VIP Early Access
Eksklusif untuk member VIP
Password Protected
Chapter ini dikunci dengan kode khusus
Chapter 21
I can still clearly picture him lying there, unmoving, with cotton stuffed into his mouth and nose.
My brother was dead.
Even the sight of that mannequin-like body turning to ashes over an hour and a half… I don’t want to remember it, but those images won’t leave me.
But…
“Is it okay for a younger brother not to recognize his own brother?”
Е n ûmа.і̆d̃
That man definitely called himself “brother.”
A faint glimmer of hope began to rise in me.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
This absurd situation, being possessed inside a novel, pushed my expectations even higher.
If my brother had come back to life…?
If we had both ended up possessed together…?
With that hope in my heart, I slowly approached the man.
Ĕn̄ u m̀ a .ĩd̆
The closer the silhouette got, the more my vision blurred.
“Brother…?”
My voice trembled. My throat felt damp and heavy, like I was underwater.
“Yeah, it’s been a while.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
I slowly approached and checked the man’s face.
‘……?’
Е̇ ńũ m̈ а
‘Brother…’
At least, it wasn’t the brother I knew.
His neatly styled hair, sharp features, and solid build that anyone would find attractive.
He looked nothing like the brother I remembered.
“Are you really… my brother…?”
Before I realized it, that question slipped out of my mouth.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
A tiny hope that maybe my brother, too, had been possessed by another character.
“What’s wrong? Did you eat something bad, Leon?”
But the words that came out of his mouth forced me to face reality.
‘Leon.’
He didn’t call my name — he called Leon’s name.
‘Of course… there’s no way.’
W e b̄n̂.о̀vе l̊ Ĕ ṅum̊ ӓ
I shook my head and answered.
“No. I’ve just been tired lately, so I was talking nonsense.”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“Did you drink last night?”
At his words, I gave an awkward laugh and shook my head.
‘Leon’s brother… now that I think about it, there was a character like that.’
I had been so caught up in the word “brother” that I had forgotten.
Е̄ n ũ mа́ . īd̂
Raiz Jodrick.
In the story, he was only mentioned, and Leon Jodrick himself was a character who died early on, so there was no real importance. No.
‘In the first place, he never came to the academy…’
He didn’t even properly appear in the novel.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“Have you had dinner?”
“No, not yet.”
W̄ e b n̄о v́ ӗ l̀ Ẽ ň u m̆а
“I’ll treat you. Let’s grab a bite and talk.”
After saying that, Raiz looked around and led me into a pretty expensive-looking restaurant, then ordered a simple meal.
‘Leon wasn’t exactly the affectionate brother type…’
Even when Leon enrolled in the academy, caused all kinds of trouble, committed evil deeds, and even when he was ultimately killed by the Jodrick family after being expelled… Raiz Jodrick never appeared.
“Well, it’s nothing big. I just came to check on the thing I asked you about…”
After glancing around lightly, Raiz leaned in and spoke softly so only I could hear.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
‘……?’
Did Raiz ever ask Leon for a favor?
Raiz Jodrick was also a graduate of the Argen Academy’s thief class.
If he asked a first-year like Leon for something, it must’ve been about something inside the academy.
“Ah, that thing…”
“It doesn’t seem to be making much progress.”
Еn̈u ḿå
‘He asked for a favor, but there’s no progress…?’
Most of the events from the original story had already happened.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
If Leon hadn’t properly carried out the request, Raiz should’ve come to the academy even in the original story.
What’s the difference between the original Leon and the current Leon?
“It’s not even that hard of a favor for you, right? There’s something in it for you too.”
Raiz spoke with a sly smile.
Еn.ŭ m а. íd̈
‘A favor that benefits me…?’
I couldn’t make sense of it at all.
While trying to keep the conversation going to figure out what the favor was, I felt like dragging it out any longer would just ruin the flow even more.
In times like this, it’s better to just be honest.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“Uh… what exactly was that favor again?”
Scratching my head and putting on a sulky expression, I asked back, and Raiz let out an incredulous laugh before leaning in closer to me.
W е̂b̄ n̆ о v̈ е̊ l Еn u mā
“I asked you to steal an item, didn’t I…?”
Steal something from inside the academy?
The treasures managed by Argen Academy aren’t something Leon could just steal given the level of security.
Raiz must know that too, so he couldn’t mean that…
“After stealing it, you could fence it and use the money as your allowance — I just asked you to steal it.”
Fence…? Allowance…?
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Several keywords flashed through my mind, and suddenly, something clicked.
“The Hendel family pendant. I heard Chloe Hendel still has it…”
There’s only one Hendel family pendant in “The Five Heroes”.
The keepsake from her mother that Chloe always wore around her neck.
‘Isaiah’s Pendant.’
In the early part of the story, it was the incident that led to Leon being expelled from the academy.
Е n_u ḿ а̀ .і̂_d̃
He had done the unthinkable — stealing her mother’s keepsake, selling it to a fence, and squandering the money on alcohol…
“When are you going to steal it? I just want it to be out of Chloe Hendel’s hands.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
It was a request from Raiz Jodrick.
‘This was never mentioned in the original story…’
No, there was no need to mention it.
Leon stole the pendant just like Raiz asked, sold it, and squandered the money on alcohol.
Еńů ḿ a
There was no reason for Raiz Jodrick to visit the academy.
The only reason Raiz came to the academy now was clear.
‘Because I returned Chloe’s pendant.’
“Ah… that’s going to be a bit difficult…”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
The moment I steal Chloe’s pendant again, I’d be on a direct express train to a brutal, dismembered ending.
I had already retrieved the missing pendant once — and now he wants me to steal it again? And on top of that, Whiton, Chloe’s close aide, was already suspicious of me.
Е_n û m̄á
If the pendant went missing again, I would undoubtedly be the prime suspect.
‘But… something’s strange…’
It wasn’t hard to guess why Raiz asked Leon to steal Chloe’s pendant.
After all, they were both students at Argen Academy.
Even though Raiz was a graduate, since he was Leon’s blood relative, he could enter the academy under the pretense of a visit, but Leon was far better suited to looking for opportunities.
'After stealing it, you could fence it and use the money as your allowance — I just asked you to steal it.'
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
If that was the case, why did he want Chloe’s pendant stolen in the first place?
"Isaiah’s Pendant" was certainly valuable, but the power hidden within it wasn’t known to the world.
In the story, Chloe only happened to acquire the "Isaiah’s Prophecy" trait by chance.
He didn’t know about its power, nor did he intend to use it himself.
He just wanted the pendant out of Chloe’s hands?
His goal seemed strange.
Е n̈ u̇.m̊ а̌ . і̄ d̊
“What’s so hard about it? Just swipe it — it’s your specialty, isn’t it?”
Raiz patted my shoulder as if to encourage me.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“But why do you want it stolen? It doesn’t even seem like you want to keep it.”
When I asked, Raiz gave an awkward laugh and replied.
“You’ve gotten sharper since enrolling at the academy. Last time, you just said ‘okay’ without question.”
Leon Jodrick… just how thoughtless had he been?
Е̃ nů m̂а̇_.i ď
“I don’t know all the details either. I was just asked to do it.”
Raiz spoke slowly as he put food into his mouth.
“Asked?”
“More like a deal, to be precise. We’ve found someone willing to help us.”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Raiz smiled as he spoke.
“How long are we going to live oppressed by this damned family?”
Е numa
Raiz Jodrick and Leon Jodrick had something in common.
They were both members of the Jodrick family, a prestigious assassin lineage in Sijin.
“And it’s not like we chose our mother.”
They were both illegitimate children.
Raiz continued speaking very slowly.
“It’s funny how our father threatened to kill us if we didn’t graduate from the academy… is that even a family? You heard about that before enrolling, didn’t you?”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
That was why Raiz Jodrick managed to graduate.
And why Leon Jodrick lost his life after being expelled.
The very existence of an illegitimate child tarnished the family’s reputation, so if he couldn’t even graduate, there was no point in existing.
“Well, even though you and I have different mothers… at least we were treated the same, unlike the children born from the lady of the house, right?”
'The lady of the house… that must be the legal wife.'
From Raiz’s bitter smile, I could see the difference in treatment between the legitimate and illegitimate children.
Е ńu ṁа̊
His lips were pressed so tightly it looked painful.
“There are people who said they would support me. Their condition was the Hendel family’s pendant.”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Supporting an illegitimate child who wasn’t even the heir?
The Jodrick family’s influence in Sijin was far from ordinary.
Even if someone supported an illegitimate child, it would be impossible to grant them independent authority or a position.
So what did "support" mean here?
Èn u̇m̃а̇ . і̀d̄
'Treason…'
They meant to help Raiz devour the entire Jodrick family from within.
Of course, the supporting faction would gain actual power, and Raiz would end up just a puppet figurehead…
“So those people… asked you to make the pendant disappear?”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
When I asked, Raiz nodded.
'This is strange…'
Еnum̊ а . î d́
The Jodrick family’s influence was limited to Sijin, the city-state of mercenaries.
The Hendel family was nobility in the Kingdom of Crihaiten, so there would be almost no connection outside of Argen Academy.
A faction at odds with the Hendel family, supporting the Jodrick family in Sijin…?
This wasn’t ordinary politics.
Of course, if the rebellion succeeded, it wouldn’t be bad for me either.
It would basically mean gaining control over the powerful Jodrick family.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
It would bring me closer to my goal of surviving here, and greater power meant fewer restrictions.
“If this works out, I’ll introduce you to them too.”
Raiz tried to persuade me, smiling.
“There’s no guarantee you’ll ever get an opportunity like this again.”
But I knew the ending of this rebellion.
I had read the scene where the Jodrick family head first appears over and over.
Ё n̆ũ ḿ а
“They say you have to grab the lifeline when it drops from the sky.”
But that lifeline was rotten, the shocking scene where the rebelling illegitimate child’s head is chopped off in person.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“So come on, help me out this once.”
The rebellion fails.
***
Even on a weekday evening, the knight class’s private training ground was a space so crowded it felt overwhelming.
E n u m а .і d̄
Students who pursued the spirit of chivalry and trained in ways other classes couldn’t even imagine. And leading them, of course—
“Thank you for your hard work today, Lady Chloe.”
Was Chloe Hendel, descendant of Cled.
“… Whiton, you worked hard too.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Though Chloe was tired of Whiton’s constant use of formal honorifics, she was now too exhausted to even complain about it.
“Your sword strikes seemed even sharper today than usual. It seems your training is paying off quickly.”
W̆ ѐb̂ n̊ о v̌.ē l̀ Е́ ǹů m а́
Though it was just flattery, Chloe nodded and replied.
“Well… there’s someone that’s been bothering me lately.”
Where Chloe pointed, the greatest genius in Argen Academy history—
Maxwell Willard—was swinging his sword.
His graceful, unwavering, and powerful yet light sword forms surpassed all the other knight class students.
Even if he had never been arrogant, Chloe couldn’t help but be conscious of him.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
He pushed everyone to improve, boosting training efficiency. But Whiton couldn’t bring himself to like Maxwell.
There was only one reason.
Because Chloe said Maxwell was on her mind.
It didn’t matter what she meant by it.
“Yes, let’s head inside. I’ll handle the cleanup.”
“Well… okay.”
W̆_е̇ b ńov̀ е̌ l_ Ё n u m̆ a
Chloe was about to say there was no need for special treatment, but she had gone through this argument countless times. In the end, she always gave in to Whiton’s stubbornness, so she just nodded.
“Then, I’ll go in first.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
After such hard training, it was natural to want to wash up and rest as soon as possible.
One by one, Chloe and the other knight class students left, leaving only two behind.
Whiton and Maxwell.
“Phew…”
Ẇ е b̆nӧ v̈ е l̃ Е̂ n̈uḿȧ
“Are we done?”
As Maxwell sheathed his sword and let out a sigh, Whiton spoke to him.
“You are…”
“Whiton Cushingham, right?”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Yeah, I’m Maxwell Willard.”
When Maxwell offered his hand, Whiton grimaced but shook it.
W е̊ bn̄ о v̆ е̃ l_ Ёn̈ u m̂ ӑ
“Training’s over, so head back. I’ll handle the cleanup.”
Looking around, Maxwell replied.
“If you waited because of me, I’ll help. Let’s do it together.”
Though Maxwell was being kind, Whiton still didn’t like him.
“Suit yourself.”
In the quiet training ground, they cleaned up in silence for a long while.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Maybe because Maxwell wanted to break the awkward tension, he cautiously started talking.
“About Chloe…”
Maxwell knew that Whiton’s devotion to Chloe bordered on obsession, so he thought bringing her up would be a safe topic.
“Lady Chloe.”
Whiton’s reply was cold.
“Ah, right, Lady Chloe. Didn’t she say she lost her pendant before? When did she find it?”
Е.nu m̌а̌. і d
Even though it was already a resolved matter, it wasn’t a bad topic for conversation, and Maxwell was genuinely curious.
“I don’t know. I heard someone found it for her. She got it back almost immediately after losing it. I should’ve been the one to find it.”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Perhaps because he had been holding it in for so long, Whiton began to rant endlessly.
“She won’t tell me who found it. It worries me so much that I can’t even hold my sword properly, wondering what kind of weirdo might be involved…”
“Ha… yeah?”
Maxwell was planning to just nod along politely, but the next thing Whiton said made him freeze in place.
Е n ŭmа̌
“It’s all because of that bastard Leon Jodrick. He stole the pendant…”
“Wait… what did you just say?”
The name that came out of Whiton’s mouth.
‘Leon Jodrick.’
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Konten Bab Belum Tersedia
Bab ini belum memiliki konten teks atau sedang dalam proses penyuntingan.
