Chapter 70: Enemy of the Kingdom (1)
When Evan first arrived, Gaiard in his prime didn’t flinch even when struck with a sword.
What about now, having grown one step further?
‘Fighting that high-ranking guy is fine, but Gaiard’s the sure bet.’
His goal was to measure his growth.
And the surest way to test it was to break something solid.
Initially, he targeted Hagen’s sword aura, but Gaiard’s body seemed an excellent test too.
Arriving at the room, Evan closed his eyes, sword raised.
“Phew…”
He steadied his breathing and channeled Qi into the sword.
The flow was unmistakably different from before.
‘Is this the Expert realm? Maybe not.’
If before was a stream, now it was a river on the verge of flooding.
Focusing intensely to avoid being overwhelmed, Evan channeled Qi throughout the sword.
Only then did he open his eyes.
“Hah!”
Evan swung down.
Gaiard, lying down, sprang up instantly,
and the sword’s aura sliced through the bed and the room in half.
―Cr crumble.
The ceiling split, sending stone debris flying with the wind.
Finally, Gaiard glared at him, scolding.
“Why are you so eager to torment me? Must you kill me to be satisfied?”
After over a year, he had finally risen.
“You’re up?”
“What?”
Gaiard seemed to forget he was even arguing with Evan.
“I thought you were a corpse. Guess you’re scared of this too?”
Evan waved his sword.
Gaiard tilted his head and approached.
“Now that I think about it, why are you here?”
“What? You didn’t even notice me all this time?”
“I wasn’t in the state to.”
“No way.”
Gaiard had been on the brink of mental consumption.
He’d only responded to Evan unconsciously.
“That was close. I almost became a mindless Sludge like you.”
Had time dragged on, complete consumption would’ve trapped Evan forever.
Thankfully, that didn’t happen.
“Answer me. Why are you in my memory?”
“Because I wanted to come.”
“What?”
“Don’t misunderstand. I came because I need your abilities and memories. They’ll be a big help against Ernst.”
“So you came here? Wait! You overcame it? That horrific memory Nidra mentioned?”
Gaiard was astonished.
That a mere human endured a situation even he found overwhelming.
He’d heard Nidra’s final words and knew how hard it was to overcome this trauma.
“That’s why I’m here.”
“How did you do it?”
What was the method to overcome trauma?
Gaiard was desperate to know.
“I let go.”
“Let go?”
Evan shared his secret.
It wasn’t anything grand.
“Yes. I realized I couldn’t do it and let go. Even the burdens of my heart.”
“And you didn’t break?”
“I told you. I let go. I’m not a god; I can’t carry everything. I just live my best each day.”
Evan passed on how he overcame his trauma.
“So, let go too. Guilt, regret, or lingering attachments.”
But Gaiard didn’t seem able to do so easily.
‘Seems he had a deep connection with the queen.’
Unlike Gaiard’s claim that nothing happened with the queen, there was clearly a profound bond.
Otherwise, a human-hating Gaiard wouldn’t hesitate over a mere human.
“Or face the truth. Avoiding it is pointless.”
“But…”
“What if the queen’s really dead? What then? Kill all the humans who killed her.”
A painfully simple solution.
Gaiard smirked at Evan’s straightforward thinking.
His first smile.
“I thought overcoming it made you wiser, but you’re simpler.”
“Makes things easier.”
Evan grinned.
To Gaiard, it seemed a carefree expression.
“Now that I think about it, you seem stronger, mentally and physically. Maybe a bit taller too.”
“Do I?”
In Gaiard’s memory, Evan didn’t exist.
With regression’s rules only partially applying, Evan could grow,
and Gaiard noticed it instantly.
“Yes. When we first met, you seemed like a two-to-three-star swordsman. Now, you’re a solid four-star.”
“Two-star? Four-star? What’s that?”
“You don’t know the system? Times have changed, I guess.”
The nine-star system for measuring strength was from centuries ago when Gaiard was active.
Naturally, it was unfamiliar to Evan in the present era.
“So, four-star means you’ve stepped into Expert. You’ve crossed the wall but are still rough.”
“Really? You nailed it. I crossed that realm today. No exceptional talent here.”
“Today? How long have you been here?”
“Maybe a year or so?”
Evan said casually.
But Gaiard couldn’t comprehend.
‘No exceptional talent? A guy like that reached the threshold in just a year? What’s his idea of talent?’
Monstrous growth speed.
Gaiard had never witnessed anyone grow this fast.
But Evan thought differently.
He’d already reached the pinnacle of skill, once called a Weapon Master.
His talent for wielding weapons was unmatched.
In contrast, his Aura growth felt merely average.
Especially since he’d seen a monstrous talent up close.
‘Compared to Robern, who defeated an Expert at fifteen, I’m far behind.’
As Gaiard said, he’d only reached the threshold, so he didn’t think himself remarkable.
‘Besides, with that many deaths, this growth is expected.’
Experiencing death yet surviving,
an impossible training method in reality, allowed him to reach this level.
He didn’t realize ordinary people wouldn’t dare attempt such a method.
Thus, the two continued, misunderstanding each other.
“Fine. At least you’re strong enough to travel with.”
“Oh? Ready to go out now?”
“Yes. I need to leave this stifling place. As you said, to face the truth of my fear.”
Though he spoke, Gaiard’s eyes lacked strength.
He was still afraid.
“What’s got you so worried? A strong mon… being like you. Clinging to past memories forever isn’t right.”
Having experienced it, Evan empathized with Gaiard’s hesitation.
But having overcome it, he believed the stronger Gaiard could too.
“Let’s go.”
Gaiard, seemingly resolved, took a step.
“Wait. You know a ton of humans out there want to kill you, right?”
“Of course. My heart’s been staked hundreds of times. But those out there now are no match.”
A spark returned to Gaiard’s eyes.
“But twenty-three hours from now, a saint who’ll come for me is different.”
“A saint?”
“Yes. The one who killed and sealed me, delivering me to Ernst. Perhaps my nemesis.”
“Then we finish before that saint arrives. We’ve got time.”
“No. There might not be time. The place I’m going likely has that person.”
Evan didn’t know who the saint was.
But Gaiard clearly cared, frowning at the mere thought.
“The great Count Gaiard reluctant to meet someone? I’m already excited.”
His pride stung, Gaiard twitched at Evan’s teasing.
“What do you take me for? I once protected the kingdom and struck fear into enemies. Who’s reluctant to meet a saint? Scared, you say—”
His rambling showed how much it bothered him.
Evan stopped teasing and pushed his back.
“Got it, lead the way, Red Count.”
Evan escorted Gaiard like a servant to the door.
Grabbing the handle, he flung it open, revealing the outside.
“Vampire!”
“Gaiard’s here! Boo!”
The Red Count reappeared.
Stepping out of the mansion, facing the crowd.
“As our count might sense, there are Viper guys among them…”
“I know.”
Gaiard flicked his finger.
Hundreds of blood-forged swords appeared above their heads.
“Die.”
“Argh! Run!”
In an instant.
As Gaiard pointed, the swords flew in unison.
―Thud, thud, thud!
The red swords pierced the hearts of the fleeing.
“Save me!”
“Aaah!”
Screams and blood filled the air,
the swords moving on their own, killing every living thing in the mansion.
‘A monster’s a monster.’
Evan deliberately spared the citizens.
Partly for training, but deep down, he believed in not killing the uninvolved.
But Gaiard was distinctly non-human.
He crushed humans like swatting mosquitoes, making no distinctions.
As the last citizen fell, the garden became a sea of blood.
“Why?”
Gaiard asked, noticing Evan staring.
“Now you’re truly a traitor.”
“Doesn’t matter. Whatever humans call me.”
Once a hero, Gaiard didn’t care.
Evan nodded, seeing this.
“Fair enough. That’s your true self. Then I’ll do my part. One’s still alive.”
Hundreds of swords covered the sky.
Surviving the dazzling, brutal attack, Hagen appeared, bleeding, in the distance.
“It’s a shame you’re injured…”
“No time.”
As Evan prepared to charge,
Gaiard manipulated the ground’s blood into a wave, engulfing Hagen.
―Splash!
Hagen flailed in the wave.
The wave formed a sphere,
and Gaiard compressed it into a dot.
―Boom!
Evan was left with nothing to do.
“Don’t worry. Outside, you’ll have plenty of opponents. I’m now the kingdom’s enemy.”
“Yeah. I know exactly how it feels to turn a nation against you.”
“How would you?”
“Long story. Lead on. I’ll watch your back.”
The grown Evan.
He wanted to measure his growth against the strong who’d appear.
If Gaiard didn’t kill them all first.