Sword Saint's Reincarnation
Book 2 Chapter 8: Start of Class Evolution

Rylan stepped out of the carriage and took a deep breath. The familiar scent made him grin. Before him were the gates to the Flameheart estate and a few familiar faces.

“Welcome back, young master!” the lead guard said, hurriedly bowing. The others followed suit.

Rylan smiled.

“It’s good to see you all again, everyone.”

Sarah approached him from behind after leaving the carriage.

“The professors arrived three days ago, my lord,” she said in a low tone.

He nodded. He’d asked her to use Whisper and obtain more information as soon as she could. Her words meant that nothing noteworthy had happened after the professors’ arrival.

I’m glad.

Rylan glanced back at the buildings by the end of the street that led to the estate. He hadn’t been away for long, but they looked strangely nostalgic.

It really pales in comparison, but…

Now that he’d been to Caer Rhelon, he could properly judge that Cantavega was nothing but a mid-sized town in the Ceotha Kingdom. The capital city was more impressive in almost every way, but he’d spent almost his entire life in Cantavega. The sight of the same wooden buildings and familiar roads was slightly comforting. Some bitterness filled his chest.

…This is the place that first beheld my change.

He’d already done too much damage to this town. Now, he would help save it.

Blinking, Rylan looked at Elizabeth, who had followed Aelfric out of the carriage. She was staring at the Flameheart manor with red eyes. Her gaze slowly ran over the manor itself, then moved to the garden. It was almost as if she were trying to burn the scenery into her memory.

“…It’s been a long time,” she said, choking up. Deep in her eyes, Rylan could see traces of hope.

He smiled warmly.

“Let’s go meet Father,” he said.

Elizabeth flinched and blinked hard before hurriedly nodding repeatedly. Rylan’s smile became wider. He turned to the guards, who were still bowing while trying to throw disbelieving glances at Elizabeth.

“Open the gate,” Rylan continued.

“Yes, my lord!” the lead guard shouted, raising his body. “Open the gate!”

Rylan looked at Pedro.

“This will be enough for now, Pedro. Thank you for your services,” he said with a nod.

The chubby coachman smiled widely and waved.

Giving one last nod to the guards, Rylan strode inside the Flameheart estate with the three others in tow. The red and yellow petals drifting in the breeze were a familiar sight. He couldn’t help but smile. With a deep breath, he took in their scent. It was good to be home.

The intricate manor was the same as ever, as were the Mages guarding it.

I need to pay the soldiers a visit.

Jack, Scott, and the others were his first students. In fact, he was quite eager to see how much they’d progressed when it came to swordsmanship and strengthening their bodies. Even if they hadn’t left for any expeditions or quests, they would have certainly improved a bit. Still, there would be time for that once the Open Dungeon issue was resolved.

Rylan greeted the Mages by the sides of the mansion’s entrance and walked in, making a beeline for Gerard’s study. The others followed him. His perception allowed him to grasp that Elizabeth got increasingly nervous as they approached their destination. Her steps ruined her sense of balance, and she kept looking around. However, he could also notice some anticipation.

Finally, they arrived before the wooden doors to the study. Rylan lay his hands against them with a grin and pushed them open. The first thing he saw was the back of a black-haired man. Gerard flinched as the doors opened.

“We’re here, Father,” Rylan said, stepping into the study.

Gerard took a deep breath and slowly turned around, his eyes darting around as if looking for something. He froze once his gaze met Elizabeth’s. For a few seconds, they only stared at each other with trembling hands. Then, almost at the same time, they moved. Gerard went around his desk in a heartbeat and spread out his arms, while Elizabeth hurried forward.

The moment Gerard pulled her into his embrace, Rylan smiled. The two of them stayed perfectly still, as if afraid that the moment would disappear like a mirage if they moved too much.

“My love,” Elizabeth said after a few seconds with a choked-up voice.

“…It’s been too long, my love. I missed you, Liz,” Gerard replied.

Rylan stared at this scene with warm eyes. He had been blessed with parents who loved each other, even if they couldn’t be around each other much. It was something that had been forcefully removed from Roland’s life far too early.

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The seconds ticked by. It was only an unknown amount of time later that Gerard and Elizabeth hesitatingly parted. Gerard looked at Rylan and Aelfric as he took a deep breath.

“Welcome home, sons,” he said.

Rylan nodded.

“We’re back. I think it would be better if we left for now and came back later. You and Mom should—”

“No,” Elizabeth interrupted while shaking her head. “Both of you have something you need to do. Of course, I want to stay with my husband, but we’ll have time for that later. You should take care of what you’re here for.”

Gerard and Rylan frowned at the same time.

“But we should eat together tonight,” Elizabeth continued with a sweet smile. “As a family. Regis and Lillia couldn’t be here, so we should do it again when they’re around.”

“Of course,” Aelfric quickly said from behind Rylan, “We wouldn’t miss it for anything. We’ll be there.”

Rylan gave his younger brother a satisfied nod.

“Let’s go, Aelfric, Sarah,” Elizabeth said as she turned around. “Let them work.”

With one last longing look at Gerard, she left the room with the two others, leaving behind Rylan and his father.

The room was silent.

“One year,” Gerard suddenly said after a few seconds. “It had been one year.”

Rylan nodded in understanding.

“But she’s here now.”

He turned to look at Gerard. The man took a deep breath and steadied his gaze.

“To business, then.”

“Yeah. Have the professors told you that we only have three weeks?”

Gerard nodded and went around the desk, then sat on his chair.

“They have. I didn’t expect Damian Gassiec to send so many people comparable to me,” Gerard frowned. “Even if Liz’s brother is here too.”

Rylan shrugged.

“I’m his direct disciple now. His investigation must have also made him aware that the town is pretty fucked. How are things looking?”

Gerard’s expression was grim.

“…The Academy’s professors are helping clean up the monsters that wander out of the Gate, but the mana levels keep rising. Whatever the Boss is, it’s getting stronger quickly. I don’t know how or why. It should have stopped long ago, but it didn’t.”

Rylan frowned.

“Any other noteworthy monsters apart from Spriggans and Treants?”

“Yeah. Wendigos and Dryads, alongside Moss Golems and Great Elks. Shit just keeps getting worse.”

Rylan clicked his tongue.

That’s a problem.

A Dungeon’s level wasn’t measured solely by the kind of monsters it housed. The variety of such monsters and their number naturally affected the evaluation. In general, a greater variety of monsters signified a bigger, greater Dungeon. Even though he didn’t recognize the monsters Gerard had mentioned or if they were capable of using magic, the mere number of different kinds was telling enough.

No way around it, then.

“Father,” Rylan started, turning to look at Gerard. “Let’s go through Class Evolution.”

It was the decision he'd reached after careful consideration. Ideally, it would be best to grow as much as possible before starting the Evolution or even awaken Aura, but reality gave him no breathing room.

War is coming.

This decision wasn't just about clearing the Open Dungeon that threatened his hometown. The fires of war were spreading with the Empire at the center. To protect everything he cared about, there was no room to take his time and spend years at Level 25.

It's not like going through it now will limit my potential or set my future in stone.

If there were limits, he only needed to surpass them, as Roland had. The first Class Evolution was important, but it was not a defining factor. With Roland's memories, his possibilities for growth and development were endless.

Gerard blinked.

“…Yeah, I guess that’s the best course of action. I’ll need you to Level up if we want to do this. We won’t manage to clear the Dungeon without your Sword Arts.”

Rylan nodded. Even though the town wasn’t in immediate danger, things could get exponentially worse very quickly. This problem needed to be nipped in the bud before it could grow into a wave that would swallow Cantavega whole.

He stretched his body and promptly sat down on the floor. Gerard stood up with a serious expression.

“System,” Rylan said. Immediately, the air changed. “I want to begin Class Evolution.”

After a second, System messages appeared before his eyes.

[Your first Class Evolution will now begin.]

[A list of possible options will be shown. You may select any of the options. However, you will not be able to select Classes you know about but that are not on the list.]

[Different Classes come with different stat gains and growth paths. Choose wisely.]

More messages appeared, but Rylan was familiar with all of them. He read each one carefully, but they were the same as when Roland had undergone his first Class Evolution. In short, they explained what the Evolution meant and how it would work.

Finally, after the last message disappeared, several large, rectangular windows appeared, packed to the brim with different names and specifications. Rylan raised an eyebrow.

“So?” Gerard asked from the side, sounding a bit anxious. “How many?”

“…More than I expected. A hundred, at least.”

Truthfully, it was a surprising scenario. Roland had had the Prodigy Trait from the start, and he’d trained for much longer, but his first Class Evolution hadn’t presented him with many more options than this one.

No, it was less.

Rylan narrowed his eyes. Was this because of his reincarnation? Or was the System acknowledging his efforts in merging both magic and swordsmanship? He wasn’t sure if this was a sign that he was on the right path or merely a way for the System to tell him that he now had more options.

“Damn. I guess I should’ve seen that coming,” Gerard muttered.

Rylan focused on a single name. The Class’ information became bigger than the others, allowing him to read it without an issue.

[Class

Wizard: you have proven your ability to devote yourself to the study of magic. With time and experience, you are fated to become much greater than your current self. Your studies will bear fruit.

Stat bonuses: +5 Intelligence, +3 Wisdom.

Per Level: +4 Intelligence, +4 Wisdom. +2 Endurance, +5 Free Points.]

“Is Wizard the most natural progression path after Mage?” he asked out loud.

“Yeah,” Gerard replied. “It’s pretty basic, though. It’s not even Fire Wizard or something like that. Keep going. You’ll find something better.”

Rylan focused on another Class. Its information also became clearer.

[Class

Sorcerer: you have always preferred to follow the flow of mana instead of trying to spend too much time studying it. Instead of devoting yourself to the tomes, you sought to understand how mana behaved as a force of nature. You will only become more powerful as your comprehension develops.

Stat bonuses: +6 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom.

Per Level: +6 Intelligence, +3 Wisdom, +3 Endurance, +6 Free Points.]

They’re pretty different, but I guess I can see why I got both.

He had studied magic and mana with Gerard, but because of the limited time before the Academy’s entrance exams, they had been forced to prioritize actual practice instead of theory. The training regimen that tried to mix both sides was likely the reason behind this.

Rylan read the Classes’ information one by one, searching for the best possible option. As expected, there were much worse Classes than Wizard or Sorcerer, tainted by his past lifestyle. Some were outright negative and had no redeeming perks or abilities, while others tried to consider his change to minimize the bad effects.

Gerard fidgeted in place with his arms crossed, clearly unable to remain patient. The minutes ticked by.

Rylan’s eyes zeroed in on one of the Classes.

“This is it,” he immediately said. “I found it.”

It was the best Class that his current self could’ve been offered.

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