TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 54

After quite a while at home, Xiao Hei finally began to regain consciousness.

He instinctively searched for Albin’s presence.

“Xiao Bai?”

“Thank goodness, you’re alright!”

Before Xiao Hei even realized what had happened, Albin had already thrown himself onto him in excitement, hugging him tightly, eyes brimming with tears and filled with joy.

As Xiao Hei gradually recalled the events before he lost consciousness, he anxiously looked over Albin’s condition.

“How are you?” He vaguely remembered that Albin had been injured.

Jacques stood nearby with his arms crossed, watching the two boys lift their clothes to check each other’s wounds, warmly fussing over one another. He couldn’t help but smile.

…Though he did feel a little unnecessary here.

Jacques gave a light cough to interrupt them, then explained Xiao Hei’s condition to him.

“A human–monster half-blood?” Xiao Hei’s eyes were blank, not understanding what that meant. “Aren’t monsters all beast-shaped?”

“Some particularly powerful monsters can take on human form. I’ve also heard of a few cases of human–monster hybrids.”

Because humans and monsters were bitter enemies, any case of the two interbreeding would be recorded in the temple.

But usually, before the temple could even investigate, the villagers would already have executed the person by lynching.

Undoubtedly, for the common people, such a thing was considered extremely evil.

However, according to the records Jacques had seen, hybrids born from human women usually looked no different from humans—though some had powerful magical abilities—while those born from female monsters were purely monster-like in appearance.

“My guess is that your real father may have been a monster.”

Xiao Hei fell into complete confusion.

His father… a monster?

The thought filled his heart with indescribable turmoil and unease. Even though he had been a slave before, he knew how dangerous and terrifying monsters were.

And his power came from a monster?

“I don’t know…” he murmured weakly. “Mother never mentioned anything about my father. I only know that it seemed like she was running away from someone, so she brought me to Thorn City alone.”

Jacques sighed. If his guess was right, then it made perfect sense that Xiao Hei’s mother had fled.

He patted the boy’s head. “Don’t tell anyone you might be a human–monster half-blood. It would put you in danger.”

“They’d be afraid of me, right?”

“Exactly. Not only that—unlike ferocious beast-type monsters that inspire awe, you look no different from a human. They would vent their fear on you by hurting you.”

Xiao Hei pressed his lips together and looked uneasily at the two people in front of him.

“Would you and Xiao Bai be afraid of me too?”

Jacques burst out laughing, bending over with amusement as he patted his head.

“Hahaha! How could I ever be afraid of a little brat like you? I’ve been to war. I’ve killed monsters far more dangerous than you.”

He roughly ruffled Xiao Hei’s hair. Perhaps because of his past experiences, the boy always worried about losing everything, always believed he was utterly alone with nothing at all.

That was why Xiao Hei’s fighting style was so reckless—charging headlong, disregarding his own safety, throwing himself into danger like a wild beast snapping at his enemies at point-blank range, ending up covered in wounds.

This problem had always troubled Jacques. He could never figure out why the boy had such a deep lack of security.

“Don’t worry. I’ll teach you how to control your power properly. As long as I’m here, I won’t let you hurt humans. Just live honestly as a human.”

“I won’t be afraid of you either!” Albin said firmly. His ruby-red eyes sparkled as he looked at him, his adorable face lifted in a bright smile. “Xiao Hei isn’t scary at all. I’d never be afraid!”

He poked Xiao Hei’s cheek lightly, cheerfully adding, “Xiao Hei looked super cool when he was fighting! Thank you for protecting me.”

The unease on Xiao Hei’s face instantly faded by more than half.

Jacques smiled contentedly. With Xiao Bai around, there was nothing to worry about.

The usually quiet Xiao Hei always became more lively around Xiao Bai. If this continued, one day he’d surely walk out of the shadows of his past.

“Xiao Hei, take a good rest. Training is on hold for the next few days.” Jacques didn’t disturb them further. Before leaving the room, he reminded, “Xiao Bai, you too—you used up a lot today. You two keep an eye on each other.”

“Okay~” Albin looked at him. “Uncle Jacques, you rest well too! Even though I’ve said it already, thank you again for saving us today.”

Jacques smiled. “That’s my duty as a father.”

After Jacques left, Xiao Hei clutched the blanket and asked gloomily, “Was it Father who defeated the demon bear?”

Had he failed to protect Xiao Bai?

“Nope! It was Xiao Hei who defeated the demon bear! But after that, lots of other monsters showed up…”

Albin moved to the center of the room and, full of energy, began reenacting how Jacques had saved them.

“…and then Uncle Jacques was like swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—his sword aura cut through, and those monsters went thud, thud, thud, falling one after another! It was so awesome!”

“I’ll be able to do that too.” Seeing Albin’s awestruck expression, determination lit up in Xiao Hei’s eyes. “One day, I’ll be as strong as Father. I’ll protect you. I’ll be really awesome too!”

Albin froze for a second, then quickly replied, “Me too.”

If only he had been stronger—if he could’ve defeated the demon bear alone—Xiao Hei wouldn’t have needed to enter that monster state.

“Besides, Xiao Hei’s already super cool right now!”

A warrior’s fight looked way more hot-blooded than a magician’s!

He couldn’t take his eyes off Xiao Hei during battle.

A surge of competitiveness rose in Albin’s heart.

If a magician wanted to be cooler, then he should cast more powerful magic—something grand and spectacular!

Fireball spells were way too basic! Real magic should cover the whole sky with spell arrays!

Whether in healing, support, or attack, he still had a long way to go.

Albin’s fighting spirit blazed up as well.

“Then… between me and Father, who was cooler today?” Xiao Hei suddenly asked.

Albin froze, blinked, and looked troubled.

Ah, this question…

Albin sat down by the bedside, thought for a moment, then said:

“Uncle Jacques’ kind of coolness is the kind that inspires admiration. But that sort of coolness has nothing to do with me.”

“Xiao Hei is different. This was the first time I fought together with him. I’ll never forget this day—maybe I’ll even dream about it.”

Before Xiao Hei could press him with more questions, Albin quickly changed the subject.

“Even if Xiao Hei becomes a monster, you’re still amazing in my eyes. Since I now know your secret, I’ll share one of mine with you.”

With a proud grin, he said: “I can talk to monsters! Actually, the ‘Mr. Lion’ I mentioned before was a monster. So no matter what you become, I will never be afraid of you.”

Xiao Hei stayed silent for a long while, then suddenly spoke: “Xiao Bai.”

“Mm?” Albin had barely answered when Xiao Hei pulled him into a tight embrace.

“Thank you.”

Thank you for being willing to stay by my side.

Jacques returned to his study, turning over the day’s events in his mind.

The sudden appearance of so many violent monsters of different species… something about it was not normal. He planned to investigate over the next few days.

It could be that something had happened within the monster packs, or perhaps someone was orchestrating it from the shadows.

The temple might have intelligence, but Jacques had long been away from it and knew nothing of their latest information.

After a moment of thought, he pulled out paper and wrote another letter to Zeman.

The message tube tied to the pigeon’s leg was very small, only big enough to roll up a tiny slip of paper, so he couldn’t write much. He briefly summarized what he had discovered—an outbreak of berserk monsters in Thorn City—and asked for related information… and then he paused.

He changed the last line. Instead of asking for information, he asked Zeman to come help exterminate the monsters.

A short letter wasn’t enough—he wanted to see with his own eyes how Zeman now thought of him, after learning the truth he had once provided.

It was also a good chance to introduce him to the two children at home.

He was eager to show off his two little treasures in front of Zeman!

Speaking of which, since Albin also had white hair and red eyes, and remarkable talent, he could even tease Zeman a little—asking him if this was perhaps his illegitimate son.

Oh, he was truly looking forward to Zeman’s reaction.

With a smile tugging at his lips, Jacques released the second white dove.

In the days that followed, the two children remained at home to recuperate, while he continued venturing into the forest, slaying monsters along the way.

After a while, the children had recovered and resumed their training.

Spurred by their earlier ordeal, both threw themselves into practice with renewed determination.

Albin focused on strengthening his offensive spells, but Xiao Hei refused to train with him.

Albin grew sulky but didn’t ask why—Jacques, however, knew.

Xiao Hei was probably afraid of losing control and turning into a monster during training, hurting Albin by accident.

But this was something Jacques decided he’d find the right moment to let the two boys talk through openly. Words alone might not be enough to ease Xiao Hei’s fears.

Today, life at home was much the same as usual.

“Uncle Jacques, are you going into the forest again today?” Albin asked.

“That’s right. Same as always—exterminating dangerous monsters, and looking for ruins described in old texts.”

“Uncle Jacques is such a great hero! But remember to come back for dinner! It’s my turn to buy something delicious at the market today.”

Jacques never made the boys cook—though his own cooking skills weren’t much better, so he could only manage simple prepared foods. Usually they ate ready-made dishes with bread, or sometimes went to the tavern. That was normal for the times.

Once in a while, the boys would get in the mood to cook something themselves.

“I’ll be back early.” Jacques sniffed the air, then looked at Albin. “Oh? Did Xiao Bai make apple pie?”

“That’s right!” Albin wrapped up the rectangular apple pie and pushed it into his hands. “Uncle Jacques, take it with you for lunch.”

Jacques gladly accepted.

“Then I hope Uncle Jacques finds those ruins you’re looking for.” Albin asked again: “Uncle Jacques, when will your friend arrive?”

“Likely in the next few days.”

“Is this the same friend you mentioned last year? The one who was betrayed by his foster father? What exactly happened to him? Why would his foster father harm him?”

Jacques froze. He had always focused on trying to keep Zeman away from the Sun God, but he had never really thought deeply about that question.

Perhaps the Sun God simply wanted a body.

Having been away from the temple so long, he had no way of asking the man himself for the truth.

But whatever the reason, the Sun God clearly wasn’t going to let Zeman go.

“I don’t know what the villain was thinking,” he admitted.

Albin nodded seriously. He didn’t understand why villains in stories always exploited others either.

“I hope Uncle Jacques’ friend can escape from the bad guys!”

“Let’s hope your words bring luck.”

Before leaving, Jacques hugged both boys as always, smiling with fatherly warmth, then set out.

In the forest, he continued both hunting monsters and searching for the ruins mentioned in the texts. This time, persistence paid off. Entering a subterranean cavern, he stepped on a brittle stone.

Lighting a torch to brighten the gloomy depths, he realized it wasn’t a stone at all, but a fragment of a human skull. Its pale surface gleamed faintly in the dark.

Immediately, he swung his magic-forged sword aura, splitting the surrounding rocks and earth. As expected, jagged white bones jutted out of the soil in horrifying numbers.

The weak torchlight illuminated them, and the sight exuded a suffocating stillness of death. They had lain here for centuries, felled in war or by sorcery, then concealed by magic. Only fragments of corroded armor and tools hinted at who they once were.

The more Jacques uncovered, the more his heart sank. A chill spread from deep inside him.

This was a mass grave.

The ancient texts had spoken true.

A forsaken land… and according to his research, there were many such graves around Thorn City, hidden under magical concealment.

Only here, by accident, had the earth shifted and exposed a cavern.

Jacques tried to glean something from the remnants around the corpses, but too much time had passed; everything had rotted away.

He thought again of Albin’s question.

If what he had uncovered was truly the truth, then why did the Sun God need to occupy the bodies of the Pope and the Holy Son?

Most myths, according to his findings, could be disproven. The so-called divine kingdom might not even exist—it was all an elaborate lie.

Then the reason a “god” would possess human bodies couldn’t be to simply “walk the earth.”

Was it the strength of the Pope’s body? But no mortal could be stronger than a god.

So what was the true purpose?

With the prestige of the gods, if they needed hosts, they had no need to hide it. Why keep it secret until the very end, revealing it only at the last moment?

Could it be they feared the hosts would refuse?

At that thought, Jacques stopped in his tracks.

He realized the truth behind “the gods.” Suddenly, he understood.

His heart froze in shock.

If his guess was right, then no matter what, Zeman had been targeted the moment his extraordinary talent was discovered.

Zeman could be in danger at any time.

And if Albin’s talents came to light, he too would be targeted sooner or later…

Jacques immediately turned back, rushing out of the cavern. Even if it was only speculation, he had to warn Zeman at once.

But just as he stepped from the darkness into the light, he was blinded by piercing sunlight.

When his eyes adjusted, he saw a golden-haired man of about fifty standing outside the cave, watching him.

The man was dressed in a magnificent platinum robe, exuding an aura of holiness and majesty.

But the face that once always wore a kindly smile now bore no warmth at all. Sharp, dangerous eyes fixed on him.

It was the Pope of the Sun Temple.

No—wrong. This was the Sun God himself.

Why… why was the Sun God here in Thorn City?

Jacques instantly realized—he had been exposed.

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