Chapter 23 – The Hero (4)
Translated by : betterdays
Proofread by : ch17175
T/N : For patreons, the last line of the previous chapter was re-edited since the pronouns were mixed up on my part (my bad). However, you’ll understand what I mean pretty quick as the author delves right into it.
* * *
His father killed the woman he loved. The Great Hero, Balbaca Belturia had killed his wife? Why would the great hero do something like that? Charon bit his lip and nodded heavily while listening.
“Now my father is not the hero you all once knew. He’s…. No it… it is a monster.”
Boros opened the door.
“Go back. I took the role to guide Miss Reika away to the next room to avoid my father. He most likely won’t stay still, but… I’ll do something about that too when the time comes.”
The door closed with a few last words from Boros.
“I’m still his son technically, and for some reason he does listen to me a bit.”
*
“What the hell….”
Balbaca Belturia killed the woman he loved. Charon murmured with shaky eyes at the shocking information.
“Why the hell did Balbaca….”
“Why?”
Asher tapped on his wrist brace rhythmically with his indifferent facial expression remaining unfazed. A dagger appeared and Asher caught it in the air.
“What are you going to do?”, Charon gasped.
“What do you mean, ‘What am I going to do’? I’m going to obviously confirm it myself.”
Asher opened the door with his dagger in hand. Charon hurriedly tried to stop him.
“Do you really want to go threaten Balbaca right now?”
“You think that’s Balbaca right now?”
“So you’re saying that you know the real Balbaca?”, Charon’s eyes quivered for a moment.
Although it was twenty years ago, he clearly remembered the basic face shape and voice. The current Balbaca had not changed much from the past Balbaca in terms of his appearance.
“There can’t be a person that could possibly imitate his appearance. Most of all, Boros, his son would be the first to notice.”
“Yes. That would be the story if we were talking about human beings.”
Asher muttered. Even if a human being imitated another human being, they may be able to imitate the appearance to a certain degree, but they couldn’t possibly imitate all the memories of the individual, down to the very smallest detail.
“But it’s possible if the one posing as ‘Balbaca’ isn’t a human.”
“What…?”
“There are such beasts that make things like the impossible possible. There are several demons that can do such a thing. They can specialize in manipulating dreams, reality and memories among several other abilities.”
There were many beings that could manipulate and use mana. Humans that were known as magicians were one of them. Another was the demons, whom all of their species, could inherently use it.
“I thought I’d driven them all out, but did some of them stay?”
“…….”
Charon stepped back and immediately raised his guard at Asher’s sudden words. Putting his hand on the grip of his sword, he immediately knew that this was the ‘true’ Asher coming out and speaking right now to him.
“Who are you…?”
“It doesn’t matter does it? Reika is the one we both care about in this situation.”
Asher’s answer contained resoluteness.
“What do you think?”
Asher grabbed Charon’s faltering shoulder and pushed him lightly to the side so that Asher could get to the door. Charon was pushed to the side with little resistance.
“It doesn’t matter who I am. I have no intention of harming you. Isn’t that what matters? Let me ask you a question as the Loyal Knight to the Halvark Nobility, Charon.”
Asher raised his finger and pointed to the next room over where Reika was currently located.
“Does that girl that matter to you like she does to me?”.
“…she’s not a girl, she’s a young lady.”
“That’s enough of a reason you idiot. Go and protect your lady.”
Asher passed by Charon and pushed the door open
“I’m going to clean up the other guy, so you just stay put and make sure nothing happens to her.”
***
Asher arrived in front of Lord Balbaca’s room and pushed the door open.
Asher’s gaze darted around and saw Balbaca drinking on his luxurious bed.
“…huh? Oh, it’s you.”
Balbaca clapped his hands together in a loud voice. Asher looked at Balbaca’s reddened face which was not taking the alcohol too well. Boros was right when he said his father was a lightweight drinker.
“Yes, have you heard the answer from your Lord? What did he say about the concubine proposal?”
Asher did not answer. He just walked up to Balbaca and looked at the glass he was drinking. Balbaca’s expression slightly crumpled with displeasure.
“What are you doing?”
“The 43rd moon of Behemonia.”
It was an expensive drink. It was a popular drink among the heroes and nobles of the past.
“I had often recommended it to him. But he refused until the end because he refused to drink such an expensive drink as it went against his beliefs.”
Asher took the bottle of liquor on the table and poured it all on the carpet. Balbaca’s face began to contort in anger.
“Are you crazy?”
Balbaca lifted himself up roughly.
“Get out of here.”
“By what right are you to order me around?”
“…you must be really crazy you bastard.”
Balbaca rang the bell on the table. The sound of the bell raced out of the room.
“Okay, go ahead and drink it. I’ll give you plenty to enjoy the last drink you’ll take in your pitiful and disgusting life.”
“Wait actually, no.”
Asher picked up the liquor bottle.
“You have no right to do that.”
“What nonsense do you keep talking about….”
“You’re tired of acting, aren’t you? You’re not Balbaca Belturia, are you?”
Balbaca’s face hardened at Asher’s wordsl. At the same time, the door opened.
“Lord, my lord!
“Did you call for me? Father.”
Soldiers accompanied by Boros came in. Balbaca pointed to the liquor bottle on the side of the table.
“Get rid of him right now!”
“Oh, Asher? Why would you be here right now?”
Boros was flustered at the random appearance of Asher in his father’s bedroom. At the same time, Asher grabbed Balbaca by the neck with lightning-like speed.
“Hey, you…!”
“Lord, my Lord!
Balbaca clenched his teeth as he yelled at Asher, and the soldiers screamed. Their Lord was having his life threatened by a servant of another estate. Boros shouted roughly at Asher with confusion and traces of anger as he still had a belief that his old father might still be there deep down.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m getting rid of the imposter in here.”
Asher pushed the dagger in his hand, into Balbaca’s abdomen area. Red blood spurted out all over the carpet and on Asher’s face.
“The most human-like appearance demon in the world. Aren’t you curious as to what the true identity of it is?”
***
Charon was sitting in the room absentmindedly. How many minutes did he count? Charon’s eyes were filled with hostility and anxiety.
“…I can’t stay like this.”
He staggered out of the room. He entered the room where the other employees of the Halvark estate had gathered.
“Mr. Charon?”
“…everyone, we need to leave.”
“What?”
“Get out of this castle right now and stand in front of the carriage. It’s an order.”
“Yes, yes.”
The employees nodded reflexively. Charon left the room again and entered the room next to the room he had been inside of with Asher moments ago. Inside, Reika was lying asleep and alone on a spacious bed.
“Wake up, m’Lady.”
“Huh…huh?”
Reika, who opened her eyes, felt shocked and embarrassed when she saw Charon waking her up.
“Why are you here Lady Reika?”
She lifted herself up and looked around.
“…Huh, I don’t know? I was definitely on my way to our room after finishing my meal….”
“I don’t have time to explain this to you right now m’Lady.”
Charon hugged Reika’s body and lifted her up in a princess carry.
“We have to leave.”
“Huh-wait, what are you doing?!”
Reika struggled, but Charon came out of the room carrying her. The other employees were waiting nervously by the carriage.
“Lady?”
“Here you are.”
Charon put Reika down softly. Reika smoothed her clothes and frowned.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“We have to leave. It’s dangerous here.”
“Is it because of the politically arranged marriage?”
“That is not the problem.”
“No, wait. What about Asher? Where is he?”
At Reika’s words, Charon paused.
“Why isn’t Asher here?”, she repeated once more.
“…he’s inside.”
“What?”
“Oh for fuck’s sake.”
Charon muttered a curse under his breath. He was talking to his master right now, but he didn’t have the time to dilly dally with the urgent situation at hand any longer.
“Stay right here.”
“Come on, wait! Charon!”
Charon ran into the castle to get Asher.
***
Coooong!
Charon smashed the door and entered the Lord’s room.
In his eyesight, he could see Boros, the young heir to the Count, and several soldiers.
And… then he saw Asher, holding Balbaca by the neck and pushing a knife into his abdomen. At the sight that Charon could have never imagined happening, even in the wildest of scenarios, Charon muttered blankly.
“Crazy.”
“Boros? Why would you be here? What’s going on with Asher?!”
“Hello, I’m right here.”
Boros looked back at Charon and Asher waved to the two of them with a relaxed facial expression. Balbaca screamed.
“He’s here to kill me, too! Hold him down! Get him!”
“Ha-a-ab!”
The soldiers pushed their spears reflexively. Charon clenched his teeth and pulled out his sword.
Kaga-Gak!
“Ugh!”
“Argh!”
The soldier’s spears were pushed back by the single swing of the sword from Charon. They grunted reflexively and took a step back.
“I don’t care anymore.”
“What nonsense are you talking about? Aren’t you the knight of the Halvark Estate?”
“…….”
There was nothing to refute, so Charon shut up. He glared daggers at Asher, as if to prod him to explain what was going on. Seeing no reply from Asher, Charon finally spoke out.
“…what are you doing?!”
“I told you. I’m dealing with the imposter in this room.”
Balbaca grated his teeth in anger and pain as he looked at Asher’s cold and unfazed eyes.
“You are crazy.”
“I’m not sure if I heard you correctly Asher. Did you just say my father is an imposter?”
“Then, do you really see him as your father still? Even in your eyes, Boros, the young heir and son of Balbaca Belturia?”
“At least he looks the same as before.”, Asher muttered.
Boros furrowed his brows ast the words Asher muttered under his breath.
“You don’t honestly think you will stay alive after stabbing the Lord of the Belturia estate, do you?”
“If he’s the real Balbacca, then you’d be correct.”
“You don’t think I can tell if he’s my father or not?”
Boros laughed. But, inwardly he had a similar suspicion.
“How can he imitate himself? How can you say he’s an imposter if everything about him is the same, including his memories? If he were an imposter I wouldn’t be able to remember certain things that are unique to only himself.”
Balbaca had proven to Boros over time, that he remembered the smallest of things he had told Boros when he was a child.
However, Asher did not loosen his grip.
“There was once a time when there were men who were called the greatest of their trades, heroes of their times, masters in their own right. Balbaca Belturia was such a man. However, during that time, there were also demons and monsters that could imitate the appearances and replicate the memories of humans.”
“There is a certain demon that can steal and devour the memories and appearances of those it preys on.”
“What are you saying right now….”
Boros blurted at Asher’s words. His eyes slowly began to shake at the sudden information that Asher was revealing right now. He had heard stories about the demons when he was much younger, but he had never studied them or known their appearances.
“No way…”
“What are you doing?! Kill this man right now!”
Balbaca shouted harshly and with anxiety visible across his face.
“Hold him down right now! Kill him! Kill him!”
But the soldiers did not move an inch either. Boros grabbed the sword and bit his lips, but his feet did not budge like he was rooted down by a giant tree.
“Are you doubting me?! Your Lord?!”
Balbaca gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.
“You. Rayvan!”
A soldier who was faltering flinched. Balbaca shouted at him harshly.
“I gave all my support to you when your mother was sick and having a hard time. And you, next to him; I helped you with your hard times of trying to get your child an education. And Barnia! I visited your wife when she gave birth to your first son!”
Balbaca looked around the soldiers.
“Kron! Did you forget who helped you when you were almost killed by a wolf? Bohem! Who watched your father die with you?!”
The soldiers faltered and backed away at Balbaca’s angry fit and harsh words. Balbaca shuddered angrily.
“I remember everything! Because I am your Lord! Do you dare to doubt me like this?”
“It’s because you’ve become strange.”
Boros murmured melancholically and Balbaca snorted as he heard Boros’ words.
“Is it because I killed the woman I had brought? You are a noble, my son. I needed to set an example to you to understand we do not marry commoners!”
Balbacca’s voice then suddenly softened.
“When you were a child, you said you had always begged me and wanted to see a hero with your own two eyes. So I took you to go meet the ones I knew.”
“…I remember.”
“Yes, I also remember. It’s very vivid to me, even to this day as I’m growing old.”
Balbaca then, shouted in a dignified voice.
“They looked at you and said you looked like me. They said that you would be a great man someday. All the heroes loved you Boros!”
Boros’ hand holding the sword began to relax.
“How can an imposter remember? I’m Balbaca Belturia, the Great Hero….”
“No.”
Asher tightened his grip on the neck.
“Crik! Uck!”
“You say you have his memories, but you do not have his morals. The Balbaca we all knew, was a man of integrity, not some fucking pig.”
“What?!”
For a moment, Boros’ eyes shook at Asher’s rough words.
“They didn’t just ‘love him. Walters clicked his tongue, saying the kid was vulnerable to taking a more violent path like they had, and Van Ester was chewed out by you for asking him to leave Boros as a disciple. Lepenia pretended not to be interested on the outside, but she knew how talented he was. They even were trading artifacts with each other over who would take in the kid as a disciple.”
“Come to think of it….”
Boros murmured. He recalled the memory and Asher was right.
“How could you know that?”
“You imitate people and eat the memories of people around you.”
Asher laughed. Balbaca fumbled with his neck being still held.
“What are you talking about? I….”
“Children’s memories are the hardest to remember since they pass very quickly with time.”
Children’s memories are often forgotten when they are young. As they grow up their memory becomes more clear just like any other person, but a child’s remains blurry like a mosaic painting.
“Isn’t that right? You should know that best… since you’re a Doppelganger.”
Chapter 23 – Fin