NOVEL NEXT Chapter 123
“The star that led to unavoidable misfortune and death for the demon race, the Fortress of Storms’ Ronan Luzarack! The bravest, most ferocious, and ruthless man in human history! The hero who killed the most demons and instilled fear in all! I, the Flame Sovereign, hold the greatest reverence for such Lord Ronan Luzarack. Eliaernes, what connection do you have with Lord Ronan Luzarack?”
The Flame Sovereign’s sudden worship left me in a daze.
The Fortress of Storms. Ronan Luzarack’s alias.
A name more famous among demons than humans.
How does the Flame Sovereign know this? What on earth?
Traces? Time? Is there something left in the waterways?
I cannot comprehend. I cannot understand, but the Flame Sovereign already knows something.
Does she know I am Ronan?
No… she hasn’t reached that far.
Naturally. Rebirth. The soul of a human is something far beyond what mere humans can touch or even conceive.
Then what on earth is she thinking, connecting the dots?
“Don’t worry; I’ve blocked the sound. No one on this continent will hear this conversation.”
My head felt like it was going to explode, but the Flame Sovereign wore an innocent smile that seemed too childish for her age.
Yurasia, Stella, and Pina, who were standing behind her, looked startled at the Flame Sovereign’s smiling face.
“…Lord Flame Sovereign swore an oath.”
“That’s right. Even I, the Flame Sovereign, would die with a ripped heart if I broke an oath. So, trust me.”
“Why go to such lengths to gain trust? Wouldn’t someone like you be able to extract information by force?”
“This is not how I, the Flame Sovereign, prefer to do things. And why would I want to crush such a precious sprout? Beings like you should be cherished and valued. That doesn’t mean I’m asking you to join the Empire, so don’t worry. Even I, known as one of the six pillars of the Empire, haven’t joined the Empire myself.”
I squinted at the Flame Sovereign.
It felt as if she was forcefully shoving trust into me. Yet, the trust that ties into an oath makes it hard to refuse.
Can a person be this transparent?
“So, Eliaernes. What’s your answer to my question?”
“What do I gain by answering?”
“Hmm? Gain? Are you hoping for something from me?”
“What if I do?”
It was a bit rude, but the Flame Sovereign nodded pleasantly.
“If you solve my question, I will grant you anything you desire. However, I cannot grant you my head, my equipment, anything lewd, or anything impure.”
“Then… May I ask for a chance to request something from you sometime?”
The corners of the Flame Sovereign’s eyes twitched.
“Is that what the kids call a Wish Right? However, I’ve heard that the intent of a Wish Right is ultimately for… intercourse. Eliaernes, do you want to become my wife? Hmm… The direct descendant of Eustetia Duchy. If that’s the case, do I become your husband since I’m of lower rank than you? But I gave up my name. So does that make me Flame Sovereign Yustetia? Huh… That wouldn’t be very good.”
Her face looked genuinely troubled.
This woman is not joking.
A crazy woman.
The Flame Sovereign is purely a crazy woman.
I can imagine what would happen if a person with a head full of flowers loses it.
“I… don’t wish for that.”
“Then that’s a relief. Yes. If you solve my question, I will grant you a Wish Right.”
“…Yes. A Wish Right sounds very grand.”
I nodded and sunk into deep thought.
How should I answer about my relationship with the Fortress of Storms?
Saying I’m Ronan is too dangerous.
Of course, I am bound to tell the truth now and swore not to harm us, but one can never know.
I’m still weak. So increasing the number of people who know my existence is risky.
I won’t do something foolish like speak the truth.
An excuse. What proper excuse could I come up with?
The Flame Sovereign read the traces of battle.
Just like high-ranking mages can trace the traces of magic, the Flame Sovereign seems to be able to track memories of the past.
However, it’s unclear whether they are ideation or manifestation. There’s no need to know now.
What part did she see, and until what extent?
Can she even hear our conversation?
No, that’s not possible. If she had heard what I said to Paid, she wouldn’t be acting this way.
Then… was it the scenes or appearances?
The Flame Sovereign asked me about my relationship with the Fortress of Storms.
The Fortress of Storms. Ronan Luzarack. The Flame Sovereign probably knows his fighting style. And she retraced my battles as well.
And she found their commonalities.
What commonality?
Ronan wielded countless weapons.
Eliaernes is a martial artist.
There’s nothing overlapping.
Wait, no, there is one.
What made Ronan be called the Fortress of Storms.
A deity.
The Flame Sovereign saw that.
What about the Gate of Purgatory? That’s still uncertain.
Then, does the Flame Sovereign know that I… Ronan has wielded weapons in my past life?
That I am not Ronan the Martial Artist?
That’s probably the case.
I’ve roughly figured out how to respond.
“Speak.”
The Flame Sovereign, noticing I came out of my thoughts, exclaimed with enthusiasm.
“Can I believe that our current conversation won’t leak out?”
“Believe me. I, the Flame Sovereign, do not lie.”
“But… I could answer with a lie, can’t I? Do you trust my words, Lord Flame Sovereign?”
“I trust you. However, even if you choose to lie, that’s fine. Just finding someone associated with the great one is enough for me. Right now, questioning you is merely… a desire of mine. It’s just curiosity that all mages inherently possess.”
I could see the flames burning in the Flame Sovereign’s orange eyes—sparkling and intense.
As I quietly observed them, I cleared my throat and slowly opened my mouth.
“I am—”
“Mm…!”
A gasp escaped the Flame Sovereign’s lips. Her crimson mana ignited. The flames that had been invisible to perception now surged violently.
Those intensified flames enveloped me, the Flame Sovereign, and the three behind us in a dome.
It wasn’t hot. Even the slightest touch, no, just a graze felt like it would melt my body, but we felt no heat.
Inside, the Flame Sovereign spoke urgently.
“Eliaernes, we must part ways here today. But that’s alright. Soon, I will come to find you. Do wait for me, please, please!”
“Y-Yes? What do you mean all of a sudden?”
“Please.”
The Flame Sovereign bowed her head.
One of the six pillars known throughout the Empire, one of the strongest among the entire continent, bowed her head…!
I couldn’t comprehend what was happening, but I nodded nonetheless.
“Sure, it’s not difficult…”
Just then.
The Flame Sovereign felt something, and I felt it too.
A presence like a wild beast. Terribly ominous and chilling.
“What… is that… Vice Headmaster?”
I could sense Leona’s presence from beyond the wall.
I looked at the wall made of flames.
It looked solid.
Could it be broken? Not in the current state.
At least I would need to break a couple of fingers on my left hand to break that wall.
Then what about Leona?
I pictured Leona from our sparring match.
It’s unlikely.
I thought that just as I did.
CRACK—
“…Crazy.”
The wall tore apart.
“Flame Sovereign.”
Then I heard Leona’s voice, scratchy like scraping the bottom of hell, echoing in my ears.
“So you dared to touch my disciple.”
“Umm…! It’s a misunderstanding! I, the Flame Sovereign, did not touch your disciple! We were only having a conversation—”
“I did not permit you to speak.”
Leona’s pupils elongated vertically.
Not even the dragons I had encountered in the past had such a chilling gaze.
No, why am I… afraid of Leona?
I know she’s strong. Due to the perfect counter, I can’t gauge how strong she truly is, but I know she’s formidable.
But her opponent is the Flame Sovereign.
A being who, in all fairness, is called one of the six pillars of the Empire and possesses overwhelming power upon a casual glance.
That person is afraid of Leona.
The Flame Sovereign fears Leona? Why? It makes no sense.
In that unfathomable flow, I stepped closer to Leona.
The Flame Sovereign. While I cannot fully trust her, the way she’s been tracing our remnants from 400 years ago is somewhat admirable.
Moreover, that… smile she had when praising Ronan Luzarack was truly pure.
For now, I wanted to help alleviate the Flame Sovereign’s dilemma a bit.
How could I hate someone who genuinely likes me? And although I feel guilty to the Flame Sovereign, it’s also crucial to throw out an excuse and obtain the right to make a request.
So, I’ll side with the Flame Sovereign for now.
“U-Um… Vice Headmaster?”
The glimmering eyes of the wild beast turned to me.
My body trembled, my instincts screaming to halt my steps.
But just for a moment. The instant Leona blinked, her eyes returned to their usual cheerful demeanor.
In that gap, the Flame Sovereign seized the opportunity.
“Uh, um…! Demon Fist, let’s postpone this conversation! I have never told a lie! So please understand that today’s event is a misunderstanding!”
As soon as her words finished, whoosh! a blinding light burst forth, making it impossible to open my eyes.
And then.
Tap, tap—
All the flames that had been surrounding us vanished.
The sound of tiny embers crackling.
The murmurs of citizens in the territory.
Pina gasping for breath, Stella babbling, Yurasia sighing in relief.
And a chilling silence.
In that silence, the Flame Sovereign’s last words echoed in my mind.
“…Demon Fist?”
The Demon Fist, the first pillar of the Empire.
In truth, there aren’t many tales or rumors about him. It feels like there’s been deliberate erasure.
I couldn’t even find anything in Dad’s study.
But I thought that I must meet him at least once someday.
Is it because I’m a martial artist?
No. There’s a more important reason.
The Demon Fist lived a long life. A very long life.
For 400 years.
He is the only one who lived in the same era as my past self and we.