Chapter 202 He looks [1]

Chapter 202 He looks [1]

Bremmer, Megrail Estate

"Hmm~ Hmm~"

Atlas walked around the estate, admiring the numerous murals on the walls. Though he had seen these murals since he was a child, only now did he truly understand and appreciate their beauty.

"It's nice, isn't it?"

An older gentleman, bearing a strong resemblance to Atlas but with gray hair and a weathered face, appeared beside him.

Despite his age, his yellow pupils still shone brightly as he gazed at the murals.

In particular, his gaze fell on a mural depicting two massive armies clashing—one composed of humans, the other of monsters.

"It was a brutal fight. I can still recall the amount of blood that was spilled that day. It still haunts me to this day."

Though his tone was calm, the subtle trembling in his voice betrayed his true feelings. Atlas stood silently beside him, absorbing the gravity of his words.

'The Fight of the Seven Nights.'

Those words were inscribed at the bottom of the mural. It was a famous story.

For seven nights, the Megrail family along with their retainers and knights fought tooth and nail against the monsters that plagued the land.

It was one of the largest battles the Megrail family had ever faced, and by the end, their power had been significantly weakened.

But it had all been worth it.

The war was the foundation for the creation of Bremmer, the capital of the Empire, and the site of the largest Mirror Crack.

"Here. This is the item you requested."

Atlas turned his head to see a wooden box extended toward him.

He didn't hesitate to take it.

"Thank you, Father."

"Um. I don't know why you're so adamant about taking this, but since it's a request from my son, I decided to help you. Your brother wasn't too happy, but he trusts your capabilities."

"....Thank you."

Atlas smiled gratefully, understanding the lengths his father had gone to retrieve the box.

The current Emperor, his uncle, wasn't keen on sharing resources with outsiders.

He believed in helping only those directly attached to the Megrail family to retain their power for future generations.

It made sense to an extent, but Atlas wasn't one to care much about the political affairs of his family.

He just did what he felt was right.

...and he felt like giving the contents of the box to someone he knew.

"Atlas."

"Yes?"

Raising his head to meet his father's gaze, Atlas smiled serenely.

"Is there anything else you need?"

"Hmm, he's here."

Atlas's entire body froze. His previous serene expression shifted to one of intense focus and a hint of fanaticism.

"As in...?"

"The one who walks among us."

He paused,

"He has entered our Empire."

"....!"

***

"The Devil walks among us..."

The words seeped from the bald man's dry lips, the cold metallic table constraining his trembling hands.

Sitting opposite him, Inquisitor Hollowe frowned.

.....His role as a temporary Professor at Haven had yet to end.

He was supposed to start a new class yesterday, but an unexpected situation occurred, forcing him to move all the way to the Redknap Penitentiary.

A certain person had been caught.

He was classified as a person of interest regarding 'that' organization.

It was for that reason that he had been called.

Hollowe was the best at his job. He knew exactly what buttons needed to be pushed in order to get the words out of his targets.

"The Devil walks among us...?"

Hollowe leaned back on his chair while drumming his fingers over the metallic table in front of him.

"What do you mean by that? Is that the person that you're working for? The title that you've given to your boss?"

"Oh, no, no, no..."

The man shook his head.

His eyes, hidden behind a pair of dark sunglasses, concealed any hint of emotion from his face.

"Haa..."

There were people everywhere he looked.

....It was a busy day today.

"Whoo~"

His whistle continued to echo in the air.

It was subtle, and yet, strangely alluring.

But soon, his steps came to a pause as a ball appeared beneath his feet.

A child came running after shortly after.

"Is this your ball?"

Picking up the ball, the man handed it to the child. It was a young child, about eight years of age. With brown hair and green eyes, he looked to be a child from a well-off family.

"Yes."

"Is that so?"

Smiling, the man handed the child the ball.

"Do be careful with it. You might accidentally hit someone with it."

"....Oh, yes."

The child was quite polite, nodding in understanding as he took the ball from the man's hand.

It was only brief, but their hands touched.

And the moment the child touched the ball, he stopped.

"What's wrong...?"

The man bent over and stood at eye level with the child.

Drip! Drip...!

Tears started to drip down from the child's eyes all of a sudden.

"Please don't cry."

Taking out a handkerchief, the man handed it to the child to wipe his tears.

"If there's something going on, you can tell me. I have a little bit of time."

"Sniff... Sniff..."

Wiping his eyes, the child looked at the man.

His eyes locked onto that of the man, and words started to flow out of his mouth.

"Nobody wants to play with me... Hic..."

"Is that so...?"

"Y-yes."

"Why do you think so?"

"B-because my family is r-rich... They said that they want to hang out with me."

"Is that what you think?"

"....Y-yes."

"It's not because of you, right?"

"Me...?"

The child blinked while looking at the man.

The tears had long stopped flowing.

"Money should make children want to play with you. If you have money, you can use it to attract the other children to play with you. Why is it not the case for you?"

"A-ah... That's..."

Smiling, the man placed his hand over the child.

"They don't want you."

His tone slowly started to change, growing colder and chilling.

The child looked up in a trance.

".....They just don't like you. You're not wanted."

His words quietly made their way and seeped into the child's mind. Gradually, the child's expression changed.

His eyes turned hollow, and his face lost all semblance of emotion.

"Since they don't want you, why should you want to play with them?"

The man's voice continued to echo.

"What is the point of playing with people that think you're worthless? Are you truly worthless? Or are they the ones who are worthless for not wanting to play with you?"

"...."

"Remember this."

The man removed his hand from the child's head.

"Beneath every expression lies the potential for a scream."

With a smile, the man's voice faded.

".....How about you check it on them?"