Chapter 439

Chapter 439

A tear rolled down Erzebet’s cheek.
“Answer me, Liz. When did you go rogue?”
“Dear Young. I’m—.”
Maid Liz trailed off. She looked around for a way out and bit her lower lip. All entrances, including the windows, were blocked by a violet force field. It was Erzebet’s defense, one of the strongest in all of Acalusia.
“Don’t even think about dismissing it, the evidence is clear.”
Erzebet raised her index finger. The first knuckle of her delicate finger was dusted with a trace of bluish powder, like sugar.
“These are the spores of a star mushroom, and I found them on the couch you were sitting on. They’re very rare, so I wondered where you got them from, and then I saw them on your hands as you were cleaning up the tea.”
“In my hands–you mean?”
“You can’t see it, because you have to be mana-sensitive to see it clearly, which explains why you, the master cleaner, missed it.”
Liz glanced down at her hands. Sure enough, Erzebet had been right: her callused hands were the color of normal flesh.
“Did they bury it in that lab?
There was only one place I could think of. Illuan’s laboratory, where I’d gone at dawn to turn over the body of the Weaponsmith Ajax. The time of Asel’s burial would have been when I held his hand to calm him after a nightmare. I should never have done such a thing.
Erzebet said.
“I realized at that moment that you had gotten the spores of a star fungus on you from somewhere, and that your hand had touched Asel’s. It felt strange, and I tried to reason with it, but I couldn’t, because I was drifting off to sleep, thanks to the sleeping pills you put in my tea.”
“—You knew that.”
“Of course, I loved your tea, and to be honest, I didn’t think much of the fact that it was laced with sleeping pills; you’ve always slipped a little into my drinks, and I was rather pleased to see that you were thinking of me, since I’m a sensitive person and don’t get much sleep. But yesterday’s early morning tea had an excessive amount of them in it, and I thought it was a kind gesture, but—.”
Erzebeth’s insistence was misplaced; she actually liked the tea Liz made for her. The only reason Asel was okay was because she was suspicious of Erzebet and didn’t take a sip of the sleeping tea.
“Anyway, I drank my tea and soon fell asleep, which is exactly what you intended, and if someone hadn’t woken me up at dawn, that syringe would have gone into my neck as planned.”
“Who was that?”
You’re an idiot, Liz. There’s no way I’m going to tell you.”
Liz’s eyes narrowed.
Erzebet shudders as she recalls the events of the early morning.
At the time, I really thought I was going to pass out. Someone poked me in the cheek, and when I opened my eyes, Ronan’s face was right in front of me.
-Chaaaaaa—up!
-Shhh. Quiet.
Erzebet immediately screamed and struggled, but in vain. The aura emanating from the man was unrealistically intimidating, let alone his strength.
Terrified, she had no choice but to do as Ronan said and keep quiet. Until then, she had thought he must have come to retaliate for the morning’s humiliation.
– Listen to me, Eri. Liz could kill you today. Do what I say and you’ll live.
——?!
But that’s not what happened. Instead of killing him or robbing him, Ronan fed him something. It was a bundle of herbs, and the moment it passed down her throat, the energy left her.
After Ronan reversed the effects of the sleeping pills, he explained the terrifying secrets of Acalusia.
“I’ve heard it all: Adeshan’s sister was murdered, not an accident, her body was preserved, not cremated, and I’ve been reduced to living in a basement I’ve never been in, driven insane by the shock of losing someone I care about, engaging in grim research—but you know what’s the most horrible thing?”
Erzebet’s voice was shaking.
Liz shook her head, thinking maybe she had a chance.
“All these evil deeds were done by my father, by you, whom I considered like a sister, what the hell happened? Didn’t my father die at the hands of my mother?! If you were really sealed deep underground, why did you suddenly break free and commit evil deeds!”
The tears she thought she’d stopped burst forth. Erzebet clutched her chest. Only the sound of her breathing could be heard clearly in the silenced room.
Liz, who had been silent, spoke up.
“You’re very clever, young lady. As you said, I am the culprit.”
“Liz.”
“My purpose has always been to bring down Acalusia. The first time I found the Sealed Illuan was the day I cleaned out the crypt, and in that moment, I realized how I was going to bring this house down.”
Liz closed her eyes. The memory was still vivid. Illuan, who was supposedly killed in an experimental accident, was sealed underground, bonded to the meteorite he had summoned. Even in his unconscious state, he ruminated on his loved ones, his proud family, and his unfulfilled ambitions.
“He was a good man. Of all the random words he threw out, the ones that got the most shares were Young Ae and Gaju, and that’s who I did business with.”
“—Transaction?”
“Yes. We drew up a contract, asking you to revive Akalusia in exchange for breaking the seal and providing you with a new body. When I added that you and your family were in danger, you agreed immediately. The contract was fulfilled, and the magic of the contract shifted Iluan’s priorities to the revival of the House, not his family. The rest, as you know, is history, just as we intended.”
It was as easy as snatching candy from a child when Illuan was in a daze. Liz muttered tastelessly.
“If you’d read the contract carefully, that wouldn’t have happened. This is why emotions are so useless.”
“Well, well, well, to what purpose did you do that—!”
“For a great star, I should say, but I’m afraid I can’t give you any details.”
Liz shook her head. Shocked, Erzebeth stood as still as a statue, her violet eyes trembling, and she smiled weakly.
“And you’ve never changed.”
“—What?”
“You have too much heart. You can’t let your guard down, even when the odds are in your favor, as I’ve told you over and over again during my time with you.”
The sound was unintelligible. Erzebet was about to say something.
Suddenly, a sound like a flint knocking rang out from the side of Liz’s face.
Almost simultaneously, its mouth opened, revealing a tongue engraved with small magic circles.
“Huh? Ehh.”
“——!!”
Erzebet’s eyes widened as she hastily cast a defensive spell. The magic circle on her tongue glowed and a powerful shockwave erupted.
Boom, Erzebet flew like she’d been hit by a bison and crashed into the opposite wall.
“Ugh!”
“You’re right, I’m not much good at anything except cleaning magic. It was the work of another officer who broke the seal and provided the new body.”
Liz stalked over and squatted in front of her. The magic circles on her expended tongue had reverted to simple tattoos.
“I’m not ashamed of myself, though, because even though I went off the rails at the end, the end result was the best thing I’ve ever done, slaying the Young Lady of Acalusia, unlike that idiot Dolan, who’s been languishing in Gracia for seven years.”
“Lee, Liz—cool!”
Erzebeth coughed up blood. She hadn’t expected to have magic imprinted on her tongue. She wanted to cast the spell, but the pain made it difficult. The training she had neglected since Adeshan’s death was also holding her back.
After testing the syringe once again, Liz said goodbye.
“It was a pleasure, Eri.”
“Leave that— alone.”
“Don’t worry, it won’t hurt. Just close your eyes for a moment, open them, and you’ll see Adeshan.”
“Ugh, ugh.”
Erzebet struggled, but in vain. The syringe was as grave as a chef biting off a chicken’s head. Then the needle touched her neck. The cool metal made the hairs on her body stand on end.
“Oh, no—.”
The golden liquid that would lead him to eternal sleep was churning in the piston.
The narrowest part of the needle plunged into Erzebet’s neck.
Kaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
Beyond the wall, the sky exploded with a roar that sounded like the sky was bursting.
“Bam!”
“What—?!”
It was like a command to stop what you’re doing and look this way.
Erzebeth and Liz turned their heads at the same time. The windows in the room shattered in one fell swoop. Just as the cloudless blue sky was about to reveal itself, a storm of shattered glass blew into the room.
This was a great misfortune for Liz, who had no cover, unlike Erzebet, who had a closet to her left. If not, hundreds of shards flew and lodged in Liz’s half-body.
“Argh, nu, eyes!”
Liz let out a new scream. The syringe dropped to the floor. Blood trickled without resistance from her left eye, where a shard had struck it. Erzebet seized the opportunity. Kicking the syringe away, she pointed her finger at Liz. Mana gathered and a small fireball shot out. But despite her best efforts, the fireball missed, scorching only Liz’s hair.
Erzebet’s face paled.
“That, that!”
“Eri, did you—!”
Liz’s face contorted for the first time. Her eyes fluttered open for the first time as she watched in agony as the glass shards turned her into a hedgehog. Erzebet had gotten to her feet and was limping toward the door.
“Hmph–you think you can get away with it?!”
She glanced back at Erzebeth, and the corners of her mouth twitched up. Then she lifted her skirt to her ankles. It revealed her lacy undergarments, her white, smooth thighs, and the magic circle inscribed on them.
“Huh.”
“Hahahahaha! Why do you think I didn’t do as much as assist with the bath?”
Liz snarled. It wasn’t just on her tongue. The magic circle glowed red, and flames spread across her thighs. It was a fireball ten times larger than the one Erzebet had fired. A fireball that would instantly incinerate if it hit.
“Goodbye then, Eri!”
This time, there was no resistance. A fireball shot out at the same time as Liz’s cry. Time slowed for the dying Erzebet. Everything was angry and injustice.
“Ah—.”
To be killed by the murderer of a loved one, to be the next in line to become the next Householder, to realize that he hadn’t seen the darkness of Akalusia through to the end, that he hadn’t even put up a decent fight, and that it was because he’d fallen into lethargy and neglected his training, and all the while, the nasty reality that there was a brain cell in his head that thought Liz’s tattooed thighs were attractive.
“It’s a pathetic death, self-inflicted.
I didn’t even shed a tear. The gap between me and the fireball, which had been slowly closing, was now no more than four paces. I could feel the heat. My hair was standing on end. No matter how hard she tried to escape, the fact remained that in a slow world, her body was also slow.
The fireball is now three steps away.
It was at this moment that Erzebet was devastated, accepting the end.
A shadowy figure stepped through the broken window and landed in front of Erzebet.
“——?!”
At first, I thought I was dreaming. The shadows were lightning fast, even in a world where everything else had slowed down. The landing behind me echoed. Its coat fluttered like demonic wings.
Glancing back at Erzebeth, The Shadow muttered.
“Wassie, I’m glad you came, just in case. You were about to get fucked.”
“—!!!”
It was a familiar face. I wanted to scream Ronan’s name, but my voice was still climbing my vocal cords. Ronan wasted no time in tugging at the hilt of his sword.
Chaaaaaah!
The fireball split in half, revealing Liz. She still held her skirt up. Her lacy underwear, white thighs, and cold magic circle were still there.
“You’re a—!”
Liz sucked in a breath as she finally spotted Ronan. Her grip on the hem of her skirt loosened. But Ronan had already acted. Another swipe, and her arms shot up to the ceiling as she tried to maneuver.
Pow! Ronan kicked Liz in the stomach.
The body that flew backward landed in the same spot where Erzebet had crashed earlier.
“Kahak!”
Liz spat out blood. Her flailing arms fell to the floor. A two-pronged fountain of blood soaked the bed, and Liz let out a piercing scream at the pain that followed.
Ronan, looking down at her like she was a bug, said to Erzebet.
“You’ve worked hard. It’s all over now.”
“—Huh?”
“Waaaaaaaah!!”
Suddenly, a loud cheer erupted outside the window.
Erzebeth shifted her gaze, startled. The gardens of Akalusia glowed under a clear sky. Hundreds of fragments of blooming rock floated in the air above the estate. All of them were sharp in cross-section, as if cut with a knife.
Before I could ask what this was all about. Ronan smirked as he handed Erzebeth her coat.
“Let’s get out of here. We should say goodbye.”