The Regressor of a Fallen Baronial House

Chapter 49. Cadmus' White Mansion (1)

Blanc’s office, prepared within the Tolome family estate.

There, Blanc was showing Tiday’s Brand to Tarania while shirtless.

Tarania was looking carefully at the Brand on Blanc’s shoulder.

The energy of Evil that had been sleeping inside the Brand was roaming around Blanc’s body following Blanc’s will, awakening Blanc’s senses and strengthening his body.

To anyone’s eyes, it looked like Evil was being dominated by Blanc rather than Blanc being dominated by Evil.

However, the existence called Evil is wicked and cunning.

Tarania was examining the energy without relaxing her tension.

"You may put on your clothes now."

And she concluded.

That Blanc had completely subjugated the Evil.

"……It is not an unprecedented event."

"Were there people who used Evil like me?"

Blanc had also been watching Tiday’s Brand carefully since the night he pierced the Evil.

Because even for Blanc, using Evil was bound to feel repulsive.

"Evil recognizes Evil. Because they are the same kind. There were pioneers who wanted to use that."

Among the exorcist priests of the Goddess Order boasting a long history and the knights of the Torch Knights, there were a few who researched to perform exorcism more smoothly by using the characteristics of Evil.

"But the ends of those people were all not good without exception."

Tarania opened her blue eye and stared at Blanc.

Those who gaze into the abyss eventually get eaten by the abyss.

Most of those who tried to subdue Evil using Evil did not meet a peaceful death.

"Baron, please keep in mind. That Evil always hides in the shadow and waits for the time when people are careless."

To Tarania looking with resolute eyes, Blanc only nodded and said he understood.

"And."

Tarania took out a letter from her bosom.

"I would like you to stop by the Torch Knights Headquarters in the Holy City Moirai in the near future."

Blanc received the letter from Tarania.

A burning torch was engraved on the seal of the letter.

"Is there a reason I must stop by?"

Tarania was a person who observed Blanc closely for several months together.

Therefore, she knew well that Blanc was a person with a straight soul, but she was not sure if other people would view Blanc handling Evil that way.

Furthermore, Blanc was a knight and noble starting to receive attention now. There are always those who point fingers from the ground looking at a star rising high.

Those who frame, envy, and are jealous of the brightly shining Blanc would definitely pop out from somewhere and hold Blanc back.

When that time comes, Blanc handling Evil was highly likely to become a big problem.

Tarania did not want the person named Blanc to be held back and suffer from such things.

That was why she recommended going to the Holy City Moirai.

"You must receive official certification and obtain a title there."

"What kind of title?"

Tarania answered Blanc’s question.

"In the Goddess Order in the Holy City Moirai, certification of a pilgrim following the holy path."

Tarania picked up the tea placed on the table.

"And likewise, I recommend obtaining the title of Demon-breaking Knight like me at the Torch Knights Headquarters there."

Drinking tea, Tarania raised her blue eye and made eye contact with Blanc.

"You must do so. Only by receiving certification from both the Goddess Order and the Torch Knights can you be dignified in handling Evil in the future."

She didn't necessarily wear the stuffy eyepatch when with Blanc.

"All the titles the Baron has gathered while building achievements until now were things that made the Baron shine, but."

Because she knew Blanc was not a person who felt disgust and discriminated against to that extent.

"The two titles I mentioned will be titles that protect the Baron in the future."

Finishing her words, Tarania was quietly drinking tea.

"Hmm……"

Blanc agonized for a moment, but since Tarania’s words were right even when he thought about it, he decided to accept her opinion.

"Thank you for suggesting the path. Dame Tarania."

Blanc offered a handshake to her.

***

"For me, it is a truly grateful and thankful thing, but……"

Blanc headed to the Neudorf mansion again upon Count Berger’s polite invitation.

There, Berger asked Blanc’s intention regarding the marriage, and Blanc told him that his decision on the marriage remained unchanged.

"……Will it really be okay?"

Berger threw a question implying many meanings to Blanc.

Evil dwelt in Ciella.

This was a reason overflowing enough for breaking off the engagement.

Moreover, Blanc was a figure who not only saw that terrible thing but directly eliminated it, so even if he got angry in front of Berger and requested a break-off, there would be nothing to say.

"Count, I am already clearly aware of the flaw Lady Ciella has, and I am certain that I can embrace it myself. That is why I accepted this marriage."

Blanc also gave an answer implying many meanings to Berger.

Regarding the events of that night, Berger and Blanc were expressing it only through eyes, atmosphere, and tone, while naturally remaining silent in words.

"……Thank you very much."

Berger was in a state where his emotional ups and downs had become severe in the past few days.

He was also a person with cold noble blood, but the fact that Evil dwelt in Ciella’s soul was a hard reality to accept.

Berger was doing his best to uncover the truth of this matter, but it was a problem difficult to solve alone.

Because it was something that happened too long ago, Berger was in a situation where even ten bodies wouldn't be enough, and he needed someone absolutely trustworthy to investigate this matter.

"I have been too busy these past few days. As you know, there were too many people looking for me."

"Congratulations. Count. On succeeding in the reproduction of Moonlit Grass."

At Blanc’s words, Berger smiled after a long time and looked at him.

"Come to think of it, your contribution is big in this too."

Berger was in a tired and lonely state.

And Blanc was a thankful person who relieved a significant part of the burden Berger was carrying.

"My son, who was studying abroad at the Magic Tower of the Alchemy School, will return to investigate Ciella’s matter."

The matter regarding Ciella was a terrible hostile act committed against the Neudorf family. This meant there were things targeting them over a long period outside Neudorf’s gaze.

To track them secretly and accurately, a person who was capable yet absolutely trustworthy was needed.

So Berger called a person he could absolutely trust into his fold.

Franz Neudorf.

The successor of the Neudorf family, Ciella’s older brother, and a capable alchemist.

He was a person who stood at the forefront of the Liberation Front and defeated the Void until the very moment Blanc regressed in the past life.

Although alchemy was a discipline difficult in many ways to use directly in combat, Franz Neudorf was a figure who presented another possibility of alchemy and was active on the front lines using various reagents.

"By the way……"

Perhaps tired, Berger raised his hand and rubbed his eyes.

"Ciella has absolutely no energy these days. She refuses meals and locks herself in her room, not coming out."

"Isn't it a matter worthy of receiving shock?"

It was exactly as Blanc said.

Who would fully accept the fact that Evil dwells in their soul? Especially if they had lived with that terrible thing all their life.

"Actually…… Ciella said. That she wants to spend the rest of her life in a convent."

'Oh no……'

It wasn't that he didn't understand Ciella’s feelings.

She was a woman who already lost two husbands. Furthermore, although unintentional, the possibility that her husbands' deaths were related to her was high, so she was in a situation of receiving great pangs of conscience.

Moreover, having exposed the sight of a monster dwelling in her soul nakedly to Blanc who might become her husband, Ciella thought there was no way Blanc would accept the marriage.

The psychological blow from two marriage failures had consistently gnawed at Ciella’s mind all this while. Furthermore, due to this shocking event, her mind and body were greatly exhausted.

Ciella was crumbling.

"May I see Lady Ciella?"

"I actually want to ask you. Please, can you do that?"

Hearing Berger’s words, Blanc immediately stood up from his seat.

"This was the reason you called me today."

Berger answered with a bitter smile.

"If I am going to be indebted anyway, isn't it better to be indebted certainly?"

Berger decided to rely on Blanc even though he knew his action right now was shameless.

Blanc was such a man. A man who gave trust to people around him despite being fifteen years old.

"I beg of you."

***

Ciella was lying on the bed looking out the window where rain was falling.

Watching the falling rain, she was falling endlessly into her own thoughts and sentiments, hiding herself deep inside.

She received a great shock, was ashamed, was sorry for everything, and thus lost the will to live.

Although the Evil left Ciella, it eventually left a big irreversible scar on her soul.

Was it because she fell too much into her own thoughts?

Ciella didn't notice that there was a man sitting next to her.

"I heard you want to go to a convent."

"……Baron."

Perhaps because she refused food and drink for the past few days, Ciella’s complexion was pale.

"……I do not want to cause trouble to the Neudorf family anymore."

Ciella looked at Blanc sitting quietly next to her bed.

Blanc had deep and calm eyes. Those eyes were enough to contain Ciella’s tears.

Looking at Blanc’s eyes, Ciella fell into them as if possessed. It was like that when she first saw Blanc too.

"Baron……"

So she ended up vomiting out her inner heart and feelings.

A twenty-one-year-old woman cried uncontrollably without realizing it to a fifteen-year-old man, pouring out the sorrow and pain that filled her soul.

Blanc lightly hugged Ciella’s shoulder.

She was a woman with an unfortunate fate.

Her fate twisted by Evil was the same in the past life too.

In the past life, she was called the Red Widow Spider and was shunned by people.

A woman who ate as many as eight husbands.

However, she also wouldn't have wanted to marry eight times. Just like she was saying now that she would enter a convent and spend her whole life there.

But she had no choice but to marry eight times.

In the past life, the Meritorious Nobles of the Felix Kingdom lost all their foundations from the moment the capital Baltimere fell to the Void.

Losing all foundations and influence in an instant, they were no different from fallen nobles. That was the same for the Neudorf family as well.

It was such a time.

A time when numerous nobles fell in an instant and the organization called the Liberation Front was still sloppy.

It was an era where people died incessantly and even women had to stand up with their own strength to survive.

Although Berger was losing almost all influence the Neudorf family had, he instead became a high-ranking executive of the Liberation Front, humanity’s last rising hope.

And those who still wanted to buy his halo and favor coveted Ciella, who was alone after losing her husbands.

Although Berger dissuaded her from marriage knowing Ciella’s soul was being whittled away every time she married.

Ciella knew well that Berger’s research on the Void needed a solid background and lots of support.

So she sacrificed herself and created a background for Berger.

If Ciella hadn't done so, Berger wouldn't have discovered the key to the Void, and if that happened, the Liberation Front wouldn't have held out against the Void, and Blanc wouldn't have been able to regress.

She was such a woman who knew how to sacrifice herself.

Blanc sincerely sympathized with her.

So he hugged her shoulder.

"I will protect you. From the prejudice and insults of the world, I will give you the shield called Baroness Cadmus."

And just as Ciella revealed her sincerity, Blanc also revealed his sincerity to some extent.

"So please help me."

"How can someone like me help the Baron?"

Ciella looked at Blanc with eyes full of tears.

"As the sole successor of the Cadmus family and the legitimate heir of Norington, I have something I must absolutely find."

Ciella felt like she could see a red burning flame inside Blanc’s deep and dark eyes.

"I need the full support of the Neudorf family and a person who will assist me flawlessly from inside. The only person who can solve all that is Lady Ciella."

When this world pointed fingers at Ciella calling her a dirty woman, only Blanc reached out his hand to her.

"I need you."

He told her he needed her.