Chapter 231: New Era (2)
Chapter 231: New Era (2)
The fleet of the Black Archipelago had taken a devastating blow from the dragons' raid. Fortunately, the core of their military strength and key personnel had been saved, thanks to Martina Gold stepping in. The dragons that had taken to the skies were all slaughtered by a single Swordmaster; under the Master of Gold, the sea was stained crimson with blood.
The Gold family and the forces of the Black Archipelago departed from the sea, deciding to lend their strength to the Sky Empire to exact revenge on those who were practically their mortal enemies. In the process, the eldest son, Sherpa Gold, left for the outskirts of the Iron Kingdom to track the traces of the youngest. Just as Sherpa had departed, Martina Gold headed elsewhere instead of joining the main force. Her goal was the same: to follow the traces of the youngest.
Martina Gold pursued the being who had been with Zeppelin Gold at the moment of his death. She tracked the Last Caravan, Arhan Caravan—the one she herself had told to follow him. Martina Gold harbored an immense sense of guilt over Zeppelin Gold’s death. Under normal circumstances, the youngest would have become a lazy idler, wasting money on clumsy business ventures. Was it not she who, under the guise of helping him grow, had given him information about the Caravan and sent him off to the Southern Continent?
Because of this, Martina Gold did not act passively this time. She resolved to meet Arhan Caravan in person. Once they met, she intended to hear exactly how Zeppelin Gold had died. If Arhan Caravan bore even the slightest responsibility for that death, she planned to extract payment in her own way.
It was not difficult for the Master of Gold to find Arhan Caravan. Having lived since the Age of War, Martina Gold remembered the aura of Liam Caravan. And from the Last Caravan, the scent of Liam Caravan wafted strongly—the scent of Steel, which she could never forget.
* * *
"It’s become a complete shambles."
「Indeed. It looks much like the Age of War.」
Everywhere I looked, there was only sorrow.
A landscape forged by war.
It was different from the wars depicted in chivalric novels. Unlike those stories, which were filled only with waves of glory, victory, and the ecstasy of heroes, the reality of war was nothing short of horrific. Shadows were cast over the faces of the mobilized soldiers, and the faces of the wives and mothers who had sent their sons or husbands to the battlefield. Most taverns were closed, and there were no merchants selling wares on the streets. The frozen city and the chilling silence created a heavy, suffocating atmosphere.
"Master."
「What is it?」
"How did you bring the Age of War to an end?"
I asked the question that had been on my mind.
"You mentioned before that you personally put a stop to the Age of War, and that to execute that method, one must become a Swordmaster."
「I did.」
"What exactly was that method?"
This atmosphere. Was it truly possible for an individual to change this terrible air?
「You simply become a being that no one can oppose.」
"What does that mean?"
「According to the laws established by the Seven Chief Gods and Nine Goddesses, a duel is sacred. And as the status of one's soul rises, the words one speaks and the choices one makes naturally carry more weight.」
"..."
「What I did was simple.」
Liam looked at me.
「I challenged every transcendent existing in the Age of War to a duel.」
"..."
「Then I dueled all the Great Warriors, followed by all the generals, and finally, I dueled the monarchs of every nation and the chieftains of every race.」
What Liam described was a method that far exceeded my imagination.
"Wait, what do you mean..."
「There were those who tried to stop me, calling it madness. I dueled them as well. There were those who refused the duel and raised armies instead. After slaughtering those armies to the last man, I offered the duel again. I made it so that if they refused my challenge, their subordinates would lose their loyalty and revolt.」
"..."
「I dueled again and again, and then again. Eventually, the Seven Chief Gods and Nine Goddesses stepped in. It was the first time they had seen a 'Swordmaster'—a being that disrupted the balance of the world—so they must have been quite horrified. But I challenged even the gods who revealed themselves to a duel.」
Insane. That was the only word for such actions. What kind of human mind could even conceive of such an idea?
But there was something even more insane.
「And my blade reached even the gods.」
It was a fact I already knew. The reason the Seven Chief Gods and Nine Goddesses hated the 'Caravan.' It was because Steel had once reached the heavens.
「Under a single Steel, war vanished. I completed a continent where there were no monarchs to continue the war, no vassals to incite it, and no generals to command it.」
"..."
「In your era, multiple Swordmasters have come to exist. It is different from my time. There is even a powerful empire that has unified a continent, something that did not exist in my day. However, fundamentally, nothing has changed.」
Liam looked at me.
「The lowly do not desire war. And if the high-born who crave war and blood disappear, war does not happen. If those who disregard the lowly and constantly thirst for blood are gone, then swords, spears, and shields will not clash.」
"..."
「This is the way of Steel.」
Would such a method still work today? But my doubt was soon resolved.
Not much has changed, really.
The continent today is run by the Five Families and the great powers led by the Sky Empire. The reason such factions could be formed was that the Five Families possessed Swordmasters, and the Sky Empire possessed Swordmasters. The world still revolved around Swordmasters. The premise that only a Swordmaster can harm another Swordmaster remained the center of the world.
And Liam's old method would work this time as well.
The problem was whether I could become as strong as Master. The first Swordmaster. A Swordmaster of unprecedented power. Could I become like him?
Of course, there was no need to agonize over it. I didn't necessarily have to follow Liam's way. I had my own way. Not the way of the Caravan, but the way of Arhan.
* * *
Whether I chose Liam's way or my own, there were conditions that had to be met first. I had to become a Swordmaster. It wasn't just the Iron Kingdom that operated on the logic of power. Ultimately, the logic of the entire continent was determined by 'strength.'
The destiny I had to fulfill was to kill Swordmaster Carlos. In addition, I had to make those who took everything from me pay the price. As my journey progressed, my 'enemies' were increasing one by one. To create a result I could live with, I had to possess a sword powerful enough to hold them all accountable for their sins.
I also had to protect the people who believed in me and followed me. Returning to my territory was essential—to reorganize amidst the chaos of the world, to protect my loved ones, and to join forces with those who would be my strength.
To be honest, there was also a sense of longing. The pride I felt every time I saw the Caravan territory, now prosperous and more flourishing than in the past. The nostalgia wafting through the friendly atmosphere. My land was the only place where I could truly rest. My people and my land, which I had protected...
"Child."
But my karma was waiting for me.
"Let me ask you one thing."
A karma I hadn't known was mine. A friend I thought I had protected, but a friend I had failed to save.
"Do you know of Zeppelin Gold?"
* * *
"...I know of Zeppelin Gold."
"Do you?"
"He is my friend. A very close friend."
I looked at the woman, Martina Gold. A living witness to history who had lived since the Age of War, the oldest existing Swordmaster, strangely, had the appearance of a young woman. She did not look like someone who had lived for over several hundred years.
"Why do you ask? Zeppelin Gold and I built a bond starting from the Southern Continent; we are friends with many shared memories. Not only that, but as business partners, we—"
I did not lie. Lies do not work before a Swordmaster. And there was no reason to lie.
What reason did I have to be anything but truthful about Zeppelin? I truly considered Zeppelin a friend. After returning to the Caravan territory, I had planned to search for his whereabouts and greet him warmly when we met again. I spoke while looking at Martina Gold.
"Is he... is he suffering a lot?"
Yes, he must have been suffering greatly. No matter how firm his resolve was when he dove in, it was death. The pain of skin tearing, bones breaking, and bleeding is not something anyone can easily overcome. Perhaps after being revived in his hometown, Zeppelin was suffering from phantom pains and had become a recluse.
And was it just physical pain? How great must the horrific memories be—the people he lost, the things he witnessed during the rampage of the Great Land? I had a debt to pay to Zeppelin. If Martina Gold demanded I pay the price for Zeppelin's suffering, I was willing to do so.
"It is my fault. He volunteered to step forward, but I should have stopped him. I failed to do so. I truly want to express my gratitude to Zeppelin. If he resents me, I am willing to accept any punishment. If you have come to find me to avenge your descendant's anger, then please, punish me. But I have one request."
Perhaps Zeppelin no longer considered me a friend. Perhaps in his pain and misery, our friendship had faded, leaving only resentment and anger. If so, I would bow my head and apologize. I would accept his wrath. That was my duty. One who receives must surely repay the one who gave.
However.
"Please, only spare my life. If nothing but my life will suffice for your forgiveness, then take it after my revenge is complete. I still have things I must do."
I had work to finish.
"I beg of you, Master of Gold."
Hearing my words, Martina Gold fell silent for a moment. Closing her eyes gently, she soon walked over slowly and placed her hand on my head. Then, she stroked my hair very carefully, as if petting a small animal.
"Child, you know nothing."
"..."
"You truly... know nothing."
Her voice was bitter.
"Why did you do it, Zeppelin? You foolish child. Have you forgotten all the teachings of the Red Bank? Do not give anything without a price; if you have given, then extract payment..."
"..."
"Why did you give everything and leave so hollowly before receiving anything in return? Why did you forget the precious teachings of the Red Bank and follow only the golden blood flowing in your veins? Without receiving anything, chasing only after that which sparkles... why did you go so far away..."
It was strange. Her voice was incredibly strange. I lifted my bowed head and looked at Martina Gold.
"Wait..."
"Zeppelin is dead."
She seemed to know what question I was about to ask.
"His body and soul were torn to shreds; he could not even return to the spiritual world. He has been eternally extinguished."
Dead. Completely extinguished.
Hearing those words, my mind went blank for a moment.
Zeppelin...?
Then, did he lie to me back then? Why? To make himself the bait? But why? If he did that, I wouldn't even be able to remember his noble sacrifice, nor could I have seen him off properly at the end. Then, was that end I witnessed truly Zeppelin Gold's final moment? Did I... did I express proper gratitude to him? Did I truly understand the weight of his choice? My head began to spin. An unbearable headache washed over me.
"Last Caravan."
"..."
"I wished for you to be a bad child. I thought that way, I could hate you more, ease my guilt, and lessen my sorrow. But... but hearing your words, my sorrow only grows heavier."
"..."
"How am I to soothe the soul of that child, who can no longer be found anywhere in this world? Even with my overflowing gold, I cannot buy lost memories, nor can I reclaim a vanished kinsman. I... I..."
Martina Gold shed tears as she spoke with her eyes closed.
「Young descendant.」
Liam's voice cut in.
「Relay my words.」
Relay your words?
「As that foolish woman says, the fledgling known as Zeppelin Gold died there. However, he did not disappear.」
He didn't disappear? What does that mean?
「I will explain, so get ready to relay it.」
Liam looked at me.
「If you do this well, a Swordmaster will become your complete ally.」