Ch.52Easter Egg

1.

“…This energy.”

It all began when I sensed Mother’s energy while monitoring the entire Gardner territory.

“I tried… to hide it, but now that you’ve… noticed first, I don’t know… what to do.”

“Ah…”

Hestia pretended to be kind, and

“I wonder if the priest can endure having someone as unfortunate as me by his side?”

“I can endure…”

“Ah…”

Asha also deceived me, but Selena could tell.

‘Surely this man…’

…killed Mother.

Nothing else could explain it.

The faint trace of Mother’s energy lingering on his body, her trembling hands as she got closer, the reason why her <Analysis> didn’t work on him.

It must all be because he wasn’t ‘human,’ but rather some ‘suspicious entity’ that killed Mother.

“Is it over?”

“Yes!! Thank you, Selena!! After finishing the remaining family matters, I’ll return!!”

“…Never mind, tell Asha I’m going out for a while.”

“Alright!! Don’t worry!!”

That’s why today, once everything was settled, she came looking for this man without delay.

She hid in the darkest shadow based on the location Asha had told her, but

“…Selena?”

Her position was immediately discovered.

Since he was clearly suspicious, she got straight to the point without dragging things out.

“I’ll keep this brief. What did you do to my mother… no, to the criminal Mother?”

“Why are you asking me that?”

He told a despicable lie.

“You’d better answer properly. No matter how much Asha has come to care for you, I might twist your neck depending on your answer.”

Only after she poured out her mana and threatened him did the guy reveal his true colors.

“I sent her away without regrets.”

I knew it, you trash.

Free Priest Ian Red was just a shell, I knew it all along.

“The body… What did you do with the body?”

“There wasn’t one to begin with?”

Look at that wicked, mocking tongue.

Thus convinced, Selena pushed away the sleep that was overwhelming her and declared:

“I’ll kill you.”

“Pardon?”

The startled Nahan exhaled calmly.

“I think there’s a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding?”

“Yes. The moment you arrived, Hero, your mother’s soul came to me. Perhaps what you sensed was that energy.”

“I’ve felt it since before. Since the banquet.”

“Ah, that’s…”

As Selena’s suspicion intensified, Nahan trailed off and racked his brain.

‘She must have heard about my second power through Asha.’

That’s why she withdrew her killing intent immediately after he added an excuse, though she remained suspicious.

‘That suspicion must be because she sensed Mother’s energy from me since the banquet day.’

If that’s the case,

“A few days before the banquet, I received my second power that allows me to communicate with souls. As a result, many souls were drawn to me.”

All he needed to do was create a plausible reason.

“I don’t yet fully understand this power, but it seems that souls with many things they want to say are drawn to me.”

“Are you saying that you didn’t harm my mother, but rather… she came to you after she had already passed away?”

“That seems to be the case.”

“How am I supposed to believe that?”

“Well…”

Nahan hesitated for a moment, then placed his hand on his chest with a faint smile.

“Once my life force returns, I’ll arrange for you two to meet.”

“…Life force, you say.”

“You seem to have heard already. Yes, my second power requires sacrificing a portion of my life to activate.”

Of course, it was a lie.

Both the second power and the life force cost were merely part of Ian Red’s “setting.”

But if most people believe a lie to be truth—like how Korea was believed to be a water-scarce country when it wasn’t—

“Really… So it really wasn’t you?”

It comes to be accepted as truth.

‘And honestly, Mother was killed by Ilsik, not me.’

In a way, there was no lie about “Mother” herself.

Nahan nodded his head confidently.

His calm and gentle demeanor caused Selena’s anger to subside.

As her anger subsided, reason filled her mind, and she too bowed her head.

“…So that’s how it is.”

Come to think of it, it was an absurd story.

‘Mother was from the 10th rank.’

She wasn’t someone who could be harmed by a person of humble ability who became a Free Priest.

And even if, by some remote chance, the man before her had killed Mother, Selena couldn’t blame him.

After all, she was also a special wanted criminal of the Empire.

If someone had killed her, she, as a hero, couldn’t blame them for it.

Rather, she would have to praise them, saying they did well, that they were the true hero.

If another evil had eliminated Mother, she could hunt them down and annihilate them, but if by some chance a good person had punished Mother…

‘…I…’

Would have to praise their achievement without being able to do anything.

But,

-Selena, you know. You’re the only moonlight that brightened your mother’s dark life.

-Wow, really!?

-Has your mother ever lied to you?

-No!

-That’s right.

How could I do that?

-My beautiful daughter. I would do anything for you.

-…Mom.

-So, don’t worry and sleep well. When you wake up after this long nightmare…

I am still Mother’s daughter, and

-I’ll make sure only happiness awaits you.

-…Yes, Mom.

Mother is still my mother.

Reddening eyes,

A tingling bridge of the nose,

Blurring vision.

As Selena, who had unconsciously staggered and sat down, trembled, Nahan approached her and, as if having made a decision, took her hand and whispered:

“I still need more time to recover, but for your sake, Hero, I’ll go and hear at least a word.”

“…What?”

“Please wait a moment.”

Another gentle smile.

Despite having threatened him rashly due to her emotions and insecurities,

The man was saying he would burn his own life to help her let go of her lingering attachment.

Only then did Selena realize.

-Ian Red, you say!! He’s a good man!!

-Fascinating.

-He’s someone who should be our priority to protect, a sanctuary for our heroes.

The reason why everyone in the Light spoke so well of Ian Red.

Meanwhile,

‘If I modify just a tiny part of Black Curtain to resemble Mother’s, would it feel like Mother really visited? Is it possible? If it’s now, it should be possible.’

Behind his faint smile, Nahan was always the same, plotting his own survival.

And so, a moment later.

【Activating <Black Curtain(Ex)>.】

【Adjusting rank.】

【Activating <Black Curtain(S-)>.】

An aura similar to <Mother>’s flowed from Nahan’s body, and after choosing his words for a while, he reached out a trembling hand toward Selena.

“Selena, my beloved daughter.”

A brief moment of reunion began.

2.

Selena.

A woman who was separated from her parents due to an incurable disease of unknown origin, <Eternal Nightmare>.

100 years?

200 years?

Perhaps thousands of years?

Literally, during the eternal time of repeating nightmares, the only memory that didn’t fade was of her father who lost his life when she was young, and

-Selena. My beautiful daughter.

-Mom!

Her mother who always protected her.

Though her face has faded and can’t be clearly recalled anymore, some parts remained vivid.

-I’m going to be a strong mercenary like Mom!

Her cheerful self shouting, and

-Haha! When you can’t even do a sit-up?

-That’s not true!? I can do one now!?

-Even an E-rank mercenary can easily do 100.

-Uh…

Her ash-haired mother looking at her as if she adored her to death.

Although we lost Father early, we were always happy.

But then I got sick.

-Oh, Mom, I…

A disease where, after dozing off, I would suffer from endless nightmares.

-An incurable disease?

-I’m sorry. The periods between waking will gradually lengthen, and eventually…

-No… That can’t be right…!! She’s never even had a cold!!

That day, I saw it for the first time.

My mother, always brave and spirited, trembling with fear.

That’s why, whenever I managed to overcome the nightmare and wake up, I pretended to be cheerful and asked:

-Mom! Don’t I seem a bit better?

-Yes, my daughter.

Even though I suspected it wasn’t true, and was therefore terribly afraid.

-Right! I need to train as soon as I get better. Even if I start late, I can become like Mom someday, right?

-Yes. Of course.

I smiled at her again and again, hoping that Mom wouldn’t be sad.

But the disease only worsened as expected, showing no signs of improvement.

Hair growing longer each time I fell asleep and woke up, a noticeably higher viewpoint, a grown body that felt alien to me.

While Selena was trapped in nightmares, walking in place, time outside flowed mercilessly.

Maybe once or twice more.

After that, I would never wake up again.

‘…Yes. Perhaps.’

Closing my eyes and dying like this might be the best choice for me, for Mom.

Around the time I instinctively realized this, Mom brought good news.

-…Is that true?

-Yes. In exchange for employing me for life, they agreed to take care of everything. So Selena, don’t worry and just rest.

Mom’s face, though a faded memory, looked so sad as she said this that Selena unconsciously opened her mouth, but

-…Mom. If it’s too hard.

-Quiet. Don’t… don’t say anything more.

-…Yes. I’m sorry.

She only left behind greater sorrow.

But that day was the second-to-last sleep.

As the nightmares repeated, the time to wake up was delayed, so Selena reached out to convey the words she had recalled, but

-…Sleep well, my daughter.

She fell asleep without being able to reach her.

-Mo…ther…

In the blurred nightmare, the only clear thing was the one phrase she couldn’t deliver.

“Selena, my beloved daughter.”

【Activating <Black Curtain(Ex)>.】

【Adjusting rank.】

【Activating <Black Curtain(S-)>.】

‘It’s Mom. It’s definitely Mom.’

After passing through eternal nightmares, finally facing Mother, Selena reached out with trembling hands, carefully grasped her, and hugged her tightly while whispering:

“I love you, Mom.”

Just that simple phrase, but

“Thank you. For trying so hard for me.”

A phrase all the more poignant because of its simplicity.

And,

【Easter Egg – <Heaven’s Net – Selena> Cleared.】

【Clear Reward: <Guaranteed Enhancement Right(Ex)> is granted.】

‘…Sweet.’

Plus, one man who benefited.