Chapter 89: The Great Upheaval #3

Chapter 89: The Great Upheaval #3

After chasing for a full day, Carmilla finally admitted that she wouldn’t be able to catch Alice.

“This bony dragon is annoyingly fast.”

Carmilla grumbled the entire way back. She took her frustrations out on her attendant subordinates and fumed by herself.

“If you guys had run just a little faster, we would have caught her!”

The undead soldiers offered no excuses. Carmilla’s army pledged absolute loyalty to her alone. No matter how unreasonable her tantrums, they could only endure.

However, Carmilla was unaware. The gap that seemed to shrink but never closed was intentionally created by Alice to lure her.

After achieving a somewhat unsatisfying victory, on the way back to the castle.

Only when they neared the castle did Carmilla realize something was amiss.

“Why isn’t anyone coming to greet me?”

Carmilla tilted her head. Normally, the butler would have come to escort her.

But the castle was silent. There was no sign of life.

There was a sense of something lurking, waiting for them with bated breath, a disturbing feeling.

Finally, she saw a flag. It wasn’t Carmilla’s red flag, but a pitch-black flag she had never seen before.

“⋯What is that.”

Carmilla narrowed her eyes and glared at the flag fluttering high above the castle spire.

“What is that rag? I never ordered such a gloomy flag to be hung.”

Did the butler do something unnecessary without being told? If so, she wouldn’t let him off. Carmilla clenched her teeth.

She felt that simply tying him to a chandelier for three days, as usual, wouldn’t be enough to quell her anger.

She vowed to boil him in a cauldron until his very bones were dissolved into broth. At that very moment.

Swish.

Skeleton soldiers simultaneously appeared on the castle walls.

It was clearly not a surprise event to welcome their master. Every single one of them aimed their bows at Carmilla.

At this point, even the oblivious Carmilla could sense that something was seriously wrong.

It couldn’t be a rebellion by her subordinates. The butler was incompetent, but he lacked the guts for such a betrayal. Besides, a necromancer’s subordinate wouldn’t even possess the will for such treachery.

Then, the enemy must be-

“Who the hell is it, daring to occupy my castle without permission.”

As if in response to Carmilla’s rage-filled words, a young girl appeared on the castle walls.

“It’s been a while.”

She was a girl who looked as young as Carmilla. But the girl seemed to have known Carmilla for a very long time.

Her casual, friendly tone gave the illusion that they were old friends.

Of course, the situation itself, with the thick castle walls and the menacing cold weapons between them, was anything but friendly.

“⋯Look at this. Who are you? Do you know me?”

“Why act like we’re meeting for the first time? Ah, sorry. It’s true we’re meeting for the first time in this form. I forgot. Carmilla, it’s me. Estel.”

“Estel!”

It was as if lightning struck Carmilla on the head.

Estel. Estel, Estel.

Her nemesis, who had inflicted an unforgettable defeat upon her, was right before her eyes. And not only that, but she was shamelessly looking down at Carmilla from her stolen castle.

Carmilla felt her vision narrow to the size of a pinhole.

She was so angry that she felt as if her breath was laced with fury. She felt like she might explode if a match were lit.

“So, that’s what happened.”

Carmilla finally understood the situation. The mastermind behind the attack on Carmilla’s kingdom wasn’t Alice. The true culprit was her master, Estel.

Flap.

Behind Estel, a giant Bone Dragon landed with a flap of its wings. The Bone Dragon transformed into a human form with a radiant glow.

“Carmilla, I have a proposal.”

Estel said.

“Come under me. My army needs talented individuals right now. Someone like you is sufficient to command a unit. I won’t treat you badly.”

“Me, under you? Are you kidding me?”

Carmilla was so angry she couldn’t even speak properly.

It felt eerily familiar. Decades ago, Carmilla had been constantly toyed with by the Lich like this.

And she remembered. Back then, she had charged in blindly, driven by rage, and was utterly defeated.

A sense of foreboding flashed through her.

Surely, she wouldn’t lose to that guy again.

‘No. I’m different from back then. I’m stronger now!’

Carmilla shook her head vigorously.

Being caught in an unexpected scheme and having her castle captured was undoubtedly a painful mistake.

However, Carmilla’s forces were not limited to her main castle.

90% of her main troops were currently under her command.

Although the situation had reversed, forcing Carmilla to attack the castle, it also meant that Carmilla knew the castle’s strong and weak points.

She could win. She had the advantage in troops.

As Carmilla reached this conclusion.

“Wh-what?”

Suddenly, the elite undead soldiers guarding Carmilla’s side began to collapse one by one.

Like electronic devices that had suddenly blown a fuse, the soldiers crumbled in place without any warning.

“Why, why are you doing this? Hey! Get up!”

Carmilla grabbed them by the collar and shook them, but there was no response. Estel, looking down at the flustered Carmilla, continued calmly.

“I told you before, didn’t I? Even if it’s troublesome, you should miniaturize the magic cores and install them within each soldier. If the castle is taken, the main core will also be captured, and that’s why your army is being neutralized all at once like this.”

“Ah, damn it…”

Carmilla gritted her teeth.

Estel’s point was indeed valid. But she felt it was unfair.

First of all, she had never considered the possibility of losing the castle so easily, and even if such a thing happened, ordinary skills wouldn’t even be able to touch the main core.

Without the highest level of necromantic knowledge, it would be impossible to penetrate the security spells surrounding the main core and manipulate it…

‘It’s because the opponent is her!’

If it weren’t for Estel, this wouldn’t have happened.

There was no point in blaming. It had already happened.

‘It’s okay. Even without the army, I can just sweep them away with my own power.’

Carmilla gripped the artifact “Life Reaper.”

As long as she could use “Reaper Form,” no one could match Carmilla. Not even Estel.

If she could break into the castle herself and reclaim the main core, her army would revive, and the war would end with Carmilla’s victory.

But at that moment.

“That’s mine, Carmilla?”

Estel smiled with delight. The moment Carmilla saw that bright smile, a dark cloud began to swirl in her heart.

“Wow, you’ve taken good care of it while I was gone. You’ve sharpened the blade and polished it nicely, haven’t you?”

“Sh-shut up! It’s my weapon now. I’ll cut off your head with it, so be prepared!”

“Really? Hahaha-“

Estel laughed cheerfully and snapped her fingers. Then, the Life Reaper in Carmilla’s hand vibrated and flew out of her grasp towards Estel.

Clack-

Estel, as if it were natural, grasped the returned Life Reaper and swung it a few times in the air as a test.

“The Life Reaper recognizes its master. It seems it wasn’t meant to be your weapon. What can you do? The difference in vessels is that significant.”

“Th-that’s impossible…”

Carmilla, suddenly disarmed, trembled.

Her army was neutralized, and her trusted trump card was taken away.

She felt a burning rage within her, but by this point, Carmilla had to admit it.

She had lost again.

***

“My master is not someone who would end like this. Lady Estel, I’m sure my master will be of great help to Lady Estel! Please believe me!”

After the war ended.

The skeleton butler pleaded fervently, bowing his head at my feet.

Carmilla, still looking unconvinced and full of displeasure, kept her lips firmly shut.

But the loyal butler was desperately trying to save Carmilla.

“Kill me if you want,”

Carmilla said indifferently. The butler’s eyes widened, and he admonished Carmilla.

“Wh-what are you saying! Lady Carmilla, don’t you still have much to do! Forget your old grudges and lend your strength to Lady Estel. That’s the wise thing to do!”

“I have my pride. How can I live under her? I’d rather die.”

“Does pride feed you!”

The butler raged like a grandfather scolding a foolish granddaughter.

“Carmilla.”

I called out softly, and Carmilla slightly raised her eyes to look at me.

“The choice is yours. If you come under me, I intend to leave the governance of this Northern region to you, just as it is now.”

“Estel, what are you saying!”

Jonathan, who had been listening, exclaimed in surprise.

“That woman is the enemy of our orcs! I wouldn’t be satisfied even if I tore her limb from limb!”

“I know.”

“You know, and you still say that…!”

“But Jonathan, as the butler said, pride doesn’t put food on the table, and neither does revenge. We have to face stronger and bigger enemies in the future. It’s right to use those we can use as much as possible.”

“Still…”

Seeing Jonathan’s continued displeasure, I quickly added.

“Of course, even if Carmilla governs, the situation will be different from before. The orcs are no longer slaves, and they are on equal footing with Carmilla. If Carmilla rules arbitrarily, you can overthrow her anytime. I permit it. And I will help you too.”

“Estel, is that woman worth it?”

“Of course.”

As I stated with certainty, Jonathan pursed his lips and no longer complained.

Carmilla, who had been watching, remained silent, but her eyes were clearly different from before.

“Now, Carmilla. You see? I’ve offered you generous terms as the loser. I don’t make such offers to the trash lying around. It’s precisely because you are strong, because you are a formidable rival who gave me trouble, that I’m going through the effort. I think I’ve saved your face enough. As I said, the choice is yours. If your feelings haven’t changed, I will respect your decision.”

“…”

The butler whispered incessantly in Carmilla’s ear, seemingly persuading her to accept my generous offer immediately.

“I…”

And finally, Carmilla opened her mouth.