TL Note: I changed the surname Enerika to Erenica.
“What should we do first, then?”
I pondered the question for a moment, then turned to Offense.
He flinched slightly before asking,
“What is it?”
“Try getting closer to Patrick.”
“Huh?”
“See if you can get anything out of him. Like how he came to possess the Gem of Corruption. There might be a clue.”
“You usually figure everything out on your own.”
That’s because the secrets between Idria and Patrick are too highly classified for me to see.Trail’s Eye of Omniscience is an incredibly powerful and useful ability, but it always feels like it’s just 90% complete.
[In context, wouldn’t it make more sense to say it’s missing 10%?]
In any case, Offense nodded.
“Well, I’ll do what I can.”
Xenia said in surprise.
“What are you planning to do?”
“Like I said, I stayed in the capital for quite a while with Kaeld.”
“And?”
“I had nothing better to do, so I scouted the capital’s more well-known figures. Old assassin habit. I can’t sit still for long, you know.”
Ssshhh.
Offense began rubbing different parts of his face lightly.
Like magic, his appearance began to change.
From a completely ordinary look to one of a man with bold, defined features.
After gently stroking his throat one last time, Offense spoke.
“Who do you think I am?”
Xenia gasped.
“Breck Bound!”
“Who?”
“He works admin at the Alkahad HQ. He’s constantly butting heads with the Holy Knights of Light over jurisdiction, so I’ve seen him a few times. Absolutely insufferable man.”
If even Xenia finds him insufferable, he must be a real piece of work.
Offense spoke.
“When I was doing recon, I saw Patrick having deep conversations with this man several times. It should be effective.”
“Good choice. I’m counting on you.”
“Don’t expect too much.”
With that, he slipped away like smoke.
In the next moment, Offense appeared behind Patrick.
We perked our ears and focused on their conversation.
“Sir Patrick.”
It was a voice completely different from Offense’s usual one.
That spell is always fascinating.
Patrick jumped in surprise and turned around.
“B-Breck? What the—when did you get here?”
“Just now. You seemed quite focused.”
“Ahem. You heard everything?”
“Why hide things between us? I know well that you harbour hatred toward former Vice Captain Krotz.”
Oh?
Is he testing how much Patrick is willing to share?
Fortunately, Patrick nodded.
“Yeah. But pretend you didn’t hear that. The public still reveres my grandfather.”
“I understand. More importantly…”
He tested Patrick again.
“How did the talk with Captain Dame go?”
“Heh heh. How could it not? Her life’s on the line.”
“…I’ve always been curious, sir. How exactly do you threaten people’s lives?”
“That, I can’t tell you. Not even you.”
I clicked my tongue lightly.
Offense took a step back.
“Of course. I understand.”
“Hmph. Don’t take it too hard. I haven’t forgotten all you’ve done to support me. Once I become Captain, I’ll make sure you’re rewarded.”
“Haha.”
“No, really. What do you want? Just so we’re clear, Xenia’s off-limits. She’s mine.”
Xenia’s jaw dropped.
“What did that bastard just say?”
“Huh? Informal speech?”
“What exactly is he saying?”
“Well… I suppose there’s no need to repeat that…”
I’d intentionally left that part out when explaining the situation to Xenia, but Patrick just dug his own grave.
Offense let out a faint chuckle and replied,
“That’s unfortunate.”
“Haha. Want the Witch of Carnage instead?”
“…You’re joking. She hasn’t even been caught yet.”
“The Witch of Carnage has always been a target of the Holy Knights of Light, so we in Alkahad couldn’t make a move. But that ends now. Dame is my puppet.”
“…”
“My very first objective after becoming Captain is the Witch of Carnage.”
“Why? Why go after her specifically?”
Patrick grinned.
It was a truly repulsive smile.
“They say she’s stunningly beautiful. Even my grandfather supposedly fell for her at first sight.”
Wait, what?
“He fell for her?”
“Well, he couldn’t exactly go around saying it. Admitting love for a witch would’ve been madness.”
“…”
“They say he pined for her for years. The one who helped cure that heartbreak was my grandmother.”
“…”
“Aren’t you curious? Just how beautiful she must be for a stiff old man like him to fall for her at a glance?”
I felt deeply uncomfortable.
Neril spoke.
“Wow. That never even crossed my mind.”
“…”
“Mide? What’s wrong? Tone down the killing intent.”
“My heart is always like a calm lake. As long as no one throws a stone.”
A question mark seemed to appear on Neril’s face.
At that moment, Offense spoke up.
“Regardless, you should be careful. I know you have some secret method, but surely even that has a weakness?”
It was a subtle and incisive remark.
The excitement of becoming Captain.
The arrogance of having surpassed his grandfather.
The delusion that he would soon have Xenia.
All of it made Patrick far more loose-lipped than usual.
“Weakness? Well, that person did say something like that.”
“That person?”
“The one who gave me this secret method. Not sure if it’s even a person.”
“…”
“No one can take this ‘weapon’ from me, but… if anyone could, it might be Beyond Erenica.”
His voice grew louder with excitement.
“In other words, it has no weakness! Beyond’s long dead—just a name in the history books—and there’s no way any mage today is his equal.”
“…”
“Oops. Guess I talked too much. Just forget it.”
Offense bowed his head.
Patrick once again spat on the grave.
“I should get going. What about you?”
“I’ll stay a little longer.”
“Alright. See you later.”
Whoosh.
Patrick waved a hand and turned away.
Once he had completely disappeared from sight, we approached Offense.
Adwin asked,
“Did he just say ‘Beyond Erenica’?”
Beyond Erenica.
A legendary mage who played a major role during the era of the Third Demon King’s descent.
Among mages, there are endless, pointless debates about who was greater—Second-generation Iori Otix or Third-generation Beyond Erenica.
Offense replied,
“Yeah. He’s the one who developed the massive area-wide searching magic circle said to be under the imperial capital.”
Ah.
Offense had planned to use that magic circle to find his parents.
So there is a bit of a connection there.
But not as much as Neril’s.
I glanced at Neril.
From the moment she heard the name Beyond Erenica, her face had gone pale.
—Sinned against May Erenica and 287 others.
The founder and first head of the Erenica family: Beyond Erenica.
So it all connects like this.
I deliberately ignored Neril’s expression and spoke to Adwin.
“Can you try summoning Beyond’s soul?”
“Hmm. I’ll try.”
“Wait. Neril, are you okay with this?”
Neril jolted as if burned.
“Okay with what?”
“The gravekeeper in the Grey incident—the grave he tended belonged to the Erenica family.”
“…”
“I thought it might be somewhat personal for you.”
“I’m not the type to whine about personal stuff at a time like this.”
“I know.”
“It’s fine. Go ahead. …Still, thanks for asking.”
Don’t mention it.
I turned back to Adwin.
He had already closed his eyes and was focusing his mind.
Whooosh.
His sleeves rolled up, and the spell began to shine brightly.
And then…
“Where is this?”
A voice that did not belong to a boy came out of Adwin’s mouth.
Beyond Erenika.
I spoke, carrying the respect one should show to a hero of the past.
“It’s an honor to meet you. Father of Mana, Sir Beyond Erenica.”
“That title… it’s been a long time since I’ve heard it.”
“They say no one surpassed you in the art of manipulating mana. Not even Sir Iori Otix, if I may say so.”
“Haha. Trying to flatter me, are you? I appreciate the sentiment, but I don’t deserve to be compared to Sir Iori. It’s embarrassing to be placed on the same level as him.”
Unlike Iori, the embodiment of arrogance, Beyond had a rather virtuous personality.
Even historical records described him as a man of great character.
“I’ll explain the situation quickly.”
Starting with the Gem of Corruption, I recounted every detail of the current crisis.
Beyond listened silently, then asked,
“So, what exactly do you want me to do?”
“Patrick spoke your name. He said there’s no way to deal with the Gem of Corruption unless you return.”
“……”
“You played a major role during the advent of the Demon King of Corruption, didn’t you? If anything comes to mind, please share it.”
“Hmmm. That gem is ever-changing by nature. What form is it in now?”
“It’s lodged in Patrick’s eye. It’s taken the form of an eyeball.”
Beyond shook his head.
“I’d need to see it for myself.”
“I’ll show you.”
Neril raised her voice and formed a hand seal.
Our vision changed immediately.
She had activated an Append View, a spell capable of reproducing a stored memory.
Beyond examined the image of the eye carefully before speaking.
“Amazing. This is a technique so advanced, even I feel overwhelmed. So this is what the current Demon King implanted?”
“It’s only a hypothesis, but I believe the odds are high.”
“Well, yes. No one short of a Demon King could have done something like this. But there hasn’t been an oracle yet… how could a Demon King have descended already?
“Regardless, do you think you can do it? Quietly extract it without harming him?”
“There may be a way. But…”
His expression hardened.
We tensed slightly, watching his lips.
“This is off-topic, but…who developed this Append View spell? This didn’t exist in my time.”
“I did.”
Neril raised her hand lightly.
Beyond asked,
“The mana around you is quite unique.”
“…Pardon?”
“Most of the souls who end up in the Realm of Nothingness stop caring about the continent. Lady Lepia is a rare exception. I’m another one of those exceptions.”
“……”
“I’ve always watched over the continent. Especially seeing how my descendants were flourishing—it brought me great joy.”
His voice grew heavier.
A cold sweat formed on my back.
“But then… they were wiped out in an instant.”
“……”
“At the hands of the one called the Witch of Carange.”
…
Ah. So it was as I thought.
The crime she committed against someone named May Erenica… was the annihilation of the entire Erenica family.
Including May herself.
I clicked my tongue softly.
The rest of us turned to look at Neril.
Her eyes trembled. She clearly hadn’t expected Beyond to respond this way.
I quickly interjected.
“Now’s not the time to—”
“Don’t butt in, Hero of this generation.”
“……”
“Whatever the records say, I joined the fight against the Demon King of Corruption for only one reason: my beloved wife and children. That was it.”
“……”
“My family and my clan were everything to me. And now, standing before me, is the very person who destroyed them.”
Damn it.
Should we not have summoned Beyond?
No—he’s the only one who can help us now.
I gave Xenia a glance.
She cautiously unsheathed the holy sword Caesar, which could strike at the soul.
Shing.
Beyond glanced sideways at Xenia and asked,
“What’s the meaning of drawing that sword?”
“I think what Neril did to your family should be dealt with later. For now, shouldn’t we extract the Gem of Corruption?”
“That’s not an answer to my question.”
“It means that if you can’t recognize what should take priority, we’ll make you recognize it.”
“Hahaha.”
He burst into hearty laughter.
Coming from Adwin’s young body, the laughter felt bizarrely out of place.
“You five are quite the cocky bunch.”
Snap.
Suddenly, Beyond snapped his fingers.
Whoosh.
The surrounding rocks shattered and rose into the air.
In an instant, they transformed into sharp spears.
Startled, I shouted,
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
“I’ll help you extract the Gem of Corruption. If you kick the Witch of Carnage out of your party.”
“That’s not even worth answering.”
“You don’t need to think it’s worth anything. Just say ‘yes.’”
Shing.
Before we knew it, everyone was in battle stance.
Everyone except Neril.
“What are you doing, lady? Not gonna fight?”
“…It’s been a while since you called me that.”
“That defeated look doesn’t suit you. Snort like always, will you?.”
She didn’t snort, but gave a small smile instead.
“Wouldn’t it be better to just cast me out?”
“If you say something that stupid again, I’ll get mad. I can’t even imagine this party without you.”
“Mide…”
“If you don’t want to fight, just step back.”
“No.”
Step.
She stepped forward.
Then, facing Beyond, she spoke clearly and firmly.
“It was painful enough trying to be polite, so this is perfect. Hey, old man.”
“……”
“You say you were watching from the Realm of Nothingness, and now you’re blaming me? Your descendants had already abandoned their humanity.”
“Silence!”
“You don’t have to understand my side. Just…”
She grinned.
“Just say ‘I’ll help you.’ That’s all you need to say.”
She was repeating the words Beyond had used moments ago.
That sent Beyond into a rage.
“So you do wish to die. If that’s your wish, then I shall—huh?”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt, but you’re going too far.”
“W-What? How is this possible?!”
“I know you were amazing back in your day, Grandpa, but once you crossed the Redby River, you can’t beat me anymore.”
Adwin?
He reached out and clenched his fist.
Was he—was he removing Beyond’s soul from within himself?
Wait, is that even possible?
We, fully prepared for battle, slowly lowered our weapons and stared, dumbfounded.
Whirrr…
Adwin toyed with something in his hand.
I couldn’t see the soul, but it looked as though he was molding it like clay.
Noticing our blank stares, he gave a embarrassed smile.
“…Guess I should’ve done this from the start.”