The sound of the upper staircase closing echoed through the underground chamber.
Old Deay slowly lifted his hand from the table. For a moment, his eyes met Liam's.
They were filled with hope, confidence, and determination. Things he seemed to have lost himself many years ago.
He stepped away from the table and took a small wooden box from one of its drawers.
Setting it down, he opened the lid and turned the box upside down. Six small emblems fell onto the wooden surface.
Liam stared at the six emblems, then looked up at Old Deay in surprise.
"What... are these? Some kind of badges?"
Old Deay gave a short laugh and picked one up.
"That was exactly what I said the first time our captain placed these in front of me. Unfortunately, back then, people were a little stricter about respecting ranks. I spent about five minutes getting beaten up for it..."
Liam forced a smile.
"Are they not that important anymore?"
Old Deay raised one of the emblems between his fingers and examined it.
"No. I just don't care much about them. Relax!"
Liam finally let out the breath he'd been holding. Julien covered his mouth with one hand, chuckling under his breath.
Old Deay arranged the six emblems in a neat row in front of Liam. He looked into Liam's eyes, then glanced at Julien as well. After a quiet exhale, he began explaining.
"These are the symbols of the six Covenants whose emblems were created by the Church of the Radiant Sun approximately 2,530 years ago."
Liam murmured in disbelief, "2,530 years?"
Old Deay placed his hand over the first emblem on the left.
"From left to right, these are the symbols of the Sun, Justiciar, Watcher, Author, and Moon Covenants. These are the Covenants for which the Church possessed potion formulas, from the lower Depths to some of the higher ones."
He slowly moved his hand to the sixth emblem.
"And this... is the symbol of the Freedom Covenant."
Liam studied the emblems for a moment before speaking again.
"Then what about the Criminal Covenant? Julien told me he belonged to the Criminal Covenant!"
Old Deay smiled faintly.
"That's true. But those aren't official Church formulas. They're formulas I've discovered over the course of my more than 2,500 years of life. I can't guarantee your safety if you consume potions from those Covenants."
Liam fell silent. Julien's gaze shifted back and forth between him and Old Deay. Liam slowly pulled out a chair and sat down.
"Which of these is related to uncovering the truth? Secrets, hidden things, that sort of thing?"
"None of them."
Liam looked at Old Deay in surprise.
"That's right. None of them. To be honest, all I know is that the Secret Seeker Covenant and the Abyss Covenant belonged to the Church of the Hidden Wise. About 2,500 years ago, their symbols could also be found in our churches, but we only had the formulas for their Depth 9 potions."
Liam rubbed his forehead, growing increasingly frustrated.
"Slow down. I can't follow you. I don't even know what half the things you're talking about are. And what does the Abyss have to do with secrets or uncovering the truth?"
Old Deay gave him another faint smile.
"I remember our captain once explaining the Abyss Covenant to someone. As far as I recall, it was related to recollection, memories, dreams, history, and the past. If I'm not mistaken, there were quite a few discussions about the God of the Abyss Covenant and Abyss Symbolism during the Three Continents War."
"What are you even talking about?!"
"You'll understand eventually. My head's starting to hurt too. Hurry up and choose one. You're wasting my time."
Liam looked down at the six emblems in front of him and took a deep breath. Then he raised his head and turned toward Julien.
"What should I do, Julien?"
Julien placed a hand on Liam's shoulder, as though offering him something solid to lean on. He thought for a moment before answering.
"I think Freedom would be a good choice..."
"Why?"
"I'll explain."
Julien slid the Freedom Covenant emblem toward Old Deay and gave him a polite smile.
"Could you tell us about this Covenant's Depth 9, Captain?"
Old Deay looked at the emblem, then at Liam and Julien. He picked it up between two fingers and raised it slightly.
"If I remember correctly, the Depth 9 potion of this Covenant is known as Geographer. Its general abilities have something to do with enhanced senses, a degree of control over objects, and things along those lines. I don't remember much beyond that."
Liam began turning the words over in his mind.
Senses... objects... geography...
Suddenly, he jumped out of his chair and snapped his fingers.
"Environment!"
Julien and Old Deay stared at him with expressions that were almost insulting, tinged with mild irritation. Old Deay simply placed the emblem back on the table.
"Well? Which one have you chosen?"
Liam gave him a confident smile. Julien grew a little uneasy at the sight. Apparently, the troubles Liam had caused in the past were still fresh in his memory.
"I think I'll choose the Freedom Covenant. A detective needs to have a good understanding of his surroundings!"
Old Deay gathered all six emblems, placed them back inside the box, and closed the lid.
"Very well. Just remember that your choice cannot be reversed."
"That's fine!"
Old Deay returned the box to the drawer, then opened the door and stepped into the corridor.
Liam turned toward Julien.
"I hope I don't regret this..."
"Detective... Do you doubt me?"
"More than I doubt a crow-masked man who might be an Angel."
"I'm hurt."
"I'm delighted, though. It's been a pleasure meeting you!"
"Are you making fun of me?!"
"A detective who doesn't make fun of his subordinates isn't a detective!"
"Who said that?"
"The philosopher of the New Age. Me!"
Julien fell silent for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"As Emilien or Liam?"
He continued laughing.
Liam merely wore an even gentler smile, as though he'd expected that exact response.
A little while later, a man in a light brown coat hurried into the room and slammed both hands onto the table. Old Deay entered quietly behind him.
"Calm down, Nieth the Alchemist!"
But Nieth ignored him completely. He fixed his gaze on Liam.
"Damn it! Why couldn't you have chosen death?! Do you have any idea how difficult it is to prepare a potion? How much patience it takes? How precise you have to be?!"
Liam firmly slapped Nieth on the shoulder.
"That's why you wear glasses, riiight?"
Nieth grabbed Liam by the collar and lifted him off the ground.
"Do you dare say that again?! Go on, I dare you!"
Liam pressed both hands against Nieth's shoulders.
"Of course I do, you four-eyes! Who do you think you're dealing with?!"
Meanwhile, Julien quietly slipped over to Old Deay's side.
"I remember something similar happening when I wanted to become a Depthwalker..."
Old Deay let out a short laugh.
"He's always been short-tempered. And he's only a Depth 8, too!"
Julien began laughing as well, but Nieth suddenly turned toward him.
"What are you laughing at?! This is all your fault, Julien! I'll tear you limb from limb!"
Liam yanked at Nieth's coat and shouted even louder.
"Who do you think you are, threatening to kill my apprentice?!"
"Who am I? Seems like you've gotten a little too full of yourself!"
"What can a four-eyes like you even do?"
"You little bas****!"
Old Deay gave Julien a pat on the waist.
"Go on outside. This is getting interesting..."
Julien let out a deep sigh, then chuckled.
"Fine..."
Old Deay followed him out and closed the door behind them.
"Let them sort it out. Neither of us saw anything!"
"Nope. Didn't see a thing."
"Still, Nieth the Alchemist seems much angrier than usual this time."
"We're already out of the room, Old Deay. Whatever happens, I doubt Nieth would actually kill anyone."
"You're right. We were just going to have some tea."
"I'd appreciate it if you treated me as well."
"Absolutely. Consider it a welcome-back gift!"
A few minutes later...
Old Deay quietly opened the door.
The room was spotless. Everything was arranged far too neatly.
Julien hurried inside and looked around.
"What the hell...? I distinctly remember him beating me so badly that at least one table should've been broken!"
Old Deay suddenly grew concerned and rushed toward Nieth's alchemy room on the other side of the corridor. Julien followed close behind.
Old Deay flung the door open and rushed inside.
"Nieth! Waittt!"
He suddenly fell silent.
Julien arrived right behind him, ready to stop Nieth from doing anything to Liam, but he too came to an abrupt halt.
Nieth the Alchemist was holding an Erlenmeyer flask, gently swirling its contents. He slowly turned his head.
"Is something wrong, Captain?"
Liam stood on the other side of the laboratory table, holding a beaker.
"Hey, Julien! You left so suddenly. This four-eyes and I came here to prepare my Depth 9 potion!"
Nieth gave a faint smile.
"I don't think being called Four-Eyes is all that bad, do you, Old Deay?"
Old Deay slowly turned away from the two and looked at Julien. After a moment of silence, he slapped himself hard across the face.
With a bewildered expression, he muttered, "No... I'm not asleep. This isn't a dream... Nieth the Complainer is actually working in silence. That's more terrifying than the Three Continents War!"
Julien looked at Old Deay in confusion.
"I never witnessed the Three Continents War myself, but I doubt Nieth being quiet is more terrifying than an actual war..."
A little earlier...
Nieth slammed Liam's hand against the wooden cabinet. Liam twisted his leg, attempting to kick Nieth in the side.
Nieth jumped back.
He shot Liam a look.
"Just choose death when the time comes. That's all I'm asking!"
"I don't get it. Is there really no other alchemist in this damn place?!"
"Unfortunately, I'm on duty today, darling."
"That's heartbreaking. I should've come tomorrow."
"Then I'd be heartbroken."
"I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep over upsetting you, you irritable four-eyes!"
Nieth immediately snatched up a knife and charged at Liam.
Liam's hand slipped inside his coat. He pulled out his weapon.
Click. Clack.
A faint spark flickered from it.
A gunshot rang through the room and echoed down the corridor.
The knife was no longer in Nieth's hand. The revolver was no longer in Liam's.
Both men were breathing heavily.
Nieth leaned against the wooden table in the middle of the room.
"Quite the tough bastard, aren't you, you cheater?"
Liam slowly slid down against the wooden cabinets and drawers until he was sitting on the floor.
"That's something I should be saying to you, Four-Eyes..."
A few breaths passed. Then came a moment of silence, before both men burst out laughing.
"But seriously, that was fun!"
"Definitely. I've never had this much excitement before!"
"What's your name again, you cheater?"
"I'm Liam. When we're around people outside the Silver Company, call me Emilien. That's my fake identity."
"Good, good..."
"What about you, Four-Eyes?"
"I'm known as Nieth the Alchemist. Just call me Nieth."
"How about Four-Eyes?"
"Hahaha... That works too. Then I'll call you Cheater!"
"Perfect!"
Back in the present...
Liam and Old Deay had just stepped farther into the room when Nieth spoke.
"Now then, Cheater. Put that beaker down and go sit somewhere. I've prepared the ingredients for the mixture."
Liam placed the beaker on the table, walked over to a wooden chair, and sat down.
Julien came over and took another seat beside him.
"What happened between you two? How did you become such good friends?"
Liam gave Julien a sideways glance.
"Nothing much. I talked things out with him. He was just a little loud, that's all!"
Julien stared at him, his eyes practically screaming, I don't believe you.
"What can I say? Becoming friends with Nieth isn't something just anyone can manage. He's a real complainer!"
Liam gave him a smug smile.
"I'm impossible to defeat, young man!"
"You say that like you're a hundred years older than me."
"Well, I am older."
"Good grief..."
"If you're upset, just say so. I'll kill you."
"Remember, Old Deay is looking after me here."
"Doesn't matter. I've got Nieth."
"But Old Deay is a Depth 3!"
"So what? You're underestimating Nieth!"
"What can a Depth 8 possibly do against a Depth 3?!"
"None of your businessssss!"
Julien was about to continue when Old Deay suddenly spoke.
"Julien, go get Vanisa and Phois. Bring them to the assembly hall."
Julien gave himself a little stretch, rose from his chair, and left the room.
Old Deay turned toward Nieth the Alchemist. Nieth slowly released something above a glass. It drifted downward, while Liam stared at it from a distance.
How much longer is this going to take...?
The object finally settled onto the ingredients inside the glass.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then a green mist suddenly burst out, spreading around Nieth before sinking toward the floor.
Liam hurriedly jumped to his feet. Nieth calmly emerged from the green haze and placed the glass on the table. He gave a faint smile.
"That's it..."
Liam eagerly approached the table and peered into the glass. His excitement immediately faded.
"Um... Are you sure this is safe to drink?"
"Why?"
Liam pointed at the blue spots appearing across the potion's green surface. They grew larger, shrank, and occasionally vanished altogether.
"I have a feeling this is poison and you're trying to kill me..."
Nieth was about to respond, but Old Deay interrupted.
"Nieth... Go wait for us in the assembly hall."
Nieth glanced at Old Deay. His expression was serious.
Nieth straightened his light brown coat and left the room.
Liam and Old Deay were now alone.
Old Deay stepped away from the table and sat in the chair Julien had occupied earlier.
"Come sit down, Liam. There are some important things I need to tell you."
Liam's heart, eyes, and hands trembled. He tightened his grip on the glass, approached Old Deay, and sat in the chair opposite him. He placed the glass on the small round table between them.
"Is... something wrong?"
Old Deay gave him a reassuring smile.
"No..."
He crossed one leg over the other.
"I'm just going to tell you the same things I tell everyone else."
"...What? I mean... What things?"
"The dangers of becoming a Depthwalker, and even the dangers of drinking the potion itself."
"W-What?"
"Let me explain properly."
Old Deay calmly let out a breath.
"Listen. We Depthwalkers are always exposed to all kinds of dangers, both in the past and even now. But there are three that I consider particularly... particularly dangerous."
He paused to catch his breath.
"Losing Control, an individual's Characteristic, and... Crimson Madness."
Liam's lips parted slightly, but Old Deay continued without paying much attention to his reaction.
"There are many reasons why someone might lose control, but for now, the first one is the most important to you. That is, losing control because of incompatibility with the potion."
"What... does that mean?"
"I'll keep it simple. It means you failed to become one with the potion after consuming it. Put another way, you couldn't control the potion after drinking it. Instead, you lose control of yourself, and the potion, or rather, the essence of Depth 9, takes over your body."
Liam fell into an unsettling silence. Perhaps his mind had gone quiet, or perhaps it was only Old Deay who had stopped speaking.
After a moment, he continued.
"But what exactly is an individual's Characteristic? Well... that part really comes down to fate."
"What?"
"A person's Characteristic is essentially something their body is capable of restricting and controlling. Unlike the first type of Losing Control, when a person comes into contact with something their Characteristic wasn't made to withstand... it dies."
"What do you mean? I... I don't understand."
"Why do you think I'm still a Depth 3? Over these 2,500 years, I could've reached at least Depth 1."
"Why haven't you?"
"Because I'm afraid."
"Afraid? Of your own Characteristic?"
"Yes... I'm afraid. I'm afraid of drinking the Depth 2 potion and dying before I even get the chance to perform the Ritual. If I'd only lived for a hundred years, perhaps I wouldn't be so afraid of death. But after more than 2,500 years... The more memories you have, the more terrifying death becomes, Liam."
"..."
"Why aren't you saying anything, Liam? Are you scared? Or have you changed your mind?"
Liam lowered his gaze and thought for a moment.
"So... what you mean is that I might drink the Depth 9 potion right now and... die. Is that right?"
"Yes..."
"Oh..."
Liam slowly closed his eyes and swallowed. He steadied his trembling, uneven breaths before opening them again.
"Then... what about the last one? What's Crimson Madness? Isn't Madness different from Losing Control?"
Old Deay gave a faint smile and let out a relieved breath.
"No... For a Depthwalker, ordinary Madness is more or less equivalent to the first type of Losing Control. But Crimson Madness is different. If the name confuses you, you can think of it by other names, such as Existential Madness or Outer Madness."
"Then... what is it?"
"Crimson Madness is a type of madness that gradually causes Depthwalkers to develop various fears. Those fears grow stronger and stronger over time. The madness itself feeds them, until eventually, the Depthwalker is driven to suicide."
Liam raised his head and stared at Old Deay, his eyes wide with shock.
But what surprised him even more was the strange, emotional smile on Old Deay's face. It looked as though he'd lost someone, or perhaps several people, to the very dangers he'd just described.
Old Deay spoke quietly.
"Now, what will you do, Liam?"
Liam lowered his head again and looked at the glass on the table. The blue spots continued to grow, shrink, and disappear across the potion's surface.
Silence filled the room. The only sound was the irritating tick-tock, tick-tock of the clock.
Without saying another word, Liam picked up the glass and downed its contents in one gulp.
Darkness. Silence.
The skin of his eyelids slowly grew warm, then red. He opened his eyes, and the warmth gave way to cold.
He stood atop a peak, high above a sea of moving clouds. The height was unnatural, the mountain unlike anything that should exist in reality, at least as far as he knew.
Suddenly, the cold turned into a painful heat.
A bird called from somewhere behind him.
An unnatural, violent gust of wind slammed into his back. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a single white feather.
He hurriedly tried to turn around, but his back suddenly struck the table in the room.
Old Deay gave a short laugh, stood up, and spoke calmly.
"Well, you haven't died yet. That's that, then. If you have any questions, you can come by my office later."
"Whaaaat?! What do you mean, old man?! I saw a mountain peak! Come back here and explain what that was!"
Old Deay was already walking toward the door.
"Come on, get up. It's time we headed to the assembly hall."
"OLD MANNNNN!"
A few minutes later...
In the presence of Vanisa, Phois, and all the members of the Nightwolves gathered in the assembly hall, Old Deay formally introduced Liam.
He was now a Depth 9 Depthwalker of the Freedom Covenant, a Geographer.
After a private discussion between Old Deay and Vanisa, it was decided that Liam would take on the false identity of Emilien Rochefort and change his occupation from Private Detective to Silver Company Detective.
A detective specializing in security, investigation, and commercial affairs.
---
Liam Thornton
Emilien Rochefort
A Depth 9 Geographer of the Freedom Covenant.
The newest Depthwalker of the Nightwolves.
The newest and first detective employed by the Silver Company.
───────────────────────────
Elias slowly spun around like a carousel, while the Dark Hand watched him in silence.
"You know you're gradually waking up, don't you?"
Elias, who had been lost in his thoughts, suddenly came back to himself.
"Hm? Did you say something?"
"No. Go ahead, keep spinning."
"I was thinking... What if I stopped playing the role of a duke?"
"What?"
"I told you before. In a way, I came back to life, or maybe I came from another world and ended up in this body..."
"I still believe that's impossible."
"Anyway... What do you think about me pretending to have lost my memory when I wake up?"
"Why would you do something so stupid?"
"If I do that, it'll be easier to ask questions and move around the mansion or outside. Put simply... I can be someone who's learning how to be a duke, instead of someone who's merely pretending to be one!"
"That's both incredibly stupid and somewhat clever."
"Thanks for the compliment. I'll go ahead with it, then."
"I can't stop you anyway."
Elias burst into laughter.
"If you could stop me, you would've killed me back when we first met in the Gray Expanse last year!"
"Back then, I didn't know how irritating you were."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
Elias gave a faint smile and closed his eyes, resting above the London he had rebuilt.
Volume 1: Great Kingdom
Part 1: London and Lothier
END