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Reida frowned, looking at Allen for a long moment. Her hoarse, low, distinctly characteristic voice then slowly sounded.
"...Gain... fame? In the Free Zone, aren't you a nobody?"
"No."
"Then is your current fame not enough?"
"Not enough."
Reida narrowed her eyes, observing Allen.
"Two years away from the royal capital, you... you're different from before."
"Oh?"
"Before, your heart was always singularly focused on swordsmanship. Now, you care about more things."
She raised her teacup.
"And they're muddled."
These words, clearly not a compliment, didn't change Allen's expression. He simply smiled, looking at Reida.
The latter took a sip of tea but didn't lower her teacup, slowly rotating it in her hand.
With lowered eyelids, she gazed at the exquisite patterns on the cup's wall.
"From an Intermediate Sword God Style Sword King to King-level now, such rapid progress. Besides extraordinary talent, I imagine that burning desire must also be strong enough."
"Desire... for fame?"
"No, it's not just fame."
She stopped her hand movements.
"Boreas?"
Allen was silent for an instant, then slowly nodded, "Partially."
Steaming white mist wafted from the mouth of the teacup, overflowing its rim.
Contacting a new world entirely different from the one within the cup.
Rising between their faces... rising...
Finally losing its heat, it dissipated into the ubiquitous air.
Reida shifted her gaze from the mist to Allen. She sat up straight, looking at him very seriously.
"Do not concern yourself with Boreas, nor consider the wishes of your predecessors, or any family honor. Allen, since you have returned to the Water God Style Main Dojo, the main dojo will naturally provide you shelter from the storm."
"Just focus your mind on the sword in your hand, as you did before."
"The rest, don't think about it, don't mind it."
"Sinos, Lilfa, and this old woman's 'old path'."
"There's no point."
Allen also sat up straight, simply looking at Reida.
Giving no response.
A silent gaze.
One second.
Two seconds.
Ten seconds.
"Eh..."
Reida sighed, and with a thud, placed the teacup on the table.
"Still as sharp as ever; what you want to do, you do, never backing down."
"Fine, have it your way."
"However, if in the future you grow weary of these worldly affairs, remember, the doors of the Water God Style Main Dojo are always open for you."
Allen bowed in a standard disciple's salute.
Then both of them relaxed. Allen picked up the teapot, refilling Reida's cup.
The latter pondered for a moment, then continued to speak.
"Boreas... at this critical juncture... seeking fame... that must be related to the succession struggle. With your current reputation at the Water God Style Main Dojo, it's indeed not enough. It's all useless things like the popular support that the Second Princess holds."
Allen almost laughed. Sure enough, Ariel was completely disregarded by the important figures in the royal capital.
Reida flicked her sleeve. "You just landed and came here?"
"I was meant to come here."
The wrinkles at the corners of Reida's eyes held a smile, though her expression showed some helplessness at Allen's eloquent manner.
She shook her head.
"Given the current situation in the royal capital, you don't have many paths to choose from. It's essentially two."
"Pledge allegiance to a candidate for the succession, and participate in the struggle. Or, leverage the Water God Style Dojo's advantage and enter Dawn."
"The former path, the First Prince is the most suitable, but your nominal father, aren't you already at odds with him? I imagine you wouldn't want to be suppressed by him, and choosing this path for Boreas would inevitably be like putting all your eggs in one basket."
"Since you came directly to the Water God Style Main Dojo to speak with me, it proves you've chosen the 'Dawn' path."
"That old man Sinos, though always solemn-faced, doesn't actually harbor ill will towards you. This is indeed the most suitable path for you, and it has far fewer uncontrollable elements compared to directly participating in the succession struggle."
"Five years. With your abilities, that's enough time for you to make your mark in 'Dawn' and for your reputation to naturally emerge. And by then, you'll be in your prime, at your most stable in all aspects."
Allen felt helpless, chuckling inwardly. He had already stated his purpose wasn't Darius this time, yet Reida still latched onto the word 'this time,' guiding the conversation towards Dawn.
This was also the path Reida had initially arranged for Allen.
Dawn was a good place to gain power, but it was also a shackles.
If he truly went, it would naturally resolve any conflict of interest with Darius, and he, for the sake of Dawn's iron rice bowl, wouldn't do anything to Darius.
It was the first time he'd seen Reida ramble on for so long.
All just to lay the groundwork for such a simple outcome.
Darius, that guy, truly had good luck.
His thoughts flashed, and Allen immediately spoke.
"Not fast enough. I don't have much time."
"Hmm?" Reida actually froze, raising an eyebrow to scrutinize Allen. But then she thought of Isolte, and a distinct hint of teasing appeared in her eyes.
She had misunderstood.
"True, five years is too long. I'll vouch for you, and we'll work in conjunction. Three years should be enough."
Allen put down the teapot, looking directly at Reida.
"Not fast enough."
"...How fast do you want?"
"Ten days."
Silence filled the pavilion for an instant.
Reida looked at Allen's face with the gaze reserved for a Sword God Style swordsman.
The latter remained unfazed.
"Time does not wait for me; I seize every moment."
Allen's gaze was very serious and sincere. Reida quickly confirmed that this good disciple wasn't suffering from brain damage from practicing the Sword God Style. The surprise in her eyes slowly surfaced.
Then, suddenly realizing something, she spoke a little faster.
"You've fully mastered Sense Flow?"
"Yes."
"Thought Flow?"
"Same."
Reida narrowed her eyes, looking at Allen's expression. After a moment, the wrinkles on her face gradually smoothed out, and she smiled with a hint of relief.
Although Allen had chosen a path similar to hers.
He was far more mature than she had imagined.
And more ambitious.
"Heh, I thought you had only focused entirely on the Sword God Style these past two years, barely touching the threshold of a Water King. But now, it seems you haven't forgotten the fundamentals."
"Amazing sword heart, terrifying talent."
"Since you have fully mastered Sense Flow and Thought Flow, you naturally possess the strength of a Water King and are qualified to enter Dawn."
"Ten days to gain fame, from illusory to real. I see."
"A good idea, but you overestimate this old woman's influence over 'Dawn'."
"You cannot gain fame through Dawn. Dawn's selection process is conducted behind the scenes. Not many people witness this process, so gaining fame is out of the question."
Allen chuckled.
"I understand. That day, when Senior Brother Zill had his Water King-level commendation ceremony at six years old, you kept him behind for a private 'conversation.' The next day, I didn't see him in the dojo, and he seemed to have vanished into thin air."
"It wasn't until a chance encounter that I happened to see him on the road. And at that time, he was already clad in silver armor, dealing with an incident of a foreign North God Style King-level practitioner infiltrating the royal palace to steal."
He looked at Reida. "From this, I deduce that on the night of the commendation ceremony, Senior Brother Zill was already in this Water God Style Dojo, and under the witness of a very few people, was promoted into 'Dawn.' I assume, after the commendation ceremony and after the apprentices had dispersed, the 'Dawn' promotion selection was completed?"
Reida nodded.
"Empty. No nobles present. This is the King's 'Dawn,' naturally, it doesn't require noble participation, and there's no opportunity to gain fame."
"Try a different approach, Allen. I don't know why you're in such a hurry. But, joining Dawn and following the established procedure might not be a bad thing."
Allen smiled.
"No need for a different approach."
"If there are no nobles present, then make nobles present."
"If no one witnesses it, then make people witness it."
"If the influence isn't enough..."
"Then make it enough."
Reida frowned, looking at Allen for a long moment. "You wish to complete Dawn's selection amidst the throngs of people at the commendation banquet?"
Allen nodded.
Reida shook her head.
She seemed a little helpless with Allen, but her words were quite patient.
"The commendation banquet is held solely within the Water God Style Dojo itself. Gaining repeated fame among apprentices is useless; it's no different from what you already have. That's one."
"Lilfa will not complete the promotion selection early, before the commendation banquet ends. This is Dawn's selection, not a performance of watching monsters play tricks in an arena. That's two."
Allen also displayed a level of patience exceeding what he showed others, explaining very carefully, lest Reida think him reckless and interfere with his plan.
He extended his index finger, dipped it in tea, and tapped it on the table.
"One. We can invite nobles and officials, just like at my seventh birthday banquet. And if we do it, we do it thoroughly, with a bigger, more influential display than last time. I understand that from your position, considering the King's and Dawn's various stances, it's not convenient for you to openly arrange this yourself."
"But it doesn't matter; I've already prepared the chess pieces."
His index finger moved, and a name was swiftly written—The Second Princess.
Under Reida's surprised gaze, he pointed his thumb towards the door.
"Princess Ariel is right outside. I had originally intended to go for the Second Prince, but I happened to encounter Her Highness the Second Princess on the way. In Flowing Falls City, she was assassinated by the First Prince, and James also attempted to assassinate me, which led to us having some interaction."
"I took the opportunity to plan things out, and I've been manipulating her all the way here. Now, she's precisely at the stage where she most desperately wants me. She lacks certain things, and I happen to possess them. I'm sure she'll be very willing to 'help' me be the 'mouthpiece' for expanding the influence of this banquet."
Allen paused for an instant, seeing Reida silently gaze at the 'words' he had written on the table, not refuting him.
Because the first point still had room for maneuver.
But for now, the second point was unnegotiable.
She was waiting for Allen to explain the second point.
"Two."
Allen moved his index finger, and four words were swiftly written across the tabletop.
The 'pen' lifted!
Reida suddenly looked up, staring intently at Allen. Her previously calm demeanor vanished, and her aged face now held a terrifying oppressiveness.
Before them.
On the tea table, the water was steaming hot.
—'Sword Sanctuary.'
So strikingly clear.
Allen met Reida's gaze, as if trying to see his master's long-held ambition lurking in her heart. If there were two things that could influence this Water God, an apostle of Human God in the original story.
The first was undoubtedly Darius's safety. If not for Darius, Reida would have died long ago.
This was a repayment of kindness.
Thus, Allen immediately avoided this potential conflict, preventing Human God from disrupting his plan.
The second was the responsibility of successive Water Gods—to reclaim the Sword Sanctuary.
This was glory.
Allen started with the second point.
His voice held a clear smile.
[Persuasion]
"The Sword Sanctuary has been taken from the Water God Style for far too long."
"This shouldn't be."
"Nor does it make sense."
"The humiliation of a hundred years ago still lingers, and the fact of being trapped in Asura like a cage has disgraced the Water God Style."
"Revenge for that humiliation should come in this generation."
"I think... the Sword Sanctuary..."
"It's time it returned to the hands of our Water God Style."
"I'm sure Martial Uncle Sinos would also be delighted to see this, after all, that's the fundamental reason why he's so close to you, and it's also a lingering obsession that he, an old man, wished to fulfill but couldn't, isn't it?"
"In that case, on the day of the commendation banquet, because the banquet is delayed, but Martial Uncle Sinos still arrives at the originally scheduled time..."
"He will walk right into the commendation banquet, and at your invitation, under the witness of all the nobles present, he will grant me the 'Dawn' entry ticket in advance. That's very reasonable too, isn't it?"
"And I, this Dawn promotion selection, will spread my name throughout the entire upper echelon of the royal capital, making everyone know my name."
"It's just a trifling matter on the side."
Allen smiled brilliantly.
"Isn't that right?"
Reida stared deeply at Allen.
It was a long, long gaze.
As if trying to discern how Allen, in just two short years, had transformed from the boy who only knew how to wield the sword in his hand.
Into the politician who planned ten steps ahead.
But she found nothing.
Because this 'politician' had never ceased his progress on the path of swordsmanship.
And his current actions, fundamentally, all the prerequisites, the cornerstone of his actions.
They still rested on two words.
Strength.
Her somewhat drooping eyelids lowered, looking at the four words, 'Sword Sanctuary,' on the table.
Unconsciously, she didn't know when.
Her hand had already covered those four words.
It was a gesture of an empty grasp.
This was the 'future' she had long wanted to grasp.
After a long moment.
Reida finally spoke.
"The overall strength of disciples carries more weight in the assessment. Disciples duel. If they succeed, the Sword Sanctuary can once again be held in our hands. Are you sure you're saying what this old woman wants to hear?"
"Yes, I'm very sure."
"Do you know the dueling rules?"
Allen pointed to the bookshelf behind Reida.
"I know. The Water God Style texts detail the century-old dueling conditions: one below Saint rank, one Saint rank, one King rank. Each side sends out three people. If one side wins all three matches, it proves that side's disciples are overall stronger than the other."
Reida narrowed her eyes. "Currently, Isolte counts as a Saint rank; I have confidence in her. You count as a King rank. What about those below Saint rank? The 'Junior Dojo'? Alts? Fols? Curry? Or Farts? Do you have confidence in them?"
"I've seen the standard of the Sword Sanctuary disciples. They still don't measure up."
Allen narrowed his eyes, smiling very gently.
He even looked a little like Isolte.
"I have better candidates."
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