Sword Master of a Fa Chapter 4 : Kyle Ragnar (3)

Chapter 4: Kyle Ragnar (3)

Moisture began to well up in Elise’s eyes as she watched the assassins being slaughtered.

‘You’ve returned.’

White hair and crimson eyes.

Elise imdiately realized who had returned to Ragnar.

No, there was no way she could fail to recognize him.

“Eldest Young Master…….”

At the sight of Elise murmuring in a voice steeped in longing, Akun also clenched his fist tightly.

He could not forget.

If not for Kyle, he would never have risen to his current position.

Turning his gaze, Akun looked at Kyle with eyes full of emotion and muttered to himself.

“I thought you would never co back after that…… yet here we are, eting again like this.”

Kyle had not left the family on a whim.

For a year, he sought out budding talents and gave them opportunities.

An opportunity to learn swordsmanship.

And an environnt where they could live more systematically.

The Previous Head of the Family, Rai Ragnar, followed Kyle’s intent and nurtured those talents—those talents being Elise and Akun.

The two of them had not originally been knights.

Elise had been a maid, and Akun a gofer doing odd jobs.

But thanks to Kyle, they beca Gamo and rose to beco the Vice-Commander of the Ragnar Knight Order.

‘In any case, those people won’t be able to escape Ragnar.’

Despite the assassins scattering, Kyle did not pursue them.

He was certain that the fleeing assassins would never leave Ragnar alive.

Because the presence of the Special Operations Unit could be felt throughout the Snow Mountain.

Kyle turned his body and walked toward the elders who were backing away.

“Those without even the qualifications of elders have clung to seats beyond their worth. I suppose you have no regrets even if you die now.”

Puhk―

Without a mont’s hesitation, Kyle drove his sword into the elder’s heart.

Blood gushed from the heart and splattered across Kyle’s face, but he paid it no mind.

He rely swung his sword toward the next target.

Soon after, having severed the heads of three elders on the spot, Kyle turned his head.

“Elise, was it you who married Pramo?”

He had assud she would simply be serving as a family knight. Yet to think the lady of the Territory was Elise.

As Kyle studied Elise closely, she clasped her hands together and slowly bowed her waist.

“Elise Ragnar greets the greatest elder of the family.”

“The greatest elder, you say…….”

“With no surviving senior elders left in the family, does that not make you the greatest elder now, Young Master?”

Both Pramo and Elise treated Kyle with a brazenness that felt almost natural.

Fifteen years was more than enough ti for landscapes to change.

Though they t again after skipping over those years, neither of them felt awkward dealing with Kyle.

“I heard you ford a marital bond with Pramo. You found your match well.”

“Is that an insult, or a complint?”

“It’s a complint.”

“Thank you.”

At Kyle’s words, Elise smiled brightly and bowed again.

However, her gaze kept flicking toward the place where the assassins had scattered.

It might beco troubleso if the assassins escaped the Territory alive.

Seeing through Elise’s thoughts, Kyle let out a small chuckle.

“They won’t escape.”

“……What do you an by that?”

“They will never get out of those guys’ hands.”

Kyle recalled the ones who would be coming up the Snow Mountain.

No matter how much they wanted to run, they would not leave the Territory alive.

Because Seros would never let that spectacle go unwatched.

Thus, there was no need for him to concern himself with the assassins.

More precisely, there was sothing more important to handle than dealing with assassins.

Kyle, who had been looking in the direction of the Lord’s Castle, soon turned his gaze away.

‘Before that, shall I check how much they’ve grown.’

Kyle slowly approached Akun.

“You’ve grown well, Akun.”

“I believe it is thanks to the Eldest Young Master’s grace.”

“Your level?”

“Exford interdiate.”

“You still have a long way to go.”

“I will strive harder.”

At Akun’s words, Kyle naturally extended his hand.

When Akun grasped it, Kyle saw Akun’s talent before his eyes.

Talent : Swordsmanship B-rank

Potential : Swordsmanship S-rank, Command A-rank, Tactics A-rank, Strategy A-rank

Unawakened Abilities : Master of Siege Warfare A-rank, Red Cloud S-rank

Judging by his talents, it did not seem he had developed his abilities centered on swordsmanship.

It was clear he had grown relatively slowly while preparing to beco a commander.

After confirming Akun’s abilities, Kyle nodded.

It might have been for the best.

Akun’s original strength had been swordsmanship, but now quite a few aspects had been added.

Though they were A-rank rather than S-rank, that was more than sufficient.

“It’s not that you’ve lost interest in swordsmanship—are you perhaps focusing on sothing else?”

At Kyle’s words, which pierced straight through the situation, Akun felt chills run over his entire body.

“……As expected, Young Master, you haven’t changed at all from fifteen years ago. I’ve been studying strategy and tactics in order to beco a proper commander.”

At Akun’s honesty, Kyle lightly patted his shoulder.

“Good. Do your best.”

“Thank you. I will do my utmost.”

As Akun bowed respectfully, Kyle looked toward Elise.

“Your hand.”

He then demanded that Elise extend her hand as well.

Elise clasped his hand without hesitation, and after confirming the many calluses covering her palm, Kyle nodded.

Talent : Dual Sword B-rank

Potential : Dual Sword SS-rank, Assimilation S-rank, Authority A-rank

Unawakened Ability : Blue Frost Swordsmanship SS-rank

However, from what he confird, her current talent was at the minimum compared to her potential.

“You still have a long way to go as well.”

Even so, things would be different from now on.

Since Kyle had returned, the two of them would be given opportunities to develop their abilities.

As if she understood this, Elise nodded.

“I will work harder.”

“No, effort alone is not enough. If that were sufficient, every knight would have already reached Master.”

“Ah…….”

At the cold words, Elise let out a sigh, but Kyle did not care and continued speaking.

“Let’s return to the Territory now. The Head of the Family will be waiting.”

“……Then I will bring the Territory residents out.”

Watching Elise hurry into the cave, Kyle chose a suitable rock and sat down on it.

When Akun stood in front of Kyle, trying to keep watch, Kyle shook his head.

“Don’t do that. Sit here.”

“Yes, Eldest Young Master.”

At Kyle’s instruction, Akun sat down on the ground.

As soone who had risen to Vice-Commander of the Ragnar Knight Order, Akun would know the situation of the Territory to so extent.

Kyle asked a question he had not voiced until now, while Elise was away.

“Akun, can you tell

the state of the family exactly as it is?”

“Our finances have hit rock bottom. I am not well-versed in financial matters, but I am certain it is the worst possible situation.”

Akun spoke honestly about the condition of the Territory.

“And.”

“A great many Territory residents have left. Though it is barren land, Ragnar originally had over five hundred thousand residents. Now, there aren’t even three hundred thousand left.”

Too many had died at the hands of monsters, or else left the Ragnar Territory.

At Akun’s words, Kyle closed his eyes.

A declining—no, perhaps already ruined—Territory.

Even though he had returned, he could not grasp what he should do first.

“The Rapid rchant Guild?”

Akun, seeming unable to speak easily, wore a flustered expression, and only after a long while did he open his mouth.

“……The Previous Head of the Family unilaterally cut off trade with the Rapid rchant Guild. I think it would be best to hear the reason directly from the Head of the Family.”

A rchant guild that had been with the Ragnar Territory for a long ti.

The Rapid rchant Guild was one of the top ten rchant guilds of the Daon Kingdom, the nation to which Ragnar belonged.

They traded iron, weapons, and monster byproducts from the north, providing Ragnar with daily necessities and food.

To have cut off trade with such a guild…….

The reason the finances were in shambles might have been due to the iron mine being taken, but it could also be because it was difficult to secure a trading partner comparable to the Rapid rchant Guild.

“Um, Eldest Young Master…….”

While Kyle was lost in thought, Akun hesitated, as if he had sothing to say, and spoke to him.

Kyle, who had been looking elsewhere, finally turned his head and looked at Akun.

“Speak.”

“Where were you for fifteen years? The Previous Head of the Family searched for you tirelessly. Even just before his passing, he was still looking for you, Eldest Young Master.”

At Akun’s words, Kyle remained silent with his eyes closed.

There was a reason he could not tell where he had been or what he had done for fifteen years.

When Kyle closed his mouth, Akun did not ask any further.

Where Kyle had been was not important—what mattered was that he had returned to the Territory.

‘And he returned as a Master, no less.’

It was a realm difficult to reach even for swordsn who trained their blades for an entire lifeti.

At Akun’s reverent gaze looking up at him, Kyle rose from his seat.

“I will go down first, so safely lead the Territory residents and bring them down to the castle.”

“I understand.”

Leaving behind Akun, who offered a salute, Kyle headed toward the base of the Snow Mountain.

Along the descent, he saw the corpses of assassins strewn about, but he ignored them and ran onward.

When he arrived at the entrance below the Snow Mountain, the people waiting there bowed their heads.

“Is it finished?”

At Kyle’s question, Seros answered on behalf of the group.

“It’s finished.”

“Good work.”

Not only the assassins who had infiltrated the Territory, but even those who had fled from Kyle had all been hunted down.

The ones who followed Kyle were knights belonging to the Special Operations Unit, known as the strongest group in the Tylers Empire, so it was only natural.

Among them, Kyle fixed his gaze on one man.

“Aron, when did you arrive?”

“I just arrived.”

The man with a youthful, bookish face answered Kyle’s question.

Aron was soone who served as a military strategist in the Special Operations Unit, and due to certain circumstances that delayed his joining, he had only now arrived in Ragnar.

With this, everyone who followed Kyle had finally gathered.

“And his reaction?”

“He did nothing but curse you, my lord.”

The Emperor of the Tylers Empire.

There was no way he did not know that these conditions were consideration shown by his close friend.

At Aron’s words, Kyle moved forward with an expressionless face.

“Please guide

to Elder Modello’s residence, Lord Pan.”

As soon as Kyle returned to the Territory, he sought out Pan.

Pan, who had been organizing the assassin corpses handled by the Special Operations Unit knights, nodded at Kyle’s request.

“I will guide you imdiately.”

“Seros, stay here and help with the cleanup. And only Aron, follow .”

As they headed toward the location of Modello’s residence under Pan’s guidance—

“This is the place.”

Kyle frowned.

The reason was that Modello’s mansion stood at the very center of the Territory, where all infrastructure converged.

It even occupied a larger area than the residence where the lord stayed, with walls flanking both sides of its grand gate.

“So while the Territory residents starved to death, he alone enjoyed a luxurious life.”

“That is correct. The elders, including Modello, wielded absolute power by holding the keys to the Territory’s granaries under the pretext of distributing food to the residents.”

As Kyle murmured in a low voice, Pan agreed with his words.

Staring at the massive gate, tightly shut, Kyle swung his clenched fist with force.

Kwaang—!

The iron gate let out a thunderous roar as it flew into the mansion grounds.

At the sight, Pan stared at Kyle with widened eyes, but Kyle looked back with a completely calm expression.

“Lord Pan.”

“Yes, Eldest Young Master!”

“Confiscate all the assets of the traitors.”

“I understand.”

“And it appears to be high-quality iron. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to dismantle the mansion’s fences, as well as any usable structures, and recycle them for weapon production.”

“I will take care of that as well.”

Confiscating the property of those who committed treason was nothing unusual.

The area was larger than the lord’s residence, and fences ran along the gate.

All of it was made of iron structures.

After giving his instructions to Pan, Kyle entered Modello’s mansion and looked around.

‘There must be a hidden space.’

He was certain that the accumulated wealth and ledgers containing evidence of corruption would be sowhere in this mansion.

Those who committed corruption usually kept ledgers and managed their wealth systematically.

Kyle looked at Aron, whom he had brought along, in order to find them.

“We need to find the wealth Modello accumulated and the ledgers.”

“From what I’ve heard, he was simple-minded and not ticulous. The hidden space likely wasn’t concealed in any complicated manner.”

“That ans you can find it, of course?”

As soon as Kyle asked, Aron broke into a grin.

“I will find everything.”