'Blade of Purification.'
This name, which he had not heard for a long time, echoed in Thales' mind again.
'How could it be …'
He stared at the Dragon Breaker on the piece of paper. He had countless questions, and his emotions were a mess.
Previously, when he was in Heroic Spirit Palace, Thales obtained the precious' Against the Heavens' book from Saroma. It described the 'Dragon Breaker', which was exactly the same as the Blade of Purification. But Thales did not expect that these strange-looking weapons would be so close to his family name and bloodline.
'Dragon Breaker.
'Blade of Purification.
'Is this a coincidence?
'Or is this the weapon that sealed Giza …'
"So, this is … just Queen Asora's dowry?"
Samel stared at Zakriel with a puzzled expression, snapping Thales out of his memories.
When the Knight of Judgment mentioned the past, he seemed to have entered a dazed state again.
"Not only that, it is also a testimony to a period of history.
"Every item in the treasury is of great significance."
Samel and Ricky frowned and looked at each other.
Zakriel gently touched the bars of Black Prison. Before it could take effect, he quickly left his hand. He was deft and skilled.
"That was probably one of the most tense times between Constellation and Eckstedt." The former watchman's gaze was lost.
"The Night Wing King's invasion and the disaster of the Third Peninsular War broke the political balance, causing countless small and medium-sized forces to perish. The big countries that survived the disaster did not have it easy either. The Western Peninsula welcomed another round of reshuffling.
"Hence, the struggle for supremacy in the Western Peninsula and the conflict between the descendants of the Empire and the Dragon's children reached its peak again.
"Two of the Three Heroes of Dawn ascended to high positions. Chara the Hero became the Regent of Dragon Clouds City and the actual ruler of Eckstedt, while Midier Jadestar was crowned as the fourth King Midier in Constellation's history. But due to the hatred between their countries and their families, they turned against each other."
Samel and Ricky looked at each other. They seemed to be dissatisfied with the prisoner's rambling and aimless words.
Thales listened quietly to the man's narration, which sounded as if he was sleepwalking. He remembered the poem Putray sang in the Black Sand Military Camp six years ago.
When Dawn Rises.
He still remembered Putray's tune, as well as the three main characters in the song. In fact, the Prince of Constellation "did not attend to his proper duties" and learned to play the lute and sing bardic poems. It was one of the few pleasures in the palace of the Northland nobles, who lacked entertainment. After the night of Dragon's Blood, the Star Killer, who was not that amiable to begin with, became even more extreme. He treated any stranger who entered Heroic Spirit Palace as a potential assassin, and the bards who entertained the banquets were no exception.
Zakriel continued to speak.
"The political chess game between the two countries has begun again, and it's even better than before."
"Under such circumstances, due to political needs, the Sacred Tree Kingdom and Constellation realized a royal marriage that was rare even in the history of the elves and humans."
Zakriel picked up the paper in his hand and stared at the outline of the strange shortsword on it. His expression was mournful, as if he was reminiscing about the past.
"Hence, after the disappearance of the Great Dragon, this weapon, which had been lying around for an unknown number of years, became more of a treasure than a battle treasure, and more of a souvenir than a practical weapon, was intentionally given as a political gift. It followed King Aixora to Constellation and entered the royal treasury."
Zakriel looked at the sketch in his hand and spoke softly.
"The Dragon Breaker.
"A few years later, the large fortress built beside Cold Castle between Black Sand Region and the Northern Territory was named after it."
"For the next hundred years or so, Constellation and the Great Dragon used that fortress to attack and defend against each other, until Queen Erica defeated the Eckstedtian Alliance Army six times in the famous' Three Pockets' Battle. She finally seized Cold Castle and forced the Northland barbarians to retreat to the Northern Plains, causing Constellation's might to reach its peak."
Under the dim firelight, the Knight of Judgment's words floated in the dust-covered Black Prison, which had been abandoned for a long time. One could vaguely hear the excitement and loftiness of that era.
Zakriel gently loosened his fingers and let the paper fall to the ground.
He slowly retracted his gaze from the void. His gaze became clear again.
"Of course, perhaps one of the reasons why Constellation's ancestors brought this weapon was because they were worried about the legendary Queen of the Sky. They were worried that it would intervene in the political situation when Eckstedt was at its weakest. This way, they at least had a weapon that could theoretically restrain it, even though it never showed up."
Zakriel said faintly.
"It showed up." Samel, who had been silent for a while, said softly, "That legendary dragon was in Dragon Clouds City six years ago."
This sentence made Zakriel tremble slightly, and Thales sank into deep thought.
"On the night of King Nuven's death."
Samel sighed and said, "That dragon, which we all thought was a character in the story, descended from the sky and destroyed a calamity before Dragon Clouds City was reduced to ruins."
There was a long silence inside and outside the prison cell.
Then, Zakriel closed his eyes and exhaled.
"It seems that I have indeed missed a lot over the years."
Ricky seemed to be unable to listen to Zakriel's rambling and erratic narration. He took a step forward and asked straightforwardly,
"But what I don't understand is …
"How did the secret treasure of the royal family in Renaissance Palace end up in the Tower of Eradication?"
Zakriel snorted and shook his head.
"Who knows?" The Knight of Judgment's attitude towards strangers was not as good. He looked indifferent. "More than ten years ago, many of the items in the treasury were conscripted for the king's wedding. Perhaps this item is also on the list. Who knows?"
'Wait.'
Thales' ears twitched.
'The king's wedding?
'Which king?
'Is he talking about Kessel the Fifth? 'The wedding when he was still a prince?
'And … Queen Keya?'
A beautiful figure holding a doll appeared before Thales' eyes. He felt sad.
"So, we can confirm it?"
As he watched the paper fall to the ground, Samel turned to look at Ricky, as if asking for his opinion. "More than ten years ago, under the king's orders, the Dragon Breaker was moved out of the treasury?"
But Zakriel only looked like he did not care. He leaned against the wall casually.
"Is it important whether it is or not?"
Samel was about to retort, but Ricky was faster than him.
"Very well, then let me change my question."
The leader of the Disaster Swords still looked relaxed. He had the ghost of a smile on his face, but Thales could vaguely sense the seriousness hidden in his tone. "What is so special about the Dragon Breaker? Does it have no other secrets? "
Zakriel changed his posture. The light from the fire drew a long shadow on the wall.
"Then what do you want to know?" His words gradually showed his impatience.
"According to the records, this ancient weapon has been covered in dust for a long time in the Sacred Tree Kingdom. Even the Sacred Elves themselves know very little about it. That's why they sent it as a political dowry, let alone us, who have reached the end of our lives."
The Knight of Judgment said coldly.
Ricky stared at him carefully, but his expression gradually changed.
It was as if the air around them had started to become oppressive.
"Zakriel."
The last trace of warmth on Ricky's face disappeared. "Do you really not know, or are you playing dumb?"
Zakriel narrowed his eyes and stared at the stranger outside the fence through his slits.
"I'm tired. You should leave quickly." The Knight of Judgment did not show any intention of cooperating with the other party.
Instead, he said coldly, "Before the guards show up."
Samel looked a little anxious. He looked at his old colleague's unmoved expression. Just as he was about to say something to ease the situation, Ricky sneered.
But Thales could feel the chill in his laughter.
"Do you know why we paid such a huge price to come here and ask you these questions, Knight of Judgment?"
The leader of the Disaster Swords spoke slowly with a cold smile.
"Because what we really want to know is …"
Zakriel still leaned against the wall without moving. As if he was distracted, he started to observe his nails again.
It was as if he was indifferent to everything.
That was until Ricky asked his question.
"Eighteen years ago, this was the so-called Dragon Breaker that Samel saw. You personally guarded it." Ricky said softly.
"Is it a legendary anti-mystic equipment?"
Ricky's soft words echoed in the hall.
At that second, the light from the fire flickered slightly, but the inside and outside of the prison fell into absolute silence.
Soon, Thales' breathing became chaotic without him realizing it. He had to rely on the Sin of Hell's River to stabilize it.
'What did he say?
He said … legendary anti-mystic equipment? '
Thales stared at the piece of paper by his feet and slowly picked it up.
'That means … That means …
'The Blade of Purification that sealed Giza six years ago …
'The Dragon Breaker in Saroma's book …
'The Black Sword that the mercenaries in the tavern were interested in …
'The Dragon Breaker that Zakriel spoke of …
The Dragon Breaker the Disaster Swords saw when they met Black Sword not long ago …
He stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar picture on the paper. In just a few seconds, the events, elements, and clues were pieced together in Thales' mind.
But at that moment, someone lost his composure even more than Thales did!
* Bang! *
* Thud. *
An explosive sound, followed by a muffled thud, brought Thales back to reality.
He turned his head and was shocked to see Zakriel, who had leaned against the bars at some point in time. He fell heavily to the ground in a cloud of smoke.
But the Knight of Judgment did not care about the pain he suffered. He only struggled to get up. There was shock and fear on his face that Thales had never seen since he saw the man.
"What did you say?"
Zakriel gritted his teeth and stood up straight. He stared at Ricky, who had a cold expression on his face outside the prison cell. There was a rare tremor in his voice.
"What equipment?"
It was as if he saw the end of the world.
When he saw Zakriel like this, Thales, who should have been the most shocked, calmed down.
He sensed that something was happening.
And the people in front of him were the ones who knew about it.
"Aha."
Outside the prison cell, Ricky's tone was filled with faint smugness and slight surprise.
"Your expression … I understand."
Ricky and Zakriel, who had lost his composure, stared at each other quietly. The coldness on his face was slowly replaced by solemnity.
"I see … It seems like you really don't know."
On the other side, Samel was obviously not aware of the situation. He looked at Zakriel, then at Ricky. With the same question as Thales, he asked, "What's wrong?"
But neither Zakriel nor Ricky seemed to care about his idle mood.
The former's breathing became faster, and the latter muttered to himself.
Zakriel's chest rose and fell. His breathing was incredibly rapid, but this could not compare to his uncharacteristically anxious attitude.
"Tell me."
The Knight of Judgment gritted his teeth. The brand on his forehead was incredibly obvious. "Did you just say … what legendary anti-mystic equipment?
Tell me! "
Ricky stood where he was with a slight frown on his face.
A few seconds later, in the face of Zakriel's anxious gaze for an answer, he nodded at Samel.
"Tell him."
Zakriel immediately looked at Samel. His gaze was sharp, aggressive, and vaguely ferocious.
Samel cast a strange glance at Ricky, but he still spoke quietly.
"According to the information we obtained from the Tower of Eradication, Zakriel, this … so-called Dragon Breaker … is a legendary anti-mystic equipment." Samel seemed to be a little hesitant and did not seem to understand.
In that second, Zakriel's stubbled face turned incredibly pale.
"No …" he stared at the empty space in front of him and muttered to himself.
Samel said with a serious expression, "Our information is unquestionable. It is said that this legendary anti-mystic equipment has been verified, and it can seal the calamities."
Thales subconsciously clenched his fists.
He remembered the scene six years ago. The short sword that shone with red light seemed to resonate with the blood in his body, as if it had a life of its own.
In the prison cell, Zakriel's gaze shifted back and forth, as if he had seen the most unbelievable thing.
"No, no, impossible …" he mumbled.
In the end, he widened his eyes and slid down to the floor, as if he had lost all his energy.
He was dumbfounded.
Samel sighed softly.
"Yes, we never knew that the royal family had such a legendary anti-mystic —"
But before he could finish speaking, Zakriel suddenly raised his head from behind the bars!
"No!"
The prisoner's expression changed abruptly as he shouted, interrupting Samel's words.
"No, it's not like this!
It's not, it's not! "
He shouted at the top of his lungs while he pounded the floor with all his might.
* Thud! Thud! Thud! *
The Knight of Judgment's sudden outburst caught Samel off guard. He stared in shock at Zakriel, who was breathing heavily and trembling. He could not understand what was going on.
'Did he … go crazy again?'
Outside the prison cell, Ricky stared at the prisoner, who had become abnormal again. He did not say a word.
Thales, on the other hand, was as confused as Samel. He was filled with questions.
"No …"
Finally, Zakriel stopped pounding the floor with much difficulty. In a daze, he supported himself against the floor.
"Dragon Breaker … Dragon Breaker?"
He shook his head in disbelief, as if he wanted to ask for help from the people in the void.
The light from the fire dimmed slightly. The air was filled with the shock of the few people outside the prison cell.
Ricky sighed softly and said something profound, "It seems that you understand as well, don't you?"
Zakriel's expression changed a few times. All sorts of emotions surged within him.
A few seconds later, the prisoner in the prison cell seemed to have figured something out. His shocked expression slowly faded away.
His shoulders began to tremble.
In the next moment, the long-faced man raised his head. His face was filled with panic and helplessness. He laughed loudly as if he had gone mad.
"Ha, ha, I see!"
For a full ten seconds, Zakriel's laughter echoed in the hall.
"Hahahaha …"
His laughter was filled with sorrow after he was relieved of his burden. It also seemed to contain pain that could not be resolved. It made the puzzled Thales feel uncomfortable.
"Hahaha …"
In the end, Zakriel's broken laughter slowly disappeared.
He knelt on the ground, slowly closed his eyes, and let out a cry filled with regret and pain.
"Your Majesty … Your Majesty!"
Thales furrowed his eyebrows tightly.
He did not understand.
Zakriel's laughter died away, but another one followed.
"Hahahaha, Aydi the Second, what a great King of Eternal Rule!"
Compared to the Knight of Judgment's pain and panic, this laughter was filled with boldness and grandeur, as if it was the excitement and desire of someone who had seen through the truth.
"What a courageous king!"
The prince and Samel turned their heads in surprise and looked at Ricky, who suddenly laughed. They saw the rare excitement and ecstasy on his face.
'Aydi the Second?
King? '
Thales' puzzlement became more complicated.
"Ricky?" Samel asked tentatively.
But the leader of the Disaster Swords ignored him. Instead, he was immersed in a rare moment of joy and pleasure. His laughter was sonorous.
"Whether it was the King of Renaissance, the Dragon Knight King, the King of Vanguards, or Senior Cadile, these so-called peerless heroes in human history, their achievements, courage, and heroic spirit were not even one ten-thousandth of yours!"
Ricky laughed so hard that he slapped his thigh in delight. It was a stark contrast to Zakriel's pained moans and trembling in the prison.
"Eighteen years ago, eighteen years ago! What a pity, what a pity! "
A rare excitement shone in his eyes, and he said loudly, "Why wasn't I in the Western Peninsula that year? Why didn't I witness this magnificent and crazy scene that made people's hearts surge with excitement?!"
Ricky turned around and looked excitedly at Thales, who did not know what was going on. He extended his arm and pressed down on the prince's shoulder.
Thales grunted. He felt that Ricky did not hold back at all, as if he was so happy that he forgot everything.
The torch shook violently in Ricky's hand, and sparks flew out.
"Child, you should be proud of this!"
Ricky's breathing quickened. He was like an emotional bard who watched the rise and fall of history through the ages. He sighed and said, "Your grandfather was practically the greatest and most fearless supreme king in human history since the Battle of Eradication!"
Thales stared at him in a daze. He sensed the unusual passion in his words, and he could not help but open his mouth to ask.
But Samel was faster than him. The former flag bearer of the Royal Guards asked sternly,
"Zakriel? Ricky? What is going on?
What are you talking about? "
Ricky's laughter slowly disappeared.
He let go of Thales' shoulder and took the paper from the prince's hand, but he did not answer Samel's question.
"Knight of Judgment, let me confirm for the last time." Ricky's expression returned to normal, and he stared solemnly at the dazed Zakriel in the prison cell. "This thing, the so-called Dragon Breaker, when it flowed out of your hands from the treasury eighteen years ago, was it just the Dragon Breaker?"
Zakriel shuddered slightly, as if he had just woken up from a nightmare.
He gave a nervous snort of laughter.
"Hahahahaha." Zakriel's gruff laughter came from his chest, and it was hollow. "Look at the present, think of the past …"
The Knight of Judgment lowered his head and said softly,
"Do you still need confirmation?"
Ricky smiled.
He turned around.
"Samel, let's go," Ricky said casually.
Ricky said casually, but his eyes were filled with unprecedented confidence. "We didn't come here for nothing."
He strode forward, leaving Zakriel behind him.
He remained in the boundless darkness.
But Samel made a low sound.
"Ricky."
The flag bearer raised his head coldly and raised the torch. His tone was filled with dissatisfaction.
"I need an explanation."
Ricky stopped in his tracks.
Thales frowned as he watched the interaction between the two men.
Ricky let out a sigh and turned his head.
"Samel, you are a noble in the capital. Tell me …
"How did we win the Battle of Eradication?"
His expression was indifferent, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly, as if this was just a normal conversation between friends.
Samel was slightly startled at first, then he instinctively said,
"The legendary anti-mystic equipment."
Ricky snapped his fingers, which showed how relaxed he was at that moment.
He turned around and walked closer to Samel, completely ignoring Zakriel, who lowered his head and trembled in the prison cell. It was as if he had already lost his value.
"Yes, for more than six hundred years, as their greatest nemesis, every legendary anti-mystic equipment can seal the calamities."
Ricky said softly,
"But the irony is that every legendary anti-mystic equipment that can seal calamities was forged during the Battle of Eradication with the power of the two most powerful calamities, along with the wisdom of human wizards, as well as countless costs as a foundation."
At that moment, Thales shuddered!
'Wait!
They're talking about … '
A pleasant male voice rang in his mind, awakening memories from not too long ago.
'"Unbeknownst to us, the two Mystics, who had always seemed to stay out of the matter and remained neutral, had long since started working together with the humans and the survivors of the Magic Tower … They created the Mystics' greatest nemesis …" '
'"Legendary anti-mystic equipment."'
In Black Prison, Ricky faced Samel's burning gaze and continued to speak.
"When the war was won, the wizards were wiped out, the two Magic Empresses went their separate ways, the Human Alliance collapsed, and the Calamity Hunters Group, which was famous for a time, disbanded. The limited number of legendary anti-mystic equipment was scattered everywhere with them.
"However, what most people don't know," Ricky said with a cold smile, "Blood Spike and Hellen, the two most powerful calamities who were once on the same side as us, were the creators of the legendary anti-mystic equipment …
"They secretly tampered with their works."
Samel was slightly startled. "Tampered with?"
Thales' breathing quickened, and he subconsciously straightened his body.
Memories of the past seized his mind again.
'"Wait, I thought of a problem … If the legendary anti-mystic equipment is the Mystics' greatest nemesis …
'"What about the Two Empresses? Won't the weapons they created pose a threat to themselves? "'
At that moment, what appeared before Thales' eyes was the elegant smile of the man in blue, as well as his faint gaze, which was suffused with blue light.
'"Good question. You're getting closer to the truth of the world, Your Highness."'
Thales was stunned.
He understood something.
Then, Ricky's faint voice traveled into his ears.
"After the war, the human heroes used tragic facts to prove that all the existing legendary anti-mystic equipment could not seal Blood Spike and Hellen."
In Black Prison, Samel raised his eyebrows slightly.
Ricky smiled and threw down the torch. "That's right. The strongest weapon in the Battle of Eradication could seal almost every Mystic and end the disaster they brought, but it could not hurt their creators. Not even a little bit, not even a little bit."
The torch fell to the ground, and sparks flew. But as it rolled, it gradually dimmed.
It no longer shone or heated up.
"Yes, it makes sense when you think about it. If I were them, why would I do something that would harm others without benefiting myself?"
Ricky raised his head and sighed softly in the much dimmer Black Prison.
"So, Blood Spike and Hellen, the two Magic Empresses, the most powerful Mystics in the world, were exceptions that could not be sealed. They were like two unbreakable taboos that hung over the entire world.
"For many years, no one could control them. They stood above all things, transcended above all else, and forged a terrifying balance in Errol that lasted for seven centuries. All the countries and races were as silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to voice their anger."
As he listened to Ricky's words, Thales' thoughts became more and more agile. There was a hint of shock and understanding in his heart.
The words of his mysterious teacher rang in his ears again.
"But the secret of the legendary anti-mystic equipment has always been in the hands of the Two Empresses. We have no way of knowing.
"This is a shackle that has been pressing on our shoulders for nearly seven hundred years.
"It is still hard to understand."
At that moment, he felt that a lot of the fog that had surrounded him since he came to this world had suddenly cleared up, and many mysteries were easily solved.
He was not the only one who had this thought.
Samel's cheeks twitched slightly.
He seemed to have understood something, and he suddenly raised his head.
"Wait, the Dragon Breaker was not a legendary anti-mystic eighteen years ago … That means …"
Samel's words stopped at the tip of his tongue, and they froze along with his expression.
Ricky threw his head back and laughed. His laughter echoed in the hall.
"Yes, although we don't know the details, if our guess is correct …"
Ricky took a deep breath and lowered his head.
His eyes reflected Samel's torch in the darkness, and they instantly became sharp, like a beast on the hunt.
Ricky gently let go, and the paper with the Dragon Breaker on it slowly slid down.
"Eighteen years ago, the first and only legendary anti-mystic equipment in history that did not come from the hands of the Empress of Magic …
"In Constellation, on the foundation of this Dragon Breaker, it was just barely forged."
His voice was like a bard sitting by the fireside at night. The rhythm was orderly, and the tone was mysterious.
Samel's entire body froze.
As Ricky's words gradually spread out, the atmosphere in Black Prison had never been so terrifying. It was as if they were talking about the most unbearable secret in the world.
Thales watched the paper float in the air a few times before it landed on the stubbornly burning torch on the ground.
"Eighteen years ago, the King of Eternal Rule, Aydi Jadestar the Second, and the Constellation under him recreated the miracle of our ancestors in the Battle of Eradication. They created a forbidden weapon that had never been seen before."
Ricky's voice became fierce and solemn, and there was a faint chill that went straight up Thales' spine.
"A legendary anti-mystic equipment without any trace of the Two Empresses, without any restrictions or restraints."
Tongues of flame licked the Dragon Breaker on the paper, dyeing the rather clear sketch into an unsettling, scorched black.
It was darker and darker than the hue in Black Prison.
"A secret weapon that can completely seal Blood Spike and Hellen …" Ricky's voice was cold.
Ricky's voice traveled out coldly. Every word was accompanied by the soft sound of the paper being burned.
"A weapon that can completely end the terrifying haze that has haunted them for seven centuries …
"The perfect anti-mystic equipment."
* Click. *
The flame trembled slightly, and sparks exploded.
Thales' thoughts were almost frozen. He felt his breathing stop, and his hands and feet were cold.
The Black Prophet's inexplicable attitude.
Asda's fanaticism.
The Duke of the Northern Territory's hysteria before he was imprisoned.
King Nuven's thought-provoking attitude when he told him the truth.
Little Rascal's hesitation before she left.
And … the secret of the Bloody Year.
Countless terrifying answers and questions crept into his mind.
"Of course." Ricky sneered.
"It was also during the Bloody Year, before the Jadestar Royal Family went to Hell's River …
"The ferryman's bell."
In the darkness, the Knight of Judgment's trembling voice rose slowly, "No …"
Thales suddenly felt that his surroundings were so dark, so still, so cold.
Ricky chuckled, and his voice was accompanied by Zakriel's faint sobs.
"It's hard to imagine that Aydi the Second was such a mediocre king who, in the eyes of the people, had neither merits nor demerits, and was almost incompetent."
Ricky's face was covered in layers of shadows in the darkness. As he spoke, his voice was filled with endless lament and mockery, the shadows gradually spread.
"He was probably the first person since the Battle of Eradication who dared to trample on the authority and power of the calamities, and the strength and pride of the Two Empresses at the same time …
"The human king."
* Thud. *
With a soft sound, the torch on the ground burst into the last sparks.
The unusual and peculiar dagger on the drawing paper was completely reduced to ashes.
It shattered inch by inch.
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