Chapter 60. The Scent of Blood (4)

Beneath the helmet was revealed to be none other than Hendrake Knight Order’s vice-captain, Owen.

The crossbow bolt shot by Hesabel had pierced through Owen’s cheek. Owen covered his face with his hand, but his face was clearly visible between the flowing blood.

Owen roughly pulled out the crossbow bolt and roared.

“────!!”

The roar was more like that of a beast than a human. Even Isaac felt a tingling sensation in his skin, so it goes without saying that the people around were either sitting down or staggering.

Given the circumstances, Owen looked for Hesabel as if he had to achieve his goal at all costs. However, it was not easy to aim for Hesabel, who cleverly hid behind Isaac, waiting for Owen’s vulnerability.

If he recklessly charged in, there was a high chance he would be defeated by Hesabel instead, and Isaac would continue to look for openings.

As time passed, the situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable for Owen.

Isaac asked as if mocking someone who was hesitating.

“An assassin should run away if discovered, what are you doing?”

“…….”

Owen seemed reluctant, but as soon as Reinhardt led the knights to appear, he turned around without hesitation. There were capable knights on Reinhardt’s side as well. Joining them meant Owen had no chance of winning.

“Chase him!”

However, Reinhardt had no intention of letting him go just like that. The knights and soldiers rushed in unison. Instead of joining the fray, Isaac chose to stay slightly away and watch Owen’s last struggle.

“Aaaaaaah!”

Bang. Something burst through the line of soldiers. It was a giant black horse without legs, enveloped in the dark energy that had been surrounding Owen earlier.

Owen mounted the black horse and broke through the encirclement of soldiers in an instant.

Reinhardt shouted urgently.

“What are you doing? Mount your horses and chase after him……”

“No. Let it be.”

Isaac stopped the pursuit.

The speed of the black horse, which seemed to fly rather than run, was incredible. They wouldn’t have been able to catch it even if they had been on horseback from the start. But the important thing was not catching the villain but where he was going.

“The villain has been decided to be Kyle Hendrake.”

Everyone present saw Owen heading straight for Hendrake Castle.

***

Despite it being late at night, the residents of the town, as well as the soldiers, had trouble going back to sleep while the situation was being managed.

They were all shocked by the incident, especially the town’s residents.

“So, you’re saying… Hendrake Knight Order’s vice-captain, Owen Renly, attempted to assassinate Lord Isaac?”

In the inn’s dining hall, Isaac and Reinhardt discussed the incident.

Hesabel’s identity was conveniently referred to as Isaac’s retainer. However, considering the distinction between men and women, they booked two rooms, one of which was used by Hesabel. It seemed that Owen, who attempted to assassinate Isaac, was confused about which room belonged to Isaac and ended up attacking Hesabel… according to Isaac’s explanation.

“Why would Kyle Hendrake target Lord Isaac?”

“Probably to eliminate Count Reinhardt’s cause. Or perhaps to divert the situation in a completely different direction.”

The explanation was not sufficient.

Of course, Isaac knew that someone from the Red Chalice Club, not Hendrake, was behind this incident, but he had no intention of explaining that.

Isaac shifted Reinhardt’s concern from ‘why?’ to ‘how?’ before he could dwell on it further.

“The important thing is that my retainer, and I myself, were attacked. Even if it wasn’t me, we cannot simply overlook this incident. A knight commissioned by the state attacking in the middle of the night? And riding a Phantom Steed, no less? This is a clear evidence of evil.”

The fact that Owen’s face was revealed clarified everything. Moreover, the visual shock of him escaping on a ghostly horse was significant.

‘The only sticking point is that the Phantom Steed is known as a familiar of the Immortal Order, not the Red Chalice…’

Isaac could only hope that the Immortal Order was not involved in this affair. The conflict between the Reinhardt and Hendrake territories was complex enough, being manipulated by the feud between Isaac and the Red Chalice Club.

Despite Isaac’s considerations, Reinhardt seemed to have simplified the situation.

“It appears Kyle Hendrake has finally lost his mind. Whatever his intentions were in causing this situation, there’s no other way now.”

“I think so too.”

Up until yesterday, Isaac had been trying to walk a fine line between the two, figuring out how to benefit from the situation. However, after being ambushed, he had no choice but to side with Reinhardt. Even if Hendrake was unaware of this affair, there was no telling when another assassin might come.

“I’ll send a message requesting to dispatch soldiers as quickly as possible… But attacking Hendrake Castle won’t be easy since it’s a difficult fortress to assault.”

“Is that alright, considering it’s almost sowing season?”

“We had already left the land fallow due to the locusts, so this year’s spring farming is already ruined. To minimize losses, we need to conclude this affair quickly. I’ve heard that the inquisitors from the Codex of Light will arrive soon; if not now, we might not get another chance. Honestly, I don’t want to face such monsters without the Order’s help.”

For Reinhardt, he didn’t want to wage war in spring, but this was the only way to capture Kyle without significant loss. They had to act while the Codex of Light was watching Hendrake.

‘I’ll be in trouble when the inquisitors arrive…’

Isaac remembered the only inquisitor he knew, Isolde Brant. Though naive and reckless as if she had many lives, she had a keen eye.

If other inquisitors were as capable as Isolde, being lucky once more would be asking too much.

‘We need to conclude this as soon as possible.’

***

“What, what, what? Reinhardt has made his move?”

Kyle was appalled as he received the report about new movements outside the castle. The report mentioned that Owen, who had gone out on patrol overnight, had returned with an arrow through his face and was on the brink of death, and Reinhardt’s soldiers had surrounded the castle and were setting up a siege.

“This bastard! He’s finally showing his true colors! Tell the soldiers to prepare for a siege! They won’t be able to fight for long since it’s spring!”

Hendrake Castle, built on a hillside, was a formidable fortress difficult to attack. Kyle believed that if they just held out, they would win. Though not his intended scenario, he even thought that if they won this war, he might not have to repay his debts.

Furthermore, he might be able to claim some of the fertile lands of Reinhardt’s territory.

“……He must be harboring such ludicrous hopes.”

Meanwhile, Raela was pressing her forehead in her room.

“We’re also short on food because it’s spring. Foolishly, we didn’t prepare for a defensive battle in advance. Moreover, if they start confiscating our crops, we might survive for now but will starve from this year onward. Kyle is doomed.”

On the floor of her room, the Black Knight, Owen, was kneeling. He was there not for rebuke but for healing, yet Raela was delaying it.

The healing could be done in an instant. But she wanted Owen to suffer a bit more.

“Because of your foolishness, your lord is doomed. What do you think?”

Owen murmured something with a hissing sound. The arrow through his cheek had also damaged his tongue and teeth, making proper speech difficult.

Raela sighed and approached.

Owen bowed his head in anticipation of a miracle.

Soon, the room was filled with a red flash.

Owen dared not look up, but he could see blood dripping onto the floor.

Blood was raining down in the room. Raela’s bare feet, stained with blood, approached.

Then another step, and another, and another.

“Raise your head.”

The moment Owen looked up, the room full of legs and blood seemed to vanish like a hallucination. However, he could see the blood on the floor being absorbed into Raela’s feet.

Raela extended her hand towards Owen. In her hand was a lump of vibrant red flesh, its origin unknown. Owen realized it was human flesh from the Red Chalice’s banquet hall.

“Eat it.”

Just as he had decided to submit to the prophet of the red flesh for the first time, Owen obediently placed the flesh in his mouth. As soon as the blood permeated his tongue, all his wounds and pain vanished. Not only that, he felt a power far greater than before filling him.

Raela, squatting in front of Owen who knelt, said,

“The Hendrake family ends here. The Hendrake territory will probably vanish too. Even if Kyle Hendrake doesn’t die here, he’ll miserably wander the barbarian-ridden frontiers until his death.”

“Can’t you help?”

Owen brought up the conversation he had hesitated on before. Instead of getting angry at his audacity, Raela looked at him with a smirk.

“Why should I help?”

“My wish was not to serve my lord but to possess a power beyond my talents.”

Owen continued, his head bowed.

“Madam Raela, you have fulfilled my wish. I understand that you took me in as a dog to use and discard at your convenience, but I don’t believe I’m at the point of disposal yet.”

“You haven’t yet told me why I should help Kyle.”

“Make Kyle Hendrake into a dog to be used and discarded.”

Raela laughed as if amused.

“Go on. I think I know what you’re going to say, but I want to hear it.”

“The Grail Knight was not an anachronistic fanatic. He didn’t kill or subdue Hesabel Gullmar; he made her submit. This is a significant threat to the Red Chalice’s plans, isn’t it?”

“Right. I didn’t foresee anything about this Grail Knight.”

Raela had prided herself on understanding nearly every macroscopic variable on the continent. However, in the past few years, there were two things she hadn’t anticipated: the sudden disappearance of Kalsen Miller and the emergence of Isaac, the Grail Knight.

Now that she confirmed Isaac wasn’t just a fanatic, there were two options:

Incorporate him into the plan for a new conspiracy, or…

“Use the Hendrake territory to assassinate Isaac.”

Raela was satisfied with Owen’s response.

***

While everyone was startled by this sudden siege, not everyone was unprepared.

There were those who believed it was a conceivable event and had insisted on preparing for the situation before it unfolded.

“Quickly! Bring more tar pots over here!”

Though Kyle was indecisive, once he made a decision, he passionately threw himself into the task.

He climbed up to the ramparts for the first time in a while, energetically directing the soldiers in their defense preparations. The soldiers, who were initially panicked, felt reassured seeing their lord personally encouraging them.

It’s annoying when someone of high status comes and orders around, but it undeniably boosts morale. Especially when there’s doubt about the task at hand.

The commander of the Hendrake Knight Order, Bexter, knew this too.

Kyle waved as he saw Bexter approaching him on the ramparts.

“Commander Bexter! Are the reinforcements for the gate ready? I wonder if the knights have been trained enough. Finally, their expensive meals will…”

“Criminal Kyle Hendrake.”

Swoosh. Bexter, with a low voice, drew his sword. Simultaneously, the knights accompanying him also drew their blades, causing the soldiers around Kyle to back away.

Kyle stammered in confusion at the sudden turn of events.

“What? What did you say? It sounded like you added a strange qualifier before my name.”

“You are impeached for embezzlement, betrayal, treachery, inciting discord between territories, and mental incompetence. The effects are immediate.”