Academy’s Genius Swordmaster

Chapter 218

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 218: Elysia (1)

“Ronan, your father,”

Elysia said. Ronan’s face stiffened. In the silence-filled space, only the faint hum of machinery could be heard.

“Ronan…”

Adeshan looked at Ronan, who seemed lost in thought, with concern. How much time had passed? In the midst of the long silence, his lips finally moved lightly.

“…My father? The Savior?”

Elysia nodded. Ronan’s legs, which had been rooted in place, finally moved. Slowly, he made his way towards the glass container containing the Savior, his father.

As he got closer, he could see more details. The man floating in the glass container was not wearing anything. While his physique was ordinary, his body was covered with thick muscles.

The most noticeable thing was the hole piercing his upper body. A hole the size of a one-year-old’s head completely pierced through his back to his chest, and the surrounding area was stained black as if rotten.

‘Is he still alive?’

Ronan furrowed his brow. It was a fatal injury that an ordinary human couldn’t possibly survive. Dozens of large tubes, seemingly to sustain life, were inserted into his body like roots.

Finally reaching the glass container, he turned towards the man inside. Ronan, who had been holding his breath, looked up.

“…Huh?”

Ronan’s eyes widened as he looked at the man’s face. Contrary to his expectations that it would be obscured by some shitty shadows, the Savior’s face was clearly visible.

A name he was unable to hear or see, it was impossible to understand how this had happened. But what mattered now wasn’t that. Adeshan, who had stealthily followed behind, covered her mouth with both hands.

“Ro-Ronan. This face…!”

“…The robbed figure.”

Ronan muttered to himself. The Savior’s face bore a striking resemblance to the Betrayer who had stabbed him. His silver-white hair, reminiscent of Iril, flowed in the water, and his features were distinct yet sharp.

In fact, apart from minor details, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they were exactly the same. Though he couldn’t see them now with his eyes closed, Ronan was certain that the irises beneath his eyelids were the same sunset color as his own.

‘How did this happen?’

He was puzzled. He even began to wonder if the elf woman had actually lured him into a trap. Perhaps, the person in front of him was actually the Betrayer, and suddenly he’d open his eyes and rush towards him.

But the energy emanating from beyond the glass was undoubtedly that of the Savior. Ronan opened his eyes wide in realization.

‘Zaifa and Barka… Could it be?’

The faces of the Turkon brothers flashed through his mind. Though their intentions were completely opposite, they bore a striking resemblance to each other in appearance.

The pieces of the puzzle that had been elusive were gradually coming together. It was regrettable that he couldn’t directly converse with him due to him being unconscious. Without taking his eyes off the Saviour’s face, Ronan opened his mouth.

“…The Savior and the Betrayer were twin brothers.”

“The Betrayer? Ah, you mean Abel.”

“Abel?”

“Yes, he is the Savior’s brother and the betrayer who stabbed him in the back. He is currently the leader of the Nebula Clazier.”

Ronan’s eyes widened. For years, he had referred to the Betrayer as the robbed figure, and it was the first time he had heard his real name.

“Wait a minute, how do you know all this?”

“That…”

Elysia tilted her head. It seemed that she was unaware that Ronan had experienced the Savior’s memories in the Mental World. As Ronan was about to continue speaking, she interrupted him.

“And by the way, can you see the Savior’s face?”

“Yes.”

Elysia’s eyes widened. She seemed very surprised that Ronan could see the Savior’s face.

“That’s impossible…! Just wait a moment.”

Approaching briskly, Elysia stood in front of Ronan. She was quite short when seen up close. Suddenly raising her hands, she grabbed Ronan’s face with both hands.

“Look into my eyes.”

“Wh-What are you doing right now…?”

Adeshan was startled by her actions, as if she was about to kiss him. However, Elysia simply stared into Ronan’s eyes without doing anything else. After about a minute, she sighed softly.

“My goodness, this can’t be.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Originally, you shouldn’t be able to see the Savior’s face. You shouldn’t even know his name. Because that was the taboo the Savior placed on you. But now…”

Elysia removed her hands from Ronan’s face. Adeshan, who had been trembling, breathed a sigh of relief. With a hesitant tone, she continued.

“…The taboo has vanished. More precisely, it disappeared as if it had been burned by fire.”

“Burned by fire?”

“Yes. Of course, considering how far you’ve come, I expected one or two curses to have been undone, but how could it have reached this level… What method did you use?”

The moment he heard her words, Navardose’s face flashed through his mind. The voluptuous dragon lady had stripted him half-naked, laid him down, and replaced some of the curses for a piece of her ember.

He suddenly remembered fighting in the ice cave, trapped in Barka’s trap. At that time, Ronan had activated Aun Philara’s magic, and he felt a strong heat emanating from where the ember was planted.

‘I had expected it to grow gradually, but has the ember grown larger then?’

He would have to investigate further, but it seemed likely that it had disappeared at that time. It was likely that the ember had grown and burned away part of the curse.

However, he hesitated to say this. From Elysia before him, the symbol of Nebula Clazier, the shimmering mana emanated with an intensity that was unparalleled.

Being one of the original members, it was natural for her to radiate such power, given that she received it from the Savior. Yet, doubts crept in unavoidably. After all, the Savior fell into the pit, stabbed by a blade, and he didn’t witness what had happened afterward. After a brief silence, Ronan spoke up.

“Um… yeah. I can’t remember.”

“Not only are you not explaining how you learned about past events but you aren’t fully trusting me either. You even suspect that I might be one of Nebula Clazier… Abel’s people, don’t you?”

Elysia narrowed her eyes sharply. Ronan hesitated under her keen and sharp deductions. Elysia sighed heavily, as if she expected Ronan to think that way.

“Hmm… I understand. I should first prove that I’m not an enemy so we can move on. How can I make you trust me?”

“Um, well…”

Ronan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He couldn’t think of a suitable way to discern the truth. At that moment, Adeshan, who was standing awkwardly, spoke up.

“Uh, Ronan. If she’s lying, I can tell…”

“Ah, right.”

Ronan snapped his fingers. Why hadn’t he thought of this earlier?

Adeshan, who controlled shadow mana, could discern whether someone was lying or not. Thanks to this ability, in her past life, she was always able to gain the upper hand in psychological warfare.

[Translator – Peptobismol]

“Okay. Watch closely to see if Elysia is lying. Elysia, is that alright?”

“Huh? What exactly does that mean…?”

Elysia looked puzzled. After hearing an explanation about Adeshan’s ability, she expressed admiration.

“Shadow mana… and it’s in the mental category too. Contrary to her appearance, she possesses a very dangerous power.”

“Um, I promise I won’t do anything strange.”

“It doesn’t matter. Since I had no intention of lying anyway. Where should I start?”

Elysia surprisingly readily accepted the proposal. Ronan spoke up.

“How did you know I was coming here? You greeted me as if you were waiting for me.”

“I knew that you would come here someday because the Savior told me. He mentioned it a few times before losing consciousness. He didn’t specify when, so I didn’t know until we met on the cliff.”

“Then bringing me here suddenly was also…”

“Yes. I simply followed the Savior’s will. He instructed me to bring you here if Ronan came seeking me. Until then, he was still conscious.”

Elysia’s lips twisted slightly as she spoke. Adeshan, meeting Ronan’s gaze, nodded subtly, indicating that she wasn’t lying. Ronan retrieved a map marked with the location of this place from his pocket.

“Who left this map? I found it in the Savior’s room back in Drimore.”

“I have no idea about that. He probably drew and hid it himself. He mentioned leaving clues for you to find, and it seems like one of those clues.”

“Damn it, I honestly don’t understand. He forbade me from knowing about himself, yet he made something like that.”

“Well, in fact, there were quite a few things about the Savior’s actions that I didn’t understand. Still, I think he had his own reasons for leaving those things.”

Ronan clicked his tongue. If that was the case, why did he put the curse? Was it a similar psychology to the old lady who wanted to die every day but wanted to live when the time came? Even this time, Elysia wasn’t lying.

“Alright. One more thing. Why did you leave Drimore and move here? I heard you were working there until just five years ago.”

“Because the Savior’s condition had worsened more and more. As soon as he left Drimore, he settled in this ruin. It was the only way for him to recover quietly and to escape Abel’s pursuit.”

The reason the Savior left Drimore early was because of his health. The wound from being stabbed by Abel gradually consumed his body, pushing him to the point where he couldn’t work anymore.

This ruin, known for storing seeds, was an ideal hiding place for the Savior. Over decades, he and Elysia turned this place into a fortress rivaling Drimore and created life support devices for the increasingly weakened Savior.

“Even when were were in Drimore, I used to visit him regularly to check on him, but at some point, his condition deteriorated to the point where he couldn’t endure it alone anymore. That’s when he settled here.”

Elysia explained that the Savior entered the glass tube five years ago and lost consciousness only three years ago. Even the space they were in now was a life support device. Ronan, who was looking around, spoke up.

“When exactly was the ‘brightest time’ you mentioned? I’ve never seen these glowing things, even in history books.”

“I don’t know the details… a very long time ago, before even Navardose was born. He mentioned that this world had experienced destruction of civilization several times, and the people in the civilization that was destroyed just before had the technology to reach the stars. I may seem knowledgeable, but I’ve only learned a few pieces of technology from that time through him.”

Ronan looked at Adeshan. Even this time, she wasn’t lying. He smiled as if he couldn’t believe it.

If it was before even Navardose was born, how many years has the Savior been alive for? Although Elysia knew about Nebula Clazier, her information was cut off since she used all her strength to escape Nebula Clazier and save the weakened Savior. Elysia continued speaking, despite no additional questions.

“I certainly dedicated myself to the organization called Nebula Clazier. I nurtured the congregation with affection. However, that was when the Savior led the organization.”

“It must have been quite different from now.”

“Yes. To the extent that it’s hard to believe it’s the same organization. The direction itself has changed. I want people who suffer to be saved like me. There’s no reason to stay with a group that wants to destroy the world.”

Elysia knew to some extent about Nebula Clazier’s plans. While she didn’t know the specifics like summoning reinforcements, she knew enough that they aimed to weaken people to deliver a major blow.

‘She’s an ally.’

Now, Ronan could trust Elysia without a doubt. If she had known even more details, it would have been more suspicious.

The interruption in her information stemmed from her desperate escape from Nebula Clazier, seeking the critically injured Savior. It seemed okay by now. Ronan, who decided to trust her, spoke up.

“I actually have seen you before.”

“You have? What do you mean?”

“It was part of the process of breaking the curse. I saw the Savior’s memories in the world created in my mind.”

“…The Savior’s memories?”

Elysia raised her eyebrows. Ronan explained vividly what he saw and experienced in the Mental World. The founding process of Nebula Clazier, Abel stabbing him from behind, Elysia summoning Hyran and attempting to escape, but ultimately the Savior being shot down. Elysia’s frozen mouth slowly opened.

“My goodness… You really saw it.”

“The problem is that I don’t know anything after that. So, what should I do now?”

“Uhm… is that so?”

“Yes?”

Ronan furrowed his brow. He didn’t expect to hear “is that so?” at this point.

“What? Didn’t you bring me here for a purpose?”

“Well… as I said, I just followed the Savior’s will. His last command was to bring you here if you came. But as you can see, he lost consciousness…”

Elysia trailed off gloomily. Ronan chuckled bitterly. It was an incredible naivety.

“So, you’re saying that I need to talk to the Savior first. But is he… alive?”

Ronan pointed to the Savior. From what he saw upfront, the injuries were much more severe. The foam coming out of his nose and mouth indicated that he was still breathing. Elysia answered in a voice tinged with sadness.

“…Yes. But there’s not much time left.”

“How much time does he have left?”

“At most, about a year.”

“Damn it, there’s really not much time left.”

Ronan cursed. This was the part where he could understand why the Savior didn’t appear on the final battlefield.

How nice would it have been if he had come while he was still conscious? Even though he was summoned, the current situation where he couldn’t even say a word felt incredibly frustrating.

“…Is there no way to fix him?”

“There is. Only one.”

Ronan’s eyes widened. He expected to hear that he couldn’t be fixed, but this was an unexpected development.

“What is it?”

“It’s to transfuse the blood of his twin brother, Abel.”

[TL/N: time to meet the uncle… good luck Ronan :3]

[Translator – Peptobismol]