Rebirth and Present Life.
From the perspective of someone who has experienced both worlds, I am convinced that the fundamental terror instilled by dreadful things transcends culture and borders, even surpassing worlds and dimensions. There exists a commonality.
For example, both Earthlings and citizens of Kynakhan Empire fear insects and spiders, and they dread the creatures with scales and gills lurking deep beneath the ocean.
The demon disguised as Karant Kyung was no exception. Its appearance resembled that of a fish. It mimicked the human body but had a fish’s face.
Resembling a mackerel, it was a species that was merely a dinner meal when small, but the sight of a mackerel with yellow, unfocused eyes staring at me as if it were a person was terrifying like a nightmare.
The Count urged him to dine and tried to offer new food, but the demon refused.
I witnessed it. His clenched fists as he looked at the seafood laid out on the table.
What did it mean, to regard grilled fish as if it were his own species?
Gradually, the demon’s monstrous appearance became more distinct. It was no longer a boy with blue eyes, but a monster with a fish head in front of me. My head throbbed, but I pretended not to notice and ate the fish in front of him.
“It must be enviable for Count Schvarzen to enjoy fresh seafood like this every evening.”
“I’m not fond of seafood….”
“Karant, you lack manners.”
In his yellow eyes staring at me, there seemed to be an inexplicable anger.
After dinner, under the Count’s lead, I found myself alone with Karant.
There were plenty of excuses to avoid the encounter. However, I willingly chose to be alone with the demon.
The Count led me to his treasure trove. It was a hobby room filled with collected stones, more carefully guarded than any part of the castle. The Count had placed the precious stones on the first shelf of the display cabinet.
“Feel free to take a look. But do not touch.”
“I find joy in just looking.”
“Hehe, is that so? This is where my life is deeply embedded. It’s not a place I show to just anyone.”
The more the Count anticipated, the more uncomfortable I felt. Poor fellow.
“Trust me, I’ll be outside, let my son entertain you. Even though you are of the same age, please become a precious friend to Karant.”
As the maid brought in tea and pastries, the Count chuckled and left.
I awkwardly smiled as I faced Karant alone. He complained about his father’s stubbornness. He seemed like a stubborn son.
Truly, it was an acting job that required no effort.
I silently surveyed the display cabinet. He had collected many stones.
Hundreds, even thousands of large and small, rare and common stones adorned the cabinet.
Some stones seemed worthless, as if picked up from the streets. But to the Count, they must have held some meaning. Those stones were pieces of Count Schvarzen’s life. I turned my head to face Karant.
When I saw the fish head, anger surged within me. The Count might find meaning even in small stones, but undoubtedly, his most precious possession would be his son.
When he realized that his beloved son had been replaced by a demon, these countless pieces of meaning would no longer be anything more than mere rocks.
“The Count’s hobby is truly remarkable. It must have taken years to collect so many stones. When did he start this hobby?”
As I questioned Karant, he answered smoothly, even delving into past stories.
“I heard he started collecting them even before I was born. Some may call him eccentric, but I find it very impressive. When I was young, my father used to talk about the experiences carved into each stone in this room. For example, he said this stone was received from nomads in the northern part of the kingdom.”
Impostors are indistinguishable.
Friends, lovers, family.
I understood what Melissa had said.
He even stole Karant’s memories.
“I heard you are a great Spirit User.”
“I’m not at that level yet.”
“My father isn’t the type to casually invite anyone. He acknowledged you. At fourteen, to become an exceptional sorcerer like you… Honestly, I’m envious. And I admire you. I’ve only begun to feel the power of ‘magic’ a few months ago.”
I laughed along with the demon’s absurd blabbering.
“Talented, the greatest. These titles don’t suit me. As you may know, all those titles were monopolized by my brother.”
“Ranista… I’ve heard amazing rumors about him. Are they true?”
“Rumors are unreliable. He’s already surpassed even the swordsmanship of the Solgar family as the greatest knight.”
“What about those red dogs? I heard they have sharp teeth!”
“Haha. Even if they’re under the blue pillar, they shouldn’t be called dogs of the Ducal family.”
“I apologize. It’s my father’s habit….”
“It’s okay to make excuses for the Count. Well, a dog is still a dog.”
Damn, typical conversation among common nobles.
He perfectly imitated Karant. There was no trace of hesitation. If I didn’t have the eyes of a demon to see through, I wouldn’t have known he was a demon.
“Your brother’s strength is like….”
I murmured, looking directly into the fishy, chilling eyes.
“A demon.”
At that moment, the unfocused eyes of the fish trembled. Suddenly, they widened as if they were about to burst, completely covered with yellow irises. It became a terrifying and horrifying face, occupying more than half of the head, like a deep-sea fish, and stared at me. I suppressed the urge to vomit and hid my expression.
A giant cockroach, a monster with twisted limbs, and that fish head.
For humans, the demon was a contemptuous presence that invoked physiological disgust.
“I wanted to convey the enlightenment of the Spirit User to Count Schvarzen’s liking, but it’s late. Let’s start the training tomorrow afternoon.”
“Yes, it was a pleasant conversation. Sir Spirt User.”
I rose from my seat first. Until I left the room, the yellow eyes continued to stare at me.
* * *
Back in my room, I opened the window and looked out at the dark sea.
Ranista’s words were predictable. My sisters are nowhere to be found.
I couldn’t ask for help, nor did I want to.
The most practical choice I could make was to escape and then report to the Black Priests. It was a rational decision. Even though it would strain relations with the Count, an accusation from the Rainberg family’s Spirit User would prompt thePriests to act, and after months of surveillance, Karant, caught by the priests, would eventually be exposed as the demon with the fish head.
But in the meantime, the Count would tirelessly strive to clear his only son’s name. Many conflicts would arise. When the truth of him being a demon was revealed, I could safeguard my own well-being and the honor of the Rainberg family, but the Count would no longer be on the side of the blue pillar.
Sacrificing much for the sake of one, that should have been the path I had chosen in the past.
There’s no natural way to reveal that Karant is a demon.
The next day, they met alone, using tea time as an excuse, waiting for the end of the Count’s morning duties. The Count’s chamber was a structure connecting the study, bedroom, and drawing-room. I sat facing the Count at a small round table in a small drawing-room, presumably reserved for only the Count and intimate acquaintances. Tea with a sweet smell and butter cookies were served. However, unlike the smell, the taste of the tea was bitter at the end.
I noticed three decorated stones on the shelf in the drawing-room and remarked, “You mentioned that the stones collected by the Count are fragments of life. I see three decorated stones in this room, and placing them close by rather than in a display cabinet makes them seem like special fragments.”
The Count chuckled, but there was a hint of bitterness in his smile, much like the unnecessarily sweet smell of the tea.
“Starting from the left, they are Chepy, Rinna, and Karantilsey.”
The stones placed in the living area rather than the display cabinet were said to be the first stones picked up from the garden when the Count’s children were born. While the moonstone I gave him became his most cherished treasure, he said these stones transcended value and represented their existence.
My heart sank. The only difference between the stones in the garden and the ones displayed in the room was their “significance.”
The devil had stolen all meaning from him.
“So, Sir Cantavia. I heard you’re starting Spirit training today. Will you support it?”
“I’m quite troubled since it’s my first time teaching someone. However…”
I clumsily steered the conversation.
Before embarking on the training, I said we needed to examine where he had realized the power of empathy.
I asked to be informed of when his son had changed and his subsequent actions. Without hesitation, the Count willingly explained the events that had taken place several months ago.
A few months ago, Karant and the Count went on a retreat to a small island not far from the port.
There was a sacred lake called Lake Terrin on the island. While fishing in the lake, Karant got into an accident where his boat capsized and he fell into the lake. At that time, the Ccount claimed to have seen his son being sucked into the depths of the lake. The lake was so deep and wide that it occupied most of the island’s area. Soldiers immediately rushed to rescue Karant, but even after searching the lake shore around the overturned boat, Karant could not be found anywhere.
The Count claimed that there was no reason for the boat to capsize in the calm lake in the first place.
Lake Terrin was considered sacred, and there was a legend that water spirits lived there. An hour later, to the 0count’s despair, Karant came walking back on his own. Although the knights who accompanied Karant were all missing, Karant was only wet, with no injuries.
“The water spirits protected my son.”
The Count firmly believed.
“The deeds of the Lake Spirit and the Blue Wolf Mac are too famous. Perhaps, like the Blue Wolf of the Duke of Rainberg, an extraordinary Spirt like Karant saved him. Haha, you look puzzled. You tried to act tough for a moment.”
That was the moment.
I couldn’t force a smile anymore; my expression froze.
Lake Terrin.
I glanced briefly at the ceiling.
A foul odor permeated the air.
“Please do not speak of this to Karant.”
“Hmm?”
“About Lake Terrin…”
