Chapter 136

Even with no treasures, and even if the remains had vanished, that spirit was dignified. Rickart admired it sincerely.

Thus, to honor that spirit, he offered the crystal flower, the only flower he currently possessed, as a flower of condolence. Softly placing it on the empty sarcophagus, he said this.

"Forgive me for committing a discourtesy due to curiosity. Although you have lost your treasures, and even the remains, the traces of that physical body, are gone, your spirit will live on and be remembered. I will remember it. Emperor Caesar."

Rickart closed his eyes and bowed his head to express his condolences in his own way. At that moment, the crystal flower placed on the sarcophagus dissolved and scattered softly like melting snow.

Just then, behind Rickart, from a somewhat distant place, the sound of footsteps was heard. Because it was a wide space, it echoed loudly.

Step......

Rickart looked back. Auku and Hashim were nowhere to be seen, and a person standing covered entirely like a monk with a hood obscuring even his face, was standing there.

Without a word, keeping both hands tucked in his sleeves, he stood still and looked at Rickart before shifting his steps and heading outside. Rickart followed him out.

The mysterious man left the mausoleum and walked the canyon. Because it was a winding path this way and that, he almost lost sight of him, but Rickart walked fast or ran little by little to follow him to the end.

Then he stopped. Not too far from the mausoleum, the rocky mountain had holes drilled through it densely exactly like a honeycomb.

They were traces of being deliberately carved by people, so ancient people might have lived there, or this place too might be a tomb.

He climbed the rocky mountain and entered a certain cave. As Rickart also hurriedly followed him inside, he stood still inside, waiting for Rickart.

"Where are you headed, stranger."

Beyond the shadow of the pitch-black hood where not a bit of his face could be seen, he said. It was a thick, stern voice.

"I am on my way to the headquarters of the Flame Knights."

"No, I mean the path beyond that."

The path beyond that? Rickart was a bit bewildered, but soon understood what it meant. He was asking what kind of life Rickart was going to lead.

"I have something I must do. To save the people devastated by war."

"Why? Why are you doing that?"

"I cannot tell with certainty. Merely, I grew up under a good family. I grew up receiving love and consideration. That is the most precious treasure to me above all else. But there are too many people in the world who do not have that. Is that their fault? On top of that, their livelihoods have been destroyed by war, their families have died, and pain and sadness are devouring them. I intend to fight against that pain and sadness. That is all."

"I see...... If so you were free from the destiny of a monarch from the beginning."

"What does that mean?"

"Losing soldiers, losing cities, losing subjects, and losing power is the destiny of a monarch. The father and child trying to kill each other, and wearing a crown stained with the blood of brothers is the path a monarch walks, and must walk. However, you have no interest in such things to begin with. Since you already possess the most precious treasure."

"A person who grew up receiving love is no different from already possessing everything. Even power is nothing before it. I think so, and am convinced of it."

"But keep this in mind, you who snatches the thunderbolt to use as a weapon. From the beginning of time, human history has always repeated itself. Do not let yourself crumble due to sadness and pain. Do not forget that your true weapon is not the thunderbolt, but love and hope."

As he said so, he pulled a hand out from his sleeve and pointed to the side. The hand was a gaunt bone.

"May this protect your pure heart."

Rickart turned his head in the direction he pointed. It was just a wall made of sandstone. Bewildered, he looked back at the unfamiliar man, but like a lie, he had disappeared.

Flustered, but just in case he approached the wall he had pointed at. Fumbling with his hands he touched the wall but there was nothing particularly strange.

However, when making a fist and tapping lightly, thump, thump sounds rang out. Beyond the wall was hollow.

Rickart applied strength and struck the wall. Then it crumbled crumbly like clay. Thinking there was something, he violently tore it away with his hands, and beyond the wall, a single suit of armor that had been waiting for its owner for aeons of time, lay there alone.

Rickart grabbed it and pulled it out. It was armor in the Ancient Empire style, with chest muscles and abs engraved on it, and a fire-breathing dragon carved on the chest area. The armor gleamed with a reddish golden light, catching the light of the torch.

Long years had passed but only some dust had piled up, and there were no traces of rust. The texture was metal, but it was light. Originally weapons should have proper weight, but for armor, the lighter it was, the better item it was.

"Ricky! Ricky! Hey there! Ricky!"

"Ricky mister! Where did you go! Ricky misterrrrrrr!"

At that time, Hashim and Auku's urgent shouts were heard from outside the cave. Rickart hurriedly went out of the cave.

Hashim and Auku were looking around searching, and spotted Rickart exactly. Auku widened his eyes, smiled broadly, and shouted.

"You defeated the demon and found the treasure!"

Saying so he naturally came running like he was flying. Rickart was bewildered.

Hashim also hurried over and said.

"I thought the Emperor's ghost had dragged you off to the netherworld."

"I told you Ricky mister would be able to do it!"

Hashim and Auku welcomed Rickart with their respective relief and joy. Rickart was still bewildered, and merely turned his head to look at the cave. There was truly nobody there.

"I think I did meet the Emperor."

"Then you are the legitimate successor of the Ancient Empire. Augustus Rickart is it? Ricky, it is your win."

Rickart and Hashim often bickered over who inherited the legitimacy of the Ancient Empire, and he was joking around about it now.

Actually, they hadn't fought that heatedly from the start. What does it matter who the successor is. It wouldn't matter even if neither was.

"It's not like that."

"Anyway it's a relief. This reckless fellow almost dragged us to the underworld, you see."

"No I was certain Ricky mister could do it I tell you!"

"The Azure Tribe people are only half-honest, and lack measures indeed."

"They're brave, you mean. Anyway since you found the treasure I kept my promise right?"

"Yeah."

"By the way, what is this? It looks just like a relic of the Ancient Empire. Is it made of gold?"

"Doesn't seem like it. To say it's gold it's much too light."

"Then it's not brass either. If you're going to sell it you'd have to figure out the material first, and isn't it too flashy to use it yourself?"

"I can just cover it with something like a surcoat."

"Try putting it on."

With no shoulder parts, arm guards, shin guards, or the like, it was just a solid one-piece torso armor, so there was no difficulty in putting it on. When he stretched his arms upward and bent his upper body, Hashim slipped it onto him.

Like a lie, it fit his body perfectly. Other body parts could be custom-made separately or something, and his front and back torso seemed fully protected.

As Rickart wore the Emperor's armor, Auku smiled and playfully struck the armor with his cute little fists.

"Wow! Very sturdy! Is this the Emperor's armor? Then is Ricky mister the Emperor now?"

Rickart stroked the boy's short, severely curly, and stiff hair and said.

"No."

"Then?"

"I am Ricky, that is all."

"Ehh...... No fun."

"Can't be helped, right. But as you live life, fun moments will come."

"That is true. Should we rest here a bit before departing?"

"Let's do that."

Rickart, Hashim, and Auku went to where they had tied the horses, and lit a fire under a rock.

The three spent the night in a place where the dignified spirits of ancient heroes lived on, surrounded by the mystery of nature. Now I know why there are so many stars in the night sky. They all became stars.

As morning broke, they woke from sleep and walked west again. Escaping the rocky mountain, as if the sun opened its eyes wide and glared at the world, the day slowly began to get hot.

However, following the young guide, it was somewhat manageable. Midway there were places with long lasting shade, they cut cacti to drink the sap, or boiled water to cool and drink it.

Walking a solid two days like that, a week and three days after they were shipwrecked, they arrived at a Sultanate called Tyzis.

From here onwards, grass was growing. Fields where short grass and olive trees grew, and goats were grazing leisurely.

Turning their heads to the right, far away, the blue sea could be seen. White seagulls flew about sparsely, and the sea breeze seemed to carry news from very far away.

From here, heading northeast across that sea, the southern edge of the Empire was right at the tip of their noses. Meaning the continent Rickart was born and raised on was not that far away.

He didn't know how the ship got shipwrecked and ended up far in the East, but passing the Holy City, passing the Mayub Sultanate, even crossing the desert, he had finally reached a place where the Flame Knights' headquarters wasn't far away.

"Then I will go now. Don't lose your way in the desert again. Got it?"

Standing on the green field facing the cool breeze, Auku said cheerfully. The boy's smile was truly the most refreshing in the world.

They had only known each other for three days, but Rickart felt a sense of regret. And on the other hand, he felt worried too.

"Do not trust Steel people and Golden people too much. Not all of them are people like us."

"I know that much myself. But a person who carries baggage instead of animals can't be a bad person, right?"

Auku too had observed Rickart and Hashim from afar in his own way and approached after deciding they seemed fine, not just approaching completely without guard.

"Yeah, well, the desert will protect you."

"And Riccardo mister has this armor to protect you. The red horse will probably take you anywhere in the world. And that steel sword cuts anything. Hashim mister is wise so he'll probably teach you whatever."

"There are many things I don't know either, Auku."

"Anyway, the path to walk forward you have to find for yourself. I'm going!"

Auku turned around and ran off toward the desert. Rickart and Hashim stood still and watched the receding boy. The boy looked back a few times and waved his hand.

Then far away, beyond the blazing haze, he disappeared.

"Perhaps the innocence of that child is the treasure. Having to live in the harshest place, maybe that pureness gets preserved. The world we live in could not protect that innocence. Let's go."

Mounting his horse, Hashim said. From here onwards, they could ride the horses little by little.

Rickart also mounted the red horse. Ruminating on the words spoken by the greatest Emperor, and reminiscing about the boy he just parted ways with, they headed towards the place where Salaman people, Franken people, and those mixed-bloods lived together in a jumble.

Towards the place where two civilizations crossed, or crashed.