Chapter 31: Seed of Treason
The second floor dwarfed even the grandeur of the first. Crowds of people wandered between the vast, towering columns of bookshelves that stretched endlessly into the shadows.
The Head Firekeeper spoke as he guided Kage through the narrow passages between the shelves.
"The second floor houses three primary sections," he explained. "The Iron Chronicles Wing preserves clan histories spanning eight thousand years—military campaign records, battle strategies, territorial expansion documents, inter-clan treaties, and trade agreements."
Though accessible, only proven and trusted individuals gained entry.
Beyond that lay the Cultivation Arts Pavilion. Here, common martial techniques and sword forms filled the shelves. These mundane combat arts had been developed by ordinary humans who’d copied fragments of Severance principles.
Such techniques granted commoners a sliver of survival hope. Yet against Severance arts, they were nothing more than a crawler flailing helplessly.
Breathing methods lined these shelves too, though none held significance for the clan. No breath style here could forge a path toward mastering even a basic profound-grade severance art.
All were third-rate at best.
Finally stood the Worldly Wisdom section, containing geographical surveys of the known world, diplomatic records from other clans, economic treaties, trade route maps, and cultural studies of neighboring territories.
After wandering the floor briefly, the Head Firekeeper ascended to the third level, revealing three distinct sections.
The Bloodline Records Hall, the Masters’ Compendium, and the Artisan’s Archives.
The Bloodline Records Hall housed complete genealogies of all major and minor clan families—a vast, overwhelming repository.
Kage studied it with different eyes, knowing that someday, should he choose mercy over destruction, his name would grace one of these scrolls.
Legitimacy proofs and bastard registries filled entire sections, guaranteeing his inclusion.
The Head Firekeeper watched Kage more intently when showing him the shelves containing Legitimacy Proofs and Bastard Registries. Apparently, many Patriarchs had been remarkably promiscuous.
A section dedicated to coming-of-age ceremonies occupied another corner. Then came the Masters’ Compendium, where scrolls of various Severance arts and advanced breathing styles resided. Though still unimpressive—earth grade at their peak.
Severance arts followed five classifications: Common, Earth, Profound, Heaven, and Origin. Most clans wielded arts ranging from Earth to Heaven grade, while Origin-grade techniques remained incredibly rare, found only among the great lineages.
Even then, mastery demanded such difficulty that descendants required specific thresholds before receiving instruction.
Strategic warfare manuals, severance formation guides, and psychological manipulation studies completed the collection.
They reached the fourth level, which the Head Firekeeper called "The Sacred Forge."
Two sections dominated this space: the Judgment Codex and the Shadow Histories.
Complete clan laws and punishment protocols, death sentence records, execution methods, internal trial transcripts, and justice precedent texts filled the Judgment Codex—Kage’s true destination.
Twenty years hence, a prisoner would escape the Black Tower, the Ironstorm prison fortress, and that breakout would be linked to the fourth floor’s destruction by fire.
A wicked smile curved his lips as he contemplated helping the clan’s most dangerous enemy escape—years before the future perpetrator would manage it.
This would prove challenging. Incredibly so. One misstep meant death. But Kage needed a formidable ally to guard his back temporarily.
He knew this person’s abilities from his past life, and more importantly, knew their fatal weakness—one an incompetent fool had exploited for control.
Now Kage simply needed to orchestrate a prison break.
Easier said than done, naturally.
The Head Firekeeper studied Kage, bowing his head before asking.
"Would you like me to show you more, or is this sufficient, young lord?"
Kage surveyed the area, then returned his gaze to the young man.
"I think this is enough... for now."
The young man bowed.
"Then I shall take my leave. Please don’t hesitate to summon me should you need anything."
As he turned to leave, Kage’s voice reached him, causing him to halt.
"Let’s say... there’s a log of powerful prisoners, especially those captured in the last five to ten years—where would it be?"
The Head Firekeeper turned and studied the fifteen-year-old young master with a mildly puzzled expression.
He hesitated.
"Young lord. Why... would you need such a thing?"
Kage scratched his head like a clueless kid.
"Uhm... because I’m searching for a prisoner called Hwi-Geon."
His eyes suddenly widened in realization.
"Right! The Head Firekeeper would know! Since you’re also hunting for the same prisoner."
Kage smiled wickedly.
"...right?"
The Head Firekeeper’s eyes widened and his face drained of color instantly, his mind racing.
’What is this bastard saying... how... how did he discover Hwi-Geon? Something’s wrong... something’s terribly wrong. If he knows, then without a doubt... the High Patriarch probably knows already...’
Kage’s smile dimmed slightly.
"I know you’re probably thinking I’ll tell my father or something. But I promise you, I haven’t told anyone about it. I don’t intend to."
He clenched his fist, hesitating briefly.
"I’m not going to tell anyone."
Kage beat his chest.
"I want you to include me in your plan! I too want to see the end of this clan. So please, trust me!"
The Head Firekeeper suddenly froze, staring at Kage intently.
’What? He knows even that much... how? How did he even discover this? Only my immediate brothers know about this—we’ve scattered ourselves across the continent. There’s no way...’
Kage’s face crumpled with pain and anguish.
"I want it as badly as you do. I want to destroy the clan that condemned me."
The Head Firekeeper lifted his head slightly.
’In the end... he’s just a bastard child who has suffered so much. He wants to destroy his clan—that’s how he knows... worrying about the how won’t help now. I have to kill him.’
The Head Firekeeper’s gaze sharpened. He smiled broadly at Kage.
"Don’t worry, young lord. I understand the desire to obliterate the Ironstorm clan. I’m sure you must have suffered greatly at their hands."
His hands were behind his back, and from the wide sleeves of his garb, a razor-sharp dagger peeked out.
"Well, what do you say, young lord? Should we join forces to bring down the clan?"
Kage’s eyes blazed with sparkling joy.
"Really?!"
The Head Firekeeper’s eyes glowed maliciously. Then he lunged at Kage, covering the distance and revealing the dagger as he arced it toward Kage’s throat—all in one fluid second.