Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint-Chapter 407: Even Elders Can Die

Fortunately, the dagger was a sacred sword created by Hilde, and rather than being left inside my stomach, it naturally disappeared as its time limit expired. The culprit of the missing dagger case was none other than time itself! Well, it wasn’t like it was a tiny razor blade—if a dagger had actually been lodged in my stomach, there was no way no one would’ve noticed. Good, this is good.

...Though, there were still shards of an anesthetic ampoule embedded in my skin. But let’s just ignore that. No way it ended up inside my body, right? And even if it did, there was no way I had the guts to open myself up again just to pull it out. So I’d just have to live as if it wasn’t there.

“How are you feeling, Father?”

“Still hurts like hell... but weirdly enough, I feel refreshed.”

So that quack wasn’t entirely incompetent, after all. At least, considering how sloppy the stitching was.

In any case, moving was easier now. And since I didn’t feel like sleeping anytime soon, I decided to do a little side project I’d been planning.

As luck would have it, the table caught my eye. I placed the Spade 8 card on the tabletop, clenched my fist, and slammed it down like a seal. Instantly, the table was transmuted into a deck of cards, its entire thickness converted into neatly stacked playing cards. The now non-table cards scattered to the floor.

Then, I tilted the next card slightly.

Spade 7, Lightning Tangle. The Devil of Lightning Thieves was unleashed, releasing a web of lightning.

Threads of lightning shot out from the Lightning Tangle, spreading in all directions like an intricate net. The currents snaked outward, latching onto the scattered cards. I grasped the threads and gave them a tug—causing all the cards that had started to disperse to be drawn back into my hand in unison.

Hilde, watching the self-moving cards, asked,

“You’ve learned a new trick~? Is that the power of a devil?”

“Well, yeah. Nothing too amazing, though.”

I replied absentmindedly as I shuffled the cards.

The Golden Mirror could create fortresses through alchemy, and the Lightning Thief could freely fire bolts of lightning. Meanwhile, all I could do was make some playing cards and shuffle them with a weak force. Why was it that every time I got my hands on something, it always ended up being a watered-down version?

...Though, for some light amusement, this was more than enough.

“Why is Father collecting devils? What do you plan to do with all of them?”

This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.

“I don’t really have a purpose. It’s just instinct.”

“Instinct?”

“Yeah.”

The Holy Crown Church had hidden knowledge from humanity—knowledge that could potentially endanger them. They called this knowledge ‘devils’ and concealed the Prophet’s relics in the gaps of history, ensuring that such knowledge would be forgotten.

But to hide something, you first had to understand what it was. The fact that the Holy Crown Church hid devils in the first place meant that they were already a part of human history. Even if you saw the future, you couldn’t comprehend it unless you understood it. And if they understood it, then it became theirs—because they were human, after all.

Still, what was the point of hiding things only from me? It always leaked out eventually. It happened in the Kingdoms of the Four Corners, and in Claudia. Even if alchemy and lightning weren’t fully understood, someone would still use them.

In the end, they would be found, no matter what.

And if I managed to collect all the devils—if the King of Humanity, who had remained stagnant since the First Year, finally caught up with humankind—only then could I end this tiresome game and return to being the King of Beasts...

“Father?”

“Hm?”

“What exactly are you doing right now?”

I snapped out of my thoughts at Hilde’s question.

Dozens of cards were floating in the air. As I traced a circular motion through the air, the cards glided along as if my hands had extended beyond my reach. I flicked my fingers, making the cards zigzag and shuffle themselves.

A human only had two hands, each with five fingers. Because of that structural limitation, there were only so many ways I could shuffle a deck. But with this newfound power, things were a little different. Anything connected to the Lightning Threads could be controlled as if they were my own body.

Actually, now that I thought about it, it wasn’t even that strange. My own body was already moving via lightning threads. So in that sense, this was pretty normal.

“I’m just shuffling cards normally.”

“‘Normally,’ huh? Even though it’s moving so fast I can barely keep up?”

“If you can see it clearly, then it wouldn’t be shuffling properly.”

Sure, it was more complex than before, but the method itself was still the same. I finished flicking my fingers, then clasped my hands together. The floating deck curved into a ring before being sucked into my palms. With a few light taps, I neatly stacked the deck and checked its thickness.

Fifty-two cards. The number was right. Even if I couldn’t restore the contents, at least the count was correct—anything else would’ve been inconvenient.

“So that’s what you call ‘normal,’ Father?”

“Dexterity is just a normal human ability, isn’t it? This much is possible. From my perspective, using Qi Manipulation to alter your body is much more impressive.”

“If Father had Qi Manipulation, would you be able to transform like me?”

There was no real reason to answer dishonestly. But at the same time, I had no reason to lie either. So I answered truthfully.

“Well, I’ve never tried, so I wouldn’t know. But if I had the ability, I’d probably be able to, just like you.”

“So whatever ‘I’ can do, Father can do as well. Because Father is the King of Humanity.”

Hilde muttered as if she had been struck by realization.

“I finally understand now. ‘I’ am nothing. ‘I’ am a fake. The King of Humanity is the only true one who can become anything. Because you are the king—not just of beggars, not just of chancellors, but also of emperors.”

“I may be their king, but I never actually tried to become them.”

“There’s no need to become them. What matters is that you can.”

Shouldn’t she be asking whether I even wanted to in the first place?

I had no idea what she was expecting from me—or rather, I did, but I was pretending not to know—when Hilde suddenly leaned in and asked,

“Father, by any chance....”

“Hm?”

That was when it happened. Without a sound, without the slightest hint of presence, Tyrkanzyaka opened the door and entered. She cast a momentary look of disapproval at Hilde, who was inside with me.

“I gave you your own room, and yet you come to bother Hughes while he is injured.”

“What’s the problem~? We’ve been traveling together for so long anyway~. Besides, Father must’ve been feeling lonely, so I was just keeping him company!”

“Know the time and place. Now that we are in the Duchy, you must follow its customs as well.”

At Tyr’s words, Hilde twirled a strand of her hair, feigning a half-hearted show of remorse.

“Yes, yes~. But I do have one question~. In this Duchy, is it normal to just barge into a guest’s room without knocking~?”

It was a blatant jab at Tyrkanzyaka. Although momentarily taken aback, Tyr had prepared her response in advance and answered confidently.

“I sensed an unfamiliar presence inside. For Hughes’ safety, I had no choice but to take action.”

“Oh, come on. Who would dare attack the Progenitor’s guest in the Mist Duchy? Don’t tell me... is ‘attack’ supposed to mean something different when you say it, Tyrkanzyaka?”

“The Sacred Sword Order could always come looking. Just like they did in Cloud Village.”

This time, it was a clear shot at Hilde.

After all the events in Claudia, Tyr instinctively recognized that Hilde was from the Sacred Sword Order. However, Hilde’s actions had been far removed from those of the Order, so she had been lenient thus far. Even so, she was far more wary than before.

“You saved Hughes and lured Vladimir to Cloud Village. That alone makes it unlikely that you are still with the Sacred Sword Order. But who knows? There could still be some hidden within the Mist Duchy, carefully disguising their presence.”

The Progenitor Vampire, Tyrkanzyaka, harbored a deep hatred for the Holy Crown Church—and the Sacred Sword Order was no exception. Vampires were their sworn enemies, as the Order sought to erase their past, annihilate their present, and obliterate their future.

Even if Hilde was a former member, she wouldn’t be spared from that hatred.

The only reason she hadn’t been dealt with yet was because she hadn’t been outright confirmed as part of the Order—and because of my presence.

“If you are an outsider, a human rather than a vampire, then you should be careful. There will be suspicions, and there is little you can say in your defense.”

It was a warning. A subtle but undeniable one. Tyrkanzyaka had indirectly given Hilde fair notice.

Hilde picked up on both the consideration and the wariness in Tyr’s words and let out a dramatic sigh.

“Oh dear~. So I can’t even give you a proper sightseeing tour now~?”

“Do not worry. Once Hughes is fully recovered, I shall guide him myself.”

With that, Tyrkanzyaka turned to me.

“More importantly, Hughes. Did someone visit you just now?”

“Yes. One person. A physician sent by the Crimson Duke.”

“So soon?”

Tyr’s voice grew sharp.

“Was there anything unusual?”

“They didn’t say much—just treated me and left. Not sure if it was really a treatment or some kind of personal experiment, but at least my body feels lighter now.”

“I see...”

If Vladimir sent them, then he must have deemed them not to be a threat... But this does not match what I have heard.

Huh?

Reading Tyr’s thoughts, I caught an inconsistency.

From what I had gathered, Lir Nightingale, the vampire who treated me, was completely harmless. Even when they sliced open my stomach, I hadn’t sensed any danger from them.

And yet, Tyrkanzyaka was wary of them.

“What’s wrong? Were they an assassin aiming for an ‘accidental’ death by sticking a blade into my gut? If so, then I sure walked right into that one.”

“No. If they have treated you, then they have fulfilled their duty. But I will have to find them elsewhere.”

“Well, then you’re already too late. They said they were heading toward Claudia.”

“To Cloud Village?”

“Yeah. Said they had someone there to treat.”

By now, they were probably far gone.

Even though Lir lacked experience, they were effectively an Elder, meaning that if they wanted to, they could move at astonishing speeds.

Tyr muttered under her breath, troubled.

“...How inconvenient.”

“What’s the issue?”

“It is a confidential matter within the Duchy... but, Hughes, I suppose I can tell you.”

If it wasn’t relevant to me, she didn’t have to. I had just asked out of politeness. But Tyrkanzyaka took my curiosity as genuine interest and began explaining in a calm, composed voice.

“The death of Ruskinia was kept an absolute secret. Only the Elders and the subordinates directly affected by it were aware. Matters concerning the Elders can only be handled by me, the Progenitor. That is why, as part of my duty, I must uncover how Ruskinia died and seek retribution.”

“Sounds like being the Progenitor isn’t easy.”

“It is the burden of one who stands above. I appreciate your understanding.”

Tyr offered a faint smile, then gently covered her lips and spoke in a hushed voice.

“...However, from what I have heard—”

What kind of story needed such dramatic pauses? I debated whether I should just read her mind to get ahead of the suspense.

But then, Tyr revealed a piece of truly shocking information.

“The one who killed Ruskinia, an Elder of the highest rank... was none other than Lir Nightingale.”