I remained quiet and continued eating as though the conversation had nothing to do with me. Around the table, everyone had already begun discussing the Saint’s death, each coming up with their own theories about what might have happened in Region Four.
My father was the first to glance back at me.
"So that’s where you disappeared to."
I didn’t answer.
He leaned back in his chair with a knowing smile.
"I knew you weren’t simply wandering around the settlement. You vanished for an entire day. I only do that when I am chasing something strange." He pointed his chopsticks toward me. "You went because we told you about those eyes, didn’t you?"
I continued eating.
My silence was answer enough.
Roland let out a small chuckle before taking the empty chair beside the table. He reached into his robe, pulled out a small metal flask, and took a long drink before speaking.
"I’d bet that’s exactly why he went." He wiped his mouth and looked at me. "Still..." His expression became more serious. "That was a reckless thing to do, Billion. Region Four isn’t somewhere you can casually wander into. One mistake and you wouldn’t have come back."
I kept my eyes on my plate. The room fell quiet again.
Then—
My father tapped the table with his knuckles.
"Hey."
I finally looked up.
"We’re talking to you."
I swallowed the food in my mouth before setting my utensils down.
"Yes," I said calmly. "Both of you are right. I went because I wanted to learn more about the All-Knowing Eyes."
Roland sighed, clearly expecting that answer.
"But it wasn’t as dangerous as you think," I continued. "I didn’t go in blindly. I spent quite a bit of time preparing beforehand."
Neither of them looked convinced. Before they could lecture me again, I continued.
"And your suspicion was correct."
Roland frowned.
"Lacome really was using the All-Knowing Eyes to search for surviving Ironhart descendants living in the real world."
A heavy silence settled over the room.
"I knew it..." Roland muttered quietly.
My mother let out a relieved breath.
"At least that’s over now." A small smile appeared on her face. "If Lacome is dead, then the All-Knowing Eyes disappeared with him. That’s one less thing our family has to worry about."
I shook my head.
"No."
Everyone looked at me.
"The Eyes didn’t disappear."
Confusion spread across every face.
"What do you mean?" my father asked.
I met their gazes one after another before answering in the most casual voice I could manage.
"Because they’re with me now."
Then, before anyone could ask another question, I activated the Talent.
Black markings slowly spread around my eyes like flowing ink, and a pair of black X-shaped pupils appeared within my irises, rotating slowly as an invisible pressure filled the room.
For several long seconds, my family simply stared at me. Every expression around the table froze.
Roland stared at me with wide eyes, his mouth opening and closing several times before any words finally came out.
"How...?" he asked quietly. "What... what is going on?"
I shrugged.
"I killed him. It wasn’t an easy fight," I lied calmly. "During it, I learned that the All-Knowing Eyes were never an artifact. They were Lacome’s innate Talent."
Nobody interrupted.
"So after I killed him..." I tapped my chest lightly. "...I claimed the Talent for myself."
My father blinked several times.
"You can... do that?"
I nodded.
"That’s one of my abilities."
The family exchanged bewildered looks.
After a long silence, I leaned back in my chair.
"To be honest, my own Talent has always been so absurd that most abilities I come across don’t impress me very much. They’re useful, but nothing that really stands out."
I looked up at them, unable to hide a small smile.
"But this one..."
I activated the All-Knowing Eyes once more, the black markings around my eyes becoming slightly darker.
"...this one is different."
My smile widened.
"This Talent is incredible."
"The Talent is called the All-Knowing Eyes," I began. "The name is actually very accurate. Simply put, if I want to know something, the Eyes will search for the answer. Depending on the question, they can look through space, trace the past, or even follow the flow of time itself. The more difficult the question is, the more Soul Force they consume."
I paused for a moment before continuing.
"They also have another ability. If I ask whether something is true or false, the Eyes will give me an answer. They won’t explain why, but they’ll tell me if the statement is true, false, or if even they can’t determine the answer."
The room had fallen completely silent. No one reached for their food anymore.
Roland slowly lowered the flask that had been halfway to his mouth.
"...That’s it?"
I blinked.
"What do you mean, ’that’s it’?"
"I mean..." He pointed at me. "That’s what the Talent does?"
"Yes."
Roland let out a long breath before leaning back in his chair.
"That’s terrifying."
My father nodded immediately.
"I was expecting something that could see through walls or read people’s thoughts."
"No," I replied. "It doesn’t work like that."
"That’s even worse," my mother said quietly.
Everyone looked at her.
"If he can simply ask questions and receive answers..." She frowned. "Think about how many secrets would become impossible to hide."
Roland gave a slow nod.
"She’s right. Information has always been one of the greatest weapons in existence. There are wars that have been won because one side knew something the other didn’t. There are kingdoms that have fallen because a single secret was exposed."
He looked directly into my eyes.
"And now you’re carrying a Talent that can uncover those secrets."
I shrugged.
"It’s not limitless. The stronger the question, the greater the cost. Asking where someone nearby is doesn’t consume much. Asking about someone powerful..." I shook my head. "That can drain a frightening amount of Soul Force. If I ask something beyond what I can handle, the Eyes won’t stop searching just because it’s dangerous."
Roland’s expression immediately became serious.
"So the Talent can kill its own user."
"It can."
"Good."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Good?"
"If it didn’t have a weakness like that, I’d start believing the world had finally gone insane."
A small laugh escaped my father, while my mother simply sighed and rubbed her temples.
"I don’t know whether I should be relieved or even more worried."
"Definitely more worried," Roland said with complete confidence.
The entire table burst into laughter. Even I couldn’t help smiling. I quietly finished the last of my meal before placing my utensils on the table and standing up.
"Leaving already?" my father asked.
I nodded.
"I promised Gerald I’d visit him after he finished his preparations. He should be ready by now."
Without waiting for another lecture, I stepped outside into the hall. I closed my eyes and focused on the countless echoes spread throughout my soul.
The familiar darkness appeared once again.
Countless crimson lights filled my vision, each representing a place where I had left a piece of my existence behind. My attention quickly found the one I was searching for.
Gerald’s pocket realm.
A faint smile crossed my face.
"So this works across pocket realms too."
Reaching toward the crimson beacon with my will, I whispered two simple words.
"Echo Reversion."
The world around me disappeared once again.