Chapter 105
Chapter 105
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: The Man Who Claims to be Kaljak
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“…Someone I need to meet.”
Asad said in a low voice.
He staggered up from the sofa and reached for a cup on the low table.
*Splash—.*
The cup had been empty, but the moment Asad’s hand touched it, it filled with water.
Asad drained the water in one go and looked at me.
“Who is it?”
“Keian.”
I started with something I didn't truly mean, a probing statement.
All the while, I watched his expression.
Asad was grimacing, pressing his temples as if his head was throbbing.
He looked like someone who had been drinking heavily all night.
Though there was no smell of alcohol.
“The Collector, Keian? Why him?”
There were few men in the main family who could call Keian ‘him’,
but it didn't sound strange coming from Asad.
“Just because.”
“Because?”
“I think I'll need him to kill the High Priest.”
“…”
I felt as if he had put on a mask.
Asad, who had been clutching his head just a moment ago, looked up with a blank expression.
*Ah.*
In that moment, I understood.
Why the Iron-Blooded Duke trusted Asad the most.
Why the Council of Elders showed this man respect.
The expressionless Asad seemed like a completely different person.
Even I was momentarily overwhelmed by his presence.
It wasn't intentional, more like the feeling the Iron-Blooded Duke gave off.
A man of his caliber could stir the mana in the air with the slightest emotion.
“Strange.”
“What is?”
“There's no way you could have obtained that information.”
“…”
He was right.
I hadn't realized a thing until just before the incident occurred.
In fact, this conversation was the core of my plan, and also the greatest hurdle.
In a way, it was a task as difficult as fighting the High Priest himself.
“I'm curious. How did you find out? Not even five people in the family know about this.”
I tried to guess who those five might be.
The Iron-Blooded Duke, Luke, and Asad were certain.
Another one… the chairman of the Council of Elders? I didn't know the rest.
“Let me be clear. Don't spout any nonsense or lies. I hate troublesome things.”
“Are you going to kill me?”
“No. That would be too easy.”
“…”
I had a feeling that, depending on my answer, I could end up in a state worse than death.
So I told him the truth.
“Very well. I learned of this through the blessing I received.”
“A blessing?”
“Yes.”
I hoped Asad had a way to discern the truth, just like the Iron-Blooded Duke.
Just like when I'd made excuses before, I wasn't lying now.
The Blessing of the Spirit Mountain was what had allowed me to return to the past, and as a result, I now knew the future.
“The only blessings that can see the future, as far as I know, are the [Blessing of the Stars], the [Blessing of Prediction], and the [Blessing of the Primeval Fairy]. What is yours?”
I'd heard of the Blessing of the Stars before.
I remembered Seren shouting at me, asking if I possessed that blessing.
*Should I say I have the Blessing of the Stars?*
It would be a plausible lie, since it's a blessing that reads the future…
“No. It's a completely different blessing.”
I shook my head.
Asad's words just now were genuine.
If I gave him an excuse he couldn't accept, he would do whatever he wanted, regardless of whether I was the Iron-Blooded Duke's son or not.
So, from now on, I decided not to lie to Asad.
If he asked a question I couldn't answer, I would simply not reply.
I felt that was the right way to handle this man.
“Hmm. There are very few blessings I don't know of…”
Then he suddenly said something strange.
“The Blessing of Prediction is one that guesses an opponent's movements a few seconds ahead based on their current actions.”
“…?”
“The Blessing of the Primeval Fairy teaches the future in vague terms. It's a characteristic of the ancient fairies who love riddles.”
Asad looked at me and said.
“Finally, the Blessing of the Stars only foresees the general outline of a major event. For instance, [A great fire will occur within the next few years...] Something like that.”
I got goosebumps the moment I heard that.
In other words.
None of those three blessings…
could provide a prophecy in the form of… *the High Priest will perform a Demon King summoning ritual in the Bednicker territory.*
Which meant the questions just now had been a trap set by Asad.
“Relax your face. I don't particularly like this way of talking either. My head is about to explode just from dealing with the Bednickers and magic theory.”
“…Is that so.”
“I have many doubts about you, but you don't seem to be a cultist, nor do you seem to be planning any tricks. Although, it doesn't feel like you've told me everything.”
Is this what you call experience?
I hid my discomfort and said.
“It's a bit strange for me to ask, but do you trust me?”
“Yes. No matter how bold a cultist is, they wouldn't have the courage to face me. Besides…”
Asad pointed to my ring.
“Worshippers of the Calamity God can't use that ring.”
“Ah…”
It was an unexpected fact, but if Asad was the one who made it, he wouldn't be lying.
“Let's sort out the situation first, shall we? You know the High Priest has infiltrated the training retreat, and you know a major incident is about to happen here… I won't dig into the backstory. This is Bednicker territory, after all. If you kill the High Priest and foil his plan, the source of your information doesn't matter. So, I only want to ask one thing.”
“What is it?”
“Do you know the High Priest's identity?”
“…”
I remained silent.
For some reason, I felt this answer was the most crucial turning point in our conversation.
“Yes.”
And once again, I didn't lie.
“Will you help me?”
I subtly asked for Asad's intention.
In truth, if I could just get the help of the great mage Asad, I wouldn't need to resort to such tricks.
“…”
Asad wore a rare, troubled expression.
I couldn't understand his attitude.
“…The camp is being held in the western part of Butterfly Forest.”
Asad finally spoke.
“That's not my territory.”
I blinked at the unexpected truth.
“…What do you mean?”
“I guard the main family's mansion and the central part of the forest. The administrator of your current location is someone else.”
“Who is it?”
“Riseradigos.”
I'd never heard that name before.
“If I am the guardian of the family's public face, he is the guardian of its hidden side. He's the forester and also the librarian of the underground library.”
“The librarian of the underground library…”
The very person I was looking for before coming to the training retreat.
And from Asad's tone, I realized.
I didn't know what kind of person Riseradigos was, but at the very least, Asad treated him as an equal.
“He and I don't get along, so he'd go crazy if he found out I trespassed.”
I asked, bewildered.
“The High Priest has infiltrated. Does your relationship with him matter at a time like this?”
“Whether it's the High Priest or the Demon King, he's not the type to be bound by such things. He's a bit of an eccentric.”
“…”
If the eccentric Asad was calling someone eccentric, could that person actually be normal?
The thought crossed my mind for a moment, but I didn't say it out loud.
“Can't we get help from this Raseridigos person?”
“It's Riseradigos. And help… frankly, I'm skeptical.”
Asad said, his voice somehow troubled.
“Or would you like to try persuading him?”
“Well, if you could just arrange a meeting…”
“That's not difficult, but you'll have to risk your life. In a way, he's more dangerous than the High Priest.”
“…Even just for a conversation?”
Asad gave a bitter smile and said.
“About the barrier in the forest, most of the family members think it's there to control the monsters, right? That's not it.”
“…Don't tell me.”
“It's because of Riseradigos. It's for his sealing and surveillance, you could say.”
“Hm.”
Why would such a dangerous being be a guardian of the family?
As curiosity surged, I recalled something Asad had said before my regression.
- The Iron-Blooded Duke exists above the laws of the Bednicker family - Outsiders who don't know the full story often say that.
- Kid, you know nothing about the Bednickers. About the true power and secrets this family holds.
Perhaps this Riseradigos person was one of the family secrets Asad mentioned?
“I'll introduce you to another helper instead. He's easy to talk to, and he'll be better than the Collector, Keian, whom you were trying to mobilize.”
And finally, Asad said what I wanted to hear.
“Sword Master Teacher Kaljak. Join up with him. We just lost contact with him in the forest, so you can find out what happened.”
***
Asad cast a spell on me.
I didn't know what it was, but it seemed to allow me to pass through the barrier freely for a day.
The next morning.
I left the camp as soon as the sun rose.
Of course, my official whereabouts were resting in the infirmary, and Junian would provide my alibi.
So, the next important thing was to move while avoiding the gaze of the communication crystals at the camp…
This wasn't difficult either, as I had already learned their locations from Zeros.
The problem was the communication crystals placed in the forest.
I knew there were communication crystals in the forest because I'd found out when visiting Instructor Dong's quarters before my regression.
When I asked about it, Junian replied casually.
“Ah, those? They're not usually active. That would be too inefficient. They're only used for special tests in the forest, so you don't have to worry.”
Thanks to that, I could run through the forest to my heart's content.
*Ah, this is refreshing.*
I was excited, running freely for the first time without worrying about being watched.
You really need rich scenery to enjoy a run.
It was a completely different landscape from the Spirit Mountain, which had nothing but rocks and fog.
I spotted a few monsters while running, but I didn't bother to eliminate them…
…which allowed me to reach my destination quickly.
A place where the trees were shorter than in the heart of the forest, allowing a decent amount of sunlight to filter through.
Roughly halfway between the forest and the main mansion stood a fairly large building…
…and a few knights were standing in front of it.
They stood with their backs to me, and from their posture, it seemed they rarely greeted people coming from the forest.
I intentionally revealed my presence, and only then did they turn around.
“Who goes there!”
“It's me.”
“You are…”
“Young Master Ruan?”
One of the knights seemed to know me, and looking closely, I recognized him too.
“Sir Walter?”
He was a knight I'd gotten to know after sparring with him a few times before leaving for the forest.
Walter bowed with a pleased expression.
“What brings you here? Isn't the training retreat still in full swing?”
“I have some business to attend to. I got permission, so don't worry.”
“Ah, yes…”
“More importantly, has the Sword Master Teacher come here?”
“The Sword Master Teacher…”
At that, not only Walter but also the knight standing next to him made a strange face.
“What's wrong?”
“Well, um, someone claiming to be the Sword Master Teacher did arrive.”
“What does that mean?”
“…Umm.”
After a moment's hesitation, Walter said.
“I think it would be faster for you to see for yourself. Please follow me.”
I followed Walter inside the building.
It seemed to serve as a checkpoint for the forest, and it was much larger than I'd expected.
Inside, it was equipped with not only communication crystals but also food, weapons, and cots.
It seemed the knights sometimes stayed here.
Just then.
“You sons of bitches! Are you really sure about this?!”
Vulgar swearing.
The ear-splitting voice made me frown instinctively.
“…Who is that?”
The voice was coming from a room inside the building.
“This way.”
Walter opened the door to the room with a troubled look.
Stepping inside, the first thing I saw was a cell with iron bars, and inside sat a handsome man with brown hair.
“Huh? You-!”
The handsome young man's face lit up when he saw me.
I reacted as anyone would.
“Who are you?”
“You… you too…?”
“…”
I looked at Walter, demanding an explanation, and he whispered to me.
“…He came here three days ago. He claimed to be the Sword Master Teacher…”
“…”
“…Of course, I don't know the Sword Master Teacher personally, but I do know what he looks like.”
“This is so frustrating!”
The brown-haired young man pounded his chest.
I felt like I'd never seen him before, yet his voice sounded strangely familiar.
“I'm—telling—you—!”
Finally, the young man shouted in a booming voice.
“I am Kaljak!”