“Correct answer.”
Lucas stared at Livio with a look that said ‘You finally figured it out.’ For a long time, he had dreamed of the day he would reveal his identity to Livio. Though it wasn’t as satisfying as he had imagined, seeing Livio’s startled face made his lips curl up.
“That’s… impossible, how…”
Luke Illum is Lucas Lowell Blake? Livio stammered in disbelief. The shock was so great that he momentarily forgot his pain.
“Why so surprised? Isn’t it a common story for a child who lost their parents to seek revenge on their enemy?”
Lucas tightened his grip on Livio’s collar, savoring his reaction. He now understood why Iberis had wanted to kill Livio earlier. Seeing him in his grasp like this, he felt the urge to snap his neck right there.
“Gah! But, Viscount Blake is in England…”
“That’s my stand-in.”
“Lies! How… Ack!”
“Shut up. I don’t have time to satisfy your curiosity, so just come quietly.”
Lucas threw Livio to the ground, as if tired of talking to him. Though he wanted to leisurely savor Livio’s pathetic state, there were more urgent matters.
“Wait…”
“Look forward to it. I’ll make you suffer so much you’ll think death would be better.”
This is going to be very interesting. After this ominous warning, Lucas struck Livio’s nape hard. The powerful blow knocked him unconscious before he could even scream.
“Suspect subdued and arrested. He’s injured and unconscious, so call the military doctors to treat him just enough to keep him alive.”
– Yes, Captain.
“Due to the Major showing symptoms of mana outburst, I’ll proceed with emergency guiding. You and Lieutenant Denver clean up the scene.”
– Understood.
“I’m sure you’ll handle it well, but… make sure no one, including the Military Investigation Bureau, interrupts us until the guiding is complete. If anyone’s troublesome, contact Lieutenant General Bismarck.”
After entrusting the scene cleanup to Brenda, Lucas ended the communication and approached Iberis, who now looked like he could barely stand.
“Major!”
“Haa, Luke…”
Iberis, struggling to suppress the rampaging mana inside him, barely managed to open his eyes. The aftereffects were clearly worse than usual. If he lost focus even a little here, this entire area would be covered in ice. Knowing this, he used all his strength to suppress the outburst.
“What about him?”
“I knocked him out. Are you alright?”
Lucas placed his hand on Iberis’s cheek, which had turned as pale as lead. He clicked his tongue, feeling the temperature had dropped even further. His lips, having lost their original color, were now almost black.
Crack, crackle.
As mana escaped his control and spread around, the surrounding ground froze and icicles grew in various places. Frost covered the collapsed building debris and broken facilities.
Seeing Iberis’s condition, Lucas carefully transmitted warmth to him. Not knowing what drug Livio had used, he couldn’t recklessly perform guiding. If it contained components that reacted adversely to guiding, it could be dangerous.
“For now, take these at least.”
Lucas hurriedly gave Iberis sedatives, purifiers, and basic antidotes. The Defense Force’s antidotes, designed to neutralize monster poisons, were effective against most drugs.
“You know you can’t lose consciousness, right?”
“Yes…”
After making Iberis drink the medicines in order, Lucas slowly infused mana into him while watching for any adverse reactions.
“Is it okay, cough, to reveal your identity? That man, huff, won’t stay quiet about it.”
Iberis asked, recalling fragments of the conversation he had overheard earlier. It was an attempt to maintain consciousness.
“It doesn’t matter. It would have come out naturally once the trial began anyway.”
Lucas answered Iberis’s question while pulling the trembling man into his arms. He had always planned to be interrogated and testify as both a victim and a witness once the investigation into Livio began in earnest.
“People will, say things, cough…!”
“Some might criticize, but many will be interested in the case and either admire me or pity me.”
“You?”
“Yes. The tragedy of the Blake family is quite famous in Europe. My sister’s and my unfortunate past was also highlighted due to the incident during the vacation.”
Lucas spoke as if to say there was no need to worry too much. In Europe, including his home country England, he was a celebrity with the image of a self-made nobleman who had lost his parents at a young age. Also, due to his complex about his scars, he always wore a mask, making many curious about his bare face.
To think that this viscount had actually set up a stand-in and created a fake identity to live as a soldier to avenge his parents? And he’s an exceptional S-class guide on top of that?
The public would surely be intrigued by this story that seemed straight out of a movie or novel. By appropriately building public opinion through the media, Livio’s trial would gain even more attention.
While some might criticize him as a fraud who deceived his colleagues, as Iberis worried, Lucas believed their number wouldn’t be significant. This incident would deal a near-fatal blow to the conservative faction, allowing the reform faction to completely seize control of the political situation.
Unless the reform faction was insane, they wouldn’t turn away Lucas, who played a crucial role in their rise to power.
Above all, it was Winfried, a senior member of the reform faction, who had enlisted him as Luke Illum. Criticizing Lucas would be tantamount to insulting her. This fact alone would keep most people quiet.
Moreover, the Defense Force, suffering from severe manpower shortages, was generally lenient about hiding one’s past or using aliases as long as no crimes were committed during military service. They even made identity laundering a condition when scouting talented individuals.
“It’s not like I’ve been harming others while living as Luke Illum… For the past few years, I’ve performed my duties flawlessly, leaving no room for criticism.”
Lucas displayed a confident attitude. The position he had built over the past few years as an S-class guide and military doctor was not easily shaken.
Furthermore, his status as the owner of Blake Medical Equipment and Pharmaceutical Company and a nobleman of a country served as an excellent shield. Even the Defense Force couldn’t carelessly treat a patron who had contracted to supply billions worth of medical supplies at below market prices and pledged substantial annual operational sponsorship to the military human rights center.
What he had done to keep Mars Guild in check as they vied for the position of a cooperative company had now become a protective measure for when his identity was revealed.
Of course, using the military to find his enemy was an undeniable fact. Internal disciplinary action would be hard to avoid, but he wasn’t particularly afraid. There was no need to remain in the military once Livio’s trial was over.
“That’s a relief, cough, cough…!”
“Major!”
As Iberis couldn’t continue speaking and broke into coughing, Lucas quickly embraced him.
“Huff, ha, Luke, I’m cold…”
Iberis buried his face in Lucas’s neck, desperately seeking his warmth. His extremities were hot, but his insides were freezing. His bones ached with penetrating cold, and his goosebump-covered skin twitched involuntarily.
“Please endure a little longer.”
Lucas walked, almost running, while holding Iberis. The cold seeping into his skin was stronger than usual, indicating how bad Iberis’s condition was.
“Sleepy…”
Iberis coughed, barely holding onto his fading consciousness. His vision blurred as if underwater, and his ears felt muffled. As his senses dulled, Lucas’s body heat and voice seemed to drift away.
“No, if you lose consciousness now… Major? Iberis!”
Lucas urgently called out as he felt the body in his arms go limp, but Iberis’s lips wouldn’t move. He passed out as if a fuse had been cut.
* * *
Cold.
Iberis, curled up tightly, groaned as he broke out in a cold sweat. Severe chills ran through him each time his uncontrolled mana surged inside. Moans escaped through his chapped lips from pain that felt like his internal organs were being sliced. His swollen throat stung, and the cold that had seeped into his bones made his entire body ache as if his muscles were breaking into pieces.
Was it because he hadn’t experienced a mana outburst in a long time?
Iberis writhed, unable to endure the constantly changing sensations. It was hard to stay still as he alternated between feeling burning hot and freezing cold.
“Don’t move.”
Who? Iberis frowned at the touch restraining him as he groaned and flailed his limbs. But soon he let out a faint exclamation of “Ah” at the wave of warmth that washed over him.
“It’s okay, I’m here. I’ll warm you up soon.”
That’s right, unlike before, there was now a warmth that gently enveloped him as he shivered from the cold. Iberis slightly raised his head, seeking the kind voice wrapping around his ears. A warm hand cradled the back of his head.
“Lean on me comfortably.”
Luke. Finally realizing he was in Lucas’s arms, Iberis silently mouthed his name. As he grasped the edge of Lucas’s clothes, sun-like warm mana poured out.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
