Free Web NovelChapter 130: Sovereign of the Sword
Gracela Selvarum clenched her fists as she quickly left the room.
Her mind was in turmoil after witnessing Victor’s attack. She knew that this strike was not something anyone could do, let alone a mere swordsman.
But as she passed through the doorway, Gracela bumped into Luísa Selvarum, whose presence always brought an ambiguous feeling of relief and apprehension.
"It seems you’ve finally discovered who Victor really is, cousin," Luísa said in a determined tone, as if she’d been expecting this.
Gracela stopped abruptly, her hands still shaking, and looked directly at Luísa, trying to process what she had just heard.
The corridors of Selvarum Manor were strangely quiet. The distant footsteps of the servants echoed across the polished marble floors and brightly wallpapered walls, but there was no one around.
"Luísa," Gracela began, her voice trembling slightly. "Is this true? Is he... is he really the White Bear?" freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
"Yes, cousin. Victor Shieldman is the White Bear. The same one who killed the Sovereign of the Sword twenty-five years ago," Luísa confirmed in a firm tone.
Gracela felt a chill run down her spine. Ever since she was a teenager, when she used to train at the Dojo of the Mountains, Gracela had heard all kinds of stories about the White Bear, a legendary swordsman who could cut in three directions with a single blade, who had no real name, only a title, and who possessed unparalleled strength, but who also didn’t care about anything.
"You knew all along, didn’t you?" Gracela asked Luísa in a whisper.
Luísa nodded slowly. "Of course I knew. And when you think about it, it was only a matter of time before you found out, too."
Gracela shook her head in disbelief. "But why is he here? Why hide in our midst? And how can you let him stay right next to Bel? He’s a monster and to this day he’s hunted by the God of the Sword! "
"He is not the monster you think. In fact, there’s more to that fateful night than most people know."
Gracela frowned, her curiosity mixed with suspicion. "What do you mean?"
Luísa moved away from the wall and looked down the empty corridor. "I think we’d better talk somewhere more private. Come with me."
The two walked in silence through the corridors of the Selvarum mansion until they reached a small study, decorated with shelves of books and a large map of the kingdom painted on the ceiling.
Luísa closed the door behind them, making sure they were completely alone.
"Before we begin, you must understand something, Gracela. Victor never killed for pleasure or ambition. What happened twenty-five years ago was a terrible mistake, a consequence of circumstances beyond the control of anyone in that situation."
"A mistake that cost the life of a Sovereign of the Sword and threw the order of the Mountain Dojo into chaos. Victor killed the second most important man in the Mountain Dojo, and you make it sound like he was somehow right in this complete story."
"You need to hear the whole story without judging it only by what was taught in that dojo, cousin." Gracela sighed.
Gracela sighed. "All right, then tell me."
"Back then, Victor was one of the most promising swordsmen in the kingdom, but he didn’t know it. Victor was a warrior wanderer and one of the men responsible for keeping the culture of dueling alive. Traveling around the Athina Kingdom and neighboring kingdoms, Victor had met many warriors, thousands of them, and for him, the Sovereign of the Sword was just one more."
"How can a Sovereign of the Sword be just another? This title means that you are the second strongest user in Mountain Fencing, after the God of the Sword, it’s not just any title and it’s not given to just anyone."
This time it was Luísa who sighed. "I know it’s hard to believe, but you have to understand the context. The Sovereign of the Sword was a formidable fighter, but he underestimated Victor, and the fight lasted no more than five minutes. Victor was at his physical peak and still trying to prove himself, so he didn’t hold back for a second. On the other hand, the Sovereign of the Sword of that time acted casually and slowly realized the situation he was in."
Gracela frowned as her mind struggled to reconcile the image of Victor with the stories of the White Bear.
How strong would someone have to be for a fight against a Sovereign of the Sword to be seen as just another one of many?
"How do you know this? Why hasn’t anyone mentioned it before? And if you knew about it all these years, why did you keep it a secret?"
"I visited the site of the assassination of the Lord of the Sword for academic purposes and made a magical reconstruction," Luísa replied. "Only a few people know the true identity of the White Bear. Among those few, everyone decided that it would be best to keep his secret to avoid further chaos. If the God of the Sword fought Victor, it could be the end of the Mountain Dojo, and if Victor died in the battle, everyone who knew his true identity would feel guilty for revealing it. The end would not be favorable in any way."
Gracela was startled to hear her cousin say all that. But when she heard the other part of the story, she realized that Luísa was quite serious.
"So if the Sovereign of the Sword was just another... Victor doesn’t even know what he did?" Gracela asked, a little calmer now.
"No, he doesn’t. I’ve never told him that I know either, which is why I approached him when I first saw him at a business ball in Edolens. Victor never knew that the man he defeated was the Sovereign of the Sword. For him, it was just a slightly tough opponent. Gracela, Victor has never been a man who cares about titles or politics, he just lives his life as best he can. For a long time, I watched Victor challenge himself, haunted by the ghost of his own weak past, so because his main enemy was inside his own head, he never cared about fame or what others thought of him."
"He doesn’t know he’s being hunted by the God of the Sword?"
"No," Luísa confirmed. "Victor has never seen the God of the Sword in person. For Victor, ’White Bear’ is just a silly title given to him by some ordinary people. Even though the legend of the White Bear is as famous today as the stories of some heroes, Victor doesn’t care."
Gracela shook her head, still trying to understand. "But what about the God of the Sword? How come he never found out who White Bear really is? Even you could."
"I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but the God of the Sword is hunting someone whose face he’s never seen, and it’s unlikely he’ll ever find out. The only chance he had of finding Victor was 25 years ago, if he had put aside his prejudice against wizards and accepted the help of someone like me, capable of reconstructing the scene of the collision. So Victor Shieldman’s identity has always been and always will be safe, that is, contact you don’t tell."
Silence fell over them, heavy and full of unanswered questions.
Gracela felt torn between relief that Victor wasn’t the monster she’d feared and worry about the constant danger he posed, even if unconsciously. She also had conflicting feelings between her duty as Monarch of the Sword to fight the one who had been declared the greatest enemy of the Dojo of the Mountains, and her duty as a Selvarum to protect her family at all costs.
Victor was staying at the Selvarum Mansion, and a conflict between him and the God of the Sword in that place would surely get someone caught in the crossfire. Someone innocent would end up dying.
"What do we do now?" Gracela asked finally, her voice small.
Luísa looked at her cousin with determination in her eyes. "Nothing, don’t do anything. Listen to me, you must never tell anyone what you found out today. Do you understand?"
Gracela nodded slowly but was still very unsure.
