The Conciege
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ROTLE-Chapter 134- Reach For The Impossible
🕑 Added 2025-06-10 14:39:23 +0000 UTCKing Brandis, fourth of his name, ran a hand through his hair, worried. He was seated in his study, wondering where things had gone wrong. Sending the summoned all the way to Trackback had been the right decision, made by him under the influence of nobody else.
He had been doing this a lot recently, making decisions without his wife’s input or the [Sage]’s. He was seeing the toll that it was taking on his wife and it hurt him. Every day she wondered if he was displeased with her because of the outcome of Aiden Lacheart, if he was locking her out.
He explained every day that he did this for himself. He had been becoming a man that he could not recognize, making decisions that the man he believed he truly was would not be proud of. He needed to be sure of himself again. He needed to rule his kingdom in a way that made him sleep at night without questioning himself.
And he would explain to her as many times as she wanted that he had no problems with her. He still loved her and appreciated her. He just needed to be confident in his decisions, know that they were right.
He had been gaining that confidence for the past few weeks.
Now, however, all his confidence was dashed against the ground.
“The Order,” he muttered to himself. “Why? What did I do?”
The [Sage] stood in front of his desk, hands clasped behind his back. He looked completely unbothered.
“Deredoff,” he said simply.
Brandis paled. “He had a contract with them? Was he under their protection?”
It would explain his arrogance, though. Being backed by the Order was one of the greatest levels of protection anyone could get, maybe even the greatest.
The [Sage]’s response, however, disagreed with the thought.
“Derendoff?” he snorted. “The Order’s attention on him, at best, would be as an offshoot of his father and sister. They would not be inclined to waste their time on him.”
“Then why do they want my head because of him?”
“The sightbound decree.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Brandis asked, confused. “I am king, I used the decree as any king would. I…”
His words trailed off at the look the [Sage] gave him.
He had used the decree as was his right as king. However, he had used it the wrong way. He had used it to permit the death of a man. Every monarch knew that it wasn’t right. It wasn’t moral or ethical.
Brandis placed his elbows on the table, interlocking his fingers.
“But it is just a myth,” he muttered, fear choking his words, making him stutter. “Like bedtime stories. We use it the way we do because it is right. To use it the other way is wrong.” He met the [Sage]’s eyes. “Right?”
“Right,” the old man agreed. “And wrong.”
Brandis shook his head. “My kingdom lies in the balance. Please, no riddles.”
“No riddles,” the [Sage] said. “Naturally, I would not be explaining this to you, but since an executioner—if he is even worthy of being called one—has been sent, it means that you are to know your crime. I might as well explain it.”
“Please.”
“Once upon a time, too many years ago, monarchs abused the sightbound system. You could sit down and sightbound a man who refused to let you sleep with his wife, and someone would happily kill them. Almost all the monarchs did it, enough that the few that did not do it were too little to matter. So, the Order was forced to step in. That era was called the Era of the King Killers.” The [Sage] shook his head as if it was a solemn thing. “Too many monarchs lost their lives, each one knowing the reason for their death. Eventually, an agreement was reached, with the Order as witness.”
“The same Order that was killing them?” Brandis asked, it sounded a little… wrong.
“While the Order is full of monsters, Brandis, they are not evil.”
“Killing monarchs, and coming for me over a transgression I did not know was a transgression?” Brandis asked in disbelief. “If they are not evil, then what are they?”
The [Sage] did not bat an eye when he answered. “Necessary.”
“Necessary?”
“Yes.” He nodded. “Necessary. You see, good and evil already exists, locked in eternal combat. The Order exists to maintain that order until one of them wins. But when giants fight, there will always be casualties. The Order deals with that at their own discretion. It’s a lot more complicated than that, but I digress. This conversation is about the sightbound decree. It is something that falls under what is termed as the laws of the Order.”
“So, the Order makes laws, and we follow them?”
“Not quite.” The [Sage] shook his head. “In the case of the sightbound decree, the Order killed every time until the monarchs came together and made the agreement with a representative of the Order present. They worried that the Order would continue to kill at its leisure so they agreed for it to be a law enforceable by the Order.”
“Then why do we not know of these laws?” Brandis asked.
“Because over the years monarchs were stupid enough to hope that if it moved from laws to rumors, then it would also become rumors to the Order until it became a myth. That way, in some distant future the Order would no longer be feared by the crowns. They kind of succeeded if you really think of it that way.”
“But kings still die to the Order,” Brandis pointed out. “It is something that still happens.”
“Very rarely,” the [Sage] objected. “Not often enough. The bottom line is this: The old monarchs turned it into rumors instead of laws, and the Order did not care to rectify it because it was not their job. Ultimately, you are paying for the sins of your fathers, metaphorically speaking.”
“How is that fair?”
The [Sage] shrugged. “Life is not fair. However, the executioner failed in his attempt.”
“Which is unheard of,” Brandis mused. “The Order does not fail. It is part of the reason they are so feared.”
“Yes, which means that the failure was intentional. The Order wants something.”
“Something apart from my head?”
The [Sage] nodded. “I know a thing or two about how the Order works. Punishments are negotiable. In your case, you are not entirely at fault, and you have a good track record. Your life can be negotiated; your punishment changed from death.”
“How?”
“That is for me to figure out.” The old man sighed. “The Order has always been a practical being, emotional sometimes, jovial too, but always practical.” He paused, muttering to himself. “I just need to find out what he wants from me.”
With that, the [Sage] turned and headed for one of the bookshelves, walking quietly, calmly. Brandis’ life hung in the balance, and he didn’t seem bothered enough.
“I have sent the summoned to investigate the crystal,” he said tiredly, offering up the information as thanks for the lecture.
The [Sage] paused. “What crystal?”
“The one you wanted.”
“Oh, that. Thank you.” The [Sage] resumed his departure.
Halfway into the bookshelf, Brandis realized something.
“You don’t care about the crystal, do you?” he asked. “It doesn’t matter whether we get it or not.”
“It does not,” the [Sage] confirmed, stepping out of the bookshelf and back into the room.
“Then why?”
“Because you wanted to help.”
This wasn’t making sense to Brandis, not really. “The [Crystal of Existence] is something that monarch’s fight to get. Why does it not—”
“If the crystal is a thousand gold coins, then that is a lot of gold for a peasant,” the [Sage] said, interrupting him. “To a lord, it is still a lot but not that much. To a king, it’s not that much but still something to note. Ask yourself this question, Brandis. What are a thousand gold coins to a person who owns his own mine? What is it to a person who counts his gold in the billions?”
“But your staff?”
“The crystal presents but a single unimportant feature to its creation.” The [Sage] shrugged. “It is ignorable, replaceable too. Let the children have at it. If they succeed in claiming it, then it is good for them. If not… then these things happen.”
Brandis paused. The time had not come for the crystal to respawn.
“How can the children claim it?” he asked, his brain putting things together. “The time has not yet come for it to respawn. We sent them there to level up.”
“You are a [King],” the [Sage] said as if tired of the conversation, walking back to the bookshelves. “You have countless perks, you will know when the time comes as you always have. Until then, I will go and bargain for your life.”
Brandis stared at him, unable to stop him as he vanished into one of the shelves.
He would know. That much was true.
Every monarch knew when the [Crystal of Existence] respawned. The same was the case with the [Heart of Nosrath]. They knew an hour after it respawned.
Does he know, too?
If yes, then just what wasn’t he being told? What was about to happen with the [Crystal of Existence]?
The man knew secrets about world phenomena and was speaking so casually about negotiations with the Order to turn aside a kill order.
A new question came into Brandis’ mind as he stared at the bookshelves.
Just what exactly was a [Sage]?
…
Jang Su looked between the two of them as if they had lost their minds. He hesitated, a moment of consideration crossing his expression. In the end, he shook his head.
“You know what?” he muttered like an exhausted caretaker. “I’ll just go and keep people out. Try not to make too much of a mess.”
With that, he moved past them.
The tip of Aiden’s sword tapped against the floor. The [Sage]’s eyes looked at the tip of the blade as it tapped against the floor. It took a moment for Aiden to realize that he had a handicap of his own. He could not fight using any techniques of the Order.
There was no need to draw any more attention than was necessary. Still, the point of his sword continued to tap against the floor. He kept a steady rhythm to Jang Su’s heartbeat as he passed.
Aiden’s eyes met the [Sage]’s. There was a moment of understanding. A moment of truth. The [Sage] knew his plan.
Jang Su came within reach. In a matter of time, Jang Su would be gone, making his way for the door.
Aiden’s sword tapped the ground once more. Jang Su’s pulse moved. Aiden moved.
He threw his shoulder into Jang Su, destabilizing him. Jang Su’s eyes widened as he staggered back, falling into the [Sage].
Aiden caught sight of the [Sage]’s entertained smile as he spun around a falling Jang Su, axe swinging in his pirouette.
The [Sage] tapped Jang Su on the back, throwing him forward. It did nothing to interrupt Aiden’s spin. Jang Su staggered into the door and the [Sage] leaned away from Aiden’s swinging axe.
The blow missed by less than an inch. Aiden ignored his miss, doubling down on his attack. He stepped in, forcing himself to stop and duck as the [Sage]’s stick whipped out of nowhere. It cut through the air without making a sound, not even the whipping sound that came with swinging a stick.
Aiden moved, rounding the [Sage]. The old man’s eyes watched him. They held nothing but curiosity in them.
The sound of a door opening tickled Aiden’s ears. He ignored it. Feet dancing beneath him, he switched between stances, from an axe wielder’s stance to a swordsman’s stance.
The [Sage]’s eye twitched, noting the switch.
Aiden leapt at him, sword swinging at awkward angles. The old man blocked each strike easily. His stick had no right surviving the onslaught, while the man stood in place. But Aiden guessed that anything in the hands of a [Sage] could be a weapon if they wished for it to be.
“Impressive,” the old man muttered. “The sword dance of the Eleti tribe.”
Aiden ignored the man’s amusement. He twirled the weapon and leapt forward, aiming for the man’s eye. The man’s stick came up slamming into the sword. It sent the weapon flying upwards. Aiden let it go, rather than fight to keep it in his hold.
The weapon shot upwards, followed by a thudding sound.
The [Sage]’s stick came down on him immediately after. For some reason, it felt to Aiden like the descent of a great sword instead of a stick. Something that would cleave him in two in one swing. Aiden moved, throwing himself to the side.
“You sensed that,” the [Sage] said, impressed. “Jang Su still hasn’t been able to.”
Aiden did not grant the [Sage]’s words an oral response.
[You have used skill Pathfinder]
Angling himself properly, he shot into the wall as he tried to use the skill [Pathfinder] in an unorthodox manner.
Find me victory, he thought, hoping it would work.
The skill flared to life for a moment, a slight line, white and almost translucent trailed a path to the [Sage]’s neck. The old man’s eye flickered down to the line very momentarily as Aiden’s legs slammed into the wall, knees bending to absorb the shock.
He can see it? Aiden realized in confused horror. Impossible.
But it did not dissuade him. There was a path to victory now and he was more than willing to take it. Focusing on his strength on his legs, he activated another skill.
[You have used skill Leap]
He felt the muscles in his leg tighten as mana flowed into them. Then he shot away from the wall like a fired bullet.
The [Sage] smiled.
“Unorthodox uses,” he complimented.
The line from [Pathfinder] disappeared. Aiden frowned but was not dissuaded from his attack. The [Sage] turned his body, leaning to the side. His stick came up. Aiden swung his axe at the old man’s neck, holding it in two hands. The thudding sound of a tree under the attack of a lumberjack filled the air.
Aiden’s arm shook from the impact as he blasted past the [Sage]. He hit the ground in an awkward crouch and leapt upwards.
He came down with a double handed axe swing.
[You have learnt Overhead axe chop (Mastery 6.29%)]
The [Sage] deflected it easily, turning the blow aside so that it came down to the ground with enough force to shatter the wood.
“You move so naturally with it,” the [Sage] said. His stick blurred.
Aiden moved, throwing himself back. The cane stopped before it hit the ground.
“I don’t think the axe is your preferred choice,” the [Sage] mused. He looked up at Aiden’s sword where it had stabbed the ceiling. “You feel more like a swordsman, but something feels… off.”
Aiden swung his arm, sent his axe flying. It spun horizontally through the air. The old man’s arm came up and Aiden jumped high after the axe.
“Still feels like your swordsmanship is off,” the [Sage] muttered, thoughtful as he turned the axe aside with his stick.
Aiden descended on top of him. The [Sage] raised his stick and Aiden dropped on top of it. The man cocked an inquisitive brow.
“A dogfight?”
Aiden ignored him and leapt off the stick that wasn’t supposed to be able to hold up his weight. He shot up to the ceiling, grabbed his sword by the hilt and came down.
The [Sage] swung again, moving a little too fast. The sound of metal and wood meeting filled the room as Aiden was thrown aside.
Light cracked at Aiden’s finger tips.
The [Sage] cocked his head to the side. “What will you be presenting now?”
A bow as long as Aiden was tall appeared in his hand.
“With a knuckle guard,” the old man noted. “And an enchantment. You’re an interesting young man, aren’t you?”
Aiden set the bow and nocked his sword.
The [Sage]’s eyes widened in surprise.
Aiden released. The sword shot through the air, disappearing through the distance. The [Sage] leaned to the side at the last moment. The weapon nicked his robe. It left a thin line in the sleeve.
“OH, YES!” the [Sage] roared, ecstatic. “Surprise me!”
Aiden was already moving. He intended to surprise the man very much. He slid along the ground, ducking past the man’s swinging stick and ecstatic look, while light crackled at the fingertips of his free hand.
Two arrows appeared in his hand as he successfully passed by. He nocked them in place immediately and released the two at once.
One threatened to graze the [Sage]’s jaw while the other one was way off target. Unsurprisingly, the old man evaded the only one that was on track.
[Pathfinder] was gone. There was no other line after the first.
Aiden slid to a stop and lunged at the [Sage]. The old man’s brows furrowed, clearly wondering what was coming next.
Releasing the handle, his hand slid down the length of the bow and he swung it like a baseball bat at the man’s head.
“Woah!” the [Sage] ducked. “Aim a little higher.”
Aiden moved, switching grips as he came down with a punch. The [Sage]’s stick came up. The blow grazed against the stick, the knuckle guard protecting Aiden’s fist. Surprisingly, while it seemed like a parry, something felt off.
Aiden moved, switching stances to adjust for another blow.
“Higher,” the [Sage] muttered, parrying the blow in the same way.
Aiden frowned. He aimed his third blow higher. This time, the [Sage] parried it properly, sending the blow aside.
“Good,” he said, then swung at Aiden.
Aiden leapt back.
[Basic Bow-combat (Mastery 02.10% > 10.09%)]
What the hell?
Aiden leaned into the [Sage] with a flurry of strikes. The [Sage] stood in place, unmoving. His stick shot out each time, intercepting every strike. Some of Aiden’s strikes were adjusted while some were completely parried, forcing him to adjust and strike from an uncomfortable position.
Each adjustment was one he took into account, rectifying either the force of the blow or the trajectory of the blow. When the [Sage] parried, he knew he had done it right.
[Basic Bow-combat (Mastery 10.09% > 15.90%)]
[Basic Bow-combat (Mastery 15.90% > 19.09%)]
[Basic Bow-combat (Mastery 19.09% > 23.00%)]
[Basic Bow-combat (Mastery 23.00% > 29.41%)]
“The Imola tribe’s bowmanship has always been good for combat,” the [Sage] said as he tilted his head to the side, dodging it. “I see that Brandis has spared no expense in training you.”
Aiden leapt back, saying nothing. He created distance between him and the [Sage], notching three arrows summoned from his storage space. Nocking them in place, he let them fly as he flew back.
He dropped into a roll, not bothering to check whether his arrows had hit their mark, and snatched up his axe from the ground.
He never said what constitutes my victory, Aiden realized belatedly as he rushed forward again.
He threw the bow at the [Sage], knowing that there was nothing else he could do to surprise the old man with it.
The man smacked it aside with his stick. With the length of the bow, there had been no way to evade it without moving.
Aiden frowned as he leapt into the air once more, coming down with an overhead axe chop. The [Sage] had not moved his feet from their spot since the fight started. Was that the criteria for his victory?
His axe came down once more. This time, the old man did not turn it away with his stick. He slapped the flat of the axe, shifting its trajectory.
[You have learnt Overhead axe chop (Mastery 6.29% > 16.00%)]
“Repetition can get you killed, kid,” the old man muttered.
Aiden’s axe slammed into the ground, and he rolled away from where he was. The [Sage]’s stick swept after him as he fled with the axe.
He summoned another weapon.
A spear appeared in his hand.
The [Sage] cocked his head to the side. “Aren’t you too young to be a weapon master?”
“Age is just a number,” Aiden said, then charged forward again.
The [Sage] smiled at him. “You look quite feral.”
Aiden did not doubt it.
Spear in one hand and battle axe in the other, he moved again.
That class evolution was going to be his.
Tonight, he came for Jang Su but was willing to go for a greater reward.
Tonight, he would win against a [Sage].
The sound of metal slamming into wood filled the air.
“Yes, [Knight Killer],” the [Sage] demanded. “Reach for the impossible!”
Comments
Bk
The sage sound like he’s getting his rocks off from this fight 😭😭
The Conciege
Rectified to 'was a [Sage].' As for the question about the reward, the class evolution still stands. But, unlike the others, he only gets it if he wins. Now he's just being very ambitious, seeking to win against a [Sage] and claim that one, too.
nobody
Thank you for the chapter really enjoyable. One thing I am confused wasn't the reward changed to world enchantment why Aiden says the class evolution is mine. And last line of brandis pov it should be were instead of where i think
Kai
I’m loving how unique these two Sages are. Both insane in their own ways
Kai
Thank yu!
