Above The Sky
Chapter 122 - 122 114 The Legacy of the Black King 14

122: Chapter 114: The Legacy of the Black King (1/4) 122: Chapter 114: The Legacy of the Black King (1/4) Clang!

In the moment their eyes met, Weyges drew his sword.

The half-blade in his hand was three feet and two inches long, with a hilt-like hammer, bone carvings of beasts, and a tip made of heavy iron, which was slightly unbalanced towards the end, yet particularly suitable for swinging and slashing.

The moment he drew his sword, there wasn’t even a trace of a shadow to be seen, only the awareness of a silvery arc cutting through the air and dust—and even the friction in the air caused visible shockwaves to ripple outward.

This sonic-speed sword strike had the power to split the fortified enamel armor of a knight and disembowel a magical beast several meters high with a single blow.

It could kill a giant wild boar capable of easily toppling a house, a clear proof that Weyges’s swordsmanship and physical fitness were approaching that of a Great Knight.

Clang!

But this nearly instinctive, utterly unrestrained strike was blocked by another longsword that was devoid of any blade.

The other sword struck directly, resisting the force of Weyges’s longsword at the point of impact, where Origin Quality resonated, causing both their side swords to oppose each other as if time had stopped.

“Stay calm,”

Hiliard said calmly, “Weyges, are you so impatient that you have to probe me with a sword?”

“Or is it that you’ve suffered too many hardships in recent years, and it’s taken a toll on your sanity?”

Weyges just stared dumbfoundedly at his mentor’s face, then leaped backward, sheathing his sword in one fluid motion.

“It really is you…

you’ve truly aged…”

The black-haired knight spoke gravely, and then his tone carried a trace of mockery, “I’ve had my share of hardships over the years, but I doubt they’ve been as numerous as yours, Mentor.”

Narrowing his eyes, Weyges gazed cynically at the old knight in front of him, who was calmly sheathing his sword, and sneered, “After all, you’ve been a wanted fugitive wandering for decades, and I can hardly compare to that.”

“It’s not necessarily so,” Hiliard also slowly sheathed his sword, sighing, “You’ve been imprisoned in that quagmire of Imperial Capital for twenty or thirty years, while I simply returned to my old trade, farming and fishing in the countryside, living out my days.”

Then the two fell into a prolonged silence.

They each scrutinized the other, searching for weaknesses and assessing their stance, all while considering the surrounding environment.

Invisible will and perception touched in midair, probing.

“Weyges, I can’t blame you for your desire to survive, after all, you knew nothing back then.”

This time, it was Hiliard who spoke first.

The old knight’s hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his voice gentle, “You’re still an Inspector Knight, working for the Empire’s Royal Family, a status and honor beyond the reach of the common man in their lifetime.”

“To be honest, that’s already quite enough.

Why do you feel the need to track me down?”

He spoke calmly, pointing out the most critical question, “Whose command is it?

The Duke of Western Territory?

General Yuan Yan?

Someone from Steep Ridge Fortress…

or could it be the New Emperor?”

“Or is it your own desire?”

Weyges watched his former mentor, who was still as composed and serene as ever, always able to grasp the essence of any matter.

Yes—he was already an Inspector Knight, he was already among the upper echelons of The Empire, he had Spirit Energy, which easily afforded him leverage over many nobles.

Just as he could easily receive substantial bribes from Viscount Grant, if he had only desired a peaceful life, he could have muddled through, lived his days as a man of leisure, enjoying a decaying and lavish existence.

So why risk death to track down the whereabouts of his former mentor?

“There are too many reasons,”

Weyges advanced slowly, with both men moving toward positions they considered advantageous.

They stood off against each other from afar, hands likewise resting on the hilts of their swords: “It’s precisely because I know nothing that I want to know,” he said.

The two faced each other across half of the shallow lake, but the ground around them began to tremble slightly.

Dust, rocks, and even the roots of surrounding trees shook, causing leaves to fall and dust to drift without a breeze, suspending mid-air like mist.

“Why, exactly?”

After taking a deep breath, the Black-Haired Knight demanded with an intense voice that pierced through everything, “Why did His Majesty pass away in the prime of his life, leaving no will at all?”

“Why did you, teacher, betray The Empire and become a fugitive?”

“Why did the Crown Prince also die in that turmoil, yet no one dares to speak of the real cause of his death?”

“Why was the Knight Order of Inspectorate completely purged, sparing only a pawn like me by a narrow margin?!”

“And why have you remained silent for so many years, only to speak out now?!”

“You ask me why?

But shouldn’t I be the one asking why?”

“Teacher, tell me!

Why has The Empire become like this?”

Buzz, buzz!

As Weyges continued to interrogate, the invisible confrontation of Origin Quality between them widened, causing the earth to lift and the shallow waters of the lake to dry up.

Mud and hard rock surged upward, forming shields around the two men.

The trees rooted around the lake forest fell and toppled as the ground they were rooted in began to shake.

Semi-transparent crystals and white calcite surged from the earth, materializing and condensing on the surface of their skin to form a layer of man-made armored clothing.

But that wasn’t all…

The seemingly edgeless longsword in the silent hands of Hiliard shed its mundane exterior, revealing its true material—the pitch-black Heavy Abyss Iron, composed of countless orderly granules, one of the world’s toughest materials, able to withstand the extreme heat of the earth’s depths.

On the other side, Weyges’ original armor acted as a framework, gradually being overtaken by the pure white enamel armor that grew in length, transforming into a giant over three meters tall.

The enamel armor, nearly indistinguishable from Aether Armament, seemed indestructible, standing firm upon the earth.

“The Empire has weakened, my dream utterly unattainable.”

A deep voice came from within the bone armor, “My homeland has been scorched by war, my future bleak and lightless.”

“Yes, teacher, I was just an Apprentice you randomly saved and casually instructed, not your formal disciple, and thus I narrowly survived.”

“But what can I do with such a life?

Nothing but idle away until death.

Yet I am completely ignorant of the causes that have led to all this, and still, I have to bear the consequences!”

Rage, hatred, resentment, bewilderment…

and strong incomprehension.

Weyges’ voice, however, gradually became calm as he spoke: “I transferred from True Form to Bloodline, and my Sublimation Organ conflicted, nearly causing a grotesque death.”

“If not for the Royal Secret Treasure ‘Origin Dew,’ I would have remained at the Second Energy Level for life.

Without Spirit Energy, I couldn’t even stay with the Knight Order of Inspectorate, much less continue to accumulate power in The Empire.”

“There are so many things I need to do, so much I need to know, how could I possibly stop at Radiance?”

“But how could I ever achieve enough to gain access to Origin Dew?”

This question did not need an answer; the man stared at the old knight before him.

Because the answer was right in front of him.

“The Black King’s Legacy.”

Weyges softly said: “According to the Knight Order of Inspectorate and the Nobles of the Imperial Capital, you took advantage of the Dark Moon unrest to betray the Former Emperor, stealing the unparalleled treasure of the Empire’s Royal Inheritance—yet I know these words to be half-true and half-false.

False, because that treasure has absolutely nothing to do with The Empire’s Royal Family, and you, teacher, would certainly not steal His Majesty’s treasures.”

“The true part is that the treasure indeed exists.

His Majesty rose from being an Illegitimate Son to become the sovereign who revitalized The Empire in its glory because of that inconceivable divine artifact.”

Gazing at Hiliard with eyes that held burning greed as well as intense wariness.

The knight clad in bone armor, Melodious in tone, declared with certainty:

“This treasured divine artifact must be in your hands, teacher!”