Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Aslan Winterbell?

Wasn’t that the name of the founding head of the Winterbell Ducal Family?

“Young Master? Are you feeling unwell?”

Apparently, Cecil couldn’t see what I was seeing.

【What’s this? You’re not Aslan Winterbell, are you? You’re not him, so how can you wield the same power? Who are you?】

A pure white whale floated gently in the air.

But it was only the size of my fist.

【Unbelievable. Don’t tell me you don’t even know who I am? Though I look like this now because of that annoying human Aslan, I originally possessed a size grand enough to cover half the great sea.】

Could this thing read my thoughts too?

【Of course it can. You’re holding that sword, after all. It's only natural. I suppose it's been long enough that humans no longer recognize even me...】

And just what exactly are you?

【Hahaha! So you finally ask. I am none other than the king of all magical beasts since the beginning of time, the great white whale born to devour all things in this world. The mighty Behemoth of Gluttony!】

Behemoth?

Did it mean the mythical white whale beast?

【Yes! I am that very Behemoth!】

A divine-level magical beast.

The Behemoth of Gluttony.

A massive creature in the form of a white whale that had existed since the mythological age—an ancient catastrophe.

It was said to grow larger the more it consumed, and there was even a prophecy that it would eventually devour the entire world.

But why had such a great beast appeared before me in this form?

【That’s because Aslan sealed me inside this worn-out sword. If that bastard hadn’t been one of the five Deus, I’d never have ended up trapped like this! He said he’d release me in twenty years, but where the hell did he go?!】

Aslan Winterbell was dead.

And he’d been so for roughly 900 years now.

【…Aslan is dead? Then I’ve been sealed inside this damn sword for 900 years?!】

That’s about right.

【There’s no way that guy, who had long since surpassed human limits, could have died... Then you—are you a descendant of Aslan? You seem to be wielding the same Makina as he did. So, did Aslan pass down his Makina to his descendants? No... I don’t sense the Ice one among the two Makina he used.】

If what this tiny white whale said was true, then Duke Aslan, the founding head of the Winterbell family, had been a Deus who possessed two Makina. But currently, only the Primordial Ice had been passed down through the Winterbell family heads.

There were two possibilities.

The first: Aslan had directly passed the Aether Makina to someone else.

The second: someone had stolen one of Aslan’s Makina, and when his descendant reclaimed it, only the Ice one remained.

The first possibility didn’t make much sense, and the second one seemed far-fetched.

Either way, it didn’t answer any of the questions I had now.

‘The being sealed within this worn sword is none other than the mythical beast Behemoth, and the one who sealed it was my ancestor, Aslan Winterbell. And he was a Deus who possessed two Makina. So far, so good.’

【You catch on quickly. Good. Then, how about making a deal with me, successor of Aslan?】

A deal?

【As I said before, I was defeated by your ancestor Aslan and had my soul bound to this worn-out sword. What’s worse, my source of power was torn into five parts and scattered across the continent. The original agreement I made with Aslan was that he would release me from here after twenty years. After that, I was supposed to assist him in bringing order to the continent, regain my original power, and become the guardian beast of the Winterbell family.】

I’d assumed they were mortal enemies, considering the head of the house had sealed him personally with Makina, but based on the story, maybe it wasn’t quite like that.

【Indeed… At first, we snarled and fought to kill each other. But in the end, we might’ve become something like what you humans call friends. When he didn’t return even after a long time, I thought he had betrayed me. But it turns out over 800 years have passed already. I wonder what happened to him while I was asleep...】

I get the gist. So then, what exactly is this deal you’re proposing?

【If you help me recover the fragments of my power scattered across the continent, I’ll help you in return. You must want something too, right? That’s why you awakened me, isn’t it?】

Well, I did touch the thing thinking there might be some hidden legendary weapon…

But all I got was a mythical beast who’d lost its power.

Would this really be of any help to me?

At the moment, he didn’t seem much different from me, a half-cripple. By the time we managed to retrieve his scattered power, I’d probably already have reached a decent level myself. I might not even need the power of a magical beast.

Besides, through Behemoth’s story, I’d gained insight into the potential of the Makina I possessed.

‘The founding head was, without a doubt, the strongest transcendent in the long history of the Winterbell family. In fact, even in the continent’s history, if one were to list the five greatest swordsmen, his name would surely be among them.’

The Makina used by the man who had sealed a mythical beast—that was Aether. In other words, Aether held the power to subdue even mythical creatures.

【You fool! Didn’t you say you came here in search of a treasured armament? Well, it’s right in front of your eyes! The Devouring Sword that consumes all—!】

The Devouring Sword, Behemoth…

【That’s right! I, Behemoth, born from infinite hunger, can grow endlessly stronger. In other words, you now possess a weapon that can become infinitely more powerful! Do you really think you’ll ever find a better weapon than this?】

It certainly was intriguing.

But I couldn’t trust him. In the end, what he wanted was to reclaim his lost powers and return to being a mythical beast.

And once that happened, I’d essentially lose the ultimate sword.

【Worry not. If you agree to help me, I swear that I’ll remain your weapon for as long as you live.】

You sure about that? I might become a transcendent and live for over two hundred years, you know?

【It doesn’t matter. The human lifespan is nothing more than a fleeting moment... You think someone who waited 800 years wouldn’t have the patience for something like that?】

‘If I could turn a mythical beast into an ally, it would be a tremendous asset. But that doesn’t mean I can take a beast’s word at face value. In that case…’

Fine.

Let’s make a contract.

But on one condition.

【A condition? Wait—w-what is this?!】

Clang, clang, clang!

The Aether I summoned took the form of chains and pierced into his body.

I had pushed my use of Aether to the limit—if I tried to use any more, I’d likely be bedridden for several days. Still, this had to be done.

‘It’s a safeguard, just in case. Even if you had some kind of past with my ancestor, in the end, you’re still a beast. I don’t know what tricks you might try to pull on me, so I’m placing the bare minimum of restraints on you. Don’t worry. If you prove yourself worthy of trust, I’ll release the chains as well.’

【…Damn it. You’re just as sly as that bastard Aslan! Make sure you keep your word! If I come to trust you, you’d better get rid of these damned chains!】

Of course.

Don’t worry. I always keep my word.

I wasn’t yet skilled enough to fully wield Makina, so the chains I had just formed would likely shatter easily if he regained his strength.

And Behemoth clearly had that same confidence—that once his power returned, something like these chains would be nothing to him. That’s probably why he reacted the way he did.

But he needed to understand something.

He wasn’t the only one who would grow stronger over time.

【You’re still just a hatchling who hasn’t even reached maturity, yet you’re so suspicious. Enough of this nonsense—just keep your promise. I still have things I need to look into.】

.

.

.

“Young Master? Young Master?”

“Huh? Oh—”

“You suddenly just froze like that. Is it really because of this sword?”

“…Ah, no. It’s fine.”

“You’re not forcing yourself while you’re actually feeling unwell, are you?”

“I think I’ll be taking this with me.”

“You’re really going to take that worn-out rusty sword? What is it about this sword? Is there something I don’t know?”

I hesitated for a moment.

Should I tell her? Or keep it to myself?

She had stood by my side when everyone else—family and servants alike—turned their backs on me. Someone like her… maybe I could be honest with her. But...

“I’ll tell you later. Someday.”

“…Understood.”

I couldn’t say anything yet.

I wasn’t sure.

That deep-rooted distrust of people.

Bestia had been like family to me. But in the end, I died at her hands. And I still couldn’t shake that memory.

“It’s okay. You don’t need to force yourself. Just speak when you’re ready. When that time comes, I’ll be here to listen.”

“Thanks, Cecil.”

After that, Cecil and I explored every area except for Zone 4. By the time we reached Zone 3, we’d found several impressive weapons, but having obtained Behemoth, I had no need for any others.

Right now, what I needed most was to strengthen this frail body—to at least reach the physical level of a direct descendant of the Winterbell family within two months.

But no such miraculous elixir existed here that could shorten that time all at once.

So the method I chose was…

“Basilisk blood and two bottles of Elixir. Are you sure this will really be enough?”

“Yes. This will do.”

“The Elixir, maybe… but Basilisk blood is highly poisonous! Why would you use that…?”

I explained to Cecil the plan I intended to follow for the next two months.

As she listened, her face gradually turned pale—until finally, she shouted at me.

“Young Master! Have you lost your mind? Do you really want to die?!”

“Cecil…”

Her reaction was even harsher than I had expected.

To be honest, it was a ridiculous plan. So reckless it could easily be mistaken for a suicide attempt. But no other method came to mind.

Two months.

That was all the time I had left, and this was the only way to forge my body to the minimum level I needed.

“Young Master, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but this method is too dangerous! You’ll die for sure if you go through with it! It’s madness, please think of another way!”

“Don’t worry, Cecil. I’m not planning to die again. I already told you—I intend to become the head of the Winterbell family.”

“Young Master…”

“Trust me, Cecil. I’ll show you with your own eyes. You’ll see the half-crippled young master, abandoned in the annex, rise to become the King of the North.”

Tip: Tap/click the left or right side of the screen to go to previous/next chapter.