Chapter 264

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Chapter 58. Complete Sweep (4)

After entering Count Dermore’s mansion, Ulan and his group followed Yurfe who offered to guide them to the backyard garden.

After a while, while waiting for the refreshments to be prepared, Fertisha eagerly instructed the spirits wandering around to disperse.

“Don’t worry!”

“Leave the investigation to us.”

“Well then, we’ll be off!”

The spirits headed off in various directions throughout the mansion, including the Abyssal Spirit that had always lurked in the shadows, on a mission to find evidence linking the Count to the Abyss.

Meanwhile, Ulan had also joined the search effort. He activated the spirit within him, sharpening all his senses to the extreme.

‘Search technique.’

A technique to expand his senses and track down any presence. This was an action to find any possible trace of the Abyss. Soon, Delia activated her Star’s Eye, waiting for something to reveal itself.

After a moment, Delia turned back to Ulan, shaking her head silently, signaling that she hadn’t found anything special.

‘Same here.’

Ulan silently mouthed this to avoid being overheard by Yurfe, who was preparing tea across the room.

Even though they hadn’t found any traces immediately, the two refused to give up and continued their search.

Just as they were concentrating, a startled voice suddenly pierced the air.

“Wow! Really?”

Yurfe, holding a teacup, had an equally shocked look on her face as she asked, “You mean everyone including Lady Elea’ad is attending Arsen Academy?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Ivella’s role was to ensure that Yurfe didn’t notice the behavior of the other group members, seamlessly continuing the conversation with a smile to keep things flowing.

Yurfe exclaimed, “Wow, that’s amazing! My father also graduated from Arsen Academy!”

She revealed this unsolicited fact with a face brimming with curiosity, bombarding Ivella with a barrage of questions about Arsen Academy.

A sheer avalanche of inquiries.

Ivella felt overwhelmed but stayed composed, answering each of Yurfe’s eager questions.

Time passed significantly before Yurfe finally revealed why she was interested in Arsen Academy.

“Actually, I’m planning to take the entrance exam for Arsen next year. Though I haven’t told my father yet.”

She chuckled awkwardly, continuing to smile as she asked more questions. In contrast, Noah’s expression while watching her was quite grim.

‘…Yurfe Dermore.’

The only daughter of Count Dermore.

The reason why the Count had lost his senses and why he collaborated with the Desert Order.

Noah’s frown stemmed from the fact that, at the time of the original storyline, she was already dead.

‘She was never revived in the first place.’

Not once throughout all iterations.

Of course, it wasn’t so odd just to walk a different path from the original, because Delia’s half-sister, Rudine Arpen, had overcome magic overload and succeeded in making a comeback in contrast to the original.

‘But…’

This case was different.

Rudine miraculously recovered while still alive, but Yurfe was a human who had died long ago, resurrected somehow.

‘There’s no such thing as a complete revival for someone who has already met death.’

This was something even Laurea couldn’t achieve.

Though the Count had held Yurfe’s soul for a long time, reviving a dead person as a human—not even as an undead? That’s sheer nonsense.

It had to be that way.

‘But how on earth was she revived?’

Noah had a confused expression, unable to piece together any reasoning.

Awhile later, after a significant amount of time had passed since they started enjoying tea in the backyard…

“…Ulan.”

Fertisha, who had remained silent until then, suddenly poked Ulan’s back, lowering her voice as she whispered.

“The spirits have returned.”

This meant the investigation of the mansion had concluded.

Thus, it also meant they wouldn’t find anything more by staying here. They hadn’t found any traces using either the search technique or the Star’s Eye.

Ulan nodded shortly in acknowledgment.

He then spoke in a voice loud enough for everyone, including Yurfe, to hear.

“It’s about time to head back.”

“Huh? Already?”

Yurfe’s eyes widened in surprise.

With a look of slight disappointment, Delia pointed to the pocket watch on the table.

“There’s a lecture in the afternoon.”

“Ah! How did time pass so quickly…?”

They had already spent two hours in the mansion. Yurfe, realizing her blunder, lowered her head with a somber expression.

“I’m sorry. I talked too much for someone who had guests here. I should have listened to Lady Elea’ad’s stories too.”

“Oh, no! It’s fine!”

Ivella hurriedly shook her head.

Yurfe took this as humility and, grasping Ivella’s hand tightly, said, “When my father comes back, I’ll send my regards. And if it’s not too much trouble, could you visit sometimes to keep me company?”

“Huh? Ah, yes. If I get the chance.”

“Hehe, thank you!”

Yurfe smiled brightly.

Meanwhile, Ivella looked a bit strained.

Which was understandable.

She had endured over two hours of nonstop chatter from Yurfe. Finally getting up, the group left with Yurfe seeing them off from the mansion.

9.

Right after leaving Count Dermore’s mansion, the spirits surrounding Fertisha began chattering excitedly.

“Ugh! I think I’m going to be sick.”

“That place reeked of disgusting smells.”

“Yeah, especially the basement!”

The common theme in the spirits’ chatter was that there was a horrific stench emanating from the basement of the mansion. Aside from that, no special traces had been found.

Just then…

“The source of the stench is the Power of the Abyss.”

The young version of Fertisha appeared from the shadows. The Abyssal Spirit turned to the group, continuing, “In the mansion’s basement, a dangerously high concentration of the Power of the Abyss is boiling ominously. Even I hesitate to go there.”

If they had to add their thoughts, it felt like being swallowed by the Abyss. This testimony allowed Ulan and his group to consolidate their information.

“Hmm, so that means…”

“It means there’s likely evidence stored in the mansion’s basement.”

Ulan’s eyes sparkled.

The only regret was not having been able to check out the basement, but there was little they could do about it since the spirits had fled in horror the moment they mentioned it.

“I still have more to say.”

At that moment, the Abyssal Spirit, which had remained, looked up at Ulan and Fertisha.

“The girl you met earlier…”

“Yurfe Dermore?”

“Yeah. She’s not human.”

“…What?”

Not human? Does that mean she’s some kind of Abyssal Monster?

Ulan asked in confusion. The spirit’s reply came quick.

“Because she’s a horrific blend of a lost soul and a lost body entangled by the Power of the Abyss.”

“So then she wasn’t revived…?”

“Correct, she’s just a puppet moving around with her soul and body entangled by the Power of the Abyss. So once the magic provider disappears, she’ll naturally dissipate.”

At that moment, Noah felt a long-standing question lighting up with clarity.

Normally, a soul and body are a pair.

If one were to attempt to combine a soul and body that were not originally one, a reaction occurs, leading to both being destroyed.

‘But if the repulsive force is suppressed by powerful magic to forcibly bind the soul and body together…’

It could indeed create the illusion of being revived, just as they saw now.

Meanwhile, Delia and Ivella, listening to the spirit’s explanation, widened their eyes as if realizing something.

“Wait, so that means…”

“Yurfe herself is solid evidence that Count Dermore colluded with the Abyss, isn’t she?”

Indeed, this was clear evidence. Yurfe’s soul and body, intertwined by the Power of the Abyss, served as proof that the Count utilized the Abyss’s power.

“So if we capture her and expose this fact, we can get rid of Count Dermore.”

“No, that’ll be tough.”

“What? Why?”

“Because it’ll be difficult to prove.”

Noah rebutted Ulan’s claim.

It was good to learn the truth, but proving it to everyone would be extremely challenging.

To prove that Yurfe was comprised of the Power of the Abyss, they must ultimately capture the magic’s supplier to cut off its source.

“And this magic provider is likely…”

“…the Lord of the Abyss.”

Delia muttered quietly.

Noah nodded silently.

Her guess was accurate. She then turned back to Ulan.

“After all, our objective isn’t to eliminate Count Dermore but to exterminate the Lord of the Abyss behind him, right?”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

If their goal was to drag out Count Dermore, a figure like the Lord wouldn’t reveal himself to save Yurfe.

“So for now, we should be content with this and seek further clues through future contact.”

“Understood. I will follow your lead.”

Ulan nodded quietly.

The other members also fell silent in support of Ulan. Meanwhile, Noah gazed intently at the distant Count Dermore’s mansion.

‘Right, there’s no need to rush.’

The original aim had already been achieved.

They found solid proof that Count Dermore had teamed up with the Abyss. The issue was proving it, leading Noah to set an even larger goal.

‘Not just Count Dermore, but to obliterate the Lord of the Abyss behind him as well.’

To sweep away all enemies completely.

This became Noah’s new goal.

‘And…’

While Count Dermore was significant, there was something even more urgent at the moment.

So she turned her gaze towards a girl attempting to latch onto Ulan’s arm.

“Huh? What are you looking at?”

The white-haired girl tilted her head.

The plan was to resolve Fertisha’s situation and find a way to help her.

10.

Meanwhile, at the same time…

In the Rubens Empire’s royal family.

Among them, within the gardens of the most inner sanctum of the castle, dozens of Royal Guards formed a wide circle around the area.

In this heavily guarded garden, two men were engaged in conversation.

A young man with platinum blonde hair and reddish-brown eyes. Opposite him, a middle-aged man with golden hair was animatedly talking away.

This was none other than the Empire’s next Emperor, Chartang, and his loyal aide Count D’muehl Ron Dermore.

After a lengthy conversation, when D’muehl finally closed his mouth, Chartang let out a low grunt.

“Hmmm, so the identity of that gray mist which often appeared in my dreams is a spirit, huh?”

“Yes, based on what Your Majesty has mentioned, it must be one of the ancient spirits.”

“Hmm, now the mystery is cleared up.”

Chartang nodded.

He soon wore a faint smile.

“I’m glad to have called for you, Count. I wasted so much time worrying about something that could have been resolved this simply. It’s almost regrettable how long it took.”

“I’m glad to be of help.”

D’muehl smiled softly.

He recalled the conversation he just had with Chartang about the gray mist that had repeatedly appeared in his dreams.

‘It goes without saying…’

That gray mist was not a spirit at all.

The term “spirit” was just a convenient fabrication. The true identity of the gray mist was his master, the Lord of the Abyss, Rakus.

Currently, Rakus had an objective.

To make the next Emperor, Chartang, his pawn. Furthermore, to take control of the entire Empire—this was Rakus’s true aim.

‘So he played it off as a spirit.’

To keep Chartang from suspecting Rakus’s existence, D’muehl had mentioned a spirit, a familiar entity to him.

As a result…

Chartang’s vigilance had indeed waned compared to when he first brought it up.

No, at this point, it seemed like he was almost hooked.

The greedy glint in his eyes was evidence of that.

While recalling past events, Chartang called for his knight waiting ten paces away.

“Orden.”

“You called, Your Majesty?”

The Sword of the Imperial Family, Saxen Yul Orden.

Known as the strongest knight in the Empire, he bowed humbly. Meanwhile, Chartang continued without giving any attention.

“When did Fertisha say she’d be back?”

“According to Sir Lapis, she has finished preparations to depart and will return this weekend.”

“Tch, still two days left.”

Chartang clicked his tongue, his frustration evident in his expression.

“Tell her to hurry up. The outside world is too dangerous for that girl.”

“Yes, I will convey that, Your Majesty.”

The conversation with Saxen concluded like that.

Afterward, Chartang turned his attention back to D’muehl, extending his hand as if asking for a handshake.

“Anyway, you must be busy, but thank you for coming. Thanks to you, all my doubts have been cleared up.”

“Don’t mention it. If Your Majesty calls, I would rush to you anytime, anywhere.”

“Haha, just hearing that is reassuring.”

Chartang chuckled heartily.

A little while later, D’muehl bowed his head again to show his gratitude. Subsequently, the corner of D’muehl’s mouth, hidden in shadows, twisted into a grotesque grin.

At long last, having achieved his long-standing goal, he smiled contentedly.

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