Chapter 52: Departure and Commencement (3)
Elwin drew the sword from its sheath.
Shrrk—
Then something truly strange happened.
"…!"
To the three watching, his movement appeared oddly slow—as if time had come to a halt around Elwin alone.
Gulp. Someone swallowed hard.
"Single Flash."
FWAAAAASH!
As Elwin swung his sword, a vast flash of light burst before their eyes.
Blinded for a moment, they instinctively closed their eyes.
"…Huh?"
But when they opened them again, the three were lying on the floor.
First, the training hall’s ceiling came into view. Then, Elwin’s face leaned into their vision.
"Are you all awake?"
Elwin peered down at them with curiosity.
"Ugh? Kid? Why are you up there?"
"I mean… I can guess what happened."
"This place is…?"
"Haha! Well, let me explain."
Elwin looked sheepish as he clarified the situation. In summary:
With a single swing, he had nullified the trio’s combined attacks and knocked them out cold. They had briefly passed out from the blow’s impact.
"Ugh! I really thought I’d get to smack that smug brat just once. What a shame~"
"I’ve still got a long way to go. Must keep training."
"I… thought that spell might actually work this time."
The fact that they hadn’t even grazed Elwin left them all visibly deflated.
Elwin shook his head as he looked at them.
"Honestly, your fighting spirit is impressive. Do you all want to become stronger that badly?"
Though they didn’t answer out loud, their burning eyes gave a clear reply.
—Of course we do!
A swordsman, a mage, a mercenary… All in pursuit of martial excellence in their own ways. Ambition was inevitable.
"Well, naturally. To achieve your respective goals, the three of you need to become much stronger."
Elwin spoke gently as he pointed to each of them in turn.
"First, Gale. You want to recover your lost memories—your past."
"Hey, kid. Why’d you have to bring that up? You're making this uncle look bad. Now these two’ll think I’m some scatterbrained guy who goes around losing his memories."
Despite his complaints, Gale nodded with a casual look. It wasn’t something he was hiding.
"And you want a fortune, right? Enough money to never work again."
"Of course! In this world, money is everything!"
Gale’s eyes sparkled like gold coins as he shot back.
At this point, it seemed like money might be a bigger motivator than his memories…
"Calix, you’re searching for ‘someone,’ aren’t you? And at the same time, you want to perfect the Zahardt Swordsmanship and reach the pinnacle of the blade."
"…Mm."
Calix nodded quietly.
"Sercia, you seek revenge. To find ‘that man’ who tormented you as a child… and make him pay."
"Of course. I’ll make him regret abandoning me. Bitterly. Until he sheds blood-red tears."
It sounded like a typical tale of a jilted lover, but her tone was deceptively calm.
In Sercia’s eyes, a fierce fire of vengeance burned bright.
The two men glanced her way, curiosity piqued.
Each of them had their own goals, but none were as chilling as hers.
Just what had that man done to her?
But that question melted away like snow when Sercia asked one of her own.
"Elwin. I have a question. What’s your goal?"
A sharp gleam flashed in the mage’s intelligent eyes.
"You must have a purpose too, if you’re gathering a team. Now that we’re in the same boat, I think we deserve to know."
"…You're absolutely right. Yes, I suppose it’s time I shared it."
Everyone in the training hall focused on Elwin.
"My goal is… also revenge."
Again, Elwin’s eyes turned golden.
Just like a week ago, when he first discussed the contract with Gale.
—Gale Garav, let me make you an offer you can’t refuse.
An invisible charisma swept through the room—so overwhelming that it was almost palpable.
Whenever Elwin entered this state, his words took on a strange power.
"It’s actually quite similar to Sercia’s. Though in my case… there are far more enemies. That’s why I needed your help."
Elwin spoke lightly, as if it were no big deal.
But they all sensed it: this wasn’t a matter to be taken lightly.
"……"
Only Gale remained calm, quietly gauging the weight of Elwin’s words.
—So take my hand. Help me. And I’ll help you.
With years of experience as a mercenary, Gale was quick to pick up on such subtleties.
He had already guessed that Elwin’s desire for revenge soared higher than the sky and cut deeper than the sea.
"Just who… are you seeking revenge on?"
Sercia asked with a tremble in her voice.
Why would someone like Elwin—an elite Hunter at the pinnacle of power—go about his revenge so cautiously?
What kind of monsters were his enemies?
Even she, who shared a similar motive, couldn’t help but feel uneasy about Elwin’s vengeance.
It was her instincts as a mage attuned to the flow of the world’s mana.
"You’ll find out in due time. Everything we go through from here on out will eventually lead us down that road."
Elwin added, “Even where we’re headed now is part of it.”
"As I mentioned before, the road ahead will be rough. We’ve only just begun."
With solemn expressions, they all nodded.
"But I can promise you this—"
Placing a hand over his heart, Elwin spoke like a sacred child.
"If you trust me and follow, your goals will be realized."
His golden eyes glimmered with radiant light.
It was a brilliance that made them want to believe him—made them feel like they had to.
"So I’ll make you stronger. For your sake, and mine."
Elwin then signaled behind him with his eyes.
"Nahr, are you ready?"
"Of course."
Nahrhan wheeled in a tray and handed out a glass to each of them.
"Wait… wine glasses?"
"I thought, since Spero is officially launched now, we should commemorate the occasion."
Nahrhan passed Elwin a bottle of elegant wine, then grabbed his own glass and joined them.
Though often acting as Elwin’s butler, he too was a core member of Spero.
"Think of it as a launch ceremony. Or even a christening."
In a world plagued by Geomas and the terror of the night, no one knew when or where news of someone’s death would arrive.
So people loved to find meaning in even the smallest things.
"This airship was newly built for our organization, but we never had a proper christening."
Especially for new ventures—new ships, teams, organizations—people insisted on holding commemorative rituals.
Superstition, maybe, but many believed that things would go awry without it.
"Now, take a glass, everyone."
"Uuhhh?!"
Pour—
With practiced ease, Elwin filled each glass with deep purple wine.
Wine.
"Nahr made it himself, just for today."
"The taste is guaranteed. I’m a certified international bartender, after all."
"…Hey, butler. Is there anything you can’t do?"
"It’s a basic requirement of being Elwin’s steward."
In LAMPAS, sharing wine held special meaning.
It represented a vow—The Oath of LAMPAS.
"In the scriptures, wine is said to symbolize the blood of the Light God, LAMPAS."
Thus, to share wine was to make a blood pact: an unbreakable vow until death.
"To our shining future."
Elwin drank first. Then Nahrhan, Sercia, Calix… and finally Gale.
Not a single drop of wine remained in any glass.
"With this, we’ve made a sacred oath. As long as we are part of Spero, we must uphold our promises to each other and remain bound in unity."
Elwin then tossed his glass into the small brazier Nahrhan had brought. The others followed suit.
Burning the wine glasses was the final step of The Oath of LAMPAS.
"…Well then! That wraps up our little ceremony."
Elwin cheerfully tried to lighten the mood.
"Let’s begin Round Two!"
"…Huh? Wait, what?! Round two?!"
"Yup! You said you wanted to get stronger, right?"
With a dazzling smile, Elwin gently raised his sword again.
The three of them felt the hairs on their neck stand on end.
"From now on, every day! You’ll spar with me, train your bodies, and practice mana control."
The already brutal training schedule now had one more addition.
Elwin casually threw in another item like he’d just remembered.
"Oh, right! I forgot to mention—you’ll also be hunting Geomas between sessions! Just like the past week, we’ll occasionally land the airship and go hunting. Real combat experience is vital!"
"Um… Little Master?"
"Yes, go ahead, my disciple?"
Gale nervously raised his hand, and Elwin responded like a stern teacher granting a student permission to speak.
"Isn’t this… a bit much? The schedule’s already insane!"
"Not at all! Learning through action is the fastest and most effective way! Didn’t you say you wanted to get stronger? This is the best way!"
Elwin’s clear eyes glinted with conviction.
"I’ve done it myself! It works. So don’t worry."
Gale clenched his teeth silently.
What kind of hell did his Special-Rank mentor put him through to make him believe in this kind of masochistic method?
But what could a mere mercenary say to a Special-Rank Hunter?
Nothing—he just had to suffer in silence.
"So let’s get started! Let’s go!"
With a bright grin, Elwin charged at them again.
Gale, trembling, screamed in despair.
"I WANNA GO HOOOME—!"
This was hell…!
But there was no escape from an airship soaring thousands of meters in the sky.
Soon, the training hall echoed with wails and cries that tore through the clouds.
"Another peaceful day."
Nahrhan, who had quietly watched everything, smiled warmly and stepped outside—
To prepare food and drinks for the ones who’d survive the training.
Vrooooom—
The airship glided smoothly through the sky, heading toward its next destination.
Another week passed.
Meanwhile, in the airship’s infirmary…
"…Hah!"
Aajen Clover finally opened his eyes.