Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Defiant Disciple
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Fatigue vanished from Inebil's eyes, replaced by a spark of life. Dianne grew curious. What on earth had this child seen?
"That person is different from you."
"That person? Who are you talking about?"
"Lord Lander. He's my new goal. He's incomparable to you."
"Lander. That man, huh."
The image of Lander from Blue Button flashed before her eyes.
"Was that man really that impressive?"
"You won't believe it unless you see it for yourself. Compared to the sword he showed me, your power is utterly pathetic."
Inebile stared straight ahead with unblinking eyes.
She furrowed her brow. Inebil had just declared she was now chasing after someone else's back.
Those words shook her to the core. A jealousy bordering on envy twisted into a sneer.
"You really think that? That the power we possess is worthless before Lander?"
"I guarantee it—even if the entire 1st Knight Order attacked him, they couldn't touch him. His sword was on a whole different level from anything I've ever seen. Why do you think I asked you to show me your stance and domain? To compare. The moment our spar ended, I knew. Ah, Lord Lander isn't even comparable. He's completely different."
"You've lost your eye for talent, Inebil. The bodies we've obtained let us surpass limits. Even the Maestro whose name is engraved at Schola's main gate—a so-called great warrior—is trapped in a human shell and can't do a thing to us. For now, high-level swordsmen might fight us on equal terms. But as time passes, things will change. Our bodies don't know fatigue or limits."
The bodies gained through the complete Realm transcended common sense. Someday, they could even wage full-scale war against the Empire's core forces.
It wasn't a reckless notion but a prediction born from experience. Who could defeat a body close to immortality?
"No, you have no idea. If you'd even once seen Lord Lander's power up close, you wouldn't dare use the word 'equal.'"
"Your judgment's clouded by the situation. Inebil, deep down you know how incredible our power is. No need to deny it."
"The Dianne I knew is truly gone. The Dianne I remember would have calmly examined those words. She wouldn't have overestimated her own strength and would have analyzed the situation carefully. What about you now?"
"Have you ever thought this body is so great that you don't need to worry about such trivial things?"
"Good heavens. Since when did you start blindly trusting power handed to you by someone else? To believe so much in a body you obtained so easily, without self-sacrifice. I still remember what you said. That grueling training was the only method you trusted."
Inebile cried out as if in agony. Her voice rose sharply.
"Back then, I thought that was everything. I thought effort was the only answer in this world. But it wasn't. To you, this might look like a shortcut. I thought so too at first. But it's not a shortcut. It's just an innovative method we hadn't known about."
"Round and round we go. Where's the self-sacrifice in that 'innovative method'? I don't want to become a monster by sucking someone else's blood."
"You plan to live your whole life as a weakling? End your days in this cesspool?"
"I want to live. I'm terrified right now, and I want to cry in a way that doesn't suit me. But I can't. Know why? Because looking at you makes me too ashamed. I do have a sense of shame. I may be ignorant from lack of education, but I know right from wrong."
Why did the word "ashamed" grate on her nerves so much? Veins pulsed at the back of her neck.
Blood surged through her veins, thick with rage. When she came to, her hands were around Inebil's throat.
What a frail neck. A squeeze would cut off her breath, and a bit more force would snap the bones just as desired.
Tears welled in Inebil's eyes. She gurgled, then forced out words with difficulty. Yeah, maybe dying now would be better.
She released her hands. Inebil collapsed to the floor, gasping ragged breaths.
"Blue Button has been raided. Everything will be cleaned up. Even that Lander you think so highly of."
Inebile looked up amid dry coughs. The defiant glare twisted her guts again, but she held back.
She truly cherished this disciple. Even blood sisters wouldn't share this bond. She couldn't let her go like this.
"They'll be back soon. Then you'll see. How worthless that Lander really is."
"That won't happen."
Inebile rasped.
"You and Gilliuwd both say Lord Lander will die, but I don't think so. You sent people? That was your mistake. You just delivered the clue he's been looking for right to him."
"You've come to trust that man awfully quickly. Could it be you're smitten sexually? Chasing strength is just the surface reason—you're attracted to him as a man?"
Dianne laced her words with mockery. She wanted to see her steadfast disciple waver. A crack in the heart would make persuasion easier.
"Not at all. To be honest, I don't know much about him. We were together for barely a month—how much could I know? But I believe him because I saw it myself. His sword. His overwhelming prowess."
"You're thoroughly enchanted."
"It hit me like when I first saw you—no, even stronger. You should be careful. Lord Lander might find this place."
"If he comes as a ghost, I guess I can't stop him. All a dead man can do is appear briefly in nightmares."
An unyielding child. That's why she loved her. She just hadn't expected that personality to cause such headaches.
Dianne watched the averted eyes of Inebil for a while, then turned away.
She paused midway up the stairs. Swung her hand at the wall. Dull pain traveled up her arm.
She needed to shake off the emotions and clear her head.
"Still no sign of Gilliuwd?"
She said to Belli, waiting in the office.
"We mobilized everyone we could, but no luck."
"Five days gone—tracking him now is impossible."
"He vanished the moment the spirit appeared. The aftermath of that power disrupted the magic wavelengths he used. Even now, it feels off. Like he knew the spirit would manifest."
"Was it that Grand Flow he always spouted that bailed him out?"
She sighed, gazing out the window.
Five days ago, Gilliuwd had disappeared. She'd never restrained his actions over the past few years, but surveillance was constant.
Without the spirit, he never could have escaped. An unpleasant coincidence, or a dangerous inevitability?
She had no idea where the fatalist who left the mansion had gone.
Inebile's rebellion, Sielder's absence, Charlotte's injury, and now Gilliuwd's flight. Too many problems for one person.
If only the butler were here, she'd have some breathing room.
"Keep tracking him for now. Even if he's no longer needed, we can't just let him go. Capture him if possible, but kill him if it's too difficult."
"Understood."
"How's Sielder?"
"No word since leaving for the Holy City."
"Got it."
Belli left the office. She sank into the sofa, organizing her thoughts. Things were messy, but the plan was on track.
The underground mages were deep in research and would soon produce results. Once they unlocked the complete Realm, losing Gilliuwd wouldn't matter much.
It was annoying if he allied with other forces to continue the magic, but performing it didn't grant power instantly. Adapting to a new body took time.
Even if Gilliuwd rushed, Sielder Territory would rise first.
Starting with Anke, rallying surrounding forces and uniting with emerging nobles could forge a solid power base.
That was all she needed. She envisioned the world gradually transforming.
The old ways would crumble, a new order established. Many would spill blood, but at the end awaited a perfect world.
Dianne glanced at the bookshelf. She pictured Inebil despairing beneath it. She hoped the girl would face reality.
She left the office. As soon as she stepped outside, a fierce wind swept over her.
Citizens gathered for mansion repairs looked up one by one. Snowflakes stung her eyes.
"It'll pile up."
Dianne shouted to the citizens. The snow was worsening—go home for today.
* * *
"Looks like it'll pile up quite a bit."
Guchi said. The snow had intensified suddenly, now falling so heavily movement was difficult.
Lander brushed snow from his shoulders and entered the inn.
"Got any rooms?"
"Plenty of vacancies."
Lander handed over money for a night's stay, meals, and horse feed. The innkeeper brought two cups of tea to warm them.
"We're here now—what's your plan?"
Guchi asked, settling into a corner seat.
"Eat and head straight there."
"What will you say?"
"I'll tell them what I saw and demand an explanation."
"They won't answer kindly."
"Doesn't matter how they respond. With Kalrigo on the move, it'll be settled legally soon enough. If they draw first, I can use that as leverage to keep talking."
"These lunatics who wiped out a whole village might just attack outright."
Lander took a sip of tea.
From Blue Button to Sielder Territory, he'd skimped on sleep to think.
What am I doing this for? For the Empire's peace? Or revenge for my wife?
His mind was clear, but his chest felt stuffy. From the information gathered so far, his wife's orphanage days hadn't been pretty.
John's orphanage had conducted countless magic experiments. His wife must have been caught up in them.
Rage swirled in his chest.
What harm had they done to her? What atrocities made her childhood memories hazy? Was Oblivion a side effect of the experiments?
He wanted to ask the perpetrators every question. Chopping off a finger for every lie.
But violent impulses couldn't shake his reason. Emotions always lingered below the neck.
In that brief moment sipping tea, the boiling feelings scattered into emptiness.
"Guchi."
"Hm?"
"How do I look to you? Normal?"
"What do you mean?"
He gripped the teacup with both hands.
"I definitely loved my wife. I even made childish vows to do anything for her. Yet now, I can't even get angry for her sake. Damn this head of mine—it controls my emotions too well."
"Being emotional isn't the only human trait. I believe you'll handle it in your own way."
"You think so?"
"Don't expect slick answers from me. I'm not as great a man as you."
Guchi chuckled lightly and told him not to worry.
Then the inn door opened. A hooded man entered with the blizzard. He walked straight to their table.
"Good to see you again, Mr. Lander."
Deong removed his hood and greeted him.
(To be continued)