Kahn Stark was one of the high-ranking members of the Brave Swift Sword mercenary group. His nickname was "White Eagle Knight."
Unlike other grassroots mercenaries who didn't even have a surname, Stark was once a very famous local noble. However, by Kahn's grandfather's generation, he had already fallen from grace. Even Kahn had to borrow money from his distant relatives to study and practice martial arts.
The white eagle emblem with its wings spread high in the sky was a noble emblem that had already lost all meaning. It was also a great mockery of the unfilial descendants of meritorious nobles.
Kahn had grown up listening to his ancestor's heroic stories, but what awaited him was the reality that his family was destitute. Apart from his ancestral martial arts and armor, he had almost nothing.
It was far too common for a Knight whose family had fallen from grace to become a mercenary. There was a ninety-nine percent chance that he would die in some random alley. However, Kahn was different. He had been intelligent ever since he was young, and he had set great ambitions. While other mercenaries were living a befuddled life, he was working hard to revive his family.
He didn't die on the battlefield, and he always led the charge. Before he was forty, he had already gone from an ordinary mercenary to a Legend-rank Knight. His reputation had spread far and wide.
He was forthright, decisive, and enthusiastic about helping others. He had a high reputation in the mercenary group, and he was also a high-ranking member in charge of diplomatic affairs. He had even personally arranged for the rebellious marquis to join in this civil war. It was said that he was the next leader of the mercenary group. It could be said that he was at the peak of his life. He was the template for an ordinary person to turn over a new leaf.
However, the old mercenary group leader who had always treated Kahn as his own son didn't know that in Stark's eyes, this mercenary group, which he viewed as his family, was a stepping stone for his family to return to the circle of nobles, even though it was a stain on his ancestor's reputation.
And then …
Actually, the process wasn't important at all. It was just a series of betrayals and conspiracies. Since there was a motive and the ability to plan a rebellion, one only needed to look at the results to know what a successful schemer or ambitious schemer had done.
The Swift Sword Group, which had been on the rebel army's side, was almost completely annihilated, while he himself had become a Knight Lord of the Kingdom's side, completing the transition from a rebel to a legitimate noble. In an instant, he had achieved his life's goal and once again used the White Eagle emblem and war flag that had been passed down in his family for generations.
However, Stark, who seemed to have reached the pinnacle of his life, was currently filled with vexation. It wasn't that he had just received a warning about a small village in his territory being attacked, as there were far too many such incidents. The villagers in remote areas were all poor people who couldn't afford to pay taxes, so even if they were fed to wild beasts, they wouldn't suffer much. What he was truly vexed about was the special envoy before him — Prince Link, the second son of Archduke Sala.
The younger prince's older brother was currently at war with Marquis Stanley. It was rumored that this younger prince had previously studied in the Mage Country. Although he had just turned 20 years old, he was quite famous in the capital's academic and magical circles. His arrival as a special envoy was rather sudden, and he was accompanied by the kingdom's most elite Boulder heavy infantry squad. The moment he spoke, he asked for the map of Karn's territory and the latest information, and he even wanted Karn to summon all his warriors. It was obvious that something important was going on.
On one side was a noble member of the royal family, who had the kingdom's most elite army, while on the other side was a small Knight Lord. Even the militia only numbered less than a hundred. The younger prince didn't need to explain anything to Kahn Stark. Kahn could only do as Link said.
"Could it be that he's here for the treasure map …?"
Stark's heart was pounding. The reason why he had chosen this border area was because of an ancient treasure map left behind by his family. The location of the treasure was in the nearby mountain range, and the only mountain path leading to and from the mountain range was in this territory.
Why didn't he directly go and retrieve the treasure? It was rumored that the ruins were guarded by extremely strong guards. This wasn't something that could be taken care of in a short period of time. Originally, Stark had intended to develop his territory and establish his own private army before thinking about stealing the treasure.
"That's impossible, that's impossible. I've hidden that map very well."
He had always kept that treasure map close to his body. After all, it was related to his "endless wealth" and "great power in slumber." It was his greatest reliance on reviving his family.
Stark kept comforting himself, but when he entered Prince Link's temporary command center, he almost couldn't hide his panic. What was pasted on the wall was an enlarged version of the map that had been passed down to him by his ancestors. The familiar markings of the ruins were at the place that had left the deepest impression on him.
"Their destination is our grandfather's inheritance? How is that possible? Who leaked my family's secret!? "
"… At that time, I saw Kahn always fiddling around in his tent. Boss was afraid that something would go wrong, so he had me investigate him. That was how I found this treasure map."
"Treasure map? No, this was just an ordinary map of the base. The markings and words on it only explained the purpose of this base's factory. 'Endless wealth' and 'great power in slumber?' Only true scholars would be able to decipher the words of the Haletdam generation. Just the vague description alone was enough to tell that it was a prophecy magic spell. That's a research base of the Haletdam generation. The secrets of knowledge and technology are endless wealth and power to begin with. It's completely understandable that a prophecy magic spell would give such an answer. "
The parchment that I had obtained from Shink was incredibly tattered. However, the lines drawn on the parchment were still quite clear. This was a hand-copied map. Considering that many rangers were also experts in scouting and drawing, Shink's words were quite trustworthy.
"… How many people know about this map? Did the Death Council obtain this map from you? "
I had already confirmed that the bandit group in front of me did indeed have business dealings with the Death Council. In that case, the Death Council was probably able to find the ruins because of me. In that case, my information would be even more valuable.
Although Shink had survived the "Door of Hades," he was still incredibly weak. In my eyes, his weak soulfire was just like a candle in the wind, about to be extinguished at any moment.
In his current state, it was impossible for Shink to stop my search. A simple suggestion spell was all it took for him to tell me everything he knew. However, I was worried that he would suddenly die when I saw the ranger collapsing on the ground, so I sent him a sliver of Holy Light. His complexion improved slightly, but his soulfire was still about to be extinguished at any moment.
That was because Holy Light was unable to heal the soul. However, the improved physical strength allowed him to at least tell me some information.
"After that bastard betrayed me, I directly sold this map to more than ten merchant guilds and mercenary groups! I wanted everyone to know Kahn Stark's password! I wanted everyone to steal his treasures! I wanted him to experience what it felt like to have something he loved stolen away! "
Even though Shink was under my control, the hatred in his tone was quite obvious. When he said Kahn's name, his lifeless eyes suddenly regained their vigor. If it wasn't for the fact that I immediately increased my control over him, he probably would have broken free already.
"If word spread like wildfire, wouldn't it become a secret that everyone in the country would know?"
I couldn't help but laugh when I heard this, but then I became rather annoyed. From Shink's perspective, this was indeed the best way to take revenge. Revealing such wealth would only attract villains with evil intentions. As long as information about Kahn Stark's treasure was leaked, the chances of Kahn Stark obtaining the treasure would naturally be greatly reduced.
However, from my perspective, it would be fine if it was only an adventuring team that wanted to steal the treasure. A treasure location that didn't have a legend behind it would most likely be a waste of effort. Veteran adventurers wouldn't even consider it. However, if the information spread far and wide, there would inevitably be people who would recognize the treasure. If the Haletdam generation's ruins attracted the attention of large factions, that would be a huge problem.
"The internal war will only happen this year. It won't take more than six months for the information to be leaked. The foreign factions won't be able to arrive in time. However, the longer we delay, the more unexpected things will happen. We need to speed things up."
After dealing with official matters, it was now time for personal matters. I was quite curious as to why Shink was able to survive my Door of Hades.
Based on the information I already knew, it was no coincidence that Shink was able to survive my Door of Hades. Death magic that could cause instant death would need to be countered by the target's resistances. Death magic created from negative energy would attack both the physical body and the soul. However, it would mainly attack the physical body.
The Door of Hades naturally had the ability to forcefully control souls. This type of forceful control wasn't something that an ordinary physical body would be able to defend against. In that case, the only thing that could resist against the Door of Hades was the strength of one's soul, which was the stat that my system categorized as Willpower.
[Strength 14, Agility 22, Constitution 14, Intelligence 12, Willpower 14 (Revenge Oath + 4, for a total of 18), Charm 12. He's quite a good material.]
Hatred was the catalyst for Willpower. Shink, who swore to take revenge, used bitter practices to torment himself. The pain from his training also seemed to strengthen his soul's strength.
His desire for revenge and his indestructible soul allowed him to survive the Door of Hades's soul-stealing ability. However, his soul was like a dying flame in the wind, which proved that he wouldn't be able to live for long.
"… That's nothing. For us, life itself is meaningless. The soul is everything."
That's right. For an undead mage, a powerful soul filled with hatred would be an irresistible temptation. Plus, a physical body would be an even better combination.
I opened my arms, and the black mist that represented death transformed into a blooming black rose. The aura of death caused Shink to tremble and wake up.
"If I leave you alone, you'll die soon. Perhaps your corpse will be torn apart by the villagers you attacked to vent their hatred. However, I have a contract here. If you agree, not only will you be able to continue living … in a different way, I'll even grant you the ability to take revenge. The ability to take revenge on the bastard who betrayed you. "
How did he choose? Heh heh, this wasn't a choice to begin with. His decision was made from the very start due to his deep-rooted hatred for the Door of Hades.
"I agree! As long as I can take revenge, I'm willing to do anything! "
On the other side, as I watched the people busy rescuing the villagers, I began to plan.
"… Originally, this was just a vacation to relax. But now, it seems that not only will there be other competitors, the ruins' defense system will also be quite dangerous. Perhaps I'll need some additional combat strength."
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