Solar Mage

Chapter 71: The Bad Ending Part: 3

I awaken from my slumber in a familiar, dimly lit room, in my familiar, dimly lit bed, under my blanket smelling of me.

My eye, full of desperation and lined by dark circles, stare longly at the ticking clock at the opposite side of the room, showing no clear anger or sadness.

Starting when the short hand pointed halfway to 9, and ending when it struck midnight. I slowly raise my hand up to where my left eye was, and hold it still for a long time when I feel the bandage around it.

I lift the blanket off of me, and step through the door, wincing away from the bright light as I step through, but continuing down the empty hall, to the only other door in it, the office of the patriarch.

I walk slowly and uniformly down the long red carpet, until I reach the grand wooden door, and creak it open.

Just as I expected, the man responsible for my appearance sits at his desk, looking not a day older than me with his pitch black eyes, the same as mine, looking directly at me.

We stare into each other's dark eyes, in silence for a long time.

"So you've chosen to take the same path as me? My son?"

I continue to remain silent, not showing any more emotion than I previously had.

"I remember now father, I know what you did."

Neither of our faces change, as we continue to stare at each other.

"I did not want you to take the same path as me, so I did what I had to do. But it seems like it was for nothing."

Through his pitch dark, emotionless eyes, a slight form of sadness appears on his face for a second.

***

My father held two titles, his second title being, the Flash of Lightning, given to him by being the fastest swordsman in the kingdom. But just like me, he was said to be the greatest genius in his generation, and it was true, he became an Imperial ranked swordsman at just the age of 35. Breaking all the previous time records, like me, and he has never lost once in an official duel. However, no other swordsman would recognize him because of his personality.

He was a famous ladies' man, because of his looks, accused of being involved in many scandals, even one with the queen, however, no evidence had ever been presented and all the cases were dropped. But that's only the reason why regular swordsmen despise him, all the swordsmen worthy of respect, other than Thorne Bladesong hate him because of his talent. Not due to envy, wanting it for themselves, but due to jealousy, how he has such unbelievably awesome talent, but doesn't use it.

Since his time in the Wolkan Royal Academy as a student, none have ever seen him train with a sword, his perfectly clear hands empty of calluses, always lazing around, sleeping whenever he had the chance. So they named him, the Lazy Swordmaster, a title accepted by everyone, both his friends and enemies.

I knew nothing of my mother, and very little about my mysterious father. I have very few memories of spending time with him, I had always been the one to go and find him, trying to play with him, but he was always working. I never knew why everyone called him lazy. But even when I took up the sword to learn the Ventrike sword form, he was not the one to teach me. I was just taught by one of the senior Knights in Ventrike County. I had not expected him to visit me deep into the mountains, but even after I had finished my training with Thorne, he had not come out to welcome me.

***

"You're an evil person–"

My right eye begins to water, the endless darkness within changing back to a vibrant brown under the tears, my nose and eye turning bright red.

"But I'm also evil–"

I try to smile, but my mouth trembles as I try to lift them, finally being pushed down from the weight of my tears. The heartless count, above his baggy circles, for the first time ever in my memory, trembles in shock, his eyes widening immensely and his pupils dilating, his distant eyes, void of emotion slightly becoming less dark.

His eyes, still widely opened, rises from his chair and walks up to me, bringing me into a warm embrace.

"You're not evil Arthur, you're simply broken. If anyone else was in your place, they would be equally as devastated as you. Everyone makes mistakes, but what's important is that you learn from them, and if possible, fix them."

I push myself away from his slim, but tall frame, forcing my head down, the tears continuing to fall as I childishly scream out in anger.

"But how?! I've taken hundreds, maybe even a thousand lives! What can I possibly do to make it up to them?! There is no such thing as resurrection! I will never be able to bring them back!"

He looks down at me with confused eyes, trying to understand, but sad to see the sorry state his son is in. He grabs my shoulders and I look directly into his not so fierce eyes, starting to calm down.

"I- I've done almost all of what some guy a thousand years ago declared as immoral and illegal, hundreds of times in order to keep the demons from invading. I cannot empathize with you because these emotions are hard for me to understand. But, I know I know that dwelling on what you did in the past and beating yourself over it will not accomplish anything, you will not bring them back to life, and you will not honor their deaths. Even if you can't pay it off in one life, it will be a step in the right direction that you can build up on in your next. It's often easy to do the bad thing, and hard to do the good thing. But I know you can do it. You've always done it up until now and I– I know you can continue to do it."

He tries to put on a smile but it just ends up looking weird.

"The path you're taking now will be lonely, and no one will ever know of your great deeds, your name forgotten to the world, only to be remembered as the lazy, or failed genius of the generation. However, in the record of Ventrike, you will always be remembered by what you did."

He reaches into his coat and pulls out an ordinary looking, rusty bronze key.

"This is the key that opens the door to the Grand Library. It is the fastest way for any Ventrike hero to grow, and is filled with all the knowledge collected by Swordmasters, Archmages, and Sages. But there will be no way to get in, or to get out before you get to at least the 9th stage, regardless of how long it takes. You won't be able to speak with anyone or do anything other than what's already given to you in the room."

His face darkens again, but his eyes show a bit of sorrow.

"I wish that there was some other way instead of this, but this is the only way for you to possibly get strong enough in time. Of course, I won't force you to since I didn't do it myself. Who knows? There might even be another way to finish you mission, like what I did with your–"

He pauses before finishing his sentence, his sadness returning back to a straight face, but his eyebrow twitches into a frown for a second before returning to his emotionless state.

"You must enter the Grand Library, you will be safe there–"

He looks at my confused face, and seems to study it intensely.

"My title of the Lazy Swordsman is accurate. Even though I trained everyday, and I completed my mission stopping the demons' advancement to the mortal world, I was only able to do so after making an alliance with a demon, one of the cardinal sins... Haaaaaa– just know that it's not safe for you to be out here anymore, the seal placed around you is gone and you could be attacked by any of her minions regardless of where you are. The Library is the only safe place left for you."

He grabs my shoulders again, now looking distressed, but then, seeing my calm face, he calms himself down.

"I'm sorry I was never able to spend time with you and give you the childhood you deserved, I had truly wanted to give you the life that I never lived. But, the prophecy came, and you were chosen–"

Count Loran Ventrike tries to put his feelings into words, but with feelings so complicated, he cannot.

Suddenly, I lean towards him, smiling, and wrap my arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"I know, thank you."

His eyes widen in surprise, but they soon soften under the warmth of his son's love.

His smile starts to lower as he hesitantly lets me go, watching me with sorrowful eyes, reaching his hand out to try and grab after me, running out of the door with the key in my hand, headed for the Grand Library.

"I will always be on your side–"

The Count makes a fist and grips strongly on it.

"I will make sure no one ever disturbs that boy."

He looks to the wall on his right, and calls upon his sword from the stand using his sword bond. He unsheathes the black– obsidian blade from its black-platinum sheath. Standing still for a couple of seconds, before his afterimage blurs and disappears.