Bane looked at the sincere lord before him.
The man was speaking calmly about decisions that could determine the fate of millions under him.
Yet neither Bane nor Chelsea doubted the sincerity behind those words, and that was precisely what made it unsettling.
There was no deception in his eyes, as well as no hidden agenda nor hunger for power, only a frightening and steadfast resolve to shoulder everything himself, even while fully understanding the cost.
Both Bane and Chelsea slowly turned their heads toward one another.
Their eyes locked, and they spoke together right then.
"Lunatic.""
Indeed, this lord was undeniably a lunatic.
A fellow lunatic, to be honest, and yes, they already knew that they were one too.
But this lord was of different breed, mainly the kind of guy who would willingly walk into hell for strangers while smiling gently the entire way through, and somehow people like that were always the most dangerous of all.
"Haha… you two are rather harsh on me," the lord said with a pleasant laugh, seemingly unoffended by their blunt judgment.
Then, after the brief humor faded, his expression softened slightly as he finally moved to the real matter at hand.
"Now then," he said calmly, folding his hands together, "what exactly brings the two of you here?"
Chelsea glanced at Bane.
Bane remained silent for a moment before speaking bluntly.
"Although I already know you're not some con artist, let me confirm one more time." His eyes locked onto the lord. "Are your powers truly real?"
The lord nodded silently.
"And if they are…" Bane continued, his voice growing quieter, "then I want you to find my mother for me…" He paused for a second and then continued,"…even if she is likely dead."
Chelsea's expression stiffened slightly at those words, but she remained silent.
At this point, it was clear that Bane's mother would have suffered the same tragic fate as his father.
"In return, I can do any one task you ask of me. No matter how dangerous it is. Whether you want me to assassinate Bolic or walk straight into certain death, I'll accept it. No questions asked."
His gaze did not waver for even a second.
"It's the only thing I can really offer you because I doubt a man like you lacks money."
The lord gently shook his head.
"I can not guarantee as I do not specialize in detection," he said honestly. "However… if I possess an item strongly connected to the person in question, I should at least be able to determine a general direction."
His gaze rested on Bane.
"Though," the lord added softly, "the item must hold significant meaning to that person. An ordinary belonging would not be enough," he said, looking at Bane meaningfully.
"Also, I need to touch it directly."
"I understand," Bane replied.
He rose from his chair, walked up to the lord, and began unwrapping the bandages around his right arm.
Layer after layer fell away.
When the last strip of cloth dropped to the floor, the room fell silent.
The hand beneath looked as though it had been submerged in acid.
The skin had long since lost any resemblance to healthy flesh. It was blackened and cracked in places, while patches of raw, crimson tissue peeked through where the flesh seemed to have rotted away. The fingers were unnaturally thin, the veins swollen and discolored beneath the ruined skin, as though the entire arm were slowly decomposing while its owner remained alive.
It was less of a hand and more a corpse's limb that stubbornly refused to die.
Chelsea's expression withered slightly as she bit her lip hard.
She had expected him to be in bad condition.
But...
This was far worse than she had imagined.
'Just how is he still standing?'
Without saying a word, the lord gently accepted Bane's ruined hand into both of his own.
Not even the slightest hint of disgust appeared in his gentle eyes.
Instead, he simply closed them.
For several long moments, the room remained utterly silent.
It was as if he were reaching toward something far beyond the confines of the room.
Minutes passed, and beads of sweat slowly formed across his forehead, his breathing grew noticeably heavier.
Finally, as though he had surfaced after diving into an endless abyss, the lord suddenly gasped for air. His body swayed, and the focus in his eyes wavered for an instant.
Chelsea immediately stepped forward, catching him by the shoulder before he could lose his balance.
He raised a hand, signaling that he was fine.
Only then did Chelsea let go.
After taking a few steady breaths, the lord slowly lifted his head and looked at Bane.
There was pity in his eyes.
Without saying a word, he turned and pointed toward a large map hanging on the wall.
Bane and Chelsea followed his finger simultaneously.
His finger rested on a single location.
The heart of the Empire.
The Capital.
More precisely.. It was the Nobles' District where most of the demons of the empire gathered.
Bane stared at the spot on the map for several long moments before finally collecting himself.
Taking a slow breath, he gave a small nod and turned back toward the lord.
"What do you want in return?"
The lord regarded him quietly before offering the same gentle smile as always.
He slowly shook his head.
"Do you know... I possess a rather unusual ability."
"When I touch someone, I can sometimes glimpse fragments of their past and present. More than that..." His gaze fell to Bane's ruined arm. "I can also feel a portion of their pain."
"When I held your hand, I wished to ease your suffering, even if only a little."
His smile became bitter.
"So I tried."
"For a single moment... it felt as though my entire body had been thrown into a sea of flames."
Chelsea's eyes widened.
"Whenever I heal someone, I experience a fraction of what they bear. But you..." The lord's expression grew solemn. "You are different."
"Your soul's essence is leaking."
"It is... cracked."
"I don't even know how much pain you carry anymore... or whether you've simply become numb because you've endured far too much for far too long."
Bane remained silent, then he gave a nod.
"...A while ago, I just stopped feeling anything."
The lord studied him quietly.
Then, after a brief silence, he asked,
"Tell me, Bane... do you believe in reincarnation? Or an afterlife?"
"No."
To his surprise, the lord smiled gently.
"That is... for the best."
The lord slowly rose from his seat and walked toward an old wooden cabinet tucked away in the corner of the room.
After searching through one of its drawers, he carefully retrieved an aged parchment. Its edges had long since yellowed with time, and faded symbols were etched across its surface, hinting that it was anything but ordinary.
Returning to the table, he placed it before Bane.
"I do not know what it is or whether this will truly help you," the lord said with a gentle smile. "But... for some reason, I believe it will have a place in the future that awaits you."
His eyes lingered on Bane for a brief moment.
"A difficult journey."
"A lonely one, perhaps."
"But I hope this little gift may lighten your burden, if only by a fraction."
Bane looked at the ancient parchment before raising his eyes.
"...Your payment?"
The lord simply shook his head.
"Nothing."
"You owe me nothing."
Bane frowned.
"I mean it."
"If, one day, you still feel compelled to repay this kindness..." the lord continued softly, "...then there is only one thing I would ask of you."
His smile remained as warm as ever.
"When you walk your path, no matter how dark it becomes... please do not harm those who have done you no wrong."
"There are enough people in this world who suffer without deserving it."
He lowered his gaze for a moment before continuing.
"Every person you pass is living a life as precious to them as yours is to you."
"They have dreams they wish to fulfill... people waiting for them to return home... fears they carry alone... and burdens invisible to everyone else."
"So, if you have the choice...let the innocent continue walking their own small paths, and that alone would be more than enough repayment for anything I have done today."
Bane looked at the lord with a complicated expression.
For a long moment, he remained silent.
Then, without another word, he lowered his head in a deep bow.
"...Thank you."
The lord simply smiled in return.
"There is no need."
_________
As they left the chamber, Chelsea's curiosity got the better of her.
She leaned over Bane's shoulder and looked at the ancient parchment.
A confused frown immediately appeared on her face.
"...What the hell is this?"
The entire sheet was covered in strange symbols, intricate strokes, and characters unlike any language she had ever encountered.
Chelsea frowned harder.
Impossible...
Over the years, she had studied countless scripts, ciphers, and ancient runes as part of her training. Gathering intelligence required recognizing languages from every corner of the Empire and beyond.
Yet...
Not a single symbol on this parchment looked even remotely familiar.
It wasn't that she couldn't read it.
It was that she couldn't even identify what she was looking at.
"This isn't Imperial... nor any eastern dialect... not even an ancient script..." she muttered.
Her brow knitted together.
"I've... never seen something like this before."
Unlike Chelsea...
Bane had gone completely still.
His pupils trembled.
'...It's English!!'
His heartbeat quickened.
There was no mistaking it.
Every single character made perfect sense to him.
Slowly, his eyes drifted to the very first line.
"If these words are clear to your eyes, then fate has guided this parchment to another one who does not belong to this world. Allow me to introduce myself.
I am the sovereign, the inaugural Emperor, the progenitor of the Empire's establishment and the commissioner of the Imperial Arms' creation, a feat achieved in concert with those who endured a similar harsh destiny, my fellow reincarnated souls."