"Ha…"
"What's wrong, Master?" Vera asked with a slight tilt of her head.
"Ah, Vera. It's not exactly a problem… Well, perhaps it is."
Aiden hesitated, searching for a more fitting word.
Calling it a problem made it seem like an obstacle to overcome, but the Wandering Trial was not merely a hurdle.
If she succeeded?
If, along the way, she earned renown as a swordswoman and displayed her talent?
At fourteen years old, to gain a title and draw the attention of the Nine Provinces, would mean safety.
Her father, the Black Cherry Swordsman, had survived long enough to speak his truths because of his reputation.
In the martial world, a renowned name is a shield. It deters oppression, gathers allies, and grants authority to one's voice.
All these intangible assets could one day fuel the force to defeat the Sword Sovereign, dismantle the Heavenly Unity, and reshape this suffocating world.
