As Harry stood over the old man's lifeless body, he remained cautious. Without a word, he raised his sword again and slashed the corpse several more times, ensuring there was no chance of the old man rising again.
"Enough," Sean said, his voice tired but firm. "He's dead."
"Really?"
Harry's expression remained calm as he lowered his sword, its blade still faintly gleaming with residual energy. "That's good news, then."
Harry lowered his blade and glanced at Sean, his expression calm. "Better safe than sorry."
But his voice carried the weight of caution, not relief. He stepped back from the old man's corpse, his eyes narrowing as if expecting something unexpected to happen. It was, after all, his first time fighting a wizard. Wizards were unpredictable, their powers often defying logic. What if the man could move even after being beheaded? Such a thought wasn't paranoia to Harry, it was survival.
Sean caught the subtle tension in Harry's stance and raised an eyebrow. "You're thorough, I'll give you that," he remarked with a faint smirk.
"Thorough?" David interjected, his tone laced with disbelief as he finally found his voice. "You mean 'paranoid'!" His gaze flickered between the corpse and Harry, a mix of awe and bewilderment in his expression.
"Mr. Harry, aren't you being a little... overcautious?" David asked, his voice almost trembling with the absurdity of what he had just witnessed.
Harry glanced at him, unbothered, and simply shrugged. "Being cautious is the difference between life and death." His tone was matter-of-fact, as though such behavior was second nature. "If this wizard could move after losing his head, wouldn't that be a problem? Accidents happen when people underestimate the unknown."
Sean chuckled quietly at Harry's pragmatic response. "He has a point," he said, brushing some dust off his cloak. "The world is full of strange things. Better to be overly careful than regretful later."
Harry nodded in agreement. "Exactly." A small, knowing smile crossed his face.
Meanwhile, David stood frozen, utterly speechless. His emotions were a whirlwind. Harry, the same sixteen-year-old he had thought of as merely a talented but unremarkable knight, was now revealed to be a 'Great Knight.' A Great Knight, someone of legendary status, someone David himself could never hope to match.
But this very same Great Knight, standing tall in his glowing armor, had just hacked an already-dead wizard's corpse multiple times to ensure it wouldn't move. The disparity between Harry's power and his cautious, almost mundane actions left David utterly baffled.
He sighed. In his mind, the grand image of a majestic, untouchable Great Knight seemed to crumble. "Where's the dignity in that?" he muttered to himself, though he didn't dare say it aloud.
Harry, however, remained unbothered by David's reaction. "Carelessness leads to mistakes," he said softly, as if explaining a basic truth. "I don't like mistakes."
David shook his head, still struggling to wrap his mind around everything.
Sean, meanwhile, turned his attention back to the heart. He knelt by the remnants of the destroyed magic circle, his gaze falling on the shattered pieces of the Soul Beast's heart. The once-pulsing organ, the centerpiece of the old man's ritual, was now reduced to lifeless fragments.
"Unfortunately, this heart is useless now," Sean said, his tone thoughtful. "Destroying it stopped the ritual, but it's lost its original power."
Harry walked over, glancing at the fragments. "Maybe, but it's still valuable." He bent down and began collecting the broken pieces of the heart with care. "Even in this state, it can serve as material for other rituals. It's far better than wasting it."
Sean nodded in approval. "True. Even damaged materials of this caliber have their uses."
While Harry busied himself with the heart fragments, Sean turned his attention to the old man's body. Without hesitation, he pulled out a black, rune-inscribed bag from his belt and began packing the body into it.
"What are you doing?" David blurted out, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Sean glanced over at him, unfazed. "This body is valuable. An apprentice on the verge of becoming a full wizard, his remains are a treasure trove for magical research." He hoisted the bag as if it weighed nothing and added, "Waste not, want not."
David's jaw tightened as he watched Sean work. As a knight, he understood the value of extraordinary materials, but to see a body treated this way still left him unsettled. Meanwhile, Harry silently finished gathering the heart fragments and stowed them away, seemingly unbothered by Sean's actions.
David stood awkwardly, feeling like an outsider. Both Harry and Sean had gained something from this ordeal, Harry with his materials for rituals, Sean with the old man's body. But what about him? As a knight, he had no use for such things, nor the means to harness their power. All he could do was stand there and watch.
Still, he wasn't ungrateful. Despite the strangeness of the situation, he knew he owed his life to Harry. Without him, David's fate would have been the same as the other knights, drained of life, hanging like lifeless husks.
He glanced at the corpses of his comrades and sighed deeply, the weight of survival pressing down on him. "If it weren't for you," he muttered, addressing Harry though the words came out faint and strained, "I'd be dead like the rest of them."
Harry didn't respond immediately. Instead, he gave David a glance, his expression calm yet unreadable. Then, with a faint nod, he said, "It's best to learn from this and move forward. Surviving means nothing if you don't know why you're still alive."
David blinked at the words, unsure whether to feel encouraged or unsettled. What was supposed to be a straightforward hunting expedition had turned into a catastrophe.
David's thoughts churned as he stood in the aftermath of the battle. The weight of what had just happened pressed down on him. The deaths of Henry and his knights, officially appointed lords of the kingdom; would not go unnoticed. Their deaths here, in this cursed place, would send ripples of chaos through the kingdom.
The implications were staggering.
Once word spread, the blame would naturally shift toward his father, Earl Thorne. After all, Henry and the others had been lured here under his father's orders. And David, the Earl's son, was the 'only survivor.'
It didn't take a genius to predict what people would say.
Everyone would assume it was a conspiracy. The Earl would be painted as the mastermind, orchestrating this so-called "hunting trip" to eliminate rivals. The optics of it were damning. No matter what explanations his father provided, no one would believe him.
David rubbed his temples, trying to shake off the headache forming at the thought of the accusations, the inquiries, the possible riots. He could already hear the whispers in the halls of power.
"It's bothering you, isn't it?"
Harry's voice pulled him out of his spiraling thoughts. The young Great Knight stood a few steps away, his piercing gaze cutting through David's worry. "You're troubled by what's going to happen next."
"You figured that out, huh?" David gave a bitter smile, his shoulders slumping. "I won't hide it. This whole situation is a disaster. Mr. Henry and his men died here, and now my father will be the one to face the consequences. This will cause no end of trouble for him."
Harry crossed his arms, his face calm. "It'll be difficult," he said plainly. "No explanation from Earl Thorn will satisfy the kingdom. They'll want blood. Riots are inevitable."
"I know," David admitted, his voice heavy with resignation. He hung his head, exhaling deeply. "I just don't know how we're going to handle this."
Harry studied him for a moment before speaking again, his tone unexpectedly light. "No need to despair. It's not hopeless."
David raised his head, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"Tell Earl Thorn this," Harry continued, his voice steady and deliberate. "The Kumu family is willing to stand by his side."
David's eyes widened in shock. He blinked, momentarily speechless, before a glimmer of hope lit up his face.
Harry's words carried a heavy weight. The Kumu family pledging their support wasn't just a kind gesture, it was a lifeline. And now, as a Great Knight, Harry's influence was monumental. He was no longer just a promising young knight; he was a force capable of shaping the political landscape.
A Great Knight's loyalty could shift opinions, calm unrest, and turn the tide of public sentiment. If Harry backed Earl Thorne, it might just be enough to stave off the worst of the accusations.
"I—I'll deliver the message immediately!" David stammered, his voice filled with urgency and gratitude. Without wasting another moment, he gathered what remained of Henry and his men, hoisting the bodies with great effort before hurrying off to bring this news to his father.
Harry watched him disappear into the distance, his expression calm and unreadable.
"You're really going to help him?" Sean's voice broke the silence. The wizard apprentice stepped forward, tilting his head as he regarded Harry. "That's not exactly the safest move right now."
"It's not about safety," Harry replied with a small smile. "It's about what we each need. Before I leave this place, I want to do something meaningful. This... might be it."
Sean shrugged. "If that's your choice, so be it." He paused for a moment, then reached into his robes and pulled something out. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it toward Harry.
Harry caught it easily. He looked down to find a small blue gemstone in his palm, faintly glowing and etched with strange runes. Its surface shimmered with an aura that felt both mysterious and powerful.
"A pass to Ryan," Sean explained, his tone calm but firm. "You've got the talent to be a wizard. It would be a waste if you stayed here and didn't develop it."
Harry looked up, surprised.
"With that gem," Sean continued, "you have the credentials to leave the Kingdom of Mysen. I'll also leave you a letter of introduction. If you're willing, take it to my academy. There are people there who can help you, and it'll give you a head start. Connections are everything, after all."
Sean's words weren't just a gesture of friendship, they were a gift. A pass to Ryan, a letter of introduction, and a connection to Sean's academy could open doors for Harry that would otherwise take years of effort. It was an invaluable opportunity, one that would set him on the path to greatness as a wizard, should he choose to take it.
Harry turned the gem in his hand, its light reflecting in his eyes. His lips curled into a genuine smile as he met Sean's gaze.
"Thank you," he said sincerely.
Sean waved him off. "Don't thank me yet. The path of a wizard isn't exactly easy."
Harry chuckled. "Neither is the path of a knight."
The two exchanged a brief but meaningful glance. In that moment, despite their differences, they shared a quiet understanding; both of them were carving out paths in a dangerous, unpredictable world. And both of them knew the journey was just beginning.