The Rosenfeld Main Estate slept beneath endless snowfall.
Cold silver moonlight illuminated the enormous fortress-like mansion while distant northern winds drifted across dragon-carved towers and ancient black walls surrounding the estate grounds.
Inside the upper residential halls—
Silence dominated.
Mana lamps flickered dimly across endless corridors while armored knights rotated quiet patrols through the sleeping estate beneath strict northern discipline.
And within one familiar room—
Kel slowly opened his eyes.
The fireplace still burned softly nearby while faint moonlight escaped through the curtains across the floor beside his bed.
For several moments—
He simply stared upward silently.
Then quietly—
He exhaled.
Inside his mind—
Sairen softly muttered:
"You barely slept."
Kel slowly sat upright afterward.
"…Habit."
The silver-haired spirit sighed quietly.
"You spent too long surviving instead of resting."
Kel ignored the comment internally while standing from the bed.
The cold floor beneath his feet felt strangely nostalgic.
Meanwhile—
Outside his room—
The mansion remained quiet.
Too quiet.
And because of that—
Sleep no longer returned.
Kel calmly opened the chamber door afterward before stepping into the corridor.
Cold northern air drifted softly through the estate halls while dragon-emblazoned banners moved gently beneath distant window drafts.
The atmosphere felt peaceful.
Stable.
Yet after everything he experienced—
Too much silence almost felt unnatural now.
Inside his mind—
Sairen softly laughed.
"You became unable to trust peaceful nights."
Kel quietly walked through the corridor.
"…Peace usually breaks."
The spirit didn't disagree.
Meanwhile—
As Kel descended one of the enormous stairways leading toward the lower training halls—
Faint voices gradually echoed nearby.
Several knights.
Talking casually during late-night patrol rotation.
Kel normally would have ignored them.
Yet one particular phrase caught his attention immediately.
"…you hear?"
One knight spoke excitedly while adjusting the sword hanging at his waist.
"The Matriarch of House Asheville developed some bizarre sword art."
Another nearby knight immediately nodded.
"Aye."
"They say anyone can learn it and create their own variations."
Kel's footsteps slowed slightly afterward.
Inside his mind—
Sairen instantly sounded amused.
"Oh?"
Meanwhile—
The conversation continued naturally.
Another older knight folded his arms thoughtfully.
"If I remember correctly…"
Another pause.
"…wasn't she originally from House Rosenfeld?"
One younger guard nodded immediately.
"Yes."
"She used to train here before leaving two years ago."
The northern winds howled softly outside nearby windows.
"No one really knew why she disappeared suddenly."
Another knight quietly scratched his chin.
"But now seeing her reclaim House Asheville as matriarch…"
He whistled softly.
"…it explains a lot."
Kel quietly stood within the corridor shadows afterward listening silently.
Meanwhile—
The younger knight continued enthusiastically.
"And have you heard how absurd her sword style is?"
Another immediately leaned closer.
"The aura swords?"
"Aye!"
The knight's eyes visibly brightened beneath the mana lamps.
"She imbues aura into her main sword…"
Another pause.
"…and the leaking aura itself condenses into floating swords."
Even the older knights nearby looked impressed discussing it.
"Creating swords from leaking aura…"
One muttered quietly.
"…that should be impossible."
Another immediately replied:
"Yet she did it."
The group fell briefly silent afterward.
Because honestly—
Even among northern knights—
The concept sounded monstrous.
Aura leakage was considered waste.
Loss.
Instability.
Yet somehow—
Reina transformed that weakness into an entirely new combat system.
Meanwhile—
Another younger knight suddenly asked:
"What was her name again?"
The older guard answered immediately.
"Reina Asheville."
Another pause followed proudly.
"And the sword art…"
He grinned slightly.
"…Sovereign's Orbit Sword Arts."
Inside his mind—
Sairen immediately laughed softly.
"She actually used that name."
Kel quietly leaned against one nearby pillar afterward.
"…Seems so."
Meanwhile—
The knights continued discussing excitedly.
"I bought the manual myself."
One younger knight proudly tapped a leather-bound book hanging from his belt pouch.
The others immediately reacted.
"You actually found one already?"
The knight nodded enthusiastically.
"The first publication batch spread ridiculously fast."
Another pause.
"Apparently nobles and knights across multiple regions are trying to purchase copies."
Another older knight shook his head slowly.
"Of course they are."
Another glance toward the younger knight's pouch.
"A sword style capable of evolving differently for every user?"
He quietly laughed.
"That's revolutionary."
Meanwhile—
The younger knight continued excitedly.
"I'm going to learn how to condense aura swords myself."
Another pause.
"Just imagining floating blades supporting swordsmanship…"
His eyes gleamed beneath the corridor light.
"…it's fascinating."
Kel quietly remained silent afterward.
Yet inside him—
Something strange surfaced.
Not pride exactly.
But something close.
Because the technique originally existed only as unstable experimentation.
Incomplete.
Dangerous.
Yet Reina truly refined it.
Published it.
Spread it.
And now—
It had already reached even the North.
Inside his mind—
Sairen softly whispered:
"She really treasured what you gave her."
Kel quietly closed his eyes briefly afterward.
Because honestly—
He understood immediately why Reina named it that way.
Sovereign's Orbit.
The central sword surrounded by countless rotating blades.
Like stars revolving around a king.
Or perhaps—
A queen.
Meanwhile—
The knights continued talking excitedly.
"They say Lady Reina herself can control multiple aura swords simultaneously during combat."
Another nodded.
"I heard she defeated Viscount Delhart personally."
"With that technique?"
"Aye."
The older knight looked genuinely impressed now.
"A noblewoman defeating another territory ruler directly…"
Another pause.
"…the North respects that kind of strength."
Kel quietly listened silently afterward.
Meanwhile—
One knight suddenly lowered his voice slightly.
"And honestly…"
Another pause.
"…House Asheville rising this quickly feels abnormal."
The others nodded quietly.
"Too fast."
"Territory expansion."
"Economic growth."
"Military restructuring."
"And now this sword art."
The older knight narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
"Someone extraordinary must be supporting her from behind."
Kel silently looked away afterward.
Inside his mind—
Sairen sounded deeply amused now.
"They're talking about you."
"…Obviously."
"Yet none of them know the terrifying part."
Kel calmly resumed walking again afterward.
Meanwhile—
The knights immediately straightened the moment they finally noticed him approaching from the corridor shadows.
"Young Master!"
All of them bowed deeply instantly.
Shock flashed across several faces.
Because none realized he had been nearby the entire time.
Kel calmly looked toward them afterward.
Then quietly—
"At ease."
The knights immediately obeyed afterward though visible tension remained.
Meanwhile—
Kel's eyes briefly drifted toward the younger knight holding Reina's manual.
The leather-bound book looked carefully maintained already.
Almost treasured.
Then unexpectedly—
Kel asked:
"How far did you understand the first circulation pattern?"
The young knight froze instantly.
"…Y-Young Master?"
Kel calmly continued.
"The secondary aura branching."
"You forced the circulation too aggressively didn't you?"
The knight's eyes widened completely afterward.
Because—
That was exactly correct.
"I…"
The young guard looked genuinely stunned now.
"How did you…"
Kel quietly extended one hand afterward.
"Show me the manual."
The knight immediately handed it over carefully.
Kel calmly opened several pages beneath the corridor light afterward.
Then after briefly scanning the diagrams—
He quietly adjusted several aura flow markings using the nearby knight's charcoal writing stick.
The other guards watched silently.
Completely confused.
Meanwhile—
Kel returned the book afterward.
"Your aura circulation method is too rigid."
Another pause.
"Relax the lower flow channels before condensation."
The younger knight stared at the corrected markings almost breathlessly.
Because somehow—
The explanation instantly clarified multiple problems he struggled understanding alone.
Then slowly—
Realization surfaced within the older knights' expressions.
Because the Young Master…
Understood the sword art.
Deeply.
Far too deeply.
Inside his mind—
Sairen laughed softly.
"You almost exposed yourself."
Kel calmly turned away afterward.
"…Not really."
Meanwhile—
Before leaving—
Kel quietly spoke once more.
"Train carefully."
Another pause.
"That technique still isn't fully complete."
Then without further explanation—
He continued walking through the silent northern corridors beneath dragon banners and falling snow.
Leaving behind several utterly stunned knights staring toward the retreating figure of House Rosenfeld's returned firstborn.
And inside one young knight's trembling hands—
The creator's original corrections now rested silently upon the pages of Sovereign's Orbit Sword Arts