After Following Wuden to the castle, Ruon couldn’t help but realize how impoverished this territory truly was, with walls so low and dilapidated that any distinction between outer and inner walls was meaningless.
A wry laugh escaped him.
‘Are all demons and their minions like this?’
It seemed amusing that those who claimed to worship a great demon targeted places like a rustic village’s monastery, a church, or a small lord’s territory.
Of course, such behavior might be meant to minimize unnecessary conflict and proceed with their plans covertly, but there was no need to sympathize with their thinking.
At that moment, Wuden spoke.
“…You don’t need to laugh, I know better than anyone that it’s small and shabby.”
From his somber tone, Ruon could tell that the old butler had misunderstood.
“That’s not why I was laughing. If I gave the wrong impression, then I apologize.”
Hearing Ruon’s polite words, Wuden seemed surprised, responding.
“Oh, no, it’s not like that. My mind has been troubled, so I became overly sensitive. I apologize.”
Igor interjected.
“It seems the Baron is in worse shape than you could have imagined.”
Wuden nodded.
“It’s been over two weeks since the young lady passed away, and he’s locked himself up in his office ever since. It’s hard to imagine he’s doing well.”
“And the lady of the house…”
“She passed away a long time ago, after giving birth to the young lady. She was the only heir to the master, no siblings… Losing her has caused him immense pain, and then that woman appeared.”
Anger seeped into Wuden’s voice as he mentioned the woman. It was evident that he was deeply upset, clenching his wrinkled fist tightly.
Meanwhile, the group entered the castle. The building, rather than a castle, looked more like a considerably large mansion. Despite the sun shining outside, there was an eerie atmosphere inside.
At that moment, an elderly maid, who had been sweeping the floor, threw the broom aside and hurriedly approached them.
“Wuden, where have you been all this time?”
“Pick up the broom. Mia. You’re acting disrespectfully in front of those who came to help.”
Upon Wuden’s scolding, the maid named Mia picked up the fallen broom and approached again.
“I apologize.”
Finally easing his expression, Wuden asked, “The master?”
“He’s still the same. He hasn’t touched the food left for him yesterday.”
“…And that woman?”
“She hasn’t come out of her room and…”
Before Mia could finish her sentence, Wuden crumpled his face and shouted in frustration.
“Be careful with your words! That room belongs to the departed lady, not that sinister woman!”
“I-I’m sorry.”
As Mia shrunk her shoulders, Wuden sighed and lowered his head.
“I’m sorry, I was too harsh. You must be going through a lot as well… I’ve made several mistakes today.”
“No, it’s my fault. It was my carelessness. If I had taken better care of the young lady that day…”
Looking at Mia, whose eyes turned red as she finished her sentence, Ruon could tell that she was the maid who had accompanied the deceased daughter of the lord during her visit to the mountain.
Igor, who had been quiet, spoke up.
“Ruon, where should we start? The study? The room where that woman supposedly is? Or should we split up and…”
Instead of answering, Ruon quietly gripped the handle of the Holy Sword. He felt a faint vibration coming from the blade.
In response, Igor shut his mouth.
“Are there any other residents living here?”
To this question, Wuden shook his head.
“For now, it’s just me, Mia, and the two of you. There were others who came and helped at intervals, but… I prohibited their entry as unfavorable rumors have been spreading bit by bit after the master’s condition deteriorated. Why do you ask?”
Ruon replied.
“That’s good. In that case, the two of you should wait outside. I’ll call for you once we’re done.”
“…Why should we suddenly leave?”
“Because the old man’s concerns weren’t unwarranted.”
Wuden’s eyes narrowed as if he didn’t immediately comprehend the meaning of the statement.
“Huh?”
It was Igor who responded.
“There’s an evil force lurking here. He and I will destroy it in Mother’s name, so the two of you can wait outside without worry.”
“What? You’re saying this without even confirming anything. Who are you guys…”
Interrupting Wuden’s stuttering, Ruon spoke firmly.
“I won’t say it twice. Leave.”
It was none other than Mia who firmly tugged on Wuden’s arm as he stood there dumbfounded.
“Wuden-sama, let’s go.”
She bowed her head deeply, as if she had realized something from Igor’s tone and the pommel of the Holy Sword at Ruon’s waist.
“Please, save the lord, knights of Tibella.”
With those words, Mia and Wuden walked outside. Igor murmured softly while watching them leave.
“I’m a priest…”
“Stop talking nonsense and let’s go.”
Ruon walked straight towards the central staircase.
His steps, guided by the ever-increasing hum of the holy sword, stopped in front of a rusted iron door on the third floor.
A tray placed beside the door held dry bread and a bowl of dried-up soup, looking rather forlorn.
Igor, who was feeling uneasy from the ominous stench seeping out from beyond the door, spoke.
“This must be the master’s study.”
Ruon silently heightened his senses.
His expanded hearing allowed him to pick up the sounds from inside.
“My love, my treasure, my one and only daughter, let’s be together forever, a true, painless…”
Ruon could hear a man’s voice mumbling with such speed that it sounded as if he was speaking in tongues.
Feeling as if hundreds of ants were crawling in his ears, Ruon pressed both hands against the iron door.
Gi-Gi-Gk!
The thin iron door, unable to withstand the explosive force of the bulging muscles, let out a scream and began to deform.
Slipping his arm through the forcefully opened gap in the door, Ruon grabbed the fastened hinge.
Thud!
Unable to withstand the tremendous strength of his grip, the hinge was torn away, and the door that had lost its means of securing itself slowly opened.
The suffocating stench that filled the room hit their faces and spilled outside.
Igor, captivated by the scene before him, muttered softly without even noticing the foul smell.
“Goodness gracious…”
In the middle of the room, a naked man covered in wounds was holding something precious in his arms.
What he held close was a swollen and grotesque corpse.
Witnessing the horrifying sight, Igor immediately clenched his fist.
“Mother, bestow mercy to soothe this broken soul.”
With his prayer, a faint light emanated from his body and poured over the man’s form.
“Keek!”
Exposed to the light, the man fell backward and twisted his body in a grotesque manner. However, his arms still clung tightly to the corpse.
Seeing the almost mad determination in the man’s eyes, Igor turned to Ruon and spoke.
“I’ll try to calm him somehow.”
“Is that possible?”
“We’ll see.”
As Igor approached the staggering lord and began reciting a prayer, a languid voice echoed from down the corridor.
“My king enjoys watching restless souls being consumed by madness.”
Turning his head in the direction of the voice, Ruon saw a young woman wearing a light nightgown smiling at him.
“Who are you to disturb his entertainment?”
The smooth corners of the woman’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if she had seen something unpleasant.
“Tibella? You must be those wretches of hers.”
After finishing her words, the woman’s forehead started to seethe and melt, and Ruon immediately reached for the bow behind his back.
As he pulled the transparent string, a bright arrow of light appeared and was swiftly aimed at the woman.
The arrow of light clashed with a crimson barrier that rose in front of the woman’s body.
Arrow after arrow fell upon the shield, which wavered unsteadily.
Amidst this, the woman shouted.
“Erode and die!”
As the opposing forces clashed, something surged toward Ruon.
An unseen force slammed into him, knocking down the hanging picture frames on the wall with a resounding crash.
‘What was that?’
In that moment, Ruon felt a creeping impulse in his mind, suddenly feeling the desire to draw the Holy Sword and stab it into his own thigh.
‘Stab! Slash! Tear! Pierce!’
Fighting the horrifying voice that delved into his mind, Ruon tightly gripped the Holy Sword’s hilt. Suddenly, a burst of light emanated from the pommel, enveloping his entire body.
At the same time, a blazing red lightning bolt came hurtling towards him, colliding with the protective barrier created by the Holy Sword.
Amidst the shock that pushed him backward, the urges to harm himself continued.
‘Slash! Thrash! Twist! Mutilate!’
‘Shut up.’
Harshly slapping his own cheek with his palm, Ruon gritted his teeth and focused his concentration.
With his overwhelming mental power, even capable of creating artificial temporal stasis, the chaotic noise in his mind gradually receded.
Regaining composure, Ruon raised the Holy Sword and struck down an oncoming bolt of red lightning.
The bolt split in two and tore through the surroundings before dispersing into thin air.
Seeing Ruon spit out the blood-tinged saliva on the floor, the woman spoke.
“You defeated the King’s power solely through willpower? That’s impossible.”
The symbol of Belducias flared ominously on the woman’s forehead as she stared in disbelief.
“So what?”
Uninterested in her tiresome blabbering, Ruon responded curtly and slammed the ground.
“Eek!”
Gritting her teeth, the woman shouted incomprehensible words.
“Driccium-Avento!”
Wicked flames swirled from the woman’s fingertips, engulfing the body of the charging Ruon.
The woman smiled in satisfaction as she unleashed her most powerful spell.
“The never-ending flames will burn you to—”
Her sentence was cut off abruptly.
Emerging from the flames within a silvery protective barrier, the stag adorned pommel of the Holy Sword came flying forward, shattering the woman’s crimson barrier with terrifying force. With his other hand, Ruon’s hand gripped her throat firmly.
“Cough! Cough!”
Suspended in mid-air, the woman desperately clung to Ruon’s wrist. She knew that letting go would result in gravity taking full effect, likely breaking her neck.
“What, do you want me to put you down?”
Ruon lifted the arm choking her throat and swung it downward, smashing the woman into the floor.
Thud!
Overwhelmed by the tremendous impact, the woman was unable to even scream, curling up like a shrimp.
Looking down at her with cold eyes, Ruon shouted loudly.
“Igor!”
In response to his call, Igor, covered in beads of sweat, slowly walked out of the study.
Ruon asked, “The Baron?”
Igor replied wearily as he approached Ruon’s side.
“I forced him to sleep a while ago. There shouldn’t be any immediate issues.”
Gazing at the fallen woman, Igor spoke with disdain.
“You despicable minion of a vile demon. Do you realize the extent of your wicked deeds?”
In excruciating pain, all the woman could do was groan.
Her sweat-drenched, voluptuous figure, gasping for breath, would have appeared as a pitiable sight to anyone ignorant of the circumstances. However, the gazes of the two men looking down at her were infinitely cold.
Kneeling down and lowering his posture, Ruon grasped the woman’s cheeks and spoke.
“From now on, if you answer my questions properly, I’ll kill you without much pain.”
Uninterested in hearing a response, Ruon continued.
“So, where is your arrogant king hiding?”
