Conrad and Nelera continued running for a while longer. By dawn, they had finally reached their destination.
Nelera came to a stop and pointed at a tree in the distance.
"Do you see that large tree with the unusual shape?"
Conrad nodded.
Nelera smiled.
"If you continue past the right side of that tree, you'll be entering the former Kurta Clan territory. If you keep heading east for a while, you'll reach the inner areas."
"Of course, since there is no longer a Kurta Clan, the area is usually called the Kurta Clan Graveyard or the Kurta Clan Historical Site."
Conrad nodded.
His expression dropped slightly.
The complete destruction of an entire clan and its people was not something pleasant to think about. Feeling a small amount of sadness was only natural.
Conrad looked at Nelera and spoke.
"What can you tell me about the Kurta Clan that isn't generally known? I assume you know more than most people."
Nelera pursed her lips.
Normally, she would have demanded payment for information like that. Right now, however, she knew she was not really in a position to ask for anything.
At the same time, she felt guilty.
"There honestly isn't much to tell," she said.
"As you know, when members of the Kurta Clan become excited or experience extreme emotions, their Scarlet Eyes appear."
"I should also mention that not every Kurta Clan member possessed Scarlet Eyes. Roughly one out of every three or four members would develop them."
Nelera placed a finger on her chin and continued.
"There was actually an old legend my grandfather used to tell."
"Would you like to hear it?"
Conrad remained silent and simply nodded.
Stories and legends could be nothing more than fiction in another world. In the world of Nen, however, they were sometimes used to hide the truth.
Even the book Journey to the East by Don Freecss, which described the exploration of the Dark Continent, was presented in schools and educational institutions as little more than a fantasy novel.
Because of that, dismissing something as just a legend would be a mistake.
"According to my grandfather, the Kurta Clan possessed a special artifact."
"It was a staff. At the top of the staff was an infinity symbol. The symbol had a color somewhere between silver and gold."
"Grandfather never fully understood why, but he knew one thing. The reason people called it magical was because when the Kurta Clan Chief used it, it displayed two strange abilities."
"It allowed the chief and his group to instantly relocate from one place to another."
"And it also possessed an extremely powerful concealment effect."
Conrad took a deep breath and looked around for several seconds before thinking things through.
Whenever people described something as a magical artifact, his mind automatically translated it into a Nen artifact.
Both of the effects Nelera described could be achieved through Nen abilities.
It would not be easy. The Nen user would need exceptional talent, proper conditions, and significant restrictions.
But it was certainly possible.
Conrad looked at Nelera.
"As a Nen user, what's your opinion of this artifact?"
Nelera spread her hands slightly and began speaking.
"To be honest, making conclusions without more information isn't really my style."
"But if what I've learned about other clans with Nen traditions is accurate..."
"Then it was probably connected to a Nen ability."
"And that Nen ability was likely tied to the Kurta Clan itself."
"Still, like I said, it's only a legend. Those stories started circulating over thirty years ago, and I heard them when I was a child."
Conrad nodded.
"It would be good if you came with me."
"Talking to someone helps me organize my thoughts."
Although Conrad's words sounded like a request, there was an unmistakable sense of authority behind them.
Even if there had not been, Nelera had no desire to oppose him.
He had both the power and the reason to kill her, yet he had chosen not to.
Spending a few days helping Conrad was the least she could do.
Together, they passed the unusual tree and continued forward.
Five minutes later, they arrived at a large clearing where no trees grew.
Conrad stopped for a few seconds.
Before Nelera could say anything, he spoke first.
"This used to be a settlement."
"And this is also where the Kurta Clan massacre took place, isn't it?"
Nelera swallowed.
"How did you figure that out?"
Conrad released a slow breath.
"Partly because of the strange and heavy dark Nen lingering throughout the area."
"And partly because this is the only clearing suitable for a settlement. It's the only open area without trees, covered entirely in grass."
The only part of that explanation Nelera focused on was the phrase "strange and heavy dark Nen."
Conrad looked around for a little longer before asking another question.
"How many Nen users were there in the Kurta Clan?"
Nelera shook her head.
"I'm not sure."
"But at least half, maybe a third, of those with Scarlet Eyes should have been Nen users."
Conrad raised an eyebrow.
"Why are you connecting Scarlet Eyes with being a Nen user?"
Nelera pursed her lips again before answering.
"I don't know."
"It's simply what my father and grandfather told us."
"From what they witnessed, the Kurta Clan members who became Nen users were usually the ones who possessed Scarlet Eyes."
Conrad took a deep breath and began thinking to himself.
"Could it be that the Kurta Clan only shared Nen knowledge with members capable of developing Scarlet Eyes?"
"If they used that as a Nen condition, some kind of clan-wide restriction that affected the entire bloodline..."
"And if they had an ability that prevented Kurta Clan members without Scarlet Eyes from learning or using Nen as part of that limitation..."
"That would clearly explain why they were so powerful."