I recall that Rudeus's swordsmanship also ultimately stopped at the Upper-rank. Perhaps this is the so-called limit?
No, I should think about the first Water God.
I cannot give up like this; there must be a way to cross this hurdle. I can definitely do it.
Treating problems with an optimistic mindset, never giving up, never admitting defeat—this is my creed. I silently encouraged myself this way.
Although my mindset remained good, it was practically useless. Some things cannot be changed with just an optimistic attitude.
Another year passed in the blink of an eye.
During this year, my Water God Style Swordsmanship saw virtually no significant improvement.
I felt a bit dejected, but overall, I managed to maintain an optimistic outlook. After all, although my Water God Style Swordsmanship hadn't progressed, my magic research had been very successful. A loss in one area is a gain in another; as long as I could keep improving, it wouldn't be a major problem.
Calendar of the Armored Dragon, Year 410, October 1st.
Just after September ended, I received a letter from my father. In it, my father asked if I had time to attend the 5th birthday party of his sister's daughter in Roa City, the capital of the Fittoa Territory.
He also enclosed information about his sister, my aunt, and her family in the letter.
My aunt's name is 'Hilda Prodia Grellat,' but she should have changed it to: 'Hilda Boreas greyrat' now.
My aunt's husband is 'Philip Boryas Grelart,' and the birthday girl is 'Alice Boreas greyrat.'
Isn't this Alice's family? Then Alice should be my cousin.
Roa seems to be the city where Rudeus is currently working as a tutor, right?
It's a good opportunity for me to check if there are any Seven Star Orbs in the sky, which could prove the timeline I am currently on. This holds great significance for my future goals.
I shouldn't plan future events based on my old memories only to find out that the timeline is completely different from what I knew. That would be too embarrassing.
I decided to act immediately and prepared to accept the invitation to my cousin's birthday party.
Oh, right. At the end of the letter, it was also mentioned that the current head of the Boreas Family,'Shaulos Boreas greyrat,' still resides in Roa. My father mentioned in the letter that he had a very bad relationship with my grandfather and warned me to behave well in front of him, absolutely never mentioning anything about my grandfather.
It seems Darius's bad reputation is known nationwide. As his grandson, I feel immense pressure.
Alice's birthday is in mid-October. Since I planned to secretly visit Buena Village for a look if I confirmed the presence of the small orbs in the sky, I prepared my things the very next day, sent someone to request leave from the Water God Style Dojo and my Court Magician teachers, and then set off with my escort and maid.
Roa is not particularly far from Yars. Traveling by carriage, it took about five days to reach Roa.
The fortress city of Roa is located in the core interior of the Fittoa Territory in the Asura Kingdom, far from the coastline. It was the kingdom's first line of defense against invasions by the Demon Race or Eastern neighbors in the past. Multiple land trade routes converge here, making it a transit hub for troops and supplies.
Roa's hallmark is its massive city wall, about 20 meters high with a base width of 15 meters, constructed using a mix of brick and stone, with the outer layer covered in magic alloy plates to resist magical attacks. The battlements are designed with a double swallowtail shape, featuring firing slits in the middle that can accommodate both archers and mages simultaneously.
The outer perimeter of the wall is encircled by an artificially dug moat, 20 meters wide and 10 meters deep, fed by an underground river, with its bottom lined with sharp stakes. The main entrance features an iron chain drawbridge that can be cut in an emergency.
The inner city is divided into three areas: the Noble District, containing the Boreas Family castle and some minor nobles affiliated with the Boreas Family; the Middle Ring, housing barracks and warehouses; and the Outer Ring, the commoner district.
Passing by from the outside, one could see cracks on some sections of the wall, residual damage from ancient magic during the Laplace Campaign, which remain unrepaired to this day.
After crossing the drawbridge and entering the city, I immediately lifted the carriage curtain and looked up at the sky. The sky was bright and cloudless. I squinted and watched carefully for a long time, but I did not discover any small black dots or other foreign objects in the sky.
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