Chapter 208

500 years ago, among the numerous countries scattered across the world.

When it came to the prestigious nobles of the Horn Kingdom, everyone would mention Duke Ezwill. He possessed such great fame and authority that his status surpassed even that of the kingdom’s king.

Anyone who received even a single favorable glance from him was granted a position. Anyone who was once criticized by his mouth was expelled from the court.

His residence was larger than the palace, and the number of people coming and going was even greater. His status was so high that even the crown prince would visit him to pay respects.

People who sought to rise in status by catching his attention overflowed like autumn leaves. Among them were many dressed in fine clothes and riding horses.

No one paid attention to the small, ragged boy. In fact, it would have been better if they hadn’t, but some took a bad interest in him.

There were always those who couldn’t rest unless they were tormenting someone. Every time they met the boy, they would hit his head and kick him. Sometimes, they even tricked him.

Yet, the boy never drew the sword he carried. He didn’t even utter a single curse word to anyone. He never lost his temper despite all the torment. Even his tormentors grew tired of it.

“That kid doesn’t seem like the type to cause trouble.”

His calmness stood out instead. On a rainy day, an old man approached the boy who stood in the rain without seeking shelter.

The old man had been watching the boy and saw no signs of him causing trouble. The old man smiled.

“How about working as a servant for the Duke’s household?”

“Duke Ezwill,”

The boy, after briefly looking into his eyes, spoke without hesitation.

“I’ve heard that he can kill the living, revive the dead, turn the rich into the poor, and the poor into the rich. Is that true?”

“It’s true.”

Well, except for one thing.

Feeling mischievous, the old man admitted it was all true. The boy nodded without a hint of doubt.

“Then I want to work.”

“Kid, why did you come to the Duke at such a young age? To become rich? To gain power?”

“I want to know the truth of the heavens.”

The old man made a strange expression at the boy’s words. He scratched his head. The truth of the heavens? Who could know that? The Duke wouldn’t even know such a thing, nor would he care.

The world is full of things that deceive people. Shining gold, dazzling power, beautiful women who can provide pleasure. Why would the Duke, who holds all of that in his hands, desire such things?

“If you want to know the truth of the heavens, let’s do this.”

The old man smiled at the boy. Half-jokingly, half-seriously.

“Ten years. Work as a servant for the household for ten years without any reward, and the Duke will tell you what you seek.”

The boy didn’t hesitate.

He simply nodded.

“By the way, what’s your name?”

“Heron.”

There was no trace of hesitation in his eyes.

“Heron, huh?”

“I’m Valin, the head servant. Welcome to becoming a servant of the household.”

The old man clicked his tongue. Still, it wouldn’t be bad for the boy.

Even without a king, he’d at least be fed. In these times, having a place to eat and sleep is something to be grateful for.

*****

The villagers’ gossip led him here. Indeed, the rumors were true. Duke Ezwill was exactly as they said.

The powerful came and went like fish seeking water. Guests in silk robes offered dazzling jewels as gifts.

Everyone who came here bowed their heads before him. So, the boy believed. Without a hint of doubt, he believed in the ten-year promise. He worked with all his heart and soul.

There was no need for calculations. He didn’t seek personal gain. He had no interest in embezzling the household’s funds. After working like this for several years, he naturally caught the attention of his superiors.

“That boy Heron is quite diligent, isn’t he?”

Even Regilarg, the butler who held the highest authority among the servants, heard of him. Of course, it was just a passing interest. No matter how hard he worked, a servant was still a servant.

Other servants cut corners because working hard didn’t get them anywhere. They secretly laughed at Heron.

But they didn’t torment him. Having a friend who worked like an ox made things easier for them.

Regardless, the boy’s faith remained unshaken. It didn’t waver at all. Even if it didn’t move people, he believed in the blatant lie.

He still didn’t know the truth of the heavens. But he wasn’t too worried. He simply thought his sincerity wasn’t enough.

‘The heavens.’

He still looked up at the sky whenever he had time. He strove to uncover the secrets held within that vast sky.

‘And me.’

Three years passed like this. The boy was still a child, but he had grown noticeably. His steps had changed. Unconsciously, his every move aligned with the forces around him.

He had stared at the sky for three years. His focused mind had reached somewhere.

The sky, which he thought was empty, was actually a collection of countless forces. The sun and moon. The stars. Lightning and clouds. Light and darkness. All these elements combined to form the sky.

Had his heart reached the desire to understand the sky?

When he reached out, it felt like he could grasp the energy filling the sky. It wasn’t an illusion. Something cool brushed past his fingertips. He didn’t know what it was, even as he faced it.

‘Is this the secret of the heavens?’

The thing that fills the void of this world. An endless source of something.

The boy had his first encounter with magical power. When it happened didn’t matter. Magical power is everywhere, and people live within it.

Everything between heaven and earth has the right to reach out to magical power. The boy simply realized he had that right.

He didn’t awaken to it all at once today. He had been gradually awakening over the past three years. Perhaps even before he became a servant in this household.

Now, the infinite sky was right before him. It felt like if he reached out, he could leap into the air. The boy marveled. Ten years? He had grasped a part of the sky’s secret in just three.

What more could he learn in ten years? He had never met Duke Ezwill, but the boy didn’t doubt. He simply believed. His belief reached the heavens.

*****

One day, rain poured down heavily. Thunder and lightning struck, and raindrops pounded the earth. The boy no longer worried about getting wet. He had learned to resonate with the sky.

Crack!

Lightning struck, avoiding him, and the raindrops changed their course to miss him. He had learned to move without disrupting the sky’s flow. It was like walking between raindrops, moving without a hat yet remaining completely dry.

Everything depends on how people use it. A carpenter uses an axe to cut wood, but a doctor heats the axe to cauterize wounds.

A mage uses magical power to cast spells. A swordsman refines magical power into power techniques. But that’s not all magical power is used for. It has so many uses.

The vast flow between heaven and earth. The way of the world. The energy between heaven and earth. That was the true nature of magical power as the boy saw it. In fact, he didn’t even know others called it magical power.

And he didn’t need to.

The boy still hadn’t found what he wanted to know.

Crash!

A mountain suddenly rumbled, and a pile of earth collapsed. It was fortunate it was an uninhabited mountain; if it had hit a village, it would have caused great damage. A landslide occurred, and part of the mountain collapsed.

After seeing all that and waking up the next day, the servants were in an uproar. People were making a fuss about a huge cliff that had appeared overnight.

-If someone falls from that cliff and survives, I’ll gladly pay a large sum.

That’s how the world works. It was just a cliff. No one died, so it couldn’t even be called a disturbance.

Yet, while heaven and earth are so quiet, people make things noisy. A single remark Duke Ezwill made overnight set the servants’ hearts racing.

But it was just a joke. The servants who climbed the cliff were all horrified and had to retreat. The height far exceeded what humans fear most, to the point where the ground was no longer visible.

‘Is that the means to understand the secret of the heavens?’

The boy showed interest. Without hesitation, he began to climb the mountain.

To realize the truth, he didn’t hesitate. He could give up anything. He was so thirsty for the truth that he could offer his own body for a single word of wisdom.

He firmly believed in Duke Ezwill. He was convinced there was a deeper meaning behind his words.

Now, it was time to find out what that meaning was.