Ch.204Epilogue.(3)

# The City of Machina, the Continent’s Technological Marvel

The Free City of Machina, boasting the continent’s most advanced technology.

As much as technology had developed, there were many incidents that precariously crossed the line between legal and illegal, and the city’s leaders needed someone who could handle such unlawful matters.

That’s when the Master of Dark appeared.

True to his name as the lord of darkness, he was a legendary figure not only among the social elite but also among assassins.

Not only was he skilled, but the organization he controlled was so vast that it had established roots throughout the continent.

He was even powerful enough to be counted among the key figures of the “Great War” despite being an assassin.

“Mister. I have a question. Does the Master of Dark live here?”

So, it wasn’t unusual for the gatekeepers of the outer branch to hear such questions from a young boy.

The problem was the word “mister” and the fact that they were hardened killers.

“Kehehehe…! You do look fucking old.”

“…Damn it. This kid must be crazy.”

The muscular giant spoke with an irritated voice. He put on thick leather gloves on both hands, then grabbed the boy by the scruff of his neck without hesitation. His colleague snickered at the sight.

“Clean up properly. If the kid’s body is discovered, we’re done for.”

The giant headed toward a dark alley where not even light entered. Most of the children living in the outskirts were orphans without any connections, but just to be safe, he took the boy to a secluded alley.

Obviously, it was to deal with him quietly.

‘…Why isn’t he screaming?’

The giant wondered briefly. Normally, the boy should be struggling and crying by now, but he wasn’t even showing signs of fear. Instead, he was smiling brightly like a child going on a picnic.

‘…Something feels off.’

But he had already declared he would teach this disrespectful brat a lesson. The giant frowned momentarily, then threw the boy down to the ground.

“Mister. Aren’t you going to draw your knife?”

“…”

He definitely wasn’t normal. The giant clicked his tongue and cracked his knuckles. The cracking sound echoed ominously through the alley.

“You’ll need a knife.”

The boy giggled as he sat on a trash can.

“This crazy kid…!”

After repeated provocations, the giant could no longer hold back and grabbed for the boy’s neck. Or rather, tried to.

‘…Huh?’

He was certain he had grabbed the boy’s neck. At least, that’s what he thought. But his wrist was cleanly severed, contradicting that belief.

Slash…!

Before the giant’s wrist even hit the ground, his consciousness had already left this world.

The boy, or rather, Cain, withdrew his scythe with a grin. His reason for coming here was simple. To meet the Master of Dark, one of the people who had reduced Olivia to that state.

Of course, he wasn’t just looking to have a conversation.

Whether the Master of Dark was hiding well or if he had approached carelessly, seven years had already passed due to various circumstances.

“Huh? Why are you…”

The gatekeeper who was leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette was shocked. Where had the big guy gone, and why was this unknown kid returning alone?

Before he could conclude that the boy was no ordinary child, his consciousness stretched out.

Thud.

A dull sound echoed on the ground. The man fell face-first without uttering a single word.

Cain wiped the blood splattered on his face with his sleeve.

The presence he felt beyond the thick iron door was at least ten people. It seemed there were other surveillance measures in place.

[If possible, don’t kill people.]

For a moment, Olivia’s words came to mind, but Cain paid no heed and swung his scythe horizontally with great force. One slash. That alone was enough to split the iron door like a cracker.

“Ah, ahhh…”

People trembling with their arms and legs severed.

In the past, he would have killed everyone who witnessed the scene. But since “that day,” Cain had never once carried out a massacre. He merely threatened them with his gaze, then drove them out of the scene.

“Hii, hiik…!”

“Ruuuun!”

In truth, he didn’t like any of this. No matter how he thought about it, it would be better to just kill them.

But whenever he thought that way, something deep in his heart burned. Was this what they called conscience? Or if not that, guilt?

‘It’s difficult.’

The words Olivia had left him were too difficult. It was a challenging task, but Cain tried his best to keep his promise.

To kill as few as possible if he could help it. This was the result.

‘Those who strike first, and the bad ones.’

He spared everyone else as much as possible.

Cain twisted his body greatly and swung his scythe. The slash dug into the floor. The building vibrated wildly, and only then did the assassins who noticed the intruder’s presence pounce.

‘It’s too difficult, Olivia.’

He couldn’t tell who was okay to kill. The Serial Murderer took a step back and glared at the assassins.

There was no fear in their eyes. Nor did they seem angry. If anything…

They were the same kind as him.

Slash…!

The entire corridor gradually turned crimson. Starting with the assassin at the front being bisected, they began to be dismembered one by one in an instant. Yet they didn’t scream.

They used each other as shields, threw daggers and hidden weapons, sprayed poison mist, and held knives to necks.

But that was all.

“…Which organization sent you?”

The last one said such words. He was skilled enough to block one of his attacks.

“You don’t need to know.”

“This is where the Master of Dark resides… He will come up soon. No matter how strong you are, against him…”

Cain clicked his tongue and beheaded the last assassin.

He immediately took the elevator to the deepest underground level.

‘Strange.’

Even spreading his ki sense to the maximum, he couldn’t feel the presence of other people. Logically, the people he had just dealt with couldn’t have been all of them.

‘Unless someone got here before me.’

Ding.

The moment the door opened, Cain’s suspicion turned to certainty.

Dozens, if not hundreds, of assassins were sprawled randomly on the floor.

Judging by the rise and fall of their chests, they weren’t dead. Yes, literally “not dead.”

As Cain narrowed his eyes to examine his surroundings…

Boom!

A massive sound shook the underground. Cain startled and rose to his feet. He spread his aura around to determine the cause of this sound.

‘The room at the end of the front corridor.’

Instantly reaching the door, Cain hesitated before the doorknob. Despite spreading his ki sense to the maximum, he couldn’t detect who was beyond the door.

Who could have done this?

Cain carefully turned the doorknob with a face full of caution.

And he saw.

“…Princess?”

Why was the princess here? No, before that, where was the Master of Dark? Cain rolled his eyes slightly, searching for the Master of Dark who might be somewhere.

Finding the Master of Dark wasn’t difficult. In the middle of the chaotic office floor, a man was lying face down, barely alive.

“Kruk… kruruk…”

Seeing the Master of Dark occasionally foaming at the mouth, Cain involuntarily flinched.

“Uh… uhh…”

He didn’t know what to do. Faced with a situation he hadn’t anticipated at all, Cain could only roll his eyes without doing anything. If the princess had shown hostility towards him, the situation would have been clearer, but since that wasn’t the case, it was difficult to make a judgment.

“I just implanted painful memories, that’s all.”

“…Are you going to do that to me too?”

“No.”

Aria slowly shook her head.

“…Why are you doing this?”

After pondering deeply, Aria eventually closed her mouth. No matter how she thought about it…

She couldn’t answer, “Because he committed sins without repenting.”

She wasn’t righteous enough to say that.

“…”

So she remained silent. Aria glanced at the Master of Dark, who was trembling all over. She wasn’t contemplating how to inflict more humiliation. She was just realizing once again that all “executions” were over as she looked at the Master of Dark.

Eryas, Dryad, Carthian, Rebel, Devilhunter… and now the Master of Dark.

Not all of them ended up in such a pathetic state like the Master of Dark or Eryas, but they would never be able to live normal lives again.

It was she who had sent them to hell. Not Olivia.

[…The end of one who blames themselves is ultimately destruction. No matter how strong, they eventually break. You should know this, yet you’re doing this.]

It wasn’t wrong.

But.

At least she had no intention of breaking now.

Aria pointed at the writhing Master of Dark and said,

“Are you going to kill him?”

“…I originally planned to, but that desire has completely disappeared.”

Cain was sincere. He instinctively sensed it. Whatever memory Aria had implanted in the Master of Dark, it wasn’t something that could be easily shaken off.

Even if he did shake it off, he would suffer for the rest of his life.

‘Then there’s no need to kill him.’

Because living would probably be more painful.

Just as he thought that…

“You’ve really done it this time. I came just in case… what a mess this is.”

A voice from the corridor. The problem was that the voice was very familiar to Cain.

“…!!”

Cain blinked his eyes incessantly. The hand holding the scythe wandered aimlessly in the air.

Bang…!

“Hey! How long do I have to clean up after you… huh?”

A moment of silence. Neither Aurelia, who had opened the door and entered, nor Aria spoke, just staring at each other. Cain was the first to speak, in a very cautious tone.

“I didn’t do this. Really.”

“…It seems that way.”

For a moment, Aurelia’s brow twitched slightly. Then she let out a slightly deflated sigh.

“…Princess, did you do this?”

“Yes.”

Aurelia examined Aria’s eyes with a serious gaze.

No matter how many times she looked, it was the same. She was definitely the princess.

‘This bastard, instead of stopping the princess from doing such things…!’

Her head throbbed.

Aurelia spoke to the Emperor who would be watching from within the princess.

“Hey, come out. Let’s talk for a bit.”

“…You’ll have to talk through me right now.”

“Why? You don’t want to talk to me now?”

After hesitating for a moment, Aria slowly opened her mouth.

“It’s almost time for you to leave.”

“…”

Aurelia’s face slowly hardened.