Chapter 448
Chapter 448
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: In the Name of the Father (6)
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"Nice to meet you, son. Sincerely."
"Same here."
Cain smiled. His warm, gentle smile made my vision blur slightly.
Strictly speaking, this man wasn't my father, but I had missed him all the same.
I scanned him from head to toe and raised an eyebrow.
"You look pretty healthy, though?"
It wasn't empty flattery. Cain's body was in incomparable shape compared to when he'd been hooked up to the life support device. His scrawny limbs had thickened up, and his hunched shoulders were now broad and squared. Aside from his bleached skin, he looked almost as healthy as I did.
"The giant's blood you brought me worked wonders. Feels like I've gone back to my prime."
Cain playfully flexed his arm. His bicep bulged sharply, like a sculpture. It was worlds apart from the dying old man I'd seen in the original world. I'd figured the drugs would give him a decent boost, but this was beyond expectations.
"Glad to hear it. Still, better to be thorough, right?"
"Hm? What do you mean by that?"
I pulled a glass vial from my coat pocket. Abel's blood sloshed inside the one I'd prepared ahead of time.
"That's... Ah. I see."
Cain got the hint and raised an eyebrow. He hesitated for a moment—probably because it was his brother's blood—but he took the vial and downed a hearty gulp anyway.
One gulp. Two gulps. By the third, the vial was empty.
Cain wiped his mouth and nodded slowly.
"Well now... So it can get even better than this."
"Whoa."
I whistled in admiration, rounding my mouth into an O. Steam rose from Cain's skin. I could feel the vitality surging through him.
As a fundamental cure, Abel's blood seemed to have a definite effect. His pale skin was gradually regaining its natural color.
Impressive. Then again, this is what it takes to play the Savior.
Pure admiration welled up in me. It felt like a different kind of strength from the Bald King or the origin-absorbing Abel. It was as if the internal energy he'd accumulated from the distant past was ushering in another golden age.
Cain spoke up.
"I have so many questions for you. I heard the gist from Elsia, but it's hard to believe without hearing it from you directly."
"Same here."
I had plenty of questions too.
I could accept getting here since Elsia had sent me to a familiar spot, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out how he'd broken through Akasha's bottomless pit.
This was going to be a long talk. In the distance, Alicia was reuniting with her fledglings and sobbing. I was about to ask my first question.
Then a bewildered voice rang out from nearby.
"Cain... How are you...?"
We turned our heads almost in unison. Abel was staring at Cain, barely propping up his upper body. His dull eyes churned with a tangled mess of fear, shock, and joy.
Cain gazed at his brother for a long moment before speaking.
"Abel. Long time no see."
"You... You were supposed to be dead."
"You look like you got trampled by a herd of hippos. Been well?"
Abel couldn't respond. Cain approached slowly and helped him to his feet. Glancing back at me, he asked for permission.
"Ronan. Sorry, but could I talk with my brother first? No matter how I think about it, our story doesn't belong here with all these people."
"Go ahead. Yeah, there are too many ears around."
"Thanks. It won't take long."
Cain smiled. With fatherly gestures, he brushed the water plants and mud off Abel's body. Abel stood frozen, speechless.
Plucking twigs from his hair, Cain spoke first.
"Yep, you're definitely my brother. What happened to your pants?"
"...How."
"Don't want to answer? Fine. There's still unfinished business between us. Let's settle it properly, just like how my son fixed me up."
"Settle it? What do you—"
Abel started to say something.
Thwack! Cain clenched his fist and drove a short jab into his gut.
Abel's body folded forward.
"Guhk!"
It happened in an instant. Unless I'd misheard, that was definitely the crack of ribs breaking. Losing his balance completely, Abel toppled over and braced himself with both hands on the ground.
"Cough! Cough! Damn it...! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"Beats me. What do you think I'm doing?"
With that, Cain kicked Abel in the stomach. His body flew with a dull thud and splashed into the water. Normally, that would end it, but Cain didn't care about getting his clothes wet. Wading into the lake with splashes, he dragged his floating, corpse-like brother back to shore.
"Hm? I asked what it looks like I'm doing."
"Wait... Just wait... Gah!"
A fist smashed into Abel's face mid-sentence. Seeing his broken nose regenerate instantly, Cain unleashed without restraint. Merciless punches and kicks bombarded Abel.
"You bastard. The scum of the earth."
"Eek! Argh!"
"No matter how bad the situation, stabbing your only kin in the back...? You call yourself human after that? Did I, Cain, really look that easy to you?"
"W-Wait! Hngh!"
Abel screamed and writhed. He tried to resist, but Cain—back in his prime—was far beyond what a dream-lost man could handle.
I, and even Rtansie and the other archbishops, couldn't look away from the unexpected turn.
"The, the Pontiff...! H-He'll die if this keeps up!"
"He won't. Probably."
"B-But...! Who the hell is that guy? Why is he suddenly—"
"My dad. He has a lot pent up, so let's just let him be."
I stopped the flying squirrel from butting in.
He was beating him so viciously that no one dared intervene. Even Kylasis, the Pontiff's top loyalist, stood frozen like a statue, watching.
After about five minutes of pummeling Abel, Cain turned to me.
"Hoo... Ha... Perfect timing. Son, lend me your scabbard."
"Huh? The scabbard?"
"Yeah. Time to correct my past mistakes properly. Feels refreshing to work up a sweat after so long."
I handed it over like I was entranced. Cain spat on his palm. Gripping the scabbard, he let out a sigh of admiration.
"Excellent. Perfect weight and sturdy as can be. Top-tier among the clubs I've handled over thousands of years."
"St-Stop, Cain. Enough...!"
"Calling me 'brother' after all that... Sigh, looks like being trapped in that grudge weakened your strength. What a pity."
Cain sighed. He swung the scabbard at a nearby rock. It split in two with a fearsome crack.
Aiming it at his brother, Cain spoke.
"Dear brother. Today, I'll make you human."
"D-Don't come closer! Stop!"
"You remember the tales of those lowly beasts who strove to become human. They all sacrificed something precious—voices, memories... But you get to become human without giving up a thing. Isn't that just reasonable?"
"Such nonsense...! S-Someone, stop this madman! Please!"
Abel screamed. But no one came to his aid. The scabbard arced cruelly and smashed into his shin. The word Cain had longed to hear popped out like magic.
"Arrrgh! Brother! I was wrong!"
"I think so too."
Cain grinned. He didn't stop the sermon even after twenty minutes, when the Imperial Forest Rescue Team arrived. I worried the scabbard might snap, but the capital's finest masterpiece held firm until Abel's bones were all shattered. As his screams began to die down...
Woooong!
A massive dimensional gate opened over the lakeside, and a bearded old man stepped out.
Seeing the bloodstained lake, he raised his eyebrows.
"My goodness. What in the world...?"
"Long time no see, Rorhon."
"...Do I know you, young man?"
I waved cheerfully. Rorhon had been dispatched after an emergency call.
No major issues had cropped up in this world yet, so he showed none of his dementia-like traits.
"You're the Archmage, right? You got the rundown?"
"Er, yes, but... We just need to escort everyone here?"
"Everyone except one."
I pointed at Cain. He was perched on his brother's back—head buried in the gravel—lecturing away. Abel was drenched in sweat, repeatedly chanting "Yes, brother, you're right."
I can see who I take after now.
Thank goodness my sister took after Mom.
The Savior's mystical image from the original world was crumbling in real time, but this wasn't half bad either. Abel and the archbishops meekly cooperated with Rorhon, who was there to arrest them. It was partly thanks to my feats in the Pale Castle, but they seemed to have learned plenty from Cain thrashing his brother too.
Just before being taken away, Archbishop Alicia bowed her head.
"I owe you. Thanks for saving my girls."
"Forget it. They were innocent to begin with."
"You figured it out, huh. Blast that freak with the weird techniques. I couldn't handle him... but something tells me you can."
She chuckled and clapped my shoulder. Getting encouragement from the enemy I'd dismembered in the last parallel world felt utterly bizarre. Rorhon bound all the criminals with magic and teleported them away.
Looking at the now-empty lakeside, I muttered to myself.
"Guess I'll live right from now on. Sort of."
It was a long yet short journey. At any rate, the Nebula Klazie business was completely over. All that remained were Cain and Akasha.
"A good spot for a talk..."
I murmured at the blue sky. Conveniently, there was one nearby. Three days had passed, so maybe the thing I'd asked for was done too.
I hadn't expected to meet again so soon, though.
That evening.
Acalusia Mansion.
"Good evening, Lord Ronan. I didn't expect to see you again so soon."
"I feel the same. Good evening, House Head."
Adrian smiled. The head of House Acalusia was as beautiful as ever. Spotting Cain behind me, she tilted her head.
"And the gentleman behind you?"
"My father. From this world."
"Pleased to meet you, esteemed head of a great house. I'm Cain."
Cain bowed with worldly politeness. I freaked out seeing him kiss the back of her hand.
Adrian covered her lower face with her fan.
"My... How courteous."
Her cheeks seemed a touch flushed, or maybe it was my imagination.
I gave a suitable bow and got to the point.
"House Head. Sorry to jump straight in, but... did it work?"
"...Yes."
A brief silence hung in the air. Her frozen expression for that instant gave me a bad feeling.
She hesitated, then nodded.
"It wasn't easy, though."