Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: The Council of Elders
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And so, my plan to take a bath was thwarted once again.
“Ruan…!”
It was because I ran into my mother, Lucia, the moment I set foot in the main family estate.
Her blonde hair fluttered brilliantly as she ran to me.
“W-wait, I’m a complete mess right now…”
Before I could finish, I was in her embrace.
I could see her clean dress getting sullied by the dirt and dust on my body.
“Mother.”
“Truly.”
My mother said in a subdued voice.
“…I’m so glad you’re safe.”
“…”
Her trembling voice made me swallow the words I was about to say.
‘…Ah.’
My mother.
My only family.
There wasn’t a single night I didn’t long to see her again.
I had so much I wanted to say.
But strangely, the words wouldn’t come.
I just patted her back, waiting for her to calm down.
* * *
After reuniting with my mother and finally taking that long-awaited bath…
I changed into the new clothes a servant had prepared.
‘I feel human again.’
Satisfied with the strangely comfortable feel of the clothes, I headed to the guest room where my mother was staying.
Her room was in a rather secluded corner, and two familiar faces were standing in front of the door.
It was Keian and Arjan.
They were talking about something with impassive faces, but their conversation came to an abrupt halt when I arrived.
“What were you talking about?”
“We were organizing what has transpired. Sharing information, you could say.”
“Oh? You two know each other?”
Keian replied as I tilted my head in question.
“Shortly after Arjan came to the main house, I helped with her training a few times.”
“I see.”
I gave a casual nod and said.
“Well, catch up for a bit. I’m going to talk with my mother.”
“Yes.”
I had things to discuss with Keian too, but I’d put that off for now.
I walked past them and entered the room.
A faint scent of black tea filled the room, and a smile crept onto my face without me realizing it.
It was the same scent from my memories.
“You’re here. Come, sit.”
“Yes.”
I glanced around the shabby room before sitting down in front of my mother.
“I could only prepare black tea. Is that all right?”
“Of course.”
Some teas are best served with snacks, and others stand perfectly on their own. My mother's tea was the latter.
A wonderful aroma, a gentle warmth, and a deep flavor.
A single cup was a complete experience in itself.
‘…I’m really back.’
It's absurd, but it wasn't until I took a sip of the tea that the reality of my return truly sank in.
It meant that until this moment—when I saw Keian or Arjan, when I witnessed the true colors of those knights in the mountains, even when I finally encountered the Jewel Beast—
I hadn't fully accepted my reality.
“Did anything happen?”
“Anything?”
“I heard the general situation from Sir Keian. You were summoned to the main house by the Family Head. And because of that, you had to pass through the Jewel Mountains…”
Unexpectedly, my mother had a precise grasp of my recent whereabouts.
Was this due to Keian's impressive information network? Or was my location simply easy to track?
I couldn't be sure, but in any case, my mother seemed to know what kind of place the Jewel Mountains were.
That must be why she was worried.
I could have lied to put her at ease, but…
“A lot happened. To be honest, there were many dangerous moments.”
I just told her the truth.
There were two reasons for this. First, I didn't want to lie about such things.
Second, because I believed she was strong enough to handle this much truth.
“…”
My mother didn't react much to my words, simply sipping her tea.
Then, she slowly began to speak.
“I see. You’ve been through a lot.”
“Yes.”
“You’ve become much calmer since I last saw you, haven't you?”
My mother said with a slight smile.
“They say facing death brings about spiritual growth. In the mountains… were you close to losing your life?”
Her voice trembled faintly, but I answered nonchalantly.
“More than a few times.”
“I see. Arjan must have had a hard time.”
That wasn't wrong, so I nodded. My mother then lowered her voice slightly and said.
“In that case… did you happen to learn about Arjan as well?”
“She’s no ordinary butler. I don't know the details, but I saw her use a special power several times.”
“I see…”
My mother continued.
“While you were bathing, I spoke with Arjan for a bit. She will be assisting you for the time being.”
“She will?”
The sudden news made me tilt my head.
“There’s no need for that. Did you force her to?”
“It's true that I asked her, but I didn't force her. In fact, I often brought it up when she was at the main house, but she always stubbornly refused.”
“…”
“She said she owes you her life now, too. That she wants to serve you at least until that debt is repaid.”
I was surprised by her sudden words.
“A life debt…”
“Am I wrong?”
“You’re not wrong, but… it’s the same for me. I would have died without Arjan. You could say we saved each other.”
As soon as I said it, I realized my mistake.
It was far too mature a thing for the Ruan of this time to say.
“…”
For a while, my mother just stared at me.
Her expression seemed complicated for many reasons… but I also felt this was a necessary process.
The fact that I've changed is something I can't hide anyway. Especially from my mother.
I could make up excuses to get through this moment, but what about after?
I can't pretend to be the moron Ruan forever.
In that case, it's better to let her think something like, 'My son went through a near-death experience and changed a lot.' That was my conclusion.
However, after a moment of thought, my mother said something unexpected.
“You’ve returned to how you were as a child.”
“…Excuse me?”
Not understanding, I asked again.
“As a child?”
“Yes. To the confident, brave boy I loved most.”
“…”
“You were always like this before the Blessing Ceremony. Don't you remember?”
This I had to admit, caught me off guard.
I thought I had grown or changed because of what happened on the Spirit Mountain…
But it seems my mother believes I've simply returned to my true nature.
“That’s…”
I almost denied it but stopped myself.
Because I know that the hardest thing for a person to grasp objectively is 'oneself.'
These were the words of my mother, who had watched over me since I was a child.
Even considering her motherly bias, it meant there was a possibility this was the truth.
My mother took my hand.
“Ruan.”
“Yes.”
“A Blessing isn’t everything.”
The words she'd often said, even before my regression.
But words that never reached the Ruan Bednicker of that time.
But now, I know.
“Yes.”
My mother’s words are the truth.
Even without something like a Blessing, I can become stronger than anyone else in the world.
The blessing of a god is not needed to aim for the title of The World's Greatest.
“…Truly, it is so. There is no reason for you to give up on your life because of it.”
But my mother’s purpose didn't seem to be simply re-emphasizing a truth I hadn't accepted in the past.
I soon realized her intention…
‘She's worried about the second Blessing Ceremony.’
If I fail to receive a single Blessing at this ceremony, too.
She's worried about the despair I would face once again.
“Don’t worry. I won’t give up. And even without a Blessing, I will become stronger than any of the Family Head's other children.”
“Haha. I would like that.”
Of course, my ultimate goal is to surpass even my father, the Iron-Blooded Duke…
But if I said that, even my mother would surely treat me like a madman.
Just as I was grinning and lifting my teacup.
*Knock, knock.*
A knock sounded at the door.
“Come in.”
The door opened at my mother’s permission, revealing Keian’s face.
For some reason, his face seemed more urgent than usual.
“I apologize for interrupting your conversation, Young Master. But you must go somewhere urgently.”
“Me? What is it?”
Keian, looking uncharacteristically stiff, said.
“The Council of Elders has summoned you.”
* * *
The Bednicker main estate is composed of five floors.
The first and second floors are open to guests and bustle with people, but from the third floor up, it's nearly empty.
Outsiders are forbidden from this point on.
Still, it wasn't a completely unfamiliar place.
This floor housed the rooms of the main family's key figures, as well as classrooms and a library, which I had visited a few times before being judged to be without a Blessing.
But the place I was walking through now was one level higher than that.
*Thud-.*
On the fourth floor, only the sound of my and Keian's footsteps echoed quietly.
Encounters with people were rare on the third floor, but the fourth floor took it a step further.
It felt like there wasn't so much as a single rat here, let alone a person.
It seemed to be equipped with some kind of soundproofing, as it was hard to catch even the faintest noise.
It felt as if we were walking through another world.
After following Keian in silence, without seeing another soul, for some time.
Keian suddenly stopped and said.
“This is the place.”
“…”
I stared blankly at the door.
Damn, this door was huge.
You could have told me it was the entrance to a ballroom, and I would have believed it.
The room inside was probably as vast as the door.
‘I barely saw any other doors on the way here.’
Simply put, each room on this floor took up an enormous amount of space.
I reined in my useless thoughts and opened the door.
*Creek-.*
“…”
The door opened more easily than its size suggested.
However, the moment it opened, I felt the air grow heavy.
‘It’s dark.’
The place was pitch black.
The curtains were probably drawn, or perhaps there were no windows to begin with.
*Step.*
I took about seven or eight steps forward and stopped.
There was nowhere else to go.
I was surrounded by high walls, and sitting atop those walls, I could see a group of figures.
“You have come.”
“Ruan Bednicker.”
They sat on the wall as if they were judges.
The darkness in the room was so thick that I couldn't make out their faces, or even their silhouettes clearly.
These men are the infamous Council of Elders of the Bednicker family.
I'd heard there were eleven members in total, but counting them, it seemed not everyone was present.
“For what reason have you summoned me?”
I had a good idea, but I feigned ignorance.
It was unlikely, but it could have been about my recent dispute with Hector.
“We have a few questions for you.”
“Regarding what happened in the Jewel Mountains.”
Thankfully, that wasn't it.
“We sent five members of the Fang Knights to escort you.”
“Where have they gone?”
“Why have you returned alone?”
“Recount every detail.”
“Everything that happened in the mountains.”
These members of the Council had a habit of taking what could be said by one person and splitting it amongst themselves.
I recall there being no grand reason for it.
If I had to say, it was a device to prevent their identities from being specified.
These insidious bastards loved concealing their identities more than anything, which, in any case, made it quite agonizing to listen to them.
Figures whose faces were barely visible, speaking continuously in ambiguous voices.
“Ruan Bednicker.”
“Why do you not answer?”
“…”
In this situation, which at a glance seemed like a crisis, I lightly licked my lips.
The name of this room on the fourth floor is the [Chamber of Judgment].
And I know one of its secrets.
‘A room that discerns truth from falsehood.’
In other words, a room where the truth can be confirmed.
I slowly opened my mouth.
“The members of the Fang Knights are all dead.”
And before the old men of the Council could say anything, I added.
“I killed some of them with my own hands.”
This situation is an opportunity for me.