Chapter 32

[Translator – Prøks][Proofreader – Gun]

Chapter 32: To the Academy (6)

Even though I didn’t recognize his face, I distinctly remembered his amateurish, clueless gaze. There was a familiar aura between us, as if we had known each other before. Sensing that it was already exposed, he didn’t try to deny the situation.

“Shall we move somewhere else?”

The man asked, seeming to gauge the reaction of the girl, who appeared to be his daughter.

She nodded silently, and the man looked at her and said, “Sally, Dad needs to talk to the gentleman here. So, could you wait inside for a bit?”

“Sure, Dad!”

The girl smiled brightly and went inside.

With a stiff expression, the man gestured for me to follow him.

“Please come this way.”

He led me to the back of the house, to a vacant lot with no clear purpose. Even though he wasn’t looking at me, I could sense the unease emanating from him, indicating that there was still undiscovered life behind him.

“Are you from the lord’s side…?”

The man turned around and asked with an anxious gaze.

“If I were, I would’ve captured you the moment I saw you last night.”

I replied nonchalantly.

“Is the girl your daughter? Or your granddaughter?”

“She’s my daughter…”

“Does she always look uncomfortable, or was it just now?”

“…”

Instead of answering, the man spoke with a threatening presence.

“Can’t you just pretend you didn’t see anything, like you did last night?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his rather feeble attempt.

“Don’t kid yourself. I’m the one in control now. I could hand you over alive or just cut your throat if I’m annoyed enough.”

His eyes remained wary.

“Doesn’t my offer sound reasonable? If you can, try me once. Is the club tucked into your waistband just for show?”

“…!”

Although he concealed it well, I knew from the beginning that he was hiding a weapon.

The man’s face turned pale, and he reluctantly threw the club he had concealed to the ground. He realized he had no choice.

“What do you want?”

“First, lead me to that guy.”

The man’s gaze immediately shifted in one direction.

At the end of his gaze, a small, recently constructed cabin was nestled inside the vacant lot.

Without hesitation, I moved towards it.

*Creak*

The cabin, barely a meter square, was covered with a carpet that seemed out of place on the floor.

As I naturally cleared the carpet, stairs leading downward appeared.

Anyone would think it was a secret base.

Descending the narrow stairs, I was greeted by the darkness of the space. I gathered mana on my hand and cast an ignition spell.

*Whoosh!*

The surroundings brightened instantly.

It was a cramped underground space, not much different from when I entered.

-!

I almost turned to stone at the sight of the massive body that suddenly appeared.

“W-who are you!”

The owner of the body also screamed in surprise, taken aback by my sudden appearance.

It was a raucous voice that couldn’t help but make my eyebrows furrow.

Scanning him from head to toe, I immediately recognized the bald head.

It was the missing Lord Pachalon.

“How dare you put me in such a precarious situation, thinking you know who I am? I’m Pachalon, the lord of Sapheren! I am Pachalon Nepellis, a member of the prestigious Nepellis family in the Empire! If you leave now, I’ll tear your life apart, bone by bone, and feed it to the livestock in the barn…!”

Hands and feet bound in chains. Vision obscured by a blindfold. Despite being tortured and begging for mercy, he continued to hurl serious insults, even if no one was listening.

Worried that saliva might spray, I took a step back. Sᴇaʀᴄh the NøvᴇlFirᴇ(.)nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

-Thump

In doing so, I accidentally hit a small table in the corner.

On the table lay a quite familiar black mask.

“So it was made of wood? Quite convincingly crafted.”

The man remained silent. Next to the mask lay a small brown stone, emitting a faint mana aura.

“It’s an ignition stone, isn’t it? I wondered how they simulated the black smoke, but did the knights really fall for such a clumsy deception?”

The ignition stone was a small artifact that could generate fire without using magic, like a magic lighter. It was a commonly used artifact among long-distance merchants, but I hadn’t expected them to mimic mist with such a low-grade item.

“You were lucky, indeed. If it were near Velias or another city near the Imperial stronghold, you wouldn’t have stood a chance. It was only possible in such a mediocre city.”

Though further investigation was needed, it seemed improbable that a city guarded by such incompetent knights could function properly.

“These pests shouldn’t exist in this world! Do they think I’d be afraid just because they’re followers of the Mist? If I wanted, I could wipe them all out in an instant!”

With such pathetic lords around, one might wonder if there was any order left. It seemed like they lacked not only hair but also intelligence.

“You managed to capture him, but couldn’t tame him? What have you been doing all this time?”

“Excuse me?”

“You didn’t kidnap him to admire the view, did you? Or were you planning to torture him?”

“T-Torture?!”

At the mention of torture, Pachalon became even more agitated.

Ignoring his outburst, I continued the conversation.

“Well, yes, but I wasn’t quite ready for it yet…… and there are knights out there…….”

I couldn’t even laugh at his weak hesitation anymore.

I blurted out the assumptions I had made in my head.

“Your daughter’s leg…… has something to do with this guy, doesn’t it?”

The man did not deny it.

“H-how did you know?”

“It just seemed that way.”

I continued unabashedly.

“Who wouldn’t be enraged when their precious child is in this state because of some brainless pig? So, you had the courage to plan thoroughly and even succeeded in kidnapping the lord, but now you’re hesitating to move to the next step?”

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Gun]

The man exclaimed, seeming unjustly accused.

“But that doesn’t mean my daughter’s leg will come back, does it? Such actions are meaningless…”

With tears in his eyes, the man began to share the story he had kept inside.

“I used to be the steward for the former Lord of Sapheren. I worked closely with him, handling administrative tasks for the city’s operations.”

He was probably the person who had served the former lord, who had died a year ago.

“The former lord was a humble man, only concerned with the prosperity of the city. However, he sadly passed away due to a chronic illness.”

“And?”

“He had no children or siblings to inherit the title, nor did he appoint any successors. So, the Imperial Capital sent a new successor from the Huang Dynasty, who happened to be Pachalon.”

It was clear that the influence of the Nepellis family, the current empress’s faction, was at play.

“But this man was the complete opposite of my former master. Instead of caring for the city’s welfare, he only sought to enrich himself. He imposed heavy taxes on the citizens under the pretext of sending funds to his family and even embezzled some of it.”

It was simply corruption.

“Just that level of corruption was enough for the Mist to act.”

“In truth, I felt disgusted by his greed and immediately resigned. I knew I couldn’t change such corruption, and it was easier to turn a blind eye.”

“Why? Didn’t you think about changing it?”

“I’m just a powerless commoner. Besides, behind this corrupt lord stood the mighty Nepellis family. What could I do against them?”

For him, it was the most reasonable course of action within his means.

“But misfortune struck from an unexpected direction. Damn their indifference! What crime did that child commit? What wrongdoing could an innocent, still-growing child have done? Just because she blocked his path…!”

A tear ran down the man’s face.

“The reason was that she blocked his carriage during his inspection! My child was simply playing on the street and accidentally got in his way, yet this man broke her leg for that reason! He forbade her from ever walking the streets again!”

The pain of a child was more heart-wrenching than anything else.

Though I never had children, I could still sympathize with the suffering caused by the lord’s actions.

“So I kidnapped him! Not for anything else but to repay the pain my daughter suffered! But if I did that… wouldn’t I become just as despicable as this monster?”

Do you think it’s pitiful? In my view, it’s nothing but sheer weakness. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, that’s the nature of the world.

Yet here I am, hesitating to seek revenge, all in the name of human dignity. Humans, as a species, aren’t inherently noble enough to preach about dignity.

After hearing everything, I spoke candidly to him.

“It’s no different.”

“What do you mean?”

“Crossing the line is hard, but that doesn’t make you any less human.”

Even I, a being like him, exist in this world as a human being.

“Besides, this man wasn’t even worthy of being treated as human.”

A corrupt lord embezzling taxes and breaking a child’s leg for no reason… It wouldn’t be surprising if the Mist intervened.

Leaving the clueless man behind, I picked up the hefty wooden stick lying in the corner.

Soon, dreadful screams echoed throughout the underground.

“Whack!”

“Aaaargh!”

Startled, the man cried out desperately.

“W-What are you doing?”

“I’m just doing what you couldn’t.”

With each swing of the club, the entire basement resonated with screams, especially when I focused on his left ankle.

The curses that Pachalon had been spewing were now replaced by screams of agony.

“Pl-please spare me! I’ll do anything you ask! Just please spare me…!”

Though I hadn’t hit him much, he was already begging for his life pathetically. This was the vile nature of humanity. They only grasp their mistakes after experiencing pain. But if I was going to end it like this, I shouldn’t have started at all!

“Whack!”

“Aaaah!”

After about ten minutes of punishment, Pachalon, the punished lord, seemed to have passed out, as his eyes showed no sign of movement.

“Why… why would you do such a thing…?”

Throwing the club in front of the collapsed man, I said, “Do you think it’s cruel? Compared to the pain your daughter endured, this punishment is nothing.”

“But…”

“If you were going to end it so half-heartedly, you shouldn’t have started. There’s nothing for you in clinging to regret.”

The man couldn’t muster any response.

Leaving him sitting there, I ascended the stairs.

People say crossing the line is like crossing an unbridgeable river.

But I wonder, is there really a need to come back?

Starting might be difficult, but once you cross that line, who knows what endless plains lie ahead?

I know my path won’t be justified or understood by anyone.

And what difference does it make if someone does understand?

I live only for what I believe is right.

Finishing my business, as I was about to ascend to the surface, the man hurriedly followed and asked me again, “Who are you exactly…?”

After about three seconds of contemplation, I replied, “Just someone with a lot of experience…”

It was a statement that didn’t quite match my current appearance.

I left Sapheren, embarking on a journey back to Luwen.

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Gun]