Vol 11 Chapter 212 (1/2)

A Never-Ending Road

To ious personnel

There had once been a time my father told ht I would continue on the Walt House

But as I came into contacted with the heads recorded in the Jewel, I was able to see their true good points And I saw their bad points as well

Within the Jewel… as we both tread in, our bodies sed up the stagnant raindrops falling over the endless road, as we raced through them

I hit into individual drops ofon contact was quite a peculiar spectacle

We continued facing one another on the straight path, and the Fourth’s daggers hit against my sabre

The wonder of the sparks leisurely floating by repeated again and again as our blades continued to meet

In the time created by the Fourth’s 【Full Drive】, we violently shed sparks as, without either side backing a single step doung our favorite weapons

If I were to thrust, he’d use the dagger in his left hand to block and parry it

When he thrust with the point in his right, I’d use the sabre blade, and guard to redirect it

By a slight in, the Fourth’s movements were faster

With his glasses removed, he spoke with a serious expression

『When you aren’t surpassing ainst Celes? Put more effort into it, Lyle!』

I replied

“You don’t have to tell me that!”

To catch up to his faster movements… no, with momentum to surpass them, I used the Skill I had no choice but to ht forth

I got the feeling it was accelerating me even further And I noticed the Skill’s flaw

Putting the considerable concentration it required aside, it ate up Mana at a rate that could be called unfair But if I cut off the Skill use here, I had no prospects of beating the Fourth

Of the daggers he held in both hands, he was using his left as if in place of a shi+eld But the one in his right hand was skillfully targeting my vitals

Being an existence ofout of Mana

For me, my recovery speed was faster than in reality, and even if I suffered a fatal wound, it would instantly recover But still, even so, I had a limit he hadn’t

If this scrae would be me

(A little more… just a little!)

Using the Seconds Skill Field… along with the First’s Limit Burst

With , and all , I still couldn’t reach him

My physical abilities had exceeded his But in ability… weapon handling, fighting style, and effective Skill use, I was falling short

As countless sparks and drops burst and popped, I decided to take the challenge

With a large step in, I thrust reatly bend his body back, as he crossed the daggers in both his hands to lock, and shatter the sabre

Metal fragments slowly scattered about

『You’re too impatient, Lyle』

I listened to the Fourth’s words, as I bent ain his stance

But there was no way I could let the opportunity slide

“No, I’ some, Fourth”

Tossing the broken sabre aside, I manifested a weapon in my hand While it held the enclosed hilt of a sabre, its blade portion was an unsabre-like Katana

Grasping the htly, I stepped in even further

“… Full Burst!”

The Third Stage Skill the First Generation Head had left behind… Full Burst… it was a fearsome Skill that could raise one’s abilities several times over It used stored-up Mana as fuel to produce explosive effects

But it really used up Mana, and if you , it could run dry, and render you immobile

While the Fourth’s onal swipe at the Fourth

Despite his hasty atteer, and drew a line froht hip to left shoulder

As the blade cut into the Fourth’s body, blood slowly spurted out

Unable to killby the Fourth, and there the Skill’s effects cut off

I hit into and gouged out the ground, letting mud fly It covered the both of us

Feeling a sudden sluggishness, I fell tomyself, I found the Fourth covered in ers in both his hands

As the daggers faded away, he let out a laugh

Scratching his long, blue hair, he took out his glasses from his breast pocket, and put them on

The Fourth looked up, and before I had noticed it, the rain had let up, and white clouds covered the sky A gentle wind blew

For the mud covered, blood covered we, the wounds closed, and the mud disappeared, and our weapons dissipated as well

The Fourth turned back tothe wound in his body as it faded away It was a scene you could only witness within the Jewel

『You really did surpass hter Yep, with this, I’ve nothing left to hand down I’m satisfied Really satisfied』

Beneath the bluening sky, we stood across on the never-ending road

There, a door of memory appeared behind me It looked like the door to the Fourth’s room

“I’lad I could satisfy you I couldn’t help but worry that you’d be scolding me at the end”

When I put up a strong front, and spoke lightly, the Fourth laughed I also tried toit well or not

『… I really do still feel like watching over you You still have soot a little too involved Can’t help but have the feelings well up But this far is enough Because interfering forever isn’t a good thing』

“Not really… you could give advice a little while more”

When I spoke my mind, he shook his head to the side

『Lyle, you’reon your own It’s because I think that, that I can feel relieved I taught what I could, and you’ve got Novem-chan and the others with you, so I believe they can compensate for your insufficiencies』

Within his own room of memories The Fourth looked over the road etched in his heart

『… You could say life is like a path At the start with your family, then alone, and after, with a family of your own Finally, you see your children off, and it’s the end Right, originally, long, long ago, my road would have ended when I saw Fredricks off Yet now I can see off another, and at this point, I can think it a blessing』

Both me and the Fourth looked down the path The endless stretch of road had not a visible start or finish

“… At the end… what can you find?”

On ht a little Gibing a grin, he laughed aloud, and gave his last bit of advice

『Lyle, if you’re ai you should re means you yourself are also a portion of the country Even if you get the continent together in your hands, sorandchild after that, it’s a borrowed iteet it Same as with that other matter 』

Looking over me, the Fourth looked relieved

『… If you do become emperor, Lyle, I’m sure there will be lives unfairly trampled over as well Hated and cursed Do you have the resolve to be son has little to give you in return Even if held in your pal your quiet happiness, do–』

“—Even if it comes to that I will do it”

The Fourth nodded And he offered his true last advice

『Now then, that was the end of all I can teach you So shall we review?』

As the Fourth spread both his arolden fields expanded around Peasants worked theht at a plentiful harvest unraveled

『What you need in battle is quantity And quality is also iether is everyday domestic administration What you’ve accumulated daily will merely show itself as the outcome of war Rule and diplole means But if you’ve no choice but to choose it, you need to assemble the conditions for victory Lyle, asseet what corand villain who survived it all』

After telling me to become a villain, the Fourth waved his hand at me

『And I guess that’s about it? Anyways, regretful as it s of you』

“Thank you for everything up to now Fourth… sama”

I lowered my head The Fourth smiled It seemed he planned to see me off