Sword Saint's Reincarnation
Book 2 Chapter 3: Eternal Promise

Almost immediately, Rylan wished for the Title’s information to appear before him. His full Status Window came into view, but he was in no mood to look at it. Right afterward, a new translucent rectangle took shape.

[Title

Moonlight’s Eternal Promise: With a heart made of sharpened steel, you connected with the sword like no one else. As Roland Steelsong, the blade was all you knew. Your connection was the result of a lifetime of grueling effort and desperation. Your guiding Moonlight never left your side.

“I will find you. No matter how long it takes or how difficult it is. Even if you’re in another dimension entirely, I’ll sever space itself and return to you. Together, we will sing again. That is my oath.”

Effects: increases the effectiveness of all swordsmanship and sword styles by 20%. Rebuilds the connection between you and Moonlight.]

Rylan’s gaze shook as he read the System message over and over. The middle part stood out the most. Moonlight’s words were for him alone.

…You’re still out there, old friend.

Somewhere, possibly even in another time or world, Moonlight had exerted its influence and started a chain reaction that resulted in this Title. Rylan smiled from the bottom of his heart as his breathing calmed down.

“I think we’re going to sing again, yeah,” he said as he stared at the middle paragraph with tenderness.

To think you would leave a message like this.

The ‘status’ Moonlight had built up with Roland had allowed it to affect the System in such a fashion. Now, he could perceive a familiar feeling. It was warm and comforting but also sharp and proud. However, this feeling was extremely faint, almost nonexistent.

Does this mean we’re too far away from each other?

He shook his head with a small sigh. He had no way to go looking for Moonlight on his own; he wasn’t nearly strong enough to even attempt it. Even if his sword were in this world somehow, he couldn’t cross kilometers with a single step like Roland. It would be worse than looking for a needle in a haystack, even with this faint connection.

Rylan rolled out of bed and stood up, stretching his body, and smiled again. He couldn’t care less about Moonlight’s power as a weapon: all he wanted was to reunite with his oldest friend and partner.

No matter how long it takes.

They would find each other again. Rylan let out a deep breath and looked down at his hands. The calluses made them look quite rough. In a way, they were similar to Roland’s. As he continued to stare at his palms, Rylan recalled the dream from start to finish. It contained another thing that had completely disappeared in this life.

Aura.

He could still feel the way Roland’s Aura had moved within him in the dream. A cataclysmic level of energy that stayed as still as a lake, ready to burst forth with nothing but a thought. It had flowed through him seamlessly and continuously, reaching every corner of his body and soul. Even though Rylan had his past life’s memories, the feeling in the dream was even clearer, maybe because of Moonlight’s influence.

Rylan clenched his fists. As long as he could hold on to it, he was confident that he would be able to work toward awakening Aura in this life as well. Even if it weren’t possible, the experience would help him when he used mana to mimic Aura’s effects. The dream had been incredibly important in several ways. He winced as he remembered Theodore’s melting flesh and organs. After a few seconds, Rylan gave the System window with the Title one last glance.

The Title was incredibly important, but since there was nothing his current self could do, it would be better to turn his thoughts to other matters. Right now, he needed to go to Damian and find a way to return quickly to Cantavega and meet Gerard. He waved his hand, making the System messages disappear, and walked up to the window.

Rylan pulled the curtains, letting the sunlight shine through the glass window. Still trying to steady himself, he took off his clothes and entered the bath. The warm water running down his frame calmed him down. Once he left the bathroom, Rylan felt much more composed. With one last deep breath, he got dressed and left the bedroom.

Unusually, Sarah wasn’t waiting for him outside. Rylan walked up to Aelfric’s bedroom door and knocked on it with some surprise. It took almost ten seconds for the door to open. Sarah came into view, dressed in plain clothes. The sun shone on her back, making her blond hair glisten like gold. Her emerald eyes locked onto his. Rylan eyed her slightly disheveled, wet hair.

“Good morning, my lord,” she said, bowing low.

Rylan threw a glance at the room behind her. On the bed a few meters behind her, Aelfric snored loudly. Shaking his head with a smile, Rylan turned his gaze back to Sarah.

“You just woke up, didn’t you?”

She flinched like a child who had been caught doing something wrong and bowed again.

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“…You two arrived too late yesterday. Dawn had already broken when I finally fell asleep. I’m sorry, my lord.”

Rylan chuckled and looked at Aelfric again.

“Well, I’m sure it wasn’t easy. Aelfric snores like a troll.”

Sarah raised her body with a smile. There was a mischievous glint to her gaze.

“To be fair, my lord, you were even worse when you were younger. I’m not sure if it’s better now, honestly. ”

Rylan shook his head with a sigh. He still remembered one time she'd been tasked with watching over him and was reading him a story. He’d fallen asleep less than five minutes into it. He grinned at the memory.

Sarah tilted her head.

“…Well, you don’t let me stay in your room when you sleep anymore,” she continued.

Rylan shook his head.

“There’s no point. Roland’s training made me able to detect any changes, anyway. It’s better for you to stick with Aelfric.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“That said, I’m going to Damian now. Let Aelfric rest,” he pointed at the snoring Aelfric. “Maybe get some sleep, too. Then, I’m off. I don’t think it’s going to take too long.”

Sarah nodded with a strange expression. Rylan raised an eyebrow and stared at her for a second before turning around. He made his way out of the corridor and descended the stairs, then nodded at the man standing by the counter and pushed the hotel’s doors open.

As usual, Caer Rhelon’s streets were packed and bustling. The smell of good food assaulted his senses, alongside the cacophony created by the footsteps, shouting, and talking. The sun shone on his back, granting him some warmth. With a nod, Rylan stepped forward. Less than five seconds later, two young men walking on the sidewalk looked at him at the same time. Their eyes widened. Rylan blinked.

Ah, damn it.

The one on the left, a chestnut-haired, brown-eyed boy, pointed at him.

“Holy shit, it’s Rylan!”

The atmosphere in the street froze as more than twenty people stopped in place and looked at Rylan. Their expressions changed from indifference to excitement in a heartbeat. Rylan’s gaze darted around, taking in the shining eyes of the onlookers. He didn’t have time for this. The crowd started approaching with wide smiles. He sighed inwardly.

“Rylan! My name is Owen! I’m a big fan!”

“Rylan! Please look at me!”

“Teach me!”

The shouting only made more people look at him. Carriages stopped in the middle of the road as those inside popped their heads out of the window in confusion. In a few seconds, the crowd had doubled in size and showed no signs of stopping. He hardened his expression.

“I’m in the middle of something important,” Rylan said loudly, his back perfectly straight. “I’m sorry, but please move. If you don’t, I’ll remember it.”

It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured on the increasingly heated atmosphere. Most of the crowd stopped walking with wide eyes. It was the opening he needed. Without hesitation, Rylan shot forward. Yelps of surprise resounded as he ran between the people in the crowd with light steps. Even though they didn't move out of the way, he didn't bump into anyone even once. Curses were spat out as some people tried to grab his shoulder, but it was a futile effort. As if he could see the future, Rylan evaded them all.

With one last somersault over three people who were staring at him like he was a ghost, he perfectly escaped the “encirclement.”

Barely a moment after touching the ground, Rylan dashed forward again, leaving behind the crowd’s shouting. A few people ran after him but couldn’t keep up. With serene eyes, Rylan ran on the sidewalk without bumping into a single person. Others recognized him, but he sprinted past them without a second glance. Naturally, the commotion attracted even more people, but he didn’t care about any of that.

Finally, after going through narrow alleyways with an odd smell and avoiding as many people as he could, Rylan reached the entrance of the Royal Magic Academy. It stood as imposing as ever. Several guards in white robes surrounded the enormous gate. They all turned to him as he approached, only to widen their eyes.

“I need to talk to the Headmaster,” Rylan stated in a firm tone. “It’s important.”

“Do you have an appointment?” one of the guards asked.

Four of them looked at him, only for the tallest and nearest one to slap the back of his head.

“God, you’re fucking stupid,” he said, taking a step forward and bowing slightly at Rylan. He was a blond, brown-eyed bearded man. “I’m sure the Headmaster will be delighted to see you, since you’re now his personal disciple. However, he’s a busy man. How important is it that you meet him?”

“Very,” Rylan instantly replied.

The guard raised his body and stared into Rylan’s eyes for a second. Then, he nodded.

“I understand. Please follow me.”

Waving at the other guards, the man turned around. Rylan followed him inside the Academy grounds. As he had observed before, despite being quite large, the space was neat and organized, from the blades of grass to the sidewalks. The Academy was like a small city, filled with stone buildings and paved streets. The guard led him through it until they reached the tallest tower. The man turned around and bowed again.

“This is as far as I can go. The Headmaster is on the highest floor.”

Rylan nodded.

“Thank you.”

Without wasting any more time, he pushed the doors open, beholding a large library outlined by various stairways. In the middle, there was a circular wooden counter with a middle-aged woman behind it. The bookshelves stretched more than ten meters high, filled to the brim with various tomes. Rylan blinked in surprise as he spotted a few Skill Books. Some books floated in the air aimlessly, while others rattled on their shelves. A large carpet covered the stone floor.

The middle-aged woman smiled at him and nodded. Rylan walked up to her without wasting any more time and explained the situation. She pointed to a winding stairway to her right after her eyes glowed blue for a minute.

“Please ascend the tower, student. I’ve already informed the Headmaster. He’ll make sure the path will be open to you.”

Rylan nodded with some confusion and started climbing the stairs. Soon, he realized what she meant. On the second floor, a door to his left suddenly sprung open, revealing more stairs. With raised eyebrows, he walked through it and kept ascending. Walls shifted and the stairways moved as he went, leading him through bookshelves and solid stone. Some floors contained a slight whirlwind that ruffled his hair, while others were as hot as the midday sun. Rylan looked at the floating books with wonder.

I didn’t think he would be this powerful.

It was a magical spectacle created by a single man’s prowess. It was unclear whether there was an artifact helping Damian, but even if so, the tower itself was a testament to the man’s abilities.

Finally, he reached two large iron doors. They opened automatically, revealing the study beyond it. It was surprisingly small, given the tower’s greatness, and remarkably similar to Gerard’s. Books floated in the air, knocking into each other as if playing around. The very air thrummed with power. Rylan narrowed his eyes at the white-haired man looking through the large glass window, behind a large mahogany desk. A single, intricate white staff floated above the desk.

Damian turned around with a kind smile.

“Now, what does my new student need from me?”