Chapter 313.
I pondered in front of the boarding house, worrying about whether it would be a nuisance to suddenly visit with too many people. Since I’m a very logical person, I could say that I was naturally concerned about these things.
"What are you thinking so much about? All you need to do is ring the doorbell." My father rang the doorbell while I was hesitating.
Crack! Ding-dong-!
The doorbell was smashed and died heroically after completing its last duty.
"This, this is too weak!" My father protested in embarrassment, but considering the number of miscellaneous items he had destroyed on the way here, it was definitely my father’s fault. As usual, he had destroyed the armrests of the chair in the train and turned an expensive glass cup into powder.
"This is private property, so you can’t pay for it using civil service accounts."
The things that had been damaged on the way here were property owned by the empire anyways, so the “unfortunate” damage caused during the execution of official duties had been paid off in the name of the third commander of the imperial army.
Uncle Bloody’s seal was in my hands, so it wasn’t difficult to create an official document.
"Khmm, all right. I’ll compensate them. I’m pretty rich too, you know?” My father glanced at Hestia noona, who managed the village’s money. Third Sister sighed and nodded.
"Okay. I have enough money for us to maintain our dignity anyway, so I’ll compensate them all at once later.” Hestia noona thought it was a matter of course that Father would smash more things. She seemed to have given up somewhat.
"Who is it?" Originally, there had been an intercom with the doorbell, but due to its death along with the doorbell, an employee of the boarding house came out.
I put my face close to the bars on the main gate so the employee could see my face well.[1] "It’s me,” I said.
The employee recognized my face and opened the door. I briefly explained the situation, saying that my family wanted to see where I lived, and she said, "I will notify the Miss. Please wait a moment."
"Yes, thank you, Ms. Plina,” I replied.
"I’m just doing my job." She smiled and went inside. Shortly after, we received permission to come inside.
I sighed, then entered the boarding house. As I went in, Alphonso rushed at me as usual. "Den! Lisbon! I was lonely!"
For a moment, I habitually tried to grab Alphonso’s head, but this time I let him hug me.
Alphonso threw his arms around Lisbon’s and my necks. Lisbon stroked Alphonso’s head, smiling and happy to see him. He said, "Haha, have you been well?"
"It’s hot. Get off." I shook off Alphonso and greeted Mrs. Arscilla as she came out slowly. "I’m back. This is my family."
Mac and Lancelot weren’t really family members, but I was too lazy to introduce them separately.
Mrs. Arscilla looked surprised upon seeing my father. It was a natural reaction. "Oh, my. Doomstone?"
It was the worst... What?
"Huh? Hahahaha! It’s been a while since we last met. I didn’t expect to see you here."
"Hohohoho, I’m surprised too. Doomstone, were you from the Crow tribe? I thought you were someone with the same name all this time."
"Hahaha, that’s because it was after I was chased by my father and told to stop causing trouble. I’m sorry I left without saying anything at the time."
I was confused. What was going on?
"Do you know each...?” I asked.
My father nodded. "She’s one of the people I was indebted to when I stayed in the capital. She’s your mother’s acquaintance."
"Oh my, I’m sad. Doomstone, you’re also my acquaintance,” Mrs. Arscilla said.
My father laughed pleasantly. "Ahahaha, that’s true."
I just stopped thinking in this incomprehensible situation.
"Come to think of it, I haven’t told you what your mother was like yet. Your mother was the heir of a noble family in the outside. That’s also why the imperial ID card I gave you a few days before you became an adult was also for nobility."
My father’s sudden confession brought me to my senses. By an ID card, did he mean the ID card of a high-ranking noble?
"Does that mean Mother belonged to a high-ranking noble family?" I asked.
"Right."
My father’s affirmation caused me to sweat. Many of the nobles I had burgled as Lupin were high-ranking nobles. As a result of my burglary, there were quite a few families whose corruption had been revealed, and who had fallen to ruin as a result. That being said, there was a real possibility that I had destroyed my mother’s household without even realizing it.
"Huhuhuhu, back then, my heart fluttered because their relationship resembled a romance from a story,” Mrs. Arscilla said.
In response, my father, who rarely blushed, turned red and awkwardly said, "Hahaha, it’s an embarrassing story."
"Come inside. Do you have a place to stay? There are many empty rooms. Although it’s much smaller than the house I used to live in.”
"No, it’s a big enough house."
Just as my father said, the boarding house now was a fairly large mansion, so how big of a mansion had she lived in before? Well, it must have been big because it was a house where the duchess lived.
Mrs. Arscilla smiled at my father’s words and guided us to the living room. When I entered the room, I saw Yuria and Alice studying and reading a magic book.
"You’re here, war hero? And Oppa.”
“Good job!"
After seeing me and Lisbon, Yuria and Alice closed the magic book and greeted us.
Then, Yuria’s eyes grew bigger. She greeted Hestia noona and hugged her, saying, "Hestia unni! Long time no see!"[2]
Third Sister hugged Yuria and smiled. "Long time no see. Has it been two years?"
"How did you come here? Oh! Den said he was from the Crow tribe! Then, are you here to meet Den?”
"Well, that’s right."
Without my knowledge, Hestia noona and Yuria had become close. Still, it wasn’t as surprising as my father knowing Mrs. Arscilla.
"But where’s Hillis and Arwen?” I looked around searching for the two of them.
Alice answered my question. "Yeah, Hillis went to see her sister because she came to the capital. Hillis took Arwen over to show her something about divine power at the Great Temple."
"Really? I had some business with her, but it seems we just missed each other."
"I heard in the newspaper that you were coming back, but I didn’t know you would come back this fast. If Hillis had known, she would have left after meeting you."
I had come as soon as possible because I wanted to see a copy of Hillis’s ‘The Prophecy of the Holy Tribe’... It seemed I would have to wait to see it.
But why did I feel so uncomfortable that Hillis had taken Arwen? For some reason, I had a bad feeling.
Hameln came down from the upper floor while I was smacking my lips. He said, "Senior-nim! You’re back!"
"You haven’t gone to work yet?”
Hameln smiled and nodded at my question. "Actually, His Highness Duke Asteria is coming down to the capital, and while Senior-nim wasn’t here, I was assigned to assist him."
Indeed. There was a reason why he still hadn’t gone to work. However, my father suddenly flinched at Hameln’s words. Did he have a connection with Duke Asteria?
Indeed, since he knew Mrs. Arscilla, a duchess, there was no reason why he wouldn’t also be acquainted with Duke Asteria. Our village’s main customer was also the Asteria Market.
"His Highness is coming down?" I asked.
"Yes. But now that Senior-nim is here, it seems I’ll have to get ready for work again,” Hameln replied.
His words got me flustered. "What? I’m still a member of the Third Command Headquarters staff office."
Since I hadn’t been re-appointed yet, they needed the approval of the chief of staff to take advantage of me. The chief of staff was still outside the empire’s territory and wouldn’t approve it unless I wanted it.
"But the person coming down is His Highness the Duke,” Hameln said, smiling gently.
In short, they were saying they were in a position to take advantage of me regardless of my affiliation. Should I submit my retirement letter?
That being said, even if I submitted my retirement letter, there would be no one in upper management to receive it. Of course, I could handle it on my own with Uncle Bloody’s seal, but there was no one to take care of the administrative procedures even if I did.
"I guess I can’t help it,” I said.
Although I had been wondering why I shouldn’t just quit, it seemed I had adapted excessively to bureaucratic society over the past three years. In addition, I was personally indebted to Duke Asteria and had received many gifts, so I didn’t feel very burdened.
"What time will he arrive?" I asked.
Hameln nodded, smiling as if satisfied. "It seems he’ll arrive just before lunch time."
"All right, I’ll go to meet him. If you have any documents related to the schedule, please give them to me,” I said before looking at the spot where my father had been. My father, who had been conversing with Mrs. Arscilla, had disappeared at some point.
"Where did Father go?” I asked.
Hestia noona answered with a playful smile, "Who knows? Perhaps he has an urgent matter."
Leisha noona snorted. "What do you mean urgent? He probably just ran away."
I couldn’t understand what they were talking about.
* * *
After her audience with Fernando, Vibrio opened her room’s door after a long time. As the door opened, light came into the dark room, where not even a single ray of light had entered. However, as Vibrio closed the door, the room became dark again.
"Are you there?"
When Vibrio saw a person suddenly appear in the darkness of the room, she was surprised and became vigilant. However, she knelt down on one knee upon seeing the half white and black mask that was faintly visible in the dark.
"As you ordered, I have come to the Great Temple." Vibrio’s eyes looked murky and lifeless as she answered.
Libra looked into those eyes and smiled joyfully. "How do you feel about meeting your master after a long time?”
Vibrio replied in an emotionless voice, "You are the only master I have."
Libra said, touching the goddess statue on her desk, "This place is filled with the holy spirit of God."
Vibrio answered indifferently as if she were reciting a preset message, "Yes. It’s a very stuffy and fearful place."
"Good. I like it." Libra approached Vibrio again and whispered in her ear. "Remember the one who killed your lover."
"I will punish the wicked one with my own hands." Vibrio’s empty voice turned into one full of anger.
"Your sister released the one who killed your lover. Isn’t that right?”
“...!” Vibrio’s expressionless face was stirred up.
"The saintess is your enemy too. Then wouldn’t it be right to punish her?” Libra whispered.
Vibrio’s agitation turned into distress. "Ugh! Sa... Saintess, Hillis...!” She shed tears as if she were in pain. "No, Hillis! My loving sister...! Please, not my sister...!”
Libra clicked his tongue. "Tch! Is it still lacking? Shaman. Forget it."
As Libra’s last words echoed in Vibrio’s ear, her pained face returned to expressionlessness again.
"Incompetent thing,” Libra said in reproach.
Vibrio bowed her head unemotionally. "I’m sorry."
Libra looked at the door and said, "Hurry up and become perfect. Only then can we hold the ceremony. Shaman, a distant descendant of the Holy tribe." He then disappeared from the room.
"Unni! I’m here!" The door opened abruptly, and a ray of light came into the dark room and wrapped around Vibrio.
Vibrio stood up and smiled comfortably as she saw her younger sister’s bright smile. "Yeah. Welcome. My tomboy sister."
That smile was a ray of light shining in the dark room.
1. They seem to be at a gate leading up to the house, and the employee has come out of the house itself to check who they are.
2. Unni is the Korean word for older sister that females use for each other.
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om