A heavy silence descended upon the hall after Cecil's explanation. The weight of history, betrayal, and the power of the blade hung thick in the air.
Then, the rhythmic click of Ruck's boots broke the spell as he strode towards Ryan. With a flourish, he drew the massive sword from his back and plunged it into the floor with a metallic clang that echoed through the room.
Ruck knelt before a stunned Ryan. "I was a lost man, one who had no hope of vengeance," he began, his voice low and filled with a newfound resolve.
"Then, when I had surrendered to despair, you, Master Adrian, did what I could not. You avenged my sister... My family." His gaze held a fierce loyalty that Ryan had never witnessed before.
"And now," Ruck continued, "you have given a manaless man like me a chance… a chance to be more, to rise above the worthless existence I once led. I owe everything to you." A tremor of emotion, perhaps gratitude or awe, ran through his voice.
