Chapter 41

Chapter 41

A being who knows all the truths of this world…?

What kind of nonsense was that?

Unless one was a god, there was no way to know all the truths of the world.

No, even if someone was a god, I didn’t believe they could know everything.

And yet, I was being told to go find such a being...?

Was this a joke?

If—really, if—what she said was true, then that meant I had a godlike being as my enemy.

An omniscient god, at that.

Even if it wasn't an actual god, that distinction didn’t matter.

If a human existed who knew everything in this world, then one would have no choice but to call them a god.

Bestia, who had been muttering incomprehensible nonsense, lost consciousness.

I caught her as she collapsed, limp like a puppet with its strings cut, and sat her down in a chair.

“What do you think?”

“You mean what she just said?”

“Yeah. It seemed like some kind of mind-related magic was at play…”

Cecil nodded.

“Judging by how it reacted to the weapon I was carrying, it seems like a message was imprinted that automatically triggers when it detects a specific item.

The level of intricacy in the spell suggests the caster must’ve been a pretty skilled mage.”

“…Was it really Bestia who cast it?”

“To be honest, I think there’s a decent chance.

If she reached that level of mastery, it’s not impossible she’s still alive.

And the fact that this puppet’s face looks exactly like that damned fox woman is suspicious too.”

If Bestia was alive, then there was a high possibility Malero Saladin was alive as well.

Coated in divine blessings and even carrying Makina, he wouldn’t be able to die at someone else’s hands even if he wanted to—unless it was someone like the esteemed Patriarch of the Winterbell family or the head of the Helios family.

“A being who knows all truths… and that's my enemy?

What should I make of this, Cecil?”

“I wonder if such a being could really exist in this world.

Even the most renowned sage on the continent probably isn't omniscient.”

It wasn’t easy to accept.

Honestly, if Bestia really was the one who enchanted that, then it only made it harder to believe.

“…Yeah. At that point, you’d have to call them a god.

But even a god couldn’t do something like that.”

“I agree.

Maybe the ‘Nameless God’ said to have created this world in the beginning could be called omniscient and omnipotent.

Still, I don’t think we should just ignore this.

The fact that thing reacted to my sword is real.

For now, how about showing the weapons of the other companions like it said?”

“The weapons of the others…”

Malero Saladin and Bestia.

Ryeong and me.

Ivaki and Nia.

A sudden laugh escaped me.

“Puhaha!”

“…Why are you laughing all of a sudden?”

It was because I remembered Ivaki.

Ivaki, who loved all things ‘manly’ more than anyone else, stubbornly refused to use weapons, declaring that ‘a man fights with his fists’.

But then he put on the gauntlets forged with passion and soul by a dwarf craftsman.

Once he did, and realized how wrong he’d been, he spent days bouncing around in excitement.

—I was wrong, Van!

A man must wear excellent weapons!

It’s what any true warrior striving for strength must do!

Absolutely, without a doubt.

When I told her those stories, Cecil burst out laughing too.

"Back then, I thought he was so damn annoying I couldn’t even stand the sight of him… but now that I think about it, it’s all just memories.

Well, not that I want to see him again or anything."

“Hahaha! You two fought all the time.

Thinking back on it now, it’s nostalgic, but I don’t want to go back either.”

“Why not?”

“If I go back, I’ll just end up dying again at the hands of those bastards.

Ah, well, I guess it’d be a different story if I kept my current memories.”

Cecil looked at me with a bitter expression, then slowly reached out and stroked my cheek.

“Cecil?”

“Sometimes… please understand.

It’s because the memories of my past life and this one are blending together.”

I knew she was lying.

But I didn’t bother pointing it out—because I didn’t dislike her touch either.

“First, we need to gather the weapons of our companions.

And when there’s time, we should also visit that grave I mentioned before.”

“Let’s do that.”

There were more things to do now than before…

But knowing that Cecil was Ryeong made me feel like I’d gained an army of a thousand strong.

---

Two days later.

After finishing the usual sparring session with Lin Winterbell, I invited her into the inner part of the annex.

Of course, it wasn’t the kind of match we bet anything on—just a light warm-up session.

At least, that’s what I thought.

She might’ve seen it differently.

Even with just a wooden sword, she gave off such murderous intent that it felt like she’d kill me the moment I let my guard down.

Our real match, the one with the bet, was set to happen half a year later, so there was no need to waste energy now.

Honestly, I only agreed to spar because she kept grinding her teeth and insisted on it.

Knowing Lin Winterbell’s personality, her pride must’ve been seriously wounded by the fact that she’d become the subordinate of someone she had once looked down on so much.

She’d probably come at me with everything she had in half a year, but…

‘If we’re going to fight anyway, might as well settle the ranking properly.’

As she noticed the food and drinks Cecil and the attendants had prepared in advance, she asked with a suspicious face,

“What’s this?

Ah… You poisoned it, didn’t you?

No thanks, no thanks.

An idiot like you might not know better, but I’m already immune to poison, you bastard.”

I sighed as she kept rambling nonsense, then replied,

“You think I’m such a fool I’d poison you this obviously?

If I wanted to kill you, I’d do it with my own hands.

I don’t use cowardly methods like poison.

Why do you think I ended up crippled? You think I’d follow in those footsteps?”

“…True.

As pathetic as you were, using poison to turn someone into a cripple is even more pathetic.”

“I seem to remember you mocking me at the time too, didn’t you?”

“What, was I supposed to shed tears or something?

The bastard who used poison, and the bastard who didn’t bother building poison resistance because he was scared—

Both looked like pathetic fools to me, what else was I supposed to think?”

What a charming way with words.

Then again, who knows?

She might talk like that, but for all I know, she’s the very one who turned my body into this.

That was something I’d figure out in time.

“For now, please eat.”

“Sht. This is shady as hell.”

“So, are you not going to eat it?”

“…Didn’t say that.”

She was probably hungry from the sparring session just now.

Lin Winterbell’s appetite was stronger than anyone I’d ever seen.

There was no way she’d waste time dancing around it.

“Not bad.”

I slowly drank my wine as I watched her devour the food.

For some reason, I started seeing Ron Winterbell in her expression.

“What are you staring at? Never seen someone eat before?”

“…Let’s have a drink.”

“Fck. What a world we live in.

Can’t believe I’m drinking with you at the same table.”

I might’ve invited her out of necessity, but the way she kept provoking me was starting to get on my nerves.

“Sis. I know I acted like a total moron in the past.

But I’m not the same now, am I?

If someone you used to treat like a loser beat you in a duel, and you’re still calling him a loser—

Doesn’t that just mean you’re insulting yourself?

Or should I do it for you instead?”

“…Fcking hell. Did the devil curse your mouth or something?

Did you sell your soul to an actual demon or what?”

“If I’d really made a deal with a demon, don’t you think the Patriarch would’ve noticed by now?

Enough pointless talk—just drink. My arm’s about to fall off.”

“Goddamn.”

Clink!

The sound of glass hitting glass rang in my ears.

Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.

She downed the drink in one go, and I quietly watched her eat.

Once it seemed like she’d filled up a bit, I slowly spoke.

“Feeling full now?”

“What the hell are you stalling for? What do you want to ask so badly?”

“It’s about my mother.”

“…”

She suddenly fell silent.

Then her face twisted, and she muttered under her breath.

“Fck’s sake. Way to ruin the mood. Why bring her up?”

I didn’t have many memories of my mother, but one thing was clear—

Most people in this family hated her.

An ethnic minority.

Lowborn blood.

A concubine.

And insanity.

To the people of this household who held the name Winterbell in high esteem, my mother must have been an eyesore.

Well, yeah—if there’s already an official wife, having a concubine would definitely rub the children the wrong way.

From the start, I couldn’t even understand why Arkan Winterbell took in a concubine.

Was he secretly a womanizer?

Even if he was, was that really possible with Kali Winterbell, the matron of Winterbell, standing tall?

The Lady of Winterbell. The Queen of the North.

Not quite on the level of Winterbell or Helios—considered the strongest on the continent—but still the eldest daughter of the Berna family, one of the Five Great Houses.

And a swordswoman who’d reached the 10-star level.

“…”

But you know…

I’m pissed off too.

Minority or concubine, none of that matters to me.

What matters is that I’m also her child.

So yeah—I’m angry, from the perspective of a son.

No matter what, she’s still my mother.

So…

“Could you fcking watch your mouth?

I know very well what you and the others think of my mother.

But still… if you talk about her like that in front of me, her son—

Are you asking me to kill you?”

"Pfft. Kill me? You? Kill me, Ran Winterbell?

I don't know what the hell happened to you all this time, but don't get ahead of yourself.

Just because your legs healed a little, you think all your siblings are beneath you now?"

"…You are beneath me, sis.

At least for the next half a year."

"…."

"And whatever happened before, my mother was still a matron of the Winterbell family.

Speaking carelessly about a woman personally chosen by the Patriarch—

Isn't that the same as doubting his judgment?"

Lin Winterbell averted her gaze and muttered, almost grinding her teeth.

"Fine, fine. I get it.

So what is it you're trying to ask?"

"The day our mother passed away…

Do you remember it clearly?"

"Is there anyone in this family who doesn’t remember that day?

Wait—don’t tell me. You seriously don’t remember what happened that day?"

I nodded honestly.

After the personality of 'Van Descartes' awakened, most of my memories related to my mother vanished.

The only faint memory that lingered was Arkan's face, staring down at me with a chilling gaze the day she died.

‘Maybe… Arkan really did try to kill me too that day.’

"Yes. Maybe it was too traumatic, but I don’t remember it.

That’s why I’m asking you, sis.

Can you tell me exactly what happened that day?"

"Hmm. That so?

Well, it's not hard to tell you, but if you want something, you need to give something.

If I tell you what happened that day, what are you going to give me?"

I paused to consider it, then replied.

"I’ll shorten the agreed period by one week."

"Four weeks."

"Two. That’s my limit."

Lin Winterbell nodded with a satisfied expression.

"Fine. Where should I even start…"

"…"

"You do know that the one who killed that woman…

was the Patriarch, right?"