Rowan did not speak at once.
His eyes remained fixed upon the unfamiliar young man standing several steps from the door.
Silence settled over the room once more.
The only sound was the soft creak of old timber as the wind drifted through the open window.
A few seconds passed.
Then a few more.
Long enough for Finn to shift uncomfortably in his seat.
Finn: “Uh…”
Lyra’s foot came down on his.
Finn: “Ow!”
He recoiled, clutching his foot.
Lyra: “Don’t.”
Finn stared at her.
She narrowed her eyes.
Lyra: “Speak.”
Finn immediately shut his mouth.
Only then did Rowan turn his attention to Kael.
Rowan: “Report.”
Kael straightened.
Kael: “We searched the eastern coast as instructed.”
He paused briefly.
Kael: “The traces of the Tide Fang we discovered yesterday were already gone.”
A beat of silence.
Kael: “Instead…”
His eyes shifted toward Aether.
Kael: “…we found him.”
Rowan’s expression remained unreadable.
Rowan: “Condition?”
Kael: “No serious injuries.”
Mira spoke up.
Mira: “His body is covered in old scars.”
She glanced at Aether.
Mira: “But there are no fresh wounds.”
Rowan’s eyes returned to the boy.
This time, his gaze sharpened.
It was the look of a man searching for something hidden beneath the surface.
Rowan: “Memory loss?”
Aether nodded slowly.
Aether: “Yes.”
Rowan: “All of it?”
Aether fell silent.
For a moment, he seemed to search for an answer that simply wasn’t there.
Then he spoke.
Aether: “I don’t even know who I am.”
A pause.
Aether: “Or where I came from.”
There was no sorrow in his voice.
No attempt to make his words sound tragic.
He simply stated the truth.
And somehow, that made the room quieter than before.
Rowan leaned back in his chair, studying him.
Rowan: “Then where did the name Aether come from?”
Aether’s hand instinctively rose to the metal tag hanging around his neck.
It was still there.
Small.
Silver.
Worn with age.
Aether: “It’s written here.”
He slowly removed the necklace and placed it on the table.
The name tag spun once before settling.
Only a single word had been engraved upon it.
AETHER.
Rowan picked it up.
His thumb brushed across the worn letters.
Old.
Very old.
Yet carefully preserved.
His eyes lingered on the name.
Something about it…
felt familiar.
Decades ago, when Rowan had still served as a soldier of the Empire, he had once read a historical volume concerning the heroes of the Divine War.
The name had appeared there.
Aether.
An assassin rarely mentioned in the records of the front lines.
Yet whenever his name appeared in a military report…
it was almost always followed by an impossible victory.
Some historians had even called him the shadow of Lucien Von Ardent.
But that was history.
A thousand years had passed since that age.
There was no reason to believe the young man before him was the same person.
The same name could belong to anyone.
Rowan placed the necklace back on the table.
He kept his thoughts to himself.
Rowan: “Are you certain this belongs to you?”
Aether shook his head.
Aether: “I don’t know.”
Rowan: “You don’t remember?”
Aether: “No.”
Rowan studied him for another moment.
Then he stood.
His movements were calm and deliberate, yet each step carried the quiet authority of a veteran who had walked through more battlefields than most men could imagine.
He stopped before Aether.
They were not vastly different in height.
Yet the pressure radiating from Rowan was enough to make Finn swallow unconsciously.
Rowan looked into Aether’s eyes.
A man’s eyes often betrayed him.
Fear.
Hesitation.
Deception.
Malice.
But Rowan found none of them.
Only confusion.
Emptiness.
Not the emptiness of someone hiding a secret.
The emptiness of someone who truly had nothing left to remember.
At last, Rowan exhaled.
Rowan: “Kael.”
Kael: “Yes.”
Rowan: “Your decision to bring him to the village…”
The sentence hung unfinished.
Finn straightened.
Lyra glanced toward Rowan.
Even Doran grew tense.
Several seconds passed.
Then the faintest smile touched the corner of Rowan’s mouth.
Rowan: “…was the right one.”
Finn released the breath he had been holding.
Finn: “Thank goodness…”
Lyra elbowed him.
Finn: “Why me again?”
Lyra: “Because you’re the loudest.”
Rowan ignored them.
His attention returned to Aether.
Rowan: “But from this day onward…”
His voice hardened slightly.
Rowan: “As long as you remain in Nareth…”
Rowan: “…you will follow the rules of this village.”
Aether nodded without hesitation.
Aether: “Understood.”
Rowan: “Everyone here works.”
His gaze remained firm.
Rowan: “No one survives by depending on others.”
Aether: “I understand.”
Rowan: “Good.”
He reached for the cup on his desk and took a sip of tea that had long since begun to cool.
Only after swallowing did he continue.
Rowan: “Then…”
He set the cup down.
Rowan: “We’ll start with the basics.”
Rowan pointed toward the sun emblem carved into the wall of the village hall.
Rowan: “Kael.”
Kael: “Yes?”
Rowan: “Take him to the training hall this afternoon.”
Kael nodded.
Then frowned.
Kael: “For what?”
A faint smile appeared on Rowan’s face.
Barely there.
Rowan: “If he intends to live in this world…”
His eyes settled upon Aether.
Rowan: “…then it’s time he learned what a…”
A pause.
Rowan: “…Vestiger is.”
Rowan reached into one of his desk drawers.
He withdrew a clear crystal orb, no larger than a clenched fist, and placed it upon the table.
Then he looked at Aether.
Rowan: “Touch it.”
Aether obeyed.
Nothing happened.
The crystal remained perfectly clear.
Finn blinked.
Finn: “…Huh?”
Lyra frowned.
Lyra: “It didn’t react?”
Mira looked equally puzzled.
Doran rubbed his chin.
Kael said nothing.
Only Rowan remained calm.
He simply nodded, as though the result had confirmed something he already suspected.
Rowan: “Just as I thought.”
Aether raised his head.
Aether: “What does that mean?”
Rowan: “That crystal only reacts to Mana.”
Aether stared at it.
Aether: “Mana?”
Rowan studied him for several seconds.
Then sighed.
Rowan: “…You really don’t know anything, do you?”
Aether shook his head.
Aether: “I told you. I lost my memory.”
Silence returned.
Finn slowly raised a hand.
Finn: “Mr. Rowan?”
Rowan: “Hm?”
Finn: “If he doesn’t know what Mana is…”
Finn pointed at himself.
Finn: “…does that mean he doesn’t know I’m handsome?”
Lyra struck him across the head.
Lyra: “That has absolutely nothing to do with Mana.”
Tok.
Finn: “Ow!”
Rowan pinched the bridge of his nose.
Rowan: “Finn…”
He closed his eyes for a moment.
Rowan: “One day…”
His voice remained perfectly calm.
Rowan: “…I really am going to make you guard the coast of Nareth by yourself for a week.”
Finn immediately covered his mouth.
Doran chuckled.
The tension in the room finally broke.
Rowan turned back toward Aether.
Then he rose from his chair and walked toward the window.
Outside, several children were practicing with wooden swords.
Rowan watched them for a while.
Only then did he speak.
Rowan: “This world is saturated with Mana.”
His gaze remained outside.
Rowan: “It exists within the earth.”
A pause.
Rowan: “The sea.”
Another.
Rowan: “The air.”
He turned slightly.
Rowan: “Even within the body of every human being.”
Aether listened silently.
Rowan: “But not everyone can use it.”
He turned to face them.
Rowan: “Only those who awaken a Vestige can wield Mana.”
His eyes moved across the room.
Rowan: “And those people…”
Rowan: “…are called Vestigers.”
Aether repeated the word quietly.
Aether: “Vestige…”
Rowan nodded.
Rowan: “Many people believe a Vestige is a form of power.”
He shook his head.
Rowan: “It isn’t.”
He picked up the sheet of paper from earlier.
Rowan: “A Vestige is the origin of that power.”
Then he drew a circle.
Rowan: “Think of this as yourself.”
Inside the circle, he drew a small dot.
Rowan: “And this…”
He tapped the dot.
Rowan: “…is your Vestige.”
From the dot, he drew several lines.
Each branched into a different shape.
A sword.
A shield.
Flames.
Wind.
Arrows.
Light.
Rowan: “These are Authorities, it varies from person to person.”
Aether watched closely.
Rowan: “Authority is the form through which a Vestige manifests.”
He placed the chalk down.
Rowan: “That is why no two Vestigers are ever truly alike.”
Lyra gave a small nod.
Finn, meanwhile, was already beginning to lose interest.
Mira listened intently.
Rowan continued.
Rowan: “A Vestige is born from a person’s life.”
Rowan: “Their ambitions.”
Rowan: “Their determination.”
Rowan: “The way they see the world.”
His eyes rested on the drawing.
Rowan: “That is why the Authority of a healer differs from the Authority of an assassin.”
Rowan: “The Authority of a mage differs from that of a fighter.”
Aether’s expression slowly changed.
The pieces were beginning to fit together.
Aether: “So…”
He looked at Rowan.
Aether: “Authority isn’t something you choose?”
Rowan: “Correct.”
He paused.
Rowan: “Authority chooses its wielder.”
Aether’s gaze fell back to the drawing.
For some reason…
those words lingered.
Authority chooses its wielder.
It felt familiar.
As if somewhere, sometime, he had heard the same idea before.
But when he reached for the memory…
there was nothing.
Only emptiness.
Rowan picked up the chalk again.
He turned toward the small board hanging on the wall and wrote:
Fighter.
Assassin.
Marksman.
Mage.
Tank.
Support.
Healer.
Unique.
Aether looked at the last word.
Aether: “Unique?”
Rowan nodded.
Rowan: “The rarest of the known Vestige Classes.”
Rowan: “A Unique Class Vestige may appear only few across several generations.”
Rowan: “Sometimes, not even that.”
He turned toward Aether.
Rowan: “Unlike ordinary Vestiges, a Unique Class Vestige is deeply personal to the one who awakens it.”
Rowan: “It may be shaped by trauma.”
Rowan: “Experience.”
Rowan: “Determination.”
Rowan: “Ambition.”
Rowan: “Even hatred.”
He paused.
Rowan: “The difference between a normal Class Vestige and a Unique Class Vestige comes down to the intensity of what lies within its wielder.”
Rowan: “A strong determination may awaken an ordinary Vestige.”
Rowan: “But a determination far beyond the ordinary…”
His eyes sharpened.
Rowan: “…may give birth to something Unique.”
Aether remained silent.
Rowan: “The Authority that emerges depends on the life of its wielder.”
Rowan: “What they fought for.”
Rowan: “What they endured.”
Rowan: “What broke them.”
Rowan: “And what gave them the will to keep moving forward.”
He pointed toward the eight names on the board.
Rowan: “These are the eight Vestige Classes currently recognized by humanity.”
Rowan: “But even within the same Class…”
He glanced toward Lyra.
Rowan: “…no two Authorities need be alike.”
Rowan: “For example.”
He pointed toward her.
Rowan: “Lyra possesses the Authority of Starshot.”
Lyra straightened slightly.
Rowan: “A Ranger who relies on speed and the explosive power of stars.”
Then Rowan looked toward Finn.
Rowan: “Authority of Sight.”
Rowan: “Exceptional observation.”
Then Doran.
Rowan: “Authority of Ironblood.”
Mira.
Rowan: “Authority of Bloom.”
Finally, Kael.
Rowan: “Authority of Echo.”
Aether looked at each of them.
Now he understood.
They were all Vestigers.
Yet the way each of them fought…
was completely different.
Rowan’s gaze returned to Aether.
And deep within the veteran’s mind, one question remained.
Aether.
That name.
The name of a legend written in the Empire’s oldest history books.
It couldn’t possibly be him.
The thought was absurd.
A thousand years had passed.
Aether was merely a young man with no memories.
It had to be coincidence.
Yes.
Just coincidence.
Rowan continued.
Rowan: “Once a person awakens a Vestige…”
Rowan: “…their aging stops.”
Aether looked up.
Rowan: “That does not make them immortal.”
Rowan: “They can still die.”
His voice remained matter-of-fact.
Rowan: “But their bodies no longer age naturally.”
Rowan: “That is why most Vestigers appear to be around twenty-two.”
Finn’s hand rose again.
Rowan’s eyes narrowed.
Finn: “Mr. Rowan.”
A sigh escaped Rowan’s lips.
Rowan: “What now?”
Finn: “So…”
Finn smiled proudly.
Finn: “I’ll be this handsome forever?”
Lyra didn’t even hesitate.
Lyra: “That’s a tragedy for the entire world.”
Laughter spread through the room.
Even Rowan allowed the faintest smile.
Only for a moment.
Then Aether spoke.
Aether: “Then…”
He looked around the room.
Aether: “Are all of you… Vestigers?”
Kael nodded.
Kael: “The five of us are.”
He gestured toward Rowan.
Kael: “So is Mr. Rowan.”
Aether looked surprised.
Aether: “When I first saw Mr. Rowan, I thought he was an ordinary human.”
Rowan gave him a faint smile.
Rowan: “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Finn immediately opened his mouth.
Finn: “It’s because Mr. Rowan looks old.”
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Lyra covered her face.
Mira closed her eyes.
Doran muttered under his breath.
Doran: “…May the gods have mercy on you.”
Rowan slowly turned toward Finn.
His expression was completely blank.
Rowan: “Finn.”
Finn stood straight.
Finn: “Yes, sir.”
Rowan: “Out.”
Finn froze.
Finn: “…”
Rowan: “Five minutes.”
Finn reluctantly walked toward the door.
As he left, he muttered,
Finn: “I was just being honest…”
The door closed behind him.
The room became considerably quieter.
Aether waited a moment before asking his next question.
Aether: “Then…”
He hesitated.
Aether: “Can someone possess more than one Vestige?”
The question changed the atmosphere.
Rowan fell silent.
Kael and the others looked toward him.
After a moment, Rowan answered.
Rowan: “Yes.”
Aether waited.
Rowan: “But it is almost impossible.”
Aether: “What is it called?”
Rowan’s gaze settled on him.
Rowan: “Duality.”
The word hung in the air.
Rowan: “Two Vestiges.”
He paused.
Rowan: “But Duality isn’t simply the possession of two powers.”
Rowan placed two fingers on the table.
Rowan: “It means two Authorities…”
His fingers moved apart.
Rowan: “…that should contradict one another…”
Then he slowly brought them together.
Rowan: “…reaching balance.”
Aether listened closely.
Rowan: “Harmony.”
He looked at the two fingers.
Rowan: “Like Yin and Yang.”
Rowan: “Fire and Water.”
Rowan: “Light and Darkness.”
Rowan: “Virtue and Cunning.”
Rowan: “Creation and Destruction.”
Rowan’s voice grew quieter.
Rowan: “Two wills.”
Rowan: “Two sides of life.”
Rowan: “Two opposing paths…”
He paused.
Rowan: “…choosing to walk together.”
Rowan: “Not consuming one another.”
Rowan: “Completing one another.”
He reached into the small plant pot on his desk and retrieved two decorative stones.
He placed them far apart.
Rowan: “See?”
Rowan: “They are different.”
Then he slowly moved them together.
Rowan: “Balance.”
He looked at Aether.
Rowan: “That is what gives birth to Duality.”
His expression darkened.
Rowan: “If the two Vestiges fail to reach balance…”
A pause.
Rowan: “In most cases…”
Another pause.
Rowan: “…the wielder dies.”
The room fell completely silent.
Even Finn’s absence seemed noticeable.
Aether broke the silence.
Aether: “So…”
He looked at the two stones.
Aether: “Duality is that rare?”
Rowan smiled faintly.
Rowan: “Rarer than you think.”
He leaned back slightly.
Rowan: “Those who achieve Duality are far rarer than ordinary Vestigers.”
Rowan: “And almost all of them become figures of great importance.”
Rowan: “Generals.”
Rowan: “Guild Leaders.”
Rowan: “Regional Rulers.”
Rowan: “Even legends.”
Aether looked down at his hands.
The word Duality felt strange.
Unfamiliar.
And yet…
not impossible.
There was something about it that stirred a sensation deep within him.
As though his body understood a truth his mind could not reach.
For a moment, Aether wondered why.
Then the feeling vanished.
Leaving nothing behind.
Then, Mr.
Rowan stood up.
He walked over to the bookshelf behind his desk.
From it, he pulled out an old book whose faded cover had begun to lose its color.
Written across the front were the words:
Chronicles of the Great Ages
He opened it slowly.
Several pages had already yellowed with age.
Rowan flipped through a few of them.
Then stopped.
Rowan: “According to recorded history…”
“…”
“The number of known Dualities doesn’t even reach a hundred.”
Finn let out a soft whistle.
Finn: “That’s barely anything…”
Rowan nodded.
“Very few.”
He pointed to one of the pages.
“But…”
“Their names…”
“…”
“changed the world.”
Rowan slowly turned the page.
The aged paper made a faint sound.
As though every page carried the weight of a history that was anything but light.
Rowan: “People often misunderstand history.”
Rowan: “They think history is changed only by Emperors.”
He slowly shook his head.
Rowan: “But the truth is…”
Rowan: “The Empire still stands today…”
“…only because of this one man.”
He pointed to the first name.
SER ALDRIC IRONWALL
Class:
Tank
Authority:
Authority of Fortress
Mastery:
Level 8 / World Bastion
Rowan: “Around six hundred years ago…”
Rowan: “Fort Aster was besieged for thirty-two days by Demons from the Fifth Layer of Hell.”
Rowan: “The entire garrison had already run out of food.”
“They were simply waiting to die.”
Aether listened without interrupting.
Rowan continued.
Rowan: “Ser Aldric ordered the entire army to retreat.”
“Then…”
“…he stood guard at the fortress gate alone.”
Finn let out another quiet whistle.
Finn: “Alone?”
Rowan nodded.
“With nothing but his own body, he held back those vile Demonic forces.”
“Then the fortress walls collapsed.”
“The gate was destroyed.”
“But Aldric remained standing.”
“His body was riddled with wounds, blood pouring from him, yet he never fell.”
Rowan: “He held back the Demon army for three days without rest.”
“Not a single Demon was allowed to pass him.”
“He became the Empire’s final line of defense against the Demons.”
Doran unconsciously clenched his fists.
As a Fighter…
he knew just how impossible that was, even for a high-level Tank like Ser Aldric.
Because the Empire had been fighting Demons from the Fifth Layer of Hell…
and even the weakest Demon from that layer was already equivalent to a Level 6 Vestiger— an Apex Vestiger.
Rowan closed the page.
“The Empire’s capital was quite far from Fort Aster. That’s why the reinforcements never made it in time to save Ser Aldric.”
Rowan: “When the reinforcements finally arrived…”
“They were left speechless by their Commander’s determination.”
“All they found was Aldric’s body, surrounded by thousands of dead Demons.”
“Yet his body was still standing.”
“His shield was still in his hand.”
“Even in death, he refused to fall.”
The room fell silent.
Finn muttered under his breath.
Finn: “…That’s insane.”
Rowan turned to the next page.
SAINT ELENA AURELIS
Class:
Healer
Authority:
Authority of Life
Mastery:
Level 8 / Origin Restoration
Mira immediately lowered her head slightly.
Almost as if paying respect to the name.
Aether noticed.
Aether: “You know her?”
Mira smiled shyly.
Mira: “Every Healer knows her.”
Rowan nodded.
Rowan: “She was the only Healer in recorded history capable of restoring a nearly destroyed Vestige.”
“Thousands of soldiers returned to battle because of her.”
“But…”
“She herself eventually fell after exhausting her Mana and remaining in Absolute Overdrive for too long.”
(Overdrive is a state in which a Vestiger uses their own Lifeforce—their life energy—as a substitute for Mana after their Mana reserves are depleted, allowing them to maintain or amplify their Vestige’s output. Because Lifeforce is far more potent and purer than Mana, a Vestiger’s strength can rise far beyond their normal limits. However, every second spent in Overdrive consumes part of the user’s Lifeforce. Light use is generally safe for experienced Vestigers, but the more Lifeforce they burn, the more severe the damage to their body, soul, and Vestige foundation. Once all Lifeforce is consumed through Absolute Overdrive, the Vestige will be completely destroyed, and death becomes unavoidable.)
Mira stared at the name for a long time.
Her eyes glimmered.
Mira: “If someday…”
“…I can save even half as many people as she did…”
“That would be enough for me.”
Rowan gave her a faint smile.
Rowan: “That’s what history is for.”
“Not simply to be admired.”
“But to give us something to strive for.”
He turned another page.
KAIEN NOCTIS
Class:
Assassin
Authority:
Authority of Shadow
Mastery:
Level 7 / Paragon
Finn immediately grinned.
Finn: “Now this one is cooler.”
Lyra glanced at him.
Lyra: “Why?”
Finn: “Assassin.”
“Silent.”
“Cool.”
Lyra: “You can’t stay quiet for five minutes.”
Doran burst out laughing.
Finn pretended not to hear him.
Rowan continued.
Rowan: “Kaien never commanded an army.”
“He never stood on the front lines.”
Aether raised his head.
Aether: “Then why was he recorded in history?”
Rowan looked at him.
He thought for a moment.
Rowan: “Because every time someone tried to oppose the Emperor’s authority…”
“They would be found dead that very same day.”
“The final reports always mentioned the same thing.”
“One shadow.”
“And after that…”
“There were never any witnesses.”
The room fell silent again.
Finn raised his hand.
Finn: “Then…”
“How does anyone know he was handsome?”
Lyra immediately elbowed him in the stomach.
Finn: “Ow!”
Lyra: “Focus.”
Even Rowan let out a quiet sigh.
Rowan: “For some reason…”
“I’m starting to regret answering your questions.”
Everyone laughed softly.
The solemn atmosphere that had filled the room finally loosened.
Those names were still studied in the Imperial Academy even today.
Rowan closed the book for a moment.
His hand gently brushed over the aging leather cover.
Rowan: “This book doesn’t only record wars.”
Rowan: “It records the people who changed the course of history.”
He opened it again.
Page after page turned.
Every page was filled with names.
Most of them had been marked with black ink.
A sign that their owners had fallen.
Yet…
there were still a few names that had never been crossed out.
Rowan smiled faintly.
Rowan: “Not all of them have become history.”
“Some of them…”
“…are still alive today.”
Aether slightly raised his head.
Aether: “Still alive?”
Rowan nodded.
Rowan: “Vestigers don’t age.”
“As long as they aren’t killed.”
“It’s not unusual for one of them to live for a thousand years.”
Rowan turned back to the first page.
VALERIA ASHFIELD
Generation: First Generation
Class: Unique, Fighter.
Status: Duality
Primary Authority: Authority of Crimson Spear
Mastery: Level 8 / War Sovereign
Secondary Authority: Authority of Eternal Flame
Mastery: Level 8 / Immortal Blaze
Beneath it was an illustration.
A woman with long red hair.
A crimson spear gripped tightly in her hand.
Red flames wrapped around her body.
And behind her…
thousands of soldiers continued fighting.
Meanwhile, a sea of Abyssal monsters was slowly being devoured by flames that refused to die out.
Rowan stared at the illustration for a moment.
Then spoke softly.
Rowan: “She was known as…”
“…The Immortal Valkyrie.”
Rowan: “During the Divine War…”
“Lady Valeria commanded the Eastern Front.”
“For seven full days…”
“…not a single defensive fortress fell to the Abyss.”
Doran raised an eyebrow.
Doran: “Seven days?”
“Without retreating even once?”
Rowan nodded.
Rowan: “And that’s not all.”
“Not a single soldier under her command died.”
Everyone fell silent.
Lyra frowned.
Lyra: “…Impossible.”
Rowan turned to the next page.
There was an illustration of red and blue flames.
Rowan: “Authority of Eternal Flame is one of the rarest Unique Authorities.”
“The red flames were used for combat, possessing immense destructive power.”
“Once those flames touched a target, they would not go out until that target was completely erased.”
Finn leaned back in his chair.
Finn: “…So even if a monster ran away, it’d just keep burning?”
Rowan: “Exactly.”
“As long as the flames have marked their target…”
“…Eternal Flame will continue burning until nothing remains.”
Mira stared at the illustration of the blue flames.
Mira: “…What about this one?”
A faint smile appeared on Rowan’s face.
Rowan: “That’s the Fire of Restoration.”
“When used for healing…”
“…the Eternal Flame turns blue.”
Mira’s eyes widened.
Mira: “…Fire can heal!?”
Rowan: “Not only heal.”
“Its restorative power is on the same level as Saint Elena Aurelis’s Authority of Life, at Origin Restoration.”
“Fatal wounds.”
“Mana exhaustion.”
“Organ damage.”
“Even Lifeforce.”
“All of it can be restored.”
Kael immediately turned toward him.
Kael: “…Even Lifeforce?”
Rowan nodded.
Rowan: “That’s why Lady Valeria could sustain Overdrive far longer than any other Vestiger.”
“The damage caused by Overdrive would continuously be restored by her Eternal Flame.”
The room fell silent again.
Finn scratched his cheek.
Finn: “…Damn, she’s seriously a monster.”
“Her Vestige’s Authority is insane. Isn’t that a little too overpowered!?”
Doran chuckled.
Doran: “If I were her enemy…”
“…I’d run first.”
Even Lyra, who was usually calm, could only let out a quiet sigh.
Lyra: “…I’m starting to understand.”
“Why their era is called the Golden Age of Vestigers.”
Aether, who had been silent until then, finally spoke.
His eyes remained fixed on the illustration.
Aether: “…Then.”
“…how did they lose?”
Everyone immediately fell silent.
His expression grew serious.
Rowan: “That’s what made the Divine War so terrifying.”
“Even legends like them…”
“…couldn’t stop that war.”
He opened a small section near the bottom of the page.
Then…
His expression remained serious.
Rowan: “Unlike most First Generation heroes whose whereabouts remain unknown to this day…”
“Lady Valeria continued serving the Empire.”
“Even now…”
“…she is still officially recognized as an Imperial Military General.”
Doran looked shocked.
Doran: “…She’s still in office?”
Rowan nodded.
Rowan: “An Imperial General only leaves their position upon death.”
“As long as Lady Valeria is alive…”
“…no one can take her place.”
Finn let out a low whistle.
Finn: “Hundred years as a general…”
“…that’s somehow even crazier than the story.”
Kael crossed his arms.
Kael: “…So she’s really still serving to this day.”
Rowan: “That’s right.”
“Even though she rarely leaves the capital…”
“…Lady Valeria’s name remains a symbol of the Empire’s military might.”
“Even now, in the thirteenth generation…”
“…no one has been able to replace her.”
Kael smiled faintly.
Kael: “…Then.”
“…perhaps that legend isn’t over yet.”
Aether looked at the illustration of the spear-wielding woman again.
For some reason…
his chest tightened.
As though something inside him wanted to remember it.
But whenever he tried to reach for it…
the feeling vanished again.
The next page.
ARTHUR LE LIONHEART
Generation: First Generation
Class: Fighter
Authority: Authority of Divine Blade
Mastery: Level 8 / War Sovereign
The illustration showed a blond-haired man.
A longsword rested across his shoulder.
His expression was calm.
Yet sharp.
Rowan smiled faintly.
Rowan: “The Sword Saint.”
“Even children in the Empire know that name.”
Finn immediately spoke up.
Finn: “The guy who cut a mountain in half?”
Rowan nodded.
Rowan: “According to historical records…”
“During the Divine War…”
“He sliced through the body of an Abyssal Colossus…”
“…along with the mountain behind it.”
Doran chuckled.
Doran: “I have trouble chopping firewood.”
Lyra glanced at him.
Lyra: “Because you use a blunt axe.”
Doran fell silent.
Doran: “…That’s fair.”
Rowan continued.
Rowan: “He’s still alive as well.”
Aether stared at the illustration for a long moment.
For some reason…
the man’s face felt…
strangely familiar.
But when he tried to remember why…
there was nothing.
Rowan turned another page.
AETHER
Generation: First Generation
Class: Assassin
Authority: Authority of Silent End
Mastery: Voidstep
There was no illustration of his face.
Only a black silhouette.
Even in the history books…
his face had never been successfully recorded.
Rowan smiled faintly.
Rowan: “This one’s interesting.”
Finn immediately leaned closer.
Finn: “Why is the picture blank?”
Rowan: “Because no artist ever truly saw his face.”
Finn: “…Huh?”
Rowan: “His Authority.”
“‘Silent End.'”
Rowan: “It makes his presence almost impossible to perceive.”
“Many accounts say…”
“Whenever he went on a mission…”
“Even his own comrades often failed to realize he was standing right beside them.”
Lyra murmured.
Lyra: “Creepy…”
Rowan nodded.
Rowan: “He was known as the greatest Assassin in history.”
Rowan paused.
His eyes shifted toward Aether again.
Then to the name tag around the young man’s neck.
Rowan: “…His name happens to be the same as yours.”
Aether glanced at the name tag as well.
Aether: “I see…”
Rowan closed the page without saying anything else.
He opened a much newer section of the book.
AERO VON EISEN
Generation: Third Generation
Class: Tank
Authority: Authority of Adamant
Mastery: World Bastion
The illustration depicted a man clad in black armor.
Behind him…
thousands of soldiers stood in formation.
Rowan gently tapped the name.
Rowan: “Third Generation.”
“An era when the world was beginning to find peace…”
“…only to fall into war once again.”
Kael nodded.
He had heard a little about that period.
Rowan continued.
Rowan: “Kingdoms began fighting over territory.”
“Wars between humans erupted.”
“Lieutenant Aero led the army of the Northern Empire.”
“He wasn’t known for winning wars.”
“But for stopping one.”
Aether raised an eyebrow.
Aether: “Stopping a war?”
Rowan nodded.
Rowan: “He stood alone between two armies.”
“For three days.”
“Not a single arrow managed to pass through his shield.”
Doran smiled in admiration.
Doran: “Amazing…”
Another page turned.
SELENE ASTRIA
Generation: Seventh Generation
Class: Mage
Authority: Authority of Celestial Magic
Mastery: Infinite Magic
The moment the page opened…
even Finn fell silent.
The illustration showed a silver-haired woman.
Dozens of magic circles filled the sky behind her.
Rowan’s expression grew somber.
Rowan: “The Pandemonium War.”
“When the Fifth Gate of Hell opened completely…”
“humanity came close to losing the entire Western Front.”
“Millions perished.”
Mira swallowed hard.
Rowan continued.
Rowan: “Lady Selene…”
“held the Western Front for twelve days.”
“Alone.”
Lyra blinked.
Lyra: “Alone again?”
Rowan let out a small laugh.
Rowan: “If someone’s name ends up in this book…”
“…they’re usually not normal.”
Everyone immediately laughed.
Rowan pointed to the small text beneath the illustration.
The third Vestiger in recorded human history to reach Infinite Magic.
Rowan: “Mages are rare.”
“But a Mage who reaches Infinite Magic…”
“…is even rarer.”
Aether unconsciously stared at those words.
Infinite Magic…
For some reason…
his chest trembled faintly.
Very faintly.
As though his body recognized the term…
even though his mind didn’t.
Rowan noticed the subtle change in Aether’s expression.
But said nothing.
Instead…
he flipped through several pages at once.
His hand stopped on a particular name.
His expression became more serious than before.
Rowan took a slow breath.
Rowan: “And finally…”
Rowan: “When talking about the history of Vestigers…”
“…there’s no way I can leave this person out.”
He slowly turned the book around.
So everyone could see the same page.
At the very top…
in letters far larger than those on the previous pages…
was a name even a child would recognize.
LUCIEN VON ARDENT
On the page…
was an illustration of a young man wearing a long black military coat.
Beneath it, written in large letters:
LUCIEN VON ARDENT
The Guide of Civilization
Leader of the United Army
Status: Duality
Primary Class: Unique
Authority: Authority of Destruction
Mastery: Level 8 / Emperor of Destruction
Secondary Class: Mage
Authority: Authority of Magic
Mastery: Level 8 / Infinite Magic
But…
the most striking thing wasn’t any of his accomplishments.
It was…
a red ink stamp covering nearly half the page.
THE WORLD BETRAYER
The room suddenly fell silent.
Even Finn stopped joking.
Aether stared at the page for a long moment.
He didn’t know that name.
Yet…
there was something difficult to explain about seeing it.
As though a hollow space inside him…
had suddenly become quieter than ever.
Aether: “…Who is he?”
No one answered immediately.
Rowan slowly closed the book.
The sound of the old wooden cover echoed softly through the room.
Rowan: “The greatest hero humanity has ever known.”
He paused.
Rowan: “And also…”
“…the greatest traitor ever recorded in history.”
Aether remained silent.
Rowan continued calmly.
Rowan: “I wasn’t alive during that era.”
“None of us in this room were.”
“Everything we know…”
“is what was passed down through the Empire’s historical records.”
“He was born as one of the First Generation Vestigers.”
“His first Vestige was the Unique Class, Authority of Destruction.”
“A few years later, he awakened a second Vestige…”
“Authority of Magic.”
“He became a Duality.”
“As far as I know, the two opposing Authorities reached perfect balance.”
“That was what made him one of the most gifted Vestigers in history.”
Rowan gently rubbed the cover of the book.
“He hadn’t even reached a hundred years of age when he became the leader of humanity’s united armies during the Divine War.”
“There wasn’t a continent that didn’t know his name.”
“There wasn’t a kingdom that hadn’t heard of his achievements.”
“Then…”
“When humanity was only moments away from winning the war against the Abyss…”
“Lucien turned against his own allies.”
Finn, who had remained silent until then, finally spoke.
Finn: “What actually happened?”
Rowan shook his head.
“No one knows.”
“Some say he went mad.”
“Some say he became consumed by power.”
“But others believe…”
“…that a truth disappeared alongside him.”
“But history never recorded the answer.”
“History only recorded the outcome.”
Rowan looked at each of the young people before him.
“That’s why…”
“Never take history at face value.”
“History is written by those who survive.”
“Not always by those who knew the whole truth.”
“And history isn’t written only by people who possess many Vestiges.”
“It is written by those capable of taking a single Vestige…”
“…and carrying it all the way to its peak.”
He then looked directly into Aether’s eyes.
“So never assume the number of Vestiges determines someone’s worth.”
“What matters is…”
“…how far you’re willing to carry the resolve that gave birth to that Vestige.”
“And of the names I mentioned…”
“some are still alive.”
“Some have fallen in battle against the Abyss.”
“And others disappeared…”
“like Lucien.”
Aether fell silent.
He still didn’t understand everything Rowan had explained.
But for the first time since opening his eyes on that beach…
he felt as though the world was finally beginning to take shape.
And without realizing it…
his fingers tightened around the name tag hanging from his neck.
AETHER
For some reason…
when he heard the name Lucien Von Ardent mentioned in the history book…
something inside him felt…
very, very quiet.
Not a memory.
Not a glimpse of the past.
Just…
a feeling without a name.
Any Question?
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