Hecate’s Unveiling and a Sister’s Burden

Hecate remained silent, as did Iordera.

Hecate, finding the situation rather amusing, simply watched her, occasionally tilting her head and blinking.

Iordera, in turn, mimicked her, tilting her head and blinking as well.

It was as though she were a replication machine, albeit with a slight delay.

Time trickled by, and after roughly half an hour, Iordera rose abruptly and departed without a word.

Hecate offered no protest, instead watching her leave with a sense of quiet satisfaction.

Leaving the cell, Iordera knocked on Sir Olcott’s door.

“Come in,” Sir Olcott called out, mid-sip of his oatmeal. “What is it?”

“Nothing in particular, Sir Olcott, except that I have other matters to attend to,” Iordera stated plainly. “You’ll need to find someone else.”

Sir Olcott nearly choked on his oatmeal.

‘What did she mean? A strike?’

“Has the payment been insufficient?” he inquired, his voice low.

“No, I truly have an urgent matter requiring my departure,” Iordera explained, already turning to leave. “My apologies.”

“Wait, if you’re leaving so suddenly, how am I to find a replacement? At least give me some time…”

“Sir Olcott will have to find a solution himself.”

Iordera walked away without breaking stride. Sir Olcott stared at the cup of oatmeal in his hand, caught between the urge to pursue her and the futility of it.

After a long moment, he sighed, picked up a broom, and entered Cell Zero.

‘That little girl ran off so quickly, she surely didn’t have time to clean.’

Reaching the cell door, Sir Olcott began sweeping, remarking casually to the occupant inside, “Your jailer friend has gone on strike. For today, I’ll handle the cleaning and meal delivery.”

“Indeed,” Hecate responded blandly. “I am aware.”

“You’re aware?” Sir Olcott paused his sweeping. “Did you scare her off?”

Hecate offered no reply.

Receiving no answer, Sir Olcott resumed sweeping. He found it rather peculiar; Hecate (TL Note: Literally ‘white loli’, referring to Hecate, the occupant of the cell.) had been specifically requested by the Witch herself, so why this sudden change…?

“Sir Olcott,” Hecate’s ethereal voice resonated, “the Fifth Knight of the Royal Knights, known as the ‘Shadow of the Empire,’ was once a loyal and diligent model knight, for whom honor was the sole purpose of existence.”

“What, then, caused such a knight to become indifferent to life, merely going through the motions, treating his duties as a Royal Knight like a tiresome middle-aged office worker?”

Sir Olcott ceased his movements.

Hecate feigned a moment of contemplation before speaking as if struck by a sudden realization: “Ah, it must have been that incident, the ‘Unjust War’ of Rockflower Town. Although the Empire suppressed the news, its impact within the upper echelons was still considerable.”

“However, the person most profoundly affected by that affair was undoubtedly one of its participants,” Hecate lamented, shaking her head. “The Imperial Royal Knights dispatched two of their own: the Fifth Knight, Sir Olcott, and his dearest brother, the Seventh Knight. Regrettably, only one returned alive from that unjust conflict.”

Sir Olcott clenched his fists. “What are you trying to say?”

Hecate leisurely stretched, continuing her monologue. “The reason the Seventh Knight was among those dispatched was that Rockflower Town was his hometown. Had it not been so, he would not have chosen death to protect certain things within his homeland.”

“When he died, he surely had many unresolved matters. Yet, for him to abandon everything and choose death, he must have entrusted those burdens to someone else,” Hecate murmured, lowering her head slightly, her pupils rising in a ‘Kubrick gaze’ (TL Note: A film term referring to a character looking up from under lowered brows, often seen in Stanley Kubrick’s films like ‘A Clockwork Orange’ or ‘The Shining’, conveying a disturbing or intense stare.) as she fixed her unwavering gaze upon the man outside the door. “Isn’t that right, his dearest brother, Sir Olcott?”

Sir Olcott released the broom, taking a subtle, deep breath. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

“Yes, you may pretend not to understand,” Hecate replied, tilting her head indifferently. “But what exactly did the Fifth Knight entrust to his brother? Let me ponder… perhaps a family member?”

She paused deliberately, then a smile suddenly stretched across her lips. “It was his sister, wasn’t it, Sir Olcott? Because of this unexpected sister, you now treat young girls with considerably more patience and favor.”

Sir Olcott’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

Indeed, whenever he encountered the young Iordera, his thoughts would invariably drift to the loved one his friend had entrusted to him. Driven by habit, he couldn’t help but extend a certain kindness to the young woman.

‘So that’s where I gave myself away.’

“Following the Unjust War, the Fifth Knight grew weary of what the Royal Knights represented. His life acquired a more profound meaning: to care for his deceased brother’s sister,” Hecate recounted softly. “He wished to fulfill her every desire, whether it was to travel to a certain place, acquire a particular toy, or perhaps… attend the continent’s highest-ranking academy?”

Sir Olcott’s eyelid twitched once more.

“The Continental United Academy, a rather challenging institution to gain entry to. Yet, Sir Olcott did not despair; he even began studying textbooks himself, hoping to lend his sister a helping hand.”

Hecate abruptly fell silent.

“What exactly are you trying to say?” Sir Olcott managed to force out.

“I wonder if you’ve ever heard a rumor,” Hecate began, a mysterious smile playing on her lips. “The Continental United Academy offers only a few dozen admission slots each year: ten special recruitments and several dozen examination slots. However, for these so-called examinations, there is, in reality, only one correct answer; it’s not a matter of simply believing you’ve answered correctly.”

“Only prominent families possess the sole correct answer to the examination questions. Therefore, the so-called examination slots are, in fact, predetermined, with the test merely serving as a formality,” Hecate stated languidly. “As a former director of the Continental United Academy, I can tell you with certainty that the rumor is true.”

Sir Olcott’s hand, hidden behind his back, trembled slightly.

He, who had listened impassively to the Witch’s prolonged discourse, could no longer maintain his composure in that moment.

“Sir Olcott, I wish to ask a favor of you,” Hecate said, her gaze fixed downwards upon him. “It won’t require you to clash with anyone, nor will you need to make an appearance. It will have no bearing on your reputation or your status as a Royal Knight.”

“In return, I will provide you with that singular answer.”

****

Iordera arrived outside Cairns’ home.

As a former Alchemist Guild president who had resigned due to scandal, the small manor once possessed a certain grandeur, but now lay utterly dilapidated. Few people ever passed by or visited, and in these final days, the entire street was deserted.

Iordera easily scaled the wall and flipped over to enter.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a jade-white bone ring.

It was Hecate’s tailbone.

Iordera slipped it onto her index finger, then, reconsidering, moved it to her middle finger.

‘…That feels even more wrong.’

Finally, the young girl gritted her teeth and placed the bone ring on her ring finger.

‘Well, everything is prepared. Now, what remains is to consider—what would Hecate do?’