Curse Return: Swordsmith Start

Chapter 181 Farewell

'

..Um..

..Thanks."

Clearly, these words were "too hot" for someone who had only faced cold stares, fear, and hatred for thousands of years, and the other person didn't know how to respond.

"You're welcome. Well then, as payment for helping you, teach me swordsmanship. I want to learn."

"good!"

Thus, the first battle between the "Crimson Dragon's Jaw" and the Dragon God ended in a draw.

Although the Yue people felt that the other party was overestimating them, if a real fight broke out, the other party's power to destroy the world was no joke.

Three days later, Rudeus and his party of four entered the Kingdom of Asura.

The destination is just around the corner... no, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that we've already arrived.

Both children were in good spirits. Although they had considered that their hometown might have been destroyed, they had not experienced any sudden life-or-death situations, and everyone was still very happy that they were about to arrive home.

Alice now looked at Yue Ren with even more admiration.

There was nothing they could do about it; after all, this time, they had truly witnessed the "legendary" level power of this world.

That day at the "Red Dragon's Jaw," the two sides finally ended their chance encounter by exchanging information and confirming the location for their next contact.

Thanks to the Yue people, that one strike directly removed most of the curse that terrified all living beings from Orstide's body.

After the fight, Alice and Rijerud found that the guy's divine aura was no longer so terrifying. Although he still seemed like a bad person, they no longer considered him an enemy.

This made it possible to have a calm and peaceful exchange of information thereafter.

Seeing this change, Orstide felt a little conflicted.

During the subsequent exchange, one could even sense a significant softening of their attitude.

Regarding the exchange of intelligence, the Dragon God shared some information about the Great Transfer, but he said he didn't know exactly how it happened, as this was the first time he had encountered something like this in all his reincarnations.

The seven stars beside her seemed to be a product of the Great Transfer; in other words, she was transported here by the Great Transfer, along with her body from her previous life, so she had no magic.

Qixing wanted a way to get back, while Yueren suggested that after completing the primary task of escorting the two children back, they could discuss research on teleportation magic circles.

After briefly showing the other party her work, the girl's smile broadened considerably.

Rudeus also learned a lot about the "human god" from this seemingly fierce but actually kind-hearted uncle.

Just as my elder brother had predicted, the other party was a cunning and scheming villain—no, a minor deity.

This has caused many races to lose their world and are now sealed in the "Space of Nothingness" at the center of the world, where they carry out their plans through people from this world known as "Apostles".

The method involves using dreams to predict a favorable future in order to change the world situation.

Hearing this, and seeing the other party's gritted teeth expression, Rudeus felt it was best not to reveal the fact that the god had appeared in his dream for the time being. Otherwise, if the other party suddenly attacked him, even his older brother might not be able to stop him.

Finally, there's Rijerud. Through Orstide, he learns the truth about his clan's madness: they went insane because they obtained the Demon Spear, which had been "cursed" by the Demon God, and were affected by the curse. This is also why their clan is hated.

Upon hearing the news, Rachel Rudd was initially shocked and frustrated, but Yue Ren's next words restored his hope.

Because he simply smiled and explained as always, "Don't worry, I noticed the strangeness about you from the beginning. Things have changed now, and that aura has mostly dissipated thanks to our efforts. If this continues, the curse should completely disappear before long. That's why I didn't use that stab on you too."

"I originally intended to keep this as a parting gift, but now it feels quite appropriate."

Rijrud then realized, yes, this young man in front of him was the one who could break the "curse".

After confirming that what the other party said was true, this strong man, who rarely shed tears, shed tears of emotion.

After exchanging information, the two teams separated again.

The Dragon God still had things to do, and Yue Ren and the others hadn't finished their business either. After agreeing on a time and place for their next meeting, everyone went their separate ways.

On their way home, Alice and Rudeus rode together on one horse.

His skillful handling of multiple tasks is a microcosm of his journey.

As for why he was said to be multitasking, it's because besides controlling the horse, a large part of his mind was elsewhere.

He is currently practicing using his left hand to cast spells while simultaneously using his right hand to disrupt the magic in his left hand.

This is the magic that Alsterd used when fighting his older brother that day, turning his brother's "missile throw" into "arrow throw", directly reducing the threat level by more than half.

He remembered it was called "DisturbMagic".

Use other magic to hinder and disrupt the magic output from your hands before it takes shape.

Although the principle is simple and consumes little magic power, it is a very powerful technique and seems to be a very useful ability. Rudeus is thinking about trying to see if he can imitate it.

It sounds simple, but it's actually quite difficult to try.

Making magic completely ineffective, like Alsterd did, is quite a difficult task.

But even this alone is enough to serve as a clever tactic to restrain actions. Wow, he really taught me a great trick.

"Um, Rudius. What have you been busy with since earlier?"

Alice asked from behind, and the latter answered instinctively.

"I wanted to imitate the magic used by Alsterd."

Upon hearing this, Alice began to stare at Rudeus's hand.

With his left hand, he created a small, twisted stone bullet, which fell to the ground with a thud.

I failed again. It felt like I was playing rock-paper-scissors with my own hands.

No matter what, there will always be a tendency for the left hand to gain the upper hand, so simply acting randomly when there is an obstacle probably won't work.

Hmm? Since we can't just try things randomly, does that mean there are laws governing interference? Then, if we consider these laws before outputting magic power, can we in turn nullify "chaotic magic"?

After all, this kind of move seemed too unsolvable for him as a magician. He wouldn't know how to deal with it if he hadn't seen it before, but now that he had, considering the opponent's terrifying power, he still had to make some preparations.

Without realizing it, he began to be influenced by the people and environment around him in this regard.

"What kind of magic trick is it?"

"Magic that can nullify magic."

"Is that even possible?"

"I'm practicing."

"Why do you want to practice?"

"Since I'm a mage, and my main means of output is magic, this ability has a significant impact on me. It's kind of a research project. Anyway, there will always be times when I'm alone. If I encounter an opponent like Alsterd again, I'll at least want to train until I can escape."

"A good idea. In a way, Rudeus, you are indeed suited to be a magician."

"Hehehe... Big brother, don't flatter me. After witnessing your power, what is my little bit of cleverness worth?"

Even so, the boy still touched his head and showed a proud yet embarrassed expression when praised by someone he admired.

Upon seeing this, the Yue man smiled.

"I didn't become this strong overnight. I was probably not as good as you at the beginning, so there's no need to be humble. You've already surpassed many people by finding a path that suits you. Hold your head high and move forward according to your own ideas."

""

"You may not be the most outstanding one, but your achievements will definitely be significant."

"Understood!"

Seeing this, Alice, contrary to her usual behavior, did not speak, but subconsciously looked at her hands.

The journey continues.

We passed through one small village after another, ignoring vast wheat fields and waterwheel huts, heading north.

They did not gather any intelligence along the way, but instead moved north as quickly as possible.

On the one hand, they believed that they would be able to learn all the information once they reached the refugee camp, but the more important reason was that they felt there was only a short distance left, so they wanted to get there as soon as possible.

And so, a week later, the group finally arrived in the territory of Fetoia.

What I saw was a scene that, although expected, still left me feeling dejected; everything was empty and desolate.

Even places where something should have existed in the past are now empty.

The vast wheat fields, the Battiers flower fields, the waterwheel hut, and the livestock sheds that Rudius remembered were all gone.

Only vast grasslands, endless grasslands.

Now, a year after the disaster, these blades of grass are proof of the passage of time.

Arriving at the hillside where Rudeus and Sylphie once played, under that tree, memories of the past flooded back, and it felt as if those joyful days were just yesterday.

The two children felt lonely because of this scene, and headed to what could be called the only town in the territory of Fetoia at present—the refugee camp.

That was the final destination.

Just one step away from the entrance to the refugee camp, Rijkaard stopped the carriage.

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

He also stepped down from the driver's seat of the carriage.

Rudeus, who thought a monster had appeared, looked around but saw no sign of the enemy.

"Is this alright?"

"Um,"

The two children were puzzled by their older brother's conversation when, at that moment, Rijkaard walked over to the two people at the back of the carriage and said, "I must say goodbye here."

"Huh!"

Rudius couldn't help but cry out in surprise upon hearing his sudden declaration.

Alice's eyes widened as well.

"Wait...please wait a moment."

The two little ones tumbled and scrambled off the carriage, facing Ridge Rudd.

That's too fast! We've only just arrived at the refugee camp! No, we're a step too late; we haven't even reached it yet.

"At least take a day off... no, at least come into town with us, how about that?"

Yes, because...

'

"There's no need."

Rachel Rudd looked at them, his face showing no sadness at parting, only calmness and a faint smile.

"There are only soldiers here, no one to protect them, and my mission is complete."

"6

""

Upon hearing this, Alice fell silent.

To be honest, perhaps even Rudius himself has somewhat forgotten...

Forget that Rachel Rudd's only purpose in coming here was to send the two of them back to their hometown.

And forget that since the goal has been achieved, separation is inevitable.

He had assumed the man would stay with them forever.

"Mr. Rachel Rudd..."

""

After speaking, Rudius hesitated again.

If I try to persuade him to stay, will he be willing to stay...?

No, in retrospect, they could say that this person had put in a lot of effort and hard work.

Despite this, Rajirud still insisted that he was a warrior.

Therefore, it seems that we shouldn't continue to cling to him.

"Without Mr. Ridge Rudd, we wouldn't have been able to get here in such a short time."

"No, you should be able to do it."

This was Rijrud's affirmation of Rudeus. Although still young, this boy was undoubtedly a qualified warrior, and there was no problem with him.

"That's not true. I can be careless sometimes, so I probably encountered a setback somewhere..."

""

"There's no problem as long as you still know how to reflect on things."

However, we often encounter situations where we are at a loss...

"—Rudeus, I've said that before."

Rachel Rudd crouched down, placed one hand on the boy's shoulder, and wore a faint smile on her face.

"You have reached the pinnacle of magic. You possess such great talent, yet you are not arrogant or complacent. You should be aware that you are capable of doing such things at such a young age."

"You are already an excellent adult."

Rudius listened to his words with mixed feelings.

Despite being described as young, he feels over forty years old.

The absence of arrogance and complacency is also due to the lingering memories of past lives.

However, even at forty, Rachel Rudd was still considered "young" for his age.

"I..

'

At this point, Rudius can list out all the things he is not good at.

However, looking at the other person's approving face, he felt that it was really too pathetic.

He wanted to appear more mature in front of this person.

"I understand. Mr. Rachel Rudd, I am truly grateful for your care all this time."

"9

As he finished speaking, he was about to bow when he was stopped by someone grabbing his body.

"Rudius, there's no need for you to bow your head and thank me."

'

Why?

Rachel Rudd smiled gratefully.

"Perhaps you think you've been taken care of by me, but I also think I've been taken care of by you. Thanks to you, even the goal of restoring the clan's honor seems to be achievable."

T

"You told me that there are actually many different ways to do this, instead of just foolishly helping children like I did."

'

That is Mr. Rachel Rudd's own strength.

"No, I accomplished nothing on my own. Four hundred years have passed since the war, and I have acted alone without taking a single step forward. It was you, Rudeus, who led me to take that 'step'."