Chapter 155

Blue Blood (9)

“What is... this?”

“The thing that will create an aura vessel for you. In other words, a deadly poison.”

“A deadly... poison?”

“It’s going to hurt tremendously. You might even die.”

Isaac held out the rune stone to Hans and warned him once more.

The rune stone he had created had originally been designed to solve the unique constitution known as .

Isaac’s special constitution was the same as Zeke von Goethe’s.

In other words, an enormous amount of mana flowed through the body at an excessively rapid rate.

As a result, mana frequently overflowed outside the circuits, the vessel ruptured, and mana explosions occurred.

To disperse the impact and increase the number of branching pathways, Isaac had devised a new rune pattern.

The pattern intentionally inflicted microscopic damage upon the mana circuits, inducing the formation of new branches.

Like a riverbank bursting and creating new tributaries.

At first, it would be unstable.

But once enough tributaries formed, the circuit would become capable of handling even the most violent mana flow.

As an added benefit, alternate circulation routes would form in place of damaged pathways.

“The problem is that this was designed for a mage’s vessel.”

“I... don’t quite understand what you mean.”

“A mage’s vessel is here. An aura vessel is here.”

Isaac pointed to his head and chest respectively.

“The place where a mage’s vessel forms has no sense of pain. There may be hallucinations or mental shocks, but those don’t necessarily involve physical suffering. An aura vessel, however, forms around the heart.”

The pattern Isaac had designed served to concentrate mana into a single location.

As mana became denser, its tendency to move toward areas of lower density grew stronger.

Regardless of any obstacles in the way.

That was the principle behind damaging mana circuits and artificially creating new ones.

“To put it simply, the mana remaining in your body will become a sharpened blade and run wild. Every time your heart beats, it’ll carve through your blood vessels.”

Whether one possessed an aura vessel or a mage’s vessel or not—

Every living creature contained a small amount of mana.

It naturally entered and left the body with each breath.

Isaac intended to use that tiny amount of mana to forcibly create an aura vessel within Hans’s heart.

“How does that... have anything to do with awakening aura?”

Hans asked, his face pale as a sheet.

“There’s something I learned while studying various things. Compared to other animals, humans don’t actually excel in many physical areas. But there are two things we unquestionably surpass them in.”

Isaac raised his index and middle fingers.

“Endurance. And adaptability.”

Hans did not fully understand what he meant.

But his body reacted first.

It felt as if the blood in his veins had turned cold.

“I intend to make full use of those two abilities. If your body experiences unbearable pain continuously, won’t it eventually find a way to survive?”

“And if my body isn’t smart enough to find one...?”

“Then it’ll keep hurting. Or the shock will be too much, and you’ll die.”

“... Young Master. Are you really trying to kill me?”

“I’m trying to save you. You said yourself that you wanted to live.”

“...”

Hans was speechless.

“Your training from now on is simple. First, maintain the Mana Sword at all times and spar with Sigbrand. Second, carry this rune stone with you at all times as if it were part of your body.”

“Will it hurt a lot?”

“I wouldn’t know. Probably enough to make you wish you were dead.”

Gulp.

Hans swallowed audibly.

“Has anyone ever awakened aura using this method?”

“No.”

“...”

“Not yet.”

“... Young Master.”

Hans looked as though he were about to cry.

The more he heard, the crazier it sounded.

It was so absurd that he did not even know where to begin arguing.

But his hesitation did not last long.

As each day passed—

As the day he would clash with Viscount Botmer’s army drew nearer—

The visions, memories, nightmares, and past became increasingly vivid.

Even now, the silhouette of someone flickering in the distance—

The figure walking toward him—

He could not tell whether it was real or an illusion.

If it was an illusion, it vanished like a mirage.

If it was real, the long-haired blood-soaked man would transform into a soldier, then back into the long-haired man again and again.

Hans already knew.

If he ran away, he would never escape that man.

“I’ll do it. I will. If I go mad or die, please tell Peter that his father—”

“That’s enough. Take it.”

Isaac abruptly placed the mana crystal into Hans’s palm.

“... Huh?”

“Good luck.”

“GAAAAAAAHHHHH!”

Hans let out a bloodcurdling scream and collapsed unconscious.

“Sig!”

Watching Hans foam at the mouth and convulse violently, Isaac called out to Sigbrand.

“Wake him up. Be careful not to touch him directly.”

“Understood.”

Sigbrand answered expressionlessly.

Then he poured a mug of ale filled with floating ice crystals directly onto Hans’s face.

“Bwah! Bwah! Huaaah— GAAAAAAAHHHHH!”

Hans appeared to regain consciousness—

Only to scream once more and pass out again.

A tedious cycle began.

If Lichtenauer’s method involved learning in reverse through the Mana Sword,

then Isaac’s method forced learning from both directions.

He compelled the body to create an aura vessel in order to survive.

And whenever Hans remained conscious, he forced him to use the Mana Sword to become familiar with sensations similar to aura.

Whenever Hans fainted, the Wraith Squad woke him up again.

After spending roughly two days alternating between consciousness and unconsciousness, Hans was finally able to remain awake to some extent by the third day.

Of course, maintaining the Mana Sword’s aura while sparring was an entirely different matter.

Hans collapsed after only a few swings.

“Tsk, tsk. At this rate, he looks like he’s going to die.”

Besimer clicked his tongue as Hans fainted once again.

“Sig, wake him up.”

“You really plan to keep pushing him like that? At this rate, if he goes onto the battlefield, he won’t even have the stamina to fight a single infantryman.”

“I’m not going to let him die. He’s my attendant, after all.”

“And what about those ghostly bastards? You’re not going to train them?”

“There’s nothing for me to teach them. If they want it, they’ll figure it out themselves.”

The members of the Wraith Squad only needed to learn how to use the Mana Sword.

That alone would put them on par with most aura users.

After all, they had survived all those years in Winterband without aura.

There was no reason to push them as hard as Hans.

Placing Hans in the Wraith Squad had always been for Hans’s sake.

Isaac wanted him to learn from the squad members, especially Sigbrand—their indifference toward death, their attitudes, and the way they fought.

There was another reason as well.

Regardless of the circumstances, Hans had attempted to kill a veteran soldier.

There were plenty of reasons for others to bully or ostracize him.

The Wraith Squad, however, treated Hans without prejudice no matter what he had done.

In Winterband, they had seen people far worse than him.

Thanks to them, Hans was able to focus entirely on training under their protection, free from interference by the other soldiers.

“Ughhh—”

Of course, that was assuming one could call a method that regularly forced screams of agony “training.”

“Let’s go.”

Isaac headed toward the command tent with Besimer.

As usual, Carlson was absent.

“There was an engagement with demonic beasts this morning. We killed thirteen Horned Apes. We suffered eight casualties.”

“We were ambushed by Stone Blood Serpents on our side as well. There were two of them. No deaths, but six wounded.”

“The number of demonic beasts appearing increases with every passing day.”

The mercenary captains continued their reports.

“Grrr.”

Hwiserk proudly displayed his new cloak.

It had been made from the hide of a male Horned Ape.

The skin had been draped over his shoulders without any real processing, leaving dried blue blood stains intact and giving off a faint odor.

“Looks like Granak’s group killed quite a few as well.”

Adele commented.

“Even during winter, I’ve never seen this many demonic beasts make it all the way here.”

“That means Winterband has fallen.”

The long-range communication device had yet to receive any message from the Count.

Adele’s anxiety was becoming apparent.

“Father will be safe.”

Adele nodded at Isaac’s reassurance.

“At most, four more days. Botmer’s army will reach this place within that time.”

Isaac spread a map he had personally drawn across the table.

“The forces dispatched by His Highness will slowly tighten the encirclement from the south. Baron Bidelstein and Baron Lübeck have already personally approached the First Prince’s army and declared their surrender. Baron Ripe died during the siege, and as everyone knows, Baron Mark and Baron Hauzen were killed during this war. All that remains is the Viscount’s main force. Even that force won’t be intact after clashing with the demonic beasts.”

Isaac placed several small stones onto the map.

“His Highness’s forces are advancing from the south. No matter how powerful Botmer’s knights may be, they’re no match for the Royal Knights. To the north, demonic beasts continue moving south. The west is blocked by the Fang Mountains. Beyond those mountains lie the territories of the royalist houses.”

The stones surrounded the position from three sides.

“That leaves only the east. Our direction. If they break through us and cross the Black Forest, they’ll reach Oton’s territory. Then comes the port city of Baldarin. There should be plenty of drifting ice this time of year, but if the weather cooperates, ships can still sail.”

“Are you saying Viscount Botmer intends to flee the kingdom?”

“The moment he failed to protect Winterband, the kingdom ceased to have any place for him.”

Isaac answered Adele’s question before continuing.

“Viscount Botmer has been cornered. He’ll try to break through us with everything he has.”

“So this is where it ends.”

Günter, who had been studying the map from beside the table, spoke.

“Yes. There isn’t much time left. Check the equipment status of all soldiers. Reorganize the units with whoever remains. Prepare rosters and report them. Bill, inspect every soldier’s weapons and armor. Günter, dispatch scouts. Determine whether anything is moving within two days’ marching distance and report every night.”

Isaac calmly issued his orders.

“Bellon, don’t skimp on rations. And tell the mercenary captains that if we win this battle, their compensation will be doubled.”

“Understood.”

The corners of the mercenary captains’ mouths twitched upward.

***

“You skipped the meeting again today.”

Carlson was standing some distance from the camp, staring up at the night sky.

“I’d only be taking up space.”

“Nervous?”

“Aren’t you going to use that strange sword?”

Instead of answering, Carlson responded with a question.

Ever since Hans had managed to generate aura through the Mana Sword, rumors about it had spread throughout the camp.

People were calling it a true magic sword.

“Using an ordinary blade and using the Mana Sword are completely different things. Unlike an aura user’s aura, its strength and range can’t be adjusted. One mistake and you could cut down an ally—or yourself.”

“I see.”

Carlson answered indifferently.

He had never really been curious.

He was merely trying to avoid Isaac’s question.

“Besimer told me something. He said that somewhere up there in the sky lies Valaka. That every night, his father and brothers are enjoying feasts and battles there.”

“I don’t believe in such superstitions.”

“Then do you believe in the gods the Old Faith and New Faith talk about?”

“If such things existed, the world wouldn’t be like this.”

“You sound exactly like a mage.”

“Is Hans doing well? Every morning, the first thing I hear is his screaming.”

“I have no idea what will happen. But if the alternative is being tormented by bad memories every moment, this is better.”

Isaac shrugged.

The conversation went no further.

The two simply stared at the night sky.

After a while, unexpectedly, Carlson spoke first.

“That’s the Knight’s Seat.”

He pointed toward a section of the heavens.

“It’s a constellation Viscount Botmer taught me. The Knight of the Sky. The ideal of knighthood that never disappears, even when the night sky is clouded. Dignified order. Permanence. He attached every impressive-sounding phrase he could think of to it.”

“Did he?”

“Become a sword for those who were never chosen. Become a sword for the weak, the abandoned, and the weeping. Rank and bloodline do not matter. What matters is what you choose to become.”

“That’s a fine saying.”

“It was empty rhetoric. A spell for creating useful tools and obedient limbs.”

Carlson said nothing more.

After staring at the stars for a long while, he finally turned back toward the camp.

“I should get some sleep.”

“Kyle.”

For the first time, Isaac called him by his real name.

Carlson stopped walking.

“Don’t cross the line.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“It means don’t become a monster. Blue blood burns just as hot.”

“...”

A flicker of emotion crossed Carlson’s face.

But since he was standing with his back turned, Isaac could not see it.