Episode 320
It was rare for the Council of Elders to get together. However, given the situation in which the Iron-Blooded Lord was in a critical condition, the normally immovable elders were forced to gather. They were talking in the darkest and most private place of the main house without revealing their faces.
"Something that never should have happened in the Badnikers' territory just occurred."
As always, it was Agenor Badniker who started the meeting. He was a blood relative of the former head of the family and the de facto chairman of the Council of Elders; he had the greatest say among the elders. He continued, "Traces of dark energy were found in the main house. Judging from the concentration, it is reasonable to say that a priest intruded."
"Are you sure?"
The question came from Phyllis Roander, the squad leader of the Fang Knights. Due to his achievements as a knight and his loyalty to the Badnikers, this man had taken a seat among the elders, becoming the youngest and least experienced of them. Naturally, his attitude and tone were polite and cautious compared to the others.
He continued, "I don't doubt Sir Agenor's words, but I think it is still too early to be sure of the existence of an intruder."
"You can explain your thoughts in detail," Agenor said.
"Thank you." Phyllis bowed his head before continuing. "As you can see, the family head has regained consciousness now. The dark energy inside his body was also cleansed. I mean that the family head might have subconsciously triggered a defense mechanism to protect his body. In the process, the dark energy he drove out would have been released outside."
"Phyllis, you are being short-sighted," a cold voice interrupted, leaving Phyllis stunned.
It was Calliope Badniker. She was already eighty-one this year, but she looked to be in her mid-to-late twenties. She was the sister of the previous family head and had a fairly strong position in the current Council of Elders. The powerful faction, connections, and wealth she'd accumulated over the years made her a backbone of the family.
The eras of the previous family head and the one before that had been a dark time for the Badnikers, and the Council of Elders played a large role in their survival. Calliope had been active in the council since that time, and she held a position of respect even with the other elders.
Calliope said in a feminine tone, "Dark energy is indeed a mysterious power, but judging from its traits alone, it shares a number of similarities with mana. After all, it is still a form of energy that can be manipulated artificially. There is a large difference between energy dispersed in nature and energy inside one's body. The same is true for dark energy. For example, the dark energy gnawing away at the family head's body was raw and unrefined. Meanwhile, the dark energy we found at the scene bore traces of being processed. The only people in the world who can process dark energy are church members."
Phyllis listened silently as Calliope continued, "The dark energy inside the family head was so dense that it made my teeth tremble. Even the healing master who attempted treatment found his hand rotting away immediately after contact. If he had been even a bit later, the contact area would've needed to be amputated. It was a concentration that only a priest could handle."
Shortly after Calliope finished speaking, one of the elders muttered desperately, "I don't want the nightmare of Juan to happen again."
The Badniker residence was the symbol of hunting the Dark Church and the demons. In such a symbolic place, they had allowed the infiltration of a priest not once, but twice.
It didn't just ruin their pride, however. The current situation was much more serious than it had been back then. It meant they hadn't noticed an intruder approaching the bedside of the unconscious Iron-Blooded Lord.
"So what was the objective of the priest?" Phyllis asked cautiously. "There are more than one or two things that I don't understand. It is clear that a church member approached the family head. If that priest wanted, he could've taken the family head's life. Yet that didn't happen. As a result, the family head woke up. It might be a hasty judgment, but there were no aftereffects. Judging from the actions alone, the priest didn't aim for the life of the family head. On the contrary—"
"Be careful with your words," Agenor interrupted, silencing Phyllis. "Do you mean to imply that good church members might exist?"
"No, but..." Phyllis trailed off.
"I don't intend to completely deny your speculation. Through the actions of the church member, the family head has regained consciousness. However, things often have completely different results than intended."
Phyllis pondered Agenor's words before speaking. "Do you mean the church member intended to harm the family head, but the opposite result came about? Sir Agenor, is that what you mean?'
"The worst situation for us isn't the death of the family head," Agenor replied.
"Huh?"
"The worst thing would be the revived family head standing on the side of the church and pointing his sword at the empire."
The thought that he didn't even want to imagine shocked Phyllis.
The betrayal of the Iron-Blooded Lord wouldn't simply represent a weakening of their power. He was a symbolic figure to the empire; if he were to side with the Dark Church and betray them, it would deal a grievous blow to the strategic situation as well as the morale of the imperial people. The downfall of the Badnikers would be certain.
"Of course, we aren't church members so there is no way for us to know the details. Actually, it isn't important," Agenor said before looking into the air. He called out, "Benga."
"Yes."
The collector Benga appeared out of the darkness, but no one was surprised. Most of the elders were aware of his presence.
"Have you identified the person?"
"It is done." Benga scanned the surroundings with a blank expression and continued, "Today, I investigated all the people who stayed at the main house or stopped by for a short amount of time. Among them, we narrowed it down to those who could access the fourth floor. Then we further narrowed it down to those who could have approached the family head's bedside. There is one person who is the most suspicious of all. He is also the only person whose whereabouts are currently unknown."
"Tell me," Agenor said.
Benga showed a moment of uncharacteristic hesitation, leaving the elders a bit confused. It was very surprising that the strongest collector, who was thought to have no emotions, would show his reluctance like this.
"Who is it?" Phyllis tilted his head in confusion.
Then Benga said, "The future family head, Luan Badniker."
Phyllis listened in shocked silence as Benga continued, "At present, it seems the church member who intruded was the future family head. In other words, he is the most likely person to be the priest."
"Are you certain?"
"We haven't determined precisely what happened, and we are still investigating the traces. However, it appears to be the case."
When Benga finished speaking, a lot of murmurs followed.
"Luan Badniker?"
"Isn't he the most prominent person among the children of the family head?"
"I thought he had the qualities to succeed Delac."
"Quiet. Quiet down, everyone." Agenor calmed down the commotion. Then he continued in a deep voice, "Luan Badniker has definitely been impressive since the end of last year. At first, we thought it was a case of late-blooming talent. However, some people remarked that it seemed like he had changed completely. I'm sure you all remember this."
"Didn't Luan prove himself in the Trial Room? I heard he also had a private meeting with the family head later," Phyllis said.
"The device in that room isn't perfect. The same is true of the family head's blessing," Agenor said. He then asked, "Benga, is it true that Luan's whereabouts are unknown"
"I searched the entire house before coming here, but there wasn't a single trace of him. His belongings in the Small Iron Hall have also vanished. In other words, it can be determined that he intentionally hid his presence."
Agenor sighed and said, "That is the most convincing proof. There would be no reason for him to run if he was truly innocent. Luan Badniker left home without saying a word, erasing all traces and taking only his belongings. All of this obviously points to one thing."
Agenor declared solemnly, "From now on, the Badnikers will treat Luan Badniker as a church member."
"So that means..." another elder began.
"Form a pursuit party."
"A pursuit? If he is a priest, can't he use the Ghost Road to leave?"
"Normally, that would be the case. Yet according to Benga's report, the traces of Luan Badniker led to the Butterfly Forest."
All eyes were drawn to him, and Benga Organ shook his head. He said, "I'm not sure, but he might've suffered internal injuries in the process of his contact with the family head. If so, he probably wouldn't have gone far."
"Keep this in mind. The existence of Luan Badniker has become a taboo for the Badnikers now. Never let him leave the forest," Agenor said.
Phyllis was silent for a moment before saying, "I will take command of the pursuit team, Sir Agenor. Is the purpose of our pursuit the capture of Luan Badniker?"
"No," Agenor said briefly. "Kill him."
***
Hector blinked, seemingly unable to accept what he'd just heard.
Hector's maternal grandfather Zenon, a member of the Council of Elders, sighed when he saw the ripples on his grandson's face. He said, "I'm only telling you in advance, so be careful."
"So all the things you just said are true?" Hector asked.
"I wouldn't lie about such things."
"But—"
"Stop. Don't say anything. This is an issue that has already been decided by the Council of Elders. It can't be changed even by the family head."
Hector clenched his fists and said, "It doesn't make sense. Luan,a church member? He often acts strangely, but you can't conclude that he is a church member from that—"
"That isn't all. Didn't I just tell you? It involves the qualifications to enter the family head's bedroom in the middle of the night, the circumstances in which he and his belongings vanished, and the fact that he didn't show himself to anyone during the process. All of these factors point to the fact that he is a church member."
"It can't be true."
"I don't understand. Why are you denying it so insistently? Aren't you the one who hated him more than anyone else?"
Hector fell silent when he heard Zenon's words. The latter continued, "Of course, I know that you have become close to Luan. Thus, I want to ask you something. When you dealt with him or talked to him, did you ever feel that he had changed?"
"That..." Hector trailed off.
"His personality seemed to change overnight, as well as the skills, growth, and performance that he showed after that. He is also strangely intertwined with the church, as if he had a predetermined understanding of the church's plans. What if all of this is the plan of the Dark Church? What if their intention was for Luan to infiltrate and take control of the Badnikers from the inside?" Zenon wondered.
Hector protested angrily, "So why would he reveal his true identity now? Luan obtained the position of future family head. He became the most likely candidate to be the next family head. If he had stayed still, wouldn't he be able to swallow the Badnikers overnight?"
"It is because something more appetizing than that appeared."
"Huh?"
"He had an opportunity to take control of the Iron-Blooded Lord. But now that his plan has failed, he has disappeared."
Hector bit his lip and said, "That is a forced speculation."
"Yes. I know it is a speculation with many loopholes. But if everything was a misunderstanding as you said, it could've been resolved through conversation. So why is Luan hiding?" Zenon replied. "In order to prove his complete innocence, he would have to allow others to examine the inner parts of his body. Luan doesn't have the confidence to go through that investigation."
His expression was firm as he continued, "I know it isn't easy for you, but you should be careful with your words from now on. Forget about him. Even if you doubt the conclusion, don't show any signs of it. The more you defend him, the more your position among the Badnikers will be shaken."
"If it is going to be shaken by something like that, let it shake," Hector said firmly.
"What?" Zenon exclaimed in surprise.
Hector glared at Zenon and continued, "I'm not a child any longer. Grandfather, it doesn't matter how you treat me. You can treat me like a child. However, don't dare to try and manipulate me. I have made up my mind. From now on, I will only judge by what I see with my own eyes."
"What are you saying?"
"Luan is a rather arrogant and rude person. He has a hot-tempered personality, is unruly, and sometimes has a strange side to him to the point that I don't know what he is thinking. Honestly, I'm always tired when I'm with him. Every time I talk to him, I don't know if he really treats me as his older brother," Hector said. "However, he definitely isn't a person who could become corrupted as a church member."
Hector remembered Luan's performance in that blood-stained world. He had shown a brilliant performance and prevented a tragedy that could have killed dozens or hundreds of people. Thus, Hector couldn't believe that the Luan he had seen back then was a false face.
Thus, he said, "I believe in Luan. There must be something going on."
Zenon fell silent. Today was the first time Hector had confronted him head-on. As a supporter of this child, his teacher, and above all, his maternal grandfather, he had hoped for such a moment; he'd wanted Hector to have a clear sense of self and the conviction to stand up to his parents.
And yet, he hadn't wanted it to be today.
Hector wondered, "By the way, what happened with Father?"
"He joined the pursuit of Luan Badniker."
"Huh? In that physical condition?"
"Yes."
Hector asked hesitantly, "What was Father's reaction...?"
"What do you think? He is the Iron-Blooded Lord, not someone else. Is there any way he could accept the fact that a church member came out of his own bloodline?" Zenon replied. "I have never seen the family head with such an expression. He directly joined the pursuit team with a stiff expression and a body that isn't completely well. He probably wants to kill Luan Badniker himself."
Hector looked out the window after hearing that. The rain that had been pouring since yesterday seemed to have no intention of stopping. On the contrary, thunder and lightning started to strike. Hector looked up at the night sky, which seemed to be periodically covered in white cracks.
Luan, he thought as his clenched fists trembled slightly.
Hector had always wished for the Iron-Blooded Lord's eternal success. He'd hoped that the Iron-Blooded Lord would reign as the strongest forever and continue to lead the Badnikers. He hadn't wanted to see or think about the Iron-Blooded Lord failing in his lifetime.
And yet, for some reason, now Hector desperately hoped for the failure of the Iron-Blooded Lord for the first time. He sincerely hoped that the pursuit team, which included the Iron-Blooded Lord, wouldn't find Luan.
The sky beyond the dark clouds trembled. A storm was coming.