Chapter 54
Kaiden asked, flipping through the documents.
“The cause of death?”
“I don’t know the exact cause of death, but…”
As Vito paused, Kaiden raised one eyebrow and asked.
“Why the hesitation?”
“That’s what’s strange. The corpse of Charloise Fernandy was reportedly placed neatly in the center of the Marquis’s mansion hall. She was wearing a beautiful dress with no injuries whatsoever and was clean. Nearby, there were flowers placed that could not have bloomed in winter.”
“What?”
Kaiden couldn’t understand.
“Witnesses? If a corpse and flowers were transported, someone must have seen it?”
“No one claims to have seen anything. Everyone was quietly keeping the strange incident to themselves.”
“…That is truly odd.”
It felt like they were possessed by a ghost. It defied common sense. How could a young noblewoman who had run away be found only as a corpse with no injuries?
“Were there any traces from the three years she was missing?”
Vito shook his head.
“There were none. However…”
As Vito paused, Kaiden urged him.
“Speak without holding back.”
“About 20 years ago, there was a rumor that circulated. That a demon had enchanted and taken Lady Charloise.”
Kaiden put the documents down and muttered.
“A demon…?”
“Kweeeck!”
I slashed at the monster, and then slashed again.
Killing dozens of monsters with my eyes closed, clad in aura, was an action that had long surpassed my limit.
‘I-I’m going to die.’
My initial resolve to survive tenaciously to stick it to the world had already been overwritten with the thought of wanting to quit.
‘I want to run away!’
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Slash!
“Kweeek!”
“Sir Marion killed another monster!”
“Wow!”
I could hear the shouts of the knights and soldiers, whose morale was boosted by my performance. But I felt like I was going to die from exhaustion, regardless of them.
“How many monsters are left?”
I asked Bethel, who was nearby, without even looking at him. Since my eyes were closed anyway, I couldn’t see. Bethel answered with a disciplined voice.
“It seems about two are left!”
“…Good, handle the rest yourselves. I’ve reached my limit.”
“Yes! I shall escort you, Sir Marion!”
Bethel’s unusually brisk voice made me wonder, but I quickly dismissed the thought.
More important was how I could pass through this blood-splattering chaos.
I had wiped out a dozen or so monsters with superhuman strength and my eyes closed, and it would be utterly embarrassing if I fainted the moment I opened my eyes.
[I’ll guide you. Obstacle up front!]
Fortunately, Blede, invisible to human eyes, was guiding me.
‘Thank you, Blede.’
Still, just in case, I surrounded my entire body with a faint aura and followed Bethel’s presence. As I passed by various spots, the Imperial citizens who had survived the disaster spoke to me.
“Thank you, Knight…!”
“Thanks to the scoundrel Knight, our family survived. How can we ever repay you…!”
“Sob, thanks to you, my baby is safe.”
I nodded my head at their words with my eyes closed.
Yes, they should be very grateful. These were lives I had protected by risking my own, so they rightfully should be thankful to me.
“But why is she keeping her eyes closed?”
“Right. Gasp, could it be that her eyes were damaged by a monster…?!”
“Oh, my heavens…!”
I paused for a moment but kept walking, pretending not to hear. But it seemed Bethel was just as curious.
“Uh, Sir Marion.”
“Why?”
“I was also curious. Did you… hurt your eyes?”
At Bethel’s cautious question, I internally groaned, ‘Ugh…’
“Monster sweat got into my eyes, and it stings, so I’ve kept them closed. It happens sometimes, but it will be fine after a while.”
When I made up a convenient excuse, Bethel sounded relieved and spoke in a bright voice.
“I see! That’s a relief. I was worried.”
“Thank you.”
“As expected, Sir Marion is amazing. Killing monsters even with your eyes closed…!”
That’s because I enveloped my entire body in aura, I thought. I’m testing my limits right now.
The reason I was squeezing out every ounce of my superhuman strength and enduring was my will to faint only in a safe place.
“Bethel. But where are we going? I want to rest somewhere quiet.”
When I asked, Bethel answered brightly.
“Yes! We are heading to where the Saintess is. I thought it would be good for you to receive treatment as well, as she is healing the injured with divine power!”
At Bethel’s words, I felt like I might faint right then and there. A place where the injured were gathered meant blood would be splattered everywhere. I quickly said.
“No, Bethel. I’ll just rest alone…”
“Sir Marion has arrived!”
Someone shouted. Blede muttered.
[…We’re already at the hospital.]
Damn it. To do something without being asked. I felt annoyed, although I was sorry to Bethel.
“Sir Marion, it’s the stairs. Take my hand.”
Bethel offered me his hand. I retracted the aura that had been covering my entire body and took his hand.
Operating the aura any longer was too much of a strain.
“Lady Stella! Sir Marion has arrived!”
I heard a soldier in the ward announcing my arrival to Stella. Judging by the distance of the voice, it seemed I was quite far from Stella.
“Cough. Scoundrel Knight, thank you.”
“You are our hero.”
A few patients here who recognized me also expressed their gratitude. I briefly inclined my head toward the sound. However…
“Ugh! It hurts!”
“Huu, my baby, don’t die.”
“Save me, Saintess!”
The sounds of lamentation from all directions were ceaseless. Since a large number of monsters had attacked, casualties were inevitable.
“People are…”
I heard Bethel’s voice muttering in a flustered tone.
I didn’t know the exact scene since my eyes were closed, but I could guess.
People in pain must be lying all over the place.
Bethel, who was still new to being a knight, seemed to not have anticipated a sight like this.
It was then.
“Goddammit.”
A swear word from someone with a small, delicate voice pierced my ear. It was a very small voice, so those around her wouldn’t hear it, but my Swordmaster ears caught it.
It was the Saintess, Stella.
For her to swear, it seemed that treating people was extremely difficult. I felt a moment of guilt, wondering if my presence would annoy her.
“It’s all going to hell anyway, so saving people is useless.”
What?
My eyes snapped open.
The sight inside the ward instantly came into view. People were lying everywhere, bandaged, but I consciously didn’t examine them closely.
I looked at the pink-haired woman visible beyond those people.
Stella was frowning deeply and pouring divine power into a patient. I stared intently at her mouth shape with wide-open eyes.
Her small lips moved.
“Damn, they’re all going to die anyway.”
I hadn’t misheard.
The words, ‘It’s all going to hell anyway,’ ‘Saving people is useless,’ and ‘They’re all going to die anyway,’ were continuously coming out of the Saintess’s mouth.
‘What in the world…?’
I was confused. These were words that the original Stella would never say.
The original story’s ending, after all, concluded with Stella marrying the male lead, the Second Prince Lucas.
It had wrapped up by eliminating the villain, Crown Prince Marius, and his lackey (me), hinting at happy days ahead.
But suddenly, she was talking about the world ending?
I bit my lip and strode toward her. No, I tried to.
“Knight, thank you very much…!”
“Ah, just a moment…”
A patient approached me to express their gratitude. I unconsciously looked at his face, and unfortunately, the patient was covered in blood.
“Damn.”
“Sir Marion!”
[Marion!]
I muttered a small curse and fell backward right then and there. I heard shouts from Bethel and Blede behind me, but then everything went black.
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