#ultimately i recognize its just on me to use my better judgment and stay vigilant but i am curious !

[anangelicday-mrwolf]

Wolfsbane : Noblesse Fanfic (post-ending)

(previous chapter)

Chapter 46 – I Heard Nothing

“Don’t kill him. Not just yet. We’d better figure out how big is his dagger and how much he managed to unsheathe and plunge it into our backs.”

Said M-21 to Lunark, who was rummaging her cloak.

“...Can’t guarantee I’ll remember that, but for now I’ll give you my word.”

Countered Lunark to M-21, who was turning away to get his clothes changed.

She was ready to warm up her joints, with nobody to send her away due to her rejection, when a sound stilled her steps.

“Lunark.”

Familiar were both the voice and the name. However, with the two combined Lunark jumped as if she were caught on fire.

It was the very first time having none other than Raizel calling her name.

She assumed only something important would have urged the Noblesse to delay her at such emergency; thus she obediently held her movements and waited for his following words.

Contrary to her assumption he merely stared at her in silence, and Lunark gently crushed her teeth against each other in anxiety.

She decided to ask for his understanding and save whatever it is for later if it falters in necessity. After all, the situation was dire.

Alas, that was when he chose to voice himself.

“At last I have come to see a promise.”

She could determine neither the purpose nor meaning of his words, and her pink eyes flipped like a pancake on a frying pan.

Before she could request for his explanation regarding this promise, Raizel began to retrace his steps back into his home. Apparently he never intended to keep her locked in her place for long.

At the same time, he left something that grabbed Lunark’s steps in their places for good.

“I shall count upon you concerning Frankenstein.”

She could not move for a while even after his disappearance.

She knew that the timing was outrageously wrong for her to speculate so, but it was as if she was watching a father who is sending away his treasured son to be someone’s husband.

‘Husband my behind. Snap out of it, Lunark.’

She had to shake her head to free her mind from idle thoughts. And by doing so, her brain brewed a duty that awaits her, sharpening her concentration to maximum.

Next up came rage, upon picturing a certain white-haired man; now she felt like punching herself in the face for not finding herself an opportunity to use his head as a shovel to dig up a grave for him when they were both elders of the Union.

With her fury driving her, Lunark finally kicked off and threw herself in the air.

Her mind was still keenly reverberating with wrath, shock that did not fade a bit, and hurried commitment.

On the other hand, a corner of her mind was echoing with desperation, and Lunark minced her lips as if her life depended on the action.

‘Please stay safe, Frankenstein... Please hang in there!’

*****

Few days later, Frankenstein’s island

“Welcome back.”

Frankenstein merely flapped his hand to 3rd Elder’s greetings and walked past him, which whipped the latter’s heart with cold biting sensation.

‘...He didn’t notice, did he?’

He knew, of course, that there was no way Frankenstein would know.

Because now he knew the recording device and camera Frankenstein implanted in him are no good.

And he wanted a word with the man regarding the matter.

He watched how Frankenstein was tramping forward, looking too exhausted he could bet the lord of the island would fall by simply having his name called, and he could feel guilt kicking and wrenching his conscience.

Are you sure it’s simply because you’re about to deny an exhausted man of his rest?

Muffling a voice whispering from a corner of his heart he could not pinpoint, 3rd Elder decided to speak.

“...Wait.”

Frankenstein, whose steps were weighed with fatigue, turned his head with much struggle.

Based on the fact that such ridiculously simple gesture was embedded with struggle, 3rd Elder could clearly see how serious Frankenstein’s state was.

That did nothing to make 3rd Elder change his mind, for this was the only chance he had.

“There’s something I’d like to ask.”

“...Be quick about it. I have a long way to go.”

Now that he was handed with the mic, 3rd Elder could not help but gulp.

‘...Just how did things turn out like this?’

The original plan was supposed to end with his immediate evacuation, instead of this confrontation.

‘...Who would’ve known our encounter would be led to this?’

Just a day ago, a weapon against heads of noble clans – or Sol, who has made the body his house and ride – presented himself at the island.

Here. Take it.

What’s this...?

It’s the chemical Union has been keeping. You know, the one that renders a substance its countersubstance. I believe I wouldn’t have to brief you about its use.

The man nodded, and that was supposed to be it.

Yet he asked Sol how he found out about this place, which ultimately rolled a snowball that raced all the way towards his conversation with Frankenstein.

I tracked down your whereabout. Do you remember what happened when you first ran into Ms. Helga?

Yes, but nothing in particular ha... Wait a minute. She did land a blow on my torso as soon as we recognized each other. Is this what you’re referring to? Speaking of which, after that Frankenstein did announce that my camera and recording device were jammed. Though he soon replaced them with functional ones.

Actually, that’s when Ms. Helga planted something in your body, and that thing is equipped with tracking feature. Forgive me for telling you now; she believed we shouldn’t tell you until we are assured that you’re with us.

There’s something inside me...? What did you do?

It’s a sort of distractor. We figured Frankenstein would leash you with a surveillance kit or two, so we requested our conspirator to come up with an anti-kit.

Conspirator? You mean...

Yes, he’s the inventor. It’s a mixture of a stealth device that absorbs sounds above certain decibels and a device that emits special signal to cause only noises for every type of footage-recording device. Both devices distract instead of destroying or freezing, so it would prevent Frankenstein’s knowledge, given that he calibrated his devices so he would pick up as soon as they are unavailable in function. And it’s a unique invention from its proposal to completion.

Shortly expressing marvel at devices that flaunted creativity, 3rd Elder feasted upon the thundering pounds of his heart.

If Sol’s words are as authentic as they could be, Frankenstein has been left in the dark concerning his behaviors ever since he met Helga.

Simultaneously, he could feel question nudging his cognition.

If his camera and recording device did not work properly after replacement, there is no way Frankenstein would not have pointed it out.

Nevertheless, the blonde scientist has never once sought him after replacement.

One excuse he could think of was that Frankenstein’s judgment is now fatally clouded, thanks to the sleeping issue he has been suffering.

Notwithstanding, his past history at Union was telling him there must be more than it seems behind this mystery.

And it was coercing him to find out more.

Sol, I know this is out of nowhere, but I need your help.

My help? For what...?

I’d like to find my voice and footage files Frankenstein would have collected so far.

With Sol’s hands in action, 3rd Elder could sneak a peek into Frankenstein’s personal files.

The firewall failed to stand against their infiltration, perhaps the network security compromised due to loss of connection during the failed activation of QuadraNet.

At the end of his navigation, 3rd Elder was turned speechless.

‘...How can this be?’

He could find records of his words and actions only from the times when he was beyond the shorelines.

The counterparts from the times when he was tucked within the boundaries of the isle were nowhere to be found.

‘Was he lying when he said he’s got his eyes on me on this island?’

Impossible.

That devilish homo sapiens will never do that.

We were adversaries to start with, and he’s keeping me alive just because he can make use of me.

Despite his uncertainties, 3rd Elder could not stop himself from dispensing the topic now that he was faced with the man of interest.

“Am I free of surveillance while I am on this island?”

In a flash, Frankenstein’s face marred with exhaustion and a bit of annoyance was sparked with icy glare.

Though the change did nothing, other than lightening the shade of the bags under his eyes by a tone.

“Don’t get me wrong. Before your return, I was reminiscing my days at Union and... Uh, I muttered something that you might take as a hint that I’m waiting for an opportunity to stab your back. Yeah, that’s right. I’m turning myself in, so you wouldn’t make a Dark-Spear-skewered meat out of me.”

The man did not miss how Frankenstein flinched albeit very faintly the moment he mentioned the cursed weapon.

Exhibiting none of his observations, he continued on.

“There’s a possibility that you didn’t check my voice print yet, but allow me to dare ask you, since you hadn’t burst into my room to throw a fit at me so far. Is this voice recorder inside me actually working...?”

Before either of them knew it, Frankenstein had fully turned to gaze at the speaker, who could feel his throat clenching as he witnessed how the master doctor was not even blinking.

I shouldn’t have asked. If only I can go back in time. If only I can have a word with the past me.

As 3rd elder was winding up bunch of thoughts, Frankenstein muttered, “...This is something students from my school used to say at a time like this: there’s a reason why sometimes it’s better to walk around in underpants than with smarty-pants.”

“...Beg your pardon?”

“That’s right. The voice recorder and the camera are off when you are in this island, via my judgment.”

The 3rd Elder’s face scrunched up so hard it almost looked foul: the one person ought to stay vigilant upon him was practically playing vigilant all this time.

“...But why?”

“Why? Isn’t it obvious? I’m not like Union, that’s why. I have no intention to keep tabs on each and every word and action of someone sharing my roof, like the Union lot had done. Most importantly, I happen to have a family. A family that had to go through horrible manipulation of body and mind under the Union. So there’s no way I’m doing what you have in mind. Now, if that answered your question, please excuse me.”

Frankenstein did not even wait for 3rd Elder to thaw from his mute stupefaction and promptly left.

That did not release 3rd Elder from his petrification.

‘He’s been neglecting me so far...?’

No, he was not neglecting me.

He was trusting me.

Perhaps it was too soon for him to employ the synonym of faith, but at least there was no doubt the way Frankenstein is treating him is different from the way he treats him.

When he explained why he was not keeping surveillance on him, the vocabulary he pulled out was ‘Union.’ Not ‘you Union folks.’ Or ‘your people.’

Which was a proof that Frankenstein no longer identifies him as part of the Union.

He thereby showed how he unconsciously crossed off 3rd Elder’s name from his list of foes.

As soon as he relished in the fact, he could feel something straining his heart.

And then he recalled what he had done at Frankenstein’s lab before his return.

Feeling something striking his chest, he turned halfway towards the lab, only to stop dead not after long.

The table was toppled, and the pieces of what used to lie on top cannot be restored.

‘...There was no other choice. This is for the Union. For the humanity.’

I heard nothing.

I. Heard. Nothing.

He endeavored to cover the fact that his hands are bloody, tagging definitely-not-nothing as nothing.

And he sprinted to get away from the crime scene on the double.

(next chapter)

Yes, 3rd Elder did feel guilty; yet he decided  to stab Frankenstein in the back. :’( And this isn’t the end of his appearance. Of course it’s not! Please stay tuned to find out what he does after this what his betrayal will bring about; I can guarantee that the result will be nothing close to meaningless.