NOVPUB
Chapter 143: Mardred Valiard
Mardred Valiard blinked several times as he opened his eyes, trying to adjust his sight. He felt disoriented at first, but as he finally focused on his surroundings, he was stunned to see a figure before him—a person, or perhaps a human. Though still confused, he asked,
"Who are you? Where am I?"
He narrowed his eyes now and then, clearly feeling some sort of headache. He massaged his temple to ease the pain. Aldrian, standing nearby, looked at Mardred with a confused expression. From Mardred’s question, it seemed like he didn’t know how he had arrived here.
"You don’t know how you got here?" Aldrian asked.
Mardred glanced at Aldrian and replied,
"It feels like I was just in the royal palace’s treasure vault. That bastard, Badin..." He suddenly recalled something and jumped to his feet.
"That bastard! We need to stop him! He’s trying to steal the blueprint of the divine sword!" He looked around in a panic, searching for an exit. But the sudden appearance of a golden energy wrapping around his body seemed to calm his frantic mind.
"Relax, Sir Mardred. Please, calm down and tell me what happened. And the blueprint—isn’t it with you now?" Aldrian asked.
"With me? No...the blueprint disappeared right in front of me. That’s when that bastard Badin showed up with his men and said he was going to take it."
"Can you tell me the details so I can help you?" Aldrian asked. But Mardred only looked at him suspiciously.
"Before that, who are you, and where am I?" Mardred asked.
"I’m Aldrian Aster. His Majesty, King Douwin, appointed me to find the blueprint, but also to look for you, Sir Mardred. You’re currently in the depths of Dragon Back Mountain," Aldrian explained.
Hearing this, Mardred’s eyes widened.
"Why am I here in the forbidden zone? Wait, no—like I said, the blueprint isn’t with me. That bastard surely took it."
"No, Duke Badin doesn’t have the blueprint. He’s even surrounded the mountain, hoping to capture you and recover it."
Mardred stood stunned.
"But—"
"That’s why, Sir Mardred, I need you to tell me everything. What happened the last time you saw the blueprint, and how did you end up here?"
Mardred took a deep breath before answering.
"When the phenomenon of the Dragon and the Phoenix suddenly appeared in the sky, I felt a wave of unease directed toward the treasure vault. I went to investigate and found that bastard Badin already inside the Divine Sword Hall., about to enter the blueprint chamber. When I confronted him, he threw something at me—an artifact that disrupted my energy. I couldn’t use my powers. There were five others with him, people I didn’t recognize. Three were at the king stage, and two were emperor stage. They were strong."
He paused, his eyes narrowing as he recalled the events.
"Luckily, I always carry one of the Valiard family’s legacy artifacts, the Storm Hammer—a low-grade divine weapon. I managed to thwart whatever they were planning before they could enter the chamber."
Mardred inhaled deeply, gathering his thoughts.
"After that, I grabbed the blueprint and intended to warn the royal guards. But suddenly, the blueprint vanished in a flash of golden light, and I blacked out. It felt like I fell into a long dream. I don’t know what happened after that. I thought that bastard, Dovani Badin, successfully took the blueprint."
Aldrian was momentarily stunned but finally pieced together the situation.
"Duke Badin thinks Mardred has the blueprint and ran here, while Mardred believes the blueprint disappeared because of Duke Badin," he thought, before asking, "You don’t remember anything after that? Is that the last memory you have?"
Mardred furrowed his brow, trying to recall something.
"Ah, yes, there was a voice... faint, but I heard it. It said, ’You will be one of the people to open the path for ’his’ return.’ That’s the only thing I remember before I blacked out."
Aldrian glanced around, deep in thought, processing the new information.
"So, the moment he blacked out, someone or something took control of his body and led him here? Who could do such a thing without being detected in the royal palace, and who knows the secrets of this place?" Aldrian pondered, a figure flashing in his mind. A figure he saw when he touched the symbol in the golden box.
"Is it him? The one who took control of Mardred’s body and brought him here?" He didn’t dismiss the possibility, as the coincidences in this case were too many to ignore.
"’The people who will open the path for ’his’ return’—could ’he’ be referring to me? I’ve been told many times that I will return to my place. But where is that place?" Aldrian thought, his face then turning solemn as he remember something. His tone became serious.
"Do you have any connection to the devils, even if it’s just a little?"
Mardred was stunned, but his expression quickly shifted to anger. 𝘯𝘰𝑣𝘱𝑢𝘣.𝑐𝑜𝑚
"What are you talking about? Why are you suddenly bringing up the devils? If I had even the slightest connection to those evils, I’d kill myself before allowing such disgrace! Are you accusing me of having ties to the devils?!"
Aldrian observed Mardred’s furious expression and nodded slightly to himself.
"He’s telling the truth," Aldrian thought.
He then relaxed his posture and expression.
"Alright, Sir Mardred, there’s no need to be angry. I was only asking. To be honest, there’s been a growing problem on the continent related to the devils, and we suspect there may be a traitor among the dwarves. With you being here, I just needed to make sure you weren’t involved. Don’t worry, I trust you."
Mardred’s angry expression shifted to a frown.
"What kind of problem? Have things changed that much while I’ve been here? And how much time has passed?"
"You’ve been here for fifteen years," Aldrian replied calmly.
"I see... so it’s fiftee—" Mardred’s eyes widened as the realization hit him.
"Fifteen years?! Are you serious?"
"Yes, Sir Mardred. You disappeared fifteen years ago. A lot has happened since then."
Mardred froze as if turned to stone, before dropping his body and lying on his back. He stared up at the sky, unsure if what he was seeing was real or not. Aldrian stood by, giving Mardred a moment to absorb the shock.
After a few minutes, Mardred sat up again and looked at Aldrian.
"So, I guess His Majesty thinks I took the blueprint and fled, and that bastard Badin took advantage of the situation?"
"Yes, you’re correct. The condition of the Valiard family has been under immense pressure since your disappearance. However, you don’t need to worry; thanks to His Majesty, the Valiard family has had enough time to navigate their troubles. As for the details, we need to get out of this place first, it’s not suitable for telling such a story. Moreover, your little brother is waiting for you outside," Aldrian said.
"Darvin is outside?" Mardred’s eyes lit up. "Then let’s go! I want to meet him."
He glanced at Aldrian, who was looking around the area, seemingly unsure before finally understood the problem.
"You don’t know how to get out?" Mardred asked.
"I don’t know," Aldrian admitted.
"Then how did you get in?"
"Getting in was one thing, but I haven’t found the way out yet. If my guess is correct, we’re inside a secret realm," Aldrian explained. "Wait, let me think for a moment."
He walked back towards the sword platform, eyeing the shattered pieces of the sword for a moment with a sigh, before focusing on the platform.
"This is our only clue to getting out. If channeling my energy into the symbol brought me here, then this platform must also hold the key to our escape."
Aldrian examined the four symbols carved on each side of the platform, as well as the spot where the sword used to float. A similar symbol was engraved on the floor, and his instincts told him that he could inject his energy there to activate the exit.
"Sir, could you stand on the platform? I think I’ve figured out the way out of here."
Mardred stood up, stretching his stiff muscles.
"Ah... fifteen years of sitting still. My body feels so rigid," he groaned, walking toward the platform to stand beside Aldrian.
Once ready, Aldrian placed his hand on the symbol etched into the floor and began channeling his energy. The symbol glowed with a bright, golden light, causing Mardred to shield his eyes. In an instant, their bodies vanished from the platform, leaving the serene beauty of the secret realm in silence once more.
-------------------------
When Xin Haotian and Duke Valiard saw Aldrian channel his energy into the large symbol, a blinding light erupted, forcing them to shield their eyes. As the light faded, they were left speechless, staring at Aldrian—now standing with another person. Duke Valiard’s eyes widened, trembling as they focused on the man’s face. With a voice heavy with emotion, he said shakily.
"Elder brother?"
Mardred, still disoriented by the sudden change in location, was momentarily taken aback by the voice. Though it felt as if he had heard it not long ago, he knew from Aldrian that, for his younger brother, fifteen years had passed. A gentle smile formed on his lips as he looked at Duke Valiard.
"I’m sorry for making you worry. I’m back," he said.
As the two brothers reunited, Aldrian turned his gaze toward Xin Haotian, sending a voice transmission.
"It seems like the region of the mountain is rather lively at the moment."
