Starnassila Pitra, discovered at the end of the secret passage, was not just pale but ghastly blue in the face. Her lips and limbs trembled, and sweat poured down like rain.
Anyone could see she was in dire need of help, but... the knights couldn't bring themselves to approach her easily and instead looked to me.
"What's wrong with everyone...? I don't know how you got here, but for now, help support her. I have something to do..."
I half-ignored her words as I slowly approached her.
I didn't forget to survey the surroundings while doing so.
"Hmm..."
Typically, a castle's secret passages connected to the outside, but this one didn't.
The room, neither too spacious nor cramped, was densely covered in countless magic circles. At its center stood a magitech device of unknown purpose, proudly displaying its grandeur.
It looked familiar from the setting materials... Ah, right.
This was where Pitra meets her death.
If things followed the original plot, she would have been doing something here and gotten swept up by that monster horde just moments ago, leading to her demise.
The fact that I couldn't recall what that "something" was suggested it wasn't detailed in the settings... Such crucial info surfacing late meant I should stay a bit more vigilant.
"Alzen...?"
"Mother. I'm glad you're safe."
"Wha-what...? Hearing that from you is like the sun rising in the west."
She said that, but still reached out with a joyful smile.
I reached out too, but passed by her hand to pluck out a single strand of her hair.
"Huh...? What are you doing?"
Ignoring her puzzled expression, I examined the plucked hair.
It hung limp, without even a twitch.
"Hm. It's real."
"Lady Pitra! We're so relieved you're safe!"
"Please punish us!"
"Wha...? What's going on?"
I smirked at her confusion as the escort knights rushed over, then patted the back of Vivian, who was clutching my pant leg.
"Vivian. Go reassure Mother."
"Th-thank you, Brother!"
Only then did the youngest relax and toddle over, burrowing deep into Pitra's embrace.
I waited until the mother-daughter reunion concluded.
"Ternien."
"Yes! Lord Alzen."
"Carry Mother and follow me."
"Yes!"
Ternien hoisted Pitra effortlessly and looked at me with eyes full of trust.
"..."
Her eyes were sparkling too intensely—it was burdensome.
"Alzen... where are we going?"
"To my room, the safest place for now."
"Your room...? Wouldn't it be better to take shelter in the secret chamber?"
"You're saying the same thing as the doppelganger. After nearly dying in the secret passage, you're still saying that?"
"Huh...? Doppelganger...?"
While she tilted her head, still not grasping the situation, I took the lead and ascended the secret passage.
Gulp!
"Phew..."
"Alzen. Do you really have to drink even in this situation?"
"Don't nag so much, Mother. I'm drinking because I need to. Oh, and is your business in that room done? It didn't look like an ordinary room at a glance."
"...Ah! This isn't the time! Ternien! From now on, head to the place I direct! We need to bolster the duke's castle defenses even further!"
"Pardon? Uh... but..."
Ternien glanced cautiously at me.
"Ternien? Why are you looking at Alzen?"
"W-well..."
"Ternien. You don't need to follow my orders from now on. Obey Mother's."
"Y-yes!"
"...??"
I ignored Pitra's baffled gaze and sauntered out of the secret passage.
"Mother. What do you mean by bolstering the defenses? Is it related to that secret chamber?"
"Yes. It's a place I secretly prepared in the duke's castle. You saw that facility earlier, right? We need to activate two more just like it. That will create a barrier allowing only permitted individuals to enter or exit."
"I see... Sigh."
A bit annoying... but since we've come this far, better see it through.
It'd be regrettable if something went wrong midway.
"By the way, Mother. Why place the devices in separate locations?"
"The duke's castle is just too vast; there was no choice."
"Got it... Alright, then. Let's hurry."
"You're being strangely proactive. It's been ages since I saw you like this... Are you really Alzen?"
The moment Pitra said that, the escort knights' sharp gazes poked at me.
"...Please refrain from words that could cause misunderstandings."
I sighed and strode forward briskly.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After that, we moved as quickly as possible through the duke's castle, activating the devices in the remaining two locations.
Pitra, nearly depleted of mana, struggled, but we somehow succeeded.
Woooong—!! Kwaaaaaah—!!
The sensation of an immense mana surge—enough to fill heaven and earth—spreading like a tidal wave in a specific pattern was spine-chillingly magnificent.
—Kieeeek...!
—Kkiyaaak!!
—Kroooooh...!
From every corner of the duke's castle came faint death cries of beasts and chimeras.
Sounds of monsters hiding or disguised throughout being crushed by the barrier.
Even at the expanding barrier's edge, dark and ominous energy gathered and was repelled—curses temporarily driven out as well, it seemed.
I had no idea how much money it took to deploy a barrier of such incredible performance.
"Haaah... Now we can finally catch our breath. But Alzen, since when did you learn such skills? You really surprised me."
Pitra sprawled on my bed, rolling around and staring at my face.
Apparently, my feats during the secret passage trek—spotting traps, traces of curses, and black magic—had impressed her.
"Eh... nothing special."
Gulp!
After downing a hefty swig of strong liquor and deeply inhaling my cheroot, her face scrunched up.
"Even now, you have to drink and smoke? And with Vivian here..."
"Sheesh, enough nagging. And why bring up Vivian? She's well-raised by you—seeing this won't corrupt her."
"Still, if you won't listen... Anyway, Alzen. Now that the barrier's up, shouldn't we take shelter in the secret chamber?"
"Mother. Aren't you overly fixated on that secret chamber?"
"What do you mean? It's the obvious choice. In a crisis, sheltering in a safe place is best all around."
"..."
Could she have fallen to Cambello's 'Pit of Souls'?
Her fixation was oddly intense... Given the traps and monsters laid throughout the secret passages and chamber, it made sense.
Not as severe as Family Head Urttega, so probably just influenced... but better to stay cautious.
"Ternien."
"Yes, Lord Alzen."
"Do you want to go to the secret chamber too?"
"...No. Not really."
"Good. Then keep a close eye on Mother. Seems like she's been ensnared by demonic schemes."
"Yes!? Th-then shouldn't we request aid from the Church...!"
"No need for that. It doesn't seem serious... Besides, the Church is busy now; it'd just add to the chaos."
"...Understood. I'll stake my life to protect Lady Pitra."
"Whoa, I didn't mean go that far... Fine. Handle it your way."
"What are you talking about?"
"Mother. You must be tired; get some rest."
"Sleep in this situation...? Better in the secret chamber..."
She must have been exhausted.
Mumbling about the secret chamber to the end, she fell asleep the instant her eyes closed.
"Brother. Is Mother okay?"
"No problem. You sleep too."
"Okay..."
I watched the youngest cling tightly to Pitra and close her eyes, then took a swig.
Now I could finally relax a bit.
I was curious about the outside situation, but couldn't check now, so might as well drink heartily.
The capable eldest son and second daughter were probably handling it well.
If Cambello himself emerged, it'd be tough, but there's the Church, and asymmetrically, Urttega...
Kuuung...!!
"Puhaek! Cough!?"
Mid-refreshing gulp, an overwhelming aura and presence bound my entire body, crushing the room heavily. I spat out all the liquor in my mouth.
"What!?"
"Urk...!?"
Pitra, who had just dozed off, bolted up, mustering her scant mana, while Ternien urgently drew her sword and aimed it.
The direction: the firmly shut door.
Creak.
True to the duke's residence, the door opened silently without a sound.
Step, step.
Through the gap strode Urttega with an expressionless face and steady gait.
"Dear. Don't come any closer."
"Urgh...! Your Excellency! Stand down! Or I'll attack!"
Pitra and Ternien—who should have been delighted by his arrival—instead entered extreme combat readiness.
Because his sword dripped thick with blood.
"...Starnassila Alzen."
"Father. What is this disgrace?"
I responded appropriately to his call of my name and glanced outside the door.
"Kuugh...!"
"Urk...!"
The escort knights guarding outside lay sprawled, bleeding here and there, but none seemed dead.
Good. He still retained some reason, after all.
"Speak. Right now. How do I escape this temptation and craving."
"If I knew, I'd have said it already. Sigh... Father. Aren't you ashamed? Who'd believe you're Starnassila Urttega looking like that? No idea where you've been holed up till now... but is that the result? Here to flaunt your weakness?"
"..."
"First time you look more pathetic than me, Father."
I cackled and downed more liquor.
Whether it was my own words or buried Alzen's sentiments bubbling up, I blamed the alcohol.
"Krhuh..."
Cold sweat trickled down my nape, my insides wrung like a vise, but I feigned nonchalance.
"...Speak. Before it's... too late."
But even that nonchalance wouldn't last long.
His face remained expressionless, but anyone could see he was driven to his limit.
Gulp!
Wonder if I'll survive.
...Well, even if I die, it'll just restart, so no real worry there.
Sip, whoo...
Feigning leisure, I savored my cheroot deeply too, meeting his piercing gaze while forcing strength into my trembling jaw.
Hard to believe he's even human.
"I'm telling you, I don't know... If I did, I'd have said it. Hm, maybe this is our last talk, so shall we share some father-son heart-to-heart?"
"..."
"Father. Everyone acknowledges your strength. You know it well yourself."
"..."
"Seems plenty to me, so why waver? Why not content with your strength?"
"Until now, I've hidden it, but I... no longer..."
"Can't get stronger? Hit your limit? Think siding with demons breaks it? That it?"
"..."
"From my view, it's pure luxury. Measuring your own limit objectively... How do you even do that? The talent gap's too vast to gauge."
His brow twitched slightly at my sarcasm.
"But... didn't I say before? It's all delusion. Mere past illusions. The bewitchment shaking your reason and stoking desire is all from 'Soul Gears'."
"..."
"Well, if words could overcome it, you'd have by now... I've said it countless times: you're strong enough, Father. Strong enough not to be swayed by lesser demons. So why this pitiful display?"
"I... must grow stronger..."
I ignored his attempt to speak and continued.
"Ah! Or is it lack of substance? Your Aura Blade, said to cleave all material on earth, can't find the enemy, so you're floundering? That's hilarious."
"..."
"Not that I know much about Aura Blade... but don't you need some enlightenment to even use it? Doesn't make sense that a conceptually forged blade can't cleave concepts. Can't it cut curses? Sever temptations and illusions? You'd think our esteemed Sword Master could manage that."
"...!!"
At that instant, Starnassila Urttega's eyes widened, and his aura shifted dramatically.
Ah, dying here?
Immediately after, an invisible strike sliced my throat smoothly.