C71 - 72
Chapter 71: Banquet of Blood (4)
The banquet hall was thrown into chaos by the gang’s attack.
People scattered in all directions, rushing through the corridors to escape the hall.
“…!”
However, the thugs weren’t just in the center.
Maids, waiters, palace guards, even the guests attending the event.
They blocked the entrance to the hall as if they had planned it.
“What are you doing? Get out of the way!”
A nobleman shouted, finally drawing their attention.
“…!”
As they looked up, they were met with a white mask.
“Aaah!”
They too indiscriminately attacked innocent people with their weapons.
“Protect the princess!”
The guards from the royal palace immediately focused on ensuring Arin’s safety in the hall.
“You need to get away. Princess!”
As the two girls who hadn’t yet grasped the situation watched in horror,
A massive red light erupted from the center of the hall occupied by the thugs.
“What’s that?”
A summoning circle.
It was a kind of magic circle that appeared when summoning magical creatures.
The spreading red aura and rising vitality.
As the masked figures surrounding it chanted unknown incantations, soon a gigantic summoned creature appeared within the summoning circle.
“Grrrr…”
Sharp forelegs, black fur, eyes glowing red.
Resembling a hellhound overall, but much larger in size.
It seemed artificially enlarged during the summoning process, but the problem was that it wasn’t the only one.
-Shoong
Demonic beasts consecutively summoned from the maintained summoning circle.
The appearance of frontline demonic beasts within the palace was an unprecedented event in the empire’s history.
“Summoning circle, demonic beasts…”
Even amidst this, Luna diligently observed the summoning process of the demonic beasts.
The one who grabbed her hand was Arin.
“Come on, Luna! It’s dangerous to stay here!”
Under the protection of the knights thereafter, Arin’s group hurriedly fled the hall.
“Kuwaah!”
As if in response, the summoned creatures roared and swiftly chased after them to where they had fled.
“Stop the monsters!”
The once glittering banquet hall, now stained with blood, had turned into a gruesome scene of slaughter.
* * *
The masked thugs weren’t just in the hall.
Continuously appearing as if tracking Arin and Luna’s movements, each time their appearance dwindled the number of guard knights.
“Hurry, take the princess to shelter…!”
However, as if not willing to allow it easily, this time thugs burst through the ceiling and attacked Arin’s group directly.
-Clang!
They weren’t easy opponents to deal with, and yet, they weren’t exactly a walk in the park either.
Even the knights, who were tasked with protecting those in danger, found them to be extremely challenging adversaries; one moment they’d charge in with intent to kill, but the next, they’d retreat at the slightest hint of threat, making them quite difficult to handle.
As Arin, who could only watch the situation unfold, her feelings couldn’t help but be complicated.
“Where on earth did these thugs come from?”
“Well, who knows? Maybe they’re not even human…”
While Arin was anxious, Luna managed to maintain a considerable calmness.
“What do you mean, Luna?”
“Everyone has their own amount of mana and strength, but those masked individuals all emit a consistent energy. It’s as if they’ve copied the power of a single person…”
“Grrrr!”
To make matters worse, a hellhound appeared from around the corner.
“The summoned creature is here!”
“We’ll have to confirm that.”
Luna extended her hand forward, concentrating her mana.
“Blaze forth! Torrent of icy waters!”
As she chanted the spell, a surge of water shot out from Luna’s hand, accompanied by a whirlwind.
The fusion magic of water and wind, ‘Aqua Blast.’
While not a high-level magic, it wasn’t easy to wield either.
The demanding precision required in combining two elements into one.
The more intricate the process, the more powerful the magic became.
“Kuaaah!”
The hellhound, hit head-on by the gust, was sent flying into the wall.
However, whether due to insufficient power or not, it got back up, revealing its menacing fangs once again.
“Oh no. Looks like I didn’t have enough strength.”
Cold sweat trickled down Luna’s cheek.
“Blaze forth! Torrent of icy waters!”
Along with the same spell, another gust of wind blew from behind, but this time, the force of the water surge was much more violent than before.
-Thud!
It wasn’t just a simple bounce back; it was a force that shattered the wall upon impact.
The hellhound, now completely knocked out, showed no sign of getting up again.
Although it was the same spell, the level of power was on a completely different scale.
For a moment, both girls were speechless as they watched.
Then, a familiar voice was heard from behind.
“Are you two alright? Any injuries?”
It was Silica.
“Teacher Silica!”
Although they briefly cheered with joy, Arin’s gaze shifted to another woman standing nearby.
Judging by the situation, she seemed to be the one who had just sent the hellhound flying with magic.
There wasn’t any particular reason for the shift in attention.
She was just undeniably beautiful.
“First, let’s assess the situation in front of us! Alice! I’ll leave the princess to you!”
“Yes, teacher!”
Upon hearing the name Alice, Arin’s heart sank.
‘Alice? Could it be Alice Vert? Then she’s Cyan’s sister?!’
Upon closer inspection, her features bore a striking resemblance to Cyan.
Both Luna and Arin couldn’t help but stare at her intently.
‘Tremendous mana… I sense a similar aura to the senior.’
While looking at one woman, they couldn’t help but think of a certain man, creating a somewhat subtle situation.
-Rip!
Alice suddenly tore her dress boldly.
“I can’t fight properly like this. Let’s get going, everyone!”
“But, what about Teacher Silica?”
“It’s okay! Teacher Silica is incredibly strong, even more so than we think!”
With an air of assurance, she pushed the two girls forward.
“We’ll escort you to the shelter!”
With that, the knights regrouped and headed towards the shelter with the princess.
Left alone, Silica faced five thugs brandishing swords at her.
She retrieved a small dagger hidden in her thigh without hesitation.
-Swish!
——————
——————
For an assassin, hesitation is a luxury.
Silica charged at the thugs in front of her and swiftly wielded her sword with unseen speed.
It was like a mesmerizing dance of blades.
However, those struck by her sword mercilessly poured out blood as they fell.
It took less than 10 seconds to deal with the thugs in that area.
-Swoosh
Approaching one of the thugs’ bodies, she removed their mask.
“…!”
The face was so decomposed that it was hard to believe the person had been alive until recently.
In essence, they were no different from a corpse that had been dead for quite some time.
Silica immediately recognized their true identity.
“Marionette…!”
Also known as puppet dolls.
This wasn’t a command to resurrect the dead, but rather a spell that infused magic into a soulless corpse to manipulate it as the caster wished, literally controlling it like a doll.
Once the mask was removed, the body soon dispersed into dust and disappeared.
“Leader!”
As the situation settled, some Mist members who had infiltrated the palace rushed over to her.
Silica issued immediate orders.
“Spread the word to all nearby members. Get out of this palace, if not this entire fortress, as soon as possible! Something unknown is happening here that Mist isn’t aware of…”
Upon receiving the orders, the members quickly left their positions.
“What on earth could have prompted this…?”
Eyes ablaze with determination and lips tightly sealed in anger.
It wasn’t just the loss of their comrade that angered her.
It was the sheer enormity of what was happening, beyond even her ability to comprehend.
Their frustration stemmed from feeling utterly powerless in this situation.
“Where are you, Cyan?”
She couldn’t help but worry about her one missing disciple.
* * *
The appearance of thugs and demonic beasts showed no signs of abating.
Despite attempting to run blindly towards the underground shelter, they encountered barricades at every turn, making it impossible to get any closer.
In the end, Arin’s group had no choice but to evacuate outside the building.
They found themselves in the central garden of the palace, surrounded by sculptures.
Deciding to hide in a pavilion surrounded by flowers, they sought refuge.
The surroundings were so quiet that not even the sound of insects could be heard.
“We may have temporarily evaded them, but we can’t let our guard down just yet.”
Observing the situation, Alice sighed and spoke.
“I wonder if they’re particularly targeting us?”
“Yeah, it’s strange. They seemed to be swarming towards us almost excessively. It’s as if they’re chasing after our scent…”
In response to Luna’s inquiry, Alice affirmed positively.
It definitely felt strange how they were being relentlessly pursued.
It was akin to beasts catching the scent of prey and chasing after it.
Arin voiced her concern with an uneasy tone.
“Is it because of me then?”
She seemed to think that her status as a member of the royal family had put everyone in danger.
“We’ll have to confirm that later. Whether they’re targeting the entire royal family or just the princess…”
Alice kindly patted Arin’s slightly gloomy shoulder.
“But wait, Alice, aren’t you Cyan’s sister?”
“Oh? Oh yes, that’s right! I didn’t even properly introduce myself amidst all this chaos. I’m Alice Vert, the eldest daughter of the Vert family!”
Despite the urgent situation, Alice felt it necessary to grasp the hem of her skirt and offer a formal introduction.
“I heard you sent an invitation to my brother? It seems you’re quite close with Cyan?”
“Oh, um, that, it wasn’t anything special! I just felt sorry for Cyan, who’s stuck at the academy even during the holidays!”
“So it was the princess who sent the invitation to my senior?”
Luna’s inscrutable gaze only served to further fluster Arin.
“W-what would he do if he came! He didn’t even bother to show his face to me after coming all this way…”
Was it a sudden rush of resentment towards Cyan?
Arin’s lips curled in frustration.
“Making someone wait for another woman, even if it’s my brother, I should give him a piece of my mind later. If we get through this situation safely, of course.”
Of course, this was assuming they got through the current situation unscathed.
As for what Cyan was doing, none of the three women had any idea.
-Rustle
The familiar sound of swiftly parting foliage.
The knights immediately went on high alert again.
“Over there!”
Masked thugs emerged from the blossoming flower bed, dozens of them at a rough estimate.
It wasn’t a surprise attack; they seemed to be slowly closing in on Arin’s group from all sides, as if patiently cornering their prey.
“How did they all manage to sneak up on us?”
They hadn’t even sensed a hint of their presence.
The sudden appearance felt as if it came out of nowhere, from what was seemingly just an ordinary flowerbed.
In response, Alice swiftly gathered her mana within her body.
With less than ten enemies, it was practically impossible to protect the two girls against the thugs.
Unable to wield her sword due to the uncomfortable attire, Alice believed that her only option in this situation was magic.
-Rumbling
The surge of mana for casting high-level magic.
She intended to draw upon all the mana she possessed.
“Um, Alice?”
“It seems like the flowers have withered quite a bit. I should water them a bit. Although, with too much force, they might all fly away…”
Of course, after using this magic, she would lose all her energy and collapse.
The rest would be up to the knights.
-Thud!
“….?”
Suddenly, a giant sculpture standing in one corner of the garden collapsed with a loud noise.
As everyone’s attention, including the thugs’, momentarily shifted away,
From the billowing dust, an unfamiliar figure rose into the sky.
-Splatter
An unknown entity emitting black fog beneath the golden full moon.
Dressed in a jet-black suit darker than the night sky, with an indistinguishable black mask.
It felt completely different from the pure white masks worn by the thugs.
-Whoosh
‘What, what is this unstoppable force?!’
For Alice, it was an unfamiliar aura she had never encountered before.
With a purple dagger pulsating with bloody energy in hand,
He charged straight towards the thugs.
——————
Chapter 72: Banquet of Blood (5)
Including Arin, as well as Alice, Luna, and the knights.
Right now, they all shared the same thought.
That masked man, at least, wasn’t allied with these villains.
The energy he exuded was noticeably different.
Unlike the eerie feeling from the white-masked villains, who seemed devoid of humanity altogether, this person felt human but somehow also gave off a strange sensation of being far superior to mere mortals.
However, no one could discern his true identity.
-Splatter
A spectacular sword dance unfolded beneath the moonlight.
Fluttering flower petals added to the spectacle, creating a mesmerizing scene.
The masked man swiftly dispatched the villains surrounding him.
At times, his speed was so fast that others couldn’t keep up.
Even as he engaged in direct combat, he seamlessly moved to the rear, navigating the space with ease.
Two minutes passed.
It took only that long for dozens of villains to be completely obliterated.
It was an unbelievable sight, accomplished by just one person, without any help or support from others.
His gaze suddenly turned towards Arin and her group.
Meeting his gaze, Arin felt as if all her senses had stopped, and her trembling legs couldn’t seem to leave the ground.
“D-Don’t come any closer!”
The knights stepped forward, swords raised, blocking the path to the princess.
“Identify yourself immediately and explain your presence here! Otherwise, you’ll be considered an enemy…”
-Swish
Before the knight could finish his sentence,
the masked man disappeared from their sight.
-Whoosh!
A strong gust of wind suddenly blew in.
The knights realized too late that the masked man had already passed them.
“…!”
Alice and Luna also found themselves overtaken in an instant.
His physical form ultimately arrived right in front of none other than Princess Arin.
They say when people are too shocked, they can’t even speak.
Arin, in her confusion, took a step back, losing her balance as her steps tangled.
“Ah!”
As Arin was about to fall helplessly,
-Thunk
The man’s gentle touch supported her back.
“……!”
The faces of the two came naturally closer.
Arin’s face flushed red, and the man raised his hand without hesitation.
His hand aimed right at her chest.
“W-What are you doing?!”
Arin, flustered, was about to struggle, but then something fell from her body.
-Plunk
Gems scattered and twinkled like falling raindrops.
What the man caught was the pendant Arin had been wearing.
-Crack!
The red gem that had captured everyone’s attention shattered into pieces the moment it landed in his hand.
The man simply tossed the remnants of the gem to the ground.
“Princess!”
The vigilant knights rushed over, concerned.
“Are you alright? Did you get hurt anywhere?”
There was no way she could have been injured.
All the man in the mask had done was snatch the necklace hanging around her neck.
Arin stood there in a daze, her face blank with astonishment.
“And, what about that person?”
It felt as though she had just emerged from a brief illusion.
A midsummer night’s dream couldn’t be this fleeting.
The man in the mask had completely vanished from everyone’s sight.
* * *
“Aaaah!”
Emily and Nana shouted as they dashed away desperately, screaming for their lives.
Brian followed closely behind, ensuring their safety.
“What on earth are those things? Why did they suddenly appear and attack us?”
Just a few minutes ago, when screams were heard from the banquet hall, I went to see what was happening.
Suddenly, the masked figures attacked Emily and others.
With the entire palace in chaos, we had no choice but to trust our feet and flee.
“Do these people hold a grudge against us, knight? Why else would they keep chasing after us, innocent as we are?”
“Well, I’m not so sure. I don’t think we’ve done anything particularly bad, but then again, maybe we have…”
“Why is this knight so indecisive? Ugh! What was our lord thinking, bringing along such people!?”
Emily vented her frustration while fleeing.
Their frantic escape soon came to a halt as they encountered an impassable wall.
“A wall?!”
Trapped with no way out, Emily’s face twisted in despair.
“Well, this might just be for the best!”
Instead of reaching for the longsword at his hip as if it were a good omen, Brian drew a dagger from his cloak.
Though outnumbered five to one, Brian showed no signs of faltering.
In fact, he appeared quite confident.
“Are you out of your mind, Sir Brian? How do you plan to handle so many on your own?”
“Don’t worry, Miss! If I can’t handle this much, how will I ever protect our lord in the future?”
With a determined resolve, Brian charged forward.
Utilizing his senses to the fullest while minimizing his movements was the most efficient theory he had learned over the past two years for subduing enemies.
In essence, all it took to eliminate five foes was five strikes.
Brian swiftly dispatched the masked adversaries with precise and efficient movements.
Without a moment’s hesitation, the enemies fell.
Watching the scene unfold, Emily couldn’t believe her eyes.
Her naturally flushed cheeks were just an added bonus.
“Are you hurt anywhere, Miss?”
“Is that what you want to say to me?”
A completely different demeanor from just moments ago.
The awkward scratching of the back was quite incongruous.
“Grrr…”
A chilling sound sent shivers down Emily’s spine, and Brian tightened his grip on his sword.
Soon, heavy footsteps, not human but beastly, echoed around the corner.
Emerging from the shadows was a massive hellhound, its sharp teeth poised towards Emily and her companions.
“This can’t be happening! Why is there a hellhound inside the palace?”
With frontline experience, Emily couldn’t help but panic, and Brian, faced with a supernatural entity for the first time, couldn’t hide his tension.
“That’s… a demonic monster?!”
Amidst the chaos, Nana, who had been sleeping, suddenly stepped forward.
“Nana…?”
Interrupting to ask what she was doing could wait for a moment.
“Sniff sniff!”
She suddenly started sniffing as if trying to catch a scent, her nose twitching.
*Sigh*
Then, with an inexplicable smile, she seemed to savor the taste, resembling nothing less than a ravenous beast consumed by appetite.
Soon, with a meaningful gaze, she muttered softly, “Looks delicious!”
——————
——————
Just as she revealed her grown white fangs and was about to pounce,
*Crash!*
A nearby window shattered with a loud noise.
“…!”
Through the broken window a man in a black mask.
His identity remained a mystery for now.
Thud!
“Krrr”
Sudden appearance of a stranger didn’t faze the fearless little puppy, who barked bravely,
“What’s this?”
*Bam*
As if annoyed, he simply kicked him out the window.
“Phew…”
With a deep sigh, he tossed away the mask.
“Papa!”
The man behind the mask, sporting a rather disgruntled expression, turned out to be Cyan.
“Y-Young Master?”
Without waiting for a response to his call, Cyan simply slumped to the ground.
* * *
Having been tirelessly wandering around the palace, the only thought that crossed my mind was how darn exhausting it all was.
Oh, it’s so tiring.
Not so much physically drained, but mentally exhausted.
I never imagined I’d end up burdened with such annoying tasks, where it feels like there’s no escaping from these ominous thoughts.
“Y-Your, I mean, Master!”
With a bright smile, Nana leaped into my arms.
But didn’t she just seem like she was about to approach the hellhound a moment ago?
Must be my imagination, right?
“What are you doing now, Master?”
Emily, who had rushed over at some point, immediately intervened between me and Nana.
“Are you really going to do something big? Where in the world is there a maid who embraces her master? I mean, why have another maid besides me? Are you really crazy, Master? And how did you deal with the hellhound earlier…!?”
Where in the world is there a maid who asks her master if he is crazy?
Right now, I couldn’t afford to listen to her complaints.
“Enough. Emily, did you receive something from someone?”
“Receive something? Oh right! I forgot to give you something earlier…”
She pulled out a bow tie from her pocket.
Before she could give it, I snatched it and crushed the jewel embedded in it.
– Crack
The gem that was on the bow tie shattered into pieces.
Without hesitation, I tossed it out the window.
“What, what are you doing, Master?!”
A shocked Emily grabbed me by the collar and shook me vigorously.
“That was a gift from Lord Aschel! What are you going to do if you ruin his present like that!”
It is because of this rock that you’ve been chased by the monsters all this time.
Daze Stone.
It’s one of those artifact stones that can contain human magic.
It looks like just a flashy red gem on the surface, but in reality, having it is akin to committing suicide.
The magic contained within the stone periodically emits a mesmerizing aura that can mesmerize other beings.
In simple terms, just having it makes you a target for marionettes and monsters.
So, whether it’s the princess’s side or their side, they’ve probably been quite harassed by those puppets until I arrived.
Well, she’s not someone who would understand even if I explained it, so it’s probably better to just leave her alone.
“Brian?”
“Yes, my Lord!”
“Go to my room and bring me a change of clothes. There should be a tuxedo similar to what I’m wearing now.”
“Yes, understood!”
“What? Why are you asking a guardian knight instead of a maid to do that? That’s something a maid should do!”
What’s with her again?
“Please, sir! It would be inconvenient if you bring it all wrinkled, so I’ll accompany you!”
I don’t know what to do in front of the true maid.
Emily was asserting her pride in strange places.
“Oh? Then I’ll come along too!”
Nana also followed them, saying she would go.
Three of them are going just to get a piece of clothing.
With Brian there, it shouldn’t be a problem.
Well, it’s not like I’ll be alone just because you guys are leaving.
[…….]
Meanwhile, Kaeram was leaning against the wall, silently watching me as I rested.
Her strange gaze and smile made her look like a devil with a poker face.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
[Oh, it’s nothing. I just wonder if it’s okay to be so relaxed!]
From the tone of her words, it seemed more like she was enjoying it than worrying.
“All the marionettes in the palace have been dealt with. The summoned creatures too, and we destroyed all the Daze Stones you mentioned, so the remaining task will be handled by the palace knights.”
[Destroyed all the Daze Stones? Do you really think so?]
“Of course. You must have told me…….”
Suddenly, I had a flash of realization.
A chilling warning from the demonic sword, a sensation I hadn’t felt in a while.
That was definitely not a joke.
“One in the princess’s pendant, and one in the butterfly necktie Emily was going to give me… Wasn’t that it?”
There’s no way I misheard.
There were indeed Daze Stones at the two points she mentioned, and I destroyed them.
That’s how it should be, how it had to be.
Why is Kaeram laughing right now?
[I never said there were two, did I?]
——————