Chapter 310: The Thousand-Year Ice Cave

“You don’t seem particularly surprised. Does eating a dragon’s heart also dull your senses?”

“What’s so surprising about a hidden passage leading to a cave behind the elders’ residence?”

“You're an immigrant, but you don’t act like one.”

As Alteman walked up the dark path without a single ray of light, he clicked his tongue softly, watching Karyl follow him without any hesitation.

“The northern elders are the ones who need protection more than the leaders. Having a hidden passage connected to their residence goes against the ethics of the immigrant tribes. The secret passage is for escape, but if it’s exposed, the risk of assassination skyrockets.”

“Who says the elders are weak?” Karyl snorted.

“...What?”

“Those old men were once the leaders of their own tribes. They may be old, but they’re not so easily killed, even by knights. They’re just crafty old foxes pretending to be feeble.”

“Ha... Haha.”

Alteman nodded in agreement.

“You seem to know the elders well. You’re a clever one, I must say. You even used my name to get to Hashir, didn’t you? It seems he fell for it because you’re the son of Karliak... Even though we’ve never met, you managed to use me well.”

“I didn’t need to meet them to know. At first, I couldn’t easily reveal my identity as an immigrant to Hashir. After all, the Master of the North is only known to the immigrant tribes.”

“Hmm. I see.”

“But by the end, it didn’t matter whether I was an immigrant or not.”

Alteman chuckled, looking at Karyl.

“That’s true.”

“In hindsight, I should’ve brought Kay with me.”

“Kay?”

“Kay Rothschild, the last survivor of the Rothschild family. She’s the descendant of your comrade and a puppeteer as well.”

“That’s all in the past. It’s a pity how short human lives are—most don’t even see a full hundred years.”

Karyl laughed softly at Alteman's comment.

“That’s not why I mentioned it. I wasn’t talking about a tearful reunion. I was referring to the spirit inside her puppet.”

“Spirit?

“Yes. The spirit inside her puppet is none other than Zarka Hochi, the master of the Ghost Castle.”

“...”

Alteman remained silent, but Karyl was able to sense the shift in his aura, the effort to maintain composure despite his clear unease.

“Zarka Hochi... It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that name. Don’t assume we were close just because we were both elves. The Hochi family was reclusive, except for one member.”

“Still, you would know more about him than I would, being an elf yourself.”

“Know what?”

“When I first met Zarka Hochi at the Ghost Castle, he was holding a small picture frame. I broke it, though.”

“...Huh.”

Alteman couldn’t help but sigh at Karyl’s words, quickly covering his mouth in surprise.

“Judging by your reaction, it seems like I asked the right question. Zarka was furious with me for breaking it. The frame held the portrait of a woman, and the name inscribed on it—”

“Fürrel,” Alteman responded before Karyl could finish. “The Flower of the Tinuviel family.”

“That’s right.”

With that, Alteman stopped working for the first time since they had set out.

“You even know her name... Fate works in strange ways. And for Zarka to still be with you after you destroyed that frame... Either your skill is extraordinary, or Zarka has forgotten the honor of the Hochi family... But it seems it’s certainly the former.”

Karyl shrugged, as if it didn’t matter either way.

“The Tinuviel family has produced rulers of the elves’ land, Elvenheim. The Hochi family, in turn, were the stewards of Aerial Woods, the capital of Elvenheim, and they served only the Tinuviel family.”

“So that’s why Zarka was so furious—his loyalty to his former master. That’s not exactly surprising.”

“It’s more surprising than you think. The Hochi family lived only for the queen.”

“Well, she’s dead now. He can change masters.”

“That’s not something to joke about...” Alteman gave a bitter smile and shook his head.

“So, you understand what I’m getting at, don’t you? Why I mentioned Zarka Hochi’s name?”

"You’re not asking about Queen Fürrel, are you?"

“No,” Karyl said sharply, fixing his gaze on Alteman. “According to what you said, Aerial Woods was the royal capital of the Elven Kingdom. Seeing how Zarka continues to serve the royal family even in death, it’s clear there wasn’t any rebellion. So why did everything fall apart?”

Alteman remained silent at the question.

“Are you confirming what you already know, or do you truly want to ask me for the reason?”

“It’s not the latter for sure.”

At that, Alteman sighed and shook his head.

“This is about Narh Di Maug, isn’t it?”

“It’s no big deal. You got help from the one who destroyed the Elven Kingdom. I’m just curious because, while some elves stay loyal to the royal family even in death, a thousand-year-old elf like you seems to have no such loyalty.”

“You’re incredibly blunt with your criticisms.”

“Sometimes, bluntness is necessary.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t have much to tell you about that. I can only say this: not even an elf can live for a thousand years.”

With that, Alteman turned and began walking again.

Huh...? Not even an elf can live for a thousand years?

Karyl frowned as he processed Alteman’s words.

So Narh Di Maug didn’t give him just swordsmanship?

There were many ways to extend one’s life—pacts with absolute beings, contracts with demons, or secret techniques involving elixirs. Though Karyl didn’t know exactly how Alteman had managed to survive for so long, it was clear from his words that his life was tied to the Platinum Dragon, Narh Di Maug.

“We’re here.”

Alteman stopped walking and gestured ahead as Karyl pondered these thoughts.

Whooosh—

As they stepped out of the dark path, where dead branches sagged under the weight of snow, their conversation fell silent. But neither seemed to care, for a far more important secret was waiting for them in the massive cave that loomed ahead.

“You’re probably the first to come here without undergoing the Great Warrior’s ritual. Then again, I doubt such a ceremony would hold much significance for you.”

No one had ever wielded Lakna, the artifact of the Great Warrior, before.

“Don’t be surprised by anything you see up ahead.”

Alteman’s voice carried a hint of tension as he spoke to Karyl, his usual casual tone now tinged with apprehension.

“So we’ll find the Sword Demon’s techniques within this cave?” Karyl asked, but Alteman only responded with a cryptic smile as he walked deeper into the cave.

“...”

Although Karyl didn’t express it aloud, conflicting emotions swirled within him as he looked around the cave. The most important reason he had decided to go back in time was tied to this place—to meet the predecessor sealed within the ice pillar.

It all started when my father revealed the secret to me.

Karyl felt a strange sense of detachment as he remembered calling Kuwell MacGovern his father. A bitter smile formed on his lips as he delved deeper into his memories.

Why did he, a man from the empire, reveal this secret to me? Was it repentance before his death, or did he somehow know that Pharel could send someone back in time? No, that seems unlikely.

While the latter seemed improbable, the ever-present involvement of the Platinum Dragon cast doubt.

In Karyl’s previous life, Narh Di Maug had remained loyal to the empire until the end, fighting in the Oracle War. It was possible that Kuwell, a loyal servant of the empire, had learned something from Narh Di Maug. Even if that chance was minimal, Karyl could no longer dismiss it.

Olivurn and Kuwell, both are imperials connected to Narh Di Maug.

One had revealed the secrets of the Thousand-Year Ice Cave, while the other had tried to kill him. Karyl wanted to change the future, and the one who had shown him how was none other than Narh Di Maug.

But even if he has some grand plan, I'm the only one who’s traveled back in time. Narh Di Maug hasn’t.

Karyl dismissed the idea that anyone else had traveled back in time. He alone knew Pharel’s true nature, having learned through firsthand experience. After countless years within the tower, his consciousness had essentially merged with it. If its doors had opened for another, he would have known.

“What are you thinking about?”

"Hmm?"

Alteman’s voice pulled Karyl out of his thoughts.

“The Sword Demon is just a title. It doesn’t refer to one specific person. It’s a name passed down through the ages, from the Mythical Era to the Magical Era and beyond, bestowed only upon those deemed worthy.”

Karyl, lost in his thoughts, lifted his head at Alteman’s explanation.

“The other name for the Sword Demon is Blader.”

“...I knew it.”

Karyl nodded in response to Alteman’s confirmation.

The Bladers, once defiant warriors who stood against the gods in the Great War, had ironically been forgotten by their own descendants. In the Magical Era, their name had instead been adopted by the empire, with figures like Allen Javius and other eccentric elves and dwarves seeking to create the finest weapons.

Yet the true successors of the Bladers, the immigrant tribes, had been unable to carry on that name. Perhaps, just as the Spirit Kings had been sealed, the inability to bear the name “Blader” was the price humans had to pay for their defeat.

“The Sword Demon... That title must be the hidden will of the Bladers, passed down to ensure the survival of their swordsmanship, entrusted to someone like the Master of the North.”

The Godslayers had renamed themselves, passing on their legacy to future generations so it wouldn’t be lost. Karyl couldn’t help but feel a shiver down his spine at the sheer tenacity of their resistance.

“Exactly. You can’t just inherit their will—you have to fight for it.”

Woooong...

As Alteman chanted a mysterious incantation, a small magic circle appeared in his palm, and a symbol resembling a tower emerged from it. In an instant, the darkness in front of them dissipated, revealing a massive ice pillar.

Fwoooosh!

A wave of cold air washed over them, chilling Karyl to the bone.

“...”

Karyl tightened his fist as he gazed upon the ice pillar. It was the same one he had seen in his previous life—the one that had solidified his resolve to turn back time.

As he gazed at the giant ice pillar, Karyl asked in disbelief, “What... is this?”

Alteman, as if expecting the reaction, nodded knowingly.

“I thought you’d be shocked. No matter how strong your heart, anyone would be stunned by this sight.”

This was what Alteman had meant by preparing for a shock. He had been referring to this very moment, the revelation of the ice pillar.

“It’s unimaginable that a prophet of the immigrant tribes from thousands of years ago—or perhaps even longer—would be sealed within this,” Alteman remarked.

Inside the ice pillar stood a man with black eyes, gripping a sword.

“No, that’s not right...”

“...Hmm?”

Karyl, however, raised a hand to silence Alteman, cutting him off as if to say he understood why Alteman might be surprised. Then, with a subtle gesture, he signaled for time to think.

“...”

Alteman, puzzled by Karyl’s abrupt reaction, tilted his head, but remained quiet. Karyl lifted his gaze again, staring intently at the ice pillar. No matter how many times he rubbed his eyes and looked, the image of the ice pillar before him remained the same.

“Ha...”

A low sigh escaped Karyl’s lips, a myriad of emotions swirling within him.

This was the beginning of everything.

In his past life, Karyl had learned about the ice pillar here from Kuwell.

However, what Karyl felt now was far from nostalgia or anything heartfelt. Rather, It was confusion and suspicion, a first impression laden with doubt and wariness.

Witnessing the Black-Eyed Godslayer sealed within the ice had changed everything. In that moment, he made the decision to ascend Phrael and reshape the future, proving that the immigrant tribes were the true rulers of the continent.

That was why he believed Olivurn had tried to kill him. But now... something was different. This was not the same ice pillar he had seen in his past life.

“Why...”

Karyl swallowed hard.

“...are there two of them?"

Inside the ice pillar, there was someone else—a figure Karyl hadn’t seen in his past life.