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“……”

Count Arsene stared ahead with a cold gaze.

His son was where his eyes landed.

Jan was kneeling, his head bowed like a criminal.

“Do you understand what you’ve done?”

He understood the honored guest’s intent.

But that was that.

“To dare commit murder within the family without the head’s permission, and killing a spy who was supposed to provide information……”

Count Arsene’s fury was palpable.

Not just in his demeanor but in his actions as well.

Shiiing.

“M-My lord……”

The guard standing by was startled.

However, he did not take any action beyond that.

Even if the young master were to be beheaded here,

‘The lord’s word is the law. We can only hope for leniency……’

But what Count Arsene did next was completely unexpected.

Clang!

“……?”

Jan, seeing the sword rolling on the ground before him, tilted his head in confusion.

“The sins of the child are the original sins of the parent. So, use that to behead me.”

“……!”

Only then did Jan raise his head abruptly.

“M-My lord, just punish me. Behead me. To be honest, I…… even now, I don’t regret my actions.”

“This is the punishment I am giving you.”

“Father!”

“Where do you see a father here!?”

Count Arsene roared in anger.

“There is no father here. Only a sinner who raised a murderer.”

With that, Count Arsene grabbed the sword from the floor.

Then.

Fwip.

“N-No!”

He immediately moved to cut his own neck with the sword.

Not only Jan, who was utterly shocked, but the surrounding guards quickly rushed in.

“Unhand me!”

“I’m sorry! It’s my fault, father! Please stop!”

“……”

Count Arsene truly seemed intent on taking his own life.

The proof was in the blood trickling from the cut skin.

“……What fault could you have?”

“F-Father……!”

“It’s all my fault. This happened because I couldn’t protect my own wife, let alone my child.”

“……!”

“I’m sorry. I’ve committed a grievous sin against you. Therefore, the punishment should be mine, and not yours.”

Only then did tears start to flow from Jan’s eyes.

“How desperate must you have been to stain your hands with blood, my child……”

“It’s…… it’s my fault…… sob, it’s my fault.”

“……”

Count Arsene looked at his weeping child with a bitter smile.

He thought it would be enough to simply adhere to principles.

He believed doing his best in his given role was sufficient.

He was sure his children would learn by watching him.

But,

‘Is this what I clung to principles so stubbornly for?’

How futile and pointless.

So, from now on, he must change.

As the child had said.

“……Wash away the blood on your hands yourself.”

“……!”

The meaning of those words was clear.

“Blood must be repaid with blood.”

“F-Father.”

“You did well.”

Those words were all it took.

Jan collapsed in tears, overwhelmed with sorrow.

‘Once again, I owe that child a debt.’

Count Arsene, with a bitter smile, patted Jan’s back for a long while.

***

Meanwhile, the two spies who returned to the nearby city immediately sent a telegram.

“……He was an imperial spy?”

-Y-Yes, my lord! That’s exactly what we heard.

Upon hearing the voice coming from the communication orb again, Marquis Foltaine’s gaze sharpened.

“Are you telling me that you’re just relaying what you heard?”

-O-Of course not! They definitely used secret techniques only assassins would use!

“They used…… secret techniques?”

Finally, Marquis Foltaine’s expression became serious.

An assassin revealed their skills.

This was something that could not be disbelieved.

‘Honestly, I didn’t believe it even when I heard it……’

Even when he heard that Thomas was killed.

Even when consecutive assassination attempts failed.

He thought it was merely the result of coincidences piling up.

‘Could there really be something about that teenage brat?’

Shaking off his thoughts, Marquis Foltaine looked at the communication orb again.

“Who else knows about this?”

-No one. You are the first I am reporting to, my lord.

“Nothing has been confirmed yet. Don’t go around spreading rumors about imperial spies and cause unnecessary confusion.”

-Yes, my lord!

“I will send someone soon, so return with them.”

-Understood!

After confirming that the communication orb had turned off, Marquis Foltaine quietly muttered.

“Lucien, are you there?”

“I am here.”

A man appeared before him like a shadow.

“Contact the Mask of Night immediately. The mission is to find out everything about that brat in the Arsene household. Money isn’t an issue.”

“Understood.”

“Once everything is confirmed, I will erase the Arsene household from existence.”

The shadow stiffened.

“Are you sure? The royal decree……”

“It doesn’t matter. The grand plan is imminent. Just ensure you gather the necessary information. Even if you have to take their only child hostage.”

“I will follow your orders.”

“And also……”

Soon, murderous intent laced Marquis Foltaine’s voice.

“Kill these two fools.”

His gaze was fixed on the communication orb.

***

The two left at the training grounds.

Harun and Kirian were restless.

They had witnessed Jan being arrested right before their eyes.

“M–Master!”

“……!”

Just then, the person they had been anxiously waiting for appeared at the perfect time.

“Where have you been!?”

“Why? What happened?”

“J-Jan got arrested. He killed the spy that Master had caught with so much effort…… J-Judging by the atmosphere, it seems like he won’t be able to avoid severe punishment. Can’t you help him, Master?”

Harun wasn’t the only one.

Kirian also clasped his hands together with a desperate expression.

“Honored guest, I know I’m being shameless, but I also ask for your help.”

“Why you? Aren’t you on bad terms with Jan?”

“……Anyone would have done the same.”

Ancelot repeated his words with an intrigued expression.

“Anyone would have done the same?”

“Yes.”

“Even someone as meek as you?”

“……If the criminal who killed my mother was right before my eyes…… I would have torn him apart myself.”

There was hardly any hesitation in the answer.

There was even a hint of ferocity felt in his voice, which had never been there before.

Only then did Ancelot chuckle.

“Well, you don’t need to worry. Nothing will happen.”

“No, Master. The knights really looked deadly serious.”

“Speak of the devil.”

“……!”

Both of them turned their heads simultaneously.

“Jan……?”

Indeed, Jan was walking toward them without any trouble.

“What? I thought he’d at least get scolded. He’s perfectly fine without a scratch?”

“……”

Jan, who was looking at Ancelot, averted his gaze awkwardly.

“……If you want to criticize me, go ahead. But I don’t regret what I did.”

“Why would I criticize you?”

“……?”

Jan tilted his head in confusion.

“You did well.”

“……!”

His one remaining eye widened in surprise.

He never expected to hear the same words he had heard from his father from this demon.

“……What did you just say?”

He asked again.

Thinking he misheard.

“You did well.”

Thump.

Ancelot lightly patted Jan’s shoulder as he walked past him.

Jan was completely frozen in place.

“He was the one who killed your mother and younger sibling. If you had left him alone, you wouldn’t be a man.”

“……!”

“That’s what your only brother just told me. Of course, I would have done the same.”

Only then did Jan look at Kirian.

Kirian, meeting his gaze, made an embarrassed expression.

“……”

In the awkward silence, Ancelot had already walked away into the distance.

Jan stared blankly at his back for a while, and then.

Shiiing.

“J-Jan!?”

He suddenly drew his sword from its sheath.

However, the situation they feared didn’t happen.

He simply held the drawn sword quietly to his chest.

“……I sincerely thank my benefactor.”

A voice smaller than an ant’s.

It was a sword salute showing genuine respect for the other.

Soon, Harun and Kirian, making eye contact with each other, smiled bitterly.

Shiing, shiiing.

Then, they also raised their swords in a salute.

Yes.

Everyone gathered there had received help from that small-statured benefactor.

***

I walked without hesitation.

Receiving salutes from the now-familiar guards, I left the count’s estate.

No, I went far beyond the city center.

And finally, I stopped on a deserted forest path.

“……Who exactly are you?”

As if waiting for this, a familiar navy-blue mask appeared.

“You already know, don’t you?”

“Aren’t you simply the successor of Ancelot’s martial arts? Andrew von Meeke.”

However, only his appearance was familiar.

The aura emanating from this person was entirely different.

An unprecedented sense of intimidation.

No, I even felt a sense of hostility.

“How can someone claiming to be Ancelot’s successor use the mana of Blaze, his enemy?”

At last, I understood the reason for the hostility.

‘As expected, you’ve been watching.’

I had anticipated this.

There’s no place in this world beyond the eyes and ears of the Mask of Night.

When it comes to information gathering and stealth, no one on the continent matches them.

“Confessing to spying so openly is rather unpleasant.”

“Don’t change the subject and answer me. Depending on your answer……”

Killing intent radiated from the opponent.

“……my attitude towards you will completely change.”

“I don’t understand. Aren’t you hiding something from me too?”

“What?”

“You clearly aren’t Ancelot, so why are you so angry? Even to the point of feeling inexplicable empathy.”

“That’s……”

The opponent, who was about to say something, closed his mouth.

“See? Everyone has at least one secret they want to keep hidden, don’t they?”

“……”

“Moreover, for someone who values information more than gold, isn’t it more inappropriate to threaten someone else’s property with a sword?”

“……No, you’re wrong.”

“Wrong?”

“You need strength to protect property.”

The killing intent around me intensified.

“So, you intend to take my property by force?”

“If you don’t give me your trust until the end.”

“……”

For a moment, I imagined fighting this opponent.

In my current state, the chances of winning were……

‘……Nonexistent.’

I shrugged my shoulders and waved my hand in surrender.

“How scary. How will I make deals in the future?”

“If my doubts are cleared, I will properly apologize and promise adequate compensation.”

“Well, alright. So, what are you curious about??”

“The Duke of the Empire, the superhuman of the continent, one of the Three Heavens. What is your relationship with the Theorg, the Knight of Blazes?”

“You didn’t know? The reason Theorg gained his understanding of the Blaze was because of the great hero Ancelot.”

“……”

The opponent stared at me silently.

He must have been using his ability to see through my thoughts.

Of course, I was confident.

‘Because it’s not a lie.’

After a while, his intimidating aura eventually diminished.

“……Huh. If that’s true, it’s even more infuriating.”

His voice even returned to its usual playful tone.

“What is?”

“Even though I said it with a smile, my advice to keep a low profile until you’re fully grown was sincere. You could have at least out until that ‘Master Tournament’ you mentioned so confidently, couldn’t you?”

The opponent continued with genuine regret in his voice.

“Thanks to your commotion, now even Marquis Foltaine himself is seriously wary of you. Moreover, we’ve received requests concerning you.”

“Is it okay to tell me this? Especially for the Mask of Night, who has conducted business on ‘trust’.”

“It doesn’t matter since we won’t accept the request.”

This time, my gaze hardened.

“So that’s why you were more sensitive than usual. Well, that aside, you promised proper compensation, right? This time, I want you to answer my question.”

Immediately, I stepped forward.

“Your current appearance is unfamiliar to me as well. Unless this is the true face of Narakas, known as the ‘Thousand Faces.’”

“……!”

The opponent, Narakas, flinched.

“……So you knew about me?”

“I expected as much.”

“Who exactly are you?”

“Wasn’t I supposed to be compensated?”

The opponent’s reaction was incomprehensible to me.

Although I had some memories of dealing with Narakas in a previous life.

‘I don’t recall forming such deep bonds of loyalty and friendship to cause such anger.’

In other words, there must be something more that I don’t know.

“……Fine. I can’t stand being curious, similar to the situation pertaining to the relic of our organization. And in any case, it seems you intend to starve me out. So I’ll give you a hint about some information that’ll make you the same.”

“Now we’re talking.”

“Yes. I assure you, you’ll have no choice but to reveal your information.”

“Quite confident, aren’t you? Let’s hear it.”

I gestured lightly with my chin.

“Of course I’m confident. This is top-secret information known to only a very few on the continent, including myself.”

I opened my ears wide, relaxed.

No matter the information brought forth.

What could surprise someone who has experienced reincarnating into another’s body?

“The descendant of Ancelot, whom you call your teacher, exists. And I am their patron.”

“……?”

I tilted my head, unable to process it immediately.

Narakas kindly elaborated for me.

“I’m saying the last bloodline of the great hero Ancelot, who died 20 years ago, is still alive.”

“……!”

My eyes widened.

And,

“……What?”

My long-held composure completely shattered.