VOLUME 14: EPILOGUE

VOLUME 14: EPILOGUE

[Kalavinka Port]

“How beautiful.”

Kalavinka, standing at the edge of the dock, muttered those words as he gazed at the Mullgray Sea.

The sea stretched out, a seemingly unending cerulean expanse that merged with the sky on the distant horizon.

Nearby, giant waves crashed against the rocks, a stark contrast to the mirror-like stillness of the sea in the far distance.

Whenever he had the chance, Kalavinka would always take the time to observe the sea and use his unique ability to search for any threats or incoming enemies.

Even His Majesty, King Lark, had praised this ability as something extraordinary. The young king had even stated that Kalavinka’s ability in this field far surpassed even his.

Of course, Kalavinka doubted it.

Not that he didn’t believe the authenticity of His Majesty’s words – he simply believed he wasn’t someone worthy of such recognition.

“My ability surpasses His Majesty’s? Hah… surely, he jests. How could someone like me even compare to him….”

Although King Lark was behind the death of his father, Duke Kelvin, Kalavinka knew that his execution back then was justified.

The mere fact that he and his brothers were still alive was already a testament to how benevolent the king was.

If it were the Tyrant King, the entire Kelvin Family, down to their third generation, would have been sent to the chopping block, their severed heads impaled on spikes and left to rot in the Central Plaza.

For the mere fact that only their father had been executed, despite the numerous crimes and atrocities their family had committed, Kalavinka was eternally grateful.

Of course, he would be lying if he said there was no hint of resentment within his heart. But even this hint of resentment was easily overshadowed by the gratefulness he felt for King Lark.

His brothers, albeit locked up in prison, were spared. And the king was doing his best to restore the duchy that had been ravaged by the demons to its former state.

Kalavinka knew that the king could have simply chosen to eliminate their entire family and promote another house to take their place, filling the void. But King Lark chose the more treacherous path by trusting in their family – precisely on Kalavinka – once more.

“I’m turning seventeen soon,” muttered Kalavinka. The bangs covering his eyes swayed from the sea breeze. He’d grown taller than last year, and he’d gained a little more muscle. “Now that I think of it, isn’t His Majesty around this age when he repelled the Third Legion?”

After King Lark ascended the throne, the numerous achievements he’d garnered over the past few years became widespread among the people.

The achievements believed to be mere exaggerated rumors had now become the truth, creating numerous legends surrounding Lark Marcus.

“His Majesty is really amazing. I’m now of the same age as when he defeated the Third Legion, but….” Kalavinka smiled derisively. “…look at me. I haven’t achieved anything.”

The boy had been called the Undefeated Admiral of the Sea, but to Kalavinka, it was nothing but a fancy title he didn’t deserve.

Undefeated?

He couldn’t even protect his people when the parasitic demons slaughtered everyone at the port back then.

Like a coward, he escaped with his brother, leaving his men to their deaths just so he could survive.

“Commodore Lieson, Captain Halvar, Marco….”

As he muttered the names of those he’d left behind to die, Kalavinka felt a squishing sensation in his heart. Those men had served him for only a short period of time, but they were truly loyal.

If he could turn back time, Kalavinka would have chosen to stay there with them, even if it meant dying in the hands of the parasitic demons.

If only he was stronger.

If only his ability could be used in direct battle, maybe the outcome from back then would have been different.

While Kalavinka was brooding over such thoughts, he felt something approaching them through the sea from a distance.

Kalavinka frowned.

Although he couldn’t see it yet, through observing the ebbs and flow of the water, he was certain it was a single, small boat.

If it were pirates, the ship would have been larger, and they would have come in fleets.

“It should be just one person but…”

Strangely, he felt like running away.

Kalavinka’s senses were probably the greatest not only in the entire kingdom, but the entire continent. And currently, his senses were telling him that the owner of that boat was incredibly dangerous. It told him that he should avoid crossing paths with the person, to run as far away from here as possible.

Kalavinka looked behind him, at the rows of wooden houses that had been recently built by the laborers. From here, he could hear the chatters of the workers who’d just started their shifts.

Everyone was eager to work and was in high spirits, believing in a brighter future ahead of them.

“No. I can’t run away again.”

Kalavinka steeled his resolve.

He no longer wished to have regrets in this life. He would not run away again like a coward.

Knowing that the soldiers stationed at the watchtower would notice the boat owner as soon as they were in range, Kalavinka decided to notify the watchtower beforehand to let the boat safely dock.

The boy was worried about what would happen if the navy crossed paths with the boat owner.

After a few hours, the boat finally appeared on the horizon. And after waiting for another hour, the boat finally arrived at the port.

Kalavinka looked at the watchtower nearby. He could see several soldiers watching him and the boat owner. Thankfully, they heeded his command and simply stayed there, ready to charge out should any problems arose.

The boat owner docked safely. Their face covered by a hood, they stood there and observed the boy blocking the path to the port.

“T-This port b-belongs to the Kingdom of Lukas!” uttered Kalavinka. “State y-your purpose! W-Who are you!”

So many things didn’t add up.

The direction where the hooded figure came from was the Mullgray Sea, a territory infested not only by monsters but also pirates.

Although the Pierson Pirate Fleet had been annihilated, Kalavinka heard that a new Pirate King had been crowned recently.

The chances of that hooded figure encountering the pirates on their way here weren’t high, but it shouldn’t be slim either.

There mere fact that they’d managed to arrive here in perfect condition, without even any signs of damage on their boat, felt so utterly bizarre and irregular.

With such a small boat, a single large wave would have been enough to capsize it.

The hooded figure stood there for several seconds. Without uttering a reply, they walked toward Kalavinka and moved past him, ignoring him completely.

Kalavinka nervously gulped. He was inwardly relieved that the hooded figure didn’t seem hostile.

‘Who is that?’

The person felt incredibly dangerous.

As a member of the House Kelvin, Kalavinka had met numerous strong people in his life, but none of them could compare to that hooded figure.

Since the hooded figure didn’t exude any bloodlust, ordinary people probably wouldn’t be able to feel anything peculiar if they met them on the street.

But Kalavinka, with his keen senses, could feel the indescribable strength concealed within that body. It was so terrifying that it rendered him frozen in place, unable to do anything but stand there as the hooded figure passed by.

After the hooded figure had gained some distance from him, Kalavinka finally managed to heave a sigh of relief.

‘Thank god, nothing happened.’

The boy thought everything was over.

But suddenly, a thin blanket of blue and white appeared out of nowhere and covered the entire port.

“…W-What is that?”

The ‘blanket’ didn’t come from the hooded figure. Looking at the direction of the source, it seemed to have stretched far from the North, reaching all the way to the Kalavinka Port.

Kalavinka subconsciously reached out his hands to it. As expected, they simply passed through the ‘blanket’.

The hooded figure suddenly stopped walking. They turned around and observed Kalavinka, who was now staring at the ‘blanket’ covering the sky.

“You can see it?” said the hooded figure.

Kalavinka was startled when the voice of a woman reached his ears. Looking at the source, he realized that the hooded figure had started walking back to his direction.

‘E-Eh, why is she coming back?!’

The hooded figure stopped right in front of Kalavinka. She said, “Hey, old man. This kid. He can see it, right?”

Kalavinka didn’t know what was happening, and he had no idea to whom the woman was talking to.

“Tsk. Why are you so terrified of me? I’m not some savage monster, you know.”

Displeased that the boy had become frozen with fear, the figure pulled down her hood, revealing a woman with jet-black hair and sharp, crimson eyes.

“Kid, what do I look like?”

Kalavinka swallowed dry spit. “A-A gorgeous woman?”

Kalavinka meant it.

The woman in front of him looked incredibly beautiful, as though she’d been chiseled out of jadestone by the gods themselves.

From her eyes, to her chin and the bridge of her nose – everything was perfect.  

The woman laughed, “Hahaha! You got it correct, kid. But this also mean you can see through the illusion spell. Normal people will see an old woman when they look at me, and the illusion spell will inevitably make them forget my appearance shortly afterward.”

The woman touched the chin of Kalavinka and pulled his face closer.

From here, Kalavinka could feel her breath. It smelled sweet, as though she’d just eaten fruits before coming here.

“But you. Your senses are special. Hmm… old man, what do you think?”

The woman was none other than the Wandering Sage, the so-called strongest person in the entire continent.

And the thin blanket covering the port was the ability of the Voiceless One of the Principality, a man next only to Dwarven King Lerenon and the Wandering Sage in terms of strength and ability.

In their search for more bloodstone fragments, the Wandering Sage had come all the way here from the Principality. Their goal was Blackstone City, a territory located southeast of the Kingdom of Lukas.

“Should I just kill you, boy?” muttered the Wandering Sage. “You can see through my real appearance, after all.”

When the Wandering Sage uttered those words, Kalavinka almost pissed his pants.

The boy could tell that the woman was really deliberating whether or not she should kill him right now.

As expected, this woman was dangerous. Her morale wasn’t hinged on the simple idea of right or wrong. She was also fearless; despite knowing that several soldiers were looking in this direction, she didn’t even hesitate to utter those threats.

“W-Why are you going to kill me? I… I d-didn’t do anything wrong!”

Tears started forming at the corner of Kalavinka’s eyes.

Although he’d become far braver than before, it was still terrifying when death stared at him right in the eyes.

If he was going to die, he wished he would at least die an honorable death!

Not to something or someone like this!

“But you can see my face, no?” said the Wandering Sage. “Don’t worry, I won’t touch the people living in this port. Only you, who can see through my real appearance, shall die.”

As the Wandering Sage’s hand reached for Kalavinka’s neck, the ‘blanket’ covering the port moved between the two and formed words.

[That’s enough, Anisphia.]

The Wandering Sage pulled back her hand. Judging by her actions and expressions, it seemed she highly respected the person behind those words.

“Tch. Consider yourself lucky, kid. Don’t tell anyone about me, yeah?”

She clicked her tongue and turned away.

She was about to leave when she heard her name come out of the boy’s mouth.

“…A-Anisphia.”

The Wandering Sage halted in her tracks, her eyes widening from shock.

“…you can see even that?”

The ‘blanket’ covering the port was closer to life force than mana. Even the Wandering Sage struggled to read the message sent by the Voiceless One, but this kid easily deciphered that.

The Wandering Sage was visibly thrilled.

Initially, she thought the kid could see only portions of the ‘blanket’, but it seemed that he could clearly see everything without a struggle.

The boy was a never-seen-before talent.

“Old man! You’ve heard it, didn’t you? If it’s this kid, he can inherit your techniques! We finally found someone qualified to become your true disciple!”

The Voiceless One of the Principality had lived a fulfilling life.

For nearly a century, he’d been protecting the nation from the barbarians, monsters, and adjacent hostile nations like the Three States Alliance.

If there was one thing the old man regretted, it would be that he couldn’t find anyone capable of inheriting his techniques. After all, it was incredibly rare for anyone to be capable of seeing life force itself. Because of this, the old man couldn’t even pass on his legacy.

Both the Wandering Sage and the Voiceless One had long given up on the possibility of finding someone with such a rare ability.

But now, things had changed.

Out of sheer luck and coincidence, they’d found a boy more than qualified to be the Voiceless One’s disciple.

The ‘blanket’ changed shape again. It moved in front of the boy and formed words.

[Boy, can you really see this?]

Seeing the woman’s eyes, now filled with anticipation, Kalavinka reluctantly nodded. “Y-Yes, I can see it.”

Knowing her friend’s personality, the Wandering Sage was certain that the Voiceless One was probably laughing from sheer happiness right now.

“Boy, what is your name?” said the Wandering Sage. She looked at him from head to foot. “Why… is someone as special as you staying in this run-down place?”

Kalavinka’s face flushed when the woman suddenly said he was special.

After learning that he was capable of seeing the entirety of the ‘blanket’, the woman’s killing intent vanished entirely. It was now replaced by intrigue, and, if Kalavinka wasn’t wrong, greed.

Kalavinka replied indignantly, “Run-down? T-This place isn’t run-down!”

The Wandering Sage’s eyes darted to the wooden houses nearby.

She shrugged, “If you say so, kid. So, what are you doing here? Wanna come with me?”

Above, the ‘blanket’ hovered closely, as though anticipating the boy’s reply.

Noticing this, Kalavinka didn’t immediately reject the offer. He was honestly curious about the identity of this woman and the identity of the person behind that ‘blanket’.

“…I-I’ve been taught by m-my older brother that w-when greeting someone, t-they should at least i-introduce themselves!”

The Wandering Sage chuckled in amusement. “So, you want to know our identities, yes? You saw it already. I am Anisphia. And the one listening to us right now is just a perverted old man.”

“P-Perverted old man?!”

Kalavinka crossed his arms, afraid that the ‘blanket’ was ogling him right now.

The ‘blanket’ formed new words.

[What are you saying to the kid? That’s enough.]

[Child, you won’t get any answer if you ask that woman. So, I’ll tell you our identities instead.]

“Old man!” said the Wandering Sage. “What are you doing?!”

The Voiceless One simply ignored her.

[I am the Voiceless One of the Principality, a nation located far north the continent.]

The eyes of Kalavinka widened when he read this. That figure was so famous that Kalavinka had heard about him at least a dozen times in his life.

Some said the Voiceless One was an undying, immortal monster, while there were also rumors saying that the Voiceless One was merely a title inherited by people over the generations.

[And this woman before you is the Wandering Sage. You’ve heard about her before, yes?]

The boy stared at the woman, his eyes wide, almost popping out.

If one were to ask who the most mysterious existence in the world was, they would answer with the Wandering Sage every time.

He finally understood why this woman seemed utterly displeased that a boy like him could see through her disguise.

Kalavinka couldn’t believe he was currently conversing with the world’s two largest bigshots.

“T-The W-Wande—”

“—Shh…”

The Wandering Sage put her index finger on Kalavinka’s lips. “Utter my name and I’ll be forced to kill you and everyone who hears it. You don’t want that to happen, no?”

Kalavinka hurriedly shook his head.

Although he couldn’t understand why she was so insistent on not revealing her identity or name to others, he decided to comply with her demands regardless.

“So, what about it, kid?” said the Wandering Sage. “Do you want to take the old man as your master? If you agree, I’ll turn around right now and deliver you straight to him.”

Kalavinka didn’t even pretend to think things through. His answer came naturally. This time, he didn’t stutter, “I can’t leave this place. No, I won’t leave this place.”

The Wandering Sage could see the firm resolve within the boy’s eyes.

“Why? Are you afraid of riding the small boat I used to get here? If that’s the issue, we can just steal that large ship over there.”

“N-No, that’s not it…”

“Ha… Do you really like this place that much?” she said.

Kalavinka lowered his head. “I-It’s not the place itself… I-It’s the people.”

The eyes of the Wandering Sage glimmered when she heard that answer.

“The people.” She smirked. “Old man, you heard that, right? This boy, he’s just like you. He even spouted the same answer you gave to me back then. How… disgusting.”

The ‘blanket’ formed new words once again.

[Child, you’re Kalavinka, aren’t you? The so-called Undefeated Admiral of the Sea.]

“E-Eh, h-how did you know?”

The Wandering Sage said, “I told you. The old man is perverted. Eavesdropping on people is his hobby. He probably knows about you more than you do.”

[Anisphia!]

“Tch. Fine, fine. Go on, talk to the kid. I won’t interfere this time.”

[Kalavinka.]

[My ability encompasses the entire continent. I can accompany both you and Anisphia at the same time.]

The Wandering Sage looked displeased when she read this. Although his ability was overpowered, she knew that the Voiceless One wasn’t omnipotent. Focusing on two places at the same time would greatly strain his already weak body. Still, she didn’t stop him this time. She knew just how much he desired to pass on his techniques to someone.

[If you do not wish to leave this place, so be it. But I hope you will accept my offer to become my disciple.]

Anyone would jump at the opportunity to become the disciple of such an esteemed one. But Kalavinka learned from his father that nothing in this world was free. There was no such thing as a goodwill.

“W-What do you need f-from me in return?”

The Voiceless One understood the child’s thoughts.

[Nothing, child. This is not me doing you a favor, but the other way around.]

Kalavinka was taken by surprise by this answer.

The Voiceless One sounded so humble despite his reputation and power.

“…T-The other way around?”

[Yes. I don’t need you to do anything for me in return. Child, just think of it as the lifelong wish of this old man. A desire he wanted to fulfill before the end of his lifespan.]

[Please allow me to teach and guide you.]

[It is my lifelong desire to pass on my techniques and legacy to the next generation.]

It was the start of that fateful encounter.

After that day, the Wandering Sage left for Blackstone City, while Kalavinka stayed at the port. After a few days of deliberation, the boy finally agreed to become the Voiceless One’s first and only true disciple.

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Author’s notes: the next book (Book 15) will probably be the last installment of the series. Hopefully, I can deliver a proper ending without loose ends (as much as possible) in the next volume. Side stories focusing on what happened to the characters at the end of the book will be included.

Thank you, everyone, for staying with me until now, and see you in Book 15.