The Swordmaster Who Returned After 1,000 Years

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 74

“Hah… hah… I went to the dorms, but you weren’t there… Turns out the library was the right place to check.”

“Yes, I don’t really need to attend classes. But what brings you here?”

“The Saintess… the Saintess wishes to see you.”

“The Saintess?”

Kaylen blinked.

“Are you talking about Lady Theresia?”

“Yes.”

“Why is she looking for me?”

“Perhaps it’s because of your talent for 6th Circle magic…”

Krundal glanced at the book Kaylen had borrowed.

[A Complete Analysis of Blizzard by Archmage Pieto.]

“Blizzard… a 6th Circle spell, and he’s already reading this?”

Even if he had talent for 6th Circle magic, starting advanced study so early… and on a 6th Circle spell, no less?

“This must be why they call him a genius.” Krundal was inwardly impressed.

No matter how talented Kaylen was, he hadn’t even reached the 5th Circle yet. It was astonishing. “So this is what it means for a great tree to show promise even as a sapling.”

“What does my 6th Circle talent have to do with her wanting to see me?”

“After hearing about you, the Saintess said she wishes to grant you her blessing.”

“A blessing?”

“Yes.”

…Could that be true?

Kaylen recalled his past life as Ernstine.

The Saintess’s Blessing was also known as the Celestial Blessing.

It was the ultimate blessing the Saintess had bestowed upon Ernstine, the Hero, during the Great War against the Demon King’s Army.

Even for a Grand Swordmaster like Ernstine, the Celestial Blessing had been incredibly effective. Whether or not he received the blessing had significantly impacted the speed at which he subdued the Demon King’s Army.

But the blessing had one fatal flaw: its duration was far too short.

—“Saintess, can’t you extend the duration of the blessing? Having to come back for it every three days is terribly inconvenient.”

—“Hero, do you think Celestial Blessings are easy to grant? Even lasting three days is impressive.”

—“Still, having to return every three days wastes so much time. Isn’t there a version that lasts longer, even if it’s less effective?”

Because of the blessing, Ernstine always had to stay close to the Saintess.

After the Archduke of the Flame Demon Realm targeted her and failed, Ernstine had to personally guard her during their travels. This was a major inconvenience for someone who needed to intervene across the entire continent.

—“There’s no such thing. All my blessings last for three days, no more.”

—“Must be uncomfortable meeting an old guy like me so often. Try developing one that lasts longer.”

—“I-it’s fine. Even if you’re an old man…”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

—“Oh? Is it really fine?”

—“W-well, it’s because of the Demon King. I have no choice.”

“There’s no way the Saintess lied.”

The Celestial Agent of the gods wouldn’t do that.

Did she somehow learn how to grant a longer-lasting blessing over time?

“Alright. Let’s go.”

Kaylen immediately accepted the Saintess’s invitation. He had always wanted to meet Saintess Theresia if the opportunity arose.

“Yes, I will escort you.”

Saintess Theresia was in for a shock.

“Why… is this person here?”

A dream where the Hero, Ernstine, had gallantly rescued her.

And now, the one who had ruined that memory stood right in front of her.

“Saintess, I’ve brought Kaylen.”

“You’ve done well.”

Although Theresia was inwardly startled, she didn’t let it show. Instead, she maintained a benevolent smile and gestured gently toward Kaylen.

“Please, have a seat here, Kaylen.”

“Yes.”

“And Branch Leader… could you step out for a moment?”

“Understood.”

At her soft voice, Krundal felt an involuntary chill run down his spine.

The current Saintess was entirely different from the one who, as the White Knight, had once declared she would save or perish with the nation. He couldn’t get used to her contrasting demeanor.

Still, there was no need to draw attention to the duality of the Saintess.

See without seeing. Hear without hearing.

That was the best way to ensure a long and quiet life.

Krundal briefly glanced at the Holy Knight standing silently behind the Saintess before bowing his head deeply.

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

Thud.

As Krundal swiftly exited the room, Kaylen and Theresia were left facing each other.

“It’s really her… Theresia.”

Saintess Theresia looked exactly as she had a millennium ago.

While her once passionate eyes and expressions had calmed into a serene demeanor, Kaylen knew at a glance that she was indeed the same Saintess from a thousand years ago.

“How has she lived for a thousand years?”

The lifespan of a Saintess was supposed to be finite.

One hundred years.

For one hundred years, a Saintess would live in the body of a fifteen-year-old before eventually ascending.

If she bore a child, she would lose her divine power and eternal youth, living the remainder of her life as an ordinary woman.

At least, that was Kaylen’s understanding of how Saintesses worked.

Yet here she was, alive after so long.

“Something doesn’t feel right.”

During the Great Demon King War, she had been a trusted ally.

But now, he couldn’t see her as the same innocent Saintess she had been back then.

“I’ll keep my identity as a Swordmaster hidden for now.”

Even if she had once been a comrade, he wasn’t ready to reveal everything.

Kaylen decided he would only show her the persona of “Mage Kaylen.”

“This is Kaylen. It’s an honor to meet you, Saintess.”

He bowed respectfully and focused on suppressing the mana within him once more.

Before entering, he had already merged the energies of his Light Blade and Dark Blade to neutralize their conflicting properties.

But now…

“I need to conceal it even more.”

As the Saintess quietly observed him, her gaze felt piercing. It compelled him to focus on further masking his aura.

“I’m glad to meet you, Kaylen. Your hair and eye color… they truly resemble the Hero’s.”

“The Hero? Who do you mean?”

“The Hero from a thousand years ago, Ernstine, who defeated the Demon King. He had silver hair and golden eyes.”

Theresia studied Kaylen intently.

“He does bear a slight resemblance to the Hero.”

If he lost some weight, had his nose refined, made his eyes bigger, and sharpened his jawline…

With enough adjustments here and there, he might just pass as a downgraded version of Hero Ernstine.

"For him to even appear in my dreams… it must be a form of foresight. The Heavenly God must be signaling that he is someone significant."

A Meister with the talent of the Sixth Circle—something unseen for nearly 200 years.

Theresia, who had wavered over whether or not to save this kingdom, had ultimately decided to intervene because of his existence.

Such talent was rare and vital.

A Sixth-Circle Meister meant the removal of all limitations.

"He is indispensable to Sanctuary."

Theresia maintained her benevolent smile, but her eyes remained calm and calculating as she analyzed Kaylen.

To the average person, the aura of sanctity surrounding her was overwhelming, evoking reverence. But Kaylen wasn’t an ordinary person—he could read her eyes clearly.

"A thousand years is a long time. For her gaze to become like this… Theresia has changed."

The once-innocent Saintess had learned to wear a mask.

Kaylen pretended not to notice and remained perfectly still. His stance was that of a mage frozen in awe before the holy presence of the Saintess, unsure of how to act.

Theresia studied him carefully before speaking.

“Kaylen, have you been told why I invited you here?”

“Yes, I heard that I am to receive a blessing. It is a tremendous honor.”

“That’s correct. The talent of the Sixth Circle, which hasn’t appeared in 200 years, holds the potential to become humanity’s pillar. However…” Theresia’s voice grew softer, tinged with regret. “Two hundred years ago, I wasn’t able to assist a similar individual in time. Their talent was extinguished before it could fully bloom.”

The last known Meister with Sixth-Circle talent had fought valiantly during the fall of a kingdom two centuries ago but had ultimately perished.

“I regretted it deeply then. I swore never to let it happen again.”

“I see… So that is why.”

“Yes. The blessing I will bestow is the Blessing of Life.”

Theresia clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. Her silver hair began to glow, and overwhelming divine power radiated from her entire being.

“Kaylen, you will gain unyielding vitality that will not falter no matter what you do… and the ability to heal your wounds.”

It had been mere moments since he sat down, yet the Saintess began pouring her blessing onto him without delay.

Her divine power surged toward Kaylen like a tidal wave.

“I can’t discern everything by just looking. I need to use divine power to confirm… to ensure he isn’t a seed of the Demon Realm.”

The immense divine power coursed through Kaylen’s body, inspecting every corner.

To the uninformed, it would have been a sacred and awe-inspiring experience, as the divine energy enveloped their body and filled them with vitality.

But Kaylen wasn’t uninformed.

"She’s probing me."

He was relieved that he had already diluted the energies of his Light Blade and Dark Blade. Taking it a step further, he completely suppressed his strongest weapon, the Water Blade, enveloping it with mana to ensure no traces of his true power could be detected.

He surrounded the remaining elemental energies with water mana, camouflaging them from divine detection.

Fwaaa!

The light emanating from Theresia’s hair grew even brighter, and her divine power delved deeper into Kaylen’s body.

"His body… it’s far from ordinary."

It was almost like that of a seasoned knight, with not a single obstruction in his mana flow.

The pathways for mana flow were wide open, making its circulation incredibly smooth.

Even so, Theresia couldn’t fully discern the intricacies of Kaylen’s mana body. That was because Kaylen had quickly filled the spacious, open mana channels in his body to make them appear like a standard mana circuit.

"Theresia… just examine me lightly, will you? This is getting tedious."

Rather than receiving a blessing, Kaylen felt like he was solving a bothersome puzzle. Keeping his eyes closed and maintaining a reverent demeanor, he skillfully guided Theresia’s divine power into the fake mana circuits he had created.

Finally—

"The structure is peculiar, like a knight’s mana circuit… but there’s no trace of dark energy."

Despite her millennium of experience, Theresia was ultimately fooled by the seasoned expertise of a former Grandmaster from a past life.

As the divine light dimmed, Theresia opened her eyes.

"Oh, Heavenly Father above, allow us to take another step forward."

Whoosh!

A radiant burst of light erupted from Kaylen’s body. The divine energy Theresia had imbued into him seamlessly merged with his being, making his body feel noticeably lighter.

"Impressive."

It was rare for the physique of a Swordmaster to improve further. Yet, the vitality coursing through him was so remarkable that he felt he could go days without sleep. And now, he’d gained the ability to heal wounds on top of that?

Truly, this was the work of someone who had lived for a thousand years.

“How do you feel?” Theresia asked.

“My body feels light. I almost feel like I could fly,” Kaylen replied.

“Fufu, that effect will last for a year.”

In the past, such blessings would only last three days.

"Truly… remarkable."

Kaylen marveled inwardly, looking down at his body in awe.

“Thank you so much,” he said, bowing his head.

“It’s nothing. In truth, during the blessing process, I unintentionally ended up examining your body. I sincerely apologize for that.”

“Y-You did?”

“Yes. Normally, when blessing mages, divine power struggles to flow through their bodies. But your body… it was different. It was as if your mana circuits belonged to a seasoned knight—mana flowed effortlessly through them.”

“Ah, is that so? How strange. I’m just a Meister, after all,” Kaylen said, feigning ignorance with a shrug.

Theresia gazed into his eyes for a moment, but she decided not to press further.

After all, if he claimed ignorance, there was no way for her to dig deeper.

"Well, this isn’t the most important matter right now."

The critical issue was recruiting the talent of a Sixth-Circle Meister.

Theresia shifted to the main topic.

“I’ve heard that you were the one to retrieve the problematic dungeon core this time.”

“Yes, that’s correct,” Kaylen replied.

“You’ve deciphered the text inside as well, haven’t you?”

“Are you referring to ‘Colony’?”

“That’s right. Well done.”

At Theresia’s signal, a White Knight stepped forward and placed the dungeon core gently on the table.

[Colony – Subjugation]

Theresia spoke solemnly.

“Our world… has already been conquered.”

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]