The Old Man's Sacrifice
The final day of the week the Old Man had mentioned arrived—the seventh day.
There was good news and bad news.
The good news was that I'd been a little scared he might make me spend the entire week in the demon realm and then just send me back on my own once the promised time was up. But thankfully, his destination was inside Rotten.
So what was the bad news?
Our exact destination was Tusnis Mountain, a forbidden zone even within Rotten.
To the people of Rotten, Tusnis Mountain was a sacred, majestic peak shrouded in mystery.
Someone might ask why they heap such grandiose adjectives on what was just a mountain. But once you hear the explanation, you'll immediately understand why the people of Rotten revere it so.
Tusnis Mountain was so tall and vast that its peak pierced the clouds.
That's why legends of dragons living there had been passed down in every village since ancient times.
But beyond its sheer size, there was something even more important.
From the mountainside's midpoint upward, it was enveloped in flames of unknown origin.
Countless scholars, mages, and even priests of the Lunia Church, devotees of the god Lunia, set up outposts around the mountain to study this bizarre phenomenon and proposed all sorts of hypotheses.
Yet they could never figure out why the flames burned from the mid-slope onward.
Still, after prolonged research, they did uncover one fact about the mountain.
"The mountain's flames are unlike ordinary fire and repel anything connected to demons."
With no further results despite years of study, the researchers gradually dispersed.
Only the church, which named the flames the sacred flames, continued visiting periodically to collect them.
Once the various groups left and the access restrictions they'd negotiated with Rotten for research purposes were lifted, tourists began flocking to Tusnis Mountain.
The presence of mages and scholars alone had been big news, but when the Lunia Church dubbed the flames "sacred," it was perhaps inevitable.
At first, Rotten welcomed the visitors.
Letting them view the flames from behind fences posed no real issue, and with the border against the demon realm demanding massive annual military spending, the tourists' economic boost covered it easily.
They even used the surplus to improve soldiers' conditions and bolster their forces.
But that optimistic situation took a dark turn when a tourist climbed over the fence for a closer look and burned to death.
If it had been just one, they might have dismissed it as the act of a madman.
But when several tourists met the same fiery end, Rotten had no choice but to seal off access entirely to prevent further incidents.
For all these reasons, entering Tusnis Mountain was blatant illegal trespassing...
"Gah!"
- Thud.
The guards, whose presence the Old Man rendered near zero, were struck and knocked out cold.
He laid them gently under a tree pillar, then slipped past the barbed wire fences Rotten had installed.
Mountaineering time had begun.
By now, sneaking into places I wasn't supposed to go felt utterly routine—no hesitation at all.
"Huff. Huff."
I'd climbed plenty of mountains as a mercenary, but nothing this high.
Even compared to the mid-slope where the so-called sacred flames blazed, it matched the peak height of most mountains.
While I braced my hands on my knees, bent over, catching my breath, the Old Man gazed at the roaring flames.
I had a gut feeling.
After today, I'd never see that old man again.
He turned to me and spoke.
"When I first brought you out here, I told you I'd teach you the sword."
Behind him, the sacred flames surged violently.
But it wasn't to threaten him.
It was as if the flames were raging in his stead.
Raging at what?
I had no idea.
Truth be told, why the flames flared up might not matter much.
The sacred flames had never once descended below the mid-slope of Tusnis Mountain, after all.
No matter the anger, the emotions, or even if it was mere coincidence.
The sacred flames were mere bystanders, fixed in place.
Ignoring them, the Old Man continued.
"Do you know why I chose you?"
"Uh..."
I couldn't answer his question easily.
Anyone in the world would jump at the chance to learn swordsmanship from a master like him.
I'd heard I had some talent, but masters already at their peak could surely reach even greater heights under his tutelage.
There was no reason for him to pick me specifically.
As my hesitation dragged on, he provided the answer himself.
"Because it is fate."
"Ah..."
Come to think of it, those were his exact words when we first met.
'Fate is already set.'
What fate was he talking about?
Did reaching his level let you see others' destinies?
"My sword will surely aid you on the path ahead."
He turned back to the blazing sacred flames.
"Don't waste your life. Keep moving forward without stopping. If you want to protect something, see it through to the end. Hold fast to convictions that won't waver in any situation."
- Whoosh.
A deep crimson aura enveloped his body.
"From now on, it won't be me— it'll be you."
You protect it.
- Roooar!!!
His final words were drowned out by the ferocious blaze.
Not that I was in any state to hear them properly.
It felt like the past had returned.
Back to when the mercenary band saved me, staring blankly at my burning village.
Back to that moment as an orphan who didn't even know his parents.
My mind went blank.
Like fog rolling in, my memories of time with the Old Man began fading from my head.
The old man standing before me...? A person...?
'No, what is that...?'
Nothing was visible before my eyes.
I clearly couldn't see it.
But I could distinctly feel it.
Someone was there.
Something was guiding me.
'Warm...'
Something embraced me.
A coziness I'd never felt before filled me up.
The warmth I'd always longed for, the kindness I'd craved.
The things I'd envied in kids strolling with their parents through the village.
That kind of feeling enveloped me.
My eyes grew heavy.
I could no longer hold onto consciousness.
My body felt like it was slowly floating,
and I just wanted to let go.
But
not yet.
I forced my mouth open and spoke to the invisible presence.
"Thank you."
I didn't know why.
But it felt like I had to say it.
With those words, I lost consciousness.
Meanwhile,
"This should be enough, shouldn't it?"
The Old Man stood before the sacred flames, addressing someone.
The sacred flames remained silent.
The sacred flames continued to observe.
And they would, henceforth.
In the end, the Old Man began pushing back the sacred flames with his own aura.
As he channeled it, his body started vanishing from his toes upward.
Yet he pressed on, piercing through the flames.
His steps grew heavier.
His speed slowed until he could barely advance.
His form was no longer visible.
"Haa..."
His final breath scattered into the air,
and with that, the Old Man vanished completely.
- Crackle. Crackle.
The sacred flames continued burning.
Even after the Old Man disappeared, even after the boy collapsed, still.
Time passed like that.
Dawn faded, and far off, the sun began to rise slowly.
That was when it happened.
- Fizzle...
From the spot where the Old Man had vanished, the flames gradually weakened, opening a path all the way to the summit.
This was the sacred flames' greatest show of respect they could offer them.
"Ugh... Where...?"
I opened my eyes and looked around.
"I should be resting at the inn by now."
Instead of my usual routine, I was collapsed in the middle of a mountain.
"Burning flames... No way, am I...?"
Tusnis Mountain.
Looks like that's where I was.
"This is a forbidden zone??? Why the hell did I come here!?"
Then,
"Ugh."
I clutched my head and grimaced.
A sudden headache hit me hard.
Something had definitely brought me here, but I couldn't remember what.
"Did a demon beast mesmerize me or something...?"
I scanned my surroundings, considering possibilities.
But soon, I realized it was pointless.
The sacred flames of Tusnis burned precisely because they repelled anything demonic.
Pushing aside my questions, I started down the mountain.
I had mercenary work today, after all.
"What do I even tell the guards...?"
I had a bad feeling this was going to be a huge headache.
But what could I do? I'd just have to explain everything properly...
Just as I took a step,
- Whoosh!
The sacred flames behind me suddenly roared fiercely.
Startled, I turned and saw a path open amid the blaze.
"Was there a path like that...?"
I'd never heard of any such path on Tusnis Mountain during my mercenary days.
I felt a powerful pull toward it.
A compulsion that I had to climb.
Without a word, I followed the path up Tusnis Mountain.
Climbing the mountain was grueling.
Tusnis was the tallest peak in the world, after all.
But for some reason, channeling the aura that had formed inside me without my knowing made it manageable.
"Haa... The summit."
There was nowhere left to climb.
The path ended here.
The peak was hollowed out.
In the depression was a lake, its surface shimmering with white light.
At the center stood an altar, connected by a bridge.
I followed my steps across the bridge to the altar.
"This is..."
Stuck in the center of the altar was a single sword.
A sword radiating mysterious power.
I felt a fateful pull toward it,
- Shing.
and drew it.
"...Nothing happened?"
I'd half-expected the mountain to quake or the sacred flames to react, but nothing.
I examined the sword I'd pulled.
Mysterious flames etched into the deep crimson blade evoke roaring infernos.
The blade gleamed deep crimson, its engravings reminiscent of flames.
Looks like a damn good sword at first glance.
Something inexplicable had happened, sure,
But hey, I got a legendary blade out of it! Score!
Feeling pretty good, I turned and headed down the mountain.
Whatever came next, future me could deal with it.