Once again, my younger brother’s face came to mind.
虽躺在床上已经夜深，却怎么也睡不着。
我仅仅听着躺在旁边床的Kevin均匀的呼吸声。
这很奇怪。
最近，Edgar’s的面容总是不自觉地浮现。
因烦闷的心情，我从床上起身。
虽然听见Kevin翻了个身，所幸他并未醒来。
我悄悄穿好衣服，走出了门外。
The morning air was cold.
To clear my mind, I headed towards the open space at the edge of the village.
There, practicing swordsmanship might help organize my thoughts.
From afar, the sound of a blade slicing through the air could be heard.
Shh… Shishh…
It was a sharp and clean sound.
Someone was undoubtedly practicing swordsmanship there.
Approaching carefully, I saw the silhouette of a woman under the moonlight.
The greatsword’s arc, reflecting the moonlight, danced like a silver ribbon through the air.
Is that Havell? At this hour?
Looking closely, it was indeed Havell.
Gradually, her figure swinging the greatsword came into view under the moonlight.
Her usual arrogant expression was nowhere to be found; she was practicing with a serious face.
The greatsword illuminated gently under the moonlight.
Sweat beads on Havell’s forehead sparkled like crystal in the light.
Her swordsmanship was incredible.
Seeing her wield the heavy greatsword as effortlessly as a feather conveyed an overwhelming aura.
Not a single superfluous movement.
Perfect sense of balance.
This is the skill of an A-class adventurer.
A pang struck my chest.
An A-class adventurer.
Even though she has already reached that level, to practice so earnestly at dawn…
And me… have I really been giving my all?
Though I’ve improved quite a bit recently, staying in the C-class for seven years might not have been a coincidence after all.
Just as I was about to turn away, Havell stopped her sword, perhaps sensing my presence.
“What’s the matter at this time?”
Though her usual quarrelsome tone, something was different from before.
Her attitude had subtly changed since meeting Lycoris.
She didn’t seem as sharp-tongued as before.
“I apologize. I couldn’t sleep…”
“Worries?”
That sharp intuition.
I nodded.
“Then will you practice with me?”
“Me?”
“Swordsmanship. It’s better together than alone, isn’t it?”
I couldn’t believe it.
Havell suggesting to practice together?
Something that would’ve never happened before.
After hesitating, Havell spoke, her sword on her shoulder:
“Why so surprised? Just because you’re C-class doesn’t mean I’m looking down on you. I just…”
Before she finished her sentence, it happened.
A fleeting light split the darkness.
A streak of intense light rose from the Shia Kalt Mountain Range.
It looked like a thin thread but was more intense than the moonlight, purer than the starlight.
“That’s…”
Havell mumbled in confusion, but I knew.
That light, I had heard about it countless times from father.
The Hindga Family’s secret skill.
The swordsmanship that burns one’s life force to gain immense power for a short time.
Though I never managed to master it, Edgar surely did…
Edgar must have mastered it by now.
My heart raced.
That’s Edgar’s light.
Could it be that his recent appearances in my thoughts were related to this?
“Wait! Where are you going!?”
Havell’s call fell on deaf ears.
Instinctively, I ran toward the light.
“Bryann!!”
Havell caught up and grabbed my shoulder.
“I need to go where that light came from.”
“Why suddenly?”
“That’s… The Hindga Family’s secret skill.”
“Hindga? The noble family of Genes?”
I nodded.
“I was originally… The eldest son of the Hindga Family.”
Havell momentarily halted her steps.
“Then that light…”
“It’s my younger brother.”
No further explanation was needed.
Havell silently followed behind.
Anxiety tightened my chest as I climbed the mountain.
Though my breath was near breaking point, I couldn’t stop.
The Hindga Family’s secret skill was akin to staking one’s life.
Edgar, you must have been in a desperate situation to use it…
Havell’s footsteps behind strangely brought comfort.
Though silent, whenever my steps faltered, her slight reach of her arm seemed to offer support.
Though unexecuted in reality.
“Shall we… rest a bit?”
Havell asked nonchalously.
Worry in her voice trying to stay hidden was evident.
“I’m fine.”
Though I replied, my voice trembled.
Was it my physical limit, or the worry over brother?
…
I ran and ran.
The cold morning air of pre-dawn felt like it was cutting into my lungs.
Breath was near the ceiling but I couldn’t stop.
Finally, as we reached the location of the light, the entrance of the Dami Palace was in sight.
‘Please…’
A fervent prayer came forth.
But reality was different from prayers.
“Edgar!”
I couldn’t open my eyes.
Armor vanished, only a torn piece of cloth remained.
Body frozen completely, his pale skin was like frosted marble.
Deep wounds were still bleeding.
The sight of his red blood dripping on the white snow was disturbingly clear.
More shocking was his breathing.
As a cost of using the Hindga Family’s secret skill, his breath was as weak and irregular as that of a hundred-year-old elderly.
The frozen blue veins under his skin were visible.
As if his very life force had frozen solid.
Was it a side effect of the secret skill combined with severe cold?
Instantly, my childhood memories came up.
The time I first held a sword, teaching young Edgar to grasp the stance together.
Back then, he was just a pesky little brother following me around…
But now, I realized how precious those days were.
To meet my younger brother in this manner after seven years…
The little boy famed as a prodigy, who confidently strode about back then, was now groaning at the brink of death.
As a brother, I had done nothing for him, yet here I was meeting him in this state.
My eyes burned.
“Edgar…”
Reaching out, I touched Edgar’s face.
It was cold.
Too cold it felt like my heart had stopped.
I could see Edgar’s lips quiver.
He was still alive.
But for how long?
My senses went hazy.
Then Havell’s voice reached me.
“Snap out of it!”
Havell took out a potion that glowed red.
Intermediate Life Recovery Potion.
The shimmering red liquid in the bottle seemed alive, rippling.
I could see Havell’s hand was trembling slightly.
Was she nervous too?
“Open your mouth.”
Havell carefully dripped the potion into Edgar’s lips, one drop at a time.
My heart pounded with every drop.
Please… please be effective.
But the effect was minimal.
Though the pale complexion seemed slightly improved, he still looked precarious.
Checking Edgar’s pulse with my fingertips.
It was getting weaker.
In such a state, even Marianne wouldn’t be able to help, not to mention the Holy Maiden.
A sense of despair overwhelmed me.
“Let’s head to Lycoris.”
I looked up at Havell’s words.
“With Lycoris’ recovery powder, he might make it.”
Havell… believing in Lycoris?
Havell who was wary of Lycoris till last time…
But she was right.
Lycoris’ powder had miraculous restorative power.
That mysterious being we met atop the mountain a while back.
I recalled the story told by the Hero and the Holy Maiden after they met Lycoris.
Lycoris had relocated deeper into the Dami Palace, and Prostia had also vacated her post.
I was currently right at the entrance of the Dami Palace.
Lifting my gaze, I looked at Havell.
“Havell, will you kindly inform my comrades that I’ve entered the Dami Palace?”
Before I finished my sentence, Havell looked at me incredulously.
“What? You expect me to just relay the message? I’m obviously going with you.”
“But, you’ve already come this far up the mountain, that’s more than enough. I’m grateful…”
“If you go alone, you’re obviously going to die.”
Havell’s tone was curt, but there was worry beneath it.
Cold air enveloped my body the moment we stepped into the Dami Palace.
The ice-covered walls exuded a freezing aura, and our footstep echoed through the empty void.
Drip… Drip…
The sound of water drops occasionally came from afar.
The bloodstains split into two paths.
One was staggering, the other seemed to have supported someone.
One must be Edgar’s and the other an unknown person’s.
Thankfully, no monsters were seen.
We should have encountered at least ten at this depth, maybe the influence of Lycoris?
Or is there another reason?
It wasn’t easy carrying Edgar step by step.
The cold emanating from my younger brother’s body was too strong.
It was like carrying a block of ice; my entire body trembled.
“Give him here.”
Havell suddenly offered her hand.
“I can handle…”
“I can see you’re already trembling.”
Though Havell was trembling from the cold as well, her handling of Edgar was surprisingly gentle.
No trace of her usual roughness.
Carefully and slowly, we advanced.
The deeper we went into the dungeon, the darker it became.
Even though it must have been sunrise outside, this place was still pitch-black,
Thankfully, no monsters were seen.
We should have encountered at least ten at this depth.
At that moment, Havell suddenly stopped.
“Wait, didn’t your brother get hurt by Lycoris?”
I shook my head.
“Lycoris cannot use ice attacks. She controls root attacks and various flower powder abilities, but…”
“Wait, isn’t there the ice bugs Lycoris manages?”
Skeptically, I scrutinized Edgar once more.
There were suspicious small wounds, but most were large.
Wounds that Lycoris’ bugs could not inflict.
“No, look at these wounds. Even Lycoris’ largest bugs are only palm-sized and cannot cause such big wounds. This is more like… the doing of something much larger…”
“Come to think of it, you’re right. These torn wounds… can’t be explained by normal monster sizes…”
“Then could it be that Prostia has returned?”
Havell’s voice tensed.
“That is even less likely. If Prostia was encountered… there would be no chance of escaping alive.”
As soon as I finished speaking, a chill ran down my spine.
Then, who…?
…
We followed the blood trail deep inside when Havell suddenly stopped.
“Hush.”
Her sharp gaze pierced through the darkness.
“Someone is coming from behind.”
Soon, voices reached our ears.
Human voices.
What are other people doing in this deep dungeon besides us?
…
…
