Chapter 301 – Willingly
Outside the cave he had shaped through Terrain Manipulation, Verden sat on a flat boulder, gazing at the scenery.
Dawn had broken, and bright morning light spread across the sky.
The winter forest, flowing with cool air, was calm. Occasionally, the chirping of birds could be heard, but it did not disturb the tranquility.
Time flowed slowly.
As Verden was organizing his thoughts, footsteps sounded behind him.
Verden spoke.
"Still too early to move."
"Even so… I can't just lie down forever."
Adrian appeared, staggering.
He used his swordless scabbard as a staff, stepping forward little by little. No matter how painful it was, he did not collapse.
Even this pain was now welcome.
Adrian lifted his head, looking up at the sky.
The endless expanse of blue stretched above. The scents of the season and of dawn filled the air.
Refreshing, yet dreamlike. When he inhaled deeply, the chill-laden air soaked into his lungs.
"…Haa."
His breath scattered into mist.
The dismantling of the forced magic circle had succeeded.
No trace of it remained on his head or upper body. The whispering commands within his mind were no longer heard.
His thoughts, emotions, and body were free.
The sensation of being released from all oppression was beyond words. How long had it been since he last felt this way?
It was worth enduring the extreme pain that had nearly severed his consciousness dozens of times.
Adrian sat down on the rock to Verden's left.
The two of them watched the winter forest together.
A cool breeze brushed their skin. Adrian was the first to speak.
"I've been thinking. About your true intention in saving me."
The motive hidden behind his altruism.
It hadn't been difficult to discern. The word revenge, which Verden had mentioned during their conversation, had carved itself deep into his mind.
"…How far do you intend to go?"
"I will bring down the Bohemirn Magic Tower."
Rage and hatred.
Though his voice was calm, everything was contained within those words.
A resolute determination with not the slightest hesitation.
Quietly studying him, Adrian continued.
"The opponent is the Magic Tower, led by a Transcendent. If you fail, you'll either die… or return to that hell once more."
"Are you afraid?"
"Not at all."
"Same here."
Then Verden added.
"And he's not the only one who's touched the realm of transcendence."
"…!!"
Adrian's eyes widened.
Along with shock, he recalled his recent memory.
Once, Adrian had been among the four strongest of the Central Continent.
Of course, that did not literally mean he was one of the top four in all the land, but in public opinion, he had been regarded as close to a Transcendent.
Indeed, there were few who could withstand his sword. Even in his broken state, that remained true.
Yet he had lost.
He had unleashed numerous martial techniques and, in the end, even forced his ultimate art, yet his sword never reached.
Even though 77 had clearly not revealed his full strength.
'He lacks the overwhelming presence of a Transcendent.'
Yet he was extraordinarily strong.
His magic power and magic alike were so abnormal they could only be called distorted.
Not only that, he could construct or dismantle the most advanced magic circles of Balrog Bessias, and he possessed extraordinary magical insight and judgment.
Not a Transcendent, yet standing within reach of transcendence.
Adrian had never heard of such a thing, yet he believed it instinctively. Perhaps—perhaps truly—another Transcendent would soon be born.
Realization brought a thrill of exhilaration to Adrian's eyes.
Balrog. Balrog Bessias.
A smile spread across his face.
He could not help but laugh.
Your arrogance has birthed a monster.
Joy and anticipation stirred within him.
Suppressing his emotions, Adrian clenched his left fist.
"If I follow you, will I be able to kill Balrog? With my own hand?"
"No. Balrog is mine. But I promise you this: the necks of the Elders will be yours."
That was enough. In fact, it was the answer he wanted.
Balrog was a Transcendent, far beyond Adrian's reach.
But if he could watch such a being cast down into the abyss, and cut down the Elders who had taken his master's arms and legs—he would be satisfied.
…Father.
The only family not bound by blood.
Remembering him brought tears to his eyes.
His master had said it was not Adrian's fault.
But it was Adrian's sin.
It was his fault his master had suffered for so long, his fault that, in the end, when his mind was ensnared, his sword pierced his master's heart.
Had Adrian not been defeated, none of it would have happened.
It was too late to undo.
But at least he could atone.
With their blood and suffering, he would soothe both his own grudge and his master's soul. For that, he would gladly give the rest of his life.
"Seventy-Seven. I don't know the details, but I've heard that besides Balrog, the Bohemirn Magic Tower is full of powerful Magi. Can you handle them all?"
"Objectively, with my current strength, no. That's why I intend to build a force. That's the reason I came to the autonomous territory of Midros."
"So, in other words, you have no other companions yet."
"You'll be the first."
"…I see."
Adrian gave a small nod.
"Come to think of it, I don't know your name."
"Verden. Outside, I use the name Asher."
The alias was camouflage, to avoid pursuit by the Bohemirn Magic Tower.
The fact he revealed his true name carried deep meaning for Adrian.
Verden.
Repeating the name inwardly, Adrian rose to his feet.
Limping, he stopped before Verden.
"If you truly need me…"
A life that would have ended in nothing but being used until discarded—had been saved.
Not only given the chance to dream of revenge, but a hand was extended, asking him to join.
How could he not take it?
"I, Adrian Chambers, will willingly follow you."
He dropped to one knee, driving the scabbard into the earth in place of a sword.
A knight's oath.
The only formal ritual he had learned from his master in his youth.
Just in case he might one day become the sword of a noble, a royal, or an emperor, living as a knight among an order—it wouldn't hurt to know.
It was one among the many teachings given to Adrian for his future.
He had thought he would never use it in his lifetime.
He hated pledging loyalty to anyone but his master, and he had no desire to belong anywhere.
But now, it was different.
"..."
Silently watching, Verden rose to his feet.
The tableau resembled that of a noble and a knight.
And though outwardly it seemed natural enough, in truth, Verden possessed the legitimacy.
Though he bore another identity as an honorary count of the Kingdom of Estiria,he still held the qualification to recruit knights, even without a territory.
"I welcome you, willingly."
But leaving it at that would feel hollow.
Verden, staring at the empty scabbard, activated Raindia.
He summoned the sword that had been lying dormant in subspace. Its blade was a deep navy blue, with four blood grooves intertwined at its center.
The Demonic Sword Cadence.
The sword that cut magic, stolen from Grond in Roafra.
Tap, tap.
With Cadence, Verden lightly tapped Adrian's shoulders.
Then he gripped the blade itself, turning the hilt forward.
"This is…"
"Take it. From now on, it is yours."
Adrian, bewildered, received the sword.
Like any true swordsman, he instinctively examined it, and a strange power emanated from it. There was no room for doubt.
It was clearly an artifact.
"It won't fit perfectly into your current scabbard, so it will be inconvenient for a while, but endure it. Once we reach the city, I'll have a new one made for you. And this—use it as a staff."
Verden handed him a long spear.
One of the weapons he had taken from Grond's vault.
'As I thought.'
He had the ability and resourcefulness to escape Balrog's grasp with his own strength.
And he possessed the wealth to bestow artifacts as though it were nothing. Now that Adrian looked more closely, none of the robes, rings, or staffs Verden wore were ordinary either.
'Truly different.'
The complete opposite of himself, who had lost his master and been enslaved in mind.
Gripping the Demonic Sword tightly, unwilling to ever let it go, Adrian bowed his head deeply.
"Thank you, my lord."
…My lord?
Verden blinked.
It was an unfamiliar title, but, well, that was all. He had no intention of forcing Adrian to address him one way or another.
In the meantime, Adrian stood, using the spear as support.
He fastened the scabbard to his side and sheathed the Demonic Sword. The length didn't match, so part of the blade protruded, but it didn't look too strange.
Thus, the welcome ended simply.
"But my lord, have you decided on our next destination?"
"Well, I'm still considering it."
With the information gained in the kingdom and the autonomous territory, he had succeeded in rescuing Adrian. Compared to the original plan with the Kendras group, this was a far greater achievement.
Yet it was still insufficient.
The two of them alone could never rival the power of the Bohemirn Magic Tower.
But one couldn't simply expand a force with numbers and strength alone. Finding suitable allies who shared their will was no easy task.
"In that case… I don't know if it will help, but there is something I must tell you."
"What is it?"
"Rayshen Tailroad."
Adrian continued.
"Balrog's disciple is currently in the Central Continent."
***
Rayshen Tailroad, the second disciple of Balrog Bessias.
Though long past his forties, he bore the appearance of a teenager, a 6th-tier Magus who pioneered a special form of Mado.
He had received direct tutelage from the tower master, and was a true expert in magic circles.
In particular, within the unofficial experiments of the Bohemirn Magic Tower, he was the foremost authority in drug experimentation.
In other words, a madman succeeding Balrog himself.
Rayshen all but lived in the Magic Tower, except for official external activities.
Adrian knew his habits well, since the man's concoctions had left him living a terminally shortened life.
'But why would he be in the Central Continent…?'
They were at war with the Black Hour, so he should have no reason to leave.
And besides, he should be busy restoring experimental data lost in the runaway of a power source.
Then the answer was simple.
He must have received an order from his sole commander, Balrog.
Verden's guess proved correct.
"I heard he is searching for someone in the Central Continent, but he's been grumbling all day about how it might take too long."
Back when Adrian was under mind control,he remembered every word and deed of Rayshen, who had been at his side from the Western Continent until the Spatial Teleportation to the East.
"Searching for someone…"
Nothing specific came to mind.
But for Rayshen to move personally, the target couldn't be an ordinary figure. Since Adrian hadn't heard the details, he lacked precise information.
Even so, this alone was enough.
That Rayshen had left the tower.
That there was someone in the Central Continent important enough to concern even Balrog.
Lost in thought, Verden's eyes gleamed.
"I hadn't intended to provoke the Bohemirn Magic Tower directly yet, but this changes things."
Rayshen, outside the protection of the Magic Tower.
He was one of Verden's revenge targets.
"Striking Rayshen at this point isn't a bad idea."
He didn't forget that his ultimate goal was building a force.
But as a secondary aim, targeting Rayshen was an enticing option.
Beside him, Adrian swallowed.
The words about killing the tower master's disciple without hesitation sent chills down his spine.
"For now, we'll set our destination as the Central Continent. But I won't move recklessly. Not that I could, even if I wanted to."
The spatial teleportation circle leading to the Central Continent was located in the Republic of Beldirn.
And according to foreign newspapers gathered by Perne, he had read that due to some issue, its operation had been temporarily suspended.
'And I also have to attend the Ark Conference.'
The promised meeting with the Listener was drawing near.
There was no point in rushing.
"And Adrian, your treatment is the top priority."
Though the forced magic circle had been dismantled, his injuries remained.
Having recklessly used martial techniques and ultimate arts with his battered body, he would need to meet a priest in a major city.
"…Forgive me for being a burden."
"Don't worry about such things. Even if we don't slay Rayshen immediately, he will die sooner or later. Time is on our side."
"I understand, my lord."
Adrian nodded.
At that moment, both of their senses turned upward.
The familiar presence of magic power and aura.
Indeed, there was still work to be done in the autonomous territory of Midros.
"As you said, we have returned after one day, Sir Asher."
Members of the Society, Ethan and Rebecca.
The two whom Verden had sent away for a time, to dismantle Adrian's magic circle, had now returned.
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