His father killed the woman he loved. The Great Hero, Balbaca Belturia had killed his wife? Why would the great hero do something like that? Charon bit his lip and nodded heavily while listening.
"Now my father is not the hero you all once knew. He's…. No it… it is a monster."
Boros opened the door.
"Go back. I took the role to guide Miss Reika away to the next room to avoid my father. He most likely won't stay still, but… I'll do something about that too when the time comes."
The door closed with a few last words from Boros.
"I'm still his son technically, and for some reason he does listen to me a bit."
*
"What the hell…."
Balbaca Belturia killed the woman he loved. Charon murmured with shaky eyes at the shocking information.
"Why the hell did Balbaca…."
"Why?"
Asher tapped on his wrist brace rhythmically with his indifferent facial expression remaining unfazed. A dagger appeared and Asher caught it in the air.
"What are you going to do?", Charon gasped.
"What do you mean, 'What am I going to do'? I'm going to obviously confirm it myself."
Asher opened the door with his dagger in hand. Charon hurriedly tried to stop him.
"Do you really want to go threaten Balbaca right now?"
"You think that's Balbaca right now?"
"So you're saying that you know the real Balbaca?", Charon's eyes quivered for a moment.
Although it was twenty years ago, he clearly remembered the basic face shape and voice. The current Balbaca had not changed much from the past Balbaca in terms of his appearance.
"There can't be a person that could possibly imitate his appearance. Most of all, Boros, his son would be the first to notice."
"Yes. That would be the story if we were talking about human beings."
Asher muttered. Even if a human being imitated another human being, they may be able to imitate the appearance to a certain degree, but they couldn't possibly imitate all the memories of the individual, down to the very smallest detail.
"But it's possible if the one posing as 'Balbaca' isn't a human."
"What…?"
"There are such beasts that make things like the impossible possible. There are several demons that can do such a thing. They can specialize in manipulating dreams, reality and memories among several other abilities."
There were many beings that could manipulate and use mana. Humans that were known as magicians were one of them. Another was the demons, whom all of their species, could inherently use it.
"I thought I'd driven them all out, but did some of them stay?"
"...."
Charon stepped back and immediately raised his guard at Asher's sudden words. Putting his hand on the grip of his sword, he immediately knew that this was the 'true' Asher coming out and speaking right now to him.
"Who are you…?"
"It doesn't matter does it? Reika is the one we both care about in this situation."
Asher's answer contained resoluteness.
"What do you think?"
Asher grabbed Charon's faltering shoulder and pushed him lightly to the side so that Asher could get to the door. Charon was pushed to the side with little resistance.
"It doesn't matter who I am. I have no intention of harming you. Isn't that what matters? Let me ask you a question as the Loyal Knight to the Halvark Nobility, Charon."
Asher raised his finger and pointed to the next room over where Reika was currently located.
"Does that girl that matter to you like she does to me?".
"…she's not a girl, she's a young lady."
"That's enough of a reason you idiot. Go and protect your lady."
Asher passed by Charon and pushed the door open
"I'm going to clean up the other guy, so you just stay put and make sure nothing happens to her."
***
Asher arrived in front of Lord Balbaca's room and pushed the door open.
Asher's gaze darted around and saw Balbaca drinking on his luxurious bed.
"…huh? Oh, it's you."
Balbaca clapped his hands together in a loud voice. Asher looked at Balbaca's reddened face which was not taking the alcohol too well. Boros was right when he said his father was a lightweight drinker.
"Yes, have you heard the answer from your Lord? What did he say about the concubine proposal?"
Asher did not answer. He just walked up to Balbaca and looked at the glass he was drinking. Balbaca's expression slightly crumpled with displeasure.
"What are you doing?"
"The 43rd moon of Behemonia."
It was an expensive drink. It was a popular drink among the heroes and nobles of the past.
"I had often recommended it to him. But he refused until the end because he refused to drink such an expensive drink as it went against his beliefs."
Asher took the bottle of liquor on the table and poured it all on the carpet. Balbaca's face began to contort in anger.
"Are you crazy?"
Balbaca lifted himself up roughly.
"Get out of here."
"By what right are you to order me around?"
"…you must be really crazy you bastard."
Balbaca rang the bell on the table. The sound of the bell raced out of the room.
"Okay, go ahead and drink it. I'll give you plenty to enjoy the last drink you'll take in your pitiful and disgusting life."
"Wait actually, no."
Asher picked up the liquor bottle.
"You have no right to do that."
"What nonsense do you keep talking about…."
"You're tired of acting, aren't you? You're not Balbaca Belturia, are you?"
Balbaca's face hardened at Asher's wordsl. At the same time, the door opened.
"Lord, my lord!
"Did you call for me? Father."
Soldiers accompanied by Boros came in. Balbaca pointed to the liquor bottle on the side of the table.
"Get rid of him right now!"
"Oh, Asher? Why would you be here right now?"
Boros was flustered at the random appearance of Asher in his father's bedroom. At the same time, Asher grabbed Balbaca by the neck with lightning-like speed.
"Hey, you…!"
"Lord, my Lord!
Balbaca clenched his teeth as he yelled at Asher, and the soldiers screamed. Their Lord was having his life threatened by a servant of another estate. Boros shouted roughly at Asher with confusion and traces of anger as he still had a belief that his old father might still be there deep down.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm getting rid of the imposter in here."
Asher pushed the dagger in his hand, into Balbaca's abdomen area. Red blood spurted out all over the carpet and on Asher's face.
"The most human-like appearance demon in the world. Aren't you curious as to what the true identity of it is?"