Chapitre 8: The Guardian
"Guardian?" Sebastian unconsciously repeated.
"Yes," Balanos answered without much hurry, "before you were born, I made a deal with a couple of people to protect you. But, due to some circumstances, I won't be able to fulfill that role until I have my life separated from this tree."
"Then, what's this about being the future bearer of the stigma?" the old man told him that it's within his roots but if what the hamadryad was saying true, then that meant he was supposed to inherit it all along.
"It is as you're thinking, your ancestor had a stigma and his blood flowed through your predecessors all the way to you," Sebastian's eyes widened at the sudden revelation. This meant that the Warde House wasn't just a normal house, it meant that the enemy of the 『Primogenitors』 had been hidden all this time.
They had the blood of criminals and exiles.
"But, as I've heard you said 'the stigma', does that mean there's only one left?" in the book, users of the stigma weren't very numerous but there were still quite a bit.
Balanos closed her eyes, "unfortunately, I can't sense the blood of the stigma flowing through anyone else other than people of the Warde House. Perhaps, somewhere out there, there's still a bloodline hidden but you're the only person who fits the conditions of reawakening your bloodline's powers.
"You are born of an 『Inheritor』 and are a successor to the stigma, you aren't able to control the power of the 『Inheritors』 because of your bloodline rejecting their power. Starting with you, the bloodline of the Warde House will become able to use stigmas once more.
"Though, this also means extreme danger for your family," Balanos explained.
Those who hold the stigma are the enemies of the 『Inheritors』.
Now, Sebastian hesitated. Perhaps he could really save Amy with this power but in the event that someone in the world knows about it, everyone related to him, whether they be his mother and unborn brother or people of the Warde House, they'd all be persecuted.
"You need not be worried," Balanos spoke as if seeing through Sebastian's inner struggle, "the stigma functions the same as the Mark of the Primogenitors. The only difference is that the mark produces energy naturally while the stigma gains it from a different power source. As long as you hide the stigma, you'll be safe."
Sebastian contemplated for a second before asking another question, "I read that the stigma is given in the form of a tattoo somewhere on the body, is that right?"
Balanos nodded slowly, "where have you read this information? As I recall, any books related to the stigma should have long since vanished."
Sebastian told her all about the old book and the library—he also told her about the words of the old man and someone else reading that book.
"I see. So that book still exists..." Balanos muttered to herself. "Sebastian, stretch out your palms," she spoke.
Sebastian complied after a moment's hesitation. She was still someone new to him but he felt an odd sense of familiarity with her. Not to mention that all of what she had said before matched with what Sebastian knew.
Balanos moved her arm covered by roots and a branch moved towards Sebastian. Sebastian held out his hands and the branch dropped a drop of liquid onto it.
For the first few seconds, Sebastian felt nothing and just as he was about to ask, his eyes widened and he was forced down on one knee.
He grabbed his left wrist with his right hand and removed the glove. There, he could see an illusory mark. He felt like the skin was being burnt off and he yelled in pain.
It only lasted for a few seconds but for Sebastian, it felt like hours. His body trembled and his sweat was pouring down. He looked at his shaking left hand and saw nothing.
Sebastian looked at Balanos in confusion.
"I only traced where the mark will appear, I have no means to give you the stigma," she explained. "The stigma is connected to the soul of its user and the spot it manifests on each person differs. Luckily, your stigma will manifest on your hand.
"Past cases even include the face, the back, the thighs, and several other parts. Remember to hide it well as I won't be able to protect you if you're far away in the near future. But, if you ever need to run somewhere, come find me, I'll always be here.
"Our meeting this time has to end here, the outside world will become suspicious. Keep the old book close at hand if you wish to continue to bear the stigma, otherwise burn it as soon as possible. Farewell," before Sebastian could question Balanos any more, his body sunk into the wooden surface and his consciousness once more faded.
When he opened his eyes, he saw the face of his uncle and cousin looking at him worriedly. "Where...?" Sebastian asked subconsciously.
"You're in the estate, Linet told me you went missing and we found you collapsed by the same tree a few minutes after. What happened to you?" Thomas furrowed his brows.
Sebastian had gone missing and they searched everywhere for him but then they found him back at the empty spot near the tree, this situation was definitely strange.
"I... don't really remember, I fell asleep by the tree and the next thing I know, I'm already here," Sebastian concealed his meeting about Balanos.
"You can rest all you want," Linet who was by Thomas' side looked at him worriedly. Thomas coughed awkwardly and Sebastian looked at her in confusion.
"I'm fine, I guess I was just a little tired from the trip, what time is it?" Sebastian couldn't see the clock from his spot.
"It's a little past four in the afternoon, are you hungry? I can get you something to eat..." as Linet said that, she began taking things out of a basket and set them up on the small table next to the bed.
Sebastian sat up and looked at the food, "sandwiches?"
"Nn. I made them in case you—we got hungry earlier but then the whole incident happened," Linet answered his query.
Sebastian didn't really want to impede any further on their hospitality but she had already gone this far so rejecting it would be somewhat rude. He took a sandwich and bit into it. After swallowing, he smiled at Linet, "it's delicious."
Linet became flushed, "t-thank you. Ah, I just remembered I have something to do, see you later..." after giving one last farewell, she left the room in haste.
"Looks like she's still weary of 『Inheritors』," Sebastian commented as he looked at the door Linet had left through.
Thomas looked at the whole scene with a strange expression on his face. Sebastian noticed that and asked, "uncle, what is it?"
"Sebastian, did you meet with Linet yesterday or... never mind. Anyway, you can stay here for as long as you like, the carriage driver is on standby in one of the rooms," Thomas didn't question him any further about the events and left the room after giving Sebastian one last look.
Sebastian really didn't eat lunch so he was quite hungry. After he finished the sandwiches left for him, he quickly went to find Baritos. After asking questions to the servants on the way, he found Baritos waiting anxiously on a couch in one of the rooms.
"Young master!" Baritos called out and gave a sigh of relief. After hearing that his young master went missing and then was found collapsed, he felt like he was laying down on a bed of nails.
Sebastian's mother doted on him a lot so if she caught wind that Sebastian disappeared, she'd most likely rush towards here as fast as possible and ignore her body's condition.
"Prepare the carriage, we'll head home soon. I'll just bid my relatives farewell and then we'll depart," Sebastian gave Baritos his orders.
Baritos nodded over and over before setting off to prepare the carriage. He planned to depart in the evening but since he already had what he came for, he wanted to go home and check on his mother.
Sebastian found Thomas and told him he was going to leave but he couldn't find Linet and just told his uncle to pass on his message. He went to the back of the estate and said his goodbyes to his grandparents' graves.
Then, he looked at the old tree, "Balanos, I'll come to visit again."
Inside the tree, Balanos watched Sebastian leave without any emotion on her face but her eyes contained a complicated gaze as if there was an inner struggle happening inside her.
...
Sebastian returned home at the afternoon of the next day. The day after tomorrow would be when his classes would resume. As Sebastian walked through the halls of his home, he paused.
"Ah, I forgot to return the book," the library book that Sebastian had rented and paid a deposit for was still in his uncle's house.
"I'll just send a letter by courier later," he sighed. He opened the door to his room, closed the door then looked at the old book on the desk.
He sat down on the chair and began reading it intently, page by page. Balanos told him that if he wanted to bear the stigma, he had to have this book close to him and if he didn't, then he had to burn it.
After reading a dozen or so pages, Sebastian sighed and held the book in his hands. He leaned back on his chair and raised the book into the air and muttered, "what other secrets do you hold?"
At that moment came a knock from his door followed by a voice, "young master, there's a letter here for you."
"Hm? Just slide it under the floor," he answered while setting down the book and standing up. He took the letter from the floor and saw a dark wax seal with a moon in the center.
"This is... the House of Luna's seal," he muttered. It was rare for him to receive letters, especially those of the House of Luna's.
He took a small letter opener from the desk and removed the seal. He took out the letter from inside and found a key alongside it.
—To Sir Sebastian Sol,
Greetings, I apologize for this sudden letter but we have received information that you may want. It is related to what you have been studying lately. Go to the fountain at the center of the plaza tomorrow morning and bring this key with you.
Signed,
A Friend—
"...no matter how I look at it, this is insanely suspicious. In the first place, how would this person know about what I've been researching?" he had the only book that talked about stigmas and Balanos even said that anything related to stigmas were wiped out.
"But, seeing as how it's from the House of Luna and even stamped with its official seal..." Sebastian pondered the matter a little further then held the letter above a candle which then burnt into ashes.
"Special paper, this person is prepared," a normal letter wouldn't have burnt that fast but it only touched the flame for a second before turning into ash.
He only had two options now, risk going to meet the person—risk having his motives found out or risk this person leaking the information.
Sebastian had been backed into a corner. He sat down on the chair and furrowed his brows. The key in his hands had nothing special on it but if what the letter really said was true, then he'd get more clues as to how to awaken his stigma faster.
Finally, he made his decision. "I suppose going and not going have the same risks, why not just go then?"
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone