* * *
The largest plaza of Duke Reshaniel’s mansion was usually a place of quiet. But now, it looked more like a bustling marketplace.
“Ha! To think that kind of trash tried to ruin our family…!”
“Calling himself a shadow or whatever. How grotesque.”
“I heard he tormented the mages, all for his own selfish gain!”
“And on top of that, he summoned monsters to threaten the empire! What a pathetic piece of garbage!”
From maids and servants to merchants and commoners passing through the territory, everyone was pointing fingers and jeering at the pathetic figure of Duke Reshaniel, who lay inside a coffin suspended in midair.
The reason for this spectacle was simple. In accordance with the plot hatched between the emperor and Kalinos family, Duke Reshaniel’s body had been brought back to his mansion.
“I heard His Majesty cast a spell so he’ll never be able to move again!”
“Then that damnable b*stard has to spend the rest of his life stuck in that state?”
“Yes. Word has it his hearing remains completely intact, so he can hear every single voice pointing fingers at him.”
To the outside eye, he appeared to be lying down peacefully. But internally, Duke Reshaniel was fully capable of processing every single thought!
“It must feel like hell.”
“Ha! Could it possibly compare to the people who died because of him? The Reshaniel family was utterly shattered because of that thrash, yet he gets off remarkably easy!”
They spat at the coffin, over and over, hurling curses and abuse. And yet…
To think that even though things have come to this, I cannot do a single thing. Duke Reshaniel couldn’t move his body, couldn’t go anywhere. He couldn’t even twitch a single finger at will. What drove him to true despair was that his cognitive abilities remained completely intact. The fact that my mind is perfectly clear…
Duke Reshaniel fell into an endless, bottomless pit of frustration. Yet, he possessed absolutely no power to break free from this world.
Up until now, his life had been nothing short of bliss. But now, he was more than half-blinded and half-deafened. He was forced to endlessly replay his own mistakes in his mind, burning with a desire for vengeance. Yet without ever finding a way to satisfy that wrath for the rest of his days. Slowly, he began to lose his mind.
I-I must… He tried to curl the corners of his lips upward just to laugh like a madman, but in his current state, not a single action was permitted. And so, he sank deeper and deeper into a hellish abyss with no escape.
He wanted to curse Giselle’s happiness, but his voice would never reach the world. Not now, not ever. Not until the very day he died…!
By the time he had heard the voices of everyone who once praised him shift into a chorus of curses, hearing it over and over again, he had completely lost track of time.
It was precisely when darkness blanketed the world. Amidst the environment that had suddenly turned quiet, the distinct sound of someone walking closer echoed out.
“Look at you, living so wonderfully in your misery.”
A familiar voice! Duke Reshaniel desperately wanted to snap his eyes open to get a clear look at the silhouette, but even that luxury was denied to him.
“Rest easy. I didn’t come here to kill you. Ah, or perhaps you’re dying to beg me to kill you?”
The voice, presumably Giselle’s, drifted into his ears.
“Stay alive in that state forever, until your ‘fate’ reaches its absolute end.”
…Giselle let out a soft chuckle, then promptly spat right next to his cheek. A glob of wet saliva dripped down from his face with a heavy plop.
Trapped beneath the collective condemnation of the world, Duke Reshaniel was locked away in an eternal hell.
* * *
“Ah, how refreshing!”
After seeing off Duke Kalinos and confirming the mosquito b*stard’s current situation, I had fully convinced myself that everything would be perfectly happy from now on. But as it turned out, today, exactly one week since Duke Kalinos departed to purify the North, was a slightly strange day.
I reached out to grab a dish sitting on the shelf, only to pull my hand back in a hurry. “Uh, what is this?” Out of nowhere, a finely crafted glass goblet spontaneously shattered. “Ah, oww.” While picking up the shards of glass, I ended up cutting the back of my hand. And then.. A scout clad in armor covered in thick soil and dust suddenly materialized right inside my kitchen.
…Setting everything else aside, isn’t the sudden appearance of a scout a bit too random for plot development?
I rubbed the bridge of my nose and asked him, “Who are you, and why have you appeared before me?”
“I-I’m S-Sam, the scout. I assisted Duke Kalinos in the North’s eastern territory. I-I have something to tell you, Madam, which is why I teleported here.” Sniffling, the scout looked like he might burst into tears at any moment.
“Huh? What’s wrong? What happened?”
“That, Du-Duke Kalion. H-He has pa-passed away…”
The news delivered by the scout’s lips was utterly shocking.
I looked at the scout’s face, which seemed completely sincere, and curled my lips into a mocking smile. “What kind of nonsense is that? Why would the duke be dead?”
“That’s…”
“Are you a con artist? Or did the duke tell you to play a prank on me? It’s not funny, so drop it.”
However, the scout merely stared back at me. Large tears welling up in his eyes as if to prove he wasn’t lying. He then handed me a recording magic artifact along with a detailed explanation. “Sniff… I-If you look right here…”
* * *
Sam, the scout. He was someone who had been entrusted with a very important task by Vientin.
“If anything should happen to me while dealing with the monsters, go straight to my wife.”
“Yes, Understood!”
“Now. Take this google-type video recording artifact. Keep it worn near your face and ensure you are filming my image at all times.”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
“…Ah, and pay special attention to capturing my coolest combat scenes in sharp focus. Got it?”
“Understood!”
He carried the important responsibility of reporting to the duchess if Vientin fought an impressive battle or, in case he got hurt. Thanks to that, his job was to stay by Vientin’s side and watch over him at all times.
That day was no different. Sam followed Vientin to the eastern village of Proxen to wipe out a dark plant that had taken root there. And then… They saw a pitch-black tree, massive enough to wrap around the entire village like a world there.
Vientin stroked his chin in admiration and murmured, “This plant is quite large.”
“This purification might be dangerous, Your Grace.”
Vientin raised his sword and, without a second thought, sliced off a branch. The three seemed to shrink back for a brief moment, only to swing their branches violently against the ground, descending into a frantic frenzy.
“Uh, uaaack!”
“Watch out, Your Grace!”
Sam, who had been watching, had already been struck by a stray branch and blown away. At that moment, countless knights were desperately struggling to fend off the flailing branches. Vientin moved in, getting as close as possible to the trunk to destroy the core. Just as his elegant blade sliced through the air—Boooom! With a deafening roar, the tree exploded.
Everyone was flung backward without even having the chance to let out a scream. The same went for Sam. He came to after being knocked out for a moment, rubbing his eyes as he stared at the remains of the exploded tree. The ground was gouged out like a crater, as if a volcano had erupted. All his comrades were crawling on the ground, and abandoned helmets and swords lay scattered everywhere. Vientin was nowhere to be seen, and the earth was stained red.
And then Sam saw it. Inside the massive crater left by the explosion, Vientin’s sword lay there, bent. It was obvious to anyone that someone had died there.
“Y-Your Grace…!”
Tears welled up in the eyes of the earnest, innocent scout. From that moment on, only one thought filled his mind. He had to go to Duchess Giselle Kalinos right away!
* * *
“So, you’re saying you came to me because of the explosion?”
“Yes.”
“Why would the duke die from something as trivial as an explosion?”
“W-Well, normal people die if there’s an explosion…”
But how could Duke Kalinos possibly die? After ending all those wars so brilliantly, he’d die in such a pointless way? I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh. Come to think of it, this scout does look a bit naive. He probably got tricked.
Duke Kalinos is definitely alive.
Still, I should check. He might be so badly injured that he can’t move.
“We’re going to Proxen Village right now.”
Just in case, I wrote a note to Neslan, Yuliana, and Garno, letting them know I’d be away for a while. Then, with the Coocoo and elite knights, who protect the family, I headed to the place Sam had mentioned: Proxen Village in the east. But…
“This was a village?”
“Ah, yes. This is where the duke disappeared. It was the area with the worst damage to the houses!”
All I could see was a massive crater. And there were still traces of blood and flesh that hadn’t been cleaned up…
“He was here?”
…If he’d been anywhere near this, there’s no way he could have survived. It was exactly like the scene I’d seen in the video, and I lowered and raised my trembling eyelids. It didn’t feel real at all, so I quietly spoke. “No, he wouldn’t have just perished. He’s probably out there repairing the damage somewhere else.”
Coocoo, who was perched on my shoulder, muttered softly. “Coo. (I smelled bread baking from way over there. There must be houses nearby! Let’s go ask!)”
Following Coocoo’s words, I moved with the knights. Even as I walked in short steps, it still didn’t feel real, and I kept letting out hollow laughs. With a dumbfounded look on my face, I wiped my face with my hands a few times, and soon I spotted some women nearby clutching baskets.
“Oh goodness! You’re from the Kalinos family, aren’t you?”
As they greeted us warmly, I spoke up right away. “I’ve come to see Duke Kalinos. Where is he?”
They glanced at each other, looking flustered. My heart sank slightly as the suspicion that he might truly be dead began to morph into a chilling certainty.
“W-Well, he is here, but…”
“Given t-that Duke Kalinos ended up like that…”
“…What do you mean like that?”
“T-That’s…”
Their ominous tone made me tightly close my eyes before opening them again. “Then, do you know where the duke is?”
“H-He should be over there. At the very top. If you go to the place with the tallest tombstone, you’ll see.”
My vision felt as though it went entirely white. The place her finger was pointing toward was none other than a graveyard…
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