Chapter 235: Opening (2)
Chapter 235: Opening (2)
Martina Gold.
Under the collective gaze of the Seven Chief Gods and the Nine Goddesses, she had been unable to withstand the pressure of those omnipotent beings and fled. The Swordmaster, who had intended to use a treasure from the Black Archipelago to return to her mansion, opened her eyes to find herself in an unfamiliar place. After a brief look around, Martina Gold soon realized where she was.
「"Better a multitude of the insignificant than a single supreme being." A very typical sentiment for you. Are you being sincere?」
The Land of Swords.
「I know my path was not the right answer. But wasn't the answer you all provided even more pathetic than the one I reached? If anything, mine seems more correct.」
Martina Gold heard a familiar voice.
Turning her head toward the sound, she saw a man who resembled a lion. He was the Master of All Swords, perched upon the Sword Throne—a seat fashioned from inverted blades and jagged edges. Liam Caravan.
Looking at him, Martina Gold spoke.
"Correct? Don't be ridiculous. There's no way a world like that could be right."
「Better than a world that is nothing but weak.」
"Do you still think that, even after seeing your son's end?"
「…….」
"Liam Caravan, if you're planning to pull the same kind of stunt you did in the past, think again. Don't even dream of appearing in the world ever again. Please."
Facing Liam Caravan, she continued.
"You are a calamity, Liam Caravan."
「A calamity, perhaps, but not a sin. And the way the world is turning now—that is a sin.」
Martina Gold let out a hollow laugh.
"So you intend to repeat the past after all."
「Indeed. Who could possibly bend my will?」
"You've grown terribly old. And yet, you're even stronger than before. It's frightening to even imagine what you've been doing to pass the time in this desolate land."
「…….」
"Do you really have no intention of passing the opportunity to the next era?"
At Martina Gold's words, Liam replied.
「I will pass it on only when I am convinced.」
"……."
「Should I not step down willingly only when someone reaches a level that satisfies me? At the very least, they must be able to convince me through the sword. If they cannot, then descendant or not, I shall break them all.」
Martina Gold shook her head at his answer.
She spoke again shortly after.
"So, did you call me here to break me as well?"
「No.」
"Then why?"
「I have something to ask.」
Something to ask?
The prideful Liam Caravan?
Martina Gold narrowed her eyes as she looked at him.
The question soon followed.
「Martina Gold, I have remained in this Land of Swords ever since my ascension. Though I can send a fragment of my soul to the Mortal Realm, I have had no opportunity to manifest my full power. I have become far too strong, Martina Gold.」
"……."
「And so, my standards have become warped.」
Liam slowly rose from the Sword Throne.
「To the point where I can no longer judge for myself.」
"……Oh."
「Martina Gold, you have seen my young descendant. And you are the only human in the Mortal Realm who remembers me from before my ascension. So, look with your own eyes and tell me.」
Suddenly, the scale of Liam's presence in Martina Gold's eyes grew uncontrollably. He became large enough to fill the world, and then massive enough to shatter it—as if the world itself could no longer contain him.
「How strong have I become?」
"……."
「If my young descendant struggles and eventually reaches the highest realm, and if the current me were to face him... how long could that child hold his ground?」
Liam's voice was strangely wistful.
But Martina had no room to appreciate that sentiment.
Feeling her breath tighten, she slowly answered his question.
"Liam Caravan."
「Speak.」
"Against something like you... there is no being that can 'hold his ground'."
Without a hint of a lie.
With total sincerity.
"Just what... what height have you reached?"
* * *
After Martina Gold vanished, I traveled without rest. Thus, about a month after setting out, I arrived at my beloved territory.
The continent really has become a mess.
The road back to the Caravan Estate was incredibly treacherous.
The Central Continent and the land passages connected to it were all utterly devastated. There was no place of peace; everywhere was at war. In the cities and lands where the scars of battle remained, there was only sorrow and despair. People who, like my past self, had lost something and were drowning in a rising sense of helplessness. They lay scattered, slowly dying.
Fortunately, the Caravan Estate was different.
The land that had once been stained with blood was now glowing with fervent vitality, even as the rest of the world burned. When I reached the entrance to the estate, I saw swarms of people. Refugees—a procession of those fleeing the war. Surprisingly, a vast number of them had come to the Caravan Estate.
A land under the protection of the Black Archipelago.
An estate ruled by a hero of the Southern Continent.
And furthermore.
"I heard the Star Order is here."
"To think this is the land where the Proxy Warrior of the peace-loving Goddess resides."
"We might actually be able to rest here."
Moses.
Having set out from Antoine, the City of Stars, she had now established the Star Order in the Caravan Estate and was helping those struggling to survive. With people from the Southern Continent and new converts to the Star Order gathering, the Caravan Estate was becoming an even more diverse land. I heard that many people had gathered in other nations of the Western Continent and other cities of the Iron Kingdom, but an overwhelming number had flocked to the Caravan Estate, where an actual 'Order' was established. In the Western Continent, which followed the logic of power, there were no places where an 'Order' existed, with the exception of Ferma, the Steel City.
"Please state your identity."
Guards, looking much more respectable than before, blocked my path. I gave them a smile and revealed my face. The guards' eyes widened as soon as they recognized me; they gave a thunderous salute and let me through. "The Lord has arrived!" At those words, even the eyes of the refugees lining the area focused on me.
I returned to the Caravan Estate amidst intense interest.
My land had changed quite a bit. I saw the elegant buildings characteristic of the Southern Continent, the Star Order building standing in the center of the city, and Moses—looking much more sophisticated—singing the Song of Stars atop a building that resembled the Primeval Observatory.
Farmland was now hard to find, replaced by an increase in commercial buildings. The plaza was filled not just with the elderly, but with youthful energy. It had developed so much it was hard to believe it was the same Caravan Estate I knew. Still, this was the Caravan Estate. My mansion was visible from the plaza, the roads, and everywhere else. High buildings had been erected, but they still could not obscure my home.
"Lord, we've been waiting for you."
"We've been waiting, sir."
"Lord! Lord—"
Everyone offered their greetings.
There were familiar faces and strangers alike.
As I greeted them, a stooped old man walked toward me. An elder so frail he could no longer walk without a cane. With skin etched with deep wrinkles, Caretaker Tom approached me.
"……You've come, Young Master Arhan."
"Tom."
"I've grown... quite a bit older, haven't I? Ho ho."
"……."
"Don't make that face, Young Master."
Having lost his sword, Tom had become an old man fitting his age. An elder for whom speaking, walking, and even breathing seemed a burden. Yet, my neighbor and old friend, who still maintained his dignity, simply offered a bright smile.
"Are we not friends?"
It was a statement laden with meaning.
I told Tom about what had happened after we parted at Ernestra. The old caretaker reacted modestly as he listened to the interesting tales. It wasn't that he lacked interest, but rather that he lacked the energy to react vigorously. Whenever I spoke of the Golden Treasury or the dragons, Tom's eyes would still shine like a young boy's. Seeing that boy trapped inside an old man's body made my heart ache. It felt as if I had stolen even more time from him.
After our conversation.
I went to see my other neighbors.
First, Audrey looked like she wanted to kill me. She demanded to know just how long I had been away during such a chaotic time. She showered me with abuse, telling me that if I was going to be like this, I should just hand the title of Lord over to Hailyn and get lost. Of course, I knew by now that for her, this was a warm welcome. Hailyn, who appeared with Audrey, updated me on the estate's development. Naturally, it was all content I couldn't understand, so I left after asking her to summarize it simply for me later.
I walked along, chatting with my welcome neighbors. Soon, I ascended toward the mansion, and on the path leading to it, a strange man was standing.
"You must be the Lord."
The moment I saw the man's face, I caught my breath for a second.
"It is a pleasure to meet you."
Because he looked so much like Zeppelin Gold.
But I soon realized that while they were similar, he was a different person.
"I am Sherpa Gold."
"If you are a Gold..."
"I am Zeppelin's eldest brother."
Sherpa Gold. Why was the eldest son of 'Gold' in our territory?
When I asked with my eyes, an explanation followed immediately. A simple and clear explanation.
To check on the place where Zeppelin Gold made his final investment.
He was similar to Martina Gold, yet different. While she had come to me to collect a price, Sherpa Gold had come to my land to look after what his brother had left behind and to ensure his intentions didn't fade, settling matters until the very end. Having finished his explanation, Sherpa Gold spoke.
"This land is remarkably safe. To the point where I wonder if it isn't among the top three safest cities in the Iron Kingdom."
"……."
"I came to offer help, but there are so many talented people here that I feel like the Black Archipelago should be the one requesting support from this estate instead. You are a man blessed with many good people around you, Lord."
Sherpa Gold said so with a smile. I stared at him before asking one question.
"Sherpa Gold, I'm curious about something."
"Please, ask."
"That... what happened to your leg?"
His leg. Hearing my words, Sherpa Gold looked down at his own limb. His left foot was wrapped tightly in bandages. It looked like a significant injury, but Sherpa Gold let out a hearty laugh as he looked at it.
"I paid a price for conducting a pointless test."
"To whom……?"
"I don't know who it was. They wouldn't tell me their name at all. I thought about asking someone else, but for some reason, my pride was hurt, so I'm still living without knowing. I figure I'll hear it when they decide to tell me directly someday."
Just then, I felt a sharp gaze from the mansion.
"It seems that person has seen the Lord's arrival."
"……."
"Please, go on ahead. You've been kept waiting a long time."
As Sherpa Gold suggested, I gave a short nod and walked toward the mansion. Unlike the developed village, my mansion still looked exactly as it had in the past. On the stairs leading up to it, a familiar person was staring intently at me with a familiar expression. With a face as cold as ice, black hair, black eyes, and wearing clothes that strongly evoked the Eastern Continent.
"Seol-yoon."
When I called her name, Seol-yoon gave a very faint smile. One so subtle that only I, and no one else, could recognize it.
"It's been a while."
Rising from her seat, Seol-yoon slowly drew a sword from her waist. The blade she drew was something I had never seen before; perhaps it was newly forged. It was a sword that exuded a chilling aura, like an object belonging to a ghost. Pointing that sword at me, Seol-yoon spoke.
"You know, right? I prefer... over a conversation with words..."
"……You prefer a Conversation of the Sword."
I, too, drew my sword in response. Seeing me, the corners of Seol-yoon's mouth turned up again. This time, more brightly.
"Yes. I do."
"……."
"Tell me. Everything that's happened until now."
Between the two of us, no more words were needed.
"Gladly."