Chapter 127 : Chapter 127
Chapter 127: Black and White (2)
“This castle can be owned by the strongest family in Krom.”
Kain, who was slowly walking outside with his hands behind his back, turned back into a black-and-white figure.
“Since I became the head of the Midrashi family, it has always been ours.”
Kain grinned, then lightly gestured to Ibi, who had not yet come outside.
“Come and take a look.”
At this, Ibi, still not letting her guard down, cautiously came outside.
Having re-entered the black-and-white world with Kain, she slowly walked to the railing where he was.
The castle they were in was the tallest building in Krom, built on the highest point.
And this was the highest point in that castle.
Therefore, as soon as she came out onto the terrace, Ibi was able to look down at the entire view of Krom at a glance.
A sterile, black-and-white world where the weak cannot survive.
Ibi's gaze was momentarily captivated by the scenery, which held a deadly beauty.
Kain, who was watching Ibi with a pleased expression, then took another step closer to her and said.
“Once again, welcome home, Evie.”
At this one phrase, Ibi's mind, which had been momentarily lost in the beautiful black-and-white scenery, was pulled back to reality.
“Fuck, home my ass…”
Ibi, who had stepped back from the railing to avoid the approaching Kain, turned her back on him and shook her head.
“…Why on earth?”
Then, as if she couldn't understand no matter how much she thought about it, she turned her head and began to glare at Kain.
“Why show up out of nowhere after 20 years, and suddenly try to act like a father?”
Kain let out a bitter smile.
“And you even heard my story from that damn old geezer, so it's not like you didn't know I existed…?”
“Yes, that's right.”
“After treating me like a kid you just knocked up and ditched all this time, why are you doing this now…? Did you suddenly feel guilty? Or what, is your time of death approaching? Are you planning to repent before you die?!”
Bang!
Ibi, who was continuing to speak, eventually couldn't overcome her rising anger and kicked a nearby wall hard.
“Leaving your own kid! In that trash can! And living comfortably… in a grand castle like this…! And now that I've crawled out of that trash can on my own, what, you suddenly remembered you knocked me up!?”
“I was never comfortable for a single moment!”
Kain, who had been showing a gentle attitude all along, shouted firmly for the first time.
But immediately after, he bowed his head as if he were ashamed, as if he were sorry for shouting like that.
“Life in Krom was a series of struggles.”
Then, he looked back at Ibi, who had instinctively flinched and taken a step back after hearing his shout, and said.
“Especially after becoming the master of this castle, I have lived a life of constantly having to prove that I and our family are worthy of this castle.”
This is a world of survival of the fittest.
Kain added, then turned his head towards the view below.
“It's a place teeming with all sorts of schemes and intrigues. Here, you can't let your guard down for a single moment. That's why I've never had a good night's sleep in my life, nor have I ever properly enjoyed the taste of food.”
He said, his lips twisting into a bitter smile as if recalling all those experiences.
“I didn't want to raise a young you, in a place like this.”
Then, Kain, who was leaning on the railing with both arms, glanced at Ibi, who was staring blankly at him.
“Besides, I still don't have an heir. So if your existence, having inherited my blood, had been known here, your life would have surely been targeted.”
Thump, he lightly tapped the hard railing with his fist.
“For that reason, to protect you, I had no choice but to keep my distance from you.”
“To, protect, me, you say…?”
At that, Ibi let out a hollow laugh, as if she were in disbelief.
“And that way of protecting me was, to abandon me on the streets of the slums as a half-breed orphan who doesn't even know who her parents are…?”
“The only thing I could do was to hear news of you from time to time from Paulo, who had settled in Tiaria on my orders.”
At the mention of Paulo's name, Ibi quietly gritted her teeth.
“And in case any threat came to you, I strengthened Paulo's forces that were protecting you, so that you wouldn't be easily defeated.”
“…So that damn old man took me in on your orders?”
“At least as long as the contract was in effect, Paulo could never betray me and our family. I thought it would be safest to keep you by his side.”
Tch, Ibi clicked her tongue and slowly drew one of the three daggers at her waist.
It was the stiletto she had taken from Don Paulo.
After looking down at it for a moment, Ibi sneered and put the stiletto back in its sheath.
“……Let's say I believe that.”
Then, she began to speak in a much more cautious tone than before.
“But why now… did you bring me here?”
“Because I thought you were ready now.”
Kain answered immediately, as if he had been waiting for that question.
“This is certainly a harsh world, but the you of now can surely overcome it.”
Then, Kain stepped back from the railing and began to slowly approach Ibi, one step at a time.
“Evie. Despite my overprotection, you have grown into a strong warrior like you are now.”
He said, with a smile that showed he was truly proud of her.
“It wasn't me who first sought you out, but you who first sought me out. This dark city that many try to avoid getting involved with, you tried to come here on your own. As you put it, you crawled out of that trash can on your own.”
He said, raising his arms as if expecting an embrace, just like when they first met.
“So there is no longer a need to hide the fact that you are my bloodline, from this world.”
Every time he did that, Ibi would step back as much as he approached, and this time was no different.
But Kain, who had always stopped, saying he understood, did not stop this time and continued to stride towards Ibi.
“──Please, Evie.”
Kain, who had gently taken Ibi's hand, then held it with both of his and lifted it up.
“I understand if you hate me. I have nothing to say even if you resent me. No matter how much it was to protect you, what I have done to you until now is something that can never be forgiven.”
Saying that he was disqualified as a father, Kain continued as if in repentance.
“But, can't you just give me one chance? Give me a chance to try to be the father I couldn't be, even now.”
“…….”
At first, Ibi had tried to pull away, just like before, but in the end, she couldn't bring herself to shake off that desperate touch.
“…So, what are you going to do?”
“I intend to make you my heir.”
“……What?”
“Now this castle, our family, Krom, and everything we will conquer together in the future, I will offer it all to you.”
“Wait, what does that…”
Only then did Ibi gently pull her hand away from Kain's grasp.
“Are you not pleased with it?”
“No, it's just, you can't just say something like that out of the blue…”
Ibi, who showed a greatly flustered look, trailed off, and then, as if she couldn't understand no matter how much she thought about it, she asked back.
“……Why?”
“Even though you are an illegitimate child, you are my daughter. If I register you in our family, there will be no problem in making you my heir.”
“No, that's not what I'm asking…”
“Of course, there will be opposition from other family members. But as always, I just need to remind them who their head is.”
“…Dark elves, I heard they consider it a disgrace to mix their blood with other races?”
Seeing that Kain didn't seem to understand the intention of her question at all, Ibi let out a small sigh and finally said it herself.
“You guys are pure-bloods, aren't you? But you're going to make a half-breed like me your heir? You, a baron, don't tell me you still don't have any other proper children besides me?”
“Half-breed. Who would dare call you by such a derogatory term.”
“The people of the world?”
“Then let's show the people of the world together. What you can do.”
“…What can I do?”
As if it were a good question, Kain's lips curved up into a grin.
“For a long time, we have tried to conquer the other cities of the continent, especially Tiaria, several times. But, we have failed every time.”
Then he put his hands behind his back again and approached the railing to continue.
“During the most recent expedition, I participated as a mere soldier.”
This time, instead of looking down at Krom, he looked at the black-and-white horizon that stretched far away.
“We, who had overcome the Gloom, were certainly stronger than any other race. Even if there was a difference in numbers, we had many strong warriors who could easily overcome that difference. But, we still lost.”
He said, as if reminiscing about that past.
“I wanted to know the reason. I wanted to understand their strength, which I couldn't see with my eyes.”
So, unlike his other comrades who had survived and immediately returned to Krom, he had remained there. Kain said.
“Certainly, as you say, most of my kin still despise the other humans outside of Krom as weaklings and take a reclusive attitude.”
He said, with a bitter smile.
“But I, after spending several years with them in Tiaria, learned that they were not as weak as we had thought.”
And you were born into this world.
Saying this, Kain took his eyes off the horizon and turned back to Ibi again.
“I wanted to understand humans, and Kromo gave me the gift of you. A being who combines the strength of me, of our dark elves, and the strength of the humans who had repeatedly defeated us.”
Ibi still looked at Kain with eyes that said she didn't understand.
“That is why I believe, without a doubt, that you are the one who can lead us in the future.”
“…Lead?”
“Yes. ──Become our vanguard, Evie.”
Until she heard these words.
***
The three soldiers guarding the reception room naturally looked at my face the moment I shot up from my seat, and were charmed.
『Kneel.』
As soon as I subdued the ‘charmed’ soldiers with 「Word Command」, my companions, as if they had been waiting, got up and tightly bound them and gagged them so that they couldn't move even after the effect of 「Word Command」 wore off.
Not stopping there, Lily put one to sleep with 「Sleep」, and Miki beat another one unconscious.
And I, dragged a chair and sat in front of the last one, who was being held down and bound by Toric.
Then, I crossed my legs and gently placed my hands on them.
I stared into the eyes of the soldier, who couldn't take his eyes, which were tinged with the light of fascination, off of me, and swallowed hard.
『When I ask a question, speak only the truth.』
“……!”
Again, I cast 「Word Command」.