Chapter 8
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: The Eye-Opening Ceremony (3)
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5.
The sea.
Karron thought of the vast ocean as he looked at the azure mana filling his surroundings.
Just once in his past life.
He had seen the sea in a coastal city he'd gone to under the Emperor's orders to suppress a rebellion.
The endless horizon.
That great, unfathomable nature.
It was a single experience, but he recalled the grandeur he had felt then.
The azure mana before him kept bringing back that feeling.
Mana, brimming throughout his body, enveloped him.
I do not know why that sword met you in such a form, but it was originally the sword of your ancestor, Rael.
The infinite sea tempered the demonic sword, Ruin, which had been stained black.
No scorching flames were needed to temper the sword.
The blue mana shone coldly, stripping away the darkness that had stained the demonic sword.
The sword your grandfather took was also your ancestor's sword, Gram. Gram was a sword that held the power of the North Sea, a sword recorded in history.
In the midst of the blue mana, the sword was reborn.
A blue light settled into the black blade, and soon, a dark blue blade was revealed.
A sword that could no longer be called demonic.
The blade, gleaming a dark blue, emanated an inky light, saturated with azure mana.
However, this sword given to you is one unrecorded even in history. Its existence has been passed down only to the family heads and the elders. The reason is simple. The power this sword holds is utterly alien to the power of your family.
The demonic sword Ruin that Karron remembered was no more.
Karron looked down at the new sword reborn on the throne. Then he asked in a low voice.
What is the swords name?
The voice answered.
The sword that beheaded countless demons. The sword that devoured the authority of demons. The sword whose very existence was forgotten by demons out of fear. The sword born in the depths of the North Sea, in that dark yet pure place.
Karron gripped the sword.
Whoooosh!
Mana flowed from the sword, surging into his body like a tidal wave.
The tidal wave of mana forcibly widened the mana channels Karron had yet to open.
Pain washed over his entire body, but Karron held the sword tight and exhaled.
The Beheading Sword, Guillotine. That is the sword's true name.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
It was an aftereffect of his mana channels being forcibly opened.
It felt as if his whole body was burning. But such pain was nothing to Karron.
In his past life, he had experienced far greater pain hundreds of times.
And so, Karron smiled as he pulled the sword from the throne. He lightly brushed his hand over the dark blue blade.
The Beheading Sword, Guillotine.
He didn't know why this sword had appeared before him in his past life disguised as a demonic sword.
But he decided not to dwell on it.
He could uncover the secrets entangled with it himself once he grew stronger.
Is uncovering that secret another task given to me?
He had never once thought this reincarnation was a mere coincidence.
He had always suspected that someone's power was involved.
It is a sword that resembles the dark abyss. It suits your destiny so well, child.
Karron already had an inkling of the voice's identity.
It was inevitable, as there was only one race in this world that introduced themselves as the Blue Clan.
A Blue Dragon. So it was true that our family has a guardian dragon. What is your name?
Dragons, also called the Great Ones.
Beings that seemed to exist only in legends, yet they were very real in this world.
And Karron's guess was correct.
The voice in his head replied in a delighted tone.
You have not yet grown enough to handle my true name. When your power can completely rule the sea, come to the North Sea.
How do I get out of here?
Do you not already know?
Ah, so it really was that?
Karron grinned and raised the sword high.
Destroy the world.
Here, his world had meant only one thing from the very beginning.
Ive always wanted to smash it with my own hands.
The throne.
The seat where the Emperor, who had bound his destiny and even his soul, had sat.
Woooong.
The dark blue blade resonated with Karron's mana. And without hesitation, Karron swung it down.
Kra-koooom
Crack.
The golden throne split in half. Dust scattered in all directions, and soon, the illusion that had enveloped the entire space began to dissipate.
With a sense of relief, Karron looked down at his sword again.
The Beheading Sword, Guillotine.
He thought it was a fitting name for the sword of a scoundrel.
It will be quite amusing to see your family turned upside down. You are my final amusement. Do not keep me waiting long.
Youre one impatient old timer. Not what I'd expect from someone who's lived so long.
I like you very much, you scoundrel. I shall wait with pleasure.
With those words, the illusion vanished completely, and the blue forest from before reappeared.
Karron raised the corners of his mouth, leisurely looking around.
And a moment later.
Hm.
He realized something was wrong.
Where the Stone of Oath should have been, there was nothing left.
Only a pile of blue dust imbued with azure mana remained.
Moreover, the barrier had vanished.
In the distance, he could see the face of his grandfather, Halo, rushing toward him.
Putting all the circumstances together, the conclusion was as follows.
...The stone broke?
The Stone of Oath had shattered.
Realizing this, Karron smiled brightly once more.
He didn't quite understand why.
If I say the wrong thing here, he looks like hell kill me, grandson or not.
Seeing Halo's grave expression, it seemed he had achieved his goal.
Karron. What is the meaning of this? The Stone of Oath is
Im not sure... Um, I think it broke. What should we do, Grandfather?
Along with his words, Karron pointedly held out the sword.
Oh, and I received this sword
...The Beheading Sword, Guillotine. Why would that sword, at this time
Halo's expression grew even more severe.
It was a truly satisfying day for Karron.
6.
Halo stood still, looking down at the dark blue sword his grandson held.
Guillotine.
That sword had been erased from the family's history.
It was a sword that had never chosen anyone until now, its existence passed down only through oral tradition to the family heads and elders.
He had not known the reason until now, but seeing it in person, he understood.
Guillotine was chilling to behold.
Like peering into the bottomless abyss, it inspired a profoundly alien fear.
If merely looking at it was so chilling, anyone else would not dare to even think of holding it.
But his grandson before him was holding it defiantly.
Was it that he felt no fear, or did Guillotine conceal its killing intent only from its master?
Whatever the case, this situation was unprecedented.
Are you not afraid of that sword?
No, Grandfather.
...I see.
Halo sighed and scanned the scattered remains of the Stone of Oath on the ground.
The shattering of the Stone of Oath also meant that the time to fulfill the promise was approaching.
The pact that the Leston Ducal Family's founder, Rael Leston, had made with the Blue Dragons of the North Sea.
A simple pact: to annihilate the demons coming from the world's end.
The founder was ultimately unable to exterminate the demons.
Instead, he left this Stone of Oath to mark a promise for the future.
Waiting for the day one of his descendants would appear to fulfill that pact.
Does this mean Karron is the one to fulfill that pact?
He raised his head and looked at the elders waiting behind him.
The elders, too, were just as shaken as Halo.
They also knew the secrets passed down through the family for generations. Therefore, they must have understood what this situation meant.
But simply knowing and accepting were two different things.
In this situation, there was nothing he could do for his grandson, neither as the family head nor as a grandfather.
It was said that the master of Guillotine is fated to walk willingly into a vortex.
All he could do was silently acknowledge and accept that his grandson had been chosen by fate.
His thoughts settled, Halo announced in a solemn voice.
The Eye-Opening Ceremony is over.
Halo looked down at his grandson.
The child chosen by fate, the child chosen by the Beheading Sword, Guillotine.
His youngest grandson, who would one day drag this ducal family into a vortex.
Karron Leston has been chosen by the Founder's sword, the Beheading Sword, Guillotine. As the family head, I hereby declare that Karron is worthy of receiving the Sea-Conquering Art.
The Sea-Conquering Art.
The method to rule the great sea of mana.
The family's unique mana cultivation technique, inheritable only by the direct bloodline of the Leston Ducal Family.
My son.
Peil clenched his fists as he listened to Halo's words.
His son would now walk the path he could not. He was worried about the ominous sword in his son's hand, but right now, his heart was simply overwhelmed with emotion.
Halo looked around at his sons and said gravely.
Karron Leston, son of Peil Leston and grandson of Halo Leston, is now a proud member of Azure Sea Castle. You who are here shall be his witnesses. O ye who bear the blood of Leston, remember this moment.
The Eye-Opening Ceremony was over.
With those words, Halo slowly turned and walked away with the elders who had been waiting behind him.
Halo's sons and Karron waited, heads bowed, until the family head was out of sight.
And when they had finally disappeared from view, Halo's eldest son, Teils, offered his congratulations to Karron.
Congratulations, nephew.
Thank you, Uncle.
You are
Teils trailed off, his gaze falling to his nephew's sword.
The Beheading Sword, Guillotine, was it?
Teils had prided himself on knowing all of the family's armaments. But in his memory, no such sword had ever existed.
His father and the elders seemed to know about this sword. He remembered seeing a flicker of bewilderment on his father's face, however brief.
This made his feelings all the more complicated.
However, he could not ask his nephew about the sword.
...It's frightening.
Teils was on the verge of reaching the 8-Star level. Though he couldn't match his father's achievements, he was considered one of the most powerful individuals in the Empire.
Yet even he felt a chill run down his spine and the hairs on his neck stand on end when he looked at that dark blue sword.
Is this what it feels like to face a bottomless abyss?
Karron smiled as he looked at his uncles. At least the eldest had offered congratulations, but the second was just staring down at him with a grave expression.
The eldest is a cut above the second, I see.
Karron found the situation endlessly amusing.
I look forward to being in your care.
Karron bowed to them, then took Peil's hand. He smiled and said.
Father, Im hungry.
...Yes, lets go back and eat.
Meat!
I already asked them to prepare a meat-heavy meal.
See? Youre the only one for me, Father.
And so, Peil and Karron also left, leaving only the eldest son, Teils, and the second son, Raphael, behind.
Raphael exhaled only after his nephew was out of sight. He turned to his older brother and said.
Brother, that sword called Guillotine... did you know of it?
Of course not.
I... I simply cannot comprehend this situation. Why would that bastard Peils son
This makes one thing clear.
Teils looked at his younger brother with a pathetic expression.
A man whose greed far outstripped his abilities.
A detestable man desperately struggling to become the heir, but things were different now.
This is not the time for us to be fighting amongst ourselves.
A sense of unease had crept over him ever since his young nephew had opened his mana.
But now, that unease had taken a concrete form.
Father will not be able to ignore his young nephew, chosen by the Founder's sword. Perhaps, just perhaps.
A small variable might have just been introduced into the line of succession.
The solid foundation he had built up until now might begin to crack.
Of course, I have no intention of just watching.
That position must be for him and him alone.
The ancient glory of the family, and the seat of its leader.
They rightfully belong to him, the great hero's eldest son.
And above all, his nephew was far too young to tear down what he had built.
Teils lightly clenched and unclenched his fist. Then he spoke to his brother in a calm voice.
Raphael. It seems we have something to discuss, just the two of us, for the first time in a long while.
...For now, I'll listen.
Don't worry, it will be to your benefit as well.
He gazed silently in the direction Karron had disappeared.
He had not the slightest intention of being swayed by a mere ten-year-old brat.
Variables just need to be controlled.
Nothing will change.
Teils exhaled slowly and nodded.