chapter 97
Black mana swirled around like a massive serpent, encircling everything nearby.
Then, as if even the moonlight had been swallowed, jet-black flames erupted, and the intruders’ faces went pale.
“W-what… is this…!”
Though he had lived as a mercenary and fought across countless battlefields, the warrior could swear he had never encountered such a malevolent force.
Just looking at it felt like every nerve in his body was paralyzed.
Some, completely consumed by fear, screamed and leapt into the flames.
Their animal instincts told them to escape before the fire grew, but—
It was a grave misjudgment born of paralyzed reason.
König had no intention of leaving a single one of those who dared target his companion alive.
“Ugh… aaah…!”
As one intruder tried to jump over the flames—
Flare!
The black fire engulfed him. In an instant, the human form vanished without a trace.
“…Wake up already?!”
Finally regaining his senses, a blue-eyed man shouted at his subordinates.
“Eymond must have gotten away. That rat barely survived and made it to Kreuz. Lycaon, this is our last chance. Use whatever means necessary to capture the squirrel next to Kreuz. Absolutely, no mistakes!”
The blue-eyed man, Lycaon, recalled everything clearly.
As his lord had said, their very survival depended on this mission.
Beyond the rampaging mana, a girl in a long coat was sitting on the ground.
‘I’m not sure if that girl is Eymond’s squirrel…’
But to him, it no longer mattered.
He only needed to carry out his lord’s orders.
“I don’t have the luxury to pick and choose methods.”
Clenching his teeth, he snatched a bow from a stunned subordinate.
And he aimed precisely at the silver-haired girl.
If he targeted her, even the insane duke would have a gap.
At that moment, he planned to throw all his subordinates at the duke just to snatch the squirrel.
Shwaaak!
A bird of prey’s cry sounded as the arrow flew at high speed.
Whoosh—
But before it could reach its target, it turned to ash and vanished.
Damn black flames again.
König Kreuz, the insane dragon duke, had not left a single opening.
Rather, his delicate face glimmered with deadly intent.
“Damn it, attack at once!”
Lycaon shouted, but only eerie silence filled the area.
“Ugh… uh…”
“C-captain…!”
His subordinates were frozen, unable to move.
No, “unable to move” was more accurate.
The living, snake-like black mana coiled around their limbs.
Naturally, Lycaon, like a condemned man on the execution platform, floated helplessly, able to do nothing.
All he could do was struggle against the tightening mana constricting him bit by bit.
‘I have to… do something…’
Then he recalled the last resort.
A mana neurostimulant. Among them, it was commonly called the “awakener.”
It had already been proven that the awakener was useless—deadly, even—against Kreuz.
‘When he comes close, spray the awakener… or else…’
He had decided he had to use it to escape this living hell.
Reaching into his pocket, he drew out a tiny vial no bigger than a pinky.
A chill ran down his spine, goosebumps rising along his neck.
“An interesting move.”
It was König Kreuz.
Before he even met the gold eyes glowing in the darkness—
“Ughk…!”
His face was slammed into the ground.
Biiii—
The impact rang in his ears; the taste of blood filled his mouth.
In his tilted vision, charred traces were vivid. They were clearly the marks of his subordinates.
But over Lycaon’s face, only a cruel smile remained.
The only survivor of this hell—
“If I die, you gain nothing.”
He was also the sole holder of the secret key.
No matter how insane the dragon duke was, he could not kill him.
If the one who held all the secrets died, the duke could never expose his backers.
However—
“You’re saying the same thing as that trash earlier.”
König Kreuz sneered.
Then he raised his sword, pointing it directly at Lycaon’s neck.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he lifted the blade—
“König…!”
A delicate voice stopped him.
As König had said, it only took seconds to settle the situation.
Finally, at the last moment, the blue-eyed man—
“König…!”
I called his name, stopping him.
It wasn’t to save him for evidence or anything like that.
There was something I absolutely needed to ask if I met the blue-eyed man.
I staggered forward toward him.
“From Eymond’s aftermath…”
I struggled to steady my trembling breath and parted my lips.
“Did you… kill my mother?”
“…….”
Perhaps realizing the situation was unfavorable, the man sealed his lips and said nothing.
But I instinctively knew the answer.
I had only wanted to know the truth, and yet the scene replayed vividly in my mind.
My mother, impaled by a sword, growing cold.
She had clung to his ankle until the last moment to buy even a minute of time.
And to her…
“Bastard.”
I gritted my teeth and spat the curse.
Tears threatened to fall, my vision blurred, and hot tears streamed down my cheeks.
“Ugh… why does this memory come back… what did you do to me…!”
Lycaon seemed to be seeing the same scene.
The unwanted memory filled his mind, making him convulse violently.
Though held in Kreuz’s grip, he didn’t last long.
“You… did you read my memory…?”
He panted, staring at me with wide, shocked eyes.
I didn’t answer.
Instead, I conveyed yet another memory that flowed into me from him.
“You thought you had to tell your lord, didn’t you, Lycaon?”
“How… do you know my name…?”
“Who knows.”
Regardless of my will, Lycaon’s thoughts were transmitted to me like telepathy.
“Lycaon, this is our last chance. Use whatever means necessary to capture the squirrel next to Kreuz. Absolutely!”
His previously polite, gentle voice was now hoarse and cracked.
I could hear Pavel’s voice vividly.
“I’ll send my regards to Pavel Astrahan. Now I don’t need you.”
“No… it’s all a misunderstanding. I didn’t kill your mother. I only did as I was ordered…!”
I heard Lycaon’s urgent voice behind me, but I shut it out and walked away.
“Child…!”
“Cherry, Cherry!”
From afar, I saw Ferdinand and Yeloise running toward me, and my world shifted dramatically.
I returned to my squirrel form.
And then—
“AAAAAAH…!”
A horrific scream echoed in my vague memories for a long, lingering time.
Five more days passed.
After two full days in squirrel form, I finally woke from sleep.
“Cherry, still sleepy today?”
“Chu…”
I slumped in my bed, barely nodding.
Exerting all my strength to maintain human form and view Lycaon’s memories had drained me, leaving me to sleep more than half of each day.
Or perhaps…
‘I’m just exhausted.’
After confronting memories I didn’t want, most of my waking hours were spent in a daze.
“Child, your grandfather brought a cherry tree all the way from the south. Want to try some?”
“Cherry, Cherry, I got you a ruby ornament that suits you perfectly. Would you like to see it?”
Ferdinand and Yeloise visited almost daily, noticing my state.
“Chu…”
But I had no energy to greet them.
I could barely open my eyes to exchange a fleeting greeting.
Thus, König decided to postpone Pavel Astrahan’s disposal until I was ready to converse.
It was during these monotonous days that a letter arrived for me.
