Volume 2 Chapter 101 Quest： Solar Fantasy III
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
’Only “glasses” can do this, heheh’
”I’m more of a musclehead than you think. If you want to make me obey, try overpowering me first. Where in the world would you find a fool who would submit to someone weaker and more foolish than themselves?”
”So, is this where our discussion remains on parallel lines?”
”Not quite. Kian, from here on, this concerns you too. After I take control of this border government from Maribel, I will focus on strengthening the nation. Specifically, I plan to force Châtillon to surrender and use its wealth to build a powerful standing army. I will also create a land survey to accurately gauge tax income and manage and monitor the wallets of the noble lords. Once I stabilize the country, I will invade Azrael.”
”──. Invade Azrael…?”
”Yeah.”
Oswald nodded and continued.
”It goes without saying, but sinking that country would be nothing but beneficial for Izerland. The external threats would decrease, and there would be no need to spend extra money on trade. It would be a lie to say my personal feelings aren’t involved, but…”
”――――.”
”You were unjustly exiled from your hometown when you were young, forced to endure hardship. You must hate Azrael as much as I do. Surely you would agree with me emotionally and fight alongside me.”
”――――.”
”You and I are friends with a shared ambition, Kian.”
Oswald said this as he extended his hand.
He passionately continued.
”I will save Izerland from this terrible situation. I will also make it stronger. After that, I will use it in the war, but as a result, Izerland will not only be a power on this border, but will become one of the most powerful countries in the west. In the end, everyone will praise us as heroes. Kian, will you join me in defeating Azrael? I believe that if you and I hate Azrael, we can overcome all obstacles and achieve our goal. This hatred is fuel. It is impure, but it is also a powerful blast that will bring about pure results. Come with me, Kian.”
”――――.”
’Kian?’
The sudden silence was broken by the unexpected call from ‘glasses’, snapping Kian out of his thoughts. He had been lost in a storm of emotions, tangled between reason and the primal urge for vengeance.
Defeating Azrael…
Hatred for his homeland simmered within him. He wouldn’t deny the desire to tear his father, brother, and Sarah to pieces with his own hands. If anything, he had fantasized about it countless times—slaying his father, crushing Jibril, and utterly annihilating Sarah in their final battle.
To burn his homeland to the ground in revenge. To turn it into a sea of fire.
(Such a sweet thought… and with Oswald, it would be so easy.)
But—
This journey had never been about revenge. It had begun with exile, with the goal of proving himself, of rising beyond those who cast him aside. He wanted to succeed, to become great, and to show Sarah and the others what they had lost. That ambition remained unchanged. It was the force that had driven him forward.
As long as he stayed true to that goal.
Revenge wasn’t about burning Azrael down—it was about rising above it. It was about building his own kingdom, his own power, proving to the world that Azrael had been foolish to exile him.
Of course, the desire to destroy the land that rejected him was only human. He wouldn’t claim it was wrong. But… wasn’t it the same mistake he had made before?
The Windsong Blade.
Before the battle with Natra, he had wielded that magic sword against Almeisa, killing her without hesitation. He told himself it was necessary, but in truth, he had been drunk on power, blinded by his own strength.
He had convinced himself that because he could kill her, he should.
That was the real sin.
If he didn’t learn from that mistake, then one day, he would do the same to Christy. To Maribel. To anyone who stood in his way, all under the excuse of “necessity.”
And now, here he was again, facing the same choice.
Oswald was, in essence, another Windsong Blade—a weapon that could grant his revenge with terrifying ease. With Oswald’s power, he could burn Azrael to the ground, reduce his homeland to ash.
But was that really the right thing to do?
(I could save Maribel and Christy. Oswald would keep his promise. But their freedom, their choices… would be sacrificed. They would become pawns in my revenge, just as countless innocent lives in Azrael would be.)
To kill his father and brother, he would be dooming an entire country. Unrelated people would die, all in the name of necessity.
His mind conjured images of the land he had once called home—
The winding streets of rocky towns.
The market stalls, bursting with rare goods brought by caravans.
The times Sarah had held his hand and led him through the bustling bazaar to buy fruit.
The hatred inside him screamed for revenge. His resentment toward Umar was absolute. Toward Jibril and Sarah, his jealousy and inferiority festered like an open wound.
But—
”Don’t you hate that country? Wasn’t it the same for you?”
Oswald’s voice was quiet, searching.
Kian met his gaze and shook his head.
”I don’t know,” he admitted. “I think I do hate my father and brother for exiling me. And Sarah, for betraying me in the end. But… I can’t bring myself to want to drown that country in flames and blood.”
A moment of silence.
Oswald’s golden eyes widened, surprise flickering across his face. He furrowed his brows, as if struggling to understand.
”I see,” he murmured. “I thought you were the same as me. A victim who lost everything to Azrael… just like I did.”
Kian exhaled.
”In a way, I did lose everything. By the time I reached East End, there was nothing left for me.”
But that was only in a material sense.
Memories remained. The warmth of the past, the kindness Sarah had once shown him—it still lived on in his mind. No matter how much he tried to hate it, those experiences had shaped the man he had become.
Oswald’s voice dropped to a whisper.
And Kian, for the first time, felt the weight of a choice that could shape the future.
”You, unlike me, were not merely taken by Azrael…”
”────”
Therefore, he may have been able to remain composed, not consumed by anger.
Perhaps a different way to take revenge on that country had come to mind, other than annihilation.
Kian turned his back on the speechless Oswald.
”I’ll inform Her Excellency and Ms. Christy that I was unable to change your mind. You’ve agreed to spare their lives—if they find that acceptable, I’ll tell them to surrender.”
Oswald let out a quiet breath before speaking.
”…I see. If you swear loyalty to me as my knight, I wouldn’t mind keeping you by Maribel’s side. You could speak with her whenever my orders allow it.”
”So she would be nothing more than a prisoner in need of distraction?”
Without answering Kian’s whisper, Oswald finally said.
”At dawn, I will break the barrier and attack the Main Castle. Don’t think you can defeat me in daylight. Come up with an answer by then. ──Tell that to Her Excellency”
”Yes”
”Kian, I have not given up on you. I believe you will burn Azrael with me”
”────”
”There’s still time until dawn. I expect a good answer. …Farewell”
Natra deploys the ‘Wall’.
Jumping over it, Kian returned to the top of the castle wall.
While feeling golden eyes staring at his back the whole time.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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