Chapter 222. The Child By The Pond (2)

Translator: Lili

Weekly Chapter 2/6

He wasn’t worried about his son’s family, though they lived in the region. Aaron, one of the country’s most skilled mages, was more than capable of protecting himself and his family from any criminal, no matter how dangerous.

Kiehlermann’s concerns lay elsewhere.

Kiehlermann had received unsettling intelligence: Aaron had obtained documents detailing forbidden magic, banned for its cruelty, that had disappeared into the shadows of history. He also learned that Aaron’s wife was afflicted with an incurable disease.

The forbidden magic Aaron had acquired was a relic of the era of slavery, requiring the body of a living human to function.

While criminals, despite being reviled, were still human beings, they possessed everything Aaron’s wife needed to survive—shinbones, ribs, blood, a liver, and more.

Recalling Aaron’s wife, pale and frail with her white-blonde hair, Kiehlermann quickened his pace.

Despite his initial calm, the sight of the dense smoke he approached filled him with dread. He feared that some deranged criminal might have attacked his son and daughter-in-law.

Worry overtook him as he hurried toward the source of the smoke. But as the acrid stench grew stronger, Kiehlermann stumbled upon something that seemed out of place in the secluded forest.

A long, black, iron fence loomed ahead. Its spear-like spikes resembled those nobles used to protect their mansions.

Nearby, he noticed a pond and a modest yet well-kept garden. It must have been a noble’s estate or a villa built long ago. Maintaining such a property in this remote area would have required enormous effort—clearing, heating, plumbing—but Aaron could have managed it all with magic.

However, Kiehlermann couldn’t ascertain the building’s grandeur. By the time he arrived, the mansion was already mostly burned to the ground. Whatever elegance or splendor it once had, it was now nothing more than blackened ash.

Kiehlermann froze, staring at the massive ruins. The fire must have been colossal; no snow had accumulated in the area despite the fire having subsided some time ago. It was a miracle the blaze hadn’t spread into a forest fire.

Occasionally, small flames would flicker to life amidst the debris, accompanied by thick, black smoke. Kiehlermann stood before the remains, rigid as a stone.

It was clear he would not accomplish his purpose here. There was no chance his son, his daughter-in-law, or possibly even his grandchild could still be within this burned-out shell of a home. Aaron would never have left his beloved wife in such a place. If she were here, it would mean…

Kiehlermann sighed deeply, his sharp mind calculating the most likely explanation: the cause of the fire had likely vanished with its ignition source. Yet he abandoned this line of thought when he spotted someone sitting by the artificial pond.

***

It was a small child.

Wearing nothing but a tattered shirt and shorts, he didn’t seem to feel the cold at all. His pale blond hair and small, frail back blended into the bleak surroundings near the charred remains of the mansion, as if his very existence was fading into the scenery.

Kiehlermann swallowed dryly. He recalled seeing a woman with hair that bright beside his son, Aaron, once before.

“…”

Slowly, Kiehlermann walked toward the pond where the child was sitting. The sound of his boots against the ground was loud enough to be heard, but the child didn’t flinch or move an inch.

“… Child.”

He stopped and hesitated, his words catching in his throat. He had seen Aaron’s children before. But neither of them had this golden hair. Both of Aaron’s children had black hair, just like Aaron and Kiehlermann himself. Yet the likelihood of this child being unrelated to Aaron and somehow appearing in this place was incredibly slim. And the child’s age? It aligned almost perfectly with the amount of time Aaron had been missing.

Clearing his throat softly, Kiehlermann tried again. Despite standing close enough that the child could surely sense his presence, he remained perfectly still.

“Why are you here…?”

It was a weak question, but it was the best Kiehlermann could manage. He wasn’t the sort of man who often found himself talking to children.

“…”

There was no response. Kiehlermann stood silently, waiting.

Above them, crows scattered noisily, flapping their wings as they disappeared into the sky. A gust of wind blew through the trees, sending snow cascading from the branches in soft, muted thuds.

And then Kiehlermann saw it—clear as day. As the wind tousled the child’s white-gold hair, a patch of their scalp was revealed, marked by fresh burn scars. Angry, crimson streaks marred his pale skin, vivid enough to still look painful.

“I’m watching Mickey.”

It was only when Kiehlermann unconsciously furrowed his brows at the sight of the scars that the child spoke. The voice was quiet, almost blending into the sound of the water as fish splashed to the surface of the pond before settling again.

“Mickey…?”

“Yeah.”

The child continued staring into the pond as he replied. Perhaps Mickey was the name of one of the fish in the water. Kiehlermann vaguely felt like he’d heard the name before, but he didn’t think much of it.

The child, still fixated on the pond, spoke again.

“It was the last one.”

“…I see.”

Though he didn’t understand the meaning behind the words, Kiehlermann responded regardless, falling silent once more. He scanned the burned remains of the mansion before turning back to the child.

“Child, did you live here once?”

“Yes.”

The child answered simply and, for the first time, rose to his feet. Turning around, he revealed his face fully for the first time.

“And who are you?”