Chapter 422
Chapter 422
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 422
>Chapter Title: None? Raise Your Hand Now and I'll Let You Off
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After departing from the Grand Duchy.
Aster wandered aimlessly through the fields, with no direction in mind.
As he walked like this, he recalled a memory of strolling alongside Shine once upon a time. What had Shine said back then?
- You're strangely calm, yet in some ways, you can't control your emotions like a child.
What was the reason for that?
‘……Decullan.’
It was fear of him.
They say a frightened dog barks the loudest. Looking back now, every action he'd shown toward Decullan back then was no different from a terrified dog's howl.
He didn't have the courage to bare his teeth…… No, precisely because he lacked that courage, he could only bark furiously.
‘Don't come closer, don't come closer. All just empty threats.’
But what about now?
Had he overcome it?
‘Overcome…….’
- Empty your mind. Just focus on walking.
Aster cleared his mind at the resurfacing voice of Shine. Then he focused on walking.
While he was at it, he took off his shoes, then his socks, and stepped barefoot onto the earth. Winter hadn't fully passed yet, so the ground was icy cold. A chill crept up through his soles.
But Aster took one step, then another.
‘What is life?’
An egg.
But are all eggs the same?
‘No.’
Some are soft-boiled, some hard-boiled. Or maybe they're freshly laid. No one can know for sure.
Perhaps it's an infertile egg that won't hatch a chick, or maybe a fertile one that could with the right incubation.
A prime example of an infertile egg is Yurbuke, the Driman of Pushk.
And it's not just because he's a eunuch. Whether he's truly one hasn't been proven, so who are we to rashly condemn him?
The real reason he's infertile is that he no longer changes.
‘The die has already been cast for that owl, and what's left is for the next generation.’
But is being an infertile egg a bad thing?
No.
‘It's just a different way of living.’
Yurbuke is an inheritor.
Not someone who builds something himself, but someone who passes it on for those who will build in the future.
In the end, his name will forever be tainted with the infamy of "Betrayer of the Plains," but his life still holds meaning.
So……
‘……What about me?’
Aster suddenly halted and looked up at the sky. Just like that day with Shine in the past, it was a night pouring with starlight.
After gazing at the starlight…… and the bright full moon for a moment, Aster quietly scanned his surroundings.
"Tired?"
There was no reply. But Aster knew the answer.
"It must be tough."
Yeah, it had to be.
How many days had it been already?
Unlike himself, who leisurely wandered like an idler with nothing better to do, Decullan's mages had been tailing him nonstop, maintaining their concealment even if it killed them. Just walking must be exhausting enough.
"Want some food before we go?"
"……."
"Yeah, let's eat."
Aster plopped down right there and pulled out some jerky, washing it down with water. His jaw ached from the tough meat. After a bit, he watched the Decullan mages actually starting to eat, then stood up again.
"Let's just walk."
Afraid they'd finish and catch up if he just strolled, he bolted from the spot. Not at full speed. Just enough that Decullan's mages could barely keep pace.
As he ran like that, a thought suddenly struck him.
Bright moonlight.
Twinkling starlight.
And……
‘……Decullan and me.’
Maybe Decullan's captain was him after all. Why else would they escort him so diligently?
Honestly, he felt a bit sorry for them.
‘Can't even eat properly.’
Can't sleep either.
And they couldn't run freely either. If they tried to sprint ahead, he'd stop. Just when they thought he'd stopped, he'd run again. They'd think he was asleep, only for him to be far ahead already. Sometimes he'd walk while dozing off.
Even for Decullan's mages, it was an exhausting schedule they couldn't help but tire from. By now, even they must be utterly bewildered.
‘Just how long until…….’
They'd followed silently, thinking he was heading to the Sanctuary. But no. Was he fleeing? No again.
He just walked.
When a village came into view while walking, he'd enter it. And once inside……
"Everyone, nice to meet you. I'm the Tower Master. And the guys following me are Decullan's mages."
He'd forcibly dispel their concealment and blab to everyone around. But was that all? No.
"I have a bad history with Decullan, but it seems they're planning to ferment me at the Sanctuary or something. So they're tailing me like this to keep me from running."
"Th……!"
"What nonsense……!"
A few mages couldn't stand the outrage and stepped forward, but it wasn't a smart move.
"See that? These guys. Look closely, everyone. Decullan's dragging me off. I'm being taken away."
Small villages were fine enough. Most folks didn't know what the Sanctuary was or who the Tower Master was. But once he hit a bigger city, things changed.
"Everyone, nice to meet you. I'm the Tower Master. And……."
Same routine. By now, Decullan's mages couldn't act rashly, but the city's own mages perked up their ears. How could they not be intrigued?
"That guy's the Tower Master……?"
"The rumored one? Does he look like it?"
"But Decullan's fermenting him at the Sanctuary? What the……."
The Tower Master, shrouded only in rumors, had appeared before them. A grand mage unknown to the world had stepped out.
And he was at odds with Decullan? They'd even invited such a rival as an observer?
The facts didn't matter.
It was just juicy gossip fodder.
And so.
Aster walked. Aimlessly, running, resting, then running again. And every time a village appeared, he'd drag Decullan's mages out into the open and expose them raw.
Well, since it had come to this……
‘……Might as well head to the mages' city, Megarium.’
He knew the mages there. Well, technically, since he'd worn a mask, calling it "knowing" was a bit off, but still.
On his way to Megarium, Aster stopped and looked up at the sky. It was a journey without a single day's pause. He hadn't even lain down to sleep.
Whenever Decullan's guys looked beat, he'd pretend to sit and rest, then dash off. Thinking about it that way, he hadn't rested for even an hour, not a single day.
It had been pretty fun……
‘But it's over.’
Aster sensed intuitively that his little game had reached its end.
Tzzzzz—
In the foggy dawn, a silhouette loomed over the pale horizon far ahead.
Aster stared blankly at it. The number…… about three. Why "about"? Because their concealment was so precise even he struggled to pinpoint them.
Decullan?
‘No.’
Not Decullan.
Then who would come looking for him at this time?
The answer was simple.
"Hermit."
The Sanctuary's recluses.
The three recluses glided forward to stand before Aster. Their steps were smooth, without the slightest bump, like moving over ice.
The lead Hermit asked.
"Are you the Tower Master?"
"Yes."
Amazed by their gait, Aster sidestepped left and right in place. Swish, swish. They moved so fast it left afterimages.
He thought it was pretty hilarious, but the Hermit continued impassively in a voice devoid of emotion…… no, any feeling at all.
"Have you accepted the invitation?"
"If I have?"
Swish, swish—
"Then come with us. We'll guide you to the Sanctuary."
"Here to catch me?"
"No. Just to align the schedule."
Swish, swish—
"What about the other observers?"
"Some have arrived already, some are on their way, some haven't departed yet. But all will arrive at the proper time. And for you, Tower Master, departing now is that proper time."
Swish, swish—
As they spoke, the Hermit lifted the edge of his deeply hooded robe to look at Aster. Calm but sharp eyes fixed on him.
"If you go now, you can take your time walking. What say you?"
"Fine. Let's go. Lead the way."
"……Understood."
The lead Hermit gave a slight bow and moved forward. The same fluid steps as before.
Aster followed behind.
Swish, swish—
Sidestepping endlessly, left and right.
He didn't forget to bid farewell to Decullan's mages either.
"I'll go when it's time to go. That's the difference between you and me."
He never ran away.
He only moved forward.
But……
"Was it no fun?"
Swish, swish—
At Aster's question, the leading Hermit turned to look at him, then faced forward again.
"I laughed."
"I see."
Swish, swish—
Hermits are hard-boiled eggs.
Why?
Because they're dry.
In the thickly fogged dawn, Aster followed the recluses onward. To the mages' holy site…… the Sanctuary.
* * *
And so, they arrived at the Sanctuary.
"Please rest well."
"You too."
With a nod to the departing Hermit, Aster stared at the massive door. Several presences already emanated from what seemed to be a reception room.
Three presences in total.
All grand mages who had reached transcendence.
Undoubtedly the other observers……
Bam!
Aster kicked open the reception room door and strode in. The huge door crashed against the wall with a thunderous boom. That was when all eyes inside turned to him.
"……."
"……."
The three grand mages, seated on sofas arranged in a circle without a head seat, looked up at Aster. The emotions in their gazes weren't kind.
Like…… who the hell is this guy?
Aster grinned at them.
"I'm Decullan's lackey. Hands up."
"……."
"……."
"None? Raise your hand now and I'll let you off?"
Aster fell silent, staring at the grand mages. They stared back in silence.
It didn't take long for their eyes to fill with contempt, pity, and all sorts of indescribable emotions.
"Senile, are we? Or lost to heart demons? Either way, tragic. Tsk."
Only one reacted, while the other two silently turned away. Dignified, as befitting grand mages……
"Ahem."
Aster awkwardly made his way to an empty sofa and sat down. Then he closed his eyes tightly, just like the others.
That was when a voice spoke up.
"Trying to set the mood now is too late, I'm afraid."
"……."
"Skip the grand mage posturing and let's introduce ourselves. I'm Kahazar dr Kutlan, patriarch of the Kutlan Family."
"Ka……hazar?"
"That's right. Heard of me?"
Heard of him, and how.
It wasn't just because he'd been invited as an observer this time. As the sole magic noble house of Hoaksen, living a life kings envied……
In a way, he was the role model for wealth, glory, luxury, and indulgence.
"So, who might you be?"
"Tower Master."
At Aster's curt reply, Kahazar's eyes lit up with an 'aha?' as he flashed a toothy grin. Maybe it was the thick rust-red beard. He wasn't smiling ferociously, but it felt beastly.
‘Damn, he looks rough.’
As Aster thought that, Kahazar added.
"You're looking for me."
"……?"
"Decullan's lackey, right? That's me."
Aster wondered.
‘……For real?’
It was an unexpected turn.