Chapter 705: Act 64 – Before Departure
Brendel and Nemeses returned to the camp in the early hours of the morning. The faint light of dawn began to rise, the stars fading into the western sky, and the horizon turned pale. A line of gold was forming over the lake as the first rays of morning light broke through the surface.
As they stepped out of the forest, a joyful shout rang out: “Senior Sister Nemeses, Brendel!”
Upon hearing this voice, Brendel looked up to see Freya bathed in the morning light, sitting on a high rock. She was the first to spot them. Hugging her knees, she rubbed her red eyes, suggesting she hadn’t slept all night, but the worry etched on her face eased when she saw them.
He offered a slight smile. Although his mind was still caught up in the series of events from the previous night, seeing this girl from Buche’s countryside brought a warm sense of familiarity.
“Are you on night watch again?”
Freya jumped down from the rock, her expression a bit awkward as she felt shy about admitting her worry. She nodded and mumbled an affirmative. But Nemeses couldn’t be fooled by that; she cast a glance at her.
Freya’s cheeks flushed slightly as she looked at Brendel. “Was it smooth sailing?” Everyone knew that Brendel and Nemeses had entered the forest to hunt for crystal deer. Though most people had never heard of such a creature, she was still curious about his empty-handed return.
In Freya’s impression, there was nothing he couldn’t accomplish. In her mind, he was that inexplicable reserve militiaman from Buche, but also the young noble who led everyone through adversity, and later, he became Duke Toniger, helping Her Highness defeat Duke Anlek and Duke Siphai.
Now, the Earl of Toniger before her had become a figure of undeniable power in Erluin. Even characters like Makarolo and Sir Overwell, who once towered in her eyes, dared not act superior in his presence.
The princess trusted him, and there were even rumors outside that he was a new aristocrat of the kingdom, a future power figure. But it was Brendel’s lack of pretentiousness that made her feel a slight closeness.
Yet, she remained dissatisfied—didn’t this guy know he was already an earl? In her mind, an earl should be serious and solemn, so seeing Brendel’s carefree demeanor irked her a little. But she quickly softened, comforting him, “It’s okay, I think there’s still a chance—I’ve looked at the map, and it takes several days to pass through the Anlaser Forest.”
Brendel watched this future Valkyrie mumble in front of him, unable to suppress a laugh. “What are you thinking? Did I say I failed?”
“Ah?” Freya was momentarily stunned.
Brendel particularly enjoyed seeing this future Valkyrie lost in thought, her mouth slightly agape in surprise. He smiled again, “Do you know why I went to hunt the crystal deer?”
Freya shook her head; how would she know? Nobles enjoyed hunting, and to her, it all seemed like extravagant hobbies. Besides, winter hunting activities in Golan-Elsen certainly had no connection with the ordinary citizens of Buche.
Brendel smirked slightly, wanting this dazed girl to be shocked. He extended his hand palm up, and a strand of silver flame began to rise along his palm, slowly weaving upward. The silver flames were like fine threads, intertwining to form a beautiful spiral.
Freya’s eyes widened at this sight; she was no longer the ignorant countryside girl. Before the Black Rose War, the most formidable beings in her imagination were the cavalry scouts in stories told by the veteran leader Mano. In those tales, the cavalry scouts could stand toe-to-toe with the pale riders of Madara, with thrilling battles and flanking maneuvers that left every listener breathless.
But later, she understood that even the most elite soldiers in those legions were merely at the peak of black iron strength. Even a lord’s guard knights were only at the silver level, much like her now. In just a year and a half, she had surpassed her past aspirations—
It was said that this autumn, Her Highness would personally knight their group of cadets. Before this, Freya would never have dreamed she could become a noble in her lifetime.
But none of that compared to her astonishment now.
Because the silver flame burning in Brendel’s hand was none other than the spark of the laws, the thread of law. In the world of Vaunte, those who could invoke elements were seen as having crossed the boundaries of the mundane, standing at the starting point toward sages and truth.
These individuals were all names etched in history.
Yet Brendel was only twenty-one years old.
“Brendel, this is…” Freya furrowed her brow, her expression holding both joy for Brendel and a hint of worry. She was concerned that Brendel seemed to step forward while she remained stagnant, fearing she would someday fall behind him, left far behind.
Brendel had once said he would wait for her, but how long would he actually wait? She recalled that he had also mentioned he could not indefinitely pause in place. Freya’s heart was suddenly an amalgam of feelings.
Brendel seemed unaware of the hesitation in this girl from Buche; he merely nodded encouragingly at her.
“You really have invoked the elements… but… I remember the heroes in the ‘History of Erluin’, like Duke Uralno, Lord Thornflower…” Freya stared at him, as if a being surpassing the heroes of history had appeared before her, making it hard for her to accept: “Even your grandfather Darus didn’t invoke the elements at such a young age…”
“None before me did, Freya—” Brendel interjected.
The young man’s confidence, even slightly arrogant words, caused Freya to pause. In the girl’s memory, Brendel had never displayed such pride.
Not far away, Laurena and her fiancé Phillas stepped out from the camp, stopping to observe this scene. Their gazes fell upon Brendel.
Among everyone, only Nemeses glanced at Brendel with indifference.
Brendel looked at Freya without responding, but the words in his heart seemed to have been hidden for a long time. The late king Eke once established Erluin, and in that era, what he had to protect was this kingdom. His enemies were the Crusian, or the wind elves of Saint Ausoor—
All those gathered under that radiant banner experienced that war; everything the ancient nobility fought for now lay beneath their feet.
Yet to this day, Erluin had endured too much suffering. Perhaps he, like Nemeses, once had a strange dream—seeing the decaying kingdom slipping into the abyss, her people fighting desperately, only to end up with nothing.
As if sensing his gaze, Nemeses nervously shifted her body, furrowing her delicate brows.
But Brendel’s gaze had already passed over her, as though looking across Lake Valenden. He saw in the far west a dark, emerging empire slowly rising. This war would become an opportunity; that cold and ruthless emperor would clear the last stumbling block.
Then next, his scepter would point toward Erluin. The great tide of magic approached fiercely; the crystal deer Malor had sensed was merely the tip of the iceberg. The darkness of the entire world stirred restlessly; after the eternal night, true turmoil would descend upon this world.
At that time, how should Erluin position itself? That was content never recorded in history, but at the very least, this time he hoped those who fought to change fate would see their sacrifices have greater value. If history forgot those nameless heroes, he would change that history.
He suddenly realized that this was his mission. He came to this world not to live an anonymous life, nor to once again be a spectator. Some regrets were enough to experience just once. He withdrew his gaze, as if suddenly understanding Martha’s intentions. Sacrifice is valuable, stemming from people’s pursuits and ideals. They may fail, but in the end, they will impact and change this world.
Such influence had always remained in his heart.
The late king Eke only sought to change the arrogance of the nobility; what he sought to change—was history.
Brendel smiled at Freya: “You will understand. Go wake the others; we are preparing to set off.” He kept the last part of his words to himself—Lady Valkyrie.
Freya looked at him, half-believing, ready to turn away, but suddenly seeming to come to an understanding. She turned back and looked at Brendel: “Brendel… can I keep up with you?”
Brendel glanced at the experience crystal left in his portable ring and nodded at her.
“Those with conviction will never fall behind.”
Freya was momentarily taken aback, but then she firmly nodded. She suddenly remembered her aspiration, like the wildflowers blooming in the fields of Buche, ordinary yet resilient, even the wildfires of midsummer could not burn them all away. Those flowers bloomed amid the pine-clad mountains, leaving a lasting impression.
The girl’s wish was similarly simple; she wanted to protect everyone, ensuring those memories bathed in peace and beauty would no longer be ravaged by the flames of war.
Brendel watched as the girl from Buche turned to leave. He turned back to see Laurena and Phillas standing nearby, the Valkyrie gazing at him with admiration.
“Mister Brendel, those with conviction will never fall behind—did you really mean that?” Her eyes sparkled as she asked cheerfully.
“If you persist, how can you back down?” Brendel casually replied.
“But reality is not flawless.”
“Which is why some are called heroes.”
“Are you quite a hero, Mister Brendel?” Her straightforward words surprised the Valkyrie.
“If that is a beautiful definition, why not pursue it?”
“I see—” Laurena frowned slightly.
“But I would rather be a demon king—” Brendel continued.
The knight blinked in confusion, looking at him.
“Because sometimes you must stand against the whole world.”
Laurena took a deep breath and nodded respectfully at him. “I hope you can persevere, Lord Earl.” Then, it seemed she murmured to herself, “I hope I can too—”
……
The news of Brendel’s invocation of the elements finally spread through the caravan. If before, many regarded Brendel’s swordsmanship as reaching the level of a sword saint, now he could truly be considered a genuine sword saint.
Since the last Darus retired, Erluin finally had its second sword saint in nearly a hundred years. A young sword saint, Brendel’s prestige within the caravan, especially among the guards, seemed to reach its peak in an instant.
Brendel had jokingly mentioned his title—like ‘Trendsetter’ Gherlok, or Flame Nicholas. A sword saint who had invoked the elements was already qualified to be honored by the world.
However, Nemeses simply reminded him that, in fact, after the battle of Ampere Seale, he had gained a resounding name.
The Wolf Shepherd—
Wolf Shepherd Brendel.
Duke Anlek’s gaunt face, with deep-set eyes that were weary yet keen, quietly surveyed the sheepskin map in his hand, while his mind repeatedly evaluated this name.
Months of feedback had made him realize the behind-the-scenes figure causing the entire Ampere Seale plan to fail. This bandit leader from Toniger, who had appeared to be nameless before, revealed his brilliance in Ridenburg like a comet.
His methods seemed crude, reminiscent of bandits, hardly fitting into the nobility’s eyes. Even the northern nobility once jested that this new lord of Toniger was a rustic upstart.
Many envied his fortune in private.
Yet Anlek didn’t necessarily think this way; could the grandson of sword saint Darus be so simple? He had personally witnessed that sword saint, and the impression left at the time still sent chills down his spine.
Moreover, he had begun to notice some details; that Earl of Toniger seemed to have a knack for anticipating the enemy’s moves.
A prime example was—
This time, he was following them again.
Duke Anlek frowned; a commotion arose in the distance. He raised his head, the graceful female knight suddenly noticing the discontent of this powerful figure who once held immense power in Erluin’s upper nobility, quickly explaining in a low voice: “Those hunters seem unwilling to continue—”
“They still think there is a terrible curse in the Frostbite Forest; they’re just foolish men,” the knight added.
Anlek frowned, coldly responding, “Dejyar is truly disappointing; it only takes one person to lead.”
Siphai raised an eyebrow but quickly reacted. She lowered her head and obediently replied, “Understood, my lord.”
The silver knight glanced toward the forest, unable to suppress a shake of her head—some just did not know when to quit.
……
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