Chapter 58

Chapter 58
Chapter 58
“You could get hurt, so stay close to the bed.”

“Wait, wait… Dereck. Are you really going to break the window just like that? If you damage the Duplain mansion’s property so easily…”

Seeing Dereck’s abrupt reaction, Denise stood up, and as she observed his expression, she trembled slightly. Dereck’s face reflected deep seriousness.

Crises often arrived without warning. And Dereck knew that better than anyone. That was why, whenever he had doubts, he acted without hesitation.

It is better to be safe than sorry. He had never regretted following that principle.

Crash!

“Ahhh!”

The chair Dereck threw flew out the window and rolled until it stopped in the garden.

Luckily, there was no one nearby in the garden, shrouded in the darkness of the night.

After pushing aside the shards of glass with his boot, Dereck leaned out to inspect the surroundings.

Even after breaking both windows, the frame was still too narrow for an adult to pass through. However, since Denise was petite, it seemed they could push her through.

“D-Dereck. Why did you do this?”

“Concentrate your magical senses on the hallway. It is full of strange magical energy.”

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Denise, an expert in magical detection, concentrated immediately after hearing his words.

She used the first-tier spell Magic Detection, and in a matter of seconds, her expression turned grim.

What was flowing through the hallway was not the bluish magic she was accustomed to. The reddish, viscous energy emanating from that magic was abnormal from the start.

It was the first time Denise perceived something like this, but Dereck had already encountered that type of magic before.

«It looks like forbidden magic. It’s the first time I’ve encountered something like this since I arrived in this world.»

In addition to the five recognized branches of magic—combat, transformation, confusion, summoning, and detection—there existed forbidden spells across the continent.

Their mechanics were completely different, as was their growth process. That magic fed on human blood, devoured souls, or consumed corpses… far removed from any ethical principle.

There is always a reason why taboos are considered taboos.

“Excuse me.”

“Kyaa!”

Dereck lifted Denise in a single motion.

She blushed at the sudden contact, but Dereck, without hesitation, jumped with her into the dark garden, fearlessly stepping on the broken glass.

Whoosh!

Jumping from the third floor was almost like plunging into the void.

But Dereck employed a second-tier transformation spell: Earth Wall. A solid wall of magically reinforced earth rose next to the exterior of the mansion.

Using it as support, he descended in a zigzag and landed safely, setting Denise on the ground.

“D-Dereck…!”

Still recovering from the fright, Denise looked back at the mansion.

“…The mansion looks strange.”

Dereck also directed his gaze toward it.

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Lady Diella had just made her debut in society, and prominent figures from all over the continent were present to celebrate it.

And yet, that place was steeped in an unsettling silence.

A dark red magical energy was seeping through every crack and between the walls of the mansion, as if it were bleeding. Even someone without magical sensitivity would have sensed that something was wrong.

“W-What is that…? Why hasn’t anyone reacted?”

“There are several three-star mages among the guests… even two four-star ones. It’s strange that none of them have noticed something so obvious…”

Dereck had memorized the names of the high-level mages invited, though not those of all the nobles.

Anyone with that level should have been able to detect that anomalous magic. And yet, silence reigned inside the mansion. Something was very wrong.

“We need to find out what is happening inside. If something occurs in a mansion full of key figures from all over the continent… it could be catastrophic…”

“I think something has already happened.”

“…What?”

“That dark red energy… it could be necromancy. Or a plague.”

Denise turned pale.

Necromancy was the most infamous taboo. To progress, many necromancers consumed corpses or murdered other mages to absorb their power.

Almost all the great necromancers in history were mass murderers.

‘First, guarantee safety.’

Dereck quickly analyzed the situation. Staying near the mansion was not an option.

Ensuring Denise’s safety was the priority.

“It makes no sense to investigate what is happening inside. Let’s go out through the main gate. We will assess the situation from there.”

The most reasonable plan was to cross the central garden and head straight to the entrance.

If it were locked, they would break it down. Worrying about property damage during a crisis was absurd.

“Yes, I understand! Dereck! I… will follow you.”

Denise raised no objections.

In such a situation, Dereck was the right person to lead. Trusting him was the right decision.

Both began to run through the garden.

Denise clutched her dress tightly, biting her lip to keep pace, while Dereck moved forward with constant vigilance.

Tap, tap, tap.

In the silence of the garden, the only sound was that of their footsteps.

Although the run was long, Denise managed to hold on thanks to the physical training she had done with Dereck.

They passed by the tea tables, crossed the rose-covered gazebo, and that was where they saw it.

A man was guarding the path to the main gate. Both stopped.

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While Dereck took a defensive stance and assessed the man in the darkness, Denise tried to catch her breath.

“Who goes there?”

“Dereck, is that you?! It’s Delron! Butler Delron!”

A familiar face.

Delron, the butler of the Duplain family, was one of the household members who had worked there the longest.

His gaze was still piercing, his posture upright, his uniform stained with blood.

His suit was stained with blood and he was gasping for air while clutching a wound.

“B-Butler! You are the butler of the Duplain family!”

—Lady of House Beltus… you are safe too. What a relief… The mansion is in chaos. Strange monsters have come out of the pavilion’s basement… they are killing the servants indiscriminately…

Blood dripped from the wound that Delron was trying to hold.

“We must inform the main house… Lady Denise, please evacuate… I must go warn Lord Duplain…”

“Monsters… from the pavilion? How… how can that happen in an inhabited mansion?”

“I… I am not sure either. I heard that monsters usually appear in labyrinths… perhaps something like that emerged in the pavilion basement. We will find out the cause later. Right now, we must evacuate the guests in the main building!”

“Yes…! The main building is full of representatives from influential noble houses. If any of them get hurt, it would be a disaster!”

Denise took a deep breath as she assessed Delron’s condition.

One of the butler’s arms was already mangled and he couldn’t move it properly.

“B-Butler…! We must treat your wound first…!”

“I am fine! There is no time! Dereck, please. You must inform the people in the main building about the appearance of the monsters! Please… please…”

Delron staggered, speaking between gasps.

—B-but first we have to help you. You are losing too much blood! At the very least, we need to provide you with support…

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Just when Denise tried to hold him, Dereck grabbed her by the nape of the neck and threw her backward.

Slash!

“Ahhh!”

Denise screamed as she fell, tripping over the hem of her dress.

Before she could understand what was happening, claws slashed through the air exactly in the same place where she had been a second before.

Whoosh!

Claws. The word seemed out of place.

Dereck swallowed hard. As soon as Denise approached, Delron’s apparently mangled arm went straight toward her. But it was not his original arm.

Crack, crack!

A new arm sprouted from Delron’s left shoulder.

It was too grotesque to be considered human. It was in a state of decomposition, with abnormally long nails sticking out. Seeing the horrible scene, Denise’s eyes filled with terror.

Dereck frowned.

The intelligence he had seen in Delron’s eyes moments before had vanished. A monstrous stench emanated from various parts of his body.

His skin was covered with grotesquely bulging veins, and its color had taken on a grayish, stony tone.

Delron, coughing up blood, let out a harsh growl as he attacked Dereck.

Without losing his composure, Dereck gave him a strong kick in the stomach, twisted his deformed arm, and threw him into the garden.

Crash! Bang!

Delron’s neck twisted violently to one side upon impact, but he stood up unscathed, placing both hands on the ground.

His staggering and expressionless figure no longer resembled anything alive.

“W-What… what is that…?”

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“Get up, Lady Denise.”

“What… what is this…? Ahhh!”

Splash, splash!

From the other side of the garden, several humanoid figures suddenly emerged.

It was as if the dead buried underground were rising one by one. The stench of putrefaction made the blood run cold upon contact.

Right next to Denise, an arm emerged from the ground and grabbed her by the wrist.

Startled, she tried to pull away, but the grip was much stronger than that of any normal person.

In just a few more seconds, the fragile bones of her arm could have broken.

At that moment, as the pressure intensified…

Slash!

Dereck took out a dagger from his thigh and cut the arm with a single slash. Putrid blood splattered.

Decomposed flesh clung to Denise’s arm as the blackish liquid ran down her skin.

Just by seeing it, Denise felt like she was going to faint.

“Ahhh! Gasp, gasp…!”

“Miss Denise, please stand up. The situation is critical.”

“M-My legs… I can’t… Ugh… ahh… ahh…!”

Her thighs were trembling violently.

She couldn’t even believe what she was seeing. Her face was stained with blood, she was hyperventilating, and she was paralyzed.

Dereck crouched in front of her, placed his hands on her shoulders, and stared straight into her eyes.

Calm down, Lady Denise.

“D-Dereck… Huff… huff…”

Dereck, who had gone through countless labyrinths infested with flesh and bone, adapted to the situation immediately.

But for a young noblewoman who had never witnessed anything like it, seeing herself suddenly faced with such horror was a tremendous shock.

Therefore, Dereck’s first act was to synchronize his breathing with hers while staring into her eyes.

Just as fear can be contagious, so can calm.

In the middle of that hell, where the dead were slowly rising, Dereck did not lose his composure. First, he calmed Denise’s terrified heart.

His presence was comforting. And little by little, Denise began to regain her sanity.

“Huff… Dereck… I’m sorry… I… this… I can’t…”

“It’s normal. Can you stand up?”

“Yes… First… we have to escape through the main entrance…”

Dereck looked toward the main gate.

The number of corpses was progressively increasing, gradually surrounding the mansion. It was as if they were trying to trap all the guests inside.

Even if they managed to break through and cross the gate, they would find nothing but open ground.

Fighting in such a field against so many corpses would quickly exhaust their stamina.

«The ideal would be to escape by carriage, but the coachman is probably not at his post.»

Dereck re-evaluated the situation in a matter of seconds.

“Let’s return to the mansion. It is more dangerous outside. We don’t know how many there are, and you will get tired before you can keep your distance.”

“R-Really?”

“There are guests inside. Among them, several 3-star mages and at least a couple of 4-star ones. It will be better to find them and regroup.”

The fact that the main building remained silent was worrying, but venturing out into the open without information was even worse.

Dereck helped Denise up and the two began to run back toward the mansion.

Behind them, numerous corpses began to stagger after them, led by the deformed Delron.

“Gasp, gasp…”

Denise, who had just caught her breath, was gradually regaining her composure.

She was a smart girl. But still very young.

Faced with the sight of corpses tearing themselves apart and arms sprouting from shattered backs, her mind froze in panic.

But now, although she was trembling, her rational mind began to resurface.

“The west wing of the mansion is for guest rooms, right? When we passed by before, there was no response. They must have escaped, or…”

“…Or what?”

“Or they were neutralized. I don’t know what is happening… but if I were the one who planned this, my top priority would be to eliminate the high-level mages first.”

It was a logical deduction.

If someone had wanted to unleash this type of anomaly inside the Duplain mansion, they would have had to prepare a way to subdue the most powerful mages.

“This type of energy should be detectable by 3-star mages, right? You perceived it first, Dereck.”

“Yes. There are several of that level among the guests, besides me.”

“Then they must have used some kind of trap to subdue them.”

“…But I am fine.”

“Dereck’s rank is not widely known. It is not easy to predict that a mercenary with your history could be a 3-star mage or higher.”

Dereck himself was an anomaly.

The world was vast and full of mages, but predicting that someone his age could handle detection magic of that level was not easy.

In fact, those who knew Dereck’s true rank could be counted on the fingers of one hand.

“In the worst case, you might be the only 3-star mage or higher who can still act correctly right now, Dereck.”

“…”

“Then you should go see how the other Mages are doing.”

“It won’t be a big problem. Anyway, while we look out for the guests’ safety, let’s first gather everyone who can help and secure the mansion.”

As Dereck laid out the plan calmly, Denise took a deep breath.

That was when her trembling fingers finally calmed down. Clenching her teeth, Denise followed Dereck toward the mansion.

“I have been fooling myself.”

“In a situation like this, anyone would tremble. I have seen worse things in labyrinths, so I adapted quickly.”

“Yes, you are reliable. But the other noble ladies in the mansion must be terrified. If something goes wrong, the damage could be drastically aggravated.”

“…”

Denise was right.

While Dereck ran toward the mansion, he remembered the list of guests that day.

Except for a few exceptions of high-level mages, the majority lacked experience on the battlefield or in combat. Especially the noble ladies, who were likely paralyzed by fear, unable to act in such a crisis.

Flesh flying through the air, blood splattering, and grotesque monsters wandering the mansion grounds.

Under those conditions, it was natural to be paralyzed by terror.

***

Slash!

The corpse of a servant who entered the room was struck by a magic arrow. Its putrid arm was torn off and the dark red blood splattered all over the room.

Splash!

“Ahhh!”

With a loud crash, the tea table overturned and a low-ranking noble lady who was sitting there screamed.

Thud!

The fallen corpse knelt and collapsed. Soon, it rolled across the floor and its severed head rushed toward the woman, staring at her with a blank gaze.

“Eeeeeek!”

The woman, whose name was unknown, peed herself out of fright. Ellen pretended not to notice. In a situation like this, almost no one could maintain their composure.

The corpse broke into Ellen’s room shortly after Dereck left the mansion.

From outside the door, magical aura seemed to leak, and a servant entered with a tea tray.

However, the servant, dressed in an impeccable butler uniform, began to contort his body unnaturally and, soon, spitting blood, pounced on Ellen.

Ellen had been chatting with a low-ranking noble lady who was her friend while they were having tea.

Although surprised by the sudden attack, Ellen calmly pulled out a magic arrow and destroyed the corpse that was pouncing on her.

The low-ranking noble, now in tears, looked at Ellen, covered in dark red blood, as she calmly shook off her dress, without blinking.

“What the hell is going on…?”

The rumors about the bright star of House Belmierd were well known, but maintaining composure even in a situation like this was strange.

However, for Ellen herself, it was not that unusual.

During her intense training period, a mercenary turned magic instructor took her through all kinds of labyrinths no less terrifying than hell.

There she had seen humanoid monsters whose bodies were severed in various ways, torn limb from limb, even human bodies split in half.

The time when she trembled at the sight of cadaverous monsters spilling blood had already passed.

‘…Truly terrified, huh? It seems you won’t be of much help…’

Ellen sighed as she saw the noble trembling like a leaf. Then, she directed a gaze to the unsettling hallway. Only silence reigned.

Should I check the state of the others in the rooms…? Or should I stay where I am…? I don’t know what to decide…

While Ellen slowly observed her surroundings, the noble lady lying on the floor was stunned. Indeed, maintaining calm in a situation like this didn’t seem normal. But for Ellen, it wasn’t that strange.

From time to time, Ellen closed her eyes and imagined the labyrinth she had traversed with Dereck. It was a gruesome image that tormented her in her dreams every time she was about to forget it.

In comparison, a few cadaverous monsters and dead people were child’s play. In a way, Ellen wasn’t normal either.

Unfortunately, this was also due to Dereck’s influence.

«In any case, the priority is to understand the situation before it gets worse…»

Muttering to herself, Ellen held her breath as she looked again down the hallway. The west corridor of the Duplain mansion. A space filled with waiting rooms for many other distinguished guests.

There… the strange servants, for no apparent reason, were dragging all kinds of guests out of their rooms. Most looked like inert corpses.

When she saw the faces of the guests being dragged across the floor, she recognized more than one name from all over the continent.

The scene seemed to indicate that they were preparing a sacrifice for some ritual.

«No matter how you look at it… this… is a serious incident…»

Ellen knew it instinctively. If they were all truly corpses, this event would go down in history as a catastrophe that would be talked about across the continent for years.

Now she was right in the middle of that scene.

Ellen swallowed hard and thought.

Where is Dereck…? Dereck must also be somewhere in the mansion…

Who could she trust right now?

Curiously, the first thing she thought of was the experienced mercenary.