Chapter 54

[Translator – Peptobismol] Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ NƟvelFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.[Proofreader – Gun]

Chapter 54: My People (4)

There’s a saying that the culprit often returns to the scene, usually to tidy up after committing the deed.

Just to clarify, I haven’t done anything wrong.

I’m just returning to the scene to finish what I started.

Of course, it would be troublesome if I unexpectedly encounter my adversaries at the scene.

Actually, even if the person I expect shows up, it would still be inconvenient.

“…..”

The cold, icy stare conveyed a chilling coldness.

Our leader, today your face seems as heavy as a soaked cotton ball.

“Explain.”

In her brief question, her negative emotions were palpable.

Last night, the scene of the bloodbath was as pristine as if time had reversed.

Moreover, in front of the leader, there was another familiar face.

I said without much concern,

“His name is Kellen Diego. He is a formal knight of Velias. The leader of the surveillance team sent to monitor me all this time.”

Kellen lay on the ground, silent, with his eyes and mouth shut.

Naturally, the cleanup of the scene was done by Silica, the lord, and the members of Mist. It was not just cleaning up. Somehow, even though Barrett’s group was dealt with first, they were just the latecomers. The crows that persistently kept an eye on me were also there. I remember there were five of them at the time, but now there’s only one in front of me? The rest seem to have flown beyond the horizon.

“I’ve been quietly watching as you handle things on your own, but it seems you’ve made quite a few enemies in your hometown?”

“I had no allies to begin with.”

If there were any, it would be Emily or Alice, at best.

“What about Barrett?”

“I left him alive for now. I left him in front of the infirmary. He’s probably been found by the healers who were planning to clean the courtyard by now.”

“Not killing him was considerate.”

“If I had tried to kill him, you would have rushed to stop me.”

She didn’t try to deny it.

Regardless of how much of a trash he is, he still holds the status of nobility.

The position is fundamentally different from students like Ressimus who come from commoner backgrounds.

If emotions had prevailed and I had tried to kill him, not only would the academy be in an uproar, but also the relations between nations would become very ambiguous.

To exaggerate a bit, the peace that had lasted for 100 years on the continent could have been broken.

Of course, I’m not such a foolish person to make such irrational judgments.

Although I briefly considered killing him in a moment of excitement, I brought more than deathly pain instead, so there shouldn’t be any need to worry.

“Your abilities are truly admirable the more I see. Your strength surpasses even Mist’s assassins, your eloquence is enough to negotiate with the resolute Kundel, and your mental fortitude in handling the demonic sword… You’re showing the best you can as a successor.”

Who could be pleased with praise from such cruel eyes?

Either way, she continued speaking with a dry face.

“I’m not particularly interested in what happened in your hometown and how you grew up. Honestly, if I say I’m not curious, it would be a lie, but still, I won’t ask. The same goes for Lord Aeru.”

Sometimes, not knowing is more helpful to oneself and to those around.

An assassin’s duty is simply to pursue the target in front of them, without being swayed by sinister emotions or backgrounds.

She would understand this principle better than anyone.

“However, if this kind of thing continues to happen, it’ll be troublesome. Both Barrett and the crows here, those who are wary of your actions and find them suspicious will continue to appear in the future. Won’t it become quite annoying for you?”

“I agree. However, that doesn’t mean you should continue to oversee the cleanup. I should handle what I’ve done on my own.”

Even with my unyielding stance, she sighed.

“I wish you could understand the concern of a teacher. It’s good to punish those who harm your seed. But such aggressive methods within the academy will eventually become a crisis for you. Then, not only you but those around you will be in danger. Can’t we avoid that? As a successor, whatever means necessary, we will protect you.”

Whatever means necessary to protect…

I wonder why that firm person, in my past life, sent me away from the organization so coolly when I said I would leave.

It’s something I’d like to ask again, but it’s a question I won’t get an answer to anyway.

I shrugged and said.

“Punishment is an act of providing negative stimulus to induce positive development in the target. However, what I’ve done isn’t punishment. It’s a kind of warning to crush them if they dare to crawl further after receiving negative stimulus.”

Why would I bother to induce positive development in those scum?

I don’t even hope for redemption.

I just want them to disappear from my sight like dead mice.

“Jealousy toward me? It’s just the entitlement of those incompetent ones. I don’t care about such gossip. But if something happens that touches my people, not me…”

I felt it clearly this time.

“Then, I’ll find them all and crush them. That’s the way I want to live.”

As I promised during my meeting with Aeru, I must correct what I should have done but couldn’t in this life.

Didn’t he sometimes say to look around?

I feel like I know to some extent what that idiot god is saying.

The leader in front of me and the other members are the same.

They are all within my fence, within my scope.

I will never abandon those who are willing to sacrifice their lives for me because of the problems caused by me, as long as they don’t stab me in the back.

Perhaps touched by my firm resolve, the leader’s upright gaze softened slightly.

“I hope we don’t have to run around so busily.”

“I’ll do my best.”

I responded with a small smile to her modest smile.

“My task seems to be done. Leave this crow behind and go. From what I see, there seems to be no need to kill it.”

Leaving an unintended gift(?) behind, the leader left the place.

As she left, a black mist rose from the embrace, frighteningly.

[Pointless showing off…]

It was Kaeram, whose eyes were downcast as if she was displeased with something.

“What else could be bothering you?”

[If I speak, will you understand? Fine! Then what should we do with him?]

Kaeram asked, looking at Kellen lying in front of him.

He was motionless, like a dead body.

“……”

[Translator – Peptobismol]

[Proofreader – Gun]

Wake up, you idiot.

I can hear the thumping of your heart all the way over here.

“Don’t pretend to be unconscious. I know you’re awake.”

“……!”

As I removed the mist and gag covering his eyes, his sweaty face was revealed.

“So, you’re Cyan Vert…?”

Since it was our first encounter in this life, such a reaction was expected.

“Wh-what on earth? Who are you? Why does the youngest son of the Verts have such power? They’re clearly followers of the Black Mist…?”

“I didn’t untie you to answer those questions. I’ll give you 5 seconds, think carefully about what you should say in this situation.”

He answered in just 1 second.

“Do you want me to provide an answer to what you desire? Unfortunately, my mouth isn’t so light. I’d rather you kill me right here!”

Firm indeed.

This guy is truly rigid.

Even I, who was once obsessed with that devil, feel a bit of reverence for his toughness.

Yet, he’s quite foolish.

Unable to distinguish shit from soybean paste, he’s a foolish man who thinks his beliefs are the best in the world.

Does he resemble me? Well, he might.

But I don’t feel an ounce of sympathy for him.

Because he was the first person to try to kill me.

Out of jealousy and envy, thinking I was unnecessary for the family, he, the first perpetrator, tried to assassinate me.

So I killed him with my own hands.

“I’ve seen everything you’ve done! It felt like I was seeing a demon, not a person! Perhaps he realized your true nature sooner than you think! Your existence will not only ruin the Verts but will also cause great harm to him!”

The “him” here is undoubtedly referring to his master, right?

Yeah, he’s already afraid of me, a kid who’s still blue.

How absurd. I said without expression,

“If I untie you now, what will you do?”

“I will return to Velias and report everything about you to my lord. No threat or coercion will work, even if you use ‘oath magic’ on me. I’d rather bite my tongue and die right here!”

“Sure about that. So, Aschel will keep using you.”

“Don’t speak his name so casually!”

“I’ll give you some advice. That won’t last long.”

“……”

His glaring eyes are so threatening, they make you want to pull them out.

“If he trusted you so much, there’s no way he’d let you die.”

That’s for me to say…

“What nonsense…”

“I don’t know anything about that. Even rolling in a pigsty is better than this, anyway. Let’s just prolong your life a little more for my sake. Make better use of you.”

I gathered a large amount of mana within my body.

“It seems you don’t understand my words. Whatever you do, I won’t change…”

“I never said I’d change you. I’ll just make something new.”

A significantly larger amount of mana than before coalesced in my hand.

“What is this power…? What are you trying to do?”

Consider it an honor.

I’m going to use high-level magic, which I find bothersome to use for the likes of you.

As the clouds that obscured the sun parted, hidden shadows began to appear.

I gathered the mana in my hand and struck Kellen’s shadow.

“Creation: Shadow Personality!”

-Boom!

With the spell, a jet-black light shot out from my hand where it touched the shadow, and the condensed mana transferred directly into Kellen’s body through the shadow.

Accepting it, Kellen wore an expression like a soulless husk.

Phew, it’s exhausting to do this again after a long time.

9th-grade dark attribute magic ‘Shadow Personality’.

A spell that creates a new personality from the shadow, which is said to contain a second soul of a human, and bestows it upon the target’s body.

It was the highest-grade magic that I had only used once in my past life.

After briefly holding onto my dizzy mind, I looked at Kellen again and asked,

“Do you understand who you are?”

“I am Kellen Diego. A legitimate guardian knight of Valias, tasked with surveilling Sir Cyan. I have come to Luwen.”

His tone was much more dignified.

“Who do you serve?”

“……”

After a moment’s hesitation, Kellen replied,

“I was originally serving Aschel, the eldest son of the Verts… But… I have no desire to continue. Instead, I wish to serve Sir Cyan, who created me, as my new master. Please accept me!”

His face was full of determination, as always.

[Translator – Peptobismol]

[Proofreader – Gun]