Chapter 7. The Catalyst (6)
The Rotten Tree Spirit, one of the spirits of darkness, mocked Shane’s actions.
What Shane had just done was draw a Dark Spirit into his own Inner World.
At first glance, one might think that meant Shane would be fighting on his own home ground.
That would be a grave misconception.
Dark Spirits fundamentally fed upon the negative emotions of living beings—in other words, Negative Energy—and grew stronger from them.
And among all living creatures, humans were the most emotional.
No matter how powerful a human might be—no, even the mighty races of ancient times would never commit the madness of willingly allowing a Dark Spirit into their Inner World.
This human’s soul did appear unusually strong.
But no matter how fiercely a living creature struggled, Negative Energy inevitably existed within it. And as long as Negative Energy existed, a Dark Spirit could continue growing without end, regardless of the opponent it faced.
As a spirit that had watched over a forest, how much death had it witnessed?
The spirit knew precisely where the darkness within humans grew deepest.
Death.
From this moment onward, Shane would experience the countless deaths the Rotten Tree Spirit had witnessed, and his personality would gradually be worn away.
Though only an instant would pass in the outside world, he would die dozens of times within.
Then, when he came back to life, he would tremble in terror at the thought of the next death awaiting him.
That fear would produce even more Negative Energy.
And that, in turn, would become nourishment that made the spirit stronger.
However, the Rotten Tree Spirit’s expectations began to unravel the instant it entered Shane’s Inner World.
-What… is this…….
Death.
The Rotten Tree Spirit had always believed that it understood death better than anyone.
But the moment it entered Shane’s Inner World—
What came into view was a field of corpses so vast and countless that it stretched beyond the horizon.
-What in the world is this…….
No matter where it looked, there was nothing but death.
The devastation was so overwhelming that even a Dark Spirit that had lived in the forest for hundreds of years recoiled from it.
It was then that the spirit realized something was wrong.
This was—
Not the death it knew.
-What is this? What is this-?!
The Dark Spirit recognized an emotion it should never have been capable of feeling and denied the reality before it.
That emotion was fear.
It was not frightened by the corpses themselves.
It was frightened by what had created them.
The spirit had encountered a fragment of darkness similar to its own, yet infinitely deeper and more profound.
That was the source of its fear.
Then, almost without thinking, it turned around.
There, atop the countless corpses, Shane sat upon a throne.
-What are you…….
A sword blazing with radiant light had pierced his chest.
Shane’s eyes were closed, and a gentle smile rested on his face, as though he were enjoying a peaceful sleep.
An instinctive realization struck the spirit.
The countless corpses filling this world existed because of that human.
Then what, exactly, was he?
Was that death?
No.
It was not.
It stood infinitely close to death, yet it was something altogether different.
At that moment, Shane’s closed eyes opened.
-H-How……? How can a mere mortal possess a world like this……?
No answer came to the Dark Spirit’s trembling question.
Only cold silence.
The peaceful face Shane had worn only moments ago seemed like an illusion.
Once his eyes opened, not the slightest emotion could be found upon his face.
And as those unfathomably deep eyes began turning black—
Something approached the Rotten Tree Spirit.
It stood infinitely close to death.
Yet it was something different.
It was ‘Annihilation.’
—
When Klein and the Knight Order returned to the village, they could not hide their shock at the sight of the Twin-Head Ogre lying at the village entrance.
How had such an enormous monster managed to reach the village without giving off the slightest trace of its presence?
They learned what had happened from the five knights, who were still bleeding as they received emergency treatment.
“He has remained like that ever since.”
“……We should summon a Mage immediately. Young Master, what would you like to do?”
At Layerd’s question, Klein stared at Shane, who lay peacefully asleep on the bed, and answered gloomily.
“We will leave together once Brother wakes up.”
Layerd sighed inwardly at Klein’s words.
He had never imagined that the first young master would risk himself for the sake of a mere mercenary.
For the past several days, Shane had behaved like a completely different person.
His impassive gaze remained unchanged, but the hostility he had always directed toward Klein had disappeared.
And then there was what had happened this time.
Even so, Layerd could not help but disapprove of Shane’s actions.
‘Regardless of the circumstances, he is a son of House Clayton. Risking himself like that for a mere commoner was reckless.’
Of course, Layerd had no way of knowing what Shane had truly been thinking.
It would never have occurred to him that Shane had originally intended to kill Wayton simply because dealing with a rampaging spirit inside his own Inner World would have been troublesome.
“Rodwill. I am afraid you and one other man will have to go. If we are to explain the situation accurately to the Magic Tower, someone who was actually present will need to speak with them.”
Rodwill had been the strongest of the five knights who remained in the village, so he was at least capable of moving.
“Yes, understood.”
Rodwill did not object to Layerd’s order.
The first young master had ended up in this condition while protecting the village.
How could such conduct not be called an example worthy of a knight?
And if they wanted to save the young master who had collapsed because of a spirit, their only option was to request aid from the Magic Tower.
Just as Rodwill was about to leave—
“There is no need.”
“……Young Master!”
Shane quietly opened his eyes on the bed.
At the same instant—
“Commander! What are you doing?!”
“What is the meaning of this?!”
The surrounding knights cried out in alarm when they noticed that Layerd had already placed one hand on the hilt of his sword.
Klein also glared at him.
“We must first confirm that you are truly Young Master Shane. My apologies, Young Master. Please stay back for the moment…….”
“If that is what concerns you, then simply check. There is no need for such a commotion.”
At Shane’s words, Layerd remained vigilant as he grasped the wrist Shane extended toward him.
“…….”
Layerd’s mana swept through Shane’s body.
He sensed no Dark Spirit within him.
“You truly are the Young Master…… Please forgive my disrespect.”
“Forget it. What about the village?”
“I ordered the returning knights to scout the surrounding area. Once they return, we intend to bring the villagers back as well.”
“Understood.”
After they exchanged several more words about dealing with the aftermath, Layerd, Rodwill, and the other knights left the room.
Only Shane and Klein remained.
“Is there something you want to say?”
“……Why did you do something so dangerous, Brother?”
“Are you worried about me?”
Shane’s roseberry-colored eyes met Klein’s ocean-blue gaze.
“Of course I am!”
Klein answered without the slightest hesitation.
Shane gave a faint chuckle.
“It was not particularly dangerous. It was necessary as well.”
“…….”
“You would have done the same thing.”
“I…….”
“Let us leave that subject there. More importantly, Klein.”
“Yes?”
“Do you not need a squire while you are living at the Academy?”
“……?”
At Shane’s sudden question, Klein could only blink.
—
Early the next morning.
The Knight Order packed their belongings and prepared to leave the village with the carriages.
The village chief still looked uneasy, worried that monsters might remain somewhere nearby, but the knights had already searched the entire surrounding area and found no further traces.
During the preparations, Shane requested one of the village’s carriages for the wounded knights.
The village chief could only hand it over with a smile that made it painfully obvious how reluctant he was.
After all, the carriage was being requested for knights who had been injured protecting the village.
And the people asking belonged to the illustrious House Clayton.
Human greed might at times seem endless, but ultimately, that too was merely one of the many facets of humanity.
Before the Knight Order departed, however, Wayton’s employer—the Merchant Company Head of the Habok Merchant Company—paid for the carriage himself.
He busied himself lavishing praise upon House Clayton for having fought so valiantly to protect the village.
Meanwhile, Klein looked out the window at Alex, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of the carriage carrying the wounded knights.
“Why did you assign that man to me?”
Before leaving the village—
Shane had sought Alex out and asked whether he had any interest in becoming Klein’s squire.
In truth, it had hardly been a question.
It had been closer to a declaration.
The words had been one-sided enough to seem rude, but Alex had immediately nodded and joined their party.
“He has talent. Keep him by your side and train him properly.”
“Is…… that so?”
Still visibly puzzled, Klein nodded for the time being.
Shane’s reason for bringing Alex along was not solely because of what had happened in his previous life.
The Alex of the present was different from the man Shane had known back then.
He had not experienced the deaths of his family, friends, and companions in the village.
Nor had the world yet fallen into the same crisis it had faced in Shane’s previous life.
Shane did not know what sort of Fortuitous Encounter Alex had experienced back then to become so powerful.
But Shane’s eyes could see through the souls of humans.
And Alex possessed a remarkably pure soul.
Of course, its radiance diminished considerably when compared to Klein’s.
‘Even when the Dark Spirit seized him, he did not break.’
He had wavered, but he had not knelt.
That alone was enough for Shane to give Alex a passing mark.
Those with pure souls invariably overcame trials and grew stronger.
Shane had seen countless heroes in his previous life.
How spotless and brilliant had their souls been?
Shane trusted his instincts.
If Alex were nurtured properly—if he were raised correctly this time, unlike in his previous life—
He could shine even more brilliantly than before.
That was why Shane placed him beside Klein, whose soul shone brightest of all.
Pure souls were naturally drawn toward those that were even purer, and through them, they grew.
The carriage continued onward without pause, its wheels turning ceaselessly.
Before long, the outline of a city appeared in the distance.
Enormous walls rose so high that one had to crane one’s neck to see their tops, where countless soldiers stood guard.
At the sight, Klein seemed to remember something and turned to Shane.
Recently, Shane had been answering Klein’s questions without much delay.
His answers were often brief, but unlike before, he no longer looked at Klein with an expression filled with irritation.
Feeling slightly more at ease, Klein asked,
“Brother, which department are you planning to enter this time?”
Shane answered quietly.
The reply came at once, as though he had already made up his mind long ago.
“The Department of Command.”
“Pardon……?”
“We will be taking the departmental exam together, Klein.”
Another choice that differed from his previous life.
Klein, having no idea what his brother was thinking, could only stare at him with wide eyes.
—
“This year will be a golden age for the Department of Command in more ways than one.”
Hauzen G. Kronos, the half-bald Academy President, spoke as he sat upon a large sofa.
Across from him sat a middle-aged man, Levi Benjamin, who smiled at his former teacher.
“A golden age, you say?”
“Indeed. You have come here at a very fortunate time.”
Just as President Kronos said, the current generation of students at the Academy was so exceptional that it would hardly be an exaggeration to call this the greatest golden age in its history.
“We have all manner of talented students, beginning with the daughter of the Commander of the Judgment Knight Order that protects the Empire. And among them, the second son of House Clayton is particularly remarkable.”
“Ah, I have heard that name as well. They say he is the sort of student who forces his Professors to reveal everything they know.”
“Exactly. I hear his swordsmanship and mana control are superior even to those of many Professors. They say if you teach him one thing, he comprehends not ten but a hundred. Among the Professors, he is already being called a genius of the century.”
“Are you saying that cadet is joining the Department of Command?”
“Yes. So you had better take care not to have everything you know wrung out of you as well!”
Benjamin gave a wry smile at Kronos’s words.
“My role is only to teach the cadets the proper mindset. If he is truly that exceptional, there may be very little for me to correct.”
“Come now. If even you say that, what are we to do? You were once an Imperial Knight Commander, were you not?”
“I was merely a fool who failed to adapt and ran away.”
“Tsk, tsk…… Did I not tell you back then? I said becoming an Adventurer suited your nature far better than serving in some Imperial Knight Order.”
“Haha. I should have listened to your advice.”
Perhaps it was because he was meeting his teacher again after so long.
Benjamin spent some time exchanging stories with Kronos.
“Come to think of it, the cadets should begin arriving soon.”
“It would seem so.”
“You have always had an excellent eye for people, have you not? I have heard that the Razorwind Knight Order you once commanded was filled with extraordinarily talented individuals.”
“Anyone capable of setting foot inside the Imperial Palace possesses talent of roughly that caliber. I merely received gemstones that had already been polished.”
“There you go being modest again.”
“Still, I suppose it could be interesting to discover an unpolished gem from time to time.”
“Do so. Sometimes the finest gems are simply the ones discovered later.”
“Yes.”
With those words, Benjamin bid farewell to his teacher and stepped outside.
“An unpolished gem…….”
Benjamin, who had retired after growing weary of the Empire’s political struggles, had one small wish.
It was nothing particularly grand.
There was simply someone younger than himself standing at the very center of those revolting struggles for power.
If Benjamin discovered someone talented enough to be of help to that person, he wanted to persuade them to stand at that person’s side.
He hoped to find someone who would remain there as a steadfast source of support.
Someone unlike himself—
Not a weak coward who had abandoned everything and fled halfway through.
