Chapter 141. The Path of Atonement for the Past
2024.01.19.
At the truth flowing from Herdin's lips, Gerard's eyes began to tremble violently.
The only person who knew he had killed Kasion and Eloyse was Esmeralda.
Since she had died, the truth should have been buried as well......
Why would Herdin know that fact?
No, more than that.
'How did he know to come here?'
The moment he questioned that, Herdin opened his mouth as if reading his mind.
"Did you send Kaligo to me from the start with this intention, Your Holiness?"
It was Gerard who had recommended Kaligo, his peer, as a squire to Herdin, who was going through an unstable period after losing both parents overnight.
At the time, he believed that Gerard, who had been close to his mother, had sent him out of concern for him.
But only yesterday did he learn there was a 'real reason' Gerard had sent Kaligo to him.
'I saw someone approaching Sir Kaligo earlier.'
Last night, the knight who came to visit Herdin was the one he had assigned to watch Kaligo.
'Did you see who it was?'
'Well, I hope I saw wrong......'
The knight hesitated before continuing.
'......It was His Holiness the Pope.'
He even told him that Gerard had used black magic to brainwash Kaligo.
Herdin was considerably shocked by the identity of the culprit he hadn't expected at all.
Why?
The first emotion that arose was doubt.
What kind of grudge did he have against Delmark to go this far?
If he simply had romantic feelings for his mother, it was strange that he would seek revenge even against her son and Blair.
Then what reason would he have to harbor such resentment against 'Delmark' itself?
As he reasoned, Herdin recalled a portrait he had seen as a child in a room in the corner of the ducal mansion.
"No, now......"
Herdin looked at Gerard across from him.
Even after recalling that face at the end of his reasoning, he initially thought it was impossible. The person in the portrait had died decades ago.
But if he were alive like a miracle.
The face he thought would look like that was standing right before his eyes.
The thought that was merely a hypothesis became a conviction the moment he properly faced Gerard.
Herdin charged at Gerard with murderous eyes, sword raised.
Boom—!
Gerard barely managed to block Herdin's attack using black magic by a hair's breadth. The collision between the black magic and Herdin's sword echoed with a tremendous roar.
Between the precariously clashing sword and black magic, Herdin's cold voice came through.
"Should I address you as 'Uncle'?"
Gerard, who seemed momentarily flustered, soon burst into laughter.
'I thought if I hid my hostility, I'd never be found out.'
It was an unexpected turn of events, but seeing Herdin's quietly furious face, he thought this was quite entertaining as well.
He had been secretly disappointed that Kasion had died without knowing he was the mastermind behind all the misfortune.
He wanted to see him realize he had been manipulated, raging and despairing until his last breath.
But seeing that appearance in Herdin, who resembled Kasion, he felt more ecstasy than ever before.
"You're quick-witted."
So rage more, despair more.
"Unlike your father."
As much as your father's share.
At the words about being quick-witted, Herdin laughed coldly in self-mockery.
One without memories of a past life wouldn't know.
How long it took him to reach this truth.
What price he paid to stand here.
It was a truth he hadn't been able to reach until the end in his past life.
And the reason he could reach this truth was because he had confessed everything to Blair.
If only in the past life, he had discussed things with her and found a way together.
Then without you getting hurt, without me losing you, without taking such a long detour...... could we have been happy?
A late regret pierced through him for his foolish choices of the past.
But that was fleeting.
Because only by not layering regret upon regret would be the path of atonement for the past.
Herdin gripped his sword and charged again immediately. Gerard swiftly deflected Herdin's attack, but his body shook from the shockwave alone.
He could feel that the title of the Empire's greatest Magic Swordsman was no empty boast.
He needed to drive such a Herdin to his limits to make him surpass the second restriction, but in the current situation, it seemed impossible.
'Truly, he resembles his father to an annoying degree.'
Gerard, barely holding off Herdin's overwhelming attacks, spoke to distract him.
"Aren't you curious why you too got caught up with me?"
But Herdin's response was cold.
"Should I be?"
He continued his attacks without pause and added.
"No matter what tragic narrative you attach, the fact that you're a villain doesn't change."
Cutting off Gerard's words, Herdin unleashed attacks at high speed. He had judged that in an enclosed space, close combat would be more advantageous than magic.
As he expected, when it came to close combat, Gerard began to be pushed back. He was blocking all the attacks, but he must be feeling the full impact of the shockwaves.
As if proving that, all of Gerard's attacks were missing and hitting the basement walls or ceiling. Even though the closer distance should make it easier to aim magic.
The moment Herdin, having pushed Gerard against the wall, was about to charge for the final blow.
Crash!
Gerard's stray magic hit the ceiling, causing it to collapse.
Herdin gritted his teeth as he saw the building's debris falling toward him.
'From the start, with this purpose......!'
It was too late to cast magic to remove the debris.
He sliced the falling debris with his sword, but it was insufficient to block all the countless falling pieces.
Gerard smiled with satisfaction as he saw Herdin buried under the pile of rocks. However, the attack didn't stop there.
'I'll push him to the limit with this opportunity.'
His goal wasn't simply to kill Herdin, but to make him go berserk and destroy himself.
Gerard poured ruthless black magic toward the building debris covering Herdin.
A little pain suppresses the rampage, but pain close to death would trigger the survival instinct and induce a rampage.
He would absorb the mana of his loved one and cause their death, and then destroy himself.
How beautiful would that face be, enveloped in despair.
It was the destruction of Kasion he had so longed for and the perfect downfall of Delmark.
'......Why is there no reaction?'
But even after pouring attacks for a while, it remained quiet. Even though with Delmark's power, he shouldn't die from this.
The moment Gerard, feeling puzzled, took a step toward the building debris.
Boom!
The quiet building debris crumbled to dust as Herdin revealed himself.
Gerard, who had been wearing a confident smile thinking Herdin would have certainly gone berserk from this, faltered when he saw Herdin approaching him.
'How......'
Threatening mana was swirling around Herdin, but his eyes were clearly gazing at Gerard.
With his left hand gnawed to the bone.
Before the shaken Gerard could even come up with a next plan, Herdin, who had closed the distance at high speed, thrust his sword into his heart.
"Cough......"
The sword that pierced through his heart was pulled out without hesitation.
Herdin coldly stared at Gerard's bloodshot red eyes, at the enemy of his parents and family, at the longtime mastermind who had taken Blair from him.
"It certainly took a long time."
As the sword was pulled out, Gerard's body collapsed.
Vomiting blood and glaring at Herdin, he soon opened his mouth with a maddened smile.
"It's not...... over yet."
The smile of the dying man was bizarre beyond description.
Herdin quietly watched Gerard, who laughed as if thrashing in his final moments, then slit his throat.
Only then did the surroundings fall silent.
It was the end of an arduous revenge spanning two lifetimes.
The first thing that came to mind at that end was Blair's face.
He had to go back now. To her side, where she would be waiting for him.
Just as he took a step to return to Blair, Herdin's step suddenly faltered as he sensed something.
'The mana......'
Unstable mana was flowing out of his body, uncontrolled.
Seeing that, Herdin instinctively realized.
'The mark, hasn't disappeared.'
The black magic circle that should have disappeared when the caster died was still pulsing vividly on his back.
* * *
"The undead attack on Nerha a few days ago was all orchestrated by the Duchess."
At that time, Miela went to Raymond as Gerard had instructed and exposed Blair as a black mage.
"There's a black magic circle on the Duchess's body, so please check it."
That was all she said.
But Raymond immediately turned to suspecting Blair and Herdin at those few words.
His friendliness toward Herdin had been solely because of the benefits he would bring, not out of pure goodwill or great trust.
From the beginning, Herdin, who planned to promote a port business in Libren, was a rival Raymond needed to keep in check.
Raymond, enraged by Miela's words, sent her to the villa with knights. However, the Delmark servants wouldn't easily let armed knights in.
While the Nerha knights and Delmark servants were arguing, Ruth, who noticed the commotion, came out of the villa.
"What is the matter?"
"We've come to see the Duchess."
"So, what business do the knights have with the madam?"
"I've heard that the Duchess is involved in black magic. For the sake of our friendly relations with Nerha, please cooperate with our investigation."
Ruth furrowed her brow slightly and answered.
"I apologize, but the madam is not here."
"If you don't cooperate, we have no choice but to be suspicious."
"No matter how urgent the matter, coming to threaten a lady of nobility, and one who is not even alone, in this manner is—"
The Nerha knights pushed Ruth aside and barged into the villa. Miela headed to Blair's room along with the knights.
Anticipating her considerably flustered face.
"Madam, may we see you for a moment?"
But no answer came from inside the room.
Feeling puzzled, Miela suddenly had an ominous premonition and threw open the door without permission. At the same time, Miela's eyes wavered.
In the empty room without its owner, only a chill remained to greet her.