Chapter 86
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: The Fall of the Prossange Family (6)
The Prossange family had been wiped out.
They had abandoned their duty as vassals and attacked their liege, House Meursault, and as a result, they met a miserable end.
The Prossange patriarch, Serubret, had been corrupted by darkness and turned into an evil undead, only to meet his final end at the blade of House Meursault's patriarch, Soleil.
This tale spread throughout the entire Northern Region.
It silenced the families harboring treacherous thoughts, forcing them to bow their heads, and at the same time, it became the turning point for other loyal houses to join House Meursault.
And at the center of this storm stood one person.
Federback, the young master of House Meursault.
On the road to normalizing the castles owned by the Prossange family.
Soleil gazed at the soldiers removing the contaminants from the Tochika water source and spoke.
"I've often heard tales of a single brave soul defending a castle against thousands... but this is the first time I've heard of someone attacking and capturing a castle single-handedly. And to think the hero of that feat is my own son."
"You're too kind, Father."
Federback nodded.
Soleil placed a hand on Federback's shoulder.
"You've achieved a remarkable military feat. And reaching the 4th Circle at your age? That's unprecedented in human history. When did this happen?"
"Recently. I had an epiphany during the guerrilla warfare in the blizzard."
"Hm, Northerners grow strongest in the heat of battle. Well done. But I wonder if 'well done' is enough to cover it. What words can possibly do it justice..."
Soleil's eyes, fixed on Federback, brimmed with pure joy.
At that moment.
"Patriarch."
Sir Dvorzak approached from ahead.
He bowed deeply to Soleil before giving Federback a light nod.
Sir Dvorzak had never been particularly fond of Federback before.
He was a grumpy old knight who disapproved more than anyone of Federback's reclusive lifestyle, wasting away on paintings, poetry, and music, and he never missed a chance to lecture him.
But after Federback climbed the Snowy Mountains alone and brought back three hundred and fifty orc heads, Sir Dvorzak's attitude began to shift.
And since the subjugation of the 'Flood-Eater Nightmare,' he had come to truly acknowledge Federback as the young master deep in his heart and follow him loyally.
Especially now that Federback had scaled the 4th Circle wall—something no one in House Meursault except Soleil had ever done.
Soleil asked.
"Yes, Sir Dvorzak. What is it?"
"Something suspicious was found inside Tochika Castle."
"Suspicious?"
"A basement attached to the Star Tower... There's a pool of blood inside."
Sir Dvorzak continued with a rigidly tense expression.
"The lingering scent of black mana is thick. It seems related to black magic."
"We'll need to investigate. That's another thing to announce to the public."
Soleil stroked his chin in thought.
Then Federback stepped forward.
"I'll look into it."
"Do you know anything about black magic?"
"Not much myself, but I have a friend who does."
With that, Federback glanced toward a corner of the castle wall.
There sat.
"Hmph, finally looking this way."
Queenbits, with a sullen expression, perched atop the stone wall.
Federback led Queenbits to the most remote building within Tochika Fortress.
A solitary spire towering in isolation.
The tower's walls were merely singed by fire, with no other significant damage.
The soldiers searching the interior had discovered stairs leading underground in a corner of the first-floor stone floor.
"Already reeks of something foul."
Queenbits grumbled, sensitive to mana flows.
Federback descended the underground stairs without a care.
Lighting a torch revealed the basement's interior.
Stone walls covered in reddish moss, stalactites hanging like teeth, and parched dirt floor.
In the midst of it all lay a solitary pool rippling with blood.
Queenbits pulled out a leather pouch.
Federback watched it curiously.
"You can really revive it?"
"To some extent."
"I already killed it and burned the remains."
"I told you, these things aren't normal creatures. I'm just reviving the traces left in the akashic records. Like... sifting unburnt fragments from the ashes of a tree?"
Queenbits flipped the pouch over the blood pool and shook it out.
Paasssshhh...
Acrid ash powder poured from the pouch.
Remnants of something burned.
As the ash sprinkled into the blood, a subtle change occurred.
Kuduk— kuduk— kuduuduk—
The ash clumped with the blood, bubbling up into sticky, doughy masses.
And soon.
The blood-and-ash mass began molding into a human shape.
It was Shedyoldis's face.
Queenbits nodded.
"As expected. Those who practice black magic aren't even granted easy death."
"So it's been surviving as ash powder until now?"
"Strictly speaking, it's hard to call it alive. Its body shattered into countless particles and scattered."
"Hm."
As Federback and Queenbits conversed, the ash and blood mass oozed out of the pool, kneading together into a sticky form.
Shedyoldis, her body turned a dark crimson, clutched her chest in agony.
Shifting between human and lizard forms, she pleaded.
At that instant.
Puuk!
Federback's kick shattered Shedyoldis's head.
Queenbits furrowed his brow.
"Damn, I just revived it. Shouldn't we hear what it has to say first?"
"Sorry. Instinct."
Federback apologized.
It took about three hours for Shedyoldis's shattered head to reform into its previous shape.
Shedyoldis transformed into the face of a young girl—neither the seductive woman nor the lizard.
Queenbits said.
"This must be its true form."
"Not changing to make it harder to kick?"
"No. It doesn't have the brains left for that."
"Hm."
Federback stood.
Shedyoldis trembled and bowed her head.
Federback asked her.
"What's your name."
The moment she spoke.
Ppeong!
Federback's kick smashed one of her shoulders.
The barely formed shoulder exploded, sending her body tumbling across the floor.
"What's your name."
"Church. Which one?"
Shedyoldis glanced warily, dodging the question.
Federback said.
"Cocytus."
"Your reaction confirms it."
Queenbits tilted his head at Federback's words.
"Cocytus Church? What's that?"
"..."
Federback fell silent for a moment.
The Cocytus Church.
A deranged cult that had spread terrifyingly before the world's end.
A dark religious order that preached its long-held doomsday prophecy, amassing countless followers.
But its roots lay with the Demon King, and all who joined became fodder for his army.
Precisely, their blood, flesh, and bones were stripped to serve as gateways for high demons descending to the mortal realm.
Ignoring Queenbits's gaze, Federback stared at Shedyoldis.
"I'll ask straightforwardly for confirmation. Answer properly. I'll focus on the church's sphere of influence, high-ranking members' profiles, that sort of thing."
"I brought this mage to lift that curse. He's competent, so relax."
Queenbits flashed a thumbs-up at Federback's words.
Shedyoldis's face filled with despair.
And the final punctuation on her despair was.
"I wonder how well my torture techniques work on undead. Anyway, I'll do my best."
Federback's torture skills, honed through the age of ruin.
Several days passed after that.
[KIII— YAAAAAAGH!]
Screams like tearing flesh echoed steadily, repeatedly, endlessly from the basement where Federback and Queenbits had entered.
"S-Savage."
Hasadin.
Once the gatekeeper of Tochika Castle.
The top contributor to the fall of Tochika Fortress, he had become Federback's trusted subordinate, standing watch over the area.
Sir Haundid stood beside him, blocking anyone from entering the tower.
"Heh heh heh— Our Young Master's at it with the torture again. Last time, there was this tight-lipped Prossange ranger. The guy spilled everything to our Young Master in five minutes flat—even the color of his wife's underwear. Black, I think?"
"Why would Young Master care about another man's wife's underwear color?"
"Man, it's just a figure of speech. Young Master doesn't have those tastes. He only asked about military secrets."
"So what's Young Master's type then?"
"Why do you care?"
"I've been gatekeeper here forever. I know all the noble ladies in the area with outstanding beauty. We exchanged greetings at the gate every time. Once this war's over, I'm thinking of opening a marriage agency."
"Ooh, damn. Hey, take care of me first before worrying about Young Master."
"Whoa— With your status? No way. Young Master comes first, always."
"You punk, think about Young Master's age. He's only fifteen. Look at me—served on the front lines so long I missed my prime. And Young Master's already insanely popular. The teen and twenty-something noble boys up north line up for hours just for a glimpse. Even commoner girls with confidence in their looks flock to the estate gates—total chaos."
"Jealous. Wish I'd gotten that kind of attention from girls once in my life..."
The two, who had clicked since the Tochika siege, bantered while standing guard.
Just then.
Kuung— jjerrrk!
The stone floor cracked, revealing the basement stairs.
Federback and Queenbits emerged from below.
Federback wore the same calm expression as when he entered, while Queenbits looked pale, as if he'd vomited several times.
Both were covered in blood but unharmed.
In Federback's hand dangled a long iron chain, its end bound to a small girl.
The girl with dark crimson skin and sharp teeth was Shedyoldis.
But Federback didn't flinch at Shedyoldis's pleas.
"Handle the cleanup, would you."
"Yes, sir!"
Haundid and Hasadin answered in unison at Federback's request.
Descending into the basement, they both gaped in shock.
The ceiling, walls, and floor were smeared with blood, flesh chunks, and bone fragments—who knew what had been done.
Haundid vomited on the spot, and Hasadin collapsed in a faint.
It took quite some time after that for the basement to be cleaned spotless.