READ AHEAD ON ROYAL ROAD. MAIN AND CONSISTENT UPLOADS THERE 4X WEEK
Corrine stood within the dead end of an alleyway, just past the shopping district a few blocks from the lodgings she was returning to.
In front of her stood Chauncy, his face stern and his posture wide. He looked over at the group that had cornered them here with contempt. They had been following him and his young miss for a while now. In an attempt to lose the tail, they took random twists and turns in hopes to shake them off.
Unfortunately, their last turn led to this outcome.
Chauncy ground his teeth as he spoke to the cloaked, armored figures blocking their path. "What is the meaning of this?" He demanded harshly. He had not been exposed, so why? Why were they targeting the young lady?
One of the armored men stepped forward; the four behind him spread out, sealing the alley completely. As the sun began to set and the sky darkened over the tall buildings blocking the two targets, the one at the front pulled out his sword, lowering his posture as he stared at the rotund butler in front of him.
"It's nothing personal, butler. In fact, I don't even care that you're secretly a roon, hiding in plain sight…" The leader said, causing both Chauncy and Corrine to tense slightly. "But our employer wants something your family has, and to get it…" The mercenary pointed to the little girl behind him. "...we need that girl." He then shifted his finger to the butler. "And we can't afford a witness."
Chauncy clenched his fists, so the real target was the lord of the house and his invention. By taking Corrine hostage, they would have all the leverage this hidden foe needed to take all they wanted from his lord. The sly butler pieced it all together in an instant. A thought then occurred to the rotund butler, and realization struck him.
"This…this isn't the first time… is it?" The bandit attack. Why would a group of regular brigands chase and track him and his young miss over just taking all the riches left on the carriage back then? Why send all that manpower? Righteous vengeance? From a group of poor and desperate thieves?
Unlikely. The option of capturing Corrine would have been pointless for bandits like them. Ransoming her would spell their deaths; not a single one of them possessed aura. A boy had defeated them; with the money their family had, hiring a mercenary with twice the skill would have been no issue.
Slave trade? Impossible. Selling humans on the black market was unheard of in central Neel. And a group of road bandits couldn't possibly have the connections to sell humans overseas. They wouldn't be bandits in the middle of nowhere if that were the case.
So why would they take the risk and abandon the immediate gains from the carriage? Were they really the fools?
No. The fool was Chauncy. He couldn't believe such a speculation just now came to his mind.
The mercenary chuckled at the question. "Haha, not bad for a reddy. You're half right." The leader grinned as a thin layer of chi began to wrap around his body. "That group was working for dirt cheap; we're a different, more professional agency." The four behind him also began to wrap themselves in chi, pulling out their swords as well.
Corrine, now panicking seeing five assailants wrapped in chi, stepped forward, hoping to keep Chauncy out of this. It was clear they were going to kill him if she did not surrender. They were obviously outmatched. She did not want to see the death of her trusted friend and butler. "I-I surrender; I'll go with you if you keep Chauncy out of this!" she shouted.
She didn't care what happened to her; she only wanted Chauncey to make it out of here alive. As long as he lived, there would be plenty of opportunity to think of a way out of their clutches at a later time.
But Chauncy grabbed her shoulder, not allowing her to take another step closer to the assassins, an abrasive move for a butler, but Chauncy did not care; he would not let his young miss sacrifice herself for the likes of him. "Young miss, don't do this! Do not surrender to these people; we must never! Always fight to the end."
Corrine was washed with fear. She was afraid of getting captured, afraid of her butler getting killed here, afraid of the anguish her father would go through wondering where they were.
Why? Why was this happening? They had a pleasant time all day, shopping for clothes, buying food, and seeing the sights. She barely even noticed that despicable letter throughout the day, but all of a sudden, this happens.
It brought her wave after wave of fear, anger, despair.
She couldn't handle all of this anymore.
"Remember your father's words, Corrine." The butler loosened his grip on her shoulder as he pulled out a small axe from his spatial ring. "Whether it be battle, business, or bureaucracy…" The demon looked over at the people blocking their path and glared viciously at them. "...Always fight to the end. We won't let them have their way."
Corrine's mind calmed a little. Chauncy was right; they might be outmatched, but there had to be a way for them to escape; they just had to fight for it.
Though little, she had improved on the use of her own aura. If she worked together with Chauncy, a chance to escape was possible; they were within the city. Alerting enough people might give them the chance they needed!
But as she thought that, something unexpected happened. A figure darted in front of them from behind.
Corrine's eyes constricted at the sight. She had seen this scene before.
His shoulder-length blonde hair contrasted the setting sun; his crystal-clear blue eyes were relaxed and at ease. His short stature was overshadowed by the broad back that stood in front of them. He flicked his sword and sheathed it as he turned towards Corrine with a handsome smile.
"Don't worry, Corrine, you're safe now." He reassured the young girl.
The girl's emotions surged seeing that scene once again. "Dami-" But her words were cut short as a spray of hot liquids splashed on the side of her face.
Plop
Thud
With trembling eyes and a frozen heart, Corrine placed a hand on her cheek to wipe away the liquid. As she did so, she gazed at the red staining her fingertips.
She looked across the alleyway, hoping the source had come from a place other than what her conscious mind concluded.
No such luck met her gaze as the five startled men stood tall as they looked at the youth in front of them.
In a mind-collapsing daze, Corrine turned her head to the side. Where Chauncy once stood.
On the ground, the once rotund and giddy butler now lay there, lifeless and decapitated. Waves of red blood gushing indolently from the stump that formerly housed his head. As the signs of life faded, so did the illusion magic covering him. Revealing red skin, paling by the second.
DING
[
Special Mission Complete!
+300 XP!
[Superior Pill of Fortitude] sent to your inventory!
]
At the sight and notification, Damien was relieved. The system was indeed correct; the butler was a demon spy.
When he activated his [Superior Appraisal] on the group, he had seen the red text indicating the true target for this mission. The butler hiding in plain sight, the true evil beneath the surface.
Feeling more confident, he spoke up, thinking his friend needed a bit more explaining about what was occurring, given her shocked silence. He felt sympathy for her. Who knows how long that monster was around for, gaining her trust all this time? But it had to be done, her facing reality now would surely keep her from hardships later down the road.
"He was a spy, Corrine. Probably sent by the devils to infiltrate your-"
"What have you done?" Corrine said in a daze as she looked down at the cold form.
At those words, Damien was confused. What was wrong? Did she not notice the transformation in her shocked state? He will admit he acted rather swiftly, but he was holding a weapon near her; there was no telling what could have occurred had he waited any longer.
"Corrine, you have to calm down and look at-"
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" She shouted once more, falling to her knees, not caring for the lake of blood staining her dress. She hastily crawled through the blood, retrieving the head of her butler. She brought it over to the still body, flipping it over to place it back. An unsettlingly futile attempt to stop the bleeding and revive the lost.
Corrine's mind had broken, the reality in her mind and the reality before her clashing together. What was happening was impossible, improbable, unacceptable. Her savior, the one that just brought her to the peak of hope, had thrown her down to the deepest pit of maddening despair with a single swing.
"Chauncy…Chauncy…Chauncy…"
She sat there and whispered, unaffected by the warm blood and cold air while she adjusted Chauncy's head over and over to no avail.
The kidnappers looked over in disgust and annoyance; with all that blood over her now, taking her anywhere would be a pain. The leader shook his head. He turned to the unknown teen and spoke.
"That demon wasn't a spy, kid." The leader revealed.
Damien's eyes went wide as he turned to the man he assumed was helping Corrine earlier. He assumed they figured out the demon's trick as well and came to her aid, but with those words, his mind began to reel with questions.
"What do you mean? Then what was a demon doing in the capital? And with Corrine?" He asked urgently.
The leader grinned in his heart.
'So he's an idiot, an ignorant commoner most likely. A talented one, but a fool nonetheless.'
The leader spoke, his tone heavy. "That friend of yours…" He pointed to the shattered-minded girl. "...her family are devil worshippers. She knew he was a demon; they are betrayers of Neel."
Damien's heart shook. Corrine was… a traitor to humanity? He couldn't believe it; he wouldn't believe it! They had spent time together, talked together. Her dream was the same as his: world peace.
He turned back to the girl sitting in blood. His eyes showing sorrow, had she really betrayed them? But why? He had to know.
"Corrine, you… you worship the devils?" There must be a reasonable explanation! He wouldn't dare believe a person he just met so easily; she just had to explain why she was doing this. Why she seemingly cared about the death of the monster following her around. Was she being forced? Would his death cause the wrath of her captors?
Damien searched for any reason to help her, to believe she wasn't evil.
Corrine's hands stopped at the words, her fractured mind returning slightly. But the words only lingered for a while. Soon completely forgotten.
Because she noticed an item poking from the breast pocket of the dead butler.
A black envelope.
The black envelope.
But the envelope was different this time. This time, the letter wasn't sealed. It was now open, the equally black paper peeking from its wrapping and pink text emanating from it.
Corrine shakily reached out and plucked the letter from her servant's jacket. She opened the letter fully to read its contents.
[
To the kind Corrine,
A girl moved to madness by maleficent and malicious forces.
Pushed into a game of pain and persecution.
Dragged to the depths of despondency and doom.
So undeserving, unfit, and unacceptable for one such as you.
The devil of the heart has heard your desperate call.
The call for help.
The call for haven.
The call for hope.
The devil of the heart knows your deepest wish.
A wish for vindication.
A wish for violence.
A wish for vengeance.
The devil of the heart can grant what you seek.
And far more…
All that's required is the benediction.
And a bit of blood.
So speak the name of the devil.
And salvation will soon follow.
]
Corrine gazed at the letter as light returned in her eyes.
'S-salvation.'
~~~
Damien stood there and watched the dazed Corrine, finally stopping her senseless actions. She began staring into empty space, looking lifeless. His heart clenched at that. She did not answer his question either; she just sat there as if her mind had stopped.
'Could she be bedeviled, maybe?' Given her strange actions, maybe her mind has been cursed. It's the only reasonable explanation behind all this; there was no way she was doing this willingly. He knew Corrine.
A few days with a fellow warrior tells you all you need to know about a person… So it seems.
Just as Damien decided to walk over, oblivious to the subtle malicious glances of the men behind him, he stopped in his tracks as Corrine stood up.
He was shocked to see her turn and walk further into the alley, like a zombie, unsteady yet determined as she reached down and picked up…
A handbag.
Seemingly belonging to her.
The young warrior watched as Corrine reached into her purse and pulled out a black envelope.
"The hell is that?" A voice behind him said, the kidnapper leader. He too was confused about what the girl was doing, but he couldn't make a move on her quite yet. He had to deal with the busybody in front of him first.
But the kid wasn't like the two they cornered. He had sword aura just like them, and the speed at which he arrived showed he wouldn't be a pushover. They were told no witnesses, so they had to strike with no chance of resistance.
As the group stood and watched, Corrine unsealed the letter, pulled out the black note, and threw it to the ground; as it landed, the sigils on the paper began to glow and expand. It expanded well past the paper and onto the stony ground below, forming a pink, circular pattern.
She then pulled out a knife from her spatial ring and raised it high.
"Shit! Stop her!" The leader shouted, recognizing what was going on; he didn't dare take the risk. She was performing a summoning. If it went through and a greed devil showed up, they would be out of luck. When it came to them, it came down to money; he wasn't sure about the wealth his client had compared to this girl's family, so stopping the summoning was a must.
The five dashed forward, leaving the dazed Damien behind; they couldn't be bothered about him for now.
Corrine, as if in a trance, swung her hand down mechanically, making a small cut on her palm. As the blood spilled onto the ground, she spoke.
"Know the name of the devil, the name of ones heart."
The warriors rushed in, but the distance was too far to stop the actions. Corrine going further into the alley had not ensured their capture like they had hoped; it gave her the opportunity to free something instead.
"I summon thee…"
As the blood fed the circle, the pink sigil began to glow brightly, and the air began to swirl with an energy uncommon to the mainland of Neel. Chaos energy.
"HANNYA!"
BOOSH
White mist exploded rapidly from the sigil, filling the alley in an instant. It gushed out of the opening at full tilt, swiftly obscuring Damien's view, traveling past him, and covering dozens of buildings behind him. A small section of the city was covered in mist in a matter of seconds.
Then a rhythmic chime rang out deep within the dense mist. The sound caused the armored men's hearts to tremble unconsciously with each subsequent ring.
Jingle - step
Jingle - step
Jingle - step
Damien, unable to see nor understand the situation, decided that he would try his luck in getting through to Corrine once again.
DING
But as he was stepping forward once more, his system notified him again. He looked at the transparent panel in front of him. And his eyes shook at the red text in front of him.
[Urgent Mission: Retreat!]