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The once-threatening Great Demon had vanished, and the people left on Fontasierra Hill finally realized that the battle before them had come to an end.

Neither victors nor losers remained—only the dead and those who had survived.

As the storm-like momentum of the situation passed, the survivors eventually decided to withdraw from Fontasierra Hill.

The seat of the next High King of Hiberia, the Duke of Asturias, had been decided when Maria drew the Sword of Selection. The Great Demon, their immediate enemy, was already gone.

In such circumstances, there was no longer any need for them to remain stationed around the hill.

Naturally, those who withdrew gathered in Oviedo, the capital of Asturias, to witness Maria’s coronation as the Duke of Asturias after she drew the Sword of Selection.

Although many unfortunate events had occurred, and some had lost their lives in the process, it was precisely because of this that they considered the coronation to be of great importance.

They hoped that by commemorating the birth of a heroic leader who would guide the next generation after overcoming an unprecedented crisis in Hiberia, they could unite the divided nobles of the various nations and lay the foundation for a revival.

Of course, it wasn’t just about grand ideals.

From the perspective of the nobility, there was also a sense of relief that the next High King had not been chosen from the commoner class. Moreover, the fact that Maria was the heir to Catalonia, located at the southernmost tip of Hiberia—far from Asturias in the north—was also a plus.

Had the ruler been from a neighboring region, a dual duchy with both legitimacy and territory could have emerged, wielding immense potential power. However, a union between Catalonia and Asturias, separated by such a distance, was not seen as particularly threatening.

In any case, as the coronation approached, Maria found herself unexpectedly busy. Not only did she have to prepare for the ceremony itself, but she also had to undergo a handover of all the responsibilities she needed to know as the Duke of Asturias.

To be honest, Maria had initially had no intention of participating in the Selection Ceremony. She could have easily delegated most tasks to those who had been handling them and simply enjoyed the authority and benefits of her position without anyone objecting. In fact, many who had participated in the Selection Ceremony had harbored similar intentions.

However, Maria gently declined such advice and took on the handover with full responsibility and sincerity.

The reason was simple.

“The protection of royal authority, like the protection of bloodline, operates on the same principle.”

Just as she had inherited the “protection of bloodline” as the Princess of Catalonia, the “protection of royal authority” she now held as the Duke of Asturias and the next High King of Hiberia also depended on how diligently she fulfilled the responsibilities that came with her authority and power.

For Maria, who sought the enlightenment of Wu Xin Dong, it was unthinkable to wield power recklessly like a strong but inexperienced youth, only to be exploited and brought down.

Moreover, as she handled the power of royal authority, Maria discovered something new.

“I can feel it… everything within the domain of the protection’s influence!”

Traditionally, royal authority was the power to manifest authority and exercise power over a nation. But its essence was not limited to issuing commands or self-enhancement.

At its core, it was an exceptional “perception” limited to the nation.

For a ruler’s commands to flow seamlessly to the farthest reaches of the nation, the ruler’s perception—or at least the system the ruler controlled—had to reach and meticulously understand those areas.

Thus, the protection of royal authority granted the ruler a near-prophetic perception of the entire domain where their authority was exercised—the nation’s territory, its people, and their lives.

The conversations of the people, their unspoken thoughts, their resolve, the local produce, changes in rainfall and river levels, various issues and troubles, and even the secret discussions among nobles—all of these were immediately revealed to Maria if she wished to know.

Of course, most rulers did not enjoy such abilities because they could not fully control the protection. Without the enlightenment of Wu Xin Dong, they could not understand the principles behind the power granted to them and naturally assumed that the superficial effects of the protection were all there was to it.

In any case, having awakened to the full extent of the abilities granted by the protection of royal authority, Maria could not afford to lose control over it. Even if it was limited to the “nation,” it was undoubtedly a glimpse of what her master had casually mentioned as the “Thousand-Mile Eyes” and “Wind-Following Ears.”

Considering how important seeing, hearing, and knowing were in martial arts, this was not something to be taken lightly.

Moreover, the journey to Hiberia had originally been undertaken to assist her master. Even if the perception was limited to the land of Hiberia, it was still a vast territory. Being able to see everything happening in this land as clearly as the palm of her hand would undoubtedly be of great help to Sophia.

The problem was that this very ability of perception had revealed to her what had happened in this land.

“To think that the Selection Rock was one of the terminals of the Omphalos… This is completely unexpected.”

At a restaurant on the streets of Oviedo, the capital of the Duchy, Maria sighed as she spoke to Conra, her sworn brother and lover, during a rare moment of rest.

If the servants and colleagues who had forced them out had heard this, they would have sighed deeply as well. Despite being sent out to rest and enjoy a date after days of relentless busyness, the topic of their conversation was yet another serious matter concerning the fate of the world.

In fact, the capital of Oviedo had been in an unprecedented state of chaos.

The descent of the Great Demon on Fontasierra Hill. The names of the heroes who had fought in that great event were spreading far and wide through the mouths of those who had witnessed it firsthand.

Rodrigo Díaz, the great knight of Galicia, who first stood against the Great Demon’s pressure and drew his sword; Sir Kihano of Navarre, who followed with his unparalleled shield skills; the elderly spellcaster who covered the intricate details of the grand ritual and other spellcasting events with accumulated logic and intuition.

Well, these individuals were already known in their own countries and neighboring regions. But the influence they gained from this event was on a different level. They had become figures whose names were known throughout Hiberia, not just in neighboring countries.

And this was also true for those who had previously been unfamiliar to the people of Hiberia.

Brantley Somz, the unparalleled spellcaster and court poet who supported everyone on the battlefield with his unfathomable formations; Karl Hector Meyer, whose swordsmanship transcended the ordinary and entered the supernatural. Their feats were so extraordinary that even those unfamiliar with advanced swordsmanship or the mysteries of spells could see that they were no ordinary individuals.

Recently, spellcasters had been inquiring about the principles of Qi Men Dun Jia that Brantley Somz had demonstrated, while those devoted to martial arts sought to understand the realm of the Heart Sword.

But all these issues were overshadowed by a truly massive story—the rumors about Maria Francesca de Cruz y Hortas, the newly crowned Duke of Asturias and the next High King of Hiberia, and her lover, Conra mac Setanta.

Their prowess and courage on the front lines of the battlefield, protecting people even in the face of the Great Demon, combined with their noble blood and heroic spirit, made their story more like a novel than reality. It was only natural that such attention would focus on the young couple who had become the protagonists of a tale more fantastical than fiction.

Moreover, their other identity—as disciples of the being who had manifested to defeat the Great Demon at the end of the battle—only added to the endless stream of stories about them.

Although the Reverse Muscle Technique and Reverse Brain Method were created to help mortals reach the divine realm, the fact that someone had actually achieved such a state was news that left everyone scratching their heads.

The current gods of the Pantheon were said to have ascended from mortality to divinity, but if you asked how many had achieved “ascension” in later generations, you could count them on one hand, and even those were treated more like myths told to children.

In the midst of all this, Sophia’s manifestation, which displayed the kind of divine presence one would expect from an ascended being, and her mythical struggle against the despair-inducing Great Demon, left no one in Hiberia unaffected.

However, Sophia herself had dismissed her manifestation shortly after the battle, and her overwhelmingly divine presence had prevented people from focusing their attention directly on her. Instead, all that attention had shifted to the young couple who were her disciples.

Especially since one of them was a noble from a traditional and powerful nation, now drawing the Sword of Selection and ascending to the throne of the Duke of Asturias as the next High King of Hiberia. It was only natural that some, who loved to exaggerate, would cautiously recall the dreams of the old “Reconquista.”

In any case, with such a major event occurring and their fame spreading far and wide, those involved had no choice but to dedicate their time and energy to managing the aftermath.

With a new king on the throne, the capital was already busy with personnel changes and handovers for diplomacy and internal affairs. Add to that the aftermath of the disaster, and the situation became even more hectic. On top of that, visitors from far and wide, having heard of their fame, came seeking audiences, leaving the relevant parties grinding their teeth and working tirelessly every day.

In the midst of all this, the fact that the soon-to-be-crowned Duchess and her presumed lover, the young hero, could find time for a private moment was solely due to the sacrifices and cooperation of those supporting them.

Despite Maria’s unexpected ascension to the throne of the Duke of Asturias, the administrative staff who had followed her from Catalonia, expecting the advancement of their princess and the future head of state, had thrown themselves into the hell of work to ensure a smooth transition.

From Karl and Brantley to Count Shirdas Rampal, Count Ramon Pérez de Manresa, the Asturian ministers, and the chamberlain, it was only through the consideration of so many that they managed to snatch this brief, honey-like moment of rest.

Unfortunately, the two of them were in no state to relax comfortably.

“He’s already achieved his goal and retreated… What exactly did we fight for?”

Though Conra had greatly enhanced his reputation through the battle with the Great Demon, he himself was beginning to feel a sense of doubt about the meaning of the fight. This doubt stemmed from a fact he had recently learned from his master, Sophia, in her manifested form.

Shortly after the Great Demon Rupifer retreated, Sophia had looked around with an uneasy expression and then dropped a shocking statement: “He took a terminal of the Omphalos.”

From the beginning, Sophia’s struggles alone in Gotland, her disciples’ entanglement in various affairs in Hiberia—wasn’t it all because of that Omphalos? And now, the most important thing had been taken by her greatest adversary?

Who could have guessed that the Selection Rock on Fontasierra Hill was a terminal of the Omphalos?

“Even if we had known, we couldn’t have stopped it.”

At that moment, the only ones willing to risk their lives to stop it were Maria and Conra themselves. Brantley and Karl had come from the Kingdom of Dane at Sophia’s request to assist her disciples, so they would have helped if asked. But even then, it was only four people.

“With just that, there’s no way we could have done anything to ‘Him.’ Ugh!”

Unconsciously referring to the adversary as “Him,” Conra realized it belatedly and let out a bitter smile. The fact that even his enemies forced him to lower himself and use honorifics was a testament to the overwhelming gap between them.

As Conra sank into gloom, Maria, sitting across the table, spoke up with her usual clear expression.

“Hey, sworn brother. Do you know what I was thinking the day we first met on the streets of Valencia?”

Conra, intrigued, closed his mouth and listened attentively.

Back then, in the bustling yet decadent streets of Valencia, Conra had met a pickpocket girl. To some, it might have seemed strange, but to Conra, that meeting felt like fate.

“At that time, I was helplessly tossed about by the walls of reality. I was just a girl with no strength or support, begging in back alleys and picking pockets. The world wasn’t kind enough to indulge the complaints of such a worthless girl.”

“You’re not worthless. You’re a princess. And our master’s disciple, and…”

Conra hesitated, unable to finish his sentence. What meaning could being the sworn sister of such a weak, powerless man hold for her?

As if sensing his thoughts, Maria smiled softly and continued.

“Yes, now I am your sworn sister. But listen, sworn brother. It’s been less than two years, but back then, I was just a ‘street kid’ with no strength or support. Reality seemed too heavy, something I could never overcome. And in the midst of that, I met you.”

Maria spoke calmly, as if recounting someone else’s story, yet with a sincerity that Conra could clearly see.

For the girl who had grown up in the back alleys of Valencia, the cold walls of reality had seemed insurmountable. But meeting the boy had been like a warm, sturdy lifeline that she wouldn’t trade for anything.

“Sworn sister, I’m not as great as you think.”

But precisely because of that, Conra couldn’t help but downplay the impact he had had on Maria. At the time, he had only been able to help her because he had the means to do so. If anything, it was Maria, who at such a young age had faced such a helpless reality alone, who deserved praise.

In his eyes, Maria was someone who would inevitably be saved by someone, even if it hadn’t been him.

“Hmm, that’s not what I meant, sworn brother.”

Maria shook her head lightly and continued.

“That wall of reality that seemed insurmountable at the time—do you know what it felt like when I looked back a few months after meeting you?”

“What did it feel like?”

“It turned out to be really not that big of a deal. Just having a few people to rely on and gaining some strength and skills made that reality, which had seemed like it would bury me in darkness, feel so light and insignificant.”

Finally, Conra understood what Maria was trying to say. She was likely encouraging him not to be discouraged by the current sense of powerlessness.

“I won’t tell you not to feel powerless, sworn brother. But are you the type to bow your head and kneel just because there’s a trial before you that seems impossible to overcome?”

Maria tilted her head, as if questioning. Conra, while inwardly complaining about how much she seemed to know about him, couldn’t help but smile wryly as he realized that he indeed wasn’t the type to “bow his head and kneel.”

“Next time, let’s give him a good hit, okay?”

“Really… I can’t win against you, sworn sister.”

It wasn’t a baseless statement. Even if Conra, who practiced both the Heart Sword and Wu Xin Dong, wasn’t at her level, Maria was also an absolute master who had grasped the profound depths of Wu Xin Dong. Moreover, with the protection and senses granted by royal authority, she possessed perception surpassing even Conra’s within Hiberia.

So, Maria wasn’t shaken.

Her unwavering belief that one day she or her sworn brother Conra would surpass their enemy kept her from being disappointed by their current powerlessness.

Realizing this, a faint, soft smile appeared on Conra’s lips. Noticing this, Maria also smiled gently and clenched her fist.

The sense of powerlessness hadn’t disappeared, and the gap between them and their enemy remained as vast as ever. There was no basis or evidence for the expectation that they could land a blow next time.

But for some reason, Conra felt like he could keep trying. It wasn’t based on evidence or proof, but a different kind of belief had sprouted within him.

‘With Maria by my side, I feel like I can keep going without giving up.’

The belief that even if he were to fall, Maria would be there to support him and lift him up.

Not long after, Sophia, having dismissed her manifestation and flown to the Asturian court using a combination of the Mind-In-Action divine technique and the Foot-Binding Village spell, finally arrived. It was the day before the Duke’s enthronement and coronation ceremony.

 

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