The Lagrind Dukedom Attack Incident
As the night deepened, the atmosphere of the banquet grew richer.
The lavish banquet, funded generously by the Dukedom's resources, was enough to make people forget their worries and purely enjoy the moment.
However, not everyone present was enjoying the festivities.
"Are the preparations complete?"
On the ceiling of the annex, where the banquet was in full swing, a group of unidentified individuals stood on the iron supports above the glass ceiling.
With even the moon hidden behind clouds, no one in the banquet hall noticed their presence.
"Yes. Everyone awaits the Priest's command."
The men nodded at the words of the man called Priest.
Although their faces were concealed by robes and hoods, it was clear to anyone that they were all tense.
It was understandable, considering the suicidal nature of the mission that lay before them.
Not many could maintain composure in the face of such a task.
"Fear not. Death is but another beginning for us. We shall return to His embrace and become one."
The Priest, observing them, clasped his hands and prayed.
Simultaneously, a deep, dark energy, like the abyss itself, began to emanate from his body.
Unlike the warm divine power of priests who served other gods, this energy was cold and heavy.
It was the divine power imbued with the energy of Thanatos, the God of Death.
"Death shall be impartial…"
Seeing this, the others clasped their hands and quietly recited the verse…
When the short prayer ended, their appearance had completely changed.
Their eyes were cold and sharp, and their breathing was silent as the grave.
"Then… let us begin."
Confirming their readiness, the Priest turned to another man beside him and spoke.
The man nodded and began to concentrate, activating the magic he had prepared in advance. The magic, responding to his mana, began to take effect.
However…
"Uh…?"
"What is it, brother?"
A bewildered voice escaped the lips of the man activating the magic, and the Priest, caught off guard, questioned him.
"Something's wrong… The magic won't activate?!"
"What do you mean…"
As the Priest frowned at the incomprehensible situation, it happened.
"Keugh!?"
"Brother Werner!?"
From the man's shadow, illuminated by the light leaking from the banquet hall, thorns made of pure darkness sprouted.
Pierced by the thorns, the man collapsed with a final gasp, and the thorns vanished into the shadow like a viscous liquid.
Everyone stared at the scene, speechless, as it unfolded beyond the realm of normal human comprehension.
And then…
"I didn't expect you to actually show up…"
A voice came from behind them.
A youthful voice that hadn't quite lost its childishness…
"Who's there!?"
The Priest turned his head and shouted, and the others also stood up and turned around.
And what they saw was an enigmatic figure.
Clad in a dark hood and robe, with a mask covering their face, their identity was impossible to discern.
All they could see were the emerald eyes that glowed faintly beneath the hood.
"You…"
Seeing this, the Priest realized that the figure before them was an obstacle to their plans.
The emerald eyes gleaming beneath the hood clearly held unmistakable hostility.
"I'm a bit busy, so I'll keep this short."
The figure spoke in a polite yet hostile tone.
"You shouldn't have come here."
The figure declared, and…
The shadow beneath their feet surged like a wave, engulfing them all.
***
"Why is he so late…"
Leje muttered to herself, waiting for Rudell, who had gone to the restroom and hadn't returned for over thirty minutes.
She could understand if the restroom was crowded, but…
"I'll have to give him a piece of my mind when he gets back."
What kind of man leaves his partner alone for over thirty minutes at a banquet?
Of course, she hadn't formally asked Rudell to be her partner…
'But we've been together this long, it's practically a partnership…'
Except for the first two hours, Leje had been with Rudell the entire time.
So, it wasn't far-fetched to consider them partners.
"Greetings, Princess. If you don't have a partner, perhaps…"
"I'm sorry, but I do have a partner. Find someone else."
"Ah, yes…"
Indeed, as soon as Rudell left, other noble sons approached her as if waiting for an opportunity.
Leje had rejected them all with a cold voice, but she was reaching her limit.
"Idiot. Fool. Slacker."
Feeling increasingly anxious, Leje cursed Rudell under her breath.
And then…
"Wait a minute…"
A sudden thought crossed Leje's mind.
"Could that intruder…?"
The intruder who had attacked the guards and disappeared without a trace.
The Dukedom's guards had been mobilized to track the intruder, but hours of searching had yielded no results.
This meant that the intruder could still be within the Dukedom, and if they had encountered Rudell somehow…?
"No way… That can't be it."
That was too far-fetched, even for her.
"…"
But as someone once said, suspicion and anxiety, once set in motion, grow uncontrollably.
The anxiety that had taken root within her began to expand.
Leje's expression darkened…
"I need to find him."
With a determined look on her face, Leje started to move.
At that moment…
-Crash!!
With a sharp sound, the ceiling of the banquet hall shattered, and shards of glass rained down.
"Kyaaaak!?"
"What, what's happening!?"
"Everyone, get down!!"
The people below screamed and scattered, and something fell through the opening.
With a loud crash, a table below shattered…
And a bloodied man lay sprawled on the ground.
"A, a man fell!"
"Healer! Get a healer!!"
As screams filled the air, the guards began to approach.
"Everyone, please step aside!"
But before they could reach him, Leje rushed towards the fallen man.
A sense of duty as the Dukedom's successor and a responsible adult, coupled with genuine concern for the injured man, drove her actions.
"Are you alright?!"
"Ugh…"
"Oh my…"
Leje gasped as she saw the man's condition.
His body was in a horrific state, covered in wounds that could only be described as a massacre.
Judging by the numerous injuries, it was clear that the man had been on the verge of death even before the fall.
"Healer! Quickly, get a healer!!"
She didn't know what had happened, but saving this man was her priority.
Leje shouted at the guards.
"Leje… El… Ragrind…"
At that moment, the man, noticing her, spoke in a strained voice.
"Do you know me? No, wait, don't speak! Your wounds will open!"
Confused by the fact that a complete stranger knew her name, Leje shouted while trying to help him.
However…
"Everything… is… for the true God…"
With those words, the man reached out to her with his bloodied hand.
At the same time, his body began to crack like shattering glass, and an ominous, dark blue flame seeped out.
"What in the world…"
Leje stared at the scene, bewildered by the unprecedented sight.
Meanwhile, the faint flames grew into a raging inferno…
Just as she sensed something was wrong and tried to pull away from the man, it happened.
-Flap!
With a flapping sound, someone appeared from above and blocked the space between her and the man.
A black shadow momentarily fell over her, and Leje flinched in surprise, staring at the mysterious figure who had shielded her.
A black robe with a hood concealing their head.
Perhaps a head taller than her.
She felt a sense of familiarity, but she didn't have time to dwell on it.
"Who are you…?"
"…"
Leje's voice trembled as she spoke, but there was no response.
Instead, the figure slowly extended a hand towards the bright light and gently swiped at the air.
Simultaneously, the shadow beneath their feet stretched out, engulfing the dark blue flames.
It was like watching a giant maw devour the raging inferno.
It might have seemed terrifying, but for some reason, Leje found the scene comforting.
Perhaps it was because she didn't sense any hostility from the enigmatic figure before her.
Or maybe there was another reason.
And so, the raging flames vanished into the shadow, followed by a quiet silence.
However, the silence didn't last long.
"You there! Surrender peacefully! Resist, and we will arrest you by force!"
The guards, who had surrounded them, shouted as they approached cautiously.
"Wait! This person is not an enemy!"
Leje, who had witnessed the entire scene, cried out, but the guards continued to approach with wary expressions.
It was a tense, volatile situation…
And then…
"…"
"Wait…!! What are you doing!?"
A black aura began to emanate from the mysterious figure.
Seeing this, the guards charged forward, but it was too late.
"Whoa!?"
"Kyaak!?"
The black smoke that had enveloped the area suddenly exploded outwards like a gust of wind.
The sheer force of it made it impossible for Leje and even the guards to open their eyes properly.
Moments later…
When the black smoke that had filled the banquet hall dissipated, nothing remained.
***
In a secluded spot not far from the banquet hall…
"Sigh…"
With a weary sigh, Rudell slumped to the ground.
The battle with the Cult had drained a significant amount of his mana, and he had pushed himself to the limit to escape the banquet hall unnoticed.
Originally, he had planned to extinguish all the lights in the banquet hall before entering, but the situation had escalated more quickly than anticipated, leaving him no time for such measures.
"But… this should be enough…"
Neither Leje nor the Duke, nor anyone else, had been injured.
In that sense, the plan had been a resounding success.
"Now the only thing left is to figure out what excuse to give…"
It had been almost an hour since he had left.
If he returned now, he would undoubtedly be questioned in some way.
"Ugh…"
Rudell racked his brain for a plausible excuse, but no matter how hard he tried, nothing convincing came to mind.
"Oh, whatever…"
There was no point in delaying further.
A good idea wouldn't magically appear, and the longer he waited, the more Leje's suspicions would grow.
Well, it'll work out somehow.
With that thought, Rudell rose to his feet and started walking back towards the banquet hall.
And so, the night deepened.
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