RGS Vol 7 Part 5

“Is it really okay to just let them go?”

A subordinate asked Truyde, who was about to board the carriage. He couldn’t understand why Truyde was being so lenient in letting Ashler go. Although Ashler looked as if he would die soon if left alone, hadn’t he even cursed Truyde? However, Truyde didn’t pay attention to his subordinate’s words.

“The soldiers were too scared to touch Regas’ corpse, weren’t they?”

He asked sarcastically, then began to give more important orders.

“Block the palace. No one should be able to enter or leave. If anyone tries to escape before I return this afternoon, behead them on the spot.”

The subordinate, already tense from hearing about how the forest was expanding, glanced nervously toward the forest.

“But if people find out that the forest is expanding, there will definitely be chaos.”

“That’s why we need to block the palace. It doesn’t matter how many people die. The bigger the chaos, the better. Spread the rumor among those who are terrified. The emperor’s madness has enraged the forest.”

Truyde stared at his startled subordinate with cold eyes.

“However, the King’s Heart will open the palace gates and enter to resolve everything.”

Truyde’s lips had a broad smile as if he was already anticipating for the coming afternoon. He would kill the emperor with dignity and take his place. Proving that he was the only one who could safely enter the forest.

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

The butler couldn’t believe it. Even when Ashler came out holding the corpse wrapped in cloth, he still thought it was impossible.

No way.

The young master couldn’t be dead.

How far had they come to reach this point?

How had they all survived in their current state just to get here?

“Sir Ashler, what happened? Where is the young master?”

Despite asking several times, Ashler only walked forward with his mouth shut. Although cold sweat poured down his pale face with every step he took, he refused to hand the corpse to anyone else. Perhaps because he felt he must personally carry it to a safe place with his own hands, he ignored Nani’s worried attempts to stop him.

By the time they reached the library, Ashler looked even more like a corpse.

Was it because he had spent the previous night running and struggling for what felt like years, only to end in such a disastrous outcome?

None of them noticed anything unusual on their way to the library. No one in the palace had tried to stop them. In fact, there were no guards patrolling, nor servants to be seen moving diligently around dawn.

The library was no different. There was nothing there either. Even the bodies of the soldiers that should have been lying around the building and at the entrance, who had been attacked by Ashler the night before, were nowhere to be seen. However, these things that could be seen if one observed closely were overshadowed by other concerns and noises, failing to catch the attention of Nani and the butler.

Thud.

Ashler, who had been walking almost miraculously with ease towards their destination, collapsed right in front of the library. Even as he fell, he kept the corpse he was carrying on his shoulder close, but it rolled to the side, and the cloth covering it slipped halfway off.

“Sir Ashler!”

Nani was the first to shout and approach, but the butler, seeing the corpse, was so shocked that he couldn’t move from his spot. The first thing he saw was the black hair. Then, the horribly crushed face and the wounds covering all over his body. Stunned, Nani’s shouts and the sight of Ashler collapsing didn’t even register to him.

All he could do was blink, opening and closing his eyes in disbelief. He was so shocked that he couldn’t tell if this was reality or not. He knew the young master so well that he could identify every mole on his body. However, the corpse in front of him had a longer torso and more pronounced finger joints than the young master…

What?

The butler blankly raised his eyes as a question came to mind. Before his head could come to a conclusion with his still-dazed mind, he saw someone slowly approach them from the entrance of the library. And the butler suddenly returned to reality. A stronger emotion instantly filled him, overshadowing his shock and sorrow. It was a chilling fear.

“Ah! Y-Your Majesty.”

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

Boom!

The large palace gate closed. Although it wasn’t the first time all the gates of the palace had been closed, it was the first time they were barricaded from opening from the outside. The high walls and thick gates were meant to prevent enemies from invading from outside, not to trap people inside.

As he looked at the closed gate, Truyde’s subordinate nervously glanced around. Very few people knew that the forest was expanding its territory, turning everything to ashes. However, it was only a matter of time before the news spread inside.

How are we supposed to stop those trying to escape?

Fortunately, according to the soldiers, the forest was expanding slowly.

Thus, they just need to hold out for a little while. The emperor, who had collapsed from the poison, would die today, and once Truyde took control of everything, he would get his share as well. The sun was rising, so it was time to start changing the emperor’s guards. Although it was going to be a chaotic day to begin, Truyde’s subordinate wasn’t too worried. The only thing he had to be cautious about was the forest.

“Keep that in mind once more. if anyone in the palace tries to leave, you must stop them at all costs.”

Truyde’s subordinate, who was about to speak to the soldiers again, frowned and approached the commotion on one side.

“What’s going on?”

“Uh, we have a small problem.”

The voice held a hint of embarrassment, but as he said, it was indeed a minor issue. Compared to the forest that was slowly expanding its territory, it was a very trivial matter.

“The torch won’t go out.”

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

“Y-Your Majesty. H-How did you get here?”

Nani, in behalf of the butler who couldn’t even breathe, let out a fearful whimper. The more he looked into those cold, gray snake-like eyes, the more goosebumps spread inside him, as if it felt like claws were scraping at his heart, making it impossible for him to stand properly.

Even in such a state, he saw Karas’ eyes brushed past them and Ashler who had fallen, and then turned his eyes towards the corpse. At that moment, Nani thought it was all over. Thus, he closed his eyes tightly. However, the trembling butler finally spoke.

“It’s not, not the young master.”

What nonsense are you saying?!

Nani looked up with his astonished eyes wide open, but the butler, knees shaking as if he were about to collapse, repeated himself to Karas.

“It’s not, not the young master…”

“I know.”

Karas’ curt response made Nani’s eyes widen in disbelief as he turned to look at the corpse.

What does he mean?

That corpse isn’t Lord Abel?

Then who is that person?

And where is the real Abel…?

Nani realized in an instant that something similar had happened before. When they thought Abel was dead, but he had escaped alive.

Could it be the same this time?

However, his speculation was cut short.

Swish.

The familiar sound of a sword being drawn made him lift his gaze to see Karas, expressionless, preparing to strike. The fact that the corpse was not Abel didn’t seem to matter to him. After all, Abel was not in the library where he was supposed to be.

Is he punishing them?

His sword moved towards Ashler’s neck who had collapsed on the ground.

“Y-Your Majesty!”

Nani instinctively knelt down and blocked Ashler, shouting in panic.

“Your Majesty. This, this is all due to sudden circumstances…”

However, Karas seemed unwilling to listen and swung his sword at Nani this time.

Swish.

Both Nani and the butler thought this was really the end. There was no one to stop Karas. But then, someone they hadn’t expected halted Karas’ movements for the second time.

“Abel will be waiting for Your Majesty.”

The hoarse and cracked voice was difficult to understand but it was sufficient to divert Karas’ attention. Limping and leaning against a wooden stick, Melmond approached, half of his face was covered in bandages, making it difficult to open his mouth and speak clearly.

“If Abel had escaped, he would be there now.”

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

No matter how much water they poured, the torches wouldn’t go out. They even tried submerging them in water, but it didn’t work. As the bright morning arrived and all the fires in the palace that should have gone out remained lit, people became alarmed and terrified, distancing themselves away from the flames.

Since the flames merely burned without causing any harm, there was no reason to flee or scream. However, this only intensified the people’s fear. The flickering flames gradually became still. A sense of unease kept everyone’s eyes glued to the fire. The increasingly calm movements of the flames felt like the silence right before an explosion. Everyone in the palace, as Truyde had hoped, was gripped by fear, but instead of chaos, silence filled the air.

Like the prelude to a scream that would erupt all at once.

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

“M-Melmond, what will you do if Lord Abel isn’t there?”

Nani, his body still trembling all over, placed his hands on the ground and barely lifted his head to ask. Melmond, also having pushed himself too far, sat down on the ground, gasping for breath and unable to respond immediately.

“Then His Majesty will be even more furious, hah.”

Nani muttered fearfully, and the butler, who had been in a daze until then, suddenly opened his mouth as if he remembered something and hurriedly spoke.

“Ah! That… that might not be the place. If the young master tried to escape, he might have fled to the safest place.

The butler’s trembling voice caused Nani to get startled and then he also agreed.

“Y-Yes, that’s right. The safest place.”

He turned his head to look at the forest behind them and muttered worriedly.

“Lord Abel must have escaped to the forest. Sir Melmond, what do we do now?”

“Don’t worry.”

Melmond barely managed to speak and added with difficulty.

“That would be the safest place for Abel.”

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

Click, clack, click.

The sound of a single person’s footsteps echoed through the empty hallway. The owner of the palace had returned, but the servants and soldiers who should have greeted him and guarded the area were nowhere to be seen. All that remained were the black ashes scattered across the marble floor, at the end of the long, tomb-like silent hallway.

Karas opened a familiar door and stepped inside. It was the very room he had awakened and emerged from not long ago, so it was not unfamiliar to him. However, as he opened the door and slowly looked around the spacious room, it was as if he were seeing it for the first time. Yet, the room remained unchanged from when he had left it.

An empty room devoid of anyone. Just like the still room, Karas stood frozen, staring inside before he turned around. Though his face remained expressionless, his gray eyes were cold enough to send a chill down one’s spine.

Click, clack.

There were two more footsteps that echoed, but the sound did not continue down the hallway.

Karas turned and looked back again, seemingly recalling something, and walked towards the room. No sound could be heard on the carpeted floor, but his steps quickened. He stood in front of the wall where he usually sat and looked down at the floor with a puzzled expression.

One of the books that had been there was missing. He glanced around with narrowed eyes, stopping to his right. The large bed supported by four pillars was the one he had used as a child. Though it was a piece of furniture large enough for several people to lie on, he had never considered it special, except for one special purpose he had used during his childhood.

Karas knelt on the floor and slowly lowered himself. When he was young, the space he used the most was under the bed, not above it. He silently lifted the bed sheet that reached all the way to the floor, holding his breath.

‘If Abel escaped, the only place he could go would be where His Majesty is.’

Melmond was right.

Under the dark and narrow bed, a small body was curled up asleep. He was clutching Karas’ book tightly in his arms.