Chapter 89
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Dorsia von Opstein (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Ah, Father. Mother."
"……."
"What is all this?"
Dorsia von Opstein first encountered her family's and parents' dark secret a few years ago.
"Now that you're ten years old, it's time you learned the secret of the Opstein family."
Until the day of her tenth birthday, when she went down to the basement that had always been off-limits with her father and mother, Dorsia had never even dreamed such a secret existed.
"Our ancestors have walked a path that no one in the Empire—no, in the world—dared to challenge, generation after generation."
"……."
"Immortality and eternal life. That is its true nature."
However, the reality of the Opstein family revealed when the basement door opened was utterly shocking to Dorsia.
"Save… me…."
"Ugh… ugh…."
"Mooom…."
A room filled with grotesque test subjects—beyond description, twisted in ways words couldn't capture.
The stench of blood and the scars permeating those rooms were deeply traumatic for Dorsia, witnessing such a sight for the first time in her life.
"Dorsia."
"……."
"Someday, you'll have to inherit your father's legacy."
Dazed and frozen, Dorsia heard the Marchioness—wearing a somewhat worried expression—whisper softly in her ear.
"You have talent in both magic and academics, so you'll surely complete this legacy."
"……."
"Of course, it might be shocking right now…."
But as the Marchioness continued, she suddenly widened her eyes and trailed off.
"…Ha, haha."
Dorsia's first reaction to the horrific scene too gruesome to behold with open eyes was to curl her lips into a smile.
"Ahahaha…!"
Soon, immersed in profound ecstasy, Dorsia glanced around and let out a chilling laugh as she stared at the test subjects reaching out toward her.
"So many new toys…."
Watching quietly from behind, the Marquis and Marchioness heard their daughter's low murmur and reacted.
"…As expected of my daughter."
"Hehe, indeed."
Their response was just as chilling as their daughter's utterly abnormal one.
"Kairen."
Returning to the present.
"Why did you hit me?"
Dorsia, absently caressing her swollen cheek from Kairen's blow, tilted her head and began asking questions.
"Why would a toy like you?"
But as Kairen stood before her with a face full of rage and lips sealed, Dorsia's expression grew increasingly icy.
"Why why why."
"……."
"After all the affection and care I gave you…."
Her eyes losing their spark, she wore a chilling expression as she reached out toward Kairen.
"How dare you repay kindness with enmity…."
But just before she could strangle Kairen's neck as usual, Dorsia's arm bent at a horrifying angle.
- Crack….
Kairen mercilessly snapped the arm reaching for him, his eyes crimson as he applied pressure.
"Aaaahhh!!!"
Of course, the usual Kairen couldn't dream of such a thing, but with the power of his Crimson Eyes, snapping the arm of a lady raised delicately her whole life was effortless.
"It hurts! It huuuurts!!!"
"……."
"What are you doing, you mangy…."
But at that moment, as Dorsia—unprepared for such an event—glared at Kairen with a savage expression,
"…Guh."
Kairen's suddenly extended hand began choking her neck.
"Guh, kek…."
It happened so swiftly that Dorsia couldn't even resist, her legs kicking futilely.
- Crunchhh….
But the more she struggled, the tighter Kairen's grip became.
"…Ugh."
However, seeing Dorsia's movements slowing, Kairen suddenly began trembling.
"Urgh."
"……."
"Ughhh…."
Just as Kairen's face paled dramatically and tears welled in his eyes,
"…That's enough. You've done well."
Uriel gently stroked Kairen's head and held his hand.
"Of course, you know this, right?"
"……."
"That to live as a Belverk, you must eventually stain your own hands with blood."
As she whispered softly while squeezing his hand, the trembling Kairen released his grip on Dorsia's neck and murmured lowly.
"I'm sorry…."
"No need to apologize."
Uriel, who had intentionally stopped him just before Dorsia's breath gave out, met his eyes and whispered gently.
"You've finally learned how to strike back at those who torment you."
"……."
"Defiling your pure hands for the first time with something so insignificant isn't worth it."
Finishing, Uriel turned, her eyes flashing crimson.
- Swish….
Standing beside the other sisters surrounding the fallen Dorsia, she added in a voice laced with a cold smile.
"Leave this disgusting bug to your big sisters."
Right after, Dorsia—sprawled and shuddering—weakly turned her head and spoke.
"Th-this is… weird…."
"……."
"Something's… wrong…."
Her face was dyed with bewilderment and terror she'd never felt before.
"Kairen, you can't do this…."
"……."
"You're a toy. How could you attack your owner…."
But Dorsia's words, trembling like in a horror film, didn't finish.
- Crunch!
At that instant, the three sisters' strikes poured down on her simultaneously.
"……."
How much time passed like that?
"…Something's off."
The eldest daughter, who had pummeled Dorsia until the mansion was half-destroyed and collapsing, belatedly sensed the anomaly and tilted her head.
"…You're right."
Even Uriel, consumed by cold fury and attacking relentlessly, felt the same.
"What the hell is this bitch."
Finally regaining her senses, Lilien threw a handful of Dorsia's plucked hair onto the courtyard, her face paling in shock.
"Grk…."
Dorsia—her jaw shattered, joints grotesquely twisted, foaming blood—twitched before them.
"She should've gone into shock by now."
"No, she would've bled out first."
As Lilien and Uriel frowned down at her, discussing the obvious abnormality,
"Little brother, cover your eyes."
The eldest rolled up her sleeves, her eyes glowing even redder.
- Smash…!
The next moment, her unrelenting strike exploded Dorsia's head on the ground.
- Whoooosh….
The unbelievable event began right then, before everyone's eyes.
"Hah, hah…."
"……!"
"Am I… going to die like this…?"
The scattered blood and flesh slowly gathered, reforming Dorsia's head.
"Did this bitch actually succeed in her experiments?"
"Who knows. It looks a bit unstable."
Lilien and Uriel exchanged cold glances as they watched.
- Smash! Smash! Smash!
Meanwhile, the eldest kept pulverizing Dorsia's regenerating head.
"Stop…."
But each time, it reformed, and Dorsia muttered in a subdued voice.
- Boommm…!
On the tenth regeneration, she snapped her eyes open with a fearsome expression.
"I said stop."
A brief silence followed.
"…Little brother."
In the quiet, the eldest blinked slowly, then hurriedly backed away, crouching behind Kairen.
"I'm scared."
Peeking from behind him with teary eyes, she murmured.
"Conditional or permanent, she seems to have obtained immortality?"
"……."
"How on earth did she do it?"
Uriel, watching somewhat blankly, turned to the writhing Dorsia on the ground and asked coldly.
"…You think I'll answer that?"
"Fine, then… let me rephrase."
As Dorsia gritted her teeth and shook her head, Uriel smirked and stepped on her broken hand.
"Where is your father right now?"
"…Aaaah!"
"If you don't answer, you'll regret being alive."
Dorsia screamed but glared at Uriel defiantly, then answered in a venomous voice.
"Father… is with the Holy Church."
"……."
"He can only stay sane for 30 minutes a day now, but I'll definitely cure him…."
Uriel raised an eyebrow and pressed harder.
"And… do you know?"
"……."
"The Holy Church will come for me soon too…."
But around then, Dorsia's pain-twisted lips began curling upward.
"…Of course, you won't be able to take me."
The next instant, Uriel's eyes widened as she urgently tore open Dorsia's clothes.
"Because I myself am nothing but a massive tracker and listening device…."
Revealed on Dorsia's chest was a grotesquely shaped, massive black heart mark.
"Black Heart."
"That's a mark only bishops have."
Uriel murmured coldly, staring down.
"…You've become one of the heretics' executives, haven't you?"
And the next moment.
"My lord, urgent news."
The 3rd Knight Commander rushed over, kneeling.
"The Holy Church has unleashed a large-scale purification spell on the Opstein Marquisate."
"……."
"In about 10 minutes, the entire Opstein territory will be swept by holy magic."
As he finished, a chilling laugh erupted from below.
"Ahahaha… cough!"
Vomiting blood from her mouth yet laughing gleefully, Dorsia began speaking excitedly.
"The Holy Church's purification magic isn't a treaty violation."
Her words were true. The holy light from the Holy Church's sky island—floating in the Empire's heart—was a blessing under a legitimate accord with the Empire.
"It's more like a blessing that purifies the wicked."
"……."
"Monsters like you all."
Dorsia, fully aware, finished addressing the four Belverks with shining Crimson Eyes and a twisted smile.
"We must withdraw, my lord."
The 3rd Knight Commander bowed urgently, pressing.
"In the end, you achieved nothing."
"……."
"Sure, Opstein is ruined, but I'm still alive…?"
Growing even more arrogant, Dorsia continued with a chilling smile.
"And remember…."
"……."
"No matter what, I'll have Kairen again…."
But just before she finished, a beastly howl echoed from afar.
"Uwoooo…."
Dorsia turned toward the sound, then flinched in horror.
"Wh-what are all those!?"
The undead legion summoned by the 3rd Knight Commander swept away everything Opstein had built, advancing on the mansion.
"Urk."
Watching the territory ravaged by their putrid stench and filthy hands, Dorsia retched for the first time, losing composure.
"Disgusting…."
She shuddered violently, muttering fiercely.
"Especially that grotesque one leading the charge…."
Yet her hatred-filled eyes flickered with bewilderment.
"…Huh?"
She realized the leading undead charging at her looked familiar.
- Smash…!
Before she could fully grasp it, the hideous undead tackled her, sinking its teeth in.
"Wh-what…."
Despite a lifetime of delicacy and vulnerability to pain, Dorsia didn't scream but stared blankly at her attacker.
"Mom?"
A trembling voice escaped her lips.
"……."
In the ensuing silence, Dorsia—still dazed as her undead mother tore at her neck—slowly turned her head.
"K-Kairen."
"……."
"I-I was wrong."
Toward Kairen, whom she'd berated moments ago.
"H-heal Mother."
But as Kairen remained coldly expressionless, her face drained paler, and she crawled toward him with all her infant strength.
"I-I'll be good from now on…."
"……."
"I-If you want, we can switch roles…."
Grabbing his leg, she pleaded desperately.
"Lady Dorsia."
Kairen, unmoved and looking down, spoke with crimson eyes.
"Has Lady Dorsia ever healed me once when I was hurt?"
Reflecting briefly, Dorsia began sweating coldly.
- Shiver….
As her body trembled coldly, Kairen kicked her back with full force.
"Grah…."
Her stomach struck squarely, saliva drooling, she desperately crawled forward again.
"Kairen, where are you going…?"
"……."
"Kairen!!!"
But no answer came.
"Please come back!!!"
In the ruined Opstein territory, only Dorsia's panicked cries echoed emptily.
- Static, crackle….
Meanwhile, in the Belverk family head's office.
- Ast… ridje….
Astridje, sitting quietly at her desk peering into a crystal orb showing Opstein's panorama, smirked at the fading voice from the now-white communication orb.
"You saw everything, as expected."
"……."
"Of course, that depravity doesn't go anywhere."
About a minute later, the fading voice resumed from the orb.
- How… dare you reduce my wife to that state….
Astridje listened silently, then asked with a disdainful expression.
"Did you love your daughter and wife, then?"
No answer came.
"Good thing."
Seeming to grasp from the silence, she lifted the orb with a venomous smile.
"I can give you the worst despair while you're still sane."
Much later, the Marquis's strained voice emerged.
- Do you think the Sharhen Marquisate will… stay silent?
Astridje cut off his empty words coldly.
"I already have Marquis Sharhen's consent."
"……."
"Even without permission from the likes of the Sharhen Marquisate, nothing changes."
The orb crackled several times before falling silent again.
"Your wife dies today as a monster before your precious daughter."
Partly because Astridje spoke swiftly, denying him interruption.
"Next is you, Marquis."
Her killing intent, while whispering into the orb, was palpable even through it.
"Of course, your daughter dies last."
In that moment, the orb began cracking under her grip.
"Belverks never forget their enemies."
"……."
"Wherever you are, look forward to it."
With more experience than her eldest daughter, Astridje stopped her force just before the orb shattered and smiled coldly.
"Oh, right."
Then, mockingly toward the Marquis beyond the orb with a hint of amusement.
"I plan to picnic with my family in the purified territory. That won't be a problem, right?"
The next instant, the Marquis's scream—indistinguishable from agony—filled the office.
- You monster bitch…!
U unmoved, Astridje replied lowly, maintaining her cold smile.
"The monster is you, Marquis."
The paused cracking resumed, shattering further.
"Deceiving me for 10 years and abusing my son."
"……."
"And that hateful act 10 years ago, stealing my only light—I never forget."
Just before the orb fully shattered.
- Zzzzap…!
A massive flash illuminating the distant sky—clearly engulfing the entire Opstein territory.
- Nooooo!!!!!
With the Marquis's pathetic scream echoing, the communication orb in Astridje's hand crumbled to dust.
"……."
A brief silence followed.
"…This wine's off."
In the quiet, Astridje sipped from the wine on her desk.
"Anyway…."
She frowned, setting it down, then quietly pulled a faded photo from her drawer and gazed at it.
"The time to reveal the truth from 10 years ago has finally come."
Reflected in her now-crimson eyes was
"…Little sister."
A woman with crimson eyes and black hair, strikingly resembling Astridje.