Chapter 81: A Change Unprecedented in History

"Tch...!!" Karyl hastily snatched the mask from her hand and covered her face. However, hiding her face was pointless now that her identity had been exposed.

"Kayla Spear? The actual daughter of Tulu Spear? Why is the chief's daughter here?" Kinu Mukari seemed to recognize her.

"The important thing is that she's alone. Considering who Tulu Spear is, there's no way he would leave his precious daughter in such a place by herself," Beikan added.

"Hmm, that's true."

"It's clear now. The bodies we saw earlier must have been those escorting the chief's daughter. She must have sought refuge in the Abyssal Rocks after being attacked."

"Tch-!" Aidan spoke in a low voice. "Whoever it was, it seems they failed to capture the lady... By the way, what color was the armor of those men?"

"You...! Being an imperial, why are you with Southerners? Or should I be asking the opposite?" Kayla asked, outright ignoring Aidan's question, all the while glaring at Karyl.

"We were the ones who asked first. If you answer us, we might be willing to answer you." Unperturbed by her gaze, Karyl simply nodded at Aidan.

"...It was green."

Aidan was taken aback as he looked back and forth between Karyl and her. It was as if he had been struck on the head with a hammer.

Green... That's the Ryeo Knights, isn't it? Did the imperials really attack the Southerners? But that can't be... There wouldn't have been enough leisure to pay attention to this place until the conflict for the throne was over.

Unlike the North, the South was the farthest land from the empire at the current time. That was why Karyl had chosen the South to build power and to keep the Empire in check.

"We haven't heard any reports of an Imperial invasion. News from the South usually travels the fastest through the Great Plains," Beikan wore a puzzled expression as he doubted Kayla’s words.

"They didn’t enter through the Great Plains. It's not certain, but they might have come from the opposite side."

"Bullshit. Opposite the Great Plains is the territory of the Digon tribe. Would Miliana have allowed imperial soldiers to pass through just like that?" Kinu Mukari snorted in disbelief, yet Kayla remained serious.

"But there's no other explanation. In any case, we were attacked by the Imperials."

All of a sudden a scene jolted into Karyl’s mind.

Nareel...!!

It was the scene that came to mind when he first saw the burnt bodies. He remembered encountering the Ryeo Knights while passing through a village when he first left the manor.

Could it be... Did they have the South in mind even back then?

Karyl shook his head.

No. Even after that encounter, the South remained the land of the barbarians. The Spear family existed until Olivurn ascended to the throne. That means the Ryeo Knights didn't march. So... has the future speared?

"Who attacked you?! There must have been a leader," Karyl asked, urgency dripping from his words.

"We couldn’t clearly see because they appeared all of a sudden two days ago. But there was a handsome man leading the knights on horseback."

"Did that man wield a battle axe? Much larger than usual, with blades on both ends?"

"Yes." Kayla nodded with widened eyes.

Gulp—

Aidan gulped dryly, realizing that the person she described matched someone he, too, had just thought of.

Should I have followed them then?

Karyl had been complacent. Because their actions had not been deeply recorded in history, he had taken them lightly.

But now, it was not the past that he was living in but the present. Karyl blamed himself for his mistake.

"The situation couldn’t be clearer," Aidan remarked, his words hanging in the air. "It's definitely the work of the imperials."

It was an unprecedented turn of events, a change not recorded in history. If the attack had taken them by surprise, then perhaps it deviated from the original plan.

The Ryeo Knights are under Olivurn’s command, so why would they engage in an unplanned assault? What could be the reason?

Suddenly, a thought suddenly flashed across Karyl's mind.

Could it be that they turned their attention to the South because acquiring Tatur had become difficult?

The possibility was high. Surely, Zouk De Holde, who remained in the city, would have reported back to Olivurn. In fact, Karyl had deliberately left her behind.

Such hubris... I underestimated Olivurn's reluctance to use force.

But it was strange, with Kuwell MacGovern, his supporter, having left for the Northern conquest, he wouldn't have normally deployed troops in such a situation.

But why? Attacking the South now won't give him anything since both Northerners and Southerners are enemies of the empire. There's no need to weaken his forces when he’s still in the middle of his struggle with the First Prince.

Is he relying on Father's Blue Knights Order?

Karyl shook his head. Even though Kuwell supported Olivurn, as long as the Emperor was alive, he would always prioritize the Emperor's commands.

With my father occupied by the Heresy Extermination Decree in the North, it’ll be at the very least a few months before he returns. Pulling troops from such a situation can only mean...

"It's a show of power,’ Aidan interjected, seemingly able to read Karyl's thoughts. “The First Prince has the full support of the nobles, but the Second Prince is popular among the knights."

"It's a bold move. But if Olivurn can subjugate the South, he can turn the situation against the First Prince in one fell swoop, even within the Imperial Palace."

"Did he propose the expedition himself?"

"It's entirely possible. Unlike other knightly orders, the Ryeo Knights are fiercely loyal to him. He might have even volunteered to lead the conquest of the South."

"I see," Karyl murmured in a heavy voice.

Given the future continental wars and the Oracle wars, the immediate goal was to ascend to the throne, no matter what great upheaval the future held. Karyl was well aware that his own actions had influenced Olivurn's bold move.

If it meant gaining favor in the eyes of an emperor who vehemently despised immigrants and barbarians, it made perfect sense.

They held completely opposite viewpoints. While he aimed to use the South for a central expansion, the Second Prince, Olivurn, aimed for the conquest of the South.

𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Karyl found himself grinding his teeth unwittingly.

Knowing the future might have allowed him to move ahead, but the people of the present were also creating a new future. Olivurn's actions far surpassed his predictions; it made him realize that the path forward would not be easy.

"Kayla Spear, if you have any more information, share it. Their conversations, their each and every action, no matter how trivial it was, tell us everything you know. This is no ordinary attack. Also, where is your father now?"

"Why should I..." Kayla’s voice trailed off as her words were cut short by the piercing look in their eyes.

"You seem to be unaware of the gravity of the situation. Listen here. The attack on the Spear family is just the beginning. The assailants won’t be satisfied with that alone. The safety of the other four major families is also at stake."

But there was something even more troubling. The possibility that the Ryeo Knights had entered through the land of the Digon tribe. If that were the case, it meant that the most powerful in the South had sided with Olivurn.

If we're not careful, we might have to fight a war in the South before we can even make our way to the Central region.

The silence stretched on; it was as if Karyl's grim expression was seeping into the atmosphere.

"I don't know about the rest, but they mentioned looking for something at the Abyssal Rocks."

"But there's nothing there except for the tombstone symbolizing the Spirit King's tomb... What could they be after?"

"I'm not sure..." Even the Southerners themselves were unaware.

Yet, the answer came from an unexpected source—Allen Javius.

[Karyl, do you remember? I once mentioned why I wanted to go to the Abyssal Rocks.]

Of course, I haven't forgotten. You said something about a way to unlock the meridians.

[And?] As if he couldn’t wait any longer, he spoke immediately after asking himself. [I said the Spring of Vision was there. The so-called tomb of the Spirit King, as described by those simple-minded barbarians, is actually the Spring of Vision.]

Wait, you mean...

[Yes, the Imperials wouldn't go to such lengths just to conquer the South. They must be after the Clear Distilled Water.]

But you said only you could handle it.

[Of course, that was the case. But didn’t you open the door to the Gray Training Ground? A great sorcerer could, in theory, operate the Spring of Vision using the vision scripts written there.]

Karyl's lips felt parched at his words, but Allen spoke confidently. [Don't worry. I didn't tell you earlier because I was confident. Do you think I'd be so careless? I've prepared for this possibility as well, so they won't easily obtain it.]

"Kinu, take out the map."

"Yes."

Kinu swiftly produced the map and laid it out on the ground. Karyl pointed to a specific spot.

"My guess is that they are likely heading in this direction. Fortunately, it coincides with our destination."

It was the location of the Spring of Vision that Allen mentioned.

"Shall we follow this path then?"

While Kinu spoke confidently, Karyl shook his head.

"No. That way is a detour. It's faster to go this route."

The rest looked puzzled at his words.

[Good grief, how come you know the geography of the South better than the Southerners do?] Allen spoke in a joking manner, he seemed to find it quite amusing.

Why do you think the Northerners are called immigrants? Because our ancestors left the South to settle in the North. The bloodlines of the South and North were originally one.

But revealing his true origins was out of the question.

In any case, this route will lead us through a cave hidden within the cliffs of the Abyssal Rocks. It's likely a path unknown to the Southerners.

It was the so-called Needle's Eye Pass, a secret passage used by the empire during its conquest of the South in his previous life.

The strategy was devised by none other than Bran Gamunt, a brilliant strategist of the empire, and Tiren MacGovern, who had risen to the position of chancellor.

They made me work as hard as they hated me.

How ironic it was to recall Tiren's face in such a situation. Back then, the pass was so narrow that even a grown man would have struggled to squeeze through. Thus, a special unit composed of boy soldiers, including Karyl, carried out the operation.

"Kayla and I will pass through the secret passage in the cliff. The passage is very narrow, so even if it takes longer, the rest of you should take a detour."

"Can't we just ride the Serpent?"

"While that may save us time, we can't risk exposing our location by encountering the knightly order unexpectedly. It's better to be safe."

"Understood."

Ironically, the very strategy that had once taken their lives was now working in their favor.

Of course, he couldn't provide a satisfactory explanation to those who were curious about how he knew the way. After all, he obviously couldn't reveal that he had traveled back in time.

Karyl just smiled bitterly.

"Wait! Are we really going to chase them with just this small group?"

"I am well aware of the numbers and strength of the knightly order. Just follow me."

No further explanation was needed. Surprisingly, with just that one sentence, the four responded without a hint of hesitation.

"Yes."

"We shall prepare."

"Let's hurry."

As Kayla saw their unwavering trust, she couldn't help but be genuinely surprised.

Kinu Mukari of the Flying Bow tribe and Beikan of the Tu tribe were well-known names in the South. Yet, here they were, willingly following the lead of a young boy.

In this critical moment, Kayla Spear found Karyl rather fascinating.