“Such devastation…”
Even Lexander Biax, who wasn’t easily surprised, was left dumbfounded at the ridiculous sight in front of him. Whether it was the trees, the grass, or the innumerable stones, all were destroyed in that earth-shaking explosion.
The flora was non-existent in the scene, there was nothing but a sizeable hole that replaced the small cave system which used to be there.
Only someone highly proficient at using a distinct type of Magic could accomplish something like this. Therefore, when the Holy Knights, the young vampire, and the old Knight witnessed the ruin left by the explosion, they could only think of one potential target; the parasite.
Despite her rising suspicion, Amare felt slightly doubtful but decided to keep her thoughts to herself.
‘If he had such an ability, why didn’t he use it against that Private Investigator? Was he purposely keeping it hidden? Considering I was with him, that seems to be the most plausible conclusion. However, if he was forced to use it now, then it means he had encountered someone… or something that urged him to rely on this power, in the full knowledge that it would disclose his whereabouts and alert his pursuers.’
Amare stole a glance at the old Knight bursting with vitality, feeling more perplexed.
‘It’s natural that the Leonis Family is searching for the runaway noble Arthur was possessing. Still, does he know that Lexander Biax is chasing him? I don’t think so. I also find it strange that Addy and Lexander are joining hands.’
The girl sighed and tore her gaze away from the hole before her eyes. Were it not for Lexander’s timely intervention, she wouldn’t have been able to escape Solas’ grasp with ease. Furthermore, she didn’t think that Arthur was the culprit behind what happened to Smithy Town.
Admittedly, Amare didn’t know everything about Arthur’s methods, nevertheless, she had been chasing after him for a while now, thus learning that he valued secrecy and avoided attention, so the act of massacring a whole village would be illogical and pointlessly risky.
Yes, the allure of hundreds of bodies ripe for possession was almost irresistible for parasites, but Amare knew, almost for certain, that her target wouldn’t resort to a foolish and potentially suicidal tactic. Rather, killing them one by one over a period of time would have been more efficient. Plus, that wouldn’t draw the attention of the Holy Church or the ruling aristocracy.
‘If my guess is correct then; Addy wants to kill Arthur, Lexander is possibly after Leonis’ body but that wouldn’t stop him from resorting to extreme methods. As for Solas… he wouldn’t lend a hand so freely, even to someone like Lexander. He must want something…’
Amare had yet to determine the Holy Knight’s objective, which left her wary. She could separate from her current group and attempt to find Arthur on her own, but that greatly diminished the possibility of actually catching him.
Her confidence notwithstanding, she knew she wasn’t his match, not with the other three accompanying him. Therefore, she needed to rely on Lexander and co, for the time being, then she would double down and try to strike an unavoidable bargain with Arthur.
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Directly South of the large forest neighboring Blackcrest, there was a chain of planes and valleys. The region itself was named after the towering fort built atop the biggest valley; Green’s End.
The domineering stone structure was hundreds, if not thousands of years old, overseeing an adjacent village known as Slaglock.
Green's End [https://i.ibb.co/RNvL0Hq/The-Crow-towering-stone-fortress-on-the-hill-dark-fantasy-ultra-489e89d9-3277-4e5f-8d80-e79f1f2507fb.png]
Green’s end, the fort and the region itself, were ruled by one of the Ten Seats of the Militant Syndicate; The Seat of Deliverance, Viscount Kirn Sparrow.
53-year-old Kirn was an eccentric man, an expert in Alchemy and Summoning Magic both.
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Kirn stood atop his glorious fort, the blindfold covered his eyes, blocking the blinding sun rays piercing through the clear canopy.
As he was absentmindedly enjoying the cool breeze, a woman clad in a glistening silver armor approached him. She bent one knee on the ground and said,
“My lord, it is as you suspected. We were just notified of the fall of Smithy Town and Warmcross. Additionally, a group of Holy Knights led by Solas Frostrune seem to be investigating the place, possibly chasing after the perpetrators.”
The Viscount sighed and turned around, facing the kneeling woman.
“Smithy Town and Warmcross are under my jurisdiction. First, send three groups of knights, each tasked with patrolling the neighboring settlements. If they notice any peculiarity or suspicious behavior from the villagers, they are to notify me immediately. Second, take your team and stop Solas. I don’t want the Holy Church snooping around in my territory.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
The woman, whose expression never changed, bowed her head then swiftly left. As for Kirn Sparrow, he grabbed a seat and sat near the edge of the Fort’s roof, enjoying the breath-taking scene without a care in the world. His blindfolded eyes were fixated on a formation of large rectangular stones a big distance away.
Green’s End was kilometers away from the stone formation, yet its high elevation and the size of the stones made the formation visible even from there.
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“Literally nothing.” Grumbled Addy while gritting his teeth and cursing under his breath.
Now that their quarry knew about him and Amare, they became more careful.
Including Solas and his subordinates, none of the dysfunctional groups after the parasite was good at tracking.
They weren’t hunters, so, after arriving at the site of the explosion, their pace was slower than a turtle’s.
In fact, Amare had used Memoria in hopes of finding helpful clues, but, much to her surprise, she couldn’t. To be accurate, when she stood near the explosion site and used her unique ability, something ‘repelled’ her attempt.
At first, she thought that Arthur might’ve found a way to trick her power. However, upon further contemplating, she found the origin of this unexpected disruption.
It was the explosion’s remnants; Some sort of destructive and anti-magical energy that rendered Memoria obsolete. Therefore, with no clear footprints to follow, the group had to rely on Lexander’s veteran instincts, which weren’t as useful as they expected them to be.
Lexander wasn’t particularly bothered as he patiently marched forward. In contrast, Addy was beyond frustrated, distraught over the fact that his target might have fled.
His thirst for vengeance and single-minded pursuit had muddled his mind, making him hysteric.
“Calm down, lad.”
“How can I calm down? He might have fled far away already!”
Addy snorted and was about to continue shouting only to stop when the nearby Holy Knights stared at him with disapproval. In the end, he sat down, folding his arms and mumbling to himself.
After a brief bout of silence, the old knight turned to the quiet vampire and asked,
“So you’re Marjory’s daughter? You’re quite young to be venturing alone.”
“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Sir.”
“So getting caught by Maxwell’s grandson was part of your plan?” He asked again, grinning from one ear to the other.
While lowering her head, Amare retorted with an inaudible voice, making Lexander heartily laugh.
“I have been looking after my dead friend’s walking body for a while now. That vermin’s existence is a plague to us all, so I don’t find it surprising that even the vampires are after him. Many innocents ended up dying because of him!”
Lexander’s expression changed, first to sadness and melancholy, then to rage and anger. ‘Twas clear he harbored intense hatred toward Arthur, though most of it was because his old friend was robbed of his life and he wasn’t there to prevent it.
After a brief bout of silence, Lexander spoke again, “You know, I’ve actually met your mother in the past.”
Surprised, the girl raised her hand and looked back at the elderly man.
“Really?”
“Yes. It was during the Fishland War. I had a joined operation with the Aeternus Family, and your mother was the commander. I witnessed her strength firsthand and it was…”
His body shook for a moment as he remembered an unforgettable scene, “For a want of a better word, frightening.”
Then he pointed at the gloomy Solas sitting with his subordinates, and continued,
“His grandfather, Maxwell, was with me too. As bloody as the war was, I kind of enjoyed the thrill of continuously pushing my body to the limits.”
‘He really is a freak of nature.’ thought Amare to herself as she refrained from commenting.
It wasn’t an understatement to describe Marjory, or any of the five Original Vampires, as a God. Even someone like Lexander, who could beat Amare with ease, was left in awe. So when she saw him react like this, she wasn’t that surprised.