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Chapter 169: I Make the Decisions

“I’m saying it’s not for someone like you, who isn’t even alive, to make decisions. And the courtesy extended to those who lived in previous generations ends here.”

Quenite stared at Karyl, seemingly at a loss for words.

“You didn’t make a soul contract with me, so I don’t know how much you can see about me. Honestly, though, I’m tired of life’s meaning myself.”

Karyl crossed his arms.

“No, maybe I’m your senior in that regard.”

“Huh... I can’t believe someone as reckless as you possesses the gauntlets with the spirit of Kalduan, the most serious of the three pillars,” Quenite murmured, shaking her pale head. Everything about her was mysterious, yet Karyl seemed strangely unimpressed.

Although she was a renowned spiritualist who had left a significant mark on history, she was ultimately human. Karyl, having traversed time, could no longer look at things from a normal perspective.

“In the end, it’s just a turtle. Whether it’s serious or just slow, only it knows,” Karyl replied. “I know that the Five Great Artifacts of Blader are related to spirits. I thought I might get a clue about the power of Maktuun or his whereabouts, but...”

He gestured to the sleeping Blue Turtle beside her.

“Kalduan is also a divine beast inheriting the power of the Lord of Rocks, so it could be overlooked as such. But,” he went on, his eyes gleaming, “it’s strange that you’re here. Let’s skip the pleasantries and be honest from now on, okay?”

Karyl then gestured around them.

“It’s beautiful, but not awe-inspiring. Knowing you’re human means nothing to me.”

“...”

“Maybe if you were a god, I’d consider drawing my sword without hesitation.”

Quenite was rendered speechless by Karyl’s audaciousness. She hadn’t waited hundreds of years for this kind of encounter.

“What do you mean, be honest? What are you implying?”

“Exactly what I said. Tell me why you hid in these gauntlets.”

Quenite’s eyes twitched at Karyl’s words.

“It’s amazing to meet a great spiritualist who once dominated alongside Kaye Aesir in a place like this... but the timeline doesn’t match.”

Karyl held up the gauntlets of Kalduan for her to see.

“Blader created the Five Great Artifacts during the Magical Era. In other words, these gauntlets are a thousand years old.”

Karyl pointed at her again.

“But you’re from Kaye Aesir’s era, which was 250 years ago. That means Kalduan’s power was sealed in these gauntlets after it was completed.”

Quenite let out a low gasp.

“Your grand entrance was so overwhelming that there was no time for suspicion, but...”

Karyl shrugged as he kept questioning her.

“You’ve picked the wrong guy. So tell me. Are these gauntlets really Kalduan’s? Did Blader create a pair of gauntlets named after a divine beast that wasn’t even born a thousand years ago?”

“That’s incorrect. The names of the three pillars are passed down through generations.”

“Wow... You realize how absurd and pathetic that excuse sounds, right?” Karyl snorted. “If Kalduan was sealed in these gauntlets during the Magical Era, the divine beast itself would have disappeared. You couldn’t have tamed that turtle 250 years ago.”

Listening to him, Quenite finally burst into a faint laugh.

“Impressive. To think someone can be this calm in a situation like this.”

“This isn’t a life-threatening situation... and I’ve faced so many threats that I’m tired of them.” Karyl shrugged again.

“Let me ask you one thing,” he went on. “Did you resurrect Zarka Hochi as a lich after he was killed by the Platinum Dragon?”

She shook her head.

“I see.”

This time, he didn’t doubt her denial. While it was possible in terms of the timeline, it would be quite strange for a spiritualist like her to master necromancy.

“I came here before that. Zarka Hochi was resurrected by one of those damned people Kaye Aesir mentioned.”

Karyl’s eyebrow twitched at her words.

That means... After Zarka Hochi was killed by Narh Di Maug, one of Kaye Aesir’s comrades resurrected him as a lich...

Quenite’s words implied more than expected, containing a crucial clue.

Zarka Hochi became a lich at least 250 years ago.

If one were to name the most famous necromancer in human history, it would undoubtedly be Wel Bahar, a member of the Assembly of Seven Elders. However, he had lived during the Magical Era, a thousand years ago.

Initially, Karyl thought Wel Bahar had resurrected Zarka after Narh Di Maug killed him.

But if Quenite is telling the truth, the range narrows down. I just need to find the necromancer who made a name for themselves 250 years ago.

Kaye Aesir’s will stated that their names wouldn’t be left in history. However, a necromancer who had resurrected an elf as a lich, rebuilt the Ghost Castle, and maintained their power for centuries must have left traces.

The Antihum Grand Library doesn’t have records older than 500 years, which makes it difficult to trace Wel Bahar’s steps .

The only viable method would be to seek help from the magical city of Azor, which served the Assembly of Seven Elders instead of the Immortal Society.

But if he’s a figure from 250 years ago, that changes things. By then, the Dawn Council and the Immortal Society had already been established.

What Karyl was searching for...

The two unknown companions of Kaye Aesir.

Until now, there hadn’t been any clues.

I got lucky.

But he had learned a critical piece of information from an unexpected source. He knew that one of Kaye’s companions had mastered necromancy, and that alone was a significant breakthrough.

As stated in Kaye Aesir’s will, those two must have also left behind legacies.

Karyl looked at Quenite and smirked.

“Fine. The matter of Zarka Hochi isn’t important to our conversation.”

She didn’t even realize just how much information she had given Karyl in their brief conversation. And this wasn’t even the end.

“Quenite,” Karyl said with a smile. “You might be right. Maybe I’m not the right person for these gauntlets. If you don’t want me to use them, I won’t”

“...”

She frowned slightly.

“Are you saying you’ll find a more suitable owner?”

“Possibly. In fact, I already have someone more fitting in mind.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Quenite nodded at his words.

“Hmm, it seems like you don’t fully get it.”

“...What?”

“What I’m saying is that the fate of these gauntlets containing Kalduan’s spirit, which you treasure so much, is in my hands.”

Karyl finally voiced what he had been holding back.

“I decide whether this pair of gauntlets becomes a legendary weapon in history or ends up discarded as trash in a sewer somewhere.”

“...What do you mean?”

If there was something to be gained, he would squeeze every last drop. That was Karyl’s way.

“So let’s make a deal. I’ll keep my earlier promise. In return, you tell me what I want to know.”

“What you want...?”

“Do you know the whereabouts of the last of Blader’s Five Great Artifacts? Or are the two other beasts sealed away like Kalduan?”

Contrary to his expectations, Quenite shook her head.

“I don’t know either. During my era, Kalduan was the only one of the three pillars. But who knows? Divine beasts are as shrouded in mystery as spirits. Even if their power hasn’t manifested in this world, their lineage might still exist somewhere...”

Karyl, slightly disappointed by her answer, asked again, “Hmm, then what about the original power of the gauntlets related to the Lord of Rocks? You’ve made contracts with the Five Great Spirit Kings, so you should know.”

Quenite looked at Karyl and smiled. Somehow, her gentle smile resembled that of an adult watching a child’s antics, making Karyl frown slightly.

“You’re thinking of everything, which speaks to how exceptional you are, but it can also wear you down. As for the Spirit Kings, Ramine knows better than I do. But if he hasn’t told you, he must have his reasons.”

Oong...

A glowing sphere formed in Quenite’s hand.

“He must consider it too soon for you to meet them. Spirits are not your servants. They coexist with you, and you can’t choose them by yourself.”

“Ah, I see. I guess you’re right, being a spiritualist.”

Quenite was rather unsettled by Karyl’s straightforward acceptance.

“Then how about this? This is your specialty. Tell me how to master spirit power.”

Karyl didn’t give up. If he had wished for leisure and tranquility, he wouldn’t have gone back in time to start all this.

“I want to open the door to the Spirit Realm. You should know how to activate the Soul Spring.”

“That’s hilarious. Rushing won’t solve anything. Likewise, shortcuts won’t get you anywhere. To gain spiritual power, you must simply build up your harmony with nature over a long time. Besides, as a spirit, I can’t teach you spells.”

“Ridiculous. Humans can only live for about a hundred years. If what you say is true, then woodsmen living in forests or fishermen spending their lives at sea should be the greatest spiritualists,” Karyl shot back.

“But they aren’t, are they? The greatest spiritualist of the century is you, not some woodsman or fisherman. Even if it’s talent, every genius has some concrete methods.”

His eyes glinted with determination.

“I’m not asking you to teach me here. I’m asking you to show me your cards. Surely you’ve left something behind?”

“...”

“Since it’s still unknown, I assume it hasn’t been found yet.”

In his past life, Karyl had met many sages. In his current life, he had seen the legacies left behind by those even greater.

Kaye Aesir, Allen Javius...

Their common trait was the desire to leave behind their knowledge for future generations. Karyl was sure that a great spiritualist like Quenite wouldn’t be any different.

“The Spirit Power Compendium you compiled.”

“...”

Quenite’s eyes twitched as she looked at him.

“You wouldn’t have wanted the compendium to get lost and disappear. You must have hidden it somewhere. Just tell me where it is.”

Karyl stepped closer to her and continued in a soft voice, “Think about it. It’s not a request or a plea. It’s a... transaction between equals.”

***

The gentle breeze disappeared, and Karyl opened his eyes in the blank, white space of the interdimensional void. Quenite, with whom he had just been conversing, and Kalduan, who had appeared merely as an apparition, were no longer visible.

[I sometimes can’t tell if you\'re a villain or a hero,] Ramine\'s voice echoed.

Ramine was astounded by how audaciously Karyl had negotiated with the great spiritualist who deserved nothing but respect. In fact, calling that whole exchange a negotiation was laughable.

After all, the gauntlets from the treasury weren’t even Karyl’s to begin with. From her perspective, it probably seemed like a threat.

[If you die, it’s over. Whether you\'re a hero or a villain, you need to stay alive to change the future.]

“I’ll do whatever it takes,” Karyl murmured as he walked through the fading light. “ After all, she’s just a remnant of the past. You think it’s right for the ruins of the past to mess with the lives of the living?”

It was a bold but satisfying answer. Ramine found Quenite’s assessment of Karyl to be spot on. She hadn’t referred to the nature of Karyl’s magic but rather his nature as a person. He was like a flame that didn’t belong anywhere, a self-sustaining fire, the same impression Ramine had when he first met Karyl.

[But it was reckless. Did you consider she might simply give up on the gauntlets?]

“I was sure she wouldn’t. She sealed Kalduan in the gauntlets because it was the most fitting sanctuary with the earth element. Then why do you think she sealed the Blue Turtle in the gauntlets?”

Karyl gazed at the gauntlets in his hands before continuing, “That’s because it was the last remaining divine beast.”

[Haha...]

“It’s not just because she\'s a spiritualist that she’s so obsessed with divine beasts. There\'s a specific reason she didn’t reveal to me. Probably... I’ll find out when I go to that place she mentioned.”

[You’re going even if I try to stop you?]

Karyl nodded at Ramine\'s words.

[Of course. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have done something so foolish. I went up against a divine beast and the greatest spiritualist in history.]

Karyl showed his shaking hand to Ramine.

“I don’t know if you noticed, but that took a lot out of me.”

[Was it that intense? I didn’t think you could feel fear.]

“Yeah. It was that intense.”

Upon closer inspection, Ramine noticed that not just Karyl’s arm, but his entire body was trembling slightly.

“Honestly, it’s amazing. Spirit power, that is,” Karyl remarked, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

“Ramine, I admit it. Your power is too alluring to give up. I thought gaining magic power would be enough, but...”

Ramine’s flames circled around Karyl, as if waiting for his next words.

With a deep sigh, Karyl made up his mind and declared, “I will make all of you mine.”