The Solar Empire. The Flame Empire. The Land of Sun.
The land had been given many names.
But one thing remained the same. It was an empire ruled by the imperial bloodline of the Primordial Sun God, Sol'Zar.
The Solaris imperial family was the only people in the world who could truly claim to be descended from a god, and as such, they were the most powerful fire-wielders on the continent.
After the demise of the Great Ashen family, they secured a vast portion of their land, further cementing their dominance among the hegemons of the continent.
Their sole religion, the Church of the Five Suns, also centered around worshipping the sun god, further solidified their rule as one of the few surviving dynasties in the world.
This was where Baines now found himself.
The village's residents had been rounded up for questioning, and he was among the line, waiting for his turn.
'What will I say?' Baines thought.
'I can't say I am among the villagers.' He looked around.
The village was small, likewise its population. That meant the villagers knew one another well. A stranger suddenly appearing out of nowhere with a fabricated story would only raise suspicions.
He hadn't gone far in his thoughts when,
"Next!" a knight called out.
It was his turn.
Baines entered the interrogation room and sat before the sword master he had seen earlier.
"Mm? Five-star?" The man's brow furrowed upon sighting Baines. He was young, far too young.
"How old are you?"
"Eighteen."
"Five-star at eighteen?" The sword master showed a mix of surprise, then skepticism. "...and what is an eighteen-year-old five-star doing here?"
"I came to test my luck on the Tome of Ashenfall," Baines answered plainly. 'I hope he buys it.'
Baines hoped.
"Huh? The tome?" The sword master raised an eyebrow. He, too, knew about the rumors. Many young and ambitious individuals had set out to find the so-called tome of ashenfall, only to return empty-handed or not even return at all.
The sword master's expression softened slightly. 'He must not have gotten the chance before it exploded.'
Baines was a young man with both talent and strength. It was only natural that he would chase after such a legend, driven by the prospect of fame and glory.
'It sure feels good to be young.' The sword master smiled as he thought.
"What's your name?"
After a brief hesitation, Baines lied. "Jin."
After what happened with Uncle Kwon, he decided. The truth was something he reserved only for his family. The rest of the world simply didn't deserve it.
"Jin? What an unusual name. Well, it seems you can't continue your journey anymore. So what are you going to do now?"
Baines paused to ask himself. 'What am I going to do now?'
His original plan, which had been to sell himself to an organization, mainly to learn how to kill, had clearly been riddled with flaws.
It was filled with so many flaws that he hadn't even left his family's vicinity when the plan fell apart.
Even if it did, he would have been killed as he got there.
And even if he had succeeded, how would he have escaped?
He simply hadn't thought that far ahead.
'Now I think about it, this unplanned situation turned out to be the best.'
Now, he could stand on his own; he was free to do anything, but he didn't have a destination.
Seeing Baines's confusion, the sword master asked.
"You want to be famous, right?"
Baines looked at him, as if asking where he was going.
"Then why don't you go to the Last Front?"
"Huh?" Baines jerked, slightly intrigued.
He had heard of the place before; however, he had no idea it was in the Solaris empire.
The Last Front.
It was a trading route he remembered hearing about from his parents growing up. They constantly supplied materials over there. They were one of the most battle-hardened military forces on the continent.
And their duty? Defend the cold northern border from the outliers who constantly try to invade the continent. Wars were fought there almost frequently.
For many, it was a place of death. But for those seeking a name for themselves, it was an opportunity.
Then, Baines remembered what Martos had told him before he left: 'Gather achievements.'
'Wait… If the last front turned out to belong to the empire. Then, if I make a name for myself, it is also the same as gathering achievements in the empire. I can also gather information about what happened that day.'
Technically, the free principalities were still on this continent.
The succession race Martos told him about was the least of his concerns. His family had likely been forgotten, erased from history. But he hadn't forgotten. He never would. All that mattered was finding them and taking his revenge.
"Recently, the outliers have started attacking again with their full forces," the sword master continued. "The House Darkan has already been assigned to aid the Last Front. Even a team of healers was dispatched from the Church."
When he said church, he meant the church of the five suns.
"Darkan?" Baines muttered. Another family he had heard about. A warrior clan famous for training dragon-riding knights.
'If they were sent, then…'
"It must be serious."
The sword master nodded gravely. "Yes. Mass recruitment is also underway. Good salary, a place to stay, and quality weapons to protect yourself."
'Hmm… ' Baines mused. 'Actually, there's no reason to refuse.' Baines mulled over his options, then consulted 'Eye.'
'Am I missing anything?'
[JOINING THE ARMY WILL RESTRICT MOVEMENT AS YOU WILL BE CONSTANTLY MONITORED. HOWEVER, IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO CHECK DISTURBANCES IN ASHENFALL.]
'You're right. The only legal way to return here is through the military.'
[IT IS ALSO ADVISABLE TO FIND A PROPER INFORMATION NETWORK.]
'That too… searching for my family will require resources. But they'll expect something in return.'
For a while now, Baines had made 'Eye' speak more naturally, avoiding overly formal speech. He hadn't realized it yet, but this was his way of maintaining his sanity.
[YOU ARE SKILLED IN PLANTS. YOU CAN OFFER THEM YOUR CREATIONS. YOU ALSO POSSESS WEAPONS AND MARTIAL TECHNIQUES.]
'Hmm... I can part with plants but not weapons or techniques. My ancestors risked their lives for those. It would be an insult to trade them away.'
He turned back to the sword master, his mind already made up.
"Alright. I'll go."
"Perfect." The sword master revealed a large smile and stood up.
"A carriage leaves today for a request. You can join in, and I'll handle the rest."
Baines studied him for a while, then asked, "Why are you doing this for me?"
The sword master tilted his head, "Five-star at eighteen? I'm curious to see how far you'll go.
Besides, isn't it the right thing to do?"
"The right thing to do?" Baines muttered.
The words felt foreign. As if it were spoken by a version of himself that had died long ago.
Was it the right thing to tear apart his family? To betray them? To split them apart?
Yet it had happened anyway.
"People have their own reasons. The things that drive them," the sword master said. "But along the way, wouldn't it be right to help those we can?"
'This man…' For the first time, Baines' perception of the empire wavered. Not that he had any impression of it in the first place.
"Haha! Anyway, are you ready?"
Baines nodded, his face hardening, and a distant expression returning to his face.
The sword master grinned. "You shouldn't frown with such a face, you'll ruin it."
Baines glared at him.
"Hahaha!" The sword master's laughter echoed as he walked away.
About thirty minutes later, Baines was seated in a carriage bound for the empire's northern land.
"Give this to the recruitment officer when you arrive." The sword master handed him a sealed letter, then spoke briefly to the driver before stepping back.
Baines leaned out the window. "I never got your name."
"I thought you'd never ask." The sword master smiled.
"It's Vole. Vole Malakar."
"Malakar—" Baines' words slurred before he froze. "Wait, that Malakar?!" Baines' eyes widened in shock.
"Huh? I can't hear you over the distance." Vole waved cheerfully.
Baines stared at him, dumbfoundedly. He knew he had heard him clearly, but he didn't push further and lay back in the carriage.
'It's going to be a long ride. I should rest before we get there.' This was the sort of rest one took after finishing their training. Though there was no feeling behind it.
He leaned back, closed his eyes briefly, whispering,
"Mother, Father, Cecilia, Rokin, Ralph… I've finally taken a step. Please, wait for me."
Droplets of tears slipped down his cheeks just before he drifted into a deep sleep.