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Chapter 207: Blader (1)

The clash of swords echoed through the chilly night air of the desert.

“Haaa!”

With Randol’s shout, his unleashed flames radiated intense heat.

“Hmm...”

“It appears he has more mana than before.”

“I hate imperials, but he’s certainly a student worth teaching."

Randol continued with his flashy sword strikes, the flames trailing brilliantly with each swing, eliciting low murmurs of admiration from three women observing him. The women’s cloaks revealed their toned physiques, proof of their prowess as warriors. Peculiarly, all three had their faces concealed by iron masks.

They were the three sisters of Digon, known as the Queen’s Blades. In Miliana’s absence, these masters had been overseeing Randol’s training.

Crack—!

Randol evaded Miliana’s third strike, driving his blade forward. By now, his movement was infused with the unique rhythm of the barbarians, a stark contrast to when he had first arrived here.

“Hup...!”

Miliana struck Randol’s knuckles with her other sword.

“Ugh!”

Random was momentarily stunned by the sudden jolt, dropping his sword.

Clang...!

As the liberated flames hit the ground, the fire enveloping the blade dissipated.

“You’ve improved a lot,” Miliana remarked, exhaling lightly.

“I’m still far from ready.”

“No, the reason I could easily read your swordplay is because it was Digon’s style. However, I did notice some hints of imperial swordsmanship. That wasn’t a habit you couldn’t break, but something you intentionally included, right?"

“I thought relying solely on Digon’s style would be difficult, but... the result speaks for itself.”

Randol shrugged, picking up his fallen sword.

“...There’s something I need to ask you.”

“Go ahead.”

“What if, despite all this training, you face an opponent you absolutely can’t defeat? What then?” Miliana asked cautiously.

Her question left Randol momentarily speechless.

“So you think... I’ll never be able to defeat him?”

“What?”

“I’ve had a feeling for a while now that you know the identity of the one I seek revenge against.”

Miliana wiped the sweat from her brow, offering a bitter smile.

“Well, when I first found you, I genuinely didn’t know. A lot has happened since then.”

Though Randol had recently caused an uproar in the empire, he had no way of knowing about these events from his position in the south.

“It’s Karyl... isn’t it?”

Randol finally said his name, and Miliana couldn’t hide her surprise.

“How did you know?”

“One of my brothers is exceptionally intelligent. He had suspicions. At first, we thought it was impossible, but...”

“So, it was Tiren who told you...” Miliana muttered, her face turning red.

“No, he wasn’t certain. I just guessed, and it turns out I was right.”

“I made a foolish mistake then.” Miliana sighed. The mere mention of Karyl’s name had elicited an involuntary reaction from her. Randol himself hadn’t been certain, but she had just given him the confirmation.

“Well, I had somewhat expected it. Anyway, the fact that I know doesn’t change anything for me. It’s not like I can do anything about it... I mean, Karyl has already defeated you.”

“Yes.”

Randol nodded in agreement.

“My second brother is from a noble background, whereas I’m just a commoner. Honestly, I don’t care much about status. All my brothers, including Karyl, are family to me.”

“So?”

Miliana sheathed her swords, Arc and Gale, and asked, “What will you do now that your family is your target for revenge?” Her tone was cold. “You better answer carefully. Depending on your response, I might draw my blade against you.”

Despite her threat, Randol merely chuckled. “You really think you can?”

“Oh, you brat. Speaking so confidently in front of a Sword Master.”

“There’s no way I could match your skill, but I suspect Karyl had a hand in you continuing to train me.”

At that, Miliana shrugged.

“Besides, I wasn’t spared by chance. He let me live for a reason. Maybe because I have some use for him.”

“You’re right. When your brother came, we considered sending you back, but Karyl urged me to let you do as you wish.”

“Ooh... You must be really close if you’d grant his request.”

“Yes, in many ways, he’s extraordinary.”

“But you know, he\'s still not an adult, right?"

“...Wh-What are you talking about?”

Randol’s jest made Miliana blush.

“I mean, it’s so obvious when I hear you say his name. It’d be weird to not notice.”

“...Well, sometimes weird things happen.” Miliana clicked her tongue.

“Ha!”

Randol burst into laughter at her reaction. His brothers would be surprised. No one at the mansion, where he had always kept quiet and focused on his sword training, would think he was capable of joking like this.

Perhaps, as a commoner by birth, Randol found this free-spirited life more comfortable than the stifling noble lifestyle at the mansion.

“I realized something while living at the imperial palace. Watching the nobles, I understood that they can never change. Now I know why my father chose the Second Prince."

“...”

“As a commoner by birth, I have no interest in the noble life. But ultimately... I’m like my father. I believe I must become a knight for the sake of Kuwell MacGovern, who took me in, and for the sake of the empire.”

He grasped his sword.

“But the overwhelming pressure I felt from him at the Abyssal Rock... I still remember it. And I know that I haven’t even reached Karyl\'s level.”

“You’re strong in your own right,” Miliana argued.

“But I’ll never catch up to him, no matter how hard I try.”

“Probably not. That kid’s a monster.”

Randol smiled slightly at Miliana’s awkward tone.

“Even so, why am I still here instead of returning to the empire? Even defying His Majesty\'s orders?”

“...Are you asking me?”

Randol gave a self-deprecating laugh and said, “I don’t know either. For the sake of the vice captain and my fallen comrades, I have to fight an unbeatable enemy.”

Miliana sighed. “I’m beginning to understand why Karyl told me to give you free reign.”

“What do you mean...?”

“Can’t you think of any reason to live other than for someone else?”

“...What?”

“For your father who took you in, for your fallen comrades... What is the path that is truly yours? Think about that”

“...”

Randol was thunderstruck, unable to respond. Until now, his life had always been defined by others.

“What if that guy gives you an answer that convinces you?”

“What?”

“If you can’t go back anyway, how about serving a new king?”

“What do you mean...?”

“You wouldn’t know because you’ve been in the south, but a new king has been born in Tatur.”

Randol frowned slightly at her words, tilting his head in confusion.

“We call it the Free State.”

“You mean Tatur has become a country?”

“That’s right.” Miliana wiped her lips slightly, her eyes full of expectation.

“Freedom...” Randol pondered on her words. He had been fortunate; when he had lost his way as a war orphan, he had come across Kuwell. However, it was precisely that fortuitous encounter that bound him, even now. Though he had escaped life’s hardships, he was now oppressed by the life of nobility at the mansion.

Perhaps he had never been free. Perhaps he had just replaced his chains with new ones, dedicating himself to others but never to himself.

“Karyl may seem reckless and insolent, but he lives by his own will more than anyone else.”

Randol couldn’t deny that. The last time he had seen Karyl was years ago after the Goblin Subjugation, but his presence at the mansion remained vivid in his memory.

“He once told you, didn’t he? That if you want to meet him, you should go to Tatur. Perhaps he said that because he’d predicted this situation... Sometimes, I can’t help being impressed by his foresight.”

“No way...”

“Yes, the Karyl you seek,” Miliana said, looking directly at Randol and delivering the awaited news, “is the king of Tatur.”

***

“Hehe, this is great. I can finally enjoy alcohol again. This is true immortality. The other six will definitely envy me.”

Allen Javius sat on the broken stone wall of the library, drinking straight from the bottle. In the darkness of the night, his figure appeared ghostly with its dark red hue. Yet, the cold night air and the scent of the living world were enough to make him forget his current state.

“You seem to be in a good mood,” Karyl remarked.

“Of course. You might have been killing monsters in the tower, but I was alone in a place with no one around. And even when I came outside, I couldn”t escape from your body.”

Allen laughed heartily, looking at Karyl.

“What’s the point of living for a thousand years? I still have a long way to go. Just having a physical body makes me this excited.”

“Of course. No matter how much free will you have, what’s the point if you don’t have a body to assert it with?” Karyl agreed. “I’m also glad you’re no longer inside me. Enjoy the moment. There’s no need to act high and mighty.”

“Heh, you\'re right.”

The village was in disarray, much like Karyl remembered it from his past life. But fortunately, there had been almost no casualties. In the end, they had managed to save not only the sorcerers of the Immortal Council but also the residents of Antihum.

“Allen, I have a question.”

“What is it?”

During the battle with Duaat, one question lingered in Karyl’s mind. Although the fight had concluded, it was still on his mind.

“You must know about the war between the spirits and the gods, right? Duaat said the defeat was because of humans.”

Gulp, gulp...

Allen quickly emptied the bottle in response to Karyl’s question.

“That was ages ago. I don’t really know. It was before the Magical Era, which isn’t even recorded in history.”

It was literally the Mythical Era. Even the treasures occasionally unearthed from ruins mostly belonged to the Magical Era. Imagining a world from before that time was difficult even for Karyl, who had spent countless years in the tower.

“Just tell me what you know. I asked Ramine, but he didn’t tell me anything. I understand that the events of that time are why the Spirit Realm was annihilated.”

Karyl looked at Allen.

“Did humans betray the spirits?”

“...”

Knowing Karyl wouldn’t let go until he got an answer, Allen sighed deeply.

“I don\'t know much about the Great War of the Spirits and Gods, but I do know a bit about the humans who participated in that war.”

“What do you know?”

In a low voice, Allen proceeded with his tale.

“Where should I begin? Well, perhaps I should start with why Blader was founded.”