After learning of Hiliard’s death, the knight, whose demeanor had always faintly revealed madness, now seemed utterly hollowed out—calm and empty: "I originally intended to come here to kill him, to take something from him as the first step of my resistance, or perhaps to die at that old man’s hands, bringing a laughable end to my life."
"I never thought... the commander would just die like this."
"Why does he get to just die like this!"
The previously calm Inspector Knight suddenly roared with fury. He shouted angrily: "Did he not tell you the truth? Did he not share with you the process of the Dark Moon upheaval?!"
"Ian, you unlucky bastard, you have inherited that old man’s legacy, but the most important thing—his entire life, his glorious past, his beliefs and dreams, the goals that should have been passed down—did he not tell you even a single word about them?!"
He didn’t even care about the Unyielding Fortress legacy in Ian’s hands, nor the research materials from the Domain of Extremes. From beginning to end, Weyges simply wanted to know one answer.
—What did Hiliard and Inega II truly do to lead to such an ending?
And...
—What was Hiliard’s purpose in choosing such an ending?
"Nothing more than a journey Above the Sky."
The young man calmly replied: "He didn’t need to tell me—I would do it anyway. He didn’t need to explain—I already understand."
"That’s why I am the disciple he chose, and you, Weyges, are unworthy."
"Above the Sky..."
The Inspector Knight froze. He repeated the phrase as he raised his head. The young knight, outwardly youthful, looked upward toward the night sky, now filled with darkness.
He could see no stars. Who could understand? On Terra’s dim night sky, there were neither dazzling stars nor resplendent galaxies. The people of this world never harbored much wonder for the sky from the moment of their birth. Far-reaching explorations and boundless dreams struggled to thrive here, for the vital essence of them was missing.
"There’s only... darkness there."
The knight murmured to himself, unable to comprehend: "Why... would he want to go there..."
Weyges didn’t understand Ian’s words. And the most tragic part wasn’t that he personally couldn’t grasp their meaning—it was this world that rendered him unable to comprehend.
"There must be a reason."
At that moment, Ian spoke softly: "Otherwise, why would they meet such an ending back then?"
"Weyges, I don’t know what you’re hating or agonizing over, but if you truly want to uncover the truth of the past... then why not do the same thing that my teacher did back then?"
"Help me."
He spoke calmly, as if giving an order: "Help me, and together we’ll reach Above the Sky."
The knight opened his mouth.
He wanted to refuse. He wanted to rebuke. He wanted to sneer—sneer at Ian’s naïveté. A mere Thunderhunter Jellyfish and some alchemical explosives, at most, could leave him severely injured, but even so, with his strength, defeating Ian now wouldn’t be difficult.
Why did Ian think he would help him? He had come here intending to kill that old man! Not just that old man—he also wanted to kill Ian. Surely the commander had left behind a legacy, and if he could claim that legacy—the secret of Inega II’s rise—then even as a half-wasted man, maybe he could one day take vengeance on the Empire’s upper echelon that had murdered Inega II, driven away the commander, and slaughtered the old Knight Order of Inspectorate.
He could destroy the entire old world, turning everything of the past into sacrifices.
But the knight also understood something very clearly.
If it were merely for this dream, if it were with such limited ambitions, he would spend his entire life never understanding what his teacher had truly been thinking, nor why he chose such an ending.
The teacher was already dead, no longer available to answer. If he wished to understand him, then indeed, the only path was as Ian had said.
To do the same thing Hiliard had done.
Moreover, Weyges had discovered an undeniable truth.
—I am indeed far inferior to this young man.
In wisdom, in mental fortitude, in calmness, in daring—Ian far exceeded his expectations, even surpassing his imagination. It wasn’t simply that he felt unworthy; he even felt joy in his awe.
—No wonder he was chosen as the heir in the end... One day, he will surely shake the entire world. No one will be able to deny such a possibility. In comparison, my own potential pales in comparison.
As expected from the teacher... He was truly a great man.
Even if he died in this corner of the countryside, leaving behind only a single disciple.
He could still stir the tremors of the entire world.
Weyges lowered his sword.
Leaving behind his side sword and token, he returned to the Imperial Capital. From then on, Ian periodically received books and cultivation materials, and even ingredients for Magic Potions from the capital, along with many historical texts about Hiliard’s era.
"You want to be as great as the commander? You’re still far off. Start by learning history. Beyond that, what alchemy texts you want, I can fetch them for you, and the same goes for inscriptions."
Weyges occasionally returned to Harrison Port. When meeting Ian, he would always say: "You should also try to become an Inspector Knight. My position is delicate and I cannot recommend you, but Marquis Barton is a man who appreciates young talents. With your gifts, as long as he meets you, he’d want nothing more than to claim you as his prized possession."
Inspector Knight.
Though different from the Inspector Knights of old, even now the Inspector Knights had vast resources—more than sufficient for Ian’s growth.
"So, you want me to go to the Imperial Capital."
The Ian of this timeline said: "You want me closer to the pinnacle of this world, like the teacher."
"Yes."
Weyges replied: "For someone with your talent, it’s imperative to gain more resources during your development phase. I alone am not enough—you must go to the Imperial Capital, to the mountaintop, to the place where the nourishment to help you grow lies."
Thus, in another timeline, Ian embarked on his journey to the Imperial Capital.
Deduction.