The Swordmaster Who Returned After 1,000 Years

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 53

Kaylen entered Starn Castle, assessing his surroundings with a critical eye.

"This place is truly backward."

Even the rural fiefs from a thousand years ago didn’t seem this deteriorated.

The castle walls looked like they could be scaled with ease by a child, and the "city" outside was more like a small village.

Trying to maintain this estate seemed more burdensome than simply relinquishing it and moving to the capital.

"I don’t understand."

Why was Ruhos so interested in this territory?

As Kaylen pondered, he noticed a group blocking the castle gate.

At the forefront was a bald Ruhos, accompanied by several knights, their expressions grim and hostile.

"Kaylen..."

"It’s been a while, Ruhos," Kaylen replied.

Among the group were knights who had previously tried to intimidate Kaylen.

"Back then, I foolishly followed Sir Ruhos..."

"I hope he doesn’t remember me."

The knights recalled the time they had threatened Kaylen to throw his match in the quarterfinals of a tournament, believing he would never escape the obscurity of a rural barony.

But none of them had imagined Kaylen would rise to such prominence.

Now, they regretted following Ruhos here, avoiding Kaylen’s piercing gaze.

"Useless fools..."

Ruhos cursed inwardly as he observed his subordinates.

The knights he brought as escorts were utterly incompetent.

Regardless of how strong their opponent was, this behavior was disgraceful for knights.

Kaylen, noticing their unease, smirked.

"Baldur knights are quick to read the room, I see."

"Urgh..."

"Where’s your master?" Kaylen asked calmly.

"He’ll be here shortly. You should wait here," Ruhos replied stiffly.

"Me? Wait?" Kaylen replied, flicking his hand dismissively in a show of annoyance.

"When your master arrives, have him come find me."

The casual wave of Kaylen’s hand made Ruhos flush red with anger.

"You insolent brat...!"

"Quiet. I’ll be taking a look around the castle, so... hmm?"

The sharp clack of heels echoed within the castle walls.

"Brother Ruhos!"

A high-pitched voice followed.

Kaylen’s body tensed involuntarily at the sound. It was a reflexive reaction.

"Someone who would call Ruhos 'brother'..."

"There’s only one person in Starn Castle who fits that description."

"Brother, you’ve arrived already?"

The woman who appeared was immediately noticeable—her attire was ostentatious, layered with excessive jewelry.

It was a stark contrast to the impoverished state of the territory.

But Kaylen knew all too well how ruthless and spiteful this baroness, with her apparent vanity, could be.

"You’re... Kaylen...?" she said, narrowing her eyes.

The baroness tilted her head in slight confusion.

While the man bore a resemblance to Kaylen Starn, his physique was far different from the last time she had seen him before he left the barony. Back then, he had been tall and thin, almost frail-looking. But now, he was built like a seasoned knight, his frame radiating strength and power.

Had it not been for Ruhos confirming his identity, she might have remained unsure if it was truly him.

“It’s him,” Ruhos affirmed.

“You… you! Why are you here? Didn’t I tell you never to return?!”

The baroness’s shrill voice echoed loudly, the same voice that once used to intimidate Kaylen during his childhood. Back then, it had cowed him into silence and submission. But now, it had no effect.

“Quiet,” Kaylen said curtly.

“What?! How dare you—how dare you talk to me like that? To your elder?”

The baroness attempted to muster up her usual domineering demeanor, but something was off. Her voice lacked its usual force, and a strange unease crept over her.

‘What is this...?’

The baroness found herself unable to meet Kaylen’s gaze. His golden eyes bore down on her with an authority that left her utterly speechless. She tried to compose herself, to respond, but her words wouldn’t come.

‘Why... why can’t I speak?’

Flustered and unsure of herself, the baroness floundered in silence. Kaylen turned his attention to Ruhos.

“Ruhos, take this noisy woman away,” he ordered.

“What did you do to her…?” Ruhos began but faltered.

“Her voice will return in an hour. In the meantime, I…” Kaylen trailed off as he looked past the baroness.

A middle-aged man was approaching, hauling a cart piled high with belongings.

“I’ll have a chat with my father.”

“Long time no see, Kaylen,” the man greeted.

“Yes, Father,” Kaylen replied.

Alves Starn.

The head of the Starn barony and Kaylen’s father.

Kaylen’s first impression of him was simple:

‘Nothing extraordinary.’

A plain man with an air of insecurity, Alves didn’t appear to be anything special. Yet Kaylen’s sharp gaze picked up on a subtle detail.

‘His hair is a different color than mine.’

Alves had brown hair, unlike Kaylen’s silvery locks and golden eyes.

Silver hair and golden eyes were defining features of the Meier clan, those who bore the legacy of Infinity. Alves, however, lacked these traits entirely.

‘Still, he has the bare minimum of the legacy—his golden eyes.’

Golden eyes were a rare trait, even outside the Meier clan, and they signified the potential to awaken Infinity.

‘A thousand years ago, he’d have been considered one of the clan’s untalented. But in this era, even this is something to be thankful for.’

Alves dropped onto the cart with a heavy sigh and spoke sternly.

“Why have you returned here instead of staying in the capital?”

His tone was severe, almost reprimanding.

“I told you there is no place for you here in Starn.”

“I am well aware,” Kaylen replied calmly.

“Then why…”

“I’ve taken on a request from the Civil Squad.”

“The Civil Squad? You?”

Alves shot to his feet in surprise.

The Civil Squad? Kaylen? Wasn’t he still a student?

‘Did he get hired as a support mage?’ Alves could only assume as much, having no knowledge of what Kaylen had been doing in the capital.

“Did you not hear anything from Baldur?” Kaylen asked.

“Well… no. When the dungeon appeared in the barony, I requested their assistance, but they refused outright. All I heard was that you had gravely insulted Zaik Baldur.”

“Insulted, you say.”

“They even asked if you and our family were truly estranged.”

“Of course, you confirmed it, didn’t you?”

“…Yes.”

“I told them the same,” Kaylen said nonchalantly, as if it were a trivial matter.

Watching his son, Alves felt an odd sense of dissonance. Kaylen was nothing like the boy he had sent away to the academy years ago.

— Father, I’m sorry. It was my fault. Please, just let me stay with the family. I don’t need the academy. I don’t need anything.

On that day, Kaylen had sobbed, begging to remain in the family. The boy, already scrawny, had looked utterly frail and pitiable.

But now…

‘What on earth happened to him?’

His frame was imposing, and his golden eyes were calm and unwavering. Even faced with a stern reprimand, Kaylen remained composed, exuding an unshakable confidence.

In just a few years, he had become an entirely different person.

“My matters with Zaik are my own. Starn has no need to involve itself. Don’t concern yourself with it any further,” Kaylen said firmly.

“Don’t concern myself? Do you even understand who they are? The Baldur count family! Starn swore loyalty to them!”

“That fealty binds only the Starn family, not me,” Kaylen replied without hesitation.

“…Hmm.”

His resolute words left Alves momentarily speechless.

Seeing his father falter, Kaylen continued.

“Besides, I came here at their request.”

“Their request?”

“The dungeon that appeared here—what was your plan for dealing with it?”

“…Since it seemed unlikely we’d get help from the Baldur count family, I planned to liquidate our assets and hire the Civil Squad with the funds. But then, out of the blue, they claimed they’d bring the squad themselves, which puzzled me.”

Alves clearly didn’t understand the full situation.

Since the true purpose had been to arrange a meeting between Lioness and Kaylen, there had been no reason to explain things to the Baron of Starn.

“The Civil Squad they said they’d bring… that’s me,” Kaylen said.

“You?”

“Yes.”

“Did you drop out of school to join the Civil Squad?” Alves asked, naturally assuming this was the case, unaware of Kaylen’s accomplishments.

Kaylen gave him a sly smile.

“No.”

With that, he slowly began to emanate an aura.

Srrr…

“...Hah!”

As Kaylen’s feet slowly transformed into water, Alves fell to the ground in shock.

“Not as a support mage, but as the Meister of the Civil Squad Meier.”

“H-How… How is that even possible?”

“Now that it’s come to this, why don’t you guide me to the dungeon? I’ll complete the request swiftly.”

Alves froze, his mind racing. He had firsthand experience with dungeon exterminations conducted by the Civil Squad. Before inheriting the Starn barony, he had briefly worked as a support mage for the squad.

In his memories, dungeon exterminations were grueling, complex endeavors.

You had to prepare supplies to endure extended periods, study the monsters in the dungeon, and train to exploit their weaknesses. During expeditions, you had to appease temperamental Meisters, mediate disputes between rough knights and mercenaries, and even then, accidents in the dungeon often led to disaster.

Alves had faced numerous life-threatening moments as a support mage before quitting to take over the family estate.

For someone with such harrowing memories, witnessing Kaylen’s calm confidence was almost surreal.

Kaylen didn’t just meet Alves’ expectations of a Meister—he shattered them.

“Ice Spear.”

With a flick of Kaylen’s hand, hundreds of ice spears materialized in the sky above.

No, spears was a misnomer.

BOOM!

The descending spears were massive pillars of ice, each striking with overwhelming force.

“Kiieeek!”

“What is happening?”

The goblin village below was obliterated by the icy judgment from the heavens.

A few goblins survived the onslaught and charged desperately.

“That one killed our kin!”

“Kill him!”

With a simple gesture, Kaylen trapped them in water prisons.

Goblins thrashed within the confines of the shimmering prisons, trembling momentarily before going limp.

“Let’s move,” Kaylen said.

The walk to the dungeon portal was eerily peaceful.

The goblin village near the portal had been completely annihilated, and no goblins who sought to ambush Kaylen had survived.

“W-Wait. Are you really going in? Alone?” Alves stammered.

“You’re free to stay outside.”

“N-No… That won’t do. I’ll come with you.”

Even though Alves had seen Kaylen’s strength, entering a dungeon portal was another matter entirely.

Still, after hesitating briefly, Alves followed closely behind his son.

“Kiiririk.”

“A human!”

“Kill him!”

The moment they stepped into the dungeon portal, a barrage of weapons hurtled toward them.

“Ice Shield.”

But the thick barrier of ice proved impenetrable.

“Ice Spear.”

And the towering ice pillars annihilated the ambushers without resistance.

As Kaylen's hand moved, goblins were slaughtered.

Alves stood dumbfounded behind his son, watching the path open before them.

Is this... even possible?

Alves, both a father and a fellow mage, knew his son’s capabilities well.

In a rural village, Kaylen might not have stood out, but in the capital, he would have never been noticed—just an ordinary talent.

But could someone change this much in just a few years?

Civil Squad... Meier.

Alves’ thoughts turned to Meier.

Why choose the name Meier of all names?

The name of the Meier Empire, founded by the ancestors of Starn and associated with the demons.

Could it be...

One hour later.

Kaylen and Alves stood before the dungeon core.

Alves no longer seemed surprised.

Kaylen surveyed the area around the dungeon core.

There were no enemies that could pose a threat.

As long as the dungeon core remained intact, monsters would eventually emerge again, but…

It didn’t seem like they would appear any time soon.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Father. I have a question,” Kaylen said.

The isolated space.

With monsters not likely to emerge for a while.

It was the perfect place to quietly talk.

Kaylen asked Alves,

“Why did the Baldurs target the Starn?”

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]