CHAPTER 244: CHAPTER 243: TOWARD THE CAPITAL

At some point, the rhythm within him shifted.

The steady cycling of breath, the flow of mana, and the pulse of his Knight’s aura no longer clashed. They moved together, weaving into one steady current. Mana no longer resisted aura, and aura no longer pushed against mana, they resonated, each strengthening the other.

This was it.

The Concordant State.

When Lumberling’s eyes opened, the night looked sharper, more vivid. The stars above shimmered as if closer, and he could feel the faint streams of mana threading through the air around him.

His chest rose and fell in calm rhythm, every breath carrying a sense of balance he had never known.

A faint smile tugged at his lips. He felt as though both paths, the mage’s and the knight’s were truly his to walk.

"Two or three months," he whispered to himself, "and the mana heart will be ready."

From the shadows, unnoticed, Liraeth had been watching. She had come looking for him but stopped when she saw his figure bathed in moonlight. Her breath caught in her throat.

He hadn’t seen her yet, and she lingered longer than she meant to, clutching her hands together. ’Did he achieve another breakthrough?’ The thought filled her with both awe and dread. ’How am I supposed to keep up with someone like him... will I always be left behind?’

And yet, when his gaze finally lifted and caught hers, he smiled.

Her heart skipped, and she quickly looked away.

"Couldn’t sleep?" he asked, his voice gentle.

"...No," she said softly, though the truth was her chest was too restless for sleep now.

Lumberling studied her for a quiet moment, then patted the ground beside him. "Then come and sit. Sometimes the night feels lighter when it’s not faced alone."

.....

The days slipped by in quiet rhythm until, one afternoon, Liraeth approached him beneath the old tree. In her hand was a sealed letter, the wax still fresh.

"Lumberling," she began. "Sorrin and Gordon received word from the emperor’s messenger. You’re being summoned to the capital."

Lumberling lowered his spear, sweat still dampening his brow from training. "Summoned? For what?"

She held the letter out to him, though her eyes lingered on his face. "It says the emperor intends to grant you a title of Baron."

For a moment, he just stared at her, blinking as though the words hadn’t quite landed. Then he let out a disbelieving chuckle. "Me? A baron? Are they perhaps mistaken?"

Liraeth giggled at his expression. "An emperor’s messenger has no reason to lie. You earned this."

"That easy? Just like that, I’m a noble?" he asked, still shaking his head in disbelief.

"Of course not," Liraeth said quickly, shaking her head. Her voice was firmer now, as if scolding him for his naivety. "Don’t make light of it. This didn’t happen by chance. You killed pirates, Sengolio soldiers, and that Knight of the Second Stage. That’s a big contribution."

Lumberling frowned, running a thumb over the edge of the parchment. "So... I just keep killing the empire’s enemies, stacking up merits, and I climb the ladder?"

"That’s a big part of it," she admitted, her lips curving into a bitter smile. "But not the whole picture. Merit alone won’t hold you up forever. You’ll need connections. Allies, the kind of people who speak your name in rooms you’ll never set foot in."

He studied her for a long moment, catching the flicker in her expression. "You sound like you’ve had to play that game before."

Liraeth’s gaze softened, though there was a shadow in it too. "I was born into it. Every smile, every favor, every banquet, it’s all about weaving threads you might need one day."

Lumberling frowned, then the realization clicked. "You helped me, didn’t you?"

"I did." Liraeth didn’t bother denying it. Her lips curved in a small, knowing smile. "I wanted to repay you... besides, it wasn’t only me who moved some strings."

Lumberling tilted his head, curious. "Did Thalia help too?"

Liraeth nodded. "Most likely. Unless there’s someone else who owes you favors in high places, I’d bet it was her."

"I see..." Lumberling leaned back slightly, his mind turning over the pieces.

"So? What will you do now? If you accept the title, you’ll need to appear in the capital, to stand before the emperor himself."

At that, his pulse skipped. The emperor. A being who had lived for a millennium. A Knight of the Fifth Stage. Someone standing at the summit of the path Lumberling had only begun to climb. The thought filled him with both awe and a faint, prickling pressure.

"Would I also receive land if I accept the title?"

"I’m not sure," Liraeth admitted, folding her arms in thought. "That’s entirely at His Majesty’s discretion. But with the empire stretched thin by war, I doubt territories will be given out lightly. A title is certain, but a land, less so."

Lumberling weighed her words in silence. After a long pause, his gaze steadied. "I’ll go."

The answer felt simple once spoken. He needed to see the heights with his own eyes, the powers, the giants who shaped the world. If he ever wanted to reach them, he had to understand them.

"I’ll come with you," Liraeth said suddenly.

He blinked at her. "You will?"

Her smile was faint but firm. "You might stumble into enemies without realizing it. Nobles are snakes when it comes to fresh blood, especially someone like you who appears out of nowhere. I’ll guide you, make sure no one takes advantage."

Lumberling chuckled, leaning slightly toward her. "Getting overprotective, are you? Or is it that you simply don’t want to be apart from me?"

Her brows shot up. "You’re getting more narcissistic by the day."

"Thanks." He smirked, shrugging lightly. "Still, I appreciate the help. It’s not every day I get to be accompanied by someone as beautiful as you."

Her eyes lingered on him a beat longer than usual before she looked away, pretending not to notice the warmth creeping into her cheeks.