novelThose who Follow the Prophecy (3)
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Chapter 64 - Those who Follow the Prophecy (3)
While he was thinking this, Azell couldn't help, but ask the question.
"Still, the people were suffering yet you didn't think about helping them?"
Azell expected the youth to feel tormented by the guilt he felt, but the youth was extremely unperturbed. It was a face that said he didn't care if people around him was raped and killed.
The youth spoke.
"I did."
"You did?"
"Yes."
"......."
Azell and Kairen looked at each other. His answer was unexpected, since he said it so matter of factly. The youth's expression was so nonchalant that his word didn't have a ring of truth.
The youth kept speaking.
"However, it was more important for me to save my life instead of helping them. Are my answers sufficient, Azell Zestringer?"
Shweeeng!
In a flash, a line of silver light appeared in front of the youth's eyes. When he realized something had flashed, Azell's sword point was already aimed at his neck.
"How do you know my name?"
4
The tense sense of danger swept over the youth. The youth spoke with a slightly shaky voice.
"I can easily give you the answer.... Can we do that after you put away your sword?"
"Do you want me draw a bloody line across your neck?"
"You are much more scarier than I imagined..."
The young man spoke in an awkward manner.
"I'm here to test whether you are the prophesied person. I am the Guardian Shadow's Keeper of Prophecy. My name is Leone. Will that be sufficient for my introduction?"
"You are part of the Guardian Shadows?"
Azell's brows furrowed. Kairen asked a question as if there was neither rhyme nor reason about it.
"A kid like you is part of the Guardian Shadows?"
"Age isn't that important when becoming a Guardian Shadow, Dragon Sword Duke."
The youth was letting out cold sweat as he retreated backwards. Azell decided to sheathe his sword for now.
The youth named Leone spoke with a bright smile on his face.
"The only important thing is what one can bring to the cause and effect. Anyways, I was chasing you down, but this meeting was unplanned. Originally, I planned on visiting you both at night. You are overflowing with the sense of justice, Azell Zestringer."
"I'm overflowing with the sense of justice... I have a mountainous amount of things to say on the subject, but I'll omit it for now. Did you just say you were chasing after us?"
"Yes."
"For how long?"
"It's been awhile. However, it was only today that I knew I would be able to catch up to the both of you."
"Basically, you always knew where we were located?"
"Yes."
"......."
Azell's eyes held disbelief.
'I wasn't able to feel their sight on me?'
This meant Leone had tracked down Azell using magic of farsight. Azell couldn't accept the fact that he hadn't been able sense the gaze that would have been upon him. Was there a technique within the Guardian Shadow that was able to avoid Azell's detection?
'If I think about the time the Guardian Shadow first appeared, that could be a possibility. '
Azell was confident in his sensing ability, but he didn't consider it to be absolute. The Detection technique and Concealment skills had a biting or being bitten relationship. One couldn't predict, which techniques might gain the upper hand. When he thought about the first meeting where he saw the Guardian Shadow, he hadn't been able to sense it until it got within 20 meters of him....
Azell asked a question.
"How did you track us?"
"That's easy. I just had to ask for the Dragon Sword Duke's location from the Guardian Shadows. Since you two were traveling so fast, I had a hard time following the both of you."
"... ah. So that's how it is."
He could now understand why he didn't detect any gaze on him. They hadn't been monitoring Azell.
Leone spoke to the slightly dejected Azell.
"I'm sure you are a human, yet you are a vessel for the Dragon Demon magic. You aren't a Dragon Majin, yet..."
Dragon Majin was the offspring between a human and a being from the Dragon Demon race. As the line becomes more mixed with humans, the special characteristics of a Dragon Majin disappeared, and a regular human was born. At that point, any trace of the Dragon Demon magic disappeared.
However, Azell held the scent of the Dragon Demon magic. This was caused by him absorbing a Dragon's power through the Dragon Slayer's Ritual.
Leone spoke in an interested manner.
"I have no idea why you would have the scent of the Dragon Demon magic. However, I've been told there hasn't been a human like you in hundred years."
"Bullshit."
"What?"
"You are saying that, but you are human. This undermines the credibility of your words."
"Ah ah. I am... No, I should be seen as exception to the norm. We are looking for the being from the prophecy. He can't be one of us, yet he has to satisfy certain conditions."
"The prophesied being? What are you talking about?"
"Unless I can confirm that you are the being foretold by the prophecy, I won't be able to tell you."
"This is also the first time I've heard about this. Why wasn't I informed?"
Kairen spoke. He had shown dedication in his work as a member of the Guardian Shadow, yet he wasn't informed of this fact. He was displeased that a young man knew more about this situation than him.
Leone spoke.
"The prophecy isn't known to all the members of the Guardian Shadows. The Keeper of the Prophecy knows it. The Keeper of the Prophecy are beings, who willingly dedicates one's life to the prophecy."
"Sacrifice? Keeper of the Prophecy?"
"Only those who gives up on one's own future to protect and aid in the prophecy can become the Keeper of the Prophecy. This doesn't apply to you, Duke."
"So being a dedicated member of the Guardian Shadow is insufficient? It seems secrets I don't like keeps popping up as time passes."
"Well, it isn't as if I like my current situation. Still, the arrow has been shot, and it can't be withdrawn."
Leone had a bright smile as he spoke. Azell asked a question as if he found it objectionable.
"If you are a member of the Guardian Shadow, don't you have the duty to protect the population from the Dragon Demon King worshippers? Yet you didn't stop the bandits in front of your eyes from pillaging the village just because you valued your own life more than theirs. Truthfully, I cannot trust your words."
"You are severley misinformed about us, Azell Zestringer."
"What?"
Leone spoke with a sour expression on his face.
"We aren't particularly burning with the sense of duty to protect the population. Moreover, we aren't doing carrying out the cause of justice."
"Then what are you fighting for?"
"We want to eradicate the Dragon Demon Worshippers, and the final goal is to kill the Dragon Demon King once and for all. That is our goal. If one wants to save the people dying in front of one's eyes, it is the prerogative of the individual. However, it has nothing to do with the goal of the Guardian Shadows."
"......."
"By your expression, it seems you have a great misconception of us. I'll be clear. The Guardian Shadow isn't an organization that upholds justice. We fight against the Dragon Demon King and his worshipper. We just safeguard the human race from them."
"Mmm......."
Azell realized disappointment and anger was simmering within him.
Leone smiled as if he had a mask on his face. He had a bright smile, but his words didn't match his expression. He gave off a very eccentric feeling.
"If one had to choose between the duty towards humans and shutting down the Dragon Demon Worshippers, I would willingly choose the latter. That is what the Guardian Shadow is all about."
"... I'll admit I misunderstood the intentions of the Guardian Shadow."
Azell fought to push down his anger as he admitted he had a preconceived notion of the Guardian's Shadow.
'They only want to stop the Dragon Demon Worshippers. '
Azell had gone through the Dragon Demon war. He had the noble idea of wanting to carry out justice for the people. However, the Guardian Shadows and Leone moved to a different standard.
Leone spoke.
"It is a relief that you understand us now. From now on, you won't look favorably at what we have to do to you. It'll be awkward if you misunderstand our intentions."
"What?"
"You will find out once the night comes. Please be patient until then... If you don't mind, may I travel with you guys? I'll be following you anyways."
"......."
Azell and Kairen had big frowns on their face. Leone was still smiling as if he had a mask on his face.
5
Azell and Kairen departed the farming village, and they traveled to their destination at high speed. The two of them moved at a pace unimaginable to a normal person, yet the youth was unexpectedly keeping up. Magicians were able to fly through the air. This mode of travel was very advantageous, since terrains didn't bother the magician. The youth flew at high speeds for a long time, yet he had enough energy to spare.
"Ho-ooh."
When they reached a town, Azell rented out a room at an inn. He washed his tired body, then he fell into meditation within his room. Before he went into his mediation, Azell gathered a Magic Aggregate in both hands, and he drank it. Kairen asked in surprise.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm recovering my magic."
"I've never seen such a method. Is it worth doing??"
"When one is trying to immediately recover one's exhausted magical reservoir, it is better than a calm meditation. If one wants to fill up one's Energy Pulse with dense magic, the normal way would be more effective."
Basically, Azell was implying that he might need to use his magic soon.
Kairen asked a question.
"Do you think we'll have to fight that child?"
"There is no guarantee. However, when I heard his tone of voice, I don't think this meeting will be pleasant for us."
"Hmmm. The Guardian Shadows is becoming more bizarre as I learn more about them."
"You are a member, so you shouldn't speak like that."
"However, I am angry that I was kept in the dark until now. They dared to use me, yet they hid the important information from me."
Kairen looked to be in a very bad mood. He was called the Dragon Demon Duke, and he was revered by the people. In regards to information, he was always first to be informed. He was the one, who kept important information from others. He had never been on the other side of the equation. This was why he didn't like how this organization called the Guardian Shadow was being run.
Azell was recovering his magic when he slowly opened his eyes.
"... it's here."
"Mmm? Can you feel something?"
Kairen still couldn't sense anything.
Azell spoke.
"I can't feel its energy. However... I can most definitely tell that it is'watching me'."
At that moment, someone was watching Azell from afar. Moreover, it seemed this being realized he was compromised. The being let out a ominous magical wave, and it stimulated Azell's senses.
Kairen's expression hardened.
"This is......."
"It has the stench of Black Magic. It's probably an Undead."
A being, who had used forbidden magic to overcome death, was making his presence known. This being let out his presence from afar. The presence was very dim, yet it was enough for the two of them to sense it.
Kairen asked a question as he watched Azell arm himself.
"Will you be ok?"
For the past couple days, Azell had been on a forced march, and he had accumulated a lot of fatigue. His body was exhausted, and his Energy Pulse wasn't in a good condition.
Azell spoke.
"In any fight, my opponent won't be considerate about what kind of condition I am in. The probability of finding a fair fight is the same as finding an opponent, who has lost his mind. It is very rare. The person expecting a fair fight, while a sword is pointed at one's throat, is the stupid one."
"Sometimes, you say words that I really like. It puts me in a tough position."
Kairen grinned as he followed after Azell.
The two of them erased their presence, and they secretly exited the inn. They stretched their senses into the surrounding, and they heard the whispers of restless spirits. They detected an ominous energy. This was an invitation being sent by their opponents.
Azell spoke.
"There are three of them."
"What?"
"There are three of them including the one following us from the back."
Azell pointed backwards. Leone was following them in plain sight.
Kairen spoke.
"The other two... Did you find this out through your ability to sense other people's gaze?"
"Yes."
"That is a very desirable technique. I can feel a very dim sensation, yet I can't pin point it for sure...."
"I'll teach it to you later. Of course, I'll have to receive something in return."
"Just don't overcharge me too much."
"It'll depend on how you act from now on."
While they were speaking, the two of them arrived at a hill that was about 2km away from the town.
There was a being standing there with the moonlight shining down behind his back.
His opponent spoke.
<Azell Zestringer?>
The voice that asked the question was very bleak. One got goosebumps just from listening to it, and the voice invoked a instinctive fear within oneself. The sound wasn't formed by the vibrations of a living being's vocal cords. It was evidence that this undead being was using Black Magic to produce sound.
Azell queried.
"Before you ask the other person for his identity, shouldn't you should reveal your own first?"
<It seems you are him. I'm Zeta. That is all you need to know. If you want to know more.... >
Puh-luhk!
The Undead being billowed his cape that had been covering his body. Beneath the moonlight, a Skeleton Knight encased in a dark metal with an ominous red-black line running down the armor appeared. Two strong light was shining within the helm where the eyes should be.
<Acquire your qualification by surviving against my sword. >
"You are only an Undead yet you are blathering about such nonsense. Bring it on."
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