2.
The time when the sunset that had wrapped the foot of the mountains finally faded, and impenetrable darkness descended upon the earth.
Creak, click...
To the sound of old door hinges, a figure slowly moved deeper into the infirmary. Kun returned to his room another ten minutes later. His steps seemed heavier than usual—he was deep in thought, replaying the details of his recent conversation with the Head of General Administration.
The right to enter the Lion Library for one day and take one book from it before the start of closed training...
Vail had also mentioned that, in addition to the book, he would be issued a training weapon suited to the path he chose. This was another reward granted to all trainees who had passed the first trial. The essence of their long conversation ultimately came down to this brief yet immensely weighty point.
Kun kept thinking about what he had heard for one simple reason: the very name—Lion Library—sounded far too significant.
Lion Library.
Kun had heard of this place before. It was a repository that had absorbed fragments of the history of House Zoldic—the history of endless wars and battles in which they rose higher by crushing, subjugating, and plundering other clans.
More precisely, the Lion Library stored secret techniques and manuscripts of families and organizations destroyed or absorbed by House Zoldic. Swordsmanship, magic, alchemy, the rarest folios gathered across centuries, as well as records of the development of the family’s own techniques. Rumor had it the number of books there reached into the tens of thousands.
The right to choose a single book from such a collection.
Depending on the choice, this reward could have astronomical value. At the same time, it was far too generous a gift for trainees who had overcome only the first threshold.
The problem was that even in the “accessible” section of the library there would be thousands of books...
From that enormous multitude, only one could be taken. And there was only a single day to do it.
Only one day.
That time was catastrophically insufficient to examine thousands of volumes and make the correct choice. In essence, it meant the result would depend entirely on the trainee’s personal ability and insight.
Another trial hidden within the reward itself, Kun muttered, shaking his head.
Nothing here was given for free. Even so, the value of the prize was undeniable. Kun gave a small shrug, accepting the rules of the game.
It seemed that over the past two days the other trainees of the Third Moat had already managed to visit it.
The administration had probably shown some consideration by waiting until he recovered in the infirmary. Kun glanced at the enormous moon outside the window and lowered his head. Through the fabric of his clothing he could feel the presence of the elixir he had received from Vail. Even wrapped in thick cloth, it seemed to pulse with energy.
The Lion Library and the elixir.
Either of those rewards alone would have been more than enough for a trainee of his level. But to receive both at once without even completing the final stage of training...
I expected the reward to be a rare medicine or perhaps a technique... but everything at once?
Kun tilted his head slightly, sensing something suspicious.
House Zoldic... what exactly are they thinking?
The question hung in the air—his reflection in the window glass could not answer it. House Zoldic was known for its drive toward continental hegemony, though recently it had remained quiet due to internal problems and political instability. It was no coincidence their leaders were often called not “Sword Emperors,” but “Supreme Tyrants.”
Does this mean... the Zoldics have begun moving again? Or is this truly just part of the system for raising talent?
Without fully knowing the internal affairs of the family or the structure of Lion’s Moat, he could not reach a definite conclusion. One thing, however, was clear: this situation contributed to his growth, and therefore it was not a loss.
Roverian. Dawnbringer.
At the mention of those names and the twenty-four vassal families that followed them, dark-violet ghostly flames flickered for an instant in Kun’s eyes.
Whoosh!
But the flames quickly died. Kun suppressed his anger, shaking his head. He still had another unresolved problem.
The real question is how effective this elixir will be for me.
If his body were ordinary, he would not worry. But he suffered from the curse known as Dead Man’s Sleep. He could not be certain how a standard elixir would affect such a body. After all, if such remedies worked, Dead Man’s Sleep would not be considered an incurable curse.
The safest way is to test it on myself. However, there was a risk not merely of no effect, but of side effects he might not be able to control. Perhaps it would be wiser to first completely purge the accumulated dead energy from his body, and only then take the medicine. Even if it took more time...
In the end, the elixir isn’t going anywhere, Kun whispered, lifting his gaze.
“Fu-uh.”
It was a choice made with the smallest risks in mind. It could not be said he felt no regret at all, but...
It’s fine.
Even postponing the elixir, he did not feel he was falling behind the others. Kun clenched his fist tightly, recalling the final moments of his conversation with Vail.
I will continue using Lion’s Moat to accumulate strength.
The enemy was too great, and the goal seemed distant. But at this very moment he was taking another step along the path toward his revenge.
3.
Meanwhile, Vail, the Head of General Administration of Lion’s Moat, after seeing Kun off, habitually took out a cigarillo. As rumors said, he was a heavy smoker.
Fuuuu.
Soon the office filled with thick white smoke. The exhale was so sharp it briefly stung the eyes and throat. On the desk before Vail lay a stack of papers he had just taken from a drawer.
“...”
Despite its impressive thickness, every one of those documents concerned only a single trainee. When Vail reached for the top sheet, the silence was broken by the voice of his deputy standing nearby.
“Now I finally understand why those reports kept arriving.”
Vail was known for being extremely picky and stingy with praise, yet this time he simply nodded in silent agreement. The deputy, meanwhile, only shook his head in amazement.
“Such growth in just two years...”
Calloused palms, muscles clearly outlined on a lean body as though sculpted from clay... Although Kun was still slightly short, that was not a problem. The deputy recalled the physical condition of the boy he had seen not long ago.
“There is still a trace of sickness in him, but... it is hard to believe this is the body of someone suffering from Dead Man’s Sleep.”
This was not the result of merely knowing how to resist “heavenly punishment.” To train a body like that in two years would require efforts almost impossible to imagine.
“Honestly, not as the deputy head but as a Sword Master walking the same path, I feel sincere respect for him.”
Yet despite that emotional impulse, the deputy’s mind had already shifted to analysis.
What’s strange is that with such a body he shouldn’t have been able to pass the first trial alone...
His gaze sharpened as if dissecting Kun’s condition.
The body is decent, but not outstanding. According to the reports, his endurance is below the average among trainees of the Third Moat. Considering his sickly appearance, the real level should be even lower.
Of course, endurance was not everything for a warrior. But there had been no significant presence of mana around him either.
“Hm.”
The deputy read the report written by the senior instructor Grollan. It stated that at the last moment a terrifying, unidentified mana had emanated from Kun.
Could he possess some special Aura breathing method?
And just as clouds of suspicion began to gather in the deputy’s mind...
“That’s not all,” someone’s voice said.
The voice belonged to neither him nor Vail. It came from the dense shadow in the corner of the office.
Click, click...
The darkness parted like a theatrical curtain, and an old man slowly stepped out of it. His back was hunched, age spots covered his face, yet his gaze was gentle and calm. He wore a white coat like those usually worn by medics.
“You...?” the deputy began cautiously, recognizing him.
Ignoring the question, the old man walked forward at an unhurried pace. As though keeping rhythm with his steps, the darkness receded, and the old man’s appearance began to transform.
With the first step, the hunched back straightened. His gait became natural and firm. With the second step, the once gentle face hardened with stern determination. And with the third step...
Whoosh!
The white clothes crumbled into ash, transforming into a luxurious black-and-red robe. The kind medic was gone.
The transformed old man looked at the Head of General Administration with interest and said:
“Isn’t that so?”