Even if I were to run, I still wouldn’t be able to escape. They would immediately shoot me down. I was now trapped. If the duke wanted to, he could kill me. Butー

He ordered the men to go away. He stood in front of me. His imposing figure made me shiver to the bones. His face told me that I would be killed if I didn’t cooperate with him.

He asked “Who are you?”

“I am Maru Alck.” - “Alck...”

“Did you kill my son?” - “I did.”

“Why?” - “Revenge.”

Maybe I was seeing things, but his eyes glowed red to me. I felt like I was prey to him; the predator. It was as though my body was freezing just from his gaze.

And suddenlyー

I flew into a tree. What happened? It hurts. It hurts so much. My arms and legs feel like they’re going to break apart. My chest felt like it was going to burst. What happened? Did he punch me? Did a swordsman just punch me?

My head feels so heavy, I feel like I’m going to fall right now. It hurts so much. My nose feels numb...

“Snap out of it! You killed my son, didn’t you?! Own up to your actions!”

Oh yeah... I was the one who killed Varkhaz! 

He charged at me, I blocked it with my rusty sword, but then it broke. So strong!

“Yeah old man! I was the one who killed Varkhaz! I killed him with my own hands, I watched him suffer, and I watched him bleed out!”

I subconsciously started laughing. This fight excited me to the core, everything in my body told me to rest right now, but I can’t back down!

“Sarah! Do you have a sword?!”

| I.. do.. |

“Then give it to me!”

| I can’t... It uses your blood... |

“My blood, hahahaha!”

“I’ll take it.”

| 「Blade of Moder」will now be given. |

And suddenly a hole opened near my hand, I put my hand in there and took out what I felt. However it wasn’t a sword, but rather just the hilt of a short sword.

“I summon thee,「Blade of Moder」!”

Once I took it out of the hole, it started taking the blood on the ground and on my body. And it formed itself, a blade of blood.

| 「Blade of Moder」has been activated! |

It glowed red, a dark dark red. 

I charged at the duke, he simply stood there. However once I sliced, I realised there was nothing there.

Right as I turned to face my back, I saw the duke who then kicked me, it felt as though a hundred people charged into my back. I rolled on the ground and didn’t stop. 

I got up... Even though my bones were broken. Even though my muscles were torn. Even though I was bleeding. Even though it hurt everywhere.

And suddenly I was hit in the back of my head. And I fell unconscious.

However it felt like a long time, I couldn’t remember much. Who was I? And soon I felt like I was covered in a cloud. As though I laid inside a cloud. A very soft cloud.

What was this thing I laid in? Why does it feel so comfortable...?

And suddenly after an eternity of darkness, I tried opening my eyes...

However, it was bright. I closed my eyes immediately. Slowly I opened my eyes. Blinking a few times, my eyes adjusted to the light.

When I looked at the top, what I saw wasn’t the shed nor was it the sky. It was a roof, an extremely beautiful roof, it had a painting, it almost calmed my mind.

As I looked to the sides, I saw a maid cleaning the cupboards next to me. She then looked at me, she first fell on the floor and then she ran out the room.. Am I that scary?

Another man came into the room, he seemed to be a butler, he had long-blonde hair, he was tall and had green eyes. He shouted “The young master is back! He’s back!” 

And then he proceeded to run out the room again, wondering whether he referred to me. I looked to my sides, perhaps there was another person, but it seemed that he was referring to me. I was confused. Last time I remembered I was only a baron’s son.

And then a familiar face came in. It was the duke. The butler closed the door and waited outside.

“Maru...” he said and he sat in the chair next to me.

I tried talking, but I couldn’t even move my arms and legs. 

“You are now... Varkhaz.”

He continued after a moment. “You will learn to be an aristocrat. This is the only way you, my friend’s son, can live.”

At that moment I realised why he helped me. 

“You killed my son... But he didn’t do those things with the intention to do them... Please... forgive him...” he teared up and grinded his teeth. However I can’t forgive him... Can I? 

“If you would like to leave once you recover, I have no objections, however remember that you will live a life of running away. I will... help you.”

He then muttered something, yet I didn’t hear it.

He later told me that the butler waiting outside was named Alf. And that I was told to have memory loss, which justified why I am learning everything again. But can I really live on like this...?

I simply looked at the roof and wondered.