YDPTB Chapter 82

Karhan, who had gone out to interact with other regions, furrowed his brow upon discovering Arthur anxiously pacing in front of the main gate. Thinking that he must have caused trouble again after behaving for a while, Karhan swallowed a dry sigh and got out of the carriage.

Lost in thought, Arthur didn’t notice Karhan approaching until he was right in front of him. Narrowing his eyes as he observed Arthur, Karhan asked softly,

“Why are you out here instead of inside?”

“B-brother!”

Arthur, who had been looking down at the ground, looked up at Karhan with round eyes. His voice trembled faintly, filled with a mix of hope and fear. Seeing him more unsettled than usual, Karhan furrowed his brow.

“What happened?”

“The… the bird was kidnapped.”

Arthur fumbled with his lips, wondering if his expression was appropriate even as he spoke. From afar, it had looked like the bird was taken against its will, but he was confused about whether the word “kidnap” could be used between birds.

Karhan tilted his head at Arthur’s unexpected mention of kidnapping. Who would dare intrude into the duke’s residence and take the bird? Suspecting that Arthur might have secretly taken it out and caused an accident again, he asked,

“Did you take the bird out again?”

“N-no! It wasn’t me…!”

To assert his innocence, Arthur clenched his fist to his chest and met Karhan’s eyes. Though his heart was beating rapidly, it wasn’t the impure sound of a lie. Karhan gently closed his eyes and began to search for Seol’s presence, sensing the mana floating in the air.

Starting from Seol’s room, then his own office and the training grounds where Doel was receiving instruction. He thoroughly searched familiar places but couldn’t find him.

Where did he go?

He hadn’t felt much urgency until Arthur spoke, but now anxiety spread rapidly like black ink staining white paper. His heart began to beat violently, beyond his control.

“Tell me in detail what you saw.”

Could someone have discovered Seol was a bird-folk and kidnapped him? If he had known this would happen, he would have hidden him somewhere out of sight, even if it made him uncomfortable. He pressed his lips tightly, regretting belatedly.

“A huge eagle took the bird. I’m not sure, but something seemed strange.”

Arthur rolled his eyes as he recalled the recent event. Thinking about it, it was truly odd. How did it know and find the bird that was in the room? And why did it take him? Though it’s a cruel thing to say, the white bird didn’t even look like a mouthful.

At Arthur’s questions, Karhan’s eyelids lowered slightly. A deep shadow formed under his long eyelashes, and his colorless eyes gleamed coldly. Leaving Arthur standing there biting his nails, he hurried towards Seol’s room.

He flung open the door and surveyed the room. Clothes were strewn messily under the window, like a snake’s shed skin. He slowly approached and gently reached out his hand. Only the chill of the wind touched his fingertips.

All objects contain their own memories. Unless too much time has passed and the traces have faded, they preserve the form of memories, albeit faintly.

Very rarely, among ordinary people, there are those who can read the memories of objects. It’s simply an innate ability, but sadly, most are driven out as mentally ill or possessed by demons, leading difficult lives.

Karhan, having inherited Arma’s blood, could also examine memories by freely manipulating mana better than ordinary people. However, being such a powerful ability, the recoil was severe, so he rarely used it. Even peering at memories briefly made him feel like the mana in his body was twisting and tearing through his organs.

Hopefully, not much time has passed.

Karhan slowly caressed the clothes, focusing mana on his fingertips. To gather as much information as possible, he closed his eyes, shutting off his vision. As he grasped the mana floating around the clothes like tangled threads and connected his mind, he frowned at the instantly replaying images.

A large bird. Red feathers. Eyes shining like gold.

His closed eyelids lifted, and his ashen eyes gleamed transparently. He took the handkerchief offered from the side and wiped the bloody liquid dripping to the floor as he stood up.

“Where is Sir Doel now?”

There was one thing he suspected, and he needed to confirm something with Doel for that.

It’s not difficult to see birds with red feathers and yellow eyes. However, it’s not easy to find a bird with an excellent mind that carries out precise orders, nimble movements, and eyes full of hostility directed only at Seol.

As he retraced the memory replaying in his mind, he suddenly recalled Asmil’s servant, Asdion. And Asmil’s words as he passed by, saying “See you again soon,” flashed through his mind.

Without even thinking of summoning Doel, he headed quickly towards the training grounds where the knights were gathered. Doel, spotting him during training, came out with a puzzled expression.

“…What’s the matter?”

Though his voice mixed with anxiety and tension, Karhan ignored it and quickly got to the point.

“Do you remember the appearance of the bird you saw when we met Asmil in the Sabon region?”

“Not in detail, but I remember a little.”

Karhan nodded slightly, telling him to explain. Doel furrowed his brow and turned his gaze to the side as he recalled the past memory. Moving his fingers sticking tightly to his thigh rhythmically, he stammered out his words.

“It had yellow eyes… I remember because they shone particularly brightly.”

Though it was a common eye color for birds, the golden-tinged yellow that strangely captivated attention had stuck strongly in his mind.

Karhan’s eyes narrowed as he intently observed Doel’s face as he searched his memories.

Seeing Karhan wanting more answers, Doel made a troubled sound and scratched the back of his head. Tilting his head, he spoke with an uncertain voice.

“It was night, so I don’t remember any other special features. Overall, it was somewhat… reddish-brown, I think. Ah, when it spread its wings, it looked larger than a person.”

Only then did Karhan’s gaze withdraw, seemingly having gotten the answer he wanted. Doel secretly swallowed a sigh and examined Karhan’s face. His expression, always stiffly set except when with Seol, looked even more crumpled today.

Remembering that it’s best to avoid him when he’s in a bad mood, Doel tried to quietly back away and turn, but a low voice suddenly came.

“You’ll have to come with me.”

His escape attempt failed before it could properly begin, and he pressed his lips tightly.

In the end, Doel, forcibly brought to an unknown place, frowned. The enormous mansion before his eyes was clearly the property of a nobleman, judging by its splendor at a glance. As Doel gazed at the mansion with distant eyes, Karhan’s cold voice reached his ears.

“We’ll have to play robbers for a moment.”

“Pardon?”

Wondering if he had just heard something strange, Doel thrust his head forward and asked again, forgetting his manners. As if not hearing Doel’s question, Karhan took out black robes and masks and handed them over.

“Just need to scare them a bit.”

“Pardon?”

Unable to comprehend the situation, Doel awkwardly accepted the clothes without resistance. At least Karhan wasn’t sending him alone, as he too began arming himself with black clothes. Seeing the duke dressed like this, a mere knight couldn’t just stand there staring, so he reluctantly put on the additional clothes.

Doel followed Karhan, not knowing whose house they were about to rob.

They climbed a tree rising near the mansion and clung to a slightly protruding wall. Standing on the precarious ledge, it felt like they might fall if even a breeze blew. Carefully treading on the wall’s foundation stones created a thrilling situation.

Following behind Karhan, Doel looked up at the high sky and sighed. He pondered what wrong he had committed this time. The man who usually kept him busy with a tight training schedule, not giving him a moment to breathe, was now making him commit robbery against the code of chivalry. At this rate, he wondered when he would ever achieve the goal he had initially set.

He looked at Karhan without trying to hide his displeased expression. Though Karhan should have felt his gaze and turned around at least once, he was focused solely on moving diligently.

They eventually reached the end room on the third floor. Through the open window, they could see a pale man lying in bed, trying to sleep. Fortunately, there were no other signs of life in the room.

They stepped into the dark room, but the figure on the bed showed no movement, seemingly deep in sleep. Only when they crept close did his peaceful eyebrows begin to tremble finely.

By this point, Doel was curious to see what the great Duke Bartes would do, so he watched the situation from a step behind. Karhan, looking down at the unidentified figure, did not disappoint his expectations and abruptly held out a knife.

“Count Husli.”

“Huk! Wh-who, hic!”

The target of the robbery was none other than Count Husli. Known as a quiet nobleman who doesn’t cause trouble, Doel wondered what wrong he had committed for Karhan to do this. He inwardly expressed condolences to Count Husli, who appeared innocent from his countenance.

“Wh-who…”

“We’re people with a grudge against your son.”

“I don’t even know who that son is,” Doel retorted internally.

“Asmil. Where is he now?”

“As…”

Doel’s eyes widened at the unexpected name. He quietly repeated the unfinished word. He had heard that name before from Karhan. The man of unknown identity they met in the Sabon region. To think he was this Count Husli’s son. It was a completely mismatched combination.

Now that he heard the name, he did have a grudge against the son. It seemed they might find a clue in an unexpected place. Doel’s eyes gleamed coldly.

Count Husli, who had been trembling at the knife pointed at his neck, stiffened at Karhan’s words. Then suddenly his face reddened, and he twisted his lips and eyebrows mercilessly. His quivering lips parted, and a resentful voice burst out.

“It’s you! It’s because of you that our son committed suicide!”

Count Husli, who had been lying down terrified until just now, suddenly swatted away the sword with the back of his hand and jumped up. As he hurriedly tried to get out of bed, he tripped on the blanket and tumbled to the floor. Despite hitting his head on the ground, he raised his head and glared at Karhan and Doel with resentful eyes. The whites of his eyes were bloodshot.

“I won’t let this go! Hey! He-“

Though his unexpectedly violent reaction continued, Karhan calmly knocked him unconscious by jabbing him hard in the stomach with the sword handle. The count’s eyes widened momentarily from the shock, his limbs trembled as if in convulsions, and then he went limp.

The commotion in the room caused people to gather in the hallway. They hurriedly laid him down and escaped through the window. After quickly leaving the mansion, Karhan irritably tore off his mask and robe.

“He’s been brainwashed.”

It was Asmil’s ability that had freely manipulated Doel in the Sabon region. Asmil had known in advance that Karhan would come here looking for Seol. And he had quickly brainwashed Count Husli and disappeared.

A cool breeze swirled around, fluttering their clothes. The hair that had been holding together fell loose, tickling their foreheads. With nothing going as planned, everything was getting on his nerves.

Karhan blinked slowly and raised his head. Even if it meant shedding blood, he would find him.