Chapter 24 – A Cruel Joke of Fate

When the old man heard the words of his apprentice, he immediately knew what was going to be the question.

The old man could not do anything but shake his head and prepare himself to answer while hearing the youth.

“You said that God’s Hand was unable of making an artificial spirit and that Lia’s is not a spirit, but a fragment of a soul fused with her. Does Aiden know about it, master?” Asked Han concerned.

“Sigh, it is just like you are thinking.” Said the old while shaking his head slightly. “Neither Aiden nor Lia know that the thing inside hers is not a spirit, and they think that it’s one, though incomplete. As you are thinking, Aiden is trying to create his spirit following Lia’s experiences, but he doesn’t know that it’s not even close to being the right method to create a spirit.”

“Then…”

“Yes, he doesn’t have any hope of succeeding from the beginning. The possibility of him creating a spirit following that process is almost null.”

“… Why you didn’t tell him then?” Asked Han

“… In the end, I and he are not related in any form. Though I have a good impression of him after knowing him for three years, the most I will do is advise him to think well about it; but as you saw, he didn’t take my advice to heart.”

“He is still naive after all.” Said the old man with a shake of his head.

The two of them stayed silent for a moment. Han felt pity for the boy, but even so, he knew he was unable of doing anything. After all, even intervening in the forest was something he wasn’t supposed to do.

“Such a pair of pitiful kids” Sighed the old man. “One is destined to have her soul devoured and the other to never be able to continue cultivating despite his incredible talent. At times like this, I think fate truly is cruel. After all, it made a pair of despaired souls to meet and gain ray of hope, only to shatter it from the beginning even without them knowing.”

Han also felt pitiful for the two after knowing about their fate. A pair of talented kids with great futures were destroyed in a whim of fate, and even now they were trying to continue forward without knowing that their destiny is already set. Han thought that Aiden was even more pitiful. After all, he was going to be forced to see his love becoming less and less her, without being able of doing anything.

But at the end of the day, there was nothing he could do, after all, he was unable of saving the girl, much less creating a spirit.

Heaving a sigh after thinking about it, Han decided don’t worry anymore about it and leave everything a fate. Who knows, perhaps an unlikely miracle can happen.

Seeing his disciple sitting in silence, the old man sighed and spoke. “Forget about it, you cannot help them. Go, get those ingredients for him. It’s better if he learns that it’s impossible after trying for himself.”

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Han stood and walked toward the exit after hearing his master; but before reaching her, he heard his master again.

“Oh right, tell to our men to hurry in their search for it. I don’t know how they learned about it but many sects sent people to this town to search for it. It’s better is we find it before they reach here.”

“Per you will, master.”

…

Aiden walked toward his home after leaving the rundown shop.

Though he was curious why the attitude of the old man looked different today, at the end he decided don’t worry about it.

Aiden knew that the old man was mysterious. Not just it, but he knows about his background clearly, for these reasons he is normally cautious when dealing with him.

But even with it, the old man is definitively the best option to get the materials he lacks to the ritual of getting the spirit. Though the old man is not trustworthy, if Aiden wants to get the materials for another medium, then perhaps he will be unable of getting everything after a year.

And thinking that even after three years the old man had never taken action against him, Aiden made the decision to bet in him not having any bad intention.

Though Aiden told Lia it was best for them to leave the town as soon as possible, after discovering the sealed stone they didn’t have any option but to stay here a bit longer. After all, if they leave now it will take them longer to reunite all the materials and realize the procedure. In the end, the pair decided to wait until after doing the ritual to leave.

Walking around the town to get at his home, Aiden passed beside the smithy and saw the old smith sleeping in a chair.

After hesitating for a moment, Aiden finally decided to make his way towards him. Entering the smithy, he felt the nostalgic smell of carbon and iron invade his nose.

Reaching before the old smith, Aiden waited for a moment without making a sound. After a few minutes so, the old man finally reacted.

“It looks like you finally remembered about me, boy.”

Smiling wryly hearing the old man words, Aiden stayed silent for a moment but finally chose to say his intentions directly.

“I will be leaving the town soon, old man. I need to prepare a few things before it, so I probably will not come here anymore after today.”

The old man didn’t have any reaction after hearing Aiden. It was as if he already knew it was going to happen. For a few minutes, the place remained silent.

“I knew you were going to left someday.” Said the old man finally breaking the silence. “But I didn’t think it was going to be so soon.”

Aiden was unable to speak after hearing his words.

To be sincere, Aiden respected the old man very much. For two years, the old man taught him everything about blacksmithing without hiding anything or having any reservation. For Aiden, who was abandoned for almost everybody after losing his spirit, the position of the old man in his heart was even beyond a teacher and closer to a family member. Even now, he was debating if it was the right choice to leave the town and the old man behind.

But at the end, he knew it was unavoidable.

He would do everything in his power to fulfill his dream.

Independently of the ritual succeeding or failing, he would leave.

Either to further advance his cultivation…

… Or to search for another method to get a spirit.

The old man seemed to understand Aiden’s thoughts, so he didn’t continue asking and only looked at him silently.

“Go, I understand.” The old man sighed tiredly and waved his hand. “Though I’m not sure of your circumstances, I know you are not resigned to remain in this small town. Go and do what you need to do. Only remember never forget the things I taught you.”

Aiden bowed deeply before the old man and turned to leave while suppressing his tears.

Though he only decided to learn blacksmithing as a method to investigate the creation of spirits, after two years, he learned many more than it.

So, though it was impossible for him to remain in this place, he decided to fulfill the only wish of the old man.

He swore never to forget every one of the things he learned here.

And if one day he successfully accomplished his dreams, he swore return here to make the old man proud.

Before leaving, Aiden was able to hear the old man speaking softly.

“if it is possible, I would like for you come here the day when you are leaving.”

Without looking back, Aiden only nodded softly.