Someone would certainly find it suspicious or contradictory, that how could a person who expended his teenage years on a cruel battlefield far from home, who happened to regress, seem to be aware of the matters of the Shadow Palace.
Specifically, how could I have known without a doubt that the main chef of the house was the culprit behind the cursed disease that ruined my mother? That also started the gradual and inevitable downfall of the Shadow Palace.
Seeing the tranquil and neat kitchen as if nothing in this place had gone wrong, I let out a deep sigh, my mind suddenly filled with nostalgia as my gaze observed the amethyst light blocking my vision.
*
Three years of serving alongside the mighty Vorwartch Imperial Army, Frontline Warrior of the Suicide Squad, and pre-regression Zil van Avernus at the age of eighteen.
Today was a routine check for psychological evaluation for every personnel; it's to judge whether someone would be able to remain a combat-capable or the individual in observation must be discharged... or, depending on the circumstances, disposed of.
< '...Shadow Commander, is this even necessary? I'll do just fine. You know you'd find nothing with the likes of me.' >
Donning a battered brown shirt and tattered gray shorts, I gently sat at the table and faced a woman in her teenage years—roughly the same age as me—who was already hailed as the talented genius Shadow Commander or someone next in line to become the Grand Commander.
Of course, such an imperial title was nothing but an amusing lie. The cavalry was just used in calling her that way because of her excellent leadership skills that paved the way for our survival thus far as an advanced party. After all, when I was first designated in this cavalry, I discovered that I was not the only one "thrown" away and that most if not everyone in this frontline among all existing frontlines either had committed great sin or were pitifully banished by their respective families.
< 'You said you're curious, so let me do it. Remember that I won't use it unless I get permission from the subject. Also, I'm curious about you too.' >
< 'Well, I did say that... Shadow Commander. But–' >
Before I knew it, the pseudo-Shadow Commander of the Suicide Squad, Cavalry Zero, leaned forward and abruptly reached out to me before swiftly dragging my collar.
Instinctively, my amethyst-hued eyes which I inherited from my father, the Avernus Clan Patriarch, met this stubborn girl's gaze.
Her ashen eyes glowed, and her alluring pupils drastically changed shape from normality to something resembling an hourglass, signifying the fraudulent power of the Beastsoul attached to her soul was activated.
Beastsoul Authority, Boundless Gaze.
Beastsoul Authority Description:
[Allows the caster to connect with the intended person's soul. After the connection was established, the caster would be able to manually inspect the person's entire history from all points of view.]
Beastsoul Source (Name of the Beast): Confidential.
***
On that day, I learned the identity of the culprit who cursed my mother through some forbidden method; likely due to a cursed beast.
On that day, I learned numerous things that seemed subtle and of no importance but in fact, possessed great value, some of which would be of great help as I thwarted their despicable plan.
Thanks to the Shadow Commander's absurd higher-rank beastsoul ability, which let me and other soldiers become bare identity-wise in her dull eyes as someone worshipping the Goddess of Secrets, even if I was still powerless to defy anything, I was provided a clear mind about the filthiness of the noble world.
"Shadow Commander... I wonder what are you up to right now..."
After cleaning the mess in the main kitchen, I casually went back to my room, sat on the bed, and muttered such words of concern.
Now, in front of me, I tried my best to comprehend the hovering purple-hued screen that was somewhat similar to light magic's projection.
In the vast continent of Vodinica, the power of the beast that could be broken down mainly into four (4) categories—Summoning, Manifestation, Assimilation, and lastly, Spiritualization—was a somewhat complicated power structure.
In some instances, especially for the people of the Aetheris Empire—one of the four great empires—mainly cultivating and home for what was classified as "Elemental Beasts," the caster, utilizing the Beastsoul as the main source of mana, could cast various elemental magic such as light-related spells.
As my thoughts trailed, I re-scanned the incomprehensible contents of the floating projection that seemed to be a gift from the entity that was the cause of my regression.
[ Status Window ]
Inheritor: Zil van Avernus
Age: 14 (current), 20 (pre-regression)
Race: Human (M)
Soul Core: Unrefined Black (Mana Conduit)
Beastbound Status: Eternally Bound (Soul Pact Status)
Beastsoul Authority: Devourer, [???], [???]
Beastsoul Ability: —
Beastsoul Source: Legacy of the [???]
Beastsoul Source Hatch Status: 1.67%
If there's something I haven't understood aside from that this was filled with blanks, it's the fact that I was declared to be an inheritor of something I had no idea about and that there was such a thing regarding the 'Hatch Status' when there was not even a beast egg in my sight.
But seeing the mystical ring in my grasp as proof of my enigmatic experience, I tried to ask this gluttonous entity.
"...Can you explain this to me, uh– what should I call you...?"
After pondering for a moment, I came up with a name...
She/It said earlier "Void. Grace. You. Abound."
Recalling that, I continued.
"Uh, how about 'Void'? Shall I call you that from now on?"
As though I heard a gulp, something only I could hear, the entity spoke in broken phrasing.
"Void. I. Am...?"
"Yes... Uh, I don't know what happened or why is this happening in the first place, and even if you cannot admit it yet, I'm thankful for sending me back into the past..."
Even though there was no confirmation that this entity, which was 'maybe' somewhat related to the cosmic eye I saw as soon as I perished in this very land, I strongly believed that she was related to it.
Inheritor. Legacy.
I didn't know whatever this was, but if such a mysterious thing provided me the opportunity to change my mother's fate... and my very own path, then I'd gladly take care of it with everything I have.
"Zil... Zil... Zil..."
"...Yes?"
"I... Am. Void. Hehe."
My ears picked up a giggle, prompting me to chuckle. It was as though an unspeakable companionship had just been born amidst this discriminatory territory.
"Zil... Be... Blessed."
Just as I was feeling a surge of gratitude and delight, the entity—or Void—showed me something through this purple-hued foggy screen...
[The Legacy of the (???) finishes with her meal.]
[Beastsoul Authority: Devourer consumed the Beastsoul Ability: Abyssal Poison of the curse beast Acoponda.]
[You have received the Beastsoul Ability of the consumed beast!]