170. A Rose Blooming in Poison (2)
170. A Rose Blooming in Poison (2)
- 1 -
Evangeline, who had been watching the three figures disappear into the inner castle with Libertas, turned with a fateful air and locked eyes with the approaching knight of Guileus.
The insignia hanging from the shoulder of his light armor told her his rank.
He was a knight banneret.
"You are the captain of the escort, I take it. I shall inform you of the positions to divide for the escort."
"Thank you."
Informing a visiting noble's escort knights of the permissible movement areas and escort positions within the citadel was standard etiquette here.
Evangeline followed the knight while quietly issuing orders to her own Black Knights—Skeleton knights.
"Half of you, patrol the interior of the castle in advance and learn the escort positions."
- Click.
At the sound of the salute ringing out in perfect, simultaneous timing, a glint of interest flashed in the Guileus knight's eyes.
"Forgive my asking, but what house is the Lady from? Your knights are exceptionally elite."
"My apologies. My master prefers secrecy."
"Ah, I see."
The knight accepted this without further questions.
It was common in this world for high-ranking nobles or royalty to travel while concealing their identities.
They possessed the power and armed might to do so, and since they would reveal their lineage once proper marriage talks began, it posed no major issue.
"Well then. This way."
"Yes. After you."
Evangeline smiled at him warmly and, in a voice only her own could hear, commanded all her subordinates.
- 「Arise.」
In that moment, within the shadows of the Black Knights, Libertas's forces began to stir silently.
- 2 -
Death was a force that made living creatures instinctively shrink back.
The deathly energy that seeped into the shadows of the citadel like viscous tar was invisible to the eye, yet sent a chill down the spine of all present.
"I-is anyone there?"
The first to sense that ominous energy was the head jailer of the underground prison.
As he patrolled the corridor holding a torch, an unfamiliar chill soaked through his entire being.
"That's strange..."
He could not feel the presence of any of the prisoners who should have been inside the cells.
It was the moment he turned his body to peer beyond the iron bars.
Whoosh—
From the darkness behind him, a hand clad in black gauntlets suddenly appeared.
"Ack—"
With a voice that failed to become a proper scream, the torch clattered to the floor.
Within the flickering firelight, dozens of presences silently rose. As Skeleton soldiers revealed themselves from the shadows, numerous blue eye-lights blazed within the darkness.
Clink...
A bundle of keys danced lightly in the black knight's hand.
Spinning the keys as if cheerfully, his blue eye-lights flared as he opened the prisoners' cells one by one.
"Y-you're... releasing us?"
A prisoner asked in a trembling voice.
Instead of answering, a Skeleton drew close. In its hand was not a sword or bow, but a staff.
In an instant, the prisoner's shadow writhed to life and swallowed him whole.
"Kuaagh—..."
Udeudeuk!
Everything ended before the scream could finish.
Where the mage stood, leaning on his staff, new Skeleton soldiers now stood arrayed.
- Put the head jailer to sleep. These types often know secret knowledge.
- If he knows something, our master will be pleased.
The mage and the knight exchanged opinions in a voice only they could hear.
◈
"This is a place that connects to all locations within the castle. It is also occasionally used as a banquet hall."
"I see. The quality of the artwork is high. I believe my master will also be pleased."
As the underground takeover concluded smoothly, Evangeline, who was being guided above ground, smiled with satisfaction.
◈
Step. Step.
"Where are you from? Apologies, but this area is the armory..."
"Just a moment..."
As two Black Knights approached the armory, the citadel soldiers grew wary.
But it was already too late.
They should have rung the alarm bell instead of wasting time on warnings.
- Tak (no mercy).
Peok!
Slash!
The mace and blade were simultaneously stained with blood.
A mage revealed himself among the Black Knights, pointed at the armory's lock, and it swung open without a sound.
- This is easy.
- They're complacent.
- Even with a war breaking out right next to their territory.
The newly born skeleton soldiers here took up weapons one by one and carried them into the darkness.
It didn't take long for all the spears and bows, armor and shields to vanish entirely.
"What's this?"
The patrolling Guileus knights and soldiers peered into the armory.
Before their eyes lay only an empty armory.
"...Thieves...!"
Just as the knight's face contorted and he was about to issue orders to the soldiers, the shadow behind him twisted and warped.
- Tak (sleep tight).
The knight's words ended right there.
One Black Knight and four Skeleton soldiers with vivid blue eye-lights moved in a flash.
The knight was knocked unconscious, and the soldiers lost their lives. Their bodies were dragged into the darkness.
Not even a single drop of blood spilled on the scene remained; it soon vanished.
◈
"It's strangely quiet."
The adventurer archer employed by the citadel had been heading toward the spire when he suddenly felt an eerie energy.
An unnatural silence pressed down upon his surroundings.
"This is..."
He immediately took a stance favorable for drawing his sword and bow.
He was not a martial artist of extraordinary alertness, but he had sufficient experience. The energy enveloping the citadel felt familiar.
Just like that of a dungeon.
'A dungeon...? No way.'
The moment the realization struck, he turned around—not toward the spire.
"I should find my companions... Huh?"
- Tak (sleep well).
There stood a Black Knight, his blue eye-lights blazing.
Before the man's shadow could even react, the blackness engulfed him.
◈
- Gururuk...!
The pigeons of the communication tower had been trained to flee immediately upon seeing a stranger. However, upon seeing the mage, they simply fell quietly asleep, utterly lacking the will to move.
Crack!
The mage twisted the neck of one of them and drew blood, then mixed the blood with darkness and began to draw a magic circle on the floor.
- Preparations are complete, Evangeline. When you begin your work, the 「Perception Distortion」 will commence.
- Understood.
The mage's eye-lights flickered ominously as he reported to his superior.
◈
Having received the report, Evangeline smiled a smile that seemed entirely genuine.
"Given the hour, how about sharing a meal? The citadel's maids will have prepared a separate meal for the escorts."
Conveniently, the knight had extended an invitation, and her beauty held enough charm to enchant anyone who saw that smile.
"That sounds nice. But I shall wait until the meeting concludes first."
"Ah, of course you must. How loyal."
"She is the one who possesses my everything, after all."
The knight, seemingly impressed by the sight of Evangeline nodding gravely, agreed with admiration.
Loyalty was a knight's virtue.
In his eyes, Evangeline was a paragon of knighthood, and in reality, that was not far from the truth.
Except the object of her loyalty was not human.
'It's almost done.'
"If you will not dine immediately, shall I show you the training grounds in the rear garden? It seems you will be staying for a few days."
"That sounds nice."
Black Knights silently fell into step beside Evangeline as she followed the knight.
The knight, scanning them over, chuckled dryly.
"Your subordinates are very taciturn."
"Our virtue is silence, you see."
"Ah, then as for you, Commander...?"
"Isn't a commander supposed to be the one who talks a lot? Like requesting support from the liege, or mess hall funds."
At Evangeline's playful act, the guiding knight burst into a hearty laugh.
It was a statement he could sympathize with.
"Haha! That's right. That's why our commander has been losing a lot of his hair lately..."
"My condolences."
As they chatted idly, the training grounds revealed themselves before their eyes.
The hour was approaching evening.
Beneath their feet, shadows were slowly spreading outward, and because of this, no one sensed anything amiss.
"Here, this is the training gr..."
Thud!
"Gack!"
"Thank you for guiding me. Goodnight."
Evangeline seized the neck of the knight who had turned to look at her, knocked him out cold, and strode forward with a gentle smile.
The knights in the training grounds had already been knocked unconscious or killed by a surprise attack.
In the center of the training grounds guarded by the Black Knights, a figure with an exceptionally fierce aura was glaring at her.
"So a guest had arrived at the citadel... have you brought an enemy in? From what house do you come, to commit such lawless acts?!"
"Lawless? Ha."
The moment she heard those words, Evangeline's gentle smile twisted in an instant.
Her expression, changed into a cold sneer, was as perfect as if she had swapped masks.
The dramatic shift was enough to make anyone watching break out in a cold sweat.
"You...!"
"Before me, no human is qualified to speak of lawlessness. Knight Commander."
Clang!!
The Knight Commander had somehow managed to react to the sword strike that closed in instantly, but he realized his arm had been deflected high upwards and his eyes flew wide.
It was common sense that a sword swung from low to high carried less force.
But Evangeline's strength crushed that common sense head-on.
"What kind of absurd strength is this...!"
Yet he was not even given time to be astonished.
Kwang! Kwakwang!
The longsword held in one of Evangeline's hands was swung multiple times within seconds, raining down an irresistible bombardment.
Precisely at the limit of what a knight could endure.
"This technique... the North... or rather, the Empire?"
"Both."
"Grruuaaaghh...!!"
As if murmuring the answer to his question, she pressed her sword down with one hand, applying pressure to the knight.
The large, muscle-bound knight had to exert his full strength just to hold back the crushing force she bore down with.
Barely managing to block the sword blade digging into his shoulder.
"You're doing well. Hold out just a little longer. Reinforcements might be coming."
At Evangeline's mockery, the knight's face turned black as ink.
He had understood precisely what those words meant.
"The citadel's already completely under your control. How...?"
"You're quick on the uptake."
Peok!!
Evangeline kicked the Knight Commander unconscious, then turned and surveyed her surroundings.
The citadel's knights, mages, and attendants and maids were all gathered, either bound or unconscious. It was noticeable that the number of regular soldiers and servants was conspicuously small.
Evangeline had led the occupation of this citadel.
She felt no need to keep alive people who lacked specialized knowledge just to hold them captive.
'Anyway, if they die and wake up, they just get to serve the one we worship from closer quarters, so why bother?'
Finishing that cruel thought, she gave instructions to the Skeletons.
"Wait here. I will go report to the master and return."
- Do come back safely.
Evangeline, having switched her cold sneer back to a gentle smile, moved her feet.
Squelch...
Under her boots, red blood clung stickily to the black leather before peeling away.
- 3 -
Beauty sometimes becomes a snack for alcohol, and sometimes an accompaniment.
Lucian's mood, as he shared a dinner with the two beauties, was thoroughly buoyant.
Suddenly, The Father's voice passed through his mind.
[You must inherit this county. Whether wife or concubine, you need only embrace the finest of women! That country backwater lord is not worthy of you!]
'But it seems my thinking was correct after all, Father.'
Though The Father had fiercely opposed the match itself, Lucian was immensely satisfied.
The scene before his eyes more than proved it.
Amelia, perhaps because she was still unskilled in the lord's affairs, clearly wore a somewhat tired expression.
But even that fatigue was sublimated into charm by her own mysterious beauty.
And as for her teacher, Libertas, she was beyond words.
A woman whose dignity was undoubtedly that of a high-ranking noble, and whose beauty surpassed even that dignity.
That alone meant the value of this occasion was overflowing and then some.
'Though they have yet to reveal which house they hail from...'
It was a common occurrence for young ladies of high noble houses to travel incognito or to form ties with other nobles.
Because such developments frequently appeared even in heroic tales, many nobles sympathized with them.
Of course, by the point of visiting another's citadel like this, it was only polite to reveal one's identity soon, and a natural precaution for safety's sake.
But it had only been a day so far. Even if someone intended to hide their identity and commit some act, it would require a few days at least.
For now, he simply had to enjoy this beautiful spectacle and the dinner.
"Now, let us discuss the matter at hand, shall we?"
As he continued his thoughts along these lines, Libertas's voice rang out, cutting through the atmosphere of the dining hall.
"Which matter...?"
"The marriage. I wish to hear what you have prepared for my Amelia."
"Ah, of course you must."
The proposals that came from Lucian's mouth were generous by usual marriage standards.
Not only raising the Teramor family, currently a barony, to a viscountcy by petitioning the king, but also unconventional conditions like allowing her to manage a portion of the county's assets without oversight once he became the head of the family.
Of course, this was all under the premise of a 'normal marriage.'
'Since once she becomes lord and head of the family, all of this will eventually return to my hands anyway.'
Ambition of this degree was not particularly remarkable among the nobility.
He simply wanted to appeal to the enigmatically smiling Libertas what a fine person he was.
"Now, once we raise the engagement ceremony shortly, our celebration in the royal capital will..."
Tok-tok.
At the sudden knock that sounded, Lucian's brow furrowed.
'I said to gather and report even moderate matters later.'
In effect, he had become the supreme decision-maker for all internal and external affairs in Guileus and every citadel belonging to it.
Other than what Count Guileus and family head of the Durangard Family, The Father, personally handled, all matters passed through his hands.
Therefore, he understood there were many important tasks, but he did not wish to be disturbed at such a crucial moment as this.
- Master. Preparations are complete.
But his crumpled expression instantly smoothed out again.
Because the voice heard from outside the door belonged to yet another beauty.
"Preparations... could it be you have brought something to celebrate the marriage?"
"Indeed. I have prepared a gift for you both."
"Truly? How very kind of you, my teacher. Lady Amelia."
However, when Lucian turned with a smile, the expression of Amelia that met him did not look very happy.
Rather, her face was deeply sunken.
At that sight, Lucian felt an unfathomable anxiety.
"Look out the window, child."
Upon hearing Libertas's words, he unconsciously walked toward the window with hurried steps.
"...?"
For a moment, he could not understand the situation.
The scenery of the citadel appeared no different from usual.
The patrolling knights, the soldiers standing guard, even the children and people playing inside the outer castle walls.
But something was clearly wrong.
Something was...
'Quiet?'
No sound that should have been heard from inside the inner castle could be heard at all.
The sounds of horseshoes, the battle cries from the training grounds that normally lasted until nightfall—all had completely fallen silent.
"This is..."
When Lucian urgently turned around, he saw Libertas, who had been seated, slowly tilting her wine glass.
Her elegant hand gesture remained the same, but what Lucian felt from that sight was not beauty, but danger.
"Now, let us have a talk, child."
The voice of the woman who set her glass down was still gentle, and her gaze was soft as well.
But the light of mana flowing from her eyes was different from before. A violet light blazed mysteriously, emitting an ominous energy.
"About everything you 'had'."
Her smile was, still, gentle.