Eternal Freedom's Ascension-Chapter 137: Casual Conversation about Death

"You all are dismissed. Kaiser, you stay."

Patriarch Ture ordered calmly. The other juniors all stepped back, bowing once and then leaving swiftly.

Once the hall had emptied, Ture leaned forward. Locking his fingers beneath his chin, he stared at Kaiser deeply.

"Report your training."

The boy got on one knee instantly, recounting the events that occurred from the Western Sky Bridge to the Eastern Sky Bridge. The Patriarch didn’t interrupt him, letting him say everything he had gone through.

"... since they didn’t bother attacking, I ignored their presence and arrived in the Shattered Thrones region."

Ending his report there, Kaiser fell silent.

Ture’s eyes sharpened, complicated emotions within them.

"So... someone put out a bounty against you with heavy rewards. I’ve heard about this."

He said solemnly, pulling out a brown scroll from his clothes. Unfurling the scroll, Kaiser saw his exact face duplicated into paper. His name, age, current location at that time and Realm was even detailed.

’Oh. No wonder only Awakened mercenaries and one Evolved human came after me. The Ascendants might have found it below them to hunt a mere Awakened.’

"Exactly. Just as you have thought. Gomez and a few others were busy handling the Transcendents who wanted to take up the mission." Ture informed him, showing no ripple of emotion on his face.

Kaiser nodded calmly. "I understand. What are your plans for the person who put out the bounty?"

Ture sighed tiredly. "Unfortunately, I can’t act rashly. The other parties consist of two Monarchs who are somewhat related to your father."

This revelation stunned Kaiser. "Related to him? In what way...?"

He wondered why his father’s acquaintances would want to kill him. Perhaps they were his father’s enemies.

Ture’s expression became weird, and he shook his head. "It is best you don’t know, for now." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

’Hm? That’s strange.’

Although Kaiser found it a surprise that his uncle was being secretive, he didn’t press the man for answers. It wasn’t really necessary to know, anyway.

Ture immediately changed the topic. "You said you made an achievement by completely destroying an angel, right? Then you got a sneak peek into history. Not bad, not bad."

He seemed impressed by such a feat, though it was no longer anything special to someone of his level.

Then, he switched to the next important detail. "You met with the Stormveil Patriarch and he threatened to kill you?"

A wide grin spread across his face. "That old man has finally gotten some guts. But it seems he needs to be revisited."

Kaiser shrugged. "I don’t hold it against him. After all, he successfully raised a genuine article."

Ture nodded. "Hm. You mentioned her too. A beastkin, right? That is interesting. It has been a while since I met one of their kind."

Suddenly, a subtle teasing expression appeared on his face.

"So now that you’ve finally met someone who’s not on the verge of death, and has color... what’re you going to do with her?"

Kaiser considered the question seriously. "That depends on what stance she takes. If she becomes an ally, it is her choice. If she becomes an enemy, it is her choice too. She is... free."

Ture blinked, smiling slightly. "You’re still pursuing your dream of freedom, huh? Interesting."

He was well aware of Kaiser’s obsession with the state of freedom, even on the slightest matters.

’Even agreeing to attend such a restrictive academy must be to honor me and show respect. Sigh, such a peculiar kid.’

"That aside, the most important part of your report." His brows furrowed. "Your memory of the ruins beneath the Smoke Pillar was sealed, right?"

Kaiser nodded, a solemn expression on his face.

’I didn’t expect him to actually survive there without a miracle happening. It is just like I guessed. Using his son truly forced the man to act. However, he surpassed my expectations and planned ahead.’

"Let me see the runic formation manual."

He received the little book from Kaiser, checking through the pages with deep scrutiny.

"This was definitely written by a Land Spirit."

Kaiser was intrigued. "A Land Spirit? The one from that ruin? It makes sense."

Land Spirits were merely guardians of high-level ruins, and they could be subjugated to serve a person.

’It seems father has successfully subjugated that one. No wonder it helped me survive.’

Ture nodded, reclining into his throne. "Since it personally sealed your memories, I shouldn’t interfere. Or do you want me to unseal them?"

The blue-haired boy waved his hand. "No. I’ll unseal them myself."

"It is your choice indeed." His uncle nodded, closing his eyes calmly. "The most mysterious of them all... probably has a connection to your physique."

Kaiser reacted slightly, raising his head to look at the Patriarch’s face.

"You should already know by now. You have the FrozenGenesis Essence Physique. Not to joke, but it is essentially a great boon wrapped in suicide clothing."

Kaiser nodded slightly. "Indeed, I’ve started seeing its benefits—Insane healing abilities."

The Patriarch tilted his head. "Oh, that fast?"

He didn’t think it would already be manifesting that much.

"Yes, it is indeed fast." Kaiser’s eyes narrowed. "You must have prepared countermeasures ahead for the eventual self-destruction, right?"

Ture nodded without a change in his expression. "I predict it might occur during your stay in the academy. Therefore, I have indeed prepared countermeasures."

Kaiser tilted his head. "You don’t seem troubled. I presume you have a replacement for me already."

"Yes. Since your chances of survival are zero, I have prepared Chad as the next Patriarch."

The blue-haired boy didn’t look unsettled. If anything, he looked relieved. "Good. I wouldn’t want my absence to disrupt some procedures."

It was as if they weren’t talking about his death, and merely his temporary absence.

Nodding casually, Ture gestured for him to rise. "You should be preparing to return to the academy soon. Your semester break is almost over, after all."

Kaiser stretched languidly, flexing his arms and fingers. "You’re right. I wonder how much has really changed in my absence. Perhaps there might be even some interesting developments."