Reunion in the Lord's Castle
"We're almost there."
I headed toward the lord's castle disguised as a guard. Thanks to the outfit, no one suspected my movements. The snap decision to infiltrate the lord's castle in guard garb wasn't a bad plan. Charging straight in would obviously mean no chance of meeting Amon Cornen or Spilvena. Before even getting that far, there'd be a fuss at the gates. Sure, I'd manage somehow if I met those two, but still. With the castle on high alert from the intrusion incident, if a White adventurer showed up, they'd probably ignore me or not even report it. Dealing with showy displays of power or arguments sounded like a pain. My condition wasn't great anyway.
I reached the entrance to the lord's castle. I reinforced my body with mana. My senses expanded. Even just with my eyes, I could see countless guards and knights. From the sounds reaching my ears, there were even more inside. The guards were glaring fiercely, their resolve clear: no one gets in. It looked tough to slip inside in guard clothes like this.
So I'd enter somewhere other than the entrance. I suppressed my presence and deployed stealth using minor mana tricks. The same stealth that had fooled the Great Forest elves' detection. I coated my skin with a thin layer of mana. Sounds from my body were canceled out by colliding with the thin mana barrier. With my traits locked, mana control was a bitch. What should've taken a split second took over five minutes. The cancellation wasn't perfect, but it was good enough. Even druids with keen natural senses couldn't pick up my presence back then. The knights in the castle probably wouldn't sense me either.
Preparations done, I scaled the outer wall. Adhesion handled by shaping the mana on my fingertips into thin spikes. Made me feel like fucking Spider-Man.
"This thing's goddamn huge."
From the top, Rimhold's lord's castle looked way bigger and wider than I'd imagined. Nothing like the three-story building that kid lord, Amon Cornen, had once called his home.
'Evan! Stop..! Uwaaaah—! My house..!! No—! Don't take that too! It's an heirloom!!'
Sure, we'd ended up demolishing Amon's house out of necessity, but seeing he'd built something this massive afterward made it feel like a happy ending for everyone. Spilvena had said Rimhold's development came from holding off the first and second floods. Amon, you must've worked your ass off, but at least you made bank and lived happily. It used to piss me off seeing a count starve because he had no money.
'Ugh.. fuck.. What riches was I chasing to help you like this..'
'Amon. You're a count—don't curse, it's undignified.'
'This is all your fault, Evan!!! You fucker!! Feed me and give me work!!'
'You sharing food with orphans is my problem? Quit bitching and dig.'
'Fuck you.'
'Hey, I'm an orphan too—no hit. Just hurts your mouth, right?'
'Asshole..'
The cocky kid who'd picked up cursing from the stress of burning the Great Forest with me—looking back, it was all fond memories. Amon probably felt the same.
I slipped through an open window, and the lord's castle was lit up like midday. Every light on, probably. Sticking to the walls, I peered down—knights were there, chatting but still vigilant, senses extended.
"Hmph.. So who the hell's the ballsy bastard who infiltrated the lord's castle?"
"Beats me. What would grunts like us know? Even the seniors seem clueless."
I tuned into their conversation. Hoping for useful info.
"Tch. Orders to execute any suspects on sight are fine and all, but.."
"What'll happen to this city.. That's what worries me more."
"...Yeah, bad shit keeps piling up."
Piling up? A developed, wealthy city like this, and besides the intrusion, something else?
"The count's been down for ages, now the lady's collapsed too, Prince Derek's gone radio silent... Only Prince Erwin left, but.. haa, the young master's.. not reliable."
"...Dude, don't say that shit out loud."
"Everyone else says the same—why worry about whose eyes?"
What a mess. Amon sacrificed a ton for this city, but his knights' heads were rotten. Amon collapsed.. After blocking the floods? Was the item I gave him not enough? We'd known each other a while; hearing he'd collapsed left a bitter taste.
So maybe I should hunt Spilvena instead. But..
"..."
Still, since I was here, it was only right to see Amon. The lord would be upstairs, probably.
"This place is needlessly fucking huge. Why'd Amon build it so big?"
Quite some time after infiltrating, still no sign of Spilvena or Amon. Eavesdropping on knights yielded nothing beyond those first two. Just as I thought I'd pull an all-nighter here, I felt eyes on my back.
The mana coating held fine. Presence still suppressed. Not a knight's instinct—it was a physical gaze. Caught already? I'd figured knights not looking up made it easy—damn.
I turned. Sought the owner of that stare. A black-haired boy with crimson eyes stared right through me.
"Amon Cornen?"
The words slipped out at his looks. Then I denied it. Amon was pure human; after 50 years, he'd be old. So this was his kid. But shockingly identical to young lord Amon.
"...No."
The boy denied quietly. Unlike his noisy dad.
"Guess it's my turn this time."
I dropped stealth and stood before him. No presences nearby. Just me and Amon's son in the room. Normally you'd yell for help, but the boy stayed calm. Looking closer, not calm—resigned eyes. Like an old man who'd lived a twisted life. The boy had given up on living long ago. Opposite of Rapi's innocent smile.
"One last request before I go. At least let me see Mother's portrait."
The old-soul kid wanted to see his mom's face before dying. I shook my head.
"Kid. I'm not the kinda guy you think."
"A guy stealing guard clothes late at night to climb walls ain't an assassin? That's novel."
"Could be a diligent guard on patrol. Full of prejudice, huh."
The old-soul's face soured.
"What do you gain mocking me? Just kill me."
Snap!!
"Guh—! What the hell!!"
I flicked his forehead; he staggered back, clutching it.
"Don't you dare say 'kill me,' you little shit. Wanna die for real?"
Not in the Abyss era 50 years ago. Pissed me off hearing a kid talk like that now.
"...Pardon?"
Snap!!!
Cocky fuck—another flick.
"Stop.. stop it!! Fine, I get it—you're not here to assassinate me. Then what's your reason for sneaking in?"
The kid endured my special knuckle-flicks like Rapi—not a blockhead, but tough. Gutsy.
"Here to see Amon Cornen."
"...An assassin after Father?"
"The fuck? Want another?"
I raised my hand; he shook his head frantically.
"Friends with Amon—don't get weird ideas, kid. Shit, you look just like him as a boy, but why's the personality so different?"
"...Really friends with Father?"
Still full of doubt. Fair— who'd believe an intruder claiming friendship with your dad.
Time for proof.
"Amon got slapped by a red-haired noble girl who came to Rimhold."
Something only Amon and I knew. Well, her too—three people.
"...! You knew Mother too!?"
"Married the girl who slapped him and had you!? Amon's tastes are.."
Did burning the Great Forest stress him into weird kinks? Sorry about that.
"Don't insult Father..! Mother said he called her pathetic back then... but still!"
His words jogged the memory.
"Hearing you brings it back. The noble girl—your mom—confessed to Amon, but he cried about no money and rejected her. Probably got slapped for that."
"...Really?"
First time hearing details; he nodded.
Amon's money went elsewhere unavoidably, but they ended up together—must've been true love.
"Anyway, take me to Amon Cornen? Got questions."
"Father's.. unwell. Haven't seen him in ages myself."
"Then let's visit now. Call it bedside manners."
"..."
He pondered, then nodded.
"Understood. Follow quietly this way."
The boy's name was Erwin Cornen. Second son, different mother from the eldest. Two wives? No wonder Amon collapsed.
Said the firstborn overflowed with talent and popularity, unlike Erwin. Yet before collapsing, Amon named the second son heir. Despite firstborn's edge in talent and fame—Erwin sighed, clueless why.
"So the eldest wife and firstborn threatened your life over that petty shit?"
"No material proof... but circumstantial evidence abounds."
Big stepmom poisoning his food was baseline. Plus political maneuvers cutting off his allies one by one. Maternal family could've helped, but contact cut after mom's death long ago. Dad's bombshell collapse, mom gone since childhood—no one left to protect him.
Erwin recited his life flatly, nonchalantly. He'd given up already. Explained the old-soul face.
Sorry for the awkward vibe, Erwin broke the silence. I didn't say "then shut up." Kid's dying face, but still a boy wanting to lean on someone.
In the quiet, Erwin halted. This the room with Amon.
"No guards protecting the lord?"
Absurd—no one guarding the lord amid an assault. How low was Amon's popularity?
"...Big Mother already bought them all."
No insurance scam world, but first wife hated Amon hardcore.
Musing Amon's soap-opera family as Erwin opened the door.
"Heh.. this is fucked."
"Must you speak so vulgarly? And with Father unconscious.. really friends?"
Couldn't help Erwin's straight talk. Amon on the bed looked nothing like the boy lord I knew. Withered from long illness, old man vibes—felt weird. But more than that..
From unconscious Amon, a familiar aura. Abyss mana. I'd beaten the final boss, killed them all. Yet these maggoty shits persisted. How the fuck did they revive? Swallower's power user, Abyss mana eating Amon—wanted answers, but unknowable.
"Fucking hell."
We busted ass for a happy ending—why this Abyss bullshit again?
"What the..? Do you know Father's illness?"
Erwin clueless about the Abyss mana. Probably no knowledge at all.
Abyss mana was sticky, repulsive—instinctively rejected by humans. Family trying to kill him, maybe he missed it. But others couldn't be that oblivious. No way.
"...What'd the others say about Amon's illness?"
"Just exhaustion, priests and mages said. From blocking the monster floods.."
"Who brought those priests and mages?"
No idiot in those fields would miss Abyss.
"All... called by Big Mother."
50 years peace made them blind, inviting Abyss. Time to kill 'em all.
"Hic—!"
Erwin's pained gasp. I yanked back my killing intent. Forgot the kid in my rage.
"Sorry. You okay, Erwin?"
"Y-yes.. fine. But.. if you know Father's illness, any cure..?"
Hope in his eyes; I shook my head.
"From the state.. long-corrupted by Abyss.. No choice—gotta send him off now."
"Pardon..? What do you—"
Pulled sword from inventory, reverse grip. Aimed at Amon's heart, stabbed down.
"Nooooo!!!!"
Erwin screamed, lunging to block—too late.
Stab—!
The blade pierced not Amon's heart, but the innocent bed.
"Cough—! Hold still, Sir Evan. Long time no see.. cough..!"
"Wha.. wha..? Father.. what..?"
Amon Cornen, who'd been lying there, sat up and dodged the sword.
"Oh, yeah, long time. Wanna die? Joking in front of who?"