Swordmeister of Rome

<Armory of Arankal>

Named after wolf War God, the armory had been built in the days of the Old Empire.

The Empire had always controlled the Seven Kingdoms, but it required constant supervision. That was when the Empire created the <Armory of Arankal>, placing them in certain areas across the Ra-Sian continent.

They were put to use when the Empire needed to exercise its power on the rebellious countries, and the armory contained various weapons created with the Empire's finest magical scientific technologies.

Even after the Kal-Gul war, the Empire did not reclaim these armories in case the Seven Kingdoms would revolt against them and they were abandoned after the Empire's downfall.

The Usharan Kingdom accidentally came across one such armory and kept it a secret. They had the Grand Bander monitor it. It was small, but it had powerful weapons and technology that helped the barren and extreme hot lands of Usharan grow powerful enough to compete against the Con Kingdom.

But that brought them to another question.

Where were the other armories?

If it granted them such power, it would surely grant other countries with the same power.

The records mentioned one more armory, but they could not find it. When they almost gave up on finding it, they came across a few items that could only originate from the <Armory of Arankal> that were circulating within the black market of Usharan Kingdom.

The intelligence department began tracking down the source and collected all items in circulation. They gathered three of them and one was purchased by a certain Dekon who left the Kingdom right after.

Thus they concluded two things.

1. The serial numbers and formation proved the items were from an <Armory of Arankal>.

2. These were not from their armory. It was from a new <Armory of Arankal>.

After learning this, they became excited and began searching for the sources. They finally found out that one had been sold by a man named Phareon from the Logadis Estate of Tian Kingdom. He had come to the black market of Usharan Kingdom to sell it.

It looked like he had come to discard any possible evidence, but it actually helped Usharan instead. They began investigating Kulan Province and the Logadis area.

Usharan Intelligence Agents infiltrated the province disguised as merchants, architects, and maids, examining all parts of the land.

They discovered that the <Armory of Arankal> was located at the back of the cliff in Kulan Province.

If it was located at some tactical point in the Kingdom, it was impossible for them to reach it unless they instigated a war. However, since the Logadis Estate was an abandoned and undeveloped area, Usharan's Royal Knights were enough to wipe them out.

It was also good that the Kingdom was undergoing <Succession>. That would keep them from paying any attention to outside matters.

Usharan Kingdom decided to make the move to dig up everything inside the armory. It was too valuable for some baron to have it all for himself. If this was known to the Kingdom, it would only mean war.

So that was why Kurandas, the one who was appointed to guard Usharan's armory, was here in front of Viscount Teron.

After the investigation, it seemed that Baron Kulan was using some of the items from the armory for the prosperity of his lands. It was hidden well, so it took some time to figure it out.

If Phareon had unlocked the armory's Second Stage, the Logadis army would've been crushed instantly. However, he was only using items from the First Stage, so it was apparent that he hadn't unlocked the second yet.

Even the First Stage was amazing, but Kurandas had no interest in that. The true power lied with the Second Stage.

That was his target.

It was impossible to steal it without getting caught. If it was same as their own armory, it would have similar security measures. It would cause a ruckus by bringing in more people, and if he cut down those who came, the Kingdom would make a move.

He needed to act carefully to make sure that it would simply end in the countryside.

<They cannot know that Usharan Kingdom is behind all this.>

That was why they contacted Viscount Teron. To make a bigger issue as a cover-up.

With Viscount Teron's ambition, he wasn't satisfied with the land of Logadis. They tempted the Viscount to move over to Usharan. With this, he was promised better land. He decided to cooperate once they signed the contract with a magical seal.

They had no intention to keep it. Viscount Teron didn't seem to know that a Grand Bander could easily bend the will of such a contract. With the support of intelligence and money, Teron united the other nobles and started a war against Kulan.

They didn't need to win. Teron was to be killed soon and Kurandas was never to return with the items within the armory.

He thought, 'It's going well.'

Up until now, everything had been well-planned and staged. Kulan forces were out on the field, and it would take time for them to return to the cliff to protect it. When they did arrive, it would be too late.

He brought the <Void space of Nitzmatan> to bring back everything, so having come alone was not a problem.

All he needed to do was break in, sweep up everything, and leave. Phareon also seemed to be keeping it a secret to keep everything for himself. If he reported it to the Kingdom, it would've been hard for them to steal it, but if Phareon was keeping and defending it alone, it was easy.

Only one last step remained.

"Let's move. Make sure you do your part until the end, Viscount."

"Understood."

Teron began moving out to order his forces to put the pressure on the Kulans.

Kurandas then jumped out of the window. He needed to move quickly.

Phareon was deep in thought after talking with Ra-Kadum who called him up suddenly. He had given him some mysterious advice.

<Dekons see what humans cannot see. One includes the future. It's not something we can see when we want or when it is clear… but it's very near in the future. I will still help you. If you don't know what to do, do this…>

He then told him some additional things.

'What is that supposed to mean?'

Phareon thought about it for a moment, then shook it away to focus on the war.

As he listened to the situation of the war through the <Kranga>, he felt something strange. Teron's forces suddenly moved out to form a boundary near the cliff.

'What is it?'

The cliff was where his <Artifacts> were being hidden. It was hidden deep within and only he knew where it was. It also had all sorts of security measures, and his forces could not provide stronger protection than the armory's self-defense system anyway.

He couldn't figure out what they were doing, but the <Kranga> suddenly began sending alarming messages into his head.

<WARNING! WARNING! THE ARMORY HAS BEEN INFILTRATED! INITIATING FIRST STAGE DEFENSIVE SYSTEM!>

"WHAT!"

Phareon stood up at once.

"So… it was here. <Armory of Arankal>. No wonder we couldn't find it," Kurandas spoke as he looked at the steel door in front of him.

At the bottom, deep inside the cliff, there were steel doors that had stood strong after hundreds of years. The Talic Stone powder that covered it had strong defensive magic power.

<…Identifying the user. Unidentifiable user.>

Light came in from the top of the door, scanning Kurandas before rejecting him. He grinned and pulled his sword.

"I knew it."

He began pushing Bandar on his sword and the light began to glow from the sword. He then swung his sword at the door.

The steel door that could withstand a charging ram was broken into pieces with just one swing. As the door broke open, some red light began shooting upon Kurandas from within.

"It's okay. I'll go inside."

Kurandas jumped in, swinging his sword all directions around him.

Sian awoke from the weird energy waves coming to him. He looked at the cliff and thought for a second, but then grinned.

"Oh."

Then he was gone from the room.