Had Liam mentioned that my other ancestors were here?
My master was right. From the moment I faced the specters, I could clearly feel the aura they emanated—an aura that resonated with Steel. There was no need for conversation or proof. The blood flowing through my veins reacted to them instinctively. It was likely the same for them. Just as I knew these ghosts were my ancestors, they must have sensed that I was their descendant.
“Much time has passed,” said the specter who took the form of an old man.
“The blood of Steel has thinned beyond comparison to our era.”
“It’s not necessarily a bad thing. If he had been born with blood as thick as ours, he wouldn’t have survived this long. He would have been hunted down long before he could truly ripen.”
“Wasn’t Bermartin the eighth… no, the ninth guardian? Considering nine generations have already passed through us, it’s been long enough for the blood to thin.”
Thin blood.
They were saying the same thing Liam had.
As the specters conversed among themselves, I spoke up. “What kind of place is this?”
Only then did the specters stop their chatter.
“Ah, forgive us. We were talking amongst ourselves without explaining anything, weren’t we? You wouldn’t know, but we’ve been waiting for a very long time. It’s been ages since we’ve spoken to anyone other than ourselves.”
“From what you’re saying, didn’t Sir Bermartin and the others come here as well?”
“That’s right, they did. But they cannot see us, nor can they speak with us. Only a Caravan can feel us, and only a Caravan can communicate with us.”
“Yes, only those who hear the Voice of the Sword.”
The specters began their explanation.
“As mentioned before, this place is called the Small Land of Swords. It is an independent spiritual world created by the combined strength of three Swordmasters of Caravan who were enjoying their eternal rest. Not even the Nine Goddesses or the Seven Chief Gods know what happens here. This is entirely our domain.”
“…”
“There is only one reason why we, who have already departed the world, went through the trouble of consuming our mental strength to create such a realm in the mortal plane: to ensure that Caravan does not vanish from existence entirely.”
The specters’ eyes glowed intensely.
“As Caravan’s power waned, the world began to excise us from history. They erased Caravan’s name and traces, carving up our achievements to share among themselves. Then, they proudly packaged them as if they were their own accomplishments.”
“…”
“That didn’t matter. As time passed, Caravan lost its former glory and the sharpness of its blade. History is written by the victors. The world has always operated on the logic of power, so we had no complaints about being forgotten. However…”
“We could not tolerate them hunting down and killing every single person with Caravan blood. It wasn’t through fair duels or battles; they horribly murdered even those who lived peacefully without ever holding a sword. We could no longer stand by and watch our innocent descendants bleed.”
The specter in the form of an old man.
The specter in the form of a young man.
The specter in the form of a beautiful woman.
“Thus, we created this realm. We sought out faithful individuals, gave them teachings, and made a promise in exchange: if they found a surviving, qualified Caravan, they would bring them to us.”
“Nine such people have already been taught. Just as our patience was hitting its limit, the ninth guardian, Bermartin, brought you here. You, who survived and are qualified.”
The three specters spoke as if they were one person.
As their voices continued, I listened to the history of this place and why it had been created. I looked at them and asked, “What did you teach Sir Bermartin? Did you also teach him the truth about the Caravan family? Is that why Sir Bermartin, a human, knew about the Caravan that was forgotten by history?”
“Yes, we told him. That there was an Age of Iron, that there was a Caravan, and that the world had forgotten us. Bermartin likely knows more than you do. Since the world erased Caravan from history, Caravan itself must have forgotten its own legacy.”
“What we taught Bermartin is a simple sword. A Sword Art that Chases Steel. Another kind of Steel that can be wielded even without the blood of Steel flowing through one’s veins. Originally, it was a swordsmanship our servants learned for self-defense.”
Forgotten its own history.
It was an accurate description.
Even though I inherited the blood of Steel, I didn’t know much about Caravan. The old stories my father used to tell me were the extent of what I had heard. I remained silent for a moment, then raised my head to look at them again. I asked another question.
“There’s something else I want to ask.”
“You have many curiosities.”
“Ask away, as much as you like.”
I looked at each of the three specters in turn. “What can you give me?”
Now then.
“This pitiful descendant relies only on his ancestors. Now that I have no family or blood relatives left, my ancestors are the only ones I can trust. This insignificant descendant wants to survive in this harsh world. So, I hope you will give me something very valuable so that your descendant can survive. Something truly, truly valuable.”
Time to be thick-skinned.
* * *
“Hmm. Child, now I see how you survived until the end. The blood of Steel awakened your heart and wings, but it seems it awakened the skin on your face as well. This is practically a Face of Steel.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“To think Caravan’s dignity has fallen this far.”
Dignity?
I learned this from my master, the greatest Caravan and the greatest Swordmaster. To look down on the Face of Steel, the secret technique of the Progenitor Liam Caravan… what a joke.
“Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can give you.”
“I heard Sir Bermartin went from an insignificant swordsman to a Knight Commander. Wouldn’t those teachings be helpful to me as well?”
“Didn’t we say that what Bermartin learned was the sword of servants? Bermartin invested nearly decades to reach his current position. Do you also wish to invest decades? From what we see, it seems you don’t have that kind of time.”
“Yes, I don’t have much time.”
Decades of training? That’s insane.
I asked the specters, “Are there no powerful armaments passed down in Caravan?”
“None. For Caravan is a family that takes its own soul as its weapon.”
“Ah.”
“What we can give you is to teach you a part of forgotten history, to pass down the true way to use the Steel Wings, and—”
“And?”
“To tell you how to survive. Those three are all.”
How to survive.
My eyebrows twitched at those words.
The specters soon spoke. “We must look pathetic to you since we take the form of ghosts. But all three of us are Swordmasters. And Swordmasters of Caravan who enjoyed the Age of Glory, at that.”
“We know that a Swordmaster loved by the gods is pursuing you. We can tell you a way to escape him. Not a temporary escape, but a way to escape forever.”
“…Escape, you say?”
At my words, the specters nodded.
“Yes. It’s not very Caravan-like. Originally, we didn’t think of escaping from the start either. But seeing you here, we’ve judged that it’s impossible to raise you into a Swordmaster in a short time.”
“Your blood is too thin, and your talent is too meager.”
“If you had been born in the era of war, you would have died long ago.”
The specters didn’t stop there.
“Think wisely. You are the last Caravan. If your life ends, Caravan will completely vanish from the world. We cannot allow that.”
“Caravan must continue. It must.”
Their voices grew heavier.
Amidst the strange pressure I felt, I shook my head with a calm face. “No, I will not run.”
The specters’ expressions contorted at my words. “Even if we say we will force you to run?”
“Try it if you can.”
I glared straight at them and spoke. “I am with the greatest Caravan. He is my master, and my most distant ancestor. He told me that I can achieve my revenge if I am with him. I believe in my master. When it comes to the sword, he is never wrong.”
It was the truth, without a hint of a lie.
Liam had said it. If I wanted revenge, if I wanted to achieve my goal, I had to stay with him. He said he would make anything happen. I still hadn’t forgotten the Voice of the Sword I heard that day. After I spoke with firm conviction, a brief silence followed.
And then.
“The… greatest Caravan?”
“No way.”
“…Child. Did you… eat the sword left behind by the Progenitor?”
The specters’ faces were frozen cold.
Instead of answering, I nodded.
Soon, sighs poured out. “Why… why would you do such a foolish thing?”
Foolish. I never expected such a reaction.
“Why are you reacting like that?”
“…Caravan truly has forgotten its history. I suppose that’s why you committed the madness of eating the sword left by the Progenitor. Because you knew nothing, you were able to swallow it without hesitation.”
“…?”
“Child, it would be best for you to spit out that sword even now. If you don’t know how, we will teach you. It’s not difficult to expel a digested soul. It’s not too late. So, let’s spit out the sword the Progenitor left behind. Okay?”
I truly couldn’t understand their reaction. “Just what is wrong with all of you?”
Hearing my words, the specters finally spoke.
“Our Progenitor, Liam Caravan, was certainly a great Swordmaster. Even if you combined all the Swordmasters of Caravan… no, all the Swordmasters who appeared throughout the history of the continent, they wouldn’t be able to even reach his toes. But that is where it ends. The Progenitor was a great swordsman, but he was not a good man. Rather, he was a truly terrible person.”
A terrible person.
That didn’t fit Liam Caravan. The Liam I knew had a nasty side and was prickly, but he wasn’t someone who deserved the description ‘terrible.’ Never.
“The reason the world excised Caravan from history is because of the things he did. Do you know what happened to us because of the karma the Progenitor left behind? We became the only family among the great lineages to be abandoned by the Seven Chief Gods and the Nine Goddesses. We became a family that every nation on the continent antagonizes, and a family that countless races loathe.”
“…”
“After the Progenitor left the mortal realm, we had to war with every country on the continent and fight against an alliance of five races. So, spit out his sword. Is it because of the power you’ve gained? We will help you. We will help you regain what you’ve lost in no time. So, reverse your foolish choice even now.”
But the specters’ words didn’t sound like lies.
“The Progenitor is the one who turned the world into his enemy. After he left, we had to face the world. And compared to him, we, who were so insignificant, could not win.”
The specters’ eyes turned toward me.
“The Progenitor was excessively strong. No one could satisfy his expectations, and no one could keep up with him. If the Progenitor has taken you as his disciple, he will demand something excessive from you this time as well. You can never satisfy his expectations. You will break before that. Miserably.”
There was no emotion like anger in their eyes. On the contrary, the specters were looking at me with pity.
“We told you, didn’t we? That this place is the ‘Small Land of Swords.’ This land we created was made by imitating another place. In the spiritual world, there exists the true ‘Land of Swords.’ The destination of all swords. The one who rules and dominates that place is our Progenitor, Liam Caravan.”
“We have all seen him. The one who makes Swordmasters look pathetic and makes even the Seven Chief Gods and Nine Goddesses tremble. The Master of All Swords, the one who has reached the apex of all existence.”
“No Caravan stays there. Because a Caravan who hasn’t forgotten history knows that our family was destroyed because of him.”
“There are even those who chose to fall into hell instead.”
The specters spoke with total sincerity.
“Being with our Progenitor is a very foolish thing. The Progenitor does not want things like Caravan’s survival or peaceful harmony. All he wants is the second coming of a being like himself. To reclaim the Age of Iron once more. The Progenitor desires only that.”
“Take our hands. We will teach you how to run. We will teach you how to hide forever and live peacefully. So—”
“Hmm.”
I cut them off mid-sentence.
“Thank you for the words. But.”
“…?”
“Why do you ancestors think this descendant would want to run, survive, and hope for peace? This descendant simply cannot understand.”
And then, I also answered with total sincerity.
“That I won’t be able to satisfy my master’s expectations. That I will break. Yes, I agree. Compared to my master, I am a deeply insignificant sword and a total dunce. But if I cannot become strong, I would rather break. I may be snapped, but I will not bend.”
“…”
“Run? There is no retreat in the rest of my life. I’d rather die than live under the same sky as that guy. I’d sooner take my own life. The Caravan line ending? I don’t care about that either. All I want is one thing: to become strong. And from what I see, none of you can give me what I want. Even if you could, it would be paltry compared to what my master gives me.”
Peace? That’s not what I want. You ancestors of a bygone era.
“So I will say it again. What can you give me? You’ll have to give me something valuable among the things you ancestors possess. This descendant will fight until the moment he dies, and the moment I lose even once, Caravan will completely vanish from the world. Since I am the only Caravan left on the entire continent, and the last Caravan will not stop his revenge.”
“…”
“If you don’t want Caravan to vanish completely, then hand over something valuable so that this descendant can survive his fierce battles. Then, I will survive until the end as you ancestors wish. Without being killed by anyone, until the very end.”
They don’t want Caravan to vanish. The moment I heard that, I was certain. In this negotiation, I held all the cards. Since I am the only living, last Caravan.
So.
“Give it to me quickly. I’m getting impatient.”
Spit out something useful, ancestors.
