Chapter 231 The Weight of Farewell (1)

-Ethan’s POV-

It was well past midnight when I left the tower, leaving Verso behind to clean up the mess he’d made.

Slowly turning around, I looked back at the tower. Darkness shrouded its structure, while the moon shone behind it, taking the shape of a crescent.

"My head is a complete mess..."

And it was all thanks to Verso.

That fucking Square Dick...

Who would’ve thought that the other player in this clan, the very person who’d been following me since my earliest streaming days, would turn out to be a deranged murderer who killed people in cold blood?

Despite his twisted personality and apparent foolishness, Verso had proven himself far more dangerous than he seemed. He was intelligent and cautious, someone who knew how to keep his cards hidden.

The fact that he’d managed to kill people every single day without being exposed was proof enough. There was simply no way he could have murdered that many people without anyone noticing.

"He said he could hurt me... in ways I wouldn’t expect..."

That hadn’t been an empty threat.

Verso had meant every word, and he’d willingly risked revealing his true nature to me. Which meant he wasn’t particularly afraid of me exposing him to the clan elders.

In other words, Verso had the backing of at least one influential member of the Council of Elders.

That alone made him extremely dangerous, even without considering the fact that I had no idea which parts of his story were true and which were lies.

"What a headache... A real fucking headache."

I let out a long sigh and continued walking.

I’d have to remain constantly vigilant around Verso and avoid making an enemy of him whenever possible.

That was the conclusion I’d reached.

I’d chosen to ally myself with him rather than fight him.

And it had been a selfish decision.

I’d placed my own interests above the lives of everyone he’d murdered in the past, and everyone he would murder in the future.

I’d be lying if I claimed I didn’t feel guilty.

Because I did.

From now on, I’d be complicit in whatever atrocities he committed, one way or another. I knew what he was doing, yet I’d done nothing to stop him or save those who would die at his hands.

I felt guilty.

And yet, my heart was calm.

Placing a hand over my chest, I stopped walking after having already covered a considerable distance.

My human hand rested against my chest, feeling for my heartbeat.

Thump... Thump... Th-thump...

It beat steadily, with a smooth, unbroken rhythm.

It was remarkably calm.

Not once had it quickened.

And that alone told me something.

I would learn to live with it.

I would learn to live with the knowledge that I was working alongside a serial killer who took human lives every single day.

"At this rate... I’m only going to end up hating myself."

Clenching my fist, I decided to push Verso and everything concerning him into a corner of my mind, turning my attention instead to what I needed to do.

My objectives hadn’t changed.

I needed to find a way to neutralize the curse of enslavement and complete the task Schierke had given me.

Fortunately, I still had time.

Raising my head toward the sky, I found myself looking at the glowing crescent moon.

The moon was still a crescent, which meant I had a decent amount of time to complete my mission before it became full. If I wasn’t mistaken, the lunar cycle in this world lasted longer than it did back on Earth.

We were supposed to leave for the capital tomorrow.

Or rather, today, considering it was already past midnight.

I knew that if I wanted to uncover more clues about the curse and the Arden family, there was no avoiding direct contact with them.

Who knew?

Perhaps I’d discover additional rules even Asterion didn’t know about. Some loophole I could exploit to escape these restrictions and change my fate.

"Looks like I won’t be getting any sleep tonight..."

I smiled bitterly at my own expense.

I’d developed something of a talent for recognizing when another bout of insomnia was coming.

And judging by everything I’d experienced today, I knew I’d be awake like an owl until morning, endlessly building up thoughts and tearing them down again inside my head.

"Let’s head back to Hunters’ Paradise and take another look at that room... I can barely remember what it looks like anymore."

It was almost laughable.

I’d spent so little time in my room at the hunters’ residence that I was already beginning to forget its details.

That made me realize just how weak my attachment to this place truly was.

Leaving didn’t seem like such a significant event to me, unlike the members of my squad, who had all gone to say goodbye to their loved ones.

Unlike them, I had nothing here.

Absolutely nothing...

Lost in thought, I walked alone through the quiet streets of Ashvarn until my figure disappeared into the darkness.

...

...

...

Time passed quickly, and the hour of departure drew near.

While Ethan spent his remaining time alone, his companions were making the most of every second they had left.

In a house on the outskirts of Ashvarn...

Young Chai lay asleep in his mother’s lap, while she rested a warm hand on his head, gently stroking his hair.

His mother was an older woman who had given birth to him late in life. Her red hair had begun to turn white, and her weary eyes bore the unmistakable signs of years spent carrying worries and burdens.

Chai’s father had died long ago, only a few years after the boy’s birth.

He’d also had an older sister who had been chosen to become a hunter, just like him.

She had been exceptionally talented.

But she, too, had died while protecting him in the past.

Ever since then, the boy had lived with a guilt he kept hidden from everyone, desperately trying to make up for what had happened.

Yet bringing the dead back to life was impossible.

His mother, meanwhile, had endured the news of her husband’s death, followed by the loss of her daughter.

And now, all she had left was her little boy.

The same boy who had spent the past several months trapped inside an extremely dangerous Legacy dungeon.

No one could imagine the hell of anxiety she’d suffered during that time.

And although she’d hidden everything behind a smile when she finally reunited with her son after their long separation, her eyes told a different story.

As the boy lay with his eyes closed, a tear finally slipped from his mother’s eye after she’d struggled so hard to hold it back.

"Oh, God... Please protect my child and bring him home safely. Keep him from harm and watch over him. Take years from my life and add them to his..."

The mother prayed from the depths of her heart.

Many religions existed throughout the world of Ordeal, but the faith of the Holy Throne was the most widespread across the continent of Midgard.

And so, she offered her prayers according to its teachings.

The fear of losing her son was evident in her voice alone.

"Chai... You’re still so young. Why did you have to become a hunter? I don’t want to lose you... Not like I lost your sister before you..."

She spoke in a faint whisper, careful not to wake him.

What she didn’t know was that her son was listening to every word.

Chai bit his lips, struggling to contain the burning ache spreading through his chest.

Being a hunter was painful...