Witch of the Ruins (2)
The count's reception room in Istius.
The count dabbed ceaselessly at the sweat beading on his forehead with a handkerchief, stealing glances all the while. At the end of his gaze stood a knight in silver armor.
"……I never dreamed the Royal Guard would come in person."
Her helmet tucked under one arm, she stood ramrod straight. Blue hair cascading to her shoulders caught the light, shimmering brilliantly. Her beauty was undeniable, yet an aura surrounded her that dared no one to approach.
Vice-Captain of the Royal Guard, Adelaide von Estia.
She gazed down at the count with an impassive expression.
"I come only at His Majesty's command, Count Istius."
"Ha, haha. Of course. But for someone of your stature, Vice-Captain, over a mere communication blackout in some frontier village……."
"Mere, you say?"
Adelaide's eyebrow twitched.
At the low, chilling edge in her voice, Count Istius's shoulders jerked.
"Sir Kasyas is one of the kingdom's finest knights. For a man of his caliber leading an investigation team to simply vanish…… 'Mere' doesn't begin to cover it."
"N-no, I didn't mean! It was a slip of the tongue. I wasn't doubting Sir Kasyas's prowess……."
The count waved his hands frantically. But his reaction was understandable enough.
The Royal Guard was the king's personal elite, the kingdom's mightiest force. Deploying them for a disappearance in some backwater village felt like overkill.
Of course, Adelaide saw it differently.
If Sir Kasyas fell, this is no ordinary matter.
When had it been? She'd sparred with him once herself.
His swordsmanship was heavy yet precise. He was no one to be easily defeated.
And yet he'd vanished? While investigating a rural village, no less?
Too many suspicious threads to dismiss as "mere."
"We've finished resupplying. Let's depart at once."
"Right now? The sun's setting—surely rest a day in the territory…… I've prepared a banquet—"
"Time is of the essence. There might be survivors."
Adelaide shook her head firmly.
She whirled, cape billowing, and strode from the reception room, frowning where the count couldn't see.
Incompetent.
Even now, he was scheming for whatever scraps might fall his way.
Adelaide clicked her tongue. A dozen knights fell in behind her in perfect unison.
Crisp footfalls echoed down the corridor.
The heart of a forest unnaturally silent.
Leading the way atop her white steed, Adelaide gripped the reins tightly, eyes fixed ahead.
An ominous chill, like plunging into a giant monster's maw.
Finally, she let out a long sigh. Her adjutant, unable to bear it, urged his horse alongside hers.
"Vice-Captain, aren't you too tense? Your face is so stiff—you'll get wrinkles."
"……Mindless chatter, Zenon."
"No, really. The others are wondering too. It's just a village investigation. Even if monsters show up, the Guard can sweep them in seconds."
"And Sir Kasyas's disappearance?"
"……Opinions differ there. Most think he just got delayed. Lost his way? Landslide or some disaster?"
The surrounding knights nodded in agreement.
Utterly at ease. They brimmed with the pride of the kingdom's elite.
Enough power to crush a city's worth of foes without breaking a sweat. Adelaide knew it well, so rather than reprimand, she issued a mild caution.
"Still, stay alert, everyone."
""""Yes!"""
Hours passed. Dusk began to gather in the woods.
Adelaide's eyes wavered uneasily.
"……Something's off."
"Yes, a bit strange. Too……"
"Quiet?"
"……Yes. That fits. Eerily quiet. Like the forest is dead. Not that it would be, but…… almost like—"
"A devil worshipper's lair."
Zenon nodded. Adelaide agreed.
"Everyone, halt!"
""""Halt!"""
The Royal Guard column stopped.
Adelaide scanned the forest, finger twitching in thought—when a knight spoke cautiously.
"……No beasts."
"What do you mean, Eric?"
"We're deep in the woods, Vice-Captain. But no monsters, not even a beast's shadow since we entered."
"Hm, now that you mention it. Bears or wolves should've shown by now."
"Like something devoured the whole area……."
Adelaide fell silent there.
Overreach. Even she knew it was too far-fetched.
But what was this anxiety crushing her chest?
Suddenly, the wind shifted.
From deeper in the forest came a foul stench on the breeze.
Zenon sniffed. He grimaced, murmuring in disbelief.
"……This smell…… burnt? No, it's……."
"Rotting corpses."
The knights' faces changed at Adelaide's mutter.
"Pick up the pace! Battle ready, all!"
Hooves thundered faster. Trees blurred past, the view opening up.
And at last, reaching the forest's edge.
They saw it.
"……Wh-what the hell."
Zenon muttered blankly. The other knights were speechless too.
If hell had a landscape, this was it. Adelaide dismounted.
She walked slowly toward the village entrance, entranced.
Up close, it was worse.
Bodies burned to death. Others torn apart.
A small shoe—clearly a child's—lay solitary amid the ashes.
Adelaide knelt and picked it up.
"……Vice-Captain."
"……Search."
The word ground out between clenched teeth.
Adelaide's hand trembled. Her black eyes blazed with fury.
"Comb every inch for survivors. And……."
She gripped her sword hilt, knuckles whitening.
"Find who did this, by any means. I'll tear them apart with my own hands……."
Her killing intent froze the air.
The knights gulped but scattered swiftly.
Adelaide glared at the ruined village.
Unforgivable. This devil's atrocity—she couldn't forgive it as a knight, or as a human.
The shoe in her hand still held a chunk of flesh.
"Whoa……."
Sway, sway. Perched on a tree branch, legs swinging.
The view below was quite the spectacle. Silver-armored knights tearing through the village.
Worth starving for and waiting. One, two, three…… twelve. A perfect number—most satisfying.
Especially captivating was the highest-ranking one, the blue-haired knight.
Standing out among the drab men, noble and beautiful. Even her fury-twisted face was a masterpiece.
"……Found you."
I licked my lips instinctively.
Perfect companion material. Kill the rest, but spare her.
Suddenly, I craved seeing those proud eyes fill with terror, then drown in despair.
A thick smile curled my lips.
I devoured the wooden splinter in my grasp with shadow in an instant, resolve hardening. For the first time, I looked forward to nightfall.