Something’s off about him. He resembled an ascetic who didn’t care about worldly affairs, but he lacked the sense of detachment I got from devout believers like Yuhit. I could tell he possessed a lot of mana—more than 1,000 kites’ worth, most likely. Not only that, but he was using a spell to mask the enormity of his mana reserves. The fact that I could sense more than a 1,000 kites despite that meant he had an astounding amount of mana. Is he also a Valkaan?
“Who... Who are you?” I asked warily, and he turned to me.
“My name is Neptotes. I am a master of the Dunne style of Obra swordsmanship from Falkan. I was once a Kubrasa for Yodoth.”
I didn’t recognize any of those words. I really needed to brush up on my ancient language studies. Master might have known what he was talking about, but my vocabulary was too limited. Either way, this guy clearly wasn’t from Kuwol, so I needed to remain cautious around him. Still, it was only proper manners to at least give my name.
“I’m Veight, from Meraldia... If you’re the one who saved me...then thank you.”
Neptotes didn’t react to my name, but he raised an eyebrow upon hearing where I was from.
“Meraldia. I have not heard of such a land. Is it to the north?” he asked.
“Yes.” I replied curtly, both due to my limited vocabulary and the fact that I didn’t trust him.
He looked me up and down and said, “I watched your fight with Burbelga. This is the first time I’ve seen someone survive an encounter with him. The reason I didn’t kill you when you fell down here was that I believed we could have a proper conversation.”
It seemed Neptotes had some history with Burbelga, which only worried me more. His words carried a callous arrogance that made it hard for me to like him.
“You’re a mage, aren’t you?” Neptotes asked bluntly. “I saw the strengthening magic you used.”
“I am.”
That seemed to pique his interest.
“Tell me. What is there in the lands of the north?”
Honestly, I didn’t want to say anything, but I owed him for saving my life, so I reluctantly replied, “Villages and cities populated with werecats and humans.”
“Oho. So there are still humans left.”
Does that mean all the humans this far south died? If there were Valkaan like Burbelga roaming these wastes, it was easy to guess what had led to humans going extinct out here. The ancient civilization had created Valkaan to serve as tactical nukes, granting them the power to destroy civilizations.
Neptotes stared at me for a few seconds before offering some information in return, “These lands to the south have become a barren desert of sand and rock. No one has lived there for centuries.”
I didn’t smell a lie, so I trusted his words.
Curiosity overcame my caution, and I asked, “What happened?”
“I’ll tell you if you tell me more about the north. Are there any Valkaan there? Don’t lie to me about this.”
“...No.” I didn’t want to reveal the truth, but a fair exchange of information required a baseline level of trust. It went against my principles to lie. Either I told him the truth, or we didn’t exchange information at all.
“Then is it the werecats who rule over the humans?” Neptotes asked.
“No. If you want to know more, tell me about the south first.”
“Very well. It seems wise to inform you regardless,” Neptotes replied with a grin. “The great nations of Akuneion and Kainetiros to the south were constantly at war in the past.”
Oh, hell yeah. A history lesson! If this guy’s a living witness to what happened centuries ago, I could learn so much from him! I guess becoming a Valkaan extends your lifespan indefinitely, huh?
“The Valkaan were created as a superweapon to end these wars once and for all. A single Valkaan could annihilate entire civilizations. But because of their overwhelming power, both nations tried to compete by creating more Valkaan than their rivals rather than fighting directly. Unlike conventional weapons, Valkaan were people with minds of their own, and not all of them were content to stay on the sidelines.”
Indeed. Unlike nukes, Valkaan had autonomy.
“Of course, the researchers who created the Valkaan used spells and artifacts to keep them subservient, but fully controlling someone with that much mana is impossible. Eventually, the Valkaan broke free of their restraints, and both nations perished.”
Yeah, I could easily see that happening.
Neptotes let out a long sigh. “You said there were no Valkaan to the north... What happened to them?”
Again, I didn’t want to tell him, but he’d been kind enough to give me a history lesson. Besides, it wasn’t confirmed that we were enemies yet.
“Records say that a human convinced a few Valkaan to join his cause, then he eliminated those who were rampaging.”
“I see,” Neptotes said, chewing over my words. “So what happened to the traitorous Valkaan who sided with that human?”
“I’m afraid I don’t know. The records make no mention of their fate.” That was the truth. There were no Valkaan left in Kuwol, but we didn’t know what had happened to the Valkaan who sided with Kuwol’s ancient hero.
“Does this mean Valkaan have been completely eradicated from the north?”
“Not quite. They show up from time to time. I served under one myself.”
Technically, since Friedensrichter had never relieved me of my post, I was still his vice-commander. Neptotes seemed wary of other Valkaan, so I gladly gave up this particular detail. Plus, it was the truth.
“What happened to your master?”
“He died...fighting another Valkaan. Can we talk about something else now?”
Having lived two lifetimes, I’d become a pretty good judge of whether or not someone was trustworthy, and Neptotes definitely wasn’t.
He nodded and said, “I have my ways of discerning whether someone is lying, and I can tell that you have not lied to me. Rejoice, for your sincerity has saved your life.” Neptotes barked out a laugh.
So you would’ve killed me if I lied? There was no way I was getting along with this guy.
Not even hiding my displeasure, I asked, “So what will you do now that you’ve learned about the lands to the north?”
His next words proved I had been right to worry.
“Simple. I will conquer them.”
“Why?” I prepared to fight, doing my best not to let Neptotes notice the change in my demeanor.
He laughed and replied, “If there are still humans living in the north, I can secure a much better life for myself by conquering them. I have grown quite tired of living in this dusty castle and avoiding that madman Burbelga. Do you know how many centuries it has been since I last tasted wine?”
Look, I know how you feel, but you did this to yourself. Power alone won’t bring you happiness. I wanted to tell him as much, but I held my tongue. If he wanted to kill me, I wouldn’t last five seconds.
Neptotes grinned and said, “At any rate, that’s enough talk of the past. Let’s discuss the future.”
“Sure.”
“I saved your life. You owe me for that. I will need a guide and interpreter when I conquer the north. Swear fealty to me. Do so, and I promise you and your retainers will enjoy the same life under me as you do in your country. If you serve me well, I may even make you my right-hand man. Surely this is an appealing proposition?”