The chase under the cover of night continued for quite some time.
I was a swordsman who had just reached the entrance of the expert stage. In fact, I had always been told that I had a talent for nimbleness with my feet.
Yet here I was, unable to catch my quarry for several minutes.
Of course, if this continued, I would eventually catch up, but it became clear that my opponent was not an ordinary person at the same point where I could engage in a chase.
The forest, dotted with trees and shrubs, was not an ideal place for running.
No matter how hard the fleeing figure tried to escape, there was bound to be a limit—unless they were a master who had already reached the expert level.
My expectations were proven right without fail.
I sensed hesitation in the clearing of the forest. Without a second thought, I stepped into the clearing and pursued.
It was a night veiled by clouds, allowing only glimpses of the fleeing form in the moonlight.
From the contours of the body, my opponent appeared to be a woman. Another notable detail was that her ankle was grotesquely twisted.
White bones had protruded, dripping with blood.
It was a gruesome injury at a glance. Such wounds would typically occur when someone pushed their body beyond its limits.
It was a sight I felt I had seen somewhere before.
The horrific reality of a being fulfilling its goal while neglecting its own well-being.
This was a crime that could only be committed by a human lacking even the bare minimum of ethics toward life. To my knowledge, there was only one person capable of such a thing.
The person I had been suspecting came out of my mouth involuntarily.
“…Miltram.”
With a screech, the woman turned her head 180 degrees.
Her neck was twisted, and deep wrinkles formed, yet she seemed completely unconcerned. Instead, she showed a grotesque smile through the face of a girl.
“It’s been a while, Ian Percus.”
With those words, the woman’s body spun like a toy. Only after that did her body and head align.
The girl cracked her neck, assessing her condition.
No, it couldn’t be her body.
Even a devilish human would know how to take care of their own body. I found it hard to believe that this battered form was her true self.
And above all, I was certain of one thing.
There was clear evidence that this body did not belong to Miltram.
“…This is Mary’s body.”
One of the missing persons, the girl who loved apples, Mary.
Though I had only seen her face in childhood, the woman’s face still bore traces of the youthful girl. The moment I realized that, a fiery feeling surged to my throat.
Even so, I didn’t act rashly.
Keeping my head cool, I slowly moved my hand to my waist.
Seeing my tense expression, Miltram burst into laughter.
“I told you I wouldn’t leave you alone, Ian Percus? Unlike nobles or royalty, I keep my promises. Anyway, it’s an honor to meet you again…”
“What have you done to Mary?”
Miltram, who had been playfully preparing to greet me, widened her eyes at my cold question.
Then she tilted her head at a grotesque angle.
Left, right, and with each movement, the sound of cracking bones echoed.
“How strange. I thought she was just an ordinary territorial citizen… Was she a girl connected to you? Ah, perhaps you had feelings for her? Heh heh, I’m willing to serve you with this body…”
“What did you do to her? I’m asking you… you bastard.”
At my teeth-gritting retort, Miltram narrowed her eyes.
The woman smiled with a wicked grin.
“Can’t you tell? I’ve blessed this weak flesh with a few gifts. Isn’t this also the grace of Alus? Ah, was it Emmanuel? Anyway, something like that.”
It was an overt mockery.
As a priest of the Dark Cult, her skill in deriding the Heavenly Deity was remarkable. In particular, the fact that she uttered such filthy words through Mary’s mouth was driving me insane.
I struggled to control the urge to throw my hand axe at her immediately.
I still had many questions for Miltram.
“I heard someone saw you in the forest.”
“Oh, that man? Should I have killed him then? It was just after the artificial cultivation had succeeded, so I didn’t have the strength to do it…”
As she continued, tapping her lips with her finger, she burst into a cackle.
“…Well, it’s fine. I’m glad to have met you. I suppose this must be fate.”
With a chilly sound, my sword was drawn from its sheath.
It was becoming increasingly hard to restrain myself.
My connection to the Dark Cult had now become clear. It was all too evident that the dark priest herself was chatting with me right now.
So I was all the more confused.
There was no reason for Miltram to reveal herself at this moment. All it would do is draw more strength to suppress the Dark Cult.
Could this be a bait as well?
Could it be that Perkus Manor was just a ruse, and the true scheme was unfolding elsewhere? That was a possibility worth considering.
Unless, of course, the letter from the future was nothing but a lie.
According to the letter, the Dark Cult’s conspiracy was centered around Perkus Manor. Thus, it must be considered a confirmed fact.
Whatever Miltram was plotting, it had been a long-term endeavor spanning several years.
The likelihood of her suddenly altering her plans was low.
Therefore, I had to conclude that at the moment she was exposed, Miltram’s defeat was inevitable.
No matter how formidable Miltram was, she could not overcome the true intentions of the Empire and the Holy Kingdom.
Yes, that was surely the case, and yet she still said it was ‘fortunate’ to meet me.
That point lingered in my mind, and I had no choice but to opt for dialogue instead of my blade.
“‘Fortunate’? Is that a slip of the tongue for ‘unfortunate’? Now that your identity has been exposed, the Empire and the Holy Kingdom will come for you with earnest intent.”
“Ah, haha! You tell good jokes, Ian Percus… The Empire? The Holy Kingdom?”
Despite my legitimate threat, Miltram merely laughed in a high-pitched manner.
Her attitude was truly one of mockery.
Without an understanding of the source of her composure, I found myself forced to silence for a moment.
“What use does a person with blood magic have when they are so blind? Where exactly is the healthy root, whether it’s the Empire or the Holy Kingdom… Ahh!”
Clapping her hands together, Miltram exclaimed as if she had realized something.
“It makes sense now! You are a member of the Percus family, aren’t you?”
It was unexpected for someone who had always referred to me as ‘Ian Percus.’
As I narrowed my eyes slightly, Miltram chuckled.
“Oh, poor Ian… Your destiny has found you, hasn’t it? Destiny is something you cannot escape.”
“…What nonsense are you spouting?”
“You won’t have to wait long to face it. I’m quite looking forward to your reaction then.”
Miltram said, her hands twitching eagerly as if she could hardly contain herself.
She was visibly impatient to spill the truth.
She began to walk slowly toward me.
“Truth is never far away… it’s merely concealed by the decaying powers that sought to seize its light.”
It was then that my sword glittered.
With a swift slice, the blade struck Miltram’s throat.
Yet she merely displayed an enchanting smile.
The girl kept walking, and with each step, the crimson line drawn across her throat grew longer.
In front of my eyes, Miltram cautiously caressed my cheek.
Up until that point, I had to watch her with a confusion swirling in my mind.
Should I kill her now?
Or should I wait for her to reveal more information?
Miltram leaned close, whispering in my ear.
“Ian Percus, open your eyes… How unreasonable is this world? Simply because of the circumstances of our birth, we are classified as noble or common, and the purpose of our lives is determined by a terrible snare!”
“So that’s why you exploited orphans and kidnapped those in debt for your experiments?”
“Oh, of course. But we did pay a price, didn’t we? Exploiting orphans and tormenting the indebted is something nobles do too, without paying them.”
There was nothing left to hear.
At that moment, as I braced myself to tighten my grip on the sword hilt,
Miltram’s hand suddenly grasped my wrist with an unexpectedly strong grip. It was shockingly powerful.
It felt as though my bones would shatter.
I bit my lip to stifle a groan.
I had insinuated that her strength was meager based on her battered legs, which was a mistake.
In truth, using a hand axe would suffice, but strangely enough, Miltram’s words had a compelling draw.
Our eyes met within mere inches.
“Rules, laws, ethics… all are mere illusions created by power. Who can change the world while abiding by those with regulations placed to prevent changes?”
“Do you think your crimes will disappear just like that?!”
In my disgust, I could only scream that way.
With each opening and closing of Miltram’s lips, Mary’s former visage flashed across her features. The face of the unfortunate girl who could no longer eat apples and had become a puppet of the dark deity.
Yet Miltram, being a dark priest, was as shameless as ever.
With an even tighter grip on my arm, she smiled ominously.
“…You have talent.”
Her sweet whisper continued.
“How meaningless are status and discipline? Your actions are proving this. What used to seem so tough about you, it’s becoming apparent how close to fiction it is.”
At this moment, I faced the second limit of my patience.
I had already heard everything of note from Miltram.
As evidence of this, the only stories shared after being grasped were lectures on the dogmas of the Dark Cult.
If that was the case, it would be better to remove the irritating tongue of Miltram right now. While my gaze concealed itself towards my hand axe at my waist, she spoke again.
“I will give you a chance. If you join the Dark Cult, you will at least receive a status above a priest… Cough?!”
With a dull sound, something thrust out from Miltram’s chest.
The blade stained with a blue light quickly became soaked in bright red blood. The unexpected strike didn’t merely take her down; the blade rotated, meeting the point of her chest.
Then, with a thud, her body toppled back onto the ground.
Only then did I notice her gray hair.
I called out her name, feeling glad.
“…Ceria!”
How had she found the courage in her fear of ghosts?
Suddenly intrigued, I noticed that Ceria gave me no answer.
She merely stabbed Miltram again.
As blood trickled out, Miltram burst into laughter as if enjoying the situation.
“Ha ha ha! Is she your partner, Ian Percus?! If you join the Dark Cult, I’ll specially give you a replica that looks just like this lady… Cough?!”
With another thrust, the blade sank deep into Miltram.
Ceria began to mechanically stab Miltram repeatedly.
Initially, Miltram had laughed as if it were a game, but after a while, she quietly fell silent.
With blood flowing out from all over her body, it seemed she could hardly bear it any longer.
With a sudden, dull thud, her body lost all strength like a marionette with severed strings, but Ceria continued her relentless assault.
No, she rather forcefully gripped the dagger, pressing it into the woman’s body.
With each thrust, the blood pouring from her body swelled like waves.
“Ceria…?”
No matter how wicked Miltram was, I couldn’t help but think there was no need to go that far.
In that moment, Ceria murmured in a chilling voice, directing her blood-soaked gaze toward the lifeless corpse.
“I have to kill her.”
“Trash, bitch! How dare a ghost like you come for Senior Ian… Die, die! Already dead, die again!”
Then I realized why Ceria had managed to conquer her fear of the ghost and could only seal my lips.
I merely reaffirmed my resolve.
I must never let anyone know about my relationship with Senior Delphine.
Absolutely.
So, having strengthened my resolution, the following day upon returning to the manor, I was faced with yet another problem.
Now, Liya had become strange.
