I'm the Crazy One in the Family-Chapter 127: For True Love (1)

Henya, having arrived at the riverside hut, didn’t need to go out of her way to look for Keter.

“Hey, you’re here.”

Keter was sitting in Wid’s usual fishing spot, using Wid’s rod to fish.

Henya, who had been concealing her presence using the powers of Rainbow Black, released the magic and said in a low voice, “Don’t act like you’re my friend. What did you do to Wid?”

“Ah, that kid? He’s cute. Got a backbone, too.”

“Don’t change the subject!”

Henya drew her sword. It was one sword, but it split into two swords with a flick of her wrist. Just like her armor, her twin swords were also level five magic tools, Cerberus.

An intense killing energy emanated from her. The grass and leaves around her were shredded and scattered.

“Hmph, this place has bad vibes.”

Keter set down the fishing rod, turned around, and whistled.

“Wow! Both your swords and armor are level five magic tools? You really are the daughter of the Lord of the South. Look at how much money you have.”

“Keter. This is the first time I’ve met you, and while I didn’t think you were a good person, I at least believed you weren’t a bad one. But you dare betray me? And worse, what you did to innocent Wid...!”

Henya was genuinely furious. Just the fact that Keter had revealed her feelings to Wid was enough to enrage her, but it was more than that. It seemed like Keter had hurt Wid and was going to use that as leverage to threaten her.

“You’ve never had to learn something by losing it, have you? Well, today will be your first. Consider it a cheap lesson. Ahem.”

“What do you want?”

“What do you think love is?” Keter asked.

Wid, who had grown up in the lowest level of society, thought love was sacrifice. Keter wondered what Henya, who was born with everything, would say.

“What...?”

The end of Henya’s sword trembled slightly. It was a completely unexpected question.

What is love?

She had studied everything in the world since the age of two. She had invited top professors in every field—math, economics, history, philosophy... But none of them taught love. She had never learned what love meant, and no one had ever told her it was important.

“I... don’t know. But one thing I do know for sure—if you’ve hurt Wid, I swear I’ll kill you.”

“Wid said love is sacrifice.”

“...”

“Would you sacrifice something for Wid?”

Henya raised her sword again, aiming it straight at Keter, and replied, “That’s why I asked what you want. Just say it already.”

Her answer didn’t quite align with Keter’s view of sacrifice, but he hadn’t come here to debate, so he let it slide.

“Your father’s weakness. Tell me, and I’ll give Wid back.”

“My father’s weakness? Don’t be stupid. I don’t know why you would even ask, but my father has no weakness. Give it up.”

“That’s a long-winded way of saying you don’t know. But it’s fine—I didn’t expect you to know. Then how about this: what does he like and dislike?”

Henya’s jewel-like eyes lowered.

What does Father like or dislike?

Everyone had likes and dislikes. But Henya couldn’t remember what her father, Eslow, liked or disliked. Still, she did know one thing.

“He spends most of his day maintaining his weapons. Even when he’s in the palace or out somewhere—whenever he gets a moment, he’s tending to his weapons. As for what he dislikes... I don’t know.”

It didn’t seem like important information, but Keter looked satisfied.

“Good. Last question. Tell me about Eslow’s authority, and I’ll let Wid go.”

“Authority...?”

Henya echoed the word, clearly unfamiliar with it.

Keter clicked his tongue.

“Don’t tell me the Lord of the South’s own daughter doesn’t know what authority is? Seriously... Authority is a privilege given to someone who has reached Prime. Simply explained, one can manipulate reality; they become a being capable of influencing the world just by will alone. Mages sometimes call it a singularity, but it’s usually referred to as authority.”

A Prime could affect the macro-world through sheer will. For instance, if a Prime had the will to cut someone down, that alone would cause the cut. In swordsmanship, this was known as Mindsword. Authority was when a Prime’s conviction directly altered reality, functioning as a law.

For example, the authority of Deyal, who Keter once fought, was Ignore Defense. Any attack he made could not be blocked, as he bypassed any will or intent to defend. The only way to counter that was with an opposing authority—one rooted in defense.

I wonder what my authority will be in this life.

Keter had been a Prime in his previous life, and he had possessed authority too. Now he was curious: would his current life grant him the same authority or a different one?

Then, Henya broke his train of thought.

“I think I know what it is.”

She had a feeling about what Eslow’s authority was, but it was difficult for her to say it. Telling Keter what Eslow liked wasn’t a big deal. But revealing the nature of his authority was an entirely different matter. Even Henya, who had just learned the term authority, understood that much.

She couldn’t help but hesitate. Would she give up Wid in order to protect her father’s secret?

However, the answer came to her quickly.

I’m sorry, but... you are strong, Father. What difference could it possibly make if one secret of yours gets exposed?

Lying wasn’t even an option. Not just because it wasn’t in her nature, but because she instinctively felt that lying wouldn’t work on Keter.

Henya had seen Eslow use his authority once before.

It was in a sunny garden, and her father was tending to his weapons, as always. That was when suddenly, a small bird, no bigger than his palm, fell from the sky and landed beside him. It seemed to be injured somewhere, as it was flapping its wings, clearly in pain.

Then, Eslow did something completely unexpected. He bent down and gently picked up the bird.

At the time, Henya had been walking through the garden’s corridor. She was surprised by what she saw.

I didn’t know Father could be like that...

Back then, when Henya was doing everything she could to avoid Eslow’s overwhelming affection and attention, she was going to approach him on her own for once... If only she hadn’t witnessed what happened next.

Eslow grasped the bird in one hand. Suddenly, a spear appeared out of nowhere. It wasn’t magic or sorcery. It was clear: the bird itself had transformed into a spear. The beautiful spear had a blade shaped like a beak and was adorned with feathers.

The power to turn living beings into weapons—that was the authority Henya had witnessed firsthand.

That’s when I started fearing Father even more.

In Eslow’s palace, weapons existed everywhere the eye could see. Henya had once briefly wondered where all those weapons came from. But after seeing that truth—a truth she never wanted to know—Henya felt sick.

He couldn’t have turned all of them from living creatures, right? No. Definitely not.

Just remembering it made her skin crawl.

Steadying her trembling with a deep breath, Henya finally said, “My father’s authority... is turning living beings into weapons.”

Henya wondered how Keter would react. She expected him not to believe it, since even she thought it was an absurd ability.

“Hm...”

Keter stroked his chin.

He had assumed Henya wouldn’t know Eslow’s authority since she didn’t even know the concept of it, so her answer surprised him.

An authority that turns living things into weapons, huh.

Henya had told the truth. But even so, Keter knew that wasn’t all of it. That was how authority worked: it was a power so miraculous that ordinary people couldn’t even begin to imagine it.

This is better than what I expected.

To Keter, who could potentially have to face all of the Four Lords, knowing their authorities was valuable information. Knowing and not knowing meant the difference between life and death.

“I’ve told you everything without lies. So now, keep your promise. Give Wid back!”

Henya glared sharply at Keter. It was clear she would say no more.

Keter smiled.

Henya and Wid had both hidden their love from each other because they were afraid the other would be hurt and that it was just their own illusion. But love, like a fire, was most beautiful when it burned fully. Watching from afar while it simmered slowly was the most frustrating thing of all. They needed to confirm their feelings, but how could he make someone say what they couldn't admit?

There’s no emotion more honest than anger.

There were two effective ways to make someone angry. The first was to start talking, then stop halfway...

“Yeah... giving him back might be a little hard.”

Whoosh.

Keter tossed something to Henya.

“...!”

Henya’s eyes widened. It was the black pearl earring—something Wid had treasured and promised to return someday.

“I asked nicely, but he kept refusing. Stubborn little commoner, huh? You know what happens to a commoner who defies a noble.”

Keter fully embodied the cruelty of high nobles who saw commoners as disposable.

* * *

No more talking was necessary. When Henya was angry, she always attacked without a word.

When using twin swords, there was no delay between attacks; slashes and thrusts flowed endlessly.

It seemed like Keter was barely avoiding Henya’s relentless flurry, but in truth, he was calmly observing her swordsmanship with curiosity.

Her swordsmanship is like a wrecking tank. It’s fast, but it’s powerful. It looks wild at first glance, but her technique is calculated so that you can’t block both swords at once.

Henya wasn’t swinging her swords randomly. The angles, timing, and spacing of her twin swords were precise, and she knew exactly where to aim so that the opponent couldn’t block both swords at once. That meant her twin sword technique was designed to make simultaneous defense impossible. It was absurd, but it was real. It was happening right in front of Keter.

With all that speed and flurry, the individual strikes are weak, but she’s compensating with magic tools.

In addition, Henya’s technique was accelerating. At first, it left afterimages, but now, it was just a blur of sword flashes.

And yet, Keter remained unscathed. It was not because Henya’s technique lacked refinement but because her emotions had seeped into her strikes. Had she been fighting logically, Keter wouldn’t have been able to dodge without any risk.

But now, he had enough leeway to even speak mid-fight.

“Why are you so mad over one dead commoner?”

Keter’s brutal comment pushed Henya over the edge.

“You knew I love Wid, and you still say that?!”

Her angry sword strikes grew harsher. She stabbed harder and swung wider. But the strength of her technique lay in its continuity, not its power.

As soon as an opening appeared, Keter slipped inside her guard and poked her nose with a finger.

“Life never goes how you want, kid. That’s what makes it fun.”

Whoosh!

Her twin swords crossed like scissors, aiming to cut through his neck and waist. Keter bent backwards nearly to the ground to avoid the strike and swayed mockingly.

“If you kill me like a commoner, you won’t be able to handle the fallout. I’m the first guest your father officially allowed into the palace.”

Thud.

The twin blades embedded in the ground reflected Henya’s unyielding will.

“I wouldn’t forgive you even if you were the queen’s son.”

“That’s a great line.”

As Keter stepped back, he summoned Amaranth from his left hand and simultaneously formed an Aura Arrow on the string.

For the first time, Keter showed intent to fight back. Henya tensed. It was natural, as no one had ever evaded her swordsmanship this easily before. Even worse, he was using a bow, not a sword. She had never faced a powerful archer before, and that made her even more cautious.

Twang!

The Aura Arrow fired with a light twang. Henya raised her swords to guard but frowned when the arrow wasn’t aimed at her. Instead, it pierced the door of Wid’s hut.

What’s he up to?

One thing was certain: Keter never acted without reason.

“...!”

Henya’s eyes widened, then her ears turned red. As expected, Keter hadn’t shot randomly. She could see Wid through the hole. He was tied to a chair and gagged, but he was very much alive. His face was beet red as if he had heard everything.

Keter skipped over and casually removed Wid’s gag.

“So? How does it feel to hear the love confession of Henya, daughter of the monarch?”

“...”

Wid bit his lip and looked down. Henya did the same.

The fierce Sword Witch, who had just unleashed multiple furious blows to kill Keter, was gone. Now, only a girl stood there—eyes squeezed shut in embarrassment.

Keter watched them both with satisfaction.

“One more job, successfully solved. Feels great.”

“Solved?! What part of this is solved?!” Henya snapped.

“What do you mean? Now you two can go on cute little dates.”

“D-Dates? That’s impossible. People will recognize me. And if I don’t return, Father will send people to look for me!”

“But you do want to go on a date?”

“...”

Henya glanced at Wid. Confessing her love right in front of him had been mortifying. But what’s done was done; there was no taking it back.

“Wid. Tell me clearly: do you love me too?” Henya asked boldly.

Wid blushed even deeper.

“I do love you, but how could someone like me ever be worthy of you, Miss Henya? It makes no sense...”

“That doesn’t matter. I want to know your will.”

“M-My will?”

“I already have a house, money, and honor. All you have to bring is yourself.”

“...!”

Keter gave a thumbs-up.

“Now that’s bold. Anyway, Henya. About those problems you mentioned? I can fix them. I’ll make sure you two get a peaceful, romantic date.”

“How?”

“Well, because I’m a Solver. As long as you pay the price, a date is easy-peasy,” Keter said, rubbing his fingers together.

Henya untied Wid from the chair and said, “You messed with our feelings without permission, and that makes me furious... but I’ll forgive you since it turned out okay. If you’re gonna help, help all the way. As a member of Eslow, I will repay you properly.”

“I don’t trust words.”

Keter pulled out a contract from his coat and smoothly filled in the blank spaces.

“One love problem solved. One date granted. I’ve helped you twice, so you owe me two favors. Or one really big one—it’s your call.”

“We haven’t even gone on the date yet. And specify exactly what kind of help you’ll request, please.”

Henya, though she hadn’t stayed calm when Wid was threatened, now carefully reviewed the contract to ensure it was fair.

“Anything that doesn’t involve risking your life. That’s the condition. If that seems strict, we can count the two favors as one.”

“That’s vague.”

“Life is vague. But hey, the date will be perfect. No one will recognize you, and even Eslow won’t come looking. Promise.”

It was extreme confidence. If anyone else had said it, it would’ve sounded like a scam. But from Keter, it somehow felt believable.

Still, Henya wasn’t one to trust blindly, especially after dealing with Keter once.

“Then add this clause: if the date fails, the contract is void.”

“Deal.”

Keter quickly wrote the new clause in.

Watching him, Wid muttered, “Mr. Keter is like the devil of contracts.”

It was a quiet remark, but Henya responded, “Maybe we are being toyed with by a devil.”

“Ah... hahaha...”

“Even so, I have no regrets. My love for you right now is real.”

Henya’s blunt honesty made Wid drop his head in flustered silence.

Henya then carefully read the updated contract and signed.

“Thank you, ma’am. Now, let’s start the procedure.”

“Procedure?”

“Could you bend your knees slightly? You're already tall, and with those boots...”

Henya bent her knees slightly. Keter stood in front of her, cupping her face with both hands.

“Don’t resist. Your face will explode.”

Mana flared in Keter’s hands. Henya flinched but stood firm.

Crack. Pop. Crunch.

Bones shifted and muscles twisted. It was the forbidden art of the chimeric mage, Franken: Reverse Reconstructive Surgery.

“Phew.”

Keter stepped back, sweat on his brow. Henya’s face was now completely different. Her signature sharp eyes became soft, and her jawline also became rounder. It was like a tiger turned into a housecat.

Keter couldn’t change her red hair but it wasn’t uncommon, so there was no need to change it.

“What did you do to my face?”

“See for yourself, ma’am.”

Keter pointed to the water. Henya looked and her eyes widened. A completely different woman was staring back at her.

“It should last about six hours. That’s more than enough for a night out.”

“A-Amazing, Mr. Keter! Are you a mage?”

Apparently more impressed by mages than knights, Wid gazed at him in awe.

Too lazy to explain, Keter handed him a platinum coin.

“You and Henya probably didn’t bring money, right?”

“P-Platinum?! I’ve never even seen one before!”

Even in a high-cost city, one hundred gold was enough to do anything they wanted.

“Go shopping. Eat something good. Oh, and save some energy for tonight.”

“Keter! Don’t say weird things!”

Henya blocked Keter from Wid with a glare.

“Fine, you changed my face to hide my identity—I’ll acknowledge that. But how exactly do you plan to distract Father? Just so you know, even if an explosion goes off in the middle of town, he won’t even blink.”

Pat pat.

Keter brushed the dirt from his clothes and smiled. That smile sent a chill down both their spines.

“Don’t worry. Worst case? I’ll toss some dirt in his eyes and make him blink.”

His words were ominous, but Henya wasn’t too concerned.

Even if his distraction failed and knights were sent after her, she was disguised, so they wouldn’t recognize her immediately. It would at least buy time to hide Wid. Besides, he couldn’t imagine what kind of thing Keter would do to distract Eslow.

But Keter was always serious. Once he started something, he finished it. Even if people thought the job was trivial, he never treated it lightly. Even if it cost him his life, or every coin he had, he always saw it through. That was the madness behind Keter, the Solver feared by all of Liqueur.

Henya and Keter parted ways, and she and Wid walked through the city. Though it was their first date and they couldn’t even match each other’s speed, they held hands and explored the town. They had forgotten about Keter already.

“Wid, are you tired? Want to rest?”

“N-No! I’m fine!”

Wid tried to act tough, but they had been walking for three hours. Henya was a knight, so she was fine. But Wid, walking nonstop while nervous the whole time, had legs like jelly.

“You don’t look fine. Let’s rest over there,” Henya said, pointing at a hotel.

It was a famous hotel in Eslow’s fief that only prestigious noble families and renowned figures could go. Its marble exterior glowed in the warm light of the sunset. It was the Feathers Hotel, the same one Sefira visited only to be turned away due to no vacancy.

Just as Wid blushed furiously and waved his hands in protest...

Crash! Boom! Thud...

The Feathers Hotel exploded in a massive blast.

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