"Hurry, kid. We gotta get back before the duke gets upset." The guard muttered, tailing right behind Vekas as they explored the supermarket.
He was not exactly kind, but he wasn't someone to hate, especially since he was unaware of the atrocities the Trihawk had committed against him. The guy was doing his job, so Vekas had no qualms about him.
He then approached a weapon shop, observing the various weapons lying before him.
Each weapon seemed to be around Special-Class to Rare-class. The marketplace of Manoruth was truly a place where some of the most legendary items were sold daily. It made the youthful Vekas wonder just what would be sold in the marketplace of Dimrath, Aethelgard's capital.
"Ah, charmed by the weapons, young man?" At first, Vekas thought that the shopkeeper was talking to him, but when he averted his eyes from the various swords and daggers, he spotted another individual beside him.
The man was clad in a black cloak, hiding his face, but the slight smile on his face was clearly visible. His voice sounded elegant and orderly, as if he were a distinguished individual.
As Vekas observed the man's figure towering over him, he felt a cold chill run down his spine. This man was clearly stronger, in both physical and magical aspects. He realised that messing with him was the worst decision he could ever make.
"Hmm? Are you alright, kid?" The cloaked man asked, tilting his head in confusion, at which Vekas immediately regained his composure.
"A-Ah, yes. I simply didn't expect anyone to suddenly approach me and ask this question." Vekas replied before darting his gaze back to the weapons, his fingers curling into fists as he tried hiding his nervousness from the man.
Following his lead, the cloaked individual turned to the weapons before picking up a dagger lying on the front desk. It seemed to be oozing with Vyr. By understanding the laws of Vyr, Vekas was able to comprehend every nickel of the sword's power despite not possessing a technique that granted him analytical prowess.
"You seem to gauge the strength of this weapon, correct?" The man blurted, widening Vekas's eyes.
How could he tell? Could the man sense his innate power and mind? I am an open book to this guy...
Instead of responding, Vekas simply stared at the other weapons, avoiding the man's gaze. Yet, the cloaked man didn't seem to mind, his hand caressing the weapons before him.
"Huh? Been long, Vekas!" Entering from the back of the shop, the shopkeeper arrived, revealing a short humanoid dwarf with a bushy beard and a fat physique, his yellow hair unkempt.
"Indeed, it has, Dwarf Gordon," Vekas replied, addressing the dwarf before him. "The duke needs another round of weapons."
"Ah, of course he does! Can't let me catch a break," the dwarf whined, his face red with frustration, as he began picking several weapons from the shelves.
These included swords, daggers, spears, sais, and many more. The duke seemed to require it for his army. After all, there were slight tensions with the kingdom of Broshasa, so they had to be prepared.
"Do you serve the duke directly, child?" The cloaked man spoke, turning his gaze at Vekas, who responded by nodding silently, his eyes narrowed.
Gordon then placed all the collected weapons in front of the two men. "Here ya go, kid. A total of 40 weapons. All are rare class. That'll be 100 Silver coins."
Hearing the amount, Vekas bit his lower lip, his brows furrowed. The heavy price of the weapons was one of the many things that occasionally increased the torture intensity. The duke didn't like the expensive weapons and let out his frustrations on the very guy who bought them.
Despite being aware of what would follow, Vekas sighed before handing him the pouch of silver coins. Upon inspecting it, Gordon nodded as he placed it in his pocket.
"Alright, kid. Hope you have a good day—"
"—Excuse me, can I look at the sword at the very back?" Startled, both Vekas and Gordon glanced at the man quizzically. Upon seeing his gesture, they turned towards a weapon hidden way back in the room.
This weapon... it seems different.
It was a sword. That much was for sure. The unique part about this sword, however, was the ethereal glow it seemed to emit. It wasn't much, but it was something a proficient mage or a skilled being could easily detect.
"Oh, careful, young man," the dwarf remarked, a small smile forming on his face. "That sword is Epic Class. The very first one that I could get my hands on. It ain't cheap."
He was right. Epic-class weapons were scarce, being only found in extremely luxurious stores or even some remote areas. Due to this, their price reached unreasonable heights. Some would even sell for gold coins, which explained a lot as to why barely anyone has them.
Even the duke doesn't seek Epic Class weapons for this very reason...
"I am very aware of how expensive such a sword can be. Please bring it here." The man replied, unfazed by Goron's warning.
Vekas narrowed his eyes as Goron headed to the back and grabbed the weapon. It seemed to be oozing with Vyr, a purple glow coating the black blade.
As the dwarf presented it to the man, Vekas noticed how its power was unlike any other weapon he had ever seen. It didn't take an analysis technique in order to understand that the sword existed in a level of its own.
"Now, I would normally be charging super high for this beauty, but since you are the first guy buying an epic class sword from me, I'll lower the price for you!" Goron proposed, a toothy grin on his face as the man inspected the blade.
"Hmm... the blade is sharp, and the hilt is imbued with hilt of its own.... it also seems like several Magiprites have been embedded inside the blade itself... interesting." The fact that the man could tell all of this was unsettling for Vekas.
This guy's analytical prowess must be off the charts...
"How much?"
"300 silver coins," the dwarf replied, his grin widening.
300?! That's more than the number of rare swords I just bought... It was then that Vekas truly understood the contrast between rare class and epic class weapons.
"Alright. I'd like to buy it." As the man declared, he took out a pouch from his pocket and placed it on the desk, widening the eyes of both Vekas and Goron.
As the dwarf hesitantly grabbed the pouch and inspected the money, he gasped. The amount was exactly 300 silver coins, no question.
"W-What the.... thank you for purchasing from my humble store, kind sir! Please come again!"
Well, isn't that a switch-up? Vekas wondered, recalling how arrogant and cocky the dwarf is, yet the moment he was given this money, he immediately turned humble.
"Haha, well then. I shall be leaving now." The man then turned and walked away, yet Vekas wasn't done with him.
There was no way any normal man had such an absurd amount of money. 300 silver coins would translate to 150,000 bronze coins. This much money would be enough to sustain a normal family for decades.
Grabbing the bag containing the weapons he purchased, Vekas rushed after the man, passing his guard, who seemed to be busy admiring the beauty of a lady buying some desserts.
"Excuse me!" Upon hearing Vekas's call, the man froze mid-step and turned to him, the epic-class sword in hand.
"What is it, young man?" He asked, a small smile donning his face.
"This might not come out as pleasant, but..." he leaned slightly closer. "... Are you a noble, perhaps?"
It was the only logical explanation. To give away 300 silver coins so casually was not something a normal person would ever do. Only a noble could spend so much money so freely.
The man stayed silent for a while, his lips pursed, as he contemplated Vekas's question. Before he could respond, though, he was immediately bumped into by someone.
"Father! Why did you leave me alone in this place?!" The person—or woman—asked, her voice muffled as she buried her face into the man's chest, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace.
Observing the woman, Vekas observed how her long blonde hair seemed to be tied up in a tight bun. She wore a black dress, which was customary for a travelling noblewoman, as well as black boots and black gloves.
Her eyes were chocolate-brown, holding a beauty of their own. Her tied-up hair exposed her pale neck, which Vekas got a glimpse of. Her height was slightly shorter than his, and clearly much shorter than the man she called father.
Wait, father?
"To be clear, it was you who ran off all of a sudden, daughter," the man retorted before turning to Vekas. "Apologies for my daughter, young man."
He then slightly pulled away from her embrace, revealing the girl's pouting expression. "As for your question, you are correct. I am a noble, and this is my daughter, Lynera De Voldero."
Vekas's lips pursed, his suspicions confirmed. The cloaked man had whispered this to him, implying that he wanted to stay unrecognised, which he wholeheartedly accepted.
What really struck him odd was the name of his daughter—specifically, her last name. Voldero was a surname he had surely heard somewhere.....
"Wait! Are you perhaps... Karun De Voldero?" Vekas asked, his voice a shaky whisper.
Karun De Voldero was renowned as the Head Minister of the Production of Goods in Aethelgard. His residence was in Dimrath, meaning that someone from the capital city itself had come to visit this place.
Why though? Dimrath itself was as large as the other provinces, so there wasn't anything lacking there that he could possibly find here. Did he perhaps want to visit someone here? If so, then who?
Upon hearing his words, the man's lips pursed for a moment before a smile formed on his lips as he unveiled the hood from his face, revealing his short blonde hair and deep red eyes.
"You are correct, young man." He revealed, his gaze focused on him, his charming features radiating as his pale skin and defined jawline were further highlighted.
"My apologies for not delivering the proper respect to you, Lord Karun!" Vekas remarked as he bowed slightly, not bending too low so the bystanders wouldn't notice.
"Haha, don't worry about it, err..."
"Vekas. My name is Vekas Lundarve."
"I see... a brilliant name." Vekas's name meant "warrior" in Manoruth's provincial language.
Each province in Aethelgard had its own language, although the national language of the kingdom was still widely spoken.
"Hey, kid!" Hearing this, Vekas turned to find the guard who was meant to keep an eye on him. "You done with your work? Then we gotta hurry back!"
It seemed that he didn't recognise Karun and his daughter, so he simply turned to head back, expecting Vekas to follow, though the white-haired youth noticed him eyeing Lynera a little more.
Vekas narrowed his eyes before letting out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry I couldn't spend more time with you. I shall head back now—"
"—Since you're heading back, can you take me with you? I wish to meet the duke as well," he intervened, widening Vekas's eyes in shock in the process.
"Hmm, I suppose we are done with our work here. I even bought some sweets for us," Lynera added as she revealed the dessert in the bag she was carrying.
"... understood! Please follow me." Vekas replied before turning and heading back.
"Whoa!" The guard grabbed his shoulder, stopping him. "Why are we letting some random people accompany us?"
Vekas narrowed his eyes at the "random" notion before whispering into the guard's ear that they were nobles, making him jolt in shock.
"O-Of course! Right this way," he exclaimed, his posture now rigid, as the two then led the esteemed noble and his daughter to the duke's manor.
The group then walked at a normal pace to the duke's manor, so as not alert any bystanders and cause unnecessary attention. This was because Karun clearly didn't wish to attract any attention.
"Vekas,"
"Yes, Sir Karun?" He asked, turning back to face him.
In response, the blonde noble leaned close to his ear. "You seem to be bound by a curse of sorts. Are you aware of it?"
At this, Vekas widened his eyes, stunned that he was able to detect the [Vow of Secrecy] that not even normal analysis can detect.
That was how potent this enchantment was. It had a similar nature to a curse due to how it utilised dark magic. This was also why it was so powerful, yet as the name suggests, secretive. It made sure that not even those with the [Appraisal] technique could detect it, let alone normal people.
And yet... Sir Karun detected it....
Either his sheer power was far greater than normal, or he had a stronger analysis technique—though that was unlikely. [Appraisal] was the only technique that focused on analysis. There didn't exist a "stronger" technique that could analyse more than [Appraisal].
"Yes, Lord Karun," he whispered back, hesitantly turning to the guard before turning back. "I am cursed by the [Vow of Secrecy]. It was placed upon me by the duke."
"Cursed? Did he place it upon you forcefully?" Vekas nodded, at which the noble frowned in response.
"The laws of Aethelgard strictly forbid placing the [Vow of Secrecy] on someone who isn't willing to accept it. Moreover, this enchantment seems a bit demonic... does it involve Dark Magic?" He asked, to which Vekas nodded.
However, that nod turned out to be brutal for him, as it meant that he revealed one of the secrets the [Vow of Secrecy] held in reserve. Blood rushed up his throat and escaped his mouth as he began coughing heavily, his knees buckling to the ground as he held his chest.
"Ggh!"
"Huh?!"
"Kid!" The guard immediately rushed to the white-haired boy's aid, helping him with coughing as more blood shot out from his mouth.
Even Lynera was startled at the sudden coughing spree, though her father remained composed, his eyes narrowed as he understood what had happened.
"The enchantment... his use of Dark Magic was meant to be a secret..."
Defying the [Vow of Secrecy] held a steep price. The person would have their lungs slightly compressed, their blood flow become unstable, and their immune system weakened in general. This took effect if even the slightest of the secrets was revealed.
As for any major secrets, the enchantment was meant to constantly increase the intensity of the punishment in order to prevent the person from speaking further.
Still, he had merely nodded, yet Vekas's punishment was far worse than a nod would normally give. It must be due to the Demonic nature of the enchantment....
The [Vow of Secrecy] was not an enchantment normally cast by Dark Magic. In fact, using Dark Magic is actually forbidden in most of Varkana, let alone Aethelgard. This vow was more of a curse than an enchantment, which meant that the punishment for revealing the whole secret would be certain death.
"Hah... hah...." Hearing Vekas's pants, Karun came back to his senses, turning his gaze back to the youthful man as he stood up with the guard's help.
"I suppose I shouldn't have said that statement...." Karun whispered to himself, which Vekas caught on as he nodded once more.
"Yo kid! You alright?" Upon the guard's question, Vekas replied with a small nod and a weak smile, though it seemed weak as he wiped the blood off his lips, his other hand still clenching his chest, albeit with less intensity.
"Yeah... don't worry... this is nothing..." Vekas replied, his body still quivering from the experience. "Let's continue. We shouldn't keep the duke waiting."
The 4 then continued their journey. Over time, as they walked, Vekas seemed to have stabilised and was now walking normally once more.
"You have quite the regenerative abilities," Lynera whispered, to which he responded by turning to her with a soft smile.
"Thank you for the praise, Madam Lynera," he replied, bowing slightly as they walked.
"Say... I heard you're under a [Vow of Secrecy] that's made of Dark Magic..." she muttered, prompting him to purse his lips.
He momentarily glanced at the guard walking ahead of them all, concluding that he wasn't listening, before nodding to her words. This made a smirk crawl up her rosy-red lips.
"Hmm... I know a way of breaking the vow..." she revealed, widening Vekas's eyes in pure astonishment.
What? How? Wasn't she the same age as him—if not younger? How the hell is she more knowledgeable about this than him? He had been trying to find a way to undo this enchantment for 10 years. And yet, she conveniently had a way to break the [Vow of Secrecy].
Conveniently...
"What are you expecting in return, Madam Lynera?" Vekas asked, his eyes narrowed as his pitch-black eyes stared into her chocolate-brown ones.
"Simple. I want you to come with me to Dimrath. I feel pretty lonely there," she revealed, a small smile on her face.
Vekas widened his eyes in response. Simply going to Dimrath wasn't as simple as she was demanding. After all, he is still trapped under the duke's authority. He would have to escape that authority to even move out of the town, let alone Manoruth itself.
"Oh, and don't worry about your servitude to the duke. My father can talk to him about that," she added, having detected his worries.
"I see... You really are a talent of your own, Madam Lynera," Vekas remarked, a small smile etched upon his lips, prompting the woman to look away with a pout on her face, her cheeks flushed slightly.
"No need for the praise. I just want a companion," she countered, though Vekas seemed to sense a hint of denial in her tone.
"Anyway, hold still. I'm going to do this silently, so try not to draw attention to yourself," she continued, to which he nodded as he looked straight, his expression unreadable.
Lynera narrowed her eyes, her pupils containing a slight glow as her hands seemed to emanate a faint blue light. As more Vyr charged in her fingertips, the faint glow in her hands and pupils continued to grow.
She then gently placed her left hand on his back, hovering over his heart from behind, making Vekas hitch as he felt the Vyr in his body change its flow consistently.
Not just that, but even his blood flow seemed to be changing from her magic. It felt... odd. Not painful, but not peaceful either. Just odd. It wasn't something that his body could accept so easily.
His form began to tremble slightly, not from fear or anxiety, but from the Vyr flowing within it. It wasn't in Vekas's control, so he could only curl his fingers till his knuckles turned white.
Let's hope this won't be disastrous for me...
Before anything else could have been done, Vekas's breath stopped for a split second. He could feel a sharp pain in his head. It was as if something had pierced it, yet it vanished as soon as it appeared.
What followed was a moment of what felt like freedom and relief. Lynera removed her hand from his back, signalling the end of the process. The [Vow of Secrecy] was removed.
"There. You must be feeling quite relaxed now," she remarked, to which he nodded slightly.
"Yes... It feels as if... a huge burden has finally been lifted off my shoulders." Vekas smiled, his gaze softened, as he continued to walk.
"I truly thank you, Madam Lynera. You have done what I had been trying to do for the past 10 years," he whispered as he bowed slightly, his hair cascading over his eyes that seemed to be glistening with liquid.
"U-Uhh, it's okay..." she replied, a bit flustered from his words.
"So then, since you have recovered, why not tell us the secrets you were meant to keep?" Both youngsters jolted slightly upon hearing Karun's voice, implying how he was aware of everything they were doing.
***
"Ohh~! So you told him everything?" Revan asked as he took a bite out of the snacks he summoned from thin air.
"Yes. I told him everything the Trihawk family did to me, as well as all the secrets they held and all the atrocious actions they committed. It turns out that Lord Karun was already suspecting that Stephen Trihawk was up to no good..." Vekas replied, a soft smile plastered on his face.
"Hmm... seems like that guy was good," Revan remarked as he took another bite. "Also, that Lynera girl. Was it the same one who's the current Head Minister of Goods Production? Didn't know she was over 500 years old."
"Indeed... her father was a great man... it was his kindness and loyalty to Aethelgard that instilled the devotion I currently hold for this nation..."
"Hmm, and where is he now?"
"He..." The general lost his smile, his eyes narrowed. "He has left this mortal plane, having ascended to a higher, more spiritual plane. He could manifest a body here, but simply chooses not to."
"I see, so that man is a spiritual being, correct?"
"Indeed. While I, as well as that Sierra woman, are semi-spiritual beings who have a firm limit on interacting with the laws of the world, the same can't be said about fully spiritual beings like Lord Karun," Vekas explained, a serious expression plastered onto his face.
Beings who had fully attained a spiritual form were fully immortal. Even if their souls were to be destroyed, which could be considered impossible due to how powerful they are, they could simply reconstruct their souls and resurrect in the Spirit Realm.
Moreover, spiritual beings contain an unimaginable level of power. This brought out the theory that Revan was a spiritual being as well. However, that still wouldn't explain why he's here in the first place.
Nearly all spiritual beings decided to abandon this plane of existence, among whom was Karun himself. It was after his ascension that his daughter took his place. With all that said, why would Revan want to stay here? It wasn't something he could find out easily.
Everything about him was a conundrum. His whereabouts, his backstory, and his motivations were all unknown. Heck, even the suit he wore was never seen before on the entire planet. It seemed to be a new invention entirely.
"Oh well, I was actually expecting you to have a far more emotional reaction after your [Vow of Secrecy] got destroyed. A little bummer, I can't lie." Revan whined as he finished his snacks before collapsing on the bed. A sigh escaped his lips, his features appearing more relaxed than ever.
"Ah... I did have an emotional reaction. Far more emotional than what I told you. It just happened after everything had been sorted out," the general countered.
"Sorted out?"
"Yes. Lord Karun exposed all of the Trihawk family's crimes to the king at the time. This led to the dismantlement of the Trihawk family as a whole. Only about two or three people from that bloodline still exist." Vekas revealed, reminiscing about the day he saw the despair of the Trihawk bloodline.
"I see... justice served, correct?"
"Indeed. Justice has been served to the Trihawks. Nothing to worry about," the general replied, bowing slightly before getting up.
"I shall be going now, Sir Revan. If you need anything, you can always use [Thought Discussion] to contact me." With that said, Vekas finally turned away, exiting the room.
As he walked back to his room, his thoughts constantly travelled back and forth between his past and present. He obviously hadn't told everything about his life to Revan, but he didn't feel the need to either.
Revan probably knew this as well and didn't press further for the exact reason. He needed entertainment, so I gave it to him.
With that said, Vekas then entered his room, which was an expanse larger than the room where Revan was staying. The Vyr oozing in the room used to feel extremely tantalising and filled with power.
Now, Vekas only seemed to be feeling a slight awareness of its presence, as if it wasn't much. It was... odd, to say the least. Had he gotten used to the absurd level of Vyr present here?
No, that would be a bit absurd. Last time he stayed here, he still found his room rich and enhancing. However, it now felt like the Vyr around him was just there.
I guess I have grown stronger... is it because of the battle I had with Sierra, or something else?
Whatever the reason may be, it wasn't something he needed to focus on too much. He then lay down on the bed, letting out a deep sigh as he recalled all the events of the day.
To think that so much happened on one whole day was astounding. The battle with the kingdom of Broshasa was one that lasted for several months, yet the moment Revan arrived on the battlefield, all was over.
Next, Vekas found out that the king planned to abandon Aethelgard. Abandon everything that billions of lives were sacrificed for. Abandon the kingdom that stood tall in front of every calamity for millions of years.
It was news that he couldn't take. Of course, he couldn't! It was blasphemy. The kingdom that had stood and served to be a place of joy for many, and too many lives were sacrificed for it to simply be lost forever.
Luckily, Revan was able to convince the king to stay strong. However, Vekas wasn't sure if the king would listen to him. After all, he never confirmed that he was all in for it due to the urgent report of Sierra attacking Princess Sofamy.
It was another crisis that could not be tolerated. Vekas then had a duel with a being whose strength surpassed all other opponents. He could tell that, just like him, she was a semi-spiritual lifeform. An entity that stood above normal beings.
In the end, he was tired and had to be careful not hurt the bystanders in the process. Still, the final attack he had used was too lethal for the surroundings, yet he still used it. Why? Simple, because Revan was there.
Vekas had seen how strong Revan's barriers were, so his intuition directed him to believe that nothing wrong would happen... which was only half-correct.
While the surroundings were unharmed—most likely thanks to Revan—not only had Sierra survived the attack, but she also sneaked up behind him and stabbed him from the back.
The blade had avoided his core, which kept him alive, but Vekas was still too weak to move, and he was losing blood fast.
Had Revan not healed him, the outcome would be unknown. Not only had this man completely healed his wounds, but his Vyr reserves were also fully restored. It was a miracle never seen before.
No healing technique could ever do this—at least, not the one he was aware of. It solidified his belief that Revan was a higher level of existence.
Then, by the time he regained consciousness, Revan had brought Sierra to her knees and had given him... a burrito? He couldn't really process much, but his frustration boiled once she was able to escape.
Not only that, just a minute later, Revan suddenly disappeared too. It was a mess of a situation. Upon the king's orders, Vekas had to search for both of them, but it seemed that fate was on his side.
It didn't take him too long to find both of them. They were together and were also resting on the outskirts of the city. Along with them was a bearded man who had once served him a burrito costing 10 silver coins.
Before he could interrogate the man more, Revan had revealed why Sierra had attacked the Princess, yet Vekas found it hard to believe. Princess Sofamy would never do something this atrocious. That was a fact no one could deny.
And the final event was Revan's meeting with Prince Marcus. It was tense, but fortunately, it went differently from what Vekas had feared. Now, the general was resting in his room after having revealed the events of the first twenty years of his life to Revan.
Surprisingly, Revan didn't seem bored at all. In fact, he seemed too hooked to get off so easily. Was Vekas's life that interesting? He couldn't tell.
He then glanced at a sword that was hung on a stand made of pure gold. The blade was jet-black, similar to his eyes, with a hilt that was violet in colour. Aside from that, the sword was emanating a purple glow, highlighting the dense Vyr inside it.
This was the sword Karun De Voldero had bought that day from Goron. It was gifted to Vekas just before Karun ascended to the spiritual plane of existence. The blade was a relic for Vekas, and he had no plans on losing it. Not now. Not ever.
Moreover, thanks to being around Vekas, as well as in the Vyr-induced chambers where it rested, the sword was able to absorb enough Vyr to evolve. It was now a Legendary-class weapon, approaching Mythic-class as time goes on.
Vekas smiled, his time with Karun flashing in his mind. The two were close, especially after the Trihawks were taken down. They were good times.
Still, it was over now. Vekas leaned his head onto the pillow, planning to get his well-deserved sleep. Since he was a semi-spiritual being, he only required 2-5 hours of sleep, which was different from the 8-hour-sleep normal beings required.
As he closed his eyes, ready to sleep, the windows abruptly shattered, their pieces falling everywhere as Vekas's eyelids tore open in alarm.