Children of the Rune – Winterer - Chapter 563

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 15.
The Noble Daughter and the Detective (15)
“Where on earth did you find something like that?”
Nay’s voice dropped even lower.
“I don’t know, but one thing is certain. A heart so enormous must surely have an owner, and that owner will return to claim it. Someday—perhaps not long from now, perhaps very soon.”
“The owner is still alive even without their heart?”
“That heart was alive. I told you already—it whispered ceaselessly, and it was warm. It was even beating! It looked like some grotesque plant matter dredged from the Swamp, yet it beat like the heart of a freshly slaughtered ox! That’s why we called it a heart. But who can say whether it functions the same way as a human or animal heart? Psyche don’t survive the way creatures we know do.”
Charlotte fell into thought, turning the black heart over in her palm. Black oil-like substance smeared across her entire hand. Dark as it was, it resembled blood. It seemed as though it might burst if pressed. Imagining that great pulsating heart made her skin crawl with unease.
“Judging by that heart, it seems there exists among the Psyche a being of tremendous and terrible power—far different from those small, chaotic chirping creatures. Perhaps the Psyche fear that being. Perhaps they sought out the Bloodied to destroy them all out of fear of its arrival.”
Charlotte handed the black mass back to Nay and spoke.
“Your theory explains why the Psyche sought me out despite fearing my power, but it’s mostly speculation. So where is that heart now?”
“The Grand Duke concealed it. You could say he destroyed it.”
Charlotte looked up at Nay in surprise.
“Destroyed it? How?”
“The Grand Duke cut that heart into pieces….”
The very thought of it sent shivers down one’s spine. A heart that beat as though alive, sliced into fragments….
“Then he hid those pieces among unrelated objects and scattered them across the Continent. So the owner couldn’t find them even if they returned.”
“Wouldn’t it have been better to bury it beneath the sea or underground?”
“Psyche exist in all those places. You don’t understand how terrified they are of that heart…. If it were buried underground, the earth would soon convulse and catastrophe would follow. The Psyche would flee in madness.”
Charlotte nodded, then suddenly furrowed her brow and spoke.
“But if the problem were truly solved that way, the Psyche wouldn’t still be searching for me now. Perhaps it wasn’t a fundamental solution after all.”
“No. The fundamental solution lies in the power you were born with. Though you don’t seem to control it at all yet. Kill those radiant creatures thousands of times over. Then you’ll understand.”
It was a cruel solution, but truthfully, the Psyche themselves had brought about yesterday’s events because they desired it. If that were truly the only way, they might even want her to do it.
“The Grand Duke didn’t want you involved in this matter, so he tried to learn magic to solve it himself. But the Bloodied is a different kind of power than magic, so that didn’t work.”
“Wait—my Older Brother learned magic? I’ve never heard that before.”
Nay glanced at Charlotte with an expression of exasperation and clicked her tongue.
“Honestly, the Grand Duke’s overprotectiveness knows no bounds. He told you nothing. Didn’t he understand who you really are?”
Then a voice came from behind.
“The Noble Daughter spent four years at Etoile—what did you expect?”
Turning around, I saw Lorang approaching from the darkness as merely a silhouette, passing by us both to lean against the rocky wall beside the entrance. It was impossible to know how long he’d been watching. Nay spoke first with a mocking edge.
“Well, well—following along quietly without being asked. Or do you have business here?”
“Yes, to prevent overprotection.”
Charlotte burst into silent laughter. Lorang looked at her, then spoke in a somewhat serious tone.
“It troubles us when you leave alone like this without an escort.”
Of course, that meant he didn’t trust Nay. Nay raised her eyebrows and wore a crooked smile.
“Could that be it? From where I’m standing, it looks like you’ve fallen for the Noble Daughter and are following her around.”
Lorang shot back without hesitation.
“You seem to have considerable lingering feelings for Bernard.”
“Ah, judging everything by your own standards, are you? You know nothing about people from Recordable. Isn’t that right?”
“And you seem to know nothing about Etoile.”
Before harsher words could be exchanged, Charlotte interjected and cut off the conversation.
“Both of you, stop.”
Nay and Lorang fell silent, but their eyes continued to trade barbs as if speaking volumes. To emphasize her point, Charlotte kicked at the rocky outcrop beside the entrance before continuing.
“Nay, start again from where you left off.”
Nay glanced sideways at Lorang before speaking.
“What I’m about to tell you is a secret that must be kept. Are you certain that’s acceptable?”
“Yes.”
“Well, it’s not that I doubt his loyalty, but secrets can’t be kept by willpower alone.”
She was clearly still teasing, but this remark struck a nerve with Lorang. He started to retort but held himself back, looking toward Charlotte instead.
“My lady. I know you told me to stop, but might I say one thing?”
Charlotte suppressed a smile before responding.
“Yes, just one thing.”
“If you want to learn how to keep secrets well, come join Etoile. We have a special training course for it.”
Lorang was young and prone to hot-headedness, but Nay was equally so. She let out a soft laugh before speaking.
“Oh really? That’s quite interesting. Is it like memory suppression training? Of course, you must have passed it, right? Wow, those insignias on your shoulder—they must mean something like that?”
The uniforms of Etoile members bore different insignias on the shoulders depending on which training courses they had completed. In other words, she had essentially said she knew exactly why he was bragging. Lorang’s expression became one of disbelief, while Nay’s conveyed a challenge. Finally, Charlotte spoke.
“Now stop for real. If you two fight in front of me one more time, I’ll make you hold hands and walk together until we leave This Island. Do you understand?”
“Pardon?”
“What did you say?”
Both their expressions at hearing such an unimaginable threat were quite a sight. Though they’d never heard of such a punishment before, the mere thought of it was devastatingly effective. As they both frowned and averted their eyes, Charlotte nodded and spoke.
“Good. Now then, Nay.”
Nay’s expression became oddly solemn, her eyes downcast as she spoke.
“Then I shall tell you. Ever since hearing that the Grand Duke had gone missing, I have been pondering the reason. From here on, this is merely my speculation—believe it or not as you choose—but I suspect that perhaps the owner of that heart has returned and harmed the Grand Duke.”
“….”
Charlotte’s brow furrowed. Bernard had certainly vanished under mysterious circumstances. What if it truly was the work of a supernatural entity?
“If that suspicion is correct, we have little time. The Assassin will stop at nothing to reclaim their heart. That is why I urge you to master the power of Bloodied as quickly as possible. I also believe that’s why the Psyche have been so persistently demanding your presence here recently. Only with that power can you be safe. Should the Assassin reclaim their heart, then they will….”
In the dim lamplight, Nay’s dark eyes took on an eerie gleam.
“Surely come to harm you. The Assassin is the nightmare of the Psyche, and only Bloodied possesses the power to stop them.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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