"And has she done… anything to try and stop you?"
"She has. She married your father, who was the second most dangerous human when he was alive. She used the book of fate to try and stop us. She also attempts to unite the seven countries in secret, creating a hidden organization that no one in the world knows about." Hendrick answers so genuinely, and this was not something I've heard about before.
"O-Organization…?"
"I'm surprised you didn't know about it even though you're her son… Ask Frisena. She'll tell you." Hendrick said while turning his gaze to Frisena, who was standing next to me.
"It's an underground organization that operates secretly. Even I, the crown princess of a major empire, knows so little regarding them." Frisena tells me after the topic turned this way, and I can only be so confused.
"T-Then, is it still… active?"
"It was previously acting passively and anonymously. No one really knows what they've been doing ever since your mother, who was their founder, dies. However, the organization seemed to be keeping up the pace recently."
Hearing Frisena's words, Hendrick lifted his surprised gaze to her. If what Frisena said is true about the glass being one way, then wouldn't Hendrick just see a reflection of himself on the glass? How can he see exactly where Frisena and I are standing?
"Aha!! I see… I completely missed that." Hendrick laughed after realizing something, but Frisena only chuckled. I was left in the confusion, but Frisena filled me in right away.
"Miss Hilda has now taken control over the organization. She'll be actively working alongside me to govern the world, to keep this chaos at bay." Frisena said with a wide grin at me, and I only opened my eyes widely.
"M-Miss Hilda…?"
"Yeah. She's alive. Shocking?"
"N-No, wait…" I quickly started processing, and Frisena knew exactly what I'm going to ask. However, she just stayed silent.
"Then… is it possible that--"
"The Dark Knight's death has already been confirmed. Her body was never found, but pieces of her armor were scattered on the debris. And knowing how powerful that explosion was… she simply perished. I'm sorry."
I closed my eyes after Frisena answered, but hoping for a dead person to come back is still the same as hoping for a miracle. However, Miss Hilda did come back to life, and she was previously dead.
"T-Then, how did Miss Hilda…"
"No clue. One day she just sent me a letter, stating that she's alive. It was indeed her handwriting, and she just mentions that she wants to work with me.
My organization operates on the light, while her organization works on the shadows. It's that simple." Frisena explained to me, and I seem to understand everything.
It seems… that Felicia's case was simply a separate one. Miss Hilda may have saved herself, but there's no way she could've known about what happened to me or the others.
My gaze then turned to Hendrick, who is simply sitting and playing chess by himself inside the room. He seemed to be listening to everything, and I guess Frisena thinks it's fine.
"He already knows about how my organization and the secret organization works together. Don't worry." Frisena pointed out, but the headmaster laughed.
"I didn't know Hilda was alive… damn, I should've aimed for the head instead, huh?"
"You're already monstrous enough. At least give us some breathing room."
"I gave my children some breathing room. But, look at what they returned to me. A white prison room with nothing but a chess board." Hendrick replied sourly as he placed the queen piece to eat the enemy king, and I turned my gaze to Frisena who looked so disgusted.
"Do you mind if I ask some personal things?" I asked Frisena, but she shook her head.
"That's gonna be an issue. This whole room is being monitored, recorded, and listened to. 'Private' talk is not a privilege I can give you."
"I see. Nevermind then, I'll just ask anyway." I said jokingly before turning back to the headmaster.
"Why exactly… didn't you kill me? Or my friends, who were present at the time?" I pointed out about that time we first met at the dark republic capital, the night Felicia died. Hearing this question, Hendrick only chuckles.
"Don't you have better questions to ask?"
"Just… answer me. Please." I pleaded, and the headmaster let out a sigh.
"I can't kill children. That is my oath the day I become the Harbinger of Conquest." Hendrick replies sourly again, and it seems like this part of the topic does feel annoying to him.
"The day you became the Harbinger… when is that?"
"One thousand two hundred seven years ago. One year before Omega, the war demon, ruled Avenor." Hendrick answered so easily, which surprised everyone who heard it.
H-He is that old!?
"Keep talking to him, Nathan. He seemed to be very willing to converse with you." Frisena quickly said to me after obtaining such valuable information, but Hendrick only laughed.
"I just feel a wonderful company finally coming to visit me! I hope you don't mind this old man chatting too much."
"On the contrary… I'd like to hear more. Tell me about the other Harbingers aside from you." I began to follow more into this topic, and Hendrick began to ponder.
"The other Harbingers… it's been a thousand years since I last saw all of them together. However, Nathan… a conversation at this level should at least be profiting one way or the other, right?" Hendrick turned his cold grin to me, and I realized the information I wanted cannot be cheap.
"… Name your price."
"It's not that hard, I promise. All I ask is a favor.
I have children. Two of them."
… what?
"They are sealed underneath the basement of Ellen academy. The path to reach it is as simple as digging a hole straight down until you reach the room. And the way they're sealed… well, Frisena already knows since I've already told her about them."
The headmaster turned his gaze to Frisena, and she turned to me instead.
"We've freed them already. They're a pair of siblings, just like he said. One is a girl with light origin, and the other is a boy with a darkness origin. They're both a year younger than you, at least when they were frozen by the sealing sorcery."
Frisena explained to me about Hendrick's children, and I only opened my eyes widely. Never will I ever think that this guy had a family. However, if it was a family from a thousand years ago… then that makes sense.
"I'm guessing… they did not know their father became this… maniac." I said while turning my gaze to Hendrick, and Frisena nodded.
"I've personally questioned them regarding this old man, and it doesn't seem like they knew anything. From their words, their father was once a hero who saved their homeland from monsters. They kept denying the fact that their father was a monster himself. Plus, they knew nothing regarding the Harbingers."
Frisena's explanation seems to be the truth. Even though we had no way of knowing whether or not the children were telling the truth, I can see why the children were like this.
One question stood out to me.
"Why… were they frozen? Why were they sealed by a sealing sorcery?" I turned the question to the father, and Hendrick let out a sigh before explaining.
"They were cursed with a sickness. They had no way of living properly. The sealing sorcery was done in order to freeze their bodies while I tried looking for a cure. However, that has now changed since the world is changing.
Allow them to live in this world. You can keep an eye on them, you can put them on a leash. I only hope they were able to enjoy their lives.
And Nathan… I need you to help them." Hendrick then turned his cold eyes to me, and I realized he was being serious.
"The unknown curse has invaded their souls, creating a sickness that affects their entire body. It's something that has never once appeared in the world, and no matter how much research I've done to look for it, it is just impossible to cure them.
However, there is a way to cure it. That is, by burning it with the eternal hell fire."
The hell fire…? Isn't that…
"Zero mentioned it… well, you mentioned it once to me before. What exactly is that?"
"It's a mythical existence. However, you'll know about it once you get a lot-lot stronger. But, be aware that the day you obtain it is the day you too shall become a Harbinger." Hendrick continued explaining, and I opened my eyes widely.
"… I told you. I'm not gonna be one of you."
"It's not about whether or not you'll want it. It's simply that it cannot be avoided. You'll reach the Ascendant tier, a level that reaches even the gods. And once you hold the hell fire, you are officially the fourth Harbinger that will reawaken the apocalypse.
The Harbinger of War, Omega. His revival is near, and he will always be accompanied by five elite masters with demonic origins, and they will be the one to revive him. And once he awakens, the tide of this world shall tilt completely.
The Harbinger of Famine… Unfortunately, I cannot tell you the answer as I know nothing myself. The only hint I can give you is that he is someone that has been around this whole time, just like me. Good luck finding him.
And finally, the Harbinger of Death. It was initially an ally of mine, but thanks to fate being rewritten by your mother, it has now moved its position to you.
Mark my words, Nathan. You will, one day, reawaken the apocalypse alongside me."