Chapter 126. The World Has Gone Mad
‘Damn it, how the hell did I forget this guy?’
The first time I got tangled up with the Crow was after my retirement.
That was when I had gleefully raided Dekulan’s secret treasury and set off toward freedom.
At the time, I thought, ‘Seriously, such petty bastards. A diligent worker just wants to collect a bit of retirement pay, so why foam at the mouth chasing me down…’
Well, looking back now, that was all because of Reverse Heaven, but anyway.
Dekulan’s pursuit back then was razor-sharp. It was on a level I hadn’t anticipated myself.
Think about it.
Dekulan may have solidified its status as the foremost magical family of the East, but their information network had gaps. And I was one of the few who knew those gaps better than anyone.
But then, what happened?
‘It was like a leech.’
No matter what I did, I couldn’t shake them.
I nearly lost my mind. That kind of pursuit hadn’t happened to me since those Lorutel bastards.
Well, I could at least understand them. They had the help of the Infinite Chain.
But Dekulan? Even when I slipped through the cracks in their information net, somehow they would ghost right after me… like a phantom.
By now, anyone in the know would have figured it out.
‘…The Crow.’
That’s right. Behind that damn leech-like pursuit, there was that accursed bird-brain.
The Crow’s tracking skills were second to none. No wonder those who knew him called him the “Eye of the Sky”!
And now that guy was supporting Hollend?
“This is… like a mighty bow that can pierce anything, paired with the greatest marksman alive.”
Hollend may act alone, but he’s never truly alone.
With the Crow as his eyes and ears, Hollend could oversee the whole region without ever leaving his seat.
‘Originally, the plan was to make contact with the Third Sword once Lorutel made their move…’
But if this was Dekulan’s trap, there’s no way the Crow would miss that contact.
And once the Crow detected it, then what?
‘Then what? Obviously Hollend, the Third Sword, and me all end up in a three-way face-off.’
Of course, that wouldn’t be a pleasant meeting. So, what to do?
As I said, I’d have to move a little faster.
Bold enough to be unexpected by Dekulan, yet swift enough to leave no time to respond.
‘In that case, the first thing to handle is Shine.’
At this point, even our own team members hadn’t finished introductions.
So without delay, I headed off to pick up Shine at Senior’s hideout.
‘The early bird catches the worm, right?’
Though, if you’re the worm, the lazier the better. But that’s fine by me.
Because I wasn’t the worm.
Not that I was really a bird either.
* * *
So, I arrived at Senior’s hideout.
Bang!
“Strong and mighty morning!”
It was evening.
When I kicked the door open and stormed in, Shine, who’d been lying down, leapt up in shock.
Senior, who had been enjoying a leisurely teatime opposite her, also flinched in surprise.
“My junior, have you lost your mind?”
“The world has gone mad.”
“If you live in the same world but only your eyes see it as mad, perhaps you should look back on yourself.”
“I have looked back.”
“And?”
“I just looked back, that’s all.”
Whether I was mad, or the world was mad, what did it matter?
What mattered was knowing the path forward, and continuing along it even amid chaos.
Just like I was doing now.
“Parasite, it’s time to work. Get up.”
“…At this time of night?”
“For you, it’s morning.”
Shine blinked drowsily, still heavy with sleep. Part of me wanted to smack the back of her head like I did during the Death Knight days, but I held back.
Because now she could hit me back. Anyway, as I was dragging Shine out, Senior narrowed his eyes at me.
“What mischief are you up to this time?”
Anyone would think I caused trouble every time I went out.
Truly unfair.
“The tree wishes to stand still, but the wind will not cease.”
“…That’s not how that saying is supposed to be used. Wasn’t there another line after it?”
Of course, that wasn’t how it was meant to be used.
“The latter part goes, ‘The child wishes to be filial, but the parents will not wait.’ It means, no matter how much a child wishes to show filial piety, the parents’ time runs out too quickly… a deeply instructive lesson…”
“Yet you say you’re originally a vagabond from the gray zone.”
“…So, no parents?”
Correct.
Dodging Senior’s rare attempt to fulfill his duty as an educator, I swiftly fled the hideout.
“What’s so urgent?”
“It’s a matter of life and death.”
“Life and death? It’s barely midnight.”
“Don’t play word games. I’ll rip your mouth open.”
…Or at least that’s what I would’ve said, if Parun were here.
First, I looked Shine up and down, nearly dragging her along.
“Tsk, she’ll need to conceal her identity…”
Even I hadn’t revealed my true identity to Parun yet.
Of course, if he wanted to, there were plenty of ways for him to find out.
He could’ve used Henj, or even just traced me from our past connections.
I hadn’t gone out of my way to hide from Parun either, so tracking “Aster” wouldn’t be impossible, tricky, but not impossible. But…
‘We tacitly agreed not to pry into each other’s identities.’
Because if the worst ever came, it was safer that way. We could dig if we wanted, but it was better for both of us to respect each other’s secrets. But now…
“…A mask won’t work.”
Shine might’ve gotten away with it if she had no ties to the Academy, but Senior had already given her a position as a training instructor.
So she also needed to hide her identity. But with her pale skin, crimson pupils, and even the unnatural shade of her hair, a mask wasn’t nearly enough.
While I was pondering, Shine unexpectedly spoke up.
“Oh, I already have an idea for that.”
What a surprise.
Shine could actually think. And what came next was even more shocking.
“Behold.”
Shhhhhh!
Dark currents surged up around Shine, as black as the tail end of night.
That black haze wrapped around her body, forming a shape. I couldn’t help but let out a “Huh” of awe.
“Well? I’ve practiced quite a bit.”
“…Armor?”
“Hehe, one of the vampiric powers. Nothing too great. Compared to armor crafted by true artisans, it’s just for show.”
Feigning nonchalance while bragging—Shine clenched her jaw with pride.
I gritted my teeth.
‘I’m not jealous. I’m not jealous. I’m not…’
…Damn it, I was jealous.
The colors were incredible. The black armor that covered her head to toe reminded me of the Death Knight days, yet the black-that-wasn’t-quite-black had an aura of mystery.
If vampires had this kind of thing, maybe… just maybe…? No, of course not.
How could Aster ever bow beneath Shine!
“Are you envious? Hehe, you must be… Aaagh!”
Clang!
I smacked Shine across the back of the head and quickened my pace.
The smack had a satisfying sting. Yes, parasites were best when they wore helmets.
“Enough nonsense, let’s go.”
“You wretch, do you really want to die…”
“No one in this world really wants to die.”
Parasite-handling method, rule number one: when she looks ready to charge, just don’t meet her eyes. Unless she’s absolutely furious, she’ll lose the timing and tire herself out.
‘That aside…’
Shine’s armor wasn’t bad at all.
Lorutel was a sword clan that revered martial strength and knighthood. Especially the Third Sword and the young master.
My original plan was this:
1. Use Shine to duel the Third Sword.
2. Through that duel, form a knightly bond.
3. Then, make contact with the young master.
The details of the duel might vary, but that was the core. But if the duelist showed up as some masked thug?
‘…No way they’d accept that.’
So I had been scrambling for a workaround, and Shine had presented one first.
‘Even if both conceal their identity, a mask looks shady while armor makes you look like a knight with a story.’
Wear a mask and you’re a thug. Wear armor and you’re a knight. Even real knights often kept their faces hidden.
Only one problem.
“What should I do about this…?”
“What do you mean?”
“None of your business.”
I didn’t slow down as I kept thinking.
I had dragged Shine into the Infinite Chain matter, good. But actually introducing her to Parun… there was a snag.
‘Parun and Shine.’
By my standards, both had personalities that were a pain in the ass in their own fields.
Parun was a frozen bastard who openly treated people like trash. Shine was a hot-headed fool who looked down on everyone in her arrogance.
‘…Still, both are basically good people.’
But good or not, their personalities were like fire and ice. Totally incompatible.
Not that anyone could get along with either of them. Only someone like me could manage. So the reason I hadn’t introduced Shine to Parun yet was that concern. I’d wanted to wait for a smoother situation.
‘There’s no time left now.’
Not because I wanted to watch the chaos that might erupt between them.
No, the question was: Could these two unite under the banner of the Infinite Chain?
Soon, we arrived at Parun’s mansion.
After setting my own “spectator’s expectations,” I opened the door to his office.
Parun sat at his desk and looked up at us.
“…You’re here? And this is?”
“The ally I mentioned yesterday.”
Lately, Parun looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes. He gazed at Shine.
And their first meeting unfolded, smoothly, to my surprise.
“Pleased to meet you, I am Parun. It must not have been an easy decision, so thank you for your help.”
“…?”
Parun had never once greeted me like that. Polite, respectful.
Shine was the same.
“Think nothing of it. I, too, am gratified to meet the famed Sir Parun.”
“…?”
…What the hell?
‘What? Famed? When did she ever hear Parun’s fame?’
This wasn’t the casual, rude banter she always used with me. It was the kind of polite speech that screamed “Ah, she’s a noble,” yet still carried genuine respect.
Of course, Parun wasn’t exactly basking in joy, but the fact Shine had shown courtesy was remarkable.
Was I the crazy one, or was it the world?
Now I could answer Senior’s earlier question.
The mad ones weren’t me. Nor was it the world.
It was these two.
“If it’s not too much to ask, may I test your strength?”
“Not too much at all. But this space is cramped… shall we move to the training grounds?”
Was I invisible?
Parun and Shine, exchanging courtesies, walked off together toward the mansion’s training yard.
‘Well, at least it worked out…’
Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling the world had just abandoned me.
Anyway…Parun, Shine, first meeting, successful.
