Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Pruning (4)
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Manuel Salazar's sudden death delivered a massive shock to Madela's noble society.
Especially since the exact cause of death remained unknown, all sorts of speculation ran rampant.
From claims that a rabies outbreak had simply stopped his heart, or that he had taken his own life.
To stories of him charging at the lord only to meet his end at the knights' swords.
Or even rumors that the lord had conspired to assassinate him.
Whatever the reason, the core issue was that rabies had manifested in him.
And that the same rabies had broken out simultaneously in the heads of other families.
This meant the same tragedy could strike those families too, depending on what had killed Manuel.
"It's all my fault! I should have noticed something was off when he started drinking that liquor he never touched before!"
"No, Matron. It was our failure to stop the elder as he rushed out..."
"Enough.... How can I blame you when your arm broke trying to hold him back. Sob...!"
On that tragic day.
Despite being over fifty, Manuel had shaken off the servants with inhuman strength and fled the mansion.
And after that.
They had received word of his death through the lord's knights, but his body still hadn't been returned.
Thanks to that, even today, Matron Salazar had to weep over an empty casket.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
As the funeral without a corpse dragged on for days.
Someone pounded desperately on the mansion's door.
"...Who could it be at this hour?"
"I'll go check."
"No! What if it's him come back!"
Perhaps the news of her husband's death was all a ridiculous misunderstanding.
Clutching that hope, Matron Salazar rushed to the entrance.
But it was a vain expectation.
"Matron Salazar! It's me! Elina of the Monis family!"
"Matron Monis? What business at this hour of night?"
To a house in mourning, no less.
Matron Salazar felt disappointment turn to irritation.
"Please open the door! Hurry! My son...! He'll catch me!"
"Pardon? What do you mean, Matron?"
"Please, open it quick!"
But Matron Monis's voice sounded strange.
It trembled with terror, utterly frantic.
And what did she mean her son was chasing her?
Suddenly, a chill hit her.
Could the matron have contracted the same rabies as her husband?
"I'm sorry, Matron. It's late—please go home. If you're here to pay respects, come tomorrow after dawn..."
"No, don't! He's coming! Matron Salazar!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The door shook violently again.
Come to think of it, wasn't this odd?
Even in the secure old town, a noblewoman wandering alone at night made no sense.
"Please! Aaagh! No! Help me!!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Matron Monis wailed, pounding as if to break the door down, begging for her life.
Surely the rabies had come for her too.
"Matron! If you don't leave, I'll call the security force!"
"Kyaaahhhh!!"
"Eek...!"
Bang! Bang bang!
A bloodcurdling scream rang out.
Followed by the sound of her slamming her whole body against the door.
And moments later.
The noisy commotion at the door fell silent.
"M-Matron...? Matron Monis? Elina?"
Maybe something really was wrong.
Matron Salazar called out, just in case, but got no reply.
"Matron? What's wrong?"
"Mommy!"
Tensed up as she was, the servant's approach from behind made Matron Salazar scream without thinking.
"I thought I heard a scream. What happened?"
"Oh. Matron Monis came suddenly in the middle of the night..."
"Matron Monis did?"
The servant approached the door curiously to check.
At that moment.
An inexplicable dread washed over Matron Salazar.
"Wait...!"
But she was one step too late.
The servant turned the knob, the front door swung open, and a figure lunged at him.
"Wha...!?"
Thud!
The servant, startled, looked at the person in his arms.
It was Matron Monis.
But a branch-like thing was stabbed into her temple, her body limp.
"Sh-She's dead!?"
"Hiiik!"
Regret flooded Matron Salazar too late.
She should never have ignored Matron Monis's cries for help...
"Who... Why..."
Come to think of it, what about her saying her son was chasing her...?
Twitch—
Then, what she thought was a corpse—the body of Matron Monis—moved.
"Matron! She's still alive!"
The servant hurried to support her and bring her inside.
Maybe it wasn't too late.
"Ah...?"
"Matron?"
Meanwhile, Matron Salazar's face watching went deathly pale.
Crunch— Cruuunch—
From Matron Monis's head.
From her eyes, nose, mouth.
Something that should never grow from a human was sprouting.
Dong dong dong—
The belfry bells, silent for a century, rang out chaotically in the dead of night when all should be still.
The alarm for invaders or the like.
But strictly speaking, what rang them now wasn't outsiders or invasion.
"You crazy bastards! Open this gate now! There are monsters roaming the streets!"
"Go back! This area is sealed!"
"If I die, it's on you? Do you know who I am?"
"You live off our taxes! Quit yapping and open it!"
The gate out of the old town was packed with furious people.
They had barely escaped monsters to reach here, only to be stuck.
This gate, which usually barred thugs to maintain order, had become a coffin nail instead.
But the guarding soldiers felt a bit wronged too.
"Who wants to stay? The key for the waterwheel to open the gate is in the castle—what can we do?"
"Outta the way! If you won't, we'll force it!"
"Damn it! If you're trapping us, kill those monsters at least! You tax thieves!"
"Do something quick! The monsters are coming!"
Were people especially clustered here?
A horde with trees sprouting from heads filled the road like plywood, approaching the gate.
"Form up! Form ranks!"
Soldiers atop the wall lined up, nocking arrows at the horde.
"Fire!"
Arrows rained down, piercing the approaching monsters.
Crack— Crunch—
But arrows couldn't even slow them.
"Aaaah! It's no use! Run!"
"Damn! Open this gate!"
"At least let us up on the wall!"
The gate area turned to pandemonium in seconds.
People futilely ramming a door that needed the waterwheel, unopenable by force.
Others flailing to climb the wall but going nowhere.
Some even grabbing branches to stick on their heads to fool the monsters.
And naturally, none of it mattered.
"Lian! Hey! Where's Lian? I heard he's at North Harbor now!"
"Right! The magic hunter—he might do something!"
His arrival at North Harbor now wasn't mere coincidence.
With no faith left in kingdom troops or security, the crowd desperately chanted Lian's name.
Neigh heh heh—
Then, a horse's whinny echoed from an alley.
"Is it Lian!"
"What? Lian's here?"
All eyes turned there.
But against hopes, a knight emerged from the alley holding a torch.
"What. Not Lian..."
"One more knight changes nothing!"
Disappointment spread across faces.
The knight ignored them and headed straight to the gate soldiers.
"Soldier. Report the situation here."
"As you see, refugees piled up, and the monsters followed."
Unlike the disappointed crowd, hope sparked in the soldier's eyes.
Maybe this knight had braved danger to bring the waterwheel key?
Then they could finally escape!
"Soldier! Escort the safe citizens to the castle where the lord is! It's secure there!"
"Pardon...? Sir?"
"The monsters are slow but super strong! Don't approach carelessly!"
But his hope shattered.
Escort these uncooperative people through monster-infested streets to the castle?
That's telling them to die politely.
"But those monsters shrug off arrows!"
"They fear fire! Use torches to protect yourselves!"
The knight demonstrated, charging a monster swinging his torch.
The front one did flinch back a bit.
But only temporary.
It was soon pushed forward by those behind.
"See? Torches can buy you time!"
"Why not just burn them..."
"Snap out of it! You want to torch streets full of centuries of history?"
People are about to die first?
The soldier had plenty to say but shut up due to rank.
Of course, living trees or humans don't burn easy without dry tinder.
Repelling them with fire was impractical without a fire mage.
"Tch. Shame. If we had Lian's flaming sword..."
"Sir? The demon sword...?"
"Nothing. Hurry and evacuate the citizens!"
The knight mounted up and galloped off somewhere.
Probably to relay the same at other gates.
"Everyone! We're evacuating to the lord's castle. If you want to live, follow orders!"
"Torches? Holding torches works?"
"Give it here! I'll hold it!"
"Don't you know who I am? Third son of the Baya family!"
"What punk? I'm second son of Vieyra!"
"Ha. Really..."
The crowd already spiraling out of control.
The soldier eyed them with deadened gaze.
"Fuck. Hope all the nobles croak this time..."
A tiny revolutionary spark lit in the soldier's chest.
Of course, whether it'd last to tomorrow, no one knew.
First, they had to survive the night.
The midnight alarm from the old town woke the whole city.
But those outside the walls mostly didn't know what was happening.
Unlike the inferno inside, outside remained a peaceful night.
"What's the racket in the middle of the night?"
"Dunno. Heard nobles rose up or something."
"Heh. Heads gone mad, causing trouble. Guess it finally blew up."
Just infighting among the highborn.
People shrugged and headed home to sleep.
Unlike nobles who could lounge a night away with endless coin.
Common folk needed deep sleep to work dawn tomorrow and eat.
"Old town's total chaos, huh? My guy's report couldn't see inside, but sounds like what you said happened."
In Nico's tavern on the old wharf, lit like a lighthouse alone.
Rough men gathered like plotting a conspiracy.
Lian sat at the table, eyes closed in meditation.
"So, Lord Lian? We moving now?"
"No. Sleep plenty. Logging starts tomorrow morning."
"Huh? Wait till inside's all dead?"
Nico tilted his head.
He thought they were hero-playing by smashing monster-fied guys.
Not the goal?
"Hypothesis, but at dawn, they'll root down temporarily for photosynthesis."
"Photo... what? What's that?"
"Just know they'll be less mobile in morning light."
Lian recalled Delico Matron's daytime look.
Day and night starkly different.
He first thought she acted tame before Leon, but no.
Likely more plant-like during photosynthesis.
But the hypothesis focused only on immobility like plant zombies.
They'd resist some.
Plus, photosynthesis boosts plant growth hugely.
"But our window's till noon."
"Can't finish by then?"
"Everyone on this island dies."
"Harsh."
That was reason one Nico's gang worked for free.
"Pablo. Time to head out."
"Won't you rest a bit?"
"Napped plenty in jail."
Lian opened his eyes, stood.
Then donned his disguise cloak again.
"Eh? Hey! Where you going? Work's morning, right?"
"Someone waiting. Merchant's life is credit—can't stand them up."
Thanks to Simon sealing old town fast, tonight's disaster stayed contained.
Meant Lian hadn't misjudged him.
So he couldn't just let him die.
"But Pablo. In this mess, one death goes unnoticed, right?"
"Didn't hear a thing."
Of course, Lian wasn't just planning to save people.