Chapter 18: Remnants of the Past

In that short time, numerous scenes flashed through Muno’s mind.

- Now, it’s time for a fun experiment, little boy. Ke ke ke.

A man entering with a saw, a hammer, nails, and other tools, along with an unidentified red reagent.

- How the hell are you holding on!?

Why aren’t you being brainwashed! Damn you!!

Because of you, I have to…….

Thwack, thwack thwack.

Endless violence and abuse disguised as experiments.

That room was always overflowing with blood.

His own blood.

- You dare to attempt an escape!!?

With that measly ability to control metal bits……!

The underling in that place who had taken the lead in wielding violence against him and carrying out cruel experiments in those horrific memories that had become trauma.

The old man before him now looked much older than that guy, but he was definitely the same person.

That guy’s name wasn’t Toine, but…….

“Amos!”

Chwareureuk.

Bang!

Along with Muno’s furious shout, the black chains that shot out from his right hand, bursting the blazing fireball, struck at the man’s head like a thunderbolt.

“Hut!?”

The moment the startled Toine’s, no, Amos’s, pupils dilated.

A faint sense of reason returned to Muno’s mind as he met those eyes.

‘I can’t kill him now!’

He had many things to ask the man.

At that thought, the power in the extending chains lessened slightly.

Thanks to that, the man had an opening to reflexively raise his cane and create a transparent defensive barrier.

Kwang!

“H, heueu!? How dare you……!”

Amos, who had instinctively stepped back in the meantime, roared as if to hide his surprised expression.

Kwaduk.

But upon seeing the defensive barrier being absorbed by the chains with a sound like something being torn apart, he was horrified and moved his cane again.

Thump.

Pajijijik.

As he struck the floor with his cane, a surge of demonic energy in the form of a black thornbush erupted and began to fill the room, rushing towards Muno.

However.

“It’s useless.”

Chwareureureuk.

The moment Muno showed a smile filled with killing intent, chains shot out from his other hand and both ankles, striking towards the black thornbush-shaped energy.

Kwadududuk.

As if reflecting his confidence, the chains instantly crushed and absorbed the black thornbush.

Kwadududuk.

Kwakwakwa.

Only the thornbush outside the range of the chains burst out through the unfortunate door.

“H, how……!?”

Seeing Amos’s horrified expression, Muno charged straight at him.

“……Impossible!”

Thump.

Kwakwakwakwakwakwa.

Then, a wave of fire erupted from the man’s cane as he struck the floor again, covering the entire front and pouring down on Muno.

Kwaaaaaaaang!

A wave of flame that burst through the wall in an instant and poured out of the building.

However.

“Hmph!”

Paaaaaaang.

Muno, wrapped in black chains, burst through the flames without a single burn on his entire body.

Even in the midst of it all, his black pupils were blazing and burning.

Horrified, Amos struck the floor with his cane again and let out a scream-like shout.

“Not a chance!!”

Thump.

Flash.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaang!

In an instant, lightning erupted from the cane and engulfed Muno’s body, casting a bright yellow light beyond the collapsed wall.

Ruuuuuumble.

But as expected.

Muno broke through the lightning and appeared right in front of him.

Pajijijik.

He hadn’t been able to completely ignore the lightning, as his hair was standing on end and he was grimacing, emitting electric shocks between his teeth.

“Sincerely……!”

The killing intent blooming on his face, which was baring his white teeth, was enough to make Amos recoil.

“……Welcome back!”

Chwareureureuk.

As the chains from his limbs sealed the man’s body, his fist struck Amos’s face.

Ppoeok!

“Keok!”

Sway.

Kwaduduk.

“Kkeueueuk!”

The chains restrained the man’s body, which should have been sent flying with a half-smashed face, and pulled him back in front of Muno.

“Now. I have so many things I want to ask, Amos.”

- Kill! Kill!

The murderous impulse of the Demon Devourer echoing in his head again, and at the same time, the trauma from a distant memory that suddenly began to surface.

Muno’s voice, as he spoke while trying to suppress them, was filled with a chilling killing intent.

“How are you guys alive? I definitely heard you all died back then.”

“H, heueu, ho, how…….”

As if he still hadn't grasped reality, Amos’s pupils were trembling and unfocused.

Disgusted by the sight, Muno slammed the man’s body, bound by the chains, to the floor.

Kwang!

“Keok!?”

In succession.

Kwang.

“Kek!?”

Several times.

Kwaang.

“Kkeueueu…….”

Cough.

As a result, the man coughed up bloody foam, but his pupils found their place.

“Now. Are you in the mood to answer?”

“You, how, how are you…….”

However, the answer was not to his liking.

Kwang!

“I’m the one asking the questions.”

“Kkeueueu. Cough.”

Amos’s terrified face, after being slammed to the floor once more and coughing up blood, came into full view.

The sight that Muno, who had been a abused child in his forgotten memories, had so desperately wished for.

But.

“How are you alive? Weren’t all of you finished?”

“……Pfft.”

The desired answer never came.

“Answer me!”

Kwang!

“……Keoheuk.”

Cough.

He tried striking the floor with a roar of chains again, but only a resigned expression appeared on Amos’s face.

And at that moment.

“Muno!”

“Prince Muno!”

The party burst in through the broken wall.

‘Damn…….’

The moment Muno’s gaze turned to them.

“Heuh……. Hehe.”

Amos, his face growing darker with resignation, began to tremble.

At the same time, demonic energy surged.

“All of you, die……!”

Amos’s body swelled abnormally as he uttered the chilling words with his eyes rolled back.

Kwadududuk.

- Kill!

Ududuk.

Then, the Demon Devourer’s shout echoed in Muno’s head, and the chains, moving instinctively, constricted the man’s body.

Pshshshshk.

As the surging demonic energy was absorbed by the chains, Amos’s swelling body began to return to its original state.

A cold smile formed on Muno’s lips, and despair descended again on Amos’s face, which had been wearing a bitter smile.

“H, how……?”

“That again?

Hmph.

Let’s see how long you keep your mouth shut.”

Kwaduk.

This time, as he was about to put force into the chains with the intention of crushing the man’s body completely.

His father’s voice intervened.

“Muno, what happened!?”

At the same time, the gazes of Gremon and Karina poured in.

If it were just his father, it would be one thing, but he couldn’t ignore the gazes of those two.

“……As you can see, I have captured a magician.”

“Right. I can see that. So let him go now.”

“Father?”

“That’s enough, Muno.”

At those words, Muno finally saw his own reflection in his father’s eyes.

Disheveled hair, killing intent surging from his entire body, and muscles bulging as if they were about to burst.

It was a change that had occurred because his energy was overflowing from absorbing magic and sucking in demonic energy, but it was obvious how it would look to others.

Moreover, he was also revealing the chains from his limbs that were binding the magician, so it must have been a shocking sight.

But even so, he didn’t want to let Amos go.

“Father. This man, he survived that day 10 years ago.”

“What!?”

“Brother. Don't tell me those words are……”

“What are you talking about? Prince Muno, and what’s with this appearance?”

At those words, Gremon and Karina reacted violently.

“I understand.

I’ll take care of it.

So hand him over. ”

His father, as if he had never been surprised, approached with a calm expression again and grabbed Muno’s arm.

“You, you’re too agitated right now. Nothing will get done like this. You mustn’t be swept away by the power of the Artifact. Get a grip!”

Artifact?

What non…….

‘Ah…….’

Muno, realizing that his father was creating an excuse to explain his current appearance, calmed his excitement a little.

On top of that.

Wince.

As his father squeezed his forearm with excessive force, he could see black veins appearing under his skin.

Only then did his mind clear as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over it.

‘Damn…….’

It seemed the changes caused by absorbing demonic energy were more noticeable than he thought.

He naturally became conscious of Gremon and Karina’s gazes, and seeing the suspicion in their eyes, the power in his chains naturally began to drain away.

However.

“Heuh. W, who do you think you are…….”

“??”

In the brief moment of weakness, a black light began to spread across Amos’s face.

Even the stream of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth had turned black.

“Poison!?”

“This son of a……!”

He hastily released the chains, but Amos, who had fallen to the floor with a thud, was already breathing his last.

“I, it’s too late. Heuh…….”

Cough.

Black blood flowed out.

“We have to save him! Father! A priest……. Ah, there’s no such thing here, right? Damn it, this goddamn country town!”

Muno shouted without realizing it.

The dying Amos, however, gave a faint smile.

“M, monster bastard. Eats magi……”

This is……!

The moment he guessed what words were about to come out, the chains, responding to his will, violently struck the dying man.

Ppoeok.

Thump.

Thud.

The party, seeing Amos who had been sent flying into the opposite wall, had a momentarily stunned expression.

“You, didn’t you just say to save him……?”

“Ha……. That is, um……. He was trying to use magic again……”

At Gremon’s incredulous, a stung Muno made an unconvincing excuse.

Cough. Cough.

“You, you will somehow, the organization will retu……”

“Bullshit!”

Kwang!

The moment the man showed signs of speaking further, the chains smashed his head.

It was frustrating not being able to properly take revenge on an old enemy, but it was more urgent to shut the mouth of the man who was about to blabber information at will.

The party, who had been invited as witnesses to the magician hunt, had instead become a hindrance to his revenge.

But it couldn't be helped.

‘A dying man sure talks a lot. Son of a…….’

The moment he turned around, soothing his panicked heart, he felt the entire party staring at him with blank eyes.

“Brother, isn’t your son a bit violent…….”

“Prince……?”

Ahem.

“If a magician is determined to die and takes poison, there’s no point in capturing him…… is what I’ve heard. He might spread false information to confuse us. Ha, haha.”

A cold sweat trickled down Muno’s back as he hastily made excuses.

He had just blurted out words he didn't even know were right or wrong.

“……That’s true.”

Fortunately, his father nodded his head.

Of course, Gremon and Karina were still looking at him with incredulous eyes.

But since he, the eldest son of this territory and the one who had subdued the magician, said so, they wouldn't be able to object.

Thinking so, Muno stealthily changed the subject.

“Ah, Sir Karina. You’ve subdued those knights well, right?”

“Ah…….”

The two knights who were guarding this room.

They hadn’t seen him eat magic, but they definitely seemed to know Amos’s, no, Toine’s intentions.

‘The witnesses are sufficient.’

He asked with a smile.

“They are alive, but…….”

“Pardon?”

Alive, but……?

At the sight of Karina who couldn't meet his eyes and was avoiding his gaze, he asked back blankly without realizing it.

“W, well……. Those guys, they didn't know a knight's honor, and they kept saying insulting things, so as a form of discipline……”

“You killed…… them?”

“No, they’re alive! They’re alive…….”

For some reason, those words sounded more chilling than if he had said he had killed them.

‘What the hell did you do!’

He wanted to press further, but seeing Karina shooting him a look that said ‘it won’t be fun if you pry further!’ with a flushed face, he could only smile awkwardly and turn his gaze away.

“Father, then…….”

“Leave, the interrogation of those living knights to me.”

“Are you going to do it yourself?”

“Of course not. I’m not suited for that kind of work. I’ll just leave it to Gunter.”

“Pardon?”

It was a difficult answer to understand.

Sir Gunter was practically the head of the Drasen knights and a 3-Star knight, but apart from his skills, he was a good-natured uncle who was always laughing heartily.

So Muno couldn't help but infer the meaning of those words on his own.

“……Ah. Did Sir Gunter also know how to treat broken people?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Pardon?”

The father and son stared at each other blankly.

Then, Ryan let out a smirk as if he had realized something.

“If it’s Gunter, as long as they’re still breathing, he can pull out memories from their infancy.”

“Pardon?”

“Because he’s the best torture technician I know.”

……What kind of technician?

‘That good-natured uncle?’

The image of Sir Gunter in his head clashed with his father’s words, and he became dazed again.

“Brother, does Sir Gunter still do the torture himself these days? While smiling?”

“Not these days. There’s no reason to. But…….”

Listening to the conversation Sir Gremon and his father were having, he naturally found himself imagining it.

The sight of that laughing, mustachioed uncle torturing someone with that same expression…….

‘Ha…….’

Feeling goosebumps on his forearms, he reminded himself that one can’t judge a person by their cover.

His father spoke to him again.

“And son.”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry for the country town. I’ll somehow grow the territory and make sure a temple is built.”

Gasp…….

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s not that. It’s the fault of the country territory that has no temple or priest, what can you do. It was a valid point…….”

……He’s sulking.

He’s properly sulking.

To Muno, dealing with his father’s lingering resentment was more worrying than the messy guest room.

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