CLEAVER OF SIN Chapter 668: Lied

A verdant pathway outside the Wargrave manor was where Asher strolled, accompanied by Lyra and a man who trailed behind them - the hired individual Asher had previously mentioned. He was an ordinary person, precisely six feet tall, but his age exceeded forty. His steps faltered with each movement, as if an immense burden pressed upon his frame, a weight his physique struggled to support.

Asher found a flicker of amusement in this display; the man's apprehension was palpable. It had become clear to Asher that Lyra had omitted the crucial detail of their employer being from the Wargrave family. Consequently, the man found himself unable to withdraw from the agreed-upon task, fearing reprisal from the Wargraves. Furthermore, Asher deduced that this man was not a resident of their Wargrave Ducal territory. Those within their lands typically exhibited a far greater composure, often showing eagerness rather than trembling visibly with fear when encountering Wargraves.

"While Enduron horses possess exceptional speed, neither of you can take flight. Therefore, I shall carry you both there," Asher stated, remaining remarkably still. Lyra and the hired man offered no objection, merely nodding. They had already surmised Asher's urgent need and his disinclination to travel by horse under the prevailing circumstances.

Within the world of Crymora, Enduron horses were acknowledged to be vastly swifter than even the quickest automobiles from Earth. Their speed was legendary, insurmountable by conventional methods of transport.

With that declaration, Asher's Star Energy began to resonate subtly, encompassing both Lyra and the commoner. A faint smile graced Asher's features; his command over his Star Energy had seen a significant elevation following his confrontation with Debro, a stark contrast to his previous level of control.

Though the precise reasoning eluded him, Asher sensed he was nearing the cultivation of an additional affinity, somehow linked to the stars. It felt as though his mastery over this energy had reached a crucial threshold. Crossing this invisible boundary, he surmised, would grant him a new sub-affinity, thereby broadening his inherent capabilities.

However, such considerations were for a later time, matters to be meticulously honed and refined at the Star Academy Training Facility Building.

In that instant, he ascended into the heavens with a blur of speed, vanishing from his original position as if he had never been present. Lyra and the hired man followed in his wake, effortlessly propelled by his Star Energy. His velocity reached the apex attainable by a Wavestar Life Ranker. Their forms cleaved through the atmospheric barrier and the opposing wind pressure with remarkable ease, covering vast distances measured in tens of kilometers in less than a heartbeat. The sheer speed itself seemed to warp perception.

Lyra and the hired man found themselves caught in a state of bewilderment, unable to fully grasp the surreal experience. Their vision fractured, reality dissolving into a kaleidoscope of streaking colors. The landscape below rendered indistinct, reduced to mere streaks of light and motion as they traversed at a speed far beyond ordinary comprehension. Before long, their destination became clear: Blackstone Village, the very first settlement Asher had visited, presided over by the Blind Village Chief.

The guards who had earlier confronted Asher upon his initial arrival were immobilized by astonishment as they witnessed him descend from the sky, accompanied by two other individuals. Recognizing him instantly, they comprehended that his return was linked to the ongoing mission. Swiftly, they hurried into the village to alert the Village Chief of his presence, their haste evident in their rapid footsteps.

Asher merely offered a slight shake of his head, uttering no words, and proceeded forward with practiced ease, the village's layout already familiar to him. Shortly thereafter, the Village Chief appeared before Asher, his hands betraying a slight tremor as he spoke, "You have returned, Asher."

"Indeed, I have," Asher responded, his tone measured and calm. Lyra and the hired escort remained silent, understanding that their participation was not required in this exchange.

"This is hardly the place for a discussion. Let us proceed to my home," the blind Village Chief suggested, clearly eager to receive an immediate report on the mission. After all, Asher was the first individual who had accepted their task and had not subsequently vanished without a trace.

Upon their arrival at the Village Chief's residence, Lyra and the hired hand waited outside while Asher and the Village Chief commenced their private discussion within.

Asher imparted a wealth of information to the Village Chief, who, in return, inundated him with inquiries, his curiosity and apprehension manifesting in every question. Asher took his time in formulating his replies, choosing his words with deliberate care.

He consciously omitted any mention of the horrific scenes he had encountered at Debro's operational base. There was simply no conceivable way to articulate such atrocities to the Village Chief. While the man might have possessed the fortitude to withstand such knowledge without being utterly shattered, there were instances... where withholding certain truths served as the more judicious course of action.

Beyond that, Asher wasn't exactly fabricating the entire truth; he was simply omitting certain details that would serve no purpose other than to inflict unnecessary pain.

"What about our villagers? Did you manage to save them? Were they alive when you reached their hiding place?" the Village Chief inquired. Though the man was sightless, Asher felt the intensity of his gaze as though it pierced him directly.

Asher prepared to respond, but a moment of hesitation seized him. After a brief silence, he finally spoke, "My apologies, Village Chief. I could only rescue fifteen villagers, who are presently undergoing treatment and will be back in their homes within a day or two." He paused momentarily before adding, "As for the rest of the villagers... I regret to say they were already deceased when I arrived."

Asher had uttered a falsehood... to a blind man, no less.

Had Asher revealed the stark reality—that more than four hundred villagers perished under his watch—the Blind Village Chief could have done naught but accept it. He was frail, and blind; in essence, he would have been thankful that Asher had saved fifteen souls.

Yet... despite these circumstances, Asher, the most gifted individual within the Zarethorne Empire, found himself unable to articulate the complete truth.

Their demise would forever be etched in his memory, a somber memento that even though he had transmigrated to this realm, it was not a novel where plot armor would contort reality to the transmigrator's whim. Every action carried repercussions, and the possibility always loomed that not all schemes would materialize precisely as planned, irrespective of his intellect or the flawless recall of his memory.

A heavy silence descended upon the Village Chief's dwelling as tears welled in the old man's eyes, though Asher perceived his struggle to hold them back with a quiet fortitude.

"While I couldn't save everyone, I did succeed in eradicating the kidnappers, eliminating their leader, and destroying their base," Asher stated evenly, his tone attempting a lighter cadence, though the burden of guilt within him remained, subtle enough to elude the Village Chief's perception.

"Thank you for your arduous efforts, Asher," the Village Chief responded, a weary yet genuine smile gracing his lips, a smile imbued with both profound gratitude and unspoken grief.