A loud child's voice broke the silence of the night. Franz covered his head with his hands, bracing himself for injury.
So what if the monster in front of him is gentle? The young man has seen too many two-faced people and has long since lost all trust.
But unexpectedly, the pain did not come.
"... Don't do that again, it would be dangerous if you encountered a real Assassin."
Gregor picked up the stunned boy and tucked him under his arm, then turned back in confusion.
Franz's shouts weren't exactly quiet, but the tower remained completely silent. Was the soundproofing too good?
"It seems the plan succeeded."
Inside the tower, upon hearing his Earl's cries for help, Wilde's drunken expression returned to normal.
It seems their ambush did indeed halt the Voice of the Queen's advance, and thus... the vessel for the Voice of the Mundane is now only missing one person.
(The Voice of the Queen: A special force composed of elites selected by the Twin Empresses, which can be understood as the Embroidered Uniform Guard.)
Once Vissheim captures the other carrier, their great undertaking will be half complete.
The treasured possessions he had casually seized were tossed aside. Wilde rummaged through drawers and cabinets, taking out research materials from his years of study on the Voice of the Mundane in Laide's mind.
It truly lives up to its reputation as that person's melody; even a mere lingering note grants the vessel such high magical talent. If it were to be completed...
The thought of those adults promising to make him the vessel for the complete musical movement filled Wilde's heart with fervor.
As a musician, Wilde was proud, and initially, when appointed by the Twin Empresses to teach the Earl, he was also diligent.
But as his transfer requests went unanswered, Wilde, who had volunteered at the time, realized that this so-called opportunity was nothing more than a covert exile.
Since the Twin Empresses are incompetent and foolish, let the great Witch King rule again!
That's right, the Earl's teacher was a member of the Witch King Remnants.
Moreover, over the years, almost the entire tower has become the eyes and ears of the Witch King Remnants.
Apart from...
"Where are you going, Mr. Wilde?"
The door opened silently, and the figure of the newcomer blocked the moonlight, casting a spreading shadow over the stiff Wilde.
"I just drank too much and wanted to go for a walk to sober up. What are you doing here, Blade...?"
"As you can see, we're cleaning up some little mice hiding inside the tower."
Blade, dressed in a butler's uniform, tapped his cane and flicked away the blood from the bottom.
"The newly recruited maid has been quite negligent, so I'll have to take over the cleaning duties."
"Wh-when..."
Just as he was about to play a musical instrument to cast a spell in retaliation, Wilde felt a sharp pain inside his body and collapsed to the ground, powerless.
"When... did you... cast the spell...?"
"Don't you understand? Indeed... this inferior talent is the root cause of your inability to advance, Mr. Wilde."
Ignoring Wilde, who was lying on the ground coughing up blood, Blade walked straight outside.
"A qualified musician is not bound by the shape of the instrument; even simple striking can serve as a prelude to casting a spell."
"Basic knowledge, but for you self-taught remnants, it's probably a bit too much."
No one answered; the deceased was unable to speak.
As Blade strolled down the brightly colored corridor, he paid no heed to the Earl's calls from outside the window.
Yes, monitoring Franz von Utica is his mission, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, this mission will continue indefinitely.
But what if the person being monitored dies unexpectedly?
Recalling the White Queen's hints to him, Blade felt a pang of pity for those high-ranking electors.
Even now, those nobles still fail to grasp reality.
Perhaps, as the rumors suggest, the Twin Empresses is a puppet they've installed.
But when the puppet truly seizes power and possesses unparalleled strength...
Can those fragile strings still hold them back?
"The elector of emperors... should have been replaced long ago."
"Why?"
Franz watched the butler walk quietly past the window, his face filled with disbelief.
He clearly heard it, and even glanced in this direction just now, so why...?
"Blade! Why are you just staring!?"
His desperate shouts failed to attract the butler's attention, and the boy slumped helplessly to the ground.
Are you the same? Like those two-faced people, did you also deceive me?
Thinking of Blade's kind demeanor and the gentle response he received when he confided in him, Franz's mind became increasingly chaotic.
Like the sharp, screeching sound of a wild beast scraping glass with its claws, Franz clutched his head, curling up in agony.
"How are you?"
In order to teach the boy's family about basic morality, Gregor didn't get the guards he was looking for, but instead witnessed the boy's breakdown.
"Take me away..."
Despite the pain in his head, Franz gritted his teeth and said:
"Whether you want my life or want to use my identity to carry out some conspiracy, take me with you!"
"As long as you don't deceive me, I can accept any fate!"
This is bad...
Gregor, with a heavy heart, led the boy away from the tower.
At an age when he should be most innocent and carefree, Gregor saw madness in Franz's eyes.
Dealing with the Witch King Remnants has been put aside; the current priority is to address the boy's abnormality.
Ultraman Ace said, "A passionate heart must never be extinguished."
But how can we rekindle this child's enthusiasm...?
Upon entering the deserted, dark alley, the two figures disappeared into the light.
Back in the Vitality Hall, Franz showed no reaction to the change in environment, but the other person did.
"Boss, you're back from hunting!"
Pressed down on the sofa with his hair being dried, the already restless Ceobe gripped the ground with all four limbs and excitedly rammed into Gregor.
The physical abilities of the Gods' People should not be underestimated. Gregor caught the stupid dog and spun it continuously, finally unloading this human dump truck.
Why are you so wet?
"I just gave her a bath, of course, it was Jian who helped."
As she extinguished the flames in her hand, Vera took Franz from him, but immediately sensed something was wrong when she saw the boy's lifeless eyes.
"What's wrong with this child? Is he under a spell?"
"It's hard to explain in a short time, let's make some food first, something hot."
Sensing the frail body in her hand, Vera handed the boy to the mace and ran towards the second floor.
"It seems you two get along quite well."
Gregor looked at the mace, who tossed the boy in his hand, raising it to eye level.
"May I have your name."
Franz didn't react, Gregor explained:
"He is Count Urtica, his name is Fran..."
"Ebenholz."
The boy finally uttered his first words, his voice completely flat.
"My name is Ebenholz. There is no Earl Utica here. Franz von Utica ... is dead."
"... Another troublesome brat."
He pressed Gregor down onto the sofa with one hand, then dragged him away to ask for details.
With no one around, the Ebenholz, which had been tense all along, finally relaxed.
But before he could feel saddened, a pair of clear eyes entered his field of vision.
"Are you one of the boss's underlings too?"
Ceobe's nose almost touched his skin, and Ebenholz frowned and leaned back.
That's too close! Doesn't this guy have any social distancing?
He was about to rebuke the other person for their rudeness, but after seeing that silly expression, Ebenholz immediately fell silent.
"Not a subordinate, but a prisoner."
"What's that? Is it tasty?"
"It's a person! Don't you have any common sense? Can't you tell the difference between food and people?"
He made a sarcastic remark almost instinctively, but Ebenholz regretted it afterward.
How embarrassing... This idiot isn't one of those people, why should I get angry at her?
Composing himself, Ebenholz was about to apologize.
"You're so silly. Of course, Ceobe knows what food is. He can tell just by smelling it."
"You bastard!"
When Gregor and his companion returned after exchanging information, this was the scene they found.
Ebenholz tried his best to explain etiquette and common sense to Ceobe, but was often left blushing with embarrassment by the latter's naive words.
When the enraged Ebenholz brandished his hand in a threatening gesture, he was immediately pinned down on the sofa by the wary Silly Dog.
"Hehe, Ceobe is better than you, so you're Ceobe's little brother now~~"
You bastard!
Hearing the commotion, Ceobe grabbed the Ebenholz and ran over.
"Boss, boss, this is Ceobe's newly recruited underling!"
Ceobe excitedly shared his story, the boy, noticing the gazes directed at him, closed his eyes in humiliation.
"Gulp... kill me."
The two. "..."
Gregor stared at the two little ones, tilting his head back.
He seemed to know how to restore the child's spirits.
"Dinner's ready... What happened?"
Vera carried the food downstairs, and Ceobe, having heard the key words, rushed over.
"Red-haired Big Sister, is there anything for Ceobe?"
Are you hungry again?
Vera glanced instinctively at Ceobe's abdomen, wondering how such a small body could hold so much food.
Would you like some candy?
"Want!"
Clutching the candy in both hands, Ebenholz was finally able to escape.
As Vera handed him the steak, images from the past flashed through Ebenholz's mind, and he instinctively covered his mouth.
Seeing the boy's nausea, Vera began to seriously doubt her own cooking skills.
"Hmm? Aren't you going to eat?"
Ceobe at him, and Ebenholz was about to retort sarcastically when his stomach rumbled uncontrollably.
"Gurgle~~"
With its ears perked up, Ceobe looked at the Ebenholz and hesitantly approached.
"What are you trying to do now!?"
Ebenholz cautiously stepped back, Ceobe carefully took out a half-eaten honey cake from her bosom, handing it out with a pained expression.
"It's not a pleasant feeling to be hungry. You're the younger brother, so... here's a honey cake for you!"
Looking into the other person's sincere eyes, Ebenholz stiffly forced a smile.
"You eat it yourself, I can't give you anything."
"I'm full, so it's my little brother's turn to eat." Ceobe.
"Let's eat together, and then we'll go hunting together!"
"I..."
Faced with this genuine kindness, the boy could hardly believe it.
If all the companionship he's received since childhood could be a facade, how can he possibly believe that the kindness shown to him is genuine?
"Eat up, people have to keep living."
Ebenholz looked at Gregor, at the Assassin had exposed the illusion of his world.
What exactly do you want me to do?
Looking into those eyes, Gregor knew he absolutely could not lie now, not even a white lie.
"I need to use your identity to lure out those rats hiding in the shadows."
"I need the voice in your head to go see a deceased king."
"... Looks like I'm actually quite useful."
Ebenholz chuckled self-deprecatingly, and Gregor finished speaking.
"At the same time, I hope you live a good life."
"Live well?"
Ebenholz looked at the other person disdainfully, "Are you living to create more value for them?"
"Don't you find it ridiculous?" Ebenholz mocked. "You were just saying how you were going to use me."
"There is no conflict."
Gregor shook his head, while Vera, standing beside him, simply ruffled Ebenholz's meticulously styled hair.
"What are you putting on airs for, you brat? When did we ever say we were going to hurt you?"
Looking directly into the boy's angry eyes, Vera crossed her arms.
"If you want, we can send you back, but do you really want to go?"
The two had just learned the whole story of the lamb in the group chat and understood its original fate.
"You can't decide your birthright, but you can choose the path you want to take."
"You, Ebenholz, if not as Count Urtica, how do you intend to live?"
Me?
Ebenholz stood frozen in place, wondering if he could live the way he wanted.
Growing up in an ordinary family, going to school, making normal friends, but...
"That's impossible." Ebenholz's voice was completely flat.
"To live on alone, and to die an ordinary death in some winter—that would be my end."
"One person?"
Gregor repeated himself, then made a startling statement.
What if I told you you have a brother?
"... What?"
"His name is Kreide, he's a little older than you, and he's your blood relative."
"Kreide (Baie)..."
Ebenholz clutched his chest; the moment he heard that name, the cacophony in his mind went silent for a split second.
Where is he?
"Vissheim."
Gregor gave the answer, Vera handed over the steak again.
Do you have the will to live now?
Without answering, Ebenholz took the plate, lowered his head, and began to eat without any manners.
A warm current slowly rose from my stomach, flowing throughout my body and reaching my tear ducts.
"Eat up, eat your fill and then sleep well so you can grow taller."
With Ceobe by their side, the adults knowingly left the space to the children.
"Looks like we'll have to change direction next?"
Vera looked at Gregor, who said in a deep voice:
"It won't be long."
"I don't care about that, but when are you planning to explain this to Ifrit?"
"... explain?"
Hearing Gregor's questioning tone, Vera rubbed her temples.
"We're practically a daycare center now, with Ifrit, Ceobe, Ebenholz, and all the little devils who might come later... We need to find a way to accommodate them, right?"
"Send him to school?"
Vera stared at Gregor for a long time, confirming that it wasn't Vane in disguise.
"... Let's talk about it after we find a reliable school."
"And then what?"
The two remained silent; Jian had already left to practice his swordsmanship.
"Let's talk about it when they grow up."
Vera rubbed her face and turned to tidy up the sleeping mats for the group.
"The world is so big, there's no reason it can't accommodate a bunch of brats."
After Vera left, Gregor sent a private message to Vane.
[Gregor: Fourth brother, have you finished clearing out the city you salvaged?]
[Vane: Hmm? Still in transit. As for cleaning... just let Little Black handle it.]
[Vane: Boss, why did you suddenly ask this? Are you thinking of giving Jian a home?]
[Gregor:...]
[Vane:... Did I guess right?]
[Gregor: I just think, if only there were a place that could properly accommodate those poor people, this Daichi... needs a utopian city.]
[Vane: Oh--I see, boss, you want to give everyone a home.]
[Gregor: Is it possible?]
[Vane: Don't I know you? We've been preparing for this for a while! Just wait.]
[Gregor: Fourth brother...]
[Vane: What's wrong? Are you touched by me? You can praise me more, okay?]
[Gregor: I wish you could always be this reliable.]
While Gregor was sending a private message to Vane, Vera was also sending a private message to Gorth.
[Gorth: Worried about not having enough food? But second brother, can't you revive wild boars for an unlimited supply?]
[Vera: What will we do if we leave? There are more and more people; we have to find a way to be self-sufficient.]
[Gorth: I did try, but... I ran into a problem.]
[Vera: Is it troublesome?]
[Gorth:... Let me try first, I'll get back to you with the results.]
Looking at the dismantled mechanical parts in front of him, Gorth sighed deeply.
After all, I'm not a professional, so starting from scratch is too difficult.
Leaving the Shadow Workshop, Gorth followed his memories toward the [Nursery].
The uses of Workshop and Nursery specifically for machinery manufacturing are self-evident.
Although experiments proved that his power could not directly induce seed growth, Gorth did not give up.
If it can't be done directly, what about indirectly?
With the help of shadowy vines fusing with seeds and fertilizer, a strange species, not belonging to this Daichi, grows.
The difficulty is that, like the previous Snow Fruit, the new type of variant cannot grow into an adult.
Just when Gorth was at his wit's end, the captured Internal Guard gave him an idea.
Yes, the Internal Guard who were previously defeated by the Patriot did not die. Instead, they survived by the vines continuously absorbing the overflowing Demons.
During his conversation with Vane, Gorth learned that Demons have a very interesting characteristic.
The shape changes based on observation.
In this way, Gorth infused the Demons power into the immature alien species, which was then suppressed by the vines that served as its roots.
The new species was born as hoped, but the art style was quite bizarre.
After greeting Mr. Internal Guard in the center of the Nursery, Gorth chatted with the plants on the ground.
How are you feeling today?
"..."
Plants can't speak; they just sway their bodies in response.
A black umbrella hat, a gray body, and those small but undeniably present scarlet eyes.
Doom-shroom.
Gorth had to admit that Demons were indeed interesting, as they could bring even the images that flashed through his mind to life.
Initially, it only had a physical form, but the vines absorbed the power of the Demons and even withered away immediately.
But after being nourished by the energy of the Magic Crystal Ore, the plants "came back to life".
Given the precedent of refrigerators coming to life, Gorth wasn't too surprised.
But a new problem arises.
"Can you really eat this?"
"..."
The plants did not respond; it was unclear whether they couldn't understand or simply didn't care.
Gorth looked to the side; there was a new mutated species of buckwheat from Ursus.
Production capacity is sufficient, but it is equally dangerous.
The black buckwheat attacks with its pointed spikes, and even ripped off a layer of skin from Rift Beast when it broke in.
However, if it is to be widely cultivated, it must be grown on a large scale.
Gorth imagined the scene of the Ursus people harvesting buckwheat.
Ursus farmer. "You're ripe; it's time to harvest."
Buckwheat: "You know, if you want the fruit, you have to come and get it yourself."
Imagining the Ursus people wielding scythes to fight buckwheat, Gorth quickly shook his head to banish this terrible thought.
"No, no, that's not how you play Stardew Valley!"