Chapter 104

Chapter 104
## Chapter 104
– “She is a witch, a witch is passing by!”

— “She acted more nobly than anyone under the protection of Belmierd…”

– “Shhh! She’s going to hear us!”

Ellen walked gracefully down the hallway.

After the meeting in the main hall, she climbed the central staircase of the Belmierd mansion to receive her final death sentence and headed toward the Lord’s office.

As she passed, the high vassals, the servants, and even the squires began to mutter.

Some high-ranking vassals lamented the years of loyalty shown to her and began to reconsider their future plans. The housekeeper closed her eyes and avoided her gaze, and even the collateral relatives who were visiting looked at her with contempt.

If she had followed the straight path, she could have walked the road of a powerful person whom no one would envy, but the life of the girl who chose the wrong path was now filled with critical voices.

The image of the young woman, as she traversed all of this, remained ever elegant.

Even while enduring profound malice and criticism, she walked, and walked, and walked.

When she regained her senses, she was already standing before the imposing entrance of the office.

The squire accompanying her opened the door, and inside she could see the figure of Count Belmierd sitting with a complex expression.

Holding the hem of her lace-trimmed dress with one hand, she entered the office, and Count Belmierd spoke.

“Just for you, more than thirty vassals who handled all the dirty work entered the Belmierd Mansion. There were nine squires assigned as your personal guards and more than twenty servants at the service of your manor. Did you encounter them on your way here?”

The tone of Count Belmierd, who always spoke with a voice overflowing with sweetness to his dear daughter Ellen, was cold that day.

Ellen hesitated for a moment and then nodded.

The vassals glared at her and frowned as soon as their eyes met hers, the guards looked at her with disdain, and the servants who had been by her side in the mansion now barely showed faces of betrayal.

They had already branded her a witch.

“There were those who dedicated more than ten years of their lives.”

“…”

“But now there is no one by your side.”

Ellen looked up at Count Belmierd again.

His expression, burdened by the weight of responsibility, was tinged with sadness. Count Belmierd was a lord who loved Ellen more than anyone.

When Linus left the main house, and Leonard also left his post, it was Ellen who assumed the responsibility as successor, remaining by his side until the end.

Ellen understood the weight of that sadness and held her breath in silence.

“Baron Dereck Lydorf Ravenclaw has brought letters. Two of them.”

“…What?”

In the empty office, Ellen took two letters from her chest and placed them on the desk.

“What is this…?”

“They are from the Duplain family. One letter claims that Prince Valerian did not investigate necromancy. And the other reports that Viscount Renouel’s family will come to our Belmierd mansion to investigate the necromancy.”

Upon hearing this, Count Belmierd opened his eyes in surprise and unfolded the letters.

The content was not extensive. He read it quickly, but his perceptive eyes soon began to show signs of doubt again.

“…”

“Did you read them all?”

At first glance, it seemed like a letter proving Ellen’s innocence. If Valerian had not investigated necromancy, the letter found in Ellen’s room could be circumstantial evidence that it had been forged.

However, the letter from Viscount Renouel’s family was different.

It was meticulously crafted, but Count Belmierd, who had reviewed Viscount Renouel’s seal on official documents numerous times, noticed it immediately.

“This is a forged letter.”

Such a crude forgery could not deceive him.

Furthermore, a coldness began to settle in his gaze.

***

“Young master Leonard, what brings you to this basement?”

“My sister Ellen has admitted to all suspicions. Now, my sister will lose her power and this basement will return to its original state.”

An icy cold flooded the basement.

The two men present stared fixedly at one another.

Leonard felt a strange uneasiness looking at Dereck, whose eyes radiated a chilling gaze.

Surely he thought Leonard was already convinced, but now it was difficult to trust him so easily.

Even so, perhaps it was just Leonard’s sensitivity.

Because everything was over. Ellen had confessed her sins, so it would not be easy to reverse anything now.

But that uneasiness never disappeared.

“That’s why I came to check one last time. Just in case my sister Ellen left some suspicious trace.”

“I see. You are very thorough.”

“What were you doing here, Sir Dereck?”

“Same as you. I’m just taking one last look before they empty this basement.”

Having said this, Dereck sheathed his sword and stood up.

A cold sweat ran down Leonard’s ear. He had a hunch that he had to discover the identity of that unsettling feeling of crisis.

— “Young master Leonard, you are truly an angel sent by God to save me. What a fortunate event!”

The image of Dereck shaking his hand with a radiant smile remained unforgettable.

He expressed his gratitude with sincerity and, without any shame, asked for help from the Barony of Ravenclaw in the future.

That Dereck, who claimed to be a devout believer like Leonard, and this Dereck who now had the gaze of a beast in the shadows of the basement—it was hard to believe they were the same person.

Then Leonard, containing his trembling, forced his words.

“Sir Dereck. There is nothing to worry about. The work has been completed correctly and the Barony of Ravenclaw will also see the light in the future.”

“…”

“Sir Dereck, shouldn’t we both be as shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves in this noble society? I hope we can be good nourishment for each other.”

“A snake and a dove. An interesting metaphor. I understand.”

After responding with indifference, Dereck passed by Leonard and headed toward the stairs leading to the surface.

Leonard, who was about to let him go, suddenly turned his head to look at him.

Dereck, who was about to ascend, stopped at that strange reaction.

“Is something wrong?”

“Is this the first time you’ve heard that metaphor?”

“…?”

“The Holy Scriptures of Lord Ruelón, Chapter 7: ‘Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.’”

“…”

“It is the first verse of Chapter 7 of the Scriptures that every believer of Ruelón learns first.”

Leonard said this while taking a step back.

“Are you not the lamb of Lord Ruelón? I too am a devout believer.”

Those were the words with which Dereck had smiled to gain Leonard’s trust.

However, Dereck tilted his head even after hearing the most famous verse of the scriptures.

“…You never believed in Ruelón from the beginning.”

Creak.

Bang!

Dereck, who was about to leave the basement, slammed the heavy wooden door shut.

His fierce eyes turned toward Leonard as he looked at him again.

“You are truly perceptive.”

Finally, Leonard tried to flee quickly from the basement.

But Dereck drove his boot into his solar plexus.

Crash! Bang!

“Argh!”

Leonard, thrown against the corner of the laboratory, screamed in pain.

The side shelf he had been thrown against collapsed and dust began to rise in the dark basement.

***

“Dereck. When my father comes tomorrow to interrogate me about my sins, I plan to confess everything in front of everyone.”

“…”

“Aren’t you going to ask why?”

After Dereck explained the whole situation and before leaving the room.

In the dark chamber of the Belmierd mansion, where the rain was still falling, Ellen spoke to Dereck in a tone that was almost a whisper.

Sitting side by side on the bed, the darkness of the night no longer seemed so terrifying.

It was enough for her to have someone by her side for that darkness, which previously felt like an infinite void, to suddenly feel close, almost familiar. It was surprising.

“That way, Leonard will think something is wrong and will get restless as if he had fire at his feet. Then, for you, Dereck, it will be easier to track that cunning man.”

“Do you really intend to take the blame just for that?”

“Well… to be exact, that is just a pretext. In reality, carrying the guilt is the goal itself.”

Dereck looked at her with bewildered eyes. Ellen no longer had the haggard expression of someone cornered.

“They say that only when you are in ruins and hit rock bottom do true people remain by your side. I don’t think it’s a lie, but I don’t think it’s entirely wise either.”

“What do you mean?”

“It is natural for people to surround me when I have power and strength. The fact that those people support me means that my power and strength are real.”

With glowing eyes, finally recovered, the girl spoke to Dereck.

“Yes, that’s right. How could I govern others, being someone who holds power, if I become pessimistic and collapse because of this? The worse the situation gets, the more I will take advantage of my current loneliness.”

Having lived half her life as the heir of Belmierd and four years at the top of Ebelstein’s social circle, perhaps she had acquired a certain understanding in the process, for her eyes shone with greater intensity.

“If I must fall and hit rock bottom, I will fall with all my strength to the depths.”

“…”

“Even so, Dereck, you will stay by my side, right?”

Ellen smiled sweetly.

“From the very bottom, I will endure the criticism, the insults, the mockery, and the disappointments. They will hurl blasphemies at me, they will hate me, and they will hold a grudge against me. Since I have come to this, I must descend to the absolute depths.”

And the girl, clenching her fist tightly, extended it toward Dereck.

It was the same gesture that Aiselin had once shown before the Elfontaine auditorium.

“Only by falling completely can one rise again with greater splendor.”

“…”

“Not only my direct vassals, but also the rival factions and the high dignitaries who have always looked down on me will join together to criticize and attack me. I will make guilt be born in their hearts. I will make them think they defamed and condemned an innocent flower, and then… I will forgive them.”

The young woman, who had returned from despair and sadness, was thinking again with the sharpness that characterized her.

The way to command, control, and earn the loyalty of people.

The plan that the girl—who had learned that instinct almost naturally—was tracing in her mind was one step beyond the one Leonard had devised.

Forgiveness is a sign of greatness.

By forgiving and accepting everyone who had criticized her, Ellen, the flower of Belmierd, planned to transform even the most skeptical vassals into her own.

Her intention was to use Leonard’s slanders to further entrench her position.

Another name for crisis was opportunity, and for those who do not despair, a new opportunity always arises.

“Dereck.”

Ellen looked at Dereck’s hand, still bandaged from having stopped the knife she herself had wielded.

Although it was no longer bleeding, it was still a serious wound caused by her mistake.

With a gesture of pain, Ellen caressed the bandage and then looked up at Dereck.

“If everything goes well, the vassals and the people of Belmierd will compete for my attention. Even those closest to me have turned their backs on me, so there will be many who will try to fill that void. Power has the power to seduce.”

“Yes. And you, Lady Ellen, are the very incarnation of power.”

— “That’s right. If someone manages to earn my favor, that of Ellen, the cream of the crop of Belmierd, deep down it will be like having all of Belmierd in their hands. But, Dereck, there is something I can assure you.”

Ellen squeezed Dereck’s bandaged hand tightly and managed to smile.

“My protection will be the protection of Belmierd. And if someone asks who is the most protected person and in whom Belmierd trusts the most, the answer will be evident.”

“…”

“You can feel proud. When the world turned its back on me, you believed in me. That is why I too will believe in you, even if the whole world abandons you.”

Having said this, the girl tightly embraced the man’s wounded arm and whispered.

“Dereck, you are the person I trust the most.”

***

Crash! Bang!

Leonard, who had managed to stand up, watched him through the dust.

For a young master raised in a wealthy family, the kick of a veteran mercenary had been brutal. With a single blow to the solar plexus, he struggled to breathe and gasped uncontrollably.

“Gasp, gasp… Do you think… you’ll get away with this?!”

He had long since abandoned any appearance of respect.

Leonard grit his teeth and rose from among the wreckage of the collapsed shelf.

He had only received one blow, but his body was already staggering—proof that his physical strength was far from exceptional.

“Ellen has already fallen into the abyss. Do you think you can face the consequences just because you attacked me now? You are nothing more than an insignificant baron with a symbolic fief on the margins, while I am destined to be the heir of House Belmierd, before whom even the most powerful nobles bow…”

“You talk too much. Do you think you won’t die if they run you through, just because the shining power of Belmierd backs you?”

Dereck unsheathed his gleaming sword and let the blade whistle once in the air.

Seeing it shine even in the dim light, Leonard stepped back again.

“Ha, ha… Kill me? What a bluff!”

“…”

“Killing the third son of Belmierd in the very heart of House Belmierd… Even if I were a villain, you could never endure the consequences of such an act. You cannot kill me.”

Leonard coughed, leaned on the desk, and sketched a mischievous smile.

“Come on, hit me, do whatever you want. But don’t think for a second that the family will believe you. To them, you will be nothing more than an arrogant petty noble who beat the virtuous third son of Belmierd.”

“…”

“Heh, heh… What a curious situation. So it was you who brought the letter Ellen had this morning.”

Leonard laughed while trying to stabilize his staggering body.

Apparently, even the servants who helped Ellen were on his side, as he knew about the two letters she had presented.

He had anticipated every move Ellen could make. In reality, this was precisely what Dereck wanted.

“I’ve already read the contents. Do you think such crudely forged documents could change the situation? It’s ridiculous. You underestimate my father.”

Dereck, sword in hand, and Leonard, smiling mischievously, exchanged a few words.

The tension was rising.

“My father has ruled Belmierd for decades. His eye for official documents is sharper and wiser than mine. He will detect those letters as forgeries instantly. Even if the vassals don’t notice immediately, my father will never be deceived.”

Dereck made the sword vibrate once more before sheathing it.

He knew perfectly well that he could not kill Leonard, so the blade was nothing more than a form of intimidation.

“Lord Rodeia will not come. You only used that letter to unsettle me and try to escape from this mansion. Rodeia, the one who killed most of the necromancers on Rodentz Island. Hearing her name and fleeing would only mean one thing: that you are a necromancer. Right?”

“…”

“I’ve already discovered everything. Unfortunately.”

Leonard’s lips curled again. His sinister smile erased any trace of that religious and benevolent man he pretended to be.

“My last bluff in life has failed. Everything has gone to ruin. What a pity. Heh, heh.”

“…”

“Fine. Even if only to console you, hit me all you want. But you can never kill me. It’s just a useless act to vent your anger. How absurd… Even the god Ruelon would cry. Hahaha! Hahahahaha!”

With his arms wide open, Leonard let out a laugh with absolute confidence.

He mocked Dereck, provoked him, and proclaimed his victory. It was so outrageous that the witnesses grit their teeth in rage.

However, Dereck remained calm.

Because he understood his own psychology a little.

“Are you anxious?”

Dereck’s words cut deep into Leonard. His laughter stopped abruptly.

In reality, Dereck had already noticed Leonard’s nervous behavior.

When he saw Ellen confess all charges in the main hall moments before, he had the feeling that something was escaping him.

What was it that Leonard didn’t know?

Precisely because Dereck had a connection with Viscount Renouel from the beginning.

The family’s servants were reluctant to make the necromancy incident public. If Ellen had really been involved, the matter would spiral out of control.

That’s why it wasn’t easy to officially involve external forces. There had to be private contact.

Before all this began, Trisha had personally gone to Baron Ravenclaw to ask for his help in capturing the necromancer. Dereck hadn’t gone first; they had come to see him.

Therefore, as far as Dereck was concerned, he could directly influence Viscount Renouel.

“From the beginning, I had already contacted Viscount Renouel in private. They trust my word.”

“W-what did you say…?”

“Rodeia, the heroine of Rodentz Island, is coming directly to the Belmierd mansion. Does that sound like a lie to you?”

The letter was fake, but the claim was true.

Dereck’s face showed no signs of agitation. On the contrary, Leonard’s began to harden.

“Ha… haha… What a ridiculous joke! If Rodeia were really coming, there would be no need to forge a letter in the first place…! What nonsense…!”

“Why would there be no need to forge it?”

“Because… forging it was to… confuse me… make me flee or waver…”

“Oh, heavens… The reason I brought the fake letter was the opposite!”

This time, Dereck smiled with malice.

His smile in the darkness, with the corners of his lips slightly raised, was very different from the kind smile he had shown when he met Leonard.

That was Dereck’s true face.

“Because I was afraid you would run away.”

Like a wave reorganizing the map, the course changed several times.

On the way to Count Belmierd’s estate.

A dozen horses galloped through the Latman pass, still wet, although the rain had already stopped.

At the front rode Rodeia, the expert and legendary heroine who had dedicated her life to hunting necromancers.

Behind her came Trisha and the soldiers of House Renouel, mounted on horseback.

Heroine Rodeia.

She was the person with the most precise knowledge of Rodentz Island necromancy, among the many branches of necromancy.

In a corner of Ebelstein’s commercial district, by a gaming table, a man with a reddish beard and hair tied back in a ponytail let out a chuckle.

He spoke in a mocking tone to the players playing with him.

“Hey, do you know what the surest way to deceive someone as cunning as me is?”

“It’s to make them believe they are deceiving you.”

After throwing new chips onto the gaming table, the man smiled, showing his teeth. It was Linus, the former heir of Belmierd.

In Count Belmierd’s office, with a face full of conviction, Ellen spoke with the Count.

As he listened, the Count’s expression became increasingly severe.

Count Belmierd, who did not want to doubt his daughter, began to pay more attention to her words.

And then, in the underground laboratory where everything had begun, Leonard, whose face had been hardening, finally jumped to his feet.

Composure had disappeared from his face.

“Move, move, move…”

Leonard said with a slightly trembling voice.

But Dereck, shaking his hand a couple of times, looked at him coldly, blocking his exit from the basement.

“No.”

“Damn you…! Get out of my way!”

A dark red magic began to emanate from Leonard’s body.

The necromantic energy that remained dormant in the laboratory responded to his call and began to transform into sorcery.

It was a top-level necromancy spell: “Soul Summons.”

Just before the necromantic energy condensed in his body, Dereck gave him another kick in the stomach.

Crash!

With a dull sound, Leonard was sent flying through the air.