Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Conclusion
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A lake blending seamlessly with nature, exhaling a quiet breath.
Upon its serene ripples, a man with violet eyes set foot.
“Huh… Michael, what are you doing here?”
The center of the lake.
A woman with light purple hair cascading down turned her head, gazing at Michael as she soaked in the water.
“I exist everywhere. Elodie.”
“…….”
The moment he called that name…
The calm water surface twisted.
Subtle ripples rose from beneath the surface.
Slither…
Something began writhing from the lake bottom.
- Splash!
A pillar of water shot toward the sky.
Within it, spirits took form and revealed themselves.
Fiery spirits blazing fiercely, water spirits scattering like mist, wind spirits slicing through the air.
“I told you not to call me by that name….”
The spirits enveloping the air sharpened their edges all at once.
Yet… Michael didn’t even blink.
“Ha, but didn’t you just call me Michael too?”
Snap.
He flicked his finger.
Ripples…
The veil of silence tore, and the elegant, peaceful lake warped as if the previous stillness was just a lie.
The sunlit surface turned murky with a deep crimson hue, and the clear sky was swallowed by darkness in an instant.
“Still the same, huh.”
A chilling wind blew, carrying the metallic scent of blood.
“What a truly revolting taste you have, Bellamir.”
The woman glared at the arrogant man, the witch who commanded spirits.
The Calamity of Lust, Bellamir Lu Elodie narrowed her eyes and extended her hand.
──Aaaahhh!!
The corrupted spirits unleashed shrieks in unison.
Their once radiant forms had lost their light, overwhelmed by darkness.
“So… Hubris, why have you come to see me?”
“I didn’t come for you, Bellamir.”
Michael flicked his finger at one of the spirits poised aggressively before him.
“Hmm… Shall we say I just stopped by on my way home?”
“…Don’t mess around.”
A short silence followed.
But within that silence, violet eyes flashed.
“Does it look like I’m messing around, Bellamir?”
“…….”
Step.
Michael took a step forward.
────!!
The spirits screamed and slammed their bodies to the ground in terror.
“…No matter who you are, this is my world.”
Drip…
Blood-red shadows dripped from the spirits’ bodies like thick drops.
“With one word from me, even you can’t escape.”
A number of spirits incomparable to before appeared.
From dozens to hundreds…
All of them, dripping shadows like blood, surrounded Michael.
“You’re still going to continue after seeing this many?”
Even at Bellamir’s warning, Michael never averted his gaze.
Instead… he slowly lifted the corner of his mouth while staring at the horde of spirits.
“Numbers? Language? Worlds?”
One step.
He took another step forward.
At that moment, the spirits began exploding one by one in the air.
“All of it is just the byproduct of your narrow imagination trying to cram the infinite into finite frames.”
Even as the spirits burst one after another, Bellamir’s expression didn’t waver.
“…Michael van Hubris.”
“Why did you call me, witch?”
“…So arrogant. You haven’t changed a bit.”
“Seeing change as a virtue is because you’ve mimicked humans for far too long.”
Bellamir raised her hand once more.
As blood-red mana rose from her fingertips, the lake’s surface rippled.
“Then… are you still pretending to be a ‘god’?”
“God… I’m sick of that title too.”
“Then what should I call you? Arrogant bastard?”
“Don’t make it sound so grandiose, Bellamir.”
Rumble…
The water split, and twisted mana like roots spread across the ground.
“You gonna keep going?”
“Enough. Didn’t I say? I just stopped by briefly.”
“…….”
“More importantly… I heard you’ve been stirring up trouble all over the Empire lately.”
“What’s it to you?”
The spirits began circling around the lake.
Then… the dreamlike illusion enveloping the lake slowly shattered.
“Where’s your next destination?”
At those words, Bellamir closed her mouth for a moment.
And in that silence… their gazes pierced each other.
…A moment later.
“…Delbar.”
Clench.
Bellamir balled her fist.
The lake’s afterimage collapsed, and the scenery before them crumbled.
The dreamlike lake vanished without a trace, like a nightmare awakened from sleep.
“Delbar, huh….”
A glint shone in the violet eyes.
“Heh… Good luck.”
***
Thud!
Something crashed onto my mask as I slept.
I opened my eyes from the not-light impact… and there was a snow-white leg right in front of me.
“Zzz….”
…Leviathan in human form.
In other words, the human version of Little Levi.
‘This guy….’
I turned my head.
My bed, my blanket, and… right on my face.
Leviathan sprawled out asleep, leg draped over me.
‘I told her to sleep on a blanket on the floor or just float in the tank….’
In the end, she lay smack in the middle of my bed, snoring peacefully.
How do I handle this?
Right now, in this situation, my options are limited.
I could flip the whole bed over.
…It’s someone else’s stuff. So that's a no go.
Shove it back in the tank.
…It’s in human form now. Too big.
‘Conclusion.’
Roll it up in the blanket.
I silently fetched another blanket and wrapped Leviathan up tight.
For the finishing touch, I tied it off securely.
Perfect.
‘Hmm… I'm satisfied.’
I decided to take a stroll around the mansion to change my mood.
With 【Silent Steps】 activated.
The only reason I used my unique skill was simple.
…I didn’t want to run into anyone.
Last night, somehow, I ended up at a family dinner without knowing…
And there, Carnel’s mother hit me with something like thunderbolt: “Become my son!”
…That’s when it started.
I figured avoiding everyone in this mansion was for the best.
After a few more steps…
‘Ah.’
…Something’s off.
No matter which way I go, it's the same windows, the same carpets…
‘Where am I?’
…Yeah.
I was lost.
This ridiculously huge mansion was a maze itself, and wandering aimlessly had led me somewhere weird.
And right then…
Clack.
The sound of polished shoes echoed from down the hall.
A maid approached carrying a tray with water and medicine.
I immediately pressed against the wall, and the maid passed right by me.
But…
Clack.
The footsteps stopped.
Then the maid turned her head, looking directly at me.
“…….”
Her eyes held unwavering resolve.
She quietly approached and reached out beside me…
“It’s disheveled.”
…And straightened the curtain on the window next to me.
I let out a sigh of relief.
The maid no longer paid me any mind and opened the door in front of her.
“Oh, Nemesis~”
“It’s time for your medicine, Madam.”
“No strawberry flavor~?”
“Yes, unfortunately.”
…Familiar voices.
I quickly slipped away.
But…
“Adel?”
Another familiar voice.
The face of the person I’d deliberately been avoiding stood right before me.
‘…….’
【Silent Steps】 was still active.
But as usual, it didn’t work on Carnel.
[Hello, President.]
“What are you doing here?”
[I got lost.]
“You got lost?”
[Yes.]
“Really lost?”
I nodded.
“Completely?”
Nodded again.
“Totally?”
One more nod.
“As expected of a zero.”
[The layout’s too complicated.]
“The mansion’s structure isn’t that hard. It’s just that Adel’s sense of direction is a zero.”
Carnel said that and strode over, tapping my arm.
“Come along, Mr.Zero Direction. The President will guide you personally.”
[Thank you, President.]
“That’s why your score’s low. Calling me ‘President’ in a situation like this—it’s too stiff and formal.”
[What should I call you then?]
“Well… um….”
Carnel averted her eyes slightly, her face tinting red, then whipped her head away.
“…Never mind. Just follow me!”
I silently nodded and trailed behind her.
We started walking down the hall together, but…
“…….”
After a moment, an awkward silence settled in, and Carnel began glancing around.
Her face had grown even redder, her steps slowing.
“…Adel.”
[Yes.]
“You… know the way well, right?”
[I just said I got lost.]
“…….”
Carnel quietly lowered her head.
“…This is tough.”
[I know.]
***
Knock knock.
“Come in~”
It was the familiar voice of her mother from beyond the door.
Carnel cautiously opened the door and stepped inside.
“You’re late after saying you’d come, Carnel!”
Amelia, propped up on the bed, cried out in delight.
On the table beside her were piles of medicine packets, fruit, and nutritional supplements—minus the strawberry flavor.
“There… were circumstances.”
“That happens!”
She seemed forgiving in words, but Amelia’s eyes gleamed with a meaningful light that said, ‘Explain those circumstances!’
Carnel averted her gaze and trailed off.
“…There was a problem…”
“What problem!”
“…I got lost.”
“You got lost again, Carnel?!”
“…‘Again,’ Mother?”
“Carnel’s a directionless klutz!”
“…Adel got lost first.”
“Oh? You were with that child?”
“…….”
Amelia clasped her hands and let out an exclamation.
The air around them turned into a flower garden in an instant.
“How adorable is that? He can’t find his way alone~ Can’t take off his mask~ He explodes if he speaks~!”
“Mother…”
“What’s wrong!”
“Talking like that makes him sound like a total weirdo…”
“No way~ Adel’s a very special person. At least by our family’s standards!”
“…What standards?”
“Whether he qualifies to become family!”
“…Mother!!”
Carnel’s cry echoed through the room, and Amelia giggled, hugging her pillow.
“Aww, you're getting shy~”
Amelia cleared her throat a few times to settle the mood, then smiled brightly.
“So? What brings you here, my daughter?”
“…….”
Carnel hesitated, lips twitching.
The question she’d asked herself countless times… she finally voiced.
“…About Adel.”
“Adel again?”
“…….”
“So, what about Adel?”
“…Is Adel one of us from House Delbar?”
The words were out.
She’d let them escape her mouth.
“…Hm?”
But Amelia just tilted her head, no particular reaction.
“Why do you think that?”
“He has the same hair color… same eye color… and something about him seems familiar…”
“Hmm… Carnel, you’re such a dummy!”
“…Pardon?”
“Ahem… Nothing.”
Amelia seemed to think of something, twirling her finger as she pondered briefly.
Then, as if decided, she jabbed at the air.
“Ask your father about that!”
“…Father?”
“I wasn’t even born into House Delbar to begin with! Your dad would know better, right?”
…She had a point.
But…
“You two still haven’t made up?!”
Amelia emphasized with a dramatic *thud* sound effect.
The relationship between Carnel and her father, Duke Delbar…
Awkward didn’t even begin to cover it.
Cold, creaking to a halt like frozen time.
Father and daughter, years of living without facing each other, warped as is.
“I wish one of you would just apologize already!”
“…It’s not even my fault to begin with.”
Duke Delbar had been practically indifferent to Carnel.
He’d excessively protected only Amelia, failing to give Carnel the affection she needed most.
“People need to talk!”
Amelia clapped her hands for emphasis.
“Talk it out, and the grudges clear, misunderstandings resolve, wounds heal!”
“…….”
Instead of replying, Carnel just gripped the bedsheet quietly.
***
In the end, Carnel stood before the duke’s study.
Her fingertips trembled faintly at the door.
She debated knocking dozens of times, but…
She went for it.
Knock knock.
A brief silence.
Then, a curt voice flowed from beyond the door.
“Come in.”
As always, there was no emotion in it.
Carnel swallowed once and carefully opened the door.
It creaked open, revealing an unfamiliar scene.
The man at the desk, moving his pen, didn’t even look up.
Even knowing his daughter had entered, he offered no greeting, treating her like any visitor.
“…….”
“…….”
Another short silence followed.
Carnel quietly closed the door and took a few steps into the study.
“…….”
Getting the words out was the hardest part.
So…
No preamble, no explanation.
Straight to the point.
“Is… Adel part of House Delbar?”
The duke’s pen stopped.
He lifted his head for the first time.
His expressionless eyes bore heavily into her.
“…That child.”
The duke slowly rose from his seat.
He walked to the window, parted the curtains, and let sunlight flood in.
“Is that all you want to ask?”
“…You’ve noticed it too, Father. That Adel and I… look alike.”
“…….”
Instead of answering, the duke gazed out the window briefly.
But his eyes weren’t on the neatly trimmed garden or the blue sky.
“I’ll get to the conclusion first, Carnelia.”
“…….”
“Adel is not of Delbar.”
“…Pardon?”
“That child can never be a Delbar.”
A declarative tone.
As if it were an undeniable truth.
No room for doubt, no sliver for speculation.
The duke allowed no possibility whatsoever.