Chapter 153

I felt apologetic toward Asulin, who had just advised me to rest. I also felt guilty toward Elshimer, who was glaring outside the entrance, supposedly keeping watch on me, and toward Katarina, who might be watching below the windowsill in case I decided to jump.

But there were things I needed to confirm, and I couldn’t simply let them pass without checking. It wasn’t the first time I’d encountered trouble for doing so.

That’s why I had to go. Even if it meant seeing nothing but an empty space with my own eyes and enduring Asulin’s scolding, I had to personally inspect the state of the scene where I had eradicated the fallen deity. There might even be clues left behind by Dominus and the Elder on the Mountain—traces only I could identify. How could I possibly miss this opportunity?

Once I had resolved my mind, I suppressed my presence until even I could barely sense it. When my presence finally faded completely…

“Kiik-!!”

The sound of the door opening urgently reached my ears. Elshimer, having guessed that my disappearance coincided with the fading of my presence, had reacted swiftly. Despite being younger, he had developed knightly discipline at an astonishing speed; the moment he noticed my presence weakening inside the room, he sprang into action.

It was an excellent response. An ordinary patient with moderate ability to conceal their presence would have been caught by the collar before they could escape.

“Master! I swear, if the young duke finds out… Wait, he’s already gone?!”

Even though I hadn’t left the room yet, it was evident from Elshimer’s frantic search right in front of me that his efforts were futile. I had deliberately hidden my presence so thoroughly that not even he could detect it.

…Since the Succession War, I hadn’t concealed my presence like this. Though I was somewhat uneasy about whether I was doing it correctly, the sight of Elshimer frantically calling out while throwing open the window reassured me that it had worked.

“Katarina! Katarina! Did our master jump out the window?”

“He wouldn’t have made it past me if he tried! Could he have disappeared from the room?!”

Seeing Elshimer panic, fearing the worst as he called for Katarina, I sighed in relief, confirming that my concealment had succeeded. Taking advantage of the door he had rushed through and forgotten to close, I slipped out of the hospital room.

It’s not your fault; I’ll take responsibility.

I consoled myself with these words, addressing the guilt I felt toward Elshimer.

When this is all over, and Asulin questions me, I’ll step forward and resolve everything, so don’t hold it against me too much.

—

After evading Elshimer’s demon hand (?), I easily left Frostmoor Fortress and headed toward the site where I had caused the commotion—the barbarian tribe’s campsite. No one recognized me, despite many knowing me from my significant contributions during the fortress defense. With my presence intentionally stifled, no one noticed me passing by.

Of course, even Elshimer, who possesses a far more refined spiritual sense than anyone else here, failed to notice me right under his nose. How could ordinary soldiers or knights possibly detect me?

While walking toward the scene, I felt lighter knowing there would be no interference. However, using this skill—a trick often associated with assassins—felt strange, even though it was necessary for the task. A bitter smile crept onto my face, thinking about how I’ve always avoided using this ability.

I never wanted to use this power.

Why would I? Reflecting on how Dominus had brought me back to Blood Haven intending to use me as a tool, showing particular interest not only in my swordsmanship but also in my rare talent to erase my presence—it made me want to avoid it entirely.

But now, with everyone following Asulin’s strict orders to ensure my rest, openly wandering around the fortress would have been reckless. Since I wasn’t using this ability for assassination purposes, the discomfort wasn’t as strong as I feared.

Just then, I noticed troops heading out through the open fortress gates to clean up the aftermath of the incident. If I joined them…

It seemed like leaving the fortress would naturally work out without any issues.

I felt satisfied with the situation where luck was on my side, but I still couldn’t let my guard down. So, I continued to move cautiously until I finally managed to safely escape outside the fortress.

It occurred to me that even if I were captured as a prisoner, escaping wouldn’t be difficult thanks to this ability.

…Though, it would definitely be best if such a situation didn’t arise in the first place.

As I kept repeating these thoughts, my steps naturally came to a halt at the destination I had originally intended to reach.

The campsite where the Barbarian Tribe hastily retreated after the fallen deity possessed Dominus and attempted all sorts of wickedness.

The campsite was surprisingly well-preserved, left untouched by the retreating Barbarians. It was clean enough that there was no trace of the divine presence—a power far beyond human comprehension—that had been channeled into Dominus’ body.

Because of this, finding clues within the scene wasn’t particularly challenging.

“…There it is.”

A massive tent so abnormally large it caught the eye immediately.

That’s where Dominus used the mysterious force residing within Asulin to summon the fallen deity. I vividly remembered the struggle just a few days ago when I barely managed to drive him off after he had successfully possessed Dominus.

Fortunately, everything ended well, so recalling the event didn’t make me feel distressed. However, the fact that I passed out from exhaustion brought back the unresolved issue I needed to deal with, which left a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Even in the midst of my fading strength, I should have focused on securing Dominus and the Elder on the Mountain.

Maybe it was regret for not being able to do so.

What can I do now? I should carefully examine this area for any leads to track the fugitives.

With that thought in mind, I moved toward the location of the tent.

Of course, I didn’t forget to conceal my presence in case of an emergency.

Once again, I emphasize: I approached the massive tent while carefully concealing my presence.

But…

“…Andy?”

Why could Asulin recognize me so clearly?

“How could you come here when your body isn’t even recovered! I told you to rest!!”

Why does she sense me this distinctly?

—

There was no point in giving long excuses in this situation.

When I was nearing my destination, my spiritual sense picked up Asulin’s presence—so distinct that I could identify her instantly, no matter where or when.

Asulin, who had been a victim used as a tool by Dominus to bring the fallen deity into this world, likely came here to investigate before clearing the site. Perhaps she came to check if there were any clues to track either Dominus or the Elder on the Mountain, something I might have missed.

After all, despite only being held captive for a few days, she might have more precise information to track them compared to me.

Thinking about it, that seemed plausible. But regardless of that reasoning, meeting Asulin so soon after I explicitly instructed her to stay in bed and rest at the hospital room was quite awkward.

My assumption that she’d be busy with administrative tasks, like restoring the fortress, turned out to be completely wrong.

What should I do? Should I retreat quietly? If Asulin finds me here, I doubt she’ll say anything pleasant.

The moment I sensed her presence, I hesitated, considering whether I should return to the fortress. My mind was filled with discomfort.

However, knowing that Asulin would leave once she finished examining the site, and that the camp would soon be dismantled, I realized time was short. Also, based on how I had successfully concealed my presence earlier, I was confident that even Asulin wouldn’t detect me if I kept my distance.

So, I further dimmed my already faint presence and cautiously continued moving forward.

I was confident that neither Asulin nor His Grace Duke Carthas would notice me standing right before their eyes.

The moment I entered her line of sight, Asulin spun around so quickly that for a second, I wondered if I had forgotten to erase my presence trace. She immediately detected me with startling clarity.

“Really…you’re hopeless. When your wife is this worried and tells you to stay in bed, all you have to do is lie there quietly…”

Before I could even process her words, she appeared right in front of me as if the distance between us meant nothing. The result? I found myself face-to-face with her cheeks, puffed up like they hadn’t been in a long time.

Though I hadn’t entirely ruled out the possibility of getting caught…

I certainly didn’t expect to be discovered by Asulin so easily and anticlimactically.

“…Sorry.”

From my lips came no clever excuse, only an abject apology. Normally, when I apologized like this, Asulin’s puffed-up cheeks would deflate, and her mood would improve. But this time, despite her obvious irritation—evidenced by her turning her head sharply away from me—her tone remained unmistakably sullen.

“Your empty apologies mean nothing to me!”

Her voice carried the kind of petulance anyone could recognize, yet her one-sidedly puffed cheek somehow made her cuter than ever. Still, I knew better than to voice such thoughts aloud, lest I bear the consequences.

So, I silently bowed my head, waiting like a condemned man for her judgment. It seemed inevitable that I’d be dragged back to the fortress by Asulin. Perhaps I’d even earn a good whack on the head.

Asulin may be kind, but when she’s angry, she shows it. I expected at least some sign of her irritation…

But life doesn’t always follow expectations.

Instead of striking me, her hand softly pressed against my head—not in anger, but in a gentle embrace. Her warmth enveloped me as she carefully wrapped her arms around me.

Startled, I tried to turn my head, but she held me too tightly, making it impossible to move. Confusion washed over me.

“You went through so much trouble to save me, and now you’re here trying to get yourself into more danger… Why?”

Rather than anger, her voice trembled with emotion, filled with worry. Hearing her choked-up tone close to my ear only deepened my confusion. What should I say or do to ease her feelings when I thought she’d be mad?

Trapped in thought, another memory surfaced—one from the Succession War. Back then, we had devised a plan to ambush Asulin, the commander of the White Wings, overwhelming them not in skill but sheer numbers. Dressed in heavy full-body armor to conceal my identity, I meticulously erased my presence as I approached her location.

Yet every time I got close, she detected me. That memory returned vividly now.

And with it came a realization: perhaps Asulin’s spiritual sense wasn’t just sharp enough to detect faint traces—it might have reached the point where she could recognize even the faintest signs of my presence. Maybe, just maybe, she had known who I was since the Succession War…

Nah, impossible. Right?