Chapter 116

[Translator – Night][Proofreader – Gun]

Chapter 116: Retribution (3)

Blood scattered in all directions, a body fragmented into dozens of pieces.

Some knights couldn’t bear to look at the horrific scene.

Is this truly the work of a human being?

The dead speak no words, it’s the law of nature.

However, sometimes, even without directly hearing or experiencing it, one can indirectly feel the immense suffering the deceased endured.

“….”

Aschel picked up the longsword placed beside the corpse with a disheartened gaze.

Once gleaming with a radiance that could blind the eyes, the sword of the high-ranking knight was now stained with dried blood, losing all its luster.

The name engraved on the hilt revealed the identity of the corpse.

[Cecilia Lien]

It was shocking to discover such a gruesome scene where a capable knight who could even stand against fierce high-level monsters ended up as this ghastly corpse.

“Ha…”

Aschel sighed deeply, a sense of shame he had never felt in his entire life creeping over him.

What made it more uncomfortable was not knowing who had caused this disgrace.

However, the dreadful gaze was unforgettable, remaining etched in his mind like encountering a murderous spirit emerging from the depths of hell.

Hence, the savage memory lingered vividly in his mind.

“Please handle the corpse. I’ll report to the Duke….”

Aschel delegated the task and left the scene with a troubled heart.

Without time to collect his scattered thoughts, a man approached him head-on.

It was his retainer, Kellen.

He silently handed Aschel a letter.

“What is it?”

“It’s a letter left by Alice.”

At the mention of Alice, Aschel’s eyes widened.

“She entrusted it to a maid at home before leaving Velias. She asked to deliver it to you, Aschel….”

Without hesitation, Aschel tore open the letter, and as he read, his expression fluctuated subtly.

“….”

Aschel gazed silently at the sky.

Gradually, with a clatter, the letter was crumpled in his hand.

Concerned, Kellen cautiously inquired.

“What was written in it… May I ask?”

Aschel nonchalantly replied, as if it was nothing of importance.

“I’m retiring from being a Knight of Light.”

“!”

Astonished, Kellen immediately asked for the reason. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the NʘvᴇlFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“S-suddenly? What’s the reason…?”

“She says she still lacks the capacity to handle it herself, wanting more time for training, so she asked me to pass the message to Father on behalf of her.”

As if the main point was not that significant, Aschel opened his mouth again with a restrained expression.

“She told me to give up…”.

In disbelief, he burst into laughter, unable to contain the absurdity of it all.

“W-what do you mean by giving up?”

“I don’t know either. She just said to give up. Regardless of the circumstances, she just wishes for all of us siblings to live happily together. Her concern for her pathetic older brother is so noble that it’s unbearable.”

However, contrary to his words, his hands trembled with rage.

“Where did Alice go?”

“Well, it seems she headed towards the palace for now…”

Kellen hesitated to speak somewhat.

“After leaving Velias, her whereabouts became mysterious all of a sudden.”

“…Is that so?”

Contrary to expectations, there wasn’t a strong reaction.

With his lips sealed, Aschel remained silent for a while, and quite a lengthy silence ensued.

“At the academy…”

Kellen, who had his head down, suddenly shook his pupils significantly.

“Has there been no separate contact?”

Lifting his head, Kellen casually replied,

“None.”

Upon hearing this, Aschel squinted his eyes, displaying a rather displeased reaction.

“Understood. You may leave now.”

Bowling his head, Kellen promptly left the spot.

Alone, Aschel’s gaze remained fixed on the sky.

“Kikik…!”

The feeling of fog clouding his once bright future crept in.

Although he felt overwhelmingly angry and uncomfortable, strangely, laughter escaped his lips.

“It’s not the first time, after all….”

The gaze, unfamiliar yet eerily familiar, that had never been seen before, still vividly lingered.

However, it didn’t feel entirely unfamiliar.

It was the familiar sense of discomfort that he had surely experienced in fleeting moments of his life.

“Kahaha!”

Eventually, a laughter mixed with joyless laughter resounded across the crimson sky.

His appearance was so bizarre that it resembled witnessing a demon reveling in ecstasy.

“….”

Kellen, who had been secretly observing him,

*Whoosh*

Incinerated a letter he had been holding in his hand.

One side of the paper bore the name Boris, along with the emblem of the Royal Academy.

It was a letter Kellen had not shown to Aschel.

“Be careful, Lord Cyan….”

Kellen immediately left the spot.

* * *

[Did you manage to endure it? I thought you wouldn’t be able to endure it and would just hack him to pieces?]

“Isn’t that what you hoped for?”

[What are you talking about? If anyone hears this, won’t they think that I am a wicked demonic sword crazy obsessed with slaughter?]

Wouldn’t saying such things sting her own conscience?

“To be human means exercising restraint. Rushing in recklessly would make one no different from a beast driven by instinct.”

[Oh, how admirable! It feels like just yesterday you were running wild like a loose calf. Our master has grown up a lot, hasn’t he?]

I couldn’t muster any words in response to such nonsense.

[So, are you just going to let your sister go like this? Without keeping an eye on her?]

“What I could do is over. Whatever happens from now on, it’s entirely up to her. She’s the one who will run better than anyone else when given the right path.”

It was a kind of resignation.

Honestly, no matter where she goes, I see my sister as someone who will live better than me.

If I just relax, another letter will come sooner or later.

[…..]

Is there more to say?

Kaeram, who had been staring at me intently, suddenly shifted her gaze elsewhere.

“Do you have anything else to say?”

She glanced back at me subtly.

[It’s better not to be too relaxed.]

As soon as I heard those words, the muscles that had momentarily relaxed tightened again.

[Life is incredibly winding, you know. More than you think…]

“Is that advice?”

[Well, if you want to call it that.]

I’m receiving life advice, who has already lived twice…

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

While I couldn’t help but wonder where such a kind sword might be found again, I was naturally alert to the thought that she would not have said this for no reason.

[You never know, do you? Somewhere on this land, there might be another place you need to rush off to…]

If ever another successor to this quirky, temperamental sword appears, I would like to give them this advice: be careful when she smiles.

If, perchance, amidst that smile, there’s a subtle, unsettling piece of advice that seems to escape only me, that’s when caution, not complacency, is required.

It’s a kind of warning that something else might happen to me.

And as someone who knows that all too well, I couldn’t possibly smile right now.

* * *

The first place to receive news from the frontlines was not the Imperial Palace, but the office of the Academy Chancellor.

The disappearance of Princess Violet.

The return of Alice, who single-handedly defeated a high-level demonic beast.

And the mysterious death of Cecilia, a high-ranking knight of the Order of the Light.

Each piece of news was significant enough to cause great turmoil in the Empire, yet Chancellor Kundel’s expression remained remarkably calm.

[TL/N: Author has used chancellor here/]

[PR/N: Works bc headmaster and chancellor are mostly similar and interchangeable(?)]

It was as if he considered each event merely a matter of course.

Not even a hint of trembling appeared on his lips.

*Knock, knock*

Amidst this, a knocking sound came from beyond the door.

“Come in.”

Whether it was a prearranged guest or not, the Chancellor granted entry.

“You summoned me, Chancellor.”

It was Boris Ruchelheim, a newly appointed academic instructor this semester.

“Take a seat.”

The Chancellor gestured for Boris to sit, and their conversation began naturally.

“It’s been about two weeks since you started here. Is there anything uncomfortable about your accommodations?”

“Thanks to your consideration, Chancellor, I’ve been adapting well. Other faculty members have been very helpful as well.”

Boris responded without any issues.

“Well, that’s fortunate. Given that this place is filled with arrogant nobles who’ve been pampered since childhood, it’s all a facade without some backing. But looking at your face, I don’t get the sense that you’re lying. That’s quite fortunate, I’d say.”

“I’m grateful that you view me favorably despite my shortcomings.”

With a peculiar smile, Chancellor Kundel continued.

“Although it’s been a short time, there’s been something I’ve noticed about you since our first meeting.”

“What do you mean?”

“Before I answer, let me ask you something. Why are you here?”

Whether Boris didn’t understand the question or not, he couldn’t immediately answer.

“Why are you making it difficult? Obviously, you’re here because your master sent you. To work as an instructor here at the Royal Academy under my direction. But is that really all?”

“I guess you would like to know my personal reasons…”

Confusion aside, Boris replied with a calm smile.

“If I may be truthful, Chancellor, I came to find someone.”

“Someone?”

The Chancellor’s eyes sparkled with interest.

“Yes. It’s not someone I have a personal connection with, but rather someone my lord desperately wants to find.”

“Well, I don’t necessarily have the right to ask who that person is, but still, I’m curious. Have you found that person?”

Boris shook his head.

“Unfortunately, I haven’t found them yet. In fact, I haven’t even found a clue as to where to start looking.”

“Hehe, that’s a lie. Your eyes tell a different story, don’t they? Seems like you’ve got a suspicious friend.”

Momentarily speechless, Boris couldn’t respond.

“Hahaha! Don’t take it too seriously. It’s just this old man’s worthless speculation.”

The Chancellor laughed heartily, and Boris chuckled along.

“Let me tell you one thing. When you want to know someone, you have to be careful of what’s hidden beneath their exterior.”

“Their hidden intentions?”

“Yes, even if they’re smiling on the surface, who knows if they’re hiding flowers for you or a knife behind their back?”

Boris felt like the Chancellor’s words were more of a warning than advice.

“I’ll keep your words in mind, Chancellor.”

After the meeting ended, as Boris descended the stairs from the Chancellor’s office, he soon encountered a familiar woman at the main entrance.

“Are you coming from the Chancellor’s office?”

It was Instructor Silica.

“Yes. I received some kind words from Chancellor Kundel.”

“Kind words? I wouldn’t expect him to give out advice so easily. Seems like he holds you in high regard, Instructor Boris.”

“Well, then I’m fortunate. To be honest, I’m quite worried about how you view me.”

“No need to worry. Just show him your true self. He’s quite perceptive, so if you lie, he’ll catch on quickly.”

Silica patted Boris’s shoulder reassuringly.

“Is that so? Then you’re truly remarkable, Instructor Silica.”

“What? Why the sudden praise?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected compliment, Silica was taken aback.

“It’s just that you seem to be hiding something, don’t you think?”

“…!”

Though startled internally, Silica didn’t show it and replied calmly.

“Bringing up a woman’s secrets isn’t very nice. Instructor Boris, are you more devious than I thought?”

“Haha. If it made you uncomfortable, I apologize.”

Boris chuckled sheepishly and brushed it off.

“Well then, I have some personal research to attend to…”

“Sure. See you later, Instructor Boris.”

After their conversation, Silica turned and ascended the stairs.

The moment he was completely out of sight.

“….”

Silica’s eyes transformed into cold, sharp eyes full of determination.

“He’s pressing on it?”

A momentary gleam of crimson flashed from the small sword hidden within the pages of her textbook.

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]