Chapter 146
Chapter 146
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 146
Chapter Title: Chapter 29 Paradise and Hell (2)
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It was the Guardian Shadows. They were following along as if escorting Azel. There were more than fifty of them, and their numbers were growing as time passed.
Kairen's expression turned peculiar.
"Do you think we can communicate our intentions clearly to those guys?"
"From what I've seen, it's hard for us to understand their words, but they seem to understand ours just fine."
"Hmm. Now that you mention it, you're right."
"And it's not a particularly difficult request anyway."
As Yuren approached, the Guardian Shadows all turned to look at once. The pressure from these ghost-like beings directing their gazes in perfect unison was truly eerie. Yuren swallowed hard and spoke.
"I have a favor to ask. Could you catch some beasts nearby—anything will do—and bring them here? Alive, though...."
「We can do it....」
「Beasts....」
「We hunt....」
About half of the fifty-odd Guardian Shadows vanished into the forest.
A short while later, Yuren found himself staring at a pile of beasts stacked like a mountain in front of him. They were all either mangled in some way or bound by binding spells—apparently, the Guardian Shadows could use magic as well.
"That's plenty. Laura, you use some too. I'll keep treating Azel for now."
"Got it."
Unlike Yuren, who still had some reserves left, Laura was severely depleted in both mana and stamina. Draining life force from beasts was better than meditating to recover.
As Yuren continued the treatment, he asked Kairen,
"What are your plans now?"
With Azel unconscious, it fell to Kairen to lead the group. Kairen replied,
"I considered heading to a nearby city to shake them off... but I've decided against it."
"Why is that?"
"The others aside, that bastard Reygus won't give up the chase just because we're in a city. If we use civilians as shields by going there and he decides to attack anyway...."
It would be a total disaster. If Reygus rampaged in the middle of a city, thousands would die.
Yuren said,
"But escaping like this won't be easy."
"Going to a city wouldn't improve the situation either."
"True. Even if they don't attack, we'd just end up surrounded eventually."
"For now, we have no choice but to rely on those things."
The number of Guardian Shadows was steadily increasing. They were probably converging here from across the continent. If they held off the enemies, escaping wouldn't be too hard.
Suddenly, Kairen asked them,
"The reason you're gathering to us... is it because Azel is the man of prophecy?"
「Prophecy....」
「Man of prophecy....」
「Hero....」
「The one we believed in....」
「The one who made us....」
The Guardian Shadows chattered in a disorganized jumble.
Hearing their words, Kairen felt certain.
Azel was the man of prophecy.
'The one who possesses Dragon Demon mana despite being human, the vessel that can hold great power, will fulfill the unfulfilled wish.'
The prophecy left by the creators of the Guardian Shadows to the Prophecy Guardians—the one who would truly destroy the Dragon Demon Worshippers and end this war.
At the same time, a question arose.
"What do you mean, 'the one who made us'?"
「He was first....」
「It began with him....」
「The one who connects beginning and end....」
"...."
As expected, it was impossible to have a proper conversation with them. Kairen's irritated expression hardened.
"Wait. Does that mean the creator of the Guardian Shadows is...?"
In the past, when explaining his own identity, Azel had said this:
'What if he didn't die? What if, through an incredible spell perfected by his close friend, the great mage Kallos, he entered a long slumber without aging? Hiding from people's eyes, in a place untouched by human feet, sleeping for ages like a dragon in hibernation?'
At the time, it had sounded absurd, but in retrospect, it was a confession of the truth.
That truth had remained buried and unknown to the world through the long years. But who could know that fact and prophesy his existence as the final hope? And if that someone was a mage capable of creating something as absurd as the Guardian Shadows?
Kairen could think of only one such person.
"The great mage Kallos Lister...."
Someone else might have known Azel was asleep.
But adding the condition of being a mage capable of creating the Guardian Shadows eliminated anyone but Kallos.
Yuren said,
"Reygus asked where Kallos was too, didn't he?"
"If Azel really is that Azel Karzark, it wouldn't be strange if Kallos Lister were alive somewhere. It's hard to believe, but we have proof right in front of us."
"The greatest pair from the Dragon Emperor War descending upon the present world once more. It's like something out of a joke."
"It's a topic that comes up often among knights and mages."
"Huh?"
"The records of the Dragon Emperor War were said to be exaggerated. So people often speculated objectively: if they appeared in their prime and fought renowned knights or mages of today, what would happen? Guys like us can talk about who's stronger for three days and nights straight."
Kairen gave a wry smile.
After witnessing the clash between Azel and Reygus, he had realized bone-deep that the records of the Dragon Emperor War were not exaggerated—they were factual.
'But if Kallos created the Guardian Shadows, there's more than one or two things that don't make sense....'
The Guardian Shadows were a secret organization unknown to the world anyway. So why leave only vague prophecies about Azel to even the Prophecy Guardians at their core, without properly informing them?
Moreover, even if he had the ability, why create the Guardian Shadows at all? It was incomprehensible.
If Kairen were in Kallos's position, he would have acted differently. Wouldn't it have been far better to fake his death, manipulate the world from the shadows, and build a system to oppose the Dragon Demon Worshippers?
Kallos had hidden his existence even from the Guardian Shadows, and until the Great Darkness when they began their activities, he had stood by as the Dragon Demon Worshippers ravaged human society. What circumstances could have led to that?
Suddenly, Yuren spoke up.
"But we can't be sure it was Kallos."
"Why not?"
"The clues we have do make Kallos the obvious suspect, but there are still too many questions. It could just as easily be one of Kallos's successors who didn't leave a mark in history. I myself am an unknown descendant of Kallos."
"You seem utterly convinced you're his descendant."
"Azel said I resemble Kallos, didn't he?"
"That doesn't prove you're his descendant. Not that I have any reason not to believe you."
"Come on. Doubting a comrade's identity."
"I trust that you're our ally. But your actual identity... well, shouldn't we start by uncovering the true nature of that highly suspicious 'Guide'?"
"Sadly, I can't deny that... but lately, I've come up with an interesting hypothesis about the Guide's identity."
"What hypothesis?"
"Maybe the Sage Biyan...."
"Biyan? Why does that name come up all of a sudden?"
Kairen frowned. Having survived the Great Darkness, he couldn't help but react sensitively to that name.
It was then, as Yuren started to reply—
"Ugh...."
Azel groaned and opened his eyes.
Yuren's face lit up.
"Azel!"
"...."
"Can you hear me? Are you conscious?"
Yuren asked. Azel replied with effort.
"Not so loud...."
"Huh?"
"Don't shout.... My head... is ringing...."
"Oh, sorry. I got excited."
Yuren gave a wry smile.
Azel let out a sigh and opened his mouth. But after moving his lips a few times, he switched to Whispering.
-It's too hard to speak out loud, so let's do it this way.
"That might be better."
-You've pumped a ton of crude life force into my body. Your doing?
"It was the only way to treat you."
-So we couldn't afford to take you to a healer. The side effects worry me, but... better than dying untreated.
As he spoke, Azel began actively utilizing the life energy Yuren was extracting from the beasts and infusing into him. Until he'd lost consciousness moments ago, he'd only been passively receiving it, but now he could assess his own condition and direct the energy where it was most needed.
Yuren was surprised.
"Whoa, the recovery's suddenly speeding up big time!"
-It's the dragon's power.
"What do you mean?"
-I absorbed it through the Dragon Slaying Ritual, but I haven't fully digested it yet. Now it's seeping into my flesh during the healing process. There'll be losses, but no choice.
Azel frowned. Using the dragon's power for recovery meant losses from its original purpose: strengthening the body and converting mana to Dragon Demon mana. Still, it was the best option now.
His condition was improving at a visible rate.
Azel's injuries had been so severe that it was questionable if he could recover at all, and even if he did, aftereffects were inevitable. But bone and muscle, organs and nerves... the blood flow he'd forcibly stanched in every detail of his body was normalizing bit by bit, and damaged tissues were regenerating.
The process was incredibly slow. His recovery rate was incomparable to a normal human's, but it wouldn't heal instantly.
-Tell me the situation.
"It's been about an hour and a half since we pulled out of the battlefield."
-Only that long?
Azel was surprised. Having completely blacked out, he hadn't gauged the passage of time.
Yuren briefly explained the situation, including the Guardian Shadows.
"...So we've been resting and treating you. We can't relax too much, though."
-I see. I don't know what method they're using, but if they can still track us...."
"If the tracking's still active, they could catch up anytime. We'll rely on the Guardian Shadows if they do, and keep running steadily for now."
"It'll be a rough road to the Avaltan Forest."
"You're still set on going there. Well, it might actually be the safest place...."
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