Chapter 376: The Forgotten Covenant (1)
The Empire..
The other land of mankind—untouched by the filthy blood of demons.
Once on the brink of extinction, they reclaimed a part of their lost history by building a continent surrounded by towering walls .. barriers that marked the boundary between them and the tainted world beyond.
Years passed since the ancient war, and the Empire entered one of the most pivotal Chapters in its long history after losing the battle against the Ultras. That defeat cost them a significant portion of their military might.
It was a devastating blow, especially to the people who were left to endure dark days. Countless women waited for husbands who vanished, leaving them widows of dreams.
Children longed to grow up in the arms of parents who never returned from war—left as orphans of hope.
Ambitions, dreams once wrapped in light, turned into nightmares of despair as the world they knew collapsed.
But now, Sir Alon Valerion had returned, trying to salvage what could still be saved.
Yet time spares no one. Would the Iron Emperor succeed where his son had failed?
Only the future could answer that.
...
...
The Empire – Northern Border Region – Ashina
In this frozen land where snow never ceased to fall, the sun was a rare sight.
The northern region of Ashina, bordering the capital Belgrade from above, was desolate and haunting most of the time, thanks to its harsh terrain and severe climate.
It became a place where prisons—like the infamous Alcatraz—were built, or a last refuge for those rejected by the Empire. Especially since it bordered the Northern Nightmare Lands just beyond.
It had been fifteen days since Frey and his companions were kidnapped.
The kidnapping that triggered the chaos now engulfing the world.
That was what brought Sir Alon to this grim and desolate land.
The Iron Elder led the way, accompanied by Oliver Khan, Ada Starlight, and Carmen.
After days of traveling and searching through the frozen region, the four still hadn’t found what they were looking for.
But Sir Alon showed no signs of frustration.
As they pressed deeper into the frozen forest, its trees painted white by the relentless snowfall, Ada Starlight found herself compelled to speak up.
"Forgive my naive question, but... what exactly are we searching for here?"
Sir Alon had told them they needed to awaken remnants of the Old Oath to free Frey and the others from their predicament.
But the days were slipping by too quickly, and Ada was far too anxious .. she had checked her brother’s life signal multiple times over the past few days.
Especially after it had grown alarmingly faint just the day before, confirming he was severely wounded, at the very least.
"There’s no need to rush, Lord Starlight. If there were a faster way, I would’ve taken it."
"My apologies."
Ada realized her question had been foolish given Sir Alon’s clear dedication.
"I know your brother is important to you, but I need you at your best, Lord Starlight. Don’t let your emotions cloud your mind."
"I’ll keep that in mind."
"Very good."
As he spoke with Ada, Sir Alon continued releasing his aura in waves, probing their surroundings.
"We’re approaching the Northern Nightmare Lands," said Oliver Khan as he observed their surroundings carefully.
Carmen frowned at the mention of the Nightmare Lands.
"Isn’t that the region where one of the Nightmare Lords resides?"
Oliver Khan nodded.
"Yes. The Abyss Watchers are stationed there."
Among the three Nightmare Lords, the Abyss Watchers were the most enigmatic.
They weren’t a single entity but rather a large group resembling knights.
The only thing that set them apart from humans was their massive build and towering height—over three meters tall.
From a distance, one could mistake them for ordinary armored knights.
"Is it safe to go any deeper?"
"It’s fine. Our combat strength is more than enough to handle them."
Oliver Khan reassured them—they could handle the Abyss Watchers if they were attacked.
Though truthfully, most of that strength came from Sir Alon himself, a peak SS+ level powerhouse.
"No need to worry about the Abyss Watchers."
Sir Alon stopped walking and a wide smile spread across his face.
"We’ve arrived."
With those words, he struck the ground with his cane, unleashing a golden wave of aura that surged across the area like a ripple.
And then—they saw it.
The space before them shattered like glass.
Reality flipped before their eyes as the illusion surrounding them was dispelled.
Sir Alon had broken through a strange barrier .. one neither Oliver Khan nor Carmen had even sensed.
Everyone was startled to find themselves standing in a completely different place this time...
"I see they’re still good at hiding."
Sir Alon spoke as he took the first step into the newly revealed land.
It was the same location... but vastly different.
Unlike the peaceful land it once was...
Ada Starlight and the others were stunned by the overwhelming chaos that now filled the area before them.
Signs of battle, bloodstains, and corpses littered the ground, and the atmosphere had grown darker with every passing second.
They stared at the disfigured bodies of the fallen knights—scattered across the land, even impaled on trees.
Everyone reached the same grim realization.
"These are the Abyss Watchers..."
Sir Alon confirmed their suspicion without so much as glancing back.
"The Abyss Watchers are a real pain in the ass. They’ve caused me more trouble than I can count during my time ruling the Empire... They’re an army on their own, and their leader is SS+ ranked."
As they pressed forward...
Both Oliver Khan and Carmen’s expressions changed the moment they sensed powerful auras emanating from a distance.
"That’s why I had to do something before they caused a catastrophe for the Empire. So I created watchers... for the Watchers themselves."
After a long trek, Sir Alon and the others finally emerged from the grim forest into a wide open field that stretched endlessly toward the horizon.
The field was eerily empty .. nothing stood there except a modest wooden house, carefully built at the edge of the woods.
The only sounds in this empty place were the rhythmic chopping of wood... and the whistling of cold wind brushing against their faces.
Standing behind Sir Alon, the group watched a man who continued chopping wood, completely ignoring their presence.
He wore black, tattered robes resembling a kimono—an outfit none of them had seen before. His clothes were worn and old, and his hair was long, black, and unkempt.
A faint beard lined his jaw, and his forearms were strong and calloused.
A sword hung by his waist—just like a samurai.
The man stood there, chopping one log after another.
Sir Alon was the one who broke the heavy silence between them and the man who had yet to acknowledge them.
Stepping forward, his voice rang out, loud and firm as ever.
"Still as rude as ever. Aren’t you going to greet your Emperor, Sword Saint?"
At the mention of the title the world once called him by... the man stopped chopping and lowered the axe.
When he turned around, everyone could see his pitch-black eyes and calm expression.
"Sir Alon... I see you’re still clinging to life after all these years."
"Heh... death can have me when it earns me."
Sir Alon answered with the same arrogant smile.
The so-called Sword Saint, however, continued on, carrying the chopped wood toward his house.
"Visiting me after all these years? Forgive the lack of hospitality. My humble home wasn’t meant to accommodate you and your many guests."
Witnessing this strange exchange...
Ada and the others could do nothing but silently watch this ragged man.
He looked frail and worn out. The powerful aura they’d felt earlier wasn’t coming from him...
Yet the way Sir Alon treated him made one thing clear .. appearances could be deceiving.
"I need your help again, Vendrick."
Sir Alon got straight to the point, revealing the true reason for his journey to the farthest reaches of the Empire.
Vendrick showed no reaction. He simply continued working.
"My help? With what?"
While stacking the chopped logs, Vendrick refused to meet Alon’s gaze.
"Haven’t I done enough? I drew my sword for you. Fought wars for you. Conspired for you. Killed for you. Then spent the rest of my life guarding the Empire from the Abyss Watchers."
Vendrick finally turned, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.
"Tell me... what more do you want? After all those dark years... where are you trying to go?"
Sir Alon’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes revealed quiet empathy—born from the countless battles they’d fought together.
"I need your sword... and I need her ... Millicent."
The moment her name was spoken, Vendrick’s eyes widened for a second before he turned away in anger.
"Go back to the grave you once built for yourself, Sir Alon. This era isn’t ours anymore. Our time has long passed. We’ve already given everything we had."
"Not yet... Not everything."
Sir Alon’s reply was calm and steady.
Vendrick let out a bitter, scornful laugh.
"Even death, huh? You damned Iron Elder..."
He cursed, then drew his sword in a sudden blur, unleashing a fearsome arc of wind-infused aura at Sir Alon.
The Iron Emperor simply raised his palm, stopping the attack midair. The blast of wind exploded outward, whipping past the rest of the group behind him.
"Leave, Sir Alon. We owe you nothing."