Chapter 5

I Became a Newbie Affectionate to the Transcendents Episode 5

Savior of the Empire.

The female knight who posted the 'Ernia Empire Swordsmanship' tip article in the gallery.

She suddenly approached me with a business request.

The timing is also strange.

Of all times, right after I uploaded a verification post using swordsmanship to the gallery?

"Shall I agree for now?"

I became curious about what exactly their intention was in approaching it.

Besides, thanks to Ernia's swordsmanship, I was able to get insane grades in the tutorial.

In a way, the Savior of the Empire is my benefactor.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to take this opportunity to express my gratitude.

Accepting the transaction request.

When I agreed to the transaction, a hologram in the form of a chat window appeared.

-Savior of the Empire) Nice to meet you.

-Me) Yes, hello.

-Savior of the Empire) I saw the verification post you just uploaded to the 'Gallery'. It was truly perfect. I couldn't help but marvel at it.

-Me) Haha; No problem. You're giving me too much credit.

-Savior of the Empire) It is not an exaggeration. I am not the type to speak insincerely. Especially when it comes to swordsmanship. If you are a warrior, it is not a good habit to belittle yourself.

What's with the tone?

It just exudes strictness, solemnity, and seriousness.

Come to think of it, just looking at the GIF in the tip post, he did give off a rather stubborn impression.

The face value didn't look much different from mine, though.

-Me) Ah, yeah. Anyway, thanks to you, I learned a super cool swordsmanship technique. Thanks haha.

-Savior of the Empire) It is actually I who wish to express my gratitude. Thanks to you, I have seen hope.

"hope?"

What are you talking about?

-Me) Thanks to me?

-Savior of the Empire) Hmm... I would like to explain in detail, but unfortunately, I don't have much time. We can only talk for five minutes through this transaction.

-Me) Huh? Why?

-Savior of the Empire) This is a measure taken by the 'Administrator' to prevent excessive socializing. Let's put an end to the trivial chatter here and get straight to the point.

Hmm, it looks like they are wary of socializing here too.

Well, since a gallery isn't a social media platform, that's perfectly understandable.

What the Savior of the Empire said is bothering me a little, but it probably isn't important.

There will be opportunities to get to know each other gradually.

-Savior of the Empire) The reason I spoke to you is that there is one thing I would like to give you.

-me) ??

-Savior of the Empire) Your swordsmanship was perfect. Since all swordsmanship in the world extends from the first form, you would surely be able to master the remaining techniques without difficulty. However, there was something more important than swordsmanship that you had not yet learned.

-Me) What is that?

-Savior of the Empire) It is precisely a mental technique. The so-called Ernia-style mana cultivation method. No post discussing this has been uploaded to the gallery yet.

A mental technique, huh? I saw it in a webtoon.

It was roughly a training method of building internal energy by controlling qi through special breathing techniques, I'm sure.

But that is strictly a story within a comic book.

Mind method… isn’t that just like meditation?

- Me) Is there anything that would help me if I learn the mental technique?

-Savior of the Empire) ??? You are talking nonsense, my lord. Do not make such jokes again. It makes you look undignified.

I almost said -na) lol

“…….”

The atmosphere is such that if you say even one wrong word, you’ll be treated like an idiot.

Let's pretend it's a joke.

-Savior of the Empire) If you learn the Ernia-style Mana cultivation method, your skills can leap to an even higher level. Not only will the power of your swordsmanship itself increase, but the rate of Mana loss will also decrease. Furthermore, your inner vision will expand, allowing you to maintain composure at any moment and burn away impurities accumulated throughout your body.

-Me) Ooh

-Savior of the Empire) That is merely a simple explanation; in reality, it is a cultivation method so noble and profound that it cannot be fully conveyed in just a few words. I promise you will never regret learning it.

It certainly looks like it has many advantages at first glance.

However, if there is one thing that feels a bit off, it is why the Savior of the Empire is being so nice to me.

Judging by the nuance, it seems that the 'Ernia-style Mana Cultivation Method' is not a mental technique taught to just anyone.

But you're saying you'll let me learn it just because I posted a verification post?

I wonder if I'll get into trouble later if I just jump at the chance.

While I was mulling over this and that, a notification appeared in the chat window.

['Savior of the Empire' registered 'Soul Stone'.]

"huh?"

Soul Stones? What is this again?

You said you would teach me mental techniques, so why are you giving me this out of the blue?

-Me) What is this?

-Savior of the Empire) This is a fragment of consciousness containing my enlightenment. If you grasp this and shatter it, you will be able to inherit knowledge regarding the 'Ernia-style Mana Cultivation Method'.

-Me) Aha. So it's like a memory chip.

-Savior of the Empire) What is a memory chip?

-Me) Um... anyway, I have something similar. But would it be okay if I took something this good for free?

-Savior of the Empire) Hmm. It seems you are misunderstanding something. I said I would just give it to you, but strictly speaking, according to the system, it isn't free.

-me) ?

-Savior of the Empire) Since this is a 'transaction,' you must register something worth exchanging, even if it is not to the same extent.

Damn, come to think of it, you're right.

Since it is a transaction, there basically has to be an exchange.

Why was I taking it for granted that it was free?

-Savior of the Empire) I'm sorry. I'd love to just give it to you, but unfortunately, due to the system, I can only give a certain amount of GP through sponsorship.

Me) I guess it can't be helped, haha; since I already received help, I actually felt a bit uncomfortable accepting it for free. But I don't really have anything to give you right now, so what should I do...

-Savior of the Empire) It doesn't have to be anything grand. That said, giving just anything wouldn't work either. As long as it is roughly an item we need, the system will take care of the decision on whether it works.

-Me) What do you need?

After a brief silence, as if deep in thought, a reply came.

-Savior of the Empire) I am a knight. I wish for something that could breathe vitality into my body, weary from honing my martial skills.

-Me) ;; Just a moment. Let me think if there is something.

This is awkward. What should I give?

"Something that will breathe vitality into my weary body..."

I looked around, and suddenly my gaze fell on one spot.

It is the 'luxury potion bottle' that I obtained just now as a tutorial reward.

'… … at least this?'

I originally planned to sell it to get some pocket money, but I guess I have no choice.

It is much more advantageous to acquire a useful mental technique rather than pocket money.

I have nothing else to give you besides this anyway.

[Registering 'Luxury Potion Bottle'.]

-Savior of the Empire) Hoho. Is it a potion? It will be more than enough to quench my thirst.

-Na) Give it a try

-Savior of the Empire) This should suffice. Then, let us conclude the transaction. I hope you continue to strive diligently in the future.

Whoosh!

The trading window flashed,

[Trade 'Luxury Potion Bottle' for 'Soul Stone'.]

Thump-!

A diamond-shaped blue stone fell.

As I aligned my gaze to verify the item, an information window appeared.

=====

Soul Stone

A stone containing someone's knowledge.

- Upon destruction, inherit knowledge regarding the 'Ernia-style Mana Cultivation Method'.

=====

Good. The item is fine.

Anyway, looking at it again, I don't know if I should say it's fascinating or convenient.

To think that one could capture their knowledge in a stone like this and convey it to others—how on earth did they do it?

As expected, 'Pantheon' seems to be an unknown world, even more so than I imagined.

Let's get started right away—.

Just as I was about to crush the stone as the Savior of the Empire had instructed.

Ding!

Ding!

Ding!

“Fuck, I was startled.”

… … Suddenly, a massive amount of system messages began to fill the view ahead.

* * *

On a hill full of fully bloomed wildflowers.

A woman dressed in flowing cloth sat demurely, clutching a sword.

The woman's name is Daphne von Caine.

In the Pantheon, he is active under the alias 'Savior of the Empire'.

“…….”

Daphne gazed with wide, silent eyes at a golden fortress majestically built beyond the hill.

That thing, which seems overwhelming just by looking at it, like a symbol of prosperity.

Pantheon No. 32 Realm of Manifestation.

Empire, 'Ernia'.

That is the official name of the area where Daphne is currently located.

It was Daphne's old hometown.

It was the name of a fallen homeland that had now vanished into history.

“…….”

closely-

Daphne tightened her grip slightly on the arms holding the sword.

The fortress she is looking at now still retains the grandeur of the Empire's most glorious days, but.

It is nothing more than a replica reproduced by the Pantheon.

What did the true Ernia Empire look like the last time Daphne saw it before ascending to the Pantheon?

Collapsed.

Burning.

Death was everywhere.

"-"D-Commander... please, forgive me for leaving first..."

"I am truly sorry that I was unable to fulfill my duty as a guardian of the Empire..."

The last words of my subordinates and their blood-stained hands still occasionally flicker before my eyes.

Daphne still cannot forget the waves of demons that swarmed in to ravage the empire, leaving her no time to mourn the deaths of those who trusted and followed her.

I fought to the end.

Even in the midst of the despair of the Knights' downfall and His Imperial Majesty's passing, he beheaded the demons to the very end.

Because that was her mission.

In the end, Daphne was able to ascend to the Pantheon for her merit in upholding chivalry by never laying down her sword until the very end.

The afterlife that only transcendent beings whose karma in life has been recognized can ascend to.

A truly glorious position that only the chosen can enjoy.

But what meaning would all of that have?

Daphne is the only person from the Ernia Empire that the Pantheon has accepted.

None of the knights who spent their entire lives together were able to climb up here.

Why is that?

They, too, dedicated themselves to their homeland just as much as I did.

If I am qualified to join the Pantheon, shouldn't they be given the same qualifications?

“…….”

I was lonely.

At the fact that he was the only one who remembered the final appearance of the empire.

But even that won't last forever.

My memory is getting hazy.

Daphne frowned and rubbed her forehead.

It has already been 10 years since ascending to the Pantheon.

At some point, I could not clearly remember the scenery of Ernia.

It's as if there is a fog in my head.

It's a cruel story.

To think that even though I spent my entire life with the Empire, those memories are fading.

'… … Isn't that too cruel?'

It is not simply a phenomenon caused by the passage of time.

No matter how much time passes, one cannot forget the scenery of the world in which one spent one's life.

However, here at the Pantheon, that obvious common sense did not apply.

'Why on earth does such a curse exist?'

The curse of oblivion.

It is a curse that everyone residing in the Pantheon experiences without exception.

As the name 'Oblivion' suggests, the longer you spend in the Pantheon, the more things you forget.

For example, memories from one's lifetime.

Memories enjoyed when I was alive, the world I lived in, the faces and names of the precious people I was with… … .

Such things gradually fade from memory, just as a rock is slowly eroded away by rainwater.

Naturally, Daphne could not be free from that curse either.

'Thunder Knights... ...not even the memories of laughing and chatting with you remain in me now.'

For Daphne, who had lived as an orphan after losing her parents to a plague at a young age, her fellow knights were her only family.

I spent the entirety of the Empire's Golden Age and Dark Age together with them, laughing, crying, and chatting.

However, now even the happy moments I shared with them are about to fade into the far reaches of memory.

The only thing that comes to mind clearly is the one who died bleeding, saying they were sorry for leaving first.

There are only faces stained with grief and pain.

Why do the good memories fade first, and the ones I least want to recall remain last?

Daphne the curse of oblivion.

No, I hated Pantheon for making me go through such a damn curse.

As time goes by, someday I won't even be able to recall the faces and names of my colleagues.

And as more time passes, I will forget the scenery of Ernia as well.

As more, more time passes.

… … I will lose even who I was.

I must leave a trace of myself and my knight order before that happens.

So one day, Daphne came up with an idea.

That is, spreading the 'Ernia Empire Swordsmanship' through the Pantheon.

If I could see others wielding the swordsmanship that was practically the symbol of the Empire and the Knights.

With just that, it seemed like I could shake off the fear of forgetting a little.

And even if the curse of oblivion eventually consumes him completely.

I thought I could rest assured since I had left a trace of Ernia by spreading swordsmanship.

however.

Even that didn't go as planned.

Ironically, none of the many transcendents of the Pantheon could easily learn 'Ernia Empire Swordsmanship'.

“Ugh......!”

It wasn't that I didn't understand.

In fact, I even expected it to some extent.

Because that swordsmanship is structurally designed to be difficult to master unless you are from the Empire.

The structure of the mana circuit, the color of the soul, and the breathing technique possessed only by the Ernians.

If these three elements are not in harmony, no matter how exceptional one's talent with the sword may be, the movements are bound to become tangled and collapse.

I knew it, but since they are transcendent beings by name, I held onto hope that perhaps something would be different.

It was a vain hope.

How can there not be a single person?

'In the end, there is no one who can share Ernia's traces.'

While I was spending my days in despair like that.

-[Proof that I used Ernia Swordsmanship. How's it?]-

… … Daphne saw a miracle.

A newly appeared man perfectly mastered the 'Ernia Empire Swordsmanship,' which no one in the Pantheon had ever been able to achieve.

A shiver ran through me.

At the same time, the emotion of hope knocked on my heart.

This is the man.

If it is this man, he can understand the noble value of Imperial swordsmanship!

Even if I am not from Ernia, I can inherit the spirit and will that my homeland was proud of!

and.

You can remember, on my behalf, that somewhere in the infinite universe, such a world existed...

“…….”

After that, Daphne found a purpose.

Let's pass on everything I know to this man.

"Let's train a new Sword Master to carry on the legacy of 'Commander of the Thunder Knights'—Daphne von Caine."

If possible, I would like to teach you in person rather than through Pantheon.

The Pantheon is so vast that it could be called infinite, so it won't be easy.

Still, someday, an opportunity will come.

'Maybe I should at least ask for their name next time.'

Although asking for someone's real name is taboo in Pantheon, where anonymity is the rule.

Well, as long as the 'Judge' doesn't catch me, it shouldn't matter.

Daphne chuckled and looked at the water bottle placed beside her.

This is the item that man gave me earlier through the trading system.

I was just getting thirsty from devoting myself to self-cultivation, so this is perfect.

Daphne reached out and grabbed the water bottle.

and.

Crackle!

A miracle happened.

“……!!”

A thought flashed through her mind like a bolt of lightning.

A flash that occurred in an instant revealed the darkness known as the curse of oblivion.

… … A memory came to mind.

Ahhh.

Back when the empire was still at peace.

One day during the golden age, when it was most powerful and prosperous.

It was a memory of drinking mead, tearing apart meat, and singing with the knights' subordinates at a village tavern.

“I can’t believe it…….”

It was one of the countless memories that had long been forgotten, consumed by the curse of oblivion.

Thump- Thud-

Without Daphne even realizing it, a clear stream of water flowed down her cheek.

Because the happy moments with my colleagues, which I had given up on ever remembering, suddenly came to mind.

“The curse couldn’t possibly have disappeared…… Why?”

I have only one guess.

The moment I touched the water bottle the man had given me, memories suddenly returned.

Daphne strained her eyes, which were red from tears, and looked closely at the water bottle.

Shortly after.

Realizing what the water bottle was made of, she wore an expression of disbelief.

“S-Surely this isn't... a magic stone?”

Magic Stone.

That Stone of Life, which can never be found in the Pantheon.

How on earth did that man have it?