I'm the Crazy One in the Family-Chapter 326: And It Was Winter (2)

The moment Keter told Daat his Authority, Daat nodded.

That’s so like him.

An Authority that allows him to be bound by nothing. Now everything made sense.

Keter’s unpredictable, lightning-fast movements weren’t just hard to deal with—they were practically impossible to handle. To stop someone like that, opponents naturally relied on binding-type magic, but none of it had ever worked on Keter.

Keter had been able to escape the eon-binding spell of Krona, the Lord of the West and the Space-Time Wizard, as well as the Three Thousand Worlds, Ivan’s ultimate spell. All of this was thanks to Unchain.

Keter hadn’t known from the start. He realized it during the Sword of the South Tournament because of Ailos’ Deep Dark Fantasy. That spell isolated a space; the inside and outside were completely separated so that entry and exit were both impossible. Yet Keter had walked in and out freely. He had tried leaving on a whim, and it worked. That was when he realized that the Authority he possessed in his previous life, Unchain, still applied in this life.

Big Brother said he has two Authorities. The first is Unchain from his past life... then the second must be the one he gained in this life. What could it be?

Authorities weren’t random. They were deeply tied to a person’s personality, psyche, and desires. Weaponmaster Eslow’s Authority reflected his desire to turn everything into a weapon. Cray, the Ghost Face Slayer, gained an Authority meant to kill all who knew of his existence. Like this, Keter’s refusal to be bound by anything manifested as Unchain.

Then what is his wish in this life?

Daat suspected it was probably the revival of Sefira and the killing of Queen Lillian. He was extremely curious what kind of Authority that would become, but there was no need to rush. The moment would come.

He’s going to fight Lord Eslow. There’s no way he can win while hiding his Authorities.

Keter was going to fight Eslow, and Daat knew Keter would use his Authorities then.

Daat trusted Keter’s second Authority. Kai, on the other hand, felt the first one alone was already enough.

“Unchain... very fitting for you. If you used it to run, no one in the world could catch you.”

Even if things went badly and Keter was driven to the edge, he could simply escape—that was Kai’s judgment. But Keter had no intention of running. More precisely, he couldn’t.

It’s not an Authority meant for escape.

An Authority wasn’t something one could use freely without limit. The stronger the effect, the harsher the restriction. Eslow’s weaponization, for example, only worked on neutralized targets, which was a relatively light restriction. Cray’s Seen and Slain had almost no restrictions, but its power was comparatively lower.

Unchain ignored all restraints, even those of a god. However, in exchange, its restriction was absolute. Unchain could never be used with the intent to flee. The moment that thought arose, the Authority vanished. Breaking binds was for the sake of fighting, not for running away.

...Well, I’ll keep that part to myself.

Kai was an ally for now, but if the Samael Empire ever became Sefira’s enemy, Kai would stand on the other side.

That’s not what I want, but if the world only let us do what we wanted, it’d be boring, wouldn’t it?

As always, Keter brushed aside the tangled mess of feelings with a shrug. Kai, whose own position was just as complicated, didn’t press the matter.

“What do you want? Should we bring her here?”

“Even if Eslow’s holed up in his palace, he’ll be on edge. He’s the type to sense things that aren’t even there. No need to create even the impression that Henya is contacting Sefira.”

“You’re cautious. That’s not like you. I get your intention in seeking Henya, but it’s still unlike you. Is this your strategist’s idea?” Kai said, shooting Daat a look.

Keter wagged his finger.

“It seems like you’re calling me a brute, but that depends on the situation and the opponent. Eslow’s strong, way stronger than me. If I have to fight, I’ll fight. But if I charge in blindly when I don’t have to, why do you think I carry this?” Keter said, tapping his forehead. “I like fighting, but more than that, I like winning. And using any means necessary to win—that’s human, isn’t it?”

“Good to hear. Then what message should we deliver to her?”

“Tell her to set a trap and lure Eslow out. I’ll handle what comes after. That’s all. Just have her send the location.”

“That’s all?”

Not only was Kai asking if that was all Keter had to deliver to Henya, but also if that would really be enough to beat Eslow.

Keter turned away as he answered, “Probably.”

* * *

A fierce battle with Eslow had been set in motion. This wasn’t a spar; it was a trap meant to kill the opponent. It wasn’t something that could be prepared in a day or two.

Keter didn’t wait in anxiety. He spent each day at ease. Of course, the only person he’d told about the upcoming fight with Eslow was Hissop. Naturally, Hissop was worried. He knew Keter was incredibly strong, but the opponent was one of the Four Lords. He tried not to show it, but eventually he burst.

“Keter. Are you sure about this?” Hissop asked.

“Hm? About what?”

“Isn’t there something more important you should be doing than building a snowman in the yard?”

Keter immediately turned serious.

“This isn’t just a snowman. It’s a giant snowman. Ever seen one this big?”

And he had reason to be proud, as the snowman Keter had built was enormous. He had gathered snow since the night before and shaped it piece by piece.

“I haven’t, but...!” Hissop clenched his fists, glancing around before lowering his voice. “The opponent is the Lord of the South. Shouldn’t you be preparing through training or sparring?”

“Ah, that’s not very important.”

During the conversation, Keter continued to diligently scoop up the snow with both hands and pack it onto the snowman.

Keter continued, “Technique matters in a fight, sure, but mindset matters too. Like you said, I’m going to fight the Lord of the South. Losing wouldn’t be strange.”

“...!”

“Living each day fully so I have no regrets even if I die fighting—that’s what I’m doing right now.”

“Keter...”

Hissop felt a swell of emotion, then something struck him as odd.

“Does building a snowman really count as living fully? I heard yesterday you had a massive snowball fight with the knights.”

“Resting while others work. That’s my idea of peak happiness.”

“Ha...”

Hissop nearly let his jealousy slip. He chose to work himself to exhaustion, sure, but if he didn’t have to, of course, he wouldn’t.

Will a day like that ever come?

The thought showed plainly on his face. That was when suddenly...

Thwack!

...Keter tossed a handful of snow at the back of Hissop’s neck.

“Gah!”

“Lord Hissop. If you work nonstop every day, your subordinates can’t rest properly either. Show them how to rest when it’s time.”

Thud!

Keter threw another snowball to provoke him. It hit Hissop square in the face. As Hissop brushed the snow off his face, the knights guarding him swallowed hard.

Hissop beckoned the knights, then pointed at Keter. “Throw snow at Keter immediately! That’s an order! There will be a reward for anyone who hits him!”

Hissop wielded his authority as the patriarch without restraint.

Another day passed, and there was still no word about Henya. Normally, the silence would make someone anxious enough to demand updates, but Keter simply waited. Kai didn’t report anything either, so they both let time pass.

February arrived. The brutal cold eased, though the world was still frozen.

“Haah... where are you?”

Navakin ran through Sefira, looking around frantically.

“Have you seen Lord Keter?” he asked a butler, but they all shook their heads.

“Oh, Lord Keter? I saw him heading to the forge.”

A passing servant gave him a lead. Navakin warmed his hands with his breath and ran for the forge. Even in midwinter, the forge was hot.

Removing his coat, Navakin asked, “Have you seen Ket...”

“Aagh!!”

The guard at the forge entrance nearly collapsed just from hearing the name. Navakin was startled.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, my apologies. My heart hurts whenever I hear that name. How can I help you?”

“I heard Lord Keter came into the forge. Is that true?”

“Yes. He went in about thirty minutes ago.”

“He hasn’t come out?”

“As far as I know, no.”

It was a strangely vague answer, but since he supposedly hadn’t left, Navakin went in.

He must’ve gone to Lord Volkanus.

He looked around just in case. Soon, he did meet Volaknus, but Keter wasn’t there.

“Keter? That brat left ages ago.”

“What? A long time ago? Do you know where he went?”

“No. Get out.”

Volkanus shooed him away.

“But they said he never came out...”

Keter’s trail ended at the forge. Navakin searched the estate aimlessly, but no one knew where Keter was.

“Where the hell did he go?!”

Navakin had checked nearly all of Sefira, and yet there was no trace.

“Ugh... I can’t take this.”

Navakin headed to the outer training grounds. It was deserted after heavy snowfall a few days prior. Only one large snowman stood there.

After making sure no one was around, he took a deep breath.

“Ahhh!!! Keter, you bastard! I know you’re amazing, but take it down a notch!”

For someone who inhaled so deeply, his voice was still small just in case someone was around.

After venting once, Navakin looked around like a squirrel, then shouted again, “You slack off every day! Mess around all the time! I’m jealous as hell, seriously!”

This time, he raised his voice slightly and punched the snowman.

“Even if you are the almighty Keter, if you get punched by me, you...!”

Thud!

There was no way the snowman could withstand Navakin’s aura-charged punch. With a single blow, a huge chunk of its body broke off and fell away.

“I just want to hit you once, just like this!”

Thud.

“Huh?”

The sensation at his knuckles was strange. It was definitely a snowman, but something else was inside. He touched around.

“Did someone stuff leather inside this thing?”

Whatever it was, it wasn’t just in one spot. It was everywhere inside, and it was even warm.

“It’s pretty big. What the hell is in here?”

Curious, Navakin rolled up his sleeves and tore off a large chunk from the snowman’s face. Then...

“....”

He locked eyes with Keter, who was inside the snowman.