Chapter 21:
What’s Going On Here?
“What?”
Riche’s eyes widened in surprise.
What did that knight just say? He clearly said ‘Leutheom’ to me.
How on earth does he know?
“You!”
Python, who had somehow climbed onto the curtain rod of the bed, shouted into Riche’s mind.
“Who are you?”
“One of the six great stars I sensed in the dressing room last time. Damn! Now I understand why the energy was cut off.”
A great star like Python.
Riche recalled that Python had something to ask about finding the great stars last time and questioned him.
“So, what do we do? Are you going to ask how to awaken the stars?”
“No. Let’s not clash. I’m not well-matched for that guy in combat. I have a rough idea of what’s going on.”
Python seemed burdened by the prospect of facing such a formidable star.
Let’s get out of here for now. Python whispered.
But Riche sat on the bed with the injured Zeckbert. The only escape was blocked by the knight.
Riche seized the opportunity to distract the knight.
“…What’s going on here?”
Surprisingly convincing acting, but it seemed ineffective.
“Why only purify the son?”
Riche’s tone was already convinced it was Leutheom.
Within the unfamiliar figure of the knight called the great star, Riche discovered something familiar.
Golden eyes that seemed to see through her.
Surely not, anxiety engulfed Riche. Past traumas gripped her body.
“Contractor! Snap out of it! He’s-.”
Before Python’s words could finish echoing in her mind, the knight grabbed Riche’s arm.
“Do you have no contracted stars? Is it because using power is too much for you, so you haven’t purified any stars yet?”
Madness gleamed in the lone golden eye. It was dangerous. Instinct warned her so.
“Kong!”
Zeckbert bit the knight’s arm.
The sharp teeth of the young wolf sank into the flesh, but the knight was unfazed, as if feeling no pain.
As the knight forcibly pulled his arm away, Zeckbert stumbled back, hitting the wall and falling to the ground.
“Kiaa….”
“Zeck, you mutt!”
The impact of the collision was strong. Zeckbert staggered to his feet, but before he could take a step, he collapsed again.
Riche narrowed her eyes at the knight.
“Marquis Rodwick, you didn’t disclose your name. Tell me. What’s your name?”
The hand holding Riche’s arm exerted strong pressure.
Ouch. Riche tried to break free but couldn’t. Should she use Python’s power? But that would be no different from admitting to the knight’s words that she was Leutheom.
Riche struggled to pull her arm out of the knight’s grasp.
“Get away!”
Thunk.
Something fell from above and struck the knight’s head. It was Python.
The blow was strong enough to jostle the skull.
Caught off guard by the unexpected attack, the knight released Riche’s arm and staggered back.
“Back off. Heikenga.”
Python’s voice, spoken aloud, was like angry thunder.
A piercing sound that stabbed at the eardrums. Riche trembled involuntarily.
Heikenga looked boldly at Riche and twisted his mouth.
“Oh, I didn’t know you were here, Python.”
“Of course not. Fool. Since he’s under my contract, don’t eye him and get lost.”
“What’s with that pathetic disguise? It makes a mockery of the name ‘God of Battle.’ Hasn’t the wound from back then healed yet?”
“Hmph. You’ve grown some backbone. Asking about my well-being.”
Python clenched his fist.
…God of Battle? Python’s voice echoed in Riche’s mind as she wondered.
[Contractor, take the wolf and run.]
“Run? How am I supposed to do that?”
“You need to distract them.”
There was no time to listen to explanations.
“But you still won’t listen to others’ words? I told you to leave, and yet you’re still here-!”
Python rushed towards Heikenga. An explosion erupted from his small fist. Heikenga raised his arm to defend himself. A fierce battle ensued between them.
Riche shouted urgently, “Python! Using your abilities directly strains your body!”
Just as Leutheom used his purification abilities through his contract with the stars, it was also taxing for the stars themselves to use their abilities alone in the human realm.
Especially for a squirrel.
Python began to falter under Heikenga’s attacks. He seemed more focused on defending than attacking. It was getting dangerous. Just when she thought that, a sudden explosion sounded, and Heikenga’s leg snapped.
“You…!”
Python turned his head. It was Riche. She had used her own power without permission. That monstrous girl. But now wasn’t the time to be surprised.
Taking advantage of the opening Riche created, Python retaliated against Heikenga.
[This contractor! I told you to run, didn’t I?]
Before she knew it, Riche was holding the unconscious Zeckbert in her arms as they lay on the bed.
“I can’t leave you behind. What if you get hurt fighting alone?”
“Huh, you think I’m that weak? If you’re worried, then hurry up and go! I’ll follow you if you go!”
Riche hesitated for a moment, then ran towards the door of the infirmary with Zeckbert in her arms. She had no choice but to trust Python’s words that he would follow.
Heikenga tried to chase after Riche, but was blocked by Python.
“Where are you going!”
“Ugh.”
Heikenga’s golden eye narrowed. Python smirked and flicked his hand.
“Let’s continue where we left off.”
Heikenga scowled at his provocation.
“I’ll finish you soon.”
Meanwhile, Riche escaped from the infirmary. In the distance, she saw Clang running towards her, having heard the explosion.
“Clang!”
“Miss!”
Clang took Zeckbert from Riche and asked, “Miss Riche, what’s going on?”
“That, that…!”
First, they needed to get away from the infirmary as much as possible. Riche couldn’t involve Clang in that fight. Instead of explaining the inexplicable, Riche tried to hold Clang’s hand and leave the room.
“Where are you going?”
If only it wasn’t Heikenga who was following.
“We still have things to discuss.”
Riche broke out in a cold sweat at his ominous tone. Clang, who was holding her hand, collapsed unconscious like a broken marionette. It was Heikenga’s ability.
“Is that so? Riche.”
He called her name with that golden eye.
“My Agnes.”
Riche looked at his cold fingertips approaching her face like a mouse facing a snake.
Just before his hand touched Riche’s cheek, someone attacked him from behind and subdued him.
“What’s going on here? Why would our Philip harass you? Huh?”
Jed sat on top of the fallen Heikenga. Despite his playful tone, there was no hint of laughter on his face.
If Jed had been a little later in coming to the infirmary looking for Riche, it would have been a big problem.
Heikenga, with his forehead against the floor, chuckled softly before raising his head. His frozen gaze met Riche’s.
“It seems time’s up.”
Reflected in Riche’s silver eyes, the golden hue gradually disappeared from Heikenga’s right eye, staining it the same brown as the left.
A smile graced Heikenga’s lips as his final words flowed out.
“See you next time. Young…”
The rest was left unfinished. Seeing him slump down, Riche snapped back to reality.
“Miss, are you okay? What’s going on?”
‘Python!’
If it wasn’t Heikenga who followed me, then what happened to Python?
“Wait a moment!”
Ignoring Jed’s questions about the situation, Riche rushed to the infirmary.
The infirmary, with its door wide open, was a mess.
Broken windows, overturned furniture, nothing left intact…
In that scene resembling a demolition site, Python lay sprawled on a sofa with a burst cushion.
“Picon!”
Conscious of Jed, Riche approached Python, calling him by another name. Python’s half-closed eyes looked at her.
[Contractor.]
“Are you okay?!”
[Sorry, but I need to visit the lakeside once more…]
With those words, Python lost consciousness, his head shaking.
In the moment of relief at Python’s still breathing, just as she was about to wipe her chest,
“Riche.”
Behind Riche, Blake’s voice, accompanied by knights, sounded.
Like Clang and Jed, they had rushed in upon hearing the commotion inside the mansion.
“Oh, Dad.”
Deon, who had come along, surveyed the infirmary with a serious expression.
“What’s going on here?”
Clunk.
Riche’s heart sank.
* * *
“This is absurd!”
The angry voice of a man echoed through the room.
The young man who had come to the room to speak to his father paused as he heard the voice coming from inside the room.
In his late twenties, with blonde hair, Duke Gerwer looked towards the communication device in front of him and muttered.
“Lordwick must know. In that house, there’s… the Recluse. That adopted daughter must be the Recluse.”
Since witnessing the effects of Dercadian Lordwick’s malfunctioning hunting machine, Duke Gerwer had considered every possible scenario.
Amidst his contemplation, he came up with a hypothesis that seemed plausible.
Although Lordwick’s aura remained intact, he didn’t think Lordwick had acquired the Recluse’s abilities.
“It’s suspicious to turn a commoner into the adopted daughter. She’s only seven years old, so she’s waiting to come of age to undergo purification…!”
“No, I told you. That adopted daughter is not the Recluse.”
An irritated voice came from the communication device.
“Even if you’re upset, things have taken a turn here too. An unexpected figure has appeared.”
Tsk, the old man clicked his tongue. Then, as if having nothing more to say, he tried to end the communication.
“Anyway. We’ll talk later.”
“Just, just that!”
Duke Gerwer desperately held onto the communication device. He shouted towards it, which had not yet been disconnected.
“Just tell me that! Is the future I saw correct?”
“The future? It was almost correct.”
“What does that mean…!”
But the communication was ruthlessly cut off. Duke Gerwer stared at the silent communication device, unable to contain his anger, he cursed.
‘…’
The young man was taken aback by his father’s unfamiliar appearance.
Duke Gerwer pounded his fist on the desk. His once composed demeanor was now in disarray.
“Why… Why isn’t it here. I searched everywhere-!”
Duke Gerwer’s ability rarely showed him glimpses of the future.
He had seen that future in a dream six months ago.
The slave market floor. In what seemed like the dirtiest place in the world, Duke Gerwer stood amidst an apparition.
There sat a child in front of him, lost in thought. It was so filthy that it was unfit to even share the same space.
But the moment Duke Gerwer saw the light that enveloped the child, shivers ran down his spine.
It was the Recluse. It was born in my generation.
‘It’s mine.’
Upon awakening, the child dominated Duke Gerwer’s mind.
It was a prophecy. His ability had shown him that future to give the Recluse to me.
But for some reason, no matter how much he searched the imperial slave market, he couldn’t find the Recluse.
“It must be Lordwick. Lordwick has my Recluse…!”
His clenched fist trembled.
Purified Lordwick. And the commoner child adopted by Lordwick.
Given the circumstances, Duke Gerwer was convinced that the adopted daughter was the Recluse.
“There’s no Recluse in Duke Lordwick.”
He said no.
Was he wrong in his conviction?
A month ago, an old man approached me as I wandered through the slave market. There was no doubt that he was my ancestor.
Because he was shining through my insight. He had the soul with Duke Gerwer’s ability.
‘…’
Duke Gerwer turned his head.
The door that he thought was closed was slightly open.
“Who’s there.”
