**KON! KON
Arnold rose his head and was about to question whoever it was when he heard the knock once more.
**KON! KON KON KON!!!
'That pattern...?'
"Enter."
He recognized the pattern of the knocking and allowed the person to enter. The door opened to reveal a girl in her teens who was wearing a maid uniform, one Arnold recognized to be the Eris' Dukedom's maid uniform.
However, he was sure that the person wearing it, was definitely not a servant, and was most definitely not in her teens.
"Brenda, can you at least look your age?"
"What are you talking about, young master? I look my age, eternally sixteen."
The 'teenage girl', Brenda, tilted her head to the side and asked with a genuinely confused expression on her face. Looking at the blonde-haired and golden-eyed girl in front of him, Arnold gave up trying to make sense of whatever reason she had for snatching that appearance.
Arnold just shook his head and dropped his pen before placing his elbow on the armrest of his chair and propping his chin on his palm.
"So? What brings you here?"
"Hmm? You're a lot calmer than I thought.
Your father is very angry and your mother is crying herself out in her room, well, not exactly, but it's close enough.
You on the other hand are casually enjoying tea time while solving crossword puzzles."
She walked towards him and took a seat on his desk as she spoke, her hand going behind her back to tie her long hair into a ponytail.
After this, she locked eyes with Arnold and continued.
"Your brother ran away from home, aren't you sad?"
The moment she spoke, the look on Arnold's face changed. Traces of annoyance began to show as he struggled to keep his calm while replying.
"That isn't my brother.
It's just something else in my brother's body, after all, my real brother is already dead."
His words revealed that he was already aware, that the real 'Evan Del Eris' was long dead!
He knew that there was someone else inhabiting his brother's body, something that no one was aware of!
"So, the 'previous second' has taken over, huh?"
"No."
Brenda's expression morphed into one of shock as she heard Arnold's reply.
"What do you mean? If it isn't the previous second in his body, then who is that?!"
"Someone else, a third party that we were previously unaware of."
Arnold calmly replied as he stretched his hands before turning to look out the window behind him for a moment before turning back to Brenda.
"The 'World' told me that it was the intervention of the third party was the intention of a 'higher being', most likely a god.
It was also this 'higher being' that paved the way for him to escape without alerting anyone. He's not strong enough to achieve that alone, after all."
Hearing that, Brenda frowned deeply as she thought about the only god who would do such a thing. She was also responsible for the existence of the 'Seven Heroes' in the first place.
Disabling the magic formations of the Ducal Residence so Evan could escape would also be a walk in the park for this god.
"goddess Artemisia...
She abandoned us and now she makes someone possess the body of a hero? Then she makes him leave where we can watch him.
Just what is she planning?"
"Nothing that you would think, she also wishes to prevent Aidos from getting destroyed."
Brenda scoffed loudly as she heard Arnold's words, however, she shivered in fear in the next moment as she felt Arnold's gaze on her turn cold.
"I believe I told you all not to speak of that foolish misconception in my presence."
She immediately got down from the table and performed a ninety-degree bow before apologizing.
"I am deeply sorry, young master."
Arnold only gazed at her with his green eyes before shaking his head and speaking.
"If you do not know the full story behind the goddess' actions, then just shut the fuck up.
That foolish misconception of yours makes you no different from the 'Demonic Hand'."
Brenda's eyes revealed unconcealed rage when she heard Arnold's words but she grit her teeth and kept silent while maintaining her bow.
She knew better than to anger Arnold anymore with her words.
"Nevertheless, our goal still stands..."
Arnold noticed her reaction to his statement but ignored it and continued speaking as he opened his status board to look at his unique skill.
This unique skill was the reason he did not possess the paladin skill that all members of the Eris Ducal family by blood possessed.
After all, it was a skill that prevented him from having any skill that the 'Second of the Seven Heroes' possessed, save the skills he mimicked from others.
This skill also had the powerful effect of nullifying the abilities of the 'Mystic Eye of Mimicry' within a certain radius as far as it was active.
Name- Arnold Del Eris
Race- Human
Gender- Male
Age- 15
Level- 130
Existence Level - Master
Titles- The Second of the Seven Hero Killers, Leader of the Hero Killers, Defense Mechanism of 'Aidos'.
Class - Hero Killer
Health – C-
Energy - C
Strength – C-
Agility – D+
Durability – C-
Intelligence - D+
Magic Tiers- Lightning Tier 2, Water Tier 2, Earth Tier 2.
Skills- Appraisal Blocking, Concealment Removal, Magic Destabiliser, Language Comprehension;
Unique Skills- Anti-Mimicry. |
He read through his skill's description as he carried on with his words.
"...In the event that any of the heroes turn against the 'World', then we shall fulfil our duties as 'Hero Killers'."
He clenched his fist and turned to stare at the afternoon sun in the sky before continuing.
"We shall exterminate them, for the sake of the 'World'
For the sake of 'Aidos'."
◇ ◇ ◇
Main Building Rooftop
Eris Main Residence
Great Western Empire
April 12th
Year 1051
Looking at the young boy who was steeling his resolve to kill his 'brother' for the sake of the 'World', a certain being gave a wry smile while shaking his head.
He was seating on the roof of the Eris' Main Residence, right above the drawing room Arnold was in and was listening to the boy's conversation with his 'maid'.
However, he was not noticed, not by the boy, or the 'maid' who was actually more powerful than Arnold. Neither was he noticed by anyone in the entire Ducal mansion that was currently on high alert.
It was a man who looked no more than 18 years of age. He had hair that looked like a mix between silver and platinum blonde hair, along with heterochromatic eyes. One red and one blue.
This man, was none other than the being Evan knew as 'The Eternal of Time and Destruction'.
He snapped his fingers and he vanished from the rooftop of the building, reappearing in a completely part of the Great Western Empire the moment after.
Looking down, he could see the appearance of the young hero, Evan, being lectured by the High Demon Pride who intended to have Evan gain more fighting Experience.
He floated in the air unbeknownst to the two as he thought about Evan's conjecture.
'Well, anyone with a brain would figure out that I was obviously behind the simulation and that the events of the simulation are actually events that would happen in the future.'
A thought came to his head as he rose his right hand into the air. Light blue-coloured magic power began gathering on it as the space around his arm began to distort.
'Hmm?'
He then felt a gaze on his body, followed by a blue notice board appearing in front of him with a message.
[The goddess 'Artemisia' asks just what in the world do you think you are doing?]
"Pfft!"
He burst into laughter after reading the message, his right hand dropping down as the gathered magic power dispersed into the atmosphere.
"I wanted to make things more fun, you know?"
[The goddess 'Artemisia' says you should cease all thoughts of doing so immediately.]
He only heaved a sigh of exasperation before waving his hand and removing the floating board in front of him.
'The gods really don't want my influence growing even by the tiniest bit.
To think they would make even speaking of my title a taboo and restrict beings in many worlds from doing so.'
The man looked down on Evan who was running away from an enraged hobgoblin chief and chuckled a bit.
'Maybe the boy would succeed on his own without my interference.
I won't take major action for now.'
With that thought, he snapped his fingers and teleported out of Aidos, deciding to storm Artemisia's realm and mess with her a bit