"Give me medicine to cure my grandmother's illness."

Something immediately came to mind, and Kyle raised both hands to make his request. His grandmother had been asleep for nineteen years now. If he brought back medicine that could wake her, he might actually get to see Julius shed tears of overwhelming joy.

"..."

His request must have gone through, but nothing happened. Kyle tilted his head and looked at the Fragment, who answered with a snort.

"Do you think Julius and his children have never asked for that here?"

"Haven't I earned enough in the Mudflats?"

"That is not the issue. Julius's wife is trapped in a sleep that not even the rewards granted here can break."

"Do you have any idea why my grandmother is asleep?"

"I cannot say for certain, but I suspect a powerful curse or binding."

"Even you can't wake her with your powers?"

"I cannot. And Julius already knows what he must do to reclaim his wife. That is why two of his children are away from the Sword Tower."

When Kyle tilted his head in incomprehension, the Fragment clicked his tongue.

"If you want to know why, ask Julius yourself. At any rate, the reward you wanted has not been granted, so ask for something else."

Kyle had no choice but to think again.

Julius, Nelia, Erika, Bruno, Lucia, Arian, and Aslan.

He decided to bring gifts only for the seven people who had seen him off four years ago. Fortunately, he had hunted in the Mudflats and the sea every day before returning to this room, so he should have plenty of rewards to draw on.

"Hmm..."

Sitting with his back against the coiled Jorm, Kyle spent some time considering what gifts to bring them. Once he had his thoughts in order, he borrowed paper and a pen from the Fragment and wrote out a list of gifts to request.

"Within the rewards I've earned, give me as much of what's written here as possible."

His request was granted. Light shimmered in his hands, and objects appeared out of thin air one by one.

Julius was so powerful that he had no need to rely on special tools. As the head of House Alastor, he was also in a position to obtain anything he needed.

What mattered in his gift, then, was thoughtfulness and taste. In truth, a gift from his favorite grandson would move Julius even if it were a pebble picked up off the street.

Of course, Kyle had no intention of giving him a pebble. After much deliberation, he had chosen a brooch. He had requested one befitting the dignity of a head of the house, who always wore an imposing expression in the Hall of Sword Pinnacles and was expected to maintain his solemn bearing.

Next was Nelia. Thoughtfulness and taste were the focus of her gift as well, since she could presumably obtain anything she needed too.

Nelia was a mage. Kyle had never seen her use a staff, but as a mage, she probably used one. He therefore decided to give her a jeweled ring to adorn her staff.

'Necklaces for Mom and Father.'

These had no special functions either, but he emphasized that they should be crafted as a matching pair from the outset.

'Come to think of it, I've never given Mom anything before.'

Would she burst into tears when she received it? Kyle grinned as he examined the necklaces, whose craftsmanship made it obvious they were a pair.

He decided on a bracelet for Erika. One might assume that, as Julius's youngest daughter, she could easily obtain whatever she wanted, but that was not entirely true. To receive anything from Julius, she first had to prove herself worthy of it.

'Aunt Erika is twenty-three now. She's not exactly a child anymore.'

Perhaps she had grown much stronger over the past four years, earned Julius's recognition, and secured an important position in Gladiheim. Kyle had no way of knowing that right now, though, so he decided to give her a magical item that would be genuinely useful.

It was a bracelet that radiated a cool chill. He did not know its name, but he had requested "something useful to a swordswoman with an ice spiritual root who has reached the Realm of Punishment."

'A belt for the pig.'

It was a magical item that heightened the wearer's sensitivity to the mana flowing through the earth and stabilized their center of balance. Four—no, five—years had passed, so the pig's balance probably wouldn't waver even without it. Still, he had always grumbled that he wasn't a genius. An item like this certainly couldn't hurt.

For Lucia, he decided on a sword.

The wooden sword she had given him when she came to see him off four years ago had served him well in the Mudflats. It was an ordinary wooden sword with nothing special about it, but he had not treated it carelessly. Ordinary or not, Lucia must have put thought into choosing it.

He requested a sword sturdy enough to withstand the tremendous strength characteristic of Demons, one that would draw out only the advantages of their uniquely alien, violent mana. The sword he received had an unnervingly sharp red blade.

"Hmm."

Kyle swung it a few times and grinned. It was sharp, but it was not a demonic sword brimming with bloodlust. Lucia should have no trouble wielding it.

"The Ice and Snow Bracelet, the Earth Dragon Belt, and even... Blood Fang."

The Fragment shook his head, looking thoroughly exasperated.

"Are they expensive?"

"It is not a matter of expense. These are things you cannot obtain simply because you want them. They would not be out of place in Gladiheim's treasury."

Naturally, rewards earned by hunting residue in the Mudflats and byproducts in the sea for over a month would be valuable. With a satisfied smile, Kyle packed the presents into the leather pouch he had also requested and hung Lucia's Blood Fang from his own belt.

"I'm leaving now. Aren't you going to miss me?"

"Why would I? As long as you remain in the Sword Tower, we can meet whenever we wish."

"You're awfully cold. Anyway, where do I go to get out?"

"I will open a door for you."

The Fragment's lips twitched into a peculiar smile. Something about it seemed suspicious.

"Where does that door lead?"

"Outside."

"Where outside?"

"Outside is outside."

"But where—"

Before Kyle could finish asking again, the floor split open beneath his feet.

"Watch out for stray swords."

The Fragment's laughter-filled voice receded as Kyle plummeted.

* * *

The Third Training Ground, in Gladiheim's lower district.

Normally, the castle's soldiers and knight cadets would be engrossed in training here. Today, however, it was unusually crowded.

House Alastor was considered the foremost martial house not merely in the empire, but on the entire continent. Its renown had begun with its founder, Ruin Alastor, five hundred years ago. For the five centuries since, its heads and warriors had steadfastly upheld that legacy.

But five hundred years was a long time. Magic and martial arts had advanced by leaps and bounds, particularly since everyone in the world had awakened a spiritual root. Alastor was still called the continent's greatest martial house, but the gap between the pinnacle and its nearest rivals was no longer as vast as it had been five hundred years ago. This was an age in which houses and organizations aspiring to claim that pinnacle were coming to prominence.

Julius did not resent this changing tide. On the contrary, for the first time, he had opened Gladiheim's gates and invited warriors from outside.

He had announced two reasons for doing so.

The first was open recruitment. Anyone who wished to devote their talents to Alastor was to come to Gladiheim and prove their worth.

The second was a gathering for young warriors to exchange skills. None other than a member of the Ten Greats and the head of House Alastor had decided to host it personally.

"You really must be getting old, my friend. To think you'd open your gates and let in this many outsiders of your own accord."

A middle-aged man with his graying hair swept back chuckled as he stroked his beard. Isaac Schulhov, known as the Wandering Sword Master. Though he was not one of the Ten Greats, he was a swordsman renowned across the continent and an old friend of Julius's.

"I heard there were many promising young talents these days. I simply wanted to gather them together and see what they could do."

Julius spoke as he gazed down at the training ground with an indifferent expression.

"And if any of them catch your eye, you'll make them knights of Gladiheim?"

"If they are worthy and willing to swear their loyalty."

"Whatever anyone says, Alastor is still the continent's foremost martial house. You've never held open recruitment on such an unprecedented scale before. They must all have come salivating at the opportunity."

"That is rather optimistic. Most of the youngsters here probably came wondering just how impressive Alastor could really be."

"Ha ha! Isn't that why you arranged all this? To teach those hotheaded youngsters the difference in your standing?"

Isaac chuckled and sipped his drink.

"Well, as you say... plenty of them probably came to judge Alastor rather than be judged by it. Even if they turn down an offer of knighthood, an event like this is perfect for building a reputation."

As Julius and Isaac had said, not all the young warriors who had come to Gladiheim were driven purely by the dream of becoming Alastor knights.

There were independent knights seeking fame, warriors from other martial houses hoping to test their skills, knights already invested by other kingdoms or houses, and even mercenaries.

"You've become rather more flexible... Is that because of your darling youngest grandson?"

"He is no longer the youngest."

"Ho ho... Right, of course. Still, that little darling changed you, didn't he?"

"I have always been quite flexible. Most people simply failed to notice."

"Heh, you've gotten better at joking too. Is it inevitable that old men become utterly besotted with their grandchildren? If I'd known, I'd have had children myself."

"Somewhere in this world, you probably have a child you know nothing about. You had better watch yourself for the rest of your life."

"Hm? Watch myself? Why?"

"Because one day, a child you never knew you fathered might come looking for you with a sword."

Isaac blinked at Julius's nonchalant reply. He could not immediately tell whether it was a joke.

"Hmm... All right, I'll be careful. Anyway, is that darling grandson of yours still holed up in that godforsaken place in the Sword Tower?"

"This makes four years."

"This is a delicate question, but... may I ask?"

"He is alive."

Julius answered without any change in expression.

"I do not know how well he is doing, but he is alive. If he had died, his body would have been sent outside."

Even if someone died without leaving a scrap of flesh behind, a death on the Floor of Asceticism would be made known outside.

"I'm glad he's alive, but... honestly... that's absurd. You said he was eleven four years ago? How has a little boy lasted four whole years in that damned outer sea...?"

"It may be the outer sea, but it is only the outskirts."

"You say that, but didn't you last only half a year when you first went in?"

"I felt no need to stay longer, and I thought I would go mad if I did."

"Hmm... Are you sure your grandson is all right in the head?"

Isaac asked cautiously. Even Julius had fled that place at seventeen after enduring a year. Could a mere eleven-year-old truly last four years there?

"My grandson was mad from the moment I first met him."

"What...?"

"Mad about the sword. Since he was already mad, he will not go mad there. If he lost his mind, he would no longer be able to wield his sword as he wishes."

Isaac blinked, unable to make sense of that.

Julius made no attempt to explain. He simply gazed down at the training ground with indifferent eyes.

He had declined to confirm Isaac's teasing remark, but Kyle was indeed the reason he had opened Gladiheim's gates for recruitment and a gathering.

Julius had secluded himself in the Sword Tower for far too long. Of course, news from outside—particularly of talented young swordsmen—was always making its way into the tower.

But seeing his grandson's monstrous talent for the sword had piqued his curiosity. Perhaps there were other young monsters like him in the world.

'Did I expect too much...?'

He had yet to see the swordsmanship of everyone gathered here, but nothing he had seen so far had truly impressed him. It was not that they were terribly lacking.

In the past, he would have considered them excellent for their age. He would have thought they had promising futures.

But after watching his grandson's swordsmanship, he could find no satisfaction in what he saw now. Julius rested his chin on his hand.

'When in the world do you intend to come out?'

He had resolved not to worry, but when had a person's heart ever obeyed their wishes? Between Isaac's recent remarks and the four years that had passed, he was beginning to worry about Kyle.

'It isn't as though I can drag him out by force...'

Just as that thought crossed his mind, Julius sensed something before anyone else and stared at the air above the training ground. Isaac noticed a moment later and followed his gaze, eyes widening.

The air split open, and a red-haired young man fell from it.

"...?"

It all happened in an instant. The opening was too low. Directly beneath the falling young man, two young swordsmen were in the midst of a spar. By an unfortunate twist of fate, his body was about to drop between their blades just as they clashed.

"What the hell?!"

Horrified, Isaac reached out to protect him. Before he could release his aura, however, Julius abruptly caught his hand.

'Why are you stopping me?'

It was too late to ask why or wrench his hand free.

There was no need, either.

The young man who had suddenly fallen out of thin air between the swords spun around.

SKREEE!

Aura extended from his right hand as he swung it midturn, diverting the blades closing in from either side.

"Huh?"

Isaac's jaw dropped. The two swords, wrapped in what could fairly be called impressive sword aura, veered onto trajectories entirely different from those intended. Their wielders had lost control of them. Like leaves swept up in turbulent currents, the two swordsmen staggered and stumbled away.

"Uh... huh?"

"What was that?"

The swordsmen, now standing in entirely unexpected places, cried out in confusion. Everyone watching the spar turned toward the young man who had suddenly appeared, their bewilderment written across their faces in different ways.

On closer inspection, he was not quite a young man. He was tall and well built, but his face still retained a boyish look. A boy on the threshold of manhood. Sweeping back hair as vividly red as rose petals, he spoke.

"All I did was needle him a little. I didn't think he'd pull a nasty trick like this."

Kyle muttered under his breath and looked around. He had deflected the swords because they were suddenly flying at him from both sides, but he had no idea what was going on.

'This is definitely Gladiheim.'

Why were there so many people? Kyle tilted his head, then looked up as he felt an intense gaze upon him.

Julius and his relatives were seated in the places of honor overlooking the training ground.

"Y-you! Who are you?"

Their intense spar had been interrupted. No, never mind the interruption—where had he fallen from, and how? A short-haired swordsman snapped at Kyle, indignant despite his confusion.

"Me?"

Kyle grinned up at Julius in his seat of honor.

"This family's youngest grandson."

"W-what... sir?"

"I seem to have interrupted you, so let me apologize for that. It wasn't intentional."

Kyle seized the bewildered swordsman's hand and shook it up and down.

"But would you mind if I said hello first?"

"Uh... s-sure. G-go ahead."

"Thank you."

Having answered politely, Kyle released the man's hand and waved toward the seats of honor.

"I'm back."

"Hah."

Julius let out a disbelieving chuckle and shook his head.

"What an unexpected entrance."

"That wasn't my intention."

"Do you know how much time has passed?"

"I'm not Father. Of course I know. It's been four years, hasn't it?"

"It has."

"It's been four years since we last met. Didn't you miss me?"

"I missed your sword more than I missed you."

Julius rose with a smile.

"Do you know where you are standing?"

"In a training ground."

"And who is around you?"

"Hmm... A lot of swordsmen I've never seen before. Is today a special occasion?"

"The youngsters these days are said to have excellent swordsmanship, so I decided to see it for myself."

"Then I picked a good day to come back, didn't I?"

"It has been four years, and the weather is fine. Let us see your swordsmanship."

Julius's smile deepened, and Kyle could not help smiling too.

Apparently, Julius wanted to show everyone here the swordsmanship of his grandson, newly returned after four years.