Chapter 69

[That’s a good idea. He might have been good at keeping secrets, but since he’s already dead, you can ask him to speak by using the darkness.]

Russell recognized Lucion’s plan at once.

When a person dies, everyone becomes a ghost.

There are people who leave for heaven right away, but most of them stay until they realize they’re dead.

That would be the right time to ask something.

“Brother, I’m sorry, but can I get off here now? I want to see Roberio’s face, and I don’t think there’s anything I can do even if I go there.”

Lucion asked Carson for permission.

By now, the cave used by the Rats would be empty, but although Carson got into the carriage for now, he was actually reluctant to go there.

Carson didn’t say anything because it was Lady Tella’s request, but his expression was already obvious.

“That would be great.”

Carson accepted Lucion’s proposal without hesitation.

‘Aren’t you accepting it a little too quickly?’

Lucion felt a little strange.

Tap. Tap.

Without hesitation, Carson knocked on the wall, signaling the coachman to stop the carriage.

His expression became softer.

“I’ll leave the carriage here. Don’t try to look deep into Roberio’s face, don’t slip away and come straight back to the villa.”

Carson spoke with concern.

Since he already had a record of running away and escaping in Cronia, Carson once again requested Lucion.

“You must go to the villa without taking a detour.”

“Okay. I’ll go straight back to the villa.”

Lucion was slightly upset by the series of requests, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Really, he just ran away like a lizard’s tail.

“I’m sorry, Brother. I asked Brother for a favor…”

“No.”

Carson cut off Lucion’s words.

“It’s not a big deal, so don’t think about it.”

Carson got off the carried and stepped onto the ground to face Lucion.

“I’ll leave you with the knight who was in charge of your escort last time.”

“Yes, sir.”

Lucion turned his head and met the knight’s eye.

[Please don’t run away this time. His eyes said that.]

Just as Russell had seen them, Lucion also noticed the words in the knight’s eyes.

—So, can we leave the knight out like last time and eat delicious chicken skewers later? Ratta can’t forget the taste.

He could hear Ratta flapping her tongue.

[Maybe not today.]

Russell glanced at Lucion and brought it up.

He hoped he wouldn’t run away again this time.

“Go ahead first.”

Carson tried to emphasize more, but, being aware of the gazes that gathered around him, he took the knights and left first.

Only Hume, the carriage, and the knight were left.

Hume walked to Lucion without hesitation.

Before getting on the carriage, he was told that they were going to the cave where the Rats were.

“Where are you going now, Young Master?”

Hume’s eyes twinkled.

It seemed he had an expectation they would stop by the store or something.

“I’m on my way to see Count Roberio’s face.”

“Did he get caught already?”

“I guess so. He got caught faster than I thought.”

Lucion’s voice sounded emotionless.

“Young Master.”

The knight spoke first.

“Say it.”

“Can I stick with you a little bit closer today?”

Perhaps because of the last incident, the knight was determined not to lose him somehow.

This time, there was no need to run away, and Russell could ask the question on his behalf, so Lucion willingly allowed it.

“Yes.”

“Thank you!”

The knight approached with joy for about two steps, then hesitated for a moment and took a half step back.

Lucion pressed down his hood and walked to the place where bitter swearings could be heard.

“Even what happened 25 years ago has not healed yet! You bastard! You have nowhere else to turn to so you stick to a warlock like a dog?!“

A man was busy throwing stones at the neck hung in the central square.

Thud.

Snap!

He wasn’t the only one throwing stones.

Most of the people gathered in the central square were cursing and damaging the body that only had a neck left.

“The man who advocates a warlock will fall into hell even if he dies!”

“The thought of you receiving mercy from the God of Light makes me vomit! Damn it!”

[S-stop! Everyone, stop!]

There were also mixed voices of crying and bewilderment amidst the curses that people poured onto the Roberio family.

Lucion looked down slightly.

If he made eye contact for no reason, they would find out that he could see ghosts.

[He’s right there in the middle. Can you hear his voice?]

Russell pointed with his finger, and Lucion looked for Roberio, who was looking at the head that was crushed, split, and unrecognizable.

Roberio reached out to the people and struggled to block something.

But his hand was only passing through people in vain.

Each time, Roberio’s face turned distorted.

No matter how many times he reached out and called, no one answered.

[No way. No way… I can’t believe I’m dead.]

Roberio clenched his fist.

He clutched his hair in agony at the truth that kept unfolding no matter how much he denied it.

[No way! They said that the God of Light would guide me when I die!]

[It’s common bullshit. When you die, you become a ghost, whether or not you step into the cycle of death and life. It’s the only choice.]

At Russell’s words, Lucion smiled and covered his mouth.

Funny how most people believe that.

After death, the God of Light will guide you, and there will be no pain or sadness.

Lucion once believed that, too.

‘Now, let’s take a look at the gap.’

Lucion waited for ghost Roberio to leave this place.

When people deny something, they usually try to escape.

[Wait, Lucion.]

Russell stopped Lucion.

[A warlock…!]

Bethel opened her mouth.

Her hand trembled as she clenched her sword.

Unbearable anger simmered.

Snap.

When Russell snapped his finger, the darkness swaying around Bethel subsided.

[Hold on, Bethel. You said you’ll repay Lucion.]

[I’ll try to hold it in as much as I can. As much as I can…]

Bethel left with uneasy words.

If she stayed here, she might swing her sword at the warlock.

[Don’t make it obvious, She’ll pass by you soon. She’s pretty strong.]

Russell quietly informed, and Lucion didn’t move his gaze.

Someone in a hood passed right in front of Lucion.

‘…It smells like iron.’

Lucion kept a calm expression and smelled the strong smell of iron.

Then, the person suspected to be a warlock stopped walking.

Her head turned exactly to Lucion.

Lucion felt the blatant gaze looking his way.

—Hop.

Ratta was startled.

—She’s watching Lucion right now. Why?

Bathump.

As Lucion’s heart was beating hard, Hume spoke.

“Do you have any business?”

Hearing Hume’s voice, the knight approached and showed hostility towards the woman.

“No, excuse me.”

She shook her head and walked away.

Lucion saw her smiling.

[No, you didn’t get caught.]

Russell quenched Lucion’s uneasiness.

[More importantly, she’s one of the two warlocks that have appeared.]

Russell’s eyes were half closed.

‘Either you’re here to get rid of Roberio or you’re here to recruit him.’

Lucion noticed what Russell was trying to say.

However, Lucion had no choice but to let go of whatever the warlock was doing.

He had a lot to lose.

‘…Damn it.’

Lucion backed away quietly.

[They’re here to take care of Roberio.]

Russell decided to be Lucion’s eyes for a while.

‘Is it Hand of the Void…?’

At those words, Lucion grabbed his hood tightly.

Count Roberio seemed to have more information than he thought.

‘So close. I was so close.’

Lucion frowned as he listened to Roberio’s scream.

[Whoa!]

—Hop!

Ratta was startled.

‘You’re using black magic here? In the central square?’

Lucion was also surprised, but he tried to close his lips tightly.

[No need to be surprised, Lucion. You can do this too later. If you can maintain the darkness well, no one will notice it because it doesn’t make noises even if you use magic.]

Russell gave a glimpse of Lucion’s future.

Lucion was still in a situation where he hadn’t even taken his first steps, so he couldn’t even dare.

[But that doesn’t mean you can’t tell. In order to hide the awkwardness, it’s better to borrow the form of aura. Aura is mainly used for strengthening the body or for strengthening the tools, so it doesn’t look awkward at all.]

Russell kept looking at Roberio and the warlock, noting the situation.

“Young Master? You don’t feel well?”

At Lucion who stood still, the knight reluctantly asked.

“No, I’m just dizzy for a second.”

Lucion shook his head.

“Are you all right? Wipe your sweat first.”

Hume raised his voice and handed a handkerchief.

‘That’s a good response,’

Lucion smiled slightly as he received the handkerchief.

—Oh! The ghost is running away!

Ratta spoke out.

True enough, while wiping his sweat with a handkerchief, a translucent ghost caught his eyes.

[You bloody warlock!]

Roberio shouted loudly.

[You hit me on the back of my head like this? I can’t disappear like this! Like this!]

Roberio became impatient.

He felt his body slowly crumbling after he touched something black.

Different from the feeling of death, an unknown fear came over to the point where it really felt like this was really the end.

[If there’s a warlock here, listen to me! I was used and died miserably!]

Roberio didn’t want to die like this.

[Don’t fall into the Hand of the Void! It’s crazy over there! Crazy! I’m collecting corpses one by one because it wasn’t enough to make a curse and scatter it in central! If you’re a human, you know what this means, right?]

‘…Collecting corpses?’

Lucion received Hume’s water calmly.

There was a lot of speculation.

Plague, curse, raise of the dead, preparation for war, etc.

Because there were so many things that the Hand of the Void committed.

[The boss of those bastards is now in the Kingdom of Nevast!]

‘…!’

Lucion drank water a beat late.

‘…Crazy. That guy is having it easy, isn’t he?’

Now Roberio informed them that the home of the Hand of the Void was in the Kingdom of Nevast.

Kingdom of Nevast.

It was the second-largest kingdom after the Empire and the eternal enemy of the frontier.

[Cross scar.]

The cross scar that Orion said last time also popped out of Roberio’s mouth.

[He has black nails and a cross scar on the back of his hand. It’s the real thing, the boss of the Hand of the Void. I’m just a puppet… Aahh!]

The warlock caught Roberio, who was running away.

[He went to the sky.]

Russell announced the end of Roberio.

They were done with their business now.

For Lucion, Roberio’s end was more helpful than he thought.

“Now that I’ve seen everything, I’m going back to the carriage.”

Lucion turned around, handing the water back to Hume.

* * *

“Then, I look forward to the day we meet again.”

The butler who was managing the villa bowed to Carson and Lucion.

Lucion became a saint, and obtained the blessing of the Divine Beast, Bethel the death knight, and even the Rat who was originally a villain.

“Yeah. You’ve been through a lot so far.”

Carson smiled at the butler and his attendants.

Considering Carson’s usual bluntness, there was no greater compliment than this.

“Thank you for all this time.”

Lucion also followed Carson out the door, expressing his gratitude to them.

Step!

At the order of the Emperor, Imperial Knights came to the villa.

Lucion felt a little uncomfortable with their appearance, but he held it in.

‘Now, next is Luminos, right?’

Luminos, a group of wizards among the villains.

He set up a trap for them in advance so they could make the worst choice today.

The Imperial Knights and the Knights of Cronia

There had never been more perfect preparation.