novelSpecters from the Past (4)
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Chapter 124 - Specters from the Past (4)
"What do you mean?"
"They are living their lives as members of society, so there are cases where we can't mobilize some of our members. For example, what happens if there was an uprising of monsters in a certain region, and it required the member to take care of the region for an extended amount of time?"
"Mmmm......."
This truth could be discerned by looking at Kairen and Beorein. The Guardian Shadows had a preference for picking members, who had influence over society. In terms of martial prowess, they didn't need much help, but they needed members, who could carry out their work as members of society.
"In recent days, everyone is tied down in taking care of their own responsibilities. Anyways, we are doing our best."
"I see. So why do you keep following me? Are you trying to confirm that I am the person from the prophecy?"
"That is one of them."
"So that isn't your only aim. What other goals do you have?"
"If Reygus does show up, I'm pretty sure he will appear in front of you. I look forward to it."
"You look forward to it?"
Azell furrowed his brows. If it was as Balseru had said last time, the Keepers of Prophecy had fought with Reygus' Undead form, and they had been crushed. Yet Balseru was looking forward to it?
"Will you be able to defeat Reygus' Undead form? If not, are you planning on fighting Reygus with us as a united front?"
"Since he is an Undead, I'll be able to take care of him by myself."
"......."
Azell stared at Balseru. Something really bothered Azell about him. He knew the other man was a Spirit Order Practitioner, but Azell couldn't read the depth of his power.
Normally, he would consider such a person to be formidable. However, Azell couldn't make that call yet. He had a weird feeling about Balseru.
Balseru spoke.
"However... Yes. If there are others aside from the Undead, it might be hard for me to defeat them. In such a situation, I would like to work with your party. At the very least, when we are fighting the Dragon Demon king worshippers, we can be sure that we are allies."
"Let us do that. Still, our movements haven't been revealed to our enemies yet. Maybe...."
"If you are thinking about the possibility of me leading the enemies to you, I won't. I don't do such acts."
"Hmm."
"I've shown myself the least amongst the Keepers of the Prophecy. They probably don't even know what my code name is."
"You codename? Now that I think about it you guys use the ancient alphabet like Delta and Theta. What is your code name?"
Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta, Iota, Kappa, Lambda, Mu, Nu, Xi, Omicron, Pi, Rho, Sigma, Tau, Upsilon, Phi, Chi, Psi and Omega.
The Keepers of the Prophecy used the 24 ancient alphabets, which existed before the legend of Babel, as their code names. It was also letters frequently used by magicians when they conducted a magic ritual.
Balseru answered.
"I'm Alpha."
"If you are Alpha, you are the first letter in the ancient alphabet. Is your code name related to seniority?"
"Yes."
"Are you allowed to just give out such answers like this?"
"We decided we could tell you a certain amount of information."
"I'm thankful that you hold me in such high regards. So you are the first amongst the Keepers of the Prophecy.... Doesn't that contradict with your previous story?"
"Which story?"
"You said you quit being a knight around 50 years ago. If you became a Keeper of the Prophecy at that point in time, you became one during the Great Darkness. Doesn't that mean you became one much later than Leone?"
"Correct."
"Then your story doesn't match."
"I inherited the code name when the original Alpha died. My memory of that person is fuzzy, but I think he was my uncle."
"You think.... . What do you mean by that?"
"I don't remember much from before I became a Keeper of the Prophecy. It might be the fact that my body had suffered through death. I believe it is the cost for being revived as a Keeper of the Prophecy."
"Mmmm?"
"It seems Leone hadn't discussed this with you. All the Keepers of Prophecy used to be humans. We are existences that were raised from the dead.."
"You guys were raised from the dead? Do you really want me to believe such nonsense?"
"I understand it sounds preposterous. Still, is it so absurd when one takes in the fact that we don't age?"
"Mmmm......."
"The Dragon Demon king is a murderer, and we were killed while holding a grudge against him. At the moment of our deaths, the nucleus of the magic making up the Guardian Shadows made contact with us. We were revived.... Or that is what we think happened. We were revived from death by some means or other."
"Some means or other.... Aren't you guys being a little bit too loose on the facts?"
"Those of us, who were originally magicians, are divided in opinion. We aren't able to come to a consensus no matter what. The non-magicians amongst us just accept the situation as is. In the end, the only thing that is important to us is the slaughter of Dragon Demon king worshippers. We don't care about anything else."
"Hah......."
A forced laugh leaked out of Azell. This guy was really an absurd bastard. He kept revealing incredible facts, yet he was serene. It was as if he was talking to a neighbor about an unimportant matters.
"You said you lost your memories?"
"Yes, I have no memories of my previous life. We only know about the reason why we are doing these tasks."
"Aren't you, at the very least, suspicious?"
"About what?"
"Aren't you suspicious of that fact that someone might have manipulated all of you?"
They had no memories of their past. They had no idea, who had made them that way. They didn't even know what criteria allowed them to become Keepers of the Prophecy.
The were completely ignorant of their own situation, yet they followed the truths that came to them on an instinctual level. They had become the embodiments of revenge. They possessed the body of a human, yet they had given up being humans. They devoted themselves to eradicating the Dragon Demon king worshippers.
"... aren't you suspicious about the possibility that this is all a fabrication made through magic?"
"I never thought about it."
"......."
"You expression is asking how I can be so foolish."
"You speak as if you can see me."
"I can see you."
"Even though you have your eyes closed?"
"I'm not blind. Even if my eyes are closed, it doesn't interfere with my sight. Anyways, that is how it is. When we became the Keepers of the Prophecy, we were given an offer by an unknown being, and we made a choice. We remember making our choice, so we have no doubt."
"Is that really enough?"
"Yes. Do you want us to become suspicious of the process? Wouldn't that in turn make us deny our own existence? I have no desire to do so."
"Are you afraid of doing so?"
"No. I just... I believe in the evidence provided by my hatred."
"Hatred?"
"Funnily enough, I can't feel anything. This conversation I am having with you feels like a daydream."
However, when he was in front of the Dragon Demon king worshippers, he could feel that he was still alive. The hatred he had for them burned. It awoke him to the fact that he was still alive and breathing in this world.
Azell now identified the madness he had felt when he saw Leone. These people really had lost everything. The elements that used to make up the identity of these people were all snatched away by the Dragon Demon king worshippers. The only thing left behind were empty dolls that were driven by hatred.
'Who made this system?'
The curiosity he felt for this truth was almost unbearable. How much enmity did the creator of the Guardian Shadows have that he went down this ruthless road?
Balseru spoke.
"This is my warning to you, sir Azell. Reygus will come looking for you."
"How do you know this? According to Laura...."
"There is someone amongst them that has the ability to find you. At the very least, we know that fact."
"You speak as if you are a soothsayer."
"I'm something akin to that."
"What?"
When Azell became surprised, Balseru answered in a calm manner.
"Amongst the 24 Keepers of the Prophecy, only two of us has a fixed role. Alpha and Omega. The name has nothing to do with when we became a Keeper of the Prophecy. The one named Omega can catch a glimpse of what the Plain of Darkness is doing. They keep track of their members through the being, who resides in the Great Darkness. We are able to learn about what power they possess and what they are going to do...."
"Basically, you are using their information network against them?"
"It isn't as clear cut as you make it out to be. In truth, it isn't that helpful. We don't know the content or the timing of the information we will receive. However, once we learn of an information, we are sure of its veracity."
"I always have this thought...."
Azell was astonished.
"I can't tell if you guys are amazing or extremely poorly run."
"The world is an inconvenient place where there isn't a clear cut answer."
Balseru answered in a disinterested manner.
As soon as Azell walked away, Balseru spoke as he looked between the trees.
"You should come out now, Omega."
"......."
"He is far away enough."
"... still, I'll be discovered if I'm not careful."
Soon, a voice of a young girl could be heard. Accompanying a rustling sound, a girl appeared from between the trees and bushes.
If Azell saw this sight, he would have been shocked. She had been so close, yet she had been able to evade Azell's senses.
The girl looked to be 15 or 16 years old. From her appearance, she didn't look too special. Since she had been hiding in the bushes, she was dirty. Her hair was tied in twin tails, and her hair was disheveled. She had a plain looking face with freckles.
The only thing unusual about her was her green eyes. She was looking straight at Balseru's face, yet her eyes were out of focus. It was as if she couldn't see....
Moreover, her sense of presence was absent like Balseru. It was understandable to see why Azell failed to notice her.
Balseru spoke as he filled a bowl with soup.
"Does it matter if he finds out about you? At the very least, we aren't enemies with him right now."
"Still, he really hates us."
"That is true."
"I don't like being hated. At the very least, I don't want him to look at me like that. I'll decline."
"Is it because he might be the person from the prophecy?"
"Yes."
Omega took the bowl of soup from Balseru as she nodded her head. Omega's eyes were out of focus, so it looked as if she was looking into the empty air. However, she had no problem receiving the bowl.
"If he is the person from the prophecy.... I have to give my everything to him. I don't want to do something like that to someone that hates me."
"I think every one of us are already hated by him."
"That is why I won't show myself until it is necessary. Unlike you, I don't move in a herd with the other Keepers of the Prophecy. I don't want him to hate me as an individual."
Omega drank the soup after she said those words.
Balseru spoke.
"You still cling to your romantic ideals."
"Unlike you, I even lost my name."
Omega camly spoke about her loss. It didn't' matter what order she joined as the Keeper of the Prophecy. She was given the last codename. Of course, she didn't remember her past, but she also didn't remember her name.
Balseru spoke.
"Well, you'll find out about it soon enough."
"How do you know this?"
"I just have a hunch."
"You are speaking as if you are a soothsayer."
"I don't know about anything else, but my hunches are almost always correct. It has been so for 50 years, so you can put some trust in it."
"Is that why you gathered everyone?"
"Yes."
Balseru nodded his head. This was the end to the conversation between the two. Within the silence, it was as if the two assimilated into the landscape. Their presence were buried within the stillness.
| ← Ch. 124 | Ch. 126 → |