Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 538

538. The Truth Revealed

“Tell me properly, honestly.”

“Y-yes. I ordered all of it.”

“…Why?”

Chris asked, his voice lowered and hoarse.

“Why did you have to go so far?”

“Because I hated Ramin. I hated him and everything he achieved. I knew he’d become a problem if I left him alone.”

“Ramin-nim [term of respect, similar to ‘Mr.’ or ‘Master’] thought of you as a brother! You used to be close to Ramin-nim when you were young!”

At those words, the Grim Reaper Master smirked.

“I was, when I was young. I pitied him back then.”

“…Pitied him?”

“Yes. Unlike me, he wasn’t of pure blood. I could afford to be kind to a skinny kid who couldn’t even get proper gruel from our father.”

Once he started laughing, he couldn’t stop. He didn’t seem to notice Chris’s shocked expression, or perhaps he enjoyed it.

“Our relationship soured entirely because of him. If Ramin really thought of me as a brother, he should have stayed pitiful. Then I wouldn’t have gone so far.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Chris threw a punch. A heavy sound echoed as the Grim Reaper Master collapsed.

“Go to hell when you die, you bastard.”

Chris spat at the unconscious man. Still seething with anger, he took a deep breath and slowly approached him.

“Are you okay, Chris?”

“Yeah.”

Chris replied with a face that said he was anything but okay. Feeling the worried gaze, he said again that he was fine and gave a bitter smile.

“That bastard Theo never acknowledged me, not once. He even painted me as a madman. Because there was no proof, no one believed me. Do you know what was the hardest part? Everyone thought so, and eventually, I started to believe it too. Was I really mistaken? Did Ramin and the others just have unlucky accidents, and was I just looking for someone to blame? That was the most frustrating and suffocating thing. But it’s over now. I feel relieved.”

He took something out of his pocket and threw it to me. It was a magical tool that could record sound. When I pressed the play button, the conversation we had just had played back. I wondered when he had prepared something like this. As I looked at him in admiration, Chris scratched his nose, looking embarrassed. He really knew the Grim Reaper Master inside and out, just as he said. I chuckled, and Chris smiled back, looking relieved.

“Thanks. It’s all thanks to you.”

“I didn’t do anything. It’s all thanks to Chris.”

I remembered when I first met him. What would it be like to unfairly lose the people you followed and the colleagues you relied on, and to struggle alone in a world where no one believed you? It would be difficult for anyone to bear. Most people would choose to give up, but he didn’t. I thought he was a mess, drunk and broken, but in fact, he was still holding on with all his might.

“You’ve suffered a lot, Chris. You’ve held on so well.”

I reached out and patted his head. Trying to pat someone taller than me made me look ridiculous, but I just wanted to do it. Chris, who was looking at me with wavering eyes, bit his lip. Tears finally burst from him as he lowered his head.

“That son of a bitch. Killing his own brother… how could he say such things…? Ramin-nim thought of that bastard as a brother and went to save him because he said he was in danger… how could he do that to his own brother…? And on top of that, all of his brother’s friends too… he’s not even human.”

“Yes, I agree. He’s not even human. He’s a really bad guy.”

I gently patted the sobbing Chris. I could feel my shoulder getting wet with his tears. I slowly patted his shaking shoulders and looked at the man lying on the floor. The man was lying there like a corpse, in a terrible state, but I wasn’t satisfied. I couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t quite over yet.

And fortunately for me, the Grim Reaper Master was a man who didn’t know how to repent. After that time, he was handed over to the security forces, but after regaining consciousness, he changed his tune. He claimed that Chris had assaulted him because he was angry that he couldn’t participate in the guild competition, and that he had been forced to lie because he was threatened, even with the obvious recording. He even tried to gain public sympathy by claiming that Chris had tried to kill him, so he had no choice but to secretly escape. Chris didn’t seem to care much.

“I knew he’d do that anyway.”

Perhaps it was because he had been fighting alone for too long. He was satisfied that he had at least gotten him to admit to the crime, whether he changed his story later or not, and that the fact had been made public. But I had no intention of letting it go.

I watched the security forces building and saw the door open and someone come out. It was the Grim Reaper Master, coming out after a simple investigation. I heard the investigator who followed him out warning him in a stern tone.

“You will be summoned again later. You must not leave the city during the investigation period. If you do, an arrest warrant will be issued immediately.”

“Yes, of course. I understand. That will never happen.”

“Then get well soon.”

“Yes, thank you.”

The investigator’s face softened at his friendly smile. I could clearly read what he was thinking from his sympathetic gaze. He probably thought that an innocent man had been wrongly accused. Perhaps sensing the same thing, the Grim Reaper Master’s face brightened even more.

“Then, goodbye.”

After saying goodbye, he moved at a leisurely pace. There were no colleagues or family members waiting for him, perhaps because he hadn’t informed them. The road he was heading towards wasn’t towards the residential area either. Rather, he was gradually moving away from the city center. After a while, the Grim Reaper Master arrived in a secluded forest. He looked around and examined the cracks in the rocks. Then he took out a backpack from inside. He opened the bag and examined the contents, taking out a communication device and contacting someone.

“Yes, it’s me. I received the items you sent. I will definitely repay this favor when I arrive. Yes, then I’ll see you in the Zenon Kingdom.”

It seemed that he had been in consultation with someone in the meantime. He really had excellent survival skills. I couldn’t help but be impressed. Perhaps because my presence leaked out, the Grim Reaper Master frowned and turned around after finishing the call.

“Who’s there!”

Since I had no intention of secretly watching him any longer, I revealed myself comfortably. The Grim Reaper Master’s face stiffened as he recognized me.

“Didn’t the investigator tell you not to leave the city? I guess you never intended to keep that promise from the start. Well, it was too weak of an excuse to ensure your safety. Even if you just investigated the scattered guild members, the evidence would soon come out.”

“W-why are you…”

“You must know why I’ve come, don’t you?”

“You said you wouldn’t kill me if I answered! We didn’t make any other promises!”

So he was claiming that it didn’t matter if he went back on his word. I was dumbfounded, but since that wasn’t what I was going to make an issue of, I just laughed it off.

“That’s right, Chris made that promise.”

“Then…!”

“But that’s a promise Chris made. I have to settle things separately with you.”

“S-settle? I didn’t do anything to you…”

“You really didn’t do anything? Isn’t it nothing to you that you lured me into a deal and ordered me to be kidnapped by slave traders?”

The Grim Reaper Master flinched and immediately smiled. He probably thought he was smiling naturally, but it was obviously a forced smile to anyone who looked at him.

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

“There’s testimony and evidence, so it’s no use denying it. You handed it over yourself.”

“What…”

“It was among the data you handed over while betraying the Crown Prince. The troops disguised as slave traders. And the operations you were conducting in cooperation with them.”

The Grim Reaper Master’s face turned pale as he gasped. He probably didn’t think I would have already investigated that far. “I’m quite close with the Aegis Director,” I said with a smile, and his eyes shook greatly.

“I was going to let it go if you had quietly accepted your punishment. I’m so glad you’re this kind of person to the end. There’s a place I’ve been wanting to send you to since then.”

“W-wait a minute. I’ll explain everything. If you listen to me, you’ll understand what happened…!”

“Ciel, please.”

At that moment, a wave of water surged and a water wolf appeared. The Grim Reaper Master was horrified and stumbled backward, falling heavily on his butt. My sharp eyes, which had been watching him with a look of disdain, narrowed languidly.

―I promise you the best exploration guide.

* * *

The next day, the newspaper reported that the Grim Reaper Guild Master had fled. It also reported that his statements were all false, and that circumstantial evidence had been found that he had murdered Ramin Laden, the Master of the Dawn’s Bow Guild, and his guild members.

“Damn it, that bastard. I should have kept an eye on him until the end.”

Chris was extremely dumbfounded that he had slipped away in the meantime. The security forces were also very embarrassed. There was no trace of him using a train or even a carriage, so they couldn’t even figure out where he had gone. They searched all the roads and mountain ranges but couldn’t find a single hair on his head. The security chief’s announcement that he seemed to have evaporated was met with accusations of incompetence.

A huge bounty and an arrest warrant were issued for Theo Laden, the former Grim Reaper Master who had fled. But I don’t know if there will be anyone who can receive that bounty. It’s more likely that the Grim Reaper Master will never come out of the deep sea.

“You took care of it, didn’t you?”

Lamias, who was quick to notice, immediately grasped the truth. When I subtly avoided his gaze, he sighed.

“What are you going to do? Did you trade the fact that the Emperor is watching you for candy? Or do you want to marry into the Eclair Dukedom? If you want to become a noble, just become my successor. I’ll give you the Duke title and Aegis.”

“It’s not that.”

“Then what? You don’t know how persistent the Emperor is? He loses his mind when he gets fixated on something. Just look at the war he started with the Demon God, doesn’t that show you how reckless he is? You won’t be able to live comfortably in this empire like this.”

“Yes, so I’m going to leave.”

“Yeah, unless you’re thinking of leaving… what?”

Lamias, who had been responding nonchalantly, suddenly raised his head. I looked at his bewildered face with a mixture of gratitude and apology. My mind was clearer than ever. Lamias, who seemed bewildered, seemed to realize what I was thinking. His expression soon calmed down.

“So you’re finally going to go yourself?”

“Yes, I think I’ll feel more at ease that way.”

I had already shared the new clues to find Lapis with him. Lamias, who had been as frustrated as I was, had also told me that he would now focus on searching that area. But I didn’t feel comfortable leaving it all to him. Since there was a flow that seemed to be urging me to leave, I thought it wouldn’t be bad to take advantage of that atmosphere.

“I’m the best expert at finding soul stones. What difference will it make if you go yourself?”

“Still. Maybe I’ll find it by chance.”

“If there was such a chance, wouldn’t it have happened already?”

Lamias clicked his tongue and hit the nail on the head without hesitation. As I stared at the distant sky, unable to say anything, he nodded again.

“Well, I understand how you feel. After all, your goal from the beginning was to find the soul stone. You’ve found a promising place, so you’d be frustrated to just wait for news from a distant land. But it’s a shame you’re leaving. I’ve grown quite fond of you in the meantime.”

“Me too.”

The memories of the skipped period are just unfamiliar, but even if that weren’t the case, I had built up enough affection with him. They say that hateful affection is scarier, and now I think I’ll miss his nagging tone from time to time. I smiled as I replied, and he made a face that was both relieved and sad.

“Honestly, there were many times when I found you annoying, but I didn’t dislike you. Rather, I think it’s fortunate that Elquines’s first human contractor was someone like you. You should be honored. It’s not easy for me to admit something like this.”

“Yes, I’m really honored.”

“That’s what’s so annoying about you.”

Lamias glared at me slightly but soon smiled with a helpless expression. We were now too comfortable with each other to nitpick over trivial matters.

“What’s your plan after you find the gem? Will you be able to come back to the Empire after you’re done?”

“I don’t really know.”

“Well, whatever. If you can’t come, I’ll just go. Keep in touch from time to time. Contact me anytime if you need my help.”

I didn’t refuse the hand he offered and shook it. His calloused hand was warmer and more reliable than I thought.

“Thank you for everything.”

“Likewise. Let’s meet again.”

“Yes, of course.”

See you in 4,000 years. I swallowed the words that came to mind. We looked at each other and smiled. It was such a heartwarming farewell that it was embarrassing to think about our fierce first meeting.

“So. You’re leaving now.”

After parting with Lamias, I went straight to Chris and told him that I was leaving. He calmly accepted the fact that I was leaving. He said that he had been thinking about it for a while and that he had been preparing himself.

“You’ll stay in the guild, right? If it’s okay with you, I’d like to keep your name on the list. It’ll be easier to prove your identity wherever you go if you’re affiliated with the guild.”

“I don’t mind as long as it doesn’t harm the guild.”

“It’ll only help; it can’t harm. Have you decided where you’re going?”

“Yes, I think I’ll be going to the Epen Kingdom.”

“The Epen Kingdom? Why there of all places… will you be okay? The atmosphere is very tense because of what the Crown Prince did this time.”

Chris looked worried. The Crown Prince, who had been charged with national treason, attempted regicide, and various other crimes, was now imprisoned in the spire of Tenebre Prison. He wouldn’t be executed because he was the Crown Prince of a country that had once been an ally, but it seemed that they had no intention of ever releasing him. As a result, the entire Epen Kingdom seemed to be in a state of tension.