After finishing his talk with Boros, Asher walked out of the office and saw Reika waiting outside.
Catching Asher's gaze, Reika jumped up and approached him.
"What did you two talk about?"
"It was just some trivial cleanup work. It ended up working out well though."
Boros readily agreed to let Asher use his intelligence network as he pleased. Although there was a bit of curiosity and suspicion as to why Asher would need something like that, he just ignored it since Asher had become the savior of the Belturia estate.
Reika sighed with relief.
"Phew, I thought you did something again."
"...."
She was right to feel that way considering how many incidents had been revolving around Asher when he had gotten involved.
Asher turned around towards the exit of the corridor and started walking.
"Are we going back now?"
"Yes, we have to go back to the estate. The atmosphere is already terrible with all that's happened, so we can't stay here much longer."
Asher knew it was time to leave since he had exposed the Doppelganger and the Belturia estate was bound to get hectic soon. Reika then spoke up.
"Charon will probably need to report back to my father as well."
"You know well then. Did you get all your stuff?"
"No, I didn't have much time when Charon took me to the carriage earlier."
"Then I'll be away for a while while you pack."
"Where are you going?"
"… A memorial service."
Asher answered briefly and walked down the hall. He picked up a bottle of wine on the wall and came out of the castle. Asher solemnly walked with a melancholic atmosphere denting his normally indifferent eyes, towards the garden next to the estate.
Asher sat on a small rock and opened the bottle. It smelled luxurious.
It was a drink that Balbaca once hated and complained about because it was too expensive. He enjoyed drinking cheap alcohol because they had their own unique taste to them.
But Asher knew the truth. In actuality, Balbaca liked high-quality alcohol, too. He was just satisfied with cheap liquor because after sharing his territory's wealth to improve the common welfare of his people, Balbaca couldn't afford to buy any expensive liquor.
Asher broke the bottle against his wrist brace. The liquor overflowed and poured onto the grass from the shattered bottle.
"The luxury of alcohol is the least you deserve in death…. Good job, Balbacca."
Balbaca's body could not be found. It was practically impossible since he died 20 years ago without a single trace. It was too shabby for the Great Hero's ending.
"...."
Asher clenched his fist tightly. This kind of ending was not something a hero should ever have had.
The Great Hero, Balbaca, had accomplished many things. He should have at least had the right to be buried back into the earth and have his soul rest easy. He was a loving father, husband, and friend whom nobody would want to see go.
However, the Doppelganger had killed him mercilessly and imitated him for twenty years, without anyone having so much as even a clue.
The story felt twisted in Asher's mind. He felt that there was just the beginning and the ending, but no middle. He felt as if there was something important missing.
"I'm just getting depressed at this point…."
Asher threw the bottle away and left his back facing the garden and the shattered liquor bottle.
Three days later, Reika and the party returned to the Halvark estate. The nobles were thrown into confusion when the events of the Belaturia estate were let known to the Empire. Everyone began to doubt each other in fear.
And the most troubled amongst this news, was Lord Halvark.
"That's crazy."
Lord Halvark leaned over the chair with his hands rubbing his temples. He sent a Charon to make sure there were no issues with the Belturia Family, yet he had only come back with even bigger news and a bigger problem.
"Balbaca was a doppelganger?"
"…yes."
Charon replied with a blank face. Lord Halvark sighed disheartedly.
"Asher" was the one who pointed it out.
Lord Halvark had seen Balbaca like Charon had. Decades ago, Balbaca's strong charisma, goodwill and amiable atmosphere, were embedded into his mind.
But he had to find out that such a man had been killed unknowingly and a Doppelganger had replaced him in the Empire for over twenty years.
"…Is the identity of a Doppelganger something Van Ester taught Asher as well?"
Charon was still in a daze, looking like he was braindead and in shock. Lord Havlark smacked his palm against his forehead in annoyance and called out to Charon.
"Charon."
"Yes."
"It's already done."
"But."
Charon bit his lip.
"No 'buts'."
Tsk-
Lord Halvark clicked his tongue. Listening to the story from both Asher and Charon, he intuitively knew what was going with Charon.
"Charon, I knew everything about you and accepted you regardless of your past. Besides, it wasn't your fault back then."
"But…."
"Stop."
Lord Halvark frowned.
"The Charon I know would not be one to be bound by his past. Or was he so weak, that only a few words from a Demon shook his mind?"
"...."
"Now… We have a lot to do here at the Halvark estate, and we can't have you worrying about your past. Especially since you are the only knight of the Halvark Estate."
The cold words of Lord Halvark slowly rejuvenated the light back into Charon's eyes. Lord Halvark knocked his fist on the wooden table getting Charon's attention.
"I'm sure that Ian the Brave must have killed the Demon Lord over fifty years ago. However, it seems like something isn't adding up with that story."
"The information must have been twisted."
Charon chipped in his thoughts.
"Or it was a complete lie."
"…I think that might be a little too radical."
"Then why are the Demons back?"
"...."
Charon couldn't reply. Lord Halvark shook his head.
Whatever had happened, it was irrefutable at this point at the fact that the Demons had returned. The good news amongst this tense information, was that now they could prepare for it in advance.
Lord Halvark sighed with relief.
"I almost sold my daughter off to a Doppelganger."
Lord Halvark could not believe that he almost sold off his beloved daughter to a Doppelganger of the Demon Species. However, that wasn't the only shocking news for him.
"… and Asher was the one to identify the Doppelganger?"
"Yes."
Charon was firm in his reply.
"He knew not only the characteristics of the Doppelganger, but also its weaknesses."
"….I really don't know at this point, who he is."
Lord Halvark stroked his chin. For him, the present Asher was a very mysterious person.
"He suddenly changed so drastically with his personality, picks up swordsmanship randomly and is taking out assassins and demons like it's childsplay? Does he even want to hide his suspicious behavior?"
"It's more like a kind of indifference, I think."
"He's just uninterested if we suspect him or not?"
"Yes."
That feeling of indifference. It was quite accurate when describing Asher, Lord Halvark thought as he laughed.
"Hahaha! Indifference? To the Lord of the Estate? What do you think? Do you think we should be wary of him, or do you think we should back off?"