’Tell me, Sir Isaac. Do you think Hell exists?’
’I pray it does.’
After finding out about Nathaniel’s daughter, Isaac thought he had said those words because he hoped the Baron would suffer in Hell.
But what if Nathaniel hoped he would be the one suffering in Hell as he had caused too many deaths? That kind nature matched the personality of the Nathaniel that Isaac knew.
’So, he disliked killing people. But he still did it. Why?’
Isaac still had no clue why the Human King went on a massacre that wiped out ninety-five percent of humanity.
In the end, he couldn’t find answers by thinking. He decided to put the matter to the back of his mind and focus on the tasks at hand.
He entered the carriage with the grievously injured but alive Baron, Strider, and Bard.
"There is a war coming? How did you know? Who is this Human King?" the Bard asked.
"Can you stop eavesdropping on others for once?" Strider clicked her tongue. She was well acquainted with the Bard. Both of them were Ten Stars, yet neither was a noble nor held a high-ranking position. That similarity had allowed them to become friends years ago.
"I apologize for my actions. It’s just an occupational habit. I’m always listening around for interesting stories," the Bard said.
"Strider, send a spy to follow Nathaniel and make sure he stays safe," Isaac said. He closed his eyes and focused on gathering more mana in his Magic Core. He wasn’t going to hide anything about the war, but he had no reason to explain it to the Bard yet.
The Bard caught the cue and didn’t ask anymore.
They reached the academy after six weeks.
Merlin and Princess Vera came to pick them up.
"Isaac! My dear friend!" Merlin happily hugged him.
Isaac let the protagonist do whatever he wanted. It was faster this way. If he refused, the protagonist would start acting like a drama queen again.
"Welcome back, dear," Princess Vera said with a smile.
Strider shot him a glare at those words.
Isaac ignored her glare. He told Princess Vera to take Strider and the Baron to deal with the matter.
"How is the meeting with the Royal Dragon coming along?" Isaac asked afterwards.
"I’m trying. I need to gather more achievements," Princess Vera replied.
"Mana Breathing Technique and Communication Technology aren’t enough?" Isaac asked.
"I thought they would be, but the Royal Dragon never responded to my request for a meeting. The Royal Court took the silence as a rejection," Princess Vera answered.
The Bard listened to them with an amused expression. There was little point in hiding the information from him. The entire Royal Court already knew about it anyway.
"How about we sneak into the cave of the Royal Dragon and meet them directly?" Merlin gave his opinion.
Everyone turned to him. Their gazes were as if they were looking at an idiot.
"Is your head an empty decoration? If you want to commit suicide, there are less painful ways," Strider said.
"I mean, it looks like there is an important reason why Isaac wants to meet the Royal Dragon. If they didn’t give permission with our current achievements, they might just not give permission at all. But our task is still important, so sneaking in is the only choice," Merlin said.
Before Strider could insult the protagonist again, Princess Vera intervened. She took the Baron and Strider to the Royal Court.
Months passed in a blur.
It was time for the second year of the academy to begin.
Amanda had entered the academy and came to visit Isaac.
The moment she stepped into his room, she stormed toward him. Isaac had just stepped out of the bath when she grabbed his collar and shoved him against the wall.
"Who are you? What did you do to my brother?" she snarled.
The protagonist burst into the room a split second later.
"Amanda, he is your brother! Stop causing a scene!" Merlin shouted, trying to pry her off.
Amanda shot him a murderous glare, which stopped the protagonist in his tracks.
"He awakened and reached Awakened (Beginner) and First Layer (Intermediate) in one year. He is also strong enough to defeat Baron Yilla, who was one rank above him. How can you say this man is my brother?" Amanda snarled.
She snapped her gaze to Isaac.
"Who are you? What did you do to my brother?" she all but shouted. Her gaze was filled with anger, but it also carried a hint of desperation and fear.
"Why does that matter to you?" Isaac asked.
"Because he is my—"
"You have the maid report all of my actions because you think I will embarrass the family. You would throw me out the moment the Duke allowed it. So why does it matter to you if I am not Isaac? Wouldn’t it be better if he were dead and someone else replaced—"
"Shut up!" Amanda shouted. Despite the anger, tears started to form around the edges of her eyes.
Those tears made Isaac pause.
For a moment, he was reminded of the Amanda who came to give him notice of expulsion from the family along with the one thousand Gold Coins.
She had shouted at him back then. He thought she did that because she was angry at him.
But what if...
Those words of hers were not born from her anger but desperation? What if she had wanted him to apologize? To promise that he would change? To say he would try to be better?
’Duke Wright lives by the motto of the Wright Family.’
’[There is no justice or evil. Only strength.]’
’That’s why he protected Isaac despite everything Isaac did. Because Isaac had the potential to be strong.’
’But when Duke Wright realized Isaac would never achieve anything, he let Isaac die at the hands of Merlin and Duke Falcon.’
’There is no way a man like that would give me one thousand Gold Coins while expelling me.’
Where did that money come from? Had Amanda persuaded the Duke to provide it? Or had she given it to Isaac out of her own pocket?
Isaac would never know. Because he had never tried to create any bonds and learn about others in his last life.
"I’m going to report you to the Church. They will rip out your soul and force you to reveal everything," she threatened.
"Amanda!" Merlin shouted, alarmed.
She ignored him and stared at Isaac. Isaac did not say anything. He neither tried to pry her hands off nor give an explanation. It was as if he didn’t care about her in the slightest.
Seeing his cold eyes, Amanda imagined the worst possible scenario. She was afraid her brother was gone.
Tears started to fall from her eyes.
"Please..." Her voice trembled. "Give me my brother back."
She tightened her grip on his collar.
"Please..." she whispered between sobs. "Tell me he’s still alive."
’Seems like she knows I never assaulted Zara. Who told her, though? Duke Falcon? No, he would hide the information. Merlin? Even if he told her, he would do it in a way that she doesn’t feel guilty.’
’...It must be Princess Vera. She must’ve said it in a way that made Amanda feel guilty. That’s why she is so worried about me.’