CHAPTER 60: ALARIC’S PLOT

"P-please... spare me..."

The Academy guard has broken down at this point, pleading with a teary face that has lost every ounce of dignity. Snot freely flows from his nostrils, and he keeps slamming his charred head on the verdant ground.

Honestly, I wasn’t even planning to kill these people.

I still don’t intend to.

’It’s clear these people don’t know anything...’ I sigh and shake my head slowly. ’Surely, Alaric wouldn’t be dumb enough to divulge his whole plan to them. No, he’d rather compartmentalize.’

If there’s anyone who can identify his involvement in this matter, it would be Brutus.

But it won’t be easy getting that man to cooperate. Plus, I still have to worry about my uncle for the time being, so even though I’d love to get to the bottom of the truth, my first priority should be linking up with Uncle Damon.

’As for these three...’ My eyes flash with ominous light as I glare at them.

***********

In the end, I had to knock two of them out and carry them into my carriage while my traitorous coachman assisted. I’m sure he felt tempted to escape throughout, but after seeing me fight, he wouldn’t be able to properly entertain that idea.

After placing the two of them into the carriage, I knocked the coachman out and tied him up with the others.

Just for good measure, I had to feed them sleeping Potions, which will prevent them from suddenly waking in the carriage for an entire day. I would need to keep feeding them the Potions every day, but that’s not a problem since I have quite a number of them in stock.

It’s better to be safe than sorry.

As for the carriage, I ride it myself in hopes of running into my uncle on my way to his home.

And, thankfully, on the third day... I do!

I could easily spot Uncle Damon’s carriage from a distance due to the Aditi Household Crest, and since I know the path he takes when heading to Loria, we couldn’t have missed each other.

Uncle Damon looks surprised after running into me, and rightfully so.

After all, how could he have foreseen Alaric’s scheme?

Also, since we haven’t seen each other for over a year, and so much about my body has changed, he keeps having a peculiar expression on his face while staring at me. I know my hair is slightly longer than normal, and my skin is smoother than before, but those haven’t really affected my overall appearance by a large margin.

"You’ve... gotten taller." Uncle Damon tells me, hugging me tight, as I would expect from family.

A warm smile courses through my face as I reciprocate the hug.

Before long, we settle on the side of the road and go over a lot of things. Naturally, he points out the small bags under my eyes as well as my dark circles, but he also understands, since he experienced the same thing during his time in the Academy.

In fact, a lot of the things I ended up complaining to him about are things he also experienced as a Scholarship Student from a Mid Rank Knight Household.

Honestly, after this small encounter and catching up, I have developed a newfound respect for Uncle Damon.

During his time in the Royal Academy, he was able to maintain his Scholarship for about two years. However, due to the scheme of the Nobles, he also lost his scholarship and Prestige Points; thus, he had to return to the Bronze Wing and start from scratch.

His grades were also enough to land him among the First Rate Scholars, but because he got less than a C in one particular subject during his Final Year, he had to settle for Second Rate Scholar.

Life can be unfair... unbearably so.

All of this simply means that Uncle Damon is actually an amazing person.

Sure, he selfishly followed his dreams and disregarded his family, but even that alone takes a lot of courage. He bravely navigated his way through Academy life, alone and with no support. As someone who is currently going through the rigors of Academy life, I have to say... this man has nothing but my respect.

Even with my past life’s memories, I am struggling immensely. Just imagine how it would have been for a young man like Uncle Damon during his Academy days?

Could he be a secret genius?

My father and all the other members of the Aditi Household see Uncle Damon as a pathetic man.

If only they knew...

"But tell me, Javier... where were you headed? I’ve been thinking about it for some time now, but I can’t contain my worry any longer." Uncle Damon finally hits the nail on the head, his expression depicting both concern and a hint of curiosity.

"Before I answer that, can I know what you’re doing out here?" I ask him.

"Oh..." His face turns grim almost instantly. "I had a feeling someone was impersonating you with the letters I’ve been receiving—perhaps one of our business rivals—so I decided to come discuss things with you in person, for security reasons."

I nod slowly while smiling.

Just what I would expect from someone as capable and intelligent as my uncle.

He really figured out a part of the plot on his own.

"Well, the thing is..." Without wasting any further time, I go ahead to explain everything to Uncle Damon, including my unconfirmed suspicions regarding Alaric Duskryn.

Even during my explanation, I could see Uncle Damon’s eyes widen in horror.

By the time I finish, his body trembles mildly.

Then—

"Javier... I have to return to my house." He speaks with a deep, shaky voice, his eyes flickering with a myriad of negative emotions.

"Why? What’s with the urgency? He can’t locate it now that I—"

"Davin... our joint contact... I haven’t been able to reach him for some time now..."

The moment Uncle Damon says this, my eyes bulge.

Everything snaps in place.

’A-ah!’ My mind screams at me. ’I knew I was forgetting something!’

Davin—the coachman Uncle Damon gave me—is missing.

That man is one of the few people my uncle trusts, and he knows deep things about the business we have. The machinations of my business with Uncle Damon are one thing, but there’s also one more crucial fact.

He... knows the location of Uncle Damon’s house!

"Do you think Alaric got a hold of him? If that’s the case, then...!" Uncle Damon’s face has a panicked streak, and those emotions begin to reflect on my countenance. Many thoughts run through my mind all at once, and the obvious answer leaves my lips.

"He most likely has him."

I have no idea how something so important skipped my mind, but now that I think about it clearly, everything fits perfectly into the kind of person that Alaric Duskryn is.

Someone as determined and sly as he wouldn’t just risk it all on an uncertain plan involving me.

"He had a contingency in place... or was this whole thing a distraction all along?" I unknowingly murmur, feeling a sensation of dread course through me.

No.

It’s far too elaborate to be a distraction.

"Perhaps the plan involving me was his contingency, while using our shared contact was his main plan. Regardless, it seems we have played right into his hands..."

After all, Uncle Damon left his house unprotected, and we are still a considerable distance from it.

We could very well be too late.

"I need to head back, Javier!" Uncle Damon jumps to his feet and wipes beads of sweat from his worried face. Just from observing his panicked countenance, I can tell that there are things about Alaric and his house that he isn’t telling me.

What could they be?

"We don’t know what Professor Alaric has prepared to ensure his plan’s success. I believe we should make preparations to have him arrested, so even if he breaks in, we’ll be able to capture him before he gets too far."

"That’s most likely what he wants." Uncle Damon shakes his head, refusing my suggestion.

I can’t even find it in me to refute him.

Right now, I already feel foolish enough that I was fooled by the Professor.

"Going to the authorities will take too much time. Alaric is the child of a Baron, and he’s an Erudite Scholar. His authority far exceeds our entire Aditi Household. He can delay the investigation if he desires, and by the time it concludes, we would already be too late."

"...."

"Davin may have led him to my residence already. I have to hurry..."

After thinking for a while, I sigh and nod.

"Then, let me come with you."

"Javier—!"

"It’s not up for debate. Enter your carriage and go. I’m right behind you!" I rush to the coach position on my carriage and watch Uncle Damon enter his own carriage while his coachman begins the trip without delay.

My uncle is right.

This is a matter that requires urgency of the utmost degree.

As someone who has had experience dealing with the authorities, I know how much they value the High Nobility. Plus, with the prestige of being an Erudite Scholar and also working in the Royal Academy, Alaric is practically untouchable to us.

Uncle Damon must also know this, which is why he intends to prevent the man from getting away with the crime. It’s our best chance at stopping him.

Without rest, we race to Uncle Damon’s residence, which takes us two more days.

By the time we arrive, it’s nearing dusk.

The late evening sky hangs overhead, and I can see the blood-red meridian from a distance.

Streaks of dark orange and black rest above us, and dark clouds rumble.

I take in a deep breath, sharply inhaling cold air as I get down from my carriage, which stops just a few meters from Uncle Damon’s vehicle. Before my feet touch the ground, my uncle leaps out of his carriage and rushes into his building.

Despite watching this, I do not hurriedly chase after him.

Instead, a grim expression is on my face.

’Someone has certainly been here...’ I look at the small cottage, and this thought inevitably echoes in my thoughts.

Uncle Damon’s house looks unremarkable and small. It’s a bungalow that has an attic and a small underground cellar—mostly used for keeping books or experimental materials, respectively.

I’ve only been here once, and that’s in my past life.

Back then, Uncle Damon was reported dead, and as the Head of the Household, I decided to personally visit his residence to supervise all the inventory taken regarding his possessions.

It was during this period that I read his journal and learned about the obscure entities he had been chasing his whole life.

—Leviathans.

To be honest, his words seemed like the ramblings of a madman, so I didn’t read through the journal. In my eyes, he was a sad person who spent his whole life chasing ghosts.

Now, my impression of him is very different.

Uncle Damon is brilliant.

But why would such an exceptional man like him dedicate his entire life chasing a conspiracy?

The ones who move the world? Do such entities truly exist?

If they do.... wouldn’t they be gods?

I shake off those thoughts from my mind and look at the grass around. They’ve clearly been trampled on by boots, as well as carriage wheels. Whoever intruded was either in a hurry or was simply too confident.

They didn’t bother hiding their tracks at all.

I take my sights to the cottage’s door, watching as it sways to the left and right. The creaking sounds of its hinges ring ominously in my ears.

But I remain calm regardless.

Instead of staying in place, I move forward and slowly enter the premises.

It is dark.

The space is dimly lit.

And... messy.

Uncle Damon’s entire home is a mess, and I suspect this isn’t the usual state of his house.

No matter how disheveled this man is, the premises of a scholar would never look this disorganized. Just from my short time in the Academy, I have noticed the increased attention I pay to my hygiene and overall orderliness.

Even Alaric Duskryn, despite his rough and unpolished countenance, has a fairly organized office. As such, I am confident that Uncle Damon’s home doesn’t normally look like this.

That means—

"He looked through everywhere. Everything..."

Uncle Damon’s voice croaks out in a hollow whisper, stopping me in my tracks before I can advance even a step further.

I spot him kneeling on the ground, his head hanging low while his shoulders droop in despair.

Seeing this from behind, I feel a deep sense of melancholy.

His defeated posture causes me to clutch my chest as I feel a deep sense of pain.

... Of loss.

"He took everything of worth and destroyed the rest..." While listening to Uncle Damon’s words, I notice that the attic’s entrance is wide open, and the same goes for the underground cellar.

They have all been invaded.

Everything was ransacked—greedily ripped apart.

I wish I could comfort my uncle, but what can I possibly say to someone who is in such deep anguish? Instead of speaking immediately, I explore the house in hopes of finding clues.

Entering the attic... going into the cellar... I check through everything that I can.

One thing I can clearly see is the stark difference between this place and the memories I have of it from my past life. Despite the messy state it is in, there is far more equipment and valuable materials here.

Most especially... I can see many glass chambers, vials, and tubes.

It resembles an Alchemy Laboratory.

Apart from that, I observe a ritualistic drawing at the center of the claustrophobic cellar.

Ancient symbols in the form of a hexagon, with each of the six edges having circles and strange lettering. Right in the middle of the ritualistic hexagon, I spot a ten-layer circle that also has ancient letters written within each strata.

I can’t even translate them, but it starts with a two-letter word at the center, and for each circle outside that, one letter gets added.

At the last of the ten layers, the characters are eleven in number, forming a strange word I have no understanding of. The pitch-black ink used to draw these markings looks like they are smeared with blood, but I can’t tell for certain.

Still, the beauty and profundity of the entire framework send me into deep amazement.

As well as immense dread.

’Such an intricate design...’ I can’t help but think to myself and shiver.

It almost resembles a Shamanic Rite, but I know Uncle Damon is a Scholar, unaffiliated with Shamans. The markings also look rather old, which means it couldn’t have been made recently by Alaric Duskryn.

So what exactly does this mean?

The ritualistic engravings, and then the Alchemy lab, all within the same space... It’s confusing.

What was going on here? What was Uncle Damon trying to create?

With these questions in mind, I return to the surface and see my Uncle still kneeling in deep silence. He hasn’t budged at all since I went in.

’What should I say to him?’

My lips open up, but as I try to offer words of comfort, a question seeps out.

"What were you trying to do... Uncle Damon?"

Even I am surprised by the boldness behind my words. Despite how curious I have gotten about my uncle’s research, surely I should realize that this isn’t the time and place for such a question.

Yet—

"A forbidden method to transcend the current state of humanity and evolve to something more... something greater." A lifeless murmur leaves his lips.

"Something greater?"

"Leviathan... I wanted to use Alchemy to fuse elements and forcefully change the anatomy of a creature so they can accommodate a new power. Humans are not special at all, but Magivores... they are. Special Resources, Potions, Armaments, all of these things... they all come from the same source of mystic origins. If... tapping into that strength could advance humanity beyond its current state, perhaps a new life-form could be birthed..."

"Is that what Leviathan means? A new life-form with special powers and potential?"

Uncle Damon shakes his head, slowly raising it to give me a bitter smile.

"They... are far more terrifying."

My brows crease slightly as I stare at him in the dark, messy room. What exactly does he mean by that? What could be more terrifying than the Magivores, or humans possessing their power?

"The evolution is merely a means to an end—an attempt to forcefully simulate the enlightenment ritual necessary for a man to become god. To shed the finite and become infinite. To enter Apotheosis... and become a Leviathan."

"That’s what Professor Alaric took, isn’t it?" I still don’t fully understand the details, but this is sounding like very dangerous research.

In the hands of someone like Alaric Duskryn, I have no idea what could happen.

"Yes. It still hasn’t been tested on a proper scale, but all my notes... discoveries... everything... has been taken by him."

"Do you think he will attempt to complete your research?"

The moment I say this, Uncle Damon’s eyes widen, and he shudders violently.

Then, a loud shout rises from within him.

"Arrrghhhhhh!!!"

The dim lights flicker, and his body convulses. For a moment, fear grips me, and I rush at him.

However, he raises his hands to stop me.

"I’m fine... I’m fine..." Breathing heavily, he slowly rises to his feet, adjusting his glasses while straightening his rough hair.

His rough breath fills the room, but I watch him in silent expectation.

"Alaric... will definitely attempt it." Uncle Damon looks at me with a fearful gaze. "I realize it now, what all of this is for."

My uncle clenches his teeth, forcing the words out as thunder rumbles in the darkened sky.

"He is trying to undergo Apotheosis. He wishes to become a Leviathan!"

**********

"Hehe... hehehe!"

Alaric Duskryn’s crazed gaze is on a book, his baggy eyes scanning through its content with an unreal level of speed.

His expression is fanatical, and loud laughter keeps rising out of his lungs.

"This is it! This is what I need to finish the ritual!" As he loudly proclaims this, the carriage rocks back and forth as he hurriedly makes his way back to the safe walls of the Royal Academy.

The heist was successful in the end.

’I was worried about that Davin man leading me to the wrong location, so I had someone tail Javier Aditi as well, just to be certain. To think I actually struck gold and got the real deal! Maybe I shouldn’t have killed him, in the end... but no, I need him for the ritual, after all. Hehe... I knew you wouldn’t disappoint my expectations, Damon! You were always so brilliant during our Academy days!’

Lightning dots the skies, painting his face with ominous light, but it doesn’t deter him.

Right now, even the loud rumbles of thunder are like music to his ears.

They become akin to drums that signal the coming day—the moment of transcendence.

Alaric can barely contain his excitement now.

His body shivers, not from the chilly winds, but from the thrilling sensation coursing through him. As his heart pounds with exhilaration, his thin frame constantly rocks about in grand expectation.

"I should be able to gather all the research materials within a week and begin the ritual. Everything is in place, and nothing can stop me now! It is written! It is fated! The time... the moment is drawing near for me to shed my mortal flesh and become one with the gods!"

As he laughs manically, even more lightning dots the landscape.

Then, the clouds let out their abundance, and the light drizzles quickly turns heavy—almost as though the heavens mourn the birth of something catastrophic.

Rain descends.

The world is engulfed in the cold darkness.

Yet amidst all of this, Alaric Duskryn’s smile remains brighter than the sun.

And his eyes... they twinkle like stars of a deep, terrible night.