Chapter 494 – Watcher of the North (1)
"No! My tavern!!"
The owner, who had been running a tavern in Chillstead for 33 years, screamed in despair.
Wooden fragments scattered in all directions. Along with them, memories of the building he had constructed himself, and even used once as a wedding hall, flashed before his eyes.
It had long been his dream to repair it together with his two young sons once they grew a little older...!
At that moment, a voice rang out.
"You will be compensated for the damage later."
"Ah, in that case, it's fine. Don't mind this place, just fight with all your strength."
At the words that he would be compensated, the owner immediately calmed down. Though the other hadn't left any collateral, he believed him.
If there were no intention to compensate, then such words would never have been left behind. They would have simply ignored him and fled.
That is the way of the Northerners.
Thud, thud...
Dust clouds rose thickly.
From within the ruined tavern, two men burst out. With a single leap, they ascended to the rooftop and charged at one another.
Claaang!
Their vambraces collided.
Immediately, successive strikes followed, the two exchanging countless blows in an instant.
'It feels like pounding against a fortress wall.'
Every frontal attack was countered with nearly identical force, and even against unorthodox movements, his opponent responded with astonishing accuracy.
Judgment and reflexes honed through extreme battlefields, without doubt.
'Cheap tricks won't work.'
So judged Adrian, who strengthened his physical ability with aura, accelerating.
Thoom!!
He dropped his body to an extreme low, then used every ounce of rebound to deliver a backward kick, shoving his armor away with impact.
The King of the North took a step back.
At the same time, Adrian vaulted onto the roof behind him, striking his temple with his heel.
"You are fast, as expected."
The King of the North, his head slightly tilted, grasped Adrian's ankle.
A sensation of floating wrapped around his body.
Adrian was slammed into the ground, breaking through the building and crashing into the floor below.
They had exchanged blows.
Of course, neither was the type to take meaningful injury from something like this.
Adrian blasted away the debris and stepped out into the open street, as the King of the North looked down from the rooftop and asked.
"You won't be using your sword?"
"I could ask you the same."
Through several exchanges, Adrian had realized the man was a swordsman.
Crack.
The King of the North tore off his tattered disguise of a robe.
Sunlight reflected on the fully revealed azure armor, and the cloak made from the hide of a powerful magical beast, categorized as a special specimen, billowed behind him.
"I have no intention of harming you. No reason to draw my sword."
"The same for me."
"Good that we share this in common. I'd prefer to resolve this through dialogue even now... though I suppose that is impossible?"
Adrian adjusted the metal mask that covered his jaw.
"Then sit quietly and wait."
"I lack such certainty. If I let you slip away even once, it would mean pursuing you again, something I would rather avoid. I don't have that luxury, and it would be troublesome in many ways."
Craack.
The King of the North slammed down from the rooftop.
With one stomp, the street was destroyed.
Adrian evaded even the scattering fragments, pushing against the ground as he widened the distance.
Kkugh.
The weight settled on the balls of his feet.
Then, accelerating in a straight line, breaking the sound barrier, Adrian launched his fist. The King of the North, catching sight of him, extended his own arm.
Kwooooom!!
Nearby windows shattered to pieces from the shockwave.
Recoil surged through his body.
Adrian did not resist.
He recovered balance while flying backward, and without hesitation, dashed to the opposite side.
'They said the vast North has only one king... in terms of strength, it makes sense.'
Bare hands left him at a disadvantage.
Even if he drew his sword, victory would not easily be guaranteed.
'And he said he sensed the wave of spatial teleportation and followed us here.'
What problem that posed, and why the King of the North himself had come in person, Adrian did not know.
What was clear, however, was that it was not his decision to make alone.
'Whether he is deemed an enemy or not, only my liege may decide.'
Thus Adrian rejected the King's offer, and thus he engaged without drawing his sword.
"...Hm?"
As Adrian was heading toward the building where Verden was, he sensed something strange.
He halted in the middle of the plaza.
Looking around, he noticed there was not a single citizen where there should have been many. Even when he spread his aura, not a trace of life could be sensed.
As though Chillstead were empty... and come to think of it, despite all the commotion just now, not a single scream had been heard.
"What is this?"
"I had to take precautions, lest innocent people suffer from us. I could not prevent the tavern, but everything else is secure."
The King of the North approached, a northern woman with two axes in hand at his side.
"Think of it as a sort of sealing. Without my permission, you cannot leave. Now, will you cooperate?"
"As if."
Adrian, not flustered in the least, let out a light laugh.
"I've already bought enough time."
From the sky, beams of frost rained down.
***
The reaction was immediate.
"Sss."
The woman assisting the King of the North, 'Lienje', inhaled through slightly parted lips, then swung her twin axes against the oncoming cold.
Crushing Shatter
Martial Art and 6th-tier magic collided.
The two one-handed axes, crossed in an X, cleaved diagonally through the air.
Craaaash!
The split light of frost streaked past.
The bitter cold, unable to breach the King and Lienje's space, froze the ground.
Jagged spikes of ice rose around the two.
Isabella slowly lowered her altitude.
She was already hovering in midair, with Mado
"Pretty high level for a midday robber, don't you think? Who are they supposed to be?"
"According to him, the King of the North."
"The King of Prohas...? Wait, why would a king suddenly come after you and attack?"
"No idea."
Isabella and Adrian, keeping their eyes on the opponent, exchanged a brief conversation.
The King of the North marveled.
"There are not many across the continent who could intrude here so casually. You are quite skilled."
"I suppose I am."
A voice came from farther away.
Verden pressed the floor with Interis, his footsteps soft, and then placed himself beside Adrian, casting his gaze forward.
"What business does the only king ruling the North have with us?"
At present, Verden did not conceal his appearance, it was fully revealed.
No matter how famous he was across the continent, in the North there was no one who would recognize him.
All the more so when they had already entered this space, perfectly imitating Chillstead through some unknown method of the intruder.
Above all, as long as he could not yet use
"That man..."
Lienje looked at Verden, her eyes widening as she let out a small voice.
It was a reaction of shock.
Likewise, the King of the North blinked, as if taken by surprise, then issued an order.
"Put away your weapons, Lienje."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Immediately, Lienje hooked her twin axes to the ring at the back of her waist.
The King of the North spoke to Verden.
"Now I am certain. Which means, there is no further need for us to fight."
"Just like that?"
"The misunderstanding has been cleared. You are not beings we must treat as enemies. On the contrary, you are far closer to allies than foes."
He smiled faintly.
"I request a dialogue, Asher."
***
The King of the North had spoken the alias that Verden used across the continent. At the sight of his face, he had immediately recognized who he was.
Even the woman named Lienje as well.
'They should not have ever met me before.'
No matter how he thought about it, Verden had no particular connection whatsoever with the northern kingdom, Prohas. Without question, none.
And yet the King of the North, upon seeing Verden, had called him an ally... there was more than enough reason not to refuse this dialogue.
Still, in the city of Chillstead, manifested by the King of the North through sealing.
Verden and the King of the North entered a tavern near the plaza, taking seats at the bar.
Adrian, Isabella, and Lienje waited outside.
"This is Prohas-made special strawberry wine. Despite its plain appearance, its taste and fragrance are extraordinary. Which also makes it exceedingly difficult to obtain."
From the mouth of a glass bottle carved with countless shapes, red and transparent liquid poured.
The slightly viscous liquor filled two cups to the brim, swaying.
The King of the North, showing there was nothing questionable within, readily drank.
"A shame there are no side dishes. Shall I fetch something to chew?"
"That is not what is important."
The Transcendent exercised his insight.
Verden discerned clearly that the King of the North had indeed seen him before, but beyond that, it was extremely difficult to pierce through.
This phenomenon became more pronounced with those who carried strong presences, such as Adrian or Isabella.
And the King of the North was even harder to read than they were.
Verden asked.
"Who are you, to know me?"
"I am the current King of Prohas, and the King of the North. Ahaha, of course, I know that is not what you wanted to hear."
The King of the North continued.
"As you already sensed, I am a stranger to you, but you are not a stranger to me. Then allow me to introduce myself properly."
He revealed his hidden identity.
"My name is Eres Aindgel Prohas. As one of the Captains of the Ark, I have inherited the mantle of the Watcher of the North. A pleasure to meet you."
"...!"
Following the unknown explorer, Legrit Narsilia───another of the Ark's highest forces appeared, the Watcher of the North.
***
'...A Captain of the Ark?'
Just as Eres was surprised to see Verden, Verden likewise reacted in kind upon hearing Eres' identity.
He had never imagined he would encounter a Captain of the Ark in a place like this.
What's more, the King of the North, whom he had known only by knowledge, turned out to be one of the few leading figures of the colossal organization known as the Ark.
From what Verden knew, there were currently five who held the position of Captain within the Ark.
'Given that a Transcendent serves as the head librarian of the Ark, I had expected them to be extraordinary individuals, but...'
Unlike Legrit, the War Lord of the Arnak Empire, Eres was not merely seated in a high post of a powerful nation.
He was, in truth, no different from the sovereign ruler of the entire North.
'Are the remaining three similar as well?'
Or perhaps disguised as ordinary people, or refraining from appearing publicly, acting only within the Ark.
Yet if probabilities were considered... they were likely figures exerting continent-wide influence, like Legrit and Eres.
Ultimately, one question crystallized.
If the Ark was so powerful, guided by such a lofty belief in humanity, then who was the one holding its helm?
A figure of the present, or one of the past?
With so little information about the Ark's leadership, no conclusion could easily be drawn.
"..."
Verden emptied the cup on the table.
The rich strawberry scent, mingled with strong liquor, flowed down his throat.
Eres smiled as he refilled the glass.
"Were you greatly surprised?"
"To a degree."
"I was just as surprised. I never thought I would meet you here, when I had heard you were in a land without a master. And───"
Tak.
The strawberry wine bottle made a sound as it touched the table.
"In only a few months, for a candidate of the Ark to step into the realm of Transcendence was astonishing. Even if I did not show it outwardly."
As expected.
Such discernment was fitting for a Captain of the Ark.
"It seems unlikely my questions will be answered with just a few exchanges."
"That is fortunate."
Verden showed interest.
"For so am I."
The Transcendent of Ruin, and the Watcher of the North, began their earnest dialogue.
You can read more chapters in organised way on my website:- https://revengernovel.com