Chapter 59.2: A Chance Encounter (4)
“This place really does feel like Ethelred.”
Asher whispered under his breath.
Hearing this, both Cain and Oswald gave wry smiles. The foot of Qaclington, inhabited by natives, was lined with low houses, with only the occasional wisp of smoke from baking bread rising into the air.
“I see the scenery hasn’t changed a bit.”
Oswald asked, nodding his head, and Cain, with a wry smile, agreed.
“Count Edmund isn’t interested in developing the territory.”
“That’s…… true.”
“I roughly heard you were the former butler. Around when did you serve?”
“Approximately…… until Lord Count Edmund was in his early twenties.”
Cain calculated the timing and casually asked.
“And after that, you came back here and became like the village head?”
“Yes. This is where I was born, so I returned.”
“Roughly 25 years ago. It coincides with when iron reappeared in the depleted iron mine.”
“……!”
Flick━.
Oswald swiftly turned his head, looking at Cain.
Cain shrugged with his usual clueless expression.
“I’m here for tax matters, so I figured I’d drop by and learn a bit.”
At the mention of taxes, Oswald nodded in understanding and quickened his pace.
They entered the tidiest-looking building in the native village.
Oswald gestured to those following him, signaling them to stay back.
But Cain stopped him.
“Frankly, we’re not exactly close. What’s the guarantee they won’t try something? It’s safer if they stay.”
“If I cannot trust Young Master Ethelred, then who in the world can I trust?”
“If you’re trying to dismiss them because there are things you can’t say in front of them, I understand.”
Oswald silently stared at Cain.
He clearly had a sword at his waist, but his cleverly wielded tongue was far sharper than any blade.
Even now, Oswald could sense the political maneuvering, attempting to divide him and the native warriors.
“That wouldn’t be the case. Everyone, stay.”
Since he wasn’t going to share any secrets anyway, Cain’s ploy was irrelevant.
Oswald took out rough teacups, placing them before Cain and Asher, and spoke as he poured the tea.
“What brings you here?”
“I’m curious about Count Edmund’s childhood.”
A look of ease washed over Oswald’s face.
He had heard about Edmund’s disappearance, and even before that, he was often absent from the county, away on northern expeditions or personal training.
It seemed natural for a son to be curious about his father’s past.
“Before that.”
However, one must listen to another’s words until the very end.
Cain lightly held his teacup and, as casually as mentioning dinner plans, asked the crucial question.
“Why did you kidnap the children?”
━I was coming to see Oswald anyway, so I’ll look into the natives. You stay here and investigate the immigrants.
Oleciren and Isoel remained at the Miner’s Union, while he and Asher came here.
Of course, there was nothing particularly suspicious about the Union President’s story.
‘Things can’t be that simple.’
In the previous world line, after being driven out of Count Ethelred’s service and arriving on the continent empty-handed, Cain had to struggle from the very bottom.
He had learned the hard way back then that the more polished the surface and the more flawless the words, the more suspicious one should be.
Oswald’s wrinkles deepened. He sighed deeply, as if he genuinely had no clue.
“We do not engage in such acts as kidnapping.”
“Is that so?”
“I understand that Powell is frustrated that he can’t find the kidnappers, but……”
As expected of a former butler of one of the Seven Great Noble Houses, Oswald had been composed and calm until now.
However, the moment he mentioned Powell, a glimpse of his true feelings surfaced.
Cain, wanting to delve a little deeper, sharpened the blade of his tongue.
“From what I hear from Union President Powell , the natives are the bad guys. Blocking the mine’s operation as they please and making everyone poor.”
“That bastard……!”
Anger flashed in Oswald’s eyes.
But Cain wasn’t looking at him.
His gaze was fixed on the four native warriors standing in the room.
One among them flinched every time the word “kidnapping” was uttered.
Enraged, Oswald failed to notice Cain’s gaze and raised his voice.
“You mustn’t believe the words of that fool. That trash doesn’t know the sacrifices we make for the Qaclington mine!”
“So you take revenge by kidnapping?”
“Young Master!”
As Oswald shouted and his fury threatened to spread to the other warriors, one remained strangely indifferent.
Cain stared directly at him.
[‘A Fragment of the Forgotten Season’ has been found.]
‘So it can be used this way too.’
“Young Master……?”
At the same time, Oswald, who had realized that he had deliberately provoked him, followed Cain’s gaze and saw one of his men.
The other warriors also distanced themselves from him.
Fwoosh━!
Suddenly, flames redder than molten lava erupted from the man’s eyes. His mask split open, revealing a mouth that stretched to his ears.
《As the Eternal One arrives, I open my eyes to witness the end.》
“D, Devil!”
Oswald instinctively cried out.
Whizz━.
Cain glanced at him and gestured for him to get back.
Asher shielded them with the large shield he carried on his back, and Cain drew Agweska.
Shing━.
At that moment, the burning eyes of the unknown entity locked onto Agweska.
Thump━.
The flames, which had been confined to his eyes, instantly engulfed his entire being.
From within the inferno, he spoke.
《By the grace of your sacrifice, I, Balam, shall greet the eternity.》
Fizzle━.
The flames of his eyes disappeared, as though to symbolize that there were no everlasting red flowers and no eternally burning fires.
And what remained was merely a single human engulfed in flames.
“Ah, no! This isn’t what we agreed on! Spare me, spare me!”
The one who was writhing in pain with his body engulfed in blazing flames turned to black ash and crumbled before he could even do anything.
[‘Forgotten Season’ has regained its name.]
Following the brief message, a quest window with a slightly altered border appeared.
+
『The Cycle of Seasons LI』
Everything has an end, and there were those who resisted that end: the ‘Minions of the Eternity.’
Both the ‘end’ and the ‘eternity’ are at the mercy of the master of the 『Four Seasons』.
Clear Conditions: Annihilate Balam before the sun rises tomorrow.
Commencement Time: At sunset.
Success: World Line Fixation can be transformed into World Alteration Power, Growth of the Eternity.
Failure: Catastrophic eruption of Qaclington Volcano.
*You can gain Omnipotence and Omniscience proportional to the % of World Alteration Power.
*However, World Alteration Power cannot be fixed.
+
“I thought this was a casual stroll, but it turns out it’s a lava walk.”
The future consumed whenever he used the power of ‘Winter,’ the 〈Sacred Treasures of the Four Seasons〉, encompassed not just his lifespan but his fate as well.
‘Did this happen because I consumed the future?’
Cain felt a strange pang of bitterness, wondering if things had escalated because of his presence.
But still, what needed to be done had to be done.
He looked at the natives behind Asher.
“I just heard something about a sacrifice. Oswald, you know about this, right?”
Asher shifted his body slightly.
Through the gap, they could see Oswald slumped on the floor.
Cain kept Agweska drawn and let his chilling words hang in the air.
“The sacrifices I know of involve offerings. And wouldn’t you know it, some kids have gone missing. A strange guy also showed up. You better start explaining yourself, Oswald.”
Oswald struggled to his feet.
“I know about the sacrifice, but I truly know nothing about any kidnapping.”
“What about the Miner’s Union? Do they know too?”
“That Powell…”
Cain furrowed his brow.
“It’ll be easier to talk with everyone gathered. And if anyone tries to feed me lies, they can say goodbye to their tongue.”
Gulp━.
The sound of the native warriors swallowing nervously was particularly loud.
Cain’s aura was so chilling that neither they nor Oswald could defy him, silencing any talk of traditions or history.
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