"Before you do anything to me, just allow me to say thank you. Thank you for saving my wife and children and giving them the opportunity to at least live their lives, even if their chances aren't great. Also, I really don't want to be tortured, I was never good with pain. Just ask your questions and I'll answer them." The former duke spoke after planting his head on the floor in a bowing posture.
Kayn looked at the man who gave the appearance of having given up and sighed. "I didn't do it for you, I just don't think children should pay for the crimes of their parents, in most cases anyway. As for your wife, I'll question her to make sure she really had nothing to do with your family business before allowing her to leave with her life."
DeMarco raised his head and was about to say something in protest, but thought better and closed his mouth while nodding his head reluctantly. He knew she was going to find out about his crimes eventually, but he didn't want it to be revealed to her this way, after he was killed and they were made to believe he abandoned them.
"First questions then. What's your given name? Also, how did your father ascend when he shouldn't have been anywhere close to the peak of the 6th stage?"
"Huh?" A questioning look appeared on the former duke's face as he didn't expect to be questioned about his father first.
"My name is William. As for my father, I really don't have a good answer for you…"
"Give me your best guess then William. I can tell you're not telling me something."
"All I know is that he received help, but I don't know what kind of help! Why does my father matter anyway?" William DeMarco questioned.
"That's none of your concern. Next questions. How were you contacting the attacking forces outside? Was there a goal besides shutting down the mana gathering formation?"
"There was one other goal, before it completely shut down, it was supposed to corrupt the mana core of those who absorbed mana here, thus weakening the last few defenders. I was able to contact them with a special communication crystal.
"It was something I found in the things my father left behind and I tried it as a last hope, though I didn't expect it to work since no other communications work here. But it did, and I was connected with the Carnet Empire's forces. I made a deal that they would spare my family in exchange for getting them inside the dome faster." William answered without any hesitation, he really seemed like he didn't want to be tortured.
"And who was your contact so that they knew who to not attack once they got inside?"
"One of their generals, he refused to give me his name, but he assured me that my family would be safe."
"So, not only do you not know your contact, but you had basically no assurance that your family would be spared. How much of an idiot are you?" Kayn reprimanded
As much as William wanted to say something, he knew Kayn was right. He was grasping at straws in order to find a way for both his family and himself to survive.
"You said you're not a formation master, so how did you know the symbol to draw and where to implant it at?" Kayn continued his questioning.
"After agreeing to help them and telling them about the situation inside the dome, they pasted a sheet of paper on the side of the dome for a few weeks for me to memorize whenever I could get to it secretly. It was out of the way, so no one else noticed it. While they can't see inside the dome, we can see out of it, hence why it worked this way."
"I see. Anything else to say about what you know or any last words?"
"I truly don't know anything else about the enemy or their plans. I won't say I'm sorry because I did what I had to for my family. I only wish you would tell my wife that I'm sorry, but I know you won't since it has to seem like I abandoned them." William's head hung low as he realized his life was about to end and he wished more than anything just to say goodbye to his wife and children.
"You're right, I won't be telling them anything good about you. I'll also apologize to you, you were very cooperative, but it's about to become very painful for you."
William DeMarco looked up in horror upon hearing Kayn's words as a hand covered in pale blue flame covered his head faster than he could react. Immediately his eyes rolled back into his head and his mouth opened, releasing a shriek that sounded as if his soul was being torn out.
Indeed, what Kayn was doing was something similar. One's soul wasn't something just anyone could mess with, nor would you be able to force your way into another's soul unless they willingly let you in. What Kayn was doing was something he learned from Odin and was only possible due to the essence of the All-Seeing Eye that he received.
He was performing a mind-scour. He was essentially ripping William DeMarco's memories straight from his mind and reviewing them at ultra-high speed. He could have done this from the beginning, but he wanted to see what William would willingly tell him versus what he would find by invading his mind.
The unfortunate thing about mind-scouring someone was that it would ruin their mind, at least with Kayn's expertise. If he practiced the spell enough, he may one day be able to scour someone without causing them mental disabilities, but that would require him to ruin a lot of people before he obtained such ability.
Within minutes, Kayn watched the last few years through the eyes of William DeMarco. From his struggles, to his betrayal, to the arguments he had with his wife. Everything was relayed to Kayn including his emotions during each event.
Everything happened exactly as he told Kayn, but that wasn't what Kayn was interested in, he wanted to know about Marco DeMarco. Finally, after going back almost to the start of the war, a scene flashed that garnered Kayn's interest enough to pay close attention to every detail.
…
William was walking through the mansion his father, Duke Marco DeMarco, owned intending to discuss and make plans about the war and what they would do in order to contribute or keep their families safe at the very least. However, just as he was about to knock on the door to his father's office, he heard his father shouting loudly.
"My Lord! Please save this unworthy vessel! A war is beginning and I have made enemies on both sides! I wish to ascend from this world and pursue my interests in the next! I don't care how you do it, please just allow me to continue serving you and the aspect you have bestowed upon me!"
There was silence for a few seconds after William heard this, and frankly he thought that his father had gone crazy from fear, but then he was surprised as a deep gritty voice responded after a laugh rang out from the room that sounded as if someone was receiving a mighty gift.
"Sure, I can help you. However, you will serve my interests to a greater extent in the Celestial world you arrive at. I will also be taking something from you, but we can discuss that at a later time. For now, travel down south until you reach a town called Urda. I will send someone there who can help you ascend. But only you will be able to go, none of your family or your…play things."
"I understand my Lord! I will immediately depart after collecting my things! As for my family and the other trash, I can always acquire more once I ascend! Thank you my Lord!"
William stood flabbergasted in front of the office door for a minute and just as he was about to knock, the door flew open with his father staring right into his eyes.
"What do you want?" Marco DeMarco asked.
"Father, I was just about to meet with you to discuss our plans for this war, but what was that just now?" William asked as he was confused about what he just heard and even though he heard it, he was having troubles understanding everything.
"None of your business. As for what the family does for the war, I don't care. Get out of my way, I have things to do." Marco pushed by his son and that was the last William ever saw of him.
…
Kayn released William's head and the shell of a man dropped down to the floor with slobber pooling out of his mouth. "I recognized that voice. It was him."
Kayn squeezed his fists tightly as he clearly remembered the voice that Marco DeMarco was referring to as Lord. It was the person who started everything, the one who originally contacted him to offer a new life.
He still didn't know what that entity's name was, but he decided to dub him the Original Sin. With his involvement, and his prey escaping to a Celestial world, things became much more complicated.
Sighing as there was nothing he could do at the moment, Kayn looked down at the blank eyes of William before decapitating him with a blade made of wind. William was only a beginner 5th stage and eating his core would do nothing for Kayn, so he just left it where it was.
Shortly after he killed William, he called Talaro to the room and informed him of everything he learned. Talaro looked at the body of his former Duke and shook his head while murmuring, "We've all lost family during this war, if only you hadn't taken it so far, I would have forgiven your family for their evil deeds."
He then looked to Kayn, "You can get rid of the body and blood right?"
Kayn nodded in affirmation, and Talaro turned to leave the room. "Then I'll leave you to it. Let me know when you're ready to smuggle the family out."
Once the door to the room closed and Kayn was left alone once more, he ignited William DeMarco's body in Extinction Flames and soon nothing was left of the man, including the blood that had sprayed out after his decapitation.
Kayn soon sat back down in the center of the formation room, ignoring everything that had just happened and pulled out his third 6th stage core. He began circulating the Void Star technique and tossed the core into his mouth.
He needed to reach the 4th stage, and he expected that the remaining three cores he had would get him there within a month and a half as they were higher quality. After that, he would once again become an assassin as he needed more cores to advance at an acceptable pace.