Sword of Dawnbreaker

Chapter 246 - 245: Kamel’s New Life

In less than a year, Sir Byron deeply realized one thing: some people indeed possess a certain talent for making history and witnessing miracles. These individuals can always keenly uncover astonishing secrets buried long ago and inadvertently encounter opportunities that can change the course of history. They seem to encounter world-altering issues while simply walking down the street—his new leader, Gawain Cecil, appears to be such a person.

In just one day, the leader unearthed another peculiar creature from the ruins—last time, it was a big iron ball that could fly and talk; this time, it’s an ancient wraith that can fly and glow. Truly, no one knows what new things the leader might dig out if he continues to explore these ancient ruins, but Byron mused that even if he saw a dragon following Gawain next time, he would not be surprised.

To speed up the retrieval of resources in the "defied Fortress Deep Zone," Sir Philip, who just returned from the Kant territory, was assigned to assist Byron in the inventory and transport of ancient resources, barely having time to rest. This young knight stood in front of the steadily operating magic door, marveling at the ancient fortress hidden in the shadow realm. Meanwhile, Byron, standing beside him, directed soldiers to transport the equipment and specimens ordered by the leader back and forth, commenting to his partner, "Don’t you think our leader is remarkably... involved in events? So many bizarre things have happened to him these past few months."

Philip, not catching the teasing tone in Byron’s words, promptly and seriously reminded him, "Casually commenting on the leader in private is not behavior befitting a knight—and isn’t it a significant fortune to witness these miracles?"

"I have little interest in witnessing miracles; the more you witness, the quicker you die." Byron snorted, then turned back to continue directing soldiers to pack up and seal the excavated ancient items, and to swiftly have them sent through the magic door.

This ancient fortress is a gigantic treasury, quite different from the ordinary world’s looted underground ruins, everything here is preserved in impeccable condition, and many magical devices are still functional—though if they leave the unique energy supply system here, most are likely to become as useless as the Gondor equipment post-chaotic wave. Nevertheless, the well-preserved ancient magical devices are excellent subjects for study.

Aside from those intact ancient devices, the remnants stored in various laboratories possess immeasurable value. Gawain instructed Byron to transport everything that can be carried through the magic door as swiftly as possible.

These ancient relics will not be sent to the town; Gawain has ordered a spot in the middle zone of the "defied Fortress" to serve as a dedicated research and storage area for them. Of course, considering the current number of researchers on the land, these items can only be temporarily stacked in the warehouse.

The protective barrier of the "deep zone" has risen again, isolating the body of Amoen, the Giant Stag, outside the facility. No other divine remains samples are stored inside the facility now, and the relic fragments left by the "God Slayers" pose no threat to ordinary people, so recovering them can safely be entrusted to the soldiers.

Philip is a man of few words, so Byron had to start the conversation himself: "Speaking of which, you’ve been busy between Kant territory and Cecil for the past two months. How are things over there?"

Philip pondered for a moment and answered methodically, "Patrick is a diligent and loyal person. Under his efforts, the order in Kant territory has been completely restored, and it’s developing quite well."

"You know that’s not what I’m asking about."

Philip gave Byron a glance, "...Kant territory is destined to become the property of the Cecil Clan, the signs are already appearing. Now almost all civilians in Kant regard the Cecil Clan as their rightful protectors and rulers. All merchants in the territory have been united and controlled by Patrick, and the Craftsmen Association has accepted the leader’s employment, beginning construction of the road from Kant to the Cecil territory—just as the leader said long ago."

Byron chuckled, "...Indeed, a war without gunpowder."

At the same time, in the feudal lord’s mansion at the Cecil, Gawain met Kamel, who had completed his rest and was now refreshed.

After leaving the extradimensional fortress sealed for a thousand years, Kamel appeared much more spirited—although he’s now incapable of breathing air or feeling the caress of the wind on his skin, merely witnessing the sunlight alone suffices to invigorate his spirit.

Of course, since Gawain couldn’t see the expression of this ancient Master Mage, he gauged his mental state through the brightness.

Besides Gawain and Kamel, Rebecca and Aunt Heidi were also present in the room. Rebecca, at this moment, was curiously circling Kamel, staring wide-eyed while examining the rune armor plates on him, while Aunt Heidi held a Magic Wand with a solemn expression, ready to knock on Rebecca’s skull if this young lady didn’t restrain her impolite actions—Aunt Heidi was really on the verge of enforcing family discipline with a strike.

"How does it feel to see the light of day again?" Gawain smiled at Kamel and nodded, then looked at his great-great+ grandniece, "By the way, Rebecca, could you stop circling, please?"

"Please forgive this child’s rudeness," Aunt Heidi said with a look of helplessness, "Her curiosity is a bit... overly exuberant."

"It doesn’t matter, I don’t mind," Kamel was an easygoing person. He slightly swayed his body, and the surface of the rune armor plates shimmered with arcane energy, "This world... has changed a lot, but nothing is more delightful than seeing the sunlight again. I see a vibrant land, and the people here live optimistic and fulfilling lives, which means there is a competent leader here."

"Indeed, our ancestors were quite remarkable," Rebecca said proudly when she heard someone praise her ancestor, "But you might be a bit disappointed when you go elsewhere, as this era isn’t as prosperous as a thousand years ago."

"I’ve heard about the discontinuation and decline of technology, but many things still need to be gradually understood," Kamel replied, "I heard this is a pioneering land, so there must be much work to do. I hope I can be of use soon."

"No rush, you first need to understand this era, its current level of productivity and social structure, especially the changes in human magic skills after the chaotic wave," Gawain said with a smile, "The chaotic wave changed many things, and I’m not sure if you’re an expert in magical devices, but I must warn you: the magic skills of the ancient Gondor Empire have thoroughly collapsed with no chance of restoration. Before you dive into work, your first step should be learning."

Kamel was silent for a moment, then spoke in a reverberating voice from within: "I... expected that. I can sense that the magic-pervasive environment around me has changed from a thousand years ago, and even many of the spells I know require some level of adjustment to cast. But I believe I can adapt to it all quickly."

He paused, seemingly with a touch of amusement in his voice: "Compared to the changes of this era, I’m more surprised by the leader I pledged allegiance to... You are also a returning ancient person, which is quite astonishing."

While in the shadow realm, Kamel did not know Gawain’s origins, assuming him to be just an ordinary human leader. It was only upon seeing daylight again and arriving at the feudal lord’s mansion that he learned from the gregarious Rebecca about the tale of "the ancestor rising from the coffin," a story that amazed him. However, as a "rebuilder" who challenges conventional views himself, Kamel was quick to accept Gawain’s awakening.

He couldn’t help but marvel at the wonders of fate—rising from the coffin can also be a continuous journey.

Gawain thought to himself that he did more than just crawl out of a coffin, as he had also been hanging in the sky for hundreds of thousands of years. Those secrets that challenge conventional views have no end when speaking of them, so he laughed heartily to change the subject: "Ahaha, sometimes this world needs a bit of a miracle—I’ve arranged a place for you to stay. How about temporarily residing in this feudal lord’s mansion? There are plenty of empty rooms here."

"If it’s not too much trouble," Kamel said politely, "But if there’s ever an opportunity, I still hope to build a Mage tower for research and residence—of course, I’ll find a way myself. I’ll be more at ease in a familiar environment."

"Aunt Heidi also always wanted her own Mage tower," Gawain couldn’t help but glance at Aunt Heidi, who looked slightly embarrassed beside him, and nodded with a smile, "There will be an opportunity; more and more Mages will appear on the territory, and one day, I’ll specifically designate a Mage District."

After explaining some living precautions and understanding some of Kamel’s special survival needs, Gawain provided a suggestion to Kamel: "Regarding how to adapt to this unfamiliar world, I suggest you visit Saint Nicholas Egg at the Cecil Mechanical Manufacturing Facility. He, like you, has a life form unimaginable to humans, and he has fully adapted to life in today’s age. He also has a bit of a connection with the defied Fortress from a thousand years ago, so I think you two should have some common topics."

"A connection with the defied Fortress?" Kamel immediately developed a strong interest in the future colleague with the peculiar name mentioned by Gawain, "Alright, I’ll go find him."

After Kamel left, the room was temporarily left with only Gawain and the two great-great-great... great-granddaughters.

"Rebecca, you were really too rude just now," Aunt Heidi looked at the innocent-looking yet seemingly eager to follow and continue her research on Kamel’s armory with a sense of helplessness, "No matter how curious you are, you shouldn’t be so offensive to new guests—especially when the guest is an ancient Master Mage who has lived for a thousand years. As a Mage, you should respect him."

"I’m curious about the runes on his armor plates," Rebecca pouted, feeling a bit wronged, "Lately, I’ve been studying traditional array optimization algorithms with Jenny all day, so I reflexively want to research when I see things like runes..."

"The Gondor Empire had extremely profound research in the fields of magic symbols and arrays, and although many ancient arrays have lost their function in the current era due to the collapse of the Well of Deep Blue, their understanding of magic symbols still far surpasses that of modern people," Gawain said to Rebecca, "Kamel’s knowledge and experience, combined with the logic and mathematics you are researching, will make a significant step forward in the work of rune research."