Chapter 39
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Chapter 39
I had suspected there was some connection between the Underworld and House Basilian.
But I never imagined that Jahan, the Master's direct subordinate, would exchange such cordial words with them.
Though Lichesia had spent several years in the Underworld.
She had only encountered Jahan and the Master once during all that time.
It was because Jahan rarely took direct action himself.
Whenever Jahan moved, it was either because the Master had issued a command.
Or because an incident significant enough to reach the Master's ears had occurred.
Chesa had only met Jahan because of that major incident when Hailon revealed himself as a Holy Knight and invaded the Underworld.
Yet here they were, sending Jahan for a mere skirmish like this, and engaging in such familiar conversation....
It was at this moment, as Chesa's sense of reason crumbled, that she found herself speechless.
"If it were just the two of you, I might overlook it. But you have companions. This time, I cannot let it slide so easily."
Jahan declared this in a flat tone.
Karha and Ishuel simultaneously let out groans of distress.
"We're caught?"
"We must be caught...."
While the two of them groaned, Jahan's gaze turned toward Chesa.
His eyes were covered with cloth, so I couldn't discern his expression clearly.
But for some reason.
Chesa sensed that he held considerable goodwill toward her.
His demeanor was strikingly different from when she had faced him as Lichesia—so unfamiliar it bordered on awkward.
Could it be that they were identical twins, and this was Jahan's other brother?
She even entertained this absurd thought for a moment.
She still didn't fully understand what was happening.
But cultivating the goodwill he seemed to hold toward her would prove advantageous in many ways.
Deliberating under his gaze, she decided to greet him first.
"Hello...?"
The moment she offered this small greeting.
The grumbling twins snapped their mouths shut, and Jahan, who had been staring blankly, slightly parted his lips.
After a moment of silence.
The twins rushed forward, shrieking with delight.
"Oh my, the baby said hello!"
"Don't greet strange people so carelessly, little sister!"
She had only said a single "hello," yet they unleashed a torrent of ten times as much nagging.
Her ears were practically burning.
'And they were just having a perfectly fine conversation!'
They were only making a fuss over Chesa.
Chesa fluttered her small hands, trying to calm the two of them.
"Wait, the more I see that one...."
"Don't look! Don't look at our baby!!"
"From now on, don't just cover my eyes—cover my entire face!"
The two of them made an absolute scene.
To be honest, it was somewhat embarrassing.
Fortunately, Jahan paid no attention to the twins' reaction.
Ignoring them, he stepped closer to Chesa.
Ishuel, who held Chesa in his arms, displayed an expression of clear irritation, but Jahan remained unmoved.
"It is an honor to make your acquaintance."
Jahan placed a hand over his heart and offered a light bow in greeting.
"I am Jahan."
Upon hearing his name, the well-mannered child Chesa offered hers in return.
"I'm Chesa! Chesa Basilian."
The twins both drew down the corners of their mouths in identical expressions of displeasure.
Chesa disliked conversing with Jahan.
And surprisingly, Jahan—who had shown subtle favor—seemed equally uninterested in prolonging their exchange.
"It has been a pleasure to meet you. However, I would prefer not to meet again."
Wasn't it normal in such circumstances to suggest meeting again?
Perhaps it was because he was from the Underworld—his way of thinking was peculiar.
Chesa tilted her head in confusion.
"You don't like me?"
"No, that is not it."
Jahan immediately denied it, adding softly.
"Seeing me brings no good fortune. This introduction today will be the first and last."
It was a brief statement, not particularly long.
Yet within those words lay a deep-rooted emotion that resonated acutely.
Self-loathing.
I hadn't meant to glimpse it, but the moment I did, I was taken aback.
Chesa couldn't help but be surprised.
'I never would have guessed he was like this.'
Because he conducted himself as though stripped of emotion, I had assumed he was indifferent to everything.
Somehow, I felt a little sorry for him.
Chesa spoke to him kindly.
"But I think you'll be nice next time! Let's say hello again next time, okay?"
"...."
Jahan fell silent.
He parted his lips as though to speak, but soon closed them again.
And immediately, he withdrew.
"Now, please return home."
Jahan vanished as suddenly as he had appeared.
Only the twins and Chesa remained on the dusty street, where dirt swirled in the air.
***
The whip was ordinarily smooth-surfaced, but when Jahan willed it, it transformed into something sharp as a hook.
When needed, it became an excellent killing weapon that could burrow into an opponent's flesh and tear it away.
"Ahhhhh, please, spare me, ahhh!"
Jahan pursued the Slave Hunters fleeing in trails of blood with an impassive gaze.
With each crack of the whip, the hunters lost the arms and legs they needed to escape.
Rendering dozens of men incapable of combat or flight—his movements were utterly detached.
In the hands that tore flesh and spilled blood, there was no hesitation whatsoever.
To any observer, it was an overwhelming scene of the strong crushing the weak.
Yet Jahan sensed he wasn't as focused as usual.
His mind was cluttered with stray thoughts.
He'd been hearing the stories for some time now.
A newly adopted infant in the House of Basilian.
An anomalous presence with pink eyes alone in a place filled with nothing but red ones.
A small flower blooming in the Black Serpent Forest.
A faint curiosity had taken root in him, and deep down, he'd wanted to catch a glimpse.
He'd believed himself—one who must live only in shadow—would never encounter such a being in his lifetime.
Yet thanks to the twins' reckless actions, he'd seen her face.
That alone would have been enough to make him grateful.
"A-hello...?"
Those small lips moving awkwardly, offering a tiny greeting.
He'd never imagined he would receive a greeting brimming with goodwill.
"Even so, if we meet again, it'll be nice!"
That smiling face was as harmless and tender as a sprout unfurling in spring.
The small child, composed entirely of innocence, offered nothing but kindness.
"Let's say hello again next time."
How long had it been since someone asked to see him again?
Since his eyes were covered twenty years ago, it seemed like the first time.
She was still a young child who understood nothing.
Even knowing her words were thoughtless and merely spoken in passing, my heart couldn't help but race.
The emotion I felt for the first time in ages was joy.
In the Underworld, I am a symbol of calamity.
An existence deemed misfortune, ill luck, and inauspiciousness.
That I had inevitably met a precious young lady was already a sinister affair in itself.
I must not meet her again.
I must not even wish for such a thing.
Yet knowing full well, I found myself unconsciously imagining our reunion.
Because someone who smiles at me is so rare....
Wanting to see her just once more was something I couldn't help.
....
Jahan withdrew his whip.
All the Slave Hunters who had attacked the Basilian Estate's twin young masters and the child had become nothing but writhing masses of blood on the ground.
As I steadied my breathing, I heard leisurely footsteps approaching.
The man walking down the blood-soaked alley wore an immaculate suit that seemed utterly out of place in this dingy back street.
Leaning on a cane in one hand, he hummed a mangled lullaby.
The melody was off-key and the rhythm was wrong, yet he sang it with carefree delight.
"Master."
Jahan called out to him softly.
The man who approached chuckled and asked.
"Cute, isn't she?"
There was no need to ask whom he meant.
Jahan answered while recalling the pink-eyed baby with cheeks as lovely as apples.
"Yes."
At the unhesitating reply, the man burst into laughter.
After laughing pleasantly for a moment, the man slowly surveyed his surroundings.
"Just ordinary Slave Hunters. I was hoping for more."
At the man's grumbling that there would be no need for interrogation, Jahan dropped to one knee.
His trousers were drenched with blood, but he paid it no mind and bowed his head.
"My apologies."
"Oh, I wasn't reproaching you."
The man gently patted Jahan's head.
Jahan lowered his eyes at the touch.
At the display of perfect obedience, the man smiled faintly.
"I'll handle the cleanup."
He snapped his fingers together.
A crisp finger snap echoed through the alley.
And after a brief silence.
Red blood fountained up from all directions.
The grayish-brown walls were instantly drenched in dark crimson.
The man who had claimed dozens of lives in an instant gazed upon the brutal spectacle with emotionless eyes.
Jahan slowly rose to his feet.
The man brushed back his slightly disheveled hair and asked casually.
"What about the woman?"
"Her whereabouts have been unknown since then."
"Hmm... She's not the type to stay quiet like that."
The man, who had been lost in thought while tapping the cane in his hand with his fingers, finally spoke.
"Find out where she is and what she's doing."
"Yes, Master."
"A fairy whom the esteemed Heretic Inquisitor himself has come to meet, after all..."
He spoke with delight, standing upon the blood-soaked ground.
"There will surely be a use for you soon enough."
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org