Chapter 110: Special Relationship (33)

The Prison of No Light.

Svan Nikanzhunagegenguanzizhongyangengduishiledabantiandeshaonian ， Qiaoleqiaozhuozi ， Qingkeleyixia ：

“Herbert, regarding the letter you gave me, I’ve largely reached a conclusion—would you like to hear it?”

“Huh? Oh, sure.”

Herbert snapped out of his daze, set down the jar, and nodded at the eye-worm inside; the eye-worm twitched its eyelid in response.

Herbert: Next time we meet.

Eye-worm: Come play again~

The eye-worm had been specially deactivated multiple times—it had no consciousness—but Herbert always felt it retained at least some basic reaction.

Had a new will been born from flesh?

Since mastering those forbidden flesh-knowledges, Herbert no longer found Svan Ni ’s research unsettling.

Of course, it was still disgusting—just not as repulsive as before.

Madness and corruption were merely surface appearances; beneath it all lay the pursuit of knowledge.

“Though you entrusted me with decoding it, this isn’t my strength, so I spent somewhat longer reviewing materials.”

More than a week had passed since Herbert’s request; Svan Ni had finally reached an answer.

Svan Ni spread the letter before Herbert, swept her palm above it, and the text rose into the air, rearranging itself automatically.

“I tried thirteen traditional decryption methods, then compared regional folk decryption customs, and finally switched to eight magical decryption techniques.”

As Svan Ni spoke calmly, the characters shifted and recombined—occasionally forming plausible phrases, yet always with some discordant element.

Herbert narrowed his eyes at the sight; he already had a hunch.

Indeed, when all settled back onto the paper, Svan Ni looked at him and whispered:

“Based on my current deductions—the letter contains no encryption at all.”

There was no secret in the letter.

Herbert sat in silence, shook his head, sighed softly, and said quietly: “So it was as I suspected…”

For this result, Herbert felt calm—no surprise at all.

Wouldn’t it be stranger if the letter truly held a secret?

The Duke of Silverwing could never expect a boy who had never touched decryption to even consider such a thing, nor could he expect him to find a decryption master after receiving the letter.

That would be unrealistic.

Yet precisely because such a possibility was unrealistic, it sparked hope—made one want to chase it.

To hope that this tiny chance truly existed, to anticipate some hidden truth waiting to be discovered…

Was he now feeling disappointment?

Herbert felt the stirrings of emotion, shook his head, and couldn’t help laughing.

“Heh.”

Svan Ni had silently observed Herbert’s expression since delivering her conclusion; seeing him calm so quickly, she subtly raised an eyebrow.

The relationship between these father and son might differ from what she assumed.

Though Herbert appeared estranged from his father, Svan Ni doubted this.

If Herbert truly cared nothing, he wouldn’t have sought her out hoping to find clues here.

Yet now he recovers composure so swiftly… does he truly care nothing?

She quickly weighed her thoughts and decided to adjust her plan slightly.

“Cough.”

Svan Ni cleared her throat and said slowly: “Beyond this conclusion, I have a more personal theory—would you care to hear it?”

“…Go on.”

“Your father may have known the letter would be seen by others.”

Herbert frowned.

Svan Ni pushed the letter toward Herbert: “The wording is rigid, excessively standard, devoid of any personal emotion—purely a formulaic reply.”

“This seems unproblematic—but is it truly normal?”

She watched Herbert’s reaction and continued:

“Dark elves don’t have human parent-child bonds. I have no one I can call father… but I think this wasn’t his intent.”

“Knowing he was watched, he used this method to protect you—to prevent others from thinking he still cared.”

“I believe he loves you.”

After she spoke, the room fell into silence.

Herbert blinked, staring at the expressionless dark elf with a strange look: “Svan Ni , that’s not something you’d normally say.”

Love and affection? That’s not the sort of thing a bloodless, tearless forbidden scholar should utter.

“Why can’t I say it?”

Svan Ni ’s cold expression didn’t change; she asked: “Do you really see me as such a heartless creature?”

“Perhaps I was mistaken.”

Herbert shook his head, declined to pursue the matter, and changed the subject:

“Thank you for your help. In return, what would you have me do for you?”

Reciprocity—give and take.

Constantly seeking aid only drains goodwill; mutual aid is the essence of human relations.

Even if the value isn’t equal.

Svan Ni didn’t pretend modesty: “I do have one request.”

“When my family arrives here and you prepare to ambush them—could you…”

She paused, raised her eyes to Herbert’s, a strange light flickering within them, her cold lips slightly curving.

Svan Ni smiled coldly.

She said:

“Let me kill them myself.”

Heartless?

She was.

Magma Hell.

Krete lazily watched the small figure floating in the magma pool, sighing with boredom.

“How much longer are you going to sleep…?”

When she was awake, she found her noisy; now that she was quiet, Krete found herself missing her.

“Tch!”

Krete snapped back to herself, shook her head violently, and slapped her own cheeks.

No no no… Krete, you’re a devil!

Wake up!

How could you miss a demon!!?

That’s blasphemous!

If you keep sinking like this, you’ll end up in heaven!!!

Just as she repeatedly warned herself not to think such thoughts, a strange sound came from the magma pool.

Click.

The devil’s expression froze, then she sneered, walking to the fortress’s edge to watch the demon girl slowly rising from below.

“Hah! You finally woke up—made me wait so long…”

In response,

came a magma ball the size of a fist.

Plop!

“Flora!!?”

The Three Rivers station short has really arrived—feels unreal.

I’m on Three Rivers this Sunday afternoon.

Hard-won, truly—

I’m hoarding drafts! Waiting to explode in posts after launch!

To celebrate, I’ll announce the monthly ticket bonus rules ahead of time.

After 2000 tickets, it becomes 100 tickets = 1 extra chapter; after 5000 tickets, 50 tickets = 1 extra chapter.

Go go go~

I’m not afraid of more bonuses—I plan to post 10,000 words daily after launch, and I’ll clear every debt!

You better tire me out—

Come on—

By the way, my launch speech is nearly ten thousand words… I’m challenging the longest launch speech in history.





(End of Chapter)