Count's Youngest Son is a Warlock-Chapter 175: Great Light Temple, Again? (3)

-No. The darkness can’t speak that far.

Troy shook his head.

“Is it because of ‘Him’?”

-Yes. The darkness probably informed you. Bound and entangled.

“And you can’t speak about it, right?”

-You know well. But don’t be impatient.

Troy gently stroked Lucion’s head again.

“How can I not lose patience?”

-I understand. It must be scary with a strange being appearing.

“It’s not just scary. I…”

Lucion hesitated, unable to voice his concern about losing Ratta.

Lucion swallowed the words, not wanting to burden the oblivious fox with his worries.

-But darkness is moving for you. Even now.

“Why me?” Lucion finally voiced his lingering question, his expression filled with anguish.

At the same time, doubt crept deeply into his face.

“Why is this happening to me? I never wished for darkness to move for me, and it didn’t even tell me the reason why. Why should I understand?”

Russell added strength to Lucion’s doubts.

[Yeah, why is it that only Lucion is loved by the darkness? The darkness would love no one. Let’s talk. This is a temple.] Russell chimed in.

-Even under the light, darkness exists. You, who are the existence of darkness, are here as well.

Troy explained, his smile soft as he glanced at Russell and Bethel.

Russell was momentarily speechless, struck by the right words.

-Wherever there is darkness, it is under the influence of ‘Him.’ The moment you try to solve your questions, Lucion, you are in danger. He is very keen.

Troy cautioned, hesitating to speak further.

‘How wide is the influence of ‘Him’?’

Lucion pondered, struck by an even bigger question.

Although the place was surrounded by light, with a divine beast of light before their eyes, Lucion couldn’t raise his voice against Troy’s genuine concern.

It wasn’t just himself; Ratta was also involved.

‘So… the only safe way to get information is through the black orb.’

-I never thought it would be you. Even when the existence of darkness, whose pulse was cut off, was born, you never crossed my mind.

“You never considered it?” Lucion asked.

-Oh, sit down for now. The scent of blood is strong around you.

Troy pointed towards Lucion’s stomach with his front paw.

“I would like to help you as I wish, but my light would harm you. So, all I can do is provide a space where you can sit comfortably.

—What about Ratta? Ratta has the same darkness as Lucion.

Ratta asked as she approached Troy while Lucion was sitting down.

—Right, Ratta purified Bethel’s corruption too. Maybe Ratta can do something?

Hope sparkled in Ratta’s eyes.

-Ratta.

Troy smiled bitterly.

—Yeah, Uncle Troy.

-Light has regenerative power. Darkness has purification. This fixed law cannot be changed by anyone.

—Why? Ratta wants to help Lucion. Ratta can’t do anything. Ratta… Ratta is a fool.

Lucion tried to cover Ratta’s mouth, but she kept speaking.

-No, Ratta. Your existence is already helping Lucion.

Ratta’s eyes widened at Troy’s words.

—Ratta?

-Yes, Ratta. You were born to protect Lucion, and you, the guide, exist for Lucion.

Troy looked not only at Ratta but also at Hume.

—Ratta?

“Is it me… you’re talking about?”

Ratta and Hume reacted as if they couldn’t believe it.

[Just a moment. Did darkness reveal that information to you?]

Bethel asked, sensing something was off.

Isn’t it impossible to know such information unless darkness reveals it?

-That’s the correct answer.

[Light… and darkness are not enemies, right?]

Bethel asked again, seeking clarification.

-No. Light and darkness exist for each other.

Troy corrected the misconception.

Russell, who believed in the coexistence of light and darkness, listened with a satisfied smile.

-You asked me earlier how I could see and hear the presence of darkness, right?

[Yes, that’s right.] Bethel confirmed.

-If there is no light, darkness dies, and if there is no darkness, light dies. The time when balance was maintained is now gone. Darkness is disappearing now, and light doesn’t know how to dim. So, light burns brightly but is gradually dying.

Troy explained, looking up with a longing gaze.

-The reason why those blessed by light cannot see the presence of darkness or hear my voice is because they became too bright, losing their ability to see and hear.

Ratta’s ears folded as she felt deep bitterness.

—Ratta can hear Uncle Troy’s words. Lucion too.

-Thank you, Ratta.

Troy smiled and turned to look at Lucion again.

-Lucion. You are the last one.

“Am I… the last one?” Lucion couldn’t comprehend the meaning behind those words.

The story was deviating too far from the original novel.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this originally.

Why did Heint’s story twist like this?

Or maybe it didn’t happen because he was already dead in the novel?

-When you disappear, it’s the end. You are the last vessel to contain darkness.

The word ‘vessel’ slipped out of Troy’s mouth involuntarily.

Lucion’s fingertips trembled and then stopped.

‘The last vessel to contain darkness.’

He didn’t want to admit it, yet again.

He felt even more special.

The unwanted sense of uniqueness felt like it was choking him.

Ratta’s face reached out towards Lucion’s hand, seeking reassurance.

In response, Lucion closed his lips and exhaled quietly, trying to calm himself.

‘…It’s okay. It’s still okay.’

[What do you mean… vessel? The last darkness?] Russell asked with an anxious voice.

[What is this all about? Why does Lucion have to become a vessel?] Russell asked again, but Troy remained silent.

[Damn it! Why do you keep leaving out important details? What is ‘Him’ that you’re talking about?]

Although Lucion should have vented his anxiety, he couldn’t.

Fear had taken hold of him, and his complexion turned pale. If he spoke now, it seemed like he would crumble at any moment.

So Russell vented for him.

Out of frustration.

Out of concern for Lucion, who was more precious than his own existence.

-Do you wish for Lucion to die?

But Troy silenced Russell with the cruelest words.

Don’t press him.

Pressing him would only lead to Lucion’s death.

Bethel and Hume couldn’t bring themselves to say anything in response to Troy’s words.

―Why… Why does Lucion have to die? Ratta doesn’t understand!

Ratta, with folded ears, shouted desperately.

Neither Troy’s words nor Russell’s words were easy for Ratta to comprehend.

-Do not try to understand, Ratta. It’s something even I find too unjust to want to understand.

―Why? Lucion doesn’t wish for that. Lucion just wants to be happy and keeps striving for it. Why do you keep blocking Lucion from being happy? Ratta hates that!

Troy closed Ratta’s eyes before she fell into further confusion.

As Troy gently stroked Ratta, she relaxed.

-Don’t worry. I just put Ratta to sleep. Lucion, you also wish for that.

“Yes. That’s right. I wish Ratta wouldn’t hear anymore,” Lucion breathed deeply.

“Please continue.”

There was no emotion reflected in Lucion’s eyes.

Troy felt sorry for him, but he knew that wasting this precious time was not an option.

-That’s why the holy relic is drawn to you. The darkest place is where the light will shine the brightest.

[Why didn’t you tell us in advance?] Russell complained.

-Would you believe me if I told you I couldn’t?

“You couldn’t… you are a divine beast of light, not related to darkness. Or is there some kind of restriction?” Lucion asked, and Troy wagged his tail slightly in response.

-You may have heard that the Divine Beast of Light exudes the same light no matter who it was born to.

“I’ve heard of it.”

-Currently, there are three divine beasts of light, including myself.

Lucion had accidentally learned the truth about the divine beasts, a secret that was carefully concealed from the world.

They had kept the divine beasts hidden so well that rumors circulated, suggesting that all the divine beasts had perished.

But they weren’t extinct.

There were two of them.

The number was smaller than Lucion had previously thought.

“Are they in Nevast?” Lucion asked.

-Yes. If they were actually one, would you believe it?

[What, what do you mean?] Russell, who had been frowning the whole time, blinked for a moment.

It was a shocking discovery.

The scattered divine beasts were actually one.

“The divine beast of light… like Ratta, actually one?” Lucion asked, his voice filled with surprise.

-Our light only kills darkness. That’s why we were divided and scattered. We are one, yet not one, and we have even lost the shared core. That’s why we couldn’t share memories.

‘So, although your bodies are separate, your consciousness was originally one?’

Lucion waited for Troy to continue.

No, he had no choice but to wait.

The story was flowing to a level he couldn’t handle, so he was cautious about asking.

-Furthermore, I was born not long ago.

Troy continued, wagging his tail before sitting down.

-I existed before, but I was reborn, so it took me longer to regain past memories. That’s why I couldn’t tell you earlier, Lucion, and why it took so long.

[Wait a minute. Are you saying ‘Him’ existed in the past?]

Russell, who had been listening attentively to Troy’s words, immediately raised a question that came to mind.

[That’s a good question. I was just curious too.]

Bethel added, her face tensed with anticipation.

-Nobody would have noticed. Of course. The darkness is quiet. It’s understandable that no one would notice even if ‘Him’ moved.

Troy admitted, causing Lucion to glare at him.

Troy had known about ‘Him’ from the beginning.

‘Him’ was now targeting Ratta and Lucion.

It was strange that Troy, who had previously claimed that if darkness disappeared, light would also die, had not taken any action.

“Then why didn’t you do anything? If you had existed in the past, you would have regained your memories sooner or later, after being born to another priest. So why didn’t you act?”

-…

Troy remained silent.

“Why can’t you speak of it? Are there words you cannot utter?” Lucion’s voice rose.

-Words are spoken, and with these words, I do not wish to extinguish the last flame.

‘Damn it!’

Lucion struggled to bite his lip and hold back his words.

‘Damn…’

-Lucion.

Troy called out, seeing his trembling fist.

-Light and darkness are interconnected. When light grows stronger, darkness dies, and when darkness grows stronger, light dies.

Troy repeated the same words twice.

“The darkness that warlocks use is only part of the darkness I worship.”

Lucion recalled Asha’s words.

‘The darkness she worshiped was above the darkness the warlock used.’

Lucion’s pupils shook.

‘That “Him” mentioned by the darkness is above the darkness.’

For a moment, a hollow laugh almost escaped him.

Everything was starting to fall into place.

Troy had been avoiding that word and informing him about it for a while now.

If darkness dies, light dies.

“Could it be that if ‘Him’ is closely related to darkness, if he dies, can darkness die too?” Lucion asked, exploring the possibilities.

Troy nodded in acknowledgement.

[Then… it’s not that you couldn’t do anything, it’s that you weren’t able to? Because you were threatened?”

Then Russell also asked.

If ‘Him’ were to die, what would happen then?

Again, Troy nodded, and Russell’s anger flared.

[Wow. Damn. This is insane. That despicable bastard. What the hell is ‘Him’? Why does darkness die because of him?]

As the atmosphere grew darker, Troy said something to change the situation.

-Until now.

Author's Thoughts

Hello everyone. 🥰

I hope you're doing well.

For the time being, I'll use "him," who is known as existence above the darkness.

I hope I was right about the gender. The translation simply referred to it as "that guy."

If there are any future updates, I'll make the necessary changes.

***

[Even when the existence of darkness, whose pulse was cut off... .]

I know this is a little off. I can't find the right words to describe this.

Bear with me, hehe.

Foll𝑜w current novels on fre(e)w𝒆bnovel