Chapter 441

The rest of the time was peaceful.
First, the funerals of Illuan and the poisoned cavalry foreman, Ajax, were duly held. Despite Iluan’s flamboyant behavior before his death, there were no angry mourners pissing on his coffin or rioting. The eulogies of the Akalusians were textbook respectful and dignified.
“Yiluan—tch, poor Jiji.”
“May you rest in peace. May you reach for the stars in the afterlife.”
The funeral for the captain was more emotional. One by one, the men removed their helmets and laid flowers in front of his coffin. Each and every one of them shed a tear as they mourned the loss of a captain who would never see duty again.
“Kvark, Captain Ajax. I will not forget.”
“Captain. Stop playing games and get up. You’ve been bothering me so much to introduce you to my sister, and now that I’m about to do so, what the——eight, damn it!”
One of the guards threw his helmet to the ground. It’s not the kind of behavior you’d expect to see at a funeral, but no one stopped him until he was out the door, blindfolded by his arm. I guess that’s what you call induction.
“Damn, I still don’t believe it. I wish the demons of Rodolan would tear that bitch limb from limb.”
“They’re really tearing it up, I overheard.”
Liz was taken to the Fortress of Screams the evening of Illuan’s death.
Adrian told me that her left leg and both eyes had already been detached from her body. She was howling like an animal, spilling everything she knew, but Liz’s information was worthless because I had already told everyone about Nebula Clazier.
The only reason he didn’t kill him was because of Adrian’s plea.
“I begged them not to kill you so easily. When your flesh is tattered and there are no more parts of you to create pain, then your interrogators will tell you the truth. That the information you told them was what you really knew. That you were nothing more than a distraction, of no value whatsoever—you should see the look on their faces then.”
“That’s great, he’s getting what he deserves.”
“This is the man who killed my foster daughter and her husband, not to mention deceiving Acalusia. This is the least I can do to keep my head up.”
Adrian sneered. I doubted even a sea of floating wraiths would be that cold. I crossed my arms behind my head and looked up at the sky. It was clear and blue, but the force field that blocked escape still enveloped the Acalusian estate.
“You said three days, right?”
“What? Alas, you’re right, it will take about that long to weed out the traitors.”
“Just get everyone in one place and I’ll get it done in a day.”
“—day?”
“Yeah. You said it would take a few days to get your stuff anyway—I can tell the difference between fanatical assholes, except in special cases like Liz.”
I tapped the corner of my eye with my index finger. A baptized believer could tell the difference, no matter how subtle. That was what was wrong with Liz in the first place. The bitch could put her talents to good use.
Adrian’s face lit up.
“That would be wonderful, and I don’t know how to express my gratitude—.”
“I’m doing it because I want to, so don’t mind me, and if you resist, I’ll just chop off a limb or two, right?”
“If you’re sure it’s a mole, you can dispose of it immediately, or I’ll give you one of my beheading swords.”
“Be aggressive, but you don’t have to be.”
I shook my head and snarled. It was a completely enclosed place, and it was hard to imagine anything easier, given the right to commit violence.
We crossed the garden in the warm early summer sun. Asel was beside me, Erzebet beside her.
“Asel. How does it feel to be a noble?”
“Sue, I honestly don’t feel right—do I deserve to be wearing such nice clothes?”
Asel moved his limbs as if they were prosthetic, no longer wearing his tattered robes but a handsome uniform emblazoned with the symbols of Akalusia.
Erzebet snorted.
“Hmm, of course. Dressing nicely is a standard Acalusian custom.”
“Eri. Do you know how hard it was to see her for months because I couldn’t talk to her? She wouldn’t eat right, or if she did, it was only her favorite side dishes, and she wouldn’t even answer me when I asked her questions. Ronan, do you know what I found under her bed the other day? My God, why do kids develop so quickly these days?”
“Uh, Mom, no, Lord, what are you talking about?!”
Erzebet’s face flared. Her arm shot out and clamped over Adrian’s mouth.
Adrian couldn’t stop smiling as he pressed his face into his daughter’s palm. When he’d used his telekinetic punch on Myung Chi, he’d been deadly, but here they were, just mother and daughter.
I stared at the mother and daughter in disbelief.
“Family.”
“Yeah. You look happy.”
“You sneak in there too. Yell, ‘Mommy! It might work.”
“Well, that’s a little—.”
Asel was stunned. He was joking, of course. Looking at the harmonious mother and daughter, it was easy to see why the Warlord had chosen Acalusia for his third life.
We continued walking towards the mansion. It wasn’t just to enjoy the sunshine. There was still work to be done before we could expose Nebula Clazier’s mole. Everyone’s faces, including mine, were growing more serious as we neared the mansion.
“This is the last time.
We soon reached our destination: the hill behind the mansion. It was one of the most spectacular vantage points, overlooking the gardens and the main stream of the Timen River in the distance. On top of the hill was an altar made of stacked firewood.
“I’m sure he’s seen enough of Acalusia to know that.”
Adrian smiled sadly. A beautifully decorated wooden coffin rested atop the altar. The owner of the coffin was my benefactor, finally at rest. Adeshan’s funeral, having already been buried, was held separately and quietly, unlike Illuan’s and Ajax’s.
“Sure, let’s get right to it.”
My proposal was immediately accepted. There were only four of us: myself, Adrian, Asel, and Erzebet. She was an Adeshan de Acalusia, and as such, she deserved to be turned to ashes according to Acalusian rules. I picked up a twig at my feet that seemed to be the right size.
“This is good.”
The rat tasted good. When Erzebet lit it, the stick made an excellent torch.
She grabbed the area just below my hand and opened her mouth.
“Let’s do it together.”
“Sure.”
I readily accepted. I had planned to anyway. Adrian, who had been staring at our coffins and Adeshan’s alternately, wiped his eyes with a handkerchief.
“I’m sorry–I’m so sorry.”
“Hmmm, black.”
Her beautiful violet eyes were watery and wide. Asel snorted. Funny bastard. Why was he crying over a subject he’d never spoken to before?
“Whoa.”
I took a deep breath in and out. I deliberately avoided looking at Adeshan’s face. The coffin was closed by Erzebet, not me. To see it now would be unbearable in many ways.
Erzebet, who was holding the torch with me, nudged me.
“Mr. Ronan.”
“Yes.”
Honestly, I thought he would cry the most, but I was surprised. He had prepared himself so much that he was the stoic one of us. Erzebet and I placed our torches on the pyre and stepped back. The flames spread quickly, engulfing the coffin in an instant.
“Goodbye, sister.”
Erzebet said goodbye. The coffin, engulfed in flames, was no longer visible. The smoke from the burning sword was rising high into the sky.
“I’m not crying.”
“I don’t have any more tears to shed.”
“I admire that, and I’ll tell you a great story about it.”
“What?”
Erzebet giggled. I told her that the soul of the Great Lord had met a happy ending in my world. All my wishes were fulfilled, and I went to heaven to be with my loved ones. He was very fond of you there, too.
“—ah.”
The smile suddenly vanished from Erzebet’s face. Her calm expression was undergoing a rapid transformation. Her lips were quivering, like a levee about to burst.
I expected ten seconds, but the levee broke in seven.
Tilting her head upward, she let out a childlike cry.
“Ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh!”
It was a primal, faceless cry. Adrian hugged her from behind.
I let the two of them cry without a circle. Like laughter, tears must be shed when they are shed, lest they be regretted.
“Get some rest.”
I muttered to myself as I watched the smoke disperse.
It was a true farewell to the Warlord. This was the last of the parallel worlds, and I would not see Adeshan’s blade until I returned. We stood on the hill until the last of the fire died down.
“Get some rest—.”
Her slicked-back bangs fluttered over her crown.
The sky was clear and the breeze was light. The water scales of the rushing Timen River were a brilliant ultramarine blue.
****
It was three days after Adrian’s cremation that his sister sent someone.
“Hey Ronan. I’ve got the goods.”
“Huh? Already?”
I jumped out of bed at the sound of her voice. Erzebeth, dressed in a white shirt and slacks, was leaning against the doorway, sipping coffee. Why did she come and not the maid?
“Sure. We’ll just go to the lake in the garden, and you can be on your way, right?”
“Yeah, you should. You look a little tired.”
I asked worriedly. Erzebet did not look well.
I could see that she tried to cover it up with makeup, but she couldn’t hide the dark shadows under her eyes and her frizzy hair.
Before I could ask her anything, I wondered if her depression had returned. Erzebet spun around to face the doctor.
“I don’t mind, let’s go.”
“Yum, come with me.”
It was a decisive move, almost chilling. I caught up to her with a quick step. She was dressed more casually than usual, as if she were a young lady who was about to die, but this was the kind of outfit a white-collar worker or researcher would wear.
“This place is awesome, no matter how many times you look at it.”
Leaving the mansion, they found themselves in an open garden. Adrian’s force field was nowhere to be seen. It had been several days. I had succeeded, as promised, in tracking down the mole hiding in Acalusia within a day.
“Bastards.
There were thirty-seven of them. Few resisted, if Iluan and Liz were any indication.
Two men and a woman ran away screaming, the man saved by my cutting off his leg, but the woman was reduced to ashes when she collided with the electrified force field. By now, all thirty-five of us were having a great time in Rodolan.
As we walked along, we eventually came to a lake.
Like the training grounds, the lake was far too large and beautiful to be a lake within the manor, and it was a mystery as to why they had come to the lake. Wouldn’t it be some kind of magic tool like the Bloodline Needle, and wouldn’t it normally be handed out in the lord’s room?
“Yep. There it is.”
Then, after a long pause, Erzebet stretched out a finger. His long, white index finger hovered in the center of the lake. My brow crumpled like a sheet of paper as I turned to look.
“What the hell. What the hell is that?”