The voice of the man throwing out the question was flat, without highs or lows.
This meant that his breath was not disturbed in the slightest.
The man skillfully guided the horse. No matter how fierce the sound of the wind was, his expression remained calm.
He seemed just as accustomed to horseback riding.
Ian also had a knack for riding, but the man’s skill was beyond that.
The more Ian saw him, the more he was a character of unknown origin.
Thus, it took a while before an answer returned to the man’s question.
He was an enigmatic strongman, even the innermost feelings hard to fathom.
No one would want to engage in a conversation with him. Who knew what unforeseen circumstances might transpire?
Eventually, the one who was chosen as the man’s conversation partner was the Saintess.
It was solely because she was seated closest to him.
She let out a deep sigh and raised her voice to avoid being drowned out by the noise.
“Yes, how did you kill it?! When we did, it kept regenerating!”
The man glanced at the Saintess.
He scrutinized her face in silence for a time.
Just when the Saintess was about to feel somewhat displeased, the man finally opened his mouth.
“The power of the evil god used by the Dark Cult distorts reality by manifesting the user’s thoughts.”
It was the first time she had heard such words.
Even the Saintess, who prided herself on her extensive knowledge of the Dark Cult, had never encountered this information.
Perhaps if Yulen, who had to stay at the manor for protection, were present, it would make sense. The rest of the group could only be hearing this for the first time.
The attention of the group turned towards the man.
As the gaze of the Saintess fell on him, the man began to explain in a calm manner.
“Both have the power to distort reality by embodying the user’s mental state. However, the difference is that the power of the evil god can only be obtained through a contract… Miltram was the same.”
His voice pierced through the clatter of hoofbeats.
The longer time passed, the more questions towards the man multiplied.
It was even unclear how he possessed such information.
“He’s been stealing countless bodies to enjoy youth. The body destroyed today is not the true ‘main body’ in the real sense. However, if the power to regenerate and move is a kind of aura, then the countermeasure would naturally be similar to aura.”
Struck by the following words, the Saintess let out a faint gasp.
“…a stronger aura.”
“Yes, a stronger mental image.”
It was a minor discrepancy, but the man insisted on correcting the Saintess’s answer.
He seemed to feel compelled to convey this fact.
Perhaps due to him initiating the conversation, the group’s tension gradually eased.
Ultimately, the one unable to contain herself and ask the first question was Elsi.
“Hey, monster scab!”
The man ignored Elsi’s call.
Regardless, Elsi, looking anxious, repeated her question.
“When are you going to return our master?! You’re going to return him right when we go back to the manor?”
The man could not completely ignore Elsi and let out a sigh, as if resigned.
With an annoyed expression, he replied to Elsi.
“…Don’t call me ‘master.’”
“What? Why?”
When Elsi tilted her head, the man seemed about to say something, appearing agitated.
It was the first time he displayed such a vivid emotion, drawing the curious gazes of the group toward him. The man ultimately had to shut his mouth.
After quite some time, the man’s voice returned.
“…It feels like a precious memory is being sullied.”
His tone was pained.
There was even a sense of nostalgia in his voice. For a moment, pity flashed across the Saintess’s face.
However, unfortunately, the man’s counterpart was Elsi.
Elsi, wide-eyed, tilted her head again.
“…? So what, what are you saying?”
It was a retort asking why she should care about him.
The man had no choice but to turn away silently with a sigh.
“Wait… I’ll handle my business once we return to the manor and will give him back.”
The sadness in the man’s gaze was evident as he concluded the conversation.
There were more questions the group wanted to ask him.
Most were about whether he was truly ‘Ian Percus’ or inquiries regarding the ‘plan’ that Miltram had mentioned in the end.
Along with questioning why Miltram was taking on Ria’s appearance.
But the man’s answers stayed consistent.
“Ask Reto.”
“I’ll talk about that later.”
“It’s a matter inside the Percus family.”
In the end, the group arrived at Percus Manor without any real gains.
After having received the same answers time and again, they found themselves at a loss.
Only by observing the heavy silence maintained by the man could they surmise that he must have his own circumstances as well.
After reaching Percus Manor, the group left the horses at the stable and headed straight to the main entrance.
It was then that the Saintess noticed something odd about the man.
A faint trickle of blood was seeping from his abdomen.
It was a wound sustained from Miltram.
She thought the healing potion had finished the emergency treatment, but it seemed the re-stitched area had torn during combat.
Startled, the Saintess approached the man.
“Blood, blood…!”
“Don’t make a fuss.”
However, before the Saintess could say anything, the man sharply cut her off with a tone like a knife.
“I just overexerted myself… Since the body isn’t fully formed yet, it’s natural for the wound to burst. Still, it’s worth it to have killed Miltram.”
It was a remarkably composed remark.
Even with blood oozing out, he showed not a single moan, a true model of a swordsman.
Nevertheless, the Saintess still had plenty of reason to raise her voice in protest.
“…This isn’t your body!”
The body the man was occupying right now belonged to the man the Saintess loved.
Naturally, the man’s bravado bore no emotional weight. Instead, it merely prolonged the time of her unease.
The man surely was aware of this. Still, he simply responded in a dreary tone.
“If it weren’t for me, everyone would have died.”
The Saintess gazed at the man in disbelief.
Of course, the man took no offense.
He simply moved forward and stood in front of the manor’s door.
There, a girl was already fidgeting anxiously, keeping watch over Ria.
Liya Percus.
She was Ian’s younger sister, a beauty possessing both grace and intelligence, and a popular prospect among the surrounding nobles.
With beauty so renowned, she looked strikingly lovely.
The group could only freeze at the sight of her.
They naturally recalled Miltram.
The image of the lunatic who, while roaring, commanded test subjects to subdue them one by one.
Fortunately, Ria was currently too preoccupied to care about the gazes of others.
The moment she saw Ian, she leapt and hurried towards him.
Rushing to the man, Ria soon had no choice but to wear a distressed expression.
In her golden eyes, the man’s abdomen reflected back at her.
The blood oozing from the burst wound had now soaked through his shirt.
“What, what is this… I can’t let you die for real!”
Overwhelmed with frustration, Ria stomped her feet.
Still unsatisfied, the girl began to whimper.
To anyone watching, she was the picture of a cute little sister madly in love with her brother.
“See, I told you it was dangerous! Why did you have to go there, big brother?! You can’t, I have to tell Father so this doesn’t happen again….”
It was a beautiful reunion scene between siblings.
Originally, one would expect Ian to quietly soothe Ria with gentle words at this point.
The only problem was that the man before her was not the warm and kind brother Ria knew.
“…Ria.”
Ria’s eyes widened at the unfamiliar dry voice.
Her golden eyes, now clouded with distrust, focused on the man.
However, the man’s expression was frozen cold, cold enough to be seen through.
“What kind of manner is that to your brother?”
Tears welled up in the girl’s eyes.
Regardless, the man continued his cold reprimand.
“Isn’t this in front of a guest? However, seeing how you treat your brother, I worry about how the Percus family might appear.”
“Ah, um….”
In a fluster, Ria could only shrink back and stammer.
She was scared.
Until now, Ian had never shown such a stern face even when angered. He would often comfort her with a warm voice shortly after.
But the man who appeared to be angry had no sign of consoling Ria.
Each word he spoke could be seen as justifiable, prompting Ria to bow her head in silence.
“Soon you will be an adult, and you must distinguish between public and private matters. Would you conduct yourself in such a manner when running the company in the future?”
“W-well….”
When Ria stuttered and failed to provide a proper answer, the man let out a deep sigh and asked again.
“……Answer.”
“N-no….”
The man still held a slightly dissatisfied look.
The more he appeared that way, the more Ria found herself sneaking glances while her sweaty palms became clammy.
It was her first time realizing how frightening a brother could be.
No, she was already crying.
With every rebuke from the man, tears streamed down from Ria’s fluttering eyelids.
The man seemed as if he wanted to say one more thing but soon stopped.
“……Be careful next time. Always stay alert and leave no openings, even if the opponent is your brother.”
“Yes, yes. Brother….”
Thus, the man passed by Ria with a cold demeanor until the very end.
From behind, the sound of her quiet sobs reached him, but he did not stop walking.
As they passed through the main gate, there stood Lady Airen, who had been guarding Ria from behind the door.
To the dazed Lady Airen, the man spoke.
“Lady Airen, don’t take your eyes off Ria from now on. Keep her from going outside for a while.”
“……Yes, yes?!”
“And have you practiced the skills I taught you last time?”
“Ah! Yes! Thanks to you, Teacher….”
The man nodded as if satisfied and gently patted Lady Airen on the shoulder.
Her expression became enigmatic.
Judging by the way her lips curled up, she seemed pleased, like a girl praised by her teacher.
As the man passed through the lobby, he issued clear instructions just as before.
“Everyone, wait in the reception room. I will pay my respects to the head of the family and my brother….”
“……Is it really necessary to go that far?”
It was Celin’s question.
When the man’s gaze fell on her, Celin hesitated before continuing her conversation.
“I feel like you were too harsh on Ria….”
“It should have been done long ago.”
In response to that statement, Celin seemed like she wanted to add something, but ultimately fell silent.
The mournful look on the man’s face was too sad to interrupt.
“……It should have been said earlier.”
No one could bear to stop that voice filled with regret.
The man turned around wordlessly.
Celin thought that his departing figure seemed somewhat lonely.
