Azimuth: The Elden Throne (New Version)

Chapter 203 Prelude: To Slay A Devil

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"Humph… I don't like your expression, you're thinking about what can an old bag of bones like me even do, right?" Sarferato asked as he raised an eyebrow as he looked at Dale

"I… Won't lie… Your condition isn't the best." Dale replied as he scratched the back of his head

'He is the very definition of old... The fact he can still stand is paranormal in a sense.'

"I may look like this but don't forget, I was once a Division Commander! The one in charge of the frontlines!" He said as he smacked the bottom of his cane against the ground

"Only the Commander himself and that pesky mage could do anything to me… Perhaps that snarky archer if she had enough distance, but I be dammed if I ever gave her that." 

"... The others... Were certainty a bother to deal with but only in specific situations." He said with a scoff

"Even if my muscles withered and my skin sagged, the prowess I accumulated in my youth remained, it even increased."

"I may be unable to do this alone, but I can cover your back!"

/FWOOSH!/

/SMACK!/

Before Dale could even react, the old man's cane hit his head, shoving his head down.

By the time he reacted and the pain started to kick in, Sarferato had already returned to his previous position. 

"Ouch!" 

'Was there a need to hit me? These old people love doing that for some reason.'

'Where they equally abused when young?'

"Humph, look at you, all proud before but now you're recoiling from an old man's strike."

"..."

'I already expected him to be strong, but my feelings are mixed.'

'In one side, I am indeed doubtful, but on the other side… I'm concerned.'

'It's not about strength, its about him surviving, and for an old person, injuries at this age can be fatal, the likes of witch they'll bring with them to their tomb.'

'Sarferato could be someone whose sole purpose is to save his people, costing him his life, but I wish to achieve the ending where everyone lives.'

'I can't save people who I never met before, but these people… I'll bring them back.'

'There are more than enough incentives for that, my morals and desires are only extras to make me feel better.'

"Alright, I apologize." Dale said as he gave him a nod

"You have a good heart, young man... Albeit there's not much to apologize, I should thank you instead for accepting me." He replied with a large smile

"Now… That out of the way… How about we introduce ourselves again? We still have to wait for everyone to cross to the other side so getting to know each other a bit should suffice."

He turned to the side, sitting on a chair.

"I'll start."

…

For the next few minutes, Sarferato recounted many stories of when he was still a soldier while also giving Dale and Testros a small summary of the extent of his abilities.

Testros had nostalgia on his face as he heard him talk, Dale found it fascinating.

After he felt he said enough, they spoke.

Dale went first, his tale being short but full of adventure.

Like before, he omitted anything from before he arrived at Resko, being vague at best…

He had already decided to go with the Fallen Noble plot, but he couldn't let people read too far into it… The last thing he wanted was suspicion.

Because then, he would need to clear it, but how?

He was afraid of the consequences.

As for Testros, his story was also short but it made Sarferato shake his head in shame and even pride.

He trained so much all his life, having decided to take upon himself the passing of what the Southern Corps once was.

He gave up his youth, the chance to have descendants, the thrill of exploring the world... The desire to do anything else for his cause that occupied only a small section of his life.

Sarferato felt pity, he knew Testros did it out of love and respect at first, but then, it turned into an unhealthy obsession.

He was like that once too... But different from him, he had the chance to do something and clear off his fire by helping those around him while Testros was all alone.

Only time could clear off his burning emotions.

In a sense, he saw himself in him, and that made his gaze soften quite considerably… Unfortunately, he lacked eyes to make the atmosphere any less macabre.

By looking at them, Sarferato saw a future, it was thin, but he could see something in the making.

He couldn't help but think about Fate again, truly, given their conditions, what else could he say if not that?

They were destined to meet!... Or perhaps even… They were destined to meet him.

Two people digging the past in search of answers, it was just a matter of time before their paths crossed.

He was just thankful they were fast, and albeit he didn't wish to, he had the Devil in the forest to thank, even if it had caused this entire mess to begin with.

Had the Devil never appeared, had the monster in the Wall never awakened... Then they would've left long before.

He had already been given a summary of what they knew of the Devil, and only now did he start to realize how big of a problem this truly was.

Living in isolation, it was only normal for him to nor fully grasp the situation, but through their words, old tactics and forgotten knowledge started to flare in his mind.

Things he thought he had forgotten but that laid dormant for decades…

He made the right call in going with them, he had to experience it first hand.

The kinds of creatures they used to keep outside of the walls… 

'How long has it been… Since the blood of a Greater Devil flowed down my fists…' He thought silently as he opened and closed his hands

There was a certain itch in there, a phantom feeling of his time in the frontlines when rarely would his hands be clean.

"Just one thing… How do you plan to fight without a weapon?" Dale asked as he looked at the old man

"I was planning on borrowing something from the soldiers… But by your tone, I imagine you have a better idea." He replied with a calm but amused tone

"I… Do." Dale said as he opened his inventory, taking out several items from within

An assortment of items was carefully placed on the ground atop a piece of smooth cloth.

Rings, gems, necklaces, bracelets...

The Accessories Dale recovered from the corpses of the soldiers, albeit nothing had changed from before, only a small part of them had been fixed.

Dale was showing the items to him in the expectation he could learn more from each of them and hopefully, see if the old man had a way to fix them all.

There were also a few weapons, the ones that survived with little damage...

Which indicated their wielder died too fast to even use it... A sad end for a warrior.

"... When I first saw you… A thought crossed through my mind." He said as he grasped one of the pendants

"You gave me a strange feeling, as the armor you wore wasn't just any… It wasn't supposed to be possible."

"But when you explained to me how you arrived at the Wall… Everything became clear."

"In the past, I even held the distant belief that the Commander and his soldiers might've escaped death through the hidden passages, that they would save us..."

"That they would help us rebuild things."

""...""

/Silence.../

"... I would like to ask… How did it look to you? Did it seem as if they all passed away in glory?"

"Or did it all just seem… Meaningless? As their weapons and armor rotted away in the cold hard ground of the ruins of a place most don't even remember exists."

"..."

"They…"

/Shakes head/

Just when Testros was about to reply, Sarferato shook his head.

"You can tell it in detail to me… When we're back."

"How they looked… Their appearance… What kind of creatures they slew before passing…"

"I want to hear it all, but not here."

Sarferato then placed the pendant back in the cloth, grabbing a pair of Earrings…

"Hyfor's Remembrance… I thought I wouldn't be able to see such a thing again, there weren't that many items like these in the Corps."

"Well, at least not already in constant possession from the Division Commanders and the Commander himself."

"Did you know him?"

"If I knew him? BAH! He died during my Great-grandfather's time!"

"By the time I was born the successor for its first owner had been chosen, and before I became the Candidate for the next Division Commander of the Infantry it passed down the hands of one more person..."

"By then, Hyfor was mostly known for his earrings as those that worked within him had already passed away, maybe there were still someone alive, retired no doubt that had seen him in the flesh when they were still in their cradle."

"But his tale… It was carved within the cafeteria where all frontline soldiers ate together."

"The cafeteria? Why? I thought such a warrior would…"

"Have a Grand monument to remember him by, right?" Sarferato interrupted Dale with a twisted smirk

/Nod/

"Heh, he did have one, it was a pretty good one… Erected in the Hall of Glory where all of our Heroes stand, together with the Memorial Stone recording the names of all our soldiers."

"His Statue was rather bothersome to make since the Karkavan are several times larger then us, so the sculptors were forced to make it directly within the Hall where it was meant to be placed."

"But you know… Hyfor was know for having quite the big stomach! So his words ended up being carved within the place he loved the most!"

"He was… One of the best my Division ever had, Hyfor marked his time the likes few did for being strong, understanding, and also kind like his people are known to be…"

"Yet… So was I." He proclaimed with a large smile not being embarrassed at all

"Kid… This Earrings belong to you now."

"The Division has long fallen, the Corps has vanished… It's already past the point of claiming something to be righteously mine, I'm not that childish…"

"But if you may allow… Would you borrow them to an old bag of bones like me?"

Dale's expression changed a little, was this right?

The old man's body... Could it support the use of these Earrings?

"Are you sure? These are…"

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Notes

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