Chapter 107

Journey to the Capital (3)

The remedy Iliana had made had awakened Seraphia's Authority of Bitter Cold. A hero of the allied army had effectively helped the Sovereign of Bitter Cold, but...

'I didn't think this through.'

... Strictly speaking, it was my fault.

First, I hadn't expected Iliana to make a remedy. Second, I'd overlooked the fact that any remedy she made would have extraordinary effects.

Iliana had merely put her heart and soul into making it. She had even taken equal care to explain its effects to me.

... I simply hadn't understood.

Had I known, I would have at least tried using Predatory Instincts[S]. Then I could have identified the remedy's effects. It was too late now, but I used Predatory Instincts[S] to examine Seraphia.

==<Character Information>==

Name: Seraphia Whitewolf

Classification: Kingdom Animalia, Class Mammalia, Family Hominidae, Human

Sex: Female

Age: 16

Traits: Authority of Bitter Cold[P]

I confirmed that Curse of Bitter Cold[P] had changed to Authority of Bitter Cold[P].

◆Authority of Bitter Cold[P]

: The user generates a [Supernatural Thermal Energy Deficit], reducing the [Entropy] and [Enthalpy] arising within an energy-based dynamical system to [Infinitesimal] levels. Consequently, all thermal energy and molecular motion within a [Finite System] converge on [0], completely halting physical, chemical, and biological processes.

It was packed with complicated concepts. Reading it didn't help me understand what it meant. I probably wouldn't have understood even if I'd used Predatory Instincts[S] on the remedy.

'What have you made, Iliana?'

Once again, I realized she wasn't called the [Mage of Truth] for nothing.

The one saving grace was...

'So only her Authority of Bitter Cold has awakened.'

She hadn't awakened as the Sovereign of Bitter Cold.

And judging by her remark that she still needed practice, even her Authority hadn't fully awakened. If it had, I couldn't possibly be sitting here unharmed.

Of course, I had surpassed the Predator of my previous life. But merely surpassing Predator wasn't enough to contend with a Sovereign's might.

They were on another level.

A level beyond the reach of even the allied army's heroes.

Only Ian could stand against them, and even he couldn't guarantee victory over a Sovereign. Still, he had defeated them without suffering serious harm.

With one exception.

The Sovereign of Bitter Cold.

The Allied Army’s Greatest Enemy.

The witch who had taken the Hero Ian's left arm.

Horrific memories of my previous life flooded back, and my fists clenched involuntarily.

CRACK!

The countless people who had died at the Sovereign of Bitter Cold's hands. The voices begging to be spared. The hands flailing as their owners cried that they didn't want to die. They circled through my mind as vividly as yesterday, squeezing my heart.

Just as Dragon's Claw[A] dug into my palms, drawing drops of blood—

◆Successor's Will[EX] resists the surging Madness!!

◆13 Sanity accumulated!

The messages appearing before my eyes brought me to my senses. That was how deeply the terror and nightmares the Sovereign of Bitter Cold had inflicted were rooted within me.

Even among the six Sovereigns, she ranked near the top. The mere mention of her name had made the entire allied army tremble.

My instincts were telling me to kill Seraphia right now. But my reason, held steady by Successor's Will[EX], told me not to.

Ian had regretted killing the Sovereign of Bitter Cold. There had to be a rational reason for that.

'But I can't just keep waiting for Ian.'

Ian might be drawing the Emperor's attention right now. In other words, I had no idea when we could reunite. I couldn't wait indefinitely to learn the reason for his regret. Now that I'd decided to take action in earnest, I had to make my own judgments and act on them, even allowing for Ian throwing a goddamn fit.

I calmly raised my eyes. Seraphia was cowering. Then she met my gaze—

"Eek...!"

Her small shoulders flinched, and she hung her head.

... No matter how I looked at her, she wasn't the Sovereign of Bitter Cold. The emotions Find Weakness[U] detected weren't hostility, but wariness, anxiety, and awkward innocence. At a loss like a child who had done something wrong, she looked like nothing more than a girl being scolded, not the Sovereign of Bitter Cold.

My memories and experiences from my previous life made me reject Seraphia instinctively. Rationally, however, there was no reason to kill her now.

'As long as she doesn't awaken as the Sovereign of Bitter Cold.'

So, to keep choosing not to kill Seraphia, there was something I absolutely had to know. When, where, how, and why had she fallen and become the Sovereign of Bitter Cold?

My first hypothesis was the Elixir of Infinity. But as far as I could tell...

'It seems connected to her Authority of Bitter Cold.'

The power of Infinity[M]. It was hard to see that as what had corrupted Seraphia into a Sovereign.

'Hmm.'

I tried piecing together the memories and information from my previous life in various ways, but...

'I don't know.'

I had no ability that could uncover what I didn't know.

In my previous life, I'd run away from my family and lived like a vagrant afterward, so I knew little about the events of this period. More precisely, the Sovereign of Darkness had made me forget most of the relevant information. All the more reason I needed to observe it in the capital.

In any case, the information I had now couldn't tell me when, where, how, or why Seraphia would fall and become the Sovereign of Bitter Cold.

In that case, the conclusion was simple.

Even if Seraphia fell and became the Sovereign of Bitter Cold, even if she gained complete mastery over the Authority of Bitter Cold, all I had to do was grow strong enough to subdue her.

* * *

The deep, dark forest seemed to have swallowed all light. Intertwined branches cast sharp shadows, and the wind made eerie sounds as it brushed through the leaves.

'... Is that it?'

When I activated Predatory Instincts[S], information appeared before my eyes.

==<Entity Information>==

Entity: Noctura

Classification: Monster Kingdom, Class Aves, Order Dark Shadows, Family Strigidae

Sex: Male

Age: 8 years

Traits: Low-Light Vision[C]

The entity's name was Noctura. As its classification in the owl family indicated, it was a rare monster that had mutated from an owl. Specifically, the Noctura had evolved the owl's night vision.

◆Low-Light Vision[C]

: While this skill is active, the player consumes [5Kcal] per second to dramatically enhance the light-transmitting tissue membrane and transmittance of the eye's aperture. For its duration, the player can detect even the faintest light, improving night vision by [+58,330%].

<This skill can be toggled [On/Off].>

With Low-Light Vision[C], a Noctura could hunt mice in an enormous city lit by a single candle. That alone was an incredible ability. But Low-Light Vision[C]'s true value lay in a combination skill.

Spectrum Vision.

The ability to see infrared, ultraviolet, and even X-rays.

Infrared would let me instantly detect hidden enemies through their body heat. Ultraviolet would reveal invisible markings, residues, and toxic substances. With X-rays, I could see straight into an opponent's body and observe its movements clearly.

That would bring me one step closer to the state Ian had described.

Lumen Pax.

The ultimate state of perfectly aligning one's mind and senses to perceive one's opponent and every aspect of the surrounding environment with absolute clarity.

According to Ian:

["Someone who reaches Lumen Pax can perceive an opponent's minute muscle movements and every flow of mana."]

That allowed them to read an opponent's next move and shifts in their energy, naturally predicting the direction of attacks. To an outside observer, it would be an extraordinary sight, as though they could see several seconds into the future.

Unfortunately, I couldn't reach Lumen Pax because I couldn't manipulate mana. But I could approach it through Spectrum Vision—a biological Lumen Pax.

Creating Spectrum Vision through combination required Low-Light Vision[C], which could dramatically enhance the light-transmitting tissue membrane and transmittance.

Hunting a Noctura, however, was far from easy. Not only was it a rare monster, it boasted perfect night vision that missed nothing in the darkness. Hence its name, Noctura, meaning "ruler of the night sky." That name was no exaggeration, but...

◆Using skill: Assimilation[C-].

It couldn't easily find me as I blended into the darkness with Assimilation[C-]. Unfortunately, I hadn't obtained the complete genetic material. My imperfect Assimilation[C-] couldn't evade the Noctura's watch entirely, but...

◆Using skill: Slime Cell[C+].

I activated Slime Cell[C+] to increase my joints' range of motion. This genetic material was still incomplete as well. Yet as I slipped smoothly forward, my slime-coated muscles and joints expanded and contracted without restriction, so that even the leaves underfoot didn't react to my steps. I left no trace even in the air.

But Nocturas didn't just have excellent eyesight. Their hearing was extraordinarily good, too. Their heads could turn 320 degrees, and their ears sat at different heights, allowing them to pinpoint the source of a sound. They used that keen hearing to detect both prey and natural enemies.

However, there was [Effect 2] of my <Ruler of the Underworld> Title. Thanks to [Blessing of Darkness], my movement noise was currently reduced by [-99%].

Soundless footsteps.

The Noctura had no idea I was there.

Still, I had to be cautious, since I couldn't see ahead of me either. The Noctura was a flying monster. If I let it escape once, catching it again would be difficult.

I sharpened my senses as much as possible. Keeping my breathing quiet, I waited and waited for the perfect moment. Then, once the Noctura was safely within my attack range—

◆Using combination skill: Metabolic Overdrive[U]!

◆Calories Consumed - 65,500Kcal

◆All of the player's stats increase by [+65.5%] for [655 seconds]!

My body cut through the night air in an instant—

The startled Noctura leaped up, but before it could even spread its wings—

CRUNCH!

◆Noctura defeated!

◆310 combat experience gained!

Dragon's Claw[A] had already pierced its heart.

* * *

During breaks, at meals, and even at bedtime, Adrian would leave, saying he was going to scout the area. But now, at least she could be with him while they traveled.

... Or so Seraphia had hoped.

THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!

Thunderous sounds came from behind the carriage. At their source was Adrian, running after it. Heavy iron equipment was strapped to his back, and what looked like training weights...? hung all over his body.

They were so heavy that every time his feet struck the ground, there came another impact.

THUD! THUD!

Deep, footprint-shaped hollows formed in the earth.

Muscles stood out like cords all over his body, swollen so taut they looked ready to explode.

"Good heavens..."

"Unless his body's carved out of stone..."

"Even stone wouldn't look like that, would it?"

The soldiers watching exchanged looks of unabashed astonishment.

"I think this every time I see him..."

"Is he really human like us?"

It truly was enough to make them question whether he belonged to the same species.

"But why's he suddenly doing that?"

"Apparently, it's physical training."

"... Training? Not torture?"

"Even if it were torture, how is that possible?"

"It's Lord Adrian."

Because it was Adrian.

The soldiers had reached the point where those words explained everything.

Adrian had begun training his body even while they traveled. Everyone marveled at him for it. Everyone except Seraphia, who sat alone inside the carriage with her head lowered.

'It's because of me...'

She felt as though she'd needlessly stolen his carriage.

Yet she also felt hurt that Adrian seemed unwilling to share a carriage with her. She resented the Shameleon that had attacked so suddenly. And she felt lonely and regretful, wishing she hadn't shown him her ability if this was how things would turn out.

She had only... been overwhelmed with happiness at the thought of being more useful to him than before.

She had only... been excited that she could now fight alongside him.

She had merely... hoped he might praise her a little.

Caught in a tangle of emotions, Seraphia gently stroked the handkerchief in her lap. A precious gift she had carefully stitched to express her gratitude for saving her life. She had hoped that, if it conveyed her sincerity to Adrian, they might grow closer.

But throughout the journey to the capital, Adrian hadn't taken a single moment to relax. And so—

"We'll soon be arriving at the capital, Battengart!!"

The journey to the capital flew by, leaving nothing but loneliness behind.

* * *

Intricate golden ornaments adorned the ceiling. The walls were finished in softly gleaming cream-colored marble. At the end of a long table decorated with precious gems sat a woman.

Her name was Marceline Charlotte de Battenberg, Queen of the Kingdom of Battenberg.

"Her Highness the Queen, word has arrived that the two children of House Whitewolf have reached the capital."

As the royal head maid approached cautiously to deliver the news, Queen Marceline's hand paused with her teacup raised.

"... They arrived sooner than I expected."

She set down her cup and tapped the saucer lightly.

"A pity, but I must take my leave now."

With a gentle smile, Queen Marceline slowly rose. Then she suddenly stopped and tilted her head slightly.

"Oh, that reminds me... That boy, was his name Adrian?"

She cast a subtle glance across the table.

"The name that has you so on edge, Marquis Segretus."

She watched the reaction of the marquis seated opposite her.

"You are reading too much into it."

Marquis Segretus answered calmly.

But had she caught that fleeting trace of stiffness in his face? A thin smile appeared on Queen Marceline's lips.

"I'm curious what sort of boy he is, to have you so concerned, Marquis."