PROLOGUE (Part 4)
Adaptation and Attachment
I suppose...
I should explain the plan.
Everything that had happened until now was merely preparation.
The real operation had only just begun.
The first objective was simple.
Get close to Draeven.
Gain his trust.
Enter the Draeven estate.
His father possessed the records of their illegal dealings.
More importantly...
Draeven himself was incompetent.
A weakness I intended to exploit.
Earlier...
The first of my three clones had anonymously notified the Royal Knights.
Its message was simple.
A group of corrupt nobles would soon be conducting illegal business.
Of course...
I never expected justice alone to move them.
Humans are inconsistent.
Institutions even more so.
So I added another incentive.
Money.
That way...
Whether they came for justice...
or greed...
It didn't matter.
They would still come.
The second clone had a different assignment.
After learning the appearance of one of House Draeven's senior butlers...
It assumed his appearance.
Its mission was straightforward.
Steal the official seal belonging to the noble who had humiliated Father.
Then...
Guide his forces toward the ruins.
The third clone had perhaps the simplest task.
Steal a Royal Coin from another noble secretly involved in the exploitation and deaths of commoners.
I had no intention of targeting him today.
That web extended far beyond what I could currently handle.
For now...
I would only strike those who had personally crossed my path.
As for the Royal Coin...
Only members of the royal family...
or those directly authorized by them...
were permitted to possess one.
That noble had acquired his illegally.
Meaning...
Even if it was discovered...
He couldn't openly defend himself without exposing another crime.
Sometimes...
Silence is forced upon people long before prison.
I reasoned that the knights might well be susceptible to bribes,
so I implied that if they didn't arrest them right then, they themselves would end up implicated in a crime against the royal family.
Now then...
Let's see how my clones are doing.
Elsewhere
"Chase him!"
"Don't let him escape!"
The furious voice of a noble echoed across the road.
Nearly fifty mounted guards thundered after a fleeing figure.
The clone laughed loudly without looking back.
"Hahaha!"
"Try catching me if you've got the balls!"
Behind him...
Horse hooves pounded relentlessly against the ground.
Exactly as planned.
The second clone continued leading the noble's troops toward the abandoned ruins where everything had been prepared.
Meanwhile...
Back at House Draeven...
The unconscious barrier mage finally regained consciousness.
Almost immediately...
The alarm was raised.
However...
The estate's barrier still remained active.
No one could leave.
...
I suppose it's time.
I silently released my imitation barrier.
The instant I moved roughly one hundred meters away...
The spell naturally dissolved.
"I..."
"I can smell his scent now!"
Draeven's father mounted his horse.
His eyes burned with anger.
"Follow me!"
"My son has been taken!"
"That kidnapper will pay!"
He pointed his sword toward the distant forest.
"All men!"
"After me!"
"Haaah!!"
The soldiers roared together before charging after their lord.
Not long afterward...
The second clone reached the abandoned ruins.
"He entered that building!"
"After him!"
One commander pointed toward the ruined structure.
The pursuing noble suddenly raised his hand.
"Wait."
"Surround the ruins first."
He looked toward his guards.
"Ten of you."
"Come inside with me."
"Understood!"
The commander immediately relayed the order.
The once-silent ruins quickly became filled with footsteps.
Armor clanged.
Voices echoed.
The calm atmosphere disappeared beneath growing chaos.
Inside...
The third clone patiently waited beneath concealment.
As the noble stepped into the ruined hall...
The clone silently slipped the stolen Royal Coin into the noble's pocket.
Not a sound.
Not a trace.
Where is he...?
If that seal is exposed...
This could become troublesome.
The noble narrowed his eyes.
"I know you're here!"
"Come out!"
"You have nowhere to run!"
His voice echoed throughout the abandoned hall.
One guard suddenly shouted.
"My lord!"
"Someone is tied up over here!"
"Conscious!"
"Let me see."
The noble walked toward the restrained figure.
The moment he recognized the young man's face—
His expression froze.
...
Draeven.
At almost the exact same moment...
Another group of soldiers arrived.
Theodric von Draeven.
Following the magical scent left on his son.
He dismounted immediately.
His men spread throughout the ruins while he entered the main hall alone.
There...
He saw it.
His son.
Bound.
And standing nearby...
Another noble.
"You have nowhere to run."
"Return my son."
Theodric spoke in a cold voice.
The other noble frowned.
...
That voice...
Why does it sound familiar?
Theodric's eyes widened.
"Cassian... Valemont?"
Cassian slowly turned around.
"...Theodric von Draeven?"
Silence.
Neither man moved.
Outside...
Their respective soldiers searched every corner of the ruins.
Moments later...
Reports arrived from both sides.
"No one else is inside!"
The silence became even heavier.
Theodric stared directly into Cassian's eyes.
Doubt.
Confusion.
Suspicion.
Everything mixed together.
Finally...
He spoke.
"Explain yourself, Cassian."
"Why did you do this?"
His voice carried restrained anger.
"I..."
Cassian opened his mouth.
Only to be interrupted.
"Surround the entire area!"
The commanding voice of the Royal Knights echoed through the ruins.
A heavily armored man entered first.
His hand glowed as light magic illuminated the dark hall.
"You all..."
"What are you doing here?"
"Show yourselves!"
It was the commander of the Royal Knights.
Leopold Viremont.
His gaze swept across the room.
Then...
His eyes widened.
"Lord Draeven..."
"...Lord Valemont?"
For a brief moment...
Shock crossed his face.
It disappeared almost instantly.
"So..."
"You two are the corrupt dealers."
His voice became firm.
Neither accusation nor question.
A conclusion.
"It's—"
Both nobles tried to explain.
Too late.
Before either of them could speak further—
Hundreds of papers suddenly rained from above.
Like snow.
Only far more dangerous.
Every pair of eyes instinctively followed them.
Documents drifted through the ruined hall before landing across the stone floor.
Right in front of Draeven.
Right in front of Valemont.
Leopold bent down.
Picked up one document.
Began reading.
His expression darkened.
At that exact moment—
I cut the stitching on Valemont's pocket from afar.
A small metallic object slipped free.
Clink.
The unmistakable sound echoed throughout the hall.
Everyone looked down.
A Royal Coin rolled across the stone floor before coming to a stop.
Silence.
Pure silence.
For every person present...
The meaning of that single coin was different.
Leopold slowly looked back at Valemont.
"So..."
"Not only this..."
"You were involved in that as well?"
His expression no longer contained doubt.
Only certainty.
"This..."
Valemont desperately searched for words.
"Arrest them."
Leopold gave the order immediately.
Almost as though...
He had been waiting for this opportunity.
The knights moved without hesitation.
"Wait."
"We can talk."
Valemont spoke calmly.
His fingers subtly signaled toward one of his men.
A bribe.
Leopold noticed it from the corner of his eye.
"You think..."
"I would change my judgment because of that?"
His voice became colder.
"Collect every document."
"Take every piece of evidence."
"Leave nothing behind."
"Yes, Commander!"
The knights immediately obeyed.
As everyone began leaving the ruined building...
I quietly dropped a heavy money bag from the roof behind Valemont.
Thud.
The sound echoed.
Valemont instinctively turned.
A large bag filled with coins rested on the ground.
Leopold noticed it as well.
For several seconds...
He simply stared upward.
Toward the roof.
Though he couldn't see me through my concealment.
He spoke anyway.
"Thanks for the information."
"I wouldn't have been able to arrest them without all of this."
"I don't know who you are."
"But..."
"Don't appear before me."
"Otherwise..."
"I'll have to arrest you too."
His tone remained firm.
Yet...
There was the faintest trace of regret hidden beneath it.
Then he turned away.
Leading both the prisoners...
and his knights...
out of the ruins.
...
From above...
Hidden beneath my concealment skill...
I silently watched them disappear into the night.
-------------------------------
From atop the ruined hall...
I silently watched them disappear into the distance.
The knights.
The prisoners.
The nobles.
Everyone gradually vanished into the darkness.
...
"So then..."
"I should go home and get some sleep now."
A small sigh escaped my lips.
"...Now I can finally sleep in peace."
Just as I stood—
Something shot toward me like a bolt of lightning.
BOOM!!
Instinct took over.
I drew my sword and barely managed to block.
The sheer force behind the impact shattered the rooftop beneath my feet.
The stone collapsed.
Both of us crashed through the roof and landed inside the ruined hall.
Dust filled the air.
Broken stone scattered across the floor.
...
I slowly stood up.
"Who is it?"
A figure stepped forward from the shadows.
Moonlight poured through the broken ceiling.
Its silver glow illuminated white hair that gently swayed with the night breeze.
A fluffy white tail moved lazily behind her.
Those moon-colored eyes...
met mine.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"Isn't it cold of you to leave without telling me, Katsu-san?"
...
"You again..."
"Kitsune."
She puffed out her cheeks in mock dissatisfaction.
"'Kitsune' is very unfriendly."
"Ah..."
"I never told you my name, did I?"
"How rude of me."
She gracefully lifted the sides of her kimono and performed flawless court etiquette.
"My name is..."
"Shirohana Yukimori."
...
"What are you doing here?"
She was...
completely unpredictable.
Her smile disappeared.
She tilted her head slightly.
"Didn't I tell you to drop your act?"
Her expression suddenly became serious.
"Huh?"
"I suppose..."
"I'll have to bring it out myself."
Without another word...
A katana appeared in her hand as though pulled from empty space.
She lowered her stance.
Before I could even respond—
She vanished.
The next instant...
She was already in front of me.
Her blade descended directly toward my neck.
Clang!!
I barely intercepted it.
The shockwave exploded outward.
"What is your purpose?"
"You."
She answered immediately.
Without hesitation.
Without embarrassment.
Spinning her sword effortlessly, she flipped over my head and landed behind me.
Another strike.
I twisted my blade backward just in time before turning around to face her.
She smiled.
"Isn't this fun, Katsu?"
"Just you and me..."
"Under the moonlight."
Her voice carried an oddly playful, almost flirtatious tone.
Then...
She raised her sword toward the heavens.
"Yuki no Tamari."
The temperature around us plummeted.
An enormous sphere of ice formed above the ruins.
It continued growing.
Larger.
Larger.
Until it completely covered the sky.
Its size alone rivaled the entire battlefield beneath it.
...
Without hesitation—
I swung my sword.
The gigantic mass split apart.
"Honoo."
The two halves instantly melted into countless clouds of steam before crashing harmlessly beyond the ruins.
The next instant...
We disappeared.
To ordinary eyes...
Neither of us existed anymore.
Only explosions.
Shock waves.
Flying debris.
And countless sparks appeared throughout the battlefield.
Steel met steel.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Each collision produced enough force to split the surrounding earth.
"It's fun!"
"It's fun!"
Shirohana laughed joyfully.
Every exchange only made her smile brighter.
...
I suddenly disappeared from her sight.
Appearing behind her—
"Zangeki."
"Ichi no Kata."
"Yamagiri."
Flames engulfed my blade.
A slash capable of cleaving mountains descended.
She merely smiled.
Tilting her head backward ever so slightly.
"Yuki no Kagami."
The slash vanished.
Reflected.
Far beyond the battlefield.
Several distant mountains split cleanly in half.
Others were left with enormous scars stretching across their slopes.
No one would ever know why.
"Yukitora."
An enormous dragon made entirely of ice roared toward me.
"Zettai Honoo."
Absolute flames erupted from my sword.
The two forces collided violently.
As I concentrated on blocking the attack—
She appeared behind me.
Sword raised.
...
I kicked my own flaming shield.
The redirected impact slammed into the ice dragon.
Using that momentum...
I instantly turned around.
My sword cut through her.
...
Mist.
Only an illusion.
When the smoke cleared...
She was everywhere.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
Thousands.
Every direction.
Every one of them smiling.
...
"What exactly is your goal, Yukimori?"
"If you don't call me by my first name..."
"I won't answer."
She continued attacking without slowing down.
...
"I see..."
"Honoo yo..."
"Waga Katachi to Nare."
The night sky ignited.
Behind me...
Fifty thousand clones appeared simultaneously.
Each one carried a sword identical to mine.
Well...
I could make more.
"Then..."
"I should too."
She smiled sweetly.
The sky behind her distorted.
Then—
Fifty thousand Shirohanas appeared across the heavens.
An endless sea of white tails and gleaming blades.
We silently raised our swords toward each other.
Our armies moved first.
The sky erupted.
Clone after clone clashed.
Explosions of fire and ice illuminated the night like countless stars being born and dying at the same time.
Before the collision expanded any further...
I extended a barrier.
It stretched all the way to the borders.
Containing every shock wave.
Every explosion.
Without it...
The impact alone would have devastated everything within a thousand-kilometer radius.
Countries.
Villages.
Mountains.
Everything.
Inside the barrier...
A silent apocalypse unfolded.
Outside...
The world remained peaceful.
Eventually...
The smoke settled.
Both of us landed on the ruined ground.
For the first time...
Neither of us raised our swords.
I cleared my throat.
"Ahem..."
"Shirohana-san..."
"What's your goal?"
...
I actually bent to her demand.
...
That's embarrassing.
She giggled.
Her hands rested behind her back as she leaned slightly forward.
"Didn't I already tell you?"
"It's you."
A teasing smile spread across her face.
...
"Then why are you attacking me?"
She looked genuinely confused.
"Isn't it romantic..."
"To have a secret that's only between the two of us?"
She slowly pointed toward me.
"Only I know..."
"That you're this strong."
...
Ro...
Ro...
Wait.
What?
My thoughts completely stopped.
She chuckled.
"Though..."
"I know this isn't even half of your true strength."
"Nor mine."
With a smooth motion...
She sheathed her katana.
"But..."
"This much is enough."
"For now."
She turned around.
"Call me by my first name from now on."
She casually waved one hand.
"Oh..."
"One more thing."
"Check your status."
The moment she finished speaking—
She vanished.
Without a trace.
...
Status?
What did she do?
I immediately opened my status window.
...
...
There.
A new entry.
Soul Link
A one-time phenomenon.
Your soul has become linked with another.
...
...
When?
...
My permission?
...
I stared at the screen in complete silence.
Questions filled my mind.
Yet none had answers.
-------------------------------
By the time I returned home...
The sky had already begun brightening.
I quietly opened the front door.
"Welcome home."
Mother and Father greeted me together.
The warmth of their voices instantly pulled me back from everything that had happened tonight.
Before I could even respond—
Questions began pouring toward me.
"Why did you suddenly tell us you're going to become a noble's servant?"
"Are you alright?"
"How was your examination?"
Their worried expressions made it obvious they hadn't slept much.
...
Ah...
I can finally relax.
A small smile naturally appeared on my face.
"I'm fine, Mom."
"I'm fine, Dad."
"I'm just..."
"A little tired."
I looked at both of them.
"...Also."
"I'm home."
...
Ah.
...
I'm smiling.