Chapter 225 : Chapter 225
Translator: AkazaTL
Pr/Ed: Sol IX
***
Chapter 225. War (2)
The Sky Empire.
The empire that claimed the entire Central Continent as its territory, the most powerful empire across all continents.
The superpower that had never once allowed an invasion since the Age of War suffered humiliation today.
The citizens of the empire, always relaxed under the comfort of peace, trembled with fear. Refugees flooded into Belhaven, the capital of the Sky Empire. Wails of grief echoed everywhere. Vagrants were easily found on the streets— a word that never belonged in the Sky Empire.
An empire of eternal prosperity. A land of abundance.
How could vagrants exist in the Sky Empire?
The Conquest Army of the Great Land unleashed a massacre, as if venting every humiliation they had suffered until now. And they were not alone.
The Arcane Corps accompanying them were troublesome enough. As the title of the “symbol of peace” and “greatest empire” was stained with blood, the Sky Empire admitted their arrogance.
They had never imagined such beings would dare break the order.
They never imagined the Descendant of Khan would be such a reckless monster, nor that he would break the laws and launch a deliberate, surprise war.
How could such barbarians exist?
The Sky Empire could no longer look on. Thus the strongest empire on the continent chose to act. If they allowed these invaders to rampage freely, the Sky Empire’s prestige would fall to the ground. Even if they won in the end, a Pyrrhic victory would mean no one would look up to them again.
That was why the Sky Empire needed an “overwhelming, untouchable victory.” And they could achieve it.
The greatest nation on the continent. A superpower with unmatched production capabilities. A kingdom undefeated in every war in history except small skirmishes.
The Velma Empire would show the world why it was called the Sky Empire.
The Conquest Army had already taken one city. No—“taken” was the wrong word. They had spread only destruction and death. Under the Descendant of Khan’s authority, the army pressed forward without rest. They did not eat, drink, or sleep. There was no looting or acts of depravity that normally plagued war. The Conquest Army resembled a natural disaster—breaking everything, killing everything, burning everything.
To the Sky Empire, they were incomprehensible. War existed to gain more—more land, resources, people. War was business. But what were the Conquest Army doing? What could they possibly gain from this war? From the empire’s perspective, they gained only loss and ruin.
So what were they fighting for? Why did they charge like demons?
Whether understood or not— it was too late.
The signal flame of war had risen. Once begun, it could not be stopped. Whatever the result.
The alliance of the Eastern Continent’s Great Land and the fallen Machine Empire Lafrien advanced, destroying the outer cities of the Sky Empire.
In response, the Sky Empire deployed the Sky Legion. The army that had protected the empire through its long history. Along with them, the airborne fortress 「Heaven」, the powerful mages of Magic City Oz, and every force the empire possessed began to move. Their destinations: the Eastern and Western fronts.
The Conquest Army had landed on the Central Continent with the help of dragons. But those soldiers were not their full strength.
The Great Land’s Conquest Army as a whole was vast enough to rival the Sky Empire’s forces. Half the warriors of the plains remained at the Eastern Continent’s edge, waiting for their monarch to open the gates. If the landed forces destroyed Eastern Central Continent and linked up with them— a nightmare would begin.
What about the West? That was no better.
The Conquest Army was the alliance of the Machine Empire and the Great Land. If they retook the destroyed Arcane Corps and struck west from the Machine Empire’s territory, things became more complicated.
The Sky Empire would be forced to fight on three fronts— the Eastern Arcane Corps, the Western Great Land, and the infiltrated inner forces— and win on all three.
Thus the Sky Empire’s best option was to stabilize the interior, reorganize quickly, and hold firm on all fronts— then deliver ruthless retaliation.
There was an easy path to victory in this operation: receive help from the Iron Kingdom, newly risen among the great powers.
If they sent the Iron Legion to fortify the Machine Empire’s defenses and dispatched reinforcements from the west, the situation would be settled quickly. But no matter how many times the Sky Empire attempted contact, the Iron Kingdom remained silent.
Were they trying to take advantage of the situation? Did they expect the Sky Empire might fall under a double imperial invasion? Whatever the reason, the Sky Empire would not forget this slight. If the empire survived this war successfully, the Iron Kingdom would face thorough retaliation— the Sky Empire’s way.
Amid the chaos, Sky Empire forces pursued the barbaric Conquest Army, fighting endless fierce battles.
Great powers across the continent sent aid.
The Arman Union dispatched a multi-race mercenary corps, and the Black Archipelago sent vast supplies and troops. Strangely, the Black Archipelago demanded no “conditions” this time.
The golden rulers who always acted with cold logic now acted on emotion. The pathetic death of their youngest. A war to collect blood price. One of the Great Houses was supporting them wholeheartedly— a welcome situation for the Sky Empire.
As the entire continent sank into a vortex, as the world shook— time continued to flow.
Arhan Karavan’s time. The time granted to him by his nemesis.
That time was now slowly ending.
I became seventeen in the Southern Continent. My birthday approached.
Once my birthday passed, I would be eighteen.
And once I turned eighteen— after surviving the final day that awaited at eighteen— Swordmaster Carlos would show me mercy no longer.
***
「Matchstick」 was a peculiar blade. When I first chewed through it, I faced a dark world.
The dark world felt carved from ice. A cold that seeped into the bones. And within that cold— a loneliness impossible to endure.
A loneliness like being abandoned alone in the world.
『They say when a shooting star falls, someone dies.』
In that dark world— click—a spark ignited.
『Then does that mean, every time a star falls in the night sky… someone is dying somewhere?』
『I thought about it.』
『Then when I die… I want a star to fall too.』
『A magnificent shower of meteors.』
The spark flared close by.
A small boy stood in the darkness. He held a worn sword and a single match. Shivering, he lit the match to drive away the cold. Whenever the tiny match burned, the cold receded. Winter vanished, and summer came for just a moment.
『Then you will see my death.』
『At last, you will see me.』
The boy smiled faintly at the tiny flame. But when the wick burned out, his smile vanished. In the darkness— click—another match lit.
This time, the boy was a young man. He sat with hollow eyes, the sword even more worn. Only a few matches were left in the box. Yet he lit them without hesitation, smiling faintly— as if that were his only joy in the world.
The match burned out. click—a new flame.
The young man was older now—late thirties, between youth and middle age. He hung dead, by his own hand. The worn sword was stabbed into his own chest. A chosen death. No matches remained.
Behind the dangling corpse stood an old man with a lion-like face. He said something to the dead youth, but I couldn’t hear it.
Like a sound muffled underwater— nothing reached me.
With that scene, I was expelled from the world of the sword.
When I opened my eyes, Leon Karavan stood before me— a withered, desolate man.
“My sword contains no enlightenment. My blade holds only hatred toward my father, resentment, fury toward the cursed Karavan bloodline. There is no noble legend or heroic tale like in the swords you’ve eaten.”
“……”
“With only those negative emotions— I became a Swordmaster, child.”
Leon Karavan looked at me.
“Your vessel is too small to accept all of my soul. Not just small— you are still unqualified. And yet you said you could accept me.”
“I can.”
“Anyone can speak boldly.”
Cold. A voice like ice.
“Pitiful Karavan. I will give you a choice.”
“A choice?”
“This Golden Vault is collapsing.”
The Golden Vault is collapsing?
“Even if it collapses completely, this small world created in a seam of reality will endure another hundred years. But the place maintaining its exterior will not. The dwarves who sent you here are dying. Their kingdom is falling.”
“……”
“You may ignore their plight and focus entirely on digesting the sword. Inside this Golden Vault, the digestion of souls will progress faster and easier than in the middle realm. You will also avoid all outside danger. By the time you leave after digesting the blade, the unknown danger will likely be gone.”
“What is the other choice?”
“Meddling.”
Leon Karavan’s eyes glimmered.
“Leave now and save the Dwarf Kingdom. Do so, and you will lose every opportunity you could have gained in the Golden Vault. You cannot seek guidance from other ancestors, cannot obtain other relics. The Golden Vault holds more than Karavan swords— it contains treasures of entire eras. If you leave, you can never return. You have already placed the most valuable one in your mouth.”
“……”
“And if the threat can destroy a kingdom— there’s no guarantee you can resolve it. You might fail to save the Dwarf Kingdom, lose your perfect chance, and die. So what will you do, Karavan?”
Leon Karavan stared at me. Silently, long.
I answered without a moment’s hesitation.
“How do I get out?”
It wasn’t worth hesitating.
At my immediate reply, Leon Karavan was momentarily speechless.
And then…
“You resemble him, yet you are completely different.”
“……”
“You are, without doubt, different from that man.”
Leon Karavan—smiled for the first time.