Chapter 407: Even Elders Die
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 407: Even Elders Die
Fortunately, the dagger was a Holy Sword created by Hilde. It hadn't been left inside my stomach; it had simply vanished when its time limit expired. The culprit behind the missing dagger was none other than time itself! I mean, it wasn't some tiny razor blade. If a dagger had been left in my gut, someone would have noticed. All's well that ends well.
…There were shards from an anesthetic ampoule embedded in my skin, but I decided to ignore them. Surely they weren't inside my body, right? And even if they were, I didn't have the guts to cut myself open again to get them out, so I'd just have to live as if they weren't there.
“How are you feeling, Father?”
“It hurts more… but strangely, I feel refreshed.”
I guess that meant the quack wasn't completely incompetent, despite her sloppy finishing work.
In any case, it was true that moving was easier. I didn't feel sleepy, so I decided to work on a little project I had planned earlier.
Just then, a table had the misfortune of catching my eye. I placed the Eight of Spades on it, then balled my fist and slammed it down like a stamp. The table was instantly alchemized into a deck of cards of the same thickness. The cards, which were suddenly no longer a table, scattered and fell to the ground.
Then, I tilted the next card.
Seven of Spades, the Lightning Spool. I draw out the Divine of the Lightning Thief and release its lightning.
Threads of lightning shot out from the spool. Like an invisible net flowing from my body, the scattered lightning spread in all directions, snatching the cards. When I gripped the spool and pulled, the cards flew into my hand all at once.
Hilde watched the cards move on their own and asked.
“Learned a new trick, have we~? Is that the power of a Divine?”
“Well, yes. It’s nothing that amazing, though,” I answered nonchalantly, shuffling the cards.
The Golden Lord had created a moving fortress with alchemy, and the Lightning Thief could shoot lightning wherever he pleased. All I could do was make a few cards and move them around with a pittance of power. Why did every ability I acquired seem to be a watered-down version?
Well, it was more than enough for playing around.
“Father, why are you collecting the Divines? What do you plan to do with them all?”
“I’m not collecting them for any particular purpose. It’s just instinct.”
“Instinct?”
“Yes.”
The Sanctum had hidden knowledge from humanity that they deemed potentially dangerous. They called this knowledge that transcended the ages ‘Divines’ and concealed the Oracle’s relics in the gaps between worlds, causing the knowledge to be forgotten.
But to hide something, you must first know what it is. The very fact that the Sanctum hid the Divines meant they had already become humanity’s property. After all, you can’t understand the future just by seeing it. And if they did understand it, then they, being human, had made it a human thing.
Still, what was the point of hiding it just from me? It all leaks out eventually, just as it did in the Fallen Dominion and in Claudia. Even if they couldn't fully comprehend alchemy or lightning, someone was still using them.
It was all meant to be found in the end. Yep.
And once all the Divines were found, once the King of Humans, stagnant since before the new era, finally caught up with humanity… then I, too, could end this tiresome charade and become the Beast King…
“Father?”
“Yes?”
“What are you doing right now?”
Lost in thought as I shuffled the cards, I looked up at Hilde’s question.
Dozens of cards were dancing in the air. As I swept my hand in a circle, the cards slid through the empty space as if it were an extension of my hand. With a flick of my fingers, I moved my hands from side to side, and the cards crisscrossed in a zigzag pattern, weaving into one another.
A human has two hands, each with five fingers. Because of these structural limitations, there were only so many ways I could shuffle a deck. But this new power was rather interesting; it allowed me to control objects connected by the lightning threads as if they were part of my own body.
On second thought, it wasn't that strange. My own body was moved by threads of lightning, after all. So I guess this was pretty normal.
“Just shuffling the cards normally.”
“So fast that even my eyes can barely follow?”
“If you could see everything, would it even be shuffling?”
The method was more complex than before, but the principle was the same. After a few more flourishes, I folded my fingers and brought my hands together. The cards formed a ring and were sucked into my hands. I tapped the deck to even it out and gauged its thickness.
Fifty-two cards. The count is right. Even if I can't restore the original cards, it bothers me when the number is off.
“Is that what’s ‘normal’ for you, Father?”
“Dexterity is a normal human ability, isn't it? This much is possible. From my perspective, using Qi Art to move your body and transform is much more amazing.”
“What if you had Gam Qi Art? Could you transform like me then?”
There was no reason to tell her the truth. But there was no reason to lie, either, so I answered honestly.
“Well, I’ve never tried, so I don’t know. But if I had enough power, I suppose I could do it, just like you?”
“So, anything I can do, you can do, too. Because you are the King of Humans.”
Hilde murmured, as if in a trance.
“I understand now. My acting was nothing. I am the fake. The King of Humans was the one who could truly become anything. Because he is the King of Humans. The King of Beggars, of Chancellors, and of Emperors.”
“Just because I’m their king doesn’t mean I’ve ever tried to become them.”
“You don’t need to. The fact that you can is what’s important.”
Wouldn't it be more important to ask if I have the will to do it in the first place?
I didn't know what she was expecting—actually, I did, but I was pretending not to. Hilde asked me suggestively.
“Father, by any chance…”
“Hu?”
It was then. Without a sound or a hint of her presence, Tyr opened the door and appeared. She glanced at Hilde, who was inside with me, a flicker of displeasure in her eyes.
“I gave you your own room, yet you come to the injured Hu and bother him.”
“What’s the big deal~? We’ve been traveling together for a long time~. Besides, I figured Father would be lonely, so I was just keeping him company!”
“Know your time and place. Now that you are in the Duchy, you too must follow its laws.”
At Tyr’s words, Hilde twirled a lock of her hair, making a half-hearted show of repentance.
“Yeees, yeees~. But I do have one question~. In the Duchy, is it okay to just barge into a guest’s room without knocking~?”
The remark was clearly aimed at Tyr. Though inwardly stung, Tyr had a prepared response and answered confidently.
“I sensed an unfamiliar presence inside, so I took unavoidable measures for Hu’s safety.”
“Oh, come on. Who would attack the Progenitor’s guest in the Duchy of Mist? Un-less! Does Tyrkanzyaka mean a different kind of ‘attack’?”
“What if the Crusaders were to show up? Just as they did in the Village of Clouds.”
This, too, was a clear shot at Hilde. Through the successive incidents in Claudia, Tyr had instinctively sensed that Hilde was a Crusader. However, since Hilde’s actions were far from what one would expect of the Crusaders, she had been letting it slide, though she was now far more wary than before.
“You, who saved Hu and called Valdamir to the Village of Clouds, couldn’t possibly be a Crusader… but who knows? Perhaps a Crusader hiding their identity and acting is lurking here in the Duchy of Mist as well.”
The Progenitor Tyrkanzyaka despises the Sanctum. The same goes for the Crusaders. They spare no effort in denying the vampires’ past, annihilating their present, and erasing their future. Not even a former Crusader could escape that fury.
For now, it wasn't confirmed that Hilde was a Crusader, and with my presence, Tyr was merely observing.
“If you are an outsider, a human who is not a vampire, you have no room to complain if you are suspected. Be careful.”
She left it at that. Tyr had implicitly warned Hilde. Recognizing Tyr’s unique blend of consideration and caution, Hilde let out a sigh.
“Geez~. I guess I can’t even give him a proper tour to show my gratitude~.”
“Do not worry. Once Hu has fully recovered, I will guide him myself.”
Having finished her business, Tyr now turned to me.
“More importantly, Hu, did someone visit you a short while ago?”
“Yes. A physician sent by Lord Sanguine came and went.”
“Already?” Tyr asked urgently. “Did anything unusual happen?”
“She treated me without a word and left. I’m not sure if it was a treatment or an organ talent show, but I do feel lighter.”
“Is that so…”
If Valdamir sent her, it means he judged her not to be dangerous… This is a bit different from what I’ve heard.
Huh? Reading Tyr’s thoughts, I noticed a slight discrepancy in our perceptions.
The vampire named Lyre I had read seemed completely harmless. I hadn't felt a shred of danger, even as she was slicing open my stomach.
But Tyr was on guard.
“What is it? Was she an assassin trying to stage an accidental death by leaving a blade in my stomach? If so, I guess I fell for it completely.”
“No. Hu, if she treated you, then she has fulfilled her duty. I suppose I must look for that child elsewhere.”
“Then it’s already too late. She said she was heading toward Claudia.”
“To the Village of Clouds?”
“Yes. She said there was someone there who needed treatment.”
It was probably too late now. Although Lyre lacked experience, she was still an Elder, meaning she could travel in an instant if she so chose.
Tyr muttered, troubled.
“Hmm. How unfortunate.”
“What’s going on?”
“It is a secret of the Duchy… but I suppose I can tell you, Hu.”
No, if it has nothing to do with me, you don't have to tell me. The question was just a courtesy, but Tyr happily accepted my interest and began to explain in a low voice.
“Luscynia’s death was top secret. Only his fellow Elders and the Kindred directly under his influence knew. Only I can rule on matters concerning the Elders. Therefore, in accordance with my duty, I must uncover how Luscynia died and exact revenge.”
“Being a Progenitor doesn’t seem easy.”
“It is the duty of one who stands above. Thank you for understanding.”
A small smile touched Tyr’s lips before she covered her mouth and spoke softly.
“…However, according to the story I heard.”
Whatever could this story be that she was hesitating so much? As I contemplated reading her mind to find out, Tyr delivered a startling piece of information.
“The one who killed Luscynia, an Elder of high standing… was none other than her. Lyre Nightingale… or so I’m told.”