Altare, My First Star
Altare. The first one I picked up, my little star.
He had been living well in a peaceful village with a harmonious family when the Gate took everything from him, leaving him alone. That was how he came to be taken in. Later, when he learned that 'Raven' was the one who had caused the Gate incident, it had caused a major rift between them.
Back then, the trust and affection they had built over time had somehow allowed them to reconcile, but now everything had returned to square one. Since he had been keeping a diary, only the records would remain.
If he read about the man who caused the Gate incident with no lingering emotions toward 'Raven,' how would he react? Raven was certain the boy would harbor hatred toward him.
So he had asked.
The arm pressing down on his neck twitched.
The man with navy-blue hair gazed into the strange green eyes that shone vividly even in the dark night. Their eyes met, and after a precarious silence, the man's lips slowly parted.
"The fact that you stopped when you saw me makes me think I was right about who you are……"
"……"
"Thanks to that, I'm certain now. It's good to see you, Master."
Your first disciple, Altare, greets you.
After delivering the dry greeting, he slowly withdrew his arm and stepped back. His demeanor was as calm as if he had never lunged in the first place.
"You asked if I came to kill you."
"……"
"Not right now. Rest assured."
Not right now, he said……
Raven pushed himself upright and reached out, grabbing Altare's clothes as the man moved away. With his other hand, he lifted the hem of the garment where the dagger had sliced through. Altare's gaze followed the motion, but Raven paid it no mind, carefully inspecting the area.
It looked like only the clothes had been cut, but he had to be sure.
Even as he did so, his mouth kept moving steadily.
"I've only been here less than twenty-four hours, yet news travels fast. My disciple seems to have become quite the impressive figure."
A sigh of relief escaped his lips once he confirmed there were no wounds.
"From what little I've heard, it sounds like you've become the Association President."
When the slave liberation movement had tried to recruit him, they had mentioned that the Association Presidents were looking for him. If Altare had received the news this quickly and come to find him, it meant he had already been searching before Raven even arrived here. It also spoke to how capable he was.
Even Death had said that all of his disciples had become major figures……
"……Altare?"
"……"
Though his voice remained calm and he spoke without issue, the hand that had been checking for wounds was clearly trembling.
Had the past version of himself thought of this man as a father? The man had apparently thought of them as his children, too.
Altare glanced down at Raven's hand, then looked at the person who had spoken his name—an unfamiliar yet familiar figure.
"……I heard that Deciever brought someone suspected to be Master to the palace."
"……"
"From the looks of it, you didn't come here of your own volition."
He extended his hand.
"Will you come with me? —Father."
Father.
Raven's eyes wavered slightly.
"……You almost never called me Father."
"But you wanted me to."
"Clever as always."
Despite the steady reply, he did not take the offered hand.
Judging by the way his fingertips had twitched, he had nearly accepted it. Altare narrowed his eyes, observing Raven, then shrugged and withdrew his hand.
"Well, it's not like I was offering a choice in the first place."
"……What?"
"From now on, you'll have to let yourself be kidnapped by me, Master."
"?"
"Surely even a master wouldn't knock out his own disciple."
Though, since Master was a Fighter and he was an Awakener, it wouldn't be easy anyway.
Altare muttered loud enough for Raven to hear, then hoisted him up and slung him over one shoulder. Raven, still unable to process what was happening, wore a bewildered expression before belatedly tapping Altare's back.
It was less of a strike and more of a tap meant to get the other's attention.
"No, wait. What about Deciever? He's the one who brought me here."
"What does that brat matter? In the past, we may have put on a decent act in front of you, Master, but not anymore. We've never gotten along."
"What…?"
Raven's expression turned incredulous.
Those kids hadn't gotten along…? It felt like only yesterday he had watched them look after one another and share food with warm satisfaction. That was why he had left, believing they would take care of each other even without him……
Suddenly, one disciple's name that particularly weighed on his mind flashed through his thoughts. The child he had barely managed to turn from a beast into something resembling a human—Rowina. He had left under the assumption that the others would be there for her.
But if that wasn't the case—…
His already pale complexion grew even more ashen.
"……Then."
Whatever thoughts were running through his head, they were none of Altare's concern. If anything, it made him easier to carry now that he had gone limp.
After a brief glance at Raven, Altare quickly departed with him slung over his shoulder.
"……Say that again."
Deciever tilted his head, unable to hide his displeasure.
"What?"
"Th-the guest in the eastern palace has been kidnapped……"
"Kidnapped, my ass. He let himself be kidnapped."
That man was not the type to be kidnapped so easily.
A cold sneer escaped him.
"Go."
"Y-yes, sir!"
The nameless insect scurried away.
Deciever watched the retreating figure with emotionless eyes before letting out a deep sigh.
Father had left this place of his own accord. It would be a lie to say he wasn't annoyed. But since it wasn't entirely unexpected, he wasn't truly angry either.
'It's not like I ever intended to keep him suppressed anyway.'
It was better this way if he wanted to preserve Father's will to live.
If Raven wanted to live, that meant he couldn't kill him. In other words, it meant living an eternal life together with him.
……Of course, no matter what choice he made, if it was Father's choice, he would welcome it.
'The problem is his nature.'
A bitter smile formed on his lips.
The flawed nature of a demigod who, when he truly wished to care for someone, ended up doing the exact opposite of what they desired.
At least if he became a complete demigod, he wouldn't have to feel this unpleasant.
After briefly thinking of Raven, Deciever shook his head. Now wasn't the time for such thoughts.
'More importantly, a 'kidnapping.''
Father wouldn't let just anyone kidnap him.
Who among those capable of entering the imperial palace and taking him away would Raven have willingly allowed to do so? He began slowly sorting through the candidates in his mind.
First, Liv, who was the most desperate.
'……Without her Sculpted Soul, Liv is less than an ordinary person.'
She wouldn't even be able to set foot here.
'Hwan the Shaman is currently away.'
He had personally ensured that unauthorized Jusul could not be used within the imperial palace. Hwan wouldn't have the ability to infiltrate this far and extract someone.
'Rowina was also away.'
Besides, given her personality, if she had entered the palace, she wouldn't have acted so discreetly—she would have caused a massive commotion.
Therefore, among those with both the ability and motive, the only one left was……
"……Altare."
That insolent human.
Deciever lowered his head. A suppressed groan seemed to escape, but soon his shoulders began to shake.
A voice laced with laughter spilled out.
"He's practically begging to be hated."
Since he had stolen something from right under his nose, unless he had a death wish, Altare wouldn't have acted alone. He had probably joined forces with the other siblings as well.
How delightful. This incident was something he could overlook.
"It would be nice if they all got abandoned by Father because of this."
The soft-hearted Father wouldn't do such a thing easily, so it would be good if they made things more difficult for him.
For example, by locking him up.
Deciever's lips curled into a smirk.
While carrying Raven, Altare glanced sideways and spotted a crow following at a distance.
He came to an abrupt stop. His free hand dipped into his robes and emerged holding a dagger. Sensing his intent to kill, Raven grabbed his wrist.
"That's mine."
"……I was under the impression you had lost your Sculpted Soul, Master."
"……You wrote that down too?"
"Yes."
That was why Liv, who had also lost her Sculpted Soul, had been desperately searching for him.
"Because I want to live."
That had been Liv's answer when asked why she was looking for Master. It made sense.
The Master in the diary had also lost his Sculpted Soul. Yet he was still alive and well, so the assumption was that he might know a way.
"Still, not that one."
A firm voice rang out. Altare had assumed he would be soft, but the unexpectedly resolute attitude drew his gaze back to Raven.
Raven, unaware of his thoughts, was prying Altare's fingers open one by one to take the dagger.
"Got a reason to kill a disciple you just took in?"
"A disciple, you say."
"Yeah."
"Then it seems I've gained another younger sibling."
The disciples of 'Raven' recorded in the diary were not mere disciples but protégés—practically adopted sons and daughters, minus the paperwork.
Perhaps that was why, even now with their memories of him gone, they remained both friends and quarrelsome siblings.
'Though the only one who actually calls them 'brother' or 'sister' in such an embarrassing way is the youngest, Deciever.'
Not because he truly thought of them as such. What a creepy brat.
Altare obediently handed the dagger over to Master and continued calmly.
"The father who disappeared without a word shows up after ten years with a new sibling in tow. I wonder how the others will react when they find out……"
Raven flinched.
"Understood. I'll turn a blind eye. But if you try anything with that, I'll kill you."
"……How bloodthirsty."
Raven clutched his chest, which had gone cold, and barely managed to speak.
"How did you all turn out like this…? I don't remember raising you this way……"
"Isn't it ridiculous for someone who abandoned us without a word to say something like that?"
Thud.
Struck squarely in a conscience he hadn't even known existed, Raven went limp.
If the other had forgotten him while he alone remembered, at least the reaction wouldn't have been like this. But because it was a child who, despite forgetting, had still sought him out and called him Father……
"……"
Perhaps because of that, Raven couldn't bring himself to respond. He simply pressed his lips together and let himself be carried away by Altare like a broken doll.
After traveling in silence, Raven and Altare arrived at a mansion.
In one corner of the backyard, someone was pacing back and forth, their anxiety plain to see. Recognizing the person, Altare furrowed his brows slightly before kicking off the ground and landing right in front of them in an instant.
The woman, startled, took a step back. Upon recognizing Altare, her face lit up—only to turn deathly pale when she spotted the person slung over his shoulder.
"Master!"
"?"
Raven turned his head to identify the speaker, and his eyes widened.
"Liv…?"
Why was his second disciple here?