Chapter 296

Chapter 296 – The Lights Faded Away

Night had completely fallen by the time we made our way back to the shore.

“Welcome back…… Did you have a pleasant time?”

Alfredo had arrived to meet us, offering a warm and genial grin as we stepped off the vessel.

“Yes, it was incredible!”

“Honestly…… I doubt I will ever experience anything like that again in this lifetime. I am truly grateful.”

“Haha, there is absolutely no need for gratitude, young Chenbi. I am simply pleased that you had fun. Well then, shall we head out? I have secured a reservation at a wonderful establishment. The cooks at the estate are remarkably talented, naturally, but local culinary masters are always superior when it comes to truly representing the flavors of the area.”

As it turned out, the estate’s culinary staff belonged to the Blandoga Family, and Alfredo lost no time guiding our group toward the eatery.

The evening meal proved to be spectacular.

It carried a distinct character from the estate’s food…… It is difficult to put into words.

‘It was completely different.’

I would not rank one above the other, but precisely as Alfredo remarked, the restaurant’s offerings carried a notably more exotic flair.

And so, once our meal concluded.

Alfredo directed our next steps with seamless ease.

“The nocturnal marketplace in Kotana is quite a remarkable sight. Given that you have traveled all this distance, I highly recommend exploring it.”

“A night market?”

“Indeed, do you not recall? You frequently strolled through it in the company of the previous patriarch.”

“I have no memory of that place……”

“In that case, let us go take a look. I am certain it will catch your interest.”

“Hmm…… Alright, let’s!”

Receiving Damian’s assent, Alfredo communicated our destination to the driver who was waiting for us.

Our journey to the evening market was brief.

“Behold, the night market of Kotana.”

A thoroughfare illuminated brightly by lanterns and magical artifacts. Even with the sun long gone, the marketplace remained as radiant as mid-day.

Beneath that brilliant illumination sat displays of peculiar marine life I had never encountered before, alongside various trinkets and a chaotic assortment of miscellaneous goods. The crowds drifting down the street resembled moths drawn irresistibly toward an open flame.

“Well then, please enjoy your time.”

“I shall take over as your guide from this point forward.”

As Alfredo offered a respectful nod and stepped away, Ransi—the quiet manservant—materialized abruptly from out of nowhere and provided a brief, stiff bow.

He had not journeyed with us, meaning he had been posted at the night market ahead of time……

My gaze narrowed as I recalled the subtle impression of something being amiss that I had felt on the vessel earlier, and at that exact moment, Alfredo’s voice reached my ears.

[Aster.]

Turning toward the sound, I saw Alfredo continuing to speak.

[Could I trouble you for a brief moment?]

“……”

I stared at Alfredo for several seconds.

His expression bore a gaze that felt strangely sorrowful.

What could be the reason for that.

As I sought to decipher the hidden sentiment behind that look……

“Hey, friend! Are you coming?! Take a look at this! It’s a gigantic squid!”

Damian and Chenbi. Evelyn. I remained stationary in the exact middle space separating Damian and Alfredo, shifting my focus to Damian for a brief instant.

Damian, Chenbi, and Evelyn were all gesturing toward me beneath the dazzling illumination.

And then……

“……”

Alfredo stood observing me from the dim shadows where the brightness receded, his gaze laced with an unreadable sentiment.

I maintained eye contact with Alfredo for a beat, then redirected my attention to Damian.

And I spoke.

“I left an item back on the vessel. Alfredo, I apologize for the trouble, but would you mind assisting me in retrieving it?”

“The vessel is rather massive, meaning the search might require a fair amount of time…… Is that truly alright with you?”

“……Yes, it is perfectly fine.”

As I moved behind Alfredo to enter the carriage, Damian’s shout echoed from behind.

“Make sure you return quickly!”

“Understood.”

I gave my response, stepped inside the transport, and with a metallic creak and a sharp snap, the entrance sealed shut.

It was an incredibly minor noise, yet it reverberated with immense weight.

“Let us move.”

Accompanied by the sudden whinnying of the steeds, the carriage accelerated down the pathway.

The brilliant illumination of the evening marketplace began to vanish into the distance.

A pathway blanketed by thick obscurity.

A solitary transport traveled across a stretch of land completely empty of human presence.

The driver held the reins firmly, his vision cutting through the murkiness unaided, while a team of four steeds outfitted with night-vision devices pulled the vehicle forward.

The transport that had departed from the evening marketplace was enveloped in a profound quiet.

Within that stillness, the youth with silver hair detachedly absorbed the scenery passing outside the glass. He possessed the capability to see through the darkness as well, but he chose not to pierce the shroud obscuring the pathway.

The route, illuminated only by a faint moon, appeared incredibly lonely, yet it matched his current state of mind flawlessly.

No, to be perfectly accurate, he wasn’t experiencing any specific emotion.

The youth was merely numb.

As though he had been completely detached from existence itself.

“……You aren’t going to inquire about anything.”

Alfredo uttered the words spontaneously, instantly regretting the impulse.

Not inquiring about anything? It sounded almost as if he intended to provide answers if prompted!

He had only broken the silence because the oppressive atmosphere felt restrictive, but now he had steered himself into an even more uncomfortable predicament.

And it was hardly a surprise—Aster was free to ask whatever he wished, but there was a stark lack of information Alfredo was actually permitted to share.

At best, perhaps only trivial pleasantries.

Ultimately, any inquiry that pierced into the core of this arrangement was one he was entirely incapable of answering.

And yet, was that a stroke of luck?

Aster’s choice of question was at least one he could easily fulfill.

“Where are we traveling to?”

“Our original destination was the estate…… but we are currently making our way to the docks.”

Aster provided a brief, silent nod.

The eyes that had been fixed on Alfredo turned back toward the glass.

The vehicle traveled at a moderate velocity—neither rushing nor dragging—and outside the window, dark shapes hidden by the night swept swiftly behind them.

In truth, learning the final stop provided zero assistance in breaking down the current sequence of events.

Even so, he offered no additional inquiries because they would yield no responses even if vocalized. And even if explanations were provided, it wouldn’t alter the outcome.

Or more accurately……

It simply didn’t signify anything to him.

Because of this, quietude once again settled over the vehicle’s interior.

Aster kept his mouth closed, and Alfredo mirrored his silence.

Only the rhythmic thudding of horse hooves and the periodic bumping of the wheels occupied the environment as the vehicle steadily neared the ocean front.

At long last.

“……Please step outside.”

“……”

Aster exited the vehicle and surveyed the ocean.

If the afternoon ocean resembled an immense, transparent sapphire field, then the ocean at midnight bore a humid, unsettling presence.

Chop, chop.

The water slamming against the wooden docks sounded precisely like the heavy steps of a massive creature advancing through the obscurity.

Swoooooosh—

The gust tearing through the moored vessels sounded like its hunting cry.

The pungent, salty odor hitting his nose carried a raw, fishy scent, and the air brushing against his skin felt unpleasantly moist.

But the most disturbing aspect remained the ocean itself.

The water swelling in complete blackness without a single glimmer of light. The dark grew heavier the longer a person peered down into it, projecting an odd pulling force that seemed ready to swallow anyone who looked upon it blankly.

Aster did not place faith in deities, but in that precise instant, he felt he grasped why mariners worshipped the ocean as one.

While he remained frozen, captivated by the deep abyss of the sea, Alfredo’s voice struck his ears.

“Over here……”

Aster walked behind Alfredo, who set the pace.

The specific dock they had reached via the vehicle was considerably more dilapidated than the harbor they had visited during the afternoon, and the mature gentleman dressed in a formal tuxedo walking through that broken-down port appeared entirely out of place, like a visitor from another world.

Aster noted the contradictory image even as he pushed his perception outward to evaluate the territory.

It wasn’t that he harbored doubts regarding the Blandoga Family or Alfredo.

No, it wasn’t a matter of faith, precisely.

If their intention was to cause him harm, they would have possessed significantly better windows of opportunity.

Based on the circumstances, then, he had no reason to worry. And yet, the underlying cause for continuing to deploy his perception……

Well.

Aster hesitated at the thought, caught off guard by it.

In his past existence, this action would have been automatic, requiring no second thought. When exactly had it transformed into an action that felt unnatural?

Despite that, Aster did not pull back his tracking senses.

And yet, why did it turn out like this.

The harbor, when evaluated through his expanded senses, appeared even more deserted than it looked to his physical eyes.

The sole entities he could identify were his own presence and Alfredo’s. On occasion, his awareness brushed past crabs darting across the wood or marine life swimming beneath the waves.

Pushing his boundary further outward allowed him to detect the four steeds and the driver who had transported him—but absolutely nothing else.

According to his scanning capabilities, the only human beings present in this territory were himself and Alfredo.

If that was the reality.

“……”

Who on earth was that individual, completely invisible to his sensory tracking.

Aster froze in place, his vision locked onto the figure casually hovering over a fishing line.

The dock was swathed in heavy darkness, yet it appeared as though illumination was concentrated entirely on that singular position—the moonlight descended brilliantly directly onto his head.

A spirit-like presence.

No—completely devoid of any detectable aura.

“I shall leave you at this spot……”

Alfredo lowered his head toward the figure, whispered a phrase, and walked away. Throughout the entire exchange, Aster kept his eyes locked on the figure as if he hadn’t heard a single word.

The figure turned his gaze back to Aster, and his features were remarkably familiar.

It was the precise template of what Damian would look like as an adult. Silk-like platinum hair. The singular distinguishing characteristic……

His eyes, radiating a vibrant turquoise illumination.

There could be no error.

‘……The head of the Blandoga clan.’

The ultimate patriarch of the Blandoga Family, who had vanished into the archives of historical records along with his lineage.

Leodis von Blandoga.

That was the true identity of the figure standing before him.

A location completely illuminated by descending moonlight.

Splash!

Within the quiet environment where only the rhythm of the tides echoed, Aster silently observed the dark waters.

Positioned right beside him was the master of Blandoga, Leodis, resting on a basic folding stool with his fishing pole cast outward.

The two maintained a subtle quietude, behaving as though they were long-term companions—though in reality, Aster’s internal organs were churning so intensely he felt physically sick.

This was entirely distinct from the pressure projected by Lortel’s leader, Muhard, whose basic aura flattened all existence beneath an oppressive weight.

Instead……

The master of Blandoga radiated an emptiness so immense it felt terrifying.

A vacuum in the most literal interpretation—pure, unadulterated nothingness.

Absence of illumination, absence of darkness.

Absence of virtue, absence of malice.

Absence of height, depth, or any direction whatsoever.

Not even the most basic metric to separate one concept from its opposite.

He appeared perfectly at ease sitting there currently, pole in hand…… but incredibly, Aster could not even accurately reconstruct the moment he had taken a seat himself and gripped a fishing pole.

A gap in spiritual boundaries?

……No, that wasn’t the explanation.

Rather……

The energy of the magical text controlled by the master of Blandoga.

If that was the case, its specific domain must be……

Uncertainties stacked upon uncertainties, flooding Aster’s thoughts in a continuous sequence.

“Aster, was it? I received word that you possessed an interest in angling, but you do not appear to be experiencing much pleasure currently.”

“……”

“You seem quite restless as well.”

Aster offered no verbal feedback. But Leodis remained entirely unbothered by the silence.

Clearly, a fish had escaped with the offering, as the hook he pulled back up was completely bare. Leodis attached a fresh bait worm onto the metal point with extreme precision, then proceeded to speak casually.

“If the period of anticipation is too agonizing, I would value a bit of assistance. I have yet to reach a definitive conclusion.”

What sort of ruling was he referring to.

Leodis paused his speech for a brief moment, then pulled his pole backward and propelled it forward with a sharp motion. The bait vanished beneath the waves.

And at that exact moment…… his lips parted.

Aster realized it through pure intuition.

That a massive shift had occurred.

“In what manner should I interact with you to make you comfortable? As a companion to Damian? Or perhaps……”

“……”

“As a commercial associate of Henji?”

For the very first time, Leodis locked his gaze directly onto Aster’s eyes as he delivered the question.

Revealing eyes that shone with a clarity surpassing even Damian’s.