RGS Vol 3 Part 26

There was news that the lord’s wayward son would be returning soon. Neville, the soldier guarding the manor, wasn’t pleased about his return. A small estate with only a few soldiers left.

Who would be happy that a worthless person who always fought and caused trouble was coming back?

However, it seemed that the lord was excited about the news that his only son was coming back.

Moreover, there were rumors that he had received a fairly high position in the emperor’s army and received great rewards. It was suspicious how a guy who usually brags and neglects his sword practice could achieve something in war, but in any case, he’s head ache at the thought of him returning.

He had lived here all his life, and everything he had was in here No matter how sh*tty the current lord is and how shitty the future lord will be, there was nothing he could do.

Even now, he had been called by the lord since morning to prepare for a welcoming party for his son’s arrival.

The lord really believed that his son would take care of everything as he would bring his solid share, so he borrowed money and spent it. Neville was annoyed that he had to go to a distant market to buy the things the lord ordered. So, he grumbled to himself and rode his horse towards the village entrance, where he saw a carriage he had never seen before coming in.

Who is it?

“Is that the lord’s manor over there?”

When the short man seating in the coachmen’s seat asked a question, Neville didn’t answer and instead looked at him closely. He looked gentle, but his complexion was pale as if he was sick. It was in contrast to the person sitting next to him.

“Is it?”

When the second question was asked, Neville glanced at the person sitting next to him and nodded his head. Unlike the short man who looked anxious, the man in his 40s sitting next to him had an expressionless face and only looked straight ahead. His clothes were shabby, but he gave off a strong impression akin of a soldier.

However, before they could confirm who they were, the carriage passed by him, and Neville turned his head to see the disappearing carriage. It seemed that the lord had called the guests because his son was coming.

D*mn, the villagers are starving to death, yet they’re having a party.

But Neville grumbled and increased the speed of the horse.

And just as he expected, the lord welcomed the arriving guests into the manor. Because his son, whom he had been waiting for, was among them. However, the expression on the lord’s face, who had received a message in advance about his son’s arrival, seemed to be filled with fear rather than anticipation. There was no anticipation of meeting his own son.

The message the lord received was the ring symbolizing the lord’s family, it was delivered to him by the carriage that arrived at the manor gate, given to the person on guard. It was the same ring he had given to his son. However, the issue was not just because of the ring that came. The severed finger that had the ring on it was also included.

“Who the hell are you?! Hurry up and release my son!”

The lord shouted towards the group that came with his son. His son was still being held by the man in his 40s, still bleeding from his hand. However, the man didn’t threaten his son nor brandish his sword at him. He just held onto the staggering body of his son to prevent him from falling.

Moreover, aside from him and a tall man in his 20s, the other three people who came in were hunching their shoulders as if cowering in fear. Although he was shocked when he received his son’s finger, the appearance of those who came in was simply astonishing.

Who on earth are they?

“Surround those bastards!”

The lord hastily ordered the soldiers he had called together in a hurry. Although they were not many in number, they were superior to their five opponents. However, no matter how much they surrounded them, they couldn’t attack recklessly.

Wasn’t the lord’s son captured?

While they were glancing at each other, three of the kidnappers also glanced at each other.

If they had planned to come here with the fake anyway, they could have just presented him to the lord quietly. Then they could have quietly asked for the information they wanted before the soldiers gathered.

But when they arrived in front of the manor, Karas unexpectedly cut off the fake’s finger along with the ring. The three couldn’t understand why Karas chose such a noisy method. All they could do was huddle behind Karas back, holding their breath with weak hearts.

“Do you all want to die? Hurry up and release my son right way!”

The lord shouted impatiently one more time, and Karas, who had been looking around boredly, finally spoke up.

“Is this all?”

All?

The same question came to everyone’s mind, but they soon realized that he was referring to the gathered soldiers. At that moment, Karas gave an order to the lord.

“Call the remaining men. I’ll finish it off all at once.”

Only then did Abel and his group realize why Karas had entered this place in such a noisy manner. It was simply because he found it troublesome to wander around the manor and kill the soldiers one by one. However, no one except for Abel and his group took Karas’ intentions seriously.

“What does that mean?”

“He wants to kill us all at once?”

A small laughter erupted among the soldiers, but only the lord, whose son was caught, could not laugh. His pale son, bleeding profusely, looked at him, conveying something with his eyes. A warning conveyed through his wide, terrified eyes. However, there was no time to ask what it meant. Karas, who was ridiculed by the soldiers, was already moving.

Swish.

His sword, which had been suddenly drawn before they knew it, echoed inside the manor as it dragged on the cold stone floor.

The newly used body was frustratingly weak, but it was gradually improving at the speed of a snail. However, it was not all joyful to have a heart that improved a bit better than before and a body that won’t faint that much. It was torture to have to keep smelling blood and seeing the severed bodies and having become accustomed to the scene of slaughter.

Although he had seen Karas fight a few times, he could tell that he was stronger than anyone else. The difference in strength was so overwhelming that the opponent felt as helpless as a child. Rather, Karas seemed to be tormenting the weak like a villain. His merciless swinging of the sword might even make him seem no different from a villain. It was especially terrifying when he realized what he only lacked.

Sympathy and empathy. Karas didn’t have those.

“Is this all?”

The same question flowed from Karas’ mouth, but this time however, there was no laughter or mockery that followed. Those who had laughed a moment ago had already become blood-soaked corpses staining the floor red, and the newcomers were shedding tears instead of laughter.

Most of them were women and elderly people. Beside the woman dressed in extravagant clothes, presumed to be the lord’s wife, were three girls clinging to her. Even the lord, who had stood by the soldiers after rushing with his sword only received small wounds, now looked at Karas with different eyes.

It was similar to the eyes his son had looked at him with a moment ago. With eyes tainted with fear, he looked backed at his family gathered on the first floor.

Run away!

He sent a warning with his eyes as he could not utter with his mouth, but his wife and daughters were already in a state of shock, sitting on the floor.

There were only two of them left. Karas had killed the soldiers and Kin had gathered the remaining people by wandering around inside like as if taking a simple walk. Except for Neville, who had been sent on an errand, everyone inside the manor had either died or was in imminent danger of dying.

Moreover, the terrifying question was heard again. It was now clear that death was imminent. The more the reason the lord couldn’t open his mouth any more. If they were all going to die like this, he had to keep his mouth shut and save at least one person. His absent child.

“Is this all?”

The voice sounded indifferent, but it made the hairs on his body stand on end. The lord looked at his son brought by them. Even though there was no one watching him beside him, he was so scared that he had not thought to escape or do anything but tremble in fear like a fool.

What on earth have you done?

“I, that’s all.”

The lord struggled to find an answer and then turned to his surprised wife and daughters as if to warn them.

Don’t say a word.

His wife, who met his gaze, widened her eyes and held her breath. She realized instinctively that she had to hide her daughter who had not yet been discovered. Unconsciously, she turned around and looked behind her. However, there was someone who noticed her small movement.

“Kin.”

When Karas called, Kin who was standing behind him, raised his eyes.

“Yes, please speak.”

“There is someone left.”

At those words, the lord and his wife flinched and looked up in alarm.

“Ah, no! Th-these are all the people who came down here!”

The flustered lord shouted, but Karas asked the lord’s wife.

“Where are they?”

“What? W-what are you talking about….”

“Kin.”

Although Karas only called his name, Kin immediately understand what he had to do and bowed his head.

“I will search thoroughly.”

“Ah! No, there’s no one! We are all that’s left in the manor!”

Seeing Kin turning his body, the lord’s wife screamed. Neither Karas nor Kin seemed to pay attention as if they couldn’t hear her words. However, when Kin tried to go towards the stairs, another voice stopped him.

“D-don’t go!”

Karas, who showed indifference even when killing soldiers, turned his head at the sound of a neutral voice. Abel, who had pressed his hood deeply, pushed aside Melmond and the butler who were trying to stop him and spoke to Kin again.

“Don’t… go.”

“You don’t have the right to order me around.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Abel, who nodded and then lowered his head, turned his gaze to Karas. He calmly spoke in a pleading voice.

“Please, order him not to go.”

Everyone felt that Karas was subtly listening to Abel’s words, but they didn’t believe he would grant such a request. As expected, instead of nodding, Karas responded expressionlessly.

“Why?”

Melmond and the butler looked at Karas, whose voice had become cold, unlike a little while ago when he seemed bored. He claimed to be lenient towards his companions, but that doesn’t mean that he would let someone interrupt him for no reason. Just then, an unexpected answer came.

“I, I will try to find them.”

Gulp, Abel swallowed his saliva and raised his trembling hand, pointing upwards.

“I also, I want to be of help. If it’s about finding an empty place, I can do it too, so I will do it. There is also a need for someone to keep watch here.”

Abel pointed to Kin as the person to keep watch and took another step forward.

“I will go and find them.”

When Karas just stared without giving any response, he hastily added.

“Of course, Melmond and the butler will come too. The three of us can find it faster. So, we, we will do it.”

“……”

“Commander-in-Chief.”

“Go.”

When permission was finally granted from Karas after a long time, Abel hurriedly took Melmond and the butler and went upstairs. Thanks to that, Kin, who had become comfortable as he returned to his position, decided to forgive about 1/10th of the insult he had received from calling him Commander Pig.

On the other hand, Karas stared at the stairs where Abel disappeared with his half-opened, cold eyes. At that moment, the lord’s question was heard.

“What exactly do you want from us?”

The one who answered his question was the fake who had been maintaining silence until now.

“Father, ugh, please, please tell us that.”

“That?“

Surprised by the response, the lord asked, and the fake looked at his father with his blurry eyes and trembling severed finger.

“Truyde’s secret.”

“What on earth are you talking about?!”

The lord shouted in confusion, but the fake urged his father instead.

“That’s all they want. Please tell us quickly. Father, you said so yourself. Our, our household served as knights of the duke’s family and gained this territory by helping with an important matter. Haah, please speak!”

The lord looked at his son, who had returned after several years, with astonished eyes and asked Karas.

“If I tell you that, will you spare us?”

It was a question filled with a faint hope, but the returning answer ruthlessly shattered that hope.

“No.”

Karas looked down at the lord and slowly added.

“You will all die.”

“That’s ridiculous! If I’m going to die anyway, I won’t say anything!”

Startled, the son shouted, “Father!” but the lord stared at Karas as if determined.

“I don’t know why you want the duke’s secret, but I won’t say anything.”

“So you should speak.”

“What?”

“If you speak, I’ll kill you instantly. But if you don’t.”

Karas looked back at his trembling wife and daughters.

“I’ll gouge out your eyes, cut off your hands, and lock you all in the basement to die in a slow and painful death.”

He turned his gaze back to the lord and explained as if remembering something.

“There were even those who lived for a week while being nibbled apart by a held of rats. How long do you think your family can endure?”

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

Thud, thud, thud.

Melmond and the butler hurriedly followed Abel, who was running through the corridor.

“Abel, what on earth are you thinking?”

Melmond asked anxiously, but Abel was too preoccupied searching everywhere to answer.

“Quickly, search for anyone hiding here!”

“What? Are you really trying to find them and take them away?”

Melmond hurriedly asked as he chased after Abel, who was going up to the third floor after searching through the second floor. However, Abel, who was already out of breath from searching the second floor, could only shake his head with a pale face.

“No. Hah, hah, I mean, we are searching, but…”

Abel looked around the lavishly decorated room, which seemed to be a women’s room, and turned his body after confirming that there was no one there.

“We are searching, but so that they won’t be caught.”

Pause. Abel, who was about to leave the room, stopped speaking and turned his head. Melmond and the butler, who were following him with concern, wondered what was going on, but there was clearly no one hiding in the room.

“So that they won’t be caught? Abel, what are you trying to do?”

“Just a moment.”

After covering Melmond’s mouth, Abel quietly entered the room and approached the bed with the curtains drawn. Then he stopped and stood still in front of the bed, not moving like a statue. When Melmond and the butler approached and asked what was going on, only then did Abel finally opened his mouth.

“Does the Commander-in-Chief intend to kill them all?”

The two approaching people looked at each other in confusion. Karas hadn’t said a word, but everyone could tell. He was going to kill them all.

“Abel. The current situation may be uncomfortable for you, but the Commander-in-Chief also has his own circumstances and thoughts.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Abel nodded and reached his arm towards the bed. At his movement, their eyes followed him and turned towards a corner of the bed that was not visible behind the curtain blocking their view. Then, Abel’s voice, now growing smaller, was heard.

“To the Commander-in-Chief who has become accustomed to war, killing is a natural course of action. I know that I have no right to stop him.”

His whispering voice sounded as if he was giving up on Karas.

Melmond’s heart sank, however, he had no time to be sad. Abel was holding a newborn baby in his arms, who had been sleeping under the blanket.

“But still, I want to save the child.”

His faintly smiling face looked as if he was on the verge of tears.

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖Continues in Regas Volume 4⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖