The Banished Villainous Noble Son Who Was Used as a Stepping Stone in the Original Work Awakens to Combat and Destroys the Laws of the World - Episode 53: The Foretold Reunion

Episode 53: The Foretold Reunion

Leaving the Miasma Plain, I could feel on my skin that the density of miasma was gradually thinning.

Looking back, today I had been able to steadily raise the level of my “Constant Activity” skill — but in exchange, the battles with the Maw of Miasma were becoming ever more intense.

It was only natural — they weren’t just letting me train for free.

(…As I thought, “that” really is well-suited for combat training.)

Aside from the “Constant Activity” skill, my “Evasion Boost” skill was also strengthening. In other words, I was becoming more precise at analyzing how to avoid attacks.

It seemed to pair well with the “Indomitable” skill, which suppresses emotional fluctuation and allows calm responses — today, I hadn’t been hit even once.

Thinking that, I kept walking.

The sun had already set. And the streets of Luxteria were wrapped in nighttime silence.

The noise of adventurers had vanished; only the faint light of streetlamps dotted the roads.

I happened to look up. A partially clouded moon shone with a cold light. It was like thin ice.

(…Strangely quiet.)

The city seemed unchanged. Yet there was some kind of subtle unease.

I had nearly reached my inn when I stopped.

(—…Ice?)

A chill drifted into my nostrils. It wasn’t the ordinary nighttime cold of Luxteria — but a transparent cold air.

It wasn’t a clear drop in temperature. But unmistakably, it was similar to the presence of “that monster.” Meaning — the aura I’d felt back in the Miasma Plain had not been my imagination.

On the ground — only a tiny patch. But unmistakably — frost clung there. So small it was a miracle I even noticed.

(Why here…?)

I thought it over. But no answer came. Though I stayed alert to the surroundings, I didn’t reach for my sword yet.

(No hostility. But… is “it” nearby?)

The wind stirred. In that instant — I felt a “gaze” from behind.

I turned sharply — but no one was there.

(No. Not my imagination.)

Something definitely had been there.

And when it realized I had noticed — it left.

It felt like a trace left behind by the ice monster I had once fought alongside. As if it was quietly, gently, trying to convey something — without demanding more.

I halted my steps toward the inn.

My instincts warned me. The “sense” honed through countless battles was scraping at every nerve in my body.

The inn was right there. But if I went back now, I might end up leading something back with me.

(Returning now would be rash.)

I still had potions. My stamina was fine. That alone was reason enough to stop.

And then, this coldness. The presence reminiscent of that ice monster.

(Is it close by?)

I couldn’t be certain. But to uncover the source of this unease, I needed to observe longer.

Scanning the area, I hid behind a small outcrop of rock.

I stilled my footsteps. I suppressed my presence. I even made my breathing shallow. Quietly, quietly, I sharpened my sight. Thanks to “Night Vision: Lv.1”, I could see well enough.

A single blade of grass — was frozen.

Only that one, faintly white. As the wind shook it, frost cracked with a soft sound.

This was no accident. Nor was it natural.

(…So it really is here.)

Perhaps it was good I hadn’t gone straight back to the inn.

A heat different from battle stirred inside me. That monster had appeared again — but why, here, now?

With that doubt, I made my decision. Tonight, I wouldn’t return. Going back would only show that monster the path to the inn.

That had to be avoided at all costs.

“Madam, I may not return tonight.”

I murmured as though to the inn’s proprietress. I stepped toward the city outskirts.

The wind’s chill and the drifting cold were different directions. My body remembered — I had faced that monster before.

This wasn’t to hunt. Merely — to discern something.

◆

The deeper I entered the forest, the sharper the chill became. The daytime heat felt like a lie; the air stung my skin with icy cold.

But it wasn’t mere chill — it was “cold aura.” And it seemed to spread with a distinct will.

(…No doubt about it.)

I exhaled and drew my sword. My senses sharpened. Frost on the ground, droplets frozen at leaf tips.

None of these had been here moments ago.

This cold was the monster’s trail. Its intentional markings led deeper into the forest, as though to “guide.”

(Am I being tested? Or else—)

I breathed deeply. I then advanced slowly along that path. Grass was frozen. The ground was white with frost. A faint mist hung in the air.

And then—there it was.

In a moonlit clearing among the trees, a blue silhouette stood — a monster. Its fur glistened like transparent ice. It resembled a special variant of the Twin Fang Wolf.

But I recognized that figure.

(No mistake. The one I once fought alongside, underground—)

The monster, too, gazed at me. Our eyes met. But there was no hostility. No killing intent. No intimidation. Instead—an inquisitive look.

I remained standing with my sword ready, without a word. The monster did not move. It only watched me intently.

It was as if it awaited words — or sought confirmation of something.

The wind blew. It was cold and sharp. From the monster’s icy body, faint magic rose. It dyed the air.

Our gazes crossed. My grip on the sword tightened. Yet there was no reason to swing.

The monster tilted its head slightly. Not in threat — but like an “observer,” or perhaps, an “understander.”

(…It doesn’t intend to fight?)

No words. Yet that silence itself might have been its reply.

At that moment, a shard of ice drifted down from the sky. As if the night itself exhaled, the air wavered.

And then—

Not a sound, not a voice — but something resonated directly in the depths of my mind.

“Human—why do I sense ‘ice magic power’ from you?”

Original Author’s Comment:

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