“Miko here already told us about your demands,” Echoless said as he sipped his tea. “However, we didn’t reveal your identity. You did. This brings us to new terms in these negotiations. The monarch wishes to see his grandson again and won’t allow him to be held hostage anymore.”
“Young Master Kirk is no hostage,” said Arthur with surprise. “I was merely keeping him company to foster goodwill between us. He has been nothing but a guest all this time. Isn’t that right, Young Master?”
“The creator has been the most hospital,” said Kirk without raising his head from the table. Echoless glanced at him and examined his body. There were no visible wounds or disturbances. “It is better if we listen to his words.”
“Then, what is it you want, creator?” asked Echoless while combing his beard. “Do you want us to aid you in your quest against the world?”
“That is far from it,” smiled the golden-eyed man. “I got an idea for my Ascent guild from a group of people I met a while ago. They have built a city inside a pocket dimension. However, I am still not proficient enough to create one, so I wanted the Berilo Kingdom to help me. Young Master Kirk doesn’t have to accompany the lonely me after that.”
Echoless was quiet as he pondered the situation. Then, he nodded and shook Arthur’s hand. The negotiation ended earlier than expected, and the old man promised to deliver the pocket dimension in a month.
After that, the envoy was about to return. Arthur was to see them out of the field when Azrael stopped walking. The three turned toward him, and the man was glaring at Arthur.
“If this isn’t too impudent, I wish for a duel. My kingdom wants to serve you one day as the creator, and I wish to see how powerful you are.”
“Azrael,” exclaimed Echoless with a frown, but Arthur raised his hand to stop him.
“I don’t mind a little challenge. After all, I want to see how I fare against one of the greatest assassins in this generation. Can I survive if a kill-order is assigned on my head?” said Arthur Silvera before he stepped toward Azrael.
“Please go easy on him, creator,” said Echoless, as if foreseeing the outcome of this challenge. Arthur did not answer, but Azrael seemed offended, angered him further.
The assassin struck the ground, sending a spatial shockwave that enveloped the two people. Then, the light stopped entering the sphere around them, turning it into a black ball.
This was one of the techniques used by Berilo Assassins to blind their victims. It was called Spatial Filter, which worked to stop light and sound from exiting or entering the spatial space. However, this was far from being a technique used in a duel.
“This idiot,” muttered Echoless as he stared at the Spatial Filter. “Does he think the creator cannot tell who wishes to harm him and who wishes to challenge him? Let’s hope that man is kind enough to spare his life.”
“You have been acting reserved for a while now, Master,” said Miko with a frown. “I know Arthur has grown powerful, but does he deserve that much caution?”
“How can you tell how strong a man is?” asked Master Echoless while staring at the sphere. “Is it through his attainment, ability, or achievements?”
“Is it all three?” asked Miko with confusion.
“It is none of those. A normal awakener would feel his life force, which corresponds to one of the ranks. Therefore, if we judge Arthur Silvera purely using that, he is no more than a Vetus-ranker.”
“Then, how do we judge him?”
“Instinct, girl,” said Echoless with a frown. “The more you fight, the more you can tell when someone is powerful. There is a primal instinct in us that pushes us to survive. When it meets a predator, then it warns you.”
The Spatial Filter began to break, and cracks spread on its surface. Then, the sphere broke down like a glass dome to reveal Arthur standing beside a collapsed Azrael. There were no wounds on Azrael’s body, but Arthur looked no different than before.
“I’m afraid I had to knock him out because he kept blathering about glory and humiliation,” said Arthur Silvera to the two. Miko was confused before she rushed toward Azrael, and the man was out of it.
“There was… no mana fluctuations,” muttered Miko with a frown before she raised her head toward Arthur. “How strong have you become, Arthur?”
“Thank you for sparing his life,” said Echoless before he touched Azrael, and the man disappeared. “We will be taking our leave now.”
“I want to have a word with Miko,” said Arthur toward the old man, who nodded before leaving the two alone. He walked alone in the flower field, seeming to enjoy the scenery. “We are alone at last.”
“What do you want?” asked Miko with a scowl. Arthur smiled before he turned around and waved his hand. A stone bench rose from the ground, on which he sat down.
“Have a seat. I want to ask you something,” ordered Arthur. Miko was silent before she sat next to him, and the difference in their height was comical. Finally, in response, Miko tried to sit upright. “I want you to tell me what made you hate me.”
“Asking this now after all this time?” sneered Miko at him. However, Arthur looked at her with a blank face. “You don’t know?”
“I would be lying if I said I do.” Arthur scratched his head. “A lot of things happened, and I lost a part of my memories. It includes what happened between us in Jerano. The last thing I remember is what you told me in the café.”
Miko’s face blushed as Arthur brought up her confession, and she turned to stare at the flower field. Then, with a shaky voice, she asked again. “You are not messing with me, are you?”
“I would never. Not to you.”
“I will tell you what happened in Jerano. If you remember what we talked about in the café, you should remember my warning about Hazel. The Tanera Kingdom was plotting something, and we knew better than anyone because we share a border with them.”
“And what brought Hazel to Jerano?” asked Arthur with confusion.
“…you remember nothing, or you are trying to deceive me,” muttered Miko with a pout. “Regardless, Ghost Princess Hazel came to Jerano to find a certain summoning ground. As I told you before, Tanera Kingdom had been raiding ruins at that time to find these ancient summoning grounds. It turned out to be in Jerano.”
“Descendants of the Summoner Guardian rule the Tanera Kingdom,” muttered Arthur.
“They are one of the seven families that have a part of the divine bloodline,” continued Miko. “In any case, Hazel was there to control that beast. She didn’t know about your existence there, but somehow the two of you met.”
“That means… she knows I am alive?” asked Arthur with shock.
“You trusted her with that secret,” muttered Miko while glancing at her. “Although something changed you now, that doesn’t erase the past mistakes. You still believed that she was on your side.”
“And did she betray me?”
“…not yet,” said Miko with a pout. “At that time, my mission was to stop the Tanera Kingdom from obtaining the spatial summon. They planned to stand against my kingdom, which mastered space. However, you stopped me for her sake and entrusted your dragon to be trained by her.”
“I wouldn’t do such a thing without reasons for it,” said Arthur with a frown, and he held his chin pondering. “It seems I made some sort of deal with Hazel. She cannot be the vessel of the summoner guardian, so who is?”
“It must be the royals of her kingdom. I heard she wasn’t a part of the main family. However, she is still one of the Seven Families! These people are trying to kill you!”
“You act cold after I chose to believe her, but you still worry about me?” asked Arthur with a smile. “You are still as kind, Miko.”
“…don’t be an idiot. It is to prove that I told the truth and you are an idiot. In any case, the Tanera Kingdom obtained the spatial summon, and we can no longer infiltrate their palace.”
“Therefore, Berilo hates me.” Arthur smiled before he leaned back. “After talking to Kirk, I realized that your people considered me to be the reason behind the world hunting them down. It is justified but unfair.”
“You are also considered the key to change that,” said Miko. “This conflict between our kingdom’s leaders made them test you, to begin with. We have been looking for an outsider for hundreds of years. It was not the first time we suspected someone to be them.”
“I entered the trial without being a part of the seven families.”
“Bastards are a common thing.” Miko shrugged before she stood up and turned to leave. “I guess this is what you wanted to talk about?”
“It was one thing. The other thing, which depends on what happened, is this: don’t take my actions personally. I may oppose Berilo, but I will never hurt you.”
