342: An unwanted return (Egon's POV)

An unwanted return (Egon's POV)

"Egon!" Andreas's voice cut through the wind as they galloped, not because Egon's sensitive ears needed it, but out of sheer frustration. "Ease up on Xavier, we'll reach Leopold soon!"0

"Hiyah!" Egon urged Xavier on, earning himself an exasperated curse from Andreas.

"You need to hear what I have to tell you about them before we get to Lanark!"

"No!" Egon thundered.

All his efforts to remain detached from the modern world and all the walls he built around him in Kolhis were falling apart, yet he staunchly refused to hear what he didn't want to know.

"No!" He thundered once more.

He had chosen complete isolation in the mountains, enduring the sizzling pain of his scars as the price he had to pay to avoid returning here. However, the chilling news of an attack on his uncle in these accursed lands was all it took for him to run as fast as he could.

Egon cursed under his breath, his anger steadily mounting.

"What the hell was my uncle doing here, anyhow? Why did they leave Kolhis? Why would he break his promise to leave the past behind and never chase it again? And why the hell are mana gates illegal now!"

For once, Andreas remained silent, unable to disclose Leopold and Sasha's decision to permanently relocate from Kolhis back to Lanark. Instead, he addressed Egon's last question.

"The gates have been banned to limit the access of remaining warlocks to the allies' territory! Now will you please stop and have a proper conversation with me!" He shouted in frustration, tired of the useless fragmented sentences they exchanged during their long ride.

Egon's vision which hadn't turned a bloody red with anger for years shifted instantly. The eyes of the beast overtook him along with its primal instincts. The mere mention of the word 'warlock' triggered a surge of rage that he had kept locked inside for so long, rendering him uncharacteristically silent.

Andreas let out a string of curses this time.

The von Conradies continued their gallop, their travel-worn attire flapping in the wind. They had reached the end of a newly constructed road that cut through the mountains and passed beneath the seas, connecting the Empire of Kolhis and the Kingdom of Emoria at a crossroads near Latora's border—the gateway to Lanark.

Setting aside their bickering, a heavy sense of concern accompanied both men. The unfortunate attack on Leopold and Sasha von Conradie had managed to do what everyone had vowed never to allow again—pull the von Conradie men back to Lanark.

"Damn those warlocks to the deepest pits of hell!" Andreas shouted all of a sudden.

The vampire's temper had only worsened over the last seven years, a fact that Egon had noted even in his flustered state during the fourteen-hour horseback journey. Egon believed that Andreas was just eager to return to stalking Larissa from afar. That was his silent, dark, and accurate conclusion.

"...Indeed. Damn the warlocks to the deepest pits of hell," Egon murmured.

The scattered groups of warlocks remained elusive and vengeful, lurking in the shadows like Andreas, evading capture while sacrificing their lives for a vendetta against their lost kingdom. But did they have to find Leopold the moment he stepped foot from his ship that had taken Sasha and him back to Emoria?

Egon's grip on the reins tightened, his jaw clenched in frustration at the misfortune that seemed to cling to his bloodline that was surely cursed due to the deeds of the First Empress and her successors who had come after her.

Andreas continued to vent his pent-up frustration at Egon, not holding back his words.

"Aren't you the one who's truly damned here, Egon? You never reached out to me while we were in Kolhis! You spent your days hidden in the mountains, living the life of a predator rather than that of a human being!"

Egon was not offended in the least bit.

"I'm more comfortable among my kin, the monsters of the mountains."

Before they could delve further into that topic, the strange sights and sounds that intruded upon their senses caused both of them to naturally slow their gallop.

What happened to these lands? The Archduchy Egon had turned his back upon and vowed never to enter again appeared unrecognizable.

While the greenery was well-maintained, the skyline had changed dramatically, with numerous tall buildings rising toward the heavens. People were dressed in attire that screamed of wealth regardless of their social status; only their mannerisms betrayed their commoner origins.

The scenery was becoming stranger by the minute.

Female knights, a sight never seen in Emoria's past, patrolled the paved road that passed next to the von Conradies. Passersby kept referring to the area between Latora and Lanark as the industrial zone, but it appeared less industrial and more commercial, transformed into a hub of small and intermediate businesses.

"...Are these all run by women?" Andreas said with a low tone that only Egon could hear, mirroring the trail of thoughts Egon's mind was going through.

"You tell me..." Egon replied with a similar inaudible sound wave that only Andreas could pick up.

The ancient vampire kept complaining about the wild life that Egon had lived through the recent years, but Andreas seemed just as disconnected from the current reality as Egon was. The two exchanged bewildered glances, both wondering at the evolution of Lanark during their absence.

Leaving the industrial zone behind, Egon breathed easier. But his chest ached with concern for his uncle once more. He wanted to ensure the well-being of his family before returning to the solitude of the mountains.

"Hey, do you see that?" Andreas interrupted Egon's inner thoughts, looking straight ahead.

Egon's slightly worse sight still stretched much further into the empty distance before them, but it took him another moment to see what Andreas was talking about. There was a path that descended into a valley, clearly not fit for children. Yet, a child stood in the middle of it with his back to the approaching horses, his gaze fixed skyward.

"What is he doing there?" Andreas wondered out loud.

"The brat is obviously a noble's son, look at his hair."

The child's hair was almost as light as his simple attire, indicating Emorian heritage.

"...You are right, I wonder when those traits started resurfacing," Andreas said, satisfaction in his voice at life's justice that took away the assassin of the innocent in an equally horrid assassination. "...Egon?"

The child's lack of concern for his surroundings deeply bothered Egon, which was a stark contrast to young animals in the wild that were always vigilant for threats. What repulsed him even more were the neglectful parents who had left the child alone, whereas animals never left their young ones so vulnerable.

"What are you doing?" Andreas asked when Egon stopped his horse abruptly and dismounted.

"Let me just give him a piece of my mind."

It was unexplainable, but Egon truly wanted to scold the noble child and then chastise his parents for leaving him unattended. "You there!" He shouted in a menacing tone, but his heart quickly sank when the child showed no reaction whatsoever. There was only one explanation for that.

"A deaf child," Andreas murmured as he dismounted his horse too.

The image was unmistakable in both men's minds: a noble child, born deaf, deliberately left to traverse dangerous paths in a bid to rid the family of future embarrassment. Humans were the true beasts, and among them, the Lanark nobility stood as the most vicious of creatures. Everything had transformed within the Archduchy, yet this fundamental truth remained unchanged.

"...Let's just go, Andreas." 

Egon was about to turn around and walk away, but without warning, the child who had his eyes on the sky let out a whistle, a hauntingly beautiful sound that pierced the layers of the air. In response, a magnificent brown falcon, which Egon had noticed soaring in the sky earlier but paid no attention to, descended gracefully, landing right on the child's outstretched arm.

Both Andreas and Egon held their breath as the child turned around to face them.

"Outlander," the boy spoke in a clear tone, his big brown eyes fixed on Andreas. "You are not to freely address the children of this Kingdom when they are not accompanied by their parents. Now, be on your way."

pqdm.com