Chapter 70: Chapter 70

Life is always flowing towards death, but within it, another life is left behind.

Birth and death, an infinite cycle.

The only thing that connects the links of this cycle is human love—love, the fruit of causality.

He slowly exhaled. Ran was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed. Every time he glimpsed a fragment of truth, thick drops of sweat formed on his forehead.

'Even in the midst of war, love blossoms, and life brings forth its fruit.'

Life is truly the greatest legacy that humans can leave behind in this world.

Love is an instinct that shines nobly the more one is driven to the limit.

The night was deep. In the distance, the sound of an owl calling could be heard. A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves.

In this tranquil scene, Ran opened his eyes.

It was only a brief moment, but he felt as if he had finished a long and arduous journey. He was still dazed.

Around him, the members of the reconnaissance party snored as they slept. Not long after escaping the bear beast's den, the group had decided to set up camp in a suitable spot.

As if remembering something, Ran opened his eyes wide and searched the inside pocket of his coat.

What he pulled out was Count Stangdal's "Theory of Love."

He rapidly flipped through the pages of the book. There was a passage he suddenly recalled.

It was so dark around him that he could barely make out the letters. He lifted the book up to catch the moonlight. Ran's pupils widened.

「??I still cannot forget the year I turned fifteen.

??That spring, my voice had grown quite deep.

??Summer. I met Julia, the third woman in my life. Julia was the young lady of the Capulet family, bitter enemies of our Montague house.

??While our families met, we exchanged glances. In the midst of a tense atmosphere, the two of us felt as if we were in an entirely different world.

??Until that point, we'd spoken only a few words to each other. I took her hand first. In that moment, all the obstacles that stood between us crumbled.

??Remember: it is not a hundred flowery conversations that unlock a woman's firmly closed door, but a single fleeting touch of skin.

??In autumn, I yearned for Julia.

??Winter. At last, hair grew thickly around my genitals.

??The year I turned fifteen. So I became an adult through that brilliant four seasons. Oh, my Julia!」

"What are you reading so intently?"

Ran was startled and hurriedly closed the book.

At some point, terrence had approached. Ran had been so focused that he hadn't noticed.

All around, the sound of snoring continued. Only the two of them were awake.

"After all you went through, aren't you tired?"

Terrence plopped down next to Ran. Ran quickly slipped the book back where it belonged.

"Well, I, uh, have a bit of insomnia..."

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"Ah, it's been like that for a while now."

"Hm, when we return, I'll take a look at you myself. After all, I owe you a great deal."

Ran glanced sideways at Terrence's face, bathed in faint moonlight.

There was an air of refined maturity about a man who looked to have just entered his forties.

A question that had been on the tip of his tongue finally burst out.

"... Did you take her hand first, too?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"With Sigurd... did you take her hand first? Sigurd was a prisoner, wasn't she? There must have been so many watching, and besides, huven..."

Ran scratched his head, his words all jumbled up.

Suddenly, terrence burst out laughing. The laughter wouldn't stop.

"Oh, pardon me. I never thought the great Sword Demon would be curious about such things."

Wiping his eyes, terrence spoke. Ran's face flushed red.

"You all keep calling me 'Sword Demon,' but I'm not really. Anyway, well, I guess it's only natural to be curious."

"Indeed. Even I was curious, so how could others not be?"

Terrence looked up at the moon in the night sky, then picked up a stone and threw it with all his might. The stone drew an arc as it rolled down the hill.

"Did you see that stone just fly?"

"That's what my heart felt like. Spiraling out of control. I couldn't even gather my thoughts. I'm sorry I can't explain it any better than that. Hah."

Ran frowned slightly. Terrence's smile somehow grated on his nerves. It was the ease of a man who had emerged victorious from fierce competition. A strange sense of defeat washed over him.

"Tch. Don't act so smug."

Ran stood up. Terrence tilted his head and called after him.

He had no reason to receive words of thanks. If anything, he owed Terrence for looking after Iel.

Ran turned back without answering.

"In truth, I had no courage. There was even a time I wondered if it wouldn't be better if Huven were the boy's father. Can't blame you if you think I was crazy."

"Well, at least you're self-aware."

"Haha, someday you'll understand how I felt. Anyway, I found my courage because of you. Thank you, for everything."

Ran wondered if Terrence would keep teasing him until the end, but said nothing and turned away.

Now that he thought about it, terrence looked rather handsome with those dignified wrinkles.

Lying quietly and eavesdropping on the two, tascar finally closed his eyes.

Their footsteps felt lighter as they returned. The reconnaissance party exchanged jokes and banter.

"We wiped out the beasts, got rid of that pesky demon. It's been a while since I felt this refreshed."

"Indeed. I can't remember the last time I felt this good."

"Hey, your spearmanship hasn't gotten rusty either. You skewered that beast's head right through."

"Haha. Think the skills that got me called 'the Spear of Falstein' have gone anywhere?"

The man who called himself 'the Spear of Falstein' thrust his spear into the air. His comical expression drew loud laughter from the group.

Tascar alone couldn't laugh. Walking at the very rear, he nervously kicked at a loose stone.

The small stone soared and struck the 'Spear of Falstein's' calf. Their eyes met as the man turned around, wincing at the unexpected pain. Tascar awkwardly apologized, since it hadn't been intentional.

The 'Spear of Falstein' grinned broadly and gave him a thumbs-up.

'If it's a blow from a warrior of the Sabertooth Tigers, I'll take it with pride!'

Every member of the reconnaissance party had witnessed Tascar's valor. The way they looked at him had changed. Thanks to him, they'd been able to clear out the beast's den, and ultimately defeat the tyrant. Everyone praised Ran and Tascar as the main contributors.

"About those people who talked to uncle earlier—you did apologize for everything so far, right?"

"Hmph. I'm not a kid."

"Hehe. Now, those Imperial weaklings will realize just how strong Dakir's descendants can be!"

Ragna puffed out his chest with a self-satisfied grin.

Tascar grabbed Ragna's shoulder, stopping him. His expression was unusually serious.

Ragna's eyebrow arched. The laughter vanished from the boy's face, his green eyes growing sharp.

"No matter what anyone says, you're a true descendant of Dakir."

"Of course. Who doesn't know that?"

Ragna pouted, his lips sticking out petulantly. Long hair draped over one side, covering the boy's right cheek.

Tascar quietly swept Ragna's hair back.

Eyes glowing with a soft purple light were revealed.

"Never forget your blood, ragna. Your mother is the Iron Lady, Sigurd. And your father?"

"—The great chieftain Mukesh."

Tascar clenched his lips tightly, something hot welling up inside. He pulled Ragna into an embrace, his rough hands thoroughly mussing the boy's fine hair.

"Remember this. Someday, you'll be proud of that name."

In Northland, which is a quarter of the continent's size, fighting never ceases.

Whether it's to follow Dakir's command, to seize resources, or simply to warm frozen bodies in the bitter cold, the reasons vary.

Northland is a tribal society. Tribal power comes from primal strength. Power, ultimately, is determined by numbers. Tribes constantly war to handle their growing numbers.

The cycle of birth and death thrashes all the more violently in desperate circumstances.

The stronger the body, the fiercer the libido. This is the law of nature, Dakir's blessing, so that great warriors can leave many offspring.

'Is our sister-in-law really with an Imperial weakling's child?'

Tascar was troubled. He had no intention whatsoever of interfering in Sigurd's private life. But for the ex-wife of the 'great chieftain' Mukesh—not just anyone—to be carrying an Imperial's child was another problem.

'Terrence promised her freedom.'

As soon as Terrence made that shocking announcement last night, he'd told Tascar just that.

Tascar held no grudge against Terrence. On the contrary, he respected him, even though he was an Imperial. He'd learned Imperial knowledge from him. That was his only comfort through days of humiliation.

'Maybe, I thought, I could be friends with Terrence.'

Maybe that goodwill had been hypocrisy, born of a guilty conscience.

His convictions, his values—everything was shaken.

'All of this happened because we left Northland.'

Tascar ground his teeth. He had to return and see Sigurd.

They were nearly at the safe zone.

The lead scout shouted as he raised his hand urgently.

The others tensed, coming to a halt.

"The sentries are missing!"

The pleasant mood instantly turned ice cold.

Guard duty was the most important task at the safe zone. Pairs of sentries were supposed to stand watch without a single gap.

A few people ran ahead to check. Just as the lead recon man said, the guard post was empty.

With anxious faces, they turned to Terrence.

Ran quickly grasped the situation. He dashed for the safe zone like an arrow, with no time to stop him. The moment Terrence called after Ran, tascar took off running behind him.

'Did we let our guard down?!'

If it was a beast or wild animal, there would be traces at the post. The only ones who could break through the perimeter this cleanly were the Royal Guards.

His breath grew rough. His heart felt like it was going to explode.

His optic nerve split. Just as when he'd received the blessing from the Gerinhild belltower, his vision instantly expanded. With perception beyond a human's limit, he looked down upon the center of the safe zone.

Three Royal Guards in blue cloaks were thoroughly searching the safe zone. People caught by them were being dragged, one by one, to the center.

A man of striking apparel was their commander.

They hadn't raided long ago. Blood flowed from a body sprawled nearby—someone from the safe zone who had resisted and been cut down only moments before.

A pale-faced girl was being dragged out by a rough hand.

A chill gold hue flooded Ran's pupils.

The blade of the drawn Nachal was instantly dyed a deep violet. The golden light that had gently surrounded his body suddenly flared violently, like lightning.

Golden radiance swirled around him, streams of burning light sketching the outline of wings behind his back.

Ran was unaware of the changes happening to his own body.

The scenery on both sides flashed past. What he saw drew rapidly nearer.

Iel's slender shoulders, the rough arm gripping her—they came into sharp focus.

It wasn't a distance that could be crossed in a single leap. But Ran's body had already surpassed all physical limits.

His vision dragged his body forward, the boundaries growing vague.

Like a bolt of lightning falling to the earth, Ran descended.