Treatise Of A Failed Knight

"By the way... I know this is foolish, but... since you were close to Lucien, I wanted to know if he ever mentioned my Aunt."

It was only after a brief moment of silence that I could mention this.

The atmosphere still hasn’t recovered from our last conversation, so this is an attempt of mine to shift the focus. It’s also a way to ask the question that has been gnawing at me for some time now.

"Who’s that?" The Captain asks with a raised brow.

"Aunt Leila... Well, she was his wife."

"Ahh... No." His response is rather curt, and he shakes his head almost regrettably. "The truth is that Lucien had multiple identities in multiple kingdoms. It’s one of the reasons he was so difficult to track down to this place."

"Surely that means the Randalorion Kingdom holds some significance to him!"

Nodding, Alistair smiles wryly. "Yes, but it’s not a positive one."

"...."

"Whatever the case may be, it doesn’t appear like he had anyone in consideration when he set up his plans. That selfish bastard chose this place for the same reason he went with his Cult story: It’s all for the sake of convenience."

I sigh deeply, my head solemnly hanging low on my shoulders.

Who am I kidding?

I already knew—ever since he killed Aunt Leila.

That Dracus Krawford—or rather, Lucien Zevalis—did not care at all for her.

She meant nothing to him.

’Aunt Leila loved that bastard, yet... Yet...’ I swallow my anger and try my best to remain calm, but it’s quite difficult—especially with multiple stares on me. Although almost all of them have their eyes on me, the kind of expressions they have vary considerably.

Alistair Wormwood, the Captain, seems rather professional, but also appears to have some unresolved interest in me.

Elma simply appears amused by me, and her pride continues to ooze from her features.

Amnesis, the Seeker, has a rather neutral expression.

Jamie’s interest in me seems to be the highest. Perhaps it’s due to his child-like eyes or his unabashed display of emotions.

For the latter two, Richard and Rias, they both display minimal interest, albeit for different reasons. The former appears rather tired, so his participation in the entire conversation is truly abysmal. As for Rias, she appears to be in a bad mood, a scowl constantly playing on her face.

I take my gaze from them and return it to Alistair.

His smile remains despite everything.

"I suppose you wish to have revenge against Lucien for what he did to your aunt, as well as the several innocents who were sacrificed to play his sick game."

Slowly nodding, I make a bitter smile. "Am I so easy to read?"

"Not exactly. It’s just what I would do in your shoes..." Laughing slightly, he returns Zarius’ journal to me. His awkward expression makes a silent apology for not returning it sooner.

I smile once more, telling him it’s really nothing.

Perhaps this is just my pessimism speaking, but I also truly wonder if Alistair, or anyone else on this team, would really think the way I do if they were in my shoes. Compared to me, these people seem to be rather dedicated to the concept of Leviathans.

I doubt they would have sympathy to spare for random strangers—humans.

But that doesn’t matter.

Although our bond is superficial, the most important thing is that we are all on the same side.

"I will wholeheartedly cooperate with the Ouroboros Sect. You have my word."

"Great!" With a pleased smile on his face, Alistair offers a hand, and I shake it with full understanding as well as genuineness.

Now that I have decided to take this path, there is no turning back.

"You’ll be the second external Leviathan we’ve involved in this case. The first is the Area Supervisor of the Dark Guild. I’m sure you’re aware of him."

I nod slowly.

"Well, he’s a Disciple Seeker, and with the resources of the Dark Guild at his disposal, he’s been quite useful with our investigation," Alistair adds, his tone and facial features displaying a more relaxed vibe compared to before.

I glance at Amnesis for a moment, wondering the role he plays and how different it is from the Dark Guild Supervisor, i.e., Snake’s Boss.

"Ah..." Amnesis quickly notices my attention on him and grins. "Since I can only access the Week Layer, it’s not possible for me to spread my Conception throughout the Randalorion Kingdom. Having an external aid take off some of the burden makes things much easier."

"I understand."

Everything makes sense so far.

Currently, this investigation has a total of eight Leviathans—six original members and two external ones. Two are Leapers (Alistair and Elma), two are Seekers (Alistair and the Dark Guild Supervisor), one is a Caster (Richard), one is a Conjurer (Jamie), one is an Exemplar (Rias), and one is a Harbinger (me).

Out of everyone present, Alistair Wormwood is the only Rank 3 Leviathan.

Our only Adept.

I guess it makes sense to go through this much effort to catch another Adept—especially if they are as elusive as Lucien Zevalis.

"We’ll give you an Auxiliary-Type Communication Armament. That way, we can reach out to you once the due date arrives." Alistair turns towards Richard, who sighs—but not before sighing—and walks out of the room.

A few seconds later, he returns with what appears to be a silver-plated badge.

"Take this..." After receiving the items from Richard, Alistair hands them over to me. "It’ll help us track your position and also communicate with you. Since you said you promised full cooperation, then—"

"I understand."

I immediately notice something strange about the Armament, even before I take it.

’No Trace Elements...’

I almost mutter out those words, but quickly realizing that this would once again expose my ignorance, I receive the item after overcoming my initial hesitance.

To be honest, this isn’t the first Armament I have seen without Trace Elements.

The ’Obsidian Steed’ Armament I received from Zarius’ belongings also didn’t leak out Trace Elements, even though it possessed a higher existence than normal weapons due to its Mystical Characteristics, and was certainly an Armament.

The same case used to apply to my Divine Relic—Golden Dawn.

Now, however, due to the damage it has incurred, the weapon leaks Trace Elements and is still stuck in A Grade.

Both Armaments have mystical origins and have high ranks. My former belief was that S Grade Armaments and above don’t leak out Trace Elements. However, this Armament they’re giving me appears to only be B Grade, yet it also has no Trace Elements.’ I sigh deeply.

It’s slightly confusing, but I have a few guesses.

For one, it’s extremely likely that there’s a certain process that Leviathans use to make Armaments that gets rid of the Trace Elements.

That makes sense, since they also have special ways to make Potions.

’Our Conceptions don’t leak out Trace Elements, and when we consume Potions, no Trace Element is released from our bodies. So it would be extremely inefficient if we used Armaments that left behind Trace Elements...’ I think about the matter seriously. ’So, to combat this problem, it’s possible that Armaments can be made without such a flaw.’

Of course, I don’t know the details.

I may not even be correct.

But I have a strong feeling... that I am spot-on in this case.

Why?

Because it all adds up.

Due to a Leviathan’s Potion Digestion, most effects from Potions don’t last very long.

What happened next?

The problem was solved by Leviathans creating specialized Potions.

So what would happen if Armaments caused trouble as well? I imagine the same development would befall these powerful tools.

’That would mean Leviathans can carry powerful items and weapons without ever being detected unless you have Existential Resonance—which would only be possible if you are a fellow Leviathan.’

It’s perfect!

"Alright. When will you contact me?" I ask while stroking my finger on the metallic surface of the silver-colored badge.

"Perhaps in a week. We need to make some preparations, and then we’ll be rendezvousing with our ally in the Dark Guild. Since you are now a part of the team, some introduction is in order, so we’ll be bringing you along for the meeting."

"Alright..." Although my reply is a calm one, I silently jubilate.

I’m actually pretty excited about this.

’Finally! At long last, I’ll be meeting that Supervisor.’ A wide grin forms inside me.

He only ever dealt with me using Snake and other subordinates.

But now... I’ll get to see his face!

Excellent!

Truly splendid!

"Ah, I should tell you this, though you probably already know, but there’s no need to continue your investigation into any kidnappings. I would also advise against conducting any independent investigation, as they could be red herrings sprung up by Lucien. If you notice anything strange or interesting, simply wait for our meeting and let us know about it."

"Understood."

"Also, please keep that item with you at all times. Although we’ll be alerted if anyone other than you even touches it, for your safety as well as effective cooperation, it’s best you have it close."

"Of course."

"There’s also..." Alistair goes on about a few other things, most of them being precautionary measures I was already planning to take.

After he finishes his briefing, he stares at me with a spark of curiosity.

"It’ll probably be until a week before we see again. What will you do within that time?"

"Well..." A smile forms on my face.

Now that I have some spare time, I already know how and where I wish to spend it.

—The Royal Palace.

"I’ll be paying a visit to the Randalorion Royal Family to sort out a few things."

It’s clear what is going on over there.

One of the other princes most likely captured Prince Claus due to this succession dispute.

If I let things slide like this, then it will be a bad precedent.

That’s why I need to nip things in the bud.

’It should only take a few days at most to find the culprit and penalize them. I’ll check on my allies during the remaining time. Especially—’

"I see... Understood."

Alistair Wormwood rises to his feet and officially ends the meeting.

Everyone else slowly rises as well.

I watch as the group leaves my house, not turning back for even a moment. Even Jamie, who previously expressed so much interest in me with his curious eyes, kept his head straight ahead until they departed from the premises.

Naturally, they leave not even a trace of their existence or presence behind.

How elite.

’Alright then...’ Sighing deeply while bracing myself for what is to come, I force a grin on my face. ’I should probably get to work.’

********

The group walks quietly, their steps measured and their expressions stern.

—Official!

They conduct themselves with a formal and professional aura, their focus sharp and unparalleled. Even though they are merely walking together, something about their coordination and the perfect symmetry of their movement speaks volumes about their unity.

This is the true essence of Division C-07 of the Ouroboros Sect.

"He is gone?" After such a long stretch of silence, the Captain, Alistair Wormwood, finally speaks.

"Yes. He returned to the Capital—likely using Tracing."

"Good. Then we can discuss freely."

He stops walking and faces the rest of the group.

There is the prideful Elma, who, despite being only a teenager who awakened as Leviathan a few months ago, is already at Rank 2. Her white hair and azure blue eyes accentuate her world-class beauty, and the level of talent she possesses only makes her more alluring.

Among the members of the team, it’s clear that she has the most potential.

Then there is Jamie, who was forcefully awakened when he was five years old. Although he appears to be too young to be actively participating in the field, since he has been a Leviathan for over five years, such a thing is only natural.

Since the Ouroboros Sect took him in after such a tragedy struck his household, it’s also only natural that he would render his strength to the organization.

One need not be charmed by his playful demeanor; how his dark brown hair dances lightly while his green eyes shine with childlike wonder. The boy is a living weapon—the second most powerful in the group when it comes to pure combat abilities.

Then there is Richard, the Caster.

A man who should have already been an Adept if he weren’t so unmotivated.

In terms of pure lethality, as well as experience, he is certainly the best.

Even Alistair knows he could never face this man in a head-on confrontation without sufficient preparation, despite the gap in their ranks.

His pale skin and long gray hair make him seem like a deathly sick fellow, and the dark circles under his eyes give him a very exhausted and overworked visage, but this is not the fault of the Ouroboros Sect.

The Sect is not inhumane, and it allows members to operate with certain degrees of freedom.

It even gives proper rest periods and provides for all their needs.

In exchange, they offer loyalty and competence on assignments.