Late at night.

With Leiu, Lucy, and Feylord gone, the atmosphere in the manor became less awkward and tense. The only ones left are people Julie considered as friends, including Aerin.

The minstrel’s easy-going and kind nature made him quite liked and welcomed despite his uninvited appearance a while ago.

Julie prepared a small party of some sort. It wasn’t an official celebration, just a little event to lighten the mood and make everyone relaxed.

A lavish feast was prepared and the spacious dining room was thoroughly cleaned and subsequently decorated with subtle decor.

Evelyn, albeit regaining consciousness, was still in a critical condition. Charles, with Julie’s help and resources, managed to concoct medicine that eased the pain.

Arthur sat next to Julie, giving her a soft smile as he swept his eyes across everyone in the room.

The Undead Jester was invisible to not scare off the servants, Isabella was next to Evelyn, gobbling the delicious food like a glutton, and Christopher was busy drinking while chatting with Aerin.

It was certainly a lively atmosphere, which contrasted the reality of the situation. Whether it was Evelyn’s imminent death or the frightening anomaly downstairs.

This party did cheer the mood ever-so-slightly, though it was clear that everyone was still worried about the inevitable. This was only a brief reprieve.

“It hasn’t been long but I can see that you’ve grown.”

“I’m the Baron so I have to try my best.”

“The servants and Knights respect you and even Furball took a liking to you.”

Speaking of the vampiric Rabbit, it was currently nestling in Evelyn’s arms.

“What is it? You can ask me anything.”

Arthur noticed the apparent hesitation plastered on the young girl’s face. She might be the ruler of a territory, someone hardened by her past hardships, nevertheless, she was also a girl that wasn’t even 20 years of age.

“What do you think I should do? About the Anomaly, I mean.”

“Well, there’s nothing you can do. If you want to maintain peace and stability, focus on something else. The Armans.”

Julie frowned and mumbled something inaudible as she dazedly stared back at him.

“Things are about to get much worse. None of the nations will stay still and watch. They’ll wage war.”

“Wilsden is under the protection of the Masked Queen. It should be safe.”

“It should be, however, that’s not a guarantee that nothing bad will happen. If you truly care about your people and this town, you should prepare. Wilsden is dangerously close to Hollow Creek, after all.”

“I…”

“Or you can leave. It’s the safest option.”

“What?”

From the look of her face, she clearly didn’t agree with his last suggestion.

“I value survival above else, Julie. I wouldn’t stay so close to the fire.”

“But I’m the Baron.”

“Exactly, so it falls to you to make a decision.”

“I don’t understand.”

Arthur chuckled at her response. He considered Julie as a trustworthy friend and wished the best for her, which was why he advised her to flee if she was scared. Admittedly, that was a morally questionable thing to do, one which would leave the people of Wilsden to fend for their own, still, that would guarantee her survival. She could, for instance, go to Marjory’s territory and live there.

“Let’s talk about less bleak things. Tell me about any recent books you’ve read. Anything interesting?”

…

An hour later, everyone moved to the Living Room. They all sat around a wide knee-high glass table, enjoying herbal tea and chatting the night away. Although, it was mostly Chris and Aerin that did the talking while the others listened in silence.

Arthur was sitting right next to Evelyn, who was covered in a blanket. Her lips were dry, her face sickly pale, and her body beyond fatigued.

“So, he’s the strongest of them all? I find that hard to believe.”-Chris

“He truly is a terrifying being. He may look like a young man, but he’s lived for thousands of years.”

“Really? He just looked like a depressed kid. Turns out he’s immortal!”

“Depends on your definition of immortality. He doesn’t age, but he can be killed.”

Chris, still not believing the truth about the Nameless Knight, kept inquiring more and more.

“And he killed Gods? I thought they were supposed to be super massive world-destroying beings. I really can’t wrap my head around it.”

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Size isn’t everything, Christopher.”

“I can’t die, but I don’t know if I can age or not. Does that make me immortal?”

Isabella spoke out of nowhere, which made Aerin turn his attention to her.

“Not dying doesn’t necessarily mean you’re immortal either. There undoubtedly is someone, or something, in this vast existence of ours that can kill you. There is no such thing as true immortality.”

“How are you holding up?”

“...”

Seeing her stoic stare, Arthur realized how stupid that question was. Evelyn was on the brink and he couldn't do anything to save. Strong as he might, he still couldn’t pull a cure for the Blight out of nowhere.

Charles had been holed up in the library from dawn to dusk, searching for any clues to negate the effect, or at least, slow them down. Unfortunately, there was nothing.

This wasn’t a potent curse or a serious injury, but the Blight. A power unique to one of the Demon Lords, something that was beyond what common Magic could do.

Evelyn tried to say something only to start coughing non-stop, blood leaking from her lips.

“I’m taking her to her room.”

Arthur lifted her body and walked away. Chris, Isabella, and Charles followed after him shortly after.

Julie and Aerin stayed behind, for they knew what was going to happen.

Gently, Arthur put Evelyn on the bed. He glanced at the other three, who grouped up around the bed.

Evelyn’s hands were rummaging through her clothes, eventually pulling the Sky bloom. The flower was dim, almost withered.

“I’m sorry.”

Aside from apologising, Arthur didn’t know what to say. The end was approaching, making his heart ache. Evelyn was his first companion and friend in Astria, someone who had stood by his side from the beginning.

His powerlessness pained him greatly, especially because of what he was. A Parasite had an entire arsenal of abilities, yet none of them were useful right now. He should have anticipated an eventuality like this and acquired a skill that could heal anything.

Amidst the silence, Evelyn, with great difficulty, sat up and leaned her back against a pillow. She tightly held the flower and looked at all four of them before focusing on Arthur.

“I don’t regret anything.”

Her voice was weak and hoarse, but even then, she didn’t sound afraid or sad.

“Even without me, I trust that you’ll continue this journey of yours, Master.”

“It wouldn’t be the same without you. We’re a team now, remember?” Blurted out Chris, a sigh escaping his lips.

“If it was… Master alone, I would’ve been worried.” Evelyn showed a rare smile then let out a muffled chuckle that ended up making her cough.

“I know you will take care of him just as he’ll take care of you.”

“There…” Arthur spoke a word before pausing, seemingly hesitant.

“There might be a way to bring you back.”

“...”

Evelyn didn’t give a response, she kept giving him an inscrutable stare. Then, she extended her left hand and grabbed his.

“What happened was of my own doing, Master. Keep going forward and don’t look back.”

“...”

“Master.”

“Okay.”

Once he agreed, Evelyn closed her eyes. There was long silence as everyone looked at her.

After an indeterminate amount of time, it finally happened. Evelyn’s body twitched, soft groans of pain escaping her lips.

“I’m grateful that I got to meet you, Miss Evelyn.”

Charles bowed his head.

“I won’t forget the training.”

Isabella turned around and muttered those words.

Chris tapped Arthur’s shoulder to comfort him but the latter was motionless and unresponsive.

“Arthur?”

An ominous glow emanated from Arthur’s hand.

“Arthur? What’s going on?”

“Something is happening. It’s not the Blight.”

Evelyn’s body was breaking, however, a foreign energy was manifesting from within her body.

[Wither Touch]

[Wither Touch]

Arthur tried absorbing as much as possible but after a couple of seconds, he felt a burning heat rampage in his body, threatening to destroy it.

“Your skin is red. What’s going on?!”

Arthur didn’t respond, he kept absorbing the dangerous energy.

Evelyn’s twitching came to a stop and, at last, her heart beat turned silent. Even then, the unknown energy was still growing stronger.

“Isabella, try to focus!”

The girl understood his meaning. Arthur wanted to switch places for her. With her Immortality Skill, he could resist the unknown energy and stop it from literally destroying his body from inside.

While continuously using [Wither Touch], Arthur closed his eyes and concentrated. The heat was growing more intense and his internal organs were being twisted and destroyed.

This was definitely something other than the Blight.

“Stop.”

A cold creepy voice came from the room’s entrance, startling everyone. The Undead Jester appeared out of nowhere, its long arm extended forward: It pulled Arthur away, flinging his body across the room.

[Mist of Decay]

Almost instantly, Arthur switched to the offensive, but before he could get close, an invisible force blew him backwards and immobilized him.

“She is dead.” Declared the Undead Jester as Evelyn’s body was caught up in a turbulent energy.

“I’m fulfilling my end of the deal.”

“What deal? Where’s Aerin?”-Chris

“She and I made a deal.” Stated the Undead Jester as it made sure all four of them were unable to move.

“You remember the day I brought her to you, right? She made a deal with me. When she dies, her soul will mine.”

“I… I’ll kill you.”-Arthur

“I’m not doing this out of malice. It is a deal. A covenant with me, the Undead Jester. I’ve had no hand in her death.”

Evelyn’s body was engulfed in that violet energy, soon transforming into a resplendent ball of light.

The Undead Jester opened a portal and then pushed the Soul towards it. The process barely took five seconds.

“I give people what they need in return for something. Your friend offered her soul. A fair bargain.”

“In return for opening a portal to my location, you take her soul. How is that fair?”-Arthur

“I could’ve taken her to any place in Mundus. Just because her request was easy to do doesn’t mean it wasn’t fair. She knew the consequences and willingly agreed. Don’t put the blame on me.”

Arthur and the rest were freed, but they all gave a hostile look to the inhumane and creepy entity.

“Where did you send her Soul?”

“All you need to know is that it’s part of another contract I’ve made. Anymore would be-”

The Undead Jester suddenly stopped, its body turning blurry for half a breath. Arthur, Charles, Isabella, and Chris all felt disoriented and unable to move.

This wasn’t an attack or a spell, it was something more terrifying.

“Aerin!”

The Undead Jester managed to regain control. It swiftly went to the minstrel’s side. Meanwhile, Arthur and the rest fell on the ground, their heads filled with deafening buzzing sounds.

Their senses were extremely disoriented and their bodies totally unresponsive.