Chapter 74: What is Needed Most (2) Tick. Tock.
I opened my eyes.
Memories of the past flooded back with vivid, painful clarity.
Clink.
My wrists felt heavy. Cold iron shackles bit into my skin. Beyond the rusted bars, through my blurred vision, I saw their faces.
Ezel Luncelot. A noble of a Great House who had forsaken her nobility.
Yet she looked more like a noble than anyone else, while I looked more pathetic than any beggar.
'...Max.'
Ezel called my name, her voice laced with sorrow. Behind her, Edmond watched me with a complicated expression.
In a country where the distinction between high and low birth had already vanished, I was the one who had discarded the pride of the Great House of Ebenholtz faster than anyone.
I had fled without knowing why I was running, and I had lived without knowing why I was alive.
'Regarding the treatment of the Ebenholtz family...'
Their faces were a tangle of complex emotions. They kept me locked away while they discussed my fate with the officials of the New Cabinet. Terrified of execution, I couldn't utter a single word—
"—Haa!"
My heart jolted, pulling me back to reality.
Sitting cross-legged before me was someone else.
Priya.
"Is it difficult?"
She tilted her head.
"You're wavering."
Today's lesson was the beginning of the Ebenholtz Second Form.
I let out a deep sigh and leaned forward, calming my trembling heart.
"…Yes. I couldn't help but waver."
Priya gave a short, dry laugh.
"When you circulate mana deep into your body, the brain sometimes glitches. It gets swallowed by strange hallucinations or past memories. You have to endure it. The second movement of Ebenholtz is, ultimately, the 'Assimilation of Mana.'"
The complete synchronization of body and mana.
It was a stage where one could manipulate and coordinate mana as precisely as their own fingertips or toes.
"The first step of the second movement is the alteration of vision, so you might have seen phantoms."
First, you concentrate a portion of the mana spread throughout your body into the optic nerves. Then, you go further, grafting sight onto the sensory receptors of the skin. It was a technique to erase the very concept of a blind spot.
"The chronic weakness of nobles is their blind spot. It has always been that way throughout history."
Priya toyed with her dagger before tossing it casually into the air.
"As time passes, nobles—humans—become arrogant. The illusion that they are precious. The hubris that they were truly chosen by God. In that moment of carelessness, they are stabbed in the back by the one they trusted most."
She tilted her head just a fraction while looking at me.
Swoosh!
The dagger fell straight toward the crown of her head. The blade grazed her earlobe and thudded into the ground.
It was as if she had seen it without looking.
No, she had actually seen it.
"People think mana belongs entirely to them, but it doesn't. More often than not, the characteristics of the body and the nature of the mana don't align. So, assimilate the mana to yourself. Dye your mana with the color of Ebenholtz."
I closed my eyes.
Perhaps this lesson from Priya was exactly what I needed.
The mana of the Virus was different from mine. The Virus operated in its own way, and that clashed with Ebenholtz.
To use a metaphor, the Virus was closer to a primitive form of mana.
Ebenholtz, on the other hand, was a clearer, more refined, and far purer flow.
"…A child of Ebenholtz is soaked from birth in the highest concentration of mana a human can withstand."
Ingredients containing the purest forms of natural mana are blended in a golden ratio and fed to the newborn.
Just as a hero of myth is dipped into a river of immortality, the Ebenholtz bloodline possesses bodies forged by mana.
"Whew..."
I steadied my breathing.
I layered the pure silver mana dormant within my body over the Virus, then drew it up toward my optic nerves.
Whirrr—
The world was suddenly tinted with white light.
The flow of the wind, the movement of insects, even the veins of the leaves swaying behind my back.
I saw what was invisible and heard what was silent.
— Where am I now?
Priya's voice echoed from all directions.
I thrust my wooden sword behind my back.
Whoosh!
A sensation of something vanishing just as it was grazed.
I missed, but I had come close to touching her.
— Yes. Good. Keep chasing, Maximilian.
Her laughter scattered into the air.
In a world drenched in moonlight, I swung my sword, following her presence as if we were dancing.
Swish!
— Too short.
I lunged with the sword, but the blade fell short.
— It's too short. You'll never reach me like that. It's only natural.
It was only natural that I couldn't reach her.
To reach her, I had to be longer.
The moment I understood her words—
Tap.
Something caught on the tip of the wooden sword.
It slid off with a faint rustle.
It was a strand of her hair.
— ...Yes.
Her voice sounded satisfied. I turned back to look at Priya.
She was already standing in front of me.
— It is an extension.
The wooden sword I had just swung. The blade of mana coating it had lengthened.
— The mana assimilated with you becomes your blade. It becomes an extension of your consciousness. Beyond simply growing longer, it achieves sword forms and trajectories unimaginable for an ordinary blade.
Priya placed a finger on the shimmering silver mana blade.
— It is the first step toward perceiving the Heart Sword.
Snatching the wooden sword from my hand, Priya suddenly made a single stroke through the air. The mana condensed into a strange shape, forming a crescent-shaped shockwave.
A page from the Ebenholtz Secret Sword: Moonlight Slash.
— And it is the path that leads to the secret techniques of Ebenholtz.
I stared at her and gave a quiet nod.
*
Early morning, at the Knight's office.
I searched for Yukia's identity on the computer.
[ Identity Search: Yukia Tarik ]
[ Race: Yaken ]
[ Birth: Western Border Region, Nomad Camp ]
[ Family: Father Eric Tarik, Mother Unknown ]
[ Remarks: Expelled from the Imperial Academy ]
She was the same age as me. She had settled in the Empire five years ago after being separated from her father, and her father had died two years ago.
[ Eric Tarik ]
[ Race: Yaken ]
[ Birth: Uek, Fallen Kingdom of the West ]
[ Occupation: Guide ]
Her father, Eric Tarik, was a guide who wandered the continent.
A guide is a specialized profession. There are still many undiscovered regions on this continent. From the glaciers of the North Pole to the frozen lands of the South Pole—reachable only by crossing the southern seas of the Empire—and the Great Canyons of the West, teeming with magical beasts.
Because of this, adventure is practically a rite of passage for Imperial nobles, and at Empire Point, it's even part of the formal curriculum.
Naturally, I had gone on expeditions myself, and the person who usually stood at the very front of the line was the guide.
Yukia's father had died while guiding a certain noble.
The related case file was locked under Class 2 Secrecy, but I accessed it using my authority as a Knight.
[ Accident Summary: During an exploration of the 'Aufaran Forest' in the West, the expedition was stranded in a magical beast nest due to the guide's misjudgment of the route. The nobles survived thanks to the desperate struggle of the escort knights, but the guide is presumed dead after attempting to flee the scene. Body not recovered. ]
[ Remarks: Lawsuit for breach of contract and damages currently in progress. ]
It was a predictable story. The nobles had invited disaster through their own incompetence and bravado, then fled by using the guide as bait. To top it off, they returned and shifted the blame, butchering his honor as well.
"Hmm..."
I turned off the monitor.
To make someone completely mine, I must not be picky about the means and methods. Sometimes I must play the savior, sometimes I must gouge at their wounds, and if necessary, I must be willing to use deception bordering on brainwashing.
I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes.
In an instant, a subtle but alien sensation brushed against my skin.
Tick. Tock.
A faint ripple mixing into the absolute regularity of my soul's time.
It was a tiny vibration, but the Virus within me did not miss it.
I smiled soundlessly.
Eavesdropping.
Mana with a very stealthy, wild sensation. It was likely Yukia.
"..."
Since this was a situation I could easily exploit, I decided not to drive her away.
From now on, a life where wiretapping and surveillance were routine was my reality.
Just as I watched them, they would watch me, and someone by my side would be watching me too.
I looked out the window nonchalantly.
Rustle. Rustle.
Heavy snow had begun to fall. With the destruction of the Gigantes, autumn had ended, and winter had arrived.
This winter... I was thinking of raising a dog.
There was a famous dog from before my regression.
"Heh."
I smiled. Lately, I've been feeling flickers of small happiness. There is someone else besides me who can distinguish Izenheim. Just that fact alone made me feel as if I had found a clue, a confirmation that I wasn't wrong.
It was a very good thing.
*
An orphanage in District 42 of the Empire. I went to find the Yaken, Entikkan—Yukia's uncle.
"...Thanks to your help, the orphanage is being maintained well."
This visit was to gather information on Yukia and her father.
"I see. That's a relief."
There were quite a few children in the orphanage playground. They all looked healthy and bright. Their laughter was clear.
Is it possible to have such expressions in the lower districts?
The thought occurred to me suddenly, and I wondered if I was a noble after all.
A child should be able to laugh anytime, anywhere. They should be able to.
[Office]
I followed Entikkan into the office. Inside were traditional Yaken items decorated with rough leather and bone, and a few old photos and frames hung on the walls.
Among them was 'Eric Tarik.'
The man I had seen on the Knight's monitor—Yukia's father.
And Entikkan Tarik's older brother.
"..."
I stopped in front of the photo.
I stared at the person in the picture with a melancholic gaze, as if lost in old memories.
I didn't say anything. I just looked.
Natural acting was crucial.
I couldn't let it seem forced.
I had to pack emotion into the silence.
If I watched long enough, Entikkan would eventually approach me out of curiosity.
"Sir Knight. Why the frame...?"
"...Ah."
I pulled my gaze away, pretending to snap out of it, and gave a faint smile.
"It's nothing. I was just... remembering the old days."
Since her father was undoubtedly the most important person to Yukia, I intended to build a connection that didn't actually exist.
The dead don't talk, after all.
"Please, have a seat."
Trickle. Entikkan poured tea into a wooden cup.
I asked him.
"I'm asking just in case, Mr. Entikkan. Have you ever smelled something like a rotten, fishy smell of water from a person?"
"Rotten... excuse me?"
Entikkan blinked.
I asked again.
"A rotten, fishy smell—anything that smells slightly different and alien compared to other people."
"Uh... are you talking about body odor?"
He didn't know. Judging by Yukia's reaction, that smell should be distinctly different from a simple foul odor.
Entikkan shook his head.
"I'm sorry. I have rhinitis, so my nose isn't very good."
How does a Yaken even get rhinitis...?
"Are you perhaps thinking, 'How does a Yaken get rhinitis?'"
"..."
Caught.
I silently lifted the teacup and moistened my lips. Entikkan continued with a bitter smile.
"Thank you for taking Yukia in. She has a bit of a rebellious streak, but she's definitely capable. She'll be of help."
Clack.
I set the teacup down and naturally shifted the topic.
"By any chance, did Mr. Eric communicate often with Yukia or you?"
I intentionally used the respectful title 'Mr.' As expected, Entikkan's eyebrows twitched.
"...No. My brother wasn't a man of many words. Not about others, and not about himself. After he sent Yukia to study in the Empire, there was no contact for a long time."
That was fortunate, but it was also the typical stereotype of a Yaken guide. They were extremely taciturn and stoic.
Thanks to that, the blank space I could fill in grew larger. It meant I could move on to the next step.
"...I suppose so."
Just as I gave a thin smile, as if I understood—
"Did you know my brother?"
Entikkan asked with a cautious sense of certainty. It was the moment I had been waiting for.
However, I couldn't show it too much.
As naturally as possible.
I let out a small sigh and leaned back into the chair.
"For a noble, adventure is considered a virtue. To prove our strength, we go on explorations here and there from a young age. I, too, went on an expedition at least once a year, whether I wanted to or not."
To be honest, I didn't even know which guide I had met back then.
However, the exploration routes preferred by Imperial nobles—the Western Border—were fixed, and since most guides only worked there, the probability of our paths crossing was high enough.
"Is that... why you helped us?"
Entikkan's face cleared, as if he finally understood. His wolf-like aura softened significantly.
I shook my head solemnly.
"I don't release suspects based on mere personal feelings."
I meant for him to take it as official Knight business.
Entikkan nodded.
"...Yes. I will understand it that way."
Suddenly, a small horn flute on the desk caught my eye.
"The Yaken always seem to make things like this."
Most Yaken create handicrafts. Out of wood, stone, or whatever. I didn't know why. They said it was a tradition passed down through generations.
"Yes. This is something my brother made."
Entikkan picked up the wooden horn flute with a bitter smile.
"To a Yaken, this object holds great meaning. We believe it proves one's existence and soul, and that it holds the mana of spirits."
"Do you ever give them as gifts?"
"It's rare. Only occasionally to a brother, or someone equivalent to one..."
I listened to his words quietly.
— Only occasionally to a brother, or someone equivalent to one.
I had just gained a very big hint.
"Yes. Well, now that I've toured the orphanage..."
I pulled a checkbook from my coat.
"This is a donation."
The moment he saw the amount, Entikkan's eyes widened.
"The numbers... is this truly a donation with no strings attached?"
"Yes."
He was more than entitled to receive it. Thanks to him, I had just decided on my direction.
"It's a donation without any conditions. Compared to what I've received, this is nothing."
I added a meaningful remark at the end.
Entikkan stared at me for a moment before nodding quietly.
"...Thank you. I won't refuse."
I stood up with a smile.
Entikkan and the orphanage staff saw me off. As I got into the driver's seat of the car, I called Schatz.
"Schatz. I have a job for you. Body recovery."
Eric Tarik.
His body was never recovered. It must still be buried in the Aufaran Forest.
"Start by digging into the noble who hired Eric Tarik two years ago. Find out every piece of information and report back to me."
— Yes. Understood.
It would take some time, but it was an essential process.
To obtain what I needed most, I would not hesitate to use any means or methods.
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