Chapter 62 – ???

Droplets begin to rise.

Like countless bubbles that swell and burst.

Emerging in an instant, subsiding in a moment.

Amid those innumerable bubbles.

A slender finger touches a single droplet.

Then.

Peers into it.

……

When barren branches grow dense and forests and valleys become lush,

It suggests the absence of human intervention.

The wind cuts through the darkness like a blade, bending and breaking branches that had struggled to flourish,

And even snaps the trunks of shallow-rooted trees in two.

While spring may visit the inland regions, even that feels arduous in this place.

Carrying a bundle of broken branches like a burden on his back, he headed deeper into the valley.

A small cabin stood at his destination.

After setting down the branches to be used as firewood, he moved toward a spot somewhat apart from the cabin and scooped partially frozen river water into an earthen jar.

He repeated this process several times, carrying the jars back and forth.

And with that, dawn passed.

Even so, it was still early morning.

But as always, the forest morning was bitterly cold and oppressively dark.

Having completed his basic preparations, he diligently gathered his hunting tools.

Moving easily through forest paths and between trees, he arrived at a trap and swiftly extinguished the faint life remaining in a small trapped animal.

With practiced hands, he separated hide from flesh.

After draining the blood and removing the entrails, scattering them about, he set up another baited trap.

Then moved on again.

Using snow, sand, and earth to mask the scent of blood,

When the wind blew strong, the beasts’ keen sense of smell would easily detect him.

So he tried to always approach from downwind, but nature’s capricious temperament rarely cooperated.

When that happened, all he could do was accept it.

Even so,

The only creatures caught in his traps were small prey.

To satisfy his meager needs, he even resorted to digging out the insect larvae burrowed inside certain tree barks.

By the time the sun began to penetrate deep into the forest, he returned to the cabin.

Opening the door and stepping inside with practiced ease, he surveyed the interior, so empty it felt hollow, and drew a deep breath.

He sat down vacantly, pushing firewood into the barren hearth and lighting a fire.

Then he seated himself in a nearby chair, silently observing the scene.

That’s when,

The door opened, and someone entered.

“I’m back.”

The man remained still for a moment before turning his gaze in that direction.

But.

Nothing was visible.

As if the world itself had fractured, everything warped and distorted.

…There was nothing.

Something had passed through.

But he couldn’t perceive it.

“……”

No, it wasn’t unknowable,

It had simply become unknowable to him.

That’s what it meant.

Where had things begun to go wrong?

He knew.

Countless times—tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of repetitions—he had pondered, recalled, and agonized over it.

Though the conclusion had always been painfully obvious, he wondered if perhaps it wasn’t related to that fact at all.

“……”

Yes.

Perhaps everything had begun to unravel from that moment.

He had accepted Alessia’s proposition.

He had permitted her companionship.

Was that the cause?

As the Demon King had once pointed out, he had grown pitifully weak.

No, so weakened that he couldn’t even recognize his own frailty.

He had become pathetic.

Certainly, whenever crises and trials had appeared, he wasn’t particularly elegant in handling them, but he had somehow managed to overcome them.

But the crucial turning point was,

…In the end, the sword of Grandeus had rejected someone like him.

That was the truth.

Such a minor failure.

And yet somehow, from that point onward, everything had begun to unravel.

All that remained was to flee somewhere distant.

Burying his original goals and contractual obligations deep in the recesses of his memory.

Fully devoted to his escape.

But from where had the rumors spread?

That he had colluded with the Demon King. That he was her successor. All manner of tales circulated.

More and more pursuers began tracking him.

Of course, he defeated them all.

But even that had its limits.

Still, he had managed his hiding well.

He had established a household with Alessia in a distant land, intending to live peacefully.

Even though that life promised a thoroughly wretched future,

At that time, he was simply… too exhausted.

“……”

He added more kindling.

The flames, like predators assessing their prey, gradually consumed the firewood.

Years passed in this manner.

He had a child. Life slowly assumed a rhythm.

Then everything collapsed.

Alessia died. The child was taken.

Since then, he had been driven by the singular obsession of finding his child, scouring every possible location.

As a consequence, he became renowned as a mass murderer, accumulating countless false accusations and infamy.

Now he could hardly set foot anywhere without bringing bloodshed.

…That didn’t matter.

But the child remained unfound.

Not even a trace.

How burdensome it was to have nothing to rely on.

No matter how much he tried to think, no matter how he tried to identify clues,

Where was he supposed to begin?

He had already attempted every method conceivable.

“……”

He added more firewood.

Hunger gnawed at him.

Outside, the light was already beginning to fade.

Blink once, and this is where you end up.

What was he even doing?

Nothing.

…Absolutely nothing.

The Demon King had declared she would take the child, claiming it would be more entertaining that way, before departing.

What had she said back then?

[“A pre-determined escape… Isn’t it miserable when you think about it?”]

No matter how much one attempts to deceive oneself through self-delusion,

The sun still rises. The moon still sets.

“……”

He felt it now.

He had been complacent. He had sought comfort.

That’s what had led to this calamity.

Every tragedy had ultimately stemmed from his own weakness and foolishness.

If not for him, she wouldn’t have met such a fate.

And…

The child wouldn’t have been predestined for such treatment from birth.

“……”

He had to find them.

But where to begin?

That, again, was the insurmountable question.

One he had already asked himself tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of times.

But it never became easier.

It never did.

And so, the sun set, and the moon began to rise.

His body grew older with each passing day.

Yet no motivation stirred within him.

To venture forth again,

Would only mean slaughtering everything that stood in his path once more, enduring all over again.

……

‘…Ch…ild?’

A voice that seemed to echo from afar caused his eyelids to lift involuntarily.

“……”

While still clutching the sword held against his chest, he stepped outside the cabin.

When had he even retrieved it?

He couldn’t recall.

“Huh?”

Opening the door, he was confronted by three strangers: a young man, a girl, and an older man.

Among them, the youth,

His attention was inexorably drawn to him.

Hair as white as drifting snowflakes.

Perhaps it bore a closer resemblance to silver.

Eyes steady and bright as gold.

Even the contours of his face… seemed familiar.

“……”

To perceive fate so vividly in this manner,

It was utterly absurd.

“Are you the occupant of this dwelling?”

The youth inquired with polite formality.

But,

“What is this, a social call to the forest sage? We’re here to find the murderer, remember?”

The girl beside him snapped with evident irritation.

“Ahem!”

The older man cleared his throat meaningfully, perhaps as a warning to mind her conduct.

“……”

What did it matter?

One thing was unmistakable.

“You’re the Hero’s child.”

At that, the red-haired girl smirked.

“Oh? You’re well-informed. Has our Hero’s son achieved fame already?”

“…I told you to stop referring to me that way.”

The white-haired young man frowned, clearly embarrassed.

“I beg your pardon, but we came to confirm whether you are indeed the person we’ve been dispatched to find.”

Despite having clearly perceived something about him,

The older man still maintained his respectful tone.

“……”

He remained silent.

What was he supposed to say?

Your father is also my father.

And you, red-haired child, judging by your clear royal traits, must be of that lineage.

…As for the older man, he couldn’t determine.

“……”

What could he possibly say?

“What is your business here?”

The girl stepped forward assertively.

“If you truly are that notorious butcher, you should face justice. Granted, purging a few corrupt regional lords, guilds, and underworld organizations was commendable… but you went too far with the innocent ones, didn’t you?”

“……”

Innocent, she says.

Perhaps there were some.

But if he had paused to evaluate each person,

When would his blade have swung?

When would the pursuit have continued?

“How did you locate this place?”

“What concern is that of yours?”

The girl’s attitude was the epitome of insolence.

And yet, strangely,

It didn’t irritate him.

Despite being worlds apart from any sense of familiarity or closeness,

It somehow felt…

“……So. What are your intentions?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Either surrender yourself, or if you resist… we’ll start by removing your limbs.”

“Gods, would you stop… haaa…”

The young man pressed his palm to his forehead, visibly frustrated.

“Her words were excessively harsh, but that essentially summarizes our purpose.”

“Don’t you consider that you might be targeting the wrong individual?”

“Your physical characteristics are far too distinctive.”

Long black hair, an average build.

A beard left untrimmed and wild.

“Certainly, black hair is common throughout the Empire… but this isn’t even Imperial territory.”

“…And you’ve come to apprehend me?”

“We were commissioned to do so.”

The red-haired girl interjected again.

“It was my sister-in-law’s direct command. We can’t simply disregard it.”

“…Haah.”

Sister-in-law, you say.

Within the imperial family, the only logical connection would be…

“…You’re from the Enjul branch line.”

The red-haired girl gasped.

“What?! How could you possibly know that?! I never revealed my name or status!”

“……”

That confirmed it.

“…Eras, then.”

It couldn’t be Seras.

And certainly not Elhermina.

In that case… the conclusion was evident.

Even if mistaken, it hardly mattered.

‘Even in this remote location, ill fate manages to find me.’

A bitter laugh escaped him.

And the young man before him,

…Was he not his son?

“Might we not… resolve this through dialogue?”

Perhaps sensing his shift in demeanor, the young man inquired cautiously.

“Then depart. If you never return to this region, I’ll overlook this encounter.”

“What?! Overlook?! Have you lost your mind?!”

The fiery girl took it as a blatant insult.

Flames immediately manifested in her hand and surged toward him,

“Huh?”

Only to dissipate into nothingness.

“……”

So even now,

This ability still persisted.

Appropriately,

“You seem unaware that my death would bring about the Empire’s downfall.”

And not merely the Empire.

At present, I’m nothing more than a vessel, a conduit, a carrier of the curse.

And yet even now, I endure such misery.

The curse hasn’t even fully activated yet.

“Well, proceed as you wish.”

I must rescue my child.

But even if successful, the child’s future would amount to nothing but inheriting this curse I bear.

Perhaps,

…a swift death would be preferable.

No, didn’t the Demon King herself declare it?

That even death would lose all significance.

“……”

I foresaw this tragedy long ago.

So why did I commit such an irrevocable error?

I simply…

‘I merely desired a modicum of peace…’

But that modest wish,

Was far too ambitious.

And now I must endure the consequences, each and every day.

“Come.”

All that remains to me is this wretched sword.

Defeating my father? That holds no significance anymore.

Even now, he stands as the continent’s mightiest warrior, his prime unyielding, untouched by the ravages of time.

And myself?

I’ve grown old. My body has dulled.

Far from my prime, even my spirit,

Dies a little more with each passing day.

This is my fault.

I should have shouldered the burden alone.

But I relied on others, intoxicated by their kindness, their compassion.

…I committed an error too monumental to atone for.

‘I detest it.’

Not even regret surfaces anymore.

I don’t even long to return to those days.

What’s done is done.

And so, I,

“―!!”

Whether I perish by the hands of those who stand before me,

Or am crushed beneath yet another trial,

My end remains inexorably the same.

――

Pop!

The droplet bursts.

And that delicate, elegant finger,

The tip of that fingernail finally applied pressure, forcefully rupturing the droplet.

Perhaps it could have been.

But the story that never materialized,

Just like that,

Vanished without leaving a trace.