Count’s Youngest Son is a Warlock Chapter 247 - Take Part (3)

 

 

<Have you been sleeping? I’ve been running back and forth between Nevast and the Empire, completely drained from the heat, and my head’s spinning. But I hope you weren’t sleeping, Mr. Hamel.>

 

Hearing Heroan’s agitated voice, Lucion couldn’t help but laugh.

 

“Ah, my bad. That was just a mistake.”

 

<Are you sure it was a mistake? Or did you just think it was funny watching me suffer running around?>

 

“Who said that?”

 

<Quate, that ungrateful jerk. He’s a total idiot. He told me to do better. And everyone else was laughing, but why are they all doing this to me? I did so well.>

 

Heroan spoke through clenched teeth.

 

“You two seem to get along well.”

 

<Mr. Hamel! I can endure many things, but saying I get along with Quate is something I absolutely cannot accept!>

 

“Well, just now, I was actually thinking about you.”

 

<Oh, I’m sure you were. You probably thought of me because you wanted to check if I was doing well.>

 

“Exactly.”

 

Lucion didn’t indulge in sweet talk. If it were someone else, he might have flattered them a bit, but with Heroan, he felt no such urge.

 

<You’re being too harsh. I really have been running around, dealing with the heat, while my lips, palms, and soles are cracking.>

 

“So I guess there’s some progress?”

 

<When I return to the organization, I plan to rest for a while. I hope you’ll allow it.>

 

[Lord Lucion isn’t resting either. And Heroan’s taking one?] Bethel commented in disbelief.

 

“I wonder if Mr. Kran will allow you to take a break.”

 

<Don’t play innocent. I know you have more authority than Mr. Kran, Mr. Hamel.>

 

“Alright then, let’s hear it properly.”

 

<First, don’t be shocked by what I’m about to say.>

 

“I’m listening.”

 

<Nevast is corrupting holy relics and killing divine beasts.>

 

“What a shame. If you’d told me that a week ago, I might have been genuinely surprised.”

 

<Wait, you already knew?>

 

“Yeah.”

 

<Ha. This is just too much. All my efforts have turned to ashes. Then you won’t even blink at the news that we’ve caught a high-ranking priest escaping from Nevast, right? You must have already caught several of them.>

 

Heroan clicked his tongue, his voice heavy with disappointment.

 

“Wait, hold on. What did you just say?” Lucion sat up in shock.

 

<Oh, come on, don’t pretend you’re surprised. You must have caught a few of those priests from Nevast by now. I’m the one who gets hurt.>

 

Heroan smirked, trying not to be fooled this time.

 

[What the—! He actually did it!]

 

Russell was taken aback.

 

Lucion was still in shock.

 

While it might be possible to learn about Nevast corrupting holy relics from the testimony of the slave trader Chayton, the fact that they were killing divine beasts couldn’t have come from Delos. Delos was a warlock. 

 

And now Heroan was claiming he had captured a high-ranking priest from Nevast.

 

The difference was immense—far beyond just the fact that Chayton was the only witness. They could truly shake Nevast to its core.

 

“Well done, Heroan!” Praise slipped out of Lucion’s mouth.

 

<Yes?>

 

“Well done!”

 

<Are you joking?>

 

“I don’t joke about things like this.”

 

<W-Wowww!>

 

Heroan suddenly shouted, letting out a roar of joy. Even when J.L.’s voice came through, scolding him to keep it down, Heroan’s celebration didn’t stop.

 

<Mr. Hamel.>

 

Unable to hold back any longer, J.L. must have grabbed the communication device since his voice came through.

 

“Yes, J.L.?”

 

<The expression that Heroan used, saying we ‘captured’ a high-ranking priest from Nevast, isn’t entirely accurate. The truth is, there was a bit of a… scuffle while tracking them.>

 

<It wasn’t a scuffle—it was a full-blown battle! One of our members almost got exposed, and things could’ve gone very, very wrong. We were lucky no one died.>

 

Heroan snatched the communication device back, grumbling in frustration, but J.L.’s voice soon returned.

 

<My mistake, indeed. It seems I misspoke during the search due to my lack of experience. I apologize, Mr. Hamel. I’m truly sorry.>

 

[It seems Nevast expanded their search radius using warlocks because of Delos. Even after your warning, they still got caught up in it, huh?]

 

Lucion took a short breath at Russell’s remark.

 

He had taken precautions, instructing them to move from the capital of Nevast—where security would be the tightest—to the outskirts. Given Delos’s escape and the heightened vigilance surrounding other warlocks, Lucion had warned them to choose their words carefully.

 

[By the way, can that high-ranking priest really be trusted?]

 

Bethel shifted her focus to the priest. What if this was all a trap set by Nevast?

 

‘That’s possible. If it’s a trap, like Bethel suggested, it could be a serious problem.’

 

Lucion’s thoughts deepened.

 

<I never imagined a mere slip of the tongue would lead to such an immediate attack. Mr. Hamel, as you mentioned… I have no idea where they got their information, but it was incredibly dangerous.>

 

Heroan’s voice trembled slightly as he spoke.

 

<During the ambush, however, the high-ranking priest from Nevast came to our aid. They said it was because of those ‘invisible eyes’ you mentioned before.>

 

“Did the priest release light in that area as well?”

 

<How…how did you know? Yes, they did. The priest said it was necessary, though they didn’t explain why. I hate being left in the dark, but I keep encountering so many unknowns.>

 

[Hearing all this, it does seem like they genuinely helped. But we still can’t be certain.]

 

Russell’s voice was cautious. Memories of betrayal by priests still lingered painfully. Trusting one wasn’t something they could do lightly.

 

<We’re currently in the west. I delayed contacting you because I was being careful. Is this area safe?> Heroan asked.

 

“Yes, it’s safe in the west,” Lucion replied.

 

He knew they had reliable allies there, like Broson, the Death Knight, who despised warlocks.

 

<Oh, and we’re bringing along some warlocks. They keep muttering about how the darkness guided them or something like that. Don’t worry, though—they’re in a separate carriage from the priest.>

 

‘Broson!’

 

Lucion’s expression stiffened, and he immediately looked to Russell. The ally he had just found reassurance in had suddenly become a liability.

 

[Don’t worry, Lord Lucion. I’ve already taken care of that situation,] Bethel reassured him with a confident tone, lightly patting his shoulder.

 

“Did you… beat him up?” Lucion whispered hesitantly.

 

Bethel chuckled. [We did cross swords.]

 

“Did you win?”

 

[Unfortunately, there wasn’t a clear victor. The darkness intervened midway and ruined Broson’s mood, so he sheathed his sword.]

 

‘So, the darkness is still guiding the warlocks… Is this some form of pressure to keep purifying the Sea of Death?’

 

Lucion glanced toward where the darkness was hiding.

 

“I didn’t mean to deceive you. But I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you everything. I’m sorry, Lucion. I don’t know how much you’ve been hurt because of Asha, but I truly regret it,” the darkness murmured hesitantly as it finally revealed itself.

 

‘Now of all times?’

 

Lucion didn’t know if its sense of timing was off or if it had been agonizing over this for a while. He raised a hand, signaling for it to wait.

 

First, he needed to wrap up his conversation with Heroan. 

 

“That priest is the one who saved the warlocks they are bringing now. If you’re wondering if the priest is trustworthy, the answer is that they have made mistakes in the past but now seem to sincerely regret them. That’s why we assisted him in escaping Nevast with the warlocks for this reason.” 

 

‘Right, this wasn’t a coincidence.’

 

At last, Lucion felt he had resolved the lingering question of how Heroan and J.L. had come across a high-ranking priest so conveniently.

 

‘Then why has the darkness been so inactive until now? Was it because of the black orb? Or maybe what I destroyed in Keortia?’

 

<Mr. Hamel?>

 

Heroan’s voice interrupted Lucion’s thoughts.

 

“The priest is heading to the central region, right?”

 

<Yes. They’ll naturally head to the main temple today. I plan to follow them.>

 

“You just said you wanted to rest.”

 

<Well, you know how things change depending on the situation.>

 

Heroan flashed a sly smile.

 

Ratta, who had been playing with a ball, perked up and rushed over.

 

―That’s such a funny laugh!

 

Ratta scampered to the bed, ears twitching with curiosity.

 

<I also heard the Saint is in the eastern region. When else will I get a chance to see the Saint, who’s secluded in Cronia? I’ll rest after meeting him. Would it be alright if I followed along…?>

 

<I-I’ll join too! As a merchant, I can’t betray the trust placed in me. I must see this mission through to the end!>

 

If it had only been Heroan, it wouldn’t have been an issue, but J.L.’s eagerness made Lucion frown.

 

—You already met the Saint. Ratta knows.

 

Ratta burst out laughing, wagging her tail.

 

[I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea to allow it. Aren’t you curious about how Heroan will react?]

Bethel immediately responded to Russell’s suggestion.

 

[Actually, I’m curious too.]

 

[Right? He’s always bragging about how sharp his observation skills are. I wonder if he’ll figure out it’s Lucion.]

 

[I hope he doesn’t. Heroan isn’t a bad person, but he can be… a little much.]

 

Bethel twirled a strand of her hair, her tone laced with hesitation.

 

‘Whether I like it or not, there’s no one else to handle this right now,’ Lucion thought to himself.

 

Because of the Magic Tower incident, most of the organization was concentrated in the eastern region, leaving only a skeleton crew at the Chefran mansion, including Helon and Stra.

 

Since Helon and Stra were trusted retainers of Kran, they couldn’t leave the base. Meanwhile, calling Quate or Reint from the east was impossible due to the ongoing purification of the Sea of Death.

 

“Alright,” Lucion finally said.

 

<Oh…! I knew you would make that decision! Once again, I am amazed by Mr. Hamel’s unparalleled generosity!>

 

Heroan’s voice brimmed with joy, while Hume gave Lucion a proud look.

 

“Make sure the high-ranking priest reaches the temple safely. Be vigilant to ensure no one is following you, and keep an eye on them for any suspicious behavior.”

 

<Ah, I am a master at completing missions flawlessly, aren’t I? Trust me, as always. Oh, when I meet the Saint, it would be wonderful if he called my name.>

 

‘I want to tell you he’s already called your name plenty of times,’ Lucion thought, holding back the urge to tease Heroan further.

 

Instead, he asked, “Why are you so eager to meet the Saint?”

 

<Well, he’s amazing, isn’t he! It’s only natural to want to meet someone that incredible…>

 

Click.

 

Before Heroan could finish, Lucion accidentally disconnected the communication device mid-sentence.

 

[Ahahaha! Oh, my stomach…!]

 

Russell, seeing Lucion flustered and unsure of what to do, couldn’t help but laugh as he slapped the air as if it were the ground.

 

[You’ve got to get used to this, Lucion! How many people genuinely like you?]

 

Wiping tears from his eyes, Russell poked Lucion’s shoulder.

 

“I don’t know,” Lucion muttered, removing his mask and burying his face in the blanket.

 

It was hard to adjust to being loved, especially when it was something he had never experienced before.

 

As he slowly pulled the blanket down, his eyes met Ratta’s. Her bashful laugh was contagious, and despite himself, Lucion chuckled.

 

“Ah. Go ahead,” Lucion said at last, shifting his focus to the Darkness.

 

For a moment, he had almost forgotten about Heroan’s matters.

 

“Say everything you have to say.” Lucion’s gaze was sharp and unyielding.

 

Darkness hesitated, clearly uneasy under Lucion’s scrutinizing expression. Finally, it began to speak.

 

“Not all Raviens hold special roles. But Asha is unique among them. She has lived the longest… and survived.”

 

“So, you’re saying she was assigned the role of coordinator?” Lucion asked coldly.

 

“Y-yes. Lucion, we understand why you’re angry with us. We were wrong. Truly, deeply wrong. But… there was nothing we could do.”

 

Darkness’s round eyes drooped in regret.

 

[Why?]

 

Russell wiped the laughter from his face and asked Darkness.

 

In previous worlds, and even the ones before that, Lucion had always been a vessel. A constant.

 

“Troy told you, didn’t he? Lucion, you serve a role similar to that of a holy relic. If you can’t fulfill that role as a vessel, we are left with no choice but to make a decision.”

 

“Whether to switch to someone else, is that it?”

 

Lucion’s expression darkened, his gaze growing sharper. Slowly, a wave of anger began to build within him.