(Arin's POV)
"God Killer..."
Selena Rhyms's voice hung in the silent air. It was heavy and laden with ancient meaning that made goosebumps rise instantly. The term sounded foreign to my ears, exactly like the title of a forbidden fairy tale usually read by old grandmothers to frighten naughty children to sleep quickly. However, when spoken by a Sixth Circle mage with a face that pale, it felt far from merely a bedtime story.
Selena stood near the window. Her back was to the morning sunlight streaming in, making her silhouette look majestic yet fragile.
"That is a designation from the Dark Ages," continued Selena. Her eyes stared at me as if I were a dangerous artifact that could explode and destroy reality at any moment. "In ancient theology, magic and mana were considered the breath of the Gods exhaled into the world to give life. Those possessing a Mana Void, a body that absolutely rejects, erases, and negates mana, were considered the antithesis of the Gods themselves."
The room fell silent. Karim swallowed hard with a clearly audible sound. Duke Edwin stared at me with a deeply furrowed brow, as if weighing whether I was a valuable asset or a deadly threat.
I looked at my own two hands. Skin full of scars, thick calluses from gripping a sword, and muscles forcibly shaped through pain. Nothing looked mystical. There was only flesh and blood.
"I do not feel like a god killer, Madam," I answered honestly, trying to break the tension choking everyone's necks. "I just feel like a rat that happens to be immune to poison. If a god is offended because I cannot use his magic, that is his problem, not mine."
"Perhaps," mumbled Selena, slowly regaining her composure. She sighed deeply, chasing away the momentary horror with the cold logic of an academic. "Besides, it is just a myth. Nowadays we talk science, not theology. But medically, Ghislain's diagnosis makes sense. Your body is not a leaking or clogged vessel, Arin."
Selena walked closer, then pointed at my chest.
"Your body is a vacuum that swallows everything. That explains why you could receive monster serum without destructive wild mutation. Your body eats that wild mana and turns it into biological fuel because your cells are starved for energy."
"Does that mean I can continue?" I asked to confirm.
"You can continue," affirmed Selena. "You are not a failed product. You are a deviant evolution. And in this world, those who deviate are often the ones who survive the longest."
The room's atmosphere eased slightly. The Mana Void verdict did sound terrifying, but at least it was not a verdict of permanent disability. It was potential. A new path that had never been mapped by anyone.
"Wait a minute," Elena's voice suddenly cut in. Sharp and full of observation.
Elena, sitting on the edge of my bed holding her closed folding fan, pointed to the table beside Edna. There, among piles of bandages and antiseptic bottles, lay two parchment scrolls sealed with Ghislain's signature green wax.
"Edna, you just read one letter," said Elena. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What is the content of the other letter? Ghislain sent two tubes via owl courier earlier."
Edna, standing in the corner of the room tidying up used syringe tools, gave a small jolt. Her movements were stiff for a moment, as if caught red-handed committing a crime.
"Ah, this?" Edna picked up the second scroll with a hand that... was it trembling? No, maybe just my feeling or a lighting effect.
"Read it," urged Edwin impatiently. "We need to know all the variables. Nothing should be hidden."
Edna nodded stiffly. She broke the wax seal with a slow movement, too slow for Edna who was usually deft. She opened the scroll. Her green eyes moved fast, scanning the lines of Ghislain's chicken-scratch handwriting.
One second. Two seconds.
Edna's face changed.
The red color in her cheeks vanished instantly, leaving skin as white as paper. Her eyes widened, her pupils shrank. She read the paragraph repeatedly. Her lips moved soundlessly, as if hoping the writing would change if she stared at it long enough.
My breath caught seeing her reaction. What else now? Would I grow tentacles?
Silence. Edna just stood frozen, fixated on the letter sheet.
"Edna?" I called, feeling something was very wrong. "What does it say? Are there other side effects? Will I grow a tail? Or do I have to eat human brains?"
Edna jolted. She lifted her face to look at me.
For a fraction of a second, I saw profound sorrow in her eyes. The same look as when she saw a helpless patient on the operating table. The gaze of a doctor who knew she had lost against death.
But as quick as lightning, that look disappeared. Replaced by the mask of annoyance and irritation she usually wore to cover her feelings.
"Trash," snorted Edna roughly.
She crumpled the paper into a small ball, then threw it into the trash bin in the corner of the room with an exaggerated angry movement.
"That crazy old man is just raving!" exclaimed Edna. Her voice was slightly too high, too fast. "He wrote three full pages about a conspiracy theory that humans are actually the result of crossbreeding between apes and mushrooms! And he wants to dissect your brain later to see if its color is red or green!"
Edna put her hands on her hips, shaking her head dramatically while massaging her temples.
"There is no useful medical information there. Just the babble of a science-drunk person obsessed with mushrooms. No need to read it, it will only make you stupid."
"Oh..." Elena nodded, looking relieved and disgusted at the same time. She fanned herself. "Typical Ghislain. He really is crazy. I wonder why Grandmother used to want to work with him."
"Right," added Karim who was standing near the door. "That person is truly insane. It is good that there is no other bad news."
Everyone in the room nodded in agreement. Accepting the lie as truth because Ghislain's reputation was indeed ruined. They were relieved.
Only I stared at Edna a little longer. She avoided my gaze. She was busy tidying up her medical tools with overly busy movements. Her hands trembled as she put the alcohol bottle into the bag.
Why did she lie? Ghislain was indeed crazy, but he rarely wrote trash letters at critical moments.
But seeing Edna's tense shoulders, I decided to keep quiet. If Edna hid it, maybe it was for my own good. Or maybe she just wanted to protect us from Ghislain's madness.
"So, what is your plan now, Kid?"
Duke Edwin's heavy voice drew my attention back. The Duke stood at the foot of the bed, arms crossed over his chest. His face returned to business mode: cold, pragmatic, and calculative. He didn't care about god myths or crazy letters, he cared about assets.
"You already know your condition. God Killer, Void, or whatever it is. What are you going to do with your new body?"
I clenched my fist. Feeling new strength flowing in my muscles, throbbing in rhythm with my piston heart.
"Nothing changes, Lord Duke," I answered firmly. "I will keep training. Precisely because my body is a Void, I can experiment more with serums without fear of mana poisoning. I will become stronger."
"Good," Edwin nodded satisfied. "I like assets with ambition. The desire to be strong is the best fuel."
But then, the Duke's expression turned serious. His eyes narrowed sharply, a shadow of worry crossing his hard face.
"But you have to be more careful from now on. Especially against the Benzzi Family."
Edwin walked closer, his voice lowering.
"Karl Benzzi, he is now in mental rehabilitation because of that gas scandal. But his family, the real Duke Benzzi, surely will not remain silent seeing the asset who humiliated his son still roaming and successful. Noble vengeance is long, Arin. And they have assassins far more competent than school children."
I smiled thinly. A smile containing a little cunning, a smile I copied from Elena.
"You do not need to worry about Benzzi, Lord Duke."
"Why? Do you underestimate them?"
"Not underestimating. But because they are busy with internal problems."
"What do you mean?"
I glanced at Elena. Elena nodded, then stepped forward confidently. She opened her folding fan gracefully, covering part of her face, leaving her golden eyes shining intelligently.
"Father," called Elena. "Actually, we have taken care of that problem. Karl Benzzi is indeed dangerous, but his younger brother, Kars, is far more useful."
Elena began to tell the story.
She told about the division between Karl and Kars that we orchestrated. About how we approached Kars, gave him capital, and manipulated him to betray his brother in the gas cave. About how Kars now held control over the casino assets and was in the process of taking over the heir position with our tacit support.
"Kars Benzzi is now on our side, Father. He is a puppet who realizes he needs our strings to move," concluded Elena.
Duke Edwin's eyes widened as the story flowed. His mouth opened slightly. He looked at his daughter, then looked at me, then back to his daughter. He seemed to disbelieve that his elegant daughter and this young man before him had designed such a neat political coup behind his back.
Silence for a moment after Elena finished speaking.
Then...
"Hahahahaha!"
Duke Edwin laughed. A booming, loud, and heavy laugh. The laugh of a lion who had just seen its prey fall into a hole without him needing to push. The laugh echoed in the hospital room, sounding slightly terrifying.
"Incredible! Genius!" exclaimed Edwin, clapping his hands once loudly. "You two, you divided Benzzi from within? You made the younger brother eat his own older brother?"
Edwin's face shone with frightening joy. He paced back and forth enthusiastically.
"Do you know what this means? The Benzzi Family is the main pillar of the Military Faction. If Kars, who is clearly in our pocket and indebted to us, rises to become Duke, then the Military Faction will waver! They will be forced to ally with our Reform Faction or be destroyed!"
Edwin's eyes flashed with pure ambition. He saw the kingdom's political map changing before his eyes.
"This is a golden opportunity. We can crush the Royalist Faction's dominance and pressure the King if Benzzi is on our side."
Suddenly, Edwin's steps stopped. His face turned cold and cruel. His smile vanished, replaced by a killer's stare that made the room temperature drop.
He looked at Elena and me alternately.
"Elena, your plan is good. But too slow," whispered Edwin. "Why half-measures?"
Edwin leaned forward, placing his hands on my bed rail.
"Karl is still alive. He is in the academy rehabilitation center, isn't he? As long as he lives, he can recover. He can return to claim the throne. That is a risk. Kars has a weak mentality. If his brother returns, he will surrender his power out of fear."
Edwin stared at me, his eyes void of morality.
"Tonight, I can send a Shadow Servant to the rehabilitation center. We can make it look like suicide due to depression. He already has a bad mental record in court, right? No one will be suspicious if he is found hanging tomorrow morning."
The room froze.
I fell silent. My goosebumps rose.
This was the true face of a Duke. To Edwin, human lives, even fellow young nobles, childhood friends of his daughter, were merely variables that could be erased for the sake of political balance sheet efficiency. He did not hesitate to kill another person's child for his family's benefit.
Edna in the corner of the room covered her mouth. Her face grew paler. She knew the Duke was cruel, but hearing child murder planned casually like this made her nauseous.
"Edwin!"
Selena's snapping voice broke the tension. The Headmistress hit the nightstand with her closed fan.
"Do not be stupid!" reprimanded Selena sharply. Her eyes blazed warning her son. "Killing a legitimate heir while he is under Academy medical supervision? Under my nose? Do you want to drag us all to the gallows?!"
"The Royal Family will not know..."
"Prince Albert just dissolved the court yesterday with Royal Knight troops!" cut Selena. "He is watching all of us, Edwin. Benzzi, Delphine, Rhyms, he is looking for an excuse to behead one of us to enforce royal authority. Do not give him a knife!"
Edwin fell silent. He snorted in annoyance, realizing the truth of his mother's words. His killing intent slowly receded, replaced again by business pragmatism.
"Tch. What a pity. That was the cleanest solution," mumbled Edwin while adjusting his suit.
"Fine. We play it the subtle way."
Edwin looked at Elena proudly.
"I will support your plan, my Daughter. Some funds for Kars. Intelligence access about the old Duke Benzzi's weaknesses so Kars can pressure him. And whatever equipment you need."
But then, Edwin raised his index finger. Giving a final warning that made my blood run cold.
"But remember one thing, Elena. And you too, Arin."
"Kars Benzzi is a traitor. Never forget that. A person who can sell his own biological brother for power, someday might sell you if the price is right."
Edwin stared at us sharply.
"Put a leash on his neck. Feed him, but never release his chains. If he tries to bite, cut off his head without hesitation before he grows big."
"I understand, Father," answered Elena coldly. Her eyes implied the determination of an heir ready to play in the political mud.
I only nodded slowly. Inwardly, I sighed deeply.
I only wanted to be a knight and a doctor. But now, I was trapped in the middle of a gambling table where the stakes were the kingdom's fate. And around me, not only monsters wanted to prey on me, but also allies ready to discard me if I was useless.
I glanced at Edna in the corner of the room.
She was still staring at me. Her gaze was no longer a gaze of annoyance, but a gaze of... sorrow?
Ah, maybe she was just tired. Or maybe she pitied seeing me trapped with this crazy family.
"This conspiracy..." I mumbled inwardly while staring at the ceiling. "Is like a hydra. Cut off one head, two new problems grow. Troublesome."
But I had no choice but to keep moving forward. Because I didn't know, behind me, the hourglass of my life had already been turned over, and its sand was flowing much faster than I expected.