Chapter 441
Chapter 441
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 441
Chapter Title: 2-111. Where the Wind Passed (2)
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#111
The days that followed passed peacefully.
First, formal funerals were held for Illuan and Ajax, the guard captain who had been poisoned. Illuan had caused quite a spectacle before his death, but none of the enraged mourners urinated on his coffin or caused a scene. The Acalusians' condolences were so dignified and refined they could have been printed in a textbook.
"Illuan... tsk, what a pitiful end."
"May you rest in peace. May you reach that star you so desired in the afterlife."
The guard captain's funeral was far more emotional. The guards removed their helmets one by one and laid flowers before their commander's coffin. Without exception, they shed tears as they mourned the captain who would never stand watch again.
"Sniff, Captain Ajax. We'll never forget you."
"Captain. Stop messing around and get up. You begged so annoyingly to introduce you to my little sister, and just when I was thinking of doing it... damn it!!"
One guard hurled his helmet to the ground. It wasn't fitting behavior for a funeral, but no one stopped him as he covered his eyes with his arm and walked away. That must be what they call personal magnetism.
"Damn it, I still can't believe it. I wish the demons of Rodolan had torn that damned bitch limb from limb."
"They really did tear her apart, from what I heard."
Liz had been dragged to the Fortress of Screams on the evening she killed Illuan.
Adrian said her left leg and both eyes had already been severed from her body. She was howling like a beast, spilling everything she knew, but since I'd already shared Nebula Klazi's information with everyone, Liz's intel was worthless.
The reason they hadn't killed her yet was thanks to Adrian's earnest plea.
"I begged them not to let her die easily. Once her body is mangled beyond the point of producing more pain, the interrogators will tell her the truth. That we already knew everything you told us. That you had no value at all, just a toy to relieve boredom... Her face must be a sight."
"Perfect. She's getting what she deserves."
"She didn't just deceive Acalusia—she killed my foster daughter and her husband. This is the least she deserves if I'm to hold my head high."
Adrian let out a cold sneer. Even the drifting icebergs in the Sea of Ghosts probably weren't that frigid. I crossed my arms behind my head and gazed up at the sky. It looked clear and blue at a glance, but the barrier blocking escape still enveloped Acalusia territory.
"You said three days, right?"
"Yes? Ah, yes. It should take about that long to root out the traitors."
"Just gather them all in one place, and I'll finish it in a day."
"...A day?"
"Yeah. You said it takes a few days to get the item anyway... I can spot the fanatics. Except for weird cases like Liz."
I tapped the corner of my eye with my index finger. I was confident I could distinguish anyone who'd received the baptism, no matter how subtle the mark. Liz was the odd one out from the start. That crazy bitch should have used her talents for something good.
Adrian's face brightened.
"If you're willing, I'd be incredibly grateful. I don't even know how to express my thanks..."
"I'm doing it because I want to, so don't worry about it. That said, if they resist, it's okay to chop off an arm or a leg, right?"
"If they're confirmed spies, you can execute them on the spot. Shall I provide a headsman's sword?"
"You're enthusiastic. No need to go that far."
I shook my head with a chuckle. Since it was a sealed location, granting me the right to use force made it easier than easy.
We crossed the garden under the warm early summer sun. Asel walked beside me, and Erzsebet beside him.
"Asel. How does it feel to be nobility now?"
"H-Honestly, it doesn't feel real... Do I really deserve to wear clothes this nice?"
Asel moved his limbs as if they were prosthetic. He now wore a splendid uniform emblazoned with Acalusia's crest, not his old tattered robe.
Erzsebet snorted.
"Hmph, of course. A neat appearance is basic Acalusian etiquette."
"Eri. You couldn't even wash your hair properly just the other day. I didn't say anything then, but do you know how hard it was to look at you for months? You barely ate. Whenever I checked your plate, only your favorite dishes were gone. You wouldn't answer properly no matter what I asked... Oh, right, Ronan, do you know what I found under Eri's bed back then? Goodness, why do kids develop so fast these days..."
"M-Mom! No, Family Head! What are you talking about?!"
Erzsebet's face flushed bright red. She shot out her arm like an arrow to cover Adrian's mouth.
Adrian kept laughing even with her daughter's palm pressed to her face. She could be ruthless with a telekinetic punch to the solar plexus, but like this, they were just a normal mother and daughter.
I chuckled watching the bickering pair.
"Family, huh."
"Yeah. They look happy."
"Try butting in. Shout 'Mom!' It'll probably work."
"Th-That's a bit..."
Asel panicked. It was obviously a joke. Watching the harmonious mother and daughter, I could see why the Grand General chose Acalusia even in her third life.
We kept walking toward the mansion. It wasn't just to enjoy the sunshine. Before rooting out Nebula Klazi's spies, there was still something we had to do. Our faces grew more serious the closer we got to the mansion.
'This is the last time.'
We soon reached our destination: the hill behind the mansion. It was a prime spot with a view of the garden and even the main Taimen River in the distance. Atop the hill stood an altar of stacked firewood.
"This should let her take in enough of Acalusia."
Adrian gave a sad smile. A beautifully adorned wooden coffin rested at the top of the altar. Its occupant was my benefactor, finally at peace. Unlike Illuan or Ajax, Adeshan's funeral—already held privately—would be conducted quietly here.
"Shall we?"
My suggestion was accepted immediately. The witnesses were just me, Adrian, Asel, and Erzsebet—four in total. As Adeshan de Acalusia, she deserved to be cremated per Acalusian custom. I picked up a suitably sized branch from the foot of the altar.
"This'll do."
It felt good in my grip. When Erzsebet lit it, it made an excellent torch.
She gripped the section just below my hand and spoke.
"Together."
"Of course."
I agreed readily—it was my plan anyway. Adrian, alternating glances between us and the coffin, dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry."
"Hic, sniff."
Her beautiful violet eyes shimmered with tears. Asel was sniffling too. What a guy. Crying over someone he'd never even spoken to.
"Hoo."
I took a deep breath in and out. I deliberately avoided looking at Adeshan's face. Erzsebet had closed the coffin, not me. Seeing it now might break me in too many ways.
Erzsebet, holding the torch with me, gave me a look.
"Ronan."
"Yeah."
I'd expected her to cry the most, but surprisingly, she was the calmest—perhaps from mental preparation. Erzsebet and I placed the torch atop the woodpile and stepped back. The flames spread quickly, engulfing the coffin in moments.
"Farewell, sister."
Erzsebet said her goodbyes. The coffin vanished in the blaze. Smoke from the burning remains rose high into the sky.
"Not crying?"
"No more tears left."
"Impressive. I'll reward that composure with a great story."
"Huh?"
Erzsebet tilted her head. I told her how the Grand General's soul had found a happy ending in this world—the best possible. She'd fulfilled all her wishes, attained enlightenment, and gone to a paradise with her loved ones. Even there, she liked Erzsebet a lot.
"...Ah."
Erzsebet's smile vanished. Her calm expression shifted rapidly. Her trembling lips looked like a dam about to burst.
I figured ten seconds, but it burst in seven.
She threw her head back and wailed like a child.
"Waaah! Sniff, waaaaaah!"
It was a primal cry, face uncovered. Adrian hugged her from behind.
I let the two cry their hearts out. Like laughter, tears must flow freely to leave no regrets.
"Rest well."
I murmured, watching the dispersing smoke.
It was a true farewell to the Grand General. With this the last parallel world, I wouldn't see Adeshan's body again until I returned home. We stood on the hill until the embers died out.
"Rest well..."
Her swept-back bangs fluttered above her forehead.
The sky was clear, the breeze refreshing. The Taimen River flowed nobly, its scales shimmering in brilliant navy blue.
Adrian sent someone three days after Adeshan's cremation.
"Ronan. The item's ready."
"Huh? Already?"
I sat up in bed at the crisp voice. Erzsebet, in a white shirt and slacks, leaned against the doorframe sipping coffee. Why her instead of a maid?
"Yes. Head to the garden lake. Ready to go now?"
"Yeah. Gotta be. You look tired, though."
I asked worriedly. She didn't look well.
She'd tried to cover it with makeup, but the dark circles and frizzy hair remained.
Before I could ask if her depression had returned, she checked with the doctor and turned abruptly.
"I'm fine. Let's go."
"Hey, together."
Her movements were curt, almost cold. I hurried to match her pace. Her outfit felt more casual than usual—like an office worker or researcher, not the ladylike style she clung to even on her deathbed.
"This place never fails to impress."
The expansive garden unfolded as we left the mansion. Adrian's barrier was gone. It had only been a few days. True to my word, I'd successfully weeded out Acalusia's infiltrators in one day.
'Scum through and through.'
There were thirty-seven in total. Perhaps Illuan and Liz served as examples—few resisted.
Two, a man and woman, screamed and fled. I severed the man's legs, so he survived, but the woman collided with the electrified barrier and burned to ash. By now, all thirty-five were probably having fun in Rodolan.
And just like that, the lake appeared.
Like the training grounds, it was too grand and beautiful for a mere estate pond. Why the lake, though? If it was some bloodline magic tool like a needle, wouldn't they hand it over in the family head's room?
"Ah, there it is."
Erzsebet, looking around, pointed. Her long white index finger aimed at the lake's center. I turned, and my brow furrowed like crumpled paper.
"Damn it. What the hell is all that?"