Chapter 129 – Those who are Uninvited

I somehow succeeded in solving Mason-sama’s misunderstanding.

As I sighed in relief, he commented with a wry smile.

[I see, so it was Aisha’s shenanigans. I also was often caught in her mischief in the past]

Perhaps it was Aisha-sama’s playfulness that caused Mason-sama’s to fall for her. In that regard, it’s understandable why he’s jealous.

[Magic that could exchange souls... and an Ancient monster that should’ve been extinct. What is happening to this world?]

[The exact cause is still unknown.]

Perhaps it has something to do with the ‘Door to that Land’ that Myne had been seeking. But I couldn’t tell that to Mason-sama as it’s just my own conjecture.

And I don’t even know what this ‘Door to that Land’ was. Even if I talked about it with Mason-sama, I don’t think I’d receive any answer.

[I was able to return back to live thanks to that. But, speaking of whether it’s good or not, the answer might a ‘not’]

[Why is that?]

I don’t understand. He came back to live, but said that it’s not necessarily a good thing?

The confusion might’ve been obvious on my face. So Mason-sama explained with a slightly bitter face.

[My return may end up pulling everyone else back.]

[Pulling everyone back?]

[Indeed. My death may have caused so much grief to many. But everyone worked hard in order to get over it. Roxy succeeded me as the head and leader of the Heart family. Aisha is also trying to give support in her own way. However, my return may have dragged them back to the past. And that scares me.]

[I.... even if that’s true, I think Mason-sama’s return is still a good thing. Because I feel that it’s so much better than having to speak to a cold tombstone that won’t give any answers.]

[Thank you, Fate. That made me feel better.]

Mason-sama stood back up, and offered me a handshake once more.

[It’ll be so much better if Aaron-sama was here as well. Come visit us next time. I’ll be sure to provide a warm welcome.]

[Sure, I’ll gladly take that offer.]

After shaking his hand, we bid our farewell.

When I was about to leave to the military district, a voice came from behind me.

[The world is going crazy. What are you going to do from now on?]

[As soon as the cause has been found, I’m planning to leave to check.]

[...I see... I guess you’re right.]

If the cause is eliminated, perhaps Mason-sama wouldn’t be able to stay in this world any longer as well.

Even so, the person in question didn’t have anything to say about it. He simply said this quietly to me.

[You have no need to be worried about me. I’m originally already dead anyways. So until then, I’ll just have to enjoy this miracle to the greatest.]

[Mason-sama...]

[I’m afraid there will be more resurrections. And it will put the whole world into confusion. What if more Ancient monsters were to reappear? It’ll be very scary.]

Personally I don’t really want to imagine that. If more Ancient monsters were resurrected from their extinction, then the kingdom might meet its doom.

Especially if most of them were Area E.

Tenryu was called a living disaster during its lifetime in this world. Having more monsters with those kind of stats will be disastrous. I’m scared to even imagine it.

[Isn’t funny?]

[I can’t laugh at all. Rather, it’s the opposite.]

[It’s nothing but a prediction. However, because I’m alive again, I can feel it as well]

Certainly, what Mason-sama said may not be wrong. I too, have the same conjecture.

I need to go to the military district to see the result of philosopher’s stone examination. We’ll probably find the cause behind this anomaly.

And at that moment, a loud sound of explosion reverberated throughout the city.

Judging from the direction, it came from the military district. I could see black smoke rising toward the air.

At the same time, a large icicle jutted out. It was so much larger than the wall that separates the Holy Knight residential area and the military district, that it’s visible just by looking up.

The icicle shards jutted out towards the sky one after another.

[That’s...no way...]

[Fate! What in the world is that icicle...]

[Please stay here.]

[Looking at your reaction, I already got the gist of the situation. Something that can cause you, who killed the Tenryu, to have that kind of face is beyond my league.]

[Sorry...]

[No need to. I’m returning to the mansion, preparing in case of emergency.]

Mason-sama said nothing more, as he headed toward the opposite direction.

I also started running. Jumping through the military district wall to get in. Originally I planned to go past the gate, but I had no luxury to do so this time.

[The building... It’s frozen.]

『Be careful, Fate.』

[I know.]

The 20-stories buildings were encased in ice. Many of them.

I don’t know whether the people inside are still alive or not.

The high-rise buildings on the military district were built using Gallian technology. It’s supposedly cannot be burnt, frozen, or melted.

But the building in front of me is actually frozen.

『We are facing against an user of Gallian technology. And a powerful one too.』

[Does Greed have any idea what it is?]

『From what we know, it was used to attack us back at the hobgoblin forest. It froze everything.....』

Greed seemed to ponder over it.

『And if it’s made by Gallian technology......then it’s probably a similar weapon like me. In that case, it may have found a new wielder.』

[But I didn’t sense anything.]

『You should hurry to Raine for now.』

One of the icicles was originated from the building where her workplace is in. Could it be...

I kept running and running. On the way, I saw several soldiers and Holy Knights encased in ice.

It seemed that some of them were frozen without them knowing. Some approached to apprehend the perpetrator, but were frozen in retaliation.

The temperature seemed to go down as I went further ahead.

My breath became visible as I exhales, creating white mist.

I could hear the sound of footsteps, probably belonged to the intruder. As expected the target is Raine’s research facility.

The front door was left open as it froze. The guards were plastered on the wall in icy casing.

[This is bad.]

『Hurry, Fate.』

I drew the black sword out, heading to the elevator, but it doesn’t seem to work anymore.

The ice may have caused some malfunction.

『There is the emergency staircase on the side.』

[Right.]

I exploded with speed, running through the stairs in an instant. Finally arriving on the floor where Raine’s office is located.

This... was even worse than the first floor.

Perhaps this was where the philosopher’s stone was brought in, and a lot of soldiers and holy knight were escorting it.

Those people were now frozen solid.

[Cold...]

A piercing cold that went through Area E protection attacked me. The perpetrator must be someone belonged to Area E as well.

Tightening my grasp on Greed’s hilt, I vigilantly moved forward.

I knew it. It’s in Raine’s office.

The automatic door malfunction due to the ice. So I had cut my way in with Greed.

[No way...]

It was someone I knew. He was holding Raine with his left hand, while the other one was holding the blood red stone.

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No way... no way!?

He approached me with an expressionless face.

[Fate, long time no see.]

[Dad...]

[You’ve grown... are you also in contract with that?]

He was my father, looking just the way I remembered him when I was still a kid. His hair grew a little I guess? Even so, he’s still the same Dean Graphite that I remembered.

However, he had this red tattoo stretching from his forehead to his eye.

It gave off a very contrasting feeling to dad’s gentle face.

Dad pointed at my black sword. That was enough evidence to me.

It upset me.

[This... what’s the meaning of this?]

There was no answer. All he did was quietly threatening me.

[Just leave as it is. I don’t want to hurt this little one,]

[...dad, why...]

Raine had been taken hostage... I couldn’t act even if I want to.

Dad took a spear out of the void. Its form is a bit different from the one Shinn wielded.

Pointing it to the black wall, he then swung it. The wall instantly freeze, then shattered.

He jumped out with Raine in tow through the hole produced by his earlier action.

[Dammit... just why?]

I chased after him, and looked down....only to find that the path had been blocked by thick ice wall.

I tried to cut the wall off with the black sword, to no avail. It didn’t even have any scratch no matter how many times I slashed.

[Raine!]

『Calm down, Fate. You became very agitated after meeting your dead father. Remember that the fact still remains that your father is the one who caused all this mayhem. Calm your raging pulse down.』

[But...]

『Raine will be just fine.』

[How do you know that?]

『Look, the icicles around the building. They are melting.』

True to his word, the ice that supposedly cannot be melted and slashed through actually started to evaporate.

I could also hear people’s voices from the hallway.

The soldiers and Holy Knights are alive.

『He hadn’t killed anyone. Merely freezing them. From that, it’s unlikely that he will harm Raine. Also, your father also mentioned something about contract.』

[Do you mean he’s forced to do everything?]

『Perhaps so.』

By the time the ice melted completely, dad was already too far to chase after.

He did not release Raine, opting to take her with him.

Apparently Dad’s goal was Raine and the philosopher’s stone. Now how should I explain this to Mugan-san.

I could only stand here, letting Raine be taken away without being able to do anything.

I’ve been playing with this thought since I met Mason-sama. The possibility that...my dead parents had also been revived.

The philosopher’s stone was Shinn’s fragment. If he’s actively seeking for it, then could it be that Dad has something to do with Shinn? Or what else....?

Greed unusually tried to calm me down with a gentle voice.

『Your father was never an enemy. Otherwise, he would’ve already frozen us back at the hobgoblin forest.』

[Yeah... thank you. Greed... that calmed me down somewhat.]

『Our schedule has been messed up though.』

Good grief, it has indeed.

We want to find out Shinn’s whereabouts through his fragment, that was the original plan. But now, it’s been stolen from right under my nose, and Raine even got kidnapped.

The spring breeze blew from the open hole. The warm air slowly replaced the cold, freezing air.

Soon after, one of the White Knights who was alerted to the incident appeared. That was fast... apparently Rafal’s incident had made them more wary.

[Fate Barbatos. It’s good that you are here. Please explain the circumstances at the palace. Follow me. Eris-sama will return any time soon.]

[...]

I silently followed the White Knight. I need to explain the situation to Eris, then plan the next course of action.

Dad... this was far from the reunion I imagined.