
For Ririran to come in such a hurry, something must have happened.
“Boy, there is news.”
“Is it Black Dawn?”
The only reason for Ririran to appear was Black Dawn.
When I asked about it, Ririran nodded.
“The Regular Army has discovered and successfully captured Cruden Island.”
Good news.
My face instantly brightened upon hearing her words.
“What about the other Sinners?”
Ririran shook her head.
It meant none of the remaining Sinners had been caught.
Still, capturing Cruden Island was a major achievement.
But Ririran’s expression was not bright.
When I showed my confusion, Ririran quietly informed me.
“Lord Rapha Hastel is in critical condition.”
Commander-in-Chief Rapha Hastel.
My eyes widened at the news of his grave condition.
“Don’t tell me he was attacked by a Sinner?”
Rapiel, who was standing beside me, asked in a shocked voice.
But Ririran shook her head.
“It’s a chronic illness.”

A chronic illness.
By human standards, Rapha Hastel was already quite old.
So it wouldn’t be strange for his illness to flare up at any time.
“He must have known his life was nearing its end. That’s likely why he pushed himself too hard to capture Black Dawn, and it finally took its toll.”
Ririran’s face was troubled.
The person she loved was in critical condition.
It was only natural for her to be distressed.
Moreover, death from old age was something that even Resurrection magic could not reverse.

This death would be a permanent farewell.
“I came this time to ask for your help, Rapiel.”
When it came to Holy Magic, Rapiel was by far the expert.
With the Tower of Grace destroyed, it was safe to say there was no Holy Mage as skilled as Rapiel.
“...Ririran, Holy Magic is…”
“Not omnipotent, I know. But…”
Ririran’s expression turned sorrowful, as if she was thinking of Rapha Hastel.
“...we can at least make his passing peaceful, can’t we?”
Not to cure Rapha Hastel, but to bring him comfort.
At Ririran’s desperate plea, Rapiel fell silent.
It made sense, as Rapiel had been exiled from the Gladion Empire.
Ririran knew this as well.
“Young Harua.”
And so, she bowed her head respectfully to me.
“Please, would you persuade the Imperial Family?”
With my status as a Saint, I had connections not with the entire Imperial Family, but at least with the 2nd Prince. Of course, I didn't particularly like the 2nd Prince, but he was taking responsibility for Babiyen.
I had to stay on good terms with him for the time being.
“Lady Ririran, why are you bowing your head?”
How many times had I owed my life to her?
We were not on terms where she needed to bow for something like this.
“I also wish for Lord Rapha Hastel to pass peacefully. And more than anything…”
My gaze fell on Rapiel.
“...I want my master to return to Gladion.”
Because of the Head of the Tower of Grace who had joined hands with Black Dawn, his daughter, Rapiel, had also been cast out of Gladion.
I had never been happy with this situation.
Rapiel gave a wry smile.
“To think I’d live to see the day I benefit from my own student.”
“You still have a long way to go before you’ve enjoyed all the benefits. Prepare yourself.”
With those words, I turned back to Ririran.
“Let’s go.”
We would head to the Gladion Imperial Palace, both to bring Rapiel back to Gladion and to fulfill the request.