Carl was able to learn surprising facts from the still young and innocent Vire. Vire was 17 years old, which was not an age that Carl, who was 18 this year, could consider young.
"I thought she was not even 15 years old. She is an adult," Carl thought.
"They said it was because I didn't eat well when I was young. Now that I'm growing up, I'll be as big as Layana," Vire said confidently, raising both arms.
It was said that Vire grew up starving because he was an orphan.
However, it would be impossible for her to grow as large as Layana, who was 2 ters tall. But it wouldn't be strange for a 17-year-old girl who hadn't eaten enough to start growing now.
"Bilford, you're the sa age as her."
"Okay…."
Bilford looked very taken aback by Carl's words. Though he thought he was all grown up, seeing that Vire, who was the sa age as him, seed like a complete child, made him realize that most other people saw him as a child too.
"Bilford is very tall," Vire noted, finally freeing Carl, perhaps because he beca interested in Bilford when he heard that they were the sa age.
"Does Bilford trust Duren?"
"Oh, that...." The little fanatic was persistent.
Carl handed Vire over to Bilford and took a short break. Though it was a break, he just did what he always did—organize his thoughts.
'The being behind Garten.'
Carl was unable to find out anything other than that the unidentified entity was the main culprit behind the Hilfin incident.
He seed like he was going to reveal sothing, but he never made a mistake that would leak information. He was a very experienced guy, both ntally and in terms of his ability to handle power.
'What happened to Garten?'
Carl rembered cutting off Garten's head, but the entire head had disappeared along with the black eyes.
Was Garten dead or alive? In that situation, it was almost impossible for only the head to disappear while avoiding the gaze of many people.
Was it okay to assu that the being behind it had recovered it?
'Even if he had lived, I don't think he would be so foolish as to hire him again after making such a big mistake,' Carl thought.
After much deliberation, Carl guessed that Garten was dead.
If Carl had been in the sa situation, soone like Garten wouldn't have even been promoted in the first place.
If he had been employed, he would have been seen as a tool to be used only once at the 'opportune mont.' Garten had been 'used' once. In any case, it could be said that he had served his purpose.
Then, it was right to deal with him.
'I don't know about Garten, but those eyes are truly nacing,' Carl mused.
Black eyes—a powerful force that made it impossible for even the Master, the Sisters of Duren, and the Laurel Corps to defeat a bludgeon like Garten.
Just looking at it made his eyes hurt, and controlling the waves of his eyes like a tidal wave made it so that even the Master couldn't dare to face it alone.
If Camilla hadn't been there, Carl would have died on the spot.
'Camilla...'
Carl thought about Camilla.
In the original, Camilla was a character with a lot of plot holes, but nothing was actually resolved.
That ans that it had continued up to volu 5, which Lucas had read, so she must have been a more important person than expected.
'I still don't know why she helped . Wasn't it to follow Adrian?'
Carl was frustrated because he couldn't understand why Camilla had helped him.
In the original, Camilla was the darkest blade of Adrian, completing nurous missions such as gathering information, assassinating key figures, escorting important figures, and causing confusion.
At the sa ti, she was a mysterious figure whose actions were completely unknown. Carl would have liked to talk to her, but it was difficult because he never had a chance to be alone.
Carl rubbed his forehead as he thought about Camilla, her hazel eyes lingering before his eyes.
Even in that mont of darkness, which was the boundary between life and death, those eyes were more vivid than anything else and were engraved in his mory so clearly that they couldn't be erased.
Carl tried to dismiss the thought and continued contemplating.
'What was the illusion that Dureniodon showed ? And why didn't its power work on ?'
Carl recalled the visions he had seen after coming into contact with the power of Dureniodon—an endless wilderness, countless people shouting one person's na, and the longing he felt when a truly god-like being turned to him and called his incomprehensible na.
A cane held in his hand.
'Was that Duren?'
Carl suspected that the man was Duren.
So was Dureniodon truly related to the god Duren? Or was it just an illusion created to control the mind?
'There is no basis for judgnt, but I have a feeling that it is not true.
' To be blunt, all the answers would be 'I don't know.' But sohow, instinctively, he felt 'no.'
Carl glanced at Vire. If he asked, would Vire give him an answer?
"Does Bilford believe in God?"
"Oh…."
"I guess you don't know. Then, have you ever prayed?"
"That, that…."
…Carl didn't think he could answer that. And if he talked about Duren for no reason, sothing annoying might happen.
Above all, there was no telling what this little cultist would do if he ca into contact with the power of Dureniodon and saw visions.
He never know.
He might go back to the sect and tell them that the power of the heresy still remained in Carl's head, so they might split his head open to check it out... .
'The only flaw is that they are lunatics who can't make sound judgnts, so they have to be used with caution,' Carl judged the slaughter chariots to be the true power of the Düren cult.
It would be better to contact high-ranking priests who knew a lot about politics and were practically politicians.
Carl's face, after collecting his thoughts, suddenly beca heavy with profound reflection.
There were much more important and weighty things to think about than analyzing this incident and planning for the future.
'… … What gift should I give to my mother?' Giving a gift to his mother was a very important matter.
Eventually, after much thought, Carl asked Vire for a new silver staff necklace. Carl tried to pay for it, but Vire vehently refused.
"I was asked to give Lord Duren's silver staff necklace as a gift to my faithful mother, but I cannot accept paynt," Vire said, nodding repeatedly with a very satisfied face and voice.
She nodded so passionately that the hood covering his face was slightly lifted off. Her scarred face had a youthful look.
With her dark brown eyes and light brown hair that could be seen anywhere, she looked like an ordinary country girl.
"Then I will accept it with gratitude." As it was for his mother Lilly, Carl expressed his gratitude sincerely and not in vain.
Carl carefully wrapped the silver staff necklace he had received from Vire in a clean cloth and put it in his chest pocket.
Lilly had given the one she used to pray with to Carl, so he would have to get her a new one. A silver staff necklace that was received directly from a mber of the Sisterhood of Duren.
Lilly would be very pleased.
Carl touched the necklace Lilly had given him, then placed his hand on the chest containing the necklace he was going to give her. A gentle smile, like the sunshine of a spring day, spread across his face.
"You must love your mother very much."
Vire smiled brightly at Carl's gentle smile, which she saw for the first ti.
"Yeah."
Carl answered with a smile.
The voice was so affectionate that it seed as if the blunt and cold appearance he had shown before was all a lie.
Boom. Boom… .
Swish…
The sky seed a bit cloudy, but eventually, spring rain started to fall.
Everyone covered their bodies with cloaks or robes. The spring rain felt cold, but seeing the rain still made them feel that spring had co.
By the ti they reached Himln, located in the center of the Empire, it would be full-blown spring weather.
Carl's thoughts drifted away with the rhythm of the falling rain. The droplets pattered gently against his cloak, their cool touch a reminder of the present mont, pulling him away from the weight of his contemplations. As the group trudged forward, the road beca muddier, and the sound of splashing footsteps filled the air.
Bilford, now walking beside Carl, was visibly uncomfortable with the persistent rain. He pulled his cloak tighter around his shoulders, trying to shield himself from the dampness. Vire, on the other hand, seed almost unfazed, her face turned upward, enjoying the feel of the rain against her skin.
Carl noticed her expression, a mixture of innocence and contentnt, and it struck him how simple things seed to bring her joy. Despite the hardships she had endured, Vire retained a sense of wonder that Carl had lost long ago. It was a small comfort, but in a world filled with so much darkness, it was sothing to hold onto.
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