Raising the Princess to Overcome Death-Chapter 285: Engagement - The Blue Lotus Moon
284. Engagement - The Blue Lotus Moon
Spring had arrived, but the northern lands still retained patches of frost. The heavily armored knights wore thick furs beneath their armor, and their hands gripping the reins were covered with gloves.
These were the knights of the 1st Order that Prince Arnulf had managed to lend with great difficulty. They were moving with urgency.
Typically, knights would remove their armor and carry it on a carriage during travel, but these knights rode their horses fully armed. They had no squires to assist them.
To save time, they often ate jerky and other rations while riding, but it was impossible to maintain this pace for a journey that would take several weeks. Horses were not the most convenient mode of travel.
To relieve their horses’ fatigue, the knights frequently took breaks, and someone unintentionally benefited greatly from these pauses. Rera, feeling guilty, handed her reins to Ray.
“Thank you every time.”
“It’s fine. Go on.”
— Neigh!
Kus snorted in annoyance, as if fed up. Rera’s poor riding skills made things difficult even for the stoic Kus. Rera tried to pat the horse’s cheek in consolation, but Kus shook his head, refusing the gesture.
“Hurry along. He’s waiting for you.”
Ray grabbed a water bottle and Rera picked up her sword, heading toward Baron Arpen, who was dealing with a few matters. Arpen, examining a map, asked, “Is there no quicker route? Aren’t there any relay stations in this area?” He turned as they discussed the upcoming course.
“You’re here? Warm up a bit. I’ll be there soon.”
While the knights checked their equipment and attended to their duties, Rera stretched her stiff thighs, sore from riding. She gripped her sword and repeated a few moves until Arpen approached. Without a word, he raised his greatsword.
With a nod, the sparring began.
Though Arpen had agreed to teach swordsmanship, he had never actually taught anyone before. Thus, they only sparred repeatedly, leaving Rera to learn on her own. Fortunately, Arpen’s swordsmanship had distinctive features...
“When you block like that, this is what happens.”
Arpen gripped his sword’s blade. Holding it as if it were a spear, with one hand on the hilt and the other on the blade, he pressed against Rera’s sword.
In this position, even without exerting much force, Rera found herself pushed back. Arpen’s unconventional swordsmanship had initially left her bewildered.
It defied the basic principle of wielding a weapon by the handle and cutting with the blade, something that seemed obvious. Arpen had once said:
“There’s no rule that says you can’t grab a sword by the blade. It’s my choice.”
His tone was brusque, as if holding some kind of grudge, but when flattered with praise—“It’s truly amazing! You really are the greatest genius of the Albacete tribe!”—Arpen explained the reason behind his method, albeit without his usual self-congratulation. The summary was this:
Arpen originally wielded an axe.
The main difference between a sword and an axe was the width of the handle. After facing off against Count Jacob Mordred, Arpen decided to switch to a sword, but he found it incredibly uncomfortable.
Swords were generally longer than axes (though it varied by type), but their handles were much narrower.
Even with two-handed swords, his bear-like hands struggled to fit, and even when he managed to grip the handle, it was so low that controlling the force of his swings was difficult.
Arpen, accustomed to holding the long handle of an axe just below the axe head and adjusting the force by varying his grip, found this a significant hurdle.
Most would adapt, thinking, “If you wield a sword, you should follow the sword’s way.” However, Arpen, who had a strong ego and had seen many obnoxious knights, simply dismissed the idea of following traditional swordsmanship.
Handle, schmandle... wherever he gripped was the handle, and wherever he struck was the blade.
Because of this peculiar stubbornness, his swordsmanship evolved in a unique direction.
Arpen had his sword custom-made: slightly duller but larger, resembling an axe, and he began wielding it like a staff, merging his axe techniques with swordsmanship.
After mastering the skill of safely gripping the blade with his palm, there was nothing that could stop him; it was a feat only possible because he saw himself and his weapon as one, a true “Master.”
He had never taught anyone before, and he doubted whether his methods could be effectively passed on. He suspected this feisty fiancée was wasting her time. More puzzlingly, why would she want to learn from him when her own fiancé was a Sword Master? He was lost in thought when—
“What’s this?”
Rera tilted her sword, pressing the safe side of the blade with her palm and starting to push him back, mimicking Arpen’s swordsmanship.
Arpen, momentarily impressed, let out a sly grin.
“Well, well, a student worth teaching. Not bad. Shall I show you one more trick?”
Arpen released the handle.
Reversing his grip, he slid his sword, the blade hissing against Rera’s as they scraped together. His crossguard caught onto Rera’s crossguard with a click.
“Now, if you twist it, ta-da!”
“What?!”
Arpen pushed the hand gripping the blade inward. As his crossguard hooked onto hers, Rera was forced to move in the opposite direction of his arm’s push.
A simple lever principle.
But it was an unexpected technique, and with their arms tangled, Rera couldn’t respond. The blade reached her throat in an instant. Defeated once again, Rera stared blankly at her sword, seemingly having realized something.
Slashing and stabbing were not all there was.
If necessary, one could deflect, counter, trap, and twist. The art of weaponry was merely a means to subdue the opponent; respect or reverence for the sword was optional, not mandatory.
Arpen’s swordsmanship boldly denied such notions. However, there was one thing that puzzled Rera, and she muttered under her breath.
“Baron.”
“What, want to see it again?”
“Why do you always dress like that?”
Arpen was momentarily confused by the sudden question, but soon understood her intent. He replied rather brusquely.
“…A student who learns one thing and knows ten. I don’t know, either. I thought becoming a noble would be all sunshine and rainbows, but it’s not quite like that… Anyway, today’s lesson ends here. Get ready to depart.”
Baron Arpen Albacete turned away abruptly. Dressed in the opulent silk attire of a nobleman that didn’t suit his burly frame at all, he disappeared with an awkward, almost comical gait.
He was the first and only native to become a noble, but he didn’t seem particularly happy about it.
*
Ray, Rera, and the knights continued their journey toward the Kingdom of Aster.
They rode without rest, changing horses at relay stations along the way, and stopped for the night in a village near the Antaroff Great Canyon, not far from the border.
The knights couldn’t cross the border without permission, so they planned to visit the church and communicate with Count Jacob Mordred to gain approval. Meanwhile, the knights could take a brief rest.
It was a day when the blue lotus moon shone beautifully in the sky. The weather was pleasant, and since Ray and Rera hadn’t had any time alone due to their relentless march, they received permission from Arpen (“...You two have it easy. Do as you wish.”) and left the encampment near the village.
However, perhaps because of the stillness, Ray and Rera didn’t talk. The weight of their fathers’ deaths hung heavily on their hearts, making laughter and chatter feel out of place.
After riding for a while, Ray stopped at the base of a hill.
It was his second time visiting this place. Wanting to show Rera something, Ray silently climbed the hill, and Rera momentarily forgot about Dehor.
A vast, white canyon unfolded before them.
Dozens of ravines split the mountains and plains, a landscape that looked as if it had been violently carved by some great force.
The legend that said Toddler Akiunen had fought against Lachar, the god who kidnapped Reisia, seemed fitting.
Akiunen, who wielded two greatswords simultaneously, was said to be the first Sword Master and king of humanity. Just how strong had he been? If he could split the land to create a canyon, perhaps he really could wound a god.
The white stone known as ‘Manubium,’ said to have formed from Lachar’s blood, was the evidence. Reflecting the blue moonlight, the Antoroff Great Canyon glowed white.
“Ray.”
“Yeah?”
Rera called him but didn’t speak further. After a long pause, she spoke again.
“Ray.”
“I’m listening.”
“…Take this.”
Rera pulled out a long leather strap from her belt and handed it to him. It was a birthday gift she had bought in advance at Avril Castle... though it was neither his birthday nor any special occasion, Ray accepted it quietly.
“It’s a birthday present. I know it’s not your birthday, but just in case I don’t get the chance to give it to you.”
“…That won’t happen.”
“I hope not.”
“I’m not just hoping. It absolutely won’t happen.”
“How can you be so sure?”
Rera shot him a glare. She seemed angry.
“Do you think I’m stupid? I know you’re still hiding something from me. I’m not asking because I think there’s a reason you’re keeping it from me.”
“…”
When Ray stayed silent, Rera let out a long sigh, trying to release her frustration. With such a beautiful landscape before them, she didn’t have much time left to be angry.
Her previous words, blaming Ray for her father’s death, now haunted her as wounds of her own making. Unable to take back what she had said, Rera forced a smile. She wanted to be remembered as a good girlfriend, at least for today.
“Give me your sword. I’ll tie it for you.”
Rera took Ray’s sword from his belt. She was trying to replace the worn grip with the new leather strap...
“Huh?”
“…Huh?”
Ray’s sword began to hum faintly.
“W-what’s happening?”
At times like this, she really missed Minseo. Not knowing what was going on, Ray rubbed the back of his neck.
“Is it… haunted? Shoo, go away!”
Holding the vibrating sword, Rera suddenly felt frightened and threw it aside. She didn’t intend to abandon it completely—it was, after all, a keepsake from Ray’s mother. However, the sword fell vertically onto a rock, balanced awkwardly for a moment, and then tipped backward.
Oh no! No! By the time they rushed over, the sword had already rolled down the hill and into the canyon below.
“What do we do? I’m sorry, I’ll go get it.”
“Wait, I’ll get it.”
Fortunately, the canyon wasn’t too deep. Since it was a scenic hill, there was a sloping path, likely worn down by passersby. Rera and Ray cautiously descended, sending pebbles tumbling as they went.
Rera apologized more than twenty times on the way down.
“Watch your step. I’m sorry... this is all because of me…”
“It’s fine. This place is beautiful, too. Look. The moonlight makes it even prettier than it looks from above.”
“You’re right… I’m sorry.”
Looking up from the canyon floor, the bright cliffs, the blue lotus moon, and the starry sky were stunningly beautiful.
However, the sword lying on the ground continued to hum, the vibrations growing stronger. Rera looked increasingly uneasy.
“Why is it doing this?”
“It’s haunted. It’s definitely haunted. Ray, maybe we should take it to the churChapter A priest would surely... Ah!”
Suddenly, Rera pointed deeper into the canyon. In rhythm with the sword’s vibrations, a spot glowed blue before fading back to white repeatedly.
Drawn by the light, they descended further into the canyon, finding a slightly wider space. Above, the canyon walls narrowed, allowing only the blue lotus moon’s light to reach the spot.
There, glowing blue, was a serene temple waiting for them.
— “I told you it’s real! A mystical temple. I saw it clearly with my own eyes! It was a night when the blue lotus moon was shining…”
The words of Boris Ainar, a senile old man, echoed in their minds.
Chapter 285: Engagement - The Blue Lotus Moon
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