Chapter 180: A Carriage Back Home

"What could have possibly killed me?" Elias asked.

"With how you were, even a civilian could have killed you, Lord Elias," Olide said as he stepped closer to the bed.

Elias chuckled at the merchant’s words, although the amusement never reached his eyes. "You are really testing my patience, are you not?"

Olide tilted his head, a faint smile still resting on his face. "What could you possibly mean?"

"A civilian daring to kill a noble, one belonging to the Crimson Ducal Clan at that. You must have met quite the daring ones before coming to the west, Lord Olide," Elias said sharply.

Olide shook his head and released a quiet sigh. "Even if you had not died, lying there would have led you to more trouble," the merchant explained.

However, Elias wasn’t ready to let go of the matter.

"So you sent your subordinate not to spy on me but to get me out of there."

Olide’s smile became wry. "Would you believe me if I told you that was really the case?"

"No," Elias answered bluntly.

Olide placed a hand over his face and slowly rubbed it downward before mumbling under his breath, "Father would kill me for this."

He sighed again, and the amusement disappeared from his expression as he admitted, "Yes, I did send my subordinate to spy on you—"

"You must think gold can birth immortality; otherwise, you would not dare accept such a thing before my face," Elias interrupted coldly.

Olide’s expression immediately turned worried, and several beads of sweat appeared along his forehead.

"I-I was curious about who was supporting you from the shadows," he stammered.

’Hmm?’

A deep frown appeared on Elias’s face.

’What is he talking about? Why would anyone support me?’

"At first, I believed someone was helping you, but now I know that it was only you from the very beginning."

The merchant bowed as deeply as his body allowed and said, "I sincerely apologize for the rudeness that I have shown and the misdeed that I have committed. I hope you would find it in your noble heart to forgive me."

Elias stared at the shameless merchant, who had somehow managed to openly admit his wrongdoing while simultaneously trying to escape its consequences.

"You really are shameless," Elias said.

Olide raised his head and scratched his cheek before responding with an innocent smile. "Well, I am a merchant."

Elias lowered his head against the bed and stared at the stone ceiling for a long while before asking, "Why did you bring me here? You could have very well left me at my manor."

Olide’s expression turned somber as he folded his hands behind his back.

"That was what I had planned, but after finding out that the City Lord had sent Sir Berman to attack you, I thought that he probably also sent Sir Daemon to your manor."

His expression darkened as he continued, "I am afraid your wives are al—"

"My wives are fine," Elias interrupted, his voice carrying a hidden fury.

His right hand clenched into a fist, and his gaze hardened as the image of Berlic appeared in his mind.

’That wretch. I will make him pay for what he has done.’

"I am sorry for talking about such a personal matter," Olide said, apparently believing that Elias was simply refusing to accept the possibility that he had lost two or even all three of his wives.

"Prepare a carriage to my manor," Elias ordered.

Olide’s brows immediately drew together. "You are not in a condition to move—"

"Do what I am telling you to," Elias said in a chilling tone that seemed to cut through the room.

A shiver ran down Olide’s spine, and he instinctively took a step backward.

"Ugh!"

Elias grunted as he forced himself upright despite the pain still coursing through his body. His muscles screamed in protest, and every movement sent sharp aches through his wounds, but he refused to remain in bed.

He placed a hand against his chest and silently commanded, ’Heal.’

A tiny green flame appeared and immediately entered his body, although neither Olide nor the woman in black seemed capable of seeing it.

The replicated life flame spread through his body, and Elias felt the pain gradually recede as damaged flesh began restoring itself.

He cast Heal a second time, then a third, and the remaining pain vanished completely.

Elias looked toward Olide and knitted his brows together. "Why are you still standing here? Did you not hear me?"

"A-a carriage, okay," Olide stammered in panic before turning around and hurriedly leaving the room.

The woman in black glanced at Elias for a brief instant before silently following behind him.

Once they were gone, Elias lowered his head and released a deep breath.

Then he focused on the strange connection stretching beyond his perception and sent a Mental Whisper through it.

[I am coming back.]

A brief silence followed before Natasha’s sweet voice reached his mind.

[I am waiting... husband.]

A smile slowly appeared on Elias’s face.

He stepped down from the bed, but the moment his feet touched the cold stone floor, he finally noticed his current state.

He was wearing nothing except his briefs and the bandages covering his body.

"Dammit..."

He facepalmed, then glanced toward the door.

There was no way he was walking through the door dressed like this.

With no other choice, Elias opened his Inventory and summoned one of the three exquisite robes resting inside.

The garment that appeared in his hands was blue with a silver border. When he rubbed the fabric between his fingers, it felt both soft and remarkably strong, while the silver embroidery caught the torchlight and reflected it faintly across itself.

"It does not look too womanly," he mumbled before putting it on.

The instant the robe settled over his body, Elias felt an invisible veil spread around him from every direction.

At the same time, unfamiliar knowledge regarding the robe’s ability to disguise his appearance surfaced within his mind.

’This is crazy.’

He raised his left hand and focused on the ability.

His skin changed from its natural complexion to pale white, then darkened into a chocolate complexion similar to Natasha’s before returning to normal.

Elias stared at his hand for a moment before lowering it.

"This will be extremely useful from now on," he mumbled.

He adjusted the robe and stepped out of the room.

Olide’s hurried footsteps echoed throughout the corridor as his leather boots struck the old stone floor.

Suddenly, however, the merchant slowed down and furrowed his brows.

"Wait... I am the master of this place. Why am I taking orders from him?" he muttered.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before turning toward the mysterious woman walking beside him.

"What do you think? Can you take him?"

The woman shook her head.

Olide suddenly remembered something and coughed awkwardly. "Ahem! I mean in a fight."

The woman narrowed her eyes, and for the first time, she spoke.

"Young master, it seems you wish to go through mannerism training like before."

The color immediately drained from Olide’s face.

"W-What are you talking about?" he asked while looking away. "We have to get a carriage ready for Lord Elias."

His steps quickened once again, and the woman followed behind him without saying another word.

A few minutes later, Elias sat inside the carriage while Olide and the woman stood outside and watched him leave.

The merchant narrowed his eyes as he stared at the robe Elias was wearing.

"Where did he get that black robe?" Olide asked suspiciously.

The woman said nothing.

The carriage soon began moving through the empty streets, its wooden wheels rolling over the stone road as Elias leaned back against his seat.

Once the ordinary wooden house disappeared from view, he opened his Inventory.

He searched through it for several moments before finding what he wanted.

Charles’s corpse.

Elias focused on it, and an explanation tab immediately appeared before him.

[Human-Monster Corpse]

[Corpse of an entity that once used to be a human but by a miracle or curse was bound with a monster, slowly losing its mind and connection with the world.]

[The bound monster was a scout.]

[This body had been given the authority of the rift by the rift guardian.]

Elias’s eyes narrowed as he read the information.

Now he understood more about what had happened to Charles.

Something, or perhaps someone, had connected him with the remaining arm of the Rusted Reaper and transformed him into the monster he had become.

The purpose seemed obvious.

Charles had been turned into a weapon meant to kill as many humans as possible.

That also explained why the rift had been widening faster than normal.

Whenever a monster killed a human, the rift’s expansion accelerated, meaning every casualty increased the possibility of the rift eventually transforming into a hidden dungeon.

Perhaps killing an Exalted swordsman had been the reason it had already reached the second stage.

If the monsters continued killing people, a hidden dungeon would eventually replace Kilmir entirely.

Yet one thing still did not make sense.

Monsters were not supposed to be this intelligent.

They were not supposed to deliberately hide among humans, manipulate situations, and commit murders without revealing themselves.

Yet Charles had done exactly that.

The monsters had silently increased the rift’s influence and forced it to reach the second stage in nearly half the time an ordinary rift required.

That was what confused Elias most.

It was almost as though something — or someone — intelligent was running the entire rift.

’There is no point thinking so much about it,’ Elias mumbled inwardly before dismissing the screen and turning his gaze toward the window.

The streets outside were empty.

Not a single merchant stood beside a stall, no children ran through the roads, and not even the usual noise of commoners could be heard.

Kilmir no longer looked like a city.

It looked like a graveyard.

Elias watched the deserted streets pass by, his expression gradually becoming more serious.

’I just hope Monica finishes the Manacle as quickly as possible.’

If the rift continued expanding at its current rate, he did not know how much time they had left.

He leaned back farther into his seat before closing his eyes.

For a while, the only sounds were the steady rhythm of hooves striking stone and the wooden wheels rolling beneath the carriage.

Then, after several minutes, both sounds abruptly stopped.

The driver’s voice reached Elias through the carriage.

"We are here."

Elias’s eyes opened, and he stepped down from the carriage.

"You can return," he said as he began walking toward the manor’s gates.

The horse let out a neigh as the carriage turned around and left the premises.

Elias walked past the gates, and the first thing he noticed was the dried blood staining multiple flowers and the grass.

He froze, and his pupils trembled. ’Did he die?’

Even though Sermus was important to his plan of leaving the city, Elias couldn’t blindly trust him, but it seemed like the Pathless runesmith had already died.

"What do I do now?" he mumbled under his breath, and right at that moment, Sermus walked out, having changed into a new shirt.

Elias’s gaze fell upon him, and he blinked a few times.

"A ghost?" he mumbled.

Sermus frowned and responded in his usual dry voice, "I may look like this, but I am pretty much alive."

Still dumbfounded, Elias pointed at the blood and asked, "Whose blood is that?"

"Mine?" The gardener tilted his head.

The nobleman knitted his brows together. "How are you still alive?"

Sermus’s expression darkened, and he added in a voice devoid of energy, "You really want me dead, huh? What did I even do to you?"

Elias didn’t know how to respond to those words, and he didn’t need to, as a sweet, joyous yet mildly irritated voice appeared in his head.

[Why are you just standing there?]

The nobleman’s attention was instantly pulled away from the gardener, and his gaze fell on Natasha sitting in the hall.