Chapter 617: The Season is Autumn (6)
Chapter 617: The Season is Autumn (6)
I wake from a hazy dream.
No, this is still a dream. It is simply so realistic that the fact is hard to grasp.
The scenery was familiar by now.
The endless wilderness was empty, without a single blade of grass. The sun, sinking toward the horizon, cast dry hues across the land, and the countless corpses formed a melancholy spectacle in its light.
I stood dazed upon this land of death.
Fragmented memories fluttered restlessly like migratory birds moving to a new nesting ground. Soon, several scenes flashed through my mind like shards of glass.
'Senior Elsie' had finally found a way to treat those who had become the vampire's kin.
The families and friends of the victims expressed their gratitude incessantly. Senior Elsie made excuses, saying she had only given in because of my pestering, but their thanks reached her nonetheless.
Emma, in particular, had even shed a few tears while clutching my hand.
She thanked me for not giving up and told me how happy she was that I had saved Liereri Ruphesia’s life.
My meddling had been worth it.
I didn't know the exact principles, but it seemed Senior Elsie had discovered a way to nullify the 'contract' made with the vampire. She had mentioned it was fortunate that the subject of the contract was dead.
If the vampire were still alive, it would have been an impossible feat.
No one would sit idly by while being unilaterally notified of a contract termination.
Ultimately, it was a method that could not have been used in the world where Senior Elsie had lived. Nevertheless, she couldn't hide her sense of pride.
I hadn't forgotten the price I had to pay, either.
And so, I had raised a glass in celebration. I drank and drank until I stumbled back to my room, only to be nagged by the Saintess so severely it felt like she was leaving handprints on my back.
"We meet often."
My mind, which had been lost in reminiscence, snapped into clarity.
That dry tone was practically the exclusive property of one man. A voice like the wilderness, devoid of interest, excitement, or emotion.
I glanced behind me. There, as always, sat the man perched on a rock.
I let out a hollow breath.
"…I suppose we do."
"It isn't something to be dismissed so lightly."
As the man spoke, he stared at me with eyes that seemed even more sunken than before. Like a crow searching for prey from the high heavens.
"The synchronization rate has become excessively high. It was already rising, but the last battle was critical. You've absorbed too much of my memory."
It was a story I had heard many times.
Hadn't he been saying this since I faced the Corpse Giant in the Percus territory? That this could lead to disaster.
But I was still fine.
That was the reason I could remain composed despite the man's grave tone.
"Isn't it fine? You must be lonely here by yourself, and now you have someone to talk to. I get to learn more secret techniques…"
"I'll say it again: there is no power without a price, Novice."
Yet another warning I had heard countless times.
However, the man's expression today was a bit more solemn. It was as if the fact that my visits here were becoming more frequent weighed heavily on his mind.
"Do not forget that you lost your reason during the last battle. The boundary between 'me' and 'you' is beginning to blur."
"Then what do you want me to do?"
"It's too late."
To my somewhat annoyed retort, the man gave a simple answer.
It was a statement as dry as could be.
"It cannot be stopped now. You have no choice but to start preparing yourself."
"Preparing for what?"
"To pay the price."
The man did not tell me what that 'price' actually was.
The reason was likely one of two things.
First, the man didn't know either.
Second, even if he did know, he couldn't speak of it due to some 'restriction.'
It was a treatment I had grown accustomed to, so much so that I didn't even need to ask. Yet, a single grain of lingering attachment remained that I couldn't quite shake off.
After a moment of silence, a question leaked from my lips.
"…Did you know?"
"Know what?"
"The hidden history of the Haster family."
Instead of scoffing at the obvious question, the man shifted his gaze to the side. His pupils grew hazy as he delved into the past.
I didn't have to wait long.
The man opened his mouth without hesitation.
"How could I not have known?"
"Then why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"You should already know the answer to that."
"Still, if you had given me even a small hint…!"
"Novice."
With that one word, the heating atmosphere cooled instantly.
The man was simply staring at me with his usual emotionless eyes.
"Information regarding the Seven Deadly Sins has too much impact. Furthermore, even if you had known the secret history of the Haster family, what could you have done?"
"If Celine finds out about this…"
"She will be hurt."
The man's eyes deepened for a moment before surfacing again as he murmured softly.
Like an old man ruminating on ancient memories.
"Still, she can overcome it. At least, if you are by her side."
"How do you know that?"
The man gave no answer. He merely gestured toward the sky with his eyes.
My gaze naturally followed that direction. There, memories flickered like faint burns.
A merciless woman wielding an axe as large as her own body, breaking through a wall of people.
The black uniform with its striking white trim told of her affiliation.
Imperial Intelligence.
"She was one of my adjutants."
Though her impression was somewhat rougher than it was now, I knew. I knew that the woman in those images was Celine.
There couldn't be many women bold enough to wear a confident smile even in the middle of a battlefield.
Come to think of it, it felt strange.
We were always together, yet it felt like it had been forever since I had seen Celine's face.
For a while, I couldn't open my mouth. I waited and waited.
The question that finally flowed out was brief.
"…Did she live?"
"I wonder."
It was a blatant evasion.
The man wasn't cold-hearted enough to not know the fate of his childhood friend and adjutant.
His dry voice continued.
"Do not try to depend on too many things. If there is information you need, collect it yourself… That is why you are forever a 'Novice.'"
"Enough with that 'Novice' talk…"
"Or 'child,' then."
I grumbled at the man's words but then clamped my mouth shut.
'Novice' was probably better than 'child.' I didn't know when I would finally be called by my name.
The man spoke in a voice that rasped like grains of desert sand.
"Don't be stubborn. You must take responsibility for the connections in the world you live in. If you think I will play your nanny forever…"
"Yeah, yeah. I get it."
As it looked like his nagging was about to get long-winded, I had no choice but to cut him off.
How could he have so many worries?
It was a trait that contrasted sharply with his bleak appearance. When I waved my hand in annoyance, the man's gaze turned somewhat sullen.
Even this was something no one but I would notice.
Having watched him for so long, I felt like I understood. The obvious truth that he, too, was a human with blood flowing through his heart.
And it happened to be perfect timing.
I had a separate reason for coming here. A reason worth drinking enough to get scolded by my wife.
I got straight to the point.
"Your Junior Sister said she wants to see you."
A pause.
The man's body, which hadn't wavered once until now, stiffened. It was an incredibly rare reaction, but I kept talking so he couldn't escape.
"Today is too sudden, so how about tomorrow? Like you said, she's a connection from your world."
The man's gaze slowly drifted to the side.
Hadn't he just said it? 'You must take responsibility for the connections in your world.'
They were truly righteous words. I decided to use them as leverage to keep pushing him.
"An adult should act like one. So, I'll take that as a yes…"
I stole a glance.
My eyes scanned the man's complexion. His face still showed not even a lingering scent of emotion.
Silence followed.
Seconds passed, then minutes.
Just as I was about to urge him once more.
The man's lips slowly parted.
"…I'd rather not."
He was being stubborn to the very end.
Unable to contain my rising frustration, I finally shouted.
"Hey! You told me not to act like a child!"
It was a moment where I realized once again that the man was, after all, 'me.'
The eyes of the Imperial Household are everywhere.
This was a rumor widespread not just in the Empire, but across the entire continent. It was a terrifying story that seemed like a groundless myth at first glance. If it were true, it meant no one could escape the Empire's gaze.
However, few doubted the truth of the rumor.
Because if it was the Empire, it was entirely plausible.
The Imperial Household commanded the largest intelligence organization on the continent. Their information was so swift and accurate that there were rumors even the Holy Kingdom and the Southern Kingdoms learned of events within their own borders later than the Empire did.
Naturally, there was no one who did not fear the Empire's gaze.
The Academy was no exception.
Even in the Academy, which had a long history as a neutral zone, a branch of Imperial Intelligence lay hidden. Although it focused more on recruiting talent than on information gathering or various operations, Imperial Intelligence was still Imperial Intelligence.
Those who knew of its existence were extremely few. Naturally, the same applied to the person leading the Academy branch.
Who would have guessed?
That a woman of commoner origin, with mediocre grades, was the true mastermind behind the scenes at the Academy.
The so-called 'Queen of the Ball,' Neris Findleston.
She was a woman as cunning as a viper, who enjoyed deceiving others. It was for that very reason she was able to rise to the position of head of the Academy branch.
This woman, notorious even within Imperial Intelligence, was currently…
"I must be crazy…"
She was wallowing in self-reproach, her head buried against her office desk with a thud.
Several names flashed through the mind of the woman who had trapped her vision in darkness.
Ian Percus, Ian Percus, Ian Percus.
"Ah, ugh, aaaaah…"
The day the curse of Jealousy swept through the Academy.
Neris's dark history had begun.