Chapter 101
Chapter 101
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Race to the Holy City
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Chapter 101
“What in the world was that bizarre magic wave I felt rising up? Never sensed anything like it in my life. What was down there?”
Guchi was waiting in the office. Lander glanced at the stairs as he spoke.
“There were mages down there. From what they were saying, it seems Sielder got played by Gilliud too.”
“We’ll only get the full story once we catch that bastard. But where do we even find him?”
“Let’s leave the search for Gilliud to Kalligo. If we follow Jon’s leads, we’ll eventually find a connection to him.”
“Then we go after the one whose tracks are clear. Sielder’s heading to the Holy City, right?”
“He’s moving for his daughter’s treatment, so he shouldn’t be too hard to track down.”
“If word of this gets out, he might go into hiding.”
Lander cast his gaze out the window. People who looked like they were from the Inspectorate, Blinder among them, were carrying off bodies.
“Rumors of something happening at the mansion will spread, but the details won’t leak. They’re handling information control.”
Guchi nodded.
“Are we moving out right away? Doesn’t look like there’s anything more to gain here.”
“I guess we have to. But are you sure you’re up for it? I can move without issue, but it might be tough for you, Guchi.”
A fierce snowstorm was raging, thick enough to obscure vision. No sign of it letting up.
“Even riding a horse would be rough.”
“You stay here, Guchi. Someone needs to look after Inebil too.”
“I don’t like it, but this isn’t the time to be stubborn. How do you plan to get to the Holy City?”
“On foot, running.”
“You know how many kilometers it is from here to the Holy City, right?”
“It’ll be fine. If I tire out, I rest a bit midway and keep going.”
“Absurd talk, but coming from you, it sounds plausible.”
Guchi stepped out for a moment, telling him to wait. In the meantime, he went to find Inebil.
According to the Inspectorate members, they’d tried to evacuate her far from the mansion, but she’d refused outright, so they’d left her just outside the office.
Inebil was leaning against the corridor wall, sitting there. Her complexion had improved remarkably in that short time. The woman had incredible stamina.
“How’s your body holding up?”
“Once I got some food in me, I started feeling alive again. Even in a mess like this, food still goes down.”
Inebil stared at his face for a moment before dropping her gaze to the floor.
“I saw Dianne’s body.”
“Better if you hadn’t.”
“Yeah. I regretted it after. It wasn’t something you could even call human. What the hell turned that person into a monster?”
“Plenty of people are moving to figure that out. So focus on recovering, Inebil.”
“Right. I need to be in shape to do anything. What are you going to do now, Lander?”
“Go find Sielder.”
“I heard from Dianne. Charlotte got hurt, so he went to the Holy City.”
Inebil pushed aside the blanket covering her and stood up.
“I’m coming too. I have questions for Sielder.”
“I get how you feel, but moving in your condition will be hard.”
“I’m fine. I’m tough. You know that.”
“I do. That’s why I’m saying it. If you were average, you’d be flat on your back. You’re holding up now thanks to your natural endurance. So don’t push it—wait here. Guchi will help.”
“Sitting around waiting will drive me crazy. The two people I knew did this? It makes me so angry and sad my head’s spinning. I want to hear it from them directly. Why the hell did they do it?”
“There’ll be reasons aplenty. But they don’t matter. What’s done is done, and all that’s left is for him to face the consequences.”
“You’re going to kill Sielder?”
“If he turns like Dianne, no other choice. That’s what worries me most right now. If Sielder goes berserk in the middle of the Holy City, the casualties would be beyond imagination.”
Dianne, consumed by mana, had the strength to tear through even a well-trained unit.
The Holy City had plenty of talent, so cleanup would be possible if something happened, but in that brief window before they contained it, the deaths would number beyond counting.
“Take this. Some simple provisions.”
Guchi returned and held out a pouch. Lander thanked him and packed it up.
“Lander.”
As he headed out of the mansion, Inebil called him back.
“Charlotte will be with Sielder. I know it’s a shameless ask, but take care of her.”
“I’ll keep an eye out.”
“Once I’m better, I’ll head to the Holy City too. With the old man.”
Lander nodded, then stepped out into the snow. If he ran at full speed, it wouldn’t take days to reach the capital.
He planted his foot firmly and kicked off the ground. The falling snow turned into razor-sharp blades whipping his face.
* * *
“Might be faster than sending up a signal flare.”
Deong said. Guchi nodded. Lander had just stomped once, and the snow piled up to his ankles vanished.
The scattered snow settled back to the ground, and by then, Lander had vanished from sight. Not even a silver-maned wolf treating the snowy mountains like a playground could move like that.
“About that young lady—she needs separate handling as a key witness, unlike you, Guchi.”
Deong glanced back at Inebil as he spoke.
“I can vouch for her identity. She’s not the type to run or cause trouble.”
“Figured as much, but procedure leaves no choice. What we do puts rules first. If the commander gives special orders, we can adjust her treatment, but for now, it’s not possible.”
“Stiff subordinates, just like Kalligo said.”
“Bear with us. The case demands thoroughness. Truth be told, this is beyond what I can handle. My role is to preserve the scene perfectly until the commander or higher-ups send someone.”
“Understood. Just don’t treat her roughly. She’s been through a lot.”
“We’ll make it comfortable. If you want, I’ll arrange visits anytime.”
“That’ll do. I’ll explain to her myself. Easier that way.”
“Please do.”
He approached Inebil and explained the situation.
Seeming to understand her position well, Inebil followed the Inspectorate’s directions without protest.
With their support, Inebil boarded a wagon.
“Where are you taking her?”
“To the village first. There’s a branch nearby, but with this weather, we can’t move for a while.”
“No word from Kalligo yet?”
“No. But Lander said he’d send word soon, so just a bit longer. Our commander never delays on work, if nothing else.”
The wagons carrying the bodies vanished into the blizzard. The bloodstained office was covered with cloth from outside, hidden from view.
Those in uniforms pitched tents around the mansion. Red poles marking no-entry zones were staked everywhere.
“It’ll get noisy. They’ll control info, but people will know something happened at the mansion.”
“Sielder’s a noble with a good reputation, right?”
“As far as I know.”
“When the truth comes out, everyone will be shocked.”
Deong headed toward the mansion.
“I’ll finish the cleanup. What about you, Guchi?”
“Want to look around inside.”
“Go ahead. You have the commander’s permission, so I can’t stop you. But don’t go into the room at the end of the stairs. Mages are there. We’re sealing it temporarily until our Inspectorate mages arrive.”
“Other places are fine, then.”
“Yes. If you spot anything suspicious while checking, let me know. We need things to report to the commander too.”
Guchi rubbed his hands together, breathing warm air into them, and entered the mansion.
Kalligo’s on Jon’s trail, Lander’s after Sielder. Can’t just sit idle. I’ll search every corner of this office first.
* * *
“Please wait a little longer.”
He heard the same words again today.
Sielder glared at the healer rising from his seat, then slowly bowed his head. An uncontrollable impulse surged from deep within.
Even a momentary lapse in restraint, and it would break free of reason’s bounds to dominate his body—an impulse that intense.
Veins bulged on his clenched fist. His fingers kept tightening. Until the incompetent healer shut the door behind him, Sielder ground his teeth, refusing to release his grip.
Cold sweat broke out. Inebil’s words pounded in his head. Maybe it’s a violence we can’t control.
Gilliud’s words came back too. Not a side effect of the complete Realm, but his true nature.
He steadied his breathing. The clock in his mind rewound to the past.
The spirit appeared from an unexpected place. By the time he sensed the power’s fluctuation, it was too late.
The spirit’s wings smashed the mansion. Sturdy walls shattered like wooden toys.
Amid the mounting screams, the moment he pinpointed his daughter’s voice, he charged into the mansion half-mad.
His daughter lay pinned under the half-collapsed mansion’s rubble. His vision went dark for a moment, and when he came to, he was holding her in a wagon.
He wanted to run all the way to the Holy City. He knew he could outpace the horse pulling the wagon.
But it was midwinter. Imagining what might happen if he jostled his injured daughter while running made him shudder.
Until they entered the Holy City and reached a renowned healer, he kept holding his daughter.
Finally facing the healer, he learned her condition.
Permanent disability possible—the healer’s long explanation boiled down to that.
He sought other healers. He even visited the central cathedral in the Holy City, borrowing from medicine, magic, and the holy power of the gods, but nothing changed.
“Daddy.”
Her voice came from the next room. Sielder swallowed his rage and went to her.
“You should be sleeping more.”
“I can’t sleep.”
“You need deep rest to recover faster.”
He sat on the bed’s edge and stroked her hair.
Eyes that should shine beautifully like the night sky were hidden behind bandages. The permanent disability the healers mentioned meant loss of sight.
“It’s suffocating not being able to see.”
“Hold on a little longer. You can endure, right, my girl?”
“Of course. I’m a grown-up now. Grown-ups know how to endure.”
“You’re all grown up. You even know how to endure.”
Blue veins protruded sharply on the hand stroking her.
Startled, he pulled his hand away. His fingers moved on their own, defying his will. He grabbed his wrist, struggling to calm it.
“I’ll step out for a bit, so rest.”
“Okay. But Daddy, did you open the window?”
“No. It’s closed. Feeling stuffy?”
“No. It’s nothing.”
His head throbbed like it would split. Even keeping his voice steady was a strain.
He barely stood and exited the room. He punched the wall with his clenched fist. No pain. As he leaned against the corridor wall, catching his breath for a long while—
“Lord Sielder. I need to discuss the fees… Are you alright?”
It was the healer. Sielder screamed internally—no!—but his body had already lunged.
Like a beast on all fours, he tackled the healer. Snapped the old man’s neck in one go. He stared at the lifeless elder’s corpse for a long time.
What is this? What’s happening to me?
“Daddy? Daddy?”
Charlotte’s voice rang out.
(To be continued)