Episode 21: Shouldn’t Have Done That (2)
As Rudimine lay on the ground, trembling, someone approached her. He was one of the invaders who had attacked the Umstendel Castle.
Rudimine immediately felt nauseous at the pungent smell emanating from the man. It was the same foul smell that she had sensed from Jeodeun.
“Why does the smell that came from Jeodeun also come from him?”
While Rudimine was taken aback, the man wearing a black iron mask spoke.
“Princess, it would be good to remember today’s events clearly.”
With only those words left behind, the man turned away from Rudyminne.
Rudyminne instinctively understood what the man meant.
Five years ago, just like back then, it meant to watch her precious ones lose their lives.
“…Ah, ah.”
Rudyminne dropped her head and spoke.
Her desire to live,
Her longing to return home,
Her vow to strip away the dishonor of her loved ones,
It all seemed to be ruined.
“Just live as my nourishment forever. Can’t you do that?”
No matter how many times she heard it, she couldn’t comprehend it, and she thought of someone’s bitter voice as she crawled on all fours on the ground.
With each crawling step, the clinging dirt stuck to her hands and feet.
After crawling for a while, she reached the side of the fallen Huga. Rudyminne realized that her own hands were a mess as she was shaking him.
“…I can’t touch Huga with these dirty hands.”
Rudyminne lay on the ground, burying her face in the soil and whispered in Huga’s ear buried in the dirt.
“Huga, Huga. Wake up, Huga.”
Unfortunately, there was no sign of movement from Huga.
The girl who had survived five years ago, the person who was alive just ten minutes ago, had suddenly turned into a cold corpse.
Rudyminne buried her face in Huga’s damp back and cried. Each time she wiped her face, she faintly smelled Huga’s warmth amidst the bitter scent of blood.
But the mourning time for Huga was not long.
“Your Highness!”
When the blood-soaked Count Peniad awakened Rudyminne, it was because he had rushed off somewhere.
After a while, they arrived at a small annex located in the outskirts. Judging by the sounds they heard, it seemed that a considerable number of arrows had been fired, but luckily the Count was unharmed.
“Your Highness, you need to be here, right here.”
The Count pushed Rudyminne into one of the rooms and immediately tried to rush out.
Rudyminne desperately grabbed onto the hem of the Count’s clothes.
“I, Count, it should be others, not me…”
In fact, the people who should run away were not her, but the Count and the others.
“They won’t kill me.”
“Five years ago, he killed only the people around him, keeping Ludimina alive as a source of nutrients.”
“No. Your Highness must be safe for us to fight without worry!”
“They won’t kill me. You know that too!”
“…The circumstances may have changed since then. Your Highness, you must survive.”
After repeatedly admonishing Ludimina and holding her small shoulders, Viscount Peniad finally left the room.
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“…Ah. I couldn’t stop him again.”
Ludimina slumped in her seat, unable to even lock the door. She couldn’t understand why she was the only one experiencing such events. Was it because she was once a royal princess? Or because she possessed magical abilities?
For whatever reason, Ludimina couldn’t accept it.
Amid the constant screams and clanging sounds, a refreshing scent permeated Ludimina’s teary nose. Drawn to the scent, Ludimina looked around.
“…This is the pharmacy.”
Of all places, it had to be a hidden room. Ludimina chuckled bitterly.
Ironically, at this moment, she longed to see the pharmacist. If only the pharmacist would return, everything would be resolved.
“…But there’s no chance of that happening.”
In reality, it was unclear whether the pharmacist was alive or dead. Not only the pharmacist, but Ludimina did not know the fate of Earl Loyel’s wife, who was organizing the records in the main office, or the lives of Ella and the other maids in the garden.
“Maybe… Maybe I should go back and beg to those dogs.”
If she did, perhaps she could save the lives of those who survived. If she endured just a momentary disgrace.
As Ludimina made up her mind and reached for the doorknob, she heard footsteps in the corridor.
Ludimina was momentarily taken aback, but she strengthened her grip on the door handle. After all, she had already decided to confront the enemies directly.
“They won’t kill me for sure.”
With her fear suppressed, Ludimina opened the door without hesitation.
In the instant the door opened, Ludimina was greeted by the stench provoking her nose.
Undeterred, Ludimina continued down the corridor.
*
Contrary to her expectations, she encountered a ginger-colored cat and the pharmacist, Eyden, in the corridor.
“Eyden!”
Startled, Ludimina called out the pharmacist’s name in joy.
“Your Highness?”
Despite his smiling face, Eyden was holding his left arm. Ludimina noticed that a foul odor was emanating from his arm.
“What happened? Are you hurt?”
As Rudimine approached Iedun, Iedun took a step back.
“Wait, please don’t come any closer.”
“…?”
“I’m not injured. You should avoid me and follow the cat, Your Highness.”
“…Follow the cat? But what about you?”
“I am a pharmacist. Naturally, I should take care of the injured.”
“But outside right now…”
“Don’t worry. I can protect myself.”
Iedun tapped the sheath hanging from his waist.
“I have learned swordsmanship quite well.”
“But, you, too, could get hurt…”
As Rudimine tried to approach Iedun again, the cat bit onto her torn skirt and pulled her away.
“Please go, Your Highness. I am truly fine.”
“They are not after me, but after you, Iedun. So…”
Please run away as well.
Rudimine couldn’t bring herself to say those words. She knew she should tell him to run, but in that moment, the fallen Hugaga, the bloodied face of Count Pheniard, came to mind.
She knew it was impossible to revive the dead, but the thought crossed her mind that Iedun might be able to save Hugaga.
It was selfish, no doubt.
“Your Highness.”
As Rudimine hesitated, Iedun spoke with an affectionate tone.
“I am truly fine. Please go ahead. I will follow you with the others.”
Iedun’s smile was brighter than the sunlight, and Rudimine’s eyes welled up with tears.
***
“Do as you please.”
Adrian stayed still, flicking his tail nervously as he watched Iedun wave his hand.
To be honest, Adrian had opposed getting involved in this commotion. Killing each other among humans was a common occurrence.
But Iedun couldn’t turn a blind eye to the people of Umstendel.
Of course. He was too kind, almost too kind.
Whether it was unfortunate or fortunate, their struggle didn’t last long. As soon as the red snake wrapped around Iedun’s arm confronted the intruders, it started to rampage like madness.
Memories transmitted from the intruders and the red snake intertwined. When those two pieces connected, everything became clear to Adrian.
“…The wizard was manipulating another wizard as prey.”
When pure mana began to disappear, the wizards struggled desperately to maintain their power.
One of their attempts was to create pure mana.
However, the research ended in failure. The remaining side effect was the forbidden ritual that consumed life force instead of mana.
“I thought that ritual had been forgotten….”
The curse bearer had been taking the princess’s life force for his own power.
Over time, the curse on the princess became stronger and more complex than before. It would have been difficult for a powerless wizard to withstand it.
Even if someone ignorant of magic were involved, they would have struggled to lift the curse.
“He must have been taking Eden’s life force for his own power, but he couldn’t exploit life force as recklessly as before once I appeared….”
That’s why it was clear that he had hastily attacked the Ums-tendel Castle. Dirty humans who abused mana would suffer intense agony.
After learning the full story, Adrian could no longer ignore the attackers.
If the curse had been passed on to Eden by the princess, then these attackers could be considered the culprits tormenting Eden.
Although he wanted to devour them all, it was first necessary to safely escort the princess to a secure place. That was Eden’s request.
“This damn princess! She’s not helpful to the end!”
Adrian swung his tail forcefully while watching the running Roudimine.
Although she was following diligently without stopping, in Adrian’s opinion, she was as slow as a turtle.
“…If anything happens to Eden because of this…”
In fact, there was a suspicious man who had been watching Eden while he was searching for the princess.
The man had openly threatened him several times, so Eden must have been aware of his existence.
But the fact that Eden ignored that man was undoubtedly because he believed that rescuing the princess and the others was the priority.
In truth, if he only considered his skills with the sword, there was no reason for Adrian to worry about Eden.
He was a guy who was as dumb as a stone when it came to magic, but when it came to the sword, Adrian recognized him as an equal.
However, this time there was the variable of the Red Serpent. That fact made Adrian slightly uneasy.
“Ouch!”
Whether it was because Adrian’s speed was too fast or because the princess’s condition was not very good, the princess who had been diligently chasing after Adrian tripped and fell to the ground.
The place they were walking in was a hidden underground escape passage. Since it was a place that even the servants did not know about, proper maintenance was lacking.
“Cough.”
The sight of the princess, covered in dust and cobwebs, coughing was definitely not the appearance of a noble princess.
“…Such a foolish person.”
Adrian focused his thoughts on the princess. As a wizard, even a small amount of magic infused into her would be a great power for the princess.
This was all for the sake of returning to Eden quickly, never for the sake of the princess.