II

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Arc II Chapter 12

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“My Lord.“ Kasimir straightened his back,

Friedrich ignored his calls. His liege remained unmoved as his words fell on deaf ears.

The shock haunted Friedrich, numbed his sensed. Gone was his former confidence. Gone was his resolution.

Like a dagger, the pain stabbed his heart. Cruel, brutal, without warning. His time stopped. His world froze.

Friedrich didn't expect this outcome. Nobody did. Their death came as a surprise. The carriage never arrived at Freyburg.

The carriage was ambushed, and the knights slaughtered like sheep. They never stood a chance.

This wasn't the handiwork of foolhardy bandits. This ambush was planned, coordinated.

Kasimir's stoic facade didn't falter. Such a despicable act. The attackers targetted Aurora. They targetted the House of Schwarz directly.

“Lord Friedrich.“

“Lord Friedrich.“

“Lord Friedrich ...“

“I hear you, Kasimir.“ Friedrich's empty gaze bothered him. His soulless eyes lingered on the corpse of his father. They retrieved his lifeless corpse.

His father died protecting Aurora. He fulfilled his duty to his last breath, but his sacrifice proved in vain.

Friedrich gritted his teeth. Rage, ire, grief moved his heart. They would pay.

Kasimir pitied Friedrich. As his loyal retainer, he shared his pain. He served his lord since his childhood, as was expected from him, the son of a simple baron.

They grew up alongside each other. They lived alongside each other. They fought alongside each other. They shared a common fate.

Kasimir paused. Friedrich would overcome the pain. Weeks, months, years would heal his wounds, but scars would forever remain.

“My condolences, My Lord. Sadly, I can't offer much beyond my sympathies.“

“I knew your father well. He was a good man.“

...

...

...

Friedrich didn't answer. His words didn't reach him.

...

...

...

Kasimir observed. “Rest assured, we will uncover the truth. We will find the ones responsible, and they will answer for their crimes.“

Friedrich leaned down and clenched his fists. The rage, the anger, the hatred. His knuckles turned white.

His father took a thrust though his chest. The thrust struck deep and the wound was clean, precise. A gaping hole remained.

Magic amplified the strike. Physical strikes alone weren't capable of this degree of penetration. Speed and strength didn't match. Traces of mana still lingered.

The traces were faint, negligible, but their presence was undeniable. Lightning. darkness. Fulmen. Umbra. A lightning user, just like him. A master of their element.

This wasn't the work of a common ruffian. This was the work of a skilled swordsman, of a proficient mage, of a professional.

The carnage, the merciless efficiency. The coordinated nature of the ambush, the execution. They intercepted the carriage before arriving at Freyburg. They chose the forest, an ideal choke point. They surrounded the escort and eliminated all opposition. Nobody was spared. Nobody survived.

Friedrich frowned. His face twisted. His desire for revenge blazed.

“They will pay, Kasimir. They will most definitely pay. Whoever was behind this, I will get them, and I will get my revenge.“ The hunt was on.

Kasimir merely nodded. He maintained his decorum. His mask never slipped.

Kasimir did what he did best, he served. He served with his soul, his heart, his blade. His rapier would heed his lord's call.

“I concur, we will get them. Not today, not tomorrow, but the day will come.“

Friedrich regained his composure. Now wasn't the time to grieve. His duties as a knight didn't sleep. His mistress required his services. “Did you find her?“

Kasimir shook his head. “Negative. The men swept the area, but no signs of Lady Aurora. We counted, her corpse is missing.“

Friedrich's eyes widened. This was impossible. “Her corpse is missing ...?“

Kasimir confirmed, “No corpse. We assume the worst, but not all hope is lost. Lady Aurora might be still alive. The chances are marginal, but marginal is better than none.“

“We can't dismiss the option, albeit I am doubtful. Their actions don't correspond to the modus operandi of kidnappers. Too brutal, too destructive. The suggests an assassination.“

Friedrich shared his assessment. Kasimir's analysis was spot on, but he clung to the last straw of hope.

“Kasimir, call the men. Post guards.“

“We return to Freyburg. We will request reinforcements and inform the church. The dead deserve a proper burial. The area must be purified.“

“We don't want this place to be haunted.“ Schwarzwalt didn't need more miasma. Arcadia didn't need more miasma.

Kasimir straightened his back. “Yes, My Lord ...“

"Friedrich, Kasimir, follow me.“

“My men have stumbled across something interesting. You should give it a look.“

Vera appeared from the woods. Her armour limited her movement through the thicket, but difficult terrain wouldn't stop her.

True knights fought dismounted if necessary, even when annoyed. Vera grumbled. Knights weren't made to be lowly infantry. Infantry was the calling of commoners.

Friedrich studied Vera. Her words piqued his curiosity.“Vera, what did you find?“

Vera paused. “...“

“Come, you need to see it yourselves. You won't believe me.“

They followed and fought their way through the vegetation until they arrived at a clearing. The clearing didn't appear special. A common clearing like untold others, but the impression deceived. The atmosphere was different.

Charred corpses littered the blackened ground. Fire claimed their lives. The grass, the trees, the earth, all was burnt, scorched by blazing heat. A detonation devastated the area and transformed the once peaceful clearing into a graveyard.

Friedrich stared in silence. Judging by the residual mana, pyromancy was responsible for this spectacle. Fire was among the most potent weapons available to spell casting. Ignis was a notorious element. Destructive, domineering, powerful. Used primarily for offensive purposes.

But this degree of destruction exceeded even his expectations.

Friedrich's gaze swept across the plane. A large-scale area attack. High intensity. High mana concentration. Lethal. A-class as adventurers would say.

Friedrich knelt. His gloves touched the earth. His finger rubbed the fallen ash. The ash was still fresh. Fine, powdery, untainted. Aurelius must be informed about this.

“So many questions, so few answers.“

Mystery over mystery. An ambushed carriage. A massacred escort. A murdered father. A missing Aurora, a scorched clearing. Nothing added up these days.

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