“Huh? Gramps, you’re a swordsman?” Bal asked.
“A former swordmaster. Marcel...” Liam muttered under his breath, clutching tightly onto the sword by his waist.
That little action sent a wave of anxiety through me.
In my past life, Marcel was in the possession of a holy sword created by the Lord of Light. But the Lord of Light is gone, and I have no idea what Marcel might do if he finds out that the Lord of Darkness has returned.
I didn’t want anyone to notice how shaken I was, so I pressed my face against Lord Reineke to hide my expression.
“I apologize for disrespecting you, Great Lord Reineke. It’s just as you say—I am the former swordmaster Marcel Girard. I hid my identity for personal reasons. I beg your forgiveness.”
Looking down at the prostrating man, Lord Reineke nodded pompously.
“Good. Now look at me.”
“Please look up,” I said from behind the spirit.
Marcel gingerly raised his head. As soon as he did, my whole body was paralyzed and I suddenly started floating in the air. My arms were made to spread out as though I was on a cross.
Lord Reineke, what are you doing?!
But I couldn’t say anything out loud. It was just like when I’d first met Liam.
“I’m staging a sacred event,” Lord Reineke told me calmly, making a halo appear behind my head. His fox form glowed lightly as though he were bestowing us with a divine message.
“I, the Great Lord Reineke, order the former swordmaster Marcel to stay here. Impart your knowledge to the children who will be our future.”
Lord Reineke’s voice reverberated.
Marcel’s eyes were wide-open in shock.
“O-Of course!” he yelled, exaggeratedly prostrating himself again. More bright golden light spilled from him into the spirit. The man seemed overcome with faith. “Absolutely! I shall obey your words, Great Lord Reineke!”
So scary... I thought, but I felt relieved. Still, under divine orders, Marcel definitely won’t be able to hurt Liam.
I silently thanked the spirit with a look. He bashfully huffed through his nose.
“I can’t believe I got to hear a great spirit’s voice after all these years,” Marcel said with a sob. “It’s been so long since the royal family granted me Joyeuse—the holy sword made by the Lord of Light. I’ve been dubbed a swordmaster and journeyed far and wide, and though I have heard spirits speak before, this is the first time a great spirit has spoken to me. In the capital, all signs of light spirits have vanished, so I was certain that the great spirits had already given up on our corrupt world...”
Marcel grasped the bangle at his wrist, causing a brilliant silver sword to appear in his hand. This was Joyeuse. It was said to be a sister sword made from the same material as Durandal, the sword that signified the king.
“Through Joyeuse, I was able to sense hints of light and forbidden magic in this domain. But I couldn’t tell if it was a good or bad omen,” Marcel went on.
Liam and I jolted at his words. Had Marcel sensed Nott’s reawakening?
The forbidden magic he spoke of was definitely referring to the Lord of Darkness, whose mention was a taboo in this land. In our era, the power of light spirits was diminishing. Worried that the power of dark spirits might rise as a result, the royal family forbade dark magic. Faith empowered spirits, so the royals sought to weaken dark spirits by forbidding the mention of them or their objects of faith.
Marcel might try to punish my brother if he discovers his contract with a dark spirit! In the worst-case scenario, he might report this to the royal family, and they could set out to subjugate the land!
I was full of anxiety. But Marcel didn’t seem to notice how affected Liam and I were by his words.
“To think I’ve encountered a great spirit... I no longer have a single regret in my life!” Marcel cried, his face stained with tears.
Watching him like that made me realize something.
Even if he noticed there’s a dark spirit here, he seems to put greater importance on Lord Reineke’s oracle. In that case, Liam should be safe.
I went up to the trembling man and put my hand on his shoulder.
“Please assist Bal and my brother to the best of your ability,” I said with a calm smile, trying to sound like a divine being.
Marcel looked up at me, his eyes glimmering with reverence.
“Of course, Lady Lune! I will protect those two even at the cost of my life!” he vowed, beating his chest.
I sighed in relief. A former swordmaster just became our ally! It’s like having the strength of an entire army on our side!
Lord Reineke smirked at me. “There you go again, acting like a vixen...but I’m not complaining,” he said with a snicker.
I pouted at him in response.
We brought Marcel back to our residence with us. After hearing our explanation, Marquis Renard simply said, “If that’s Lord Reineke’s oracle, so be it.” He employed Marcel as the gamekeeper and appointed him as an instructor for Liam and Bal.
Father also showed us where we could build an onsen in the town, and granted permission for us to create a new fabric using yama moth silk. It wasn’t long before construction started for a textile workshop. We used the money Hodr had brought during his visit to fund the two new projects.
And the projects needed workers, which created jobs. The restoration of the Renard domain was now well underway.
I was on the outskirts of town with Lord Reineke, father, brother, Bal, and Marcel. We were by the foot of a hill a short distance away from the town center, close to the Renard River. The scenery was pretty, and we were considering building a wharf here.
Lord Reineke had said this was also a good place for the hot spring inn, as it was right on top of the water vein.
“Today is a special day, so here,” Lord Reineke addressed everyone before shifting into his human form. The people of our domain had great faith in him these days, enabling him to do so.
A large crowd had gathered upon hearing rumors of Lord Reineke holding a ceremony to open the hot spring inn. Now, they all collectively gasped at the sight of him. Although he was humanoid, his majesty set him apart from ordinary people. Everyone pressed their hands together in prayer.
“He’s so beautiful...”
“He looks truly divine!”
Their admiration and reverence created a golden light, which gathered around Lord Reineke.
“It’s about time I show you all my power.”
With that, Lord Reineke raised his cane, the handle of which was shaped like a grape. Thick clouds covered the sun, casting everything in darkness. From among the clouds, a halo of light shone down upon Lord Reineke, making him look even more godly. The air was tense as the onlookers gulped in anticipation.
“Hot spring, gush forth!” Lord Reineke shouted, pounding his cane against the ground.
From that spot, water and steam spurted out like a fountain. The clouds parted, allowing the sun to shine through. The sunlight hit the water, creating a rainbow.
“Ohh!”
“Amazing!”
The crowd cheered, delighting Lord Reineke.
“From now on, this shall be called the Reineke Hot Spring,” Marquis Renard proclaimed.
Everyone clapped. Lord Reineke smiled at the brilliant light of faith emanating from them all.
And so, a hot spring inn named after a great spirit had been opened in the town of Renard.