Chapter 109

A sound that should never resonate in nature echoed through the air.

Thanks to that, Aiseus woke up earlier than usual and focused on the signs of people and sounds coming from outside the cabin.

She already knew Minette had gone out and was talking to someone.

Besides, with the added scent wafting around, it wasn’t too hard to guess what was going on.

Sleep, when you think about it, is just a short period of deep rest, while most other times you’re half-awake with eyes closed. Even geniuses can’t expect battlefields to accommodate their sleep schedules every day.

Rest and body maintenance are essential for maintaining power. And skillfully adjusting the depth of your sleep? Well, if that’s not an ability, I don’t know what is.

The rhythmic *ding-ding* merged into something akin to a melody, almost music itself.

‘Guess this counts as talent, huh.’

When did he get so good at playing?

It never gets old, no matter how many times I hear it… probably because every song is different.

Stepping out of the cabin made the music clearer. The scorched pot sat empty beside the dying campfire, its flames now reduced to faint embers.

Then, as the mist began to lift under the soft sunlight filtering through the trees…

There was Carriel, sitting casually on a log, strumming his guitar. He looked healthier than before, his complexion and overall condition visibly improved compared to when she last saw him.

His once skeletal frame now carried some much-needed weight, making him less pitiable. With one leg stretched out and the other bent, he rested the instrument on his lap, appearing relaxed. Though it seemed like he was just taking a break, that was likely true.

“When are you planning to go back?”

“…”

After watching the scene unfold for a bit longer, Aiseus finally asked, prompting Carriel to lower the volume of his music before replying.

“Sometimes.”

“Sometimes?”

“The preparations down below are done.”

“So?”

“Now that I’ve solidified my foundation, it’s time to fill in the gaps.”

For instance, building his body.

Wait, wasn’t that what he’s been doing until now?

It’s all part of the process.

Until now, it was about shedding and emptying useless things. Now, it’s simply about filling in what’s missing.

That’s the gist of it.

“Are all your questions answered?”

When Aiseus inquired, Minette nodded slightly.

“So, are we saying goodbye?”

“No… Not yet.”

“Why?”

“…”

It was then that Minette asked something she’d been curious about but hadn’t voiced until now.

“Aiseus, why are you staying here?”

Minette briefly glanced at Carriel before asking.

In response, Aiseus shrugged it off, acting as if it were nothing.

“Because I promised to do so long ago.”

“Long ago?”

Back when she was still a child…

At the tender age of eleven, she was exiled from her homeland and thrown into the continent. Thanks to her mother’s letter of introduction, she managed to settle down temporarily, though even that didn’t last long.

“During those aimless wanderings, I met him, gained recognition for my skills, and eventually became his bodyguard.”

This happened when she was twelve, while Carriel was barely ten and traveling across foreign lands.

Back then, during his visit to the Metran Kingdom, she was already rising rapidly as a prodigy far beyond her years.

They traveled together a few times and ended up making certain promises, but…

“I realized again that I couldn’t satisfy myself.”

Even back in her home country, she had already shown incredible strength despite being so young. Receiving and passing the trial given by the Lake Fae was, in hindsight, unprecedented.

But…

She rejected the sword offered by the Lake Fae. She outright refused all their demands.

And thus came the curse from the Lake Fae along with her exile order.

Not permanent exile, though. She could return anytime if she wanted…

Probably just to be used for political marriage purposes.

Rejecting someone else dictating her life, controlling her, and holding her hostage led her to this situation. Now, after all this, am I supposed to crawl back into a cage or prison just to go home?

No way.

“To improve my abilities, I realized I needed to focus on power. After all, respect comes only from strength.”

Personality, character, grace, dignity—all too late to worry about now. Sure, you can fake it on the surface, but for it to truly mean anything, there needs to be substance behind it. Politics based on bloodlines or using family ties to gain political leverage? What meaning does that hold?

If she brought back an irresistible companion, even if it meant sacrificing her future as a warrior or knight, her position as royalty would have been secure. Someone like Carriel would fit that description perfectly, being of Radiance lineage.

But did she calculate or plan any of this? Halfway?

“So I completely changed my mindset.”

Instead of seeking a consort, what if she became a companion or subordinate instead? If they could achieve an unparalleled relationship, untouchable by others?

“I had already given up on returning home and needed a new base. Around that time, I roughly decided to join the Empire under his banner. Back then, he seemed very promising.”

But to earn respect, you need corresponding ability. No one respects uselessness unless they’re fools. Being ignored or discarded might even be preferable.

So…

Aiseus felt the need to grow even more. That’s when she encountered Gaejef, one of the nine heroes.

All this was possible thanks to Carriel’s help. Gaejef told her about the experts scattered across the continent, including Lake Users and Aid Knights. Aiseus immediately received training in Dragon Divine Swordsmanship here.

She didn’t need to learn any specific techniques; she already possessed the qualifications. Recognizing this, the Lake User personally guided her for ten days.

Afterward, she dedicated herself to solitary practice for over half a year. Occasionally, Gaejef joined her for sparring sessions to make up for her lack of real combat experience.

Once she gained enough confidence in her skills, Aises joined Carriel, stopping by various places along the way to observe and learn from other masters. Whenever conflicts or battles arose, she participated as a mercenary and achieved great feats. This included monster hunts.

It was during one such occasion that she met a male member of the Aid Knight Order, known as the First Sword. Although she didn’t formally train under him, after spending about a week with him, she managed to imitate his style to some extent. However, there were key aspects she couldn’t replicate.

He promised to teach her the official Aid Knight techniques if she joined the order. Surprisingly, she readily agreed and spent several weeks traveling with him, honing her skills.

Later…

While learning the Dragon Divine Swordsmanship and the unnamed techniques of the Aid Knights, known as Grandeous’ Swordsmanship, she found nothing beyond that.

She wanted to witness the Sword Saint’s technique, but perhaps fate wasn’t aligned, as he never appeared.

Then she heard rumors about Carriel returning to the Empire.

Just before entering the Elven Country, she diverted her path upon hearing this news. Initially considering heading straight to the Empire, she decided instead to wander around, focusing on practical training and growth for later opportunities.

About five years passed when whispers started circulating about Carriel turning into a reckless individual.

…A broken genius, they called him.

“In fact, I thought it was for the better. At least, that’s what I believed back then.”

“Why?”

“The more desperate his situation, the more valuable my help would be.”

Forming a proper mercenary group stemmed from this reasoning. Alone, it might be tough, but with a force behind her, she could become a reliable asset.

If she proved useful when the time came, her position would remain secure forever—or so she thought back then.

Though she had no idea what Carriel’s actual status was within the Empire, she assumed his sharp mind would guide the spread of these rumors for a reason.

“A huge misunderstanding.”

Here, during her journey to the Valley and Forest of the Lake User, Aiseus pieced together the truth about his current state.

Memory loss.

Family and surroundings demanding more than his limited talents could provide.

Except, he wasn’t entirely talentless.

“But he seems gifted in dealing with people rather than combat. Depending on how you look at it, either skilled in intrigue or politically adept. Still, he can wield a sword decently, right? Strange.”

Unable to handle mana?

That was the most critical issue.

However, tools could compensate for this limitation. So what was the real problem?

More importantly, why couldn’t he use mana in the first place?

The Aiseus knew wasn’t a mana non-adaptor or incapable user. According to Carriel, it might be a side effect from nearly dying at some point. Probably accurate.

The most serious concern was memory loss. Alongside that, it seemed like his natural talents disappeared across the board.

Could losing inherent talents due to facing death be normal?

“Does that mean you’ll continue chasing Carriel, Aiseus?”

“Don’t you think we’re already deeply entangled? Especially with our ties to the Aid Knights and me being the one who helped him escape. Do you really think anyone will believe I’m uninvolved later?”

The most troubling rumor about Carriel was his potential connection to the Demon King. Initially, she assumed it was due to inheriting the Legacy of the Great Demon King or being related to its successor.

But upon closer inspection, the rumors were different.

Not about him being a successor to the Demon King’s legacy…

But rather, his connection to the Demon King itself.

Specifically, the legendary “Golden Beast.”

“So, is it true then? Are you really connected to the Golden Beast?”

Realizing this, Minette finally turned to Carriel for confirmation.

“It’s not entirely false.”

Carriel calmly admitted the partial truth.

“But it’s not entirely true either.”

With a wry smile, he glanced skyward before resuming his guitar strumming, producing a gentle tone.

“…”

Come to think of it…

Minette’s reason for staying here was tied to this.

Whether the rumors were true or not mattered little to Minette. What mattered was that Carriel seemed in dire need of help.

Despite his immense skill, which could momentarily incapacitate even himself, there existed absolute forces in the world beyond mere talent.

Currently, whether intentionally or not, he faced rejection from the world.

“So, when exactly?”

Confused by Aiseus’ cryptic question, Carriel responded while putting down his guitar.

“When? Every breath I take. Every moment I’m awake.”

What did he mean?

Only later did she realize that after this, Carriel resumed relentless motion training with an ordinary iron sword, continuing without pause until sunset.

His movements were slow and monotonous, seemingly effortless to watch.

Yet sweat poured from his entire body like rain, creating a white vapor that rose endlessly, resembling mist.

He maintained this routine except during meals, his upper garment cast aside, revealing his increasingly changing lean upper body.

Every night, he vanished into the rock cave to sleep.

Hunting duties alternated between Aiseus and Minette due to the increased mouths to feed. Despite eating voraciously, Carriel showed no signs of gaining weight.

Still, his thin frame gradually took on a more human shape. Within less than a week, the boy transformed into a healthier-looking version of himself.

“…”

Whenever he rested, he often played the guitar. Right before the twelfth day…

“Uh, excuse me…”

A girl with tanned skin, a sturdy build, silver hair, and striking green eyes approached hesitantly, captivated by Carriel’s music.

“Uh, could I… Could I learn that too? It’s just… It left such a strong impression, and the music keeps echoing in my head…”

Of course.

“If you want.”

Carriel didn’t object.

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