Empty Soul

"...!"

Sieghart was taken aback from Ronan as he suddenly raised his voice. At the time, the giang black sword behind Sieghart began twitching. It's the same thing that happened in the guild back in Reilaea.

It's as though the sword Ronan called as the Demon Blade can sense that he is a threat. And that it wants Sieghart to eliminate the threat immediately.

However, despite its restless twitching behind Sieghart. The man did not pull the sword out. Instead he stood there, with the look in his eyes who seem dumbfounded and confused.

From what Sieghart can remember, during that time. He was not in control of the sword's rampage. Even Ronan said that he is being dragged along by the sword like puppet. And yet, why did he mention that he was smiling meticulously over Ronan's family's death. The Mother and Father who Sieghart's sword killed?

"W-what are you saying?" Sieghart stutters. "What do you mean I was smiling over their deaths during that time? You know that I was being controlled by the sword like a puppet, right? To begin with, who in the right mind would be able to smile while being controlled by something-"

"You." Ronan interjected, stopping Sieghart from saying another word. "You're certainly right. No one with a right mind would be able to do such a thing. Except for you."

"What?"

Continuing what Ronan says to Sieghart. He added that him being dragged along by the sword is a fact. The sword is somehow capable of taking control of Sieghart's body, which is why his hand is forcefully gripping the sword.

But, the sword is only capable of controlling Sieghart physically. But not his mind, hence why he can be seen seemingly struggling to release his grip with the sword. Sieghart still has his will of his own.

"That said, one would find it odd. Despite being controlled physically by the sword to kill innocent people, you were able to make such a face as though you really enjoyed being controlled by a malicious force."

Ronan slowly draws his sword of pure white. While behind him, a horde of monsters who are hungry to kill humans approaches.

"Who in the right mind could pull of what you just did? Of course, there's nobody else but you. You monster."

"What did you say...?"

Ronan then suddenly turns around, facing the beasts approaching him. With his right arm, he swings the sword horizontally.

Sieghart froze in confusion. Ronan did swing his sword. But there seems to be no strength in that swing. There's not even a force of impact to the monsters or the walls around them. But for whatever reason, the beasts stopped from moving. They've also gone quiet.

Without any idea of what happened to them. They all just fell onto the ground, one after the rest.

"You... What is that sword?" Sieghart asked as he was terrifyingly clueless over what just happened.

"I was taught that all living being had a soul. Once they reach the end of the line, they lose all the memories of their past life. They do not remember how they die, they don't even know what they had become."

Ronan faces Sieghart once again with a dead calm look in his eyes.

"They are nothing but an empty, lost soul, wandering about aimlessly."

While Sieghart is thinking twice of drawing his sword behind his back, Ronan begins walking towards him at a normal pace. He approaches Sieghart slowly with every step.

Meanwhile Sieghart is still standing there, still thinking twice to pull his sword that keeps on trembling vigorously inside its scabbard. The reason is pretty obvious. It is because of Ronan.

Either it is because of him becoming older or his tendency to forget things that happened a long time in the past, Sieghart could not entirely remember what happened 15 years ago.

He can certainly remember that an incident happened after he took down the demon 15 years in the past. A wide range explosion that incinerated everything around him, including half of a certain town that got involved with it. The sword that went on a rampage which Sieghart could not control no matter what. Sieghart definitely remembered that people were killed by him and his giant black sword. And if it's true that Ronan is the son of the two people he killed, then everything that he said is right on the money.

But, Sieghart could not accept one thing. It's about what he felt about those people he killed indirectly. No one in the right mind would be able to pull off what Ronan is trying to say that Sieghart did. At that point, he questions himself.

"If I did make such a face during that time... Does that mean I'm a monster...? Wha?!"

While Sieghart is slowly faultering over his thoughts. Ronan already got up close to him without him noticing. In that instantaneous moment, Ronan bashes his pure white sword and pushes Sieghart up to the ceiling wall of the cave.

"Crap!"

The upper wall crumbles as Ronan continue to send the veteran adventurer up towards the sky with extreme force. Luckily, Sieghart managed to pull up his giant black sword to protect himself from being sliced by Ronan in time. What's more, they came out far from the Kingdom which he can see entirely down the distance. Therefore, no enemy soldiers have spotted them.

"I thought that he would do something like this and so I continue to run down that path to the north. No one seem to notice us coming out of that cave, I'm glad it worked out somehow. But..." Sieghart said to himself as he gaze upon the Kingdom beneath him. Then he turned his attention back to Ronan. "It might be because I'm thinking too much of what he told me, but I can't feel any murderous intent to his attack."

Sieghart was baffled by Ronan's attacks. Being an adventurer for the longest time of his life, he took part and witness countless battles, make it fighting monsters, or simply just a duel of adventurers. During those times, he had encountered countless enemies who tried to assassinate him behind his back. He also witnessed how they would react when they fail to do the deed, or by how they hesitate in the most crucial times.

Thanks to that long years of experience, he learned how to read people simply by how they act in front of him and their surroundings, or the way their emotion changes by the smallest of things. Or simply reading the atmosphere around them. That knowledge saved him countless times in the past.

Back at the Kingdom of Reilaea, Sieghart became suspicious of Ronan and the others ever since they meet in the guild due to how his sword reacted in front of them. Just like him, the giant black sword seem to be able to read people and acts violently if it deems that the person is a threat.

Since he did not feel anything around Ronan back then, adding the fact that the sword he's carrying also stopped struggling behind him afterwards, he cannot be certain that Ronan is an enemy or not. And so he let them go along with their plan, until they meet Christa back along with Susun.

Now that he is certain that Ronan is an enemy. Something suspicious about him baffles Sieghart once more. From the slightest bits of him fighting right when he dealt the final blow to one of the dragons roaming above Reilaea, up until now.

Ronan was always calm looking, he does not hesitate with his every strike. Sieghart can't even feel any evil intent coming from him. Even now that he revealed his true identity, and that he knows that Sieghart and his sword are the reason for his Family's death. His attack doesn't have any glimpse of hatred towards Sieghart, his eyes doesn't show resentment towards him. There's not even a feeling of vengeance coming from him.

One might say, he is similar to a ghost - Empty.

"A priest once told me that all living creatures had a soul. That once we reach the end of the line, we turn into one." Ronan stated. "Those poor souls wander about aimlessly. Not knowing what happened to them, nor what they had become. But what I find more interesting is that the priest told me, even a monster like you can have a soul."

*Flash!*

After that flash of light in Sieghart's eyes, Ronan suddenly appeared in front of him once again. It's the same thing that happened inside the cave, before he realized it, Ronan is already in range to strike.

"...!"

The long sword that is emitting light as blindly as the one that strucked Sieghart in a single flash, swings towards him.