Chapter 106
Screams and battle cries echoed in the distance. My whole body shivered at the sound of war approaching. People with pale, anxious faces poured out into the streets. Some froze in place, others clutched their loved ones. When they saw me, they sighed in relief, as if just seeing my face gave them some kind of hope. But I couldn’t even move from the square.
My heart pounded violently.
‘Cassius… Are you okay?’
“…We’ll win, right?” Ellie asked beside me. Her face was pale with worry.
I looked around. Everyone gathered in the square had their eyes fixed on me. Hoping I’d say everything would be alright. Hoping I’d promise that we’d win again, just like last time.
“Of course,” I replied, barely moving my lips.
“We’ll definitely win.”
Ellie forced a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
That’s when it happened.
“Duchess!”
A knight with a red band on his arm ran toward me. His face was covered with smoke, and he had small cuts on his cheek. He had come straight from the battlefield.
“The Duke has sent a message. He wants the northern residents evacuated to safety immediately. The head butler and the chief maid know where the shelters are.”
I stepped toward him and crouched to meet his eye level.
“What’s the current situation?”
The knight slowly raised his head and met my gaze.
“There are more monsters crossing over than expected. And… the ones coming through are getting stronger and more aggressive by the minute.”
“Is the Duke safe?”
“Yes. He is holding the line well. He only sent the order because he’s worried the front might be pushed back. But the Duke is still fighting hard. He said the North will never fall.”
I exhaled a shaky breath. The night was growing deeper. If we were going to act, we had to move now.
Just as I was preparing to give orders, a servant ran from the manor with a panicked expression. He stumbled as he bowed deeply in front of me.
“What is it?” I asked, tension rising in my throat.
“Duchess! The young master is missing!”
My knees nearly gave out.
‘Theo?’
He was supposed to be safeguarded. I had checked on him myself before coming out and made him promise not to do anything reckless.
“He left on his own?”
“I don’t think so.”
The servant bit his lips nervously.
“Miss Lorencia is also missing. The knights guarding her were found unconscious. It looks like…”
“Damn it, Janice!”
I cursed without thinking.
I had a feeling it was her. Fire flared in my chest. She had done it, crawling in the shadows like a snake and making her move while everyone was distracted. I bit down on my lip.
If she took Lorencia with her, it could only mean one thing—she was trying to become a hero by closing the Gate, just like in the original story.
That meant Janice, Lorencia, and Theo were likely near the Gate.
Theo was in danger.
Should I tell Cassius?
But he was already overwhelmed with the war.
I clenched my fists.
“How many knights do we have left in the stronghold?”
“Less than twenty, my lady.”
We couldn’t save them. The knights were needed to escort the townspeople to safety.
That’s when I heard a voice behind me.
“We’ll find the young master.”
I turned.
A man with a rough face but clear eyes stood before me.
“I’m a mercenary. I’ve worked for the North for years, and even been inside the forest many times. Please, let us handle it.”
“…How do I know I can trust you?” I asked, my voice hoarse.
Theo was missing. Could I really entrust him to a stranger? My breath trembled in my chest.
“We’re used to finding people. That’s what we do. Please, Duchess, do what you must. My wife and daughter are here too. I know how it feels to want your loved ones to be safe. We’ll bring him back.”
Rubella and Celia stepped up beside me. Rubella spoke.
“He’s one of the most well-known mercenaries in the North. He’s got a solid reputation and keeps his word. I’ve heard nobles often hire him.”
“You can trust him,” Celia added.
I felt like I was being pushed off a cliff. But in truth, I had no other choice. I closed my eyes tightly.
“Bring him back. Safely. That’s your only task.”
The rest of the words got stuck in my throat.
Janice and Lorencia… Could they really close the Gate?
And if they couldn’t… Could we still win this war without them?
“Forget the ones who took him. Just bring the boy back alive.”
“You’ll let the kidnappers go?”
“They still have a role to play. Punishment can wait.”
I spoke coldly.
“But if possible, have someone track them. Stay on their trail. Can you do that?”
“…I’ll try. But if things get dangerous—”
“Then protect the boy first. His life comes before anything else.”
“Yes, Duchess!”
I turned away.
“Rubella, go to the manor. Tell the head butler and maid to start preparing to move people to the shelter.”
“Yes, Duchess.”
“Ellie, I’ll need your help spreading the word.”
“Of course, Duchess.”
I silently prayed Theo would come back safely.
Not long ago, we had laughed together like a real family. Now, those happy memories felt like a distant dream.
Even though my legs felt like they might give out, even though my hands trembled, I had work to do.
Please… Theo. Come back to me.
***
Janice stared out from their hiding spot with a cold expression.
She saw the townspeople moving.
“They’re heading to the shelters.”
Her clenched fists shook.
“What are you thinking, Janice? We should be running too!”
Lorencia’s voice trembled. She was scared. Theo, exhausted from crying, had fallen asleep beside her.
“There’s no point in running,” Janice said calmly.
“Then what? What are you planning to do?”
“I’m going to close the gate.”
Her eyes sparkled with a strange light.
It was her fault the Gate had opened. She had brought this disaster upon the North. Now, she would be the one to end it.
“How? How are you going to close it?”
“We plant sacred trees in five directions around the Gate. Then we offer a sacrifice.”
Janice turned her gaze to Lorencia.
Lorencia stepped back.
“W-What do you mean?”
“That’s how I’ll become a Saint. A hero who saved the world.”
“You want me to die?!”
“You won’t die!” Janice grabbed her shoulders.
“It’s just a few drops of blood. We can’t use my blood—it has to come from someone pure. You wanted to be Duchess, right? Did you think that came without sacrifice?”
Lorencia trembled violently. Then she glanced at Theo.
“Th-Then why not use him? You said a few drops is enough!”
Janice laughed sharply.
“This is your chance to be reborn, Lorencia. No one will ever look down on you again! Are you really going to waste it?”
“I-I don’t want to! What if I die?! Who’s going to be responsible for that?! Just use him! Say I did it!”
Janice pressed her hand to her forehead.
She knew Lorencia was selfish and cowardly, but this…
She looked at Theo, sleeping peacefully.
Janice had once promised herself she wouldn’t hurt him. But now, with Lorencia shaking in fear, trying to push the danger onto the child, Janice couldn’t help but feel disgust.
To close the Gate, the sacrifice had to be a pure, innocent soul. A child like Theo.
Her own blood wouldn’t work. If she did it, she would die.
But Theo’s blood—his life force—would be strong enough to seal the Gate.
‘Maybe… it’s better if I take care of him during the ritual.’
Her thoughts darkened.
Whatever it took, this time, she would be the hero.
Even if it meant crossing another line.
