I had soon received a report; ‘Lord Varkhaz has died.’

I fell on my knees, I lost all will to live. What was the point? 

“My lord! Follow me! Our lord could be alive!” he said. He wasn’t anyone special, just a spare soldier. He had bought a horse for me. 

After I had reached there, I saw something familiar. The sight of bodies. Yet, only soldiers’ bodies were found here, no residents’ bodies were here. I want to know what happened. But, soon I had realised. All the residents had been buried, their gravestones were present.

One certain body I recognized, but nobody else did. I recognized him by his decaying body, and his thin fingers. I, who recognized my son by only his fingers, am trash. Nobody had seen my son, not even me. 

Many soldiers were also dead. The houses here were burnt. Suddenly I felt a wave of energy. Almost as if it was meant to reach here.

“Clean up all the bodies and put them into the cart.” I ordered my soldiers.

Although, it was only for a moment, I saw a figure run past me, fast, very fast. I had tracked it to the south of where I stood. I called upon my soldiers, my elite fifty. I told them to stand in a 100 meter radius.

Once I was there, I could detect a presence, with mana. In a shack near the farmlands. I ordered my elite to surround it. I had realised that this one was responsible. I wanted to kill this one.

As soon as he came out, I ordered my archer to shoot at him, yet he escaped. He was strong. But, I was stronger.

“Who are you? Young man.” - “Maru, Maru Alck”

How ironic. My son had slaughtered this boy’s family, and for that he killed him. Alck’s son, my friend’s son had killed him. It seems to be my punishment for my sins.

He could’ve lied, telling me that he was just another victim, yet he answered me. I never wanted to kill this boy, however he was ready for death at any moment. He fought me with all he had, and for that; I shall respect his resolve.

As soon as he had gotten charged, he started to pay no attention. 

“Snap out of it! Weren’t you the one who killed my son?!” I said. What rights did I even have? I simply said it on impulse.

“Yeah! Old man, I killed him! I watched him bleed out and suffer!” - For some reason, my blood boiled. I had almost killed him. His sword broke into two.

“I summon thee, Blade of Morder!” he shouted. As soon as he did that, All the blood on his body suddenly started to move into the palm of his hand. His body started to spew out more blood. And all of the blood formed into a sword. No, a dagger. It wasn’t normal. He didn’t look like he could last anymore, his body was bruised and bleeding, his breathing was uneven. He was on his last legs.

To spare him, I hit him heavily on the back of his head, with the hilt of my sword. He fell unconscious. 

“My lord, who is this person..?” he asked. He was the captain of the elite squad.

“He’s my son. He was just… out-of-control...”

“I-Is that so..? I see… My lord...” - He clearly had his doubts, but no one would dare to question me.

As the sun rose, I decided to take care of this boy. Perhaps that is the only way I can pay for my sins. 

He could only stay alive if he was an aristocrat. No one of common blood had mana, surely this boy would be killed because of that. He was now powerless, but I will change that.

Maru, no- hereby I declare you Varkhaz. Varkhaz Hon Harqi.