C861
"So, his soul is now..."
Sterin placed his hand on his forehead with a somber expression.
"Bound by magic?"
He clenched his jaw, seemingly thinking that Rimmer's soul was suffering.
"That's the most likely possibility."
Siyana nodded with difficulty.
"If what Raon said is true, he's probably trapped in the space engraved with that blood magic."
She let out a deep sigh, indicating that the situation didn't look good.
"Then we should go get him right now! I can't stand the thought of him suffering even in death."
Erian pounded his chest, declaring that he would go.
"You don't have the ability to see souls, do you? Siyana or I should go, but neither of us can move right now."
Sterin narrowed his eyes, as if to say, "You know that, don't you?"
"Then we should hire a human shaman..."
"It's high-level magic powerful enough to steal Alice Zieghart's power in an instant. A common shaman couldn't solve this."
He shook his head, indicating that it wouldn't be easy no matter what method they used.
"..."
Raon listened to the conversation between Sterin and Erian, clicking his tongue.
'Not in the dungeon...'
It seems he's here... Without the help of the Requiem Sword, it would be impossible for Rimmer to appear in his mental image. If he hadn't reached the World Tree after his supposed death, there was a high possibility that he was still inside the Requiem Sword.
"Um... I think the master is here."
Raon extended the Requiem Sword.
"What? What do you mean..."
Sterin frowned as if asking what Raon meant.
"Are you saying he's in that sword?"
Erian also widened his eyes, seemingly not understanding the meaning of Raon's words.
"There's something I didn't tell you because it might be hard to believe."
Raon let out a short sigh and lowered his hand.
"Actually, when I lost consciousness in the basement of that dungeon..."
He recounted how he met Rimmer in the mental world after collapsing while protecting the Light Wind division.
"There are many souls within the Requiem Sword that are favorable to me. I think they helped me meet the master."
He held out the Requiem Sword to them and asked them to check it for themselves.
"Mmm..."
Sterin looked at the Requiem Sword and took a step back.
"Unfortunately, I don't have the ability to see that now. Instead..."
He pushed forward Siyana, who had been blinking in incomprehension.
"This child should be able to confirm it."
"Did you really see my brother there?"
Despite being pushed forward suddenly, Siyana didn't show any shyness and asked about Rimmer. It seemed her mind was full of thoughts about Rimmer at that moment.
"Yes. If not, the master wouldn't have been able to appear in my mental image."
Raon nodded and handed the Requiem Sword to Siyana.
"This is the Requiem Sword..."
"Yes, it is. Although it's a cursed sword for ordinary people... It's a sword made by the continental master Kuberad Jeyton to console those killed by the White Blood Religion, but because it's filled with resentment, it ended up becoming a cursed sword! Nobody could use it, but after it came into Raon's hands, it began to shine, and now it has become an outstanding sword, better than any other!"
Siyana's eyes suddenly lit up as she began to explain about the Requiem Sword, reciting explanations as if she knew more about the Requiem Sword than anyone.
"Oh..."
Raon swallowed dryly as he looked at Siyana's shining eyes.
"Right. That's how she was."
Knowing so much information about him, she must have been able to create a book with Encia. Seeing the original Siyana after so long made him smile.
"I-I'm sorry."
Siyana blushed as if she had just realized her behavior after finishing her explanation of the Requiem Sword.
"It's alright. But how do you know such detailed information about the Requiem Sword? I don't think I've ever told you that much..."
"Ah, that's..."
Her trembling eyes turned towards her back.
"Whee..."
Turning his head, Raon saw Dorian forcing a whistle.
"Well, when you got that, the only thing you had by your side was your wallet."
Wrath chuckled as if it was obvious.
"Haha..."
Raon sighed as he looked at the sweating Dorian.
"N-don't blame Dorian. I forced him to tell me."
Siyana shook her head with a choked voice.
"No, I was just curious."
Raon smiled at the slightly lightened atmosphere.
"Then I'll take a look."
Siyana accepted the Requiem Sword with her face still flushed. A blue spiritual energy silently rose around her, enveloping the red blade of the Requiem Sword.
"This sword..."
Siyana exhaled deeply and heavily with her eyes closed.
"I knew it, but it's really filled with sadness."
Her red lips trembled as if she was directly feeling the lingering souls in the Requiem Sword.
"None of them died peacefully. If not for Raon, I think everything would have gone out of control a long time ago."
Siyana's complexion turned pale as if she was reading the memories of the lingering souls.
"However, curiously, the darkness of the souls has dissipated a bit. It must be thanks to Raon."
She smiled slightly as she felt Raon's emotions through the Requiem Sword.
"Even so, the negative energy is much stronger... Eh? Brother!"
Siyana widened her eyes and stared at the Requiem Sword.
"He's here! My brother's soul is really inside this sword!"
She shouted, saying that Rimmer's soul resided in the Requiem Sword.
"Whew..."
Raon let out a sigh of relief. He was worried that Rimmer might be trapped somewhere else, but thankfully, it seemed he was still inside the sword.
"Ha, that guy!"
Sterin also let out a sad laugh, as if he was now relieved.
"Our division leader is truly amazing. Incredible..."
Burren gave a weak clap towards the Requiem Sword.
"He's probably sleeping..."
Runaan nodded and said that it was just like Rimmer.
"You're right. Maybe he forgot to come out because he was sleeping?"
Martha shook her head and said it was typical.
"He's not sleeping."
Siyana bit her lip as she held the Requiem Sword against her chest.
"My brother comforted the souls that still lingered inside him, even while enduring the resentment that stained his own soul..."
She shed the tears she had been holding back, saying that Rimmer was comforting the souls inside the Requiem Sword.
"Ah..."
Raon grasped Rimmer's sword as he looked at the Requiem Sword glowing red.
"You don't even stay idle there, do you?"
Just as Rimmer had taken care of him and the Light Wind division while he was alive, he now seemed to be comforting the lingering souls in the Requiem Sword.
"Vice Leader..."
Yua burst into tears as she fell to the ground.
"Why do you keep making us cry...?"
"That's right. When he was here, he only made bad jokes."
Dorian and Kerin cried with choked voices, as if they had their fists in their mouths. An unexpected downpour fell in a corner of Sepia.
* * *
A dull thud. In a dark cave where not a single ray of light entered, the sound of wet, dragging footsteps could be heard.
"Are you going to sleep right now?"
A man wearing a strange helmet shaped like a snake tilted his chin as he looked into the vast darkness. The deep darkness on the opposite side of the man rippled and a golden, diamond-shaped pupil opened. It was the eye of the dragon, the master of this dungeon.
[What is it.]
The dragon glared at the man with the snake helmet with fierce eyes, as if he was angry that his rest had been disturbed.
"About Sepia, where you just returned from to report..."
The man with the snake helmet moved his finger provocatively.
"Raon Zieghart has arrived. The elves welcomed him. Do you approve?"
He drew a slight smile inside his helmet, as if to say, "You know who Raon is, don't you?" The dragon's pupil narrowed to a thin slit like a razor.
[So they are ignoring my warning after all.]
In response to the transcendent being's wrath, eerie screams that sounded like human cries began to reverberate in the endless darkness of the cave.
"That's right. We can't leave them like that."
The man with the snake helmet curved the corners of his mouth, as if things were about to get interesting.
"It's been a while since I've been to Sepia."
* * *
After ordering the emotionally exhausted Light Wind division to rest, Raon returned to Sterin's house. Sterin and Siyana were waiting in the small house that served as the Guardian's residence.
“Thank you for not forgetting him and taking care of him.”
Sterin let out a long sigh, as if to say that his grandson was always causing trouble.
"Not at all. If anything, it's me who has been helped."
Raon bowed his head and said that thanks to Rimmer, he had survived.
"Thank you for speaking kindly of him."
Sterin smiled slightly, as if he didn't mind hearing praise for his grandson.
"But what will happen now with the master's soul?"
Raon asked while stroking the Requiem Sword he had received back.
"Tomorrow, as soon as the sun rises, we will send my brother's soul back to the World Tree."
Siyana said that they needed to extract Rimmer's soul, warning that if they left it as it was, it could become a lingering soul.
"I suppose that's right."
Raon clicked his tongue briefly. Although he couldn't talk to Rimmer or feel him, he felt a little regretful that Rimmer would disappear completely from his side.
"Even so, expelling him is the right thing to do."
Wrath looked at him with somber eyes.
"You decided to let that pointy-eared one go, even though you could have saved him, didn't you?"
'That's right.'
If he had asked Merlin, they could have saved Rimmer, even if it would have taken a long time. But he gave up because no one would want to be revived by wearing a helmet and borrowing someone else's body.
"Whether you're human or elf, following the flow of nature is the best thing you can do."
Siyana explained as if she had perceived his feelings. Judging by her trembling voice, it seemed she was getting nervous again.
"I understand."
Raon nodded, saying he understood.
"Ah, now that I think about it, I haven't properly congratulated you because of all the commotion."
Sterin clapped his hands with a smile.
"Congratulations on reaching transcendence. I don't think even I can match you now."
He nodded emphatically and said that it was an achievement that would go down in the history of the continent.
"Transcendence? E-then, when you said you awakened..."
Siyana widened her eyes as if she had just realized.
"Yes. I was fortunate enough to reach transcendence."
"Ah! I didn't notice because your aura was so well contained!"
She opened her mouth wide enough to fit a fist and seemed genuinely surprised.
"He has already adapted to the realm of transcendence. He can now manipulate natural energy more freely than we elves. That's probably why the Great Forest opened a path for him."
Sterin smiled slightly and said that such cases were rare.
"Transcendence! Transcendence! I must write this down!"
Siyana gasped and pulled out a book and writing tools from somewhere, frantically beginning to write something indecipherable.
"So it begins now."
Sterin let out a short sigh, as if he was familiar with that behavior.
"Begins?"
"Until we learned of Rimmer's death, she used to write about you like that. She said she would put it all in a book, and there wasn't a single thing that wasn't exaggerated."
He frowned and said it was literally like a novel.
"Haha..."
Raon let out a hollow laugh as he watched Siyana start writing with a manic gleam in her eyes.
"Once she gets like this, there's no stopping her."
Sterin wagged his finger, suggesting that they leave her alone and go out.
"Ah, yes..."
Raon scratched the back of his neck as he left Sterin's residence. He was already worried about how much exaggeration would appear in that book.
"Even so, I'm glad Siyana has improved. I was worried because she was too serious for a while."
Sterin nodded, thanking Raon for helping Siyana return to her usual shyness.
"Thanks."
"No, I didn't do anything."
Raon waved his hands, insisting that it wasn't him.
"You haven't changed at all."
Sterin chuckled and said that Raon hadn't changed a bit.
"Um, Guardian..."
Raon's expression hardened after hearing Sterin's words.
"Do you feel pain anywhere?"
The Sterin he saw today had bark-like wrinkles all over his body and seemed to be constantly tense. It was worse than when he looked tired after performing the purification ritual, which worried Raon.
"Transcendence is truly extraordinary. Even feeling it. No, perhaps you can see everything."
Sterin smiled slightly as he looked at his reflection in the lake.
"Guardian..."
"I don't have any pain. It's just that the end is approaching."
He turned and stroked his chin calmly.
"Unlike the ever-growing World Tree, for me, it's simply time to return to the earth."
"Ah..."
Raon bit his lip as he looked at Sterin's peaceful eyes. If it were a disease, he could cure it, but if it were the limit of his life, there would be nothing he could do.
"Don't make that face. I've lived long enough."
Sterin chuckled and said that there weren't many races that lived as long as the High Elves.
"Guardian..."
"Even so, it's unfortunate to leave Siyana alone. As you know, she can't even call her best friend right now."
"That's true."
Raon nodded strongly. Since the last war, the connection with Elayim and Ifrit had been completely severed. They seemed to be focused on restoring the spiritual realm.
"So, please, come visit from time to time and keep her company. She'll love it."
Sterin nodded and asked Raon to take good care of Siyana.
"Please don't do this!"
Raon shook his head and waved his hands.
"It's something I should do naturally!"
Given what he had received from Sterin, Siyana, and Rimmer, it wouldn't be strange for him to always be behind them, not just as a conversational companion.
"Thank you for saying that."
Sterin squeezed Raon's hand tightly, as if to show his sincerity. Raon's heart clenched as he felt the wrinkles on the back of Sterin's hand.
"Don't feel burdened. Zieghart and I don't consider Sepia to be a stranger."
Raon expressed his thoughts sincerely. Although several events had delayed the temporary alliance with Sepia, he considered the elves there to be his comrades.
"Raon..."
Sterin's old eyes trembled, as if they were slightly surprised, unable to continue speaking.
"You must be tired, so I'll come back tomorrow."
Raon said he would return at dawn tomorrow to see Rimmer's soul off, then went to his lodgings.
"..."
Sterin watched Raon's back for a long time, then let out a short sigh and returned home.
"Here, Raon broke the wings of the Angel Knights..."
Siyana continued to move her hand rapidly, writing records about Raon.
"Je."
Sterin approached Siyana, who was lost in her imagination, and smiled softly.
"You might be right."
He stroked his granddaughter's head as she focused, showing a genuine smile for the first time in a long time.
* * *
The next morning, at the time when mana was most abundant in the world, Raon and the Light Wind division followed Sterin to the sacred ground where the roots of the World Tree were planted. Raon took a deep breath and looked up. The World Tree, which seemed to cover the entire sky, shone with a bright, elegant light, enveloped in the mana of nature.
"Umm... doesn't it seem bigger than before?"
Dorian rubbed his eyes and let out a sigh of amazement.
"You have a good eye."
Sterin chuckled and nodded.
"The World Tree continues to grow. When it has reached its full development, it might reach the sky."
As he said, the World Tree was bigger than before. If one didn't strain their eyes, its canopy was barely visible.
"However, it seems its growth has slowed down a bit lately. As if something is blocking it."
"Is there any reason for that?"
"I'm not sure exactly. I'll have to leave it in Siyana's hands now."
Sterin shook his head and said that he now had to entrust the World Tree Purification ritual to Siyana.
"I plan to review it slowly after everyone returns."
He shook his head, telling them not to worry too much.
"I'll start now. But before that..."
Siyana approached Raon and the Light Wind division, holding the Requiem Sword.
"Please, say your last goodbyes to my brother."
She bowed her head, asking them to say goodbye so that Rimmer could depart in peace.
"..."
Raon looked at the Requiem Sword and his lips trembled slightly.
"Thank you very much for everything. You were the most comfortable and excellent master for me."
He bowed his head, expressing his sincere gratitude.
"We will live long and well, so don't worry and go in peace."
Martha bowed, squeezing her trembling hands tightly.
"I didn't like you at first, but now I can't help but recognize you as the best master. Thank you, master."
Burren performed a formal salute with his sword, as if he were addressing Glenn.
"We will protect Zieghart, so I hope you can rest in peace there."
Runaan blessed Rimmer's long sleep with tears in his eyes.
"Nnghhh..."
"Wow!"
"We'll miss you! Damn it!"
Dorian and Yua lamented, while Kerin and Julius bowed their heads with furrowed brows. After the swordsmen of the Light Wind division exchanged their farewells, the Requiem Sword returned to Siyana's hands.
"Brother, thank you. I love you."
Siyana placed the Requiem Sword on the roots of the World Tree and stood up, tears in her eyes. A blue light like the sea rose around her, enveloping the Requiem Sword that was rippling with resentment. It seemed she was trying to extract Rimmer's soul from the Requiem Sword using the power of the World Tree and spiritual energy.
"Hmm?"
But suddenly, Siyana frowned and her lips trembled.
"W-what is this...?"
Siyana widened her eyes in confusion as she looked at the Requiem Sword.
"Get out quickly..."
"What's happening?"
"This damn idiot doesn't want to leave!"
She gritted her teeth with an expression of disbelief, her tears suddenly disappearing.
"Idiot! Get out! You're bothering me!"
"He's just like that pointy-eared one!"
Wrath laughed merrily.
"..."
Raon blinked as he watched Siyana struggle with Rimmer inside the Requiem Sword.
'Is that elf starting to act like a leech again?'
-
More Ch4pters on KoreanPlayer
↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓
Thanks for the support
