Chapter 19

From the distraught expression on his face, it is safe to assume that he is familiar with it. If so, explaining this any further might trigger some sort of trauma.

"Continue…" he said as he cleared his throat.

"Y-yes…" I responded nervously.

An aracnocrobe is a demonic black spider whose bite is lethal to any species. The male one is hairless, with long legs and a body that is as hard as a turtle's shell. Their growth limit is typically the size of an adult's hand. In contrast, the opposite gender grows  half their size, which would often cause them to die in the process of procreation. Both are equally deadly, with the male being the most venomous. They are rather easy to spot from the amount of demonic energy they exude. They do so to keep humans at bay since we are difficult to prey on.

After biting their victims, they have approximately forty-eight hours to devour them whole. Many of them consider this task rather tedious and all the same enjoyable, depending on the size of their catch. However, failure to completely consume their prey will result in their demise. That being said, how did the duke come across such a dangerous creature? It is highly unlikely that he was attacked by one out of the blue. Someone had to have captured it and lured it to him on purpose. If that's the case then…no, no Fati, that isn't important right now. I must focus on healing him first, and in order to do that, I must…

"Sir Nate?" I called as I raised my head.

"What is it?"

His eyes did not move from the window. His tone was curt, and his attitude towards me was no different. Under normal circumstances, I would have already started an argument with him. However, now is not the time for me to be sensitive.

"I-I believe I can cure him."

"Don't be ridiculous, kid. No one survives the venom of an aracnocrobe."

So, he was paying attention, after all.

As Sir Nate uttered those words, his clenched fist started to shake. I could tell at first glance that there was far more behind that sentence than he let on. He was trying to conceal his anger by hiding his face behind the curtains, but I knew something was wrong with him. 

"I trust you, Sir Nate."

That's right, in order to save the duke, I must trust you. I must believe that you will protect my secret forever, that you will be on my side always. Duke Kartier is an important pillar in my life therefore, I cannot stand by and let him die knowing I can help. On a fair balance, his life weighs far more than a mere secret.

++++++

Where did they hide such an important paperwork? I searched everywhere, and all I found was useless rubbish. I rummaged all over his desk, scanned through every single book on the shelves,and even unlocked all of his drawers, to no avail.

"Instead of finding the will, I ended up making a mess."

Thankfully, he is ill at the moment, so I'll have time to have this cleaned up before he passes away.

Wait until I find out which juggle head decided to deviate from the original plan.

"Looking for something, mother?" said a familiar deep voice.

Good heavens! That frightened me.

"Oh! Hello son, how is your father faring?"

"What is all this mess, mother?" he questioned as he strode towards me.

Like father, like son, always ignoring my words. Who do they think they are?

"My darling son! I missed your father so much that I came here to reminisce about our time together. Your father gave me the best years of my life, as well as five beautiful children that I will forever be grateful for."

"If I did not know any better, I'd say you are eager to send him off."

Curse that perceptive personality of his. Nothing gets passed him, just like his father.

"Please do not utter such heartbreaking words, my dear son. I can't live without your father. If he passes on, so will I."

It's obvious that he's not buying any of this. His facial expressions are quite telling. Something tells me that if I blabber any longer, he will draw his sword to my neck.

"It's alright, mother. Father will return to normal. He is duke Kartier after all."

Oh? Perhaps I underestimated my acting, after all. His embrace feels rather  warm, and his chest is quite sturdy. When did he grow to be such a great catch? It's no surprise the princess recalled the cancellation of their engagement despite the severity of the scandal  back then.

"Yes, my dear son, your father will make it back to us in no time. He must!"

No one will get in the way of my love for you…my dearest Dimitriu.

++++++

First, I must keep calm. Agitation in the mind can disrupt the healing process, which may result in the worsening of his condition. Breathe in, breathe out, and repeat until peace of mind is ultimately established. Next, I must swiftly extract the demonic energy from his heart. Lucky for me, it is all gathered in one place, and it is not a lot. This part will be especially painful; hence I must be quick. An aracnocrobe' s venom is dangerously potent; so, I can't take the risk of discarding it anywhere inside the estate. Therefore, I must absorb it myself and hope that my body pulverizes it before it can take any effect.

I took one last deep breath and placed my hands on his chest while closing my eyes. I could feel the energy coursing through my body as I absorbed it. 

"Who are you? And why are you interfering?"

Huh? Where…am I? And whose voice is speaking so loudly in my head? Did I fall into a trance in the middle of healing the duke? More importantly, where is this foul stench coming from? My poor nose will shrink at this rate. It's so dark and damp in here, I can't see a thing.

"I asked who you are! Answer me!"

"You're the one who summoned me here, so I do not owe you any explanation."

How rude!

There are two types of people who can successfully summon a human's consciousness into their realm. A warlock and a sorcerer. Both are a Sant's arch enemy as they are the most faithful servants of the demons. Warlocks possess the power to revive one of the most powerful demonic creatures in history'the Baphomet'. Hailed as the most fearsome of its kind. 

Sorcerers, however, are merely a warlock's underling. Although their powers pale in comparison to their masters', their abilities are not to be underestimated. They often use demonic beasts to concoct lethal poisons that are most harmful to all living beings.Much like a warlock, they can summon a human's consciousness into their realm, though they have a certain amount of time to maintain it. If such a realm collapses before they can exit it, they will die instantly. However, that is not the case for a warlock whose realm is timeless, and entirely in under their control.

"Why are you after the duke?"

My voice sounded rather different just now. My tone was assertive and strong. There was also a massive surge of energy coursing through me that felt like an adrenaline rush. I want to fight whoever's domain this is, and somehow, I am certain that I can win. What is this unfamiliar feeling?

"It is none of your business. I do not know who you are, but you had best give up now before you wake up dead in the real world."

It seems they are adamant about taking the duke's life. So, this wasn't an accident after all. Well then, time to find out who exactly I am dealing with. I'm already here anyway, and the only way to leave is for one of us to become severely injured or die.

"You summoned me here to deal with me, so why are you throwing empty threats at me like a coward? Oh! I have a brilliant idea! Would you care to hear me out, sir yellow belly?"

They must be wondering why I'm still awake despite the immense amount of demonic miasma they are releasing. I'm certain if they knew of my real identity, they would never have brought me here.

"What do you say to a fun bout of hand combat? Oh, silly me, you can't use weapons in here anyway."

This is a spiritual realm, therefore, no weapons from the outside world is effective.