Legacy of the Dark Sage

Kyran studied Cyneah for a moment. Seeing the mischievous glint from her mirror-like eyes and the slight curve of her lips, he knew there was a deeper meaning behind her use of 'save' and 'convince' words.

If this had been before their talk a few days ago, he would not have considered her suggestion and outright refused. As much as possible, he did not want her hands to be muddied because of him.

But their talk made Kyran realize a lot of things. One was that Cyneah was not a fragile and weak-hearted young woman. Although he had already known this because of her strong will to live when they first met in the cave, he had underestimated it even then. For one thing, though she tried her best to stay alive, the fact that she did not attempt to leave the cave meant she was already resigned to dying there.

Kyran was actually on point with his judgment, but Cyneah did want to leave the cave. However, with her injury-riddled body and petite frame at that time, if she attempted to jump down the cave, she would have died from the fall.

In any case, after Kyran learned some of Cyenah's experiences in Somuli— he knew she still withheld a few— he knew she would not hesitate to do something that could question her morality. Of course, she still had a bottom line: she would only do unspeakable things to people who would threaten her and the people she held dear.

Kyran did not mind that. He was the same, after all. Nevertheless, now that he was there, as much as possible, he would not allow her to take another's lifeagain.

For this reason, Kyran was not opposed to Cyneah's suggestion. He only worried she would be exhausted after saving and convincing Aran— a complete being.

"It does not matter if he is a complete being or a human because all souls are the same. Of course, the higher one's will and level are, the more challenging tweaking one's soul will become. Yours and sister Stella's souls will probably be the only ones I cannot touch."

As if reading Kyran's thoughts, Cyneah explained while throwing all precautions in the wind by not filtering her words anymore.

Kyran did not respond because he was unsure about that. Based on the relationship between the Ancient magic, Void's weakness was Soul. His Void magic energy was constantly on guard against invisible magic attacks that aimed to affect him from the inside, but the problem was his guard was the weakest against the person who could cast such a treacherous spell.

Proof of that was how Cyneah successfully forced Kyran to sleep, preventing him from stopping her departure.

Alas, it appeared True Void's concern about Kyran falling for the Soul magic's successor was unwarranted.

"Don't exhaust yourself," Kyran replied after a short pause.

Cyneah only smiled as her eyes glowed. She aimed her palm at the light inside the gigantic automaton's body and circulated the Soul magic energy inside the Macabre Glacier.

Kyran's brow furrowed as he sensed the Shaiha stirred the moment he felt Cyneah circulate her magic energy. The Shaiha did not normally stir when she used her magic. Thus, he guessed she was also using the Macabre Glacier.

Then again, the Macabre Glacier was acting as Cyneah's magic core. If she cast a spell that required a large amount of magic energy, she would indeed need the mirror.

Thankfully, the Macabre Glacier was docile enough, not affecting the Shaiha the same way it did before. This might also be because Cyneah had already achieved firm control over it, and the magic energy circulating prominently around Kyran was Draconic magic, not the Void.

This made Kyran wonder if the Shaiha reacted to the Macabre Glacier or its sentient. At least, from what he remembered, the mirror moved according to its sentient's will back in the Human plane.

Pushing aside all other thoughts that randomly fleeted in his mind, Kyran used his heightened senses to observe what was happening inside the gigantic automaton. Before he could sense anything, though, it let out a pitiful mechanical wail that was cut short because of its destroyed throat. After that, the lights on its eyes dimmed as its struggles ceased.

Sensing the gigantic automaton's system had started to shut down one after another, Kyran wrapped an arm around Cyneah and jumped off its shoulder. Following its main system's shutdown, the gigantic automaton fell face-first on the ground.

Clouds of dirt and smoke spread everywhere after the gigantic automaton fell down.

At the same time it fell, Kyran and Cyneah landed a good distance from it.

Kyran then heard hissing and whirring sounds from the gigantic automaton's back as it opened, and grayish steam seeped out. After that, a cylindrical compartment slid out, eminating a faint blue light.

This surprised Kyran more than the fact that Cyneah saved and probably convinced Aran in such a short time— it even felt like she only did it in the blink of an eye.

It seemed the gigantic automaton was not just a giant-type automaton but something meant to be steered.

Wait.

If this was true, then it could not be called an automaton but a human mechanical vehicle of some sort.

Err…

Kyran scratched his head, thinking it was such a mouthful to call it as such. However, he could not come up with a one or two word to call it at the moment.

Taking Cyneah along, Kyran jumped on the gigantic automaton's back— for the mean time, be decided to refer to it as such.

"He's unconscious right now," Cyneah told him. "But if you want to talk now, I can wake him."

"There is no need," Kyran replied. "Honestly, him being unconscious is also fine. I haven't tried removing a pact directly from its source, and wanted to see if I can do that."

"Y-You…" Cyneah was speechless. She had thought he wanted to let Aran rest for a while since he was practically at death's door with his magic energy and life force almost drying up. Instead, he wanted to use Aran's body to experiment before waking him.

Oblivious, or probably pretending not to notice Cyneah's odd look, Kyran made quick work on the cylindrical compartment's lock. It was not an overly elaborated array formation, but it was also not simple. However, the moment he infused his Void magic energy into the formation, it willingly allow him to decipher it and unlock itself.

Whirring sounds reverberated from the surface of the compartment facing outward as glowing faint blue lines spread outward from its center. The surface lifted slightly before it retracted horizontally from the center to its border.

Grayish white steams seeped out from the opened compartment as a mechanism, which was similar to an inclined chair slid outward.

There they found the unconscious Aran, half lying on the chair with several light blue tubes struck to his vital points.

This was the first time Kyran saw Aran in person, but he was aware if the latter's failing health. But even then, he did not think Aran would be in such a pitiful state. The Aran before Kyran was practically skin and bones— something very close to a withered corpse.

"Did you really save him?" Kyran could not help but ask Cyneah. He had thought she meant to heal him when she offered to save Aran. But no matter how Kyran looked at the latter, he did not seem to have recovered.

Cyneah blinked, appearing all innocent as she replied, "He's alive isn't he?"

Kyran's brow twitched slightly.

'Right… I guess that's her bottom line when it comes to healing people she dislikes.'

Kyran guessed Cyneah despised Aran because of what he subjected the Eidums to suffer by trying to conquer their borders. Though the ones who led the attack had been Kesiah, Aran was the one who ordered them to take down the Eidum's border.

"Okay."

Was all Kyran could say after a short pause.

"Are you disillusioned about me, now?"

Though Cyneah spoke in a neutral way, Kyran heard slight apprehension from her voice.

"Never."

Kyran's response was curt but Cyneah did not mind because the weight of that word was more than enough.

Kyran hoisted Aran out of the chair before draping him on his shoulder like a sack of rice. Then pulling Cyneah closer he jumped down from the automaton and went over to Noir and the others.

Speaking of Noir and the others, they were gaping at the gigantic automaton in utter amazement. When it fell and was covered with cloud of dust, they could barely see what was happening. But now that the dust had cleared and they had clear view of the gigantic automaton, they were left speechless.

Never had they expected such an ingenious creation to exist. A massive automaton that could carry a person, it was simply inconceivable.

If Kyran knew what was running on their minds, he would have wondered what their reaction would be if they saw Loar's creations.

Loar might not have a giant automaton that a person could control, but he did have something similar, albeit human-sized, that also served as an full body armor.

The first one to recover his senses was Noir. He approached Kyran and helped lower Aran's body to the ground.

Meanwhile, Mo was enraged upon seeing what transpired over the gigantic automaton's side. He especially saw the pitiful condition and state of King Aran, and he cursed Kyran and all the rebels believing it was their conquest that drove their King to the edge, going so far as sacrificing himself to control the gigantic automaton.

Unfortunately for Mo, the moment he got distracted, the joint attacks unleashed by the Legendary-level knights controlled by Filren got the better of him. Their combined attack would not normally be able to hurt Mo but because he had recently suffered a backlash after his Divine Armament was smashed by Filren, he was barely holding on.

The damage received by a complete being who had his Divine Armament destroyed could not be underestimated especially because Divine Armaments are connected to their core. It was comparable to a fatal blow to one's soul.

With Mo falling on his knees, the Legendary-level knights were in despair. They did not mind falling if it would mean Mo would win and had a chance to counter Filren. But with Mo falling before them, their chances of turning the tides was no longer feasible.

The Legendary-level knights tried to fight Filren's control again. However, no matter what they did, their bodies simply wouldn't listen. It was as if their bodies no longer belonged to them but to Filren and thet were only spectators watching the events in a first person view.

While they were waiting for Filren to kill them one by one, they suddenly felt something amiss. Because after Mo had fallen, instead of controlling them to deliver the finishing blow, Filren landed on the board and activated an item that bound them in place.

They were not the only ones surprised. Mo also looked at Filren in confusion. However, the latter did not even spare a glance at him before unsummoning his Divine Armament.

"Why…?" Mo growled at Filren. "Do you want to humiliate us further by allowing us to live while we fail to protect our King?"

"Mo," Filren finally turned to look at him. "Did you know why I wanted to become a knight even knowing I will be forever bound to the King of Armakea?"

Mo only scowled in response.

"I wanted to ensure the King will uphold the oath he took after succeeding the throne…" Filren's voice trailed off as his expression turned solemn. In his mind's eye he remebered Aran's coronation and his oath to rule with honesty, putting the interest of Armakea and his people first and foremost and protect the land of their forefathers with the guidance of the Armakea Knights. Unfortunately, Aran's oath was nothing but lip service because all that ever mattered to him was himself.

One after another, Aran waged war on smaller nations in the name of reclaiming the lost technology which was the Armakea Royal Family's inheritance.

However, that was only a front.

The truth Aran waged war on those nations after learning they discovered breakthrough in replicating lost technologies. He was afraid that once they found a way to replicate lost technology, the Armakea's advantage when it came to lost technologies would disappear.

Along with the war Aran waged was the sacrifice of countless Armakean citizens and its soldiers. After all, those small nations would not really succumb to them without putting up a fight.

Filren tried to speak his mind, wanting to remind Aran of his oath. However, the pact he had prevented him from even uttering a word.

Recalling these memories Filren could only heave a sigh or regret.

"What do you think, Mo? Did he uphold his oath?"

Mo opened his mouth, wanting to refute Filren for speaking blasphemous things. However, no words came out of him because deep down he knew if he answered Filren's question they would arrive at the same one.

"My master does not wish to kill. You may not believe it but as far as casualties are concerned, none of the knights died in their hands."

Without waiting for Mo or the other Legendary-level knights to speak, Filren turned and made his way to the other side where the battle was still raging.

Noir assisted Kyran as he prepared the array formation to remove the pact Aran had with the knights. Frankly, though Kyran's knowledge in Array far surpassed Noir, his knowledge of the Somuli's magic law provided much needed insights for Kyran to come up with the correct formulas.

In no time, Kyran completed the array formation. He then placed Aran at the center before activating it.

As soon as Kyran activated the array, every knight felt a burning sensation spread inside their chest. There was no pain but it was too sudden that a few of them engaging the puppets came to a sudden stop.

Fortunately, the puppets were programmed not to attack preemptively. Thus, the moment these knights stopped, they also stopped or attacked those who attacked them.

A symbol resembling an infinity sign appeared, hovering above Aran's forehead. Soon, cracks appeared on its surface, resulting in every knight in Armakea to vaguely sense their connectiong to the pact weakening.

When finally the symbol shattered, the knights connection to King Aran also disappeared.