Chapter 314

Chapter 314
Chapter 314

—

“I am officially ‘Severing’ our ties.”

At the start, even when he was first cast aside, Lyca had been consumed by nothing but a sense of grievance and stinging pain. It felt as though the dignity he had spent a lifetime cultivating was being invalidated—as if he had utterly failed to meet the dying wishes and hopes of his Master. When the mask was stripped away, no matter his desperate efforts, Lyca remained a slave. Regardless of the fine silks he wore or the grace with which he handled his blade while mimicking the behavior of a high-born knight… his roots were nothing more than those of a common, low-born slave.

The crimson glow radiating from the World Tree served as the ultimate barometer of one’s worthiness. There could be no explanation for his failure to receive even the most basic light other than a lack of merit. In a single, silent judgment, he was deemed an entity devoid of even a shred of true honor. This was the message the World Tree had conveyed to Lyca.

And yet… Lyca had never retreated from the most grueling tasks demanded by the Empire. He had braved the depths of the Abyss and reclaimed the corrupted soil. He had pushed the boundaries of the known world by stitching those sanctified lands into the Empire’s map. To repeatedly plunge into the Abyss, where the physical form was shredded and the very soul was warped, required a brand of bravery that few could fathom. No matter how powerful a warrior might be, the miasma was certain to collect within their marrow. The sole motivation for Lyca to keep venturing into the Abyss, effectively trading his lifespan for progress, was the pursuit of honor—to ensure his Master’s reputation remained untarnished and to earn his own prestige by conquering what others feared to touch!

…He had spent decades tilling the soil of his life in that exact manner.

‘Are you claiming that my entire existence… has been devoid of honor?’

If that were true, what did honor even signify? If his sacrifices were not deemed honorable—if accomplishing the impossible and the unwanted was not an act of merit!

‘……I have failed you, Master.’

His aspiration to lead the Eight Houses. His vow to prove to the world that his Master’s end was not in vain and that a man’s birth did not dictate his worth—every bit of it shattered in a heartbeat. He had brought shame to the Master who had staked everything on him and abandoned the Eight Houses and the Empire, all for the sake of a pathetic pupil who was barred from returning to the fold of the Eight Houses.

“……”

……Still, that wave of bitterness was fleeting. It wasn’t because he had found inner peace, but because the world around him had shifted so violently. There was simply no room left for grief.

Adrium’s String. His own student. Even when the young man stepped before the World Tree, Lyca had harbored low expectations. Regardless of the raw talent he displayed as a War God, such power did not inherently equate to honor. Moreover, was Hyun not in a position mirroring his own—a wanderer from Adrium lacking a recognized social standing?

‘Orange……’

……That is how it should have been. Giftedness and honor were distinct concepts.

Yet, Hyun was not cast out. Instead, he was being scrutinized for the subsequent levels of nobility. From red to orange. From orange to yellow. Then green, blue, and indigo. Finally, the World Tree radiated the magnificent spectrum of the seven lights. As each new color manifested, Lyca’s features shifted into an expression of deep bewilderment. The tension in his brow vanished; his skin smoothed, his eyes stretched wide, and his gaze fixed with intense focus.

“Albino, the Great Chief of the Blue Druids, offers his respects to the Master of Nature, the High Druid.”

Standing in a stupor, Lyca could do nothing but gape. The reality before him felt impossible to process. The figure receiving the adulation of every Elder and the Great Elder at the heart of the grove—no matter how many times he blinked, it was undeniably Hyun.

‘H-How… could this be happening……’

What was the explanation? His student was a ‘High Druid’? Why did the Elders and their leader take the shape of the fabled Druids of old? Was their ability to command the natural world and their agelessness a result of them being something other than human?

But Hyun was human. He certainly wasn’t a Druid like the rest of them. Just then, Hyun turned his gaze toward the Great Elder and spoke.

“Is the assessment concluded?”

“……I beg your humble forgiveness, High Druid.”

He had dared to force the test of the World Tree upon the very Lord of the World Tree. What greater insult could exist? This was a being who required no examination and owed no proof. He possessed a soul and a level of honor that eclipsed even the Prophets. By simply standing there and allowing his essence to be confirmed, the World Tree had been revitalized, and the Druids themselves had seen their own status restored. He was a man whose very presence was synonymous with a miracle.

“We entreat you, please provide us with your name.”

“……!”

Lyca was struck by another wave of disbelief. It was the first instance he had ever witnessed the Great Elder initiate an introduction. He knew that the Great Elder had never asked for the names of his Master or the leaders from generations prior; they had always been the ones to introduce themselves. Yet here, the Great Elder was the one asking—softly, and with the deepest possible reverence. It was a level of deference Lyca had never seen directed at anyone.

“Hyun.”

As Hyun gave his name, the eyes of Great Elder Albino grew sharp as he spoke.

“Lord Hyun. We ask that you guide us.”

“I shall take it under consideration.”

The phrase ‘I shall take it under consideration.’ For some reason, those words carried a spark of optimism. Perhaps he merely felt it was too abrupt to say yes. Then again, surely a High Druid would not truly turn them away! With that hope, Albino asked with a thin smile.

“We are grateful. And Lord Hyun… if I might be permitted one more query… is the form we see your ‘actual’ self?”

“It is.”

“Then is your position as the disciple of Lyca truly… accurate?”

That was the one detail he could not reconcile, regardless of the other miracles. To think that a soul more refined than any other was merely the student of Lyca! To serve under someone who couldn’t even grasp the basic tenets of honor! A man who had been rejected by the World Tree twice held a rank that should have been a source of embarrassment for anyone associated with the Eight Houses. Had he perhaps wandered into this sanctuary while masking his true pedigree? Or was he veiling his true power? He asked with a small, desperate hope.

“It is accurate.”

……But Hyun replied without the slightest delay. What’s more, there was a sharp edge of irritation in his voice. Great Elder Albino’s face clouded slightly.

“High Druid. Have I somehow caused offense?”

“I find myself wondering about something.”

“Of course. Ask whatever you wish. I will provide every answer within my reach.”

“Does the Master’s prestige not belong to the disciple?”

“Th-That is……”

“And does the disciple’s prestige not belong to the Master?”

Albino was caught off guard. A Master’s standing was naturally tied to the reputation of their pupil. If so, then the pupil’s achievements should also reflect upon the Master. However, such logic usually required the gap between them to be reasonable. The chasm between Lyca and Hyun was astronomical. The difference was so vast that he didn’t think they could be mentioned in the same breath. But he knew Hyun wasn’t looking for a lecture on logic. The composure and the smile on Great Elder Albino’s face evaporated instantly.

“……”

“This sanctuary turned away the man I choose to follow. I see no reason to lead you, and I see no reason to stay.”

Step!

Hyun turned his back on them with total indifference. In that moment, the eyes of the Great Elder and all his subordinates bulged with shock.

‘N-No!’

He had to be stopped. Hyun’s departure was a catastrophe they could not permit. If he walked away, the World Tree would once again wither, and they would revert to their diminished states. Furthermore, a dungeon had manifested within the World Tree itself. A ‘gateway’ had opened. They knew by instinct that the ‘solution’ they had hunted for centuries lay within those depths.

“W-Wait, please, just a moment!”

Great Elder Albino scrambled to halt Hyun. However, Hyun didn’t slow his pace. He walked as if he intended to stride out of the hall, leave the Holy Land behind, and disappear into the horizon forever. What could be done? How could they force him to stay?

‘There have been Great Chiefs who claimed the title of High Druid, but a genuine High Druid acknowledged by the World Tree itself has never existed until now.’

In the era when the world was whole, several Great Chiefs of the Druids had called themselves ‘High Druids’ in an attempt to unite their scattered kin. However, the World Tree had never granted them its recognition. Only one who could prove their worth and summon the seven-colored arc could be hailed as a true ‘High Druid,’ but for ages, it remained a myth. Eventually, they were nearly wiped out by ‘Ruin’ because they lacked unity and a true sovereign to command them.

And now… after an eternity, he was here. He had arrived. They could not let him slip through their fingers. They could not allow him to vanish in such a trivial, meaningless way.

“……”

Great Elder Albino turned his gaze toward Lyca. In the end, the key to this crisis was held by him. The man the Holy Land had dismissed. The man he and the Elders had rejected. Throughout the many years they had existed alongside the Eight Houses, they had never once walked back a verdict. No leader of the Eight Houses in the annals of history had ever dared to challenge them. And yet, they were now being pushed to welcome someone they had twice deemed unworthy?

‘……’

It wasn’t just a matter of saving face. It was a situation that threatened the very foundations of the Holy Land and their understanding of honor. The second they accepted Lyca, they would be forced to confess their own fallibility—that every judgment they had rendered and their very purpose had been flawed.

“Hyun.”

It happened then. Lyca. He suddenly spoke up.

Freeze!

Hyun stopped in his tracks immediately. Lyca addressed the back of Hyun’s head.

“I am at peace with this.”

At peace? What was he talking about?

“You must follow your own path.”

Lyca had a calm smile on his face, as if he had reached a final conclusion, and his eyes seemed to glow with a clear, steady light.

“It is all right if you are no longer my student. You don’t need to be weighed down by my reputation. Though we were paired together by circumstance, I haven’t actually taught you much of value, have I?”

At best, he had provided a name. He had given him nothing but the status of being a pupil of Lyca from the Eight Houses Knight Order. But that status wasn’t purely a blessing. It would only serve to hinder him, just as it was doing at this very moment. ……Yes. This young man didn’t need Lyca’s name to reach his potential. With the spirit of a War God and the support of the Great Elder and the Eight Houses, he would soar to heights Lyca could never reach. It was better to be free of the connection. It was better to no longer be his disciple.

Hyun must have realized this, yet he was stubbornly claiming Lyca as his Master until the very end. …That was more than enough. In this moment, Lyca felt redeemed. Even if he hadn’t reached the summit himself, his student had become the sovereign of the Holy Land. He had surpassed mere validation and stood at the very top. Just seeing the Elders and the Great Elder in such a panicked state was enough to satisfy his pride.

“Hyun. Effective immediately, I am ‘Severing’ our bond……”

“W-Wait!”

The one who shouted and rushed to interrupt was Great Elder Albino. He was visibly perspiring from the stress.

‘If he breaks the bond here, he will never come back.’

It was the absolute worst outcome. A student ready to walk away for his teacher, and a teacher trying to walk away for his student! There was no scenario more disastrous for them. If things continued this way, the High Druid—Hyun—would never set foot here again. In fact, he would likely harbor nothing but hatred. That was the one outcome they had to prevent at any cost. And there was only one path left to take.

“I acknowledge Lyca as the true Master of the Eight Houses. Elders, do you not all find yourselves in agreement?”

He phrased it as a question, but it carried the weight of a decree. Instantly, all ten Elders began to nod their heads with frantic speed.

“W-We agree completely.”
“Yes, yes. Lyca is more than qualified to lead the Eight Houses.”
“Of course, it is only right.”
“Ha, ha. Why would anyone think otherwise?”

The entire group was covered in cold sweat. But this was the only choice, regardless of their internal conflict. Great Elder Albino turned back to Lyca and spoke clearly.

“Lyca. Patriarch of the Eight Houses family.”

“……”

“I grant you the right to be interred with the full benediction of the Holy Land. And if it is your wish, your Master ‘Dantalian’ shall receive the same.”

It was an offer that was impossible to turn down. Lyca raised his gaze. His expression was heavy with emotion, and his eyes were bright. Then, he looked at Hyun. Seeing this, Hyun gave a wide, beaming grin and spoke.

“Let’s accept their offer, Master.”