Chapter 317
Yu-hyun couldn’t move an inch.
The tension peaked the moment he realized that the person he thought he could trust and rely on was actually the most suspicious suspect.
‘Stay calm.’
Yu-hyun calmly moved his hand to unfold the parchment, still acting as if he were searching for something.
“……I’m busy right now, so don’t talk to me.”
“Didn’t you find it?”
“No. I still can’t see it.”
Yu-hyun replied nonchalantly, folding the parchment and opening another one. But that still wasn’t enough.
Yu-hyun was still within Rayon’s range. And he still couldn’t draw his weapon.
‘It’s too far.’
Although his sword was hanging at his waist, and he could draw it with just a small movement, the distance felt impossibly vast.
Even if he tried to reach for it, his instincts told him that Rayon’s sword would move faster than he could grasp his own.
Instinctive wariness.
It was this wariness that slightly hindered Yu-hyun’s movements.
“Your hand has stopped.”
“……”
“……Is that so.”
Rayon muttered quietly, as if disappointed by something.
Rayon had sensed something as well.
At that moment, Yu-hyun closed his eyes tightly and then opened them. Grabbing his sword with lightning speed…
“Too late.”
Clang!
Rayon struck the scabbard attached to Yu-hyun’s waist with his sword first.
Before Yu-hyun could grab it, the sword flew out and rolled on the floor.
Immediately, Yu-hyun grabbed the parchment spread out on the ground with both hands and threw it backward. With a swoosh! The rolled-up parchment unraveled, creating a flurry that disoriented Rayon’s vision.
Despite the situation, Rayon did not panic.
His hand holding the sword moved slightly faster, and soon the fluttering parchments obstructing his view were cut into pieces and scattered.
“Resistance is futile.”
Rayon then kicked Yu-hyun’s side as he lunged for the sword rolling on the ground.
Even as he instinctively crossed his arms to defend, Yu-hyun couldn’t prevent his body from being flung backward.
Thud.
Yu-hyun’s body hit the firmly closed door and rolled on the floor.
Grimacing from the pain radiating from his forearm, Yu-hyun looked up at Rayon approaching him.
“Why on earth?”
Why had he betrayed them? Wasn’t he Lean’s right-hand man?
“You’ve been a veteran Explorer protecting this place for 32 years…”
“Yes. I am an Explorer. And before that, I was one of the Great Warriors. And after that, an Explorer. And next, I will continue to be an Explorer. An Explorer endlessly fighting the Frost Giants.”
“What are you talking about…?”
“I don’t expect you to understand what I’m saying.”
Rayon’s face remained expressionless.
Despite their previous conversations, where Yu-hyun thought they had grown close, Rayon now looked down at him with a cold gaze, as if those memories were false.
“It would have been better if you had disappeared like before, being called a witch by everyone. Then I wouldn’t have to do this troublesome task.”
“You…”
“Well, it doesn’t matter. Even if you die, it will be seen as something done by Frechen’s gang. Fortunately, thanks to that reckless Emperor drawing all the attention, it’s been easy to move around.”
Yu-hyun never imagined that Lean’s right-hand man could be the traitor.
No, he had considered it a possibility to some extent. Yu-hyun didn’t believe that Frechen was 100% the traitor. He came here to fill in that slim possibility, and that’s why he managed to endure Rayon’s strikes until now.
But now, it was over.
Rayon raised his sword.
“Die.”
And at that moment, as he was about to strike down.
Crash!
Above Yu-hyun’s head, the wooden door shattered, and a burly hand suddenly emerged.
“What the…!”
Even Rayon, who didn’t expect this ambush, was late to react with his sword.
The hand that broke through the door grabbed Rayon by the collar and pulled him with immense strength.
Crash!
The wooden door shattered as Rayon was flung outside.
“Wow. That was close. If I had been a little later, it would have been a disaster.”
“You are…”
Recognizing his savior, Yu-hyun widened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was hair close to gray.
“Frechen?”
The last bloodline of a ruined empire, who always acted as he pleased and was antagonistic towards Lean.
More than anything, the one Yu-hyun suspected of being the traitor, had saved him at this moment.
Frechen turned his head slightly and smirked.
“What? Are you too surprised by my sudden appearance?”
“No, but how did you…?”
“How did I know? Well, I’d like to answer that.”
Frechen twisted his lips while looking at Rayon, who was getting up from the ground.
“But now is not the time.”
Saying so, Frechen grabbed a large hand axe.
The blade of the axe was slanted at the end.
“…Was it you? The tail?”
“Hey, that’s harsh. I’ve never been a tail. If anything, I’m the head. From the way you’re talking, it seems you’ve noticed the traitor’s presence, right?”
“That’s…”
“FRECHEEEEEEN!”
Rayon, enraged by the interruption at a crucial moment, shouted Frechen’s name.
Rayon’s face, usually expressionless, was now twisted with fury like a demon.
A formidable killing intent emanated from him, along with an aura strong enough to make the skin tingle, as if it were a well-forged sword.
An oppressive force comparable to a top-level collector.
“Yes. It’s me, Frechen.”
Facing this, Frechen didn’t look scared or tense. Instead, he smiled broadly as if he had been waiting for this moment.
“How dare a disgraceful prince of a fallen empire!”
Rayon charged like a beast. At the same time, his sword, precise and sharp, aimed directly at Frechen’s vital points.
Clang!
Frechen easily deflected Rayon’s sword with his axe.
“Right. I was definitely that before. But now? The only bloodline left.”
Frechen spoke with a voice full of arrogance.
“So it’s only right that I’m called the Emperor. What’s the problem with that?”
“The empire has already fallen! The title of Emperor is nothing but an empty shell!”
“Right. It’s nothing. It has no meaning.”
Their weapons clashed in the air.
Clang! Frechen focused on blocking Rayon’s attacks, while Rayon poured all his strength into his sword strikes.
The bluish energy extending from Rayon’s sword swept through the surrounding space, cutting it apart.
The wide corridor shattered, the ceiling collapsed.
Through the debris, the two men continued their fight.
“But I still hold the title of Emperor. Rayon, what are you? A loyal dog to a leader? The third under me? Oh. You hated being called that the most, didn’t you? Pretending otherwise, but you always had a great competitive spirit.”
“Shut uuuup!”
Rayon’s sword energy flared up like flames, seemingly affected by his emotions.
“I’ve never liked you from the beginning! Despite your strength, you acted frivolously, like a child, defying Lean’s will!”
“Aren’t you the same now, defying his will?”
“You have no honor!”
“But I have strength.”
Frechen laughed maniacally. Yu-hyun watched their fight as if he were in a trance.
Frechen wasn’t called the second-in-command for nothing.
“Sister!”
Ringug ran towards them from afar. Behind Ringug were knights who served Frechen and explorers who had rushed over after hearing the news.
“Sister! Are you okay?!”
“Yes, yes. I’m fine. Fortunately. But what’s going on here?”
“I told Emperor Frechen that you were heading this way.”
Boom!
A loud noise erupted from far away.
Frechen, who had been holding back until now, started wielding his axe in earnest, showcasing his strength. He switched from defense to offense.
The ashen aura flowing from his axe clashed with Rayon’s aura.
Frechen’s aura was overwhelming Rayon’s.
“How, how can you possess such power!”
“Haha. Did you think I was called the second-in-command for nothing? Or did you think I was just a hollow leader propped up by my subordinates’ power?”
Frechen swung his axe horizontally. Rayon hastily leaned back to avoid the attack, unable to block it. A chunk of his hair was severed and scattered into the air.
“Maybe you didn’t know, but I reached this position with my own strength. Or did you underestimate me and think I was weak? That’s quite a shock.”
“Ugh! Why!”
“Why, you ask?”
Frechen charged towards Rayon.
“Why is a traitor like you talking so much? Did our great warrior teach you to fight with words?”
“You bastard!”
Rayon’s sword energy exploded towards Frechen’s chest. Frechen deflected it effortlessly and stepped forward with his right foot.
Thud. The debris from the collapsed ceiling floated in mid-air. Dust spread out at the same time.
A gust of wind swept past Rayon. He raised his aura to block the dust cloud.
Simultaneously, Frechen advanced through the dust cloud like a massive projectile.
Momentarily blinded, Rayon was struck in the chest by Frechen’s shoulder.
Crunch!
“Ugh!”
Coughing up blood, Rayon was flung far back, rolling on the floor. His ribs had fractured, and his chest had collapsed from the recent attack.
Using his sword as a crutch, Rayon tried to stand, but he was no longer in a condition to continue fighting.
Seemingly satisfied, Frechen lowered his axe.
Rayon shouted with trembling lips.
“It’s not over yet!”
“No. It’s over.”
The voice wasn’t Frechen’s.
Cutting through the gathered crowd, Lean appeared.
His gaze towards Rayon was deeply conflicted and sorrowful.
Rayon froze upon seeing Lean.
“Rayon…”
“Commander Lean.”
“Why? Why did you abandon your comrades and continue this dreadful hell?”
“Why, you ask?”
Rayon laughed lowly, not bothering to wipe the blood from his lips.
When his laughter stopped, he yelled in anger.
“Why are you asking me that? Lean! This was our duty!”
Despite the blood at his mouth, Rayon glared past Lean at Yu-hyun with crazed eyes.
It was because of that witch. Without her, his struggle wouldn’t have been hindered.
“Have you forgotten?! We Gardians must continue to fight! Struggle is our purpose! I just wanted to keep fighting!”
“All because of that?”
“Because of that? Lean! Then answer me. What is the meaning of our lives if we can’t fight?”
“What…?”
“We were born to wield swords and became warriors to fight. If peace comes, what are we supposed to do? What value is left for us in a peaceful era?! Answer me!”
Rayon had been a great warrior of the northern minority.
When he was born, the North was in turmoil. Conflicts raged everywhere, and many died.
Rayon’s tribe had to fight and plunder just to survive in the harsh environment. Whether they liked it or not, fighting was necessary to avoid death.
Rayon had wielded a sword since he was too young to remember his age.
And even as a young man, he never let go of his sword, constantly swinging it.
You will become a great warrior. Our tribe will prosper as much as the blood stains your sword.
Rayon believed those words completely, tirelessly fighting and killing on the barren land.
Even after his parents died and his precious sister also perished, he didn’t stop.
Killing and killing, fighting and fighting.
When he finally unified the surrounding area and led a larger tribe, peace arrived.
The Empire ended its conquest wars, and the various kingdoms united. The northern minorities stopped their internal struggles and formed alliances through blood ties.
It might have been the peace everyone awaited.
But for Rayon, it wasn’t.
‘What am I supposed to do now?’
Rayon lost his purpose for wielding a sword. Swords were for killing, but without enemies, what purpose did they serve?
A life lived solely for fighting couldn’t accept peace.
A great warrior must fight. Only struggle validated his life.
But what was this peace? What was this dreadful ennui?
Thus, when the Curse of the Frozen Land erupted, Rayon was secretly delighted.
Frost Giants threatening humanity.
Enemies.
The enemies he longed to fight had appeared.
“Curse of the Frozen Land? Everyone will freeze to death? So what?!”
Rayon shouted, coughing up blood.
“There are enemies! We can finally fight! Continuously, endlessly! Finally, I’ve found a purpose!”
Rayon didn’t want this hell to end.
If winter ended and spring returned, peace would rust their weapons.
He desired eternal struggle.
An everlasting winter so cold that their weapons would never rust.
“We haven’t lost our value! We can keep fighting! If this curse continues, we’ll fight endlessly, proving our worth! To the land of salvation…!”
“No, Rayon.”
Lean shook his head with a gaze full of sorrow.
“There’s no salvation in a place with only fighting.”
“What… do you mean? Fighting is salvation! How do you not understand that!”
“Rayon. Do you still not know why we fight?”
The reason their ancestors fought wasn’t simply to enjoy the struggle.
“The reason they fought and we continue to fight is all because we wanted peace. To create a safe haven for our descendants.”
“Don’t make me laugh!”
Rayon screamed, almost in convulsions.
“Fighting for peace? Then when peace comes? What should we, who can only fight, do?! What about our comrades? What did our ancestors die for?!”
Rayon didn’t want to hear it. It was enough for his life to be uprooted once.
Wield the sword.
Spill blood.
Claim honor and glory.
A dark shadow rippled around Rayon.
No, it wasn’t a shadow. The specters of his past had always been with him.
Rayon himself might not know, but Lean could see it.
“Rayon. You’ve been devoured by the demon of fighting.”
“I will continue…!”
“Rest now.”
Before Rayon could shout something else, Lean’s sword pierced his chest.
It was strange that even a wounded Rayon couldn’t react. Lean’s sword was so quiet and fast, it was hard to catch its trace.
Rayon’s eyes widened. After a brief gurgle, he slowly fell back.
Lying on the ground and staring at the sky, Rayon touched his chest with trembling hands. His hands were covered in red blood.
“Ah.”
Rayon’s voice, which had been screaming until now, grew calm.
His eyes, clouded with delusion, regained clarity, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
“Lean. You were there.”
“Rayon…”
“Lean. Look. I’ve defeated the enemy.”
With transparent eyes, Rayon and Lean saw something else together.
A glorious battle.
The final showdown, more than enough to conclude his life.
In that place, Rayon swung his sword. Even as comrades and loved ones fell, he didn’t stop swinging. He couldn’t remember how long he had fought.
The enemies.
And the outcome of the battle.
What happened?
“Lean. I see nothing around me. I can’t feel my body. Lean. Answer me. Did we win? We won, right?”
Gasping in pain, he asked desperately.
Everyone solemnly watched the scene.
“Did we win?”
Lean suppressed the rising sorrow.
Rayon’s betrayal was shocking, and he resented being deceived for 32 years. But more than that, he felt sadness and compassion for his comrade’s end.
In the end, he couldn’t escape the battlefield.
With a conflicted face, Lean bit his lip and nodded heavily.
“Yes. Rayon. We won.”
“…We won.”
Rayon smiled innocently like a child.
It was the first time Lean had seen such a smile in 32 years.
“Lean. I think this is the end for me. I hear voices from above. The great ancestors. They’re calling me. Mother, father. And my deceased sister. My friends, my comrades. They’re calling me. Yes. They’ve been waiting there…”
“Yes. Rayon. That’s where you should go.”
“Where I should go?”
“The place you longed for. The land of salvation you sought. Your long fight until now was all for this moment.”
“That’s… true.”
Rayon coughed, spitting blood.
All the energy left his body, and his fingertips grew cold.
His body grew heavier, but his spirit felt lighter than ever.
“Finally… I can rest…”
He could finally go to the land of salvation he longed for.
He could finally reunite with his lost family.
“Yes.”
Lean closed Rayon’s eyes with his hand.
“Rest now.”
Had he gone to the land of salvation?
Or had he fallen into the endless torment of betraying his comrades?
Realizing all such assumptions were meaningless, Lean performed the silent prayer he had repeated countless times since the past.