The Arrow of Destiny Cuts Through the Night

#14

The masked man with a sword at his waist led Kain to a grand mansion through a secluded alley.

Despite the gravity of the situation, Kain couldn’t help but be amazed at the enormous estate. With its lavish furnishings, it felt like entering a dragon’s lair.

No elf would fail to be astonished by the intricate statues lining both sides of the corridor and the paintings covering all four walls. It’s important to note that Kain’s admiration wasn’t for their beauty or grandeur, but rather a reflection on the endless human desire to collect.

Unaware of this, the masked man irritably pushed Kain’s shoulder.

“Keep moving.”

Though fierce, it was a quiet voice. They must not want others in the mansion to know I’m here, Kain thought to himself as he responded halfheartedly.

“Alright, alright.”

That’s when it happened.

The masked man stopped abruptly in front of a door. It was a large double door finished with purple silk. As they arrived, someone inside noticed and flung the doors wide open.

The room inside was pitch black and dark.

Surely someone living in such a grand mansion could afford candles, yet there wasn’t a single light.

‘Either they lack servants to manage all these candles… or it’s someone who doesn’t want their face to be seen.’

Usually, it’s the latter.

Kain stood behind the masked man, thinking this. He could wait a bit longer since they had brought him here to put him inside anyway. The masked man stepped into the dark interior and greeted:

“I’ve brought him.”

Then a voice flowed from the darkness.

“…Are you certain?”

Hm? Kain’s eyebrows shot up as he stood straight, glaring into the darkness. It was a young boy’s voice, much younger than he had expected. Given the title of “master,” Kain Starchis had anticipated the gruff voice of an elderly man.

Unlike the surprised Kain, the masked man calmly replied:

“Yes, I’m certain. This one was shouting that name in the streets.”

That name?

Kain narrowed his eyes, trying to peer into the darkness ahead. While ordinary humans wouldn’t be able to see the face of the person sitting there, Kain was different. Elven physical abilities far surpassed those of humans. But the distance was too great. Just a little closer. As Kain secretly tried to move his head for a better look, his long platinum hair slipped down from inside his robe.

That’s when it happened.

“Remove his robe.”

The young boy’s voice from earlier fell from above.

“I need to see his face.”

Oh no, Kain frowned inside his robe. He didn’t want to show his hand before even confirming the face of the voice’s owner. But the other humans around who followed the boy immediately moved.

“Yes.”

The masked man reached for my robe.

Ah, that won’t do.

Snap! Kain lightly caught the man’s wrist. Then, shring- the sound of other humans drawing swords from their scabbards was heard.

“…There’s a reason I’ve covered my face with this robe, please understand.”

Kain requested in a calm voice.

But the so-called master didn’t seem likely to grant Kain’s request easily.

It wouldn’t be easy, but it should be possible to protect himself. Kain looked for the most vulnerable-looking one, intending to snatch a sword if necessary.

“You must have quite a precious face.”

A cold voice fell over Kain’s head as he glared at the humans surrounding him.

“That makes me even more curious. What are you waiting for? Move.”

Snap, the sound of fingers snapping was heard. Immediately, the people holding swords swung their arms. Even the human whose wrist Kain had grabbed twisted free.

Swish- A sharp sword grazed past his ear. The edge of the robe became tattered. Kain quickly checked the edge and then struck down with the side of his hand on the arm holding the sword.

“Ugh!”

The man who was hit on the arm dropped the sword. Clang! Clatter. The sword slid in a circle on the marble floor.

“Nngh…”

Ah, I miscalculated my strength.

It seemed like he had broken that human’s arm bone. Kain clicked his tongue briefly, then picked up the fallen sword. Feeling bad was one thing, but this was his original goal.

Shring- It was the first time he had held a human sword. Kain swung it in the air a few times to get used to its weight. He could feel the humans around him sharply tensing up.

“Kill him if you must.”

At the boy’s voice, Kain whirled his head around. This caused his robe to slip slightly. Kain gently pulled it down with his fingers as he spoke.

“Why are you so curious about my face?”

The boy answered from the darkness.

“They say you were looking for someone.”

“Who.”

What does that have to do with anything.

Kain frowned.

He couldn’t understand where this was or why this boy had brought him here.

“Do you mean Jersian Del Claude?”

As soon as Kain finished speaking, the atmosphere turned cold.

“……”

“……”

It was so quiet you could hear the crackling of candles burning.

Even the town’s information broker had reacted like this after hearing this name. He had gotten angry, saying it was a fearsome name.

After gauging the reactions around him, Kain spoke again.

“…But I heard there’s no one in the world with that name.”

Could it really be because of that?

Kain thought to himself that this was a disaster. The information broker had said the emperor’s ears would be everywhere, and they really had come on this very night.

He wanted to pretend he had made a mistake and let it slide, but… the boy in the darkness didn’t seem to feel the same way.

“Kill him.”

It was a cold voice. Kain muttered, looking troubled at the humans walking towards him with swords drawn.

“…Hey, shouldn’t we talk about this a bit more?”

He was still holding the sword he had picked up earlier.

This is quite a difficult situation. Elves do not take lives. This isn’t a personal belief or a light rule. All elves swear to the Galia tree that they will not take life. This oath becomes an unbreakable shackle for elves, while at the same time granting them the qualification to be loved by nature.

“…Wait!”

Kain shouted urgently.

The voice in the darkness had given the order to kill him and then moved towards the deep darkness at the back, as if no longer interested. It meant he wouldn’t even talk anymore.

Ah, Kain lowered his head. This is getting dangerous.

Whoosh-

A heavy sword passed over his head.

“Die!”

Shick!

Immediately, another sword stabbed towards his shoulder. Kain twisted his body while keeping his upper body lowered.

Tch, Kain clicked his tongue as he rolled. He had no choice but to do so while dealing with multiple swords.

For an elf who doesn’t take lives, facing a battalion of humans with swords. The worst possible match-up.

Kain, who was trying to get up by touching the floor, hastily stepped back. He quickly raised his hand holding the sword to block the incoming sword.

Clang!

It was a heavy force.

The sound of blades clashing rang out. Pft- He heard his opponent’s sharp sneer.

“You’ve never held a sword before, have you? Brute strength alone won’t help you!”

The blade came at him with a blue light, aiming for an opening.

“Ugh!”

Crackle-!

He barely managed to block that sword, but… his own blade twisted strangely.

If only I had experience with swords.

Kain frowned as he tried his best to withstand that force, but eventually gave up.

Bang! As he released his strength, the sword rolled across the marble floor. Tch, Kain clicked his tongue briefly and clenched his fists. If you don’t have teeth, you have to use your gums.

That’s when it happened.

Whoosh- Kain’s eyes sharpened inside the dark robe. Something shot towards his face like an arrow. It was an arrow. Kain avoided it by slightly tilting his head.

But.

Rip- The robe was outside his calculations.

The blade that grazed his neck height completely tore one side of the robe. Slip. He felt the cloth covering his head sliding down onto his shoulders.

Damn it, Kain frowned as he instantly realized what this meant.

“……”

Although it was a dark room, Kain was standing right in front of a window. The dim moonlight of dawn revealed his snow-white hair that had been hidden by the robe. Even the tips of his ears poking out between the silver threads and his clear emerald eyes were visible.

It was a breathtakingly overwhelming appearance.

The humans who were about to subdue Kain hesitated at his appearance.

As silence fell in the spacious room, a voice came from somewhere.

What the, it was the light voice of a young boy.

“It’s an elf.”

I thought he had already left.

Kain shifted his gaze to the far darkness at the boy’s voice.