Chapter 1123
Raon exhaled a heavy breath, slowly opening his eyelids within a dark expanse illuminated by cascading starlight.
"As suspected, this was the place."
The founding father of House Zieghart had a habit of leaving hidden legacies in locations defined by the blade. He had etched his history into sites synonymous with swordsmanship so they might eventually be found—the Stone Sword, the training grounds of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, the central Zieghart drill hall, the Holy Sword Alliance, and that submerged cavern adorned with sword inscriptions. These discoveries convinced Raon that the Unyielding Blade would similarly hold a piece of the past.
He had sensed the Sword Testing Hall was the most plausible hiding spot and had been eager to explore it, yet he hadn't anticipated the opportunity arising so perfectly.
"So, where have I been taken..."
Scanning his surroundings, he noted towering, jagged cliffs. The distinct silhouette of the mountain peaks suggested he was at Sword Dance Mountain.
"But this isn't the mountain I know."
This was a vision of Sword Dance Mountain from an era before the Unyielding Blade was established—a time when the landscape was nothing but raw, desolate stone.
"What vision are you presenting this time?"
As Raon searched for the Zieghart forefather, a colossal pillar of fire descended from the heavens. Amidst a deafening boom, the ancestor of Zieghart and the female sorceress who was his constant companion stepped out from the golden inferno. However, their usually flawless appearances were gone; both looked battered and worn.
They were covered in grievous injuries, as though they had narrowly escaped a cataclysmic struggle, and their expressions betrayed a deep spiritual exhaustion.
"What kind of entity could push those two to such a state?"
The Zieghart ancestor Raon had observed previously was more powerful than any figure in his memory. His magical partner was likewise a formidable being who had long since ascended beyond the level of Transcendence. It was difficult to fathom what could have caused them such distress.
"Haaa..."
The sorceress, clad in her violet robes, let out a weary sigh as she leaned heavily upon her staff.
"How long has it been since that horrific conflict concluded? And now, yet another catastrophe."
She shifted her head side to side, noting that the ordeal had been far more taxing than they had anticipated.
"..."
The Zieghart forefather remained silent, his eyes fixed on the star-strewn sky above Sword Dance Mountain as if performing complex internal calculations.
"Is this matter finally settled?"
The violet-robed sorceress pressed her palms together, silently begging for an affirmative answer.
"Yes. For the moment."
The Zieghart ancestor took a shallow breath, hinting that the threat was not entirely extinguished.
"For the moment?"
The sorceress’s brow twitched with irritation.
"Are you suggesting it might resurface in the future?"
She slammed her foot down in frustration, declaring the idea absurd. The force of her mana-infused stomp caused Sword Dance Mountain to tremble, sending debris tumbling down the slopes.
"Because they are not the type to surrender."
The Zieghart ancestor gave a solemn nod, speaking with the clarity of one who saw what was to come.
"Then we cannot remain idle!"
The sorceress struck the ground with her staff.
"We should obliterate every trace right now! Our time is running short!"
She bit her lip, insisting they could not allow the cycle of history to repeat itself.
"The descendants of the future will never possess the strength to halt it."
"That is precisely why we have come to this peak. Sword Dance Mountain is the point where the world's spiritual essence flows most powerfully."
From his tunic, the Zieghart forefather produced a jewel that burned with a pitch-black light. On closer inspection, it wasn't a gem but something resembling a dragon's scale. With a flick of his wrist, golden embers flared up, consuming the dark flames flickering around the object. The fire hissed with intensity.
The ancestor drove the scale—now glowing with the intensity of the golden heat—deep into the earth beneath him.
Despite the density of the mountain’s bedrock, the scale sliced through the stone like a hot blade. Almost immediately, a sinister aura began to radiate from the object, casting a shadow of malice across Sword Dance Mountain.
"I am relying on you."
The Zieghart forefather stepped back, a tired smile touching his lips.
"You certainly know how to make a difficult request."
The violet-robed sorceress exhaled sharply and crossed her hands in a complex gesture. As her chant began, a surge of azure mana erupted, sealing the fissure in the rock and causing delicate blossoms to sprout in the surrounding area. The malevolent energy of the black scale was completely suppressed.
"Phew."
She sank to the ground, her complexion turning even more ghostly than before, clearly drained by the effort.
"My thanks."
The Zieghart ancestor reached out to steady her, gently patting her back.
"Honestly, you!"
Though she voiced a complaint, a faint smile played on her lips, showing she didn't truly mind his help.
"Listen... I hate to mention this now, but there are several other locations we must visit."
"Oh, you have to be kidding me!"
As the pair shared a brief moment of levity, the falling petals suddenly froze in the air. The flow of time within the memory halted, and the vibrant world faded into monochrome. Even Raon, an observer from another time, found himself paralyzed. A low vibration rumbled through the atmosphere.
Within this static world, the first patriarch of Zieghart rose slowly and turned. He adjusted his gaze with perfect precision, as if looking directly at Raon.
Those glowing crimson eyes. They were reminiscent of Glenn’s—no, it was like staring into a mirror. They were exactly like his own.
"The time is drawing near."
The Zieghart ancestor nodded. He wasn't looking at his companion anymore, but at Raon, fully cognizant of his presence.
"I have faith in you."
As those resonant, clear words settled into Raon’s soul, he blinked. The nameless tome in his grasp began to transform; the original script dissolved, and fresh characters began to surface. The manual had shed its disguise to reveal its true title: the Limitless Time Sword.
"Is a technique like this even physically possible?"
The voice of Martha snapped him back to the present. The vision had concluded, and he was back in the Sword Testing Hall.
-You! What did you witness this time!
Wrath scowled, irritated that Raon’s spirit kept wandering off.
-This Great King is not some watchdog meant to sit by your vacant shell!
He shook his head, warning Raon to stop his strange excursions. Underneath the bluster, there was a hint of genuine concern.
'My apologies.'
After offering a silent apology to Wrath, Raon looked down at the floor of the hall.
'That scale isn't something meant to be unearthed.'
Raon took a hard swallow and tightened his grip.
'It is a seal that must be guarded at any cost.'
Having studied every volume in the Sword Testing Hall to build the foundation for the Ten Thousand Swords realm, Raon made his way back up.
"That took a bit longer than I anticipated."
Brigitte, the Queen of Swords, smirked from her position by the entrance.
"I take it you failed to find the specific manual you were seeking?"
She tilted her head, reiterating that the hall only held oddities. She spoke as if she were intimately familiar with the entire collection.
"No. I found what I needed."
Raon shook his head, his mind lingering on the ancestor’s memory and the Limitless Time Sword.
"Since I was already down there, I took the opportunity to browse the rest of the collection as well."
He gave a small smile, mentioning he had gone through every manual in the hall.
"W-What...?"
Brigitte looked at him, stunned.
"You read... everything? Every single martial text in that room?"
Her eyes went wide, showing more shock now than when she had first sensed his increased power.
"Yes. I processed them all and committed the vital parts to memory."
Raon gave a calm nod.
"How is that even humanly possible?"
Brigitte gasped, noting that the speed required for such a feat was incomprehensible.
"For someone of Lord Raon's caliber, it is perfectly natural."
The Thespian Emperor nodded in agreement, suggesting that such a task was well within his capabilities.
"You geniuses and your monstrous brains..."
Brigitte grumbled, annoyed that such a thing was beyond her own straightforward intellect.
"Queen of Swords. Are you aware of what is hidden beneath the foundation of the Unyielding Blade?"
Raon pointed toward the floor.
"Beneath? It's Sword Dance Mountain. What else would be there?"
Brigitte looked confused, wondering why he would ask something so obvious.
"..."
Raon simply held her gaze in silence.
"I don't think that's the answer he's looking for."
The Thespian Emperor, sensing the shift in Raon's energy, narrowed her eyes.
"He seems to be inquiring about the true function of the Unyielding Blade."
She let out a slow, measured breath.
"What exactly did you encounter in that hall?"
Brigitte’s posture tensed. It was clear she knew something significant resided under the mountain, even if the specifics of the scale were unknown to her.
"I don't have all the answers myself. I only know that it is something that must be guarded."
Since he couldn't easily explain his connection to the ancestor, he kept his response vague.
"You are a peculiar man. Even more mysterious than the hall itself."
Brigitte let out a breath and relaxed her stance.
"You aren't wrong. There is a presence within Sword Dance Mountain that the Unyielding Blade is sworn to protect. We don't know its origin or its nature, but the duty has been handed down since before we even bore our current name."
She drummed her fingers on the desk, noting the antiquity of the mandate.
"That's surprising. I assumed you weren't one for rigid traditions."
Raon offered a slight smile at her grumpy expression.
"I wasn't. I used to think it was just some dull legend that every old school makes up. But..."
Brigitte looked over at the Thespian Emperor.
"Ariel informed me that there truly is an unsettling energy buried deep below."
She sighed, admitting the legend had weight.
"My own mentor mentioned it, so I do my best to respect the final wishes of those who came before."
Brigitte nodded, conceding it wasn't a particularly difficult burden.
"Understood."
Raon nodded back.
"Then please, accept this."
He presented Brigitte with the Limitless Time Sword manual. Since the contents were already etched in his mind, he had no reason to keep the physical copy.
"What's this... wait?"
Brigitte’s eyes widened as she flipped through the pages.
"This was in the Sword Testing Hall?"
Her hands shook slightly, realizing she had never encountered this specific text before.
"It was. It appears to be a reward left by the one who first commanded the protection of this mountain."
Raon explained that the manual had revealed the existence of the seal within the peak.
"Hmm..."
Brigitte looked up from the pages.
"Are you certain about giving this to me? This isn't just any technique."
She swallowed, sensing the manual contained insights that touched upon the realm beyond Transcendence.
"In return, I simply ask that you keep this place secure."
Raon gave her a reassuring smile.
"Haah..."
Brigitte shook her head, clearly touched by the gesture. Her estimation of him seemed to soar.
"Fine. I still don't know what's down there, but I'll make sure nothing touches it!"
She slammed her fist onto the desk to emphasize her vow. The furniture seemed to groan under the repeated abuse.
"Now, we have our own business to conclude."
The Thespian Emperor stepped forward with a gentle smile.
"The Five Divine Orders... or rather, the two that remain, the White Whale and the Unyielding Blade, formally pledge their support to Raon Zieghart in his quest for succession."
She officially announced their alliance while presenting the token of the White Whale.
"Take this as well."
Brigitte handed over the wooden sword emblem from her desk, having already reached her decision.
"Thank you."
Raon accepted both emblems with a respectful bow. Knowing these were the tokens of the most powerful allies he had secured thus far, they felt remarkably heavy in his palms.
"There is one more request I have for you both. In the near future..."
Raon looked the Thespian Emperor in the eye.
"You want us to fight by your side in the coming conflict, don't you?"
The Thespian Emperor nodded, having already anticipated his words.
"We will be there, regardless of whether that future is clear to me."
She smiled, her voice devoid of the anxiety that had once plagued her. It was clear she had finally conquered her inner demons.
'No, she's gone further than that.'
Raon realized that while he had been focused on Brigitte and Briana, the Thespian Emperor had undergone a profound transformation. She hadn't just recovered; she had fully integrated her insights into her being. Her aura was now sharp and formidable.
"Don't you worry! I'll be there to crush anyone in our way."
Brigitte thumped her chest confidently.
"No."
Raon gestured for her to wait.
"Lady Brigitte, your presence on the main front won't be necessary."
"What? Why not?"
Brigitte looked at him, confused and slightly offended.
"Because..."
Raon looked down at the ground toward the heart of the mountain.
"This location will likely become a front of its own."
Raon looked at the two new emblems in his hand.
'I should be able to pass the trial if I secure just one or two more allies.'
With the backing of Habun Castle, Sepia, House Arianne, the White Whale, and the Unyielding Blade, the second trial of the Successor candidate seemed well within reach.
'Where to go next?'
The Holy Kingdom, home to the Saintess, seemed like the logical choice. While the Five Kings—Balkar, Owen, and the Beast Union—were powerful, they were barred from this specific trial. The Holy Kingdom remained the most influential and martially gifted option left.
Just as Raon made his decision and stowed the tokens away, a small swallow fluttered onto his windowsill. It was the messenger he had sent to Rector, but its feathers and head were stained with dried, crimson blood.
"What happened?"
Raon quickly opened the window and gathered the bird.
"Are you hurt?"
The swallow chirped and moved its limbs easily, signaling the blood wasn't its own.
"In that case..."
Raon felt a knot in his stomach as he detached the message from the bird's leg. It was a reply from Rector, praising Raon's progress and stating that he was still enjoying a quiet stay at the Holy Sword Alliance.
However, the paper was splattered with red drops. Having spent a lifetime as an assassin, Raon knew the difference.
This wasn't the blood of a wild animal or a monster. This was human blood.
"Where..."
Raon gritted his teeth, staring at the small messenger.
"Where are you right now, grandfather?"
