Chapter 141
I couldn’t respond for a long time, staring blankly at Gena’s distorted face. The leader of the Cassas group also waited calmly for my reaction.
However, someone reacted before me. It was Older Brother Sooho, who spoke up from his place at my waist.
“Hey. Aren’t you Hector?”
The quality of the silence changed slightly at this sudden question. A look of unease spread across Gena’s distorted face.
The following voice, trembling with unease, responded:
“That voice inside the sword… how do you know my name?”
“Yo. So, you really are Hector Cassas, huh? It’s me! Don’t you know who I am?”
Hector suddenly pretended to recognize him—what Sooho was doing felt like some kind of scam.
First, the fact that this person could hear Sooho’s voice was astonishing, but the subsequent reaction was even more surprising.
“… Could it be the Witch Knight? Is that you, Older Brother Hansooho?”
The other side also recognized Sooho, and his full name was clearly spoken. I nearly popped my eyes out in shock.
Regardless of all that, Sooho raised his voice in a perfectly calm tone.
“You disgusting bastard. How are you still alive? You must be around 500 years old by now, right?”
…
The other side didn’t respond. After a prolonged period of silence and an expression of extreme displeasure, the icy gaze of the lifeless eyes turned toward me.
When I met the inorganic gaze of the corpse that was Gena, a chill involuntarily spread across my chest.
“This is so unpleasant, Park Jeong-yong. If you wish to continue this conversation, come to ‘The Stumbling Giant’ tavern in the commercial district. Of course, leave that annoying sword behind.”
“…What?”
“And if you want to know the full story of this room, it would be wise for you to come.”
“…!!”
With those words, Gena’s eyes closed again, and the ominous aura surrounding her vanished.
Looking at Gena’s head, now eerily calm, I wondered if I had been dreaming.
However, the moment I saw the red letters inscribed on the table—”There is nowhere to run”—I was jolted back into the reality of the situation.
I hesitated for a moment, then extended my trembling hand toward her head. Gently running my fingers through her soft red hair, I carefully lifted it up.
“….”
Creak. Removing each nail-like device embedded deeply into Gena’s cranium, I began collecting the remains.
I felt like I was going to throw up. I had seen countless corpses and even created some myself, but I had never felt this kind of revulsion toward a dead body.
My mind boiled with nausea; I couldn’t endure it.
“…Jung Yong. You already know what it’s like, but as you can see, that guy’s ridiculously dangerous. You’re not really planning to go there and leave me here, are you?”
Just as I had gathered Gena’s remains and gently covered them with a bedsheet, Sooho suddenly spoke.
My emotions—a mix of anger, sorrow, confusion, and emptiness—were swirling in chaos, but without hesitation, I drew my Vestark. With calm deliberation, I leaned it against the side of the bed.
“Until I return, please watch over this place. I beg of you.”
“Hey! What the hell is wrong with you?! Protect what? Some corpse?! You can’t go like this! At least leave me here! Shit, you’ll barely make it ten miles before you collapse!”
Vrum, vrum. The Vestark vibrated against the floor continuously, and red characters crawling along the blade glowed ominously with crimson light.
Ignoring Sooho’s protests and the sword’s protests alike, I offered a bitter smile.
“Turn off your military mode if you can, she’d like it.”
“Park Jeong-yong. I understand you’re grieving… but that person is already dead! Now is exactly the time to be rational! Come back, Jung Yong! Don’t go! I tell you, don’t!”
Ignoring Sooho’s voice echoing behind me, I leapt over the shattered doorframe and exited the inn.
With every heavy step filled with fury, I advanced toward the commercial district.
—
Finding the tavern ‘The Stumbling Giant’ wasn’t difficult; it was one of the largest taverns in the commercial district.
When I opened the swinging door and stepped inside, I was greeted by a Western-style tavern with an oddly Eastern aroma. Every table was crowded with people sipping drinks.
“…That must be what Adrang was talking about.”
The most eye-catching feature of the hall was the massive crystal mirror in the center.
Below the mirror, a large title was displayed:
[Official Unterland Godless Festival Relay Point – Enjoy crystal-clear matches with a cold beer!]
It was a miniature version of the massive crystal mirrors broadcast throughout Leviathan, airing the current Godless Festival matches.
According to what I’d heard from Adrang, the Godless Festival was quite popular in Unterland, so the crystal mirror technology was shared in exchange for broadcasting rights to make a commercial profit.
“Hey, who’s this? Bark!”
Then, unexpectedly, I encountered a familiar face.
The pot-bellied middle-aged man with partially shaved black hair and dark eyes who I met on the first day of the Godless Festival and chatted with during the opening ceremony. It was Frey.
“Haha, what a small world! Over here, over here!”
He was sitting in a secluded corner table, waving vigorously at me. Despite the fatigue in my body, I forced a smile as I saw Frey’s cheerful face.
“… Long time no see. Uncle.”
“Hoho! What’s this ‘long time no see’? I saw you just yesterday!”
“… Ah. That’s right… yesterday.”
“That’s a friend who’s lost all spirit!”
I hesitated for a moment, debating whether to pretend to recognize him or ignore him altogether. But knowing his clingy nature, I gave a half-hearted reply.
But as I scanned the area for suspicious figures, Frey suddenly handed me a grilled sausage.
“I’ve been watching your performance closely from here. Why did you suddenly concede today? What happened?”
“… Well, there was something I needed to do.”
“Haha. I understand. I myself met a terrible end during the first round on the first day! So here I am, holed up here all day, unbeknownst to my wife.”
“Ah, yes…”
This uncle was really persistent. My already complicated mood made me bristle with irritation.
Deciding to firmly decline, I swallowed the sausage Frey handed me and met his gaze directly.
And I realized.
“… Uncle.”
“Hm? What is it, Bark.”
“How do you know I’m the Bloody Moonshadow?”
I was neither wearing a mask as I had during the Godless Festival, nor was I wielding my signature blade.
How could Frey recognize me like that? This sudden realization sent shivers all over my body. And then:
“… Oops, I let that slip. Thought I could tease you more, but…”
Frey’s face broke into a twisted grin, no longer bothering to hide his true identity.
That familiar mocking smile. That familiar distorted voice. In that moment, I felt as if the ground beneath me had fallen away, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
Could it be? In the interim, did he get killed and manipulated by them just because he’d met me? Could this situation somehow be my fault?
Biting my lip, I immediately activated the Eye of Mimir.
[Name: Hector Cassas]
[Nickname: The Second Hero. Prey something. Some cursed son of *%^#. Cassas’ %^# Lord]
[Level: %^$#]
[Notice: Information missing]
[Details: The entity’s information has been intentionally erased. Data cannot be retrieved.]
‘What is this?’
Missing information?
Not only was it not unreadable or marked with question marks, but why is it even missing data? Damn, it feels like a bugged game. Is this a game, Brother Sooho?
I inwardly swore to file a massive complaint once the situation was resolved.
‘What’s certain is…’
The real name of Frey was Hector Cassas.
Hector Cassas. The name Sooho had subtly mentioned earlier. The leader of the Cassas apostles.
My assumption was wrong. Frey wasn’t being manipulated. The truth was far more grotesque than I could have imagined.
‘This guy… was actually… from the beginning…!’
The “Cassas Apostles” was an organization named after his surname. Now I understood that much.
Clutching the state window that popped up while clenching my teeth, my face hardened.
“So, did you have fun playing with people? You piece of trash.”
As my face hardened by the minute, Frey, sensing the changing atmosphere, gestured casually from behind the table.
“Sit down first, there must be many things you want to know too.”
“Fuck you, you piece of trash. Spread your legs, you bastard, let me use your gut as a jump rope…!”
“Do you not want to know why Miss Gena ended up like that?”
“…!!”
I, who had been violently cursing while gripping the Espada tightly, immediately froze at his words.
Squeak. Pulling out the chair, I sat down across from the table. The noisy chatter of the tavern began to feel distant.
Frey—no, Hector Cassas—soon nodded his head.
“Even after we’ve been apart, your gaze has become so envious. So sharp, like a killer’s.”
“If you say one more word of nonsense, I’ll rip you apart.”
“Ho ho ho, that’s frightening!”
After calmly sipping his beer, Hector Cassas smirked. He wiped the beer foam off his beard and began to speak slowly.
“Could I ever have been spouting nonsense? All of this is merely the tragedy brought about by your complacency.”
“What do you mean?”
“You already knew that the Resurrection Sect fell under the Cassas banner, didn’t you? And Zenon, who cooperated with them. Would I rely solely on blackmailing my sister to defend against Zenon’s betrayal?”
“…!”
“See, I don’t live as carelessly as you do, Park Jeong-yong.”
The words he spoke began to sear themselves into my mind, filling its previous vacancy.
I could not respond, only continued listening to his words.
“I placed that curse from the very beginning. Once I activate it, Zenon loses consciousness instantly, just like the Resurrection Sect followers.”
“…”
“I only gave the ordinary followers of the Resurrection Sect a little more freedom. Spatial control magic users are incredibly rare, you know. Without consciousness, it’s impossible for them to teleport, so I had no choice but to give them some leeway.”
Then Hector Cassas’ grin deepened.
“But if they conspire against me, it’s a different story. No matter how valuable someone may be, it’s right to dismiss them. That’s why I tweaked Zenon’s usage a bit. Giving him my special gift, together with the special mission of participating in the Godless Festival.”
“…”
“And to replace Zenon’s indecisiveness, I had him sever all ties with his own hands. Heh heh heh…”
As the sensation of slowly sinking into a swamp started from my toes, Hector’s last words rankled me especially.
I mulled over their meaning for a while before suddenly realizing it. The eyes with which I glared at Hector began to swell.
“C’mon. The one who did that to Gena….”
“Was Zenon himself. Don’t know if you liked the room decor, though. I had it arranged specially for your pleasure.”
“….”
“Although Zenon put up more resistance than expected, he regained consciousness fleetingly but ultimately couldn’t hold on. Aah. I really wanted to show her pitiful condition on the Godless Festival platform, but you surprised me by giving up unexpectedly. So disappointing.”
Don’t worry, kid. I’ve already seen the darkened Zenon twice. Twice, because of your damn gift, on my way back here.
“You… are truly… a piece of shit…”
The blood rushing into my head felt like it was draining to my extremities.
My vision turned blood-red. My heart pounded wildly. My teeth chattered, unsure whether it was from anger or fear.
Hector calmly met my bloodshot gaze and raised his voice slightly.
“Though I’m not usually this talkative, I couldn’t resist inviting you for this conversation out of sheer curiosity. Hero Park Jeong-yong, why exactly were you looking for Zenon today?”
Even though Hector questioned me with a mocking tone, I felt drained, my limbs unable to move.
I managed to lift my gaze and meet Hector’s eyes.
“What… do you want to say?”
“Isn’t it strange? There was no reason for you to look for Zenon after you had already finished your business. Yet, it’s as if you somehow foresaw his misfortune and started searching for him. Thanks to you, my surprise gift was discovered much earlier than expected.”
Now that I looked closely, even Hector’s usual calm had vanished.
With a heavy face, his eyes carrying a hint of fear and reverence, he carefully asked me:
“Have you… seen the future and come here? Like the witches of the past in Schultez?”
