A month had passed since his shocking reincarnation.
PLOP-PLOP―
“…You certainly produce an impressive amount.”
SQUELCH―
Joshua scooped up the manure scattered around the stable with an iron shovel and tossed it onto a mound of earth mixed with hay. Then he poured the feed he had brought in a cart into the trough.
After working without rest, he straightened his back, and a chilly wind swept past him. The dreadful stench seeped into his nostrils.
‘…Compared to the stench of rotting corpses, this smells like flowers.’
As soon as he finished his work at the stable, he began his training. To rebuild his family, he had to regain the strength of his previous life as quickly as possible.
As part of his physical training, he ran across the snowfield toward a frozen stream. This secluded place was ideal for Galahad-style training.
CRACK―
He broke the ice with a stone and submerged himself in the water. His entire body trembled as the unfathomable cold seeped into every inch of his skin. It felt as though his consciousness were fading away by the second.
‘I think this every time, but this training method is truly insane.’
It was a breathing technique created by the first head of House Galahad, who had also been the North’s first Sword Master.
Known as the Breath of the Bitter Cold, the technique revealed its true power when practiced amid extreme cold.
After some time, Joshua barely managed to crawl out of the water. Half-naked, he sat down upon the snow.
He had to gather the mana within his body, which he had diligently awakened ever since the day of his reincarnation, and form the core that would become the source of his aura.
“Hup.”
He focused his mind through meditation and deep breathing, drawing the cold into his body. Then he opened his right eye, which shone with blue light.
‘Thank goodness the Sacred Eye remained intact.’
It was a blessing of mana said to appear in only one child out of a million.
Before long, the mana began to take the shape of a core. Joshua used the cold to prevent it from dispersing.
Once the mana had gathered together, it sensed the energy of one blessed by mana and settled firmly into place.
His entire body throbbed powerfully, and an intense force spread through him.
When Joshua opened his eyes, he had entered the Beginner realm, the first stage of swordsmanship.
He had also gained a certain degree of resistance to the cold.
“Let me test it.”
He grasped the wooden sword he had carved himself and imagined an enemy before him.
He planted his right foot firmly on the ground, stepped forward with his left, and thrust toward the enemy’s abdomen. He twisted his head to evade the enemy’s sword, turned his body, and slashed across the waist.
A faint whistle reached his ears as the strengthened attack cut through the air.
His movements had also become noticeably more agile, which pleased him greatly.
WHOOSH―
Joshua finished by driving his sword into the imaginary enemy’s heart, then let out a delighted laugh.
He remained completely unaware that someone was approaching through flight magic.
“Eek! Have you lost your mind, Brother?”
“…You are the one who came here uninvited.”
“Stop that insane training!”
Joshua avoided her vicious kick and hurriedly gathered his clothes before putting them on.
“Why did you come out in this cold?”
“B-Because I said I would teach you magic! The squire examination is tomorrow. Are you out of your mind? Oh, right. You are.”
“I believe I told you… that I have no interest in magic.”
“This is not a hundred years ago. Who uses swords these days? Just because your name is Joshua, are you really trying to become that Joshua? Wake up.”
Joshua’s life story had been passed down through the songs and writings of bards for the past hundred years.
The noble knight who had defeated the Demon King with his blue aura remained an idol to children and an example to all warriors even now.
“Madam… no, Mother?”
Joshua let Serena’s vexing yet affectionate nagging wash over him.
“She is preparing to open the establishment.”
“Then I should hurry back and help her.”
“Honestly… Do not blame me when you fail the squire examination.”
Serena was a genius scheduled to receive special admission to the Academy.
Should her talent reach its full potential, she might one day rival Estelle, who had been an Archmage.
“I’m going on ahead, then?”
Joshua watched the girl use flight magic as naturally as breathing, even though it was a spell that mages of the Magic Tower struggled to master.
‘I must ensure that this child lends her strength to Galahad.’
The brief daylight faded, and darkness covered the sky.
It was time for the Black Rose’s Rest to open for business.
After feeding the two horses their evening meal, Joshua helped with the work at the brothel. It was a duty he had volunteered to perform from the very first day of his reincarnation.
‘Since I have been reborn as the madam’s son, I must fulfill the duties entrusted to me.’
He held an old broom and moved diligently, sweeping the dust from every corner.
The other employees, meanwhile, remained seated while they cleared tables, carried food, and washed dishes with magic.
‘…I think I understand why the sword was forgotten.’
Not one of the Black Rose’s Rest’s numerous patrons carried a sword.
Every one of them possessed a wooden staff and wore a robe.
Despite the bitter reality, Joshua swallowed his sigh and continued working in silence. He paid no attention to those who mocked him for being unable to use magic.
He would create a world in which the sword was acknowledged once again.
CRASH―!
“So tell me, how much do you cost?”
The drunken man’s shout suddenly pierced Joshua’s ears.
Broken glasses lay scattered across the floor.
“If you want me, bring a hundred gold. Then I will consider whether I am willing to spend the night with you.”
A vicious-looking ruffian was harassing Joshua’s mother.
“How could a night with a wench like you possibly cost a hundred gold?!”
Enraged by her provocation, the man gathered mana in his hand.
The mana formed a sphere and shot forward.
Joshua immediately seized the wooden sword he had left in a corner.
“Eek!”
He stepped in front of the woman who had screamed.
Concentrating his strength in the blade, he swung the sword. The spell split in two and vanished into the air.
“Power is not given to torment the weak.”
“A wooden sword? Are you truly stepping forward with a toy like that?”
The man clutched his stomach and burst into laughter.
In a world ruled by magic, Joshua was an oddity who wielded a wooden sword.
Naturally, everyone’s attention turned toward him.
“Those who lack true ability always seem to have the most to say.”
“H-How dare you mock me!”
The drunkard finally crossed the line and drew the magical wand hanging from his waist.
“J-Joshua!”
Seeing her son in danger, his mother instinctively cried out.
However, the boy gestured to her with a relaxed smile, assuring her that there was no need to worry.
“You insolent brat! Die!”
The man manifested his magic with considerable speed and aimed it at Joshua.
However, the magic contained no elemental power. He was not an opponent worth fearing.
TAP―
Just as blue light flashed, Joshua kicked off the ground.
With a perfectly focused diagonal slash, he cut apart the first magical sphere.
He then stepped onto the table before him and leaped into the air.
With a single thrust, he pierced through another attack that had been launched toward his mother from a different angle.
Joshua immediately spun around to face the ruffian head-on.
As he descended, he pierced through the final spell and brought the wooden sword down upon the man’s head.
THWACK―!
“You dared to cause such a disturbance with skills this meager?”
The unconscious man could not answer him.
“D-Did he just cut through magic with a sword?”
“With a wooden sword that does not even have a blade!”
“Is that even possible?”
Those who had witnessed the magnificent sword dance exclaimed in amazement.
For people who had spent their entire lives in the age of magic, it was a sight unlike anything they had ever seen.
“I knew you could defend yourself, but I did not realize you could actually fight… I’m sorry. Are you hurt anywhere?”
As soon as the situation was resolved, his mother rushed over with a worried expression and embraced Joshua.
“Not a single hair on my head has been harmed, so please rest easy.”
After calming her instead, Joshua carried the unconscious ruffian into the warm stable and laid him down.
‘May this incident teach him to weigh his words and actions more carefully.’
Showing mercy to the unfortunate was also a knight’s duty.
Joshua calmly returned to the brothel.
Just as he picked up a rag to clean the remaining mess, his mother approached him.
“Your squire examination is tomorrow, is it not? You should stop working and go home for the night.”
“I am fine. I will see my duties through to the end.”
“I told you that it is fine….”
“Please allow me.”
Joshua bent deeply at the waist as he made his request.
“…You truly are impossible. But you must go home before midnight.”
“I shall do so.”
His mother shook her head, yet she could not help feeling proud of how mature her son had suddenly become.
She was proud enough to support him, even if he had chosen to devote himself to the faded glory of the sword.
WHOOSH―
The sudden cold snapped Joshua’s eyes open.
He found himself looking directly at Serena, who had flung open the window with a scowl.
“Good morning.”
“What is good about it? I told you to come home early yesterday! I was going to teach you at least a little magic.”
“I had no choice. I was helping Mother. If you waited for me, I apologize.”
“You are using Mother as an excuse again. You simply do not want to learn magic.”
Her slender fist rapped him on the head.
The pain carried an unmistakable mixture of affection and resentment.
“Unlike you, I have no talent for magic. I appreciate the thought, but you should concentrate on allowing your own talent to bloom.”
“Honestly… How are you planning to make a living with a sword in this age?”
“I will create an age in which the sword is acknowledged once more.”
And he would restore the honor of the fallen House Galahad.
For now, he repeated that vow only within his heart.
“Anyway… Be careful during the examination. There have been some disturbing rumors about the snowy mountain where your examination is being held.”
“…Disturbing rumors?”
“Some hunters claim that shadows suddenly rose from the ground and attacked them. It sounds like nonsense, but one can never be too careful.”
The Demon King, who had wielded dark mana resembling shadows, briefly surfaced in Joshua’s mind.
‘Surely that bastard has not been reborn as well.’
It was nothing more than a baseless conjecture.
At least, for now.
Joshua cleared his thoughts, filled his stomach with a hearty meat soup, and left the house.
“Come back safely.”
“If you fail, you are dead. Understood?”
A faint smile appeared on Joshua’s face as his mother and younger sister saw him off.
He had lived with them for only a month, yet strangely enough, the two of them truly felt like family.
‘Even after being reborn… blood is still blood, I suppose.’
The morning was noticeably colder than the day before.
Nevertheless, the boys and girls taking the squire examination walked with vigorous steps. Each of them possessed the courage expected of a northern warrior.
‘…Have I come to the wrong place?’
However, House Galahad’s training hall had lost every trace of its former splendor.
The ivory statues modeled after the family’s past ancestors had all disappeared.
The golden greatsword that had once symbolized Galahad’s reputation as a prestigious house of swordsmanship was also nowhere to be seen.
‘The paths decorated with marble… the lights crafted by dwarves… the maxim engraved in gold… Where have they all gone?!’
Joshua walked along a dirt path mixed with snow and entered the dim building.
When he saw the bare walls, he could no longer suppress his anguish.
“What is wrong with him?”
“Who knows? Maybe he pissed his pants.”
Even the number of applicants staring strangely at him had fallen to one-tenth of what it had been in his previous life.
“Excuse me… Are you nervous too?”
A small boy suddenly tapped Joshua on the shoulder.
The boy’s pointed ears revealed that he was an elf.
“I’m shaking quite badly too. So let’s both do our best!”
“Y-Yes. Let us do so.”
Joshua answered before he could fully process what was happening.
Thanks to the boy, he managed to regain his composure and join the formation.
Joshua engraved the image of the boy’s outstretched hand into his memory.
One day, he would repay this kindness twofold.
‘That is chivalry.’
A short while later, a burly warrior emerged from among the children.
Joshua felt an immense sense of incongruity when the man drew a magical staff.
Why would someone with such an excellent physique refuse to wield a sword?
“It is a pleasure to meet you, fledglings. I am Yukail, Galahad’s Head of Training, and I will be overseeing this examination. You will address me as Instructor Yukail.”
“Yes, Instructor Yukail!”
Their determined shouts erupted in unison.
“You sound spirited. Good. I look forward to seeing how long that resolve lasts. Before I explain the examination, each of you must choose a weapon.”
A long wooden staff specialized in offensive magic—the Staff.
A short wooden staff specialized in defensive magic—the Wand.
A crystal orb specialized in healing magic—the Crystal.
And…
An iron sword.
Racks bearing countless weapons appeared on every side.
Choosing a weapon was itself part of Galahad’s examination.
After all, the quality of the equipment varied tremendously depending on its material and maker.
‘There are only a few swords, but the best among them is… that one.’
Joshua selected a sword made from high-quality steel. Its blade gleamed brightly, and its edge had been carefully sharpened.
He fastened it around his waist.
Just as he was about to return to the formation, someone else reached for a sword.