Chapter 263: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (56)
Chapter 263: Lainella's Fate is Decided by Lainella (56)
The chilly weather had finally transformed into the biting grip of midwinter.
It was an unseasonable summer cold snap.
Instead of rain, snowflakes drifted down from the sky. People’s eyes filled with terror at the blatant climate anomaly.
Hands already busy preparing to flee began to move with even greater urgency.
The plummeting temperature meant that the descent of the ‘Corpse Giant’ was imminent.
The Demon Realm, where the subordinates of the Evil God resided, was a frozen wasteland of perpetual blizzards. As the connection with the Demon Realm strengthened, the mortal world was bound to be affected by its climate.
The snow that had been falling since midday was proof of that.
Time was running out. Everyone was in danger if they didn't hurry.
Facing the cold wind, I suddenly found myself missing Senior Neris.
As a member of the Imperial Intelligence Agency, Senior Neris was an expert at gathering information. If I had asked, she might have been able to collect more detailed intel on the ‘Corpse Giant.’
And yet, I couldn't call for her.
It was because I had lost contact with her.
I suspected she had received some sort of instruction from the ‘me’ who came from the future.
We were bound to see each other again once I returned to the Academy anyway. It was hard to find any other rational reason for her to leave my side.
Though I didn't know the specifics of that command, I could only hope it was a spark of hope that could save the territory.
Of course, the possibility of that was slim.
The ‘me’ from the future had repeatedly emphasized that the territory had to be abandoned. If there had been a way to save it, he would have given me a hint long ago.
But neither I nor anyone else had heard such a thing.
In many ways, the outlook was bleak.
Furthermore, with the revelation that Ria wasn't actually my younger sister, my mental fortitude was being tested to its limits.
I should have pressed my father for more details then, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.
Ria was right there watching.
No matter how unfazed she seemed, it was impossible for her not to be shocked. Digging into a painful past would only hurt her more.
Yes, that was likely the case.
Even though Ria actually seemed quite happy, I chose to believe that was the reason.
And so, the conversation between father and son had fizzled out.
In exchange, I did get a promise that he would reveal the secret once the situation was settled. The day I would learn the family secret was not far off.
After going through various events, it was already around noon.
I found myself standing before the main gate of the mansion.
There was someone I had to see off first.
I had come out to bid them farewell.
Of course, I wasn't the only one there to say goodbye.
Numerous retainers had come out to speak with her.
The protagonist of this small send-off was Seria, my junior and the illegitimate daughter of the Yurdina family.
She had originally come to the Percus territory on Senior Delphine’s orders.
Since her mission was to lead the Yurdina family's private army, it was only natural for her to leave to fulfill that responsibility.
However, Seria expressed her intention to join the evacuation procession with the soldiers soon. Senior Delphine had also told her to help me, so it wasn't a decision that went against her family's wishes.
For my part, I was simply grateful.
Regardless, it was a short parting following a short encounter.
Seria would be back tomorrow, leading the Yurdina soldiers. Nevertheless, many people looked regretful as they saw her off.
In particular, Brother Aaron handed her another Ruby Gemstone.
He left me with a single remark before heading back into the mansion.
"…You should treat your wife well."
"She's not my wife."
But knowing he wasn't the type to listen anyway, I only let out a deep sigh.
It wasn't that I didn't understand how he felt.
My brother was a blunt man, and Seria was also timid, finding it difficult to express her thoughts.
It seemed he was rooting for her because he found that aspect of her pitiable.
Though I had no idea what kind of misunderstanding led him to misinterpret my relationship with Seria.
Seria, who had already received three Ruby Gemstones, could only manage an awkward smile.
Eventually, the turn came to me, and I stood before Seria.
The scent of the alcohol I’d drank that morning still lingered.
I certainly didn't look like someone seeing off a cherished junior, so I had to wear a sheepish grin.
"…Sorry, Seria. I’ve been having a bit of a hard time."
"I understand, Senior Ian."
Kind as ever, Seria simply nodded quietly despite my wretched appearance.
Instead, she even scanned me with worried eyes.
"…I’ll be back soon. So that we can protect as many residents as possible."
I was about to say thank you, but I stopped.
I had already said it several times.
Instead, I decided to crack a joke for the first time in a while.
"Will Sir Alex cooperate willingly?"
"Fufu, I wonder… He’s a knight of the North, so he might stubbornly insist that he can't turn his back on the enemy."
At those words, I recalled the old knight who had squeezed my hand with such force since our first meeting.
And during our second meeting, did he call me the ‘Psycho Young Master’?
He was a bit of a senile old man in his own way.
It seemed like something he would actually do, so I let out a small laugh.
Only then did Seria show a soft smile.
the cold, haughty, expressionless face she wore when we first met was gone.
I was deeply grateful for that.
It felt as though the girl who once seemed so lonely and solitary had finally regained her warmth.
"See you tomorrow, Senior Ian… A-and, please be careful!"
"Yeah, don't worry."
We’re just running away; what could possibly happen that I’d need to be careful of?
With such a complacent mind, I saw Seria off.
*
That night.
In my hazy consciousness, I felt strange sensations.
A sweet scent of skin.
The soft touch of lips.
A girl smiling softly as she pulled down a pointed hat, and the burning glow of a sunset.
The conclusion of all those dreams was always the same.
The Great Forest in flames.
I drifted through a series of disjointed landscapes.
Just as my alcohol-soaked body was about to settle into a corner of those murky memories—
Thump.
A loud, violent knocking on the door echoed through the room.
I bolted upright and immediately grabbed the sword I kept by my bedside.
It was a swordsman's instinct.
I held my breath and scanned the surroundings, but the knock that had awakened me happened only once.
There was no second time.
Feeling suspicious, I stepped off the bed. That was when a strange hue caught my eye.
It was the color of blood.
Blood was seeping in from under the door.
Without hesitation, I threw the door open. A servant lay collapsed in front of the door, bleeding.
The maid who had looked after me since I was a child was desperately twitching.
As if in a final struggle, she squeezed out her last words.
"Y-you must… escape…."
Then, her head slumped.
I could no longer feel her breath.
A curse spilled from my lips involuntarily.
"Fucking hell."
At the same time, screams began to echo from all over the mansion.
I closed the eyes of the deceased maid and immediately headed for the first-floor lobby.
A scene of carnage was already unfolding there.
Several of the mansion's servants were attacking others indiscriminately.
I had heard those beast-like howls somewhere before.
Mitram's test subjects.
Mitram was dead, but it seemed his test subjects had survived and continued their existence.
I never imagined he would have planted test subjects even within the Percus mansion.
Still, their numbers seemed small.
There were only two in the lobby; then again, there weren't many servants staying in the mansion to begin with.
I threw my sword, piercing the crown of one test subject's head.
Perhaps because Mitram was dead, their immortal-like regenerative abilities seemed to have vanished.
With the secret of Stillness in Motion, another silver line was drawn in the air.
The two test subjects who were lunging at the servants in the lobby died just like that.
The servants who had been targeted by the test subjects were trembling, not even knowing what was happening.
"Y-Young Master… w-why did Hans…?"
"It’s the Dark Cult’s doing."
With those words, I gritted my teeth and returned to my room.
I checked my family's rooms just in case, and fortunately, there seemed to be no problems.
However, there was no sign of anyone in Ria's room.
She must have gone out, and my heart began to race with anxiety.
After quickly arming myself, I found the rest of the group already gathered on the first floor.
Perhaps because they had gone through so many incidents, no one seemed panicked.
They were simply waiting for me to speak in a state of calm tension.
"…Has anyone figured out the situation?"
At my question, Yuren raised his hand.
"It seems that dark priest inserted a strange magic formula into the ritual."
All eyes turned to him, demanding an explanation.
Yuren continued without hesitation, as if he had expected this.
"Basically, he put something into the summoning ritual that triggers the test subjects to go berserk… so that more chaos ensues as the descent of the subordinate draws near."
"Then what about the village?"
"It’ll be a mess."
The headache piercing my brain wasn't just from the hangover.
I leaned against a wall, clutching my forehead, when a sudden question came to mind.
"…Where’s Ria?"
The test subjects weren't the only ones related to the Dark Cult.
It was certain that Ria also had some sort of connection.
At my question, Celine tilted her head.
"She’s not in her room?"
I barely managed to steady my ragged breathing.
"First, wake up my parents, then head out to the village and clear out any test subjects you see. We’ll have to move up the evacuation schedule…."
It was then that a piercing scream echoed from somewhere.
"Kyaaaaaak!"
"…Ria!"
I instantly recognized the owner of that voice.
My mind went blank, and before I knew it, I was sprinting toward the source of the sound.
There, as expected, was Ria, just about to be attacked by a test subject.
Seeing Ria trembling on the ground, my vision turned red.
I hurled my axe at the test subject lunging at her with a kitchen knife.
Thwack! The axe severed its arm, and the test subject howled even louder.
The kitchen knife it was holding clattered pitifully onto the ground.
I used the momentum of my sprint to kick the test subject.
With the sickening crunch of crushing bones, the test subject's body was sent flying.
Its body bounced several times across the ground. It was a testament to the terrifying amount of force delivered.
That test subject would likely never get up again.
With its arm severed and blood spraying, droplets of blood were splattered on Ria's face.
In a state of panic, Ria was just trembling.
It was heartbreaking to see her trying her best to push herself backward.
I immediately pulled Ria into an embrace.
"It's okay, Ria… I'll take care of it now."
"B-b-b-brother…."
Stammering, Ria clung to me, her voice thick with tears.
I tightened my grip on her.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you. So just wait quietly in the mansion… okay?"
"Y-yes… hic, sob, waaaaaah…."
The shock must have been immense, as Ria finally burst into tears.
I held her in my arms for a long time so that my sister could feel safe.
After a few minutes, Ria seemed to have calmed down a bit and loosened her grip on me.
In fact, I felt like Ria was doing better than me.
I was still in a state of confusion from the suddenness of the event.
Moreover, hadn't I just woken up from drinking the night before?
That was why I didn't notice.
Ria still had her face buried in my chest.
If she had tried to pull away from my embrace, it wouldn't have happened.
Ria's hand fumbled on the ground, and in the next moment—
Squeltch.
I felt a sharp, piercing pain through my abdomen.
Huh? I looked down.
Ria was holding a blade in her hand.
It was the kitchen knife the test subject had dropped.
My eyes stared blankly at Ria.
Even Ria seemed unable to believe what she had done, her eyes wide with shock.
For a moment, my thoughts were detached from reality.
What awakened my floating consciousness was that eerie sound once again.
Squeltch.
The kitchen knife stabbed into my abdomen once more.
No, was it higher up?
Blood welled up and spilled from my mouth.
Ria spoke in a trembling voice.
"N-no…."
I gently grabbed Ria's arm.
The strength I felt was unexpectedly powerful.
It wasn't the kind of strength the sickly Ria should have.
Ah, come to think of it, her strength always seemed to increase whenever she was digging….
What a damn foreshadowing that turned out to be.
And so, I couldn't stop the blade as it stabbed into my body once more.
"No, no, no… I-I… to b-b-brother… t-that can't be. No, no, noooooooo!"
Listening to that desperate, grief-stricken scream, I managed to pull myself away and collapse onto the ground.
My vision was blurry.
Was it because I wasn't fully sober yet?
At least I could see my companions running toward me in a panic from a distance.
Looking at them, I managed to mutter.
"R-Ria…."
Please, just don't hurt Ria.
With that final scene, my consciousness snapped.