Chapter 234: 234 Then I have no problem.
Investigating Reiger’s past, or rather, the past of the original owner of the body, was not a difficult matter for the royal family.
So, Reiger wasn’t surprised by King Hemulinp’s words.
"The past is the past, now is now," he simply said, "I no longer see becoming a noble as the goal of my life."
"Is that so?" King Hemulinp nodded in understanding, yet he said, "If you are worried that the status of a noble would become a restraint for you, then you can rest assured, there are nobles who do not hold office in the kingdom."
As expected, Yuri had guessed the king’s approach correctly.
If Reiger insisted on refusing nobility, then the king would compromise by granting him the status of an honorary noble, tying Reiger to the Kingdom of Ginas in name only, without holding office within the kingdom.
Out of the four types of nobility, only the honorary nobles do not have specific roles.
Since King Hemulinp had brought up the matter, it was natural that he planned to make Reiger an honorary noble.
However...
"I’ve said it, I have no interest whatsoever in becoming a noble," Reiger replied with a smile, his tone as calm as still water, "I’m afraid I must disappoint Your Majesty. I truly am sorry."
King Hemulinp’s brows finally furrowed.
The others present also regarded Reiger with strange looks; some were scrutinizing, others were filled with mockery, and there were those who were blatantly hostile, a clear demonstration of life’s diverse attitudes.
"Won’t you reconsider?" King Hemulinp asked, still frowning, "I understand your thoughts, but you have to know that with your current abilities and reputation, once you really travel the continent, those from foreign lands will surely target you."
"The struggle between nations is very complex. If they can lure such a unique talent away from this country, weakening this nation’s power while bolstering their own, those foreigners would not hesitate to use some drastic measures."
"In that case, the predicament you’ll face will be much more dangerous than you can imagine."
King Hemulinp’s words were not an exaggeration.
Just as the Kingdom of Ginas wanted to firmly bind Reiger to the country with a noble title, surely others from abroad would want to lure him away.
Just by being a Tactical Level Magician, Reiger was already valuable enough for people from other countries to devise plans against him, not to mention that he was also an experienced Swordsman, which would definitely attract the attention of foreign elites even more.
If things turned out that way, even if the Kingdom of Ginas did nothing to Reiger, other countries would act.
"You’re still young; there’s no need to be in such a hurry to do what you want," King Hemulinp said in a soothing tone, "traveling the continent now would certainly be dangerous. Why not stay in the country for now, develop slowly, and when in the future you have enough power to intimidate other nations, then it won’t be too late to travel."
It had to be said that although King Hemulinp was trying so hard to persuade Reiger to stay for the sake of retaining his talent, most of what he said was valid.
If Reiger traveled without sufficient strength, being targeted by people from other countries was indeed a high probability, essentially a gift to them.
Only when he is strong enough to handle any malice from the outside can Reiger travel as he wishes.
Otherwise, why is it that out of the vast Kingdom of Ginas, there is only one Sword Saint who is able to travel freely across the continent as an honorary noble, unfettered?
Because he is a Sword Saint, the Kingdom of Ginas does not dare to casually bother him with trivial tasks, and foreign lands do not dare to lay hands on him, risking being killed in retaliation.
"At the age of 17, you are already an experienced Swordsman, and I believe that in a few decades, your name will surely be among the Sword Saints of the Akasha Continent," said King Hemulinp.
"Let’s do this: I promise that when there’s no need, you may travel freely within the borders of the kingdom. As long as you don’t step out of the country, you can go anywhere you like without any troublesome matters being assigned to you, until you become a Sword Saint. How about that?"
By saying this, King Hemulinp was showing a considerable amount of sincerity.
With his promise, Reiger would likely be even more free than the average honorary noble, less constrained.
Honestly, King Hemulinp’s willingness to make such a promise was already the best outcome in Yuri’s view.
If that were the case, then perhaps Reiger wouldn’t mind playing the role of a noble?
Unfortunately, both Yuri and King Hemulinp misunderstood Reiger.
From the moment King Hemulinp sought to tie Reiger to the ship that was the Kingdom of Ginas, it was destined that Reiger would not accept the offer.
He was already free, going wherever he wished; why should he need anyone’s permission?
If he ever chose to join a foreign nation, that would be his choice, not like this, being tied to the ship of the Kingdom of Ginas.
Even nominal allegiance was not acceptable.
Because it meant that, should the Kingdom of Ginas truly be in trouble, he would, no matter what, have to obey the kingdom’s orders and fight for this country.
And that was exactly what Reiger did not want.
If he were to fight for this country, it would not be in the form of an order.
He had no sense of belonging to this country, and the only thing that made him want to stay was Yuri, the only place he felt an attachment to was the Franzel household where Yuri lived.
He wasn’t opposed to joining a power, otherwise he wouldn’t have joined the Loki Familia for a divine blessing, nor would he have joined the Demon Slayer Corps just because it suited him.
If he felt a sense of belonging like with the Loki Familia, wouldn’t he still help them even if he didn’t belong to that Familia?
If treated with sincerity like Ubuyashiki Kagaya and Rengoku Kyoujurou, Reiger would even help fulfill a millennium-long wish without any reason, to slay Kibutsuji Muzan, who had no grudges against him.
In comparison, what about the Kingdom of Ginas?
Beyond Yuri, all Reiger could see in this country were power struggles based on various interests.
There were struggles among the nobles.
There were struggles between the royal family and the dukes.
Even the small group from the Spuiler Academy that the original owner was part of was just a clique formed on some interest, some reason.
Only Yuri, from beginning to end, had treated him with sincerity, considering him a friend, unlike the royal family, unlike the nobles, and unlike those with ulterior motives who saw him as a talent to be utilized, even as a force to be exploited.
King Hemulinp seemed to go to great lengths to endorse Reiger, making him accept the nobility arranged by the kingdom, tying Reiger to this nation, or even subsequently drawing him to support the royal family and the royalist faction.
But Reiger felt repulsion and resistance toward these things.
Therefore, Reiger slowly began to speak.
"Until I become a Sword Saint... right?"
Reiger’s voice rose slowly, spreading throughout the entire royal chamber.
"If that’s the case, then I have no problem," he said.
For a time, those words left everyone present with puzzled expressions.
They didn’t understand what Reiger meant by "no problem."
Only King Hemulinp’s eyes suddenly became focused.
"Reiger?"
Yuri, too, hadn’t expected Reiger to say such a thing and looked at him in surprise.
But Reiger didn’t seem intent on explaining anything, just looking at King Hemulinp with such a calm gaze that even the king fell into an unspeakable silence.
"Your Majesty?"
The civil servants by the king’s side seemed confused by King Hemulinp’s reaction, and seeing him fall into silence, they called out in turn.
King Hemulinp paid them no heed.
He just watched Reiger, eyes flickering, as if a thousand thoughts raced through his mind.
Suddenly, the entire royal chamber fell into a mysterious silence, leading many to exchange glances.
After a long while, King Hemulinp then spoke.
"Come to think of it, I have yet to see you in action," said King Hemulinp suddenly. "I wonder if you could satisfy my curiosity and let me see your swordsmanship?"
This abrupt request from King Hemulinp stunned many.
Even Yuri felt the same way.
Only Reiger understood the deeper meaning behind King Hemulinp’s intentions.
"How do you plan to witness it, Your Majesty?" Reiger asked, his tone indifferent.
King Hemulinp didn’t answer immediately but instead turned to the side.
"Albert."
He called out a name.
"Present."
One of the individuals in the crowd immediately responded.
It was a young man standing in the knights’ formation, particularly at the forefront.
The young man wore a long-hemmed knightly uniform, pure white throughout, giving off a sense of integrity and brightness, which made the young man seem like the most honorable knight, one to instantly inspire trust.
"Albert Borlay here, at your command, Your Majesty," said the youth, kneeling on one knee before the throne, his voice resonant, his demeanor solemn, displaying an impeccable knight’s bearing.
"Albert," King Hemulinp smiled as if looking at a most satisfactory loyal subject. "How would you feel about a match with Sir Brilliant? What do you think?"
"Yes," Albert replied without hesitation. "If this is Your Majesty’s will, I am more than happy to oblige."
The young knight’s response was very straightforward, with no hesitation.
But the others present were taken aback.
"To have Sir Albert take action?"
"What’s gotten into His Majesty?"
"This..."
The crowd could no longer contain their murmuring.
Even Yuri’s expression showed a fleeting change, her eyes revealing a touch of solemnity, surprise, and worry.
Reiger took in everyone’s reaction, then finally turned to the young knight.
On closer observation, Reiger realized that this knight was extraordinary.
Through his insight into the world, Reiger could see that the knight’s muscles were incredibly firm, his physique mighty, and he was imbued with notable magic power, a sensation that every organ in his body was filled with strength.
This man was far from ordinary.
"Sir Brilliant," King Hemulinp asked Reiger, "what is your opinion on this?"
Upon hearing this, Reiger suddenly smiled.
"It’s possible," he said.
The situation seemed to have taken an interesting turn.