Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: Black and White Twin Elders
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Soul Shadow Evasion was the Rantzverger's pride, a superior stealth technique.
Unless one's skill level was significantly higher than the user's, it was nearly impossible to see through.
But those two old men pinpointed my location in an instant.
*'They're incredibly skilled.'*
Just by their appearance, I could tell they were no ordinary individuals.
The white-haired old man was notable for a large sword scar on his face and a limp left arm.
In contrast, the black-haired old man had a burn scar running from the nape of his neck to his scalp.
Their lives had clearly not been smooth sailing.
*'They look somewhat similar, don't they?'*
The two old men had very similar heights, builds, and facial auras.
If not for the scars and hair color, they could have passed for twins.
"Huh?"
Just then, a thought suddenly pierced my mind.
A fragment of memory, buried deep within my mind, slowly surfaced.
But my train of thought was cut short.
"Don't hold this against us, young man."
"We have a past that makes our blood boil at the mere thought of assassins."
*Swoooosh!*
Two sword strikes flew toward me with a ferocious sound of tearing air.
*'You've got to be kidding me!'*
I had to throw myself aside in a hurry, unable to fully recall the old memory.
That was how menacing the swordsmanship unleashed by the two old men was.
*Craaaack!*
As I leaned back and narrowly dodged, the sword strikes that passed me slammed into the wall.
Despite being quite thick stone, it was helplessly sliced apart by the pale blue aura.
And this was despite the strikes coming from seemingly frail old men.
*'They only look old. These guys are complete monsters, aren't they?'*
I felt a cold sweat run down my spine as I moved about.
The thought of dodging by a hair's breadth and counterattacking was impossible from the start.
Their coordinated attacks were simply too perfect for that.
*'They're moving as if they're one person.'*
The two old men even matched their steps precisely, complementing each other's movements.
They moved like interlocking gears, covering the openings that appeared immediately after an attack.
"Hoh? This assassin whelp is more skilled than I thought."
"It seems conventional swordsmanship won't work. Let's begin."
"Let's."
Seeing their attacks had little effect, they quickly exchanged glances.
Their movements flowed smoothly even without any explicit communication about what to do.
It was as if a mere look was enough for them to understand each other completely.
Sure enough, the two old men's movements were perfectly symmetrical.
*Swish!*
An X-shaped sword strike shot up diagonally from both sides.
*'Th-this is...!'*
Unleashed with a momentum that sent a tingling sensation through my entire body, it was unmistakably the Heaven-Severing Moon Style.
The two pale blue sword strikes flew toward my neck and abdomen.
With the strikes that close to each other, one would expect them to repel one another, but there was no sign of that.
They maintained the perfect distance as they charged in.
"Hah!"
Sensing I couldn't dodge, I let out a shout and swung the Black Dragon Sword down.
It was a rough strike focused solely on power.
It wasn't intended to harm them, but to stop the old men's joint attack.
*KABOOM!*
Though it was just swords clashing, a tremendous explosion erupted as if magic had been cast.
Pushed far back, I scraped along the floor and barely managed to stop myself.
*Thud.*
My back came to rest against the stone wall that had been half-torn apart by the old men's strikes.
If I had been any slower to brake, I would have been slammed right into it.
"Hoo..."
I let out a breath and calmed my surging aura.
But then, I noticed the two old men dissipating the impact in a peculiar way.
*Ting! Ting!*
They were exchanging light sword strikes, canceling out the strain on their bodies.
It was a feat one couldn't even attempt without having practiced together thousands of times.
Watching their exquisite coordination, a very old scene suddenly came to mind.
*'Hoho! Young Master, have you caused trouble again?'*
*'It's been a while since you became the Young Lord, yet you're still acting like this.'*
*'Hahaha! Time for a proper lesson.'*
*'You know it's useless to run, don't you?'*
The black-haired and white-haired old men who had chased me, laughing heartily.
Because of the 20-year gap and their changed appearances, I didn't recognize them at all at first.
But their precise joint attacks were the same now as they were then.
In particular, as far as I knew, there were only two people who used the secret arts of Riverune in such a way.
*'Ah... to see them here, of all places.'*
My heart was pounding even more than when I found Vice Commander Zimmerman in the mountains of the northeast empire.
But this was no time to be lost in sentiment.
The two old men were already launching another joint attack.
*Charrrrrr!*
Countless sword spirits poured out, seeming to fill the secret chamber.
They were unleashing the fourth form of the Heaven-Severing Nine Harmony Sword, the Ten Thousand Thunderbolts of Heaven, intending to end it.
Realistically, I had almost no way to block a joint attack infused with the secret arts of Riverune.
In that case, the best option was to make them stop on their own.
*Charrrrrr!*
Just like the two old men, I began to produce numerous orbs.
The secret chamber was instantly packed with pale blue and light gray sword spirits.
At that, the old men's movements came to a halt.
"Huh! Sword spirits?"
The two old men saw through the foundation of the Ten Thousand Spirits of Heaven at a glance.
And that was despite there being almost no similarities, aside from the method of gathering and firing aura.
It was the discerning eye of those who had trained in the Heaven-Severing Nine Harmony Sword for a long time.
"You bastard! How in the world do you know this sword art?"
"Furthermore, you will reveal the origin of that sword as well. That is, if you wish to die peacefully."
Their eyes glinting menacingly, they began to spew harsh words.
Only then did I find an opening to speak.
Right.
Now was the time to drive a wedge into the cracks of their suspicion.
"It's been a while, Black and White Twin Elders. Your foul tempers are the same as ever."
As soon as I finished speaking, astonishment appeared on the two old men's faces.
The reason was simple.
They had been living with their identities completely hidden, yet their moniker from 20 years ago had just been thrown at them.
"Brother Black, what did I just hear?"
"I don't know. The swordsmanship resembling Ten Thousand Thunderbolts, and that damn way of speaking... It's very similar to someone."
Hey, just because I lived a little recklessly in the past, what's with the 'damn way of speaking'?
The thought crossed my mind, but I didn't let it show and simply shrugged my shoulders.
"It seems there are many questions to be answered. How about we talk?"
At that, the Black and White Twin Elders looked at each other in silence for a while.
* * *
Passing through the secret chamber and going deeper into the heart of Liberta, we came to a rustic-looking rear garden.
It was enclosed on all sides just the same, but it wasn't just an empty lot.
The place was filled with the scent of people living there.
I sat in the seat offered by the Black and White Twin Elders and waited quietly.
Soon, Derek approached with a stiff expression and placed teacups on the table.
After he left, the conversation began in an awkward atmosphere.
"We've prepared a place as you asked. Now, a proper explanation should follow."
The White Elder, famous for his impatient nature, spoke first.
He looked ready to resume the fight at any moment if I didn't provide a reasonable explanation.
But I deliberately acted relaxed, sipping my tea.
In truth, it was less about trying his patience and more because I wasn't sure where to begin.
*'I don't even understand it myself, so how am I supposed to convince others?'*
It felt as if my tangled thoughts were preventing me from speaking.
In the end, the method I chose was a direct approach.
"I am Cain, the last Young Lord of Riverune."
"..."
At the thunderous declaration, the Black and White Twin Elders scowled fiercely.
Even the Black Elder, who was usually quite level-headed, couldn't help but show his anger this time.
That's how sensitive the topic of my identity was.
"Nonsense. The Young Lord died in battle. We confirmed the body ourselves."
"Besides... even if he were alive, he wouldn't be as young as you."
The White Elder's beard trembled as he glared at me as if he wanted to eat me alive.
It meant he would not tolerate any further insults.
But I continued my explanation, unfazed by their reaction.
It wasn't at all convincing, but I just laid out the story as I knew it.
"The Seal of Deinox, have you ever heard of it?"
Yes.
That was where it all began.
The story went back to the time I drew the Deinox summoning circle, putting my life on the line.
I had to condense the story significantly, but all the important parts were there.
From meeting Vice Commander Zimmerman in the northeast of the empire, to rescuing Fernand and Rovic in the Railton territory.
Hearing news of them, the faces of the Black and White Twin Elders shifted through light and shadow.
"Zimmerman, for that child to have passed away like that..."
"Still, it's a relief that Fernand and Rovic are alive. Seeing as there's been no contact, they must not be in a stable situation."
But their suspicion toward me had not yet been dispelled.
After all, news of survivors could easily be fabricated.
In the end, I had no choice but to play my trump card.
"This is something I heard from my father... who was it that dated Ellis?"
"...Let's drop that topic."
"We believe you, Young Lord."
It was a truly effective method of verification.
A person named Ellis was the Black and White Twin Elders' greatest weakness.
I already knew the conclusion to that love-hate story.
*'In the end, that woman married the handsome son of a merchant guild leader.'*
The Black and White Elders had both bluffed that they were the one dating her, while secretly courting Ellis behind each other's backs.
Then my father found out.
As their embarrassing past was exposed, the two old men's faces turned beet red.
Even though it was an incident from over half a century ago, it still seemed to be embarrassing.
But their blushing was only for a moment.
Soon, hot tears were streaming down the cheeks of the Black and White Twin Elders.
A direct descendant appearing a full 20 years after the family's destruction.
It must have felt like finding a ray of light in an endless darkness.
I felt the same emotions as the two old men.
"...Thank you for being alive."
The whirlwind of emotions that burst forth was intense, but we didn't wail out loud.
The road ahead was too long for that.
After a moment, the Black and White Twin Elders composed themselves and asked with serious expressions.
"It is time to discuss the future."
The Black Elder's tone had become respectful.
He seemed to believe a good portion of my story.
"Young Lord, what do you intend to do from now on?"
I sensed that this question held many meanings.
A question that tested my qualities as a leader while also probing my intentions.
After a brief silence, I finally spoke.
"I plan to gather strength while searching for survivors. And after that..."
I clenched my teeth, and the rest of my words naturally trailed off.
But no one was mistaken about what words would follow.
Because everyone could read the blazing fire within me.