Chapter 179. The Grave of the First Ancestor (1)
Tauga gazed at Caron with a newfound seriousness.
"I thought we shared the same roots, but after crossing blades with you, I'm not so sure anymore," Tauga said as he frowned slightly, recalling their duel just moments ago.
Although Caron shared the same roots as Rael Leston, his swordsmanship was quite different in nature. At a glance, it seemed to emphasize power, yet beneath the surface, it was highly unpredictable, adapting fluidly to every situation.
"Are you really seventeen years old?" Tauga asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
To him, there was no way a mere seventeen-year-old could wield a sword like that. It was the kind of technique that came from countless battles, from standing on the edge of life and death time and time again. It was the sword of someone who had lived through endless battlefields.
"Are the Duke's family all like this, or... Is it just your sword that's so unique?" Tauga asked.
One would understand if they crossed swords with Caron. Although his mana didn't reach the level of an 8-Star, his swordsmanship was already perfected. It was the sword of someone who had survived the brink of death.
That was what puzzled Tauga the most. A noble from one of the empire's most prestigious families, someone who should have lived a life of privilege and comfort, wielded a sword like a battle-hardened warrior.
"I was reincarnated," Caron said casually.
Tauga's face immediately contorted in irritation. He said, "I'm asking seriously, you brat. If you're going to joke, at least have some decency about it."
"Wow, I can't believe you didn't fall for that," Caron said, grinning as he studied Tauga's expression.
The Oceanwolf Sword and the Imperial Sword were two entirely opposing styles, which made it nearly impossible for Caron to merge them seamlessly. When he used the Imperial Sword, he had to stick to its techniques. When he used the Oceanwolf Sword, he had to fully commit to it.
Caron had spent years trying to combine the best of both, but so far, a perfect fusion had eluded him. Still, judging by Tauga's reaction, it seemed he was getting closer.
...Maybe it was helpful to fight with Ugo, Caron thought. The battle at the altar in the Ali Oasis—crossing swords with Ugo had to have pushed his technique to a new level.
Tauga was an 8-Star warrior. There was no way he would have misunderstood what he saw.
"The Ducal Family of Leston's swordsmanship is called the Oceanwolf Sword," Caron said.
"I already knew that much," Tauga said with a nod. "Your grandfather is famous, after all. A sword that mimics the sea. The sword of one who commands the ocean. And your sword—I can see the sea in it too."
"Really?" Caron asked.
"The sea embraces all, calm and welcoming," Tauga said. "But at times, it can be mercilessly violent. Your sea is just like that."
Caron let out a small hum of admiration at the insight, then smiled and nodded. He then said, "There are plenty of people stronger than me in Azureocean Castle."
From Halo to the elders of the council, from Sabina to Sir Zerath—Azureocean Castle, as expected of the continent's greatest family, had no shortage of 8-Star knights.
"Even so, I'm the only one who wields this kind of sword," Caron continued.
That was the one thing he could say with absolute confidence.
It was an arrogant statement, but Tauga simply chuckled and nodded. "You have confidence, I'll give you that."
"Wouldn't you call that arrogance?" Caron asked.
"If a weakling said it, then yes, it would be arrogance. But you? You're not being arrogant. You're just brimming with confidence," Tauga replied.
"...You're giving me more credit than I expected," Caron said, raising a brow.
"More credit? I'm just calling it as it is. I don't know how humans measure these things, but by beastfolk standards, you're an absolute monster," Tauga stated.
"Calling a person a monster is a bit much, don't you think...?" Caron muttered.
Tauga let out a small sigh. Then, getting to the point, he shifted his focus to what troubled him most about Caron.
"I see a problem," Tauga said. "Your swordsmanship is indeed blending together in an extraordinary way, but your mana isn't supporting it properly. You feel it too, don't you?"
"That's exactly right," Caron admitted.
Tauga had pinpointed it precisely. During their sparring match, Caron had felt a sense of discomfort—his mana wasn't flowing evenly throughout his body. That was exactly what Tauga had picked up on.
"That's probably the wall you'll have to break through to reach 8-Star," Tauga said.
8-Star was the realm Caron had reached in his previous life. And it was a level he had to reach again in this life—because only then could he set his sights beyond it.
Caron had reached 7-Star with relative ease, but 8-Star—he instinctively knew it wouldn't be so simple.
The gap between 7-Star and 8-Star was far greater than the gap between 6-Star and 7-Star. Even among those who had devoted their entire lives to the sword, only a chosen few ever managed to reach that level.
"If you plan to keep pursuing a sword style that is uniquely yours, it would be wise to modify your mana cultivation technique to match it," Tauga advised sincerely.
Even Guillotine let out an impressed whistle, saying, "Now that's a proper warrior. I actually agree with the old man on this one."
This was the next step forward. Caron needed more power—far more.
Caron slowly nodded, then looked at Tauga and said, "The Ocean Dominance Arts is a mana technique passed down only to the direct lineage of the Ducal Family of Leston. Modifying it as I please... it wouldn't sit right with me. You should know better than anyone how dangerous it is to alter a mana cultivation technique."
Altering a mana cultivation technique was no simple matter. Each technique fundamentally involved circulating core mana through the body's pathways in a specific sequence. Even a slight change in that sequence could drastically alter the results. If one made a mistake in modifying it, mana could flow in reverse, leading to disastrous consequences.
That was why only the head of the family had the authority to alter the Ocean Dominance Arts.
But Tauga simply scoffed and said gruffly, "The path you must walk is one no one else has tread before. And to walk such a path, you must be different from others—tsk tsk. You really are just a kid. A young man should have the guts to charge ahead recklessly at least once in his life."
"Then why don't you risk your own life charging ahead, old man?" Caron shot back. "I'd rather not throw mine away, thanks."
Tauga sighed and said, "That settles it. Get some rest, and when you wake up, we're going somewhere."
"Where?" Caron asked.
"You'll see when we get there," Tauga replied.
With that, he pulled his blanket up over his stomach and muttered in a low voice, "You must be exhausted. Get some sleep."
"You sure know how to leave people hanging," Caron grumbled.
"If you don't sleep now, you'll regret it," Tauga warned.
As the chief of the beastfolk, he was also an incredibly powerful warrior. He wouldn't say something like that without good reason. If someone like him was bringing up the idea of modifying a cultivation technique, it meant he had something prepared.
"Fine, sleep well," Caron said, pulling his blanket over himself as well.
Tauga glanced at him and asked, "Do you snore?"
"No. Do you—" Caron began, but was cut off.
"SNOOORE!" Tauga was already snoring like a thunderstorm.
Caron clicked his tongue in exasperation, thinking, This crazy old man.
It seemed the chieftain wasn't normal either.
Pluto, Caron summoned Pluto.
Meow!
Using Pluto to lightly block out his hearing, Caron closed his eyes. Perhaps it was because of the intense sparring session, but exhaustion washed over him.
Tauga was right—getting some rest now would be a good idea.
***
That evening, after a refreshing afternoon nap, Caron stepped onto the streets alongside Tauga.
The place felt more like a city than a mere village. Beastfolk bustled about, merchants called out to attract customers, and on nearly every street corner, sandpits had been set up for sparring matches. The lively, chaotic energy of the town was unmistakable.
"What a mess," Guillotine said.
"Why? I think it has a certain charm," Caron said with a small smirk as he took in the scene.
It was an experience he wouldn't have had if he hadn't come here. But what he liked even more was...
"Chieftain! Is it true that the young human next to you kicked you in the waist?" a beastfolk called out.
"Maybe it's time for you to retire, Chieftain!" another added.
"Shut up, you brats!" Tauga shouted at them.
...the easy camaraderie between the chieftain and his people.
It felt like a peaceful countryside village without a lord, and Caron found himself enjoying the atmosphere.
"The clothes are interesting," Caron murmured, studying the garments worn by the residents.
The fabric wasn't quite leather, nor was it ordinary cloth. The vibrant colors gave it an exotic feel, and there was even a sense of luxury to it.
"It's silk," Tauga said.
"Silk? That's an odd word to pronounce," Caron said.
"It's a fabric made from threads spun by silkworms," Tauga explained.
"Hmm... This smells like money," Caron commented. If he took it to the empire, it would likely sell for a hefty sum.
As Caron's attention drifted toward the silk, Leo, who was walking beside him, seemed equally distracted by it.
More specifically...
"Is there something on me, Leo?" Adina asked.
"A-Ah, no. I was just... admiring the clothes," Leo stuttered.
"...Thank you for the compliment," Adina said.
It wasn't the fabric itself that had caught Leo's eye—it was the silk dress worn by Adina, Tauga's daughter.
Caron let out a deep sigh at Leo's awkwardness and turned to Tauga, calling out, "Chieftain."
"What?" Tauga answered.
"If that keeps up, someone else might take your daughter before I do," Caron said.
Tauga scoffed and replied, "Anyone would be better than you. You're the type to pull everything around you into your orbit, aren't you?"
"Did you really have to put it that way..." Caron muttered.
"And besides, if he's managed to survive around you for this many years, he must have a strong and unshakable spirit. If my daughter is fine with it, then I have no complaints. But tell me, do you really think my daughter is that easy?" Tauga said.
Caron recalled what he had seen back in Reben. Adina, in her beast form, had torn through the soldiers of Leandro, the Marquis of the Border, as if they were nothing.
Remembering that terrifying sight, he thought to himself, Not easy at all.
Adina was definitely not someone to be taken lightly.
Although, at the moment, it didn't seem as if Leo had any serious intentions. At best, he was curiously interested in her.
With that, they continued walking through the lively town, making their way toward the hill behind it. A thin veil of darkness had begun to settle over the hilltop, though the sun hadn't yet fully set. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the clouds, casting a glow on a small gravestone perched atop the hill.
"Is this someone's grave?" Caron asked.
"It's an empty one," Tauga replied.
"Then why is there a gravestone?" Caron questioned.
"We built it to honor him, nothing more," Tauga answered.
With long strides, he approached the gravestone and, after a brief moment of silence, kneeled on both knees before it.
Schhhk.
He drew a dagger and made a shallow cut on his forearm. His blood dripped onto the ground, and was quickly absorbed into the earth.
Rumble!
At that moment, the ground in front of the gravestone shifted, revealing a hidden door leading downward.
"Let's go in," Tauga said, stepping forward without hesitation.
Caron and Leo lingered for a moment, scanning their surroundings.
"Could be a trap," Caron murmured.
Leo let out an exasperated sigh and said, "No way."
"Leo, questioning everything is how you live long—" Caron began, but was cut off.
Before he could finish, Adina chuckled softly and reassured him, "No need to worry, Caron. This is a sacred place for our clan. It's the grave of the Savior."
"The Savior... You mean the First Ancestor?" Caron asked.
Adina nodded and said, "Yes. We built this place to honor him in our own way. There must be a reason my father brought you here."
At those words, Guillotine spoke in a low voice within Caron's mind. "I sense something familiar, Caron. Nothing feels particularly dangerous... Let's go in and see."
Guillotine had once been Rael's sword. If even he recognized something about this place, then whatever lay below was likely tied to the First Ancestor.
With that in mind, Caron gave a small nod and followed Adina inside. The moment he stepped into the grave, damp air wrapped around him.
"First it was the royal grave in the Pajar Sultanate, and now I'm looting graves here too. Maybe I was destined to be a grave robber," Caron muttered.
Leo arched his brow and asked, "Whose grave did you rob in the Sultanate?"
"The royal family's," Caron answered.
"...How are you even still alive?" Leo asked.
The two cousins exchanged lighthearted banter, easing the tension as they walked deeper into the grave.
Eventually, they reached a massive underground chamber.
"Ah," Caron reacted. Standing at its entrance, he finally understood the significance of this place.
And in that very moment, a voice echoed in his ears.
"You have grown, child of the covenant. I have been waiting for you."
It was the same voice he had heard during the Awakening Ceremony.
The voice of a dragon.