Chapter 932: Relief (Super Gift Bonus)

On the second floor of his manor, Ballard sat across from the mysterious robed individual.

An eerie silence hung in the air as the Master, overseeing the Cult of Bone’s mission here in Ravenfell, emotionlessly gazed at the old, portly councilor.

Ives Ballard, on the other hand, seemed like all color had been drained from his face. Partly because of the sudden arrival of Master, but mostly because of the pain and sorrow he felt from losing his son… his heir.

It can’t be, it can’t be…

The same thought continued to echo inside his mind.

Hayes, my son, did you… did you really leave us?

The Master’s words snapped Ballard out of his daze. With his appearance ever hidden inside the shadows of his hood, he coldly muttered, “Where were you going?”

Ballard slowly raised his head, trying to peer into the darkness caused by the Master’s hood. But he couldn’t see through his appearance, despite sitting only a few meters away from him.

He lowered his head again and weakly said, “Where do you think?”

The Master intently gazed at the councilor, his eyes flashing with a peculiar light. “It was a trap set up by the Dark King.”

Dark King…

Those two simple words caused Ballard’s heart to flare with anger. He clenched his fists tightly and spat through gritted teeth, “I’ll fuckin’ kill him! Even if it costs my life!”

The Master let out a quiet sigh, resting his elbow on the armrest before placing his chin in his hand, his gaze distant and unreadable.

“Even if there are ten of you, I doubt you can take him down,” he said, his tone laced with subtle admiration.

This simply went on to show just how cautious the Master was of Adam.

Ballard raised his head again, but this time, his eyes blazed with fury. “So what do you want me to do?!” He roared. “Just sit back and let him parade around the city while people shower him with praises?!”

He clutched his robes, his face twisting in anger and… agony.

“I lost my son! My son!! Do you even know how that feels?” He screamed, no longer afraid of the fact that the man sitting before him was one entire rank above him.

He didn’t care anymore.

Nothing mattered to him anymore.

“I must avenge my son! I must avenge him!!”

Ballard breathed in deeply, his chest violently heaving up and down. The anger in his heart hadn’t subsided one bit.

The Master, on the other hand, calmly looked at him. The reason he’d come here was to stop Ballard from doing something foolish.

After all, the Cult had been planning for this mission for a very, very long time. At the end stage, if a rabid mad dog suddenly foiled everything they had worked toward… wouldn’t that be utterly infuriating?

He can no longer be controlled, thought the Master as he stared into the crazed eyes of Ives Ballard.

Should I kill him?

The Master’s eyes flickered with bloodlust, and for a moment, the temperature inside the room seemingly dropped by several degrees, causing Ballard to shudder.

Yet… the madness in his eyes never faded. Not even a bit.

How… interesting, the Master thought to himself with arched eyebrows.

Instead of putting this dog down, it would be better to channel his anger to good use.

He had made his decision.

Still, he couldn’t help but ask, “I’m curious, why go so far for someone who’s already dead?”

Ballard was taken aback. Then, his lips curled into a sad smile. “Why go so far, you say… It’s because he is… was my blood, my son. He was a part of me, and now… he’s no more.”

His smile soon turned maniacal. “So I will do everything in my power to hunt down the person who killed him! I will bathe in his blood, slaughter his entire bloodline! I will not stop until my son’s soul has found peace in the afterlife!!”

The Master lingered for a moment, then shook his head in apparent disappointment before letting out a slow, heavy sigh.

“Familial ties will only slow you down…”

Towards the end, his words had trailed off into a whisper. His gaze grew distant, as if he was speaking not to Ballard, but to himself.

“I don’t care!” Ballard spat through gritted teeth. “I won’t rest until I’ve avenged my son! Not even you—”

He was about to say something more, but the Master’s cold, unwavering gaze stopped him in his tracks.

Ballard hurriedly dropped to his knees and slammed his head on the floor. “F-forgive me, my lord! I’m… I’m not in my right state of mind. Please, forgive me!”

The Master coldly stared at the elderly man’s trembling body. A long time later, he spoke, “Fine, go hunt down the Dark King’s sister.”

“Thank you, my lord!” Ballard spoke ‘gratefully’.

But inwardly, he sneered.

I would have gone even without your permission. Nothing in this world can stop me… Only my own death can!

“But not now,” the Master added.

Ballard raised his head, wanting to immediately protest. But the Master coldly interrupted him.

“This entire thing was a trap set up by the Dark King. If you leave now, you’ll be walking straight into his trap.”

“Then, when…”

“Let things calm down a little,” the Master spoke slowly. “You have your son’s Soulmark Lantern, do you not?”

Ballard silently nodded in response.

“Good. Whether you leave now or tomorrow, it doesn’t matter. The lantern will lead you to your son’s killer regardless. Be patient till then. I’ll tell you when to leave.”

With that said, he rose to his feet, ready to depart.

There were a few reasons he allowed Ballard to become his hunting dog.

First, his absence wouldn’t affect the Cult’s fighting prowess at all. They could manage just fine without one Mana Vortex Magus.

Second, he wished to see just where the Soulmark Lantern would lead Ballard. Whether it brought him to an agent of the Twilight Brotherhood or to Anna Fireborne, it would serve his purposes.

Third, and most importantly, a man like Ives Ballard, not in the right state of mind, would be a terrible liability to the Cult. It was better to just let him loose.

The man was still a Mana Vortex Magus, after all.

It would be a pity to simply put him down.

The Master’s figure gradually vanished from the room, leaving behind his parting words.

“Wait for my word. After that… you may do as you wish.”

After the Master had disappeared from the study, Ballard’s eyes flashed with a cruel light.

“Dark King… I will make you pay for what you did! I swear it on my life!”

***

Choura Town.

This was the port town that was less than a hundred meters away from the Jeeling Outpost.

As the sun set below the horizon, dyeing the sky in myriad shades of red and orange, a horse-drawn caravan suddenly creaked into view on the broad road leading to the town gates.

Seated at the driver’s bench was a middle-aged couple in tattered, hooded robes. Their faces showed the marks of exhaustion and hardship, but their eyes…

They shimmered with hope and long-awaited relief.

The man slowly pulled back his hood, revealing premature graying hair and tired brown eyes.

As he caught sight of the tall-masted ships docked at the harbor beyond the town, his gaze welled with emotions.

Rowan’s lips trembled slightly as he whispered with an unsteady voice:

“We’ve finally made it…”

Shout-out to TheActualGod for the castle. I’m grateful for your support :))