Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 668: Lied

Asher could be seen walking down a lush path outside the Wargrave manor with Lyra and a man walking behind him; the man was the hired hand Asher had spoken about earlier. He was a commoner, standing at exactly six feet, but over forty years of age, his steps seemed to tremble each time he walked, as though each movement carried a weight his body struggled to bear.

Asher was mildly amused by it; he could feel the man’s fear clearly. Asher had already come to the conclusion that Lyra hadn’t told the man that a Wargrave was hiring him, and the man couldn’t exactly back out of the mission he had accepted due to fear of being killed by a Wargrave. Asher also arrived at the conclusion that this man wasn’t from their Wargrave Ducal territory; after all, residents of their territory were far more composed and even eager to meet Wargraves instead of trembling in such visible fear.

"Although Enduron horses are fast, neither of you can fly, so I will be flying both of you there," Asher spoke as he stood calmly. Lyra and the man did not argue; they simply nodded, having already guessed that Asher was in haste and couldn’t be bothered to ride horses under the present circumstances.

Within the world of Crymora, Enduron horses were many times faster than even the world’s fastest cars back on Earth, their speed revered and unmatched by ordinary means of transportation.

With that, Asher’s Star Energy hummed gently, enveloping both Lyra and the man. A faint smile appeared across Asher’s lips; after his battle with Debro, his control over his Star Energy had soared, it was nothing compared to his control before.

Although Asher didn’t fully understand how he had come to this conclusion, he felt as though he was on the verge of awakening another affinity of some sort that was related to the Star. It was as if his control over it had increased to a certain threshold, and once it crossed that unseen boundary, he would gain another sub-affinity within his grasp, something that would further expand his capabilities.

But that was a thought for later, something he would train and refine at the Star Academy Training Facility Building.

With that, he shot into the sky with flickering speed, vanishing from where he stood as though he had never been there at all. Lyra and the man followed behind, pulled forward effortlessly by his Star Energy, his speed reaching what a Wavestar Life Ranker could achieve. Their bodies sliced through the air barrier and wind pressure alike with astonishing ease as they crossed tens of kilometres in less than a blink, the sheer velocity bending perception itself.

Neither Lyra nor the man could properly comprehend what was happening; they could only stare in awe as their perception fractured, reality dissolving into a blur of streaking colours within their eyes. The world beneath them became indistinct, reduced to motion and light as they travelled at a pace far beyond ordinary understanding. Before long, they arrived at the Blackstone Village, which was the first village he had visited, the one governed by the Blind Village Chief.

The guards who had attacked Asher earlier, the first time he had arrived, were immediately stunned as they saw him descend from the sky with two more individuals. Upon seeing him, they quickly understood that this was related to the mission, so they immediately ran into the village to inform the Village Chief of his arrival, their urgency evident in their hurried steps.

Asher merely shook his head and said nothing as he stepped forward with calm ease, already familiar with the layout of the place. Before long, the Village Chief arrived before Asher, his hands trembling slightly as he spoke, "You are back, Asher."

"I am," Asher replied with a calm tone. Neither Lyra nor the hired hand spoke, as it was not their place to do so within such a conversation.

"This isn’t the place to speak; let us head to my home," the blind Village Chief said, clearly eager to ask about the mission immediately. After all, Asher was the first person who had taken their mission and had not disappeared without a trace.

The moment they arrived at the Village Chief’s house, Lyra and the hired hand remained outside as Asher and the Village Chief began their discussion within.

Asher explained many things to the Village Chief, who in turn bombarded him with questions, his curiosity and concern evident in every word he spoke. Asher took his time to respond, choosing his words carefully.

He deliberately avoided speaking about the horrors he had witnessed within Debro’s place of operations; there was no conceivable way he could describe such atrocities to the Village Chief. Although the man might have been able to endure the knowledge without being completely broken by it, sometimes... withholding certain truths was the better choice.

Besides, it wasn’t as though Asher was lying outright, he was merely omitting certain details that would serve no purpose other than to cause unnecessary pain.

"What of our villagers? Did you save them? Were they alive when you arrived at their hideout?" the Village Chief asked. Although the man could not see, Asher could feel the weight of his gaze as though it bore directly into him.

Asher opened his mouth to speak, but he hesitated. After a brief moment of silence, he finally spoke, "I’m sorry, Village Chief. I was only able to save fifteen villagers, who are currently receiving treatment at this moment; they will be returned to their respective villages in a day or two." He paused briefly before continuing, "As for the other villagers... I’m sorry. When I arrived, they were already dead."

Asher had lied... he had lied to a blind man.

If Asher had told the truth, that over four hundred villagers had died right under his watch, the Blind Village Chief would not have been able to do anything about it. He was weak, he was blind; in truth, he would have at least been grateful that Asher had managed to save fifteen of them.

Yet... despite this, Asher, the most talented man within the Zarethorne Empire, could not bring himself to speak the full truth.

Their deaths would remain with him forever, a lingering reminder that although he had transmigrated into this world, this was not a novel where plot armour would bend reality to the transmigrator’s will. There were consequences to every action, and there was always the possibility that not all plans would unfold exactly as intended, no matter how intelligent he was or how perfect his memory seemed to be.

Silence spread through the Village Chief’s house as tears threatened to fall from the old man’s eyes, though Asher could see that he was holding them back with quiet strength.

"Although I was not able to save everyone, I was at least able to wipe out the kidnappers, kill their leader, and erase their base," Asher spoke calmly, his tone slightly lighter, though the guilt within him lingered subtly, too subtle for the Village Chief to perceive.

"Thank you for your hard work, Asher," the Village Chief said, a tired but sincere smile appearing on his lips, one that carried both gratitude and unspoken sorrow.