One Hundred Nights with the Devil - Chapter 24

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The temple in the Conrad Dukedom was as grand and ornate as the Grand Temple itself, a testament to the Conrad Ducal House’s former glory, which was once called the cradle of art. However, this was only true of its exterior; the interior was no different from a ruin. Even the bedroom, which they had furnished to serve as the Saintess’s chamber, was only slightly better than a shabby inn in a major city.

“I am truly sorry. There are not many priests left residing in the temple, and so…….”

Had Elena planned to spend about a month here and take it easy as scheduled, she would have shown her displeasure. But she had already decided to greatly shorten her itinerary on the way to the temple. Thus, she told the flustered priest, who was begging for her forgiveness, that it was quite alright for her lodging to be old and poor.

“Please focus your efforts on preparing the worship services that will be held tomorrow and on the final day. And there is one more request I have. It is an issue directly related to the success of the exorcism, so I would appreciate the temple’s full cooperation.”

“Of course, we shall do so. Please command anything you wish.”

“Before we depart for Conrad Castle, there are a few things I would like to confirm. Could you introduce me to anyone who worked there about 30 years ago? I also wish to meet someone who can inform me of the Duke’s Castle’s recent situation.”

“Thirty years ago, you say? Most would have remained at the castle, so I am not sure if anyone is available, but I will search to the best of my ability. I shall also make sure to deliver news of the recent situation soon.”

The priest, who had answered spiritedly, truly brought a decent informant before Elena within a day.

“We have made contact with the knight who was in charge of guiding the exorcists who came from the Grand Temple. We thought he had returned to his hometown because he suddenly disappeared, but it turns out he has been near Duke Conrad’s Castle all this time.”

The man the priest introduced to Elena was a middle-aged knight.

“I am Lios, a knight in service to His Grace, the Duke of Conrad.”

Sir Lios was so emaciated it was hard to believe he was a knight, and his complexion was as pale as a corpse. His voice was also cracked, like a person who had screamed until just before drowning in a well.

Seemingly accustomed to the looks of horror from the people, he casually offered a prayer before Elena. Then, in a voice like metal scraping, he explained what had happened over the past year.

“I left Conrad Castle a year ago because I had business to attend to in the South. After that, until recently, I couldn’t even recall that I was the Ducal House’s knight and that I should return once my leave was over. Then, three months ago, my memory suddenly returned.”

Sir Lios was not the only one who had lost his memory. All Imperial citizens had forgotten about ‘Duke Conrad’s Castle’ and the people trapped inside for about a year, and had recovered that memory overnight.

The majority of Imperial citizens hadn’t even realized they had lost their memories, but the residents of the Conrad territory could not be so oblivious. Many went mad, unable to accept the fact that they had lived for a year unaware of the absence of their parents, children, or lovers.

Honestly speaking, Sir Lios also did not appear normal. It was obvious that both his body and spirit were completely broken, yet he was barely hanging on with sheer willpower.

It seemed the source of this ‘willpower’ that kept him moving was guilt. However, it was impossible to know whom that guilt was directed at. Did he have family remaining in the castle?

But Sir Lios did not speak a word about his own family. He merely answered Elena’s questions diligently.

“I heard you have been living near Conrad Castle until recently. What is the situation there?”

“Until now, no one has been able to leave, and no matter what we try, we cannot enter. The only people who could cross the drawbridge leading to the castle gate were the exorcists. I also tried every day, but…….”

Sir Lios could not continue speaking and hung his head. His hand, unable to overcome his grief, fiercely scraped the wooden floor. One of Elena’s escort knights, who had been watching him with pity, suddenly sighed and made the Sign of the Cross. Soon, all the knights present silently called upon God.

Their eyes were all staring at Sir Lios’s fingers.

‘His fingers…….’

The knight’s ten fingers had no fingernails. On the reddened, mashed fingertips, instead of firm nails, were merely clumps of blood and dirt caked together.

“Saintess. Please, save Lord Dieter. I beg you.”

Lord Dieter. It was only a little late that Elena realized the ‘Lord Dieter’ Sir Lios was asking her to save meant the Deposed Crown Prince, Dieter Conrad. At the same time, she also realized that the object of that elderly knight’s guilt was also ‘that’ Duke Dieter Conrad.

“I beg you. Please, save him.”

Sir Lios appealed to Elena, continuously scraping the floor. He appeared not to even feel the pain of his finger joints being crushed. It was a miserable plea that even Bella, who was accustomed to dreadful sights, could not bear to watch and turned her head away.

Curiosity arose. He wasn’t a family member bound by blood, nor would he be a lord who could bestow honor upon him, so why did Sir Lios so desperately want to save this man called Duke Dieter Conrad? What value did he hold for him, exactly……?

“What kind of person is he?”

To the question impulsively uttered, an unexpected answer came back.

“He is a pitiful man.”

The knight who had dug up the ground with his bare hands every day to save the Duke repeated the words for a long time, like a man who knew no other words.

“Truly, a pitiful man.”