ITBFL | Chapter 38

Episode 38

‘This is no ordinary person. Could it really… really be a Seer?!’

Baron Selberdin flinched and stared at his fingertips.

They slowly moved toward a certain direction.

“That place is…”

It was in the direction of the Aria Temple, where the High God was worshipped.

“Confess everything. If you don’t, the weight of the truth will push you to the edge of the cliff.”

The Seer’s low warning sent chills down his spine.

Baron Selberdin barely restrained himself from running straight to the Aria Temple.

“You will lose all the money you have.”

Another blunt warning followed. The thought of losing what he valued most—his wealth—made his legs tremble.

Just as suddenly as she had appeared, the robed figure turned around and vanished without a word.

Watching her disappear, Baron Selberdin wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

“I was supposed to meet Count Artiel…”

Swallowing dryly, he glanced at his watch before hastily moving toward his carriage.

“That man is already late anyway! I’ll just be late too!”

Baron Selberdin’s carriage immediately changed course toward the Aria Temple.

“It worked!”

I knew Baron Selberdin was weak against things like prophecies and divine revelations.

But I hadn’t expected this strategy to actually work.

I quickly removed the thick robe and mounted my horse.

“Beep!”

“It’s all thanks to you, Golden Bunny.”

I had wondered if he would truly believe it, but the moment he saw Golden Bunny’s front paw, Baron Selberdin seemed convinced that I was a Seer.

‘For Golden Bunny, facing Baron Selberdin must have been nerve-wracking.’

Not only was he its father, but he also knew that Selberdin was the one who had turned it into this. Meeting him face-to-face must have been incredibly uncomfortable.

Yet, Golden Bunny actively helped me.

It seemed just as eager to uncover the truth about its condition.

I quickly urged my horse forward.

“There it is.”

Baron Selberdin’s carriage came to a halt, and I saw him rushing into the temple.

“Golden Bunny.”

“Beep.”

“Are you sure it’s okay for you to come along?”

I still couldn’t shake off my concerns, so I asked again.

“Beep? Beep.”

But Golden Bunny was already prepared to rush into the temple ahead of me.

As if to say, What are you waiting for?, he urged me on.

I hurried my steps toward the temple.

Inside, with its high vaulted ceilings, Baron Selberdin sat at the very front of the sanctuary, panting heavily.

‘The priests are watching. Is there a way to approach unnoticed…?’

I scanned the area, looking for a route that would let me avoid their eyes, when Golden Bunny tapped me with his front paw.

Then, as if to reassure me, he folded his ears.

The next moment, Golden Bunny leaped out of my arms.

“What is that?!”

“A… a rabbit?”

All eyes in the sanctuary turned to Golden Bunny.

“Beep?”

Golden Bunny hopped forward adorably.

‘Ah, he’s so cute.’

It was so irresistibly cute that even I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

‘No, this is no time for that!’

I had been so entranced by his cuteness that I nearly forgot my mission.

Golden Bunny was buying me time!

I slipped into the shadows behind a pillar and moved toward Baron Selberdin.

“High God… I have done nothing wrong…”

Baron Selberdin was kneeling before the statue of the High God, his eyes tightly shut, murmuring.

‘He doesn’t seem like he intends to confess.’

But I needed a detailed explanation about how he had turned Lily into a rabbit.

Only then could I find a clue to Cassium’s whereabouts as well.

‘Oh, whatever.’

I silently asked the High God for forgiveness and moved behind the pillar beside Baron Selberdin.

Then, lowering my voice as much as possible, I spoke.

“What potion did you use to turn them like that?”

“H-How do you… W-Wait, are you the High God?”

“Speak immediately. Where did you get the potion?”

“T-That… That was from a merchant in Rehud Street…”

“How disgraceful! Do you not pity the child, left alone in the form of a mere beast? Tell me exactly which merchant and what kind of potion it was!”

Raising my voice in scorn, I saw Baron Selberdin flinch, on the verge of tears.

“I-I didn’t know the potion would actually work. I never expected him to turn into… into stone…!”

“…?”

Stone?

What stone?

“You mean… he turned into stone?”

“Y-Yes. I bought it from a merchant in a tent with blue tassel decorations… But honestly, turning a person into stone? I thought it was just nonsense. I swear!”

I glanced at Golden Bunny, who was still distracting the priests.

Lily had turned into a rabbit… So where did this “stone” come from?

“But High God, I am innocent! It was the young master of the Balteire Duchy who provoked me first!”

“…?”

Balteire?

“High God?”

“By the young master of the Balteire Duchy… do you mean Cassium Ruden Balteire?”

“Ah, as expected, you know everything. If only that young master hadn’t ruined my business, none of this would have happened…”

“…”

“High God? Are you listening?”

I stepped out from behind the pillar.

Then, approaching Baron Selberdin from behind, I grabbed his arm and restrained him.

“Hiiik! W-Who… Sir Artiel?!”

“I heard everything, Baron.”

“W-Why are you here…? If it’s because I stood the Count up, y-you’re mistaken! I was just stopping by the temple before heading to our meeting spot!”

“That’s another matter. Now, continue what you were saying.”

“What I was saying…?”

“About how you turned Lord Balteire into stone.”

“L-Let me go first…!”

“If you don’t want to cause a scene, come quietly.”

Baron Selberdin trembled.

Once outside the temple, he confessed everything.

Since he had already spilled the truth inside, it wasn’t too difficult to get him to elaborate.

All it took was the cold steel pressed against his neck, and he panicked, revealing everything.

“T-That’s all I know.”

By the time he finished his story, Baron Selberdin looked utterly drained, his face pale as a sheet.

According to him, there should be traces left at the place where Cassium had first turned into stone.

So that explained Cassium, but there was still the question of what had happened to Lily…

“My daughter? Me? My daughter just ran away from home, that’s all.”

On that matter, he stubbornly feigned ignorance.

“By the way, sir… that rabbit…?”

Baron Selberdin’s gaze fell on Golden Bunny.

“Beep.”

Golden Bunny bared its teeth.

Baron Selberdin lowered his eyes, looking uneasy.

‘It seems more like he genuinely doesn’t recognize her, rather than lying.’

Then, as if suddenly making up his mind, Baron Selberdin lifted his head and started creeping away.

“Well then, since we’re done here, I’ll be off. I have an important meeting to attend.”

“There’s something even more important for you.”

“What…?”

At that moment, my signal device went off.

“Come in, Deserus.”

By the time Baron Selberdin started confessing, I had already contacted the Order in advance.

“Vice Captain!”

“S-Sir! I’ve told you everything, so what is this…?!”

Deserus appeared at the perfect timing and immediately secured Baron Selberdin’s arms tightly.

When I looked at the Golden Bunny, it let out a sharp “Pang” sound while stepping on Baron Selberdin’s foot.

***

At the entrance of the forest after leaving the temple.

“Beep…”

Golden Bunny dragged its feet with a clear expression of reluctance.

Unlike me, who was in a hurry, the Golden Rabbit didn’t seem very eager to help find Kasium.

I picked up Golden Bunny.

Then, looking it in the eyes, I carefully explained the situation again.

“He’s turned into stone. Whether I like him or not, from the perspective of the Erne Order, if we don’t retrieve that stone immediately, the losses will be huge. So, I have to find him no matter what.”

“Beep.”

“Golden Bunny, think about it. He turned into stone—imagine yourself in that situation. How frustrating and painful would that be?”

“Beep. Ah, Beep…”

Golden Bunny stared at me with eyes full of unspoken words.

In truth, Golden Bunny didn’t necessarily have to accompany me in finding Cassium.

If I were just worried about leaving it alone, I could have entrusted it to Commander Denver or Yannis earlier.

But even I wasn’t exactly sure why I had insisted on bringing Golden Bunny along.

‘Maybe because, as someone who has also had their form changed, the Golden Bunny might be able to find Cassium more easily?’

That expectation didn’t have any solid basis, but for some reason, I had a gut feeling that if Golden Bunny accompanied me in the search, I would be able to find Cassium.

There was something about Golden Bunny that vaguely reminded me of Cassium.

Soon, Golden Bunny nodded its head and wriggled its feet to be put down.

Then, it trotted ahead and gestured as if asking why I wasn’t following.

On the path to search for the stone, Golden Bunny took the lead.

“Beep.”

“I’m coming with you, Golden Bunny.”

This was the forest where Cassium had disappeared while searching for the Heart of Lagon.

It was also the place we had visited previously to defeat Luxkar.

Just like before, the dark energy emanating from the depths of the forest made the atmosphere feel heavy and oppressive.

‘Could Cassium really be here?’

If what I encountered last night was truly Cassium, that meant he had turned back into a human at least once.

No matter how powerful the spell was, it would eventually wear off.

‘But since he hasn’t reappeared since that night, it’s highly likely that he turned back into stone.’

If so, where did that happen?

I narrowed it down to four possible locations.