“….I don’t know”
“Hmm…”
The old man’s frown deepened, and after a moment of contemplation, he inquired further, “Tell me, what do you remember?”
“I don’t remember anything,” Aether responded with stark candour.
“Hmm”
“Not even recollections of your old village or… that person?”
“No, I don’t recall anything or anyone”
“I see…” The old man nodded thoughtfully, his expression shifting into contemplation. Meanwhile, Alfred, a silent observer of the unfolding drama, noted the old man’s demeanour and couldn’t help but contrast it with Aether’s seemingly carefree attitude.
“It appears you’ve truly lost every bit of memory… I never thought someone could experience such profound amnesia from a mere fall down the stairs,” the old man remarked, a touch of amusement playing on his lips.
“Hmm?” Aether frowned, uncertainty etched across his face. The old man’s words puzzled him; falling down the stairs? That was not an accurate depiction of the recent bizarre experience he went through.
He hadn’t merely stumbled on a flight of steps but had found himself submerged in a lake, awakening to the unsettling presence of a monstrous creature with iridescent wings, unlike anything he had ever encountered.
Observing Aether’s evident confusion, the old man adopted a gentle tone, inquiring,
“Is something wrong, young man?”
“No… Sir, I’m not certain about falling on the stairs, but when I woke up, I was in the water with some kind of colossal, rainbow-like monster that had wings… You know,” Aether explained, mimicking the motion of wings with his hands.
He was unsure if the term ‘sea horse’ resonated in this unfamiliar setting but he decided to play safe.
Upon hearing Aether’s account, the old man’s frown deepened, and he shifted his gaze to Alfred, the butler, who remained silent, avoiding eye contact.
Noticing the exchange, the old man’s lips twitched, and with a calm voice, he instructed, “You can leave.”
Alfred nodded without objection, his departure carried out with a composed demeanour. His silence and swift exit in response to the old man’s order left Aether raising his eyebrows in surprise.
Left alone in the icy chamber. The old man regarded Aether with a warmth reminiscent of a grandfather’s affection,
“Anyhow,
since you have forgotten everything, I will tell you my name again…
My name is Mortimer Frostblade….. the Ancestor of the Frostblade Duke House.
And your name is not Aether, it’s Ether… well, that’s what you told me when we met” Mortimer explained, his tone carrying both authority and a touch of familial warmth.
“I see… Hello, Mr. Mortimer Frostblade,” Aether greeted, awkwardly waving his hands. Internally, however, his mind raced with realization. ‘Ancestor!! I am fucking right again, and what’s more, I am in the fucking Duke House!’
Aether’s liberal use of the word ‘Fucking’ wasn’t indicative of a limited vocabulary or a lack of familiarity with other curses. Rather, it was a conscious choice, a deliberate attempt to adopt a delinquent persona. In his quest to transform into a certain image, Aether drew inspiration from other thugs individuals who punctuated every sentence with ‘That’.
That’s the reason, Aether uses the word often, so never think he was a bad guy just because of his choice of words…. He was really good delinquent except for occasional shoplifting.
Well, He might change in the future….
“Hehehe….” Mortimer chuckled, observing Ether’s awkwardness. ‘He must be feeling lonely and scared…!’ he thought.
However, he abruptly shifted to a more serious tone.
“Anyhow, why don’t you show me your log?”
“….ah?” Aether flinched at those words, panic gripping him. ‘Does he know? How did he find out? Is he going to kill me? Should I run away? Or… should I fight–‘ Aether forcibly dismissed those thoughts.
Anyone could discern Mortimer’s formidable strength just by seeing his aura, This old man was really strong…. ‘I mean he is really, really, really, very long really stronger even Velc’ Aether thought.
Observing Aether’s bewildered expression, Mortimer giggled and clarified,
“Oh, right, you forget. Say ‘Log’ and you’ll see some weird screen in front of you.”
Aether was taken aback and screamed inwardly ‘FUCK!! The old man really knows who I am… Is he going to check whether I have anything useful or kill me for possessing an ‘OP’ Skill and steal it!’
“Ether…?” Mortimer frowned, noticing Aether’s visible hesitation. Understanding the apprehension, he gently asked,
“Don’t worry, it’s not going to hurt you. Say ‘Log'”
Observing a frown forming on the old man’s face, Aether sensed that any hesitation on his part could lead to instant…. DEATH!!
Aether mumbled,
“Log”
“WHOO!!”
‘Thud’
A resounding ‘thud’ accompanied Aether’s scream of shock, as he tumbled to the floor, fear etched across his face.
“W-what was that?!” he exclaimed, pointing nervously at the seemingly empty air.
“Hahahahaha….”
In response, Mortimer erupted into laughter, the sound echoing through the room. It had been years since he had laughed so boisterously, his aged face creasing with joy.
‘Sigh,’ Aether sighed inwardly, contemplating, ‘Maybe I should have tried some acting before I died…..’ Grateful for successfully deceiving the old man, he pondered the unexpected turn of events.
Once Mortimer regained composure, he inquired,
“You see a black transparent screen, right?”
“Y-yes,” Aether nodded with a touch of fear, perplexed by how the old man seemed privy to these details. His musings were abruptly cut off as Mortimer pressed on,
“Push at the right lower corner and call my name.”
Aether gulped, silently pleading with the system for assistance. ‘Hey, system? Please help me! If you don’t obscure and modify the information, this kindly smiling NPC old man might transform into a formidable final boss villain!!!!’ as he screamed.
To his dismay, the display stubbornly remained unaltered.
‘FUCK IT!’ Aether thought, attempting to push the corner while maintaining the same fear-stricken expression.
“Mortimer Frostblade”
Instantaneously, the black transparent screen vanished from Aether’s view and materialized before Mortimer.
The old man perused the information, and his eyes widened in horror. He shot a piercing glare at Aether, releasing intense pressure.
‘ssshhh!’
“Fuck again!” Aether screamed, the oppressive weight of Mortimer’s gaze bearing down on him. The gravity of the situation intensified, leaving Aether in a state of panic and almost saw his death.