“Everything will be fine.”
Zeppelin Gold gave a broad, confident grin.
“Now that Butcher, the Great Warrior of the Sun, has stepped in, we can finally rest easy.”
“Is he truly that remarkable?”
“Remarkable doesn’t even begin to cover it. In this Southern Continent, no one is more renowned than Monk Butcher. Not only has he reached incredible heights as a monk, but his devotion is so profound that he is respected by every religious figure on the continent.”
As Zeppelin Gold said, Butcher was a formidable individual. Though I didn’t know much about him, I could tell from the brief moment I saw him—that old monk was no ordinary man.
However…
‘Why won’t this sense of unease go away?’
The anxiety refused to dissipate.
“Why the dark expression? Your achievement this time, Lord Arhan, is nothing short of legendary. Because of you alone, the momentum of the Crusaders has been completely shattered. It’s at the point where the Cross Order itself might collapse. A single individual has broken a cult that sought to swallow an entire continent!”
“…….”
“You could stand to be a bit more arrogant; no one would blame you. You’ve even taken a girl who could potentially become the Great Warrior of the Star into your territory. If a religious order with a resident Great Warrior is established, the Caravan Estate won’t just be a mere territory—it could become an independent city-state. A nation bearing the name Caravan might even be born.”
Zeppelin Gold sang my praises without a moment’s pause.
“The Southern Continent, now indebted to you, will be incredibly favorable toward the Caravan Estate from now on. Every Southerner will revere you as a hero. Bards will sing of you until everyone’s ears ache. Furthermore, not just the Southern Continent, but any religious person will never be able to forget the Lord of Caravan who saved the Star Order. Never!”
“……That’s enough praise.”
“Oh, come now. Thanks to your exploits, I, Zeppelin Gold, feel as if I’ve grown wings. The balance of power shifted completely before the Great Powers could even begin their posturing. Thanks to that, I’m monopolizing all the profits. With only a slight exaggeration, I could spend ten days and nights flattering you. And I’d do it with a very joyful heart!”
Zeppelin Gold was genuinely delighted.
And rightfully so. His original goal was to pick up the scraps falling from the chaotic Southern Continent. To reap small profits, he had intended to manufacture me into a hero. If things had gone according to the original plan, Zeppelin Gold wouldn’t have been able to act so ‘proactively’ in the Southern Continent. No matter how much of a descendant of 「Gold」 he was, he wouldn’t have been able to join the fray if the true powers of the continent, including the Sky Empire, had begun to move.
But because the scale had remained small, he had succeeded.
Those with massive power couldn’t move quickly enough. We, having arrived in the Southern Continent first, broke the balance between the orders and put the Crusaders in a bind. Now, the situation had become too awkward for the Great Powers to intervene.
At this rate, it seemed only a matter of time before the Holy Empire, led by the Great Warrior of the Sun, crushed the Crusaders, restored peace to the Southern Continent, and turned this place back into a paradise. In the process, Zeppelin Gold would establish countless trade routes, assist in reconstruction efforts, and rake in massive profits—all by leveraging the prestige of being part of the ‘Hero’s’ party.
No matter how I looked at it, there was nothing bad about this.
In fact, it was good. Far better than I had anticipated before coming to the Southern Continent.
And yet, I was uneasy.
Why?
“Are you perhaps worried because you didn’t finish off the Crusaders’ new Great Warrior? I told you, don’t worry. Trust in Butcher. The number of people who can face the Great Warrior of the Sun can be counted on one hand, even if you search the entire continent, not just the South.”
The thing I hadn’t finished.
Yes, I hadn’t seen Aaron’s end. By the time Aaron used a magic tool to flee and I returned to the surface, the situation had already concluded. Zeppelin Gold’s mercenary group had wiped out the Crusaders who had lost their Great Warrior, and the warp gate Aaron had forced open had lost its light and flickered out.
Was the source of my anxiety the Great Warrior of Condemnation? Was I afraid that if Butcher failed to kill him, Aaron would return even stronger to seek revenge?
“Besides, what does it matter even if Butcher doesn’t kill the Great Warrior of Condemnation? Aaron was beaten so badly by you that he’ll likely be traumatized for life. It’s better to have that coward as their Great Warrior than to have a powerful new one emerge. The Holy Empire has even sent word that they wish to invite you as a state guest. The most brilliant empire in the Southern Continent is going to be on your side, so what on earth are you worried about?”
No, that wasn’t it.
That wasn’t what was making me uneasy.
「Young descendant.」
Right now, I was doubting.
「Do not underestimate human malice.」
Would the Cross Order, which had only just begun to break, really stop here?
Those who harbored the ambition to swallow the continent and establish a single order; those who had already tarnished the nobility of the Southern Continent by dragging in the Eastern Continent and the Machine Empire…… just how far would they go? I didn’t dare to guess. But one thing was certain.
「Human malice knows no bounds.」
This war would not end here.
*
The Crusader invasion was repelled.
The City of Stars, Antoine, had regained its peace, but the people could no longer stay in the ruins. After performing funeral rites for the poor priests who had been hanged at the observatory and for Priestess Frey, Mose boarded Zeppelin Gold’s ship. Not only Mose, but also those who still believed in the ‘Stars’ and those who had nowhere else to go, boarded the massive vessel.
“Traveler, the Stars will guide your path,” Mose expressed her gratitude to me. “Even if night falls upon your future, a single ray of starlight will illuminate the way you must go. The Stars always love those who walk ahead.”
And then, she left behind words that felt heavy with significance.
“The Stars do not mind your bloodline. No matter how dark the night that comes, you will be able to overcome it. If it is you, Traveler.”
The ship carrying Mose and the residents of Antoine departed before long. Now, the oasis of the desert, the City of Stars, Antoine, was gone. But the rumors they spread did not disappear. My name echoed even more loudly across the Southern Continent. ‘Arhan Caravan’ was no longer just a hero in the South; his fame had reached the level of a Great Warrior of a major order.
Furthermore, some Southerners had begun to worship me. It wasn’t just a level of admiring a hero; they offered prayers before meals, or recited the words I had spoken to Priest Oren of the Sun like holy doctrine…….
“That is just how Southerners are.”
“What do you mean, that’s how they are?”
“Southerners are inherently people who cannot endure unless they believe in and worship something. In the days before they knew the Nine Goddesses and the Seven Chief Gods, they worshipped the earth and the sun. The act of believing itself gives them peace of mind.”
When I found their behavior strange, someone explained it to me.
“Moreover, Lord Arhan, you have achieved a truly heroic feat and even gave us a valuable teaching. That we must overcome things ourselves, that only we can overcome our trials, that we should not cry out to God but hold hands with our neighbors and friends…….”
“…….”
“It was different from the grand teachings the Nine Goddesses and the Seven Chief Gods gave us. Teachings to forgive and understand no matter what injustice we suffer. Harsh teachings to endure even the death of parents and children to master our own hearts. Unlike those, the teaching Lord Arhan gave us touched our hearts. That is why some Southerners call Lord Arhan’s teaching this.”
He was smiling.
“The Doctrine for the Lowly and Insignificant.”
As he said, lately, the gazes I received when walking the streets were unusual. It was a feeling I’d had since returning to Vicente from Antoine, but some of those who used to look at me as a hero now looked at me as if I were a god descended to earth. When our eyes met, they would bow their heads and offer prayers.
‘……I want to go back soon.’
It was an atmosphere that was hard to stomach, even considering the unique nature of the Southern Continent.
“Has Butcher not returned yet?”
It had already been five days since the Crusader invasion was repelled in Antoine. I occasionally visited the monks to ask about Butcher’s whereabouts, but each time, the monks would only smile kindly and shake their heads. Even though their Great Warrior had disappeared, there wasn’t a trace of worry on their faces. Why?
“Because the Sun loves him.”
The monks’ faith in Butcher was absolute.
And so, two more days passed. While Butcher had not returned for a week, my fame grew with each passing day. As the monks who had come to the Southern Continent with Butcher began assisting the Holy Empire, the Crusaders’ momentum was visibly crumbling. At this rate, it seemed the war would soon be over.
Yet, the anxiety still did not fade. If anything, it grew larger. It didn’t subside even though things were flowing smoothly. To me, this current smoothness felt like the calm before a storm.
Was I harboring useless doubts? No, there is no such thing as a useless doubt in this world.
“I am truly grateful to you, Lord.”
However, I was the only one in this city who was anxious.
“I’ve received word that my reputation within the Black Archipelago has skyrocketed. My second brother sneered, saying I just picked the right side to follow, but the Matriarch praised me, saying that picking the right side is also a talent worthy of a descendant of Gold.”
“Is that so?”
“My wives waiting for me at home say they are proud of me too. To be honest, I wasn’t exactly a successful person back in my hometown. My brothers and sisters are all incredibly capable. A long time ago, when I was learning the ropes at the Red Bank, I overheard the colleagues who entered at the same time as me talking behind my back.”
“Behind your back…….”
“They called me Gold’s failure. A total dunce, a piece of trash who couldn’t even swing a sword despite being a descendant of a great family, and who wasn’t even sharp when it came to gold. A blood clot that would have been discarded long ago if I weren’t a child of Gold. An idiot living a life far beyond his merit just because he was born with a good name.”
Zeppelin Gold was tipsy from the alcohol. His face slightly flushed, he spoke with a bright smile.
“That’s why I always bet something on a grand stage. I thought that was the only way I could prove myself. Perhaps it was a cry for attention. Look at me, I’m not a failure, I can do it, I’m…… not a trivial human being……”
“…….”
“Lord, thanks to you, I received praise for the first time. Everyone looked at me with proper eyes. Finally, people heard my cry.”
“How is that thanks to me? That was—”
“Arhan Caravan.” Zeppelin Gold laughed like a child. “You are a hero of the Southern Continent. But not to me.”
“…….”
“To me, Arhan Caravan is Zeppelin Gold’s hero. The hero of this fool who always kept his head bowed while longing for the light.”
Hero. Zeppelin Gold’s voice was surprisingly clear.
“The blood of gold flows in the Gold family. Those with the blood of gold are bound to chase after things that sparkle.”
“…….”
“Even after this is over, I might continue to chase after you, Lord Caravan. You…… sparkle more than anyone I have ever seen…….”
Soon, Zeppelin Gold’s head nodded forward. His secretary, Baltimore, appeared beside the swaying man.
“It seems the Young Master is quite drunk.”
Baltimore supported Zeppelin Gold with a bright smile, but the way she looked at the drunken man was peculiar. As she looked at Zeppelin Gold, who was muttering something with his eyes closed and leaning into her arms, Baltimore’s gaze was not that of a secretary, but that of a woman in love.
“……He has lived a very difficult life. A very difficult one.”
There was deep affection in her eyes.
“I will take care of the Young Master, so please enjoy the drinks further, Lord.”
“It’s fine. I haven’t had a single drop to begin with.”
“Oh, is that so? Haha.”
Baltimore, who had been laughing exaggeratedly, soon stopped. With only a faint smile remaining, she spoke.
“Lord.” And then, “Thank you, sincerely. For making the Young Master……”
Slowly, Baltimore’s mouth opened. Her lips parted, her tongue moved, and her vocal cords vibrated. In the moment her beautiful voice vibrated through the night air, I felt something other than her voice making the air tremble.
It was mana. And a very violent mana at that.
“……sm—ile……”
The moment I felt the mana, I moved without hesitation. When the power of a superhuman is unleashed, the world slows down. In that slowed world, space distorted. The distorted space became a gaping circular hole, and a spearhead poked out from within the blue-glowing circle.
The protruding spearhead immediately dug into Baltimore’s side. Her fragile waist buckled, and flesh and blood splattered in slow motion.
“…….”
An ordinary person who was not invited into the world of a superhuman, Baltimore was still smiling, not even knowing what was happening. But soon, her eyes widened at the spreading pain. Only then did she realize her waist had buckled and a spearhead had pierced through her side. The woman looked shocked for a moment before letting out a hollow laugh. Then, without hesitation, she pulled the leaning Zeppelin Gold into her embrace.
“Zeppel……”
The last words Baltimore tried to leave were never finished.
“……in……”
With a dull thud, Baltimore’s head was torn from her body and sent flying before I could even reach her. Her headless body slumped to the ground as red blood erupted. Simultaneously, something stepped out from within the blue circle. With a crunching sound, it trampled over Baltimore’s corpse.
「Fall back, young descendant.」
It was a horse. A horse that was entirely, unnervingly pitch black. And a man was mounted upon it.
「This is not an enemy you can handle right now.」
To call him a human… he was a man far too massive.
“The sensation is poor.”
The man reflected in my eyes appeared as a single blade. No, not one. The swords floating above the horse went from one to nine in an instant. This was no hallucination.
That was the proof.
“This is why I dislike women.”
The proof of a Swordmaster.
「It is the Master of the Great Land, young descendant.」
The peace that had arrived after so long. The people who had been singing songs while drunk. Amidst the people laughing joyfully, one of the Six Masters had appeared.
“What a fine plain for a run, my friend.”
Though it was the first time I had seen him, I knew who he was. And I knew his most famous nickname.
“Let us stain the plains with blood.”
The God of War. The Descendant of Khan stood before me.
