The Mad Dog of the Duke's Estate-Chapter 227. His Tomb (2)

Caron stared quietly at the man in front of him—Rael.

"A fate that should never have existed... That's insulting to hear, you know," Caron said.

"Don't get the wrong idea," Rael replied. "I meant Cain Latorre was never meant to exist—not you."

"Care to explain that in simpler terms?" Caron asked.

"You were supposed to be born as Caron Leston from the start. Reincarnation wasn't part of the plan," Rael explained.

Caron understood the implication immediately. He asked to confirm, "So someone tampered with my soul, didn't they?"

Rael nodded slowly and replied, "That's one way to put it."

"Who did that?" Caron asked.

Rael shrugged and answered, "I can't say, because I don't know that much. But judging by the energy I feel from your body... I'd bet the World Tree intervened to set your fate back on track. Maybe you should ask it."

If Caron brought back the Glacier Crystal from the North Sea, the World Tree would be fully restored. And judging from the way Rael was speaking, it was almost certain that the World Tree had played a major role in the whole reincarnation process.

Despite being told that someone had meddled with his destiny, Caron simply shrugged and asked, "Let me guess, it was the Demon King's doing, right?"

"Hatred and malice. Those are the strongest emotions I sense from your soul," Rael said quietly.

"I won't deny that," Caron said.

Cain Latorre's previous life had given Caron a deep, burning hatred and a thirst for vengeance.

Rael looked at the anger that hung over his distant descendant's face and offered a bitter smile. He suggested, "Maybe someone wanted to corrupt your soul. Push you toward darkness."

Those who fought monsters had to be careful not to become monsters themselves. If one stared too long into the abyss, the abyss could just stare back.

And Caron had stared for far too long.

Rael could tell that this descendant of his was dangerously close to that edge. The raw hostility he carried was enough to devour even its wielder.

"So what you're saying is... My previous life was meaningless?" Caron asked, his voice low.

"Not at all," Rael answered firmly. He continued, "Cain Latorre wasn't supposed to exist, sure—but that doesn't change the fact that you experienced that life. Honestly, it doesn't matter who played the trick."

He reached out and gently placed a hand on Caron's head, smiling softly before saying, "Just like I did, you'll keep growing stronger—driven by that desire for revenge. You and I... We're far too alike. The fact that I was able to possess your body proves that."

Rael gestured to his own right wrist with his left hand and added, "Even the fact that Guillotine manifested beside you as a demonic sword—that was probably connected, too."

The more Rael explained, the more tangled Caron's thoughts became. So he chose to keep things simple.

The past had already happened. What mattered was what he would do with it now.

"Looks like I've got one more question for the World Tree," Caron said. "Nothing else you can tell me, I suppose?"

Rael chuckled and replied, "What could a man from three hundred years ago possibly tell his descendant three centuries later?"

"Tsk tsk. So even the First Ancestor isn't much different than others," Caron muttered.

"You're calling me useless, right?" Rael asked.

"That's exactly it," Caron answered. He had no qualms about throwing sharp words at his First Ancestor.

Rael only laughed, clearly pleased by his descendant's attitude. He asked, "Wonderful. Are all my other descendants as insane as you?"

"Well, look at who we descended from. What were you expecting?" Caron replied.

"And you're clever, too," Rael said, breaking into loud, hearty laughter.

At that moment, Guillotine's gruff voice rang out. "Let's be honest. My current owner is way smarter than you, Rael. So quit confusing him and just get lost."

"No respect at all for your former master, huh, Guillotine?" Rael asked.

"You seriously expect that from me? You're the one who died and left me behind. That's on you," Guillotine answered.

Now that Caron thought about it, there were no records detailing how Rael Leston had actually died. Just as he was about to ask, however, Rael lifted a hand to stop him.

"My death is something you'll have to discover on your own," Rael said. "Think of it as a trial—one the ancestor left for his descendants."

"Wow, you really are useless," Caron muttered.

Rael chuckled and said, "You know, hearing that insult over and over... I'm kind of getting used to it."

"Ugh, whatever. Just give me the gift already. I need to get the Glacier Crystal and head back to Azureocean Castle. That bastard Demon King of Havoc is stirring up trouble in the capital," Caron said.

"Ah, of course," Rael said, rising to his feet. He reached out a hand. "Can you hand me Guillotine for a moment?"

Caron handed the sword over without resistance.

Rael grasped Guillotine's hilt with a soft touch, and immediately the sword responded with a wave of hostile mana.

But Rael, seemingly expecting the resistance, calmly suppressed it and spoke with a grin. "So, you've already encountered the Demon King of Slaughter and the Demon King of Sloth. I can feel their dark mana lingering on Guillotine. And this here... Hmm. The power of a doppelganger. That could come in handy."

Whoosh!

Rael's mana began to seep into Guillotine.

"As you know, Caron," Rael continued, "Guillotine is no ordinary sword. Calling it a demonic sword is no exaggeration. That's why I sealed away some of its abilities myself—such as the Mental World, for instance."

A dark blue light radiated from the blade.

"I had also restricted its ability to absorb demon abilities... but Guillotine seems to have lifted that seal on its own. I guess it's grown quite fond of you," Rael said.

In other words, Caron had been able to absorb the doppelganger's power thanks to Guillotine.

The sword gave an irritated grumble. "With Demon Kings running wild, do you think I could just sit back and do nothing? My owner needs to get stronger. Fast."

Whoosh.

Rael spent quite some time infusing the blade with his mana. When the process was finally complete, he handed it back and said, "Here you go."

Caron took Guillotine silently. On the surface, the sword didn't look any different.

"I've removed all the restrictions," Rael said. "Now Guillotine will be able to use its full power."

"So all this time, Guillotine wasn't operating at one hundred percent?" Caron asked.

"I didn't want my descendant to rely solely on Guillotine. But after watching you... I don't think that's a concern anymore," Rael answered.

Perhaps because he had pushed his mana to the limit, his form began to blur slightly.

"Judging by your mana, it seems you've already claimed the arrangement I left at the Plains of Rest. Have you gotten friendly with the beastkin?" Rael asked.

"Yes," Caron answered with a nod.

"Take good care of them. They're good people. You'll learn a lot from them," Rael said.

"We already decided to be friends," Caron replied.

"Take just enough and don't overdo it," Rael said with a wink.

Caron raised an eyebrow and asked, "How did you know that?"

"Because I was like that too," Rael said.

"Aha. In that case, how about telling me where the rest of your secret stashes are hidden?" Caron asked.

"... You're really shameless, you know that?" Rael said.

"Well, you are using my corpse right now," Caron pointed out. "I think it's only fair if I charge you some rental fees."

Rael shook his head with a sigh, clearly exasperated, then said, "Beneath the Plains of Rest, the Yukar Basin."

Caron clicked his tongue.

"What?" Rael asked.

"It's... something," Caron muttered.

The Yukar Basin was a territory within the Holy Kingdom. The problem was that it was also home to the Holy Kingdom's capital, the sacred city often referred to as the holy land itself.

"Why there, of all places?" Caron muttered.

It was clear now that things were about to get a whole lot more complicated.

First things first. I'll deal with whatever's happening in the capital first, Caron thought.

Stopping the Malevolent Emperor's scheme took top priority. He had already planned to visit the Holy Kingdom to find Beatrice anyway, so it seemed he could handle both at once.

Caron gave Guillotine a light swing, then asked, "But is this really all, First Ancestor?"

Rael let out a dry, incredulous laugh, and answered, "I've done everything I could possibly do for you. Were you expecting even more handouts?"

"All I've really gotten is Guillotine," Caron replied shamelessly.

His audacity was just beyond normal.

Rael laughed aloud, shaking his head in disbelief at how brazen his descendant was.

"You've reached 8-Star now," Rael said. "It's time you created your own signature art. I left a gift for you in Guillotine's Mental World. Check it out when you have time."

It was cryptic, but before Caron could ask any follow-up questions...

Whoosh.

The soft glow radiating from Rael's form began to fade. He said gently, "This is where the meeting between ancestor and descendant ends."

He looked at Caron with warmth in his eyes, adding, "Caron Leston, I hope your story ends differently than mine did. No, I believe it will end differently."

That gaze was filled with trust.

As his dispersing mana drifted like mist, Rael turned to Caron and asked one last question, "When I leave this body, what do you intend to do with it?"

He was referring to the corpse of Cain Latorre, of course.

Without hesitation, Caron answered, "I'm going to burn it."

"Even though it represents your previous life?" Rael asked.

"My previous life is represented by me, not by some lifeless corpse," Caron answered.

Satisfied, Rael placed a hand on Caron's shoulder. He said, "That's a fine answer. Don't cling to the past; keep moving forward."

And with those parting words...

Thud.

Rael's presence vanished from Cain Latorre's body.

Caron quietly looked down at the corpse now lying on the ground. He wondered if Halo had preserved it somehow, because aside from its pale skin, the body seemed unchanged.

"Are you really going to burn it?" Guillotine asked.

"It's just a corpse," Caron answered.

Who knew what Halo would say if he found out later...

But in the end, this was Caron's—his own corpse.

"Who's going to say anything if I want to burn my own corpse?" Caron said.

He placed a hand over Cain Latorre's chest and channeled a surge of mana.

Whoosh!

The mana burst into flames, instantly consuming the entire body.

"Let's go," Caron said, turning without hesitation.

There was nothing left for him here.

***

At that same moment, tension filled the vast conference hall of Azureocean Castle.

"Duke Halo, the Master of the Magic Tower and other officials of the Magic Tower have expressed their willingness to cooperate with us," Commander Zerath reported.

"Disturbing rumors are spreading throughout the capital. Some newspapers are already publishing articles accusing the Ducal Family of Leston of plotting another rebellion," Zerath continued.

"How vile," Halo muttered.

"Yes, and the moment we march into the capital with a large force, there's a high chance the royal family will declare the Ducal Family of Leston a rebel faction," Zerath added.

"Has there been any word from the royal family?" Halo asked.

Everyone in the room was wearing armor. Even Fayle, who had never formally trained with a sword, was clad in light leather gear.

It was practically a war council.

"There was no response," Zerath answered.

"And the knights of the Oceanwolf Knight Order dispatched to the capital?" Halo added.

"No word from them, either. It seems they've learned that Sir Luke has arrived here at Azureocean Castle," Zerath replied.

Signs of something ominous were surfacing everywhere.

The sudden silence from the knights who had been sent to investigate the Revanchists meant only one thing... The royal family had made up its mind. Whatever was coming, they were going through with it.

Who exactly was orchestrating it from behind the scenes remained unclear. But at the very least, it was certain that someone had made a catastrophic choice.

"Crown Prince Iorn is definitely involved in this," someone said firmly.

Seated in his chair, Halo quietly turned to the First Elder.

"What is your take on this, First Elder?" Halo asked.

Elder Yung replied with a cold expression, "It means the Revanchists still have roots deep in central politics. Did anyone seriously believe those holding key positions had been thoroughly vetted? We must raise our forces and move into the capital immediately. If the Crown Prince ascends to the throne, the situation will deteriorate rapidly."

It was a sound argument.

Halo slowly nodded, then turned his head gently to look at his youngest son. He said, "Fayle, I'd like to hear your opinion as well."

"...I agree with the First Elder," Fayle said after a pause. "But if we mobilize our forces now, not only the Ducal Family of Leston, but also the nobles currently allied with us, will be labeled traitors. In short, we'll be starting a civil war." freēwēbnovel.com

It was a clever point. If they did nothing, the capital would fall into the hands of the Revanchists. But if they acted, the empire would descend into internal conflict.

"So this is how they repay the goodwill we extended to them," Halo said as he looked around the hall. "This is the consequence of a decision we made more than fifty years ago."

Perhaps the moment the Ducal Family of Leston became a sword pointed at the empire, this outcome had been set in motion.

Many had grown stronger just to counterbalance the Ducal Family of Leston, and that strength had ended up bolstering the empire itself.

However, the Revanchists had simply slipped between the cracks and quietly built their power.

"Fayle, I must ask you for a plan," Halo said once again.

Fayle gave a slow nod before saying, "If we move a large force, there will undoubtedly be complications."

"Speak," Halo urged.

Fayle took a deep breath, then said in a low voice, "Since Prince Revelio is currently here at Azureocean Castle, we should send a small group under the pretense of escorting him back to the capital."

"Do you have someone in mind?" Halo asked.

Fayle offered a bitter smile and answered, "Unleash the mad dog in the capital."

Everyone in the room understood exactly who he meant.

Halo tapped his fingers on the table for a long while. Then, with a faint furrow of his brow, he asked, "Will you be all right with this?"

Fayle let out a rueful laugh and nodded, then said, "It's not us they should be worried about. It's them."

Azureocean Castle had made its decision.