Tai Yang was looking at the candle again. This time, it was easy for him.
Tai said, "Wow… this time, my attention is much better compared to before."
He raised his hand, and blue mana began flowing from his body.
"I guess I can do it now."
The scene showed that Tai had been doing this training for three days. Finally, he succeeded.
Hiroshi said, "I guess I can say you're ready, aren't you?"
Tai looked surprised.
"What? I didn't even sense you. You were in this room?"
Hiroshi smiled.
"Anyways, shall we go? It's time for new training, where you can do a lot of things."
Tai smiled.
"Yeah."
Scene shifted.
Tai was training with a wooden sword. Ren was there as well, while Hiroshi watched them.
Hiroshi said, "He will be your rival. You'll be fighting against him."
Tai looked at Ren.
"Should I fight him?"
"You can."
Hiroshi handed Tai a wooden sword. Ren was holding one as well.
Ren looked at Tai.
"Well, then, Tai Yang…"
Tai Yang raised his wooden sword.
"Well then, do it."
Ren smiled.
"You look excited."
"You bet I am."
Scene shifted.
Konsoon was sitting in his office, working on paperwork. It was unusual to see him doing something so ordinary.
Suddenly, a smiling masked man wearing Victorian clothing and a hat appeared.
"It's been a long time, Lord Konsoon."
Konsoon looked at him.
"Sergey Obraztsov."
"Yes, Lord Konsoon."
Scene shifted back to Tai Yang.
Tai charged toward Ren with his wooden sword.
Ren dodged.
"Come on. Is that all you've got?"
Tai smiled.
"Not quite."
He attacked again.
Ren stepped back.
"I see. You have a lot of potential in you, Tai Yang."
Ren attacked Tai.
"You bet I do!" Tai said with a smile.
Then Tai paused.
"Hey, what's your name again?"
"It's Ren."
"I see. I forget names a lot. Heh."
Ren stared at him.
"What?"
Ren swung his wooden sword toward Tai's head.
"What?!"
The wooden sword stopped just short of Tai.
"You weren't focused, dummy."
"But you can't beat me in my head. I've got a brain in there."
Ren replied sarcastically,
"Trust me. You don't."
Tai frowned.
"No, you're going to pay for that!"
"Take this!"
He charged toward Ren again.
Hiroshi watched them.
He has a lot of potential in him, I have to say.
Suddenly, Reigo arrived.
Hiroshi noticed him and immediately bowed.
"Master Reigo. Good morning."
Reigo looked toward Tai.
"I see. These training sessions are going well."
"Yes, Master. In fact, his condition has been improving very well recently."
"I see."
Hiroshi continued,
"If you want, I can tell you everything about his recent progress."
"No need. I trust you."
Reigo turned and walked toward his room.
Hiroshi watched him leave.
"As strict as always…"
Ren attacked Tai, and Tai attacked Ren.
Ren said, "I guess you're very strong."
"You bet I am," Tai said with a smile.
After a few hours, both of them were exhausted.
Hiroshi watched them for a moment before leaving.
Tai looked around.
"Where's Hiroshi?"
Ren shrugged.
"I can't say where he went. I was training with you, but I would say he got some important work to do."
Matsuri came over.
"Hey, both of you. Dinner is ready. Come eat."
"Alright."
Tai sat down and began eating rice balls and noodles. After eating, he felt energized again.
Ren ate as well and eventually placed his hand on his stomach.
"My stomach is full already… Ahhh. I have to say , it was delicious."
Matsuri smiled.
"Glad you like it."
Scene shifted to Kurno.
Kurno was looking out from the balcony when Vianiac approached her.
"What's really happened? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, it is."
Vianiac's expression became serious.
"I see."
Kurno looked at him.
"What about you? Are you okay?"
"I am."
Vianiac paused before asking,
"Are you missing him?"
Kurno looked toward the balcony and then at her necklace.
"I do miss him. I always will. He is someone who gave me everything. Even his death doesn't make my love for him disappear."
Scene shifted to Tai Yang, who was sleeping.
He wondered what he would do next.
The next day—
"I'm exhausted, even though I ate food."
Tai looked around.
"Lan is sleeping…"
He paused, thinking.
"My exhaustion isn't about my stamina. But I feel like I've lost something badly."
Tai lowered his head.
"Who even am I? I just have these powerful abilities…"
He thought about it for a moment.
"I have a dragon inside me, right?"
His expression became serious.
"That's what Kon name guy said to me… Blue Dragon Azure."
Tai fell asleep.
Scene shifted to Konsoon.
Konsoon looked toward Sergey.
"Tell me… is everything in place?"
"Yes, my lord. My puppet has already seen those things."
Scene shifted.
A small puppet was watching the mayor from nearby.
Konsoon smiled faintly.
"I see. That's very good. Tomorrow, the mayor will learn what it means to be bound by cruelty."
Sergey nodded.
"I see."
Konsoon looked ahead.
"You know what democracy is supposed to be? Government of the people, by the people, for the people."
He paused.
"But was it ever truly democracy? People can become slaves to the very system they believe gives them freedom."
Konsoon smiled faintly.
"I've always disagreed with democracy. People are given freedom, but they don't always know how to use it."
Sergey replied,
"Most of the time, humans can't rely entirely on themselves. They need a leader to guide them."
"That's the problem."
Konsoon's smile widened.
"A leader can change their minds however they want—and they will follow."
He paused.
"Propaganda… I know quite a lot about it."
Konsoon looked toward Sergey.
"A lie told once remains a lie. But a lie told a hundred times can become the truth."
Scene shifted to Tai Yang.
Tai looked at Mei, who was creating a sand statue.
"What's this? A snowman?"
Tai was about to laugh, but Mei looked at him seriously.
"Don't you dare laugh."
Tai immediately stopped.
"Oh… never mind. I shouldn't laugh, or else…"
His movements were comical.
Ren called out,
"Hey, Tai. Bye! Let me go!"
Tai went away.
Mei watched the two of them.
"These two are weirdos."
She continued making her sand statue.
Scene shifted.
Tai was training with Ren again. The two of them fought intensely.
Ren raised his hand.
"How about this? Leaf Blade!"
Leaves flew toward Tai at high speed.
Tai dodged them.
"Wow! What's that?"
Ren smiled.
"Cool, isn't it? Tell me, what's your nature? Water? Thunder?"
He paused.
"From what I've heard about your sealed Blue Dragon Azure, it's something like that. I don't know much, but I know a little."
Tai thought for a moment.
"Oh, that? I guess that makes sense."
Tai looked at the sun.
"Today is a very good day, I would assume."
Ren looked at him.
"Tell me, what's your goal?"
Tai thought for a moment.
"To become strong enough to protect my family and fight stronger opponents I'll be facing. And… I even want to become a leader here."
Ren raised an eyebrow.
"You mean Master Reigo's position? You want to be promoted to that role?"
"Yeah."
Ren looked at him.
"Well, it would take many centuries, I guess, considering your current level."
Tai blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, it would take years to become like him. For your information, he can destroy an entire planet like Mercury just by raising his hand."
"Planet? Huh?"
Tai paused.
"But… sounds like he's very strong."
Tai looked at Ren.
"I have to say… he seems amazing. It would be challenging."
Ren nodded.
"Anyways, let's keep fighting."
The two continued their training, their wooden swords clashing as they fought.
Scene shifted.
Konsoon was wearing a Victorian coat and hat. A golden Victorian watch hung from his chest.
Konsoon walked toward a horse-drawn carriage.
"Tell me, Victor. Is the horse carriage ready?"
"Yes, my lord."
Konsoon smiled.
Scene shifted.
Konsoon was sitting inside the horse carriage. The interior looked noble, with a red design and a window on the side.
Konsoon looked outside through the window.
Above the carriage, someone was standing.
It was Sergey.
"This is going to be interesting."
His mask reflected the sunlight.
The coachman changed direction, and the carriage continued onward.
A man was smoking tobacco in his room.
"Tell me, what's the celebration here in Rome?"
He paused.
"And my father? Is he going to be here?"
The servant replied,
"Mr. Freddie Bale, your father is holding this event. Many nobles are coming here to celebrate the occasion."
Freddie frowned.
"What's his name?"
"Konsoon Sanguis."
"I see. Sounds like a very interesting name."
Freddie stood up.
"Anyways, I should be going back to my home in London."
The servant shook his head.
"You can't. Your father ordered us to keep you here."
"Okay, okay. Just for a little while."
Freddie returned to his room.
"I suppose I'll wait for him here. Or should I go to the hall and meet him?"
The servant replied,
"You should go and see him. However, it might take some time."
Freddie asked, "Also, who is the current patriarch here?"
"Konsoon Sanguis."
"He also has that role?"
The servant nodded.
"Yes. Lord Konsoon holds almost every important position. Even the room we're in is associated with him. Some people even call him 'King.' He left the position of king because of other circumstances, but people still refer to him as King."
Freddie looked interested.
"I should see him. He sounds interesting."
Freddie then walked toward the hallway.
The hall was filled with nobles, along with several kings holding glasses of juice in their hands.
On the stage, a blond-haired man wearing glasses stood quietly.
It was Victor.
He looked around the hall, carefully observing everything to make sure nothing was wrong.
Freddie looked around.
"Who would that be, I wonder?"
Scene shifted.
The coachman suddenly stood up and looked above the horse carriage. He felt something for a moment, but there was nothing there—only the horses.
He stepped down and slowly walked toward the carriage.
He opened the door and bowed respectfully.
Konsoon stepped down from the carriage.
His coat briefly fluttered in the wind. He looked up toward the sky for a moment, then placed a hand against his chest.
He walked forward.
The coachman closed the carriage door and followed him.
Konsoon climbed the stairs and finally reached the entrance.
The coachman remained outside with the guards.
One guard asked,
"That looked like hesitation, didn't it?"
"Yeah."
Konsoon continued walking.
Nearby, several girls were arguing. When they noticed Konsoon's face, they suddenly became quiet and blushed.
"Who is he?"
"He looks so beautiful… like a prince."
Konsoon continued toward the stage.
Freddie was drinking his juice.
He's here…
Victor walked toward Konsoon.
Konsoon stepped onto the stage.
Freddie looked at Konsoon carefully.
"Wait… have I ever met him before?"
He stared at Konsoon's face.
His face looks familiar to me… He looks very young, though.
Konsoon stepped onto the stage.
He looked across the hall.
"My dear people of Rome, and all the nobles who have gathered here at my invitation…"
He smiled faintly.
"I think you're all enjoying yourselves here."
Konsoon continued speaking.
"We have freed ourselves from the werewolves after so many years, and it's very good to see all of you helping us finish them off. I hope everything will remain peaceful, as always."
He raised his voice.
"All hail Rome, and glory to the kingdoms who helped us!"
Everyone applauded.
Konsoon continued,
"I speak with the pride I have—the pride of justice, and for the people who admire and support it."
The crowd cheered loudly.
"Yeah!"
Konsoon smiled.
He continued,
"Napoleon once spoke of the press as a great power. In the same way, pamphlets can become a powerful force in shaping the opening of a new era."
The crowd cheered again.
Freddie watched Konsoon carefully.
"I see… He looks very influential here."
Suddenly, the mayor entered and took his seat.
Freddie's eyes widened.
"Father?"
He stared at him.
He's here?
Konsoon looked toward the crowd.
"Anyways, everyone… let's enjoy what we have gained and celebrate our independence."
The mayor came onto the stage.
Konsoon smiled.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Albert Bale."
The two shook hands.
Freddie watched from his table.
That's my father.
He noticed his father whispering something to Konsoon.
Freddie narrowed his eyes.
I can't hear them… What is my father whispering in his ear?
The scene focused on Konsoon and Albert.
Konsoon smiled.
"I see. That would be great."
Konsoon left the stage.
Albert then addressed the crowd.
"My dear fellow citizens of Rome, as I said, we will have a great relationship and, indeed, a bright future for every kingdom. Soon, the human lands on the other side will be here as well."
He paused.
"We will also be announcing some new things."
Freddie left the hall.
"Anyways, I should be going."
Scene shifted back to his room.
Freddie returned to the same guest room.
"I should at least find out what he's doing."
He was smoking his tobacco again with his long pipe.
"I feel something about him… But he genuinely looks kind to everyone."
Freddie noticed a book.
"What's this?"
He picked it up.
"Sanguis? Is this about him?"
He began reading.
"Did my father's servant put this here so I could learn about him? He certainly seems like an important businessman."
Freddie continued reading.
Then his eyes widened.
"Master of every martial art… also has 32 degrees in sceince and in litrature?"
He stared at the book in shock.
"What even is he?"
When Freddie was smoking, someone opened the door.
Freddie looked toward the door.
"It's him."
Konsoon stood there. His coat was in his hand, and he was wearing a white T-shirt underneath a half-black Victorian shirt.
Konsoon looked at Freddie.
"I was looking for you."
Freddie looked surprised.
"What? Why were you looking for me? Also, did we meet each other before?"
Instead of replying, Konsoon looked at the tobacco Freddie was smoking.
"E. Nobel."
Freddie looked at him.
"It's my Nobel, also."
Konsoon examined it.
"100% pure tobacco. A major hallmark of the brand is that it contains zero paper wrappers or artificial filters. It's made entirely from high-quality tobacco leaves, from the wrapper to the filler."
He paused.
"Born in Denmark in the late 1800s. Crafted from 100% pure, unfiltered tobacco leaves sourced from Sumatra and Java. Designed for the elite gentleman who demands a ruthless burst of flavour but only has fifteen minutes to spare."
Konsoon looked at Freddie.
"I would say these are quite interesting. However, they may be very risky for your health."
He continued calmly.
"A concentrated source of nicotine and tar. It slowly damages the user's health, heavily raising the risk of oral cancer, heart attacks, and strokes. Highly addictive."
He looked at the tobacco again.
"Backfire: Tongue Bite. Puffed too quickly? The smoke turns into a furnace. It inflicts a 'tongue bite' burn debuff, leaving your mouth raw and numb for days."
"Fragmented Essence. Completely fragile. If left outside a humidor, it dries out instantly, turning into a bitter, dusty, and unsmokable stick of ash."
"Linear Soul. Short smoke time. It lacks the evolving depth of a grand cigar. It offers a brief, one-dimensional flavour that vanishes before you can truly savour it."
Freddie stared at him.
"Wait… is that you?"
Flashback.
Freddie was smoking inside a noble train.
A young boy was there. He was seventeen years old and wearing a coat.
Freddie looked through the train window.
This is a miss… I should be attending my meeting.
The boy came over.
"I see. Ancient Elite, I would say."
Freddie looked at him.
The boy continued.
"Created in Cuba in 1834. The ultimate status symbol of the 1800s aristocracy. Coated in a distinct caramel-colored wrapper, it offers a deceptive profile of sweet honey, toasted nuts, and light cedar. It represents the height of slow, indulgent luxury."
He paused.
"However, unlike the quick, affordable Nobel Petit, these are an economic black hole. In the 1800s, smoking them required a vast fortune, immediately draining the user's funds."
"Time Devourer. It requires a massive time investment. A single stick takes 45 to 60 minutes to smoke. If you light it during a crisis or a fast-paced battle, you waste its essence entirely."
"The False Mildness. It possesses a medium-light flavour that tastes incredibly smooth and gentle. This trick causes the user to let their guard down, inhaling more deeply and accelerating long-term lung and cardiovascular decay."
"Mechanical Rebellion. Because they are rolled using complex, traditional Cuban techniques, they are highly sensitive to humidity changes. If the environment fluctuates even slightly, the wrapper will split and unravel mid-smoke, rendering the luxury item useless."
The boy smiled.
"It's very good, though. But it's risky for your life. You should see it."
Freddie smiled.
"I see… You are interesting."
Flashback ends.
Freddie looked at Konsoon.
"So… it's you? I never asked your name."
Konsoon smiled.
"Mr. Freddie Bale. Nice to meet you. I'm glad you remember me."
Konsoon said, "This one, E. Nobel, is different from Ancient Elite, though."
Freddie nodded.
"Yeah. You have quite a sharp memory."
Konsoon smiled.
"You can say that."
Freddie continued,
"I would assume even I don't remember things for very long, but yeah, my memory is good. Or perhaps yours is even better."
He paused.
"Anyways, tell me about the best martial arts and those 32 degrees in other subjects, like the sciences, history, Doctor of Letters from the University of Rome, deeply learned in Philology and the Polite arts I would say… perfect."
Konsoon looked at him.
"If you can call it that. For me, there is no such thing as perfection. No matter how much I try, I will dig deeper. I will continue learning many things."
He paused.
"Humans want to betray the truth, but I never abandoned the truth."
Freddie asked, "Tell me about the werewolves. You said you finished them. What does that mean?"
Konsoon replied,
"As you know, they are very harmful. However, people have already killed more than 58.9 million wolves. I can't say we have killed all of them, but almost everyone."
Freddie looked at him.
"Now that sounds very dark."
He paused.
"What's your view of God? Do you believe in God?"
"I used to be Catholic, but later, I stopped believing in it because I believe nothing should be the right answer. I believe everything ultimately comes to the Abyss."
Freddie looked at him.
"So you're a non-believer? An atheist?"
Konsoon replied,
"Just because I rejected the traditional God doesn't mean I can't believe in something. I rejected the belief in justice that people have created. And I think I already know what humans don't."
Freddie stared at him.
"You act like you're not human."
"Of course I am. I'm a vampire."
Freddie wasn't shocked.
"I'm not surprised. This world is also filled with magic. But compared to that side, the human world doesn't use any magic."
He smiled.
"Thanks to Zaimet, who separated the human world and the magical world between the Water Land."
"Yeah. I heard about him. Many people used to call him the Messiah back then. But I think what he needed to do had to be done."
Freddie paused.
"Tell me something. If you see magic, how can you say nothing exists?"
Konsoon replied,
"Nothing can already exist. When humans tried to create magic long ago, they discovered it. If you see nothing, it can be described as emptiness."
He paused.
"I believe I have already seen that nothing. Not even my own vampire people have seen that nothing, nor has any other creature. I believe it's something that people don't understand."
Freddie nodded slowly.
"I see. This is something new to me. But I guess you're also a philosopher. You make sense. That's why it makes sense that people like you so much."
Konsoon looked at him.
"You are a physicist and chemist as well, aren't you? Tell me, are you a traditional theist? You seem like one, judging by the way you speak. Because I can see something else."
Freddie nodded.
"Yeah. You can say I'm a theist, but I don't believe in anything illogical simply because people want me to."
"I see."
Konsoon smiled slightly.
"Then we're on a similar path."
Freddie looked at him.
"How?"
"You are. But if you did, you could enter the Nothing—the Abyss that humans believe exists."
Freddie paused.
"…What?"
Konsoon continued,
"Because I do believe in something cosmic. Something that doesn't necessarily follow any rules. It created random chaos."
He smiled faintly.
"As I said, I myself cannot go against the truth."
Konsoon said, "Tell me. Do you read any other religious books that might enlighten you?"
Freddie shook his head.
"No."
Konsoon looked at him.
"People take their own religion as fact, but they don't know what their religion actually says. Treating religion as absolute fact isn't something they should do."
Freddie looked at him.
"This is something else. But which religion are you talking about, generally?"
Konsoon relaxed in his chair.
"Buddhism. I'm talking about Buddha, generally. About the Four Noble Truths."
Freddie looked curious.
"Care to enlighten me? What's that?"
Konsoon stopped for a moment.
"The Four Noble Truths are:
The truth of suffering.
The truth of the cause of suffering.
The truth of the end of suffering.
And the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering."
Konsoon said, "As it is the truth, you can't escape the cruelty that you can't live with."
Freddie looked at him.
He's interesting… but very scary at the same time.
He couldn't quite put the feeling into words.
Konsoon looked at his golden watch.
"It's time, I guess."
Freddie looked at him.
"You're going?"
Konsoon smiled.
"Yeah. I am."
He gently took his coat in his hand.
"Pardon me, Mr. Freddie Bale."
Freddie smiled.
"You can call me Freddie."
Konsoon walked toward the door and opened it.
Victor was standing there.
Victor bowed respectfully.
"From here, my majesty."
Konsoon smiled.
Konsoon walked down the stairs.
Scene shifted to Tai.
Tai entered a chamber.
"What's this place?"
Ren replied,
"A pocket dimension. It's mostly vast, but yeah… it's really vast."
Tai looked around.
"Wow… this place looks amazing."
Tai looked at Ren.
"Tell me, is this the place where you practice?"
Ren was about to answer when a voice came from behind them.
"The special thing about these pocket dimensions is that time has no effect here."
Tai looked surprised.
"Time doesn't affect this place?"
Ren nodded.
"He's right. But let him explain briefly."
Hiroshi stepped forward.
"These dimensions don't run on time at all, compared to the Holy Earth. Time doesn't have any effect here. Even if you stay here for three days continuously—or longer—you won't age while you're here."
Tai looked around.
"But the problem is that it's very empty."
Tai nodded.
"Yeah… I can see that."
Tai smiled.
"Well, then… let's do it."
Scene shifted.
Konsoon was sitting in a stadium. And he was smiling
The scene ended.