The Rise of the Sword Expert
Count Invit

Tanka whined like a child to come with me.

His whining makes me dizzy. How not, he yelled in my ear asking that he could come along.

"Take Tanka, Mr. Akion."

Tanka's face turned happy, Levian defended her. His face illustrates that he is getting allies that support his wishes.

"Isn't Tanka better to stay here and look after this treasure?"

"As for Mr. Akion, even Mount Berk itself, will not be entered by just anyone." Tanka's face pouted.

"I've been locked up here for four hundred years. I, too, want to breathe another air," he added.

"Can you lock the entrance again?"

"That's a very easy thing, Lord Knight." His fingers were moved in a circle with a trivial attitude.

"Levian, my name,"

"Yes, Levian." Her smile.

"Mr Akion, this treasure remains protected. Does Mr Akion not feel sorry for Tanka?"

I looked straight at Levian. A few seconds his expression turned stiff.

"All right...."

They both were unaware they had become allies. Adding one more person on the way may be good.

"But you have to hide well."

"That's a very easy thing!" Tanka flies very high. Its wings glowed brighter, even around it, I saw like flying gold powder.

"Nobody can see me except what I want." He blinked his eyes with a flick.

I shouldn't doubt the magic.

**

After our meeting with Tanka a few days ago, we finally arrived at the entrance of the Invit region.

A knight came to me. My face covered in a cloak can't be seen clearly.

"Identity."

An uninspired voice. I did see a lot of trade trains coming in and out of Invit. Different area with Sanktessy.

I took my family's identification tag that was previously on the shirt, and was covered by the robe. I'm showing.

From behind the hood of my robe, he put on a doubtful face that repeatedly saw me covered in a hood.

I opened my hood, looked at it from the horse I thought I saw it like pressing.

"Ah, Young Master Sanktessy. Please come in." He let me in with a panicked look.

"Isn't that the youngest swordmaster in our history?"

Another knight whispered to him.

"Yes, he's an incredible figure. Too bad, he had to be born into a poor, debt-ridden Baron family." His voice sounded like a groan that pitied me.

I smiled without seeing them. That's just an old story I'm about to decide.

Our horses quickly walked to my uncle's house.

The most luxurious house here, a Count Invit. My uncle had some trading ventures. The good produce of the earth, and the beautiful sea made its territory quite prosperous.

He was always ambitious, even for something he couldn't possibly have.

We are welcome to enter by his servant. There was no warm welcome, as if the blood relationship had no meaning whatsoever. Again I feel amused myself, I should be the one who really understands that, right?

I've experienced it.

I sat in my uncle's office. Even a cup of drink, Count Invit did not ask his servant to provide it to me. As if what came was a pestle.

He still ignored me, he was busy struggling with his notes.

I kept quiet, watching what he was doing. It looks like it's his cash book. His forehead shriveled, his hand touching his forehead as if it was able to reduce his thoughts.

"If only there was no shame attached to me." He looked at me with a face so upset. Look at those eyes, as if disgusted at me.

The thing he meant was definitely my family.

I'm staying quiet. "Where's your father?"

His voice was loud, there was no hospitality in it.

"I'm sorry my father, Count Invit. I couldn't leave Sanktessy and sent me here

I still speak kindly.

"He sold you?" The grin was getting wider, it seemed he misunderstood. Although my father seems less

competent, but he is a good father who takes care of his family.

"alright. Even though the payment he gave was not worth it. But as your kind-hearted distant family, I accept it."

He smiled cunningly. His round face with thin whiskers made the cunning even more disgusting.

"It looks like there's been a misunderstanding here, Count."

"You mean?"

"I was sent here not as a repayment of the Sanktessy family's debt to Count Invit" I explained.

"That's so arrogant of you," he snorted, now his eyes were full of emotion.

"So what are you here for? Is your poor family capable of paying a debt of one thousand and five hundred gold pieces?"

"Look at your poor country and its troubled people. That's because it's led by someone who's not a dick!" He keeps babbling.

"And you, arrogantly came here, as if you could pay your debts. Think about the Sanktessy residents who are like beggars!"

I realized Levian who was standing at the side was holding back her anger. While Tanka had approached Count Invit's face with an expression asking me for permission to kick him in the face.

I shook my head slowly.

"Hahahaha, no no."

Count Invit misunderstood again

"I mean, we're able to pay off our debt."

Count Invit's eyes were in disbelief, he almost took out a word of ridicule on me, as I took out a bag full of gold coins.

His mouth was agape as if his soul had stopped in his throat.

"You stole it?" He rebuked me. His face was full of intimidation.

"Your words are really impolite, Count Invit!" Levian held his sword. Looking at the sharpening glare of his eyes, I knew he was slowly losing his temper.

"Basic is disrespectful! How dare you interrupt me!" Count Invit rebuked Levian, his defiant hand pointing at the rough Levian.

"Look! This brash soldier!" His voice grew even bigger, "No wonder the poor families were not educated!" He kept on teasing.

"Let me cut off his tongue, Mr. Akion." Levian asked me for permission. I'm shaking.

"This brash soldier!" Count Invit threw a book over his desk about Levian.

"Guards!" He shouted loudly calling his bodyguards.

The guards entered quickly. Three knights in full clothes pulled out their swords.

"Catch 'em!" the Count Invit command.

This tension was really interesting, seeing his haughty attitude that always thought that he had the upper hand.

"Ehm!" I don't care about his emotions at all.

Three soldiers back off saw me. They were indeed well-trained soldiers with good equipment. But they won't forget who I am, their rank is far below mine.

So their instincts warn them to step back and be careful.

"Count Invit, I'm here to pay off Sanktessy's debt. But you were the first to insult."

"Broody brash." He came closer to me, a book in his hand was about to throw at me. When he was planning to throw me, I still casually said to him.

"If I want, I can kill you, Count."

He was silently stunned to see the boy who had been silent with his treatment all along.

Now I pay off the debt. I am not attached to it, my people will not suffer any more. Slowly, I have what they think is not.

"Even if I want, I can take the Invit territory now." I'm bragging. He must remember who I am, who is the strongest swordsman in the continent. His face stiffened, getting whiter from not expecting me to threaten him.

Intimidation always works in the presence of people like him.

I stood past the three Soldiers who blocked the door. Their legs trembled and they fell.

'This tension. You must like him, right, uncle?'

"Let's go,"

Levian moves. He still looks upset.

"Oh yes, my uncle. Thanks for the previous loan, I made sure that Sanktessy would never borrow from you again." I smiled at him. The smile made him retreat, the corner of his lips lifted one up as if it was going to curse at me.

I liked to see it, and left the Count's house which I still heard shouting cursing while smashing the furniture of his house.

Fortunately, he could still think. If he dares to point his sword at me, I'll make sure he loses his life.

**

"Why didn't Lord Akion just kill him?" Tanka's lips came forward. He still seems upset.

"I think killing a city pig is easy." He stopped flapping his wings in front of my face, making me stop stepping.

I laughed ignoring him.

"Mr Akion!"

"Mr Akion!" He moved angrily following me who walked ignoring his scolding.

"Call Akion." I let him call me that. To be honest I am not so comfortable being called master, especially when I want to be close to someone.

Levian who is a teacher and my knight resolutely refuses to call me Akion.

"May that be so, Mr Akion?"

He glanced doubtfully, his wings even moving irregularly.

To me, Tanka would have no problem just calling me by name. Not everyone can see him, and he's not my knight.

"Sure," I replied gently.

My answer made an unexpected response from Tanka. Her smile was bright, she looked like she was receiving a gift that she really liked.

"Oh Akion, I did want it a long time ago. But we just met." He shook his head a few times. Maybe because I'm a descendant of Sanktessy, who is actually the master of it.

"It's good if you like it."

"Of course I like it. It's like we have no barriers. Me and Caesar call each other names."

I nodded in agreement. It seems, my ancestors-Caesar and Tanka were very close, and Tanka was very admiring.

His eyes would be full of enthusiasm when it came to Caesar.

"Are we going home, Mr Akion?"

"No. There's still a place to visit."

The bell rang clearly. Our footsteps had guided us to approach my goal quickly.

The towering white building, its existence slightly pulled over from the densely populated area. The place where they prayed, the place where they gave their trust, the holy temple in the Invit area. I'm looking for something there. At least open the eyes of my science which is still a lot of blinds.