The Immortal Genius Spearman

However, his well-maintained physique and smooth skin still made him look like he was in his thirties.

Hainel Fremunt.

As the first Aura Master of the Baroque Kingdom, he was well over fifty years old.

Yet, thanks to consistent training and care, he remained active as a guardian of the Baroque Kingdom.

He looked at the letter that had arrived in front of him.

“Instructor Leonhark.”

Hainel smiled at the familiar name he hadn’t heard in a long time.

After all, Leonhark was like a mentor who had once taught him swordsmanship.

Even after awakening his aura, Hainel had never neglected his swordsmanship.

In fact, there was a time when he devoted himself even more to the basics, believing they were essential.

That’s when he formed a bond with Leonhark.

With Leonhark’s help, Hainel was able to master an even higher level of swordsmanship, which allowed him to maintain his status as the kingdom’s guardian to this day.

But…

“Damian of the Caion Unit.”

Hainel felt troubled as he read Leonhark’s request to meet this person.

Due to his position, meeting with someone often caused quite a stir, and he had tried to avoid such attention whenever possible.

But as Hainel pondered, his butler, standing nearby, spoke up.

“The Caion Unit… isn’t that the independent unit that recently crushed the Rose Knight Order?”

“The Rose Knight Order? You mean the Empire’s Rose Knight Order?”

Hainel’s eyes widened in surprise.

He had been so focused on training his newly awakened aura that he hadn’t kept up with the international situation.

The butler nodded in response to Hainel’s question.

“Yes, that’s right. The Rose Knight Order led by the Empire’s Aura Master, Piaren Tail. I heard that half of the order and even the deputy commander, Milo, were killed.”

“Hah…!”

Hainel had heard of Milo before.

Though he didn’t wield aura, Milo was known for his outstanding swordsmanship and mastery of mana control.

If he could serve as the deputy under someone as notorious as Piaren, his skills must have been exceptional.

“And an independent unit managed to take down Milo of the Rose Knight Order? What’s the size of the Caion Unit?”

“They’ve grown to 300 men now, but when they fought the Rose Knight Order, they were only a 100-man unit.”

“…”

For a moment, Hainel felt at a loss for words.

No matter how he thought about it, whether based on experience or skill, there was nothing that could possibly allow the Caion Unit to overwhelm the Rose Knight Order.

Yet somehow, they had achieved victory.

“…Hmm.”

Hainel suddenly found himself very curious about Damian, the captain of the Caion Unit.

However…

“Wouldn’t it cause a problem?”

“It could, if someone wanted to make it one,” the butler replied.

The butler, whose hair had long since turned white, had served in Hainel’s household since Hainel was a child.

Hainel sighed softly at his words.

“But, Sir Hainel,”

“…?”

“You needn’t worry too much about such things.”

Whether Hainel met with him or not, there would always be those looking to create problems.

“So why not meet this young talent who could very well carry the future of the kingdom on his shoulders?”

“…That’s true.”

Hainel smiled slightly at the butler’s words.

He was already a representative Aura Master of the kingdom. Why was he still being so cautious?

“Alright then, I’ll meet this promising youth who managed to destroy the Rose Knight Order.”

It had been a long time since Hainel had engaged in any public activities.

The butler, too, smiled warmly at the sight of his decision.

* * *

“Sergeant Damian, a reply has come from Hainel.”

“…!”

Damian’s eyes widened at Leonhark’s words.

He had honestly given up hope on this matter.

After all, why would the kingdom’s Aura Master agree to meet with someone who had only just been promoted to sergeant?

Leonhark smiled at Damian’s reaction.

“He has invited you to his residence. He has accepted.”

“Then…”

“With the unit busy with training for now, how about you take this opportunity and go quickly?”

“…Are you sure you’ll be alright on your own?”

The Caion Unit had expanded significantly in size.

Moreover, they had recently established two new special units, which had altered the training regime.

Leonhark would undoubtedly have a hard time managing the unit by himself.

But just then—

“We’re here too, so why are you so worried?”

“Don’t worry, Captain. Go ahead.”

Dianal and Kyle approached, looking half-dead from the intensified training, yet their eyes gleamed sharper than before.

And to add to that—

“No need to worry. Thanks to Lady Kiaren’s help, everything will be fine for a while.”

“Then… I’ll leave it to you. I seem to be leaving quite often.”

How long had it been since he had returned?

Leonhark shook his head.

“You’ve always done your best in your role. Don’t worry, go quickly.”

“Understood.”

With that, Damian took the invitation letter from Leonhark and began preparing for his departure.

The location written on the invitation.

He had naturally assumed it would be in the capital, but it was situated quite a distance west of the city.

Either way, it seemed like the journey would take some time.

As Damian mounted his horse, he thought of Hainel.

‘If it’s him… he might give me a good clue.’

And so, Damian left the unit.

There was a subtle urgency in his expression as he spurred his horse forward.

* * *

Sunlight streamed warmly through the towering trees, and birds chirped as they flew among the branches. It was a peaceful forest.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

As Damian entered the forest, he looked around.

“Is there really a mansion in a place like this…?”

Unlike the typical high-ranking nobles, this unusual location left Damian somewhat surprised.

But soon, the tranquility of the forest calmed his mind. Moreover…

‘This concentration of magic.’

Unlike other places, the density of magic here was noticeably thick, and Damian dismounted his horse, taking the reins in hand.

Meeting Hainel was important, but for now, Damian wanted to savor this sensation a bit longer.

Wooong.

The magic within his body pulsed pleasantly.

Just by breathing, he felt the movement of his magic improve.

Taking a deep breath, Damian walked further into the forest.

How far had he gone?

Eventually, he found himself surrounded by sparse trees, with lush greenery gently enveloping him.

Thud.

“Welcome. We’ve been expecting you.”

“…Who are you?”

“I’m Villipt, in service of Lord Hainel. You must be Damian, correct?”

“Yes.”

Villipt was impeccably dressed in a neat suit, and his posture was flawless.

With a friendly smile and a courteous tone, Damian bowed his head to him.

“I am Sergeant Damian of the Caion Unit. Thank you for welcoming me.”

“Please follow me. Lord Hainel is waiting.”

Villipt turned and began to walk.

Watching his perfectly straight back, Damian silently followed.

After walking for about ten minutes, the trees around them parted as if forming an entrance, revealing a large, open field covered with neatly trimmed grass.

And at its center stood a house.

It wasn’t large, but it was elegant, as if carefully designed, blending harmoniously with the surrounding forest.

“This is…”

“This is a villa where Lord Hainel often stays. He spends more time here than at his family’s estate,” Villipt explained with a gentle smile, leading Damian inside.

Creak.

The door opened with a soft, non-disruptive sound.

Inside, Damian saw a spacious living room with a hallway leading further into the house.

As Damian entered the mansion with Villipt, footsteps echoed from the hall, and a man appeared, looking at Damian.

Golden hair.

Streaked with bits of white, a sign of age.

But despite the gray hairs, his appearance suggested someone in their mid-to-late thirties.

“Are you Damian?”

The moment he spoke, Damian knew.

‘This man…’

The Aura Master of the Baroque Kingdom, Hainel Fremunt.

Even putting aside everything else, the magic imbued in his casual voice was unmistakable.

And most of all, the way his eyes looked at Damian…

‘…Heavy.’

It reminded Damian of a past moment when he had faced someone like this.

Clenching his fist unconsciously, Damian stood firm.

Hainel smiled faintly, then turned to Villipt and said, “Could you prepare some warm tea?”

“It’s already being prepared.”

Then, Hainel looked at Damian.

“It’s a modest place, but have a seat. I’ve heard some interesting things about you.”

“…About me, sir?”

“I heard you won a battle against the Rose Knight Order. Mind telling me how that happened?”

“Ah, if it’s about that…”

Damian sat across from Hainel and began explaining the situation from that time.

Why did they have to attack the Rose Knights?

Why the enemy split their forces in half to pursue them, and how intense the battle had been.

Damian continued without stopping, describing what was arguably the most memorable fight of his life.

“At that time, about ten Rose Knights had surrounded me.”

“Oh? And then?”

Hainel listened with great interest, occasionally making sounds of curiosity as Damian recounted the story.

When Damian told him how his men managed to defeat the knights, Hainel sighed deeply.

“Did you lose many men?”

“We lost nearly ten soldiers.”

“Whew… that’s truly heartbreaking.”

Some might say that losing only ten soldiers while killing fifty Rose Knights was an incredible victory.

But Hainel shared in Damian’s sorrow for those ten fallen men.

“With the help of my troops, we were able to secure victory in the end. Of course, all of them were severely wounded… but they’ve since fully recovered and are now able to endure even the toughest of training.”

Like a young boy, Hainel listened to Damian’s story with awe and admiration.

When Damian finished, Hainel nodded in understanding.

“That’s fortunate.”

He took a sip of the tea in front of him, then looked at Damian and asked.

“I heard from Instructor Leonhark that you wished to meet me.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Damian answered without hesitation.

Hainel, now serious, asked with sharp eyes.

“Tell me, why did you want to meet me?”

“Well…”

At Hainel’s question, Damian swallowed hard and began to explain the purpose of his visit.