Chapter 90
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Remnants Cleanup (2)
The head of the Levarb House had changed once again.
Viscount Bargo.
The legitimate head of Levarb had reclaimed his power.
But everyone in Levarb Castle knew the truth.
Viscount Bargo had essentially become a slave to the Meursault House.
Every morning upon waking, he bowed toward the direction of Meursault Castle, and he did the same right before bed.
This wasn't just for the Levarb retainers—it extended to the servants and even the territory's residents.
Viscount Bargo had belatedly dug up ancient family rules from dusty tomes, claiming he would now uphold the vassal house's traditions. No one had any grounds to object.
Then one day.
Viscount Bargo gathered all the Levarb House vassals in one place.
And standing behind him was Federback.
Viscount Bargo stepped to the center of the spacious hall and spoke.
"Young Master Federback here has words for you all. Know that his words are my own, and obey him with utmost respect and courtesy."
Viscount Bargo bowed and stepped back.
The arrogance he'd shown Federback at first was nowhere to be seen.
Thud— thud— thud—
Federback ascended the podium.
"Everyone gathered here, come forward one by one."
The people tilted their heads in confusion.
The first to approach Federback was a Levarb knight.
Federback took the knight's hand and pricked the tip of his finger with a silver needle.
A red drop of blood welled up.
"It's nothing much. Just putting a fresh thumbprint on the loyalty oath. The headship has changed, so we need to redo the ceremony."
The old knight nodded without protest at Federback's words.
...Squeeze!
The old knight pressed his bloody thumb onto the oath paper.
One by one, the others followed.
...Squeeze! ...Squeeze! ...Squeeze! ...Squeeze!
The thumbprints accumulated steadily.
Federback watched each person intently as they printed theirs.
And before long.
"Phew, my turn."
A bald, skinny man with a long goatee stepped forward.
Lord Hahu.
He was the sycophant who had stuck to Breivie's side, kissing up shamelessly.
He'd scratched Breivie's itches so perfectly that he'd skyrocketed from a lowly post to the young master's right-hand man.
"With Lord Breivie off to Meursault House for training, things have gotten so lonely around here. Any chance I could tag along to Meursault House too? My administrative skills are top-notch, you know..."
With Breivie gone, he was scrambling for a way to survive.
But Federback just jerked his chin indifferently.
"Print it."
"Ah, yes, of course."
Hahu extended his hand from beneath his black robe.
A pale, smooth hand that looked like it had never seen training.
Federback remarked.
"Nice hands."
"Heh heh, I get that a lot. Being a civil official means no calluses, after all."
Soon, Hahu pricked his fingertip with the silver needle.
And pressed the red drop onto the paper.
At that exact moment.
Kwachak!
Federback suddenly drew a dagger and stabbed through the back of Hahu's hand.
The blade pierced straight through, embedding into the table.
"Kyaaak!"
Screams erupted from the surrounding people.
Hahu himself looked dazed.
And then.
"Uwaa— uwaaaah!"
Hahu finally screamed.
But Federback's expression remained calm.
"Why scream when it doesn't even hurt?"
"I-it hurts! Of course it does when your hand's stabbed through!"
"Your hand isn't the one pierced."
"......"
Hahu's face changed at Federback's words.
As the others tilted their heads, unable to follow the exchange.
"Oops. Busted?"
Hahu stepped back.
He detached the pale, smooth hand from his arm.
Kiriririk—
In its place, a dark purple hand sprouted anew.
Nails like blades, skin like fish scales.
It was the exact same transformation as Shediol Dis.
Federback nodded.
"I figured if there was one hiding in Furossange House, there'd be at least one in Levarb too."
"That pinky finger idiot..."
"Which finger are you? The middle one?"
"Die."
Instead of answering, Hahu surged his whole body's mana.
Federback lowered his raised middle finger and moved his hand to his waist.
Shring—
The Dragon Fang Sword Adara was drawn.
A white, bluish energy flowed along the blade like milk veins, soon forming a pale aura blade.
Kiriririk!
A milky white trail like the Milky Way arced toward Hahu's neck.
Federback's sword clashed with Hahu's claw.
As the cold blades met, heat began to bloom from the point of contact.
The two sides' mana, transmitted through the sharp edges, tangled fiercely, heating the surrounding air.
"......!"
Hahu retreated first.
He grimaced at his claw tip, now glowing red-hot.
...Boom!
Hahu stomped.
A long, octopus-like tentacle tail whipped out from under his robe, slamming into where Federback had stood.
"It's a monster!"
The hall floor cratered, prompting screams from the crowd.
Federback dodged the tail and fell back.
In that instant, Hahu's claw slashed, carving a crescent trajectory into the wall.
Chweeeek!
Five whip-like slashes rent the wall into pieces.
Federback sidestepped them and thrust his sword forward three times.
Bang! Bang bang! Clang—
The first and second thrusts pierced Hahu's neck and chest; the third severed the tail's tip.
"Tch—"
Hahu switched tactics.
...Kakakakak!
He angled his claw to deflect the sword, flicking the shower of sparks toward Federback's eyes.
The moment Federback closed his eyes, he planned to twist the tail into the blind spot.
But.
"......Huk!?"
Hahu's prediction failed.
Federback didn't blink even as the sparks battered his corneas.
His signature emotionless face and gleaming blue eyes closed in rapidly.
Snap— chop!
The sword tip severed Hahu's head.
Not stopping there, it spun in place, slicing through chest, waist, thighs, and groin relentlessly.
Plop— plop— plop— plop—
Hahu's body crumbled like a hammer-smashing the base off a stump.
"Kuh...... kuuuuh......"
His head, arms, legs, upper body, and lower body lay scattered across the hall floor.
Black blood, reeking foully, spread wider.
Federback addressed the assembled crowd.
"I've caught the monster hiding in Levarb. As you see, Meursault is a house that eradicates evil and upholds justice. Cooperate well from here on."
Their expressions shifted dramatically.
"I-it's real!"
"Anyone can see that's a dark mage, that monster."
"If not for Meursault, we'd have been devoured by Hahu."
In that moment, every forceful act Meursault had taken in Levarb territory was fully justified.
Federback divided Hahu's chunks into cowhide sacks.
The minced flesh inside writhed, trying to reconnect.
Their regeneration was remarkably fast.
But.
Sizzle......
Federback sprinkled coarse salt to slow Hahu's regeneration.
And that wasn't all.
To make regeneration agonizing, he mixed in Zuba Pofi's venomous bristles with the salt.
These long, stiff spider bristles, covered in tiny barbs, pierced between the flesh every time it tried to bond, injecting poison.
"Kwaaaah— it hurts! It hurts! Stop! Please!"
Screams of agony poured from chunks with lungs and mouths.
Federback ignored them, mixing the sack's contents thoroughly.
Salt, bristles, and flesh churned together, eliciting more rending death cries.
At that moment.
"Young Master."
Viscount Bargo, already briefed on the plan, asked.
"Are you really taking these abominations back to the main house? Why not just burn them here?"
"They'd revive even if burned. Weakening and isolating them is best. And there's a perfect use for them anyway."
"I... see. Were there ones like this in Furossange House too?"
"There were."
Federback eyed Viscount Bargo.
He was greedy and selfish, but quick with calculations and deathly afraid of risk.
Not the type to ally with dark mages.
So Hahu must have approached when Bargo fell and Breivie took over.
"Load them onto the carriage."
Federback handed the heavy sacks to the knights.
Hahu's groans echoed from within, laced with salt and Zuba Pofi's venom.
Federback instructed the knights.
"Send them to Queenbits' lab."
"Yes, sir! We'll get them there fresh!"
The cheeky knights saluted and shouted.
Federback thought.
'Gave them a gift, so I should push for faster research results.'
Shediol Dis's body had greatly aided unraveling Garmelda's equations.
Hahu's would be the same.
Federback mounted his horse.
As he departed Levarb House, cheers and praise poured from the residents behind him.
"Long live the dark magic exterminator!"
"Come back soon, Young Master!"
"Long live Young Master Federback! Thank you for saving us!"
"Blood Lily! You look great! Kyaaah— just one glance here!"
Northerners harbored immense fear and resentment toward dark magic.
After all, they were all descendants of the hero party's warriors.
Federback waved a few times to the cheering residents.
Viscount Bargo, who had followed to the gates, bowed deeply to Federback.
"Travel safely. Bargo awaits Meursault's call anytime."
"Leave the boy's education to me."
"Just make him human, that's all."
"Low expectations are nice."
Federback nodded.
After one final smack to Breivie, who wailed and thrashed in the carriage that he didn't want to go, the Meursault knights finished preparations to return.
"We're heading back."
Federback turned his horse toward Meursault Castle.
It had been a brief excursion, hardly worth calling an expedition.