Chapter 223: Aidan Hamil’s Proof

It was late at night.

Azor truly lived up to its reputation as the City of Magic, bustling even in the darkest hours. Karyl stood on a hill, enjoying the refreshing night breeze, looking down below.

It was the hill where he had once practiced magic. The traces of fire and frost had long since vanished, but the charred wooden pillars still stood, a testament to the passage of time.

“Aidan,” Karyl spoke into the darkness, where no one seemed to be.

“Yes, my lord. You seem so different now. I’m almost scared to approach you,” a hushed voice replied, almost like a shadow.

𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Karyl chuckled at his words.

“And you. You’ve improved your stealth technique. I can barely sense you from twenty steps away.”

“Haha... twenty steps, you say?”

Aidan gave a bitter smile at Karyl’s compliment, which felt more like a critique. As an assassin, he was supposed to remain undetected until the very last moment, and being noticed from twenty steps away was embarrassing.

Once again, Aidan was reminded of the gap between him and Karyl.

“The lord’s mansion was quite lively.”

“Well, it’s not like they witness the birth of a 6th Class sorcerer every weekend, right?”

Fortunately, the commotion caused by the lightning strike at the mansion was resolved by Fasio, whose conclusion was that an unusual natural disaster had occurred in the mana-rich city.

Of course, many sorcerers were skeptical, but no one dared to oppose the decision of Fasio Han, the highest-ranked sorcerer and lord of Azor.

“Not even the Great Sorcerers caused such a massive storm when they reached the 6th Class.” Aidan shrugged. “Congratulations on your achievement.”

He then bowed, and for a brief moment, a hint of envy flashed across his face.

“Congrats to you too. It’s good to see we’ve both achieved something. A lot of time has passed, eh? Who would’ve thought we’d end up like this when we first met in the lawless port?”

“You’re right. But it feels like you knew I would end up as your subordinate.” Aidan gave a wry smile.

“You probably heard that an envoy from the Eastern Land came.”

“Yes, that’s part of why I’m here. I heard you drove them away. Who was it?”

“They kept their face covered, and their voice was altered with some technique.”

Aidan nodded.

“That’s typical. The envoys keep their identities hidden according to the rules of the Eastern Land.”

“They seemed skilled with needles,” Karyl added. “The belt they wore had eighty-nine needles embedded in it.”

“...You noticed that?”

Aidan was slightly bewildered by Karyl’s precise count.

“Yep.”

Seeing him respond so casually, Aidan chuckled.

Counting all those needles in a matter of seconds seemed absurd. In fact, Karyl had merely guessed based on the shape of the envoy’s belt. He had some history with the Eastern Land in his previous life, particularly with their leader, Simon Coden, with whom he had clashed several times.

Through those encounters, Karyl had fought many assassins from the Burning Darkness. As the envoys of the Eastern Land were also from the Burning Darkness, Karyl could estimate their skill and rank.

“If what you said is true... eighty-nine needles likely means that envoy was an assassin of the 3rd rank in the Burning Darkness. There aren’t many of them.”

“How high is the 3rd rank?”

“It’s a very high rank for the assassins of the Burning Darkness. There might be around ten members. The Burning Darkness is divided into seven ranks, with only one person inheriting each rank.”

“Hmm... So, there are two higher ranks. They didn’t reveal their strength, but I could tell they were above a Sword Expert.”

“They might have used the initial stage of Shadow Arts. If they’re 3rd rank, they likely began learning it. But trying to exert such pressure on you was foolish. They probably don’t realize how lucky they were to walk out of there alive.”

“Shadow Arts?” Karyl asked, intrigued.

“It’s the highest secret art of the Eastern Land. Only those from the 3rd rank can start learning it. Even mastering the first stage can give power comparable to a Sword Master.”

“Hmm...”

“The second stage is taught only to the inheritor of the Burning Darkness, and the third stage is known only by the ruler of the Eastern Land.”

“An art comparable to a Sword Master’s power... The secret techniques of the Eastern Land are indeed fascinating.” Karyl nodded slowly.

Aidan, if you’re referring to the technique Simon Coden used, I know what you’re talking about. It gave me quite a hard time. You want to acquire that, don’t you?

Karyl quickly grasped Aidan’s thoughts. As a former member of the Burning Darkness, he naturally sought to learn the most powerful technique he knew of, the Shadow Arts.

“Like you, Mikhail and that young girl also seem different.”

“Yeah, they also made progress at Antihum. It will take time to master, though.”

“Indeed...”

Karyl closely observed Aidan’s expression, remembering his reaction when he had encountered Mikhail in the hallway. Aidan had instinctively realized Mikhail’s growth at Antihum, but his expression had turned sour.

He was impatient and frustrated by the explosive growth of his comrades.

What will become of an assassin that can’t hide his emotions? He seems to be quite troubled.

Karyl knew this well, which was why he had called Aidan quietly before leaving for the Lurein Principality.

“The reason I called you here is this. I plan to send an envoy from the Free State of Tatur to the Eastern Land.”

“You mean...”

“How about you go? Whether it’s an excuse or a reason, you need to resolve your issues with the Burning Darkness sooner or later. Besides, I think it’s a waste for you to keep your skills to yourself.”

Aidan let out a dry laugh. He remembered the first time Karyl had asked him about his stealth technique back in Heim, where he had also inquired if Aidan was willing to teach his skills to others.

“Are you asking me to train someone again?”

He smiled bitterly, for what he desired was not to become a mentor but to continue his own growth.

“And if you go to the Eastern Land as an envoy of Tatur, Simon Coden won’t be able to just kill you.”

At that, Aidan’s expression hardened. After all, he was a traitor, having defied the orders of the Burning Darkness to follow Karyl instead. He had thought there would be no more entanglements with the Eastern Land unless they clashed swords on a battlefield.

“...Even if this is a joke, I refuse.”

“It’s not a joke. We need to understand why the Eastern Land contacted Azor first. Thanks to Allen, Azor will remain neutral for now. But if the empire’s pressure intensifies, we have no other choice."

“...It’s war.”

Karyl slowly nodded.

“Indeed. War with the empire is inevitable, but we must first resolve the issues in the principality. You heard what Kamma said, right?”

“Alright, now I get why I have to go to the Eastern Land. It’s to ensure that they also remain neutral, not just Azor, right?”

“You’re only half wrong.”

“What?”

Karyl’s lips curved into a smile as he looked at Aidan.

Gulp—

Aidan swallowed nervously. Both he and Mikhail knew that when Karyl made that face, it meant he was planning something big.

“Azor remaining neutral is enough. After all, the main force here is the Ulkas Guild. But the Eastern Land is different.”

Karyl began to slowly explain.

“Tell them to join us. On the surface, call it an alliance. After the Three Kingdoms of Istria unify, they will form a new kingdom and ally with us. We’re giving the Eastern Land the same opportunity.”

“Do you intend to keep the Three Kingdoms as separate entities? Even though Princess Viola and everyone knows they will eventually be part of Tatur?” Aidan asked calmly, unsurprised by Karyl’s grand declaration.

“Fighting for their own country... That sense of responsibility can be a powerful force. Identity and belonging... The heroic act of defending one’s homeland can turn a crybaby into a warrior."

Aidan cocked his head slightly. If asked whether having divided or united countries was better, he would choose the latter.

“I will allow the Three Kingdoms of Istria, the southern Five Great Families, Digon, and the northern tribes to preserve their traditions freely, without making them part of Tatur. I shall rule no land other than Tatur, a unique city where all races can coexist.”

“Uh-huh...”

Aidan still seemed unsure.

“You’ll understand soon enough.” Karyl nodded, acknowledging Aidan's curiosity.

“So I should just wait and see?”

“Yes.”

Aidan smiled at his reply.

If it were simply about unifying the continent, you would be right. However, true strength comes not from orders, but from people rising voluntarily under one banner to defend themselves.

For Karyl, the unification of the continent, which not even its pioneers had achieved, was just another milestone.

“Do you think the ruler of the Eastern Land will listen to you?” Aidan asked.

“You just need to deliver my message. And one more thing.”

“What?”

“As part of the alliance, demand they hand over the Shadow Arts. You will learn them.”

“...”

Aidan’s face hardened at Karyl’s words.

“You might as well just tell me to go die,” he said in disbelief. It was so absurd he couldn’t even laugh.

“Do I need to repeat myself? It’s not a joke. Besides, it would be good if you could spar with Simon Coden. With your keen eyes, you might learn something.”

“And then die, right?”

“Since you’re going as an envoy, you might lose an arm, but they probably won’t kill you.”

“...Are you serious?”

“No,

that

was a joke.”

Karyl snorted at Aidan’s serious expression.

“Listen, I’m sending you on this mission because I trust you. What, you have so little faith in yourself that you think you’d just die like that? If that were the case, I wouldn’t have wanted you in the first place,” Karyl explained with a stern face.

“Just like you said, from the moment I first saw you in the lawless port, I wanted to have you. And you didn’t disappoint. But you know, don’t you? You’re only chasing after the ones you thought you were starting on the same line with.”

“...”

“Listen, I’m not telling you to be some mentor. But if you’re truly great, you should be able to teach your stealth technique to others, right?”

Karyl looked him in the eye.

“Just so you know, Mikhail had passed the Book of Challenges in Antihum.”

Aidan bit his lip slightly.

“I simply haven’t had the opportunity.”

“You’re right.”

As if waiting for that answer, Karyl looked at him.

“Then prove your worth. If you do, I’ll show you a realm even Simon Coden couldn’t reach.”

“...!”

At that, Aidan’s face stiffened.

The true pinnacle of the Shadow Arts...?

It was something he had never considered. The Shadow Arts of the Burning Darkness, divided into three stages, were among the most enigmatic abilities on the continent.

However, during the Oracle War, Karyl had not only exchanged blows with Simon Coden but also witnessed his fights numerous times.

And he had concluded one thing.

Simon Coden, the ruler of the Eastern Land, hasn’t mastered the Shadow Arts. There’s a higher stage.

The fourth and ultimate stage.

Unfortunately, survival was the priority back then, leaving no time to explore it.

In any case, Karyl had not been neglecting Aidan all this time, quite the opposite. He had already proven himself in his past life.

“I’m giving you a chance.”

He had merely stirred up Aidan’s competitive spirit.

“Come back with the Shadow Arts. This is not a suggestion. It’s an order.”

“...”

Aidan unwittingly clenched his fist even tighter. This was his first mission. He nodded slowly and disappeared back into the shadows.