Chương 21: Ashes IV

Town Lord's Manor Library

Wearing a long white sleeve and black pants, Isaac was busy gathering information about Giants in the Town Lord's Manor. They had an unnerving amount of books about Giants.

Isaac had been staying in the Town Lord Manor of White Wing Town for the past three days. When the people learned who he had saved, they treated him nicely and accommodated him the best they could. But, he didn't ask for anything, just a little food and access to the library.

'Everything ends in a dead-end like I've been these past two days.' Every single conjecture he arrived at was just another wall of questions, 'There are no concrete answers.'

Bam!

Beside Isaac, a tower of books was placed.

"Scholar Isaac, these are the books containing information regarding the Fire Giants. As per your instructions, nothing was missed. Even legends about Giants and their war against the Devils have been gathered. But, I took it upon myself to get you the book of [Adurashkan] as it detailed the long search of the Tower of Living Gods that the Giants were said to have built. This book details the history of all Giants and how they left their greatest creation on the Tower that touches the skies, but, in the 14th chapter, it details a mountain that burns for eternity." Isaac's assistant said as she placed the books beside him.

"Ah, thank you. You're a big help." Isaac thanked her.

With her tied to a ponytail, glasses resting on the bridge of her nose, and efficiency Isaac had never seen before, his new assistance was very helpful. As for who she was, it was pretty clear that Yulia, the Town Lord.

Yulia was 41 years old, but because higher-leveled people and creatures do not age the same way as ordinary people do, she never aged past her most beautiful prime. She was known as

She already experienced several Class-Advancements and gained the [Knight of the Sun Wing].

This Class was classified as Rare, and only a handful of them could reach such heights.

Leaving the part that a higher power must give them a Divine Weapon and several steps, to be a Knight of the Sun Wing, one must first embody several requirements:

Other than being strong, skilled, intelligent, and pure of heart, they must also be composed, decisive, truthful, and open-hearted. A Knight of the Sun Wing was seen as a respectable person and carried an immeasurable weight on their shoulders.

Yulia was one such Knight of the Sun Wing, and she had been turned as Isaac's Research assistant.

Why was she acting as his assistant? Isaac lost in their game of tag the day before and had to "punish" her, so he asked for help. Yulia translated help to become his assistant. She even changed her clothes to fit her role.

"Father always said to wear proper attire at work. I don't know what an assistant wears, but I have seen them in my father's old books," she claimed as she wore a skirt tightly hugging her thighs and fitting long sleeves.

Isaac did not know if she was messing with him or just that naive. Either way, he didn't dwell upon the matter.

"Have you made any progress?" Yulia asked as she checked the notes he had been writing down.

"The same as before. They remain confusing. Earlier, it is said that all of the Giant kind created the Tower of Living Gods to trap an artifact the Devils worshipped. The Giant Race used their own Sacred Artifacts as a cage. The Rock Giants provided the Heart Stones that created the structure, the Water Giants provided the mud to glue them together, the Storm Giants blew away all malice, the Titans pieced things together and enchanted them with magic that would last forever, the Fire Giants purified it with their fire, and the Wood Giants hid the tower from the eyes of even Gods. However, it is also mentioned that the Giants had long been gone before the Tower was created. Fire Giant's fire is also said to be so strong that it was created for destruction that the heavens feared it, so how come it can purify? There are also accounts that the Tower does not exist. I am at a loss."

It had been hours since Yulia became his Assistant, and with her help, Isaac got every book that had anything to do with Giants in Town. There were fifty-seven books, and he read them already and registered them in his mind.

He picked up the rest of the books Yulia brought him. He opened them and skimmed through everything, but he got every word and illustration in the books.

From the books, the words were lifted and surrounded him like a tornado. The invisible words that only he could see entered his brain for direct understanding.

World Scholar Lv. 100

[SKILL] Copy Text — Mental Archives — [Knowledge Assimilation]

Books were the easiest to gather information from. Books were just words, and unless they were tomes and grimoires, he could copy their contents with a single glance and process them in his mind. He reads them not using his eyes but his brain, filtering useless information and summarizing the necessary parts.

For years, Isaac had been trying to uncover the truth of the Sword of Embers, and only now had he found a lead, yet he's only finding wall after wall.

There was no coherency in the information he gathered, "In the end, I am back to square one."

"My father once said that every account has facts. They are written in books because they are meant to be passed down. But, sometimes, some things cannot be written or must be omitted for one reason or another." said Yulia.

Isaac was at a loss and asked, "Can I ask what that means?"

"Go directly to the source of these books and ask him what he knows about the Fire Giants."

Of the 57 books, 34 of them were written by a man named [Lulivan'Dex], the man regarded as the foremost expert regarding any matter about Giantfolks.

"My Father once met Sir Lulivan and said that all he knew about Giants came from him. He said that Sir Lulivan has discovered secrets he deemed dangerous to be spread to the populace. I didn't want to tell Scholar Isaac, but, as I am your assistant right now, I am obliged to tell you about my findings of Fire Giants." Yulia's expression turned serious.

"My Father talks in his sleep, and once, I heard him say something as he's sleeping in his study. He said…." Yulia looked around her and moved close to Isaac, "... Fire Giants were no longer in Avalon but over in Hell."

Her eyes glittered with wonder and excitement. She may be someone who could kill a monster beyond level 600, but even so, she was still mystified by what she heard.

'But… I already knew that.' Isaac wanted to tell Yulia that he already knew that fact, but, seeing how proud she was about this "secret" information, he did

Isaac closed the book with a long sigh and said, 'But still, she does have a point. The Dreaded Hell Battlefield did speak of that place as the resting place of the Fire Giants. I thought it was more metaphorical, it seems like they were talking literally.'

"Ahem!" An old man cleared his throat from the door, "Lady Yulia, the meal has been prepared."

"Perfect! Come, Scholar Isaac, let's eat."

Yulia invited, and Isaac didn't say no. As he exited the library, Isaac and the old man exchanged looks.

For some reason, the old man shot him an odd glance.

It held no killing intent, so he just shrugged his shoulders.

Lunch was served in the dining area.

As one would expect from a manor, there was a long table and above was a chandelier. Yulia sat at the centerpiece, and to her right was her guest. But, it was not just them in the dining area.

"Lady Yulia, it's good to see that you have recovered. Mila was crying all night when Sir Isaac brought you back from the Forest bleeding." who seemed to be the gardener laughingly said.

"What!? I was not. Please don't believe him, Lady Yulia. As you know, he has weeds for brain. I was very calm throughout the procedure, I must say, I guided everyone as I should, hahaha!" a lady wearing a cleric's robes rebuked.

"Chef Lauren, this meat is delicious!"

"Can you pass me the salad, Grandma?"

"I heard the guards say that more and more are coming up the Forest trying to challenge it."

"I heard that too. Tsk, what a bunch of fools. They are only letting it grow stronger. If not for its mindlessness, it would have already reached level 1000. What are they even doing?'

From the maids to the gardeners, no one did not join, "What a lively atmosphere." he whispered under his breath.

"Are you bothered, Scholar Isaac?" Yulia asked as she wiped her face.

Isaac shook his head, "It's not what I expected, but I don't hate it. In fact, I like its liveliness. It's better this way anyway, it's a good reminder of what you're fighting for. Fighting is fun, but you must also enjoy life outside the battlefield."

Isaac loves fighting. He does not hide his lust for it, neither does he feel ashamed. He's a warmonger, going from one battlefield to the next. If not for his other love of truth, he would've just been someone whose life revolved around power, 'Though that doesn't sound all that bad.'

Yulia looked at Isaac's contemplating face and said, "Yeah, this is nice."

Lunch lasted for quite some time, but eventually, everyone decided to leave to do their tasks. Isaac and Yulia were the same.

Isaac returned to the library until the afternoon and confirmed he gathered everything about Fire Giants.

"Are you finished with your tasks, Scholar Isaac?"

"Yeah, I've met the wall. Meeting the author is the only way I can get more. You don't have to act as my assistant."

Yulia understood and decided to leave and get a change of fresh clothes. But, as she was about to leave, she asked Isaac, "Are you going to do anything after this?"

Isaac thought about it and shook his head, "Nothing. Maybe ask about the location of Lulivan and consider my destination."

"I see… then, would you care to join me to walk around town?" Yulia sheepishly asked

Isaac wanted to walk around Town, and Yulia offered to lead the way, "I have nothing to do until tonight." she claimed.

Isaac accepted the offer.

By the gates of the manor, Isaac waited.

'The Guards are strong in this place.' he noted.

[Lv.300]

The average strength of the guards was not below 300, and they were stationed in silence, watching over the people. But, they weren't stiff and would interact with the townsfolk when asked. Some were even asked by children if they had seen her friend.

'What a carefree town this is. Mother and Father would've loved to live here.'

Isaac thought to himself.

"Did I make you wait long, Sir Isaac?" A voice came from behind him as Yulia arrived.

Yulia was dressed for comfort, with her hair no longer tied and falling down to her waist. She was wearing a one-piece dress that reached just below her knees. Her silver eyes and silver hair paired with the white dress made her more beautiful, accentuating a look of purity.

"You look beautiful, Lady Yulia," Isaac could not help but praise.

"Please, Yulia is enough, Sir Isaac."

"If that's the case, just call me Isaac."

The two decided to take their walk but not before Isaac saw a glance of the old man glaring at him, mouthing off the words, "Don't even think about it."

'Oh, so he was just a protective grandpa.' he laughed inside.

Yulia showed him a lot of places, beautiful restaurants, and bustling markets catering to different needs. There were a lot of inns, more than what Isaac observed as necessary, but he noticed they were newly built.

"Hahaha, take some, Little Yulia, want some Graples? They were freshly picked." An old man shouted as he tossed Yulia two purple fruits that looked like apples, "Share it with your date, hahaha!"

Yulia did not react in any way. A sheepish glance or two, but she just laughed it off.

Biting into the Graple, Isaac discovered a new sensation, "Oooh, this is delicious! It tastes like grapes but has the texture of an apple. That's new."

"You don't have a Graple back in your world?" asked Yulia, surprised.

"Sadly, we don't. Maybe I'll take some seeds back home; my father always loves growing weird things."

"You should; I'll give you some seeds and instructions on how to grow them."

The citizens even made sure to greet Yulia as they passed. The children ran up to her with broad smiles, giving her a crown made of flowers. The vendors offered Yulia fruits and food.

It was clear that Yulia was well-liked by the citizens.

At last, they arrived at the hill at the center of Town. There stood a sword twice Isaac's height, "That's impressive."

"It was my father's. I would've loved to show you around here tomorrow when his statue is delivered, but I feel that I'd be leaving tonight and you tomorrow, so this is the only time I can show you around, my savior."

"Did your father use this sword every day? Was he a Giant?"

"No, he was human, though he's a little taller than the rest. He just loved to use absurdly big swords, saying it looked better and that he could cleave more enemies with this kind of sword. He swung this sword with gusto every day, telling me he needed to grow stronger to protect the people. He was a kind, and carefree person, laughing and smiling at what he found interesting."

"He sounds like an honorable man," Isaac commented.

"He was a great man, and I owe him everything I have. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. Even my goal of turning this Town into a significant city was Father's goal. I am about to achieve his dreams, but not before I kill the one who his life." Yulia showed Isaac a sad smile, but there was a clear hint of anger and hate behind it.

At that moment, Isaac caught a glimpse of how he Transformed into a Death Knight.

After that, Isaac and Yulia returned to the manor in silence. That night a package was delivered to the Town Lord's manor and by midnight, Yulia left to slay the Death Knight who killed her father.

SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO
Jad_Eres

Fun Fact # 21

Oaths are considered sacred by Knights. When they vow to an oath, they will uphold it without fail and in the chance that they go against their oath, it is said that they will be cursed.

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