Chapter 262
Chapter 262
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: One Empire, Three Legends (21)
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Someone had died. Murdered, unmistakably, by another person.
Whispers of the fierce blizzard wrapped around the entire castle as, on their father's orders, all the retainers and servants gathered in the first-floor hall.
"Emerson Phil. Donna Mara. Kenny Phyllis. That's the three, correct?"
"Yes. A handyman, laundry worker, and kitchen assistant, respectively."
"...Cause of death?"
"For Emerson Phil, blood loss from a dagger wound. In front of the back door used by the castle servants. Donna Mara froze to death. Found between the female servants' quarters and the main castle. Kenny Phyllis, this one..."
"Continue, Sir Cedric."
"...Kenny Phyllis's body was so badly damaged when discovered that determining the cause of death was difficult. Hm. Almus, Boter. Over here, please. My lord, it's rather gruesome, but I believe you should see it firsthand for judgment's sake."
Sir Cedric seemed to glance at my siblings and me beside our mother, choosing his words carefully, before calling over two burly servants to uncover the cloth-draped corpse. As Father approached, the sound of the cloth being carefully lifted reached us.
"Ke, Kenny.... Ugh! Urk!"
"This is..."
What Sir Cedric had overlooked was that Coachman Boter was no stranger to such sights. While Father let out a low groan, Boter doubled over retching. Thanks to that, I caught a glimpse of the corpse from beside my mother.
A few months earlier, I'd gone autumn hunting with Father. Servants and hounds drove the deer, and Father laughed heartily at my clumsy archery that couldn't hit one right in front of me.
What stuck with me most that day was the deer. Bloodshot bulging eyes. Four legs dangling from the wooden rack. The servant who always smiled brightly slashing open its belly with a sharp dagger, spilling blood and entrails.
I stood speechless in shock, while the knights—and Father—laughed brightly at the sight.
Phyllis's frozen corpse reminded me of that deer.
Whoosh!
"M, Mother?"
"Hush now. Let's go inside. Father and the knights will handle it."
"But..."
"Now!"
Under Mother's firm grip, that morning's incident ended for us siblings.
Three deaths. Three corpses. The blizzard still raged wildly, and the knights found no signs of entry or exit.
That meant only one thing.
'One of our servants... or knights... killed them.'
Among the familiar faces gathered on the first floor, one hid a face they hadn't shown us. And now everyone here knew it.
An intangible unease filled the Teldmaier castle, wandering the halls as fear and distrust.
****
"After that day, Father tried to keep us siblings somewhere safe. We stayed in Mother's room instead of our own, with knights always guarding the door."
"Were they wary of the murderer?"
"...Sadly, after that morning, distinguishing murderer from non-murderer became meaningless."
Aldrich draped a blanket over Lucilla's trembling shoulders and fiddled with the locket's photo.
"Rumors spread among the servants. All three dead had the coughing sickness. Emerson had argued with the head maid the day before, coughing and spitting everywhere. Donna complained to her dorm mates about washing her own handkerchiefs. Kenny had weak lungs to begin with. They all coughed, but no fever or special symptoms—they seemed healthy. But by then, no one noticed such things."
It took half a day for family members they'd shared months—or decades—with to turn on each other. A few conversations born of unbearable silence were all it needed.
'They're killing anyone with symptoms before the coughing sickness spreads.'
'...Young master, haven't you been coughing a lot lately?'
'It's a curse. Paying the price for mocking the temple all these years!'
'M, Meina! Stay away! You were stuck to the fallen young master every day! O, one more step and I'll stab you!'
'M, Mina! Borte! Why, why are you doing this! No, don't leave me alone! Please! Open this door! Please!!!'
'...Hey, Burt. Got the spare storeroom key? We need to grab weapons and food. Everyone else is already armed. If those crazies burn our beds or knights come for our necks, we need at least one blade. Trust no one. No one!'
'Mina! That's an order! Drop the weapon and go to your room! What's gotten into you!'
'D, don't make me laugh! Back to that den crawling with cursed ones?'
'You fool... There's no such thing as a contagion!'
'Dozens have already died from it! If it didn't exist, it does now! ...My hometown's not even a day's ride from here. I'll go back. Hold out till spring eating just this storeroom's food, and I can reach my siblings! No, no! No nono no no no no! If you're set on killing me, you come too! Let's see if you can last till spring without a bite!'
"F, fire! The food storeroom's on fire!"
'A knight burned Mina alive for having the coughing sickness!'
'The count's trying to kill us all!!!'
Servants scattered to corners of the castle with their closest allies, soon starting to kill the nearest ones first.
"Gah! Sir Summerson... why?"
'Sorry, Captain. The Teldmaier house is done. Kill and burn the sick. Castle isolated by sudden plague and blizzard! Now I see what it means! In this damned castle, kill and burn all who shared the air! God isolated it to end this here! My duty! As knight, as man! I won't let this horror reach the village!'
The knights' convictions corrupted, dragging them into madness.
Four days. Just four days. Before finding the first three killers, more murders happened. The stench of blood cornered people, drove them insane. Eyes stabbed with pokers in those you'd greeted each morning, brother knights under the same lord crossing blades, fires everywhere filling the castle with acrid smoke.
"Screams of people burning, dying gasps of stabbed maids, mutterings of deranged prayers as they carved their own flesh.... Neria and I huddled in Mother's room, trembling all day. Unattended doors froze solid, thick smoke dulled minds. Everyone was going mad. We didn't see Father after the first murder, and door guards vanished one by one. When Sir Cedric beheaded a knight trying to break in, he became our sole defense for Mother and us."
"Grk. Ghost old man. Got a question."
Amid Aldrich's tale filling the carriage like chill flames, Notum raised a hand.
"Ghost teacher, kid. Stayed in room with mom. Vivid story like saw with eyes. How?"
=========
- Jokasss: Wow, fuck. Couldn't even breathe listening. Yeah, now I get it. How's a kid stuck in a room know all that outside shit.
- Deer Drug Please: Eek.... So coooold.... Y-you, it's cuz it's freezing, wanna sleep together tonight...? Just cold, yeah.... Not gonna eat you.... Definitely not cuz I'm scared....
- Jokasss: Damn. Catch you later.
Ding-!
[Player 'Jokasss' has left the chat room.]
- Deer Drug Please: Ugh. Gotta chase again. Wearing me out.
Ding-!
[Player 'Deer Drug Please' has left the chat room.]
- Take a Look: You guys have fun.
- Heung An Mandu: So, how'd Aldrich really know all that?
- Speed Wagon: Let's hear. Notum asked the perfect question.
=========
Clatter. Clatter.
Silence hung in the dim night carriage.
Aldrich, red-faced from pouring liquor like water on dusty memories, turned to Notum.
"Right on the mark. A normal kid couldn't remember or recount it so vividly, like seeing it firsthand. How'd it happen?"
"...Grrk. Teacher, black mage? Were you... the culprit behind it all?"
Aldrich stared silently at Notum's cautious question, then shook his head with a sigh.
"Close, but off. Notum, I held a very important role in those events, but I wasn't the culprit. If anything, I was the most crucial sacrificial lamb."
"Grooom. Then, how?"
"...It was a dream. A dream. Like the dream before Emerson died, fever reignited in my feverbed head, smoky castle scenes flashing one by one. Nanny Meina locked in a closet, burned alive by servants. Kind stablemaster tied naked to a horse vanishing into the blizzard, onlookers cackling. Mad servants. Mad knights! Even mad Father! All flashed before my eyes. Endless nightmare tormenting young me. And finally, the nightmare's end. Sir Cedric butchering the dead knight at our door—I woke from long sleep."
Drenched in cold sweat, Aldrich despaired at thick smoke, screams, frantic pounding on the locked doorknob. It meant not waking from nightmare, but nightmare becoming reality.
Dream's final scene. Cedric, having butchered fellow knight, grinning creepily at their door—continued in reality.
****
Knock knock knock.
"Countess. May I enter briefly?"
"...Sir Cedric. Step back."
"..."
Knock knock knock knock.
"Lady Mare. It's me. Knight Sir Cedric Basis. Served you since girlhood, always guarding your back. Knight Sir Cedric. Remember? It was just like this that day. Family in crisis, I carried bewildered you desperately out of burning castle..."
"I warned you, Cedric Basis! As lady of Teldmaier house, I order you: away from the door now!"
"..."
Mother's angry voice halted Cedric; footsteps approaching the door retreated.
Then, the sound of drawing sword.
Crack!
"Aaah!"
Not slicing the black door scarred by teeth, blood, grease—he shattered it. Gloved knight's hand reached through splinters, easily opening it.
Blood-soaked, he looked from Mother to Neria. Then me.
"Sir Cedric..."
"Countess. No, Mare. Did you know? From pledging loyalty on that hill. As knight, I gave everything. Even my heart, for you. Just like today. House engulfed in treason flames, I who'd sworn all to you dove into the inferno without hesitation. Seeing you alive, grown beautiful, mother of two—my heart swells."
Calling Mother, me, Neria in turn, pointing sword tip at each—Cedric seemed out of his mind.
"...Truth is, it doesn't swell. Wrong from start. Everything so clear now. Regret only realizing now what to do, what not."
Clank. Clank.
Cedric's steps rang armor; blood oozed between plates. Reading clear killing intent, Mother blocked us children, backing away whispering.
"Aldrich. Take Neria to Father."
"M-Mother?"
"Now!"
Whoosh!
"Urk, grrr!"
Before I could think, it happened in a blink. Mother blocked us barehanded, hurled blazing brazier at Sir Cedric. As burning coals and ash smothered him, staggering—Mother shoved my back roughly.
"M-Mom!"
Aldrich and Neria etched the sight: groaning face-clutching Cedric, Mother barring the door.
Knight's fierce glare at Mother.
Mother's resolute face.
His hand gripped sister's tiny one.
Mother turned toward stairs to basement, opposite Father's study.
"Mom's fine. Cedric'll chase me, you go to Father. Got it? First-floor stables. Hide in straw pile, Mom'll fetch you. Go!"
At Mother's cracked voice, Aldrich bolted into smoke-filled hall.
Behind, enraged knight's roar, Mother's scream—but clutching sister, Aldrich didn't stop.
Once-beautiful hall thick with acrid smoke, burning flesh stench.
****
"Huff, huff!"
Dizzy, suffocating. Inhaling smoke made halls drip like candle wax, short path to Father's study stretching to horizon.
'Dream. All scenes from the dream.'
Mother's scream, elongating hall. Blood tsunami flooding hall. Where fine paintings hung, grotesque arms legs merged into walls.
Aldrich overlaid dream and reality in flickering consciousness. Dream now marched with reality.
"Y-Young master? Out at this hour, you rotten, damned, useless brat—!"
'Dodge left.'
Boom!
Melted-skin Mina with blood-drenched kitchen knife—chandelier would crash on her head. Blade grazed shoulder, but Mina impaled skull-first by massive chandelier.
Clang, ting, clang!
As her crushed maid bell rolled down stairs thrice.
"Ooo... Young master? Missiii?"
Blister-covered monster coachman would grab ankle.
"Heh heh heh... Oh my, young master. Splinters shards everywhere, thin slippers no good. Let me nail sturdy safe horseshoe. Clop clop clop clop, just eight nails in foot.... Heh heh heh.... Hooo!"
Slash!
As yellow blisters burst, tiny spiders crawling ankle to knee.
"You're safe."
"F-Father!"
"Daddy!"
Yes. Right here, Father appeared, beheading coachman.
Hellscape illusion or reality—unclear. But reunion sparked hope.
"Come."
"Where to?"
"Castle basement has secret passage no one knows. For emergencies. Blizzard blocks exit, but... we can hold till all others kill each other."
Wiping blood from robe-sheathed sword, Father strode ahead. Aldrich hesitated, not following immediately.
Eyes. Father's eyes wrong. Pupils seemed independent, irises writhing like living things across eyeball.
"Must... we go underground?"
"Of course. Die here? Want to go mad too, hand over Neria at least. Can't end the line."
"N-No."
Aldrich shook head at icy tone. Fever. Hallucinations from fever. No flesh-pile halls in our castle, no eight-eyed maids, no twisted gut-stairs. Head messed from fever, smoke.
Thud!
Deep in stables, descending stone stairs under board Father lifted—Aldrich repeated endlessly. Just he and Neria could do nothing. Endless downward stairs ominous terrifying, but Aldrich had to follow Father.
Father navigated pitch-black underground passage flawlessly, no misstep.
Step. Step. Step. Step.
"Slowly. Carefully down. No injuries. Yes, not a speck of damage. Good. We're here."
"Father? This... isn't a passage?"
"No, it is. Not out, but in. To this world's deepest place."
Lightless room of natural stone. Center of stone wall: faintly red-glowing stone structure.
Father spread arms ecstatically introducing tiny chamber, approached nobly—and stabbed Aldrich's chest. Motion too natural for father killing son. Like stroll, picking fruit.
Stab!
"Guh! H-urgh..."
"Shh. Yes, hurts lots. Hot as flame, cool as winter. It'll pass soon. Soon."
Moment [Altar] flashed in mind—red-hot poker sensation pierced gut. Pain too great for scream, legs powerless, nothing doable.
"O-Onii-chan! Onii-chaaan! Aaaah!"
"Shh. Neria. Quiet. Must learn manners more. Precious place needs pure body, mind. Like butterfly wing-flap, light."
Neria's wail, stone structure rattle heard. Aldrich couldn't lift head, but mind's vision lit gloomy room vividly. Mad Father laying Neria on altar; seeing hair-like ropes, she resisted desperately—Father's brutish hand struck frail belly, knocking her out. And. And...
"...Mom?"
In dim hazy vision. Silhouette at stone room entrance—Aldrich cried unwittingly.
Slash!
Thud. Roll....
"Stupid thing. Told you not to damage."
Without warning, Father's head fell.
Splat. Splat. Splat.
"M-Mom...?"
Unscarred barefooted Mother approached, cradling him. Blood pooled following her steps, gray stone walls sprouting gruesome flesh-bits bones.
"My son. Listened well? Met Father. Brought sister safe to stables."
Unmistakable Mother's face. Still delicate beautiful after two children.
But his vision showed wholly other.
"Oh my. My son indeed. Knew you had good eyes... but can you 'see' Mom? Aldrich?"
He nodded.
Not mere vision in his eyes.
Aldrich nodded to tower-like being of bleached bones devouring shredded souls with each breath.
"Good."
The mother-thing smiled radiantly, meeting his eyes.
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