Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss
Road to a Hero:
Three chances in another world
Chapter 10. Marked off the bucket list
On the main road of Valatrositce’s castle, they relax in the beautifully built carriage. They sit in calm silence, looking around for a better feel for the area. Unlike the district of Walgonia’s capital, Valatrositce’s capital leads up to the bigger areas. With every block passed, the buildings grow bigger, better built, and less populated. With dark roads, buildings, a dark sky, and an imposing castle in the distance, it's wondrous, gothic, almost art deco, though it might not be all good and clean, it stands in comparison to Walgonia’s. The people’s dark and red hair, pale white skin, and dark long clothing. The higher the nobility the more items on them, rings, molecules, top hats, bowler hats, cigars, and even being dressed in suits, seeming like mobsters. The people are better unified, and disciplined, yet uneasy. Almost no Demi-humans, no semblance of other cultures, unified by a bias toward each other. What makes it so great, what makes the capital so well put together, is what can break it. All of the people of Walgonia might not like Demi-Humans, but when push comes to shove they’ll work with them, which can’t be said here. They finally make it to the castle, getting a good look at it. It’s large, grand, dark, and imposing. Cracked and multicolored stained glass windows, overgrown grass, and crumbling stone, the castle itself is decaying.
Gray: “Why’s the castle…all broken?”
Edward: “Compared to the rest of the capital, this looks abandoned.”
Julius sighs, waiting to answer until the carriage stops. And once it does, he leads them out.
Julius: “My father, King Cornelius Cromwell, the mad king, is falling. He has been falling since the “incident”.”
Gray: “What’s the “incident”?”
Julius guides them through the castle, entering through the big dark wooden doors. Inside are cobwebs, messy floors, burned walls, bugs, dirt in the air, and a decaying smell. The only source of light is the broken windows letting in faded light, enough to give all the shrubs and weeds growing energy to keep going.
Julius: “The Incident was what gave my father his title. Twenty-six years ago my father fought Zue, his brother, and a high-ranking member of the Sect of Anarchy.”
When Julius mentions Zue, Gray feels a bit confused. He knows who that is, and at the same time he doesn't, due to the fact when he spoke to him seven months ago, the memory of the entire conversation was lost. When he tries to think about Zue, his OD burns even slightly.
Julius: “Of course, my father beat him but in the process, a section of the city was burned to the ground. Thousands died and even more were injured, and after that, my father just stopped. Vergil left, my father left the war, and Valatrositce has been in a slump ever since.”
Sult-covered family paintings, sword slashes coating the walls, chandeliers falling apart, everyone is just confused and a bit underwhelmed.
Edward: “Not too many guards either, it’s pretty quiet.”
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Julius: “He does not like to have soldiers around, it makes him paranoid.”
Soku: “So where is he?”
Julius: “Right through these doors.”
Julius pushes open another pair of large doors, forcing them open, struggling due to the rusty hinges.
Julius: “Sorry, they often get stuck.”
As they walk into the throne room, they find it in disarray similar to the rest of the castle. The bright light of the sun pierces through the foggy sky, coming through the broken window right behind the throne. On the throne, they see an old man with long white hair and a beard of a similar length. Everyone springs up, even the disinterested Peter.
Peter: “Um…is that guy dead?”
Julius sighs and walks up to the man, tapping his face with his finger. The old man slowly awakens, straining his old body.
King Cornelius: “Wha? Oh…Hello…I am King…Cornelius…the third…now…get out please…your breathing is too loud…”
Edward gets down on one knee, leading everyone else to do so, the last being an embarrassed Gray. Cornelius wets his dry lips, trying to get a read of the area.
King Cornelius: “Get…up…don’t you dare bow to me.”
King Cornelius points at Edward with his chard wrinkled finger. Edward is frozen, unable to say or think anything.
King Cornelius: “A Helsing should never bow to anyone, you are a disgrace to carry the name. the genes of conquerors are wasted on you.”
These words strike Edward down to his core, agreeing with the statement, and feeling embarrassed to be in front of a living historical figure. Gray falls into an instinctual rage, about to yell his heart out, but he remains calm.
King Cornelius: “Mph, I was told that Gray Kyojin speaks his mind. Arthur said you “cried out for attention” when he talked about you. I thought that when I met you, you would have some self-respect. All of you Heroes of Walgonia, are cowards with no self-respect.”
Gray bites his lip, but he doesn't cause a scene. Cornelius looked at his son to be met with a stare so serious it could make one fall to his knees, but not him. He coughs at the look, spits on the ground, and shoos them away while he falls asleep. Julius walks up to everyone, leading them out of the diary and overgrown room. He pulls the large doors closed and then begins leading them to another section of the castle.
Soku: “The hell was that about.”
Rosemary: “Gray, Edward, I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
Edward: “It’s alright.”
Gray shrugs his shoulders, sighing in annoyance.
Julius: “I deeply apologize for my father's attitude, ever since Roy and Lyod were killed by Arthur and Arthur’s reveal as a member of the Sect of Anarchy he has been in this argumentative state.”
Soku: “Where are we going now?”
Julius: “I want you to meet some people. The grand stations will be revealed in a few days, and the people responsible are in this meeting room up those stairs and down the hallway.”
Edward: “Oh, so where is the train going? Around the capital or does it go somewhere else.”
Julius: “Great question. It leads from Valatrositce’s capital directly to Constal.”
Edward and the others follow Julius, making small conversation until they get outside of the molding wooden door. Gray, Soku, Rosemary, and Peter all plug their noses to the smell of not just the hall, but the castle itself.
Gray: “Y’know, I would breathe through my mouth, but then I’m eatin’ it.”
Julius pushes the door open, letting everyone see the destroyed conference room. In the center of the room is a large circular table with three people sitting on one side of it. A large muscular Demi-human man fitted with a black pinstripe suit is a sight to see. His shaggy brown hair, large bottom teeth, and fur on his face, which gives him sideburns, sit on the right to the older man in the middle. On the left side is a tall, lanky man with short brown hair and a bowler hat matched with another pinstripe suit. In the middle of both men is an older man, a shorter man with a bit of weight on him. Black hair, a bowler cap, a pinstripe suit, a monocle, and faint facial hair give him the feeling of a boss, a protected man.
Gray {These guys are like mobsters or somethin’.}
Julius sits everyone down, letting Gray and the others sit directly across from the men. Julius then walks to the side of the table and stands still, introducing everyone.
Julius: “Edward, Rosemary, Soku, Peter, and Gray, the man in the middle is the head of the Montgomery family business, Rupert James Montgomery. To his left is Orson Thorn, and to his right is Chester Humphrey.
Rupert leans in, shaking Gray’s hand with a smile on his face. Rupert's nice attitude doesn't match well with the untrustworthy feeling he and his men give off, everyone feels as if they’re criminals without saying a word to them, especially Soku.
Rupert: “I’ve heard about you, about all of you, and I’m so glad to meet you.”
End of Chapter Ten