Chương 126

Piaro stared at his dirt-stained hands. His grip on the steel sword was trembling. He looked completely miserable. Rudra let out a long sigh. He rested the heavy bone staff on his shoulder.

"Why are you trying so hard to be someone else?" Rudra asked. Piaro snapped his head up.

"What?"

"Muller was a great hero, but his era is over," Rudra said flatly.

"You're obsessed with him. You're trying to force yourself into his exact footsteps. But you aren't him." Piaro frowned, his face twisting in frustration.

"The path of the Sword Saint requires absolute devotion to the blade. I cannot be distracted by..." He looked over at the golden wheat fields.

"... by the dirt."

"Who made that rule?" Rudra asked, crossing his free arm.

"Did Muller leave a manual saying you aren't allowed to plant seeds?" Piaro blinked.

"If swinging a plow feels right, use the plow," Rudra said bluntly.

"If the sword feels right, use the sword. You're driving yourself crazy trying to choose between them. Just do both." Rudra's simple, unpretentious logic struck Piaro like a physical blow. Piaro's eyes turned as deep as the sea as he watched Rudra silently.

'I'm not Muller.' That's right. He was Piaro. - Noble of the Saharan Empire, Piaro. - Captain of the Red Knights, Piaro. - Traitor Piaro. - Great Swordsman Piaro. Stolen story; please report. - Farmer Piaro. - Piaro, friend of Rudra, Elysia, Winfred, and the others. Yes, he was Piaro. He was distinctly different from Muller. There was no need to follow Muller's specter.

'I am enough by myself.' Piaro didn't drop his steel sword. Instead, he reached out with his left hand and grabbed the iron hand plow resting in the grass. He stood up straight, holding the sword in his right hand and the plow in his left. By letting go of his obsession with fitting into a traditional box, the heavy, suffocating chain around his neck shattered. Absolute, perfect harmony flowed through his body. The martial arts of the sword and the rhythm of nature blended seamlessly. Shaaaaaah.

The light from the two moons shining on Piaro's body was reminiscent of the Milky Way. An intense and unsteady energy rose, causing the atmosphere to shake around him. A massive, blinding golden light erupted, shooting straight up into the desert sky. Suddenly, a global server message flashed for every single player online. [A legendary farmer has been born!] [Every farmer in the world will look up to him and praise him!] Before the world could even process that, a second message triggered.

[A sword saint has been born!] And then, a third, unprecedented platinum message overtook the rest. [The two paths have harmonized into a singular existence. Satisfy's first Dual Legend has emerged!] The golden light slowly faded. Piaro stood in the dirt. The heavy scars on his face seemed softer. He looked at his calloused hands, the sword, and the plow. A look of absolute, unburdened peace settled over him. He threw his head back and laughed. It wasn't the bitter, broken laugh of a man hiding in a canyon.

It was a loud, booming laugh of pure, unadulterated joy. He had finally reached the peak, creating a path no one else could have ever imagined. Rudra simply crossed his arms. He completely ignored the fact that the global forums were probably melting down over a "Dual Legend."

"So," Rudra asked, tapping his boot in the dirt.

"Does this mean you can grow potatoes faster now?" Piaro stopped laughing and wiped a tear from his eye. He gave Rudra a massive grin.

"I believe I can grow them flawlessly."

"Perfect," Rudra cheered, pulling his cooking knife out of his inventory.

"Because I really, really want to make french fries right now." Mumud walked over from the campfire, holding a piece of flatbread. He stared at Piaro's glowing aura in total shock.

"Lord Rudra..." Mumud whispered, thoroughly baffled by the scene in front of him.

"You just guided a man to the absolute pinnacle of the world... simply by telling him to swing a plow."

"Yeah, sometimes you just need to stop overthinking things," Rudra nodded happily.

"Kratos! Go find some wild onions! We're having a feast tonight!"