Chapter 69: The Barrier Broken and Secrets Unraveled

“…What?”

Jack doubted his own eyes.

The barrier seemed ready to shatter, but its sudden disappearance was startling.

Was it really so fragile?

No.

Countless had tried and failed to destroy it.

Then—

“Heal.”

Gaon cast a spell on Marek, who was teetering on the edge of death.

Marek’s ragged breathing stabilized.

“Father!” Jack rushed to him, checking his condition.

His energy was weak.

“With rest, he’ll recover,” Gaon said.

Relieved, Jack stood and bowed deeply. “Thank you so much.”

He was still reeling.

But one thing was certain.

Gaon had saved Marek.

Without him, they’d be preparing a funeral.

Jack had no intention of meeting the masked man’s demands.

Gaon smiled at Jack’s gratitude. “Is there a quiet place? I still have something to check.”

He glanced at the masked man.

He’d only subdued him, not interrogated him.

“Of course. I’ll guide you,” Jack replied, leading the way.

Step.

Jack stopped. “Here it is.”

Creak.

He opened the door and stepped aside.

Gaon entered, scanning the room.

It was dim, with minimal, faint light.

Bloodstains marred the walls.

The temperature was low.

The atmosphere was oppressive, as if staying long would drain one’s spirit.

Perfect.

An ideal interrogation room.

“I’ve reserved it for the day,” Jack said. “If you need it tomorrow…”

“No,” Gaon interrupted. “It won’t take that long.”

If it took until tomorrow, there were two possibilities.

First, the masked man enduring Bone-Crushing Agony.

Second, him knowing too much.

Enduring Bone-Crushing Agony was impossible.

The pain was unbearable unless someone was immune to it.

Knowing too much to finish in a day?

That would be welcome.

It would greatly aid Gaon’s plans.

“Let me know if you need it longer,” Gaon said.

“Yes, sir. And…” Jack hesitated, gauging Gaon’s reaction.

“Speak. Don’t waste time,” Gaon urged.

“I’d like to repay you for saving my father. Is there anything you need?”

Jack’s real question wasn’t about needs.

Baren had called Gaon the real Gaon.

He wanted to ask if he was that Gaon—the Dawn Mage, battlefield ruler, Barta’s greatest emperor, and the Gardion Tower’s first master.

But he couldn’t.

If he was that Gaon, asking would be disrespectful.

Jack planned to talk to Baren while Gaon interrogated the masked man.

“Talk to Rothes about that,” Gaon said.

“…!” Jack was startled.

Rothes was Baren’s real name, changed 40 years ago, known to few.

This confirmed it.

He was that Gaon.

“Yes, sir,” Jack replied, his voice trembling with reverence.

“One more thing,” Gaon added.

“Name it.”

“You have many guests, right?”

Gaon had extended his senses across the Belmar Duchy.

He detected a place with various energies, likely where the guests stayed.

“Yes, 93 in total,” Jack confirmed.

“Can you gather them in one place?”

“All of them?”

“Yes.”

“May I ask why?”

The guests weren’t strictly part of the Belmar Duchy.

Staying as guests meant they excelled in martial prowess, intellect, or wealth.

Gathering them wasn’t easy.

Jack would comply, but he was curious.

“I think some are connected to this guy,” Gaon said, nodding at the masked man.

“…!” Jack was shocked.

The Belmar Duchy thoroughly vetted its guests to avoid issues.

Yet some were linked to the masked man?

Gaon only said it was likely, not certain.

Still, Jack felt convinced.

“When should I gather them?” he asked.

“How long would it take now?”

“Two hours to gather them all.”

“Do it. If the interrogation isn’t done, I’ll pause and resume.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jack bowed and left.

Creak.

The door closed.

Gaon looked at the masked man, thinking.

Why’s he so cooperative?

Jack’s compliance was expected, but his deference was surprising, almost natural.

Did Ted say something?

Gaon had a connection with the Belmar Duchy—not directly, but through Jack’s grandfather, former Duke Ted Belmar.

Perhaps Ted left some story.

I’ll ask later.

That wasn’t important now.

Swish.

Gaon manipulated the Pacheongi in the masked man’s body.

“Ugh!”

The masked man woke, looking panicked.

“H-how… the seal…”

Gaon smiled. “Five minutes.”

“…?”

The masked man was confused.

Then—

“Ugh! Aaaargh!”

Bone-Crushing Agony began, and he screamed.

Gaon watched, thinking.

How long will he last?

The longest to endure was Batan, the 2nd Branch Leader, at 23 minutes.

The masked man wasn’t as strong.

But strength didn’t guarantee endurance.

Weaker individuals sometimes lasted longer.

Gaon identified the masked man as part of the Abyss’s Atsu family.

Most Atsu members he’d encountered were tenacious.

He might outlast Batan.

Are the guests all Atsu?

The masked man wasn’t alone.

Some guests were likely Abyss members in disguise.

Gaon was certain because of their energy.

Some harbored magi, carefully hidden.

Without reaching the 9th Circle, he wouldn’t have detected it.

I hope they’re all Atsu.

If they were, it meant the Atsu family was after something here.

Taking or destroying it would deal a significant blow.

***

Atsu Family Main House, Secret Garden

Unlike usual, Sirion walked the garden with a deep frown.

“Narsha,” he called.

A figure emerged from his shadow.

“Yes.”

It was Narsha, his secret guard and confidant.

“No contact yet?”

The Belmar Duchy held an item they needed to retrieve.

Narsha’s Shadow Corps, led by Elgrin, was deployed.

The problem: contact with Elgrin had suddenly ceased.

“Yes, it seems something’s gone wrong…”

Then—

Narsha flinched, stopping mid-sentence.

Sirion’s brow furrowed.

Narsha’s reaction meant shocking news.

If someone as stoic as Narsha reacted, it was serious.

“What is it?” Sirion asked.

“Elgrin’s soulstone broke,” Narsha reported.

“What?”

“And contact with all deployed members has been lost.”

“What does that mean…?”

Sirion couldn’t finish.

Eleven members, including Elgrin, were sent.

Six were wall-crossers, specialized in survival and assassination.

They shouldn’t all be lost, no matter what happened.

“And…” Narsha hesitated, gauging Sirion’s reaction.

“Gaon appeared in the Ramuran Kingdom. It seems he’s involved.”

It wasn’t certain, but everything pointed to Gaon.

Narsha was convinced he was responsible.

Sirion said nothing, recalling a recent grand meeting.

Lord Murin had called it.

He revealed shocking news: Gaon and his allies had found and taken the Sikrina family’s ancestral legacy.

After long debates, they decided to halt all operations and focus on gathering information about Gaon.

They couldn’t stop this mission, though—it was vital.

They thought it would be fine.

But Gaon had caused another problem.

“For now…” Sirion began but stopped.

Hmph…

His mind was in chaos, unsure of what to do.

Silence fell.

Then—

“…!” Narsha flinched again.

“What now?” Sirion asked immediately.

“The remaining members’ soulstones all shattered.”

***

“Please… kill me…” Elgrin, the masked man, pleaded weakly.

“Sleep.”

Gaon put him to sleep.

It wasn’t time to kill him.

He needed to verify Elgrin’s information.

Cross-verification would be easy.

With whom?

“They’re all gathered. Shall we go?” Jack’s voice came from outside.

Gaon, with Elgrin floating, left the interrogation room.

To Jack, who bowed, he said, “Let’s go.”