Chapter 220 : Chapter 220
Chapter 220 : Outer one (7)
Isaac Windermere.
It was the original name of the man who'd been called Isaac Hart in my past life.
"Bihen Benkou. I did not expect to meet you here."
Looking back at him, Bolero beside him, and my current self, I shuddered all over again at the mystery and wonder of what was called destiny.
'In the end, it turns out like this......'
I met a person whose life I'd taken with my own hands in my past life once again. He's the second one, after Jayden.
I was so appalled by this reunion woven by destiny that I couldn't bring myself to speak for a while.
"I do not know what happened, but......"
Even as he spoke to me, Isaac was busy rolling his eyes here and there. The completely devastated camp, the traces of a fierce battle, the corpses of humans and demonic beasts scattered in a messy jumble all around, the soldiers of the Imperial Capital Knight Order captured alive while unconscious among them, and even the Solari priests sharing the joy of reunion along with a mysterious woman......
Soon, his wandering gaze locked onto me again.
"Why are you here?"
I also scanned the forces lined up behind Isaac. Estimating by eye alone, there were over a hundred of them, and they clearly showed signs of having just fought a battle.
"Are you perhaps standing on the side of Springeus, Bihen Benkou?"
Only then did my gaze return to Isaac.
"I'm on nobody's side."
Isaac's eyes narrowed.
"Nor do I have any other desire."
I noticed it belatedly. It was because her appearance clad in plate armor was unfamiliar. Roxy was also included in the front ranks. She seemed to be pondering whether she should acknowledge me.
The corners of my mouth curled up because her flustered appearance was cute, but right at that moment, my eyes locked right with Isaac's.
"You could say that stopping this war is my only concern."
The faces of the knights standing in the front ranks, including Isaac, distorted all at once. They looked ready to bark at me, asking what kind of nonsense I was spouting.
"I heard rumors that you are arrogant and self-righteous, but I did not know it would be to this extent. Stopping the war? This fight is not a simple dispute. It is the grand finale that brings an end to the long-standing grudge of two illustrious families that have shared their orbit with the history of this Kingdom—"
Isaac strained his eyes. In that instant, the appearance of his past life overlapped above his face.
"No matter how high a swordsman's martial prowess is, he is ultimately nothing but a human, so how can a mere human go against the massive flow of history?!"
He was a man who had come to throw his life away into the middle of the enemy camp to save his lover. His spirit and dignity were exactly the same as back then.
To be honest, rather than that, I was more curious about how Isaac had come to turn his back on his family...... but I can find that out gradually.
'Keep this in mind, Bihen.'
In any case, right now he isn't Isaac Hart, but Isaac Windermere.
"Of course I know. Windermere and Springeus, both are knight families with deep roots in the Kingdom."
I placed my hands behind my back and walked while deliberately pretending to be leisurely. Everyone's gaze focused on me.
"That's why I'm respecting you like this. With all my passion and sincerity in my own way."
"......Are you mocking me right now?"
"Not at all."
I lightly glanced sideways at the soldiers of the Imperial Capital Knight Order. They showed no signs of waking up yet.
Their memories would definitely be of great help in revealing the truth. But well, it's fine. I hadn't planned on purely relying on them from the start anyway.
"Listen carefully, everyone. I have the ability to break that deep-rooted shackle that has bound Windermere and Springeus for generations."
"......What?"
I had compared it indirectly just in case, but I couldn't tell whether he was deliberately pretending ignorance or if he truly didn't understand.
Even now, the Ghost Eye projecting the Blood Points reflected the Severed Meridians of the Windermere family members filling the front ranks, including Isaac and Roxy.
'Isaac's and Roxy's Severed Meridians forms are almost identical.'
It was a noticeable part in the midst of this.
Just then, a small voice was heard from the side.
"Heavenly Demon Manifestation."
It was Kuhn. Wondering what she was doing, I blinked and quickly appended more words.
"I'm saying I can erase with my own hands that dreadful shame that left your two families with no choice but to engage in a battle staking your destinies."
Only now did a reaction come. The complexions of several people, including Isaac, changed.
'They're full of doubt.'
It couldn't be helped. It was a dangerous remark that could conversely provoke anger if things went slightly awry.
'But it's fine.'
Because they must've realized that I'm not just trying to stop the war completely unreasonably.
"And."
I drew their attention again. I could see the pupils focusing on me trembling with tension.
"There's a certain force instigating this war. Coincidentally, they're the same bastards as the crowd I'm pursuing. The enemy of my enemy is my comrade, isn't it? That's why I fully intend to stop this war."
"Ten Thousand Demons Bow in Submission."
Kuhn appended it again like an accompaniment. My head reflexively turned toward her. She was clenching her teeth and playing innocent. Her effort was almost commendable.
"......"
Since the flow shouldn't be interrupted here, I let out a loud cough before continuing to speak.
"The assassination of Lord Rowen was also the doing of those bastards, not the Mercenary King."
As soon as I finished speaking, angry shouts mixed with fury and shock burst out haphazardly from the ranks behind Isaac.
"Are you insulting the Second Son, Bihen Benkou?!"
"You shall pay the price for wagging your tongue as you please!"
"How long are you going to just stand there and listen, Third Son?!"
"That man was undoubtedly instigated by Springeus!"
Around the time the horses also began snorting angrily in unison following their masters, Isaac clenched his fist as if telling everyone to shut up.
All the previous noises scattered as echoes. Once the surroundings finally grew quiet, Isaac opened his mouth.
"How are we to believe your words—"
"......"
"And why must we believe them?"
I lowered my head and scratched between my brows. It wasn't for any other reason than having to hold back my laughter. Seeing children who had only just begun to toddle crowding over in a swarm to throw a tantrum, what a cute struggle it was.
"This is why I don't really like doing things with words."
"......What?"
"Did it sound like persuasion to you?"
WHOOSH—!
As soon as I finished speaking, a strong gale suddenly raged around us. The dismembered torsos of the Jiangshi sprawling on the ground stirred, and a bleak echo resounded from all directions. The startled soldiers of the Windermere army flinched their shoulders.
In that brief gap, my eyes met Kuhn's.
'......You did well this time.'
While we nodded to each other—
"C-Cult Leader—!"
Roxy suddenly leaped down from her horse and prostrated herself flat in front of me. There wasn't even time for anyone to stop her.
"Heavenly Demon Manifestation! Ten Thousand Demons Bow in Submission! Heavenly Demon Manifestation! Ten Thousand Demons Bow in Submission!"
Roxy repeatedly spread her arms while kneeling and then prostrated herself. As she did, she occasionally bumped her forehead against the ground just enough so it wouldn't hurt.
She was clumsily imitating the prostration posture that the people of Brakenport performed after learning it from Kuhn......
"R-Roxy! What scandalous behavior is this right now! Will you not get up immediately!"
Isaac was startled and appalled. As he gestured with his eyes, soldiers burst out from behind in a swarm and grabbed Roxy to pull her up.
"Let go! I said let go of me! Cult Leader! I believe in you, Cult Leader! You know it! So......"
Roxy, being dragged along, struggled and screamed. Tears quickly welled up in her large eyes.
"Please...... please, I'm begging you! Take revenge for me, Cult Leader!"
She was an eccentric and bright girl. An excessively innocent noble lady.
"So that Masa can close her eyes in peace......!"
She was crying out as if throwing away everything she used to be.
Suddenly, this thought occurred to me. If it weren't for me right now, Roxy would've certainly thrown her body before the threshold of Springeus to stop their march.
"Wait."
I spoke. The soldiers who were dragging Roxy stopped in their tracks.
As I approached just like that—
SHWING—! CLANG—!
The sound of clashing metal echoed from all sides. Every single member of the Windermere army drew their weapons. The air grew cold in an instant.
Paying no heed, I approached Roxy and—
"Claudia told me to deliver this to Romeo."
I extended the white rose. A faint light hovered over the petals.
"T-This is......"
Roxy's damp, wet eyes trembled. It was the exact moment she reached her hand out.
"Roxy!"
Dismounting from his horse, Isaac leveled his sword at me. I merely shifted my pupils to look at him.
"Why are you going to deliver it?"
"Bihen Benkou! Any more nonsense than this—"
"Nonsense?"
"......!"
After glancing at the sword Isaac leveled, I stared at him again. Isaac's Adam's apple bobbed.
"Withdraw it. You must know full well that it's a futile effort."
Just then, Bolero approached Isaac. He seemed to be soothing him with his gaze.
I clicked my tongue softly. He doesn't know anything. By nature, even when men are about to tuck their tails, they pointlessly whine more if someone humors them.
Sure enough—
"I do not know how you found out about our fa-family illness, but......!"
His voice trembled as if waving. It proved that he was in an intensely emotional state.
I looked at him calmly. Perhaps growing stubborn at that, Isaac made all sorts of grimaces and barked out fiercely.
"We all saw Brother Rowen's quarters burning in blue flames with our own eyes! If that is not the Mercenary King's flames, whose on earth is it?!"
The answer was heard from behind.
"R-Raven."
It was Morgan. He seemed overwhelmed even to speak a mere two syllables. As if even lifting his head was difficult, his face was half-buried in the ground. Nevertheless, his gaze blazed desperately, as if he absolutely had to convey the truth.
Everyone's gaze focused on him, and it was the exact moment I also rejoiced at the fact that he had awakened at the perfect timing.
"W-What did you say......?"
Isaac's voice trembled. Not only that, but his pupils and the tip of the sword leveling at me did too.
"His real name might not be that, but we definitely called him by that name."
"......You bastard, what kind of nonsense are you spouting right now."
The exact moment Morgan tried to answer something, he shook his head and let out a groan of agony. He seemed to have a headache.
Right then, as Kuhn undid his bindings and he even received support from Krnock and Deli, only then did he take a breath, as if he had improved slightly.
Even up to this point, Isaac remained frozen, his face turned completely pale.
'Is he an acquaintance of that bastard? Otherwise......'
At any rate, fortunately, the identity was revealed.
'Raven, huh.'
In my urgency, I asked.
"Tell me everything you remember about him."
Isaac, however, let out a rough exhalation and staggered heavily. Barely supporting his tottering body, he stared intently at Morgan.
"I-I do not know well. To use a metaphor, it is as if the memories regarding him were completely shattered to pieces, and those fragments were scattered and buried individually inside my head. The name Raven was merely one of the pieces I barely managed to grasp."
Morgan closed his eyes tightly.
"He clearly said that tonight, Rowen Windermere would die by his hand......"
"Sh-Shut up—!"
Isaac's shout echoed long. Becoming conscious of the gazes of his family members, including Roxy, he grew flustered belatedly.
"There is no way, there is no way, there is no, wa, y. No, it is not true......"
"......"
Isaac wrapped his head with his trembling hands. Roxy checked on him.
"Brother, what is wrong? Are you alright—"
"He-Haaagh! Roxy! No! I merely wanted to......!"
"Brother......?"
Isaac's pupils were wide open. Even the veins near his neck, jaw, and forehead were bulging.
'He's lost his mind.'
Just then, his gaze abruptly shifted toward Morgan. The blade that had been leveled at me moved along with it.
"......I shall tear that mouth apart."
Bolero immediately grabbed him. Isaac struggled wildly, as if truly possessed by an evil spirit.
That sight suddenly brought a silence over the entirety of the Windermere army......
In the meantime, I approached Morgan. Morgan, who had been groaning in agony while clutching his head, looked up at me with difficulty.
"I-I have been watching you the entire time, Bihen Benkou."
"......"
"Even before the Krause mansion...... under Raven's orders...... though it was not my own will...... I am sorry."
"It is fine."
I was sincere. Because thanks to that, I obtained the conviction that the bastard was one of the Eight Demons.
Suddenly, Morgan's eyes went wide, as if he had remembered something.
"He said he was going to the hill."
"The hill?"
"I mean the hill where the Conwell army is stationed. I definitely remember him saying that."
Rather, I was in a position where I should be grateful.