CHAPTER 137……………………………………………….
We watched her for a long time, doing nothing but observing.
What was astonishing was that along the path she walked, countless people had fallen, and not a single one stirred or moved.
“Are these… dead people? Or people on the verge of death?”
Were they attacked by monsters? Or wild animals?
Maybe this was what Gibson had meant when he said he could hear the groans of people before entering the forest.
If that were true, then something capable of harming humans really did exist in the Olteren Forest.
Time passed.
When the cold night air made our bodies shiver, we finally understood what the mysterious woman was doing.
“That’s… divine power and prayer…!”
The woman was moving among the fallen, erasing the marks on their bodies.
A bright light poured from her hands.
It was unmistakably divine power.
“Bianca!”
As the divine energy touched them, the people’s limbs twitched.
Seizing the moment, Bianca sprayed Memur incense that made them lose their immediate memories.
She prayed, trembling.
“Guardian deity, please forgive my sins.”
This time, the divine power flowing from her hands reached out into the forest.
As if offering it to the guardian deity, Bianca prayed with all her strength.
“…!”
Then, a hand gripped my shoulder, snapping me out of my daze.
Even in the darkness, I knew it was Ron.
He whispered in my ear:
“We have to go.”
And I understood why he said that.
From across the forest came the sound of footsteps.
Judging by the faint voice calling “Miss,” it seemed they were searching for Bianca.
Hesitating for only a moment, I moved toward Ron.
We would need to examine the events we had witnessed carefully later.
I couldn’t approach her recklessly.
Once I gathered my thoughts, I grabbed Ron and carefully followed.
Bianca roughly washed her trembling hands with cold water.
It felt like that was the only way to erase everything, the only way to wash it all away.
It was a habit she had always followed after returning from Olteren Forest.
“Miss, may I come in?”
A maid standing outside the door asked.
She was one of those who had followed Bianca into the forest—a maid steeped in evil spirits.
“…No, I’m done. I’ll be out soon.”
Bianca calmed herself and looked at her reflection in the mirror.
Her cheeks were hollow, and she looked emaciated.
Her drastically changed appearance had become familiar to her.
She absentmindedly smoothed her rough pink hair and opened her eyes fully.
‘Stella, Edgar, Rashica, Benesetron…’
These were the people she had saved today with divine energy.
Nearly twenty people in total, just recently.
She hadn’t done this in the past.
Those who had died before were all slaves or commoners.
Out of fear of being discovered, she never touched nobles.
But recently, things had changed.
‘It’s boring otherwise. There’s so much thrill in killing, isn’t there?’
After that, her mother had taken the lives of anyone she could.
It was horrifying.
She absorbed the life within people completely.
As a result, they were left as nothing but empty shells.
‘Before anyone suspects me, our daughter should handle it.’
One day, after killing nobles, her mother told Bianca to hurry to Olteren Forest and pour divine power onto them.
Bianca knew she couldn’t revive those who were already lifeless.
Her mother only wanted her to erase the swirl patterns left on the bodies with divine power, making them appear alive for a few days.
That way, they would die a natural death, and no one would be able to trace it.
“….”
With dry eyes that shed not a single tear, Bianca steeled herself.
The morning sun shone down.
Taking advantage of the servants being away in the forest, Bianca moved quickly.
Her destination was the warehouse behind the mansion.
Once used to store food, it was now abandoned.
The door opened, and sunlight spilled along the path.
“…Young Duke.”
Among the shabby items, she saw him collapsed there.
Chebert Kerace.
The one she had encountered recently in Olteren Forest.
He recognized himself among the corpses and approached.
Bianca immediately left the place.
She was terrified.
Terrified that someone had seen her true form.
He followed her all the way to the back path connected to the forest.
‘Please, don’t follow me! Go back!’
But he wouldn’t let her go. At that moment, fearing her mother might notice him, Bianca lured him to the abandoned warehouse.
Chebert’s face showed disbelief and anger.
‘…Why… why are you doing this? Why!’
Seeing Chebert, Bianca realized tears she hadn’t shed for a long time streamed down her gaunt cheeks.
And at that moment, all she could do was spray incense at him.
Ssshh.
‘…Yo, Young Du—ke!’
The empty container in her hand fell to the floor.
In her panic, she had mistakenly sprayed Seleron incense, which paralyzes the body, instead of Memur incense that erases memory.
Chebert’s eyes trembled and closed.
And thus the day ended.
‘Why can’t he wake up yet?’
Watching him still asleep, Bianca recalled old memories.
Chebert Kerace.
She remembered meeting him in childhood—at Lady Delve’s tea party, perhaps.
She had left early with a splitting headache.
At that time, she had encountered him briefly.
His gaze, filled with worry, had lingered on her.
She vaguely remembered that later they had met by chance on the street.
He had welcomed her as if he had been waiting.
That was all she remembered of him.
“…Anka, Bian…ca.”
Her name slipped from his lips.
Bianca took a step back, folding away her thoughts.
“I’m not the Bianca you knew.”
And as she tried to step back further—
“…!”
His trembling hand reached toward her, and she couldn’t move past it.
He was offering a hand for help, still unconscious.
Her heart raced.
Should she hold his hand?
As she calmed her wavering mind and stepped forward—
‘Listen, Bianca. You are the one who sacrificed your father. Never forget the deaths of him and countless others.’
A cold voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
It was her mother’s words, always whispered to her.
Chebert’s hand dropped to the floor with a thud.
Seeing his brief spasm, Bianca whispered:
“When the paralysis wears off, leave here… that’s the best I can do for you, Young Duke.”
Bianca couldn’t bring herself to spray Memur incense.
He was already collapsed from the paralysis incense.
If she added the memory-erasing incense, the side effects would be severe.
But that wasn’t the only reason.
She hated the thought of his gaze on her disappearing.
At Marianne’s single word, the members of the Dubl organization gathered.
They had been waiting for the goddess’s command and abandoned their work to assemble.
Then, they were shocked by the person standing next to her.
“Is that really the kid—no, the man who killed the lion?”
“Careful with your words! One wrong word here and you’re dead, understand?”
“Heavens, he’s grown so much. If we scolded him now, we wouldn’t even recover our bones.”
The members glanced at Ron.
Could this really be the same “lion cub”? Ron had become a robust Swordmaster.
Ron spoke:
“I don’t think anyone is bound by the past. So let’s end the talk about me here.”
Their eyes shook violently.
He had been a boy who only cleaned up after others, but now he spoke as if commanding his subordinates.
No one dared voice a complaint.
Ron Kerace exuded overwhelming presence.
The strong recognize those stronger than themselves.
Moreover—
“Why is no one answering? You find my words funny?”
Drawing his sword with a deadly glare, the members could only hold their breath.
They lowered their heads, hiding their emotions.
Exchanging glances, they quickly organized themselves.
In front of them was Ron Kerace of the Kerace family.
“From now on, we enter Olter Forest along with Duke Olter and myself.”
Gurter and Kautz, searching for the missing Chebert, had found witnesses who had seen him near the Olter family just two days ago.
But no one had seen him since.
Eventually, after consulting, they called the Dubl members together.
“Ron, do I really have to come along?”
Ron shook his head at Anne.
“Anne, you have things to do here.”
Ron had learned how to persuade Anne.
Simply saying “It’s dangerous there” wouldn’t work—she was a powerful dark-attribute magician.
She would go to dangerous places first.
So Ron gave her a task as a way to persuade her.
“Find out whose corpses they are. How many have died so far.”
Even though she had struggled in Olteren Forest last night, had been shocked, she could not be overworked again.
“If we divide the tasks, we can uncover secrets faster. And thanks to you, they also came.”
Among the Dubl members, those gathered here were especially skilled in stealth.
“Understood. Ron, take care of yourself.”
“I will.”
