WeTried Translations
Translator: Coughing Baby
Editor: Coughing Baby
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 201: Mother
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Many people had already gathered in the Sword Hall.
Kaya followed Helenas inside. After bowing, she approached Arian and Aslan.
Arian's eyelids were swollen above her reddened eyes. Kaya squeezed the sniffling Arian's hand and glanced at Aslan. His lips were pressed together as he held back tears.
"Where's Kyle?"
Helenas asked at once.
"In the west."
Fragment answered. Fragment had originally been the Sword Tower's Dokkaebi, invisible to everyone except Kyle. However, much had changed after Velatus died in the East ten years ago. Just as Jor, Kyle's Spirit, had gained a physical body, Fragment had gained one as well.
"Are you sure?"
"I am."
Fragment answered while stroking their chest. In the past, Fragment had placed a mana crystal inside Jor to support the battle against Velatus, and that connection had not been completely severed.
"The last thing I saw through Jormungandr's eyes... was a canyon. Jormungandr was falling from high in the sky, with Kyle and Lucia alongside her. I couldn't see anything after that because Jormungandr lost consciousness."
Fragment sighed briefly and shook their head.
"That's all. It was a place dense with magical power, so the connection was severed the moment Jormungandr lost consciousness."
"The dark frontier."
Helenas muttered with a frown. If it was in the west and dense with magical power, there was only the dark frontier, where pioneering had continued for twenty-five years.
That was all she needed to know. She had caught only a passing glimpse of him ten years ago, and had heard through Fragment that he was alive. She had been forced to wait because she had no way to find him, but now she could search for him.
There was no reason to delay. She would go west at once and grab him by that red hair.
"W-wait a moment."
Kaya, still clutching Arian's hand, spoke hesitantly.
"Are you going alone, Master?"
"Yes."
"No."
Helenas answered as though it were obvious.
Arian added through her sniffles.
Helenas stopped in her tracks and turned toward Arian.
"Mother?"
It was a form of address that would have made Kyle faint from shock, but no one gathered in the Sword Hall was surprised by it. They had not held a formal wedding, but they had at least made a verbal engagement. Strictly speaking, Helenas was Kyle's fiancée.
That was why the elf who had lived for five hundred years called Arian "Mother."
Helenas had wanted to call her that.
"I'm going too."
Arian answered through her sniffles. Her voice was hoarse from crying so much, but it was filled with firm resolve.
"Helenas isn't the only one who wants to see my son, back after ten years, as soon as possible. Aslan and I have to come too."
"I understand."
Helenas slowly nodded. The person Helenas treated with the greatest respect in the Sword Tower was not Julius, Alastor's Family Head, but Arian.
That lovely and bold woman had never once been curt or awkward with Helenas after she settled in the Sword Tower. Instead, she had actively approached Helenas to talk, invited her to the Rose Mansion whenever she had the chance, and had meals with her or offered her tea.
"Arian. Aslan."
Julius, seated on the throne, spoke.
"The Sword Wolf Knights will accompany you as well. Katarina would surely wish to come too, but she isn't in the Sword Tower at the moment."
"Um..."
Kaya, who had been standing there in confusion, quietly spoke up.
"C-could I... come too? I know it's dangerous. But Master is going too... and I want to see my brother."
Kaya hurriedly added her reasons, afraid someone might say no. Julius silently watched her, then glanced at Arian.
"There's no reason she can't."
Arian answered through her sniffles.
"Kaya has been waiting to get even with that son of mine for making his parents worry themselves sick too. There may be danger, but the entire Sword Wolf Knights are mobilizing, Helenas will be there, and so will Aslan and I."
After learning that her son had gone missing, Arian had spent months drowning in grief. To forget that grief, she immersed herself in Spirit Arts.
Alastor blood ran through Arian's veins as well. Unlike her siblings, she had not taken up a sword, but she possessed such talent in Spirit Arts that she had no need to wield one. She had stepped away from it for quite some time while raising children one after another, but her inborn talent had not dulled.
Rather, the resolve that burned through her grief as fuel had caused Arian's talent to bloom fully, even if belatedly.
Resolve. Yes, resolve.
The resolve to retrieve her son, whose whereabouts she did not know, whom she only knew was alive, and whom she had no way to save.
Everyone here mourned Kyle's disappearance, but the person who mourned him most was naturally Arian Alastor. That was why Helenas could not refuse to let Arian come, and Julius could not restrain her either.
"Very well."
Of course, the final decision belonged to Julius, the Family Head. Julius pondered for a moment before nodding and permitting Kaya to accompany them.
The dark frontier was indeed dangerous. Duke Oun, shameless and suspicious, had been trapped in that ever-expanding land for twenty-five years. Now, the northern Demon Tribe had gathered there as well, especially the Inscription inheritors closest to becoming the next Demon King.
Even so, the expedition going to retrieve Kyle possessed enough strength. There was the Sword Church Master, still called the greatest sword on the continent, and Aslan, who had joined the ranks of the Ten Peaks. There was Arian, who had reached the realm of a Great Spirit Artist. And though few in number, the Sword Wolf Knights had now become a firm pillar supporting Gladiheim.
With that much strength, they could protect the still-young Kaya and retrieve Kyle from wherever he was in the dark frontier.
If he had followed his heart, Julius would have gone with them too. But just as in the past, he could not leave the Sword Tower for long. Under the current circumstances, he especially could not remain away for long.
If anyone else left on a distant journey, it would be one thing. But if the Sword Church Master did, the Imperial Palace would immediately investigate why.
"Enter the dark frontier as swiftly as possible. Find Kyle and bring him back. I won't hold anyone accountable for any conflict or problem that arises in the process."
Preparations afterward were swift. Alastor had already learned that Kyle was alive, so the Sword Wolf Knights had always remained prepared for an expedition, ready to depart whenever Kyle returned.
"So the acting captain title is finally over."
Jade grinned and pointed at Bruno's beard.
"Acting Captain, you're the one whose mug has changed the most out of all of us. What if our real captain doesn't recognize you?"
"Just thinking about being mocked is already making my blood boil."
Bruno grumbled as he stroked his beard.
Beside them, Narua and Soha adjusted Kaya's new armor.
"How is it, miss? Does it feel uncomfortable?"
"Um..."
At Soha's question, Kaya moved her body this way and that.
Dark crimson scaled armor covered her entire body. It had been personally crafted by a dwarf using the scales and hide of Dragon Queen Velatus, recovered from the East.
"Not at all... Honestly, it barely feels like I'm wearing anything."
Kaya answered, overwhelmed with emotion.
This Dragon Scale Armor was issued only to Julius, Alastor's Family Head, the knight captains, and the Sword Wolf Knights. Kaya had not yet reached a realm worthy of wearing it, but she had been granted permission to wear it temporarily for this expedition.
"Can armor this thin and light really block Sword Force?"
"It can."
Narua answered.
"It was made from the Dragon Queen's scales. The Dragon Queen... was an outrageous monster. Narua still sometimes dreams of those nightmares. A world stained in blood. Dragons and Eastern dragons made of bone. And the captain's sword that ended that world!"
"Here you go again."
"The Dragon Queen was a monster, but the captain was an even greater monster. Miss Kaya, do you know how incredible the captain's sword was?"
"I think I've heard it a hundred times already."
"The achievements of a glorious warrior must be praised and passed down without end. That's how legends are made."
Whenever Kaya had visited the Sword Wolf Knights' estate as a child, Narua would always sit her down and tell her stories about Kyle. At first, Kaya had listened with her mouth hanging open. Now she had heard them so often that her ears felt ready to bleed.
She would finally meet the brother she had only heard about through stories.
Kaya briefly looked down at the Dragon Scale Armor surrounding her body.
'What kind of person is he?'
It was not her first time seeing him. But Kaya had been far too young then. When she thought about what kind of person her brother had been, all she could remember was that he had simply been a kind brother.
She had heard countless stories about how talented he was with a sword and what kind of personality he had.
But she had only heard them from other people.
Kaya herself had never truly felt what kind of person her brother was.
People naturally imagine things they do not know. She had heard so much about what kind of person her brother was, and built so many imaginings upon those stories. The image of Kyle Alastor within Kaya had grown enormous.
That was why Kaya looked forward to meeting her brother, while also feeling a little afraid.
Perhaps there would be a great difference between the brother she had created in her imagination and the brother she met in person...
"You won't be disappointed."
Inside the Sky Carriage heading to Vigrid's Warp Gate, Helenas muttered after hearing Kaya's concerns.
"At least, not when it comes to his sword."
"Does that mean I might be disappointed by his personality?"
Arian, sitting beside her and touching her swollen eyes, asked.
At that question, Helenas subtly adjusted her posture and shook her head.
"That's not what I meant, Mother. Kyle's personality is as excellent as his sword."
"What about his face?"
"His face is excellent too."
"Of course it is. Whose son do you think he is?"
Arian let out a deep sigh and touched her own face.
"For ten years... he hasn't aged, has he?"
[That's right.]
The small dragon-shaped 'Spirit' curled up on Aslan's lap lifted its head and answered. This Spirit, which had been born in the Sword Tower and formed a contract with Arian, was another body of Fragment.
[The space your son was in was a place where time and space were tangled into chaos. Ten years passed outside, but Kyle probably experienced only a brief time.]
"Ah, I'm the only one who has grown old."
Arian sighed again. As one's realm rose, the body remained in its prime accordingly. Arian had also maintained her youth through magic and care, but she did not want her son to see even a single small wrinkle when they met after ten years.
If her son had felt those ten years pass and shed tears because his mother had aged... it would break her heart.
"You are still beautiful."
Aslan hurriedly said.
"Mother is beautiful."
Helenas said as well. Elves did not say things they did not mean. Helenas had become un-elven in many ways, but she would not tell this kind of lie.
Arian felt somewhat reassured by Helenas's words and nodded.
"Your brother will be very surprised when he sees you, won't he?"
Having calmed herself, Arian looked at Kaya. Ten years was a long time for humans, but everyone had reached high realms. Aside from Bruno, who had suddenly started growing a beard, Kyle's companions had not changed much in appearance.
The same was true for Arian, Aslan, Julius, and their other relatives.
But Kaya had changed greatly. To Arian, Kaya was still a cute and precious girl, but the physical difference between a four-year-old and a fourteen-year-old was immense.
"Perhaps your brother won't recognize you."
"That... might happen."
Kaya nodded with a sulky expression. The fourteen-year-old girl, at a particularly sensitive age, had not yet decided how she should feel when facing the brother she would see for the first time in ten years.
The reason her heart was so confused was because the fantasy of Kyle Alastor that had formed within Kaya was too great.
The genius praised by everyone. The brother she could not help being compared to.
'They say he is perfect, without a single flaw in either swordsmanship or character... Is that really true?'
She had heard too many stories about her brother, to the point that they sounded exaggerated. By now, a sulky sense of resistance had even risen inside her.
Seeing her daughter's complicated expression, Arian swallowed a sigh.
'The dark frontier...'
A land she had never visited in her life, a land she had only heard was dangerous.
She did not fear for her own safety as they headed there.
What she feared was being unable to reunite with her son. What she feared was that something terrible had happened to him.
Arian could not help worrying because Duke Oun was trapped in the dark frontier. Arian knew well that Duke Oun needed Kyle to escape the dark frontier.
If Duke Oun was holding Kyle captive...
There was no need to think about it. Arian had no intention of having any sort of conversation to get her son back.
"Helenas."
"Yes, Mother."
"You're stronger than Duke Oun, right?"
"I am."
She had last seen Duke Oun around thirty years ago, and there was no knowing how strong he had grown since then.
Still, Helenas answered without even considering it.
She knew this was the answer Arian wanted.
And Helenas could now speak with confidence in her own sword.
* * *
If Duke Oun had captured Lucia and Jor to conduct suspicious experiments on them. If he had prevented Kyle from seeing Lucia and Jor under the excuse that they were receiving treatment.
'What could I do?'
Thinking about it calmly. No, there was no need to think.
Kyle was currently unable to fight. Every time he moved his body, a dizzying pain struck him. If he used mana, agony so terrible that death would seem preferable washed over him.
And yet, strangely enough.
'If I wanted to, I think I could fight.'
Kyle had crossed the line between life and death countless times as though jumping rope. He had suffered fatal injuries, experienced defeat, and even died.
But this feeling was new to him.
'Is it similar to when I fought Velatus... but also different?'
The certainty that the sword he swung now would be better than the sword he had swung just before. The truth was, he had not felt that for the first time while fighting Velatus.
Sometimes, when swinging a sword, he could feel it before he even swung.
Perhaps his fingers gripped the sword better than usual. Perhaps his body felt strangely light. Perhaps everything else seemed slow.
Experiences like that.
But now, he felt that certainty despite neither fighting nor cultivating.
'What changed in me?'
When he thought about it, Kyle could not help giving a faint laugh.
So much had changed.
The power of the Spirits that had supported him in the battle against Velatus had already left Kyle. It was impossible for him to fight as he had then, using intent in nearly limitless amounts.
But the experience from then remained intact. How he had swung his sword. How he had manipulated intent.
Realization completely changed a person. That experience had become realization and melted into Kyle.
And beyond that...
'Magical power...'
If he wanted to, he could do it. Even with his body not fully recovered, he could fight if he chose to.
The basis for that certainty was the magical power that had seeped into his body.
'The magical power I received from the gazes inside the rift... changed something within me.'
That was not all.
None of the reasons he thought of were clear. Kyle instinctively felt that there was a decisive difference between who he was now and who he had been before.
Experience.
'Of what?'
The gazes of the outer gods.
Changes to his existence.
The magical power dwelling within his body.
The certainty that he was himself, while being unclear whether he truly was himself, and feeling as though he was not himself at all, only to still be certain in the end that he was himself.
'Chaos.'
He had died and reincarnated.
He had fallen into a rift of the outer gods and drifted through tangled time and space.
If a near-death experience changed a person, Kyle had already gone through it twice.
'It makes sense that I would change.'
He still did not know exactly what had changed or how he could manifest that change. Kyle moved his tingling fingers and focused on the magical power within his body.
Using mana was agonizing enough to make his mind go blank. Strangely, when he focused on the magical power and tried to move it, he felt no particular pain.
It did not move very well, though.
'It feels like it's used differently.'
Was it different from circulating the mana in his dantian through a cultivation technique? Then should he first gather it into a single point?
The moment he tried to manipulate the magical power with that thought...
[Sir Kyle.]
Lucia's transmitted voice reached him.
Duke Oun had not conducted experiments on Lucia and Jor, nor had he hidden them away anywhere. When Kyle said he wanted to meet them, Duke Oun simply let him.
During the three days Kyle had remained unconscious at this combat base, Lucia and Jor had merely received ordinary examinations and treatment.
[Wouldn't it be better to move to the rear of the dark frontier rather than act alongside Duke Oun?]
[He wouldn't let us leave even if I asked.]
Kyle answered indifferently.
He could do it if he wanted to.
He could fight if he wanted to.
But whether he could win was another matter. Thinking calmly, refusing Duke Oun's request now carried considerable risk.
[The Sword Tower should know I've returned by now.]
[Do you believe Duke Oun sent a messenger?]
[Honestly, no. There is no way for me to confirm it from here. Even if he did send one, he could make sure they arrived late. Hmm, that does sound like something that old man would do.]
Based on everything Kyle had felt and judged so far, Duke Oun, Garcia Rubalt, was that kind of person.
[Then how can you be certain the news reached the Sword Tower?]
[Jor carries a mana crystal that Fragment placed inside her. We cannot communicate through it, but it has not vanished, so Fragment should have sensed us.]
So for now, he would remain at this combat base and wait for Alastor to come looking for him.
Kyle did not know whether that should be considered fortunate, but he was currently unable to move around on his own without a wheelchair. If he used his condition as an excuse and stalled until Alastor came...
Waaaaaail!
A deafening siren shook the hospital room.
Lucia, who had been holding Kyle's wheelchair, flinched and placed a hand on Blood Fang's hilt.
Then the hospital room door flew open.
"Emergency! Emergency!"
Duke Oun rushed in, making a great fuss.
"Sir Kyle! We are under attack!"
Duke Oun's expression was hidden behind his the Crows mask.
Yet for some reason, Kyle was certain that the face beneath that mask was smiling.
Footnotes:
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