Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Back to the Capital (1)
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When I opened my eyes, Damian was gone.
The only trace of him was the empty mithril armor lying on the floor.
"Clay, did you get what you wanted?"
As I stared at the spot where Damian had vanished, Maria approached and asked.
She looked quite fatigued, probably because she had simultaneously linked my dream with Damian's and Gransesia's.
"I'll have to check from now on, but..."
I stopped mid-sentence.
That was when I noticed the Eye of Simosa on Maria's finger.
'My God. What the hell did I just do?'
Along with that, I recalled what I had done to Gransesia right before waking from the dream.
Approaching Gransesia from behind as she silently watched Damian disappear...
"..."
I felt a throbbing headache coming on.
But regretting what I had already done was pointless.
I wanted to put off returning the Eye of Simosa, but it was something I had to face eventually anyway.
Taking a deep breath, I extended my hand to Maria.
"Here you go."
As soon as I reached out, Maria removed the Eye of Simosa from her finger and handed it to me.
"You...!"
The moment I took the Eye of Simosa, Gransesia's sharp cry rang out.
"W-What are you doing all of a sudden?!"
It was my first time learning that a soul could bite its own tongue. It showed just how flustered she was.
"Well, I guess you'd call it a mistake..."
"Ugh."
She seemed to have a lot to say, but all she could manage was a groan.
Of course, I wasn't the only one feeling embarrassed.
"Hoo, so what happened to the Single Moon Divine Sword?"
After taking a moment to breathe and calm herself, Gransesia asked in a composed voice.
I shook my head to clear my mind and checked the settings for the Single Moon Divine Sword.
"Huh?"
The settings for the Single Moon Divine Sword were intact.
Instead, a new ability had been added to the Setting Addition section.
==
[Ilryun Jicheon Sword]
Required Plausibility
1. Acquire Single Moon Divine Sword (Achieved)
2. Reach Sword Master
3. Defeat seven or more Disasters
==
The moment I read the description, I realized this was the swordsmanship Damian had perfected in the end.
The problem was that I still couldn't access its settings.
'If I recall the sword path Damian used at the very end...'
The final image of Damian fighting Gransesia was still vivid in my mind.
The forms of the Ilryun Jicheon Sword were, naturally, almost identical to those of the Single Moon Divine Sword.
There were some differences, but they were mostly similar, so replicating the sword path didn't seem too difficult.
'The issue is that the mana circulation method is completely different.'
How on earth could the mana circulation change so drastically?
It seemed I'd have no choice but to get Gransesia's help. She must know exactly how to use it.
[It's not that hard. With a bit of luck, you might master it faster than fulfilling the plausibility requirements.]
That was exactly what I was aiming for.
Reaching Sword Master was one thing, but defeating seven or more Disasters was difficult in many ways.
'I've taken down three so far, right?'
Dragon Calamity, Plague Disaster, and Illusion Disaster.
I'd defeated more than I thought, but four still remained.
Considering they grew exponentially stronger with each subsequent one, taking down three more felt quite distant.
"Count! We've secured all the wounded!"
As I pondered the Ilryun Jicheon Sword, a knight from the Deolic family approached me.
He glanced at me, sensed something off, and looked around.
"Where has Sir Damian gone?"
The skeptical attitude about whether he was the real Damian or not had already vanished.
Who wouldn't believe after seeing him fight Rugal?
His eyes sparkled especially brightly as he searched for Damian.
"Sir Damian entered eternal rest after defeating Rugal."
"What?! Is that true?"
"He stayed behind from the beginning to defeat Rugal, after all."
"I see..."
The knights around us looked genuinely regretful at my words.
Damian had vanished so suddenly that few seemed to have witnessed his final moments.
'He said, "Please," didn't he?'
It seemed feelings had built up over the nearly half-year spent with Damian, knowingly or not.
Even though they knew this was how it would end, the shock was still evident.
"Clay, let's go back."
Riya had approached unnoticed and gently tugged at my sleeve. She must have realized I was having trouble tearing myself away.
"Yeah, we should."
It was regrettable, but we had no more business here.
We probably wouldn't return here ever again.
'Damian, great hero. Rest in peace.'
With that, I turned my back.
Unlike Damian, my story wasn't over yet.
* * *
Nearly a month had passed since defeating Rugal.
When I reported to Beatrice that Rugal would no longer revive, she was genuinely delighted and promised me a new reward.
I didn't know what it was, but it was surely something worth looking forward to.
"Your mana capacity is increasing smoothly."
According to the Synopsis, there was still some leeway. Unlike before, Fabian hadn't moved immediately either.
After a proper rest, I headed to the Kezman Mountains with Mone.
'At this rate, I can at least double my mana before entering the next episode.'
The power of Agatram, the fairy's scabbard, and the Fairy Wood was tremendous.
I had expected great effects, but thanks to Beatrice's advice, the results exceeded my expectations.
All the past struggles to increase my mana felt futile in comparison.
"It's reassuring and nice to see you resting peacefully at home, Young Master."
Mone smiled brightly as she set down tea beside me.
She was smiling on the outside, but her eyes were icy cold. It reminded me of Riya.
"...I'll live like this for a while, so don't look at me like that."
"You say that, but you always end up causing some strange incident."
"..."
I had no excuse for that. I couldn't tell Mone the original story's contents.
This time, I hadn't been seriously injured, but after rumors about Rugal spread, Mone had glared at me with axe-like eyes.
She probably never imagined I'd fought such a dangerous opponent.
"Really... Sigh."
Still, Mone's complaints were minor.
Even her occasional nagging stemmed from worry for me, so I had no choice but to listen obediently.
Knock knock.
At that moment, someone knocked on the door.
The only one who usually entered my room during paperwork was Mone, so I was puzzled. She wouldn't disturb me without good reason.
"Come in."
The door slowly opened, and Dorian entered.
He glanced at Mone beside me, then bowed calmly.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your work. A guest has arrived to see you, Young Master—no, Count."
Dorian now called me Patriarch or Count as much as possible.
It felt a bit distant, but it was proper, so I couldn't complain.
Now, only Mone called me Young Master.
"A guest? ...Perhaps Count Deolic?"
"No. It is Duke Gail."
"What?"
I furrowed my brow at the unexpected visitor.
'Duke Gail came here?'
It was a major incident, so curiosity was natural, but for him to come all the way here was surprising.
Ivan Gail was one of the top powerhouses in Talua Kingdom, and he rarely moved personally.
"Let's go right away."
Meeting Duke Gail was something I had hoped for anyway.
Lavanteira, the land of other races located in the Kezman Mountains.
To enter that place, which forbade human entry, I needed a plan.
I initially thought seeking help from the Asktalin Empire would solve it easily, but sadly, that wasn't possible.
According to Riya, Lavanteira was beyond even the Empire's influence.
'He came on his own. How convenient.'
Given the situation, I had been considering asking Duke Gail for help anyway.
I moved my feet, earnestly hoping to gain some clue from him.
* * *
"Damn it!"
In the Deolic family's count's residence.
Leon Deolic let out a faint sigh at the sound of something shattering.
'It's become routine now.'
Ever since the incident with the Banheart family, Logan Deolic had lost all composure. His temper had grown irritable, and outbursts like this were frequent.
"Clay... That damned Clay bastard..."
Lately, the name most often on Logan's lips was undoubtedly Clay.
After the Fairy Forest incident, the southern region had effectively fallen to the Banheart family.
Previously, the Deolics would have interfered to curb their momentum, but now it was impossible.
The fact that Logan had nearly lost his life to Dark Lord Rugal had spread too far.
Even in the ruthless noble world that prioritized profit over sentiment, the story had circulated too much.
If they picked a fight with the Banhearts now, Logan would be seen as a wretch who betrayed even his lifesaver.
The family's honor would naturally plummet.
Thanks to that, they could only watch with empty hands as the Banhearts devoured the Bellun family's territory and wealth.
"Father, our family is still strong. You don't need to worry so much..."
"Strong? Strong, you say! The throne of the south has gone to the Banhearts! We handed over a position we held for over a century to that brat!"
Even among the Deolic soldiers and knights, Clay's name rang high. It was starting to feel like they prioritized Clay's words over his own, the patriarch.
"...I'm going to the capital."
"What?"
"Hmph. It's been a while since I let loose. Staying in this mansion is driving me mad."
At the word 'let loose' from his father, Leon was stunned.
Logan had one particularly bad habit.
Leon had desperately dissuaded him, so he'd restrained himself, but it seemed the stress from this incident had reached its limit.
"Father, that's..."
"Shut up! I am the patriarch of the Deolic family! If I can't even do this, what can I do?!"
Leon closed his mouth as Logan kicked the desk beside him violently.
No matter what he said now, his father wouldn't listen.
'I have a bad feeling about this.'
For some reason, Leon felt unease at Logan's demeanor.
It seemed the dark cloud over the Deolic family wouldn't lift easily.