Chapter 121

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on February 6, 2025

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Chapter 121

#121. Cleanup (1)

Amidst enthusiastic cheers, we arrived at the inner fortress of High City, where Arad greeted Ariana, Isabel, Sun, and Valkyrie as if he had been waiting for them.

“Welcome back, brave warriors! Lenslet! Rune Renslett!”

Arad welcomed them somewhat exaggeratedly while pulling out four prepared bottles.

It was a potion similar in color to milk.

“I’ve heard the venom of the White Serpent Jormungandr is terrifying. So just in case, I prepared an antidote.”

Ariana stared blankly at the antidote Arad made before reaching out first.

“Do we just drink it?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you. I’ll drink up.”

Without any suspicion or hesitation, she downed the antidote in one shot.

Following her, Isabel, Sun, and Valkyrie drank the antidote after their leader.

“…?”

While drinking the antidote, Ariana felt a strange gaze.

Arad was looking at her strangely, specifically at the sword on her waist.

‘Ahh!’

Realizing late why Arad was looking at her strangely, Ariana’s heart sank.

Her current attire was changed from when she was Mary.

She had removed the transformation necklace and put it inside the spatial case, which was also uncased.

However, the magical armor and Cry of the Snowfield that Arad gave to Mary were things she didn’t think to hide during the final battle.

“It’s… It’s something Mary lent me!”

Ariana excused herself to Arad while closing her eyes slightly.

‘I’m gonna get yelled at.’

Even to her, it sounded like a ridiculous excuse.

‘I should’ve asked Grandma to prepare some kind of illusion for Mary!’

Cold sweat trickled down her back.

“So that’s how it is…”

“Eh?”

But Arad accepted Ariana’s words far too easily.

He didn’t even ask where Mary was.

“Me… Mary is resting due to fatigue from the battle. She wouldn’t have been visible through the telescope. She provided excellent support from behind… Ahem! Once her rest is over, I’ll send her to the workshop.”

Ariana ended up making up stories about Mary despite not feeling guilty.

“Understood.”

“Eh…?”

But once again, Arad readily agreed with Ariana’s words.

Normally, he would’ve argued that his employee was being overworked, so this was strange.

‘Ugh… Ughhh… Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?’

Ariana was confused by this unfamiliar Arad.

“By the way, Your Majesty.”

“Eh? Eh! Speak, speak.”

“Are you alright physically?”

“Physically?”

“Yes, did you get hurt anywhere while fighting the White Serpent?”

“I’m fine. The only issue was the poison, but thanks to the antidote you just gave me, I’m all better. Thank you very much. Once this matter settles down a bit, I’ll make sure to reward everyone.”

“Hmm…”

At that, Arad showed a suspicious reaction for the first time.

“…”

Looking into those eyes, Ariana felt unnecessarily prickly, cold sweat flowed, and she felt guilty for no reason.

“Would it be alright if I checked your pulse? It’s been quite a while since I’ve examined your magic core and circle.”

“!!”

‘Emergency! Emergency!’

Ariana hastily turned her head away, seeking help from Isabel.

“I already checked Your Majesty’s pulse before we came, Arad Sir. So there’s no need to worry.”

Feeling Ariana’s gaze, Isabel sighed softly and interjected.

“Hmm… Alright then.”

“??”

To Isabel’s words, Arad backed down far too easily.

“Hey, Arad Sir.”

Then, Valkyrie, who had been quietly standing by, called out to Arad with a pleading look.

“The sword His Majesty claims to have borrowed from Lady Mary. Did you make it yourself?”

“Uh? Oh, yes.”

Of course, Valkyrie already knew about Cry of the Snowfield.

The reason Arad hadn’t made a sword until now was because of Ariana, so Valkyrie had simply pretended not to know.

“It truly is an incredible masterpiece.”

“Your praise is too kind.”

But now, it’s different. In Ariana’s hands, Cry of the Snowfield revealed its elegant form to the world.

Countless soldiers and knights witnessed it.

Its unprecedented elegant appearance, the astonishing cutting power that sliced through the White Serpent’s body like pudding, durability and balance that effortlessly handled the mana of a Grand Master.

Especially, the automatic repair function was nothing short of miraculous.

“Perhaps… Could you make me a sword as well?”

For a knight, a sword is the ultimate companion and tool.

Unlike D, Valkyrie, who uses a sword as her main weapon, couldn’t help but be captivated by Arad’s crafted blade.

“If this matter settles down a bit, I’ll work on it.”

Valkyrie’s request was readily accepted by Arad with a nod.

“And… His Majesty’s sword as well.”

Then, glancing at Ariana, he added.

‘Oh!’

Suddenly finding herself with another sword like Cry of the Snowfield, Ariana cheered internally.

“But before making the sword, could I ask a favor?”

“What do you need? Just say it.”

“Yeah! We’ll support anything!”

Excited by the prospect of a new sword, Ariana and Valkyrie eagerly awaited.

“The remains of Jormungandr from the hunt. Could I take a look at them first?”

“Ah, the White Serpent, you mean?”

At Arad’s request, Valkyrie glanced at Ariana.

“Hmm…”

Receiving Valkyrie’s gaze, Ariana subtly turned her eyes toward Isabel.

Nod.

In response, Isabel smiled faintly and nodded.

“Of course. Go ahead and check. If there’s anything you need, you may take it first.”

With Isabel’s agreement, Ariana brightly said,

“However, that place is still heavily toxic and acidic due to the black blood the White Serpent spilled.”

“That’s no concern. The person who made the antidote His Majesty just drank is right here.”

“Ah… I see. Guess I worried unnecessarily.”

“In that case, I’ll take my leave. If anything unusual happens to your body, don’t hesitate to call me. Definitely!”

“Of course.”

With that, Arad left to inspect the remains of Jormungandr.

“Phew~!”

“Huff…”

“He’s gone.”

Sighing in relief were Ariana, Valkyrie, Sun, and Isabel.

“I’ve always wondered, what exactly is Arad’s true identity?”

“A mysterious adventurer traveling the continent?”

“Nobody believes that anymore. Didn’t Frosthaven already determine it was false long ago?”

As soon as Arad left, gossip-like conversation about him began between Valkyrie and Sun.

“Well, isn’t his past irrelevant now?”

“We’ll find out eventually.”

Arad’s past and identity, still unresolved.

However, there was no one in this room who seriously doubted or questioned it.

“Everyone, what are you talking about? Arad is an ancient being sealed away during the Golden Age!”

Then, hearing Valkyrie and Sun’s conversation, Ariana tilted her head and asked.

“Of course! Though I haven’t asked him directly, it’s almost certain.”

“…”

Looking at the naive lord, they exchanged glances filled with meaning, then turned away.

“Why are you guys looking at me like that? If you don’t believe me, shall we just ask him now?”

Ariana pouted.

“Miss Ariana’s guess about Arad Jin’s identity might actually be correct.”

At that moment, Isabel joined the conversation on Ariana’s side.

“??”

“!!”

Unlike earlier, trust filled Valkyrie and Sun’s eyes.

“At first, I thought Arad was just an adventurer who accidentally discovered a Golden Age ruin. But even after Frosthaven thoroughly searched, no information about the adventurer Arad could be found. The Eastern clan Jin he mentioned doesn’t exist either.”

Isabel explained her reasoning to repay their trust.

“Therefore, I revised my hypothesis about Arad’s past. Perhaps his history is untraceable because he isn’t from this era or world.”

While speaking, Isabel looked around.

Thanks to the strict palace etiquette, not a single maid was present.

Soundproof barriers had been set up since Arad was here earlier, just in case.

“Considering what Arad has done in this land so far, there are two possibilities.”

“Two?”

“One aligns with His Majesty’s guess – an ancient being trapped in the Labyrinth of Time during the Golden Age.”

“And the other?”

“Dragon.”

Before the listeners could react with surprise, Isabel quickly continued.

“Creating and maintaining a seal that lasts thousands of years is impossible. Even if such technology existed during the Golden Age, it would be strange. If that were the case, more ancient beings like Arad should have appeared by now.”

Everyone listened intently to Isabel’s words, holding their breath.

“So initially, I leaned towards the dragon theory. Only dragons could endure such a long time.”

Tension filled the air among those present.

If Isabel’s guess were true, they had been entertaining themselves in front of a dragon’s plaything all this time.

“But at some point, I began to think Arad’s identity was closer to an ancient being than a dragon.”

“Reason?”

Ariana asked.

“Exactly the magic power Arad possesses. No matter how perfectly a legendary dragon can use polymorph, having that level of weakness doesn’t make sense.”

As Isabel’s theory shifted from dragon to ancient being, the tense atmosphere eased somewhat.

“Perhaps what seemed impossible, the Labyrinth of Time, was actually possible during the Golden Age. Just considering the magical artifacts Arad has created so far makes it plausible. Though it was likely only possible for an extremely small number of people.”

“Why does this ancient Arad help us Lenslets so devotedly?”

Valkyrie asked with lingering doubts in his voice.

“Perhaps… It’s related to the distant roots of the Northern Region.”

“Surely?! Arad’s status during the Golden Age!?”

Responding to Isabel’s hint, Valkyrie shouted, eyes wide as if realizing something.

“Yes. Our distant direct ancestors of the Lenslets. The ancestors who trace back beyond the Druids.”

“The Nephilim School of the Golden Age?”

“Go one step further.”

“…The Tactical School of the Golden Age.”

“That’s right. There’s a high possibility Arad was one of the first ancient beings to settle in this land.”

“Tactical School makes sense. We branched off from the Druids following the spirit of the ancient Tactical School.”

“An exceptionally proper ancestor.”

D’s eyes twitched as he muttered.

“…”

Faced with Isabel’s reasoning, Ariana, Valkyrie, and Sun fell silent momentarily.

Each was crafting various stories about Arad’s past in their minds.

‘Toward the end of the Golden Age, the ancient settlers in the North split into three groups. The Nephilim School and Tactical School settled at the end of the Manus Mountains, and the magicians imprisoned in the Magic Realm.’

At the time, the Magic Realm was believed to be a prison barrier for criminal magicians.

Thus, the mainstream consisted of the Nephilim and Tactical Schools.

‘The Nephilim School specialized in nature magic, magic resistance, and beast transformations, while the Tactical School focused on magical engineering.’

‘The two schools didn’t get along like water and oil.’

‘Eventually, not long after settling, the two schools went to war. The result was the Nephilim School’s victory. The defeated Tactical School was absorbed by the Nephilim, hence becoming known as the Nature School.’

Those gathered recalled the history of the North and records of the Golden Age they knew.

‘The victorious Nephilim eradicated all magical knowledge of the Tactical School except metallurgy and construction.’

‘The reason they spared metallurgy and construction is obvious. Even naturalists needed basic civilization during the early migration period.’

‘Then, is Arad some kind of contingency plan prepared by the Tactical School worried about the loss of magical technology?’

‘Magic power levels, the direction of mastered magic, the reasons for helping us… This assumption explains everything.’

A common question arose.

‘Then, how should we treat Arad from now on?’

Treatment of Arad.

“Ancestor Arad… No, Arad Sir is…”

“Maybe… Treating him the same as now is correct?”

“That seems right.”

The common question led to a common conclusion.