I Became the Youngest Disciple of the Martial God

Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Arzan was devastated as she looked at the collapsed cave. She trudged up to the rubble and put her hand on the huge stone.

“Step back, it’s dangerous.”

“Ah, yes.”

It was dangerous to get close to a cave-in like this.

It wouldn’t be strange if there was a second or even third cave-in.

“But how...”

Arzan didn’t finish her sentence.

It seemed she didn’t understand why the cave had collapsed like that.

She had probably only recently regained consciousness and hadn’t heard the screams of the cave like I had.

“You don’t have to be so surprised. The cave showed signs of collapsing—”

Before I could finish, I stumbled and fell over.

“Young master!”

Arzan hurriedly ran to me.

I tried to nod to signal to her that I was fine, but even that was difficult.

So this was what it meant to have not even the strength to lift a finger.

I took deep breaths as I said, “Butler. You were pretty charismatic.”

“Pardon?”

“‘Duck!’... was it? My head dropped before I even realized.”

“Ah. Th-that’s...” Arzan’s face became tinged with red. “My apologies. Please forgive my rudeness.”

“It’s fine. It would be more stupid to try and force manners in a situation like that. More importantly, are you okay?”

“I think we should worry about your state first, young master—”

“You need to be fine so that you can carry me, butler.”

“...Oh.” Arzan nodded. “I have enough strength to carry you.”

“Then I’ll leave it to you. I’ve reached my limit. I think if I collapse now, I won’t wake up for at least a few days.”

“Please command me.”

“Go down the mountain and take me to the main house. If we are quick about it, we’ll arrive on time.”

Arzan closed her mouth.

“Are you worried about Calzark?” I asked.

“That’s...”

“I understand. I feel the same way.”

“...”

Arzan looked at me as if she was observing me.

“But we still need to go. This is not a matter of morality, and even less so of efficiency.”

I thought back to the last thing Calzark had shouted.

“This is what Senior wanted. In that instant, he understood the situation and made a decision.”

Honestly, I was pretty surprised.

Grand master, Instructor of Swords and Blades.

I hadn’t really been underestimating him, but I might have been unintentionally looking down on him.

I had subconsciously compared him to my master and other senior brothers of Spirit Mountain.

It truly was the thought of a frog in a well.

Physical strength wasn’t the only gauge of power.

What Calzark had shown in that moment was enough for him to be engraved in my mind as a “strong person.”

“Waiting around here or going back to the cave would be an insult to Senior. That’s why we need to follow his will and go down the mountain. Understood?”

“...Understood.”

“All right. Then...”

How many days did we have left?

We’d spent three days in the cave, so how many days had we spent in the mountains...?

Ah...

This was a big problem. I was instantly overwhelmed by drowsiness now that my nerves had relaxed.

I wanted to take out the map, which was in my pocket, but my vision started to fade. Even thinking was becoming difficult.

“My pocket... has the map...? The one taken from the assassin... Use that to find the road... Ah, and the gold... just use it and don’t worry...”

“Young master!”

I lost consciousness before I could finish my sentence.

I even had a thought.

Maybe I’ll wake up at the main house.

***

The Blessing Ceremony.

The greatest event in The Empire, which only those who possessed the blood of the Great Houses could attend.

However, in the modern day, the Blessing Ceremony wasn’t just a place to receive incredible talent from the gods. In truth, nearly all of The Empire’s influential and powerful figures attended it.

At first, the goal of the event had been to personally see the future of The Empire through the young talents, without any other distractions...

But now, it had grown so large that the nobles who boasted great power would come to scout each other’s positions and exchange pleasantries and promises of cooperation.

In any case, as this had become the place where the influential powerhouses of The Empire gathered, politics were inevitable.

There was now even a saying: “If you wish to know the true hierarchy of the nobles of The Empire, see who sits where during the Blessing Ceremony.”

Of course, as the Blessing Ceremony was significant to The Empire both historically and traditionally, its preparation could also not be given to some random normal house.

There were only three great noble houses that were allowed this honor, including the imperial palace.

House Bednicker.

Currently, they were one of the houses that wielded absolute strength in The Empire.

This territory, which held the name of The Earth in the language of the ancient fairies, held some of the most beautiful scenery and bountiful land in The Empire.

Each year, visitors from both The Empire and beyond visited these lands.

There was a part of this territory that neither those tourists nor the people who had lived their entire lives here could approach.

The place was called the Forest of the Butterfly.

The main house of Bednicker, the masters of this land, had been built in the deepest part of this forest—impossible to reach through conventional means.

There were only two ways to not get lost in the Forest of the Butterfly.

Either one needed to be of Bednicker blood...

Maybe it was because of her clothes, but something looked a little off.

The aura of poverty that she exuded wasn’t befitting of the wife of a powerful noble house.

That was why she straightened her back even more.

If she didn’t even have confidence, then what did she have?

As Lucia opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, she saw the servants moving diligently.

Moving past them, she went to the place where the Exchange was being held—the main hall on the first floor of the mansion.

When she arrived, she saw many nobles in fancy clothes.

Tables were separated at set distances, and fragrant wine and scents were accompanied by gentle music.

Even though there were so many people present, the hall was quite calm, as if to show the level of education and refinement of everyone present.

Lucia felt herself shrink a little, but she held her heart and stepped forward.

At that moment, someone blocked her way.

“Excuse me.”

Judging by his outfit, he was a butler of the main house.

“Is there something you wish to say?” she asked.

“I’m checking the attendees before they enter. Which house have you come from?”

“...”

Lucia felt like her head was spinning.

Checking the attendees?

“Do you... not know me?”

“Unfortunately... Ah.”

The butler saw Lucia’s face and lowered his head, but his expression didn’t change at all.

“My apologies. Mistress Lucia.”

A small giggle echoed out from the hall.

When Lucia looked over, she found a familiar scene.

The second and third wives of the Lord of Blood and Iron.

They were laughing while covering their mouths with their hand fans.

“It is the Exchange, after all. It’s good that the exchange ended there.”

“I say. That’s why she should show her face more often.”

“Well... More importantly, I don’t particularly like her dress.”

“I do agree. A dress sewn up like that... I don’t think even my servant girl would wear that—even if I told her to.”

They were talking too loudly to be considered merely gossiping.

It also seemed that the music had stopped, and Lucia felt her face flush.

Regardless, she stood tall as if she couldn’t hear them.

It was just another act of humiliation.

She couldn’t step away from here, for Luan’s sake.

“...If you have confirmed my identity, may I enter now?”

However, the butler didn’t seem to have any intention of stepping away.

“Hm. My apologies, but did you come alone, Mistress?”

“What do you mean?”

“Far more houses are attending this Blessing Ceremony than we anticipated. As a result, to reduce the chance of unnecessary confusion if a situation were to occur, the House has implemented a new condition for attending the Exchange.”

An annoying smirk appeared on the butler’s face.

“If you do not have an entourage to aid you, then you cannot attend the Exchange this time.”

“What?”

“Please excuse me, Mistress, but return for today.”

As Lucia stood there in a daze, she heard another stifled laugh.

“Pft.”

There was one difference this time.

That laughter wasn’t just from the wives of the Lord of Blood and Iron.

“I was wondering who she was, but it’s her. That, you know, Colland native...”

“Aah. I was wondering why she looked a little plumper.”

“Look at that hair. How scary.”

“Hah. It’s good that she’s being sent back.”

“...”

Lucia had never expected that she, a member of House Bednicker, would be insulted directly to her face like this.

Her face started to become pale, and at that moment, the butler reached out.

Lucia’s expression froze solid.

Was he going to drag her away by force?

This is...

Going much too far over the line.

Grab.

But someone else grabbed the butler’s outstretched hand.

The huge hand in a black glove easily covered the butler’s hand.

“Keuk...”

The butler frowned a little at the grip on his hand before his expression froze.

He couldn’t even get a word out. He only repeated, “Uh, uhm.”

“For her aid, I am here.”

It was a low and strong voice.

“I shall be Lady Lucia’s entourage.”

The hall suddenly became quiet.

Everyone’s attention was directed toward an old man.

A surprising person, one Lucia had never expected.

“Will that be fine?”

The Collector of Blood and Iron.

A small smile appeared under Kayan’s mustache.