It had already been 7 hours since we set off. It was 4 p.m. when my brother said,
"How are you feeling, Andre? Isn't the journey tiring?"
"Actually, it's fun. I'm away from Father and all the family affairs. And you and Sister are with me!"
"Why does it make you happy that we are here? We're only here to protect you."
"Still, spending time with my brother and sister is really nice!"
"I see, Andre," my brother said with a smile. My sister's eyes were shining again, and she was drooling—it was strange that she found me sweet enough to eat.
A few more hours passed. At 9 p.m., the horses stopped running. My brother got out of the carriage and looked around.
"Let's camp here, Kaera. It looks safe."
"It feels a little dangerous. You feel the creatures around, don't you? Also, we can't forget the ones watching us."
"Do you really count them as a threat?" my brother asked, then threw a small knife into the bushes with his hand. I heard a rustling sound and saw blood coming from the bushes. I saw that the thing hiding there was an adult man. My brother had hit his carotid artery perfectly with that tiny knife. He died instantly from the stab to his neck.
"Look, Andre. People like this will always be after you just because you are a Verblade. Even before we are born, people put a price on our heads. Even though there is no one in the world right now who can beat Father, there is still a price on his head too. Mine, your sister's, even our steward's and my chief servant Elro's heads have prices on them because they serve our family. We have no friends but many enemies. During your training, you should find comrades who will protect you even when you don't notice."
I frowned and spoke in a serious voice.
"I understand, but it's very hard to get comrades when you are a Verblade. Almost all families are enemies to us. How can I be friends with them?"
"Families aren't enemies to you or me personally, Andre. They are enemies to the family. No family truly hates another personally. It's only about land. Everyone wants to expand their territory."
"If no one really hates each other, then why don't we expand our lands through politics? For example, right now we could sign a contract with the Ster Estrella or the Cobre family, let them access our mines, and take some of their land."
"It's not that easy, Andre. These talks are already happening in the Ulsar Empire, but Father never accepts an equal agreement. He always wants to come out with more profit, and that drags us into war…"
"So everything starts with Father."
"Unfortunately…"
It felt strange that Father was so addicted to war. Why was he so obsessed with power? Even if I asked my brother or sister these questions, they would only stay silent.
We set up camp near a water source. Our carriage couldn't go all the way there, so we left it on the path. My brother, the steward, my sister, and Elro would take turns keeping watch until morning. I didn't need to feel unsafe, but Elro never looked trustworthy to me.
My sister hunted a few boars and rabbits and cooked them over the fire. That was our only meal. When it was time to sleep, Elro spoke to my brother:
"Master Cadeon, if you wish, we can change the watch times. In the morning, I'll have to serve you again after standing watch."
My brother found it reasonable and left the first watch to Elro. A bad smell already started to reach my nose. I talked about it with my brother in the tent, but he told me that Elro had served him for years.
"Don't worry about this, Andre. After I finished my ten years of training and passed the test, Elro was assigned to me as my servant. He's been with me for twelve years."
"Really? He doesn't look safe to me at all…"
"Just sleep, Andre. If anything happens, remember that I'm here. I will always protect you."
Why did he always keep saying he would protect me from everything? As if he expected something to happen to me. I didn't care much and said happily, "Okay!" I tried to sleep in my sleeping bag.
After me, my brother, the steward, and my sister also went to sleep in their sleeping bags.
Around 2 a.m., I noticed sounds coming from around my tent. Elro should have silenced them. The sound was so loud, it felt like something was roaring. But neither my brother, the steward, nor my sister woke up. I tried to wake them up, but none of them reacted. I realized something was wrong. I had forgotten about Elro. I picked up my sword and activated my mana, then stepped out of my tent.
Outside, I saw that Elro was nowhere. I started to check around and saw the source of the sound—it was a "Blood Lion." These lions only drank the blood of their prey. They had no use for the flesh.
To make a surprise attack on the blood lion, I hid in the bushes and waited for it to come closer.
After about 15 minutes, the blood lion started coming toward me. When its back was turned, I jumped out to cut its neck. But I could only make a normal cut. Its skin was very thick—even with a sword strengthened by mana, I could only make shallow cuts. The lion turned around and attacked me, its mouth covered in blood. For a moment, I thought the blood was Elro's, but that was impossible. The Verblade family always chose servants from top-class warriors or assassins. I pushed this thought aside and stopped wondering whose blood it was.
The lion attacked again and managed to slash me with its claw. At that moment, I knew I couldn't beat this beast without using my techniques. I thought about my subconscious. I called forth my sword spirit and mana spirit.
"I can't beat the blood lion… I don't know what to do. Even if a long time passes here in my subconscious, only a few seconds will pass in the real world. I came here to get your advice."
The sword spirit said, "Master Andre, there is actually a way. If you entrust me with your soul, I can defeat the lion for you." The mana spirit agreed to cooperate.
I entrusted my soul to the sword spirit. My eyes turned red, and my hair sharpened like a sword. But I was watching myself through my own eyes. Even if I did nothing, the sword spirit was fighting for me. It was using my body better than I ever could. But still, it wasn't enough.
I returned to my subconscious and spoke to my sword spirit.
"You can't beat it either…"
"All I need is a technique, Master Andre. One technique, and I will give you that lion's head."
"A technique? But I don't know any Verblade techniques!"
"Then there's not much I can do. Sadly, I am still not that strong. My power depends on your soul's determination and our bond. The more you want to cut something, the more my power grows while cutting it. But in the end, my strength is still based on our connection."
"This is not the time for explanations! If I don't beat that lion, it will drink every last drop of my blood! You are useless! I'll find my own solution!"
I came out of my subconscious. The first thing I thought of was throwing a fireball, but I still couldn't control it. I had to create a spell with my mana, because I didn't know any family techniques.
I imagined my sword and my mana together. I made my mana spirit swirl around my sword like a sheath. At that moment, an idea flashed in my mind. If I couldn't control my mana, I could attack with the maximum mana my sword could carry.
I created a technique by myself that I would never know otherwise. I imagined my mana spirit catching fire and shooting out of my sword in the form of a slash.
"Flame Slash!" I shouted and swung my sword straight toward the lion. A burning slash of mana burst out of my sword. It split the lion in two and also cut down a few trees behind it.
Then, I heard someone clapping.
"That was to be expected from you, young master."
It was Elro's voice. If he was alive, why hadn't he killed the lion himself?
"Elro… So my doubts were true. You know what will happen if my brother learns this, right?"
"Before he learns, I'll kill you, young master!" He licked his dagger and coated it with poison.
Suddenly, in my subconscious, I felt how much I wanted to cut him. In that endless white space, everywhere it was written: "CUT ELRO!"
My sword spirit noticed my determination and came to me without me calling.
"Master Andre. This time, we have both a technique and determination. If you let me, I will bring your sword to its highest level. But you will be in control."
"Do it," I said coldly. All my feelings were gone. I was only thinking about cutting him.
I came out of my subconscious. I saw Elro running at me. With a small step, I moved behind him. My senses were so sharp, I could hear a fly flapping its wings. I could feel how many fish were swimming in the river, how many insects were in the trees, even which direction a mole underground was digging.
With a quick motion, I cut off all the fingers of his left hand. But he was right-handed. When he turned around, I chopped his right hand off completely. Then, using "Flame Slash," I cut off his right arm from the shoulder.
But he started to chant something: "Igni Frigt vrom vel diogra." All the blood spilled by the lion gathered into him and healed him fully. Instead of feeling surprised, I felt fear. On the battlefield, someone like him could be immortal. He didn't just heal; he became faster than me. He cut my right shoulder, but not with his poisoned dagger. Each finger on his left hand had an iron ring. Thin iron wires were tied to them. They were so sharp they could cut me just by touching.
I still had enough strength to defend myself. My sword spirit said my body couldn't take more and he had to stop the strengthening.
"Stop, sword spirit… Just five more minutes. Give me five minutes, and I will make him regret being born."
"This is impossible, Master Andre! A child's body can't endure this!"
"Do what I say, sword spirit. Give me a five-minute limit. Let me break my power limit. This is my only chance. I WILL CUT HIM!"
The sword spirit had no choice but to do as I said. Even if he didn't want to, he gave me five more minutes and lifted all power limits.
My senses became even sharper. I could feel what my brother, the steward, and my sister were dreaming about. Even though they were 20 meters away, they didn't wake up.
"You gave them something, didn't you?"
"They couldn't drink beer in front of a child, right? After you slept, everyone had a glass. Except me. Guess why?"
"Sleeping poison…"
"Correct answer!" he shouted. His eyes were shaking, blood and saliva mixed in his mouth, but he was laughing.
"You… You came from the Cobre family, didn't you?"
"You are too clever, young master! You watched me the whole way! You suspected me! If you hadn't, you wouldn't be here now! What would it matter if you died in your sweet dreams?"
"Elro… It's over," I said calmly. Even my breath came out as fire. I loaded all my mana. A slash that would light up the endless darkness of the night. My brother woke up from the light. Even though he ran here with his sword, all he saw was me standing injured in torn clothes, and Elro's dagger and some burned pieces of his clothes left behind.
Elro burned. This was not normal fire. In seconds, he turned to ash. Even the ash burned. Every piece of him disappeared.
"What happened here!?"
"Elro… He was a traitor. I told you, brother…" I said with a tired voice. Then I felt my eyes closing, but I couldn't stop it.
I opened my eyes in my subconscious. My sword and mana spirits were there, both looking ashamed.
"You did it…"
"Yes. But now I have to return to the real world. Thank you."
When I came back, I still couldn't wake up. It took me two weeks to open my eyes again. When I woke up, we had already arrived in Ulsar lands. My sister was crying by my side. My brother was sitting in the chair next to my bed, deep in thought. No one had noticed I was awake.
Suddenly, I said,
"Sis, can you cry a little more quietly? My whole body hurts."
My brother's eyes trembled as he looked at me. My sister realized I was awake, but she kept crying. I guess this time her tears were from happiness…