'The Golden Moon... How beautiful it is.'
The night was tranquil, the stars twinkling like scattered pearls, their glow illuminating the vast darkness. They formed countless constellations, one of which was the August Constellation. It was said that this constellation held a unique symbol, one that could only be completed when the golden moon aligned with its stars in a specific pattern—a rare and magical sight indeed.
"I think tonight is the August Night," I murmured, gazing up at the sky. My words were soft, almost a whisper, and a question stirred in my mind: Why is it called the August Constellation?
Yawn.
"Ah, what a day," I sighed.
It was growing late. Leaning against the window, I spoke to myself and the moon, feeling a deep sense of gratitude. Sleep refused to claim me, and my mind replayed every moment of the day as if it had been a perfectly orchestrated symphony, performed just for me.
Ah... I exhaled softly.
But like all things, the day came to an end. Reluctantly, I turned from the window and walked toward the bed, casting a tender glance at the face of my sleeping angel. I settled beside her, closed my eyes with a smile, and wished that every day could be as beautiful as this one.
---
"Wake up... Wake up!" a firm voice rang in my ears.
I opened my eyes slowly. The room was bathed in sunlight—I'd overslept. Niella was perched above me as usual, feeding on my aura. I stared at her blankly for a moment before she broke the silence.
"This is no time for daydreaming, young man! Get up! We have things to do today!" Her voice held an uncharacteristic seriousness.
"What now?" I yawned, barely registering her words.
The orb floated closer, hovering just inches from my face. With unwavering urgency, Niella continued, "One of my soul Shards... I've felt it since morning. It's nearby. Someone from outside the city has arrived with it!"
"Really?" I replied indifferently, still half-asleep.
"Yes! Get up—we're going to find them!"
There was an unmistakable excitement in her tone, but I simply dragged myself out of bed and changed my clothes. My movements were sluggish as I passed through the door. Then, an odd thought struck me.
'That person?' I muttered under my breath.
Yes, the man Martha had been worried about... He's arriving today. My mind connected the dots. Could he be the one Niella was sensing?
Curiosity piqued, I asked, "Niella, what do we do if we find this person with the Shard?"
She fell silent, sinking into thought. After a moment, she responded with uncertainty, "I don't know... kill them?" She hesitated before adding, "Killing them should recover the shard. Killing has always worked, right?"
I slapped my forehead in disbelief. There were so many things wrong with her logic! First, we had no idea if killing would even work. Second, I wasn't going to kill anyone based on a hunch. Third, even if it was the solution, I wouldn't be doing it in this city.
Not wanting to argue further, I replied with a resigned, "We'll see about that..."
Niella's persistent demands had become an annoyance, and then I remembered something. Why was she still with me? Wasn't her role to purify my tainted energy?
A wave of mild headache reminded me that I kept her for a reason, but it felt as if a crucial piece of my memory had faded since yesterday.
Maybe I should visit Lady Tara later... I thought. She had told me to come back once the curse had done its work.
Just then, a window appeared before me:
[Day Five Has Begun!
The system is excited for this day...]
System?
Oh, right. What was this again? System... I vaguely recalled it, but...
"Damn it!" I cursed under my breath.
"Ethan... I'm Ethan!" I whispered painfully, collapsing to my knees as a sharp headache surged through me. Gripping the wall for support, I slowly stood, the pain subsiding as I returned to my senses.
Ethan... Ethan... I repeated, as I descended the stairs.
Sitting at the breakfast table with Martha and Jila, I felt unusually calm, as if something inside me was melting away in the midst of our quiet conversation.
Valvaro... Ethan... Valvaro... Eth... Damn it! I lost track for a moment.
"Is something wrong, dear?" Martha asked, concern in her voice.
"No, nothing really. I'll be back shortly." I pressed a hand to my forehead, rose from my chair, and excused myself.
"Father..." Jila's faint voice reached me.
Inside the bathroom, I shut the door, took a deep breath, and exhaled forcefully, staring at my reflection in the mirror.
"Ethan... don't forget that. You're Ethan!" I muttered, trying to steady myself.
"What's going on with you, man?" Niella's voice came from the side.
"Nothing," I replied curtly.
I took another deep breath and left the bathroom, returning to finish breakfast before heading out for a much-needed walk.
---
It was Saturday, a day off in Pieck and many other cities. The empire had staggered the days off for different provinces to ensure a continuous workflow, avoiding economic stagnation. These days changed twice a year and were mostly for weekly wage workers, though freelance workers, like weapon merchants and private school staff, benefited from reduced taxes instead.
As a result, the streets were more bustling than usual. The main road in Pieck was slightly crowded, with a broader mix of ages compared to the typical day.
"You're going the wrong way. Turn back," Niella interrupted after a long silence.
"Where to?"
"Activate that thing—you know, the sight enhancement or whatever it's called."
"Minor clairvoyance?"
Niella twirled in the air like the pendulum of a clock, her eyes scanning the distance. I activated Minor clairvoyance, and immediately felt a shift. It seemed Niella could also benefit from it, likely due to the connection between our souls. A curious discovery.
Niella's voice broke through the air. "This way!"
I followed her lead, now acting more like the follower than the one leading. Unable to resist my curiosity, I asked, "What can you see with Minor clairvoyance? Are you detecting your soul fragments?"
"No," she answered quickly. "It works like a radar—a spiritual radar, if you will. The closer we get to a spiritual field, the stronger the signal."
Radar? I blinked, taken aback.
"Radar?" I echoed, stunned. How could this cursed entity even know such a term? This world didn't seem advanced enough for radar technology.
Neila waved it off with an air of superiority. "Ah, yes. Humanity has regressed quite a bit... I won't explain radar to you. You wouldn't understand."
Her dismissal stung. "Same answer as mine," I muttered, fighting the urge to shout in frustration.
Then— Dum! Dum! Dum!
A synchronized drumming filled the air, followed by trumpets, like an orchestra performing nearby.
"We're here!" Niella's voice was brimming with excitement.
The sounds of the instruments grew louder, signaling the arrival of an important figure. The crowd began to gather, moving in one direction, and the area soon became dense with people.
"Move, Ethan!" Niella urged.
I massaged my temples. Ethan... I had to remind myself of my name.
The crowd thickened, and I saw six knights mounted on sturdy brown horses blocking the road ahead. They wore light iron armor adorned with intricate patterns and carried red banners featuring a golden chalice with a long base and a triangular head.
"Filtch..." The name hit me instantly. For once, Valvaro's memory didn't fail me.
Whispers rippled through the crowd, followed by the arrival of a towering carriage. It stood over three meters high, decorated with golden and silver patterns, flanked by a marching band in uniform red attire, carrying drums and trumpets, and followed by more foot soldiers. On top of the carriage stood a man and a woman.
The crowd's reaction was immediate.
"BOO!"
"Who brought this pig here?!"
"Leave this land! Go back to where you came from!"
"Cursed deviant!"
The jeers were deafening.
The woman, dressed in an ornate red robe that looked like a luxurious religious cloak, stepped to the edge of the carriage and raised her hands toward the crowd. Her voice rang out, a magical force that commanded silence.
"Silence, people of Pieck!"
Her voice hit like thunder, causing some in the crowd to cover their ears. It was unmistakable—magic.
The woman stepped back, and the man stepped forward.
"Radolf Filtch..." I gritted my teeth. Something about him made me loathe him instantly. The man Martha had warned me about. Yet, even with Valvaro's memory, I didn't know what he had done.
His face was gaunt, his eyes a dull hazel, and his long gray hair flowed over his chest. His embroidered red robe, accented with golden folds, gave him an imposing presence. A white mantle draped over his shoulders, further amplifying his authoritative air.
He looked like a saint.
He raised his hands as he began to speak.
"O people of Pieck, my dear people, I have come today as both a warning and a savior. Repent from the sins of your ancestors and return to righteousness! With the blessing of the priests of Filtch, I have come to cleanse you from this cursed energy—the very energy that has plagued you and your families! You have fallen into sin, O people of Pieck, and I will guide you back to salvation."
A heavy silence descended. His words hung in the air, unanswered. No applause. No jeers.
Radolf closed his eyes for a moment, clearly irritated. He leaned toward the woman beside him and whispered something in her ear. She nodded and then disappeared from view.
"Ethan! Do something!" Niella's urgent voice broke the silence.
Do something? I laughed bitterly. Did she expect me to break through the crowd, past the knights, board the carriage, and kill someone I didn't even know was carrying the shard? Then escape as if nothing happened?
I muttered under my breath. "Just shut up..."
The air was thick with tension, and it felt like the entire world had frozen. That's when I saw her.
'Martha...'
What is she doing here?
She stood about ten meters to my right, her eyes locked on Radolf with an intensity I had never seen before.
I watched her carefully. Slowly, she lowered her hand from her chest, slipped it into her pocket, and pulled out something familiar.
A gun...?!
My eyebrows shot up.
What is she doing?
Time seemed to slow as I processed what was happening. Martha raised the gun, her gaze focused on one person—Radolf.
But she didn't shoot.
Instead, she flashed a sad smile and turned her head toward me, her eyes meeting mine. It was as if she had known I was here all along.
Then—
A wink..
'Did she just wink at me?'
I felt a shock shoot through me, my heart racing. My thoughts scattered.
She muttered something, her lips moving in a silent whisper. I couldn't hear the words, but I read them. My eyes widened in disbelief.
Suddenly, everything exploded in my mind, and I couldn't hold back.
"Martha!!!" I screamed in a panic.
I saw her index finger press the trigger, and then…
Bang!
What felt like slow motion happened in an instant. The bullet flew through the air, heading toward Rodolph before piercing his shoulder.
"Gaah!" Rodolph screamed, and I screamed with him as i charged toward martha, throwing people aside. Even though everything was happening at once, I still saw it in slow motion—there was a five-pointed star forming above her head, glowing with a celestial blue aura.
"Scotts! You…" Rodolph gritted his teeth in pain and anger, clutching his wound.
The star flickered with light for a fraction of a second before an enormous sword—icy and glowing blue, the size of a person—materialized. Martha raised her gaze toward it.
"Martha, dodge!" I screamed desperately, trying to reach her before it was too late. Only three meters left… just three meters! But then…
Boom!
Time snapped back to its normal pace. Screams erupted, and the crowd panicked. But I was frozen, standing there, mouth agape, eyes wide in disbelief. I looked at her body, split in half, lifeless, her expression vacant.
"Martha…" I whispered, barely able to breathe.
"Martha…"
My legs buckled, and I sank to my knees beside her.
"Martha... Did this really happen…"
I touched her body, my hands shaking. I raised them slowly—covered in blood. My mind spun, unable to focus. Tears filled my eyes, then spilled over in a steady stream.
I was crying…
[Compatibility has increased from 75% to 95%
You are now hopeless.]
"Radooooolf!" I screamed, my fists clenched, blood dripping from my hands.
I pushed myself to my feet, rage overtaking me, and I turned toward Radolf.
"I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" I howled, like an animal in a frenzy.
My eyes clouded, and all I saw was him—Radolph. I shoved people aside with brutal force, no care for who or what I knocked down. The mounted knights cut me off. One raised his sword to strike, but I dodged it, leapt onto his horse, snapped his neck, grabbed his sword, and dropped to the ground.
[You have killed: Vlad Ambers
Reward: 5 Reincarnation Points!]
Four more knights blocked my path, swords drawn, attacking together.
I dodged the first strike and stabbed my sword into the knight's neck. Without even pulling it out, I swiped it across, cutting through the second knight's chest.
Suddenly, I felt danger behind me. I jumped to the side just as one of the knights I'd already wounded was coming at me, riding hard. His horse bolted, panicked, the animal screaming in pain from the injury.
[You have killed: Kyle Ferry, Lucas Tortta, Hunter Smith
Rewards: 3, 7, 5 Reincarnation Points!]
"Valvaro… is that you?" a voice called out from in front of the cart.
The remaining knights stepped back, and a smug smile spread across the face of the man before me. A five-pointed star appeared above his hand, glowing blue. It formed into a sleek, icy sword. I didn't hesitate—I charged.
Clang!
"You! You killed Martha!" I roared.
Our swords collided in the air. My blade slid toward his chest, but he swatted it away with a powerful swing.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"Oh, yes… Filtch has gotten rid of another piece of trash!" The grin on his face twisted into something cruel.
With one shove, he pushed me back. His sword was heavy, but that didn't matter.
"Ha!" I slammed the ground and launched myself at him again. He blocked the strike easily, but I focused all my strength into my left thigh, pushing his icy blade to the side.
That small opening was all I needed. I grabbed his neck with my left hand and snapped it with a swift motion. His gasp for air was cut short as his body jerked and crumpled to the ground.
"Khh!" He gasped, his face draining of color as he staggered before collapsing.
[You have killed: Isaac Filtch
Reward: 25 Reincarnation Points!]
I ignored the system notification, climbing onto the cart where Radolf stood. His face was pale, his eyes wide with fear. He stumbled backward, falling to the ground.
"Eileen! Where are you! Eileen!" he cried, crawling away.
"Radolf… damn you!" I raised my sword, closing the distance, ready to end this.
But then…
Tap! Tap! Tap!
I didn't hear the steps behind me until it was too late. A hand struck me from behind, not a sword, not a fist, but a palm of a hand.
I felt a strange, sudden weariness hit me, my eyes closing against my will. I collapsed, drifting into unconsciousness.
...
Ethan fell onto the cart, landing between Radolf's terrified feet. Behind him stood a woman in her forties, her wavy hair flowing, her hand surrounded by a red, bloody aura. She spoke with clear annoyance.
"Damn you, Valvaro… that's the last 'Sloth's Tongue' curse in my arsenal!"
It was Lady Tara. She passed by Valvaro's body, extending a hand to Radolf.
"Do your job and leave… Pieck is not a fan of Filtch."
"Tsk tsk."
Lady Tara knelt beside Valvaro's corpse, her voice soft with a hint of pity.
"Lucky for you, I arrived just in time. But you've really gotten yourself into big trouble, Valvaro."