"FUCK!"

Count Kaelen feels an overwhelming rush of intense emotions surging through his body as he jumps to his feet almost as quickly as Javier leaves his study room.

The doors are soundproofed, both through physical and mystical means.

It even has Anti Divination mechanisms installed, so he is certain Javier won't be able to hear his emotional shout.

Without wanting to, the Count quickly falls into panic.

A big question surges in his mind.

'What should I do?!'

Two options currently present themselves to Count Kaelen, three if he is fortunate.

One is to kill Javier while he is downstairs. All he has to do is give some orders to his men, and they will carry out this action without a second's notice. He simply has no way of telling how much Javier already knows and how much he will find out if given enough time.

It's likely that the youth already suspects him.

'If I attack him like this, I'll at least catch him by surprise. There's a high chance of killing him this way, and I could even retreat to my hidden bunker until the dust settles.'

This is one option.

'The second is to bring them to me, and if Jasper croaks, I'll simply deny my involvement and have my additional security defend me if things get violent. It's a high-risk venture, but that's only if Jasper sells me out. If Jasper remains silent, I can quell the suspicion on me and find a way to eliminate Jasper before he can tell Javier anything more about me. That, or I can postpone both their executions until we launch an attack on the Dark Guild headquarters… though my instincts tell me those two have to die as soon as possible—now, preferably!'

Then, there's the final option.

—Run!

'There's a chance that Javier is a Leviathan, or someone capable of slaying a Leviathan. In that case, my safest bet would be to flee while I still have the chance. I'll use my soldiers to buy as much time for myself as possible and flee.'

Despite thinking like this, Count Kaelen has also been considering the alternative.

What if he has been overestimating Javier all this time?

What if the lad is actually no Leviathan?

'Lord Zarius had to fight ten thousand soldiers unprepared, so it's possible that he was already injured or exhausted when Javier dealt the finishing blow. He could also have underestimated Javier, considering his personality…' Without realizing it, Count Kaelen has actually guessed the truth.

All of these indeed happened.

In fact, Javier could not have killed Zarius under normal circumstances and is extremely lucky that he survived that encounter as a mere mortal.

But… Count Kaelen is too ignorant about the mysteries of Leviathans.

He has no knowledge of how it is to awaken as one, which is why he couldn't possibly have known that the experience with Zarius had already changed Javier into a completely different creature from what he was before.

—A Leviathan!

'If I'm correct in my assessment, then Javier needing my help to take down the Dark Guild headquarters is likely true. Even if he suspects me, he still needs my assistance. Which means he will likely not kill me without a proper reason to, and I can actually catch him off-guard.'

Most importantly, though—

'Ten thousand men were enough to wear Lord Zarius down. I have carefully studied the reports for more times than I can remember, and in my preparations for the worst possible scenario, I have prepared a personal army that will rise at my immediate call. Not only are the numbers twice as large as the ten thousand that Lord Zarius faced, but they also each possess an Armament.'

Granted, most of their Armaments are F or E Grade, but nearly a thousand of them have D Grade Armaments, and at least a hundred have C Grade Armaments.

As for B Grade, only about ten of them or so have that.

Each of them also has effective Potions to aid them in their fight against the enemy.

Count Kaelen has made all these preparations beforehand, and this is the only source of relief he has at the moment.

'So what should I do? Honestly… as tempted as I am to play it safe, the situation has gotten far too unpredictable for me. I may never get such an advantageous position ever again, which means I'll have to strike now!'

Javier will be caught by surprise, and he can eliminate Jasper in the process.

Everything will be handled by his specialized army.

Without warning… and with complete efficiency— everything will be handled very neatly. If he is questioned regarding Javier's death, he'll simply lie that the lad was colluding with the Dark Guild and even brought a criminal to his home.

As a Count, he was only trying to protect his life and the lives of those in his Estate.

No one would be able to scrutinize this position.

"Alright…" With a resolute glint in his eyes, he reaches for an auxiliary-type Armament in his robe and brings out what resembles a flat disk, with a shimmering orb at its center.

This is a rare B Grade communication device.

It allows the user to directly transmit his words into the minds of his targets.

Untraceable… and undetectable!

"It's time for the ambush. Attack him at once, and spare no expense."

Upon saying this, Count Kaelen lightly taps on his desk, pressing a particular button in a hurry.

In an instant, several holographic windows appear in front of him, displaying all manner of sceneries—both within his main building and outside. His fingers reach for one, and it immediately expands, diminishing the rest.

It's live footage of the main estate's park, where Javier has returned to in order to fetch Jasper.

Unbeknownst to the unsuspecting young lad, he is already surrounded… and his end is nigh!

"Hehe… I'm sorry, Javier… but I had no choice." Count Kaelen leaks out an ugly smile as he stares at the slightly blurry footage of Javier near his carriage.

"But if I don't kill you now, you'll end up killing me."

"CHARRRRGGGEEEE!!!"

The twenty thousand-strong armies suddenly march forward, appearing in all manner of locations until they surround Javier, blocking all possible escape channels with their sheer numbers.

From the footage, it's clear that Javier is shocked by the current development.

In fact, Count Kaelen didn't just mobilize the twenty thousand men, but every single security personnel available in his main estate. Except for a few elite guards protecting his main building's interior, everyone else has now come outside and charged at Javier.

Some are even on their way at the moment, making sure to reinforce the armed crowd.

It has all happened so suddenly.

But this is due to Count Kaelen's methodical calculations.

"Count! What is the meaning of this?!" Javier yells out, appearing puzzled at the situation. "So you were a part of the Dark Guild, after all? Explain yourself!"

'Hehe… why should I?' Count Kaelen smiles to himself as he watches Javier rapidly get overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies he will have to face. Even for a Leviathan, such a scene would be catastrophic.

These men aren't ordinary foes either.

They possess Armaments and Potions, and they're all very skilled, too.

This is the product of centuries' worth of accumulated wealth. For someone like Count Kaelen, who has wealth not inferior to the Dukes, he could afford this much as insurance for his life.

'Sigh… It's almost over.'

Just one more step.

The assault will begin, and Javier will be torn to shreds.

Right now, both sides are merely sizing each other up, ready to pounce for an all-out attack.

Although Javier is one man, he is a High Rank Knight with a C Grade defensive Armament and what already looks like a B Grade Armament. Count Kaelen couldn't see it clearly, but that sword… it clearly belongs to Edrin of the Sixfold Helm of Darkness.

So Javier was dishonest from the start!

He had encountered more than one member, which means the chances were high that he had already found out Count Kaelen's involvement and was simply trying to use him to take down the rest of the Dark Guild.

Perhaps as a final sign of respect, or maybe pettiness, Kaelen Thornvale places his lips close to the disk and whispers some words meant for the ears of one person alone.

"I'm sure you thought you were clever, Javier… but just like everyone, you greatly underestimated me!" He watches as Javier shudders while listening to his voice in his mind. "I win! This is my perfect victory!

Then, all of a sudden, he spots something strange in the displayed footage.

An unexpected expression forms on Javier's blurry face.

A crooked smile.

"No…" His lips move as he casts his gaze directly at the auxiliary-type scout Armament, causing his eyes to pierce through the frames and directly land on Count Kaelen.

"… Victory is mine."

All of a sudden, Javier Aditi vanishes.

"E-eh?!"

Count Kaelen Thornvale is stupefied by this development, but he quickly recovers.

'So he was a Leviathan?! No… I can't be sure yet! Trace Elements… yes, if there are Trace Elements, then—!' But with so many Armaments and Potions in the air, how can one detect Javier's specific one without proper investigation?

'But there's no need to panic. The door to my premises is locked, and even this room is protected by all kinds of barriers. Even Zarius never gets in without knocking and me letting him in…'

Leviathans aren't invincible!

Zarius' death has taught him that much.

So instead of shrinking in fear, he would rather be proactive and think of his next move.

'The army is confused. I should—' Suddenly, Count Kaelen feels something yanking the communication disk from his hand.

Before he can even respond, he is kicked to the ground, his large body tumbling all over the floor.

"W-what?!"

His eyes bulge in shock as Javier suddenly appears in front of him, holding the flat disk. Then, the latter speaks into it with a voice that sounds identical to his own.

"Attention! Javier has officially fled the premises with the aid of a Potion. He hasn't gone far and has been spotted a few miles north of the residence. All of you… charge towards him and ensure he doesn't escape!"

A groundshaking roar suddenly erupts from the army below.

"Yes, sir!"

In a flash, the armed soldiers mobilize—some taking their horses while others charge with their two feet—as they leave the premises with only a few men left to man the fort.

Out of twenty thousand, only about a hundred men are left.

"The rest of you, patrol the premises and ensure no one gets inside the building. His allies could be hiding nearby." Javier continues, his newly changed voice eerily echoing in the isolated study. "I'm counting on you!"

Once again, a loud "Yes, sir!" emerges from the leftover army.

They begin to diligently search the large premises, looking for people who do not exist.

As for Javier himself, he finally stops using the B Grade Armament and casts his sights on the dazed Count. Then, he slowly clears his throat until his voice reverts to its normal state.

With a warm smile, he finally speaks directly to Count Kaelen.

"Now, where were we?"

************

Everything worked perfectly… just as planned!

Before this confrontation, I had already made some preparations.

For one, I had Freya use Divination on the Count, both to peer into the future but also to test out a theory of mine. Much to my relief, the Divination worked, and I became aware of the Count's army ahead of time.

Then, on my way to Count Kaelen's manor, I used Clairvoyance to look into the areas where the army came from, studying their Armaments and readily prepared Potions.

It quickly became evident to me that I couldn't handle all of them with my limited abilities, especially if I wanted to get true justice for my family. Unlike the Dark Guild's headquarters, which has effective concealment methods, allowing their security to be more lax, the Count's stronghold is out in the open, so his security is much tighter.

Plus, such a cautious man must have been preparing for my possible retribution for a while.

He had to have trump cards.

Thankfully, I also had a plan that would render his preparations moot.

First, visit him and spur him to take action.

Then, lie about Jasper being in the trunk of my carriage and force him to make a drastic decision to get rid of the two of us. Afterward, I would simply use Tracing to vanish to a safe distance, consume all my necessary Potions, and return to his manor, where he would still be.

I also knew all of this would happen thanks to Freya's Divination.

Just as I suspected, even though she should normally be unable to Divine about me—because I am a Leviathan—just like Ruthina's Divination in the past, she could succeed when the outcome favored me.

Ruthina was able to divine about Zarius, and now Freya used Divination to predict my encounter with the Count.

These Divinations succeeded when they normally shouldn't.

Why?

'I still don't know the details, but the fact that they benefit me is likely due to an arrangement from another Leviathan. Maybe the one that helped me regress… maybe it's Lady Anastasia… or could they be the same person?'

Regardless, thanks to the Divination, I knew the Count would remain in his protected room.

It's funny…

I'm sure Count Kaelen made arrangements against Divination, but they were rendered ineffective the moment my existence became involved. With Clairvoyance, I can bypass any Anti Divination barrier, and Freya's Divination also succeeded without a hitch.

Whichever higher power is at play here clearly exceeds the ability of mere Anti Divination.

After ingesting my Potions in a safe location—basically a Voice Change Potion and a Potion of Phantasmal Veil, I used Tracing to reappear in the count's Private Study and retrieved the communication device, using it to get rid of the army he prepared for me.

Then, I scattered the leftover forces and ensured none of them would be able to interrupt me.

Just like that, I disrupted the Count's plans and advanced my own.

All while obtaining the final confirmation I needed.

"J-Javier… y-you… you are—!"

"That's right…" I smile at the man, taking a step closer while keeping my calm gaze on him. He must have had his suspicions before, but now he can see it with his own two eyes.

"I am a Leviathan."

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