chapter 38- ( processing 4)

"We don't know why… But our 'God' gave us his trust and prediction of the future, and so we prepared... then one day, the prophecy came true, and the heroes from all edges of the continent disappeared like a lie. And that was our cue to go forth."

"Hmm."

Asher shook his bloodsoaked hand, and the droplets of blood spattered onto the ground. He wiped his face with a towel and looked at the bloodied man in front of him.

"Twenty years ago."

The heroes disappeared the day he died. If that was the case, some of his friends might have even disappeared.

He wondered what this was all related to. But yet… his friend Van Ester had been a hero who had disappeared 20 years ago as well, and had come back. There must be more, he thought.

Asher continued afterwards, to ask more questions but the man didn't know anything important. In fact, Asher even tried a little bit more torture just to be safe, but the man really didn't know much more.

'Why did he disappear?'

Van Ester, his friend had shown him a bit of why he had left, yet there was still a lot more that wasn't said. His true reason for leaving in the first place, was shrouded in mystery.

"…was it because of him that you targeted me?"

"Yeah… about half a year ago, a prophecy came from our 'God'… to kill all those who are related to the past.."

"Half a year ago…?"

Once again… it didn't seem to be random this time. Things were lining up too well, Asher thought. It was the time of his reincarnation. His thoughts became complicated.

"And…"

"And?"

"The order.. To kill you… it was a direct prophecy that we must kill you. It wasn't anything ambiguous like the ones in the past…. Our 'God' clearly marked you as a target needing to be killed at all costs."

"...."

Asher squinted at the man. So their so-called God was after him. Did they possibly know about Asher's reincarnation?

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh…."

The man was chained up and breathing heavily. His mind had reached its limit with fear and shock as he spasmed uncontrollably.

"Now… please…."

"Hmm."

Asher scratched his chin. He grabbed the chain with a suspicious face.

"Okay, I'll give you some rest."

Asher lifted the sword. The man opened his eyes wide and struggled.

"Me, kill me?" You lied! I thought you said I could go peacefully!"

"I never said I'd save you. You were mistaken."

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"You're an assassin and you're begging for your life…. How ironic is that?"

The man's body shook and trembled, as he tried to call forth the power from his god, but to no avail, Asher stood calmly with the sword, and swung it down in a straight line.

***

It was getting dark already. People started to go back to their homes, organizing their workplaces and hitting the taverns for liquor.

"Oh, you're here?"

Reika spoke, sweating. Asher nodded politely in response.

"Hm. I'm sorry it took a bit longer than expected."

"It has been a long time, I was starting to get worried. Everything's fine but… huh-? There's a smell of blood."

Reika stiffened her face and stepped backwards as she was approaching Asher.

"What the! Why do you smell like blood?"

"Does it smell that bad?"

"It's awful."

Reika frowned.

"I think it's even more smelly because my sweat is all over the place as well."

"Even with a bath, this kind of thing will never fade Reika. If you're going to live as a swordsman, you're always going to have a light smell of blood and iron on you."

"What happened to you…?"

The village was quiet the entire time Asher had been gone. The incident didn't blow out of proportion. And Asher had never gone out with the smell of blood that thick on him.

"Just a thing or two. Where's Luke?"

"He's probably at a bar in town. He'll be back soon. You aren't going to tell me, are you?"

"He is well aware of what happened, actually. But, it's still too early for you to know."

When Reika was ready to go out and see the world for herself, and find out the cruel harsh reality that lay outside the Halvark manor surrounded by aristocracy, he would tell her. But she wasn't ready yet. If he did tell her, then she would just be scarred and be torn apart mentally.

"I need to go back to the village for now, Reika. I'll see you tomorrow. And since we took a break from teaching today, I'll make up for it with some intense training tomorrow.."

"…wait."

Reika blocked him with a stiff face. Reika remembered that Asher had said he was following Luke's orders. And yet, he came back with a bloody smell. Reika grabbed the sword.

"I can't let you go."

"Oh, you still care for him it seems?"

Asher smiled. She didn't mean to stop him from doing anything like that. Reika shook her head.

"What are you talking about? I don't just care about you. I'm worried about you."

"...."

Asher paused at the unexpected remark. She was worried about him, and not her family.

"Honestly, whatever happens to that bastard doesn't matter to me."

She had little affection for Luke. She was originally a sincere and steady person, so she couldn't have liked Luke who always made trouble and bothered the residents. The emotion exploded last time, when Luke made fun of Asher and tried to humiliate him, and now she didn't even want to be on speaking terms with him.

So, she didn't care for him. In the first place, Reika was going to leave the manor eventually. This estate was too small for her, who was determined to walk the path of the sword. She was worried about her parents, but she was the eldest daughter anyway. There was no birth right for her to succeed the title. It would be better for her to leave on her own will, rather to be used as a political chess piece for some other family that forced a marriage onto her.

"Asher, I know how you feel. But you're a commoner. If you touch an aristocrat, it'll be hard for my parents and I to protect you."