Chapter 79
[Location: Study of House Reschenhardt]
[Exploration Result: 4 Humans]
[Ard]
Once the dreadful headache pounding at his skull finally subsided, Aquila was able to properly make out the people in the room.
Lexenbert, Cahena, Erzet, and Shen.
The sa group as before—excluding Aquila and Yujelia—had gathered again to continue their discussion.
Brief exchanges passed regarding whether Celsia’s remaining aides would be exiled or executed, and how stronger monsters had increased in the Frost Forest compared to last year.
Soon enough, the topic shifted back to what had occurred in Portplum.
Cahena began with the incident at the well.
“……Several dozen seconds. At most a minute.”
“For a skilled individual, taking a life within a few seconds would be nothing. But you are saying you sensed no presence at all?”
“Even if I am still at the interdiate level, there has never been a ti when I failed to recognize soone at the advanced level. You know that as well.”
“Yes. I do. Within Igrail, there is no one better than you at detecting nearby presences.”
“Oh? That is unusual praise.”
Leaning crookedly with one foot braced, Cahena let out a rough laugh.
But she quickly sobered and gripped the scabbard at her waist tightly.
“In any case, I swear upon this sword—I sensed nothing there.”
Despite her earlier laughter, no one followed suit.
If she had truly detected nothing, there could be only one explanation.
“A Sword Master……. Are you suggesting a Sword Master appeared?”
Lexenbert narrowed his brows, speaking in a low murmur.
Everyone present knew Cahena’s skill.
They also knew she would not lie. Though she appeared flippant and carefree, she never exaggerated.
“On the Delvion continent, only three are officially recognized as Sword Masters. One in the South, one in the East, and one standing right here.”
“Mm. Even if not the one in the East, could the one in the South have moved?”
Shen asked quietly, but Lexenbert imdiately shook his head.
“No. That possibility can be dismissed entirely. However long he has lived, that old man’s mind would not falter so easily.”
Listening from within the shadows, Aquila silently agreed.
He had encountered the Sword Master of the South several tis in previous regressions. The man was notorious for his eccentric temperant.
Both in good ways and bad.
He was obsessively devoted to swordsmanship and aggressively challenged those who seed strong. His presence was loud and unmistakable wherever he went.
Yet he had never ambushed soone without hostility.
His strength allowed him to act openly at all tis.
“Could it have been so other higher being……?”
“That is even less plausible. It would make more sense to believe a Sword Master appeared.”
There were beings who had lived upon this land since before Delvion unified the continent.
They undoubtedly existed sowhere, yet for roughly five hundred years they had revealed themselves nowhere.
Even when the lands of the elves were corrupted and the dwarves’ mines collapsed, they had not appeared. Modern scholars believed they had chosen not to intervene in anything.
Of course, Aquila knew the truth behind that as well.
“Well, in my opinion, the assailant who attacked the Young Master does not seem connected to the Guild of Darkness. If they were aligned with soone of that caliber, there would have been no reason to leave him alive.”
Shen agreed.
Though the reason remained unclear, the Guild of Darkness had clearly sought to kill Aquila.
Both Shen and Cahena vividly rembered the fanatic mutterings of the one who had attempted to use Self-Destruction Magic.
Thus their conclusion narrowed to one possibility.
The attack had targeted the magical artifact Aquila purchased at the Old Items Auction.
Various other topics followed.
The situation in the East, Aquila’s interest there, Saint Ianpel, and additional clarification regarding the dragon and prophecy Aquila had only vaguely explained.
Surprisingly, however, Lexenbert and Erzet did not react strongly to the notion that the ancient dragon Igdrein had bestowed such a “blessing” upon Aquila.
As though nothing a great being did could be considered strange.
Instead, as rien had said before parting, Lexenbert was displeased that possessing such a blessing ant Aquila would likely be drawn into greater turmoil in the future.
“If it were up to , I would storm into the labyrinth at once and sweep everything away…….”
Lexenbert’s eyes shone fiercely with sincerity.
Even without knowing the precise location, if he carved through enough of it, he would eventually strike sothing.
He possessed the strength to do so.
Yet Labyrinth City, Labyrinth was vast.
The lawless territory untouched by imperial authority lay underground. Aboveground, it was a thriving city where people lived and moved about openly.
“If you intend to send soone to Ludovika, would it not be better to send Sister Astia, Father? She should be in Denimarad by now.”
Erzet, who had been listening in silence until now, suddenly spoke.
“……If she goes, it will not end with rely delivering a letter. You know that well.”
Erzet shrugged and adjusted his glasses with two fingers.
“Of course. That is precisely why I suggest it. I hope she will destroy them while pretending not to notice.”
“If it is Lady Astia, she will certainly do so without regard for appearances.”
Shen nodded gravely in agreent.
After a mont of silence, Lexenbert sighed.
“Yes. Perhaps informing Astia is indeed the best course. She will accomplish at least one thing properly.”
Watching from the darkness in the corner of the room, Aquila felt puzzled.
He found himself reconsidering his assessnt of Astia Reschenhardt.
Ding!
[Stolen Divine Authority (Minor) — 180 seconds remaining!]
[Skill will end in 179 seconds!]
[Increase your stats to extend usage ti!]
He had assud he could continue observing without moving through shadows, but apparently not.
Previously, he had ended the skill early due to nausea while experinting with its controls.
Still, roughly twenty minutes…… or perhaps longer.
He was about to end the skill and attempt to activate it again—
when Lexenbert flicked his fingers.
“Go and summon Pellichin, Ashent.”
“Yes, Lord Lexenbert.”
The unfamiliar na was answered by Shen, who bowed his head.
Aquila focused on the familiar wheat-colored hair of the attendant.
So that was his proper na. Ashent.
Ding!
[Unlocking information for keyword ‘Shen (Ashent)’!]
[Shen (Ashent) — Devoted attendant, one who curses the gods, avenger, priest assassin.
Actions prior to the 30th regression: Illegitimate child of an assassin family. Nearly died while fleeing his clan, but was saved by Lexenbert. Swore absolute loyalty to House Reschenhardt thereafter.
Notable: Perpetrator of the ‘Priest Killing’ incident. Upon discovering that a devotee was involved in the Curse of Deadly Poison that killed the Young Master, he began killing them. Slaughtered eight in brutal fashion. Later captured and executed.]
……What?
Aquila doubted his eyes after reading the explanation.
That Shen was born of an assassin family was not especially surprising.
Had Shen ever moved like an ordinary man?
But the rest—
The ‘Priest Killing’ incident was sothing Aquila had heard of before.
Whether as a priest in Portplum or whenever he beca entangled with clergy, it was often ntioned.
Yet he had never imagined it was the story of a Reschenhardt attendant—of Shen.
It had been described rely as the work of a madman. The details were obscure, and as it was an event of the past, he had never paid it much attention.
Beyond the cara-like view, Shen exited the room.
Ding!
[5 seconds remaining until Stolen Divine Authority (Minor) ends!]
[…]
[Exploration terminated!]
[Vision returning to its original state!]
Before Aquila could resist, the screen went dark, and the sensation of the ground dropping beneath him returned.
Then, all at once, weight flooded back into his body, and sensation returned to each finger.
“Tsk, the quiet ones are always the worst……!”
Aquila shot upright as if waking from a nightmare.
The headache struck imdiately, and he collapsed back onto the bed.
“Ugh, damn it…….”
It was not the nauseating dizziness he had experienced before, but it felt as though his skull might split apart.
It seed that using the authority guaranteed a headache.
Far from using the skill consecutively, he curled on the bed, clutching his head in pain.
What a grim household….
Even amid the throbbing agony, that thought surfaced.
***
It was Yujelia who saved Aquila from his suffering.
She had co to check on him and was startled by how pale he had beco.
Surprisingly, this ti the Divine Power of the Sun eased his headache sowhat.
Perhaps it was not rely motion sickness after all.
Hearing the news, Shen rushed to the room and tended to him with utmost care.
After writhing in pain for so ti, Aquila eventually lost consciousness.
It was late afternoon when he finally ca to.
His head still felt heavy, but rest had improved it sowhat.
Three…… no. Six. And more, if I count those purged.
The tragic deaths within House Reschenhardt.
Aquila Reschenhardt’s death had triggered a chain that sealed the fates of others as well.
Even before the world fully tilted into ruin and was swallowed by darkness, only two would remain within this house—
Lexenbert and Astia.
Would Cahena have died as well? I cannot clearly recall the fate of the guards.
Aquila stared at the late al placed before him, lost in thought.
On a battlefield, one never knew when the next al would co. One forced food down whenever possible.
Yet now, nothing wished to go down.
“……You have no appetite, Young Master?”
Shen’s expression dimd at the sight of him barely touching his food.
Aquila regarded the attendant with slightly different eyes than before.
Madman.
That was what people had called the perpetrator of the priest killings.
“……If you require my assistance at any ti, please tell , Young Master.”
While Aquila had been resting, those concerned about him had gathered in his room.
“My brother. Is your stomach still uneasy? Your head as well? Shall I fetch my special dicine, hmm?”
With Lexenbert returned, Erzet—now relatively free—sat opposite him, scrutinizing him closely.
Aquila surveyed the room before lifting his spoon and swallowing a mouthful of soup.
This place is filled with the dead.
Including himself.
After finishing his al, he planned to et the dead once more.
The twins.
So that is why his eyes looked dead.
Aquila forced himself to continue eating under the watchful gazes fixed upon him.
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