Chapter 149 Great Descen (2/2)
”It's not all that strange, actually. After all, Western Continent isn't really that interesting in the grand scheme of things. Every few generations, one of us is sent here to see if there's any newly emerging talent, but other than that, we hardly ever come here any more. Truth is though that, even when the entire world is considered, no more than a couple of thousand people know about us.”
”...”
”I can't tell you much as I'm bound by an oath I swore,” Ethwart said, turning toward Lino and looking the latter straight into his eyes for a moment before continuing. ”But, I can guarantee that it's the best place for you to go after settling all the remaining accounts here.”
”... why?” Lino asked, frowning for a moment.
”Bearers oft get self-absorbed in their 'Holy Crusade',” Ethwart said. ”Forgetting that their conflict is also world's. When they fight, those who worship them fight too. Every time two or more Bearers fought, a series of wars would erupt all over the world. It's sort of like when you see two people of different races duking it out in the middle of the street... it usually never ends with just the two of them, but a full-on pile-on. It's just... bound to happen.”
”... oh for the fucking clouds of cunt's drought,” Lino suddenly exploded, surprising Ethwart. ”Can't any of you fucks that I meet ever be direct?! Do you know how many times I stood on sidelines listening to you fucks speak in some fucking cryptic language, while literally TRYING to explain something to me?! Why does everyone fucking assume that I have ability to decipher your nonsense and fill in all the gaps?! Fuck!”
”...”
”Khm, uh... sorry... y'know, lasting issues...”
”... right. Anyway,” Ethwart decided to ignore it and continue. ”The point is that Great Descent is not only a place with abundant, verified knowledge, but it's also a place where you can grow in secrecy rather than out in the open. We are usually tasked with maintaining balance at all costs across the Central and Holy Continents - by any means necessary. You forgo your identity and become a number, making it impossible for others to identify you so long as you don't expose yourself. Doesn't that sound like something that you're perfect for?”
”... no fruit given to you is that sweet.” Lino said, squinting his eyes and expecting that 'but'.
”Of course not,” Ethwart said, smiling. ”If you want to gain access to anything more than basic, shallow knowledge, you'd have to climb up the ranks. And that's not done through completing missions.”
”... but?”
”Through killing your superiors.”
”Eh?”
”You find someone who ranks higher than you,” Ethwart said. ”You challenge them and then you kill them. Afterwards, you directly inherit their position as well as their sigil. The one that I gave to you... it belonged to my Master.”
”... yay, I made friends with a psychopath.”
”There are no grudges,” Ethwart shook his head. ”Outside the arena, the two who are fighting may be the best friends in the world. But inside... all of that is forgotten.”
”It's quite a fucked up system.” Lino said.
”Perhaps,” Ethwart said, smiling. ”But it works. If you can kill someone who's been grooming you patiently for over a decade... and still manage to sleep at night... what else can't you do?”
”... that's the part that scares me,” Lino said after short silence. ”Especially because I don't think I could do it.”
”... truth is, neither could I,” Ethwart suddenly said. ”It wasn't me who challenge my Master, but the other way around.”
”Eh?”
”When the duel started, I froze... I couldn't move an inch. My Master looked at me for a few moments and smiled faintly before he took out a dagger and slit his own throat.”
”... shit.” Lino mumbled.
”While it is true that we don't lack psychopaths who would stop at nothing to climb,” Ethwart said after taking a deep breath. ”The duels are much rarer than you think. I've been out and about for nearly a hundred years, and have never gotten challenged. The reason I'm telling you this Lyonel,” Ethwart added, his voice deepening. ”Is because your situation is... quite unique. Your eyes still glisten with demons... so many that I'm surprised that you've managed to assimilate them so perfectly with who you are. However, if you think your current mental state will carry you onward till the end... you are far dumber than I gave you a credit for.”
”...”
”Western Continent is like a child in the cultivation world,” Ethwart explained. ”There are conflicts here and there, but no matter how cruel they may be, they really are like a kid pushing another into a muddy pond when compared to the Central, and especially the Holy Continent. If what you'd seen and lived here is enough to cleave you... then I suggest you never leave this place.” Lino's mind suddenly shuffled through his memories as Ethwart's words began echoing through his mind. ”I'd had hoped that you could use Great Descent to cleave at your demons, one by one, and remove them slowly. There is no place at the world's stage for someone who offers pity to his opponent just because the latter didn't deserve to die.”
”... you listened in?” Lino asked.
”Hm.”
”... I've been told the same thing many times over,” Lino said as he took a gulp of ale, few drops escaping his lips and trickling down his beard, glistening faintly. ”By people that I trust far more than I trust you. However... just as you'd all learned the way of life from your perspective, I'd learned it from mine. What can I achieve by becoming the part of the madness, Ethwart? Look at all my predecessors,” he continued.
”They've accepted the rules of your world and they lived by them and none managed to accomplish much in the end... what was then the point of it all? That vain struggle? I'd promised myself a long time ago... that even if I were accomplish nothing in the end and die as just another failed attempt... I wouldn't compromise. I will never shy away from killing, but I will also never allow myself to get entombed into madness and normalize it. To you, and others like you, and especially the Writs... most lives are worthless. But... they're not.” Lino glanced sideways, his eyes strangely calm. ”I've lived those lives, and I've seen those lives many times over. Even if you strike me now and kill me because you think I won't be able to accomplish anything with such a childish mindset... I'll stand by it.”
”...” Ethwart stared into those calm, jet-black eyes for a moment before his lips suddenly curled up in a smile. ”You really are different, Lyonel. However... there were many Empyreans who were just as different as you before. Can you endure through what they could not?”
”... I don't know. Worth a try, at least.”
”Here,” Ethwart suddenly flicked his sleeve and handed Lino another star-shaped object, except this one was made out of metal rather than wood. ”When you're ready to leave this place, inject Qi into it and follow the guide. It was a pleasure to share a few words with you, Empyrean. I hope that, in my lifetime, I'll see the long-forgotten grandeur of your nora shine away in the void of darkness. Farewell.” his voice still echoed faintly by the time Ethwart disappeared, leaving Lino alone to sit by the cliff. He held onto the object for a moment before putting it into the void world, looking up toward the sky.
”... there's really just one more thing to do.” he said, sighing as his eyes glistened for a moment. ”I sure hope I can do it though...”