Regnum Aetern: Dual Rebirth

Chapter 111: The payoff of the information gathering efforts

Adrian sat on the large bed in his room.

The night sky, filled with countless glittering stars, stretched outside the window. The lamps of the room were turned off, making the moon’s illumination the only source of light.

It was midnight, and he was supposed to be sleeping at this moment, but he simply couldn’t because of a lot of reasons.

He was still struggling with the five years’ worth of memories that were forced into his brain. It was extremely overwhelming and hard to process easily. But more than that, those memories were also similar to his own memories.

This made him feel as though he had two sets of memories in his mind, showing the same things.

’I should be able to adapt to it in a few days.’

But more than anything, there was something important that needed his attention as soon as possible.

After briefly checking to see whether his personal maid was around or not, Adrian opened his mouth and quietly whispered.

"Aliasrdarc"

Mana began to gather above his shoulder, soon condensing into a black bird. The bird looked at him curiously.

[Feeble One, you are rather impatient. Couldn’t you have waited until tomorrow morning?]

Adrian didn’t reply to Alisardarc’s cheap verbal jab. Looking at the black bird, Adrian narrowed his eyes.

’Does he know?’

Did Alisardarc know about the ’teleportations’ Adrian had experienced? This was a question that had been on his mind for some time now.

Alisardarc was connected to Adrian through the contract. The bird had even said that the two of them would technically identify as a single entity. And because of all this, Alisardarc could share Adrian’s senses, even when the bird wasn’t summoned.

So did the bird share Adrian’s experience in the ’teleportations’? It seemed unlikely, but Adrian couldn’t be certain. If Alisardarc got even a glimpse of Earth’s scenery, the Eternarch would instantly know that Adrian was not a normal child, even if the bird were unable to guess the fact that he was from another world.

Adrian couldn’t allow that because he couldn’t predict how things would unfold because of it.

’I could just ask Alisardarc since it can’t lie to me, but if the bird indeed didn’t know, then I will just be giving away information.’

Adrian sighed.

’Things just have to be complicated.’

He had not met his mother since the duel this evening, but he was sure that she wouldn’t just let things go. After all, he had most likely ruined the plans that she had set in motion about a month ago.

Adrian focused his attention back on the bird sitting on his shoulder.

"Tell me all the things you have heard. It is time that you be useful for once, Alisardarc."

The bird stared at him for a bit, then it... sighed?

[You wish to listen to all that I have heard, Feeble one?]

Adrian quietly nodded, causing the bird to sigh once again. It was a rather strange sight to see.

[Well, I tried. So, Feeble One, do you know that your mother—Duchess Seraphina—was wearing a hairpiece that had a beautiful gem in it? Apparently, that gem was recently sold at an auction for more than a million lux. Not only that, it is said to have magical properties and is no mere ordinary gem.]

Adrian furrowed his brow.

’What is it even...’

[Oh, but that is not even the most interesting part. Apparently, Duchess Seraphina is an old witch who is making herself look young and beautiful by using some Fragment Relic. All her history is actually fabricated—]

"Okay, stop. Don’t speak another word. This is a command."

Alisardarc shut its beak instantly as Adrian pressed the bridge of his nose.

’Is it doing this to annoy me?’

That was obviously slander from other noblewomen trying to spread nasty rumors about his mother in the noble society. In no way was that information useful to him. No, it wasn’t even relevant to him.

Adrian stared straight into the bird’s eyes and said in a firm, even tone.

"Summarise the information and only tell me the information that’s useful to me. Remember, ’only information that’s useful to me’."

The bird stared back at him.

[It would’ve been so easy if you had said that from the beginning.]

The bird made a sound as though it were clicking its tongue. Then it began speaking in its deep, abyssal voice.

[I have three pieces of information that I believe could be useful to you. The first information is that the demand for human-like puppets like you has skyrocketed after the duel.]

"..."

[Don’t look at me like that; I am serious. Most nobles didn’t genuinely believe this rumor until now, but that isn’t the case after the duel. After all, you didn’t use any mana throughout the duel, Feeble One. Now, a significant number of the audience who watched that duel believe that you really are a human-like puppet.]

Hearing the first news, Adrian tilted his head.

’Is this a problem? Can it affect me?’

It could, maybe. Still, he didn’t think it was going to harm him personally or drag him into a disadvantageous situation. After all, it was a huge misunderstanding, but it was also quite easy to clear. So for now, Adrian pushed it to the back of his mind.

"What’s the second piece of information?"

The black bird suddenly flapped its wings as if making some kind of gesture and spoke in a somewhat cheering manner.

[The second news is that... Congratulations! You seemed to have pulled off your plan perfectly, Feeble One. Based on the reactions of the nobles I observed, nearly all of them found the duel distasteful and your younger brother pitiful. It didn’t look like they had any other thoughts.]

Adrian nodded to himself.

’That clears one problem, at least.’

This matter had occupied his thoughts the most. Now, at least, he could put it out of his mind.

Adrian sighed.

Alisardarc, meanwhile, flew off his shoulders and landed on his head, causing Adrian to frown briefly. But before he could say anything, the black bird delivered something that made him pause.

[The third piece of information is one that I think is the most important. I was observing nearly every noble present in the arena, and I noticed a group of nobles, who I believe were imperial nobles, trying to converse in secrecy. I did not hear much of what they were talking about since they were extremely careful, even of me.]

Alisardarc’s tone changed, sounding more grave.

[But I believe I heard them mention ’Immutable,’ the name of your origin ability, multiple times along with someone’s name that I do not know. Feeble One, I don’t think they were simply having a normal conversation.]

Adrian’s brows narrowed into a frown.