Episode 326
A New Sister
Undertaker.
Wilhelmina Heisenberg.
An ivory-colored aura lightly flows from her body, cradling a teddy bear.
Her empty golden gaze turns toward me.
“Mr. Kim Deok-Sung….”
Han Seo-Jin trails off her words.
[…Is that… Wilhelmina?]
The Black Prince’s surprised voice echoes in my mind.
[So, as you said, she really wasn’t missing that day…?]
The Black Prince also remains vague.
His cooperation is essential for my plan to persuade the Undertaker.
So, I had already revealed the Undertaker’s identity to the Black Prince and requested his cooperation.
Of course, he was skeptical at the time, but now that he’s seen the Undertaker in person, he seems to have realized that what I said was true.
‘Right.’
[Partner, how did you know that…? No. We agreed not to ask anything about this until you spoke. Fine.]
‘Just stick to the promise.’
[Partner, what do you take this Black Prince for? Don’t worry, I always keep my promises with partners.]
Hearing the Black Prince’s confident voice ringing in my head, I lock eyes with the Undertaker.
The Undertaker is an accomplice of the Messiah.
It’s something I could predict without needing to know the original work that the Messiah, who became obsessed with me after the Seoul incident, would send the Undertaker.
That’s why I even went to villain prison to obtain the Professor’s recording.
Just like in the original, to persuade the Undertaker.
But I didn’t expect her to find me this quickly.
At that tense moment between the Undertaker and me, a familiar voice rings out from afar.
“Who are you?”
Our gazes shift toward the source of the voice.
There she was.
A beautiful girl in a revealing black dress with striking platinum hair sparkling even in the darkness.
It was Olivia.
Had she dressed up as a vampire, with a pale face smeared with fake blood, she appears.
As our eyes meet, Olivia’s face turns red.
“U, uh…! D-Don’t look! You fool, idiot, sea cucumber, sea squirt, anemone!”
With her eyes tightly shut, Olivia tries to cover her cleavage.
Olivia, with her arms crossed tightly over her cleavage, was taken aback.
Meanwhile, the Undertaker, maintaining a calm expression, spoke up.
“Olivia? Don’t you… remember me?”
“…You look a lot like someone I used to know, but the person who went missing…”
“I am that person…”
The Undertaker cut off Olivia’s words.
According to the setting, Desperado, the Undertaker’s brother, was a close friend of the Black Prince.
Naturally, since Olivia was the cousin that the Black Prince cherished, both she and the Undertaker were familiar with each other, and in the original story, Olivia initially denied knowing the Undertaker, only to be shocked moments later.
“Wilhelmina Heisenberg…”
The Undertaker spoke softly and calmly.
At her bombshell revelation, Olivia’s face froze.
Her previously flushed complexion turned icy cold.
“Elder Heisenberg? H-how did you end up here!!”
Olivia shouted with a shocked expression.
It mirrored reactions from the original anime.
The difference being, while the anime scene had more of a sorrowful nuance during the fight, this moment was purely one of surprise.
It was really strange not to be surprised at the return of someone thought dead after being declared missing.
Olivia trembled, raising a hand to her mouth.
Her blue eyes shimmered.
“…I need to ask the Black Beast something…”
The Undertaker’s gaze turned towards me.
A peculiar heat glimmered in her golden eyes.
She said she wanted to ask something.
Now that I think about it, the Undertaker was surprisingly composed compared to my expectations.
I was bracing myself for an attack, but the current Undertaker seemed more interested in a conversation.
In fact, she didn’t show any particular hostility towards me.
Does that mean she didn’t come looking for me on the Messiah’s orders?
With that question swimming in my mind, I looked at the Undertaker and asked back.
“What is it?”
After hearing my words, the Undertaker opened and closed her eyes, placing a hand on her chest to take a deep breath.
She looked at me and spoke.
“He’s alive… Raul…”
Raul?
Is the Black Prince alive?
What kind of random nonsense is this?
I was genuinely taken aback by her unexpected question.
“Brother is alive? W-what do you mean?!”
The first person to react to her question was Olivia.
Since she idolized the Black Prince and had her life saved by him ten years ago, her reaction was even more intense.
“I won’t let you deny it…”
As I absorbed Olivia’s reaction with one ear, the Undertaker narrowed her eyes.
She looked at me with a languid, calm voice.
“I came here knowing everything… Beppu… Hot Springs… Raul’s magical pattern… I sensed it…”
Beppu?
As soon as I heard her words, all the pieces in my mind fell into place.
It was from months ago during our school trip when I fought the Berserk in Beppu.
The Black Prince had shown a glimpse of his battle image and left behind a magical pattern that the Undertaker had detected.
It seemed that the Undertaker had detected a magical pattern.
[Oh no… It’s my first time doing a mental projection using someone else’s body. Usually, I’m pretty good at this, but I didn’t think it would be this complicated. Ahahaha… Sorry, partner.]
The Black Beast awkwardly laughed and spoke in my head.
The magical pattern, thought to be dead, had been detected from the Black Beast.
That means the Black Beast is actually alive, resurrected from death.
Resurrection from death.
And it’s the resurrection of the Black Beast, a close friend of my little brother.
Now it all makes sense why the Undertaker proposed to talk instead of attacking right away and why they appeared before me earlier than in the original story.
Of course, the Black Beast isn’t truly resurrected but transformed into a spirit, yet I couldn’t know that in detail.
[Partner. What are you going to do? This time, it’s partly my fault, so I’ll follow your decision regarding this situation. The Black Beast trusts your judgment. Be proud of that, partner.]
The voice of the Black Beast echoed in my mind.
I’m relieved I don’t have to convince the Black Beast anymore.
The real problem is what decision to make now.
Should I reveal the identity of the Black Beast here or keep it hidden?
Which option is better for persuading the Undertaker?
“Come out already. Raul… Black Beast… I know you’re helping…”
As I stalled, the Undertaker added, “W-What! What’s going on? My brother is alive… What is happening…?”
Olivia, who was next to me, also spoke up.
Well, given that we’ve come this far, hiding anything further would be futile.
Plus, the Undertaker is already holding a solid piece of evidence with that magical pattern.
Then there’s no choice but to reveal everything.
That way, I can progress to the next step I’m aiming for.
“It’s not hard to share that fact, but before that, I’d like some assurance that you’re not my enemy.”
Of course, I have no intention of giving away information for free.
The current Undertaker is an ally but also a minion of the Messiah and a member of the League, an EX-rank villain.
If I don’t clarify whether she is a foe or an ally, the confidential information about the Black Beast being alive in spirit form could fall into the hands of the Messiah.
That would complicate things significantly.
Considering that the biggest concern in both the original and this world is that the League finds out about the Black Beast’s survival, I need to secure this first.
“…Black Beast. Are you… thinking of making a deal with me?”
Whoosh!
Ivory magic surged from the Undertaker’s body.
Her golden eyes ignited with an ivory glow, and the Ivory Orb floated behind her.
A danger level of EX-rank villain.
The second-in-command of the New World League.
The powerful magical wave that formed the basis of her notorious reputation resonated through the old lobby.
In response, I summoned my magic as well.
Whummmm!
Durandal trembled as black magic enveloped my entire body.
My entire body is wrapped up.
I’m not as powerful as Undertaker, but I’m an EX-rank ability user.
I may not be weak enough to lose in this kind of nerve battle, even if it’s a full-scale war.
The lobby is filled with ivory magic and black magic, clashing against each other.
It feels like the lobby is shaking as if an earthquake has hit.
“······.”
Undertaker falls silent as she witnesses this.
Her eyes tremble.
“Pretty good… Black Beast…”
Undertaker leaves a short remark.
As the ivory magic flickers out like a mirage, I also confirm that Undertaker has withdrawn her magic and do the same.
The shaking lobby calms down again.
“······Alright. I’ll ensure your safety…”
She offers safety assurance.
Just as I expected, meeting with me meant she hadn’t reported the trace of the Black Prince to Messiah yet.
After all, the two of them are in a peer relationship, so there’s no need for Undertaker to report to Messiah.
In the original story, she ignored Messiah’s orders a few times as well.
If she says that much, then safety assurance should be reliable.
“Then I’ll answer you back.”
Having received a favor, I have nothing to refuse.
Thinking this, I spoke to the Black Prince.
‘Materialize and reveal your identity.’
I convey my thoughts to the Black Prince.
[······Got it. Partner.]
Responding with an unusually serious voice, the Black Prince acknowledges me.
Whooooom!
Simultaneously, Durandal trembles in response to his answer.
Flash.
With a black flash, the black magic emanating from Durandal materializes into the form of the Black Knight.
The semi-transparent spirit of the Black Prince removes the helmet covering his head.
Under the helmet emerges a handsome man with black hair and black eyes.
“······O, Brother?!”
Thud.
Olivia collapses to the floor upon seeing him.
“Raul…?”
Life returns to Undertaker’s vacant eyes.
Her golden eyes tremble.
The Black Prince smirks at the two girls.
[Yes. I am Raul Napoleon Bonaparte! Once known as the Black Prince, a hero and the rightful heir of the Bonaparte royal family, and now…]
His gaze shifts to Undertaker and Olivia.
[Now, I am the spirit of Durandal.]
“Y, you’re a spirit?! O, Brother…”
Olivia gasps, covering her mouth in shock at the sudden turn of events.
“A spirit…?”
Undertaker’s eyes flicker.
“Not a resurrection… A spirit…?”
Undertaker repeats with a trembling voice.
As expected, Undertaker seems to have read the Black Prince’s magical pattern and believes he has resurrected from death.
“Explain.”
[Alright. Partner. Then I shall explain to our cute little sister and sister Wilhelmina why this Black Prince became a spirit.]
Just as the Black Prince was about to elaborate while looking at the dumbfounded girls…
Boom.
With a loud noise, the front door of the lobby swings open.
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