Ranobes » Advent of the Three Calamities » Chapter 612: Failure of a knight [2]
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Chapter 612: Failure of a knight [2]
Advent of the Three Calamities

The plan was relatively simple.

While Aldric distracted Delilah, I would take the chance to sneak into the Academy Mirror Crack.

'Well, it sounds simple, but executing something like this is extremely difficult. Thankfully, it's not entirely impossible. But it'll all depend on him...'

Still, it was incredibly difficult.

How easy could it be to move away from Delilah undetected? I was already glad that she didn't notice a thing, considering how close we were.

It was a good thing that Noel wasn't just any regular person.

I massaged my face.

'He completely changed the structure of my face.'

Though I had my doubts, it clearly worked to perfection, with not even one of the most powerful people in the world noticing.

….I felt that it was a little bit of a pity, but I had a mission to accomplish.

I couldn't let myself fall for any distractions.

Thinking this far, I scratched the back of my head. But just as I did, I saw a pair of eyes immediately lock in my direction as my entire body stiffened.

Slowly turning my head, our eyes met, and I suddenly felt like my entire body had been submerged into the deepest waters.

I immediately grew alert.

'Why is she staring at me? Did she notice something? That shouldn't be possible… or is she now strong enough to detect something like this?'

All sorts of thoughts rambled in my mind at that moment as I struggled to maintain my composure. Her gaze felt suffocating, and I felt like I couldn't move at all.

However, at the same time, staring at her, I felt nothing.

I had sealed all the pain away, leaving behind nothing but emptiness. This seemed to reflect outwardly as eventually, her eyes drifted away from me and onto 'Aldric'.

"Who are they…?"

Finally, for the first time, she asked about us.

I slowly turned my attention towards Noel, who looked completely unfazed by her question as he raised his brow.

"They're my retainers. I need them to accompany me so that no incidents occur."

"Incidents…? Why would—"

"My son thought the same before he suddenly died. There's no guarantee that something won't happen. Even if you're here. After all… You were there, weren't you?"

Delilah's face didn't change upon hearing the words. However, staring at her, I could feel something about her change.

She eventually closed her eyes and moved forward.

"I understand."

Delilah didn't say anything more and just continued ahead.

I traced her back with my eyes, and the locks in my heart started to shake. For some reason, her back... it felt extremely small.

I quietly pursed my lips and let out a breath, calming down the locks on my emotions before focusing them mostly on two specific emotions, leaving the others untouched.

'Leaving that aside...'

I held onto my arms while staring at Noel.

Thinking about how he had previously referred to me as 'son', I started to feel shivers run down my body.

Goosebumps…

I was feeling goosebumps.

'No, more importantly, I forgot to ask him about how he ended up becoming Aldric. Don't tell me he actually…'

My stomach twisted as I looked at my hands.

'…If that's truly the case, doesn't it mean that I've possessed the body of my own nephew?'

I felt like throwing up.

However, after a little bit of thought, I denied the possibility. I knew Noel well enough to know he wasn't the type of person to do something like that.

There was more to the story that he didn't let out.

Or at least, I hoped that was the case.

Looking in Noel's direction with a complicated look, I could only follow from behind in silence.

There were mainly two reasons why we were currently at the Academy. First, it was to officially recognize 'Julien' as dead, and thus have him put off the year list, and secondly, it was to visit Linus.

He was still unaware of the news.

These were the two reasons for our visit on the surface. The real reason was already obvious, and as we made our way into the Academy, Aldric stopped and looked in my direction.

"I think this should be far enough. I'll go handle the paperwork. You go inform Linus that I'm currently at the Academy. Tell him I'll be coming to visit him soon."

"Understood."

I nodded quietly before glancing briefly in Delilah's direction. She didn't even spare me a glance as she looked at Aldric.

Then…

Staring at her one last time, I slowly turned away and headed towards the dorm buildings.

Following me from behind were the other retainers.

In that moment, the locks in my heart shattered, and the pain returned. But even so, I didn't look back while marching ahead.

'...I'll definitely make it up to her. '

I promise.

***

At the same time, near the dorms.

"What did you say…?"

The girls were staring at Leon with incredulous, almost worried expressions. Taking a look at his pale face and seeing how bloodshot his eyes were, it was hard to not be worried about him.

This was especially after hearing his words.

"…He… I can…"

Leon tried to help himself up, but struggled to do so. It was only after Evelyn helped him that Leon managed to compose himself.

"Leon, what is up with you?"

She had a worried expression as she looked at him. Not only was he entirely pale, but he also looked quite weak.

When was the last time he had eaten something?

Evelyn was just about to speak again when she suddenly saw Leon raise his head and stare in a certain direction.

Every hair on his body rose as he let go of her and moved forward.

He could feel it now more than ever.

...His instincts told him that 'he' was here. Or at least, Leon hoped that'd be the case. However, at the same time, he didn't hold much hope.

He had witnessed Julien's death firsthand.

Leon knew that he was dead.

And yet...

For some reason, he still hoped.

He hoped that the sensation he was feeling wasn't just his imagination. Over the past few days, he had been blaming himself for Julien's death.

Not because he wasn't there to help him when it mattered the most.

But because he knew that nothing would've changed had he been there.

He... was a failure of a knight.

And that was what hurt him the most. The fact that he failed to do the one job he was supposed to do.

'And I've even managed to make so much progress. Why...? How? How did this happen?'

Even now, he didn't know who the culprit was. Nobody told him a thing. They all told him the same thing over and over again.

'Get better.'

'...There's no point in you knowing.'

'That's not something you can handle.'

The way they looked at him was all the same. They all thought the same thing. That... he was a failure of a knight.

That he was worthless.

And the thing that hurt him the most was the fact that he couldn't disagree.

He really had failed as a knight.

"Over there..."

With quivering lips, Leon moved towards the door, heading out as the sun bathed his entire body in warmth. Evelyn and the others followed him from behind, their expression worried. However, Leon ignored them.

Right now, he was just following his instincts.

Although they weren't reliable, they tended to be accurate.

...And soon, his eyes fell on a certain group.

They were headed their way.

Leon's gaze fell on them, and he recognized them immediately. They were those from the Evenus Household.

Why would they...?

"Wait, looking at the insignia, they must be from the Evenus Household?"

"Why are they here...?"

"I heard that Julien had a brother. Could they be here for him?"

As Leon overheard the conversation behind him, his eyes locked onto a specific person. His gait was calm, and so was his face. However, looking at him, he looked completely different than the Julien he knew.

His face was a lot thinner, and so was his skeletal structure. Thin, circular-framed glasses rested on his nose, adding an almost scholarly air, but his eyes were the real difference.

Sharp and unsettling... it almost felt like nothing could escape his eyes.

Leon felt his entire body shiver at the sight of him.

'I've never seen this person before, and I've been in the Evenus Household for very long.'

Could it be...?

"Excuse me."

Finally arriving before them, those of the Evenus Household came to a stop. They looked at the four cadets in front of them before the man Leon was looking at stepped forward, his gaze directed towards Aoife as he bent over slightly.

"It is an honour to meet you, princess."

The others followed suit as Aoife raised her hand.

"...There's no need for that. I'm not a princess in the Academy."

"If that is your wish."

The man brought himself up before staring in the direction of the dorms.

"I've heard that the second young master is here. Could you perhaps help us find his room?"

"Oh, sure."

Aoife immediately nodded, looking at Evelyn and Kiera before moving towards the entrance of the door, followed by the two of them.

"Leon...?"

The only one who didn't enter was Leon, who kept his gaze directed towards the man from the Evenus Household.

The more he stared at him, the more he felt that something about him was off.

But at the same time, he could tell that he wasn't wearing a disguise or hiding his features with some sort of illusion skill.

Then...?

"Is there something wrong?"

Cocking his head, the man stared at Leon, a half-smile marring his features.

Snapping his head, Leon gradually shook his head.

"No, I... I just don't recognize you. This is the first time that I've seen you. Who might you be?"

"Me?"

The man smiled before shifting his attention to the dorm rooms.

"...If you already know the answer, what's the point of asking?"

"Eh?"

Leon blinked his eyes, his face changing.

However, before he could say anything further, the man followed the girls into the dorm, his face displaying the same half-hearted smile.

That was all he said, leaving Leon standing stunned.

Eventually, Leon found himself mumbling,

"Is it..?"

Advent of the Three Calamities
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  1. Offline
    Exilee
    Exilee
    + 0 ⋅ 0 -
    long journey [1]
    ​
    'It seems like the ring has worked.'

    I stood in silence, watching as Leon blinked slowly, his eyes distant and unfocused. But it wasn't long before they snapped back to clarity. 'Eh...? What?' He glanced around, bewilderment written all over his face. With a furrowed brow, he scratched his head, clearly trying to make sense of how he'd ended up here.

    I could only smile at his antics before turning my attention away from him and onto the distant walls of the Safe Zone.

    The hard part was now done.

    Although Leon was probably going to figure something out, or at least get a clue, most of his memories had been erased.

    In the first place, I had revealed my identity to him so that he could help me get into the Safe Zone. I knew that the moment he figured something out, he'd help me out.

    He was just like that.

    But in the end, I still had to erase his memories.

    "Alright, I shouldn't waste any more time."

    I looked around me before moving into one of the tents and activating [Lament of Lies].

    Now that the hard part was done, all I needed to do was sneak out of the Safe Zone. Most of the heavy security was at the entrance of the Crack, and with that part cleared, I could freely move out into the depths of the Mirror Dimension.

    Swoosh!

    The tent ballooned as I moved out, my gaze sorting through my surroundings before heading towards the exit of the Safe Station. As I moved, a couple of guards passed by me, my presence completely undetected.

    "How is the situation outside?"

    "...It's calmed down a bit. There are still several monsters trying to make their way in, but it's calmed down significantly."

    "Nice. I can't wait to get some rest."

    "Tell me about it."

    Overhearing the conversation, I sighed in relief. If there were monsters outside, then things would become rather problematic for me.

    However, that didn't seem to be the case.

    'Then I should be able to sneak out without any problem.'

    The Safe Zone had been built to keep monsters out, not to stop anyone from leaving. As a result, moving out of the Safe Zone was relatively easy.

    All I had to do was navigate through the guards, trying to keep my breath as minimal as possible. Was it perhaps because I had gotten in touch with the source before, or just because I had gotten stronger in general, but my control over [Lament of Lies] had gotten considerably better?

    None of the guards were able to detect a single thing, and before I knew it, I had stepped out of the Safe Zone.

    I looked at my surroundings and saw a barren land.

    The ground was cracked, and all sorts of pits appeared all around, with even chunks of metal and armor sprawled on the ground.

    'Looks like the situation was a lot worse than I originally anticipated.'

    Just with a glance and seeing how much blood had dried up on the ground, I could see why the Academy had no choice but to send everyone out.

    '....It's a good thing I'm leaving when it's all over.'

    Looking behind me and staring at the walls of the Safe Zone, I sighed to myself before turning away and heading deeper into the Mirror Dimension.

    There were a lot of complicated thoughts swirling in my mind, and in this very moment, I wanted to do nothing but forget about it.

    And as such.

    I ran.

    I ran, ran, and ran.

    I ran until my breath was gone.

    That was when I stopped.

    And as I looked up, my vision grew red as a faint rustling sound echoed in the air.

    Rustle~

    A blood red leaf fell before me, and I smiled.

    "...It's been a while."

    "Yes, it has. Human."

    It was none other than Owl-Mighty, whom I had not seen since I had returned from the Kasha.

    "Oh, you're here..."

    I guess I wasn't the only one pleased to see Owl-Mighty again as a black figure manifested before me, staring in Owl-Mighty's direction.

    "Tch."

    Eh?

    Since when could it do that?

    "It's also been a while, kitten."

    "....What did you call me?"

    "Is that not what you are?"

    Pebble raised both of its paws as it thought about hitting Owl-Mighty, but then stopped itself when it realized this wasn't the same Owl-Mighty. It could only kick the ground and click its tongue.

    "Just wait until I get a body."

    It looked at me, its gaze sharp. I could tell from its gaze that it was still mad at me. It couldn't be helped. Pebble had also thought I had died back then.

    This was the first time I had seen Pebble since the incident.

    'I'm sure Pebble will get over it soon enough.'

    I shifted my attention towards Owl-Mighty. For this journey, it was important that it came with me.

    The destination that I needed to go to was quite far, and without Owl-Mighty, it would be impossible for me to reach the place any time soon. It was also going to be extremely dangerous, and without the ability to see visions or the future, I was now more vulnerable than ever.

    As such, I called for Owl-Mighty.

    "Let's go. I can't afford to waste any more time."

    I extended my hand forward, and moments later, thick roots began to emerge from the ground. They slithered upward, twisting and curling around the earth before creeping along my limbs, wrapping around me.

    Soon, my vision grew dark.

    Owl-Mighty began to move then.

    ...That was the moment I stopped being Julien.

    From this moment forward, I became Lazarus.

    A traveling merchant from afar.

    ***

    At the same time, Delilah's office.

    "The papers have been signed. You will receive a posthumous degree."

    "...I'll take it."

    Aldric reached forward to grab the degree Delilah passed over. With this, Julien had now graduated from Haven.

    A year earlier, but he had now graduated.

    "I take it that I can leave now, right?"

    Aldric stared at the degree for a brief moment before putting it away.

    Delilah sat on the opposite end, staring at him with her deep black eyes before slowly nodding her head.

    "You may."

    Aldric didn't waste a single second and stood up. He merely spared Delilah a glance before turning around and heading out.

    Clank—!

    A tense silence followed after his departure.

    Delilah sat in her seat, her gaze lost and unfocused. It was unknown what her thoughts were as she just remained sitting without moving a single muscle.

    But that was until her communication device suddenly vibrated.

    Trrr

    It was only then that she snapped out of it.

    "Yes?"

    She soon answered it.

    —Chancellor... there's been a situation.

    A voice Delilah recognized rather quickly echoed from the communication device, prompting her to frown. A situation?

    "...Yes, there's been a situation. An unknown person, we believe to be from the Evenus Household, has entered the Mirror Crack. He was accompanied by one of the cadets, Leon Ellert, before he suddenly vanished. When we questioned the cadet about the situation, he looked completely stunned. He doesn't seem to remember a single thing?"

    Delilah's frown deepened as she heard the conversation.

    Her first thoughts were on the possibility of Leon being controlled by a 'spirit' user. Only such means would explain the situation.

    This was the most obvious answer.

    However, as her mind focused on the 'Evenus Household' part, a little part of her prickled.

    Her lips soon parted.

    "Bring the cadet to my office."

    —Understood.

    Following her words, Leon was quickly brought into her office as he looked around with a lost expression.

    "I don't really..."

    Delilah raised her hand.

    "It's fine. I don't blame you. I wasn't able to notice a thing either, so the fault partially lies with me."

    Indeed, if the one responsible was from the Evenus Household, then they had somehow managed to slip away from her detection.

    But even then, she didn't notice anyone strong enough to be able to control Leon like that.

    The strongest appeared to be at around Tier 6.

    Even Viscount Evenus wasn't very strong. He was just around Tier 4 to Tier 5. It almost made her surprise to see, considering how talented Julien... had been.

    Delilah closed her eyes and beckoned Leon forward.

    "Come."

    Though confused, Leon complied and took a step forward.

    He was just about to open his mouth to speak when Delilah's hand reached for his head, and he instantly blanked.

    "....."

    What Delilah was currently doing was simple.

    She was trying to see and detect if there were any traces of 'spirit' magic within Leon's mind. This was so that she could determine how the situation had unfolded.

    But just as she tried to sense something...

    "....?"

    Delilah stopped, and her brow shot up.

    Looking at Leon, her eyes turned a deeper black. Something about the situation felt off.

    She...

    Did not find a single trace of spirit magic.

    Leon had not been manipulated at all. Then...?

    'Did he lie?

    Looking at Leon, Delilah didn't feel like his actions were fake. She was quite good at determining someone's thoughts through her observational skills, and she could tell he wasn't lying.

    Then...?

    'I'll look deeper.'

    Delilah closed her eyes and sank deeper into Leon's mind.

    While others couldn't afford to do it due to the risks it brought to the one being checked, Delilah was no regular person.

    As such, she delved deeper into Leon's mind, trying to see what had brought his memory loss.

    Thankfully, it didn't take long for her to find the foreign power.

    Though it was extremely thin and stealthy, she managed to find it, and her eyes narrowed. That was because she felt this power was strange.

    It didn't seem to be anything like Spirit Magic.

    In fact, in some ways, it almost felt familiar to her.

    Why...?

    Why did it feel familiar?

    Delilah reached closer to the power. The closer she went, the more the familiarity grew, and it wasn't long before her expression changed.

    'That's...'

    Her body shook, and she rapidly opened her eyes, shaking her head.

    "That... makes no sense."

    Leon still had his eyes closed while she retreated. He was probably going to remain like this for the next few minutes.

    And it was good that way.

    Because right now... Delilah didn't want to be seen.

    "No, that's..."

    She leaned against the table, her lips quivering.

    She couldn't make sense of what she had just felt.

    That...

    The reason why she was familiar with the power was because she herself had been the one to help 'him' disguise the relic.

    She had felt it before when examining it.

    That... that was without a doubt the Ring of Nothingness.

    But how could that be?

    Only those acknowledged by it could use it.

    And in that sense... There was only one person in the world who could use it.

    "H-ha."

    Delilah's body shook, the cracks she had been trying to hide slowly starting to expand.

    Could it be...?
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  2. Offline
    DreamGod07
    DreamGod07
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    The buddy who was asking "how his wife tasted" I guess author tried to gave him an answer wiseacre
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  3. Offline
    Exilee
    Exilee
    + 0 ⋅ 0 -
    How do you guys reply to each other? The button doesn’t even work for me, are you guys on pc?
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    1. Offline
      Merow
      Merow
      + 1 ⋅ 0 -
      Im on mobile and it works. It's the arrow pointing to the right button that sends replies. The other copies the text as a quote while making your own comment up in the write comment box.
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  4. Offline
    Exilee
    Exilee
    + 19 ⋅ 0 -
    Failure of a knight [3]
    ​
    'What's really going on? Is that really him…?'

    Leon's mind was a mess as he entered the common room to see 'him' speaking with the other delegates of the Evenus Household.

    Looking at him, he felt different compared to Julien.

    From the way he carried himself and spoke. He felt sharper, more refined, and at the same time, more… vicious?

    He looked like a snake hiding his fangs, ready to strike at any given moment.

    Could that really be him?

    'If I'm understanding things correctly, he should be here to relay the news to Linus about Julien's death.'

    If it were Julien, why would he do something like that?

    Unless he had a different goal in mind.

    "Linus doesn't seem to be here. Do you want to wait here?"

    The girls were being quite polite with the guests from the Evenus Household.

    Even the normally crazy Kiera was mild as she made her way towards her own seat and started studying.

    "It's alright. We don't have the time to wait."

    And then, eventually, his gaze fell on Leon.

    "Actually, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like it if he accompanied me to look for Linus."

    "Me?"

    Leon was surprised at first, but then soon nodded his head, under the surprised looks of the girls.

    "I'll do it."

    "Wait, Leo—"

    "It's alright, I've recovered enough."

    "But..."

    Evelyn looked at Leon with a worried expression, but after seeing his expression, she decided to let him be.

    "Alright, who am I to tell you what to do?"

    She, of all people, understood how Leon currently felt. She had no reason to stop him. In fact, this was probably a good thing. Having stayed in his own room for the past couple of days, getting some fresh air would be good for him.

    In the meantime, the man looked towards the Evenus vassals.

    "You guys wait here in case Linus shows up. In the meantime, I'll go with him to see if we can find him around. This will save us some valuable time."

    "Understood."

    The vassals were strangely obedient to this new man whom Leon found unfamiliar.

    This made him even more suspicious and made him want to figure things out even more.

    'Something is definitely off about him.'

    "Alright, let's go."

    Moving past Leon, the strange man headed out of the common room and out of the dormitory.

    Leon looked back behind him, staring at the vassals before heading out and following the man from behind.

    Stepping out of the building, he was met by the blinding glare of the sun. As he moved forward, he reached out toward the strange man.

    "Wait."

    He called out, his breath a little heavy.

    With barely any food in his system and days of sleeplessness weighing on him, he struggled to keep up.

    The man finally stopped and looked in Leon's direction.

    "What is it?"

    "No, I…"

    Leon caught his breath before looking at him. The more he looked at him, the more foreign he looked, and yet, his instincts told him that it was him.

    Collecting his breath, Leon asked.

    "…I didn't catch your name. What did you say your name was?"

    "Me?"

    The man blinked his eyes for a moment before adjusting his glasses.

    "Lazarus. You can call me that."

    Lazarus?

    Leon raised his brow. What sort of name was that?

    This didn't sound like a common name or anything he had ever heard before.

    "Even in my home country, the name is rather uncommon. But that is irrelevant for now. Let's go find Linus."

    Lazarus turned around and headed deeper into the Academy. Leon followed him from behind, his mind wandering over the situation and everything that didn't add up.

    He had been so absorbed in his own thoughts that he didn't realize they were going the wrong way.

    By the time he realized, they were not far from the Academy Mirror Crack.

    "Wait, why are we here? This is the completely wrong direction. Linus—"

    Leon's words were abruptly cut off by Lazarus, who stared off in the distance.

    "So not only do you have a stupid face, but you're in fact stupid?"

    "I'm not stupi—"

    Leon almost instinctively answered before he stopped himself. Then... slowly processing his words, his eyes shot up.

    "C-could you…."

    "I don't know what you're talking about, but I do need your help."

    Lazarius pointed towards the cube-like building in the distance.

    "I've heard that Linus is inside the Mirror Dimension. I'm sure a cadet of your caliber can help me get in to find him. Can you do that?"

    "I…"

    Leon didn't know how to answer. His mind was blank.

    There was no way that Linus was inside the Mirror Dimension. The Mirror Dimension was still closed for the first years following the recent events.

    By now, he'd have to be stupid not to realize that something was up.

    He was very clearly aware that 'Lazarus' could very well be Julien in disguise.

    But how?

    How was that possible? He had seen him die before his eyes. There was simply…

    "So, are you going to help me?"

    "Ah…"

    Leon pursed his lips, staring at the man in front of him with a complicated expression. If it was really him, why was he being so vague about it?

    No, more importantly, why did he not reveal his identity and come back to the Academy?

    Leon had so many questions he wanted to ask, but held his tongue. If this was truly Julien, then… he definitely had a reason to do what he was doing.

    He knew him well enough to know that he wasn't the type to do things randomly.

    And so, after taking a deep breath, he nodded his head.

    "Alright, I'll help you out."

    'Maybe this once, I'll... be useful.'

    Leon stepped forward and entered the distant building, offering a nod to the guard as 'Lazarus' followed silently behind. Entering the building, he looked completely unfazed, as though he had been here many times before.

    This further heightened Leon's certainty of Lazarus's identity.

    The Mirror Crack at the Academy was under heavy guard following recent events, with security tighter than ever. In fact, the structure had only been recently built in order to better safeguard the crack.

    Arriving before the crack, the two were immediately stopped.

    "State your identities."

    Leon glanced at the guard before handing over his student ID.

    "Leon Ellert?"

    The guard's eyes widened in surprise the moment he saw the ID. Leon wasn't just any cadet—he was well-known for his exceptional talent, and more recently, for being revealed as the Prince of the Verdant Empire.

    If it were him, then there was no problem letting him in. But there was an issue.

    "Who is he?"

    The guard turned his attention towards Lazarus.

    "He's with me. He's one of the delegates from the Evenus Household… I can vouch for him."

    Leon said while looking back at Lazarus.

    ".If you say so. Nonetheless, we still have to do some registering before allowing him in. This is for safety precautions."

    Leon looked behind to see Lazarus step forward with a confident stride.

    He then extended his hand.

    "By all means".

    "…Alright."

    The guard pulled out a small device and pressed it against Lazarus's arm. As a bright red light washed over it, Leon leaned in, studying the device with care.

    This device wasn't just any regular device.

    It was a type of scanner linked to a vast database—an advanced piece of technology recently developed by the Empire. All cadets had been registered within it.

    Its primary function was to detect disguises during identity verification, ensuring that no one could mask their true identity.

    It could also recognize anyone who had registered before. And Julien… he had already been scanned once.

    Leon pressed his lips into a thin line as he watched Lazarus undergo the scan. Would it detect something? Would it recognize him? Would…

    "Check complete. You may enter."

    But it seemed like he had been overthinking. The check lasted a few seconds, and the result came out blank.

    'Yeah, there's no way he wouldn't think of something like this.'

    The check wasn't exactly foolproof, and there were ways around it.

    In the end, the two managed to enter the Mirror Crack without any problems, the air suddenly turning arid and dry as they stepped in.

    "…We're here."

    As they stepped into the familiar space, Leon glanced toward Lazarus, who had come to a halt, quietly surveying the safe zone.

    Then, with a faint, knowing smile, Lazarus turned his gaze to meet Leon's.

    "Thank you for bringing me here."

    "…Oh, yeah."

    Leon nodded, his lips dry. He was curious as to why he had been brought here. He wanted to ask him if he was truly 'him'. He had a lot of questions he wanted to ask, and yet, he couldn't find it in him to ask a single one.

    In the end, the only thing he could do was stare blankly as Lazarus stared in the direction of the outer walls of the Safe Zone.

    Eventually, his lips parted.

    "...I will be going on a long journey."

    "Eh?"

    Long journey?

    "I don't know how long, but it's something that I have to do. I don't really have a choice."

    Leon could only listen in silence, his heart pressing. He could more or less tell what he was planning on doing.

    "...I will probably change a lot. By the time I come back, I might just be a completely different person. I'll have missed a lot of things. I didn't expect things to turn out this way, but in the end, this is what I must do."

    Slowly turning his attention towards Leon, Lazarus... No, Julien smiled.

    In that moment, Leon was sure.

    The man standing before him was Julien.

    "You know, even though you are useless, my death had nothing to do with you. It was something that had to happen."

    "What does that..."

    Julien stepped closer, pressing his hand against Leon's shoulder.

    "You're a prince now. You can't be stuck thinking about failing your job as a knight. There are more important things that you need to think about. In fact, I'm almost happy that I'm not with you. Things will probably get extremely troublesome if I were to stick with you."

    Lazarus's expression winced.

    In that moment, he truly looked like Julien, and a small laugh escaped Leon's lips.

    "...They'll not be that bad."

    In fact, if anything, sticking with Julien was the surefire way to guarantee trouble.

    He was a trouble magnet.

    "I know they won't."

    Julien patted Leon on the shoulder as he mumbled.

    "Don't resist, okay?"

    Leon closed his eyes and nodded.

    "...Alright."

    He understood exactly what Julien was about to do.

    And just before it happened, Leon took a deep breath and mumbled.

    "I'm being fired, aren't I?"

    Julien's hand paused before a laugh escaped his lips.

    "You know it."

    "....Do I get any severance pay?"

    "With whose money?"

    "Yours?"

    "Fu#k off."

    Julien clicked his tongue and mumbled, "By firing you, I'm essentially giving away a lot of money, so be grateful."

    A faint white glow manifested over Julien's ring the moment Leon closed his eyes, and in that moment, the memories of the events that had occurred in the previous hour faded from Leon's mind.

    The last thing Leon recalled before everything faded was a few soft words.

    "Goodbye, you failure of a knight."

    And with that, Leon forgot about everything.
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    1. Offline
      expiratedculture
      expiratedculture
      + 4 ⋅ 0 -
      once again, thank you
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      Spectator_d
      Spectator_d
      + 1 ⋅ 0 -
      This is part of the original Julien. I am sure of it.
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      tigerstripes
      tigerstripes
      + 0 ⋅ 0 -
      damn, this chapter was so good, thanks for the chapter exilee
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    jvsantl
    jvsantl
    + 2 ⋅ 7 -
    Is Delilah really controlled by another god? I can imagine a fight between them in the future without her knowing it's HIM
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      kringkrong
      kringkrong
      + 7 ⋅ 0 -
      Where did you get the 'delilah being controlled'?
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        jvsantl
        jvsantl
        + 0 ⋅ 0 -
        Chapter 610: Reunion [4]

        There was no other way around it. Sithrus was that scary. Neither one of us could take a chance.

        But even then...

        As a certain figure drifted in my mind, I slowly brought my hand to my chest while trying my best to forget about the pain.

        '....Surely if it's her, it should be fine, right?'

        There was simply no way for Delilah to be linked to the Inverted Sky and Sithrus. I had seen her hatred firsthand.

        If it's...

        "No, don't think about it."

        Noel cut through my thoughts as though he could see through them.

        "Brother..."

        His expression turned softer as he looked at me. He seemed to want to help me, but he soon shook his head.

        "We can't take any chances. I'm sorry. I..."

        "No, I understand."
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          kringkrong
          kringkrong
          + 0 ⋅ 0 -
          That doesn't mean she's being controlled though
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      EMPEROR LUCIEL
      EMPEROR LUCIEL
      + 1 ⋅ 0 -
      Maybe we're not reading in the same page
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