Chapter 65

“Urgh!”

Zachary clutched his shoulder and dropped to his knees. From the direction the arrow had flown, someone pushed through the thicket.

“…Fernando.”

When the silver helmet with goblin-like horns came off, Fernando’s long hair spilled down past his waist.

“Oops. Sorry about that, Zachary. Just an accident. I was aiming for the boar.”

Zachary glared at Fernando, then focused on a sound nearby—clashing steel.

“You hear that? The fight’s started. My condolences to your men. My fortress knights are very strong, you see.”

A scream echoed faintly in the distance. The battle between the Shadow Operatives and the Fortress Knights was heating up.

Fernando slid on his black gloves and drew a dagger from his belt. Its blade gleamed—razor-sharp.

“Think of it this way. I’m just returning the title to the one who should’ve had it all along. You’ve always been the ugly duckling of this family. Even if Father were still alive, don’t you think he’d rather have given the title to me? After all, he cherished me like his real son.”

“……”

When Zachary didn’t answer, Fernando slammed his fist into his face. With his shoulder already wounded, Zachary crumpled helplessly to the ground.

Fernando mounted him, pinning his arms with his knees so he couldn’t move. Blood from Zachary’s shoulder seeped into the grass, dyeing it red.

“What I’m saying is this—this will all look like a tragic accident during a boar hunt. A simple mistake. While going for the kill, the new Duke of the Killorster family ‘just happened’ to die.”

“Cough!”

“Don’t worry. I’ll explain everything to the Duchess. She won’t mourn long anyway. Honestly, who in this world would truly grieve for you? Not even Father wanted you around.”

With that, Fernando yanked off Zachary’s leather helm, which covered his entire face.

Then Fernando’s smug expression twisted into one of pure shock.

“You…?!”

Yurita had no idea a battle had erupted in the boar hunting grounds. She was too absorbed in the document now in her hands to care about anything else.

“…This is the medical report on Todd Killorster’s corpse…?!”

She trembled as she realized she had finally found what she’d been searching for. Forcing herself to stay calm, she flipped through the pages.

The physician’s handwritten notes read:

Duke Todd Killorster’s cause of death: abdominal stab wound sustained during a guerrilla skirmish.
However, the wound was minor—an ordinary middle-aged man could have recovered. Yet the Duke’s body showed clear signs of poisoning, which suppressed his immunity. Even a small injury became fatal.

‘This matches exactly what Fernando told me…’

She turned the page. A drawing of Todd’s upper body showed blotchy marks all over his chest, shoulders, and neck. The pattern was strange—like dots randomly connected by straight lines, almost like constellations.

These constellation-like blotches are an unknown symptom, requiring further study.
The Duke appeared to have been taking some form of drug regularly. Even on his deathbed, he begged repeatedly for a substance he called “Elixir.”
Without it, he suffered unbearable thirst.
Further research is needed to confirm whether the blotches were caused by this drug.

Beneath the sketch, scrawled in rough handwriting, was a single word.

Elixir.

Yurita’s hand shot to her pocket. She pulled out the small bundle of cloth—the same Elixir she had. It felt eerily heavy now.

So the drug that poisoned Todd Killorster was Elixir…

‘And he… he was taking it himself?!’

He had been so addicted that his body could no longer heal even minor wounds. Which meant—

‘…Zachary or anyone else didn’t poison him at all!’

Todd had doomed himself with his own addiction and died in battle. Zachary wasn’t responsible for his father’s death.

Relief washed over her like a cool breeze.

Still, Yurita skimmed the other documents—none added more about Todd’s death. Instead, she found mercenary contracts.

‘Hired… about this time last year.’

Which was exactly when Todd Killorster and his eldest son, Julian, had died in the guerrilla raid.

‘Did they hire mercenaries to reinforce the fortress then?’

She was about to flip to the next document when—

“Caw! I can’t take this anymore!”

Lucifer suddenly flew off her shoulder, retreating to a shadowy corner.

“What’s wrong, Lucifer?”

His gaze was fixed in horror on the Elixir vial wrapped in cloth.

“That thing—what is it, woman?! I feel sick! Get rid of it!”

“What? This? It’s just some kind of medicine.”

“No! I hate it! Makes me want to puke—ugh…”

“Wait, don’t throw up in here! I’ll get you outside!”

Yurita quickly stowed the papers, grabbed Lucifer, and searched for an exit.

There has to be a hidden door, like the one I fell through earlier…

After fumbling along the wall, she pressed a loose stone—click!—and the door opened.

Fresh air greeted them as they stepped out. The stone door sealed shut behind them.

“…Wait.”

Before her stood a familiar sight—the kind smile of Lord Yornan, painted in a portrait.

“This is… the portrait garden I visited yesterday.”

So Fernando’s secret chamber lay hidden right behind Yornan’s painting.

“Never thought there’d be a room behind that picture…”

“…That woman… it’s been a while.”

Lucifer muttered faintly as he gazed at the portrait.

“You know Lord Yornan?”

“Of course. She was the lady of the house decades ago. Quite close with the 19th Duke too. She used to call him ‘Jackie’… ugh, sickening.”

“‘Jackie’? Don’t tell me… that was her pet name for Zachary?”

So Yornan had adored Zachary dearly.

‘Wait… Lucifer lived here even back then? Was he already a ghost? Just how long has he existed…?’

As she pondered, Lucifer gagged again.

“Ugh, woman…”

“Ah!”

She hurried him outside to a window in the corridor. While Lucifer vomited, Yurita watched him and the Elixir alternately, puzzled.

Why does he react so violently to Elixir?

Not knowing the reason, she tucked the vial back into her pocket. Then, as she patted Lucifer’s back, she suddenly remembered the mercenary contracts.

The guerrilla raid a year ago—the same day both the head of Killorster and his heir died… and on that very day, Fernando hired mercenaries in bulk.

That was suspicious. If the goal had been defense, the mercenaries would’ve been hired before the raid, not on the same day.

Unease gnawed at her. She pulled out colored threads.

Agrippa taught me this. When words aren’t possible, send messages with thread.

• Red = emergency, need help.

• Green = everything’s fine.

• Yellow = asking if all is well.

“Lucifer, feeling better?”

“Caw… somewhat.”

“Sorry, but can you act as messenger? I want to check if Zachary’s safe.”

Lucifer studied her earnest expression, then sighed.

“…Fine. For the great Fallen Demon, this is nothing.”

“Thank you, Lucifer!”

She hugged him, making him flinch in surprise before pretending to scowl.

Tying yellow thread to his ankle, she instructed:

“If nothing’s wrong, good. But if Zachary’s in danger, come back immediately.”

“Got it. Caw.”

Lucifer leapt into the night sky. The yellow thread glowed faintly against the darkness.

Yurita pressed her hand to her chest to steady her nerves.

“Hey, you there!”

A voice barked from behind.

Turning stiffly, she saw the same terrifying guard from before—the one who had entered Fernando’s chamber.

She squinted, studying him carefully.

And then—

Wait… no way.

Her heart pounded.

Through narrowed eyes, she could see them—black spirits clinging thickly around the man’s shoulders. Six? No—eight.

This guy… he’s no ordinary guard. Just how many people has he killed?!

She nearly gagged, but forced herself to cover her mouth and hold it in.