Chapter 15: Tinnitus (4)

Inside the office, where the Five Swords of Calan were speaking freely, Duke Raipellaoshin felt a sense of shame in this situation.

And for good reason, as the Duke had never been treated this way by anyone before.

To his territory's residents, he was like a God.

Even nobles of the same rank would fawn over him, flipping over like dogs at a single word from him.

Even the King of Calan could not ignore the Duke.

The abundant resources from his territory brought him wealth and power that could not be ignored.

However, the reason he could not raise his head, despite his arrogant nature, was because those in front of him were the Five Swords of Calan, the Kingdom's greatest force, capable of destroying a territory with just their five members.

The reason they had come was because of their Master.

This Master was an entity unknown to most nobles, known only to the six who attended the highest council within the Kingdom of Calan.

They had come ignoring the warning of the Absolute Ruler of Darkness, who in the shadows had grown the once overall weaker Kingdom of Calan to be comparable to other nations, their Master, thus he remained silent.

'Even so, this is...!'

The Duke frowned and looked at the Five Swords.

Duke Raipellaoshin himself realized that it was somewhat wrong to have misused the brainwashing poison.

After all, it was he who had given it to Roadmalis without proper warnings to use for colonizing neighboring territories.

However, Duke Raipellaoshin considered it an accident.

After all, who would have thought that the Lord of Lartania, a territory almost ruined and about to vanish, would return?

"This was an accident, so don't speak so recklessly-!"

Thus, as the accident started to take such a turn, the Duke tried to speak to the Five Swords with a hint of discomfort, but...

"......"

The Duke suddenly stopped what he was about to say and shut his mouth.

That was because the Five Swords of Calan, who until moments ago had been speaking leisurely without any change in expression, all glared at the Duke simultaneously.

"Hey Duke, you seem to be under some misunderstanding; do you think we're keeping you alive because we want to?"

"Gasp...!"

Feeling as if being strangled by the murderous intent from Ruin, one of the Five Swords who had been talking about taking the Duke's life, he instinctively shut his mouth.

"Don't be mistaken, Duke. Thanks to our Master's grace, you've grown this much, so don't wag your tongue like a dog."

Ruin, glaring at the Duke with eyes shimmering with murderous intent as if about to kill him at any moment, growled but-

"Stop it, Ruin."

Upon hearing Loriel's calm voice, Ruin glared at the Duke for a while longer before turning around without hesitation and leaving the office with a frown.

And Loriel, who had stopped Ruin, said:

"Duke Raipellaoshin. This time, the Master said to just let it go with a warning, so I won't say much."

She said while looking at the Duke with her characteristic serene expression.

"If such a situation arises again, I won't stop Ruin. In fact, there won't be any need to,"

"......"

"I will personally execute you and hang your head on the Lord's castle flag."

Shiver!

Loriel clearly did not show any trace of emotion.

Yet, despite this, the Duke involuntarily felt a chill course through his body at those words.

"Remember, Duke. The reason you were able to rise to your position. And-"

With those words,

"That we, known as the Swords of Calan, originally belonged to whom."

The Five Swords of Calan disappeared from the Duke's office, and for a long time, the Duke could do nothing but stop breathing, his eyes filled with fear.

Thinking about it, she did not like the name "Absolute Ruler of Darkness."

No, she actually detested that title in the past.

The reason was, of course, because it was childish.

Of course, that title was given by him who had taken her in without any discrimination, a half-demon who had to hide her identity all her life, and who had helped her grow without asking for anything in return. But back then, she found it embarrassing and detestable.

Not knowing how much of an honor it actually was.

"......"

In the underground castle built in a huge cavern beneath the Saint Territory, a major stronghold of the Kingdom of Calan, where the King serves as the Lord, she looked at the parchment in her hand.

The short piece of parchment read, "The Lord of Lartania has returned."

She received this parchment a week ago, realizing that the Lord of Lartania had returned, and it was three days ago she confirmed that it was indeed him from ten years ago.

However, even after realizing that fact, she, the "Absolute Ruler of Darkness," did not act.

Because her heart had wandered?

No.

Her heart, which had been quiet for ten years, raced just from reading the characters written on that mere piece of parchment.

Just recalling his voice, whose face she could barely remember now, made her tremble.

...And on days when she reminisced about the day she realized he had disappeared, tears flowed all day long.

Yet, the reason why the Absolute Ruler of Darkness did not seek out him, who could be considered her only light, was because of the sins she had committed.

"......"

The Absolute Ruler of Darkness recalled a day after he had left.

That day was one month after the Lord, who was undoubtedly her light, had left.

Looking back, she felt like an utter fool for being annoyed at the Lord who did not return.

No, perhaps it was anxiousness.

Maybe, the anxiousness that the Lord might never return.

But, to forcibly suppress that anxiousness, she fancied that the Lord was engaging in a power struggle.

It had not been this long before, but there had been a few occasions where he had not returned for an extended period.

Thus, she brainwashed herself.

The Lord was engaging in a power struggle with them.

He was not returning to break his pride.

Repeating this self-brainwashing, the half-demon began to believe over time that the Lord was indeed not returning in order to win the power struggle.

On the day two months after the Lord had disappeared, she destroyed all the gifts he had given her.

She broke the accessories he had given her.

She broke the weapons he had given her.

She tore the clothes he had given her.

She trampled on even the minor items he had given her.

She wanted to exact revenge on the Lord who made her heart suffer so.

Wanting to give a hard time to the Lord who couldn't even properly accept her slightest tantrums.

Foolishly convincing herself, firmly believing her own lie that he was not returning because he was engaged in a power struggle, she vented her accumulated frustration.

The Lord would surely return.

Because he couldn't possibly abandon her.

But then, another month passed.

Half a year went by.

And then another year.

She realized.

That the Lord was not coming back.

Sitting in the place where the Lord always sat, the half-demon spent days and nights crying after realizing that.

Crying until exhausted, falling asleep, waking up, and then crying until falling asleep again became her routine.

After spending a few days in such a completely broken state, she staggered to her room.

She wanted to escape.

From the fact that the Lord was not coming back.

To escape from the fact that his voice and face were gradually fading from her memory.

She headed there.

To her room, where the gifts from the Lord were.

And then...

When the half-demon returned to her room, what she saw were the gifts from the Lord, her only source of light, shattered to pieces.

Seeing that, she immediately thought of her past self.

The fool she had been, destroying all the Lord's gifts.

The half-demon wept bitterly.

Over the Lord's items she had broken herself.

Gathering every memory, she hugged the now scrap metal remains of the gifts and cried.

Her body became covered in blood from the sharp metal shards, but such things did not matter to her.

Because the pain in her heart, as if it had been hollowed out, was far more terrible than any physical wounds.

Ridiculously, she cursed herself as she sobbed.

In the end, the only thing left to her at that moment was the title "Absolute Ruler of Darkness" given by the Lord.

Yes, nothing but that.

...The bond and memories with the Lord, only that remained.

From then on, that title became her sore spot.

And so, another year passed.

The half-demon left the territory.

To once again fill the void left by the Lord's gifts she had destroyed herself.

So that when the Lord someday returned, he would not be disappointed in her, to return all the gifts to their original state.

Because she was afraid.

She couldn't bear the thought of the Lord returning, seeing the destroyed gifts, and looking at her coldly.

'If-if I were to receive such a look from the Lord, I would-'

"Ah, gasp... huff... sob!"

Just imagining it made her feel suffocated, so she forcibly stopped her thoughts.

Her breathing did not calm, her heart throbbed as if it would burst any moment, and tears formed in her eyes.

"No, no - such a thing must never happen...!"

I don't want to be hated.

I didn't want to be rejected.

In her life, she didn't want to lose the light again, the only one who had reached out and saved her, a half-demon.

That was why.

"I must gather them all, everything-"

She couldn't go back.

Until she had collected all the gifts given by the Lord.

She could never go back.

"...Just two more to collect."

Fortunately, her current situation wasn't too bad.

Although she disliked her, the arrogant wolf girl was protecting the Lord, and now there were only two gifts left for her to collect.

"Just two more to collect-"

Moreover, it was only a matter of time before collecting the two items.

"...I can be forgiven."

She found herself imagining.

Having collected all the gifts.

Returning nonchalantly, prostrating herself before her light, asking for forgiveness.

And the Lord, smiling, accepting her apology.

"Haah-"

Feeling a dream-like hope, whether possible or not, she unwittingly reveled in joy.

But to escape the anxiety that always crept up on her, she-

"Eh-"

As she had always done, she indulged in pleasure alone to rid herself of the anxiousness.

Calling out the Lord's name.