Emotionless Swordsmanship Genius

Chapter 13: For Survival and Freedom (2)

Prince Merka, General Eugenia, and the 50 members of the Imperial Guard arrived at the entrance of Altanic’s training facility in Palemon, gazing awkwardly from their horses.

Riding a white horse, Merka was dressed in light but impressive armor, while Eugenia and the 50 guards wore heavy black armor adorned with a golden dragon, symbolizing the imperial family.

Before them, nearly twenty soldiers were bowing down, reporting to Eugenia.

These were the members of Tripolas, including Batiah.

The members were clearly intimidated by the imposing aura emanating from Eugenia’s guard.

No matter how renowned they were on the battlefield, before the Imperial Guard, they were merely puppies before a lion.

“Altanic is dead?”

Eugenia looked down at Batiah with an arrogant expression and asked in a solemn voice. With wounds on his jaw and mouth, Batiah managed to respond.

“Yes, General. That boy named Karon killed Altanic and fled into the desert. We are still searching, but the desert is vast and dangerous at night…”

“What about the other gladiators?”

“Half are dead, and the other half… while we were pursuing Karon…”

Batiah trailed off. It was obvious to anyone that it was his fault.

At that moment, the guards searching inside the training facility returned. As expected, as Batiah had said, the interior was filled with the bodies of Altanic and his soldiers.

“Prepare to return to the capital immediately and wait for further orders. The punishment will be determined then.”

“I apologize, General. If you give the order, we will certainly… capture that boy Karon…”

“Shut up! Who told you to speak so carelessly?”

“I’m sorry. I will obey your orders.”

Batiah and the members of Tripolas shrank back, carefully exiting the area.

As they disappeared, Eugenia approached Merka, who had been watching the situation from behind.

“Your Highness…”

“We’re one step too late. If we go into the desert now, will we be able to find him?”

“If he has entered the Taber Desert… it’s nearly impossible to find him.”

“Hmm.”

As Eugenia spoke hesitantly, Merka sighed deeply, glancing around at the blood-soaked training facility.

The Taber Desert was vast, so expansive that its end could not be discerned, with high temperatures and dry, strong winds making it inhospitable for humans.

Only a few tribes, born in the desert, wandered to find oases to survive.

“Even if we go looking for him, the chances are high that he’s dead. If he is alive, there will be another opportunity to meet him.”

Eugenia tried to soothe Merka with positive words.

“It can’t be helped. We will stay in Palemon today and return to the capital tomorrow.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

As Eugenia issued movement orders to his subordinates, Prince Merka looked far toward the eastern desert and turned his horse’s reins.

* * *

One year later.

In the endless expanse of the desert, a man roamed, wrapped in gray cloth secured by a headband.

His brown curly hair stuck out in tufts.

Occasionally, he bent down to dig something up—it was a thin black grass that resembled a vine.

Every time he pulled up a piece of grass, he sprinkled something onto the sand.

As his pouch filled with grass, he looked up at the sky. The sun was already beginning to set.

Reflected in the sunlight, his face was moderately tanned, smooth, and flush with color. His youthful appearance was gradually giving way to maturity.

One blemish marked his cheek—a scar from a knife. While other scars had faded over time, this one remained intact.

Not only his face, but his physique had also grown significantly since then.

Though hidden beneath the rolled-up cloth, he had developed solid muscles and broad shoulders that exuded maturity.

Karon had now turned sixteen.

“It’s already time…”

Karon muttered, quickening his steps.

When the sun began to set, the temperature dropped sharply, and the beasts that had hidden underground would emerge to avoid the heat.

Nightfall in the Taber Desert was far more dangerous than one could imagine.

Suddenly, he stopped moving and sharpened his senses, waiting for something.

Eventually, he felt movement beneath the sand at a distance, wriggling.

Slowly, he drew a dagger from his waist. The palm-sized dagger was useful for desert living, so he always carried it at his side.

As the movement in the sand ceased, he threw the dagger.

Thud!

To his surprise, the dagger buried itself deep into the sand before stopping. Karon quickly approached and began to dig into the sand.

He soon uncovered a desert burrowing rat, its neck pierced by the dagger.

When plucked and grilled over a fire, it made for a delicious meal.

Karon gathered the burrowing rat, tightly secured his pouch, and adjusted it to fit snugly on his body.

Then he reached into his pocket, pulled out a dried herb, and placed it in his mouth. As he chewed, a pungent aroma spread. His actions were quite natural.

After a moment, he pressed down with his toes and leaped forward.

Thump!

In an instant, the sand flew back as Karon propelled himself forward.

With each step, the sand erupted, and a gust of wind followed.

Karon’s body looked lighter than ever.

After running for a while, he crested a large sand dune and spotted a small oasis.

Around it were several huts, with tribespeople and camels, along with other livestock visible among them.

These were the Harb tribe, who had welcomed Karon with open arms.

He stopped running and quietly walked toward the village, wanting to avoid drawing attention to himself.

However, his plan quickly fell apart.

“Karon!”

“Karon!”

“What did you catch today?!”

The children of the tribe surrounded Karon upon spotting him.

Karon, naturally drawing the attention of the tribespeople, awkwardly presented the burrowing rat he had caught to the children without saying a word.

“Wow! Meat! Meat!”

The children began to playfully tug at the burrowing rat, trying to grab it from each other, while Karon slipped into his hut amidst the commotion.

Inside, an old man with a face full of wrinkles was brewing a medicinal potion.

As soon as Karon entered, the old man gestured toward two jars without even looking at him and said, “Go fetch some water.”

Karon set down his pouch and silently grabbed one of the jars.

“You’ve brought back quite a bit. As I always say, you should plant as many seeds as you’ve harvested.”

The old man glanced at the pouch and spoke. Karon nodded slightly, indicating he understood, and exited the hut.

Only then did the old man look at Karon’s retreating figure.

It had already been over a year since he saved this boy from near death.

Back then, he had wondered if this child would even survive; he had been so weak.

But in just four months, not only had he recovered his strength, but he had also surpassed the best herbalists and hunters in the tribe.

One peculiar thing about him was that he never expressed his emotions outwardly. Naturally, he spoke little, only opening his mouth when it was truly necessary.

Though difficult to articulate, there was something mystical about him.

Perhaps that was why the old man never asked questions about his past. However, he felt that the time was approaching when he would have to let Karon go.

The old man began to open the pouch Karon had brought and spread the herbs out to dry on the ceiling.

He particularly favored a black herb called Tabenneng.

Tabenneng was useful for disinfecting wounds when crushed or brewed in water after being dried. It was beneficial for recovering stamina and blood circulation and helped clear the mind.

However, if brewed too strong, it could dull the senses, so it was sometimes used as a pain reliever.

Karon chewed on the dried Tabenneng, and its potent flavor was enough to make even desert dwellers wince.

Meanwhile,

Exiting the hut, Karon silently passed through the tribespeople while holding the jar.

There were quite a few tribespeople around the oasis, engaged in various tasks they were assigned to in their communal living.

Some were washing clothes, others were milking livestock, and some were cooking—all essential tasks for community life.

They were all adorned in colorful clothing and tattoos, which made ordinary Karon stand out even more.

However, the way the tribespeople looked at Karon was strange.

While some showed signs of welcome, they soon displayed expressions of fear, hesitant to approach him.

The children showed no such hesitation, but the adults were notably cautious.

The reason was this:

A few months prior, a pack of hyenas had invaded at night, targeting the livestock.

While wolves and hyenas occasionally approached to prey on the livestock, it had never happened before that so many hyenas appeared at once.

That day, two tribesmen on guard were caught off guard by the sudden attack of the hyena pack.

They needed to ring the bell to wake the tribespeople, but they couldn’t.

In a moment of desperation, a figure suddenly appeared between the herd and the hyenas.

From the two glowing eyes emanated an aura of murderous intent that was indescribable, causing the hyenas to whimper and retreat before fleeing in terror.

As the guards regained their senses and rang the bell, the tribespeople rushed to gather, but the hyenas had vanished without a trace, along with the shadowy figure that had driven them away.

However, the two guards had seen it clearly: the maniacal side profile of Karon illuminated by the flickering torches scattered around.

Gradually, rumors began to spread about him through the mouths of the tribespeople.

They said he was the child of a demon reborn.

Of course, the elder chief scolded the tribespeople to keep their mouths shut, but it didn’t take long for the rumors to reach Karon’s ears.

The more the rumors spread, the more the elder tried to associate Karon with the tribespeople, hoping he would naturally integrate with them.

But that was a small wish of the elder.

Karon, casually carrying two jars filled with water in each hand, entered and sat in front of the elder.

“You can stop boiling it now. I’m fine.”

Karon spoke in a monotonous tone, without any change in inflection.

The elder was slightly taken aback. It was the longest sentence he had ever heard from him, though it wasn’t particularly formal.

The elder, who had been fanning the fire, paused and stared at Karon. After a short sigh, he slowly spoke.

“When are you planning to leave?”

Karon’s gaze briefly wavered as he looked at the elder, who always seemed to read his thoughts, always a step ahead.

It was too extraordinary to be called wisdom. Perhaps that was why he had held the position of chief for so long.

“Two days.”

“I see. The children will be very sad, especially Gaber.”

The elder spoke indirectly, directing his gaze outside the hut, trying to express his feelings without directly stating them.

Whether Karon realized this or not, he deeply bowed his head and replied.

“I will surely repay the favor….”

“I don’t wish for a reward. However, I would like you to tell Gaber directly. After all, he’s the one who saved your life.”

Karon nodded silently, then rose from his seat. He bowed once more before attempting to exit the hut.

At that moment, the elder’s voice caught him again.

“Karon. Is your reason for leaving due to revenge?”

Startled by the elder’s question, Karon slowly turned around.

In the wrinkles around the elder’s eyes lay an intensity of sincerity unlike any he had seen before.

For the first time, Karon wore a troubled expression, hesitating as if he had something to say, before ultimately exiting the hut.