Chapter 26
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Life and Death (4)
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Why had I thought back then that everything would end?
Such questions endlessly swirled through my sinking consciousness.
I resented how peace came so easily to others, yet refused to visit me.
With Demon Emperor Berkis holding my life in his grasp, I had assumed sealing him away would be the end of it.
But I had been reborn under the name Liberic Eldrian...
There had been plenty of hardships, but also so much joy in being reborn and living in this world again.
That should have been enough.
Yet now I realized that my life up until this point hadn't simply followed the natural order of things.
Could Berkis, even after being sealed, still be clutching my lifeline—enough to reincarnate me?
Was such a thing even possible?
I sat up with a heavy heart.
Even after washing the blood from my body and changing into fresh clothes, my mood hadn't improved.
The restraint around my neck had vanished at some point, but my throat and shoulders still ached with every movement.
A kettle and an empty cup sat beside the cot, so I poured myself a drink to soothe my parched throat.
This was inside a makeshift tent.
Gray canvas covered the roof and walls, supported by sturdy wooden poles. Even as a temporary structure, it looked solid—built by knights, no doubt.
I knew we'd escaped the demons' clutches and were safe now... but the anxiety lingered.
The deep melancholy weighing on my heart showed no signs of lifting, either.
"Lib?"
Luwen entered the tent, parting the flap.
Bright sunlight streamed in through the brief opening. Dawn had broken, and morning had arrived before I knew it.
"Are you okay? Anywhere hurting?"
I shook my head instead of answering. Luwen sat beside me, his face etched with worry.
"I just sent word to Prion that we've found you. Your father will come straight here once he gets the message."
"What about Ash?"
Luwen paused, looking a bit flustered, then ran a hand through his hair with a hum.
"That wolf. He took some wounds, but he's fine. He's with my master right now."
Ash was safe. The relief washed over me deeply.
"Your master..."
"Claus. Our esteemed sage. I'd planned to introduce you someday, but I never imagined it'd be like this."
"So, you left Prion to meet him?"
"That's right. The old man's age hasn't slowed him down—he's always wandering about. But that's a story for later...
Lib, I heard the rough details from Ash. It's astonishing you endured all that and escaped."
How much did Ash know? Surely less than what I did.
I didn't reply, just stared at Luwen.
He looked pitying, unsure what to do as he rubbed my shoulder. His hand felt incredibly warm.
"This is a camp not far from Prion. We'd been using it as a base to track that pack of demons.
The mansion where you were held had been overrun by demons recently, and we were about to launch a purge.
Lib, I know it's hard, but is there anything you can tell me? About what happened in that mansion?"
"Um..."
I opened my mouth, but nothing came to mind. My head felt utterly empty.
I closed my lips and curled up.
Luwen gently patted my back.
"It's okay, Lib. If it's too hard to talk about, you don't have to. Once you're feeling better and the words come, we can talk then."
"...I'm sorry."
"No, it's our fault you went through that. We should have been more careful."
Luwen cradled his forehead and let out a deep sigh.
"Prion's held strong against demon assaults since its fortress city days in Arton, but now even that record's been tarnished. On the day of the festival, no less."
"No."
I buried my face in my knees.
My heart felt so heavy, like it would sink forever.
"It's because of me... I led them here."
"Lib, we already knew the demons were after you. It's our failing that we couldn't protect you."
"I had a dream about Selena."
Luwen froze, his face paling in confusion. He remembered her too, of course.
I could still vividly recall that dream.
"In the dream, Selena led me. When I woke, I was on the ramparts... And if Ash hadn't come..."
"Lib..."
My arms around my knees began to tremble. I pressed on through the turmoil.
"So it's no one's fault but mine. Teacher, I can't trust myself anymore. Even if I go back to Prion, if the same thing happens again, no one will be able to protect me..."
Luwen stared at me, his expression complicated, at a loss for words.
This was exactly what I'd feared so much.
Melgram was useless now. My mana could easily overwhelm what it emitted.
And the demons could lure me using my memories and mana, so with my current sloppy control, I couldn't protect myself.
"Lib, I understand why you'd say that."
Luwen finally spoke after a long pause.
"But I wish you'd recognize that we're trying to find a solution somehow. We'll figure out a way to keep you safe."
His words were so warm, I almost wanted to throw myself into his arms.
But I couldn't.
"Whether I'm worth that effort..."
"There you are, Luwen."
I cut off mid-sentence. The tent flap opened, and two men strode in.
It was the burly Loran knight who had saved me, and Luwen's master, Claus.
Luwen swallowed a sigh, stood, and positioned himself in front of me like a shield.
The Loran knight met my eyes and grinned.
"Good to see you're in one piece. Liberic... right?"
"Liberic Eldrian. Lib, this is Black Guard Knight Sir Jin Gregor."
The Black Guard Knight extended a hand to me.
It was so massive, both my hands together couldn't fully grasp it.
"Thank you for saving me, Black Guard Knight."
"No trouble. Glad you're safe. Sorry we didn't get to you sooner—your dad must've been worried sick."
"You know my father?"
Only after asking did I realize a Black Guard Knight would certainly know a Blue Guard Knight like Dad.
"Of course."
The Black Guard Knight smiled broadly.
His black hair was cropped short and rough, with the blunt, furry ears typical of bear-like Loran.
His skin was a bit dark, scarred faintly on his neck and the backs of his hands.
He was several times my size, strong enough to crush demons effortlessly, yet his face brimmed with rich, gentle expressions.
"Jayden's a junior I hold dear. Haven't seen much of him lately due to our positions... I knew he had a son, but never dreamed I'd meet you like this."
"I'm glad to meet you too."
The Black Guard Knight looked touched.
"Hm, then... Master."
Luwen turned, forcing the words out with effort.
This was the man who'd been staring straight through me since entering the tent.
His white hair was tied back, his face lined with fine wrinkles.
His slender hands gripped a plain black staff tightly, and he wore a dark robe with minimal adornments.
He looked elderly, but his sturdy build and movements betrayed no hint of age.
And those piercing eyes that seemed to see through everything...
Luwen appeared uneasy around his own master.
"As I mentioned earlier, this is Liberic Eldrian. Liberic is, uh, the son of Blue Guard Knight Jayden. And..."
"Yes, yes. Your disciple, right? I remember you mentioning him last time."
Claus dragged a chair over and sat right in front of me, clearly to get a better look.
I instinctively shrank back a little.
He spoke bluntly.
"I'm Claus. That kid's master. I've heard about you a few times—how you ended up in Prion, how you became his disciple. I found it intriguing..."
"Master, Lib's still recovering. Let's keep the greetings short and let him rest."
"Luwen, shouldn't the kid know his own condition?"
My condition? I blinked at Claus.
"I'll handle Lib's matters. Master, why don't you chase after whatever mission you're so fond of? Didn't you have a purpose?"
Luwen now sounded outright angry.
"That's for me to decide. You don't need to trail after me like a nanny. Anyway, leave this to me. I have things to discuss with the kid."
"I can't do that!"
I flinched. It was the first time I'd heard Luwen shout.
In contrast, Claus looked annoyed, as if dealing with a pest.
"What do you plan to say to a child? Lib's already been through enough, and you..."
"Whoa, Luwen, calm down."
The Black Guard Knight stepped in to restrain him, unable to stand by any longer.
"The sage has his reasons. That's just how he is."
"I promise not to do anything worth your worry. It'll be quick. Go get some air."
"But...!"
"Luwen, Luwen."
Luwen resisted leaving me alone with Claus, but the Black Guard Knight eventually persuaded him.
With a deep sigh, Luwen finally exited the tent with the knight.
What on earth did they want to talk about? Now I was curious despite myself.
Silence and stillness settled over the tent.
It wasn't just because fewer people were present. A barrier spell had quietly enveloped the space at some point.
I could see the faint waves of mana surrounding us on all sides. It had activated right after Luwen and the knight left.
Claus cleared his throat with a gruff hum and spoke.
"Understand why I sent Luwen out. It's a long story he wouldn't grasp."
"A story even Teacher wouldn't understand?"
"That wound on your chest. Luwen thinks it's an old injury reopened, but I see it differently."
Claus's sharp gaze tightened around my heart like a vise.
My heartbeat thundered so loud, it seemed it might echo outside.
"You see it too, don't you? You know what that wound is. What they did to you."
I didn't answer. I hadn't even told Luwen.
"If you won't say, I will. What's embedded in your heart is a fragment of the crimson seal. One piece of the crimson seal holding Demon Emperor Berkis."
I couldn't feign ignorance or pretend it was new information.
Claus had already pierced through my thoughts.
"I've long worked to confine fragments of the crimson seal within sealing vaults. I know well the aura they emit.
I don't know how it entered your body, how it fused with you, or how you're still alive..."
Claus tilted his head, studying me.
Meeting his gaze chilled the blood in my veins.
Claus stood, stroking his chin thoughtfully, then looked straight down at me.
"What are you, really?"