During the past few months, after Dante's surprising return from what the Ruthwilfer House had assumed was his death, he had remained away from the estate.
Instead, Dante had thrown a spear into the Ruthwilfer cemetery, leaving behind a message that had shaken the entire household.
Since then, Dante and Kaen had travelled from village to village and kingdom to kingdom. They took on temporary guild requests wherever they went, accepting whatever jobs suited their abilities. From exterminating monsters to escorting merchants and dealing with troublesome creatures, the two slowly began making a small name for themselves.
Their reputation was still young, but rumours had already begun spreading across several kingdoms.
People had started talking about a mysterious young man who went by the assumed name of Maladeva, the name associated with the Trial of the Ruthwilfer Heir. Few knew his true identity, and even fewer could have imagined that the young man travelling from guild to guild was none other than Dante Ruthwilfer himself.
Dante was now seventeen years old.
He had spent almost an entire year in the Dwarven Kingdom of Járnheimr when he was sixteen, enduring the invasion, surviving its aftermath, and training under Kilamahi. Now, with the events surrounding Járnheimr behind him, Dante had begun travelling across the world once again.
At the moment, he and Kaen were in the middle of another temporary guild request.
Their current assignment was simple.
Pest control.
Goblins.
"Nya, that's the last of these goblins," Kaen said.
The Sha'karr stood among the remains of the defeated creatures, breathing slightly harder after the battle. Her feline ears twitched as she looked around the area, searching for any remaining movement.
Nothing.
The goblin nest had been cleared.
Kaen had dealt with the lesser and mid-tier goblins almost effortlessly. She moved through the battlefield with the agility expected of her kind, her body twisting and turning between attacks while her claws tore through the creatures that tried to surround her.
Her movements had become much more natural than they had been months ago.
Especially her tail.
The prosthetic tail attached to her lower back swayed from side to side behind her.
Dante had built it himself after her original tail had been ripped away during the invasion of Járnheimr. At first, Kaen had struggled to control the artificial limb. Its movements had felt unnatural, and she had needed to consciously think about every little motion.
But after months of travelling with Dante, that had changed.
Now, the prosthetic tail moved almost as naturally as her original one had.
It reacted to her balance.
It followed her movements.
It even helped her during combat.
Kaen had eventually stopped thinking of it as a prosthetic and simply began treating it as another part of her body.
While Kaen handled the lesser and mid-tier goblins, Dante had taken care of the stronger ones.
Several high-level goblins lay scattered across the battlefield, each one defeated with frightening efficiency.
Dante stood a short distance away, calmly wiping his weapon before returning it to its place.
He did not look particularly tired.
For him, the battle had barely been a warm-up.
Their journey had not been entirely peaceful, however.
During their travels, Dante and Kaen had eventually encountered another group of Sha'karr.
It was then that they discovered they had unknowingly wandered into Kaen's home village.
The encounter had been anything but welcoming.
Kaen's people immediately recognised her.
At first, there had been confusion.
Then anger.
Then disbelief.
Kaen had been gone for a long time, and when she finally returned, she was standing beside a human.
Worse than that, she was wearing the shackles of a slave.
The reaction had been immediate.
Her people were furious.
Some were angry at Dante for making her a slave. Others were angry at Kaen for allowing herself to become one.
Her father, the chief of the village, was the most furious of them all.
The sight of his daughter standing before him with slave shackles around her wrists was enough to make his expression darken with rage.
He could barely contain himself.
To him, it was unacceptable that his own daughter had become the slave of a human.
Yet Kaen did not share his anger.
She calmly explained what had happened.
She told them about the Hero's Party of Vidalier.
She told them about her betrayal.
She explained how she had eventually become a slave to Dante.
At first, her people could hardly believe what they were hearing.
But Kaen continued explaining.
She told them that Dante had not simply enslaved her for the sake of cruelty. He had recognised her abilities, her feline traits, her combat skills, and her usefulness.
He had bought her because he saw worth in her.
And rather than treating her as nothing more than property, Dante had given her responsibilities and placed her in situations where her abilities could actually be used.
Kaen had accepted that reality.
More importantly, she had accepted the path she had chosen.
She considered her current situation part of her lesson.
Even when her father demanded that she return with them, Kaen refused.
She had already made her decision.
She would continue travelling with Dante.
Her father remained furious.
His eyes remained fixed on the shackles around his daughter's wrists, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.
To him, those shackles represented humiliation.
To Kaen, they represented a choice she had willingly made.
The people of the village soon noticed something unusual about Kaen.
Their eyes kept drifting toward the artificial tail attached to her lower back. Unlike the natural tails of the other Sha'karr, Kaen's was clearly mechanical, constructed from a combination of metal and carefully designed mechanisms.
Some of them stared in fascination.
Others looked confused.
A few even whispered among themselves, wondering what could have happened to her.
Eventually, one of the villagers could no longer contain their curiosity.
"Kaen... what happened to your tail?"
Kaen's ears lowered slightly.
She reached behind herself and gently placed a hand against the base of her prosthetic tail.
"This?"
She gave the artificial tail a small flick.
"I lost my original tail during the invasion of the Dwarven Kingdom."
The villagers immediately became quiet.
"The Dwarven Kingdom?"
Kaen nodded.
"Járnheimr."
The name alone caused several of them to exchange bewildered looks.
Járnheimr was a kingdom that had been forgotten by much of the outside world. Its location had been concealed for generations, and most people believed the legendary Dwarven Kingdom was either impossible to reach or had disappeared entirely.
"You found Járnheimr?"
One of the villagers asked in disbelief.
Kaen nodded again.
"Yes. Dante and I found it during our travels."
"How?"
Another Sha'karr immediately asked.
Even the chief's expression changed.
He had heard stories about Járnheimr, but never expected his daughter to actually visit the forgotten kingdom.
Kaen scratched the side of her cheek.
"That's... a rather long story."
She glanced toward Dante.
Dante merely stood there with his usual calm expression, apparently having no intention of explaining anything himself.
Kaen sighed.
"While we were there, the kingdom was attacked by demons."
The villagers' expressions changed.
"Demons?"
"Yes."
Kaen's voice became more serious.
"It wasn't an ordinary demon invasion either. One of the Commandment demons appeared."
The atmosphere immediately became heavier.
Even the villagers who had been staring at her prosthetic tail with curiosity were now listening carefully.
Kaen continued explaining what had happened.
During the battle, she had confronted the enemy alongside Dante and the others. The fight had pushed her body beyond its limits, and eventually, her original tail had been ripped away during the confrontation.
She survived.
But her tail did not.
"For a while, I thought I'd have to live without one," Kaen admitted.
Her fingers lightly tapped against the metal of her prosthetic.
"Then Dante made this for me."
She gave her tail another little flick.
"It took some time to get used to, but now it's almost as good as the original."
Several Sha'karr stared at it in awe.
One cautiously stepped closer.
"Can I touch it?"
Kaen blinked.
"Eh?"
"Is it really connected to your body?"
"Not exactly."
The Sha'karr slowly reached toward it.
Kaen immediately pulled her tail away.
"Don't touch it without asking!"
The villager quickly pulled their hand back.
"Sorry!"
Kaen puffed her cheeks.
Dante watched the exchange from the side without saying anything.
For perhaps the first time since returning to her homeland, Kaen looked genuinely comfortable.
Despite everything that had happened to her, despite the battles, the slavery, and the loss of her original tail, she had found a way to move forward.
The Sha'karr eventually accepted her explanation.
However, her father was another matter entirely.
The chief still struggled with the situation.
He understood Kaen's explanation.
He understood that she had chosen to remain with Dante.
But that did not mean he was happy about it.
For several weeks, Dante and Kaen remained in the village.
During that time, the chief repeatedly attempted to adjust his daughter's situation.
He would pull Kaen aside and speak with her privately.
"Are you certain about this?"
"Yes, Father."
"You don't have to remain with him."
"I know."
"You can come home."
"I know."
"Then come home."
Kaen stared at him.
"No."
The chief's ears drooped.
"But you're my daughter."
"And I'm already seventeen."
"That doesn't matter."
"It matters to me."
The chief sighed heavily.
Despite being the respected leader of the Sha'karr, he was discovering that commanding his daughter was considerably more difficult than commanding an entire village.
Deep down, however, there was another side to him.
No matter how intimidating he appeared to everyone else, Kaen was still his little girl.
His precious daughter.
The same daughter he had watched grow up.
The same daughter who had once followed him around the village.
The same daughter who had probably been spoiled more than she would ever admit.
Kaen knew it too.
Whenever her father became overly protective, she could only sigh.
"Father, I'm fine."
"I know you're fine."
"Then stop worrying."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Because I'm your father."
Kaen stared at him for several seconds before her ears flattened.
"...You're impossible."
The chief crossed his arms proudly.
"I am your father. It is my duty to be impossible."
Dante, who had been standing nearby, quietly looked away.
Kaen noticed.
"Don't laugh."
"I didn't say anything."
"Your face did."
Dante remained silent.
Eventually, the day came when Dante and Kaen had to leave.
Their belongings were prepared, their guild work waiting for them elsewhere, and their journey had to continue.
The villagers gathered to see Kaen off.
Her father stood at the front.
For a moment, he said nothing.
His stern expression remained fixed on Dante.
Dante met his gaze without hesitation.
The chief walked toward him.
He stopped directly in front of Dante.
"Take care of my daughter."
Kaen's ears immediately twitched.
"Father..."
The chief ignored her.
"I don't care what your relationship with her is. I don't care about the circumstances that brought you together. But she is still my daughter."
His expression softened slightly.
"If she is travelling with you, then make sure she comes back alive."
Dante looked toward Kaen.
Kaen stood beside him, quietly watching her father.
Dante then looked back at the chief.
"I will."
The chief nodded.
Then he turned toward Kaen.
"Come here."
Kaen blinked.
"...Why?"
"Come here."
She reluctantly stepped forward.
The chief immediately pulled his daughter into a tight embrace.
Kaen's face turned bright red.
"Father!"
"Let me have my daughter for a moment."
"I'm not a child anymore!"
"You'll always be my little girl."
The surrounding villagers tried desperately not to laugh.
Kaen's ears flattened completely as her embarrassment reached its peak.
Dante simply watched in silence.
After several seconds, Kaen finally escaped her father's embrace and hurried back toward Dante.
"Let's go."
Her face was still red.
Dante glanced at her.
"Your father seems quite fond of you."
"Don't."
"I didn't say anything else."
"Good."
Behind them, the chief watched his daughter leave.
His expression remained stern until Kaen turned around and waved.
Only then did his expression soften.
He raised a hand and waved back.
"Take care of yourself, Kaen!"
"I will!"
The two eventually disappeared down the road, leaving the village behind.
Their journey continued.
During their travels, Dante was busy practising his aim with his new weapons, the two firearms gifted to him by Ashley Burnwill.
They were heavily modified, semi-automatic, long-barrelled guns forged by the founder of the Dwarven Kingdom himself, Ashley's great-grandfather.
Their appearance alone made them unlike any ordinary firearm.
Dante had spent considerable time becoming familiar with their weight, recoil, firing mechanism, and effective range. He knew that possessing a powerful weapon meant nothing if he could not wield it properly.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Clack!
Blang!
Clank!
The sounds of gunfire echoed throughout the open wilderness.
Dante calmly lowered the weapons and examined his targets.
Several shots had struck close to the centre.
He adjusted his stance.
Raised both weapons.
And fired again.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
While Dante continued practising, Kaen was busy setting up their tent for the night. She occasionally glanced toward him whenever the sound of gunfire became too loud.
After a long day of travelling and training, Dante finally finished.
He lowered his weapons and released a long breath.
His arms were slightly sore from repeatedly firing the guns, but his control had noticeably improved.
Dante sat down on the ground and took a breather.
Kaen finished securing the tent before walking over to him.
"Master has worked hard, huh?" she asked.
"Very hard, Kaen," Dante replied.
Kaen smiled slightly.
"Then Master should rest properly."
"I intend to."
The two eventually prepared their dinner.
After cooking their meal, Dante sat beside the small campfire while Kaen ate her portion of cooked fish.
For a while, neither of them said anything.
The peaceful atmosphere was a welcome change from the battles and chaos they had experienced during their journey.
Then Dante reached into his belongings and pulled something out.
A half-broken katana.
The moment Kaen saw it, her ears immediately stood upright.
"Master..."
Dante looked down at the damaged blade resting in his hand.
Kaen stared at it.
She recognised it instantly.
"Master, are you sure you want to go to the Tianyu Dynasty?"
Dante looked toward her.
Kaen took another bite of her cooked fish before continuing.
"It's basically beyond the Misty Border, outside the Wasted Lands."
Dante remained silent for a moment.
"Like I said, Kaen. I'll only go to the Tianyu Dynasty if I ever encounter it."
He looked toward the darkness beyond their camp.
"Besides, the border itself is no joke. It's covered in thick mist. Who knows where we might end up?"
Kaen nodded slowly.
"But Master..."
Her gaze returned to the damaged katana.
"That is the blade wielded by Akka."
She paused.
"The Commandment of Honor that you killed."
Dante's expression became slightly more solemn.
"I didn't kill her."
Kaen tilted her head.
"Huh?"
"I offered her a peaceful death."
Dante gently ran his fingers along the damaged blade.
"She had committed countless sins. She knew what she had done, and she understood that there was no simple way to undo them."
Kaen listened quietly.
"So I gave her a choice."
"What choice?"
"Seppuku."
Kaen blinked.
"Master, what is seppuku?"
Dante looked at her.
"Seppuku is an ancient ritual of death. It was traditionally performed by warriors who had committed a grave offence, failed in their duties, or brought dishonour upon themselves."
Kaen tilted her head.
"So... they kill themselves?"
"Yes."
Dante nodded.
"But it isn't simply killing yourself."
He placed the broken katana across his lap.
"The person performing seppuku willingly accepts responsibility for their actions. They acknowledge their sins, their failures, and the consequences that come with them."
Kaen slowly lowered her fish.
"And they choose death because of that?"
"Sometimes."
Dante looked into the fire.
"For some warriors, living while carrying that dishonour was considered worse than death."
Kaen remained quiet.
Dante continued.
"There were rituals surrounding it. The person would prepare themselves, face their fate, and use a blade to perform the act themselves."
Kaen's ears lowered slightly.
"That sounds painful."
"It was."
Dante's voice remained calm.
"But there was another person involved."
"Another person?"
"Yes. Someone chosen to deliver the final strike."
Kaen stared at him.
"The final strike?"
Dante nodded.
"They were called the kaishakunin. Their responsibility was to deliver a swift and decisive blow after the ritual had been performed."
Kaen's expression changed as she began to understand.
"To end their suffering?"
"Exactly."
Dante looked down at the broken katana.
"Akka chose seppuku herself."
Kaen remained silent.
"She knew the things she had done. She knew the lives she had taken and the suffering she had caused. She accepted that she had to answer for those sins."
Dante's fingers slowly tightened around the sword.
"So she performed the ritual."
Kaen swallowed.
"And you were the one who delivered the final strike."
Dante nodded.
"Yes."
"You decapitated her?"
"One clean slash."
His answer was quiet and direct.
"She didn't suffer any longer than necessary."
Kaen stared at the flames.
"So you weren't executing her."
"No."
Dante shook his head.
"She had already made her choice."
He looked at the damaged katana.
"I simply respected it."
Kaen was silent for several seconds.
"What did she say before she died?"
Dante's eyes became distant as he recalled that final moment.
"For honor."
Kaen looked at him.
"And what did you say?"
Dante's expression softened slightly.
"For the katana."
The campfire crackled quietly between them.
Kaen finally understood why Dante had kept the broken blade.
It wasn't a trophy.
It wasn't proof of victory.
It was the final possession of a woman who had chosen to face her sins and accept her fate.
Akka had committed terrible acts.
But in her final moments, she had chosen her own path.
And Dante had honoured that decision.
Kaen eventually took another bite of her fish.
"...Master."
"Hm?"
"You're surprisingly complicated."
Dante glanced at her.
"That's your conclusion?"
"Yes."
He sighed.
Kaen smiled faintly.
The two returned to their quiet dinner beneath the night sky, while the broken katana rested beside Dante.
Somewhere beyond the distant horizon lay the Tianyu Dynasty.
A land hidden beyond the Wasted Lands.
A kingdom separated from the rest of the world by the mysterious Misty Border.
For now, however, Dante had no intention of seeking it out.
If fate brought him there, he would enter.
Until then, he would continue travelling.
Far beyond the borders of the Misty Land, deep within the vast expanse of fog that separated the outside world from the Tianyu Dynasty, two watchers stood guard at the entrance of the Tianyu immigration port.
The dense mist surrounded the massive gateway, swallowing everything beyond a certain distance. Even the faintest movement could disappear within seconds.
The two guards remained vigilant, their spears firmly held in their hands.
Then...
A strange melody drifted through the mist.
It was faint at first.
A harp-like melody.
Soft.
Beautiful.
Yet there was something unsettling about it.
One of the guards immediately raised his spear.
"Who goes there...?"
His companion tightened his grip on his weapon as both men took their positions.
Neither of them could see anything.
The melody continued.
Then came the sound of footsteps.
Step...
Step...
Step...
Slow footsteps echoed from somewhere within the mist.
Both guards stared forward.
The sound gradually grew closer.
Then, a silhouette emerged from the fog.
The figure walked slowly toward them.
Its movements were calm.
Unhurried.
Almost as though it had no concern for the two armed guards standing in its path.
The silhouette suddenly stopped.
One of the guards glanced sideways toward his companion.
His comrade tilted his head slightly.
"Do you see that?"
The other guard nodded.
He cautiously stepped forward.
One step.
Then another.
His spear remained raised as he attempted to get a better look at the mysterious figure.
Then...
Slick!
The guard suddenly stopped.
His body twitched.
Before he could even react, his body was violently torn apart.
Blood splattered across the ground.
What remained of him collapsed into a gruesome mess.
"Uh..."
The second guard stood completely frozen.
His eyes widened in horror.
He couldn't understand what had just happened.
His companion had been standing beside him only moments ago.
Now there was nothing left but blood and pieces scattered across the ground.
The mysterious silhouette finally stepped out of the mist.
The guard's body trembled.
"W... who are you...?"
The figure continued walking.
The guard raised his spear with shaking hands.
"Wait..."
His eyes widened as he finally saw the figure's appearance.
"Demon?!"
He immediately opened his mouth to shout.
"DE..."
Ack!
Before he could call for the others, something pierced through him.
His body went limp.
The spear slipped from his hand and struck the ground.
Silence returned to the immigration port.
The mysterious figure stood between the two corpses.
The harp-like melody continued playing softly.
The figure slowly lowered whatever instrument it had been carrying.
A faint smile appeared upon his face.
"Such insolence."
His voice carried a strange elegance.
"Have you dogs not heard that silence is the key to the perfect melody of the start?"
He stepped forward.
His presence alone seemed to suffocate the surrounding atmosphere.
"For I..."
The figure's smile widened.
"The Commandment of Reverence..."
He paused.
"...Ceylon."
The melody stopped.
The mist remained completely still.
Ceylon stood alone before the entrance of the Tianyu Dynasty.
He was not an ordinary demon.
He was one of the Ten Commandment Demon Marshals.
And among them, he was ranked second in strength, surpassed only by Ingrid Von Balmung.
For countless years, Ceylon had remained dormant.
Now, he had awakened.
And his first appearance was not one of conquest.
It was a warning.
The Tianyu Dynasty had yet to realize it.
Something ancient had entered its borders.
Something that would soon bring an unknown danger upon its people.
And with that...
The melody of Ceylon's arrival had begun.
---
Chapter 61 — End