Chapter 28 The Wait of 100 Years (1)
If you were to ask the members of the Haken Knight Order when their favorite time was, most would answer mealtime.
It was because mealtime was the only time they, who were usually controlled in movement and gatherings, could gather relatively freely.
The manager allowed gatherings of about five or six people in one room only during mealtime, and the members used this time to ask each other about things they were curious about.
And this evening, the topic of conversation going back and forth among the members gathered in Pierce's room was Hein.
“Be honest for once. Is it really true that he, that guy caught an Earth Worm, and that too by going into a cave alone?”
“Yes. It seems so. Captain.”
The member who received Pierce’s question nodded with a cautious expression.
Knowing well that although the wound on Pierce’s face was healing, the wound on his pride had not yet healed, the member’s tone had no choice but to be cautious.
“Hey, does that make sense? It’s not like it came out of the cave; he caught the one lurking inside alone? Did you see it with your own eyes?”
Another member eating at the next seat rebuked him.
He could not believe the fact that Hein hunted an Earth Worm alone at all.
“Catching an Earth Worm inside a cave alone is something only the Knight Commanders in the capital can do, isn’t it? According to you, is that unlucky guy a Knight Commander of the capital or what?”
“How would I know? How that guy caught the Earth Worm. I just said exactly what I saw.”
Since the members had no way of knowing that Hein caught the Earth Worm using magic, they couldn't believe it at all, so a heated debate broke out over the dining table about the authenticity of the rumor.
“Shut up. These guys say they saw it themselves. That guy walking out of the cave holding the Earth Worm’s head.”
Pierce, who was listening to the debate, shouted abruptly with his eyes closed.
“But Captain!”
“Didn’t you say all the members who went out hunting that day were waiting outside the cave? Then if it wasn’t him who caught the Earth Worm, what else could it be? Surely the Earth Worm didn’t just die on its own leaving only its head dangling out!”
Pierce ended the debate just like that.
Of course, Pierce hated me to death.
But just because he disliked the person, he wasn't petty enough to deny clear evidence.
“By the way, Captain, what on earth is his identity?”
“What?”
Because they lived a life isolated from the outside world and had no interest in outside affairs, the Haken members did not yet know that I was the son of the current Family Head, Redin.
“No, if he really caught the Earth Worm as the Captain said, it’s strange. If he can catch an Earth Worm alone at that young age, he must be connected to some high-ranking nobles. Why would such a guy come to a place like this?”
“…….”
At the member’s question, Pierce could not answer.
As he said, most of the captains who had come to take charge of Haken until now were either demoted or generally incompetent figures.
But for what purpose did that young guy, who looked extraordinary at a glance, come here?
Even thinking about it didn't yield an answer, and Pierce felt intense irritation at that fact.
“……Hey, you guys, if you’re done eating, get out.”
Eventually, Pierce chased out all the members who were having a heated discussion about my identity and lay down early.
But even after turning off the lights and lying down, the questions filling his head showed no sign of subsiding.
“Damn it!”
Even spitting out curses didn't make his mind feel any clearer.
But this emotion right now was different from the old sense of betrayal and anger that had been tormenting Pierce for the past hundred years.
“Damn it, shit.”
Engulfed in frustration he himself couldn't identify, all Pierce could do was spit curses into the empty air.
The night of anguish passed slowly.
***
Late one night, another week later.
I, Hein, was facing Gabriel in a laboratory where smoke was bubbling up.
“So, you think treatment is possible?”
“Yes. Well, it seems it will take quite a long time, but if we invest time and effort, a complete cure seems possible somehow. For now, I think I can make a treatment to prevent seizures as an emergency measure.”
On the desk spread out behind Gabriel’s back, various documents and books were placed in disorder, all of which were materials regarding the ‘Sunset Wolves’.
For the past fortnight, Gabriel had received my orders to examine every record regarding the Sunset Wolves without omission and find a way to treat them.
“Gabriel, the seizures that tormented them have continued for a whopping hundred years. Yet you are saying you found a way to treat those seizures in just a fortnight?”
“Anyway, a hundred years have passed. The component that made the members violent certainly remains, but the toxicity has weakened. So now treatment is possible. In the end, time has solved it.”
“Isn’t attributing everything to time being overly humble?”
“No. If the toxicity hadn’t weakened, there would have been nothing I could do either. All I did was write down the answer that was already clearly visible on paper. Hehe.”
Gabriel shook his head with a humble smile as usual, but in truth, finding the answer to treat Haken without him would have been close to impossible.
In fact, the Sunset Wolves plan was an event that received quite a bit of attention, so research had been conducted here and there on the continent.
However, the reason no research was carried out continuously was that they couldn't find a way to overcome that fatal weakness.
To find the answer in just a fortnight, even if he borrowed the help of time…….
‘He looks like just a ditzy friend on the outside, but seeing things like this, it seems he really is a genius.’
Confirming Gabriel’s genius once again, I nodded.
Gabriel continued speaking with his gaze still fixed on the pile of documents.
“Young Master, actually there is one more thing I need to tell you. This plan is known simply as an experiment for physical enhancement, but looking into it, it seems an experiment to accelerate the accumulation of aura was also conducted in parallel.”
“Accumulation of aura?”
“Yes. At the time, they didn’t get clear results, but hasn’t it already been 100 years since that reagent was injected into the bodies of the people here? Perhaps during that time, these people’s bodies have changed into bodies suitable for accumulating mana without them even knowing.”
“Compared to ordinary people, how much more advantageous would it be?”
“Well. For certainty, I would have to observe directly to know, but compared to a completely ordinary person, wouldn’t the speed be about two or three times faster? Their senses for detecting aura would also be very sensitive.”
Gabriel spoke as if it were a trivial matter, but a smile formed on my face upon hearing those words.
If it was as Gabriel said, the probability of success for my plan to teach aura to the Haken Knight Order would rise dramatically.
“Then if we feed that reagent to other ordinary people, will they also obtain bodies advantageous for mana accumulation?”
“Eh, it won’t happen immediately like that. Didn’t I tell you just a moment ago? That it took a whopping 100 years for those people to obtain such bodies.”
“Then does it mean to make an ordinary person like the members, we have to inject the reagent and wait 100 years?”
“That is correct, Young Master.”
“Understood. Good work.”
I nodded once again.
The members of Haken called the past hundred years a betrayed and lost time, but that time was not meaningless.
After all, time had given them such a big gift.
“Ah, I am truly sorry. Young Master. I missed one really important fact and didn't tell you. You see. I did make a treatment, but that treatment is actually…….”
Gabriel explained the effect the treatment he was planning to make would bring to the bodies of the Haken members.
After listening to that explanation, I said,
“That doesn’t seem like a matter for me to judge. Could you wait a few more days?”
I spoke in a firm voice.
“Because sooner or later, I will ask for the opinions of the parties concerned directly.”
***
“Damn it…….”
Pierce was unable to sleep today as well.
To be more precise, Pierce had been unable to get a deep sleep ever since that day he was slapped by me until his cheeks were ready to burst.
The wounds on his cheeks had almost healed, but for some reason, the throbbing weighing down on one side of his chest showed no sign of getting better.
Creak.
But just then, the sound of the door confining Pierce opening was heard.
Pierce shouted with irritation.
“What? I took that damn sedative earlier, didn’t I?”
Since that door opening in the middle of the night only happened when he had to take additional sedatives, Pierce showed a neurotic reaction.
But for some reason, no person could be seen beyond the open door.
“Ah shit, what is it!”
Eventually, Pierce shouted and stepped out the door.
However,
“Uh! Captain!”
“Voltaire. Why are you out here?”
He wasn’t the only one who came out.
Creak.
“What! Is it time for damn pills in the middle of the night again? Uh, Captain?”
Creak.
“You rascals. The door opened. Don't you do your job properly! Huh? Why are you all out here? Was the door not locked tonight?”
As time passed, the number of members opening their doors with irritation and then making surprised expressions increased one by one,
Clunk.
Clunk.
Eventually, the doors of all over 500 members of the Haken Knight Order opened.
“What…… is this? What’s going on? Hey, odd-eye, do you know what’s happening?”
“How would I know! You baldy bastard!”
The members walked out into the central hall with expressions of utter bewilderment.
“F*ck, it’s nice to gather and check faces after a damn long time, but what on earth is happening? Hey, guards. What are you people doing right now?”
Pierce, who checked his subordinates’ faces, shouted toward the ceiling.
In fact, this was the first time the members had gathered together and faced each other since being isolated in Haken Fortress.
To outsiders, the members were a pack of wolves tainted by madness, and the best method they knew was to split them up and lock them in cages.
Because of that, the Haken Knight Order had never gathered more than 100 people together in the past hundred years.
So it was no wonder they were so flustered when everyone gathered together in the middle of the night like this, and without even a hint of warning.
“Hey, can’t you hear! Answer me!”
“If you don’t answer, I might just overturn everything!”
The members shouted at the top of their lungs, but the figures of the guards who always stayed by their side were nowhere to be seen.
And just when their anxiety reached its peak.
Clank.
A sound slightly heavier than the members’ doors opening was heard.
The direction the sound came from was the entrance connecting the Haken Knight Order’s quarters and the outside.
The members reflexively turned their gazes there.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
“What?”
What revealed themselves were a maid dressed neatly in a maid outfit, and a knight with sharp eyes.
Thud.
The knight put down the table and chair he was carrying, and the maid began setting up with busy hand movements.
“……What is it, this?”
At the puzzling sight, the members opened their eyes wide and watched, but the maid began preparations with nimble hand movements without paying any heed.
The time it took to spread a white tablecloth, take out refreshments from the basket she was holding, and prepare teacups was truly short.
“Hey, a person is asking you!”
Of course, it was enough time to excite the members who were already anxious.
One of the members at the front eventually couldn't overcome the anxiety and tried to jump in with an expression as if to devour them.
“……Damn it.”
But the member eventually couldn't jump towards Emily.
It was because of the knight guarding Emily’s side.
“…….”
Ismael didn't intervene between the member and Emily, nor did he say to stop.
He just turned his body very slightly towards the member.
But this small movement alone was enough to stop the member’s steps.
“What are you again?”
“Wait.”
A suffocating tension flowed between Ismael and the members.
And around the time that tension reached its peak.
“Has everyone gathered?”
I, the very person who removed the cage confining Haken, revealed myself.
“It’s a truly nice night. Isn’t it? Everyone.”
I walked in unreservedly and buried my body in the chair.
Emily filled my teacup with graceful movements like a painting.
Trickle.
A sound not matching the tense atmosphere resonated.
Eventually, one member who couldn't overcome this tension shouted abruptly.
“What kind of dirty trick is this!”
“……Trick?”
“No, I mean what kind of…… act, intention is this?”
However, it didn't take much time for the member to tuck his tail.
All I did was narrow my eyes while looking at the member, yet.
Before they knew it, his attitude had become much more polite.
“What intention, you ask? Are you curious about that?”
I picked up a book that was on the table and threw the question, but no answer returned.
“I mentioned it once before, didn’t I? That I would come again soon to hear your stories. I came to keep that promise.”
Even though no answer was returned, I kindly explained the reason I came here.
And I entered preparations to listen in earnest.
“Fortunately, since the night seems quite long, there seems to be no need to rush.”
A thick book took its place on my neatly crossed legs, and a fragrant scent rose fully from the freshly filled teacup.
Wrapped in that fragrant tea scent, I spoke.
“Now, let’s have a heart-to-heart talk.”