1263 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Approximately two hours had passed since the hunt for the apostles began. It continued until just before dawn, only stopping when the sun finally started to rise in the distance. “Krraaaagh…!!!” Another apostle vanished with a scream. Watching the creature crumble away, he finally brushed off his hands. Tap, tap. I dusted off my palms and swept back my hair. “Phew.” A weary sigh escaped my lips. The continuous fighting over the past two hours left me feeling slightly drained. “Exhausting.” My whole body ached. It felt like it had been a long time since I moved so strenuously. I repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fist, assessing his inner condition. ‘Not bad.’ My previously empty energy center was now full. Although fatigued, my physical condition was better than it had been in a while. “Yes… A bit of energy makes a difference.” As I observed the flames flickering in his hands, a smile played on my lips. It had been a while since I felt this energized. The return of what was absent felt remarkably uplifting. As he was relishing this feeling with a small chuckle, “Is it all over?” the King of Assassins inquired. He had been watching the scene from the sidelines, leaning against the wall. “Ah, yes. Thanks to you.” “……” At my response, the King of Assassins approached. He didn’t question how I managed to catch the apostles in such a manner or what he gained from doing so. The King of Assassins seemed uninterested from the start. “Let’s return.” “Yes.” With the King of Assassins' help, three apostles were hunted. Only after defeating them could I fully replenish my energy. Fuooosh-!! A dark aura emanated from the King of Assassins, enveloping them. Swoosh-!!! Next thing I knew, we were back at the hideout we had left. * * * Having returned to the hideout, I quickly washed up. He changed into fresh clothes that I had on standby, then spoke to the waiting King of Assassins. “King of Assassins.” “What is it?” The King of Assassins replied in a calm tone. “I have something I want to ask.” “Is it something that requires a response?” “You don’t have to if you’d rather not, but I’d appreciate it if you could.” “Speak.” With permission granted, I proceeded to ask his question. “The power you use to move through space, is there no limit to the times or distances you can use it?” “……” His question was about the strange ability the King of Assassins exhibited—traversing through space effortlessly. It was a curious power. Certainly not typical martial arts. ‘From what I can tell, it’s part of the powers.’ The power he wielded seemed to be linked to his draconic half, as expected, given his lineage. ‘I’ve never seen something like this before.’ In his knowledge, the King of Assassins had never used this power. Granted, he didn’t know every ability the king possessed. ‘Such a practical power… it would have been good to know.’ He found it peculiar such a power wasn’t mentioned before, especially since the King of Assassins had shared much with him. In answer to his curiosity, the King of Assassins spoke. “This power stems from a curse.” ‘Oh.’ At least he was willing to provide an answer. Additionally, ‘Indeed, it’s the power of a half-dragon.’ The draconic authority derived from the Blood Demon’s curse. It seemed his assumption was correct. “Does that mean it’s indeed a form of authority?” “……” The King of Assassins gazed at me steadily as I used the term ‘authority’ openly. “You seem to know quite a bit.” “I happened across this information here and there. So, can you use that authority indefinitely?” “It wasn’t always this way.” “It wasn’t…?” The response was slightly puzzling. “Originally, it was a power limited to moving or retrieving small items. But upon entering this world, it underwent a change.” My eyes widened at the mention of the power’s transformation. A change in authority? “So coming here allowed you to transport yourself and others as well?” “Indeed, though there are distance limitations, they aren’t short. And there’s no limit to the number of times. The only condition is that I must have previously visited the area.” “Huh.” What an incredible ability. ‘…Can authority have so few limits?’ Whether these attributes were due to authority’s change or not was unclear, but what was important was, ‘Authority can evolve.’ The notion that his authority had evolved upon entering this world was noteworthy. ‘Is that truly possible?’ I didn’t know if authority could indeed evolve, but if true, ‘I need to verify this.’ He needed to check if there had been any change in the authority he held. “Then, King of Assassins.” “What is it?” “Are you saying you can only visit places you’ve been to before and nowhere else?” “Correct.” “……Does that mean you know of only one other apostle’s hideout?” “There is only one left.” “……Hmm.” The King of Assassins hadn’t identified as many as he expected. Or rather, should he consider it fortunate that he identified even this much? ‘Perhaps the rest are beyond his reach.’ Places he hadn’t been to or were too far. “Understood. Then I’ll ask you to assist with the remaining one tomorrow.” “……” Without a word, the King of Assassins disappeared from his spot. After confirming he was gone, I immediately headed to Mi Hyoran's quarters. She was another person he needed to question. * * * “What’s the matter?” Arriving at Mi Hyoran’s quarters, I found her just on her way out. Her face, marked with fatigue, was striking. “Ah, it’s nothing urgent. I just have a few questions for you.” “……If it’s not urgent, please come later. I'm quite occupied at the moment.” “Is something going on?” She clearly seemed busy. There appeared to be other warriors gathered, discussing something in her vicinity. “……It’s nothing significant.” “Is that so?” Though it seemed significant to him, he decided not to press further given her state. “Well then, I’ll come back another time.” He shrugged his shoulders and stepped outside. After waiting about the time it takes for half a cup of tea to cool, those inside began to come out. It didn’t take as long as expected. When I re-entered Mi Hyoran’s quarters, I found her massaging her temples, deep in thought. “Can we talk now?” “……” Mi Hyoran looked at him with a weary face upon his arrival. “…What do you want?” “As I mentioned earlier, I have some questions.” “Sigh…” Her expression clearly conveyed that she felt bothered, but I wasn’t one to back down over something like that. I had my own purpose here. “Go ahead…” Having received her permission, I smiled and inquired, “It’s nothing major.” “If it’s nothing major, it can wait…” “Do you know why Young Master Gu became an apostle?” “……” Mi Hyoran froze at his question, her expression twisting. “That’s quite a significant matter.” “Oh, is it? I thought I was asking it rather lightly.” “No matter how lightly you phrase it, the weight of the truth doesn’t change, does it?” “Huh?” Seeing his feigned naiveté, Mi Hyoran gave him an incredulous stare. He had tried to approach the topic delicately, but it seemed ineffective. “Well, regardless… do you happen to know why he became an apostle?” “……” Her tense expression continued to focus on him. “Why are you so curious?” “How can I not be curious? Someone who never would have done such a thing ended up that way.” “…Sigh.” Mi Hyoran swept her hair back. Various emotions flickered across her pale face. “You mentioned meeting Young Master Gu.” “I did.” I nearly died from that encounter. If not for the King of Assassins, it could have been dangerous. ‘…Who knew Tam wouldn’t work?’ Unlike with other apostles, Tam had no effect on father. I had apprehended several apostles to verify this but concluded it wasn’t an issue with Tam. Instead, ‘Father is different.’ His father must have had something else going on. “How did Young Master Gu seem to you?” “…What do you mean? Well.” He seemed the same. Just that. “He was full of murderous intent.” The expressionless face, the different hue in the flames, and the murderous aura coursing through him. There were many differences, but there were even more similarities. That’s why he was curious. “What happened to Young Master Gu?” What, exactly, had happened to make father that way? “……” Mi Hyoran simply stared at him, offering no response to his inquiry. After the prolonged silence, “Is it truly that important to you?” “It is. That’s the reason I’m asking.” “Very well. I’ll tell you.” “Oh… then.” “But,” Mi Hyoran resumed, closing the fan she held. “I have a request. Fulfill it and I’ll tell you.” “…A request?” What ominous request could this be? He was about to feel discomfort at the conditions when, “…Capture an apostle for me.” “Pardon?” “There’s an apostle in the north. They’re capturing warriors to feed monsters, nurturing them.” “…What?” His words rang a bell… more specifically, it seemed like something he recognized. Was it that, perhaps? “Their features,” “…Is it the one with the antlers?” “Antlers of a… what now?” Mi Hyoran paused, startled by his words. That was when he clapped his hands together. “How did you know that?” “I killed that one.” “…What?” Mi Hyoran’s face took on an uncharacteristic expression of disbelief.