A lot is going on in my head at the moment.

Right now, Freya is unconscious because of the immense strain that accompanied the use of Divination to such an extent. Even if it succeeded, she still had to Divine past an Anti Divination barrier, and also regarding the affairs of a Leviathan—an existence higher than her own.

Such a thing shouldn't normally be possible, and if it is, it would come at a huge cost. Even now, a few days after the Divination, she has yet to regain consciousness. Jasper is currently watching over her, and they are both a day's travel from my current location, which means I can get to them at any time.

As for the army, I intentionally led them in the opposite direction from where I had those two stay.

Jasper could try to escape, but I've taken precautions to make that highly unlikely. Besides, he'll get benefits if he sticks with me, so I don't expect him to go anywhere.

In the end, I decided to spare the two.

For my future plans… I reckon they'll both be useful.

'Now, then… let's focus on the main attraction for today.' I cast my gaze on the Count and maintain my calm smile.

I wonder what is going on in his mind at this moment.

************

'I'm fucked!'

Count Kaelen Thornvale's thoughts are all jumbled up, but he is certain of this one fact.

He is really screwed!

Not only did he collude with Zarius, who slaughtered Javier's family and ruined his entire Household, but now he also attempted to take the young man's life.

Who is Javier Aditi?

—A Leviathan!

Someone who killed Zarius, a known Leviathan, and has now displayed power beyond normal human limitations.

His logic-defying powers are too mystical, leaving behind no Trace Elements at all.

This is sufficient proof for the Count.

In his attempt to preserve his own life, he did the one thing he was never meant to do—he ended up crossing a Leviathan!

"P-please Jav… I mean, Sir… I, I am deeply sorry." Count Kaelen hurriedly prostrates before Javier, keeping his head pressed against the ground as hard as he can in a display of absolute subservience while he pleads for mercy.

"Please forgive me! I promise, I had nothing to do with the death of your family! That was all—"

"How did you and Zarius meet?" Javier asks the first question as he proceeds behind the Count's desk and watches him with keen eyes.

He then sits comfortably, leaning backwards in the soft chair.

Count Kaelen watches this with an unmistakably relieved expression. Javier is willing to hear him out, at least for now, which means there is a chance he could survive. Desperate to live, Count Kaelen quickly decides to spill.

"H-he… approached me, actually. He knew everything about me, and my… desires. He took advantage of that and told me he could help me become Duke. I… I heard him out and decided to work together with him. Back then, I didn't know what kind of person he was and the atrocities he would end up committing… You have to believe me, Sir!"

"Go on…" Javier waves nonchalantly as he keeps an expressionless face.

"O-okay! At first, it was an equal collaboration. But, eventually… after revealing his more sinister side and his existence as a… Leviathan, I took on the subservient role. For over a decade, we worked together. He introduced me to the inner circle of the Dark Guild and made me manage its affairs for him, claiming he was a busy man. He only showed up once in a while to give me instructions, then he would cause havoc in some location, make some moves to advance our plans, and leave yet again."

Javier listens quietly and simply nods.

His expectant gaze clearly tells the Count that he wishes to know more.

"The plan was to drown the Kingdom into Civil War… but it was all his machinations! I didn't want to go that far, but with my entire Household held hostage, I had no choice. Even the Royal Family feared him and would make no moves against him, so I knew I could do nothing. I also had no one to turn to…"

"…."

"The plan failed because of your interference, and he said he would get rid of you. That was the last I saw of him, I swear."

"So was he the one who sent the assassins?"

"N-no, but he made me—"

"Lies. You took the initiative to send them after me. You ran the affairs of the Dark Guild without him, and he only stepped in to handle the major parts of the plan. For an inconvenience like me at the time, you would have taken care of it without him… or am I wrong?"

"N-no… you're correct. I'm sorry…"

Count Kaelen already knows that it's useless to hide things from Javier or try to lie. As a Leviathan, his powers are beyond his imagination. Plus, Javier is no fool.

Judging by how everything went in his favor, he may have already taken down the Dark Guild's headquarters and gotten all the information he needs. As such, lying is useless and would only aggravate him more.

Besides, didn't Count Kaelen just try to kill Javier?

Zarius was definitely not present to give any orders, yet he did such a vile act.

This already proves the Count's nature.

'Damnit! I should have just run away when I had the chance! With my hidden assets, I could have preserved my life and lived a relatively peaceful life far away from all this, maybe in another Kingdom!'

Yet, his greed took hold of him, and he decided to take a chance.

Just like with Zarius back then, he was blinded by the potential benefits that he ended up falling into a deep pit, unable to come out.

'No matter what I say… how much I plead… it'll likely be useless.'

Javier Aditi is a Leviathan.

Zarius already taught Count Kaelen that Leviathans don't view human lives the same way that humans do. They are beyond such lowly concepts as conventional morality, and they stand above all others as the apex beings of the world.

Javier does not need to spare the Count and could kill him at any time.

Unless—

"I will be honest with you, Sir! I did it for selfish reasons… for my Household. We've been looked down on for centuries, and I wanted to elevate us to a level beyond reproach. It certainly wasn't my intention to cause a Civil War or slaughter your family… that was all Lord Zarius' idea, but I admit that I would have benefited from it. I simply ask for your leniency and understanding. If you spare me here, I promise to devote myself entirely to your service. I will do anything you ask of me. My Household will be yours to command. Please… show mercy to this humble servant. Let me prove my loyalty with my substance. I can be of great use…" Tears stream down his face as he sobs like a mere child.

The sight appears strange: an older, much larger man begging so pathetically in front of the much younger fellow. Unlike the simply dressed Javier, Count Kaelen is garbed in all manner of noble accessories and fine linen, yet he is clearly the inferior one.

Suddenly, this seems like a reenactment of his experience with Zarius.

—A true display of the disparity that exists between a mortal… and a deity.

"Let me correct you on two things…" Javier finally speaks up, his tone low, albeit stern. "Firstly, don't use your Household as an excuse. Everything you did… You did for yourself. Zarius wouldn't have approached you if he knew you wouldn't cooperate. No, he knew exactly the kind of man you are, which is why he knew you could be used. I know this because I would think the same way."

"…."

"Secondly, your offer holds no merit to me. I already know the locations of all your hidden assets in the Dark Guild. I can also absorb all the assets you have in your Estate with very little difficulty. As you said earlier, even the Royal Family fears Leviathans, and they won't be able to stop me once they are aware of my identity."

"Sir—!"

"The only issue I'll have is the amount of time it'll take to fully absorb your resources, but I am a patient person. I can wait…" Javier sighs, his eyes closed for a moment. "All of this is to say that you are of no real value to me. I'd rather use your son instead, but I have no need for him either."

Suddenly, Count Kaelen feels a chill run through his body.

Terror seeps through his bones.

'My son? My entire family? Don't tell me—!'

"I will be killing you here, Kaelen Thornvale…" Javier's voice is so cold, and his expression devoid of an ounce of emotion.

There exists no consideration in his eyes.

Just apathy.

Pure, unfiltered apathy towards the death of the Count and what comes after.

"… And once I'm done, I'll make sure the Thornvale Household that you cherish so much meets the same fate as the Aditi Household."

"N-no… please, no!" Count Kaelen screams in sheer horror. "Anything but that, Sir! Javier! Please, anything but that!"

Javier slowly rises to his feet, his gaze of judgment resting on the trembling Count.

The dead man still breathing.

"Prepare yourself… for the most painful moment of your existence."

After a brief moment of silence, painful screams follow.

Raw.

Loud.

Disturbing.

Horrifying beyond description.

They continue for hours without end, but not a whisper leaks out of the isolated room.

A Private Study now transformed into a chamber of agony… and death.

***************

Flames burn bright.

I watch with an empty gaze as the entire Thornvale Manor is consumed by extreme heat—the vast, tall buildings now drowned with loud, terrifying fires.

Night has fallen.

The army has long retreated.

Count Kaelen's carriage, controlled by a man I threatened, is long gone, alongside all his aides.

By the time they realize what is going on, it'll already be too late.

Everything will be razed to the ground.

I made sure all the staff and occupants escaped, and his family has also been evacuated.

As vengeful as I am regarding the Count, I still want to avoid taking innocent human lives. Even though I have become a Leviathan, I have yet to sink to the levels of depravity that Zarius was in.

Not yet, anyway.

But, the more I think about it, the more I realize…

'I don't even know who or what qualifies as innocent anymore.'

I thought the Count was a trustworthy person. I thought I had his personality and intentions all figured out, but this sudden revelation has shown me that I knew nothing.

Nothing about the Count.

Nothing about the Dark Guild.

Nothing about the Randalorion Kingdom.

As a human, I knew nothing of the perspective of Zarius or the struggles of a Leviathan, but now I understand things a little better.

But this has only made my sheer ignorance more apparent.

I truly know nothing at all.

"The Thornvale household will be stripped of its position after this incident, since its origins will be tied to the existence of a Leviathan. As such, it will meet the same fate as the Aditi Household…" I tell myself this in an attempt to feel a little more cheerful about the current sight before me, but all that exists in my heart is emptiness.

Darkness washes over me as the brilliance of the flames forms a sharp contrast on my face.

Tears fall down my face while I smile.

'I can't be fooled by anyone again. I can't afford to trust blindly or make assumptions about anything any longer.'

Reality, as I have come to understand it, is merely an illusion.

A lie.

What seemed like a random series of events in my past life was machinations by Zarius.

So the lucky coincidences and advantages I have enjoyed since my regression might not be so different as well.

Who is pulling the strings? Who are the ones truly behind everything?

With an exhausted, terrified, and mildly inquisitive mind, I pose this question to the ones who lurk in the shadows of history and act as the supreme overseers of time.

I offer this query to them that move the world.

… To what end?

No answer comes, of course, but this event has made one thing terribly apparent to me.

'I am not the same as I was before. Right now, I must begin to think about the benefits and losses. Those whose existences profit me, and those who are detrimental to my plans. The ones who are good to me, and the ones who choose to harm me. Those who are useful and those who aren't…'

And no, it's not merely because I am a Leviathan.

That is no excuse.

In the end, I choose what it is I wish to be, and I walk on the path I set for myself.

Becoming a Leviathan doesn't make a person automatically evil, and being a human doesn't make one good. The only difference that exists between the two is the vast levels of freedom that the former enjoys over the latter.

As humans, choices are always limited.

A commoner will likely remain one till death, and a royal will likely enjoy wealth until they pass it on to their successors. There is very little one can do to break out of this status quo, and the barriers are fixed—rigged in favor of some and against others.

But, Leviathans do not need to abide by these rules.

I now have a wider range of choices and several methods at my disposal, which humans cannot even begin to fathom.

That is all… that is the main difference that exists.

Thus…

Leviathan or not, I am making this choice of my own volition.

The choice to selfishly live for myself and disregard the morals I once held in high regard.

I will ensure my actions cause the least amount of harm and guarantee the greatest of benefits, but in the end, the main winner will be myself. As a human, my selfishness mostly affected myself, with my family being a rare casualty, but as a Leviathan, any action I take will be sure to bear severe consequences for far more people.

But I am willing to do it regardless.

To keep living according to my desires, not faltering for a moment.

I will not seek to injure others, but I will make no apologies for doing so if it brings me one step closer to my goal of saving my family.

A selfish goal, I must say.

Yes, I will be saving them… but is it not for more own self-satisfaction more than anything?

I could not move on from their deaths, which I caused, so I wish to rescue them from their already concluded fates.

I also do not wish to die until I achieve this goal, so I will continue to consume Potions, plundering resources from ill-gotten sources and even colluding with the Dark Guild to take advantage of its accumulated channels and wealth.

All of these are immoral and abhorrent acts that I once fought against with my comrades.

But… I will now let go of those ideals

As a Leviathan… No, as Javier Aditi, no such barrier exists any longer.

I am free.

I possess grand wings that allow me to transcend humanity and laugh at the world.

Watch mankind from high above and witness the birth of miracles.

Conceive schemes that transcend generations.

Control Nobles like puppets and turn Kings against one another.

I make emperors tremble in their sleep.

I drive rulers mad with terror.

I rule everything around me with unshakable control and unfathomable depths.

Yes…

I have become one of those who move the world.

[A/N: The novel will become a lot more fast-paced from this point on, as Javier has now actively embraced his identity as a Leviathan and is clear on his purpose. To those who have waited and read thus far, I commend you… and also ask for a bit more patience before the true essence of this volume unfolds. We are still in the first of the four arcs in this volume, after all…]

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