novelraw Chapter 270: Engagement – The Reason for Existence
Chapter 270: Engagement – The Reason for Existence
269: Engagement – The Reason for Existence
Minseo was pulled back into the familiar darkness. The screen grew larger and swallowed him, projecting text into the air as if to compensate for his missed opportunity to read the ending credits.
[ Congratulations! ]
[ Lena’s dream has come true. ]
[ True Ending 2/2: Completed ]
[ Thank you for playing Raising Lena. You have cleared all scenarios. You may now exit the game. ]
However, there was no way to exit the game. Minseo assumed the words were just tacked on and waited for the engagement scenario ending to disappear upwards.
Soon, a modified ending appeared.
[ The Beggar Siblings Scenario Ending has been altered. ]
[ Lerialia de Yeriel ][ Final Occupation: Maid of the Count Forte Family ]
[ Marriage Partner: In a relationship with Santian Rauno ]
[ Lean de Yeriel ]
[ Final Occupation: Servant of Marquis Benar Tatian ]
[ Marriage Partner: In a relationship with Jenia ]
[ Beggar Siblings Ending: Demon King’s Descent ]
+ Born in the royal castle of Lutetia, Lerialia... (truncated) ...became a theater actress at the Orange Theater. She learned acting from Jenia and performed in numerous successful plays, but eventually noticed her brother Lean de Yeriel’s strange behavior and confronted him. In her attempt to help him, she disguised herself and infiltrated the Forte Count’s household. While investigating Count Herman Forte’s past, she used his frequent visits to the Philas to find things that the beggar with the broken arm was curious about. One autumn day, Lean stormed into the Count’s residence, intending to take her away in a carriage. However, Lerialia was captured by Archduke Astroth, who revealed his true colors, and was thrown into Toridom, marking the end of her short life. +
+ Born in the royal castle of Lutetia, Lean had a miserable childhood... (truncated) ...receiving a message from Rev through a mirror, Lean acted independently. Although he planned to go to the Kingdom of Conrad to reclaim his {bloodline}, Prince Eric de Yeriel would not ascend the throne until next winter, so Lean had some time. He stayed in Orville, dating Jenia while asking Count Gustav Peter to keep Gilbert Forte away and teaching Katrina swordsmanship. One day, while visiting Cassia, Lean encountered the beggar with the broken arm. Intrigued by the beggar’s use of court etiquette, Lean followed him and began investigating the Rauno family at the beggar’s request. The beggar, who was once a chamberlain of the Tatalia royal family, continued making demands, leading Lean to accept Marquis Benar Tatian’s offer for more information. As Lean and his sister investigated the Rauno family and Orville’s ‘Philas,’ trouble struck as they were about to leave for the Kingdom of Conrad in early autumn. King Karoman de Tatalia of the silent Bellita Kingdom suddenly ordered the closure of all churches across the nation and visited Marquis Benar Tatian personally. Sensing danger, Lean fled but was caught by Astroth’s gaze and captured. Lean met his end when he was thrown into Toridom. +
[ The Childhood Friends Scenario Ending has been altered. ]
[ Lea ]
[ Final Occupation: High Priestess ]
[ Marriage Partner: Unmarried ]
[ Rev Guidan ]
[ Final Occupation: Holy Knight ]
[ Marriage Partner: Unmarried ]
[ Childhood Friends Ending: The Defeated Hero ]
+ Born in the village of Demos, Lea... (truncated) ...enrolled in the capital church’s educational facility that she had dreamed of but didn’t finish her studies. With rumors spreading that an evil god had descended on Orville, the capital of the Bellita Kingdom, the Holy Church was busy preparing for a Holy War. Lea, arriving in Lutetia, was summoned by the Saint along with Rev. She received divine power from the Saint and became a High Priestess, showcasing her {divine} strength, but could not stop the ancient Ashin, Archduke Astroth, who had ravaged the north and was heading south. Lea, together with Saint Meriel, was killed by Archduke Astroth. +
+ Born in the village of Demos, Rev had a happy childhood... (truncated) ...after receiving a message from Ray Dexter through a mirror, Rev took independent action. He halted his plans for rebellion, visited the Guidan Marquisate, and looked after the distraught Harie Guidan before heading to the Holy Kingdom of Jerome. He followed Lena into the church’s educational facility, secretly dating her and enjoying their days together. However, in early autumn of that year, Archduke Astroth descended, destroying the Bellita Kingdom and the kingdoms of Astin and Aster. As the last Sword Master remaining on the continent, Rev fought valiantly, blessed by the Saint, but was torn apart by Archduke Astroth’s steel wings. +
...I see where the problem lies.
Minseo sighed, repeatedly reading the ending credits while trying to ignore the resurfacing images of the three photos. The issue originated from the previous Childhood Friends scenario.
- “No. Forget Sir Bart. Leave Harie Guidan alone. I have a good idea.”
The problem started when they allowed Sir Bart, the knight who had gone mad with vengeance, to attack Harie and Philas Tertan. Rev had told Lean to leave him alone because rescuing Harie clumsily in the previous Beggar Siblings episode had led to the Kingdom of Conrad’s invasion.
Heeding Rev’s advice, Lean found himself with time on his hands. Without the urgency to rush to the Kingdom of Conrad, he stayed longer in Orville, and with significant changes occurring in the previous Engagement scenario, a catastrophe unfolded. Both Lean and Lerialia fell into Astroth’s clutches.
Minseo quickly reorganized his thoughts, wanting to leave an impression of a modern player’s perspective for the Leos. Reading through the ending credits again, he realized many things.
Among them, the most significant was the existence of the Sword Master.
The Sword Master, said to be heaven-sent.
The state of wielding an aura blade was, in fact, not directly related to swordsmanship skills. It was more of a realization—a state known as “Body and Sword as One,” where the mana stored in the body extended to the sword as if the sword were a part of oneself. This phenomenon was the aura blade; it wasn’t a breakthrough in swordsmanship.
In reality, {Swordsmanship.5v: Forte Style} is the peak of swordsmanship we’ve achieved, and aside from the aura blade, there isn’t much difference compared to Sir Bart. This revelation answered all the questions.
- “While you’re waiting, trim your feathers, Malpas. You must be feeling good after winning the war... Heh heh heh. If you don’t want to lose your wings in vain, you better be careful. Your Sword Master won’t sit still, after all. Come to think of it, where is the guy who killed our Sword Master?”
Astroth had precisely pointed it out, but there had been hints before.
Despite his country declaring war, Baron Arpen Albacete, the Sword Master of the Astin Kingdom, showed no interest in the conflict, while Count Herman Forte seemed oddly eager to end the war quickly and return to Orville.
Baron Albacete remained at the rear where the prince was stationed, giving the impression that he was there unwillingly. This made sense if he had sensed the presence of Ashin, Malpas, who sought to consume the Astin Kingdom. In the previous episodes, he hadn’t even participated in the war.
Both men shared a peculiar commonality—they were particularly protective of the prince.
It was unclear if Count Jacob Mordred, the Sword Master of the Aster Kingdom, was the same, but as the king’s chosen vessel for Ashin, who needed to accumulate power as a king before transitioning into the prince’s body, Sword Masters would have been significant obstacles.
So, how much did the Sword Masters perceive or understand about the existence of Ashin? That was the key question, and Minseo couldn’t help but let out a sigh of realization.
Sir Bart.
The knight blinded by vengeance, who was perhaps the strongest besides the Sword Masters, held a clue related to the mystery of the Sword Masters. In the previous Beggar Siblings episode, when Lean asked him a question, Bart answered as follows:
- “Why did you take the necklace from Harie Guidan?”
- “I don’t know why I did it. It just felt ominous, and I tried to break it instinctively, but no matter what I did, it wouldn’t break. My comrades said it was nothing… Ah, could it be related to that… evil god the prince supposedly defeated?”
- “Yes, it was related. So, what did you do with the necklace?”
- “I threw it into the sea.”
This was baffling. Why did Sir Bart do that? How did he know?
Without the {Divine Detection} ability, I couldn't even recognize Ashin, nor could the priests or even the cardinals detect Oriax’s presence. So what was special about this knight that he sensed it and took the necklace from Harie?
There was only one answer.
Sir Bart was destined to become the continent’s fourth Sword Master, someone who would stand against Oriax.
There was evidence to support this hypothesis. In the fourth episode of Beggar Siblings, when first meeting Sir Bart at the Noyar Harbor, a fellow knight had mentioned him.
He had returned to Noyar Harbor, hiding after losing the prince, and during that time, Bart’s skills had rapidly improved. Eventually, all of his former comrades had learned swordsmanship from him.
This tied closely with the timelines of other Sword Masters’ growth and emergence included in the {Noble Society} information.
The two northern Sword Masters, Baron Arpen Albacete and Count Jacob Mordred, became Sword Masters towards the end of the Nine Days War. It was around the time when they killed their fathers who were waging a civil war over succession, and the sons declared themselves kings.
Both Arpen and Jacob Mordred had been mediocre knights, particularly Arpen, who was of barbarian origin and began his knightly career in the Third Knights after placing in the Maunin-Reti Tournament.
While the order within a knights’ squad isn’t of utmost importance, starting off in such a way indicated that his skills were not exceptional at the time.
Jacob Mordred, born a noble and beginning his career as a royal guard, had sparse information available.
However, it was notable that he only became Captain of the Guard after becoming a Sword Master, and there were no records of him holding the position prior. It was a meteoric rise.
This suggested that Arpen and Jacob Mordred became Sword Masters to counter Malpas’s attempt to divide and conquer the Aslan Kingdom, serving as checks against Malpas and Halpas, who were split between the two kingdoms.
In contrast, Count Herman Forte followed the most prestigious path available to a knight.
Born into a renowned family of knights, he joined the First Knights as the youngest member just as he reached adulthood, marking the start of his distinguished career.
He became the youngest Captain of the Knights and, at only thirty years old, achieved the rank of Sword Master. Coincidentally, this occurred shortly after Kumaean de Tatalia, the King of Bellita and Astroth, ascended to the throne.
Count Herman Forte, Baron Arpen Albacete, and Count Jacob Mordred—if these three were champions ordained by the divine to counter the Ashin, then surely Sir Bart was as well.
If Sir Bart sensed something ominous from Harie’s necklace, which clearly belonged to Oriax, what did the Sword Masters feel when they looked upon the kings who were Ashin themselves?
Would they not feel an overwhelming sense of unease as they shielded the prince and frequently entered the Philas? This was Minseo’s deduction.
Thus, what had appeared to be a simple incident—Harie Guidan and Philas Tertan, seemingly unrelated to the Lenas—actually had significant meaning tied to Sir Bart. We had merely used them to involve Marquis Harvey Guidan in the rebellion in the Right Kingdom.
Minseo sighed as he concluded his thoughts. Regret stops here; it’s time to ponder what to do next. Minseo recalled the quest bestowed by the divine.
[ Quest: Guardian, 1/4 - Barbatos ]
Are they telling us to capture the four Ashin? That would leave Oriax of the Conrad Kingdom, Malpas and Halpas of the two northern kingdoms, and Astroth of the Bellita Kingdom.
[ Select your scenario reward. ]
Just then, as if time was up, text appeared over the darkness where the ending credits had vanished.
They’re rushing me again.
This always happens. But Minseo, with a bold attitude, continued his contemplation.
Not giving me time to think? How petty. Since I’ve made it back here, shouldn’t you give me something, at least out of basic decency?
However, the reward text for the true ending of the Engagement scenario continued to glow indifferently, regardless of Minseo’s grumbling. Having expected nothing anyway, Minseo relished using the time freely.
It was the only revenge he could exact on that damned god.