Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

CH719 How To Gain A Territory II

**[A.N: Mass Release Chapter: 7/10]**

”This is the third time you have asked me that question since we left BloodIron,” Alex interrupted. ”And my answer remains the same.”

”There is a reason this place is considered one of—if not the most dangerous location on the continent,” Saul warned seriously.

”If you were this worried about it, then perhaps you should not have told me about it in the first place,” Alex replied with a smile.

”Yes... indeed.” Saul sighed heavily. ”That was my mistake.”

Alex chuckled softly as he poked at the campfire with a stick.

His thoughts drifted back to the conversation he had shared with Saul nearly two months earlier, when the man first informed him about the opportunity he had discovered.

—

”Young Master Alex, I have news,” Saul Redwald announced.

”What is it?” Alex asked curiously.

”I have found a way for you to enter the Celahan Empire as a noble,” Saul replied, momentarily stunning Alex.

However, Alex quickly noticed the hesitation lingering within Saul’s expression.

”Let me guess,” Alex said dryly. ”It is either not going to be easy... or it involves something I am not going to like.”

”Both, actually,” Saul admitted.

Alex gestured towards a nearby seat, motioning for Saul to sit.

”Fine. Then tell me about this method you found,” Alex said as he sat down as well.

”I reached out to some old acquaintances within the Oxborn Duchy for assistance,” Saul explained. ”One of my old friends suggested that we assume the identity of a fallen noble House.

”I know you will dislike the idea, but it is the only way House Cyrindale is willing to sponsor your entry into the aristocracy.

”I have already secured the Duke’s word. As long as the individual I present possesses noble lineage, he is willing to help you obtain an official title as a landed noble.”

Alex inwardly raised an eyebrow.

’It seems people in this world take considerable offence to the idea of assuming a false name—even if it is only temporary,’ Alex mused inwardly.

’Then again, it makes sense. Whether here or on Pangea, most nobles take immense pride in their House names. To abandon that pride, even for practical reasons, is something many of them would never tolerate.

’Too bad I am not nearly that rigid. I will do whatever needs to be done.’

”Since you brought the idea forward, I assume you have already prepared possible backgrounds for me?” Alex asked as he looked towards Saul.

”My contact compiled a list of potential fallen Houses we could make use of,” Saul explained. ”The issue is that whichever House you choose will—most likely—be directly tied to the region where your future fief will be located once the House is officially restored under your authority.

”And most of these Houses still potentially possess surviving descendants or distant heirs who could one day challenge your legitimacy over the House name.”

Alex briefly glanced over the list before returning his attention to Saul.

”Is there a House located near the northern region of the Empire—the general area I previously mentioned to you—that has no known surviving heirs?” Alex asked directly instead of bothering to inspect the full report himself.

”There is one House that satisfies your requirements,” Saul admitted. ”Unfortunately... this is also the dangerous part I mentioned earlier.”

”House Skywalker...” Saul said as he pointed towards a suspiciously placed entry at the very bottom of the final page of the report. ”This House was once known as the Protector of the Empire’s Northeastern frontier.

”Unfortunately, the House fell roughly a century ago after being overrun by beasts emerging from the Great Berserk Beast Forest. Every known member of the family was reportedly slaughtered overnight as the forest consumed the entire fiefdom.”

Saul paused before looking at Alex solemnly.

”Because of the significance attached to the House’s name within the Empire, the only acceptable way to claim succession over House Skywalker is to present the House Patriarch’s Seal. Nothing less would ever be acknowledged by the Empire.”

”Let me guess,” Alex said dryly. ”The Patriarch’s Seal is believed to still be somewhere within the territory where the House originally fell, right?”

”Yes. Within House Skywalker’s former capital city—Anakor—which is now considered part of the Great Berserk Beast Forest,” Saul confirmed.

Alex picked up the document containing the information regarding House Skywalker.

As he scanned through the report, one particular detail immediately caught his attention—one that ultimately helped him make up his mind.

”I have decided,” Alex said with a smile. ”We are heading into the Great Berserk Beast Forest to retrieve the Skywalker Patriarch’s Seal.”

—

Alex chuckled softly as he recalled the expressions his companions had worn when he first announced the expedition into the Great Berserk Beast Forest.

Aside from battle maniacs such as Kavakan and Mogal, very few people had shown any enthusiasm towards the idea. His wives, in particular, had tried quite vehemently to dissuade him from proceeding with the plan.

However, Alex had his reasons for choosing House Skywalker.

’A House tasked with protecting the Empire’s northern frontier from external threats... and possessing those iconic pale yellow-red eyes,’ Alex reflected inwardly.

’Guardians of the north... red eyes... the Skywalkers are essentially this plane’s equivalent of the Fury Family. And if that is the case, then as a member of the Fury Family, it is only right that I help recover the Patriarch’s Seal of our parallel counterpart.’

Though Alex framed the matter in such a way, the truth was somewhat different.

The real reason was... Providence.

He genuinely felt as though fate—or perhaps even Destiny itself—had woven its hand into this situation.

What were the odds that he would suddenly require the identity of a noble House, only for one of the available options to be a family that shared striking similarities with his own Fury Family?

A House that had fallen against an enemy he was already destined to confront... and whose lost territory just so happened to occupy the ideal location for the future territory he wished to establish.

Perhaps it truly was all merely coincidence.

Yet there were simply too many coincidences layered together for Alex to completely ignore them.

’Fate is merely a chain of coincidences... until a connecting pattern, destination, or purpose finally reveals itself,’ Alex thought to himself.

And so, despite all opposition and concern, Alex remained unwavering in his decision.

However, Alex was not foolish enough to underestimate the Great Berserk Beast Forest.

Since this was ultimately a retrieval mission rather than a conquest campaign, Alex chose to draw upon the lessons learned from the Dankrot Forest expedition.

Instead of mobilising Fortuna’s full strength of nearly a thousand personnel—alongside the BattleBane Guild forces—he opted to deploy only a small elite unit for the operation.

This decision was not solely because a large army would more easily attract the attention of the forest’s inhabitants, but also because Alex did not wish for others to suffer the consequences of a decision that had ultimately been his own.

As such, he intended to bring only the absolute minimum force necessary to complete the objective.

Which was why the expedition consisted solely of his soul-bound followers and his Rune Soldiers—individuals who had, for all intents and purposes, already accepted following him into whatever madness or danger he chose to pursue.

As for the BattleBanes, Alex had originally intended to bring only Saul with him.

After all, Saul was needed as a guide, and more importantly, he was a Saint-ranked combatant. If there was anyone within Fortuna’s current forces most likely to survive the dangers of the Great Berserk Beast Forest, it would undoubtedly be him.

Unfortunately, the BattleBanes themselves had vehemently objected to allowing their Guild Master to venture into such a dangerous location alone.

In the end, Alex and Saul had only barely managed to reduce the number accompanying them to just two additional Captains—the strongest individuals within the Guild aside from Saul himself.

Thus, an elite team had been assembled. One that should, in theory, be capable of infiltrating the forest, retrieving the Patriarch’s Seal, and escaping without causing significant disturbance within the Great Forest itself.

’Yeah, right. There is absolutely no way it will be that easy,’ Alex had thought to himself at the time.

And so, he spent nearly two full weeks as well as the month-long journey leading towards the forest to prepare for the expedition.

During that time, he repeatedly reviewed the dangers and critical points Saul had warned him about from his own past experience entering the Great Forest.

Now that they stood only a single day away from the forest itself, Alex could finally feel the ominous pressure of the Great Berserk Beast Forest firsthand.

Only now did he truly begin to understand why it was regarded as one of the most dangerous locations on the entire plane.

Forget entering it—most people would likely tremble and retreat merely from sensing the oppressive aura radiating from the forest’s depths alone.

Which was precisely why Saul had once again asked whether Alex wished to reconsider venturing inside.

***