Ch.12340. The Collateral Offered…(3)

Just as Mines was contemplating whether to step forward first, Kariel suddenly appeared before the young man as if traversing between spaces.

Then, as if to interrupt his spell casting, Kariel grabbed the man’s wrist and lifted it. After observing him for a few seconds, he casually carved out the man’s entire arm.

However, this happened so quickly from a normal perspective that a third party would have found it difficult to even guess what had occurred.

Truly, he had appeared abruptly as if sprouting from the ground and swiftly taken control of the situation.

“You, you! W-what have you just done…?”

The follower who was spitting out words as if protesting or demanding answers became rigid like a frog frozen before a snake the moment his eyes met Kariel’s.

“……”

Kariel slowly walked over and placed his hand on the man’s shoulder.

“……”

Then, after scanning the other men around, he approached each one and placed his hand on their shoulders one by one.

“What are you all doing?! Are you just going to leave him be?!”

The young man who had belatedly struggled to his feet shouted, flailing his right arm.

The commotion naturally captured the attention of those nearby.

Nevertheless, the surroundings remained peculiarly quiet.

As if deliberately trying to ignore the violence that followed, as if intentionally turning away.

The surrounding anxiety of people looking away, thinking they would be fine as long as it wasn’t them, was clearly conveyed to Mines as well.

However, was something different this time?

A child who had cautiously peeked out from a small alley timidly gathered courage to look out with eyes filled with fear.

“……”

In just the brief moment Mines had looked away,

the four men who had been accompanying the young man and causing trouble were now rolling on the ground.

More precisely, they were each missing one ankle and one wrist.

Screams forcibly tore through the miserable silence of the area.

“Who the hell are you?! How dare you do this! Do you think you’ll get away with this?! I, I’ll…”

Kariel simply stared at him without saying a word.

“Ugh, urk! Kuk!”

Overwhelmed by the pressure, the young man began to hiccup, then dry heave, turning pale before starting to vomit.

“I am contemplating right now.”

At that point,

Kariel began to speak emotionlessly.

“I have no right to judge anyone. However, is preventing the sins you would commit in the future helping you, or helping those who would be harmed by you?”

“Cut the crap! What are you, some sage? A saint?! What right do you have to tell me what to do?!”

“Silence.”

Despite his outburst, with just one word from Kariel, the young man’s face turned blue again, suppressed by the pressure.

The strange thing was that despite arms being severed and some having lost ankles and wrists, there was no bleeding.

Regardless of whether pain was being felt or not.

“They say karma comes full circle. In a way, your sins might be returning the punishment that was meant for them.”

“……”

“But this doesn’t suit me.”

After reciting in a somewhat mysterious tone, Kariel returned to his usual self.

“I’m certain you won’t repent. Nevertheless, if by chance you could… you might improve somewhat. But I don’t expect it. I’ll be in this country for a while, so if you desire revenge, come find me. I’ll welcome you gladly.”

Then Kariel nodded as if to say the matter was finished and they should leave.

“……”

Mines instinctively considered whether to kill him or clean up afterward.

But when Kariel shook his head after meeting his eyes, Mines simply continued to observe.

In the end, the young man staggered and collapsed onto his own vomit.

Leaving behind the followers who had completely lost their wits and slumped to the ground,

Kariel picked up the staggering dog and the sprawled girl with one hand.

The dog lunged as if to bite his hand, but Kariel received it without any concern.

The dog opened its jaws as if to bite, pushing them against his arm, but ultimately it could only open its mouth wide without being able to clamp down firmly.

Kariel slightly moved his lips, signaling to Mines.

====

My knowledge has certainly broadened.

Compared to the Empire, this place is a disaster.

And now,

it’s time to accomplish the purpose for which I set foot here with a clear goal.

As they turned into an alley and vaguely recognized building styles and streets similar to the rough map, the building they were to enter also came into view.

No matter how much it had fallen into a slum area, this district wasn’t originally a place that would be called a slum.

But perhaps due to lack of maintenance, garbage and filth remained intact in corners and the middle of the road, seemingly continuing to accumulate, harden, and get squashed repeatedly.

As a result, the stench was beyond imagination… but neither Kariel nor Mines showed any particular discomfort.

Eventually, they stood before the entrance of a two-story stone building.

In terms of having wooden pillars and roof frames, it wasn’t much different from surrounding buildings.

What mattered was that it was a two-story building and appeared at least three times larger than other houses.

The area around here was somewhat cleaner, showing some semblance of environmental management.

Mines stepped forward and knocked on the red-painted wooden door with his fist.

After a moment, the door opened and a beastkin with perked ears cautiously poked out his head.

A reddish-brown beastkin with a head resembling a fox among the canine species quickly scanned Mines, Kariel, and the child who looked like a slum dweller and the disheveled dog with his yellowish pupils, then grabbed his nose with his blackened claws and furry hand.

“Why did you bring that?”

An expression treating them more like objects than persons.

Before Mines could look to Kariel for an answer, Kariel calmly retorted.

“Is there a problem?”

“…No. Not exactly a problem.”

Though appearing ordinary, Kariel possessed a unique atmosphere that implicitly rendered those around him powerless, colorless.

It wasn’t coercion, force, threat, or intimidation.

…It was like the vast night sky spread without a single point of light.

With nothing to rely on—no lighthouse, starlight, or moonlight.

Pale and darkly discolored, yet its scale and depth were impossible to gauge.

Like a bottomless lake or river.

It was profoundly bleak.

Thus.

It wasn’t a giant beast, predator, monster, or threatening creature.

Like nature itself, something that existed yet whose existence had been deliberately denied, like a vast abyss.

It simply existed, revealing its presence.

Yet for some unknown reason, one felt overwhelmed by it.

Even Mines himself felt this way, so for ordinary people…

As if entranced, yet unable to control his trembling, the beastkin flung the door open.

Following his awkward guidance, they entered.

“Should you leave them over here?”

Following the beastkin’s words, Kariel set down the dog and child in a corner.

Then they went down the stairs again.

At the bottom of another flight,

A space reminiscent of a warehouse or a large empty room appeared.

It was neither a room nor a cell, but simply an empty space.

Among the furniture placed as if to fill the emptiness, a rectangular wooden desk and several wooden chairs stood out prominently.

Thanks to several oil lamps installed on the walls, the interior wasn’t too dark, but the light couldn’t encompass the entire space.

Nevertheless.

There were faces quite familiar even to Mines.

And some unfamiliar faces as well.

“It’s an honor to meet you.”

A man who formally greeted someone who was essentially his nephew’s age.

When he opened his eyes, his pale eyes gleamed coldly, resembling those of a snake.

Seeing this, Mines let out a shallow sigh.

Meanwhile, Kariel…

“Rupert, is it?”

Calmly uttered his name as if he had seen him before.

His white hair reflecting the light and eyes resembling those of a snake.

For some unknown reason, except for a line splitting the center, everything else was dyed white, or rather, abnormally pale.

Even an old corpse wouldn’t have such eyes.

It was abnormal.

“Have you met before?”

The one leaning against a wall, Venus, shifted his gaze from Mines to Kariel and asked.

“……”

Kariel glanced at him and then pointed to his eyes and the space between his brows in sequence.

“What do you mean?”

Venus didn’t understand.

“If you already know, that makes things faster. Rather than standing here talking…”

Userph, who cut in with a small chuckle while smoothing his rough hair, tried to show a friendly smile.

“I heard from Grandeus. He said he left it with you?”

Kariel ignored him and asked Rupert directly.

“What do you mean by ‘heard’? Did you meet him in person? How?”

“I’m the one asking questions.”

Kariel narrowed his eyes at Rupert’s counter-question.

“If you know the future, then answer this. Do you die here, or do you live?”

“Hmm…”

“Th-that’s quite a threatening statement.”

Userph tried to intervene, attempting to change the subject as if in embarrassment, but Kariel didn’t even consider it.

“You, shut up for now. You’re next in line, so speak when it’s your turn.”

Though his tone was calm, it was infinitely sharp.

Rather, the calmness, as if emotions had been stripped away, made it more uncanny.

“I see.”

And, as if finding something to understand in that attitude, Rupert’s snake eyes distorted into a curve.

“The future I glimpse is extremely limited and restricted. But at some point, I couldn’t see anymore. I wondered why, but so that was the reason.”

“……”

A black foreign substance naturally flowed from Kariel’s hand.

Even in the darkness, it formed a strangely vivid presence.

Like blackness within blackness.

How, in the darkness, was it so extremely dark yet so distinctly eye-catching?

“What’s this? Was today’s schedule an execution?”

Venus showed no particular reaction to the sight.

As if he had somewhat anticipated this outcome.

“Is this where my fate ends?”

“……”

“Since I contributed to deceiving someone’s life, perhaps that’s fitting. I accept it.”

He spread his arms and took a step toward the approaching Kariel.

“Come on, willingly!”

“……”

Kariel…

Unhesitatingly swung his sword toward the man’s head, toward his face.

More precisely, a jet-black sword in the shape of a blade.

“Rupert!”

Before Userph could react with his sluggish body,

the black trajectory clearly swept horizontally across his eyes.

“……”

“……”

Kariel, as if his business was now finished, immediately approached Userph.

“No need to speak. Excuses are unnecessary.”

Because I can see.

Kariel placed his hand on Userph’s shoulder.

Although Userph was larger and more massive in build,

somehow, he was engulfed in the illusion of being crushed by the presence of the youth, the young man before him.

Above all,

what meaning this act of placing a hand on his shoulder held…

He did not know.

“I see.”

After a few seconds had passed like that.

Even as cold sweat drenched his body after breaking into a nervous sweat,

Userph’s gaze was fixed on Rupert standing behind Kariel.

‘Is he dead?’

There was no response.

But if he was cut by the sword… no, was this even a cut?

Moreover, since the sword had swept across his head, he surely couldn’t have survived.

“I’m alive.”

Thanks to Rupert who calmly lowered his arms and turned around, Userph was filled with bewilderment.

More than that,

the snake eyes that symbolized him had somehow disappeared.

All that remained were two pale eyes.

“You’re taking back what you entrusted. Is taking my sight along with it the extent of my punishment? Is that the price you judge for my sins?”

“It’s not for me to decide.”

Kariel said, removing his hand from Userph’s shoulder.

Turning his head to face his now-blind eyes,

he spoke again.

“Not even for yourself.”

Then.

“But your case is different.”

There was a small hint of malice in Kariel’s gaze as he looked at Userph.

“You’re one of the main culprits who troubled me, so what should I do with you?”

“That…”

Where could the information have leaked?

No, that’s not what’s important.

Hadn’t he somewhat anticipated this outcome?

However…

“You prepared for death and even settled your affairs. Yet you came to see me on your own? You were hoping for a lucky break. Your heart is full of ‘what ifs.’ That’s the kind of person you are.”

“……”

He sees through everything.

Moreover, he even knew about the settled affairs?

This was something he hadn’t even told Rupert.

Though Rupert might have guessed if he hadn’t been told, it would still be just a guess.

Unless he had glimpsed Userph’s own future, he couldn’t be certain.

Why does this person, whom he’s meeting for the first time, speak with such certainty?

“At least you have a conscience.”

“What?”

Suddenly his body tilted.

…?

By the time he noticed, everything below his right knee had vanished.

“Be grateful for the many dependents you have.”

Also.

“And that the many unintended good deeds you performed due to your useless beliefs have saved you now.”

“……”

“However, with debts piled up like mountains, your life and good fortune hang by a thread.”

His leg disappeared without any awareness of being cut or severed.

What kind of magic was this?

…It’s different from Grandeus’s.

Above all, Grandeus had never used force preemptively against an unarmed opponent.

“Don’t compare him and me on the same level.”

Userph flinched as if his inner thoughts had been pierced again.

“It’s because he wanted to be different from me that I am who I am today.”

A pitiful and regrettable being who, having glimpsed the future, became enslaved to fate.

He, who by his own assessment was a dropout, had therefore drawn a clear line for his successor not to follow such a path.

“Whatever you do henceforth is not my concern. Know this: do not cross the line. Do not commit evil deeds. Do not be greedy, and do not be arrogant. If you break this, your future lives will be extremely unfortunate, and this will continue undiminished even after death.”

It sounded like a pronouncement.

“If you don’t like that, then don’t even mention, bring up, or think about nonsense like the Relief Knights or Grandeus from now on.”

From today.

“Your roles are over. Live your own lives. Never deceive someone else’s life again.”

If you truly don’t want to die miserably and be crushed even after death.

“From now on, live serving those who are not yourselves. It doesn’t need to be me. And that will be your absolution, and if you deny it… the consequence will make death seem merciful.”

Extremely one-sidedly.

Letters of light were engraved in the air.

“I have newly revised that useless oath you pledged to Grandeus. It’s your freedom to forget or engrave what I just said. But you must bear the responsibility for the consequences yourselves.”

“…Wait. Does that apply to me too? I’m different from these bastards, right?”

Venus interjected suspiciously.

“……”

Kariel shrugged.

“You didn’t listen to what I said.”

If you don’t like it, drop all this Relief Knights nonsense.

What an idiot, making a fuss when I’m offering to remove the leash.

“You talk in such a complicated way.”

“Heh heh…”

At Venus’s grumbling, Rupert let out a deflated laugh.

“If that’s what you wished for, gladly.”

Rupert slowly knelt down.

It wasn’t so much directed at Kariel,

but as if he were doing so to the one he used to follow in ancient times.

He showed extreme respect.