Otaku Translation: The Amber Sword V2C153

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Chapter 153: The Dawn Part 7

"Elemental power?"

Brandon wasn’t aware of any elemental power with such effect. While reversing causality, rewinding time, or displacing space could achieve similar effects, there was a fundamental difference. Causality—the sequence and regularity of events—was tied to the relative motion of objects. Reversing such processes couldn’t be initiated externally; it had to originate from within.

The manifestation of golden-tier elemental power was inherently uncontrollable and always acted outwardly from its source. Thus, an element like time could almost certainly be ruled out. Space, on the other hand, was far too broad a concept. Even the single element of "space" carried multiple meanings and overlapped heavily with time. Order and stability might seem like definitions of space at first glance, but space itself encompassed countless sub-concepts—displacement, vectors, movement, and even connections to matter and spirit.

However, one thing was clear: spatial displacement was tied to movement, not stillness or stability. As for the lower-tier sub-elements—like inevitability within causality, optical phenomena such as refraction or distortion, or illusions—they could not lower the temperature of the material plane, let alone relate to order or stability.

Brandon sensed someone approaching from behind. A faint, sweet scent reached his nose, reminiscent of the aroma of certain tree leaves in the southern hills of Eruin after the onset of summer. He recognized it immediately—it was the same kind of leaf Cinnabar often tucked into her hairpin. Without turning around, he felt the red-haired girl step beside him. She stared ahead, unsheathing her sword—a weapon she rarely used—and silently handed it to him.

"Here," Cinnabar said.

"Thank you."

As Brandon took the sword, his gaze fell upon Kabirus rising from the ruins, his towering skeletal frame sending a cascade of pebbles tumbling down. The undead lord glared at them, his suspicions growing as he struggled to comprehend the young man’s elemental power. Kabirus’s own element, Soul Energy, enhanced attack and defense, but it paled in comparison to Brandon's enigmatic abilities. It had been utterly suppressed, unable to counteract the young man’s overwhelming force. Though Metissa led the mercenaries in a relentless charge against Baron Grudin’s private army, Kabirus remained frozen, locked in a tense standoff with Brandon.

Victory had once seemed certain, but now Kabirus feared that this mysterious youth might strike first. Pressing a hand to the wound on his brass-plated armor, the skeletal figure doubted whether he could withstand another blow. He knew the tide had turned, but he resolved to keep Brandon here no matter the cost.

"Shall we defeat him?" Cinnabar tightened her grip on her halberd and glanced back at Brandon.

He shook his head. He couldn’t be sure. Elemental powers were unpredictable, difficult to control. And Kabirus’s raw strength far exceeded his own. The undead lord could afford mistakes; Brandon could not. One misstep in gauging the effects of his element, and Kabirus would seize the opportunity to retaliate. The consequences would be dire.

Though Brandon had long since set aside thoughts of life and death, he bore responsibility for others now. Death was easy—but it was the coward’s way.

"That last attack was meant to draw you out," Brandon replied, referring to when Cinnabar had blocked the axe blow intended for him. "I thought you’d see through it."

"I’m sorry," Cinnabar realized belatedly, staring at him in surprise. "You… knew?" She had followed alone, keeping her distance in the forest where she was skilled at hiding. She distinctly remembered him walking ahead with Funiya, never once looking back. Suddenly suspicious, she closed her mouth and studied Brandon carefully.

Was he bluffing?

"I noticed when we left together," Brandon answered calmly. "The vessel of the blood of gods."

"Oh."

Cinnabar lowered her head. To her, this young lord was accustomed to controlling everything, acting according to his own will. Even Roma, who everyone adored, wasn’t spared his stern rebukes—let alone her. Still, before acting impulsively, she had already accepted that she might face blame. At least being scolded was better than feeling ignored.

Taking a deep breath, another possibility occurred to her. Was he planning to shift the blame onto Sanford and the others? The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Alarmed, she looked up at him warily.

"What are you thinking now?" Brandon read the suspicion plainly in her amber eyes.

"I act alone, and I take responsibility alone," Cinnabar said, frowning.

"Responsibility?" Brandon glanced at Kabirus, unmoving in the distance. He wondered who could afford to wait longer—him or the undead lord. But he wasn’t in a hurry. Instead, he engaged Cinnabar in idle conversation. His nonchalant attitude only reinforced her belief that he intended to punish the Gray Wolves Mercenary Company, making her increasingly uneasy.

Cinnabar gritted her teeth. "Do what you want."

She was just an orphan, raised in a mercenary band, but she’d heard enough tales of nobility to understand their ways.

Brandon paused, studying her. Her cheeks flushed red, and her ears burned as if it took every ounce of courage to speak. "Do what you want… my lord, but please don’t trouble them."

"Huh?"

"Isn’t that enough?" Cinnabar asked, clenching her jaw.

"What do you mean? Who are 'they'?"

"Sanford, and the others."

"Why would I bother them?"

Cinnabar froze, lifting her amber eyes to search his expression for truth. "Because—" She caught herself, then fell silent.

Brandon suddenly understood. He smiled faintly. "Given your nature, I’d find it strange if you hadn’t followed me."

"Would you?" Cinnabar murmured softly. Looking away, she muttered, "Don’t make me sound like a fool…"

"Not at all," Brandon shook his head. "I simply respect your choices."

"And the others?" Her gaze flickered.

"Everyone has duties and obligations. People can indulge their whims, but not endlessly." Brandon’s tone was measured. "I respect their decisions, but with choice comes responsibility. Impulse may guide action briefly, but the line between idealism and naivety lies in understanding what you’re willing to sacrifice—and paying that price. Therefore, I suppose you won’t choose to run away here either."

Cinnabar nodded, glaring at the shadow cast by Cold Fir City fortress in the darkness. "Hmph. Forcing me to retreat before that wretch? You might as well kill me."

"Precisely why I say our stances align," Brandon sighed. "We stand side by side in this battle. Why blame you?"

Cinnabar lowered her gaze. "In the end, I’m still an outsider."

Brandon glanced at her, realizing her thoughts. He wanted her as part of his forces—a golden-rank fighter whose value was undeniable—but perhaps this gradual integration was better. Emotional bonds formed slowly tended to last longer. He had no intention of abandoning Cinnabar, nor did he wish to coerce her using the Gray Wolves. That wasn’t his style.

So he merely smiled.

A brief silence fell over the battlefield. Brandon watched as Kabirus’s massive bone claw gripped the short spear—though to ordinary eyes, it resembled a standard lance. The soulfire burning within the undead lord’s eye sockets flared, yet he remained motionless. Brandon knew Kabirus intended to pin him here indefinitely. Glancing at the ongoing battle, he turned to Cinnabar. "Cinnabar."

"Yes?"

"Go support Metissa, will you? Leave this to me."

Cinnabar nodded, raising her halberd. She took two steps toward the fog-shrouded Kabirus, then stopped. "Just give the order…" she whispered softly. Before Brandon could respond, her fiery-red silhouette vanished into the smoke-filled streets. He blinked, then chuckled.

Turning back to Kabirus, the two adversaries remained locked in place.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Metissa encountered trouble. The mercenaries’ steady advance against Grudin’s private army faltered as they neared Cold Fir City fortress. This was the nobles’ final line of defense—but standing behind it were not only Grudin’s troops but also rows of skeletons gleaming faintly under the moonlight. Pale and eerily silent, these bone-clad warriors were unlike any Brandon had seen in Buchi. Unlike typical skeletal soldiers, they wore lightweight leather armor, wielded short spears, carried shortswords and small round shields, and each bore three or four additional bone javelins slung across their backs. Silent sentinels, they had inflicted heavy losses during earlier skirmishes.

Had Brandon been present, he would have identified them instantly: Madara’s elite Bone Spine column, low-tier undead renowned for their shock tactics. Their presence suggested that Targus’s personal guard—or one of his high-ranking officers—was nearby.

Sure enough, standing before the female knight now was a figure cloaked in black, dragging a massive scythe along the ground. Among the Four Knights of Revelation, while the Green Knight Malphoras, commander of the “Wolf Plague” legion, was considered the strongest, none inspired greater dread or mystery than the Black Knight, White—the impartial judge.

The knight raised its head, revealing a metal mask split into half-laughing, half-crying expressions. Its golden eyes fixed on Metissa.

"Who are you?" Metissa frowned, recalling the earlier clash and instinctively sensing the opponent’s immense power.

"A Silver Elf," White murmured, his voice resonating with magnetism. "So you’re with him, are you? How curious. Neither Viscount Stingham nor Buchi’s Brandon... A self-proclaimed Highland Knight, yet the Black Tower Wizards couldn’t possibly know so much about Madara. To me, he seems more like one of the Ancients—"

"Ancients?" Princess of the Silver Elves, Metissa hesitated.

But White had already lifted his gaze. Reflected in his eyes was a flare of fire rising in the southern sky—a magical signal ascending into the heavens—

…

Project Update: Volume 2 is now fully translated! However, as I'm currently focusing on stacking chapters for Volume 3, the release of the remaining chapters in Volume 2 will slow down a bit.

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