Luis stared at Kotei, eyes wide and frozen in fear. Sweat ran down his temples as he turned to glance at his sleeping daughter.

  In the presence of the Baron, every soldier around them dropped to one knee.

  ‘I can feel it… the Baron Kotei is stronger than before?!’

  The soldier’s body shivered uncontrollably. Something in Kotei’s presence chilled his very soul.

  The Baron, his blue hair reflecting the dim light, let out a calm, amused chuckle. The ashes of a recent battle still clung to his boots, and the scent of burnt wood hung in the air.

  Luis couldn’t look away. Even if he wanted to. There was something imperial in Kotei’s demeanor — like a king showing mercy to his subjects.

  A golden aura shimmered faintly around him — beautiful, radiant… and suffocating.

  Almost every human nearby trembled, sweat dripping down their backs.

  Luis and Noa stood frozen, watching as Kotei smiled softly.

  It wasn’t the smile of mockery, but of curiosity — as if he had found something interesting. Slowly, he walked toward the boat. Each step he took made the soldiers around him shake harder, their vision blurring under the pressure of his presence.

  When Kotei passed between them, they could barely breathe. Finally, he reached the deck, closed his eyes, and raised one hand.

  "Hello!" said the Baron with a bright smile.

  "O–oh… hello," Luis stammered, forcing a smile as sweat streamed down his face.

  Kotei turned his gaze to the small child beside the man. "Hello, little human. You seem sad. Tell me why."

  Noa said nothing. His lifeless eyes showed no care for the world around him.

  "Your silence already answered me," Kotei said gently, then turned to his soldiers.

  "Bring the families of these two to my mansion."

  The soldiers bowed. "Yes, sir!"

  Their swords flared to life — elemental energy shaping invisible blades. Carefully, they lifted Mary onto a stretcher, while Luis carried Kyrai in his arms and followed behind.

  When they arrived at the Baron’s mansion, Mary was taken to the infirmary. Luis tried to follow, but Kotei stopped him with a firm hand on his shoulder.

  "No. You’ll come with me."

  Luis hesitated, then nodded. A maid took Kyrai from his arms.

  Inside a large training hall filled with natural sunlight — its walls shimmering faintly with mana — Kotei turned to the two humans.

  "From today onward," he declared, "you will be my disciples."

  Noa’s face brightened slightly, while Luis stared in disbelief.

  "How can I, a human, learn magic?" he said bitterly. "I can’t even use weak spells like healing."

  Kotei laughed.

  "When did I ever say I’d only teach you magic?" He scratched the back of his neck and smiled. "I’ll teach you swordsmanship, human."

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Luis’s eyes widened with renewed hope. He clenched his fists and dropped to one knee.

  "Yes, my master!"

  ‘For now, I’ll hold back my hatred,’ he thought. ‘If I gain his trust, I’ll return to that cursed land and finally take my revenge.’

  Kotei then turned to the boy, whose expression softened with determination.

  "And you, little one, do you accept to be my disciple?"

  "If… if you can make me strong enough to protect the ones I—" Noa’s voice trembled. Memories of his parents’ sacrifice flooded his mind, and tears began to fall.

  "To protect the ones I love."

  Kotei smiled warmly. "Yes… I can."

  He knelt and placed a hand on the boy’s head.

  "From this moment on, you’ll be my disciple—and my son. What’s your name?"

  "Noa. My name is Noa," the boy replied.

  "Then from today, you are Hikari Noa."

  The child’s eyes glistened as he hugged his new father.

  "Now," Kotei said with a proud grin, "let’s begin your training."

  Among the lifeless trees, the Nameless King stirred.

  His body was impaled by countless branches, his flesh torn, and his blood mixing with the damp soil. Slowly, he rose, pain surging through his every nerve.

  Each breath came heavy. He used his sword as a crutch to walk through the dead forest, heading toward the domain of the Death King.

  His body trembled; his mind wavered.

  He looked at his shaking hand, then back toward the gray, colorless horizon.

  ‘Why… why am I afraid?’ he thought. ‘Peace is right there… my peace. Why does it terrify me so much?’

  Rain began to fall, washing over his wounds. He tried to keep walking, but his body gave out. He collapsed into the mud, the cold water mixing with his blood.

  When the storm faded, he forced himself to move again—

  but not forward. He turned away from the path of peace.

  ‘So even now… I run from it,’ he thought bitterly.

  ‘I’ve slain thousands. I’ve stood victorious over foes stronger than I could ever imagine… yet now… I’ve lost. Humiliated.’

  His sword sank into the wet ground as his strength faded. His vision dimmed; his breath came ragged.

  ‘Is this where I find my peace? Pathetic.’

  Then—footsteps. Not of a beast, but of two humans.

  He tried to stand, but his body wouldn’t move. Every muscle screamed in agony.

  Light fell across his face, blinding him from seeing who they were — a man and a woman, silhouettes in the rain.

  His body failed him completely, and darkness claimed his sight once more.

  Raindrops fell gently across the ruined field as Poul sat on a broken log, his sword resting beside him. The smell of wet earth filled the air.

  Days had passed since they had left the wall.

  ‘We’ve slain every giant we’ve faced… but why do we still stain this beautiful world with blood?’

  He looked down at his clean hands.

  ‘These hands are soaked in blood — vengeance and hatred guided them. I don’t regret it… but maybe, just maybe, I regret why I fought.’

  He lifted his gaze to the sky. The clouds parted, revealing sunlight breaking through the rain.

  ‘…I’ll stain this beautiful world with more blood.’

  He chuckled to himself as the rain faded, watching the birds return to the sky.

  ‘In my obsession with revenge… I forgot how beautiful the world can be beyond the color red.’

  When the last drops fell, he returned to camp. Soldiers were dismantling tents and preparing to march. The wind rustled the leaves; the forest hummed with life again.

  "Captain Poul!" a young soldier called. "Can I ask something?"

  "Go ahead," Poul said, folding his tent.

  "What keeps you motivated to train so hard? To push us so much? You’re like a hero from the old stories!"

  Poul hesitated. ‘Do I tell him the truth?’ he thought. The soldier’s curious eyes wouldn’t leave him.

  "Fine, you win," Poul sighed.

  The soldier smiled proudly. Poul looked him in the eyes.

  "My reason is simple — to save humanity from monsters. I don’t want any of you to die for my sake."

  "That’s… that’s incredible, Captain!" the soldier said, visibly moved.

  ‘Of course, that’s a lie,’ Poul thought bitterly.

  Once camp was broken down, the army marched again.

  Each step stirred memories of his hometown — now a battlefield. The thought of his wife’s death there still tore at his heart.

  By dusk, they reached a hill and set camp again. The flames of their bonfires flickered, painting warm light across their faces.

  Above them, Poul sat alone beneath a tree on the hill, eyes closed, listening to the whispering wind.

  ‘Something’s calling to me,’ he thought as moonlight brushed his face.

  ‘I think… destiny is close.’

  He laughed softly, rubbing the back of his neck.

  ‘Maybe I’m just going insane.’

  He drifted to sleep — only to wake suddenly.

  "Poul! Please don’t go… don’t go to the—"

  He jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat, eyes trembling.

  A new day had begun.