Chapter 57: Alan Has a Childhood Sweetheart?

Friends who often kill people know—

Killing is easy.

Disposing of the body is hard.

But this rule doesn't apply on the continent of swords and magic.

Here, people die every day. Slavery is legal across nations, and human rights are a luxury.

Bodies don't need to be hidden—just dumped.

The stinking ditches outside city walls, or the slums in dark city corners, all make excellent burial sites for the nameless dead.

But Allen couldn't just dump them.

He wanted to destroy the bodies right after the fight, but when he realized how scattered the parts were, he gave up and decided to flee quickly.

At that moment, in the forest outside Rigate, under the midnight sky, a helpful figure arrived—no longer coldly staring at Allen.

And so, not just the corpses, but the entire camp was burned down.

Killing and cleaning up together—male and female—it all went very fast.

The bandit base outside Rigate vanished completely from the world.

It wouldn't be long before it became just another forgotten ruin...

Unless...

Unless someone had been watching from afar the entire time—

From the start of the hunt to the destruction of the corpses.

Would they remember the scene where maned wolves were hunted?

Would they remember the camp that vanished in the flames?

As the firelight faded, two slender figures leapt down from the cliff on the far side of the lake, away from the forest's edge.

The flames licked their backs.

An old woman named Leda Lia—the current peak of the Water God School, and Allen's master.

A girl named Izuluti Kel'el—Allen's childhood friend since they were four years old at the Water God Main Dojo.

"I thought someone had pissed off Darius and got surrounded for it. I thought some master was after revenge. But it turns out... the real culprit is Allen."

"Seems he didn't flee to Sharia, but stayed secretly in the Kingdom of Asura to get revenge on James? This kid hasn't changed—still so hot-tempered."

Leda's tone had a noble cadence to it. Her gait looked ordinary, but to a high-level swordsman, her movements were flawless.

Izuluti followed beside her. Her black hair, cut like a princess's, flew in the wind. In the firelight, the ends shimmered faintly blue.

She looked nothing like Lokisi with her narrow eyes and cold face.

Even though she hadn't fully grown up, her facial features were strong—big round eyes, slightly drooping at the corners with a gentle temperament, and a high nose bridge between her brows, adding some stubbornness to her soft aura.

She was tall for her age, nearly as tall as Leda. Sword training had given her excellent proportions.

When Leda mentioned Allen, Izuluti smiled, her eyes curving.

"Yes. I haven't seen him in almost half a year. Senior brother is still as sharp as ever, but his features have softened..."

Her expression shifted, and she frowned.

"He's still incredibly talented. I can tell he's masking flaws in his North God Style, but he even knows the Silent Sword now. And the Rock Secret—he's solved its biggest flaw."

Leda smiled playfully and glanced sideways.

"He's already touching the threshold of 'Sense Flow.' He's undoubtedly the Water Saint."

"Don't blame me for stopping you earlier. Even if you had jumped in, you couldn't have taken him back to the capital like that."

Izuluti lowered her eyes.

"Master... you could've done it. Don't you want him back at the capital? You said last year the Water God title would be his eventually."

Leda looked down at the charred remains on the ground.

"We've talked this over several times recently. James alone couldn't have hired so many masters to ambush Allen atop the Red Dragon's Jaw. Looks like Darius had a hand in that assassination too."

Izuluti, despite her aristocratic upbringing, couldn't hide her panic.

"...Are you going to kill him for Darius? That—"

Leda raised a hand, gently stopping her.

"From what I've gathered, Allen only looked after you because your parents died early, and you were left without support. That brat Dantoris didn't act like a real brother and always had a sour face. Allen was kind to you out of sympathy, not affection."

"Remember your fifth birthday? You spent days picking the perfect sword hilt for him, but he gave you snacks in return, didn't he?"

Izuluti couldn't help but think of Lokisi, standing beside Allen in the firelight. Her bangs had covered her eyes, her expression dark and unreadable.

"Master, I asked if you'd kill him—not for a lecture. I don't understand what you're trying to say."

Leda narrowed her eyes and glanced at the hand Izuluti had on her sword.

"What am I saying? Just look at yourself! Haha, kid—if Allen weren't good-looking, would you be this worked up?"

"Grandmother!!"

Leda chuckled, but then grew serious.

"Don't worry. He's still my apprentice. I won't kill him. Darius may have saved my life, but Allen doesn't know he's behind everything, so he's not a direct threat."

"Then why not bring him back to the dojo?"

"Because Darius wants him dead. Even in the dojo, he couldn't survive. I'd have to hide him deep within, secretly train him as a hidden swordsman, and keep him locked up until he's strong enough. But... do you think Allen is the type to sit quietly and wait until his swordsmanship is 'ready' before stepping into the world?"

Izuluti stared at her.

"Then I'll convince him. And if I can't—I'll drag him back."

Leda sighed, brushing Izuluti's black hair gently.

"You depend on him too much. Is that really good for him?"

"I don't know. But if it's possible—will you allow it?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll go after him now!"

Leda raised her golden sword, blocking Izuluti with a smirk.

"You should be the one to bring your childhood sweetheart back. But are you strong enough now?"

Izuluti froze, her bright smile fading.

"...No."

Leda folded her hands behind her back.

"Come back to the dojo. When you reach the level of Water God, I'll let you go. Whether or not you succeed—that's up to you."

"Alright! No—wait, what sweetheart?! Grandmother!!"

Even the noble, cool-tempered Izuluti lost her composure instantly whenever Leda teased her about Allen.

Leda stopped teasing, but her face turned solemn again.

'If the day comes that Allen returns to train seriously… the moment he realizes Darius is behind everything… that'll be our showdown.'

'I won't kill him. But if he truly wants to kill Darius—he'll have to step over me.'

'If he can't defeat me, he doesn't deserve revenge.

If he can—he becomes the new Water God.'

Leda wouldn't burden Izuluti with that grim future.

Darius had fallen from grace—but once, he had saved her life.

For that, she would repay him—even if it meant taking the blame.

"Let's return to the capital."

"Wait! Just a moment!"

Izuluti dashed to the side, toward a scorched ruin. Under Leda's slightly helpless gaze, she bent down and rummaged with her sword.

The charred body stank. Smoke darkened her face.

Time passed. Then—

Her eyes lit up.

She picked up a broken knife hilt, blood-stained and brittle, and gently cradled it in her hand.

In the night wind, her eyes shone.

"I'll definitely bring him back to the dojo!"