Act 3

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Julian Crypart Frason. 

This crazy, narrow-eyed character always spoke formally, yet was never humble. 

In fact, he loved to show off, owning a bizarre ego. 

The mansion’s interior, filled with extravagant art, frames, and jewels, was evidence of this. 

Even the clothes he wore were loud enough to prove it. 

Opening the wardrobe revealed an array of eye-hurtingly colorful clothes. 

“Are you crazy? You are…” 

It was hard to find normal clothes, regardless of my taste. 

“The less conspicuous ones would be better, I guess.” 

He started to put on the relatively decent clothes. 

A cobalt blue coat, a gray shirt, and black gloves. 

Even a potentially excessive color combination looked stylish on ‘Julian.’ 

“Is he eight… no, nine heads tall?” 

I have to admit it honestly. 

The guy is handsome. 

Extremely so. 

Although his narrow eyes felt sinister. 

Or maybe, that’s just my perception. 

Reluctantly, I admit he’s ‘a bit’ better than the original me. 

“Shall we go out now… damn it, damn it! This is cursed…” 

Cursing under my breath, I was about to head outside. 

Near the entrance, a sword on the wall caught my eye. 

The scabbard was adorned with elaborate patterns befitting ‘Julian’s’ character, but the handle was surprisingly simple. 

From what I remember, ‘Julian’ was the worst of the worst, but he was sincerely devoted to his swordsmanship. 

“Julian wouldn’t be so foolish as to go out without his sword… Really, this sucks.” 

Slap. 

After slapping my face, which automatically used formal language, I tied the sword from the wall around my waist. 

***

On the carriage rode the third son of the Crypart family, Herand, his face filled with worry and concern. 

This was because his co-passenger on the carriage was ‘Julian.’ 

He is a member of the ‘Closed Eyes,’ a royal exclusive organization. It’s an institution that covertly handles missions assigned by the royal family, but also serves as a part of the Imperial Guard, the Forbidden Army (금위군). 

Therefore, one must possess significant martial prowess to join. Naturally, this prowess is far from ordinary. 

They have the skill to easily take down demons or knights if they wish. Of course, if that were the only issue, Herand wouldn’t have been so frightened. 

There are many powerful warriors in the Adratan Empire. Herand himself had seen and met quite a few of them. Yet, the reason he feared Julian was singular. 

‘That sword could be turned against me as well.’ 

Julian would swing his sword without hesitation at anyone if it was a command from the royal family. There were no considerations of relationships or interests. No human emotions or personal thoughts involved. He killed simply because it was a royal decree. 

As a result, the blood on the tip of Julian’s sword was not just from one or two victims. Even the empire’s top nobles were included. 

‘The mad dog of the royal family….’ 

Just hearing the three syllables of ‘Julian’s’ name was enough to send shivers down the spines of the nobles. Many cursed him, wishing for his death. Riding alone in a carriage with such a person? It was undeniably a frightening situation. 

“Brother Herand.” 

Amidst the uneasy silence, Julian suddenly spoke. 

“Uh, yes?” 

“Where are we headed?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“The location where this ‘Closed Eyes’ initiation test is taking place.”

“Ah… Ah, aah!” 

Herand, whose mind was filled with thoughts of why Julian was speaking to him, finally regained his composure. 

He stuttered a response with quivering lips. 

“It’s… it’s scheduled to be held at the Bayer Academy training grounds.” 

“Bayer Academy………….” 

“By the way, weren’t you a graduate of Bayer Academy?” 

“Well, it was quite a while ago, so I don’t remember much about it…” 

Squeak, Squeal! 

While Julian was speaking, the carriage came to a sudden, noisy stop. 

“……What’s happening!” 

“So, sorry! It’s just that… some children suddenly darted out in front of us!” 

The coachman replied with a look of injustice to Herand’s barking question. 

“Children darted out? Is the horse alright?” 

“Yes, yes…….” 

“Tsk… Are they uneducated brats to just jump in front of a carriage?” 

Herand clicked his tongue. 

He, like other nobles captured by the sense of being a chosen elite, did not have much fondness for commoners. 

“What should we do, my lord?” 

“What can we do? Tell them to move out of the way right now…….” 

At that moment, the carriage door opened. 

“Julian?” 

Herand saw Julian getting off the carriage. 

Still wearing that eerie smile, he walked towards the front of the carriage where the commotion had just occurred. 

“Why, why are you doing this, Julian?” 

Despite Herand’s question, Julian left the carriage without a word. 

Herand, watching him, noticed the sheathed sword tied around Julian’s waist. The ornate sheath, reflecting its owner’s personality. A myriad of thoughts raced through Herand’s mind. 

Julian Crypart Frason. It’s not for nothing that the empire’s citizens call him the ‘Laughing Guillotine.’ 

He is an executioner without emotion. A madman and a murderer who could kill even his own family if commanded by the royal family. Even a trivial matter might trigger his temper, and one couldn’t predict what might happen. He might even strike down a commoner, a child, just for causing the carriage to stop. 

‘But still…. surely not.’ 

The thought ‘surely not’ suddenly crossed his mind, but Herand quickly got out of the carriage. He couldn’t think of any other reason for Julian to leave the carriage under these circumstances. 

He had to intervene, no matter what. Even a noble can’t just recklessly kill a commoner, especially a child, without it becoming a social issue. Moreover, such an act would not only reflect poorly on Julian but also bring criticism upon the entire Crypart family. 

Naturally, Herand, being present at the scene, would also have to bear responsibility. After all, he was dispatched to monitor Julian and to be prepared for any possible incidents. 

“Julian……!” 

His voice, calling out to Julian, froze. 

The situation he had dreaded was unfolding before his eyes.

A boy and a girl, both around seven years old, clung to each other, trembling in fear. 

Julian looked down at them with an inscrutable smile. 

So far, it wasn’t a big problem. The real issue was that Julian’s hand was resting on the sword at his waist. If left unchecked, a bloodbath could ensue. 

‘Oh….!’ 

Suddenly having a bright idea, Herand yelled out. 

“You damned brats! How dare you block a noble’s carriage without fear!” 

“So, sorry……….!” 

“Do you think a mere apology will suffice? This is what commoners are like… seeking death, apparently!” 

Before Julian could act, Herand decided to take control of the situation. He aggressively scolded the trembling children, preventing any reason for Julian to draw his sword. 

Glancing sideways at Julian, Herand saw him still smiling silently. 

‘……Does he want me to do more?!’ Was what he did not enough? Just as Herand hesitated, Julian moved. 

His hand still hovered over the sword, his face wearing a chilling smile. 

Herand had no choice but to forcefully dissolve the situation, even if it might direct Julian’s anger at himself. Protecting the family’s honor came first. 

“Get lost, you damned commoners!” 

Waving his cane and shouting, the terrified children ran away. This at least diffused the immediate situation. However, the thought of possibly incurring Julian’s wrath made Herand break out in a cold sweat. Then, Julian spoke. “There was no need to chase them away so harshly.” 

“……So, sorry. I just don’t like children much.” 

“No need to apologize, huhuhu.” 

That unsettling smile. 

“It’s a pity, if you didn’t dislike them so much, you might have treated them kindly.” 

‘Stop lying, you monster!’ 

Herand clicked his tongue but felt relieved on one hand. It seemed he wouldn’t have to endure Julian’s wrath after all. 

As the two got back into the carriage, the coachman started moving it again. An uncomfortable silence filled the carriage, just like before. Amidst this, Herand thought about the recent event. 

‘There were rumors he lost his memory, but his actions just now didn’t seem like it at all…………’ 

Fortunately, nothing serious happened. But Herand was certain that if he hadn’t intervened, those children would have been killed. Julian’s hand on the sword looked ready to draw it at any moment. 

‘Maybe, the rumor of his memory loss was… something this guy intentionally spread?’

He might have done it to eliminate hidden political enemies during this opportunity. 

Considering Julian’s actions so far, it would be reasonable for anyone to suspect him. As this thought crossed Herand’s mind, a chill ran down his spine. He might be unknowingly used as bait in Julian’s scheme. 

‘What a monster…………’ 

He wanted to get away from this place as soon as possible. 

*** 

Cumbersome. 

I reached down to adjust the position of the sheathed sword tied around my waist. 

No matter what, I couldn’t get used to the hard, metallic texture. 

Each time I adjusted the sword’s position, I could feel Herand’s uncomfortable gaze. 

‘He seems scared.’ 

In a way, it was understandable. 

He was sharing a carriage with ‘Julian,’ a universally acknowledged madman in the game. 

It was like traveling with an unrestrained murderer, so even a small movement could trigger a sensitive reaction. 

‘But still, to be so harsh with the kids. He may be scared, but he’s still a noble through and through.’ 

I thought back to the children who had nearly hit the carriage. 

The image of them running away in panic, spurred by Herand’s scolding, evoked a sense of sympathy. 

I wondered if they were hurt anywhere. 

‘……Huh?’ 

That’s when he noticed it. 

While absently watching Herand, lost in thought, I saw a faint mist rising above his head. 

“What is that?” 

“What, what do you mean…………” 

Herand responded with a shocked expression to my question. 

His reaction suggested he was unaware of anything unusual. 

‘Can only I see it?’ 

As I pondered, the mist started to take on color. A deep purple.

As I focused closely, the emotion emanating from the color directly communicated itself to me. 

It was a deep sense of ‘fear.’ 

Trait: “Color of Deceit” 

Rank: Special 

▷ You are sensitive to negative emotions directed at you. 

▷ When negative emotions are aimed at you, you can discern them as colors. 

It seems this is it. 

Thinking back, ‘Julian’ in the story had an exceptional ability to catch other people’s emotions. 

Especially, he had a knack for using others’ emotions to create situations advantageous to himself. 

He used ‘fear’ to incapacitate his enemies without fighting and ‘anger’ to provoke his opponents into attacking him first. This trait must have made those manipulations possible. 

‘Good.’ 

This could be useful. 

“Julian, we have arrived at Bayer Academy.” 

“Already?” 

I stepped out of the carriage, which had stopped. 

In front of me lay an enormous campus with grand buildings erected upon it. 

This was Bayer Academy, an educational institution established by the empire to nurture talents. 

Although I was here for the ‘Closed Eyes’ initiation test rather than to tour the academy, the sight still evoked a sense of nostalgia. 

“Seeing it in person, it’s quite impressive.” 

“What did you say?” 

“Nothing, brother. Huhuhu…….” 

Seeing the spectacle that I had only viewed in the game with my own eyes brought a smile to my face. Strangely, the ‘purple mist’ above Herand’s head seemed to shake violently.

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