Swordmeister of Rome

"Thank you so much…"

"No… Ugh… I didn't do anything."

"No-no. You've done so much for me. I can learn from it every day now."

Sian turned to Stiel awkwardly as the boy looked at him with respect. Sian and Stiel were touring through the city with Dekaron from the Roland Family. After Dekaron found out that Sian was here to tour around, he volunteered to show Sian around Lenorva. Dekaron was born and raised here and had experience as a tourist guide. Sian reluctantly accepted, and that was how the three of them ended up walking around the city of Lenorva.

"…This place is called <Kuron's Lunch>. It's a really good place, but outsiders don't know about this. Kuron, the master and chef, is really talented."

Sian was immediately interested.

"Shall we eat here? I'll treat you guys. Dekaron too."

"Hehe, I don't mind."

"Why, thank you, sir!"

The three entered the restaurant. It was not crowded and the food was good, so the three of them enjoyed their time. While eating, Sian managed to find out a few more things about Dekaron.

One, his family was on the brink of being wiped out due to poverty.

Two, Dekaron was doing his best to keep his family alive.

Dekaron was so talented that he had self-trained without a teacher to almost an Expert, while he worked for money to keep his family alive.

However, since Sian and Stiel were more talented in that regard, so they didn't mind that much.

After a while, Dekaron seemed like he wanted to ask something.

"Hmm? What is it?"

When asked, Dekaron barely managed to force out his question,

"How long are you going to stay here?"

"Maybe a week? I love this city of Lenorva. I still have lots of places to see."

Dekaron then quickly continued, "If- if it's not too much to ask, can you please teach me about the sword while you are here?"

Sian shook his head.

"Oh… no. I'm sorry, but I would rather not."

"I… see… I'm sorry for troubling you. I guess it was too much."

Dekaron looked disappointed, and so Sian quickly added, "No... it's not too much. It's just… I was never taught, and I've never taught anyone before."

"Huh?"

Dekaron looked doubtful and made a face as if Sian was just making excuses.

"It's true. I tried to help my brother before, but it didn't work out."

Even Rian could not understand a thing Sian said. Sian didn't believe this boy was more talented than his brother.

"Haha… of course. No one will understand us."

Stiel laughed.

These geniuses had a thought process that no common people could understand. They did things their way because it felt natural for them. It was same for Sun Sword Liviath, Stiel, and Sian.

"I believe there's nothing that Sun Sword Liviath left for his family? Like a Sword Art or anything?"

"No."

"It's because it's pointless. Anyone without that same talent of his won't understand… and if one has such talent, then they won't need to be tutored."

"Oh…"

Dekaron looked grim. All of his family's 200 years of effort had just been proven to be a waste of time. They did their best to learn the ways of Sun Sword Liviath even during their hard times, but these people proved that it was all useless.

"Boy, isn't that why I made a trace for you to learn? On the hill? You can learn from there."

"Oh…!"

Dekaron brightened up, and it eased Sian's mind. He did not want to see someone in despair. Then, Dekaron suddenly became concerned and turned to Sian.

"I didn't mention it before, but there's one thing that Sun Sword Liviath left behind when he visited our family about a hundred years ago."

"Huh?"

"Wow, did he?"

Sian and Stiel were surprised. It was amazing that a Ra-Bander took an interest in his family and revisited. Sian was also interested at unexpectedly finding the trace of a Ra-Bander.

"Boy, you are pretty brave to tell us that. What if we decide to take it away?"

"I just figured you wouldn't do such a thing."

Dekaron always had been quick to figure out what people thought. After talking about Sun Sword Liviath for a while, he realized these two had absolutely zero respect for his ancestor. It even felt like they were looking down on Sun Sword Liviath.

He had been hiding the artifact left by Sun Sword Liviath until now. There was no way to protect it as his family was too weak to defend it. However, these two seemed safe, that's why he told them.

They could not decipher it for the past hundred years anyway. It felt better to take a chance and show it to these people. And fortunately, as expected, these two only had a look of interest, not greed.

"Would you take a look at it? My home is not too far away."

"Well… I guess if it is okay, I will take a look."

"Yeah. Let's see what old man Liviath left. Hahaha!"

The three finished their lunch and followed Dekaron to his home.

"It's here."

They had arrived at a run-down house. The once powerful family was now left with nothing.

However, that was what saved them from looters.

Besides, it didn't matter to Sian and Stiel. They didn't care if it was a palace or a mansion, it was all the same to them.

Dekaron guided them in and introduced them to his mother.

"Mother, these are the ones that helped me yesterday."

"I'm Sian."

"Stiel."

"Welcome to the Roland house. I don't have much to offer… but please make yourself at home."

His mother looked haggard and lethargic.

"Go to your room and rest, mother. Come this way, please."

Dekaron showed them to the cleanest room of the mansion, and then went down to the basement to get the artifact. He returned with a small box soon after. It was so ragged and plain that no one would pay much attention to it.

Once Dekaron opened it; however, something out of place emerged. It was a thumbnail-sized stone that glowed. The surface of the stone had carefully engraved lines above it where a shiny particle was revolving. Also, the stone itself, which was opaque, had something inside that was continuously moving.

It seemed understandable why the Roland family kept it a secret. If it were known to the public, this run-down mansion would have already been robbed a long time ago.

Sian examined it for a while and then spoke, "This…"

Dekaron swallowed his throat and listened.

"I have no idea what this is."

"What?"

"Did Sun Sword Liviath really give you this?"

"Yes… At least that's what our record says. Sun Sword Liviath sent someone to deliver this to us."

"That's weird," Sian mumbled, and Stiel agreed. It did not have any traces of a Ra-Bander; there was no sign of any Bander or a <Way>. It actually had continuous movement of Exar from within which made it feel as if a Magic Priest had created this. However, he couldn't even guess what was inside. Although one thing was for certain.

"It seems like it was made to be eaten."

"…to eat?"

Dekaron's ancestors spent over a hundred years on deciphering the purpose of this artifact, but the fallen family had no such ability.

"It is well made. Only someone with above average skills can notice… it keeps sending signals to eat it. I'm not too sure, but I think it's made to increase power or something."

Dekaron turned to the stone. After looking at the trace on the hill, he had learned something, and by concentrating on the stone, he felt the kind of signal that Sian mentioned.

Dekaron was impressed. So Liviath, his ancestor, did not abandon his family after all. It was unsure what it was, but it was left by a Ra-Bander and had the possibility of being a powerful item.

Stiel, however, was skeptical.

'Hm… he's not that type of a person.'

After once fighting Liviath back at Sky Mountain, Stiel understood what kind of man Liviath was. She couldn't believe that he left such an item for his family. However, she wasn't familiar with him, so she didn't say anything.

Besides, it didn't mean much to her and Sian, even though they weren't sure what the stone was for.

After a round of discussions, the sun had set, and both Sian and Stiel went back to their inn after promising to meet up the next day.

When Dekaron was left alone in his room, he looked upon the stone and pondered. He recalled what Sian said.

<I'm not sure what it is… but it seems fishy. I would advise you not to eat it.>

However, Dekaron couldn't resist as he stared at it. His consciousness also felt like it was talking to him as he stared at it.

[How long will you keep training? You need to revive your family…]

[Your ancestor left it. There's nothing wrong with it…]

[You can become powerful…]

Dekaron then reached out as if he was controlled and swallowed the stone.

On one of the islands of <Margaran>, a famous retreat location east of the Broshan Kingdom by the Kiaran Sea.

A mansion stood on the island, not too far from the city of Lenorva.

A man, who was enjoying the sunlight in front of the mansion, woke up immediately from his sleep.

"Oh… finally ate it then? Sun Sword Liviath must be having so much trouble. His descendants are so disappointing."

The man grinned as he stood up from the chair and turned towards the west. Then he was gone.