[Vol. 8] Chapter 214: Rowan Nillin's Confusion
Bevis gave a slight smile and didn’t press further about those little details. Instead, he turned his head to look into the distance, toward the city market.
Seeing that the two powerful figures had stopped talking for now, Rowan Nillin, who had been carefully following behind them, finally let out a breath of relief. He then looked at the pink-haired little girl who was also silently following the priestess. Her role seemed similar to his, which made him feel a bit curious.
Back then, while running through that dark and eerie underground river, he had suddenly been swept up by a strong current and passed out without warning. When he woke up, he was already back on the surface. It was like everything had suddenly ended just as strangely as it began.
All that was left for Rowan was a terrifying crater, over a hundred meters deep and several kilometers wide, and a head full of unanswered questions.
He wanted to know what had really happened. But even after asking the other people who had suddenly appeared during the event, mysterious and differently dressed but clearly powerful, he only got vague answers. The most he could gather was that a monster hidden beneath the Chaos Magic Valley had tried to break free, but was stopped by a group of strong warriors working together.
That was all. Nothing clear.
It wasn’t that the others were trying to hide the truth from him. Rowan could tell that even most of the powerful people there only knew part of the story. The only ones who seemed to truly understand what had happened were the two young girls that everyone treated with great respect, said to have played the most important role in stopping the monster, and...
The swordsman he had met underground, who called himself Ashnard.
But Ashnard was just a fake name. Only then did Rowan realize that the man who seemed so young was actually the legendary strongest warrior of the Austre Empire, someone who had been famous for over a hundred years and had students all over the world. The true identity of the Swift Wind Sword Saint, Bevis Bernard!
Just thinking about how he had dared to act so casually around the Sword Saint, almost like they were brothers, made Rowan feel like he might faint again on the spot.
But what shocked him even more was that the Sword Saint didn’t get angry about his earlier behavior. Instead, he personally asked Rowan if he was willing to become his direct disciple.
At that moment, Rowan felt like he might still be dreaming.
As someone who grew up in the Austre Empire, raised on stories of the Sword Saint, Rowan knew exactly what it meant to be a direct disciple. Bevis had traveled the world for over a hundred years, and although he often disappeared without a trace, many people had received occasional training from him. After so many years, the total number might reach hundreds or even thousands.
But as for true direct disciples, there were only six in total.
The Sword Saint’s six personal disciples were all elite swordsmen, every single one of them a master of martial arts and considered legendary warriors in their own right. A few years ago, the second disciple had been invited to the Frederick Royal Academy to give a swordsmanship demonstration. The entire academy had been stirred into a frenzy. Rowan could still clearly remember that grand event.
Back then, Rowan saw her from far away as she spoke from the stage. She was a graceful, elegant woman who made even the proudest academy leaders bow respectfully. She didn’t seem like a fighter at all, more like a refined noble lady from a powerful family.
To Rowan, that was what someone from the true upper world must look like.
From that day on, the title “Sword Saint’s Disciple” became a symbol of absolute nobility in Rowan’s mind. So now, being told out of nowhere that he might have the chance to become one of them, how could he not feel completely shocked?
To be honest, Rowan didn’t really understand what the Sword Saint saw in him. After all, he wasn’t trained in swordsmanship, had zero talent for magic, and even when it came to martial arts, his physical abilities were far below average. That was the whole reason why Rowan chose to study academics in the Austre Empire, a country that deeply valued martial strength.
And back then in the underground cave, the Sword Saint himself had clearly said things like, “Your natural talent isn’t great, and you’ve already passed the best age to start martial training.” So why did he still want to take Rowan as his disciple, and not just any disciple, but a personal disciple?
Rowan didn’t keep this question to himself. He asked it directly. Starting from scratch with swordsmanship would basically mean giving up everything he had worked for until now. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but also a very serious decision.
This was a major turning point in his life. Even when facing someone as powerful as the Sword Saint, Rowan still wanted to understand what was really going on. There’s no such thing as a free lunch from the sky, that was something Rowan never dared to forget.
But the Sword Saint didn’t really answer. He only gave him three words, “A fated chance.” Then told Rowan to think it over, and never brought it up again.
Later, Bevis found a quiet spot in the valley, dug a small pit, and buried the old, tattered clothes Rowan had seen earlier in the underground cave. He built a simple memorial there and placed a stone with the words, “Grave of Ashnard Bernard” He chased everyone else away and spent the entire night sitting there alone.
That same night, Rowan also couldn’t sleep at all.
The next day, he went to the Sword Saint again and said he was willing to become his student, but with one condition.
He felt that becoming a personal disciple was too sudden. He wasn’t ready, and didn’t think he deserved it yet.
So Rowan asked to be taken in just as a registered disciple for now, allowed to follow Bevis and learn by his side. He said when the day came that he could truly live up to the title of “Sword Saint’s disciple,” it wouldn’t be too late to make it official.
When he said that, the Sword Saint smiled.
He agreed to Rowan’s request. And from that day on, Rowan began learning the sword for the first time in his life, training under Bevis and receiving a sword from him, officially becoming his sword-carrying apprentice.
After that, Rowan didn’t know what was discussed between the important people involved, but soon after, they all left the now-peaceful Chaos Magic Valley together and headed toward Saint Laos City.
That being said...
Noticing the gaze from the sword-carrying young man behind her, the pink-haired little girl, who was walking a few steps behind the two powerful figures, turned her head. Her pure, violet eyes, filled with a soft, mysterious glow, looked straight at him with a curious expression.
“Big brother, do you have something you want to say to Eudora?”
Rowan was a little surprised, then nodded.
This girl... is really sharp.
No wonder she was allowed to serve and study under someone like Miss Violet. There was definitely a reason for it.
While thinking this, Rowan reminded himself to stay respectful. Now that he was a student of the Sword Saint, he had to carry himself properly. He wasn’t sure what race this girl was from, but just from her unusual hair and eye color, it was clear she wasn’t human, and she definitely wasn’t as young as she looked on the outside.
So when he spoke, he treated her as an equal, or even as a senior.
“Sorry for the sudden question, Miss Eudora. I do have something I’d like to ask you. Would now be a good time?”
“?”