Chapter 325: Coexistence (1)
After the semis of the Warrior's Festival, Airn Pareira chose to pay more attention to his mind rather than his sword.
It was to escape from the ever-growing flame within him. It wasn't an easy task.
Contrary to how others underestimated her, Airn had never donethat. He knew that through the spar a year ago, and he knew it through his 'Aura Seeing Eyes.'
'There is nothing that Ignet is lacking in. She is near completion in every aspect.'
That thought was more certain after he saw her match with Ilya, his lover.
How can he take down Ignet?
How can he win against her, who seemed to be blessed with the sword, and win the festival?
His worries only deepened, and his time spent in meditation lengthened.
In the meantime, he realized something.
The surroundings had changed.
'... dream.'
The familiar sky.
The familiar wall.
The familiar yard.
And a familiar man in the center with a stance.
It was the dream. After being taken care of by Gurgar, he hadn't seen his former self for a long time. That is until now, and the old man was still fiercely wielding the sword.
Airn's expression brightened at it.
Right. This was possible.
If it was the man in his dreams who helped him whenever he needed big achievements, he might be able to solve this current problem too.
Maybe he would teach him how to face Ignet too.
Nodding his head in thought, he went to the corner of the yard and sat down. And carefully, with shining eyes, he watched the man in his dreams.
Karen Winker didn't care.
As always, he was wielding his sword with a lonely and sad face.
'... it's different from what I thought.'
Not a lot of time had passed.
The man was there, and Airn was still there. Swinging the sword. Everything else remained unchanged.
There was no need to eat in a dream, and no one would come for them either. Even the occasional wind felt normal.
What had he learned from his past self?
Nothing. Unfortunately, Karen Winker was inferior to the current Airn in every way before awakening.
His body?
It was lacking. There was nothing special about the body of a being who hadn't reached the Expert level, let alone the Master level.
His Sword?
It felt weird to Airn. All it had were vertical, diagonal, and horizontal cuts. He couldn't even think of stabbing, and just carried on repeating the three movements, and it lacked sophistication.
Seeing the balance constantly shaking made Airn want to teach him.
Then his Will?
That was the only thing he could learn from Karen, but he already had it.
Where did he achieve the five elements from? It all started because of the will of steel he obtained from the man in his dreams.
'In the end, what you get from dreams... cannot be used now.'
Airn had a sullen expression.
It was an unfortunate situation. Karen Winker, who he was watching now, was someone who helped Airn every time in the past. He was the tree that continued to generously help him.
He had higher expectations because he had a dream in a situation where he wanted to get something, and then when he realized that he had nothing to learn from the dream, his disappointment doubled.
Such a heart made Airn not want to leave.
'Let's stay just a little longer.'
In his mind, he wanted to get out of the dream. It was possible for him to do it too.
The moment he focused his mind, he was convinced that he could break through the fantasy he was in and return to reality.
However, Airn didn't do it. With desperate eyes, he looked at his previous life's incarnation.
Woong!
Wooong!
Karen Winker was the same.
As always, he swung the sword with a cold and sharp expression.
It felt like his former self was suffering.
In this limited space.
In this limited world.
With his narrow vision and tightly closed mind.
In the midst of this, the image of Karen Winker wielding the sword, spending his days without any thought of his growth or the future, touched Airn's heart more than the perfect swordsmanship he sought.
Airn's eyes changed.
He didn't have anything to gain, and yet he was once again immersed in looking at the man in his dreams.
But at some point, he couldn't.
Thinking of the man who had lived in that utter loneliness for a long time, he regretted the feelings which were flooding into him.
'... even this is a place no one else can come visit.'
Airn, who looked at him, got up and looked around.
There was nothing there. Was it because this was a dream? There was nothing there other than the man wielding the sword.
No matter how much he used his senses, all he could feel was the wall and the blue sky.
'All his life, he lived suffering.'
There would be no girls walking around. No child coming in, or a single flower he would receive.
Of course, he wouldn't be given a chance to reflect on it either, and the realization of his death would be more horrible.
He was naturally drawn to it. He took a final look at Karen Winker, who would soon collapse and regret his life.
"..."
Airn looked over the fence, not over the place closer to him.
It was bleak. Forget flowers; there weren't even any trees there. It wasn't known if this was like this for just one day or whether it was like this from the beginning.
The important thing was that there was nothing that could divert the gaze of the man. At that moment, a thought flashed through Airn's mind.
There was a moment's hesitation as he thought about it.
But he didn't give up.
Phew.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he focused.
Then, as usual, an imaginary world unfolded, and there was a huge tree towering in it.
He stretched out his hand.
And with that, came power. More than half of the strength he had nurtured so far.
Leaving behind the rapidly declining tree in his world, Airn stood in front of the man.
Karen Winker stopped the sword for the first time and looked at what Airn was holding.
Airn smiled at him and said, after planting the seedling in the yard.
"It is a gift."
"...."
"It will grow quickly, so please practice while resting under its shade."
The man didn't answer.
Airn didn't say much.
But the intention was conveyed. The goodwill passed into Karen Winker the way the flower from the child did in the past.
It brought a ray of light into the heart of the desolate man.
"... then, I will go."
There was no need to stay any longer.
Airn closed his eyes and focused, and then he escaped from the dream into reality.
Of course, just because it was a dream, he didn't think the actions he did were meaningless. Karen must have felt exhausted.
It is absurd, but it was true. Wasn't Airn a sorcerer? He could see something beyond common sense.
'But I don't regret it.'
No, rather, he felt much better now.
With a brighter expression than he had in the beginning, he clenched his hand.
Crack.
The world made of illusions collapsed.
...
....
...
But Airn couldn't immediately return to reality.
Woong
Woong!
Karen Winker swung the sword. It was the same as always.
His hurting body.
The memories of his past that were painful even now, and the face which was turning distorted as he kept thinking of it. However, the man was forced to hold a calm expression.
It was because he didn't want to show any weakness that the clown devil could latch onto.
'... it is a little comfortable.'
But these days, he had a hard time managing his expressions.
He looked up.
The tree with green leaves. It was protecting him and giving him shade.
"..."
Karen Winker swung the sword quietly.
His body was still exhausted.
His muscles and joints screamed from the excessive training, and his hands bled at times. They were painful days.
Still, it made him smile.
... he was no longer afraid of the masked people pointing fingers at him.
Karen Winker, who received the tree as a gift from an unfamiliar man, attained enlightenment as he died, and inflicted damage to the ugly devil.
As a result, the clown retreated. Thousands of people who suffered under it were liberated and led their lives peacefully.
Those who had been liberated were singing for a hopeful tomorrow.
Those who had fallen to the pain were now nurturing great dreams.
Many of them were frustrated by hardships, and others weren't.
Some of them became sorcerers, swordsmen, and heroes and defeated the devils and demons. Thanks to that, the world became a little more peaceful.
... a very long time passed.
Now, no one remembered Karen Winker. Not even the people who respected and cursed him in his estate.
He saved the world despite being in his own form of pain, and many of the people he had saved spread their own goodwill and help to others. Those who received their grace did the same to other people as well...
Airn, who was about to go away from the dream, clearly recognized that he was born in a world of peace.
"..."
His mind felt complicated.
Was the past Gurgar showed the real one?
Or was what he was seeing in the dream real?
If the latter was real, how could the world have changed if he had really planted that seed?
Dion Lindsay, who was a hero 400 years back, wouldn't have been born, and Airn wouldn't have been able to taste the sweetness of peace that continued for 160 years, and even Airn's birth couldn't be guaranteed...
It wasn't known. He couldn't figure it out.
It was a very important question, but he decided to stop thinking about it. There was something that was more important.
The reason he was participating in the Warrior's Festival.
The reason why he was out on a journey, seeking instructions, and walking the path of the sword.
'That...'
'... is not to defeat Ignet Crescentia, but to spread a good influence throughout the continent.'
Green energy shone from Airn's body, as he finally regained control of his wandering mind.
Duduk!
With that, the tree in his heart that had shrunk to half its size grew up again.
Just like before. No, it was now bigger than before.
It was natural. His good intentions came back with double the effect, and just as he helped spread out the greater good, it eventually came back to him.
It was the right cycle and the secret of coexistence.
"Phew."
Airn, who thought that, opened his eyes.
His heart was light.
He felt more comfortable now, as he returned to reality.
And he wasn't alone.
"Now, let's go."
Three precious people were protecting him.
Judith.
Bratt Lloyd.
And Ilya Lindsay.
Looking at them, Airn stood up with a smile.
"Right, let's go."
The festival of warriors, the tournament for heroes to bring hope to the continent.
The last day of that event had finally dawned.