Chapter 70: Edgar 5

In the first six months, we focused on identifying individuals directly connected to Rowen.

Through Duke Crosby’s secret intelligence network, we found Rowen’s supporters within the knight order and discovered their contact with some of the court nobles.

I spent my days investigating and my nights learning magic from the Duke.

At first, it was simple defensive magic.

But it gradually evolved into the more profound magic of life.

‘The darker the shadows, the more the light of life is needed. This magic will save your life someday,’ the Duke often said.

“It seems Count Valter is at the center of it all,” I said as we entered the first year of our investigation.

The Duke nodded.

“Count Budahn and Viscount Risti are also suspicious. They seem to meet frequently.”

As we entered our second year, we made our first significant discovery.

In Count Budahn’s correspondence, the words ‘ritual’ and ‘offering’ appeared frequently.

And finally, after three years, Duke Crosby’s study was filled with the documents and evidence we had gathered.

On the wall was a map showing the names of the nobles involved and the connections between them.

The number of names linked by red thread grew steadily, with Count Valter and Count Budahn at the center.

“Any progress?”

On the last day of spring, in our third year, the Duke asked as he opened the study door.

His hair had grown whiter, and the lines on his face had deepened.

The endless secret investigation had taken a heavy toll on him, but his resolve remained firm.

“I’ve found a new clue at Count Budahn’s estate.”

I carefully unfolded the letter I had found.

My hand trembled slightly.

I had risked my life to obtain this letter.

“This is a secret communication sent to Count Valter. Look here.”

The letter mentioned a ‘new mine’ and the word ‘Mesmeris’ was written in bold.

“This is…”

The Duke’s eyes glinted.

He strode quickly to a bookshelf on one side of the study, unlocked a drawer with an iron lock, and took out an old leather-bound book.

“Is that a book from the forbidden list of the Temple of Mikel?” I asked, surprised.

The Duke quietly affirmed.

“I rescued it during the great fire at the temple many years ago. I’ve seen records of Mesmeris in ancient texts.”

He opened the book, revealing a picture of a gem that shimmered with blue and black light.

The center of the gem swirled as if it were a living creature, and around it, figures in black robes stood in a circle.

Beneath their feet were bodies that appeared to have been sacrificed.

“Mesmeris is a rare mineral that absorbs life force,” the Duke said, his voice trembling.

“The blood of those whose life force has been stolen by this mineral is used in the evil god’s ritual.

The mineral-tainted blood can blur the boundary between the two worlds, allowing beings from the demon realm to cross over into this world.”

“The descent of an evil god…” I muttered.

“Yes, exactly. Now the evidence is gathered.”

The Duke pointed to the documents one by one.

“Count Budahn secures Mesmeris through his mines and supplies it to Count Valter. Count Valter is the master of the ritual. And Rowen…”

“Was his subordinate,” I finished the sentence.

Finally, the puzzle was coming together.

Rowen’s abnormal promotion within the knight order, Count Budahn’s sudden wealth and influence, Count Valter’s secret meetings… it was all as clear as a picture now.

But at the same time, I had an uneasy feeling that we were missing something.

The pieces fit together too perfectly…

As if someone had intentionally led us to discover them.

“I must take this evidence to His Majesty tomorrow.”

The Duke said, his mind made up.

“We can’t hide any longer. The fate of the kingdom is at stake.”

That night, I fell asleep in a state of tension.

Tomorrow, our three-year secret investigation would finally see the light of day.

But when I woke up in the morning and went to find the Duke, his bedroom was empty.

The neatly made bed was disheveled, and a stark, dark stain marred the white sheets.

It was blood.

My heart sank.

I instinctively drew my sword and surveyed my surroundings.

The mansion was eerily quiet.

There was no sound of servants’ footsteps, no noise of breakfast being prepared.

Feeling a sense of crisis, I hurried to the Duke’s study.

I had to secure all the evidence.

But as soon as I entered the study, something felt wrong.

The documents on the desk showed signs of having been moved slightly.

Someone had already been here.

My heart froze as I quickly skimmed through the documents.

The very letter the Duke had mentioned yesterday, the one about Count Valter, was spread open in the middle of the desk.

And on it, a new word was written.

‘Today.’

The moment I checked the date on the letter, I felt a sharp impact on the back of my head.

A searing pain shot through me like lightning.

A chill ran down my spine, and my body swayed.

Before I collapsed to the floor, the last things I saw were Count Valter’s signature and the three words ‘the next ritual’.

And then the whole world went black.

…

Pain washed over me.

My head throbbed as if it would split open at any moment.

It felt like someone had smashed my skull with a hammer.

‘What happened…’

Slowly, I opened my eyes.

Only pitch-black darkness spread before me.

I thought it might be a cave, but the air felt different.

The cold, damp smell of stone.

The stuffiness unique to an unventilated underground space.

I tried to move my body, but it was impossible.

My wrists and ankles were bound.

Tied with sturdy leather straps, I couldn’t move an inch.

‘Where am I…’

My memory slowly returned.

I was in Duke Crosby’s study, looking at the documents.

I had found the letter with Count Valter’s name… and then nothing.

Only the faint memory of a sudden blow to the head remained.

Just when I thought our three-year investigation was finally bearing fruit… for it to end like this.

‘Is the Duke safe…’

My teeth ground together automatically.

This was something I had prepared for when I started the investigation.

No regrets.

But…

I heard something move.

In the darkness, candles were lit one by one, pushing back the shadows.

The faint light revealed the space.

This was clearly a basement.

A ceiling and walls made of black stone.

Between tall pillars, people in black robes stood in a circle.

In the center of the basement, a circular floor was raised like an altar.

And I… was tied to that altar.

‘Oh no.’

I knew instinctively.

This was the ritual site of the evil god worshippers.

To find the place I had searched for for three years in this way.

I took a deep breath.

I couldn’t afford to panic.

‘First, assess the situation.’

A faint pattern was drawn on the altar floor.

A snake biting its own tail.

Inside it, three stars formed a triangle.

This… was the Ouroboros.

An ancient symbol I had learned about while investigating with the Duke.

Known as a symbol of eternity, it also held the meaning of representing evil god worshippers.

The lines drawn on the floor were shimmering.

Looking closely, I saw it was blood.

Fresh, crimson blood flowed along the pattern, not yet dry.

‘The blood of a sacrifice…’

And I was about to be that sacrifice.

The faces of the robed figures were hidden by their hoods.

They were chanting something in low voices.

Their murmurs intertwined exquisitely, sounding like a single piece of music.

“Great Abraxas, we await your descent…”

Their prayer brushed past my ears.

‘Abraxas…’

My heart sank.

An evil god from ancient legends.

A name known as one of the most powerful beings in the demon realm.

This was not a simple superstitious act.

This ritual… was real.

The murmuring grew louder.

One person stepped forward.

As he lowered his hood, his face was revealed.

A face I had seen several times at the royal court.

It was Count Valter.

“O Abraxas, open the gate of blood and darkness and descend upon this world. Your glory shall cover the world like darkness…”

In Valter’s hand was a knife inscribed with a strange symbol.

The blade looked like transparent glass, but inside it, something like black smoke swirled.

A cold fear crept down my spine.

I knew that knife would soon pierce my chest.

Despite the windless basement, the candles flickered.

The shadows on the walls seemed to dance.

Listening closely, I could hear the sound of dried blood dripping from the walls.

‘Duke Crosby, too… in a place like this…’

To think I would meet the person I was looking for in this way.

I forced myself to remain calm.

I had to maintain my dignity as a nobleman, as a knight.

But I couldn’t stop the cold sweat from running down my back.

“This sacrifice is special,” Valter said.

His voice echoed strangely.

As if several people were speaking at once.

“The sole survivor of the Kingdom’s 2nd Knight Order. The last witness who knows our identity.”

At those words, laughter erupted from among the robed figures.

It sounded less like human laughter and more like the shattering of glass.

Valter approached me.

A red light flickered in his eyes.

They were not the eyes of an ordinary human.

“Do not be afraid, Edgar Hynde. Your blood and soul will now become the cornerstone of a new world.”

I gritted my teeth.

To fight against his voice that was trying to wring fear out of me.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. This is treason. Against the kingdom, against Mikel, the God of Light.”

My voice was firmer than I expected.

A sneer formed on Valter’s lips.

“Treason? Is this treason? No, this is liberation. Liberating humanity, which has been trapped in the shackles of the gods for thousands of years.”

He waved his hand.

The blood that had been on the wall rose into the air.

The red droplets stopped in mid-air, then slowly converged towards the altar, forming the Ouroboros symbol.

‘Black magic…’

Watching Valter’s sophisticated black magic, I could guess how long he had lived as a worshipper of an evil god.

“We are merely summoning the old ones. The true masters who ruled this land before the gods came.”

He walked slowly along the symbol.

His movements along the lines of the Ouroboros drawn on the floor looked like a snake’s dance.

“When Lord Abraxas descends, the age of Mikel will end. And a new era will dawn.”

Then, another robed figure approached.

He held a scroll in his hand.

As he lowered his hood, a surprisingly familiar face was revealed.

Count Budahn. The man known as the richest in the kingdom.

The owner of the Rossbery mine.

“Is the blood of the sacrifice ready?”

Budahn’s voice trembled.

A mixture of awe and fear was in his eyes.

Unlike Valter, he didn’t seem to be completely immersed.

Valter nodded in agreement.

“Perfectly prepared. Lord Abraxas will be pleased.”

Budahn unrolled the scroll.

Even more complex symbols were drawn on it.

As he placed it on the floor, the symbols began to soak themselves in blood.

‘This is…’

The situation was getting stranger and stranger.

But I knew instinctively.

This was a very powerful, very dangerous ritual.

“Count Budahn,” I called out.

He flinched and looked at me.

“Where is Duke Crosby?”

Budahn hesitated for a moment.

But Valter answered for him.

“His blood has already become the foundation of the ritual. Your blood will be its completion.”

My heart felt like it was freezing over.

Duke Crosby, my comrade and mentor for three years.

To think he had already been sacrificed.

Valter approached me again.

The knife in his hand turned even blacker.

As if it were absorbing light.

“Proud heir of the Hynde family. Your sacrifice will not be in vain.”

After a moment’s hesitation, I spoke.

“Wait. I’m not a sacrifice that has been subjected to Mesmeris. So the ritual can’t possibly work properly, can it?”

Valter’s gaze flickered.

A brief silence followed.

“A clever question, Edgar,” Valter answered slowly.

“Mesmeris certainly strengthens the blood of the sacrifice. But it is not absolutely necessary. Especially…”

He pointed a finger at me.

“…if there is special blood. The lineage of one of the seven great noble families of the kingdom, moreover, the bloodline of the Hynde family, a master of swordsmanship.

Your blood is ten times more powerful than a normal sacrifice.”

In that moment, I understood.

Why Duke Crosby had already met a gruesome death.

He, too, was a member of a long-established family.

It was then.

Something appeared in the darkness.

The air swirled and twisted, and an unfathomable form slowly materialized.

‘What is that…’

It was humanoid, but a completely different being.

Its limbs were long, and its sharply pointed fingernails glinted in the darkness.

Its face was a form that was difficult to perceive with the eyes.

I was looking directly at it, but my brain couldn’t comprehend its shape.

“The messenger of Abraxas has arrived,” Valter said in a reverent voice.

“He will accept our offering.”

An indescribable malevolence emanated from the being.

The entire basement was filled with its presence.

The scene was a spectacle where the boundary between reality and nightmare melted away.

The messenger slowly approached.

Its long, twisted fingers reached for my chest.

And began to dig into my flesh.

“Aaaargh!”

A sharp pain shot through my entire body.

It felt like my soul was being torn apart.

This was not mere physical pain.

It was a sensation as if my very existence was being denied.

‘Get a hold of yourself, Edgar!’

The vow to protect the kingdom flashed in my mind.

And Duke Crosby, who disappeared on the same mission as me.

My fellow knights who were sacrificed in the Great Labyrinth to Rowen’s magic.

Klaus’s gruesome corpse.

All these sacrifices must not be in vain.

Then, the impossible happened.

Like a swirling wind, the secret art of the Hynde family manifested.

The Sword of Wind. Even without a sword, the power of the wind enveloped my body.

‘How…’

My surprise was fleeting as I instinctively drew upon that power.

At the same time, the basics of the magic I had learned from Duke Crosby came to mind.

The Duke had taught me a secret resistance magic.

The bonds on my wrists loosened.

With the power of my mind, I was manipulating the wind to slice through the leather straps.

And finally, one hand was free.

“Kkeukkeukkeukkeu!”

The messenger let out a strange cry.

It was a pained sound, but it also seemed to be rejoicing.

As if it were enjoying this situation.

Valter’s eyes blazed with anger.

“How did you break the bonds…!”

The messenger turned its twisted body towards me.

Its claws shot towards my face like lightning.

I instinctively dodged, but the sharp claws grazed my ear.

A hot pain spread from my ear.

“Ugh!”

I hurriedly freed my other hand and feet.

The messenger charged again.

Its form was difficult to discern.

I rolled on the floor to avoid the attack.

The messenger’s claws struck where I had been.

The stone floor was torn apart like paper.

“You are special. When Abraxas takes your soul, all the walls of this world will crumble.”

Valter laughed coldly.

Suddenly, my vision blurred.

The messenger had swung its hand, scattering a sharp energy.

A black, blade-like energy shot out from the air and pierced my body.

“Kuh!”

I felt something snap inside me.

It was the feeling of my life force draining away.

‘No! I can’t be defeated like this!’

I gathered the power of the wind and sent it flying towards the messenger.

A transparent blade of wind cut through the messenger’s form.

But it merged back together like a shadow.

‘Normal attacks don’t work on it.’

The messenger charged again.

This time, it seemed to appear from the front, back, and sides simultaneously.

They were all the same being, but they were attacking me from multiple directions.

I desperately created a defensive barrier with the power of the wind, but the messenger’s attacks grew stronger and stronger.

I had no time to breathe.

‘Think, Edgar. Remember Duke Crosby’s teachings.’

Then, a memory surfaced.

The final advice the Duke had given me.

“Fuse the wind that flows in your blood and the light of life I have passed on to you into one.”

The swordsmanship of the Hynde family.

My body soared on the wind.

In mid-air, I closed my eyes and focused.

Following Duke Crosby’s final teaching, I imbued my Sword of Wind with the life force within me.

I stretched out my hand and drew a line in the air.

The Sword of Wind and the magic of life fused into one.

Blue wind and golden magical energy mixed, creating an intense green sword energy that unfurled.

“This, this is…!”

Valter exclaimed in a horrified voice.

“Kkeukkeukkeukkeu!!”

The messenger let out a sharp scream.

The sword energy washed over the being, but it couldn’t be completely defeated.

I realized just how powerful it was.

But this was enough.

I had succeeded in disrupting their ritual.

The entire basement shook.

Stones fell from the walls, and cracks spread across the ceiling.

“The ritual has failed! The messenger is out of control!”

Someone’s scream was heard.

The robed figures began to scatter.

I gathered my last strength and unleashed another blast of sword energy.

This time, towards the ceiling.

The entire basement began to collapse.

I drew on the power of the wind as much as I could and launched my body forward.

It wasn’t easy to get through the falling pieces of stone.

I was hit by chunks of rock several times, but I couldn’t stop.

Finally, I began to see light.

Moonlight seeped through the collapsed ceiling.

It was an escape route.

‘I have to survive and tell them.’

I leaped up with my last strength.

Blood was flowing from my chest.

It was the wound where the messenger’s claws had dug in.

But I couldn’t die yet.

As soon as I got outside, I entrusted my body to the wind.

A giant green sword energy that cut across the sky.

It was a message that everyone could see.

‘The Hynde family… does not surrender.’

My body grew lighter.

As my consciousness faded, a fatally sweet scent brushed past my nose.

‘The King of Insects…?’