Not long after, Ophelia came looking for Ed.
She had interrogated Majer but failed to obtain any clear information. For several days, she wandered in uncertainty.
She had never expected Majer to be so tight-lipped.
Of course, there was also the possibility that Majer truly knew nothing.
And that only made things more confusing.
That was why she had come to see Ed. While Gomel had told her that Ed was looking for her, her real reason for coming was to find any new lead.
And as if clearing a new path for her, Ed handed her a parchment the moment she arrived.
“What is this?”
“Information on Silver Veil. Proof that they were active in this area until recently.”
“How… did you find this out?”
Ophelia’s gaze sharpened with suspicion.
It was only natural. Ed had known she would be skeptical, yet he handed it over anyway.
He had a reason for giving this to her. That was why he hadn’t transcribed everything from the information broker. He transcribed only the details he thought Ophelia would need.
“I’ll just say that I have my own ways of obtaining information. And I’m not giving this to you for free.”
“You mean you want something in return?”
Technically speaking, she was the one helping Ed at this moment.
Even if he provided the information, finding Silver Veil would ultimately benefit both of them.
Expecting compensation under such circumstances wasn’t exactly the most honorable stance to take.
But what Ed wanted wasn’t much.
“The parchment should include the location where Silver Veil is hiding. And I want to go there with you.”
“…Together?”
Ophelia’s eyes narrowed.
“Do you realize how dangerous that will be?”
Without a word, Ed pointed at the parchment in her hands.
Ophelia considered the meaning behind that small gesture, then let out a short amused scoff.
If he had hidden his means of obtaining information, it wouldn’t have been strange for him to have hidden the strength to withstand danger as well.
He simply hadn’t voiced it aloud.
Who exactly was this man?
Ophelia’s calm blue eyes carefully examined Ed.
What was he hiding?
Priest Gomel had claimed that Ed was a devoted follower of the Goddess of Mercy.
But was that really the truth?
After a long moment of contemplation, Ophelia finally let out a sigh and spoke.
“I intend to leave immediately to find them.”
Her voice was firm, but Ed didn’t seem the least bit concerned.
“Please wait just a moment.”
With that, he turned and stepped into the orphanage.
When he reappeared, a dark navy scabbard was securely fastened at his waist.
Ophelia’s gaze naturally shifted toward the sword.
“…You know how to use a sword?”
“I taught myself.”
Ophelia twisted her lips into a wry smile.
“And you expect me to believe that?”
“It’s the truth.”
Ed widened his eyes slightly, emphasizing his sincerity.
But Ophelia simply shook her head, completely unconvinced, and turned away.
Ed followed after her with a somewhat aggrieved expression.
***
According to the information broker’s report, part of Silver Veil was hiding in a city right next to Avgenil.
There, they had taken over a branch of a dark guild and used it as their hideout.
At first, Ed thought Ophelia had her own plan since she was heading there alone.
But he soon realized that was a mistake.
As soon as she arrived in the new city, she headed straight for the dark guild’s branch without hesitation, as if she were ready to kick down the door and storm inside.
“Do you even know the enemy’s strength before charging in?”
“The only fate that awaits heretics is death.”
It was clear that the mere sight of a cult had driven her mad. It was fitting for an inquisitor.
With no way to stop her, Ed had no choice but to follow.
And then, just as he feared, she really did kick open the door and charge into the dark guild’s hideout.
“By the Goddess of Mercy, dwell within my blade.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, she drew her sword from her waist.
In an instant, brilliant light gathered along the blade.
As the pure white energy shimmered, enveloping the sword, the head of a man who had been resting his chin on the table with a bored expression went flying through the air.
It happened in the blink of an eye.
By the time his severed head hit the ground, Ophelia was already standing there, retrieving her sword.
The men behind him recoiled in shock and stumbled backward.
“It’s an inquisitor! Go warn the others. Now!”
The one who appeared to be their leader quickly assessed the situation and retreated even further.
But Ophelia lunged forward in an instant, closing the distance in a single step.
Then, she swung her sword in a wide arc.
The man scrambled to draw his worn-out blade from his waist in a desperate attempt to block the attack, but both his sword and his body were cleaved clean in two.
The radiant power infused in Ophelia’s sword was unlike ordinary mana, but at the very least, only a sword expert capable of imbuing mana into their weapon could hope to wield such a technique.
There was no one on the first floor who could stand against her. Before the might of her radiant sword, they were torn apart like paper.
Ed never even got the chance to draw his own blade.
Ed had no choice but to admit that her confidence was not just bravado.
But soon, heavy footsteps echoed from the staircase leading underground.
The figure that emerged was a man wearing a silver mask.
Ophelia’s gaze immediately locked onto him.
The moment she saw the silver mask, she seemed to decide that words were unnecessary. Without hesitation, she launched herself forward once more.
Clang!
A sharp metallic clash rang through the air.
Before her, a thin silver pillar had risen and it blocked her strike.
The silver-masked man had raised his hand at some point, and the pillar had appeared in response. It seemed to possess power comparable to her light-infused sword.
Then, as if it were alive, the pillar smoothly bent and lashed out like a snake, aiming a vicious strike at Ophelia’s side.
She swiftly raised her sword to block it.
In an instant, a flurry of attacks and counters ensued.
“Do you really think the power bestowed by Dawn will fall to such a crude force?”
A rough male voice escaped from behind the silver mask.
The two appeared evenly matched.
The situation was growing dangerous.
Then, another silver-masked figure emerged from underground.
He slowly scanned the room before extending a hand and summoning another silver pillar. This time, however, its shape was different.
The tip of the pillar sharpened into a deadly point, transforming into a spear that shot straight toward Ophelia.
Ed who emitted no trace of mana was completely ignored.
But it was Ed who blocked the spear.
Another metallic clang rang out as the silver pillar was deflected by a blade.
At some point, Ed had drawn his sword. Stellion’s blade glimmered with a dark shadowy sheen.
“…Huh? But he doesn’t even have mana…”
The silver-masked man muttered in disbelief.
At the same time, the fallen silver spear lost its shape, melting into liquid and spreading across the ground.
The masked man let out an involuntary, dumbfounded sound.
“Huh?”
Ed instantly recognized this as an opportunity.
He didn’t know why the spear had suddenly vanished, but he knew this was his chance. Before his opponent could fully grasp his abilities.
Without hesitation, Ed stepped forward.
He raised his sword and tilted it at an angle. The energy of the stars, coiled deep in his core, rippled through his arm and into the blade.
Without a moment’s delay, Ed swung his sword.
Ascal Style, First Form. Fading Star.
The blade, guided by a sensation that had become second nature to him, split into multiple afterimages.
Scattered shadows shimmered like stars for a fleeting moment before unleashing a barrage of sharp strikes.
Startled, the silver-masked man instinctively raised a silver barrier.
The long silver barrier took its place in the air. It was not affected by the illusion of the afterimages and blocked the sword strikes.
Boom!
But a shockwave, far more powerful than before, exploded through the air.
And once again, the barrier crumbled helplessly.
Ed’s sword sliced clean across the silver-masked man’s neck.
The silver mask was sent flying.
The severed head spun in the air before hitting the ground with a brutal thud.
Thud.
Ophelia and the man she was fiercely fighting turned their gazes toward Ed.
Neither of them had expected the man to fall so easily; their stunned expressions made it clear they were caught off guard.
Even a Sword Expert capable of infusing mana into their blade had struggled to break through that pillar….yet it had collapsed so effortlessly for Ed’s attack.
Even Ed hadn’t expected that.
But the fight wasn’t over yet.
Pushing aside his questions, he immediately turned on his heel.
Then, he charged at the last remaining silver-masked man.
“Damn it!”
The man who had tried to retreat found his escape route blocked by Ophelia. Trapped with no way out, he was left helpless.
Ed swung his sword without hesitation.
There was still plenty of star energy left in his core.
His blade tinged with a dark sheen once again sliced through the air.
In the next moment, the last remaining silver mask spun powerlessly through the air.
“….….”
The battlefield that was once filled with the chaos of combat was now silent and the ground was stained with blood.
Ed tried to steady his breathing.
Although he had used his sword when rescuing Calix, the situation had never been this urgent.
This was his first true battle.
But… they seemed weaker than I expected. Or am I just that strong?
As he turned the thought over in his mind, trying to make sense of it—
Ophelia’s cold voice rang out.
“Who exactly are you?”
Ed hesitated for a moment. A beat too late. But a response slipped from his lips.
His voice sounded awkward even to his own ears,
“…Can you keep it a secret?”
Ophelia let out a scoff with an impassive expression.
“Do you really think you can deceive the goddess’s eyes? You’d be better off confessing your sins and begging for forgiveness.”
Ed had no good response to that.
So, instead, he decided to head underground.
There was a chance some remnants of the enemy were still hiding. As he stepped onto the creaking, worn-out stairs and descended, only darkness and emptiness greeted him.
What had they been doing down here?
Ed scanned the area, trying to get a closer look….only to realize he had been mistaken.
This place wasn’t empty.
Someone was curled up in the corner.
It was a small boy.
He sat motionless with his knees drawn to his chest. Only his gray hair was revealed.
Scattered around him were smears of blood and lifeless bodies.
They weren’t human. Severed rat carcasses, half-eaten insects, and dried-up remains so shriveled they were unrecognizable.
Every single one bore clear signs of being slashed with a dagger.
Sensing a presence, the boy slowly lifted his head.
Black eyes devoid of any emotion met Ed’s gaze.
Wait… No way.
Ed froze.
A memory surfaced in his mind.
Gray hair. Black eyes. And most of all, that utterly expressionless face.
He was here?
Ed stepped closer, knelt before him, and met his eyes.
“…What’s your name?”
The boy stared at him for a long moment before answering in a low, dry voice.
“…Jun.”
The infamous human butcher who would one day strike fear into the empire.
That very same Jun.
Leave a Reply