Black Sword and Fragments [Vol. 1: Unforeseen Conspiracy]

Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Birth of the Cold One

“Speaking of Allastor. It was already late but he wasn't still here...” silently said the worrying Ishara.

Hukkon smiled slightly when he saw Ishara's Expression—hoping that this smile will calm down his Aunt. “Don't worry too much, Aunt Ishara. He might still be searching for Higher level Life-cores. Also, the tent shops will be closed after an hour, so Allastor should be here sooner as well.”

Four of them along with the other children happily continued their chatting. Even though Hukkon wanted to say that some of the adventures that Allastor had gone through were dangerous, he didn't mention it. All he wants, just like Allastor's want is for his family to be as at ease as possible.

As they happily chatted, a sound of a rubbing wood just like a longer shrill vocal sound of a mouse reverberated. 

The door of the orphanage slowly opened, and because of that, the expression of Isabel and Ishara brightened.

“And here comes my dude Allastor. Heh.” Confidently said by Hukkon. His words were accompanied by the closing of his eyes like he was so sure that Allastor is really here already. 

Howbeit, when the door reveals the figure from its behind, the expressions of Ishara and Isabel immediately changed. It was as if their mouths are stiff and they couldn't help but frown in shock.

“Who are you? Why are you here?!” Shouted Ishara.

The unknown man smirked. He didn't respond, still, his heavy magicules spread to the surroundings—causing the little children to lose consciousness. 

At this point, when he felt the unusual dangerous energy and when he heard the frightened shout of his aunt Ishara, Hukkon opened his eyes again. He looked at the unknown man, just to see the figure of a blind man whose eyes are closed. The unknown man slowly approached them.

Because of this, Hukkon, Ishara, Isabel, and Selena felt in danger.

“W-what are you doing?!” Isabel couldn't stop herself to shout in frightened. As a natural reaction, she pulls Selena and Hukkon into her arms. Hugging them.

On the other side, a metal Ax of Ishara appeared on her hands. Despite her nervousness, just for the children here, she step forward to the unknown man and readied her weapon. “Who are you? Why are you causing commotions here?! Didn't you know that there are roaming Royal Soldiers in this town?! Aren't you afraid of the punishment of Lord King?!”

A bit of smile appeared on the lips of the blind man. Along with that, he earnestly spoke. “Aw. Are you worrying about me? Heh. Those soldiers are such a weak ass. All they have are their regalias and nothing more. I wish you had seen them bathed on their own blood.” He paused and sarcastically continued. “And to your majesty ass, after killing his soldiers here, respondents will be delayed. You should be more wary of your own situation here.”

The unknown man yawned and lifelessly spoke again. “Oh, our boss told me to spare the oldies if they submit. Our plan is just simple, we just want to abduct the children here along with their guardians. Whatchu think, huh, isn't it a fair deal? You don't want to die either just like those soldiers, right?” He yawn again as he rubbed his butt. “I'm really lazy to kill people anymore, you know?”

Hukkon and the other's eyes trembled at what they heard. Feeling nervous, a lot of sweat covered their faces.

Yet, despite her fear, the love of the lady from the people in the orphanage surpasses her negative emotion. Even though she felt so scared, she still slowly approached the unknown man to protect her children.

“Stay there! Don't come any closer!”

The unknown man disregarded what he heard. Even if his blind eyes are closed, he still sees the surroundings clearly.

He is using a lot of magicule energies to do this amazing thing. His vision roams around. He looked at the remaining conscious people and looked at the other unconscious children lying on the floor.

“Hmm. The boss said that there is an unusual kid here with gray hair. But I couldn't see him.” He whispered.

The anxious Ishara looked at Isabel and the others, “Isabel, Selena, Hukkon! Get out of this place and go to the Capital! Carry the children with you!”

Isabel nodded. He discarded all of the stored items on her Space ring and stored all the sleeping children inside the ring. After that is that they immediately rushed outside to the back of the house.

Unlike the space bag, the space ring can contain creatures with life. Even so, if certain creatures will try to struggle inside the ring, they can destroy it effortlessly, causing them to get out of the ring's storage easily. And because the children are still sleeping, it only means that they don't have the ability to struggle as of now, making them successfully stored inside.

Even though the unknown man can see Isabel, Hukkon, and Selena running toward the exit, he didn't bother to rush toward them. He just observed them as they successfully exited from the back of the orphanage house.

When Ishara realized that the three have exited the house, she smiled. She was still ready for any movements that the mysterious man will make. 

“It is not the time to celebrate yet.” Earnestly said the unknown man.

Ishara felt confused about what the man had said. Be that as it may, when she processed the meaning of those words, her eyes trembled. To her nervousness before, she have forgotten what the man had said before. She still remembers that he said: “OUR plan is just simple, WE just want to abduct the children here along with their guardians. Whatchu think, huh, isn't it a fair deal? ”

“He has a companion!”

At that point, when she realized that thing, the smile full of hope on her lips dissipated. It was as if her world has stopped for a moment when she saw that the wall from the backside of the house has been shattered.

A group of unknown people appeared. On the hand of the big man, is the unconscious body of Selena and Hukkon. On his other hand is the space ring where the other children are stored. Ishara's eyes couldn't help but trembled when she saw that scene.

“Selena! Hukkon!” Frantically shouted by Ishara. At this point, she swallowed all the fear she feels. She rushed towards the bandits using her ax. But, though she didn't make enough steps, she immediately halt when she saw a hairy thing in the hand of the other bandit. She also saw the dripping red liquid from that thing.

Aside from the drumming of her heart, all she can hear is the dripping of liquid in the tranquil-like surroundings.

Her eyes didn't lose focus on that thing. Even after it flew into the air, she still follows it. That thing only stopped flying when it was now close to Ishara. Not long after, it exactly fell in front of Ishara—the chopped head of Isabel rolled towards her feet. When it stopped rolling, the widened eyes of the chopped head looked directly at her.

Because of that, Ishara's whole face became pale. She felt that she have lost her identity. She was dazed as she fell to her knees. She didn't say any words anymore. At that moment, from her back is the blind man.

Not wasting any more time, the silver sword pass through the neck of the Lady.

Blood exploding sounds could be heard in the surroundings. Her head slowly spun in the air as the tear in her eyes began gushing out.

*   *   *   *

In Adventurer's Guild, on the second floor also known as the pub floor, even though the time is already at late night, the approximately twenty adventurers are still having their fun.

One of them lifts his big mug full of beer. His face is already red when he shouted. “For Lookout Officer Roderick that has reached level thirty-eight Gold Rank!”

“Ouy!!!” Simultaneously shouted by the others as their mugs bumped into each other.

On the other side, to one of the tables here sat a young man that has ash-gray hair. His head was submerged on the table while sleeping. In spite of that, for a reason he doesn't know, he immediately felt shocked—causing him to wake up. His eyes turn at Roderick Flameberg whose face is red. He smiled. He was happy for Roderick Flameberg who has become stronger again by another level. But, his smile fades when his eyes accidentally saw the window. It was already dark outside. And the usual lights from the night houses are already gone—making Allastor realized that it was already so late at night.

“Shit, I have forgotten! Selena and Hukkon are waiting for me!” Cringing Allastor said. He promised Selena and Hukkon that he will go home later, but he did not intend to be this late. And what's more? His aunt Ishara and Isabel are also waiting for him right now.

Allastor immediately approached the group of drunken adventurers. When he got the attention of Roderick Flameberg, he immediately said. “I'll go now, sir Roderick! I have promised Selena and Hukkon that I will just be a bit later. They might be worrying now. Aha.”

“Eh? What do you mean, kid? Hik! The time is still too early. All the foods you want here are all free. Come on, don't be shy. Hik!” Slowly said by the drunken Roderick. 

Allastor shook his head. “Nah. But thank you still for inviting me! See ya later, sir Roderick!”

Allastor didn't wait for the response of his friend anymore. He immediately exited the pub floor.

As he gazed at the shrinking silhouette of Allastor, Roderick let out his last words. “HAHA! Alas, if only you are a bit older, you could have accompanied us on our drink. Hik!”

*   *   *   *

When he finally exited the Adventurer's Guild, Allastor immediately got himself a carriage driver. Just right after he gets in, he was asked about his desired destination. The Carriage didn't immediately run, instead, the Carriage driver felt shocked when he heard the destination of the young man. But, without even reaching half a minute, the carriage started its run.

In the middle of their silent traveling, the silence was shattered by the voice of the carriage driver.

“Mind if I ask, young Sir?”

“Nah. Go ahead.” Allastor responded.

“Young Sir, why are you going to that Irongrass town?”

“Oh. I'm living there, though. Why did you ask?”

The driver's eyebrows slightly raised. “You didn't know, young sir? The news is that that town has a murder case a while ago. Currently, the Knight Commander of the ninth squad and the other elite royal soldiers are investigating the crime scene.”

“What? Murder case?!” Allastor's eyes widened as he screamed. “Do you know where exactly in that town the incident happens?”

The carriage driver shook his head. “Nope, young Sir, but they say that the three Royal Soldiers guarding the Irongrass town have been killed along with the other two citizens.”

“I see...” Allastor sighed when he confirmed that only two citizens of the town have been killed. In that number alone, he was sure that the murder case didn't happen in the orphanage.

If the Carriage driver said that approximately twenty has been killed or twelve in numbers minimum, he will worry so much at this moment. However, even if he is slightly calm right now, Allastor still couldn't hide that he is still worried about that incident. His family is still part of the Irongrass town, and the crime scene has just happened near the orphanage.

*   *   *   *

After an hour of traveling, the carriage immediately stopped on its run. Allastor dismounted the carriage after paying the travel cost.

Just right after he dismounted, he felt a gloomy wind rippling on his clothes. A cold wind that gives him a sad vibe. He disregarded that unusual feeling as he continue his track to the orphanage. He started thinking of alibis he could use to ease his two aunts who he was sure is already worrying about him.

Nevertheless, his brainstorming for alibis stopped when he can now see the Orphanage at this distance. He saw first the giant cracks and holes from the wooden house, then he saw approximately ten Royal Soldiers roaming slowly inside and out of the wooden house.

It was as if his whole surrounding stopped. He feels so nervous with every step he takes. He couldn't hear anything but the pulsation of his heart.

At this time, he still couldn't comprehend what really happens inside that orphanage. Even though he didn't confirm yet, his guts are out of control. All his guts want is for him to feel negative. His guts are telling him that something bad happens to his family. At that moment, his feet are starting to feel numb. It was as if his feet lost their strength to continue stepping forward. Even one of them is hard for Allastor to move.

“No... Nothing bad happens...” Allastor convinced himself.

On the other side, in the small town of Irongrass, inside the broken Orphanage, a group of Royal Soldiers can be seen roaming around the wooden house.

They are investigating how the murder has occurred at this location. Some are investigating the large cracks on the walls, some are investigating the footprints on the floor, while their leader is currently inspecting the corpses with no heads. He dipped his finger into the slightly dry blood and he noticed that it wasn't still as cold as the wooden floor's temperature.

His eyebrows raised. “It was only two or three hours ago that this crime happened! If the Criminals came from inside the Kingdom, we will Immediately be informed... Don't tell me, it was the Dark Alone Bandits again that did this?...”

He is Henson Beck, one of the ten Knight Commanders who is in charge of commanding the ninth squad of Royal Soldiers. But at this time, it wasn't his title as a Knight Commander he is using, instead, he is now using his Identity as a great detective of the Kreo Kingdom. 

Even though he feels that he might not be the greatest detective inside the Kingdom, he is still confident that there is no mystery that he couldn't solve. And about his companion right now, they are his elite soldiers who also have a good knowledge of investigating.

Henson Beck's focus on investigating the corpses' blood has been broken when he heard a commotion near where he is kneeling on one knee.

“I told you, kid. This place is temporarily off-limits.”

“Don't fuck with me! Who... Who did this to my Aunts?! Where the hell is that fucker?!”

A trace of deep hatred could be seen from the expression of Allastor Frauzz, while in his eyes are the nonstop streaming of tears.

He couldn't believe this truth. He can clearly see who are the two dead bodies that has been mentioned by the carriage driver to him earlier. He can clearly see how those unknown criminals awfully killed his Aunts. “Who... Who the hell did this to my aunts?!!!”

Allastor's savage magicule energies started surging out of his body, causing the man earlier to raise his eyebrows. He couldn't control his emotion. He wants to convince himself that it is only just a dream, nonetheless, it was clear to him that all of these are true.

He clenched his fist and blood dripped down from his hands. He punched the man trying to stop him, causing him to finally go near his loved ones. The man will about to stop Allastor again, yet, when he saw his leader shaking his head, he didn't continue anymore.

Allastor immediately rushed near Isabel and Ishara's bodies. He just stopped on his track when he was already so near to them.

His eyes trembled and another wave of tears began forming in his eyes. He lifts his weakening hand. It was as if he wanted to touch their hands. “Aunt Ishara... Great-Aunt Isabel...”

At this point, his tears began to flow down as he fell to his knees. He couldn't last at this scene. He feels that he has lost his motivation to live anymore.

When his grandpa Allan left him behind, he didn't expect that his Aunts and the other children from the orphanage will fill the longing he felt for his Grandfather. Slowly, as time goes by, the void in his heart has completely dissipated with the love he receives from his Aunts and non-blood-related siblings in the orphanage. But now, his new family has left him again. In his mind, this might be the greatest nightmare he could ever have.

*   *   *   *

“Allastor, I just noticed that you like gazing at those beautiful moons.” Ishara sat on the grassy field, besides where Allastor is sitting. The lady smiled sweetly as he looked at the young man. “Are you thinking about something?”

Allastor shook his head. He smiled. “No, Aunt Ishara. I really just want to see the moons at night. I feel like they are lifting all my problems every time I look at them.”

“Oh. If that's so...” Ishara immediately stood and pulled Allastor's hand. She excitedly runs. “Come with me!”

“W-wait, aunt Ishara!” Allastor said in shock. In spite of that, he couldn't do anything but follow the destination of his aunt.

“Hehe. Don't you ever dare to stop or you will trip! I know a place where we could see the moons together! Believe me, the view of them there is much clearer and better!” Excitedly responded the lady as she laughed sweetly.

In the end, when they finally arrived at their destination, the two of them sat at a big rock. This place is just behind the orphanage, in the middle of the tall grasses. The giant rock where they sat is so tall, making them feel like the stars and the moons are just near them.

While his eyes glitter on the enhanced scenery, there's no other word that came out of Allastor's mouth but a word, “beautiful...”

Ishara smiled at Allastor's reaction. He gently pulled Allastor at her shoulder. Making the young man leaning on her. 

“Hear me out, Allas—no, my child.” Started by Ishara. She is also looking at the scenery from the sky and his emotion is full of joy. “From now on, you don't need to feel misery about your past anymore. Now that I am here, I will never be just your aunt. I will always worry and love you like you are my own child. You don't need to run away, I won't leave you.”

Allastor smiled and tears began forming in his eyes. He was so happy to hear those words that he couldn't do anything but say “Yes” as his tears began to drip down.

*   *   *   *

“Aunt Isabel, Selena told me that you are calling me?” Said the confused Allastor as he slowly opened the room of the old lady.

Isabel nodded and a trace of happiness formed on her lips. “Happy birthday again, our Allastor.”

The old lady told Allastor to sit beside her. When Allastor sat beside her, the old lady continued. He slightly pull Allastor towards her arms and gave him a warm hug. “I know that it is hard to live without someone who you could call your family. I've been in your situation as well when I was a little. But, destiny didn't abandon me. It even introduced me to the Orphanage and in that place, I met my own family.”

“Allastor, even if everything from you has gone, aunt Isabel promised that she won't leave you like any other. Always remember that you are the only Allastor and our child of your aunt Ishara.”

Allastor just nodded, but he felt the warmth in his eyes. His emotion became warm to what he heard. He is happy. He realized that on this day, he was so lucky to have this family.

“I won't leave you too, Aunt Isabel. I am happy, really happy.” Allastor said. Nothing could be traced on his teary eyes but a deep impression of real happiness.

“Happy birthday again, Allastor. Aunt Isabel is really shy of Allastor. I don't have a gift to give you yet, you know?” Isabel said as she gently smiles.

Allastor immediately shook his head as he happily responded. “Yet, this gift is too much for me already, Aunt Isabel.”

*   *   *   *

At the current moment, Allastor's tears are still flowing as if there's no tomorrow. His expression is dark and the sadness he feels is already too much.

“You promised to me... You promised... But what is this? You still left me, huh?...” Allastor whispered with his drying lips. 

Allastor's clenched fist clenched even more, and again, a red warm liquid dripped down on his hands. He continued to murmur as if he had lost his sanity. “System... I have become fair with the other people, right?... But why? To all the people on this planet that could experience this thing, why is it me that always suffer?”

The surroundings became silent. Aside from the gloomy atmosphere of the cold night, nothing could ever feel in this place, but violent energy gushing out of Allastor's body. The current Royal Soldiers at this place didn't stop Allastor even though his magicule energies are vigorously spreading.

Honestly, his magicules are still too weak to affect the Royal Soldiers. Still, they are being affected by the emotion of the young man. It was their first time seeing a scene so gloomy like this. Based on the reaction of the young man, they realized that he loves the dead ladies so much.

“Why is it me again?... Why me?... Why me?... Why?...” No life could be traced to his crying eyes. His magicules violently surged out of his body again, this time, it was even stronger.

“Why is it me again?!!!”

[Ting!]

[The System can detect the hyperactive emotion of the User!]

[Ting!]

[The System can detect the eagerness of this user to become stronger!]

[Initiallizing...]

[Ting!]

[Certain qualification couldn't be detected in the User's body]

[The system rejected the User's request]

*   *   *   *

A day has passed after the incident that happens to his loved ones. He is currently tabled at one of the tables on the pub floor of Adventurer's Guild. But on this day is that there is a change to what he usually does on this pub floor—unlike every time he idles in this place. He wasn't holding a knife and a fork right now, but a big wooden mug and a large bottle of beer.

Honestly, adventurers are forbidden to drink at this place when it is still a day. Howbeit, because of Roderick Flameberg, Allastor is exempted from this rule temporarily.

The people that will about to try stopping Allastor from drinking, didn't continue when they heard from Roderick Flameberg what happened to the young man. 

Even now, Allastor still couldn't believe what happened. It was as if everything feels like a nightmare he needs to wake up. He couldn't accept what happened to his little brothers, sisters, and most of all, to his Aunts. He couldn't believe that the day he will become alone will be repeated. His brothers and sisters have been abducted and his aunts had been murdered. And what's more, is that he won't have any idea who did this to his family.

The edges of Allastor's lifeless eyes are dark. Aside from the extreme sadness he feels, he still feels extreme anger.

Even if he doesn't have any idea right now who are the criminals that did that to his family, he has already set his cold heart—he will do everything he could to know the identity of those criminals. He will become stronger and he will pour all his hatred and anger on that person.

Allastor firmly clenched his fist. 

“Aunt Ishara, Great Aunt Isabel, my siblings... I will search for that fucker who did this to all of you... I will make them pay a hundred folds...”  Earnestly but full of extreme anger whispered by Allastor.

To be honest, there is already a desired destination he wanted to go to achieve his new goal. He had already decided. He will enter the Uzuri's Forest and searched for the magical Mana-Tree.

To be continued.

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