As I'd suspected, the Marquis called all three of us to begin the process of selecting his successor.
"As you know, the Rox family traditionally passes the title to the eldest son. By rights, Yuren should've already been named heir. I was chosen as successor at a younger age than you," the Marquis said, his smile tinged with bitterness.
"But Yuren wasted precious time. So, I considered passing the title to you, Colin. Yet, late as it is, Yuren has pulled himself together. I won't decide this time. You three will prove your worth as the heir."
"How will you decide?" I asked.
"Since this is unprecedented, I'll split it into several trials. The first is defending the territory."
The Marquis paused, gazing out the window.
"You know the season when mature monsters emerge from the coast is near. If we don't act swiftly, the people of the territory will suffer greatly. This is a critical task."
"Oh…"
"I understand."
I glanced at Colin and Laon. Their reactions suggested they already knew about this. Likely Kainas's doing.
"The first trial is monster extermination. You'll be deployed to three separate battlegrounds. Show your skills there."
"How will you evaluate us?" Laon asked.
"I'll assign each of you one of my personal butlers. They'll observe you objectively and report back to me."
"Hmm…"
I trusted the Marquis, but with Kainas or Carox potentially scheming, I'd need to keep an eye on my assigned butler.
"For this trial, you can use everything at your disposal."
"Everything?" Colin asked.
"Yes. Not just your personal strength but your gathered forces, wealth, connections—everything."
"Is that allowed?" Laon asked, his face full of doubt.
"You're not training to be knights—you're vying to be the Marquis. We're a martial family, so strength matters, but the role of Marquis demands more. If you can, borrow another family's knights. Use any means to achieve the best results."
"I see."
"Understood."
The Marquis clapped, signaling he'd said his piece. The door opened, and servants brought in food.
"You depart in one month. Prepare to the best of your ability."
"Yes!"
"Monster extermination, huh…"
The Rox Marquisate guards the southern coast, where many monsters emerge from the sea.
I initially thought we'd need to take boats out, but from the explanation, it was simpler—just prevent the mature monsters from reaching the shore.
"Laon probably won't get much support."
The Marquis gave Colin and Laon a chance, but I suspected Kainas would back one of them heavily to ensure victory.
"No matter what they do, I'll win."
Lying in bed, pondering the future, I sensed Peru's presence outside.
"Come in."
"Gah!"
Peru, startled that I called before he knocked, entered wide-eyed.
"How'd you know?"
"Your footsteps."
"You're uncanny."
Peru approached, looking flustered.
"Not preparing for the campaign?"
"Not much to do."
"The other young masters are already moving. Especially the second young master—he's securing support from other families' knights."
"Really?"
"You don't seem interested. This is huge, you know? The whole Marquisate is in an uproar…"
Peru seemed more anxious than I was.
"The Marquis said to achieve the best results."
"Results?"
"Yeah. That means whether you borrow knights or go solo, it's about killing the most monsters."
I was confident I could dominate alone.
"Is that so?"
"Any orders from Kainas?"
"Oh! She said to stop distributing poison."
"Heh, as expected."
With the Marquis's focus on his three sons, causing trouble now would be a negative, so she likely ordered a halt to poison distribution.
Knock, knock.
An unfamiliar set of footsteps accompanied the knock.
"Come in."
"Greetings, Young Master! I'm Clyde, a squire!"
Clyde knelt on one knee, his voice booming through the room.
"Been a while."
"I've wanted to see you but only now got the chance!"
"You must've been surprised when I put you under my command without warning."
"No, not at all! Hearing you chose me after our spar filled me with joy."
Clyde's earnest eyes radiated sincerity.
"I lack skill and sponsors, so I wasn't sure I'd become a knight. But your choice gave me confidence. Thank you."
As he said, in the original story, Clyde doesn't become a Rox knight. My choice altered his life.
"Glad you feel that way. Here…"
Thud.
I pulled the Flame Spirit Greatsword I'd bought from Giranox from my golden pouch.
"Gasp!"
"This is…"
"Your sword. They say a lord grants a sword to his knight. With your strength and skill, you can handle it."
I handed the greatsword's hilt to Clyde.
"I'm just a squire. Can I accept this?"
"My arm's getting tired. Take it."
"Thank you."
Hesitating, Clyde finally grasped the hilt.
Whoosh!
"Argh!"
"What the—?"
As Clyde held the sword, red flames enveloped him.
"The flames… they're not hot. Just warm. What's this?"
"It's the Flame Spirit Sword."
"Flame Spirit?"
"Yeah. How's the weight?"
"Perfect. Not too heavy or light—just right."
"Good."
He passed the sword's test. If he hadn't, he wouldn't even be able to hold it.
"Keep talking to the sword."
"Talking? Understood."
Whether he earns the spirit's favor to unlock its true power or uses it as a sturdy blade is up to him.
"Thank you. I'll become a knight and protect you with my life."
Clyde bowed repeatedly before leaving.
"A spirit sword? Nice," Peru said.
"I'll get you something good later. After you pay me back."
I returned the magic pouch I'd borrowed from Peru.
"Oh, thank… whoa!"
Peru, casually opening the pouch, jumped back in shock.
"What's this?"
"I said I'd pay you back multiple times."
"Multiple? This is dozens of times!"
"Invest in me, and you get returns like that."
"What kind of gambling did you do?"
He still thinks I gambled.
"Can I really take this?"
"You've saved a lot for your age. You must need it for something. Hope this helps."
Considering Peru's assassin background, he had amassed a surprising amount. There had to be a reason.
"Yes, this should… solve it. Thank you."
Peru stood still, head bowed, shoulders trembling slightly, likely crying.
[Creator's Eye activated.]
[Name: Peru][Traits: Poison Resistance lv1, Agile Movement lv2][Affection: 61 (High Favor)][Current Mood: Moved.]
Moved, huh? He's definitely hiding something tough.
Seeing his affection and mood, I felt I could tell him the truth. Peru was fully loyal to me.
"The lethal poison is completely neutralized, so don't worry."
"Thank you!"
Peru wiped his face with his sleeve.
"I'll explain everything once it's resolved."
"Tell me if there's trouble. And take this."
"What's this money?"
"Commission. Get me the poisons I need."
"Understood."
I listed the poisons I wanted, then sent Peru out. He lingered, bowing, before leaving.
"Young Master."
"Training just finished?"
"Yes, it ran long today."
Arin visited after evening.
"How'd you learn the sword?"
"Sword?"
"I heard you beat the academy candidates with a sword, not daggers."
"Oh, it was easy. Just swing, and it works."
I was honest. With Celestial Martial Body and Creator's Eye, swinging instinctively became swordsmanship.
But Arin didn't take it that way. Her cold expression suggested her affection dropped.
[Creator's Eye activated.]
[Name: Arin][Traits: Swift Sword lv2, Clear Mind lv2, Aura Adaptation lv2][Affection: 51 (High Favor)][Current Mood: Annoyed.]
Affection didn't drop, but her mood—"Annoyed"—caught my eye. Cocky talk made her think I was a jerk.
"Arin, I've got something for you."
"A gift?"
Thud.
I placed the Wind Spirit Rapier from my pouch on the table.
"This is…"
"A sword for you, my future knight."
"A sword? Can I take it?"
"Of course."
Arin's trembling hand grasped the hilt.
Whoosh!
Despite closed windows, her hair and clothes fluttered. Tiny particles swirled around her.
Is that the wind spirit?
"What's this, Young Master? There's wind around me."
"That's the Wind Spirit."
"What?"
"Listen to what the sword says."
"Yes, it says it likes me."
She was fully accepted by the sword. If not, she'd hear only eerie whispers.
"Get close to it, and you'll become much stronger."
Arin couldn't take her eyes off the sword.
"Sorry, but I really want to swing it now. Can I go?"
She was restless, dying to test it. Seeing her act her age for once made me laugh.
"Go ahead."
"Thank you for the sword."
"Oh, take this too."
"What's this?"
"The money I borrowed."
Arin's eyes widened as she opened the pouch.
"This is too much."
"Investments should yield profits."
"But…"
"You said you wanted to swing the sword. Go."
"I'll be back."
Arin bowed and left. Through the window, I saw her sprint off without changing.
"She loves it."
A week later, I visited Giranox after hearing he'd settled into his workshop.
"Looks nice. Better than your old place."
"Young Master! You came?"
Giranox, checking the forge, approached with a bright smile.
"How is it?"
"Thanks to you, everyone's been great."
"Good to hear."
He looked healthier, even a bit chubbier.
"I found owners for the two swords you sold me."
"The greatsword and rapier?"
"Yeah. Both were accepted by their owners. They love them. I'll bring them by later."
"Really? Thank goodness. I thought they were failures."
"Failures? Those are masterworks that choose their owners. Amazing stuff!"
Giranox, overwhelmed with joy, sank to the floor.
"Thank you…"
"I should thank you for making such great swords."
"First time hearing that. Makes me feel like I can do anything!"
He rolled up his sleeves and stood.
"What should I make now?"
"Make ten of these."
I transformed Agnes into a Sichuan Tang Clan throwing weapon and showed him.
"Different from normal daggers. Purely for throwing. Looks labor-intensive."
"Exactly. Designed for throwing."
It was shaped to maximize the Tang Clan's throwing techniques.
"Less than a month until the campaign. Can you do it?"
"I'll do my best."
"Thanks."
"Um…"
Giranox, fidgeting with the weapon, hesitated before speaking.
"I thought hard about this, but I need to tell you…"
"What?"
"There's a serious problem with the Marquisate's armory."