Viscount Bothaman (1)
Viscount Bothaman (1)
Knock!Knock!
He knocked on the door of the mansion of Bordeaux.
A moment later, Sophia appeared. She had been in the middle of her research and was wearing a white robe.
"Come in."
He followed her inside the mansion.
They took a path down to the basement and into the laboratory, but the atmosphere was different than it was before.
The tables were neatly organized.
On them were various beakers and liquids. There were various different ingredients in one area, and a lab rat in a small cage.
"Thanks to you, Redin, my research has accelerated tremendously."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. There are several tools that are incredibly advanced, but I couldn't afford them because they were expensive."
Sophia explained each tool to him. Despite not knowing what they were, he nodded in understanding.
"How far along is your research?"
"About 40%, but at this rate, I think I can finish it in half a year."
"Great."
Redin pulled a glass box from his subspace pouch.
A bundle of fur contained within.
It was the tail fur he'd taken with him from the Red Fox before he and Isabelle parted ways.
"Is this a flame fox tail?"
"Yes. It's not a normal flame fox tail, so it should be more effective."
"Does it come from a fox with more than five tails?"
"Yes."
"Whoa!"
Sophia's eyes widened.
"Are you sure it's the hair of a five-tailed fox? How did you get this? You rarely see them, even in the Magic Tower...."
"I got lucky."
"I think this will speed up my research... Give me a minute... A five-tailed fox's fur...."
Sophia seems to be mesmerized by it.
She started muttering something only she could understand, then paced busily.
She lit a fire in a small brazier.
She set the beaker on top of it, and began to fill it up, little by little, with whatever fluid she had around.
As time passed,
The liquid grew progressively reddish.
Sophia added a single tail hair of a flame fox to the slowly boiling liquid.
After boiling for about 10 minutes.
She placed the beaker on a bed of ice and used her magic to stir the liquid with a glass wand. The wand moved at a steady pace.
When it stopped.
Sophia drew out a small amount of liquid with a dropper and dripped a few drops onto the lab rat next to her.
"Squeak."
The lab rat's breathing returned to a more normal pace, and the broken leg bone was seen to reattach.
On the surface, it appears to be fine.
"The bones are healed, the muscles are fine, but the internal organs are nowhere in the process of healing. I'll have to increase the healing... Huh? I'm sorry, I got distracted while I was entertaining you."
"No."
It was rather nice to see.
With that kind of focus and effort, the potion could be finished in less than half a year.
"Shall we go upstairs? Perhaps I can offer you a meal..."
"I have to go now, but could you please continue your research until two days from now and give me two vials of your most potent potion?"
"Yes. I'll work all night and make sure they're the highest quality."
He left the mansion, leaving an eager Sophia behind.
As for the potion, there's nothing left for him to worry about.
Once Sophia develops a recovery potion, then he'll need to build a manufacturing plant, but Redin intends to entrust that to Marek.
He returned to coachman Reto's house.
"You came?"
"Where's Marek?"
"He's upstairs."
He walked up the steps to the top and found Marek working out.
Doing handstands.
Performing push-ups.
He could see the sweat running down his body and the muscles that were starting to form.
"How are you feeling?"
"About a solid third. Do you have any more of that stuff I had the other day? I think it could increase my recovery a bit."
"I'll give you another one in two days."
"Two days..."
"Wash up a bit and come out, I need to talk to you about my plans for the future."
Marek nodded and went to shower, while he took out a piece of parchment and started writing a letter.
About the time he finished.
Marek came back, dressed, and sat down in front of him.
"So, what's the plan?"
"In two days, when I have the items ready, I'm going to go into the Viscount Bothaman."
"How?"
"I'll disguise myself as a knight of Viscount Bothaman, and you'll disguise yourself as a porter."
Marek nodded.
Then he explained what Viscount Bothaman was scheming to do. He described how he was trying to transfer his wife's soul into his daughter's body. Marek clenched his fists.
"You son of a bitch...."
Redin noticed a hint of impatience in Marek's rage-filled face. He could see that Marek wanted to immediately make a move.
It was a father's natural reaction.
"I'll.... I'll kill that asshole now...."
"Then your daughter will have to live alone for the rest of her life, a parentless child."
"...Grrrr."
This was the only thing he said that he knew would rouse him.
"If you want to ensure that we capture Viscount Bothaman, we need to catch him in the midst of the ritual. If you lose control of your emotions and rush at him, you won't save your daughter, and you won't capture Viscount Bothaman."
"Okay...."
"If you really care about your daughter, you need to keep your emotions in check. I can only focus on catching Viscount Bothaman, and then you're the only one who can save her."
"...."
"You have only one chance. You have two days to get a grip on your emotions."
* * *
The Viscounty¹ of Volta.
Viscount Volta was having tea on the lawn in front of his castle, and he looked at his beaming daughter as she popped a cookie into her mouth.
A few months ago.
He recalled the memory of his daughter's abduction by one of his subordinate Barons, working together with Magnes, though it had been quite some time.
The wound in the back of his mind was not easily healed.
To this day, his heart would race and his hands and feet would tremble whenever he thought of his daughter going out somewhere.
He worried that she might be kidnapped again.
These thoughts raced through his mind.
"Dad, do you mind if I leave the estate?"
At first, he said no.
He locked her in the estate and wouldn't let her out.
Then her cheerfulness waned.
"Yes, you can. Go."
"Knight, let's go!"
It broke his heart to see her beaming. She want to travel farther, to see different things.
He couldn't let her venture beyond the estate yet.
"Hah......."
Viscount Volta sighed and sipped his tea. If it weren't for the tea's calming properties, he would have died of a heart attack.
Quietly, he closed his eyes and steadied his breathing, calming his anxiety.
He wondered how long he'd been like this.
"Viscount?"
His eyes snapped open at the sound of the knight's voice.
He looked around, searching for his daughter, but she was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is she?"
"She's out with Kellin, touring the estate. I'm told the Viscount has given her permission to do so...but......."
"Ah......."
Viscount Volta swept a hand over his face.
"What's the matter?"
"A letter came and I came to deliver it."
"A letter?"
He took the letter from the knight.
The sender's name was Redin, and the letter had been sent by express from the Kingdom of Resha.
Redin.
The prison guard who had saved his daughter.
rrrrrrriiiiipppppp!
He tore the letter open and checked the contents. Viscount Volta stood up from his seat after reading the contents.
"Prepare the carriage."
" A carriage, sir?"
"We're going to Count Horden's right now."
* * *
Before leaving the Kingdom of Resha.
He stopped by Sophia and grabbed the two potions.
He handed one of them to Marek.
"Here you go."
As he watched Marek drink the potion, I remembered Sophia's words.
'The ingredients are a little different from the last one, so if you take more than one, there could be side effects, like a toxic reaction or a headache....'
There weren't any severe side effects, so he was able to manage it with the power of purification. He applied the purifying energy to Marek's throbbing body.
Marek looked much more relaxed.
"This tastes like death."
"It's supposed to be a healthy flavor."
"Huu...."
"Are you trembling?"
"I'm nervous."
"If all goes smoothly, you'll be able to spend the rest of your life with your daughter."
"Yeah."
He gestured for Marek to follow.
As they approached the teleporter in the Kingdom of Resha, an employee approached us. After showing his ID and face.
He sent Marek to Viscount Bottaman first.
"Are you going to the same location?"
"Yes."
He donned his cloak and stepped into the teleporter.
Whoosh!
As he watched his surroundings change, he used the Mask of the Dead to transform into Godric.
The guards at the teleporter approached.
He removed his cloak.
"Sir Godric, you have arrived."
"And the Viscount?"
"He is waiting anxiously inside."
He nodded, then walked with Marek, who had arrived first, to the castle where Viscount Bothaman was.
They climbed the mountain and passed through the gates.
No one stopped them on the way.
"As planned."
Marek nodded at his words.
Once we reached the castle, he parted ways with Marek.
Marek would infiltrate the castle and plant the bomb from now on.
Entering the castle.
The maids bowed.
"You have returned, Sir Godric."
"And the Viscount?"
"He's in his office."
He went to the office and knocked on the door.
*Knock!* Knock!
"It's Godric."
"Come in."
He opened the door and stepped inside to see the face of Viscount Bothaman. The corners of his mouth quivered, and he forced himself to smile.
He set the potion down in front of him.
"I brought you the most potent I could get."
"Good... very good. Hehehehe..."
An uncontrollable laugh escaped his twisted mouth.
"For a week from now, no one will be allowed in or out. Get rid of everyone in the castle. And if they come, send them back, even if it means taking their lives."
"Understood."
Bang!
Viscount Bothaman took the potion and strode out of the office, using the [Watcher's Eye] to monitor his movements.
He left his office and called for his servants and maids.
"It is the Viscount's orders. All servants of the castle, including the knights, are on vacation for a week from today."
"A vacation... is that true?"
"If you don't leave right now, I will assume you are disobeying the Viscount's orders and take your lives."
"We... will leave immediately."
As he watched the servants and maids leave, he told the knights in the castle the same thing and sent them away.
An hour had passed.
The only ones left in the castle were him and Marek.
And Viscount Bothaman and his daughter.
Wooooooo!!
A blue membrane appeared outside the window, enveloping the castle with a strange energy emanating from the underground.
It prevents the demonic energy from leaking out.
"Looks like you've prepared well."
A strange aura spread through the castle.
Sticky, unpleasant demonic energy. He purified it with the power of purification and headed for Marek.
*Knock!* *Knock!
He knocked on the door and Marek peeked out.
"Is it time?"
"Yes. You can come out."
Viscount Bothaman's position was underground.
Marek and he walked around the castle, looking for a way down.
A place where demonic energy flows.
They followed the energy to a wide-open door, and inside was a path down to the basement.
He and Marek went down.
A small door appeared.
Heopened it slightly to peer inside, and saw the inside of the room.
A woman lying on a bed.
A magic circle was drawn in front of her, and on it stood Viscount Bothaman, holding a black magic book.
"Kekekekke"
Viscount Bothaman cackled like a madman.
He signaled Marek behind him to be ready.
"Avienna... I will save you. Demon Baal, bestow your power upon me."
*Zap!* *Bzzzttt* Zaaappp!
Black sparks flew from the circle of magic, instantly thickening the concentration of demonic energy.
"Ahhhhh!"
"Ah... Dad?"
Marek's daughter, who had awakened from her sleep, looked at Viscount Bothaman with a terrified expression.
"Ah... Vienna... Avienna, yield your soul!"
"No! Ah... Dad... why... are you doing this......."
"I'm not your dad, Kekekeke."
"D... ad? What's with the...."
"Screech. You're making too much noise. First... I need to make you a vessel. I'll start by erasing your soul."
'Now.'
"Let's go."
** ** **
TL/N:
1. A viscounty is the jurisdiction of a viscount or the territory under their authority.