Chapter 31 [The Treasure in the Valley]
***Valley of Shadows - Kael's POV***
Today marks exactly eight days since I first set foot in the Armed Nation of Dwargon, and roughly two weeks since I left Liam's Nation, now known as the Ralix Empire.
Initially, my intention was to steal from House Stoneforge, the wealthiest house in Dwargon's history. My mission failed miserably, but fate had other plans.
Instead of looting the mansion, I ended up saving it and everyone within. It turned out that Sir Stoneforge was the very man Chief Brakor of the Elvarin Kingdom had spoken to me about.
He adopted me without hesitation and secured my place in the competition for the Golden Ticket—a ticket that grants entry to the Nevermore Academy, said to be located in the Kingdom of the Humans.
Honestly, I was expecting a sword duel and had been training arduously to conceal my magical essences. However, instead of a duel, we were sent into the Valley of Shadows to search for the Golden Ticket.
The name alone is enough to strike fear into the hearts of mankind, but to a Nexus Mage like me, it's nothing.
I once overheard the High Council discussing an ancient treasure lost in the Valley of Shadows. This treasure must be of immense importance, and it has now become my priority. But my primary goal remains finding the Golden Ticket.
And then there's that fool, Darius, who is out to kill my cousin, Mira. I can't let him succeed.
Darius thinks I'm dead. He believes it was easy to defeat a magic user. To be fair, he did kill me—not me, exactly, but my copy.
While training with Zoboda, I used my spare time to practice my flower magic and managed to create a copy of myself. The versatility of Flower Magic is astounding, and I hope to learn more about it at Nevermore Academy.
But now, how do I split myself into three? Darius has killed the only perfected copy I had. Creating a new one will take time, which I don't have.
"My Lord, you forgot someone," a familiar voice called out. Turning, I saw the mighty Red King Dire. His black eyes glowed brightly, though his expression was one of sadness.
"Oh, Red King Dire, I completely forgot about you," I chuckled, scratching the back of my head. The sadness on his face became more apparent.
He fell to his knees instantly, the impact shaking the ground. "My Lord, I apologize if I've been incompetent in my duties."
"That's not it, Dire. It's just that I live in an environment where magic is prohibited," I replied, gesturing with my hands. "And you arrived at the perfect time."
His face lit up with joy as he raised his head to gaze at me. "What do you seek, My Lord? It shall be granted without hesitation."
"I want you to search for the ancient treasure in the Valley of Shadows and bring it to me. I have other tasks to attend to."
"An easy task, My Lord. I'll get it done as soon as possible," he said before speeding off.
I trust Red King Dire. He will deliver more than I expect. Now, the next step is to save Mira from the hands of death.
I'm not sure if she's capable of taking on Darius. Another troubling thought is that House Stoneforge has many enemies, leading me to conclude that Darius is not the only one here to eliminate us.
No matter their numbers, they are no match for me.
### Omniscient POV
"Huh... You're not that good with the use of a sword?" Kara asked to confirm what she heard from Mira as they both trekked down the bushy pathway of the Valley of Shadows.
"I won't repeat myself again," Mira replied, folding her arms.
"Why then didn't you bring your bow?"
"Instructor Valerie didn't approve of it. This is a contest of swordsmen. It must be won by the sword."
"That's true, Mira. But since you discovered your fault, why did you join us?"
"I can't let down House Stoneforge," Mira replied.
"But I heard House Stoneforge has a new heir, a son who was adopted and is also participating in this Valley of Shadows." Kara's words infuriated Mira.
"There's nothing special about him. He lacks swordsman skills. I wonder why Sir Stoneforge chose to accept such a man and even make him his heir."
"He's cute, though. His smile, nose—those black eyes and his long crimson hair tied in a ponytail. His beauty is out of this world; it can be compared to that of a Demon Lord."
"Demon Lord is a fairy tale, you punk. There's no such thing as a Demon Lord," Mira growled, trying to snap her friend out of her fantasy.
"Whatever. Let's just find the Golden Ticket and get out of this damn forest," Kara replied as they continued walking, only to suddenly stop.
"We are being followed," Mira whispered, drawing their swords before turning frantically.
"Whoever you are, come out," Mira bellowed. She could distinguish between the presence of a being and a monster.
"Hey, ladies," Darius emerged from hiding behind a tree. The first thing Mira noticed was the blood on his dagger.
The dagger was poisonous, and she was aware of it.
"What? Why are you trailing us?" Kara asked, surprise evident on her face.
"I'm trailing you? Not exactly. I'm also looking for what you're looking for," he replied, taking a step closer while they held tightly to their swords.
"Your dagger reeks of poison. Who have you used it on?" Mira's voice cracked as she posed for any sudden attack.
"Oh, that? I used it on your brother. You don't like him anyway, so I helped you," he chuckled loudly.
"You fool! You killed my crush!" Kara cried out and charged at him immediately.
"This is it," he said, twirling his sword and gripping it firmly. Their swords clashed, the sound echoing past Mira's ear. She swiftly turned, blocking an attack meant for her back.
Her eyes met with Liam Firebrand's, and a frown appeared on her face.
"Remember me?" he said, pushing her backward with all his might, causing her to almost fall but she regained her footing.
The four began their sword clash, Kara taking the offensive while Darius focused on defending himself. Suddenly, he sidestepped, causing Kara's sword to strike the ground instead.
In a calculated move, he jabbed her nose with his knee, sending her crashing to the ground.
"Kara!" Mira called, trying to fend off Liam to help her friend, but Liam wasn't giving her any breathing space.
"Are you giving up so soon?" he asked with a cruel smirk.
"You'll regret making me bleed," she said, wiping the blood trickling from her nose as she sprang to her feet.
Darius kicked Kara's sword back to her, which she caught. Almost immediately, he launched at her with incredible speed.
Barely dodging his attack, she flipped to his front, blocking his dagger with her sword without even turning to face him.
"You must be really bold... Take this!" he shouted, leaping into the air. A dark wave formed on his blade as he slashed it down. Kara blocked it with her sword, but the force shattered her blade and sent her sprawling, coughing up blood.
Liam Firebrand slammed Mira's face into the ground repeatedly, grabbing her collar and forcing her to watch Darius deal with Kara. Mira's face was covered in blood, her arms dripping. She had lost a lot of blood and was weak, but she had to save her friend.
Darius' dagger was poisonous, and she couldn't afford for Kara to be stabbed.
"You punk, release me!" Mira grabbed Liam's arm, biting his wrist hard enough to force him to let go.
She sprinted towards Darius just as he was about to stab Kara. Darius changed the direction of his dagger, stabbing Mira instead.
Her eyes widened, a groan escaping her lips. "You were in such a hurry you couldn't wait for your turn," he said, pulling out the dagger, causing her to stagger and fall hard to the ground.
Enraged, Kara got to her feet, her fists clenched. "You bastard! I'll kill you with my bare hands," she cried, charging at him.
Her determination was evident, but to Darius, it was a foolish move. She was running towards her death. He held his dagger tightly, charging back at her, which made her stop and recalibrate. He launched into the air, his dagger aimed at splitting her in two.
Frozen in shock, her life flashed before her eyes as the blade descended. Suddenly, she heard the clanging sound of metal and felt a presence hover over her.
A force shook both parties, sending Darius flipping backward to balance on a tree while Kara and her ally were sent reeling.
"Are you okay?" She looked up and gasped. She was in his arms—the man who could win a beauty pageant against a Demon Lord.
"I'm not fine, Kael, neither is Mira," she replied. Kael nodded and gently set her down. She was too weak to stand.
"Kael... How on earth are you still alive? I recall stabbing you with this dagger," Darius asked, bewildered.
"You're a fool to think I'd die so easily. Do you think they made me the heir of Stoneforge for fun?" Kael retorted. Liam Firebrand silently drew his sword, sneaking towards Mira to end her life.
"Then I suppose I'll have to kill you again," Darius said, stomping his right foot against the tree and charging into the air.
Kael also launched into the air, his royal sword glowing brightly. Just as Liam Firebrand drew close to Mira, ready to deliver a fatal blow, Kael's voice rang out:
"Swordsman Technique: Ethereal Step."
In an instant, he vanished, reappearing behind Liam Firebrand. With a swift and precise movement, Kael's sword sliced through the air, decapitating Liam before he could complete his attack.
"You... You tricked me. Not only did you kill Kibutshi, but you also stole his technique, and now you've killed Liam Firebrand," Darius stuttered as Liam's body crumpled to the ground.
Suddenly, Kael appeared right in front of him, moving with a speed that astonished both Kara and Darius. Mira, already losing consciousness from the poison, could barely register the events unfolding.
"You know I killed Kibutshi. Who sent you to eliminate House Stoneforge?" Kael demanded. Darius hesitated before plunging his dagger into Kael's chest.
"Ha ha ha ha!" Darius laughed maniacally as Kael staggered back. Though unexpected, Darius's attack was born out of sheer desperation.
"You forgot my dagger's poisonous. Nevertheless, you'll die along with your sister, and then I'll kill that girl," he said, launching a kick that sent Kael sprawling to the ground.
"Since you're dying, I should tell you who sent me. Young Master Eldric ordered me to exterminate you. You're a threat to his father and the noble houses," Darius smirked, kneeling beside Kael.
"Kibutshi was my companion. He was sent by Sir Geld to kill Sir Stoneforge. Everything was going as planned until you showed up and ruined everything." He leaned closer, his voice dripping with malice.
"By now, I'm sure Master Eldric and Master Gareth have taken care of the Son of the High Chancellor. So, I'm going to end you here." Darius said, pulling the dagger from Kael's chest and raising it to stab him in the neck. But Kael caught his hand.
A gasp escaped Darius's mouth. The force Kael used to grip his hand was overwhelming. Before Darius could react, Kael directed the blade to his own chest and stabbed him hard, the blade protruding out the other side.
"Fool. I'm resistant to poison," Kael said, standing up as the wound healed almost instantly.
"You... You have magic," Darius whispered with his last breath before collapsing.
"Kael! Kael! She won't make it!" Kara's desperate cry reached him. He rushed to his dying sister, placing his right hand on her head. Almost immediately, she coughed up dark blood as her wounds healed, and she opened her eyes.
"Brother," she whispered weakly.
"Stay calm," he said, as Kara hugged her tightly, sobbing into her chest.
Kara conveyed her gratitude through her sobs, grateful for Kael's timely intervention. Mira, though weak, acknowledged her brother's heroic efforts.
"I heard everything, Brother Kael," Mira said, and Kael nodded.
"Blow the whistle and head back to the city. The valley is too dangerous," Kael instructed, getting to his feet and sheathing his sword.
"What about you, brother? Those morons won't let you get the Golden Ticket. Not even the son of Lord Dougor will give it up easily," Mira cautioned, her words weighing heavily on Kael.
"I have other tasks to attend to," he said, starting to walk away.
"Thank you for saving my life, Master Kael. I'll go with her," Kara cried out, helping her friend up.
"He's so hot," Kara murmured, watching Kael disappear into the shadows.