Chapter 176: Change
[Is that all you know so far? Is it because of Lord Lucion?]
Bethel quickly urged Troy.
-Yes, that’s correct. The situation has changed, so I called you and can share this with you.
“But you still can’t tell me who ‘He’ is.”
In response to Lucion’s question, Troy lightly exhaled and flicked the ground with his front paw.
-That’s because ‘he’ doesn’t want me to reveal it. No matter how many times you ask, that’s how it is, at least for now.
With a sigh, Lucion waited patiently, like waiting for the skip button on a video ad.
-Perhaps darkness showed you a way.
“Yes.”
Obtain the black orb.
That was the method that darkness showed him.
-I didn’t hear about that method, but darkness will never put you in danger. I can guarantee that with my existence.
“Yes, because they will need me. I am the last vessel to hold the flame of darkness. Would you rather waste it than need it?”
Troy looked at Lucion with sadness in response to his sarcastic remark.
-It has been well over a hundred years since I have been able to speak to one blessed with the Light, but it feels so frustrating not being able to speak.
Troy expressed his frustration.
-Lucion, I know what you’re thinking, but darkness will never use you. It will only try to set everything right. Please, do not misunderstand.
“Alright. Whether that statement is true or false, we will find out later.”
Since he had more questions for Troy, Lucion took a step back for now.
“You mentioned earlier that divine beasts cannot share consciousness.”
-That’s correct.
“So, how would the situation improve if you could share consciousness?”
-Three out of the five divine beasts that existed in Nevast have disappeared from this land.
“Could it be the work of a warlock?”
His mouth felt dry, but when he thought of the person who would kill the divine beast right away, the only thing that came to mind was a warlock.
-I want to know because I don’t know. If we can share consciousness, we will be able to understand the reason behind their deaths.
“How would that work?”
-If we can share consciousness, even though we are scattered, we can become one. Together, we can achieve more.
“So, what exactly is the core that enables this shared consciousness?”
-A relic.
Troy blurted out.
[…Things are coming out that I would never hear even if I studied my whole life. This is damn frustrating.]
Russell struggled with conflicting emotions upon hearing the new information.
-The relic you obtained could become my power.
“How many relics have I obtained?
-Two are complete, but one is still incomplete.
“Can humans use that power?”
Lucion had used Larvis’s bracelet at the auction house to increase his resistance to light, but it had not yet become a holy relic.
Now that the two bracelets had merged into a relic, he had never intentionally used it because of Heint.
-However, there is one exception. Normally, only those who have received the blessing of light and are permitted by the relic can wield its power. However, I take priority. As long as I exist, the relic will not allow anyone else to use it.
‘This is crazy.’
Whoosh.
A red thread connected Troy to himself.
It was natural.
No, he even felt like the red thread came out late.
Because Troy’s enemies were soon to be his enemies.
Lucion closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them.
Two years later, Heint had used the relic.
To enhance his own power and defeat the boss of the Hand of the Void.
‘…It must mean that Troy is dead.’
Two years later seemed to mean that ‘He’ was getting what he wanted.
Was it not the Neubra Kingdom behind the Hand of the Void, but ‘Him’?
“How many more relics do you need?”
Lucion placed the relics he had—Larvis’s bracelet, brooch, and dagger—on the table.
He didn’t know which of the two items, other than Larvis’s bracelet, was an incomplete relic, but it didn’t matter at the moment.
-No. I cannot receive it yet.
But Troy shook his head.
“What’s the reason?”
-The way to call the relic is the relic itself. The relic will not harm you, so you don’t have to worry.
Troy stood up from his seat and walked towards Lucion.
-I’m sorry, Lucion.
“You don’t have to be sorry. I stand up for Ratta. I don’t want to lose Ratta.”
Troy expressed regret at Lucion’s distorted expression.
The target was not only Ratta.
-I understand. I know your heart.
Troy rubbed his head against Lucion.
-Don’t worry, I and the Holy Relic will protect you.
“No. Please protect Ratta, not me. I’ll be fine.”
Even if he got hurt, he could heal eventually.
But Ratta would disappear.
Vanish from this world.
It wasn’t the meeting he wanted, but Lucion couldn’t let go of Ratta, who was deeply entrenched in his heart.
How could he lose Ratta, who loved him no matter what happened?
-If that’s what you wish.
“Thank you, Troy.”
-May blessings be upon your future.
Troy pressed his forehead against Lucion’s and blessed him.
Though the light didn’t radiate as before, Lucion’s heart felt much calmer.
* * *
“…I’ve already prepared excuses, so don’t worry.”
As soon as he saw Lucion come out, Veros spoke.
“It was entirely my fault that you almost had a carriage accident, Saint. I visited the temple briefly for the purpose of treatment, so please don’t worry too much.”
“Thank you,” Lucion replied, feeling exhausted.
Engaging in conversation had drained him more than he expected.
The weight on his shoulders and the influence of the light made his legs feel heavy, making it difficult to move forward.
The sky seemed distant.
Suddenly, Lucion staggered, but Hume quickly supported him.
“Are you okay?”
“…I’m sorry. I’m really sorry,” Veros apologized repeatedly, his face filled with remorse for not being able to shield Lucion from the light.
“It’s okay. I can handle…”
Lucion paused for a moment.
He saw a priest connected by a red thread passing by in the distance.
‘That’s… a thread connected to J.L.’
A shiver ran down his spine.
The priest who falsely accused J.L. of colluding with the warlock was Chelga, a priest of Nevast.
As Lucion saw the blue thread connecting to J.L. being cut and replaced with a new red thread, he recognized the priest he had just seen.
‘Whether it’s a priest of Nevast or a priest who has joined hands with Nevast… Is there a traitor here too?’
Greed briefly appeared in Lucion’s eyes and then disappeared.
He thought about heading to the east to destroy the place where the Neubra Kingdom had diligently created the undying soldiers.
It would be a perfect opportunity to establish a connection with the Great Light Temple.
[Hume. It won’t work. You have to carry Lucion…]
Lucion stood still, his pale complexion looking even more pitiful in the light, and Russell’s mouth twitched in amusement.
But only for a moment, as he was startled by the greed in Lucion’s eyes.
[Lucion? What are you thinking right now? Whatever it is, no! Absolutely not!]
For a moment, the corners of Lucion’s mouth twitched.
‘Teacher is quite perceptive.’
[Why are you like this?]
Bethel asked in response to Russell’s fussy words.
[Did you see Lucion’s expression just now? It was the same expression he had before causing an accident!]
[An accident? Here? Russell, please trust Lord Lucion a bit more. If he causes an accident here, it will be a big problem.]
But Bethel quickly dismissed Russell’s concerns.
[I wish I could do that. Please.]
“Do you happen to know who that priest is?” Veros asked cautiously.
“Do you know who he is?”
“Of course. If one aims to become a priest, it’s only natural to remember the faces of all the priests… Ah, I’m sorry. I unintentionally showed off.”
Veros, who was excitedly talking, quickly covered his mouth.
“Who is he?”
“He is Sephiro, a high-ranking priest.”
“Please tell me in a little more detail.”
[What’s wrong, Lucion? He’s a priest you’ve never met.]
Russell asked, feeling suspicious.
“Ah, well, you must have seen him. He was present at the celebration of the saint’s birth.”
[Oh, I see. You have such an excellent memory, Lucion. Do you remember all the priests?]
Russell finally felt relieved at Veros’s response.
He was embarrassed that he’d made a big deal out of seeing someone Lucion knew.
“By the way… He seemed to have a good relationship with the priests of Nevast at that time. Perhaps because he stayed in Nevast for a long time. Ah, I brought up a pointless topic and wasted time. I apologize.”
“No. Did you say that high-ranking priest Sephiro has been in Nevast for a long time?”
“Yes, he mentioned that he stayed there for a few years.”
Veros answered Lucion’s question while observing his expression, noticing a hint of displeasure.
[Lord Lucion. I don’t know because I wasn’t there, but did you see that priest interacting with the Nevast priests as Veros mentioned?]
While it could be baseless speculation from Veros, Bethel didn’t dismiss it outright.
If Nevast had spies in the Imperial Temple, it wouldn’t be surprising if they had infiltrated the Great Light Temple as well.
[Bethel, do you seriously think that priest is a spy for Nevast?]
Bethel nodded in response to Russell’s question.
[Has Lord Lucion ever brought up a pointless question before? Moreover, the most natural encounter often leads to the most suspicious encounters. Those who act as spies often behave that way. Pretending to coincidentally meet, claiming to have a connection in the past.]
Bethel spoke based on her own experience.
[Furthermore, the rule that one must receive priest training from Nevast in order to become a priest has been abolished for some time now. It seems strange for someone to go there specifically for training.]
“If Lord Lucion officially visits the Great Light Temple in the future, I will inform the High Priest and request an investigation,” Veros spoke a few beats late.
For Lucion, Nevast was not a place he willingly went to. It was a place where he was forced into an undesirable situation.
He had been treated as a warlock in the body of a saint, so it was natural for him to be resentful.
“Thank you for your consideration.”
Lucion didn’t know what Veros was thinking, but he smoothly moved on, thinking that was enough.
* * *
Hume looked at Lucion with a face that had many things he wanted to say.
Each word Troy had uttered seemed to pierce Lucion’s heart, evident in his sorrowful gaze.
Lucion, gently stroking the sleeping Ratta, looked empty, causing Hume’s lips to twitch.
“Hume, if you have something to say, say it without staring at me like that,” Lucion broke the silence in the carriage.
“What… is causing you so much sadness, young master?”
“Everything.”
In response to Hume’s cautious question, Lucion raised the corner of his mouth.
“I hated being special.”
“….”
“I know. How funny that I was born into high nobility and yet complain about being special.”
“It’s not funny at all. We can’t choose where we’re born. That’s the same for everyone.”
“Being special only brought me pain.”
Lucion briefly closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.
His eyebrows trembled slightly, perhaps lost in thoughts of the past.
Hume had many questions he wanted to ask, but he stayed silent, allowing Lucion to continue.
“But I continue to be special.”
A bitter smile appeared on Lucion’s lips as he opened his eyes.
“Don’t worry, Hume. I won’t fall apart.”
Lucion spoke with conviction, yet there was a dangerous glint in his eyes, as if he teetered on the edge of a precipice.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I’ve already fallen apart.”
Lucion’s gaze remained unwavering, and his smile persisted.
Still, Hume didn’t know why he looked so sad.
“That’s why I won’t let myself crumble.”
Hume felt his mouth dry at Lucion’s answer.
“Do you not desire revenge against Neubra for what they did to you?”
“Revenge?” Lucion scoffed.
“Facing those bastards my father couldn’t handle might drive me to madness. But seeking revenge is not my goal.”
“Why? I don’t know your past. But I can… imagine how devastating it must have been.”
Hume distorted his face.
During the moments when he dressed Lucion, Hume would occasionally catch glimpses of the scars, some hidden beneath his clothing, leaving one to wonder how he had endured such injuries.
Lucion briefly glanced at Bethel, aware of her desire for revenge. Twilo Sprikado—she harbored a deep longing to thrust a sword into that man’s neck.
His words may not sound pleasant.
[It’s alright. Our perspectives on justice may differ, so feel free to voice your thoughts.]
When Bethel smiled, Lucion finally spoke with ease.
“Revenge is something that gnaws at me, and I don’t want to let my emotions gnaw at me anymore. I’ve had enough of that for nearly a decade, don’t you think?”
As wide as his mansion was, his room felt confined, too narrow to be called a world.
A room where even the curtains blocked out the light from the windows.
Until about two months ago, it had been his only world.
Russell nodded in silence at Lucion’s words.
Lucion had suffered more than enough.
“I want to find happiness,” Lucion declared, his smile widening.
In response to his slightly different smile, Hume’s lips curved upward as well.
“Ah. Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ll simply remain idle. I’m going to destroy the Neubra Kingdom. And after that, it will be Nevast.”
Lucion said, playfully poking Ratta’s stomach as she turned over and exposed her belly.
“An eye for an eye.”
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