Chapter 23

“I decided to be your servant to repay you for saving me. The pattern you just saw is the proof,” Hume said. He smiled brightly, as if he had not caused an accident.

[…….]

“…….”

Russell was also briefly speechless at Hume’s remarks.

“Oh, am I not supposed to do this?” Hume asked, blinking at the unresponsiveness of the two.

Lucion sighed and swept up his bangs.

He was going to bring Hume as his butler and escort, anyway. ‘I don’t know what made him obey so easily, but I was glad to be spared from unnecessary trouble,’ he thought.

Lucion spoke with a stiff face, contrary to his inner thoughts. “Of course not, it is forbidden to reveal yourself to people like you did a while ago.”

“Okay, I’ll keep it in my mind,” Hume said, nodding his head.

“I’ll ask you before that.”

At Lucion’s words, Hume nodded again.

Lucion said with a frown, “Answer me.”

“All right.”

“How did the black star engraved on you?”

When Lucion asked, Hume’s eyes turned to Ratta.

“You brought darkness into me. I accepted the darkness. Besides, I am not human.” Hume’s eyes sparkled to the point of an innocent child’s eyes.

“So, why?” Lucion asked.

“I couldn’t do anything because of my unstable body, and I could only watch my body run wild like a beast. I don’t even know how long it’s been.”

There was deep fear hovering Hume’s innocent eyes a while ago.

“Perhaps a little more time has passed and I may have let go of my sanity.”

Frankly, it didn’t matter why Hume obeyed him to such an extent, but Lucion still asked, conscious of Russell, who still had a puzzled expression on his face. “Proof that you’re a monster?”

“… Well.”

Hume soon reacted as if he had thought of something.

“This is a token of the contract and the fact that I don’t have mana.”

[And?]

Russell was half suspicious and half interested.

It was rare, and there were only a few people who were born without a mana.

“One of my abilities as a monster is that I can change and transform myself, like this…”

When Hume waved his hands on his face, it turned into a girl’s face.

“This is not magic. It’s my ability.”

Lucion and Russell freaked out when his voice even turned into girl’s.

Ratta laughed at what he thought was amusing.

‘I’ve never read such an ability in a novel.’

Lucion, who gradually calmed down, saw one possibility in Hume’s transformation ability.

“Unfortunately, for now, the only thing that can be changed is that of a man and a woman.”

Hume swept his face back into the boy’s shape with his hands.

“And I’m strong.”

Hume clenched his fists and acted as if he was about to smash the wall at any moment.

“Try it.”

Lucion knew about the ability, but he made it happen.

The first impression was the most important thing to become an escort.

“Sure.”

Hume looked around and hit the ground with his feet.

Boom!

With that, a harsh sound of hitting entered his ears. The floor didn’t break, but there was an obvious dent.

Lucion used darkness as a shield to block debris and lowered his gaze.

At first glance, it was a little below the knee.

[……!]

―Hey!

Russell and Ratta were surprised, while a smile was already on Lucion’s lips. ‘He’s more useful than I thought.’

Lucion just needed someone who would not tell tales about his other identity.

A reliable being that would not rant off his mouth and would not betray him forever. Lucion thought Hume was the only one who could satisfy the condition.

‘And with an ability to morph?’

A good card came into his hand that would perfectly hide his identity as a warlock.

Now that he had Hume on his side. ‘All that’s left is my father’s permission.’

Lucion decided to put aside the easiest step and start working on it.

“What’s your name?” Lucion asked.

“I threw away my past name. So I hope young master Lucion will give me a name.”

“Hume. That’s your name from now on.”

Lucion gave Hume the same name as Lucion did in the novel.

“Thank you.”

―I’m Ratta. Ratta. Lucion gave me this name, too.

Ratta opened her mouth with ahem.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Hume,” Hume replied with a big smile.

* * *

[Wow! My heart is still pounding.]

As soon as Russell got out of Hume’s room, he was so happy that he couldn’t help it.

“Do you think what Hume said is real?”

[It’s true. I looked at Hume’s body, but he really didn’t have mana. So, the tremendous power in him must be a different kind of power than mana since he really can’t use magic.]

“What kind of monster is it?” Lucion asked.

He could not help but wonder as the monsters in this world differed from what he knew—different from those hideous and vicious monsters.

[Well, probably very few people know about it. Their existence already perished hundreds of years ago.]

Russell replied, as if he was just reluctant to say more.

[It’s not that I don’t know, it’s that people who know monsters are weird.]

“I didn’t say anything.” Lucion grinned and headed to Novio’s room.

* * *

Knock. Knock.

Lucion knocked on Novio’s door.

It was Anthony who opened the door and was startled to see him. “Y-Young master!” he said, stuttering.

“You don’t have to shout like that,” Lucion calmly spoke out.

“Are you alright? Walking around like this… No, I will call the doctor now.”

It had been a long time since Anthony looked so flustered. It was amusing, but the business needed to be settled first.

“I’m here to see my father. Is he inside?”

“The Lord is inside.”

Anthony tried to calm down.

Lucion, who was like a grandson to him, collapsed. So, Anthony panicked, but it was natural that he was not at that moment as he couldn’t get his hands on everything all the time.

“Then deliver the message for me.”

“Young master, you just collapsed…”

“Anthony, I don’t want to say it twice today.”

“All right. I will let the Lord know.”

After a while, Lucion followed Anthony into the room. Just in time, another door in the room was open.

Novio looked at Lucion and said, “Come in.”

“Yes, Father.”

Two people sat on the sofa and Novio looked at Lucion with a complex face. “How are you feeling?”

“Yes, I woke up and I’m fine. Didn’t I walk into my father’s room like this?”

Still, Novio’s serious expression was not erased.

“What kind of punishment do you want?” Novio’s voice was heavy.

“Punishment?”

“As if it is not enough that the priests have broken the rules I have set, they also have harmed you.” Novio’s eyebrows narrowed to the middle of his forehead as he said that.

“According to Carson and the priests present at the place, Carson said that you were there. And for a temple that knows your constitution to do that is like an attack on Cronia.”

As Novio said, this was an attack of the temple to the Cronia. A person with divine allergy could really die from the power of light.

“What does my father want?” Lucion asked back.

Funny enough, Novio was the one who benefited the most from this. It was because in the event, it was the temple who was in the wrong and with power not to be scoffed off—Cronia Family was on the advantageous side of this tug of war against the temple. However, the enormous power of the Holy Kingdom of Nevast could not be ignored.

Nevertheless, this was a great opportunity to defeat the power of the temple.

Novio noticed Lucion’s intentions and then smiled slightly and asked, “Tell me, what it is that you want from me.”

“Two things.”

At Lucion’s words Novio nodded.

“I don’t want you to stop me from going to this banquet.”

Hearing the first request, Novio already showed his displeasure by breathing out his nose.

“The other one, I’d like you to appoint the boy I brought that day as my butler and escort.”

“You mean that boy?”

“Yes.”

Novio asked in a slightly acrimonious voice, as if he was not pleased. “Didn’t the boy create the stir in the first place?”

“I know my father is concerned about the fact that the boy’s identity is uncertain. But why does it matter?”

Lucion’s lips went up. “In the first place, people of known identity also betrayed me. I’ve learned that betrayal doesn’t need certainty of identity.”

Novio paused for a moment at the words. Novio was also heartbroken by the fact that the wound in Lucion’s heart had not healed yet.

“I don’t need people. I just need an obedient dog. But since dogs can’t communicate, you need a good listener one.”

It sounds perverse in a way, but it was clear that was the one Lucion needed.

“When you know nothing, I will tame it. So please rest assured.”

After speaking, Lucion made eye contact with Novio. So that his true heart would reach Novio.

There was already information on what happened to Hume’s room and why it happened to Novio.

Novio breathed in and out.

“… Through the priest who came to apologize, he confirmed that the boy was not a dark user.”

[How is your body?]

Russell admired Hume’s new fact.

“So the two things you asked for are not difficult.”

Novio looked at Lucion with a look that seemed to demand one more. ‘Don’t be greedy.’

Lucion put up with his itchy mouth.

No matter how much Novio was his father, he was still the head of Cronia.

This opportunity did not come very often. He got everything he ever wanted, so it was okay to save it.

“I’ll ask you next time.”

“That’s a wise choice.”

Novio also smiled satisfactorily.

“Sure, Father. I’ll talk to Anthony separately.”

“Do it.”

Novio followed Lucion up from his seat and lifted his hip.

“At this banquet…”

When Novio suddenly stopped talking, Lucion asked, “What?”

But Novio, seemingly wanting to hide what he was about to say a while ago, diverted the topic and brought up another question. “Was the training worth it?”

“Yes, it’s doable.”

“Yeah, don’t push yourself too hard. Get some rest now.”

“I’ll be on my way.”

Lucion bid his goodbye to Novio and left the room.

“Young master,” Anthony carefully called Lucion first.

“Yeah.”

“I’ll take you to your room.”

“That’s right.”

Lucion agreed because he had something to say to Anthony.

Clack. Clack.

Only the footsteps of two people were heard in the hallway.

“Anthony.”

Breaking the silence, Lucion called Anthony.

“Yes, young master,” Anthony replied with a smile.

“There’s someone you need to teach in the future.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’ve always wanted a servant by my side. I saved someone, so teach him.”

“So…” Anthony stuttered.

Soon his eyes got wet.

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s not because of you, it’s because I need you now.”

“Thank you, young master, for whatever it may be.”

Anthony bowed his head.

“I’ll try my best to teach him, even if I give everything I have.”

“Yeah, make him a man.”

Lucion stopped walking in front of his room.

“Go back.”

A smile appeared at Lucion’s mouth while watching Anthony.

“Yes, young master,” Anthony replied in a dreary voice.

Tak.

When the door closed, Lucion sat on the bed and breathed heavily.

Ratta, who was fighting the quilt, was soon disappointed as she stared at Lucion’s hand.

—Ratta was waiting calmly.

“Yes, be good.”

Lucion stroked Ratta with an indifferent tone.

He used it when it was right for her, as the effect of meat diminished if he continued to feed Ratta.

—Hehe. I like this too.

Ratta’s tail wagged.

[Lucion.]

Russell called out to Lucion in a very excited voice.

Lucion thought it was strange for his teacher to laugh out loud a while ago.

“What’s wrong with you? Did you come up with a new training method?”

[Do I look like a bitch enough to roll a sick man?]

“I never said that.”

[Until you return… No. As a teacher, I’ll put up with it.]

Russell, who calmed down his anger, smiled and crossed his arms again.

[Didn’t you notice anything different?]

“Even the ghost cuts his hair… Can you cut it?”

[Not me, but you.]

“Your clothes have changed.”

[It’s my fault for asking.]

Russell sighed and pointed at the window.

[Stretch out your arms.]

‘The blue thread I saw last time?’

Lucion recalled the blue thread he had seen before he fainted. He felt like he heard something cut off at the end.

Lucion immediately rolled up his arms and got out of the sun.

Slowly Lucion’s eyes grew bigger.

“Lose… I didn’t lose any darkness.”

[Yes.]

Lucion’s eyes turned on Russell.

[Congratulations on becoming the only warlock who has attained resistance to light.]