Lieutenant Jack halted before a thick wooden door in the temple's west wing, guarded by two Alden Knights who offered a brief salute. After announcing their arrival and receiving permission, Jack opened the door, allowing Jade to enter first before withdrawing with a respectful nod.
The room within was a recovery chamber, quiet and clean. The air carried a faint scent of healing herbs. Upon a bed, General Lance Garudeya sat propped up against several pillows.
His face was still pale, and the lines of exhaustion from his grievous wounds were clearly visible—the venom of the Basilisk Ba'i Yang, and the Ramon assault on Alden the previous night, as Jade had overheard Ave mention—yet his sharp eyes had regained their alertness, fixed directly upon Jade as he entered.
Jade's gaze was immediately drawn to two other men in the room besides the General. The first was a sturdy man with the leather apron typical of a blacksmith, Alfonso Demitria, who held an old spearhead belonging to Jade with a serious expression.
The second was Professor Philippe Geraldine, the white-coated scientist Jade remembered from the serum injection process, his face appearing older and more weary than Jade recalled. The man in the leather apron must surely be Alfonso Demitria, the Royal Blacksmith.
"Private Jade Garudeya," greeted General Lance, his voice still slightly weak yet firm. "Approach."
Jade stepped forward, his heart pounding, a mixture of awe for his idol and nervousness swirling within him. He offered a respectful salute. "Your Excellency General."
Lance returned the salute with a brief nod.
"Lieutenant Jack informed me that you are one of the three survivors from Squad 19 after receiving the serum. I offer my condolences for your comrades."
"Thank you, General," Jade replied softly.
"I summoned you here," Lance continued, his eyes flicking towards the spearhead in Demitria's hand, "because of Master Demitria's report concerning this object."
Demitria stepped forward, presenting the old spearhead to Jade.
"Private, can you explain where you obtained this spearhead? Its forging is ancient and unique, from a bygone era."
Jade gazed at the spearhead, his father's heirloom. "That… that was a gift from my father, Master Blacksmith. Before I departed from the village," Jade answered truthfully.
"Your father?" Lance repeated, his brow furrowing slightly. He leaned forward a fraction. "What is his name, Private? And from which village do you hail?"
"My father's name is Albert, General. We are from Arun Village, on the border of Baranesta Province."
As the name 'Albert' was spoken, Lance appeared slightly startled. He exchanged a swift glance with Professor Philippe Geraldine, who also showed an expression of surprise. Lance looked back at Jade, this time with far greater intensity. The spearhead… the name Albert… from Baranesta…
"Albert…" Lance murmured softly, more to himself than aloud. He paused for a moment, looking intently at Jade. "Is… is it only your father who resides there?"
Jade was slightly confused by the question but answered, "No, General. My mother, Tania… and my younger sister, Rina, also live there."
Hearing the name Tania mentioned alongside Albert, the expressions on Lance's and Philippe's faces showed even greater surprise and understanding. Lance looked at Jade again, this time his gaze deeper, as if searching for something within the young man's very being. "Your father's full name… is it Albert Garudeya?"
Jade was taken aback. Again, the General had spoken his father's full name. "Yes, General. My father's name is Albert Garudeya. But… how could you know?"
General Lance's face changed drastically. The weariness and his formal demeanor seemed to vanish instantly, replaced by shock, overwhelming relief, and other deep emotions. He even disregarded his pain to try and sit up straighter.
"Albert… my brother…" Lance whispered, his voice trembling with disbelief. "I have been searching for him… for decades…" He stared intently at Jade, as if truly seeing the young man's features for the first time.
"If your father is Albert Garudeya… then that means you… you are my nephew, lad. Jade Garudeya."
Jade's world seemed to stop turning. His uncle? General Lance Garudeya, the legend of Jindara, was the brother of his father, a simple farmer in Arun Village? This… it was impossible.
"Uncle?" he whispered in disbelief. "But… Father never told me… The Garudeya name… what does it mean?" He was utterly bewildered, the legend he had revered now claiming to be his kin.
"This spearhead is the sign, lad," Alfonso Demitria interjected with a calm tone, trying to clear the air. "This is a genuine Garudeya heirloom weapon, forged using the secret techniques of the Vulcanus family, my ancestors.
Only we know how to forge the metal core so that it can withstand and channel pure energy. This cannot be a mere imitation." He handed the spearhead back to Jade, who received it with trembling hands.
Professor Philippe, who had been observing Jade intently, now spoke, turning to Lance.
"Albert Garudeya… that Albert? The one who used to go adventuring with… Tania Geraldine and me?" His eyes now shifted to Jade with a complex look.
Lance nodded grimly. "Yes, Philippe. The same Albert."
"So you are Albert's son… and Tania's," Philippe murmured, more to himself
than aloud.
Jade grew even more confused. "Tania Geraldine? That's my mother's name." Then he remembered something his father had once said about his mother not being skilled with a sword.
Lance sighed deeply, his gaze distant. "Tania… Philippe… Albert… that past… when Baranesta was utterly destroyed thirty-five years ago…" He trailed off, appearing to hold back painful memories.
"The unification war by Alden, before Jindara was formed. We were all there, in different capacities." Lance did not elaborate further on the horrors of that war or how he and Queen Yukihiko had become survivors who then formed the new kingdom.
The realization of the present jolted Lance back to the here and now. He looked at Philippe with urgency.
"Philippe!" he commanded firmly. "You must depart for Arun Village immediately. Find Albert, Tania, and Rina! Bring them here!" He turned to Jade.
"Bring them to Alden with all haste. Arun Village is too close to the Hanan border. If Duke Herman Syailendra fails to hold Fort Asyr… I will not take the risk."
While Philippe nodded quickly, preparing to carry out the order, Demitria stepped forward again. This time he opened a long box made of velvet that he had apparently already prepared.
Inside lay a pair of beautiful rapiers, their silver hilts finely engraved with slender blades that radiated the faint glow characteristic of Mythrilblood.
"Jade," Demitria said softly. "These are the 'Twin Blades'. Your mother, Tania Geraldine's, weapons."
Jade stared at the weapons, his mouth slightly agape. His mother? The owner of Mythrilblood weapons?
"Your mother was a formidable fighter in her day," Demitria continued. "But after the tragic events in Baranesta, she entrusted these to me and vowed never to touch a sword again." He looked at Jade. "Perhaps this is why your father preferred to train you in the use of the family's heirloom spear."
Professor Philippe approached Jade once more, looking intently into his eyes. There was an unconcealed sadness in the old scientist's eyes. "You look so much like your mother, lad. Your eyes… Tania's eyes…" He sighed heavily, his voice sounding full of regret.
"By the Gods… if only I had known you were her son back at that training camp… when I saw your data… I swear I would never have allowed that damned Muscle Force serum to be injected into you." He shook his head slowly.
"The risks are too great… many do not survive… I cannot imagine if you…"
Lance and Demitria could only bow their heads in silence. They both seemed to understand Philippe's closeness to Tania Geraldine in the past, and perhaps also his unrequited feelings before Tania had chosen Albert Garudeya, the elder brother who had chosen a different path in life.
Jade stood frozen in the middle of the room. His uncle was the legendary General. His parents were adventurers with a dark past. His mother was a great
fighter who possessed Mythrilblood swords.
His father was the brother of Jindara's number one hero. And now his family was in danger. All these secrets had been revealed in the blink of an eye, making him feel like a stranger in his own life.
The old spearhead, now held once more by Demitria, seemed to be a symbol of all the mysteries that had just been uncovered, leaving Jade in a state of frozen confusion and a thousand questions swirling in his mind.
Jade still stood stiffly in the recovery chamber, his head buzzing with the truth that had just been revealed. Uncle, General, adventurer, heirloom, danger—it all felt too much to process at once.
He stared blankly at the spearhead in his hand, then at his mother's
Mythrilblood rapiers in the box held by Demitria.
General Lance observed the emotional turmoil on his nephew's face. He sighed softly, his own expression hardening once more, setting aside for a moment the newly revealed family matters. There were more pressing concerns.
"Jade," Lance called out, his tone returning to that of a firm commander. "We can speak more of family later. Now, there are more important matters at hand."
He gestured to Professor Philippe. "Philippe, carry out my orders from earlier. Albert's and his family's safety is paramount."
Professor Philippe nodded. "Yes, General." He looked at Jade once more, a look that implied a mixture of regret and hope.
"Take good care of yourself, lad. You have a great… and dangerous… heritage." With those words, the old scientist turned and left the room, leaving behind a faint scent of antiseptic and the lingering mystery of the past.
After Philippe's departure, Lance focused his attention back on Jade. "I have already heard a brief report from Hinabi about last night's battle. About… your newfound power."
Lance's eyes narrowed, assessing. "That Rem Vampyr power… it is wild,
dangerous. You almost attacked your own comrade. Such power without control is akin to a double-edged sword."
He paused for a moment. "I intend to train you. To hone whatever skills you possess, whether it be the Rem inherited from Ave, or other potential that may lie hidden within you."
Lance fell silent again, then looked sharply at Jade.
"But before that, something troubles me. How could you and your two companions, who all possess enhanced Muscle Force, be so easily defeated by General Guan of Xiangdu? He is formidable, but the three of you should have been able to put up more of a fight."
Jade flinched, recalling the brutal fight and their crushing defeat in the valley of
battle. "We… we tried our best, General. But he… he seemed to be able to read our every move…"
"Read your moves?" Lance raised an eyebrow. "Do you understand the concept of 'sensitivity awareness'? The ability to sense danger moments before it arrives? To feel the direction of an attack before it is launched, or even the trajectory of a projectile before it is fired?" Lance asked, his voice flat, testing Jade's understanding.
"It is the very core of self-mastery for advanced Muscle Force users, even for ordinary trained soldiers."
Jade shook his head slowly, feeling slightly ashamed. "I… I never learned that specifically, General. The training at the boot camp was very brief… we focused more on basic tactics and weapon usage."
Lance sighed softly, slightly disappointed yet appearing understanding.
"A fundamental weakness in our training system, it seems. No wonder so many perish needlessly." He changed the subject.
"Very well, forget for a moment about Muscle Force and that Rem Vampyr power. Your father, Albert… he must have taught you something. He is my brother, a Garudeya. I wish to see your skill with our family's heirloom weapon." Lance's eyes rested on the spear now held by Jade.
Alfonso Demitria, who had remained silent until now, stepped forward.
"I have already fitted this heirloom spearhead onto a high-quality ironwood shaft reinforced with Mythril fibers, General. According to the original Garudeya design," he reported, handing the now complete spear to Jade.
Jade received the spear. And instantly, he was shocked. His hands almost buckled under the weapon's weight. It felt far heavier than he had imagined, as if possessing its own immense mass and density. He remembered his father saying this spear felt light in his hands.
Lance observed Jade's reaction, a look of concern crossing his features. "Heavy?" he asked. Jade could only nod stiffly.
"My own Dragon Spear weighs the exact same," Lance said softly, his tone serious. "This is a bad sign, Jade. You may have inherited the Garudeya blood, but your body is not yet ready to bear the weight of that heritage. Your training is sorely lacking."
Lance rose from the bed, his movements still slightly stiff from his injuries, yet his resolve was strong. "There is no point in theorizing here. Follow me to the training grounds." He gestured to Jade and Demitria.
"Demitria, you come too. I wish you to observe its structure when in use."
Jade, still slightly stunned by the spear's weight and his uncle's words, nodded and followed Lance and Demitria out of the recovery chamber.
They arrived at one of the Alden Temple's training grounds. The area showed signs of the previous night's air raid—some parts of the ground were blackened, small debris lay scattered, and some training equipment was damaged. However, the central area was spacious and clear.
General Lance stopped in the middle of the field, allowing Jade and Demitria to stand at the edge. The General held his own Dragon Spear—a weapon that radiated a faint aura of power.
With a single fluid motion that belied his recent recovery, Lance spun his Dragon Spear. The wind whistled sharply around the spearhead, blowing dust into the air.
Then, with a sharp thrust of the spear's butt into the ground several meters before him, the stone surface cracked! A small shockwave could be felt even where Jade stood.
Jade stared in awe. Strength, control, speed—all radiated from that simple movement. This was the true General Lance Garudeya, his idol.
Lance then looked directly at Jade, his gaze sharp and challenging.
"Come forth, Jade!" he called out, his voice echoing across the training grounds.
"Attack me with that spear! Give me everything Albert taught you about the Garudeya spear skills!"