Chapter 1716: Expedition Redemption - Nepherage

[Well...can’t say I was expecting that,] Hurricroak said to me via our connection after Frosttusk had agreed to assist Hakon for us.

[Neither did I,] I admitted.

Frosttusk had, ever since we arrived at the Echoing Valley and met up with the Zhen Clan group, had this aura of standoffishness that suggested that he was more or less uncomfortable about being in the company of the Storm Singers.

I had figured it was similar to the situation as to what Hurricroak was dealing with, namely, haunting memories from their base materials lingering much longer than they should.

The curators had assured me that they had seen such cases before and that such feelings would eventually fade over time.

They used some weird analogy involving software and hardware, but it didn’t make much sense to me. Either way, I had figured that Frosttusk would’ve tried to minimize his interaction with the Storm Singers in order to dampen whatever weird feelings he had towards them. Evidently, I was wrong.

As the stunned and silent Storm Singers stared at us, Hakon had decided that the silence had gone on long enough.

•Thank you, Frosttusk. I will make sure that I don’t lead us into a death trap.•

After that assurance, not much else happened.

There was some animated discussion and plans for how this expedition was probably going to end in failure, but that part didn’t concern us kaijin.

We were beings that defied reality for merely breathing, we can face any threat that dared to stand in our way.

What did concern us, though, concern me, was when Frosttusk exited the area in silence.

Evidently, it was such a strange change in his behavior that I felt prompted to follow after them, just to see why and what had driven him to make such a plain display of unspoken familiarity.

The two of us were outside, and we simply walked forward while conversing telepathically. As far as anyone watching us was concerned, it just looked as if we were walking to some unspoken destination.

[Frosttusk.]

[Yes... Nepherage?]

[Are you sure about doing this? I have seen and felt how Hurricroak reacts whenever she sees Draigo, how the thought of the man seems to cause her to become unstable despite her saying otherwise. On top of that, we have no past records of any other kaijin doing what we’re about to do here. Can you really say that doing what we plan to do won’t have any dire consequences?]

[No...I can’t...but...that’s...why...we...have...no...must...do...otherwise...my...kin...will...]

[But they’re not your kin anymore.]

The sentence left my mind faster than I could refute, and it caused Frosttusk to pause in his walk.

My viking mammoth companion was silent as he raised a hand in order to stare at it.

[They...are...still...kin...]

As he shared this thought with me, Frosttusk activated his innate disguise ability and took on a human form I never saw him use until now...sort of.

Frosttusk usually made himself look like a large, older warrior with a long braided beard and dark grey hair to help hide his trunk. His overall look was the same, but there were some minute details changed.

The beard was shorter, his eyes seemed softer and rounder, and his hair was now a dark chestnut brown.

And the longer I stared at those features, though, I saw that they were actually quite similar to Hakon and his mother.

•You weren’t wrong about me being similar to Hurricroak, at least, when it came to remembering the things leading up to our deaths,• Frosttusk said without slowing in the slightest. •But it was only when I saw Hakon and Mathera that I remembered some important things I forgot. •

There was a silence between us the moment he said that last line. It felt like he wanted me to comment or help move along the conversation. But an even greater feeling inside me told me that he just wanted to vent a bit.

•For example, I suddenly remembered that I had a pair of companions like you and the bard, who were my closest confidants. They were the ones to make my...my...did you ever wonder how long it has been since the end of my previous life and the start of my new one?• Frosttusk asked, not expecting an answer. •It’s been a little over five centuries.•

If Milord was here, he would be sharing feelings of shock between us all due to his old world having people only capable of living up to one hundred years at most. But in this world, where cultivation could help maintain one’s youth and extend one’s lifespan, five hundred years was...simultaneously a long time and not enough time.

For cultivators of a certain rank, five hundred years was the equivalent of spending a couple of hours in a long line.

For the average mortal and cultivators below that rank, five hundred years was long enough time for certain stories and events to be forgotten and twisted.

•Back then, I had only recently become the chief. My predecessor had reached the very limits of Aether Overlord and left the Echoing Valley in order to find a means to breakthrough. At the time, I was an Aether King, which should’ve been enough...and you know the rest.•

After saying his piece, Frosttusk dropped his hand back to the side and even changed back to his kaijin form. Even his manner of speech went back to the way I knew.

[But...I... didn’t...know...until...now...who I...left behind.]

A deep sigh left Frosttusk’s body, creating a visible gust of icy air that coalesced into a small tornado that appeared on Frosttusk’s side...that then condensed into the shape of a mother with two kids: one barely old enough to walk and talk, the other being a small baby.

[I...missed...their...entire...lives...and...the...worst...part...is...I...can...only...guess...what... happened to them...]

[Which is what?]

Milord often said that when dealing with heavy emotions, even from us, its usually best to let the person having them talk as much as possible. Something about speech allowing one to deflate the emotions in the body, or something like that.

[My darling...died...a little...after me...] Frosttusk said. Reflecting the pain within his words, the statue of the motherly figure suddenly cracked as if someone took a small hammer to it.

The statue of the baby and the toddler however, didn’t crack.

[She...was...an...Aether...King...that... should’ve been...enough for...her to still....to still...]

[I get it,] I interjected so that my friend wouldn’t have to cry out his heart and soul quite yet.[But what about them?]

I gestured towards the children, wondering if he could hazard a guess on their futures as well.

He could.

[My...little...Sunflower,] Frosttusk quietly said as he gestured towards the little girl statue.

Due it being made of ice, I couldn’t make out the finer details on the face or in the dress she was wearing. However, I could swear that the little girl shared features with only one person in the entire camp: Hakon’s mother.

[Before...you...ask...no,] Frosttusk interrupted me before I could even get the first word out. [Tantra is not my child. Her name...was...Gretta. And the baby...I...never... saw grow...was named Althera. I am...certain...neither...of them...achieved...a significant breakthrough.]

I stared at the ice statue dedicated to the baby and could see small cracks around them.

[But...at the very least, you can confirm that they grew up, right?]

[Yes...hence why I’m helping Hakon.]

[Oh.]

Frosttusk had no idea which of his children had managed to live long, possibly fulfilling lives, but he at least knew that one of them had given birth to Tantra, who then proceeded to produce another descendant in the form of Hakon.

As I digested this revelation, I focused on Frosttusk once more.

[You really miss them, huh?]

[Miss...isn’t...a strong enough...word,] Frosttusk answered. [It...stung, seeing...Hurricroak...reunite with Draigo. And it was....downright painful, seeing Depth Strider reunite...with his...lost love....]

Once again, Frosttusk let out a deep sigh.

[It...sucks...knowing...that...I will...never...get the chance...to do...that...in this new...life...of mine.]

I was about to say that he would, if our Lord was to use materials carrying a strong imprint of his wife or child. However, it dawned on me that not even that was possible at the moment.

Milord wasn’t here to produce kaijin,whatever materials that could carry their imprint had probably long since decayed, and due to the tribe being attacked practically every day, there were a lot of instances where they left behind valuables in their rush to escape.

[And so...even if...I never...see them...again,] Frosttusk rumbled. [At least...I’ll help...my... great great grandchild....as much as I can. I can make sure...my great grandchild...doesn’t have to bury her baby.]

[I see...]

Whatever reservations I had over Frosttusk’s behavior was now done, I was more than willing to help him out now.