138.
“That’s impossible. Rector may be an idiot who acts on his own, but he couldn’t have failed to notice his disciple’s deviation,” Aksen said, shaking his head.
“Weren’t you on bad terms with him?”
“Our personalities don’t match. But that doesn’t mean his usefulness has disappeared. Strong individuals are always in short supply. Moreover, from what I’ve observed so far, Rector isn’t the type to become emotionally attached to his disciple.”
The reason he initially took Keith as his disciple was due to Leviathan’s orders. They didn’t expect Rector to actually accept Keith as a real disciple, but in the end, everything was planned.
“I still can’t believe it,” Greyardin said, fidgeting with his fingers before blurting out, “Shall I give an order?”
“Do as you wish.”
“Do you know what order I mean?”
“Whatever it is, we will follow it.”
This was why Aksen was convenient to use. Unlike Rector with his poor social skills, Aksen had the talent for saying what one wanted to hear. That’s why he was used more like a right-hand man compared to Rector.
“Then let’s do this,” Greyardin said, smiling with round eyes. “Tell Rector to kill his disciple within a day and bring back evidence.”
It was a cruel suggestion, but no one showed any reaction.
“I will relay the message.”
It was because this was familiar to them.
After Yu Jin disappeared from the mansion, Keith was in a dilemma. He wondered whether it was better to inform Leviathan about Yu Jin’s disappearance in the current situation or not. It wasn’t an easy choice, but the conclusion came quickly. To begin with, Jinhyeon taking Yu Jin wasn’t done in secret. Since he did it to buy time, naturally Greyardin should be informed as well.
The problem was that Greyardin was currently a guest staying at the Lucid mansion, so for him to know about Yu Jin’s kidnapping, rumors would need to spread.
“Is he really not crazy?” Keith said, and Haruna sitting across from him nodded vigorously.
“He’s insane! How are we supposed to handle this!”
Haruna, after hearing the situation from Keith, had been dealing with the elders who had been visiting until just now. Some came out of genuine concern, but most were trying to gain advantage by taking this opportunity.
“So the concubine has become a problem, hasn’t it? What an absurd situation. If he had taken an official wife earlier, this wouldn’t have happened.”
The elders said this while insisting that a formal wife should be brought in quickly. Having created their positions by making Yu Jin the family head, now they intended to manipulate him. At least Leion, the head of the elders, maintained courtesy, but that was all.
“…I’m tired,” Haruna said, but still picked up some documents. It was fortunate that Jinhyeon hadn’t hidden without any means of contact. Thanks to that, Keith could know Yu Jin’s current state. Though he pretended otherwise, it seemed he had been quite tired as he was said to be sleeping constantly. It would be difficult for long, but Keith hoped Yu Jin could rest comfortably, even if just for a moment.
Keith put down the documents he had finished reading and stood up. He intended to look out the window for a moment to refresh his mood. As he was heading to the window, something tapped on it.
Tap tap.
It was the sound of something small and light hitting. As soon as he heard this sound, Keith tensed up.
Tap tap.
The sound continued.
“What’s that?” Haruna, who had noticed the sound belatedly, tried to approach, but Keith stopped her.
“By the way, didn’t you say you had something to do?”
“I’m doing it now, aren’t I?”
“No, not that. The trading company business.”
“In this situation?”
At this point, Haruna also sensed something was off. She seemed to hesitate for a moment but soon nodded.
“Right, I just remembered something I forgot. I’ll go out for a bit.”
Haruna turned and went outside. Only then did Keith open the window to greet the late-night visitor.
“Master.”
On the windowsill sat the bird Rector used for information delivery.
[Hey there.]
“What’s the matter?”
[Does a master need a reason to seek his disciple?]
The bird chuckled, clacking its beak. Aren’t we not the type to meet without reason? Keith wanted to say this but held back and looked at the bird.
[Come out. The place is as usual.]
With those words, the bird closed its beak. Only when the strange light in its eyes changed to that of a normal bird did Keith exhale the breath he had been holding. The bird hopped a few times in place before suddenly dropping down. Following it out the window, Keith saw the bird waiting.
Even normally, Rector didn’t tell the meeting place in advance. So Keith didn’t know where they were going now. Probably Rector would be where the bird’s feet stopped. He wouldn’t have called Keith without reason. Whatever it was, preparation was necessary.
Keith checked the weapon hidden in his clothes under the pretense of adjusting them. There was no chance of defeating Rector, but he didn’t want to be completely helpless. If he could escape or buy time, Haruna would handle the rest somehow.
“Peep!”
Keith followed the bird as it took off from the ground. The bird’s flying speed wasn’t slow, but it wasn’t so fast that he couldn’t keep up. After leaving the mansion and going quite a distance, the bird finally perched on a nearby tree.
“Keith.”
In the dark forest, Rector was sitting on a tree stump someone had cut down. Normally, Keith would have bowed his head in greeting, but he couldn’t do that now. The heavy air surrounding them made him anxious. Keith slowly drew out the sword he had hidden in his clothes. Made to be concealed, it was longer than a dagger but shorter and thinner than a regular sword.
“That’s an unusual sword. You should have brought a mangoshu instead. You know how to use that too, don’t you?”
Rector was the only one relaxed here.
“…Why did you call me?”
“I called because I have something to ask.”
“What is it?”
“That child you care so much about. Is he really brainwashed?”
“He is brainwashed.”
“Really?”
“Do I have any reason to lie?”
Rector laughed out loud at Keith’s words.
“Many, many reasons.”
For a moment, a chill ran down Keith’s spine, but he didn’t back down.
“So? You weren’t unaware of this, were you?”
“Are you saying I knew everything and left it alone?”
“If you’re not a fool, you couldn’t have not known. But you left it alone, didn’t you?”
“Why would I have left it alone?”
“Because you’re not interested in such things.”
The only thing Rector was interested in was fighting strong opponents. He enjoyed danger more than others and always sought out dangerous situations. That’s why he joined Leviathan when it aligned with his desires, but even there he was a maverick. He followed the leader’s orders but did things his own way. Sometimes when he got annoyed, he would ignore problems even when he knew about them. That’s why he didn’t get along with Aksen.
“That’s right. That’s how it was. But now the situation has changed. The leader told me to kill you.”
Keith gritted his teeth.
“So are you going to kill me?”
“If you’ve joined an organization, you should listen to the head. But I was told I could do it my way.”
Rector kicked a sword he had thrown on the ground. The sword slid to Keith’s feet.
“Disciple, let’s test how much you’ve learned from what I’ve taught you.”
Keith didn’t refuse the sword Rector offered. Using this would give him a slightly higher chance of survival than the weapon he was currently holding. After removing the scabbard, Keith pointed the sword at Rector.
“My heart is pounding more than I expected.”
It’s the first time I’m trying to kill a disciple. Rector raised his sword, still smiling.
Haruna, who had left the room, ran out immediately. She didn’t know exactly what had happened, but she was certain that Keith was in danger. She could tell because they were twins who had been together for a long time.
‘I need help.’
The place where people who could help with force were gathered was the Knights’ Order. Haruna didn’t have the authority to move them right now, but that didn’t mean there was no way.
“What’s the matter?”
Fortunately, the knight guarding the Knights’ Order at night was someone familiar.
“Sir Geren. We’ve found the family head.”
“What?”
To the surprised Geren, Haruna told a lie. In such cases, usually, they would verify the truth and then send people. But the person speaking now was Haruna. Someone who had been with the family head for a long time, like family. Words from such a person tend to be trusted. Adding to that her urgent acting, Geren reported to the commander without hesitation. And the commander moved the Knights’ Order as Haruna wanted.
“Don’t you know the exact location?”
“I don’t know exactly. But Keith is tracking him.”
When she mentioned that Keith had gone out through the window, the Knights’ Order quickly searched.
“He went that way.”
The knights who easily found the direction Keith had gone moved that way.
‘Please, don’t let us be too late!’
Haruna moved with the knights, praying over and over.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
