Chapter 128
It was a place he desperately needed to return to, a day, no, an hour sooner.
“…F*ck, why is your house so goddamn far, it’s annoying as hell!”
Daphne retorted Exion’s sudden outburst of profanity.
“Your domain is a backwater!”
“Oh, really? Then why do you come to this backwater? Why don’t you marry one of the nobles abundant in the city?”
“I’m not living in your domain. I’m leaving, I’m leaving!”
Daphne irritably drew the curtain. The curtain swished. Exion stared at the carriage with an incredulous expression.
Daphne’s small face, which had vanished into the window, peeked out again from behind the curtain.
“I warned you beforehand!”
“What?”
“I told you beforehand. Redhead.”
Hmph. With a small sniff, Daphne’s golden hair disappeared into the carriage once more.
“What is she even saying….”
Exion grumbled gruffly at Daphne, who showed no further sign of movement, as if she had truly said all she had to say.
Moving away from the carriage, Exion, who had walked a few steps ahead, suddenly stopped in one spot.
“Again?”
“Shh.”
“No, what on earth is it?”
Exion’s sudden disappearance into the thicket caused his attendants to whisper among themselves.
Where Exion had approached was a lone tree standing tall in the midst of the thicket.
The tall, commanding man, who could overpower all the soldiers present, gained a height almost like a building when he mounted his enormous horse.
From that elevated position, Exion extended his arm.
Just like when he had cleanly cut down a monstrous creature moments ago.
“……”
His hand reached for a branch adorned with flower buds.
Exion broke off the flowered branch. The hand of Exion, which had just held a sword capable of felling an Orc, now held a slender flower branch.
“……”
Exion’s red eyes rested on the broken white petals. His gaze seemed to recall something.
After a moment, Exion carefully tossed the broken flower branch into the basket hanging from his horse.
They were still unopened buds. The basket was already overflowing with flowers.
The men standing behind him again exchanged bewildered glances.
“Let’s hurry.”
“It’s still daytime, Commander.”
“Someone’s waiting.”
“Pardon?”
Exion pulled on the reins. As Exion, leading the way, suddenly increased his speed, the accompanying attendants also quickened their pace.
“…Come back safely.”
Exion’s throat greatly constricted again. He clicked his sword, tightened its sheath, and looked forward once more.
His face was as if he would cut down anyone, dead or alive, who dared to block his path now.
“My Lord.”
Ragnar, who was attending to official duties, looked up at his knight-attendant’s call. His silver hair, unmixed with any impurity, and his violet eyes were so intense that they were not overshadowed even by the black uniform he wore.
“What is it?”
“You must go to the underground now. Archpriest Carmen…”
Ragnar set down the pen in his hand. A single drop of violet ink, clinging to the tip of the white quill, fell onto the paper.
“Follow me.”
“Yes.”
Ragnar rose from his seat immediately. His movements were precise, like a sword cut. The knight instinctively inhaled, overwhelmed by the sense of authority that, even as his closest aide, he could never grow accustomed to.
The spiral staircase leading underground was filled with a chilling cold.
The underground was as dark as night, even during the day. As Ragnar entered, the waiting priests lit the light orbs.
The scene revealed by the light was a spacious and luxurious ritual chamber.
“Theogrim.”
The man who knelt respectfully and bowed his head as he approached was Theogrim. Ragnar responded with a short nod.
Theogrim rose. In the darkness, the successor’s silver hair appeared even more sacred.
The two entered the ritual chamber.
Creak… creak, creak-creak….
“……!”
Theogrim softly gasped at the sound emanating from the distant darkness. It was a horrible sensation. The unpleasant, chilling feeling of nails scraping on a glass pane.
“You have arrived, My Lord.”
“What has happened?”
“They are slaves of the infidels. They are being manipulated by the wicked power of Salma, according to their will,”
They moved towards the center.
Presently, Theogrim’s neat eyebrows furrowed at the scene revealed before his eyes.
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