Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Old Tales - 3
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That night.
I slipped out of the house in secret.
To keep the promise I’d made to Uncle Ben today.
[Going to pay your respects?]
“Yeah. I plan to see the lord tomorrow and leave right after, so I have to go tonight.”
In hindsight, I should’ve come straight here the moment I entered the territory, but I’d been thoughtless.
[That wasn’t the situation for it.]
“Thanks for the consolation. Bion Kunze.”
[...]
“Should I keep calling you that from now on?”
“No. Just call me Trail. That’s what I want from you.”
I chuckled.
“You’re the first hero, huh?”
“Sigh. Yeah. And Idria was the first Demon King.”
“Is it because you were the first that you have the Eye of Omniscience and time-manipulation powers?”
“Less because of that, and more because Idria was so strong that I had to be special too. The heavenly gods send down heroes just strong enough to defeat the Demon King of their era.”
Hm.
[Before my regression, I was killed by Kaild. And normally, I should’ve revived right away.]
[...]
“But when I came to, I was somehow inside your body. It was during the final battle with Idria.”
“When Kaild betrayed us.”
“Yeah. You shattered his secret and landed a blow on Idria. We lost in the end... but I thought maybe you had more potential than me.”
Potential?
Trail continued.
[The potential to kill Idria.]
“Even if I did, the world would just fill with lies again soon enough. Wouldn’t Idria revive once more?”
“No. With you, she’d never come back.”
“What makes you so sure about me?”
“Hm. Well, borrowing your words, my intuition?”
I chuckled.
“Just wishful thinking, then.”
“Heh. Maybe. After endless battles across endless years, I guess I got tired. I needed something to lean on.”
I scratched my head and said,
“Lean on me all you want.”
“Huh?”
“I said lean on me.”
[...]
“By the way, not physically. I’d kill you.”
Trail fell silent for a moment.
Then he burst into hearty laughter.
“You’re truly unknowable. Even I, the oldest hero, feel this way because of you.”
“What way?”
[Hope.]
“...?”
[The hope that maybe this guy can pull it off somehow. I was always the one inspiring that hope in others. Relying on someone else for it is a first. Feels strange.”
He continued in a quiet voice.
“But it’s not bad.”
Such nonsense.
I quickened my steps.
Tap.
Finally, I reached my father’s grave.
Uncle Ben must’ve taken good care of it, because even after all this time, it looked tidy.
“I’m here.”
No reply came from the grave, of course.
“I’ve lost track of how many years it’s been. You doing well up there?”
I wiped the tombstone and pulled weeds, even though it didn’t need it.
“Feels like just yesterday you were teaching me to shoot a bow, and now here I am, about to become a hero. Be proud—you raised a great son.”
My hand moved over the mound.
“So boast all you want from up there. You were always one for bragging anyway.”
My gaze shifted to the top of the mound next.
“Someday, when we meet again in the afterlife, we’ll share a drink...”
I froze.
My hand stopped mid-weed.
I blinked a few times.
But ‘that’ didn’t vanish.
It dripped down even more, as if urging me to look closer.
[What’s wrong?]
Blood Letters.
Blood Letters on my father’s grave!
I consciously steadied my breathing.
‘Come to think of it, I had this weird dream last night.’
In the dream, there’d been Blood Letters above Father’s head too.
This ability emerged after he died, so it shouldn’t show on the dead.
But it had in the dream.
And now it was here!
“Fuck.”
[What’s going on?]
“No. You shouldn’t be like this.”
[Hey. You okay?]
“You shouldn’t be like this!”
I shouted at the top of my lungs.
It calmed me a bit.
I let out a deep sigh and said,
‘Blood Letters are showing.’
[They always have.]
‘No. Until now, I’ve only seen them on the living. Never the dead.’
[...]
‘But now they’re on Father’s grave.’
Is it because this is his grave?
Or because his remains are still in there?
Does that mean Blood Letters on the dead don’t require seeing their face directly, unlike the living?
I peered at them again.
The Blood Letters on Father’s grave differed from the usual.
Normally, mine are red, of course.
But Father’s were black.
Black Blood Letters.
The difference from red ones must be living versus dead.
Now that I think about it, there was a voice in that weird dream.
-You must learn of even more sins.
I ground my teeth and continued.
‘Among the people Father sinned against was Mother.’
[...]
‘And Mother’s Blood Letters included Father.’
I slumped to the ground.
Muttering like a madman, I said,
‘Father died when I was young, torn apart by a bear on a hunt. That’s what Mother told me, anyway.’
[...]
‘But the day I first saw Blood Letters, Father’s name was above Mother’s head. Even as a kid, I got suspicious and started digging.’
[Didn’t you say you left the territory at eight? So this must’ve been even younger. Pretty precocious.]
I could feel his attempt to lighten the mood, and I chuckled despite myself.
I said,
‘Long story short, Mother was cheating.’
“Hm.”
‘Her lover was Father’s old friend. They plotted meticulously for years, murdered him, and spread rumors he’d been killed by a bear.’
Mother had cited bear claw marks on his bag as proof.
But I noticed those marks didn’t match a real bear’s.
Father had taught me hunting, including beast info.
‘I found other evidence too.’
“Hm.”
‘Uncle Ben helped a lot. He reported it for me. After a big investigation, they found Father’s body and buried it here.’
And Mother—disgustingly—played the grieving widow for a while after killing him.
She even doted on me more than before.
I learned later it was to avoid suspicion from remarrying too soon.
That sin still had her locked in the territory’s underground prison.
My eyes stung, and I bowed my head.
‘Her lover died of pneumonia in prison about half a year after, around when I left the territory.’
[What about your mother?]
‘No idea. Didn’t care. But...’
I drew a deep breath and opened my mouth.
‘Now I might have to.’
[...]
‘Trail. Use the Eye of Omniscience.’
[Every time you used ‘Bind and Slash,’ it popped up your parents’ secret. You said you already knew it, so no need.]
‘I thought it was just Mother conspiring with her lover to kill Father. But this is different.’
I looked at the grave again.
Specifically, the Blood Letters above it.
‘Show me what sin Father committed against Mother.’
[...Alright.]
A screen appeared.
[Used Eye of Omniscience.]
[Current Eye of Omniscience level is 3. Viewable secret rank: B-rank.]
[Selection condition: ‘Secret between Arald Mohan and Diane Mohan.’]
[Secret rank: D-rank. Proceed?]
I stared at the screen, eyes wide.
A moment later.
Pffft.
A laugh—or sigh?—escaped me.
“Ah. My old man.”
Such a letdown.
[Chin up.]
“Yeah. Thanks.”
I stood.
‘Tomorrow after the lord, one more stop.’
[...]
‘Guess...’
I sighed and continued.
‘I have to see Mother.’
The next day.
After a sleepless night, I woke the party.
Our house was cramped, so we’d cleared the living room and slept like campers.
“Everyone, up. Breakfast, then to the lord’s.”
Varied responses came.
“Good morning, bro, sis, uncle.”
“Why am I the only uncle?”
“My gold. Where’s my gold?”
“Gasp! How long did I sleep?”
“Eek! A whole day.”
“Didn’t eat anything for a full day? Me?”
“Maide? Why are your eyes so red?”
I answered Neril’s last question.
“Had a scary dream.”
“Hard to believe.”
“No, really scary. But it turned out to be real.”
“...You okay?”
“Yeah, fine now. What about breakfast?”
Risel shot up.
Then clutched her forehead, staggering.
“Ugh. Dizzy...”
“Spirit King gets dizzy from sitting up too fast?”
“Anyway, I’ll make breakfast. Been waiting for this.”
Risel grabbed ingredients with enthusiasm.
As some party members helped her, Serein rubbed her eyes and asked,
“Yawn. What’s this about Risel being the Spirit King?”
You’ve got a lot to catch up on.
Risel’s cooking was amazingly good, pre- or post-regression.
Even back then, everyone craved it, campout or not.
Jenia, starved for a full day, took a bite and said,
“Heavenly God, for today alone, I praise Risel in your stead.”
Anyway, we shared info over breakfast.
Risel and Serein missed a lot since joining late, and vice versa.
Once updated, we headed to the lord’s mansion.
The lord who’d sat so imposingly in that execution ground where I first saw Blood Letters had passed.
Now his son held the title.
The lord, Viscount Zabeil de Ottoman, looked mid-forties.
“Hero Maide and fellow heroes. An honor to meet you.”
“No need. Feels nostalgic.”
The promising young man praised since my childhood was now a mustachioed middle-ager.
“Haha. Who’d have thought the hero’s hometown was humble Hasfil. Thrilled.”
“No, no. More importantly...”
“Yes. Yesterday’s events? We’re all ears.”
I explained calmly.
Kaild Wake was the culprit.
He’d tried oppressing the territory folk with some bizarre, evil power, and I’d fought him to the death to stop it.
Behind me, Jenia whispered to Neril.
“Why not mention the Baharma Mountains had the Jewel of Destruction?”
“Spread that around? Even sealed, people would flock.”
“Ah. Thinking of the territory’s welfare too.”
“It’s his nature, but more so his hometown.”
Risel chimed in.
“And protecting Grade’s name, surely.”
“Hm?”
“History says he shattered the Jewel. He was the one who said it, but if it turned out a lie, it’d tarnish him.”
“Your mouth’s too sharp.”
“N-No... Really?”
Their words hit too close; my face heated.
As the talk wrapped, Viscount Zabeil grew serious.
“Kaild Wake. I hear some territories call him hero.”
“Good ears.”
“Even backwaters value info. So, as you say, he’s deceiving the empire? Correct?”
Yes. Time to nod at this question.
Pre-regression, my shabby rep would’ve gotten me stoned.
But now my fame neared 100,000.
Kaild’s gap was laughable.
I stated firmly.
“Exactly. I’ve never said it first, but this time I must.”
I took a light breath.
“I’m the true hero. Kaild Wake is a fake.”