Chapter 421: Unforgivable Atrocities

CRASH CRASH THRASH BANG BANG

Tables were flipped, plates were broken, utensils flew left and right, and porcelain vases broke one after another. The symphony of chaos and madness continued to play, mad screams and shouts ringing once in a while.

A single figure was thrashing about, his eyes red with anger and his arms swinging around without any hints of hesitation, wasting away the delicious dishes displayed atop the dining table, a perfect course ruined in but a minute.

"That king! That damn fool! Why is he so hardheaded?! That bastard!" ［Arslan］

The one thrashing about was none other than Duke Schemer, letting his anger out and destroying a perfect dinner just because his wife mentioned the King's name whilst he dined, his pride hurting after remembering the humiliation.

It has been several hours since he had an audience with the King, yet he was still hung up over the fact that the latter opposed his plans. There was no sense of reason left in his mind, his bald head shedding even more hair from frustration.

There were maids, butlers, and servants present, but all remained quiet at the sight. Some of the broken off shards flew off and scarred the face of the servants, but even then, they didn't flinch and remained standing as blood trickled down their faces.

It wasn't the first time the servants experienced their lord's outburst, and even now, all they could do was remain still and be quiet. Their wounds hurt, but if they were to even utter a single word, they would suffer much worse. It was better to stay quiet.

"And that damn Douglas too! Who does he think he is?! He's only a mere Marquess! How dare he stand up to a Duke like myself?!" ［Arslan］

"D... Dear... P-Please calm down. You're scaring theー" ［Duchess］

"Calm down?! Do you think I can calm down after suffering such humiliation! And you! How dare you bring up the King's name in front of me?!" ［Arslan］

"D-Dear, I didn't mean toー" ［Duchess］

SLAAAAAPPPPPP

The Duchess couldn't even finish her words, when suddenly, the Duke's heavy hand came out of nowhere and slapped her across the face. A sharp and agonizing pain ran through her face, her cheeks swollen and bruised soon after.

Even the Duchess wasn't safe in the Duke's outburst, openly hurting her in front of the servants, and their children and grandchildren. Yet there was not a trace of regret in the Duke's eyes, only disdain and rage as he looked down on the Duchess.

"Then stay quiet as you should, and live as you have always done so. Or is it that you're challenging my authority, Duchess?" ［Arslan］

"N... No... I wouldn't dare to, Your Grace." ［Duchess］

"Then you should have stayed quiet like that in the beginning. Tsk!" ［Arslan］

The Duchess wanted to cry from the pain, but she suppressed her emotions as much as she could, not wanting to make matters any worse and agitate her husband even more, and risk even having her children and grandchildren harmed.

Arslan was already a cruel and greedy man when he was just a Count, but now that he holds the position of a Duke, he has become more oppressive and abusive. His words became the law in his house, and those who disobeys will be punished.

What's even worse, is that it wasn't just him. Some of his children had also strayed down a dark path due to their influence, their oldest grandchild engaged in various crimes like harassment and drugs despite still being a teenager.

No matter how one looked at it, the House of Schemer was a den of evil which all stemmed from the Duke's greediness. Only the Duchess tried to correct their ways, but even her children looked at her with scornful eyes. It was hopeless.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Your Grace, a quest has come looking for you."

"Hah?! Who is it at this time?!" ［Arslan］

"It's Sir Gael, Your Grace."

And just when the Duke's anger was overflowing, a servant came knocking on the door and informed him of the arrival of a guest. He was about to throw yet another tantrum, only stopping the moment he heard the visitor's name.

He thought for a while and heaved a lengthy sigh soon after. As if nothing major had just happened, he then started fixing his clothing, then acting calm and composed as if he didn't just slap his wife and ruined the dining table.

"Bring him to the drawing room, and make sure to serve him the best refreshments. Tell him I will be there in a few minutes." ［Arslan］

"Is there anything more you wish to add, Your Grace."

"No, that much is enough. Just make sure he's comfortable and tend to all his demands if needed to. Cater him with the best we have." ［Arslan］

"Understood, Your Grace."

The servant listened to the Duke's words and after taking note of everything, he then took off to follow the Duke's instructions. As for the Duke, he took a final check to see if his clothing was good enough and patted some dust away.

He then looked at his wife with arrogant and scornful eyes, his gaze then swimming to his children, grandchildren, and the servants, making sure not a single one of them says a single word about what just happened. All were quiet from the pressure.

"Make sure you all take care of the mess here. I don't want to see even a speck of stain or dust when I come back. Do I make myself clear?" ［Arslan］

"""By your will, Your Grace."""

A final look on the dining room, the Duke clicked his tongue before heading off the dining room and leaving everyone to themselves. Silence soon reigned over the room and a heavy atmosphere loomed all throughout the halls.

One after another, the Duke's children and grandchildren soon started heading out of the Dining Hall, mumbling curses and clicking their tongues under their breaths. Most of them didn't even bat the Duchess an eye, passing by without any sympathy.

Soon, the servants started moving their hands in silence, slowly cleaning up the hall and making sure the Duke's words were kept true. Otherwise, it would be their blood staining the floors and walls, their heads flying off their bodies.

"Mother, are you alright? Let's have your face treated. Your cheeks are swollen again... Someone, call a doctor hereー" ［???］

"No, it's okay... Prioritize the cleaning up of the Dining Hall first. We don't know when your father will be back. We must avoid another outburst." ［Duchess］

"... Yes, Mother..." ［???］

Thankfully, there was still someone to take care of the Duchess. It was the youngest son of the Duke, and also the only one who grew realizing how cruel and messed up their family situation was. A man who only bears loathing towards his father.

He wanted his mother to be free of the chains which were tying her down and making her suffer, but he was powerless, only able to watch her suffer like a broken doll. He hates such a side of him, clenching his fists in anger as he cursed himself.

'Please wait a little longer, Mother... I promise to set you free...' ［???］

Thought the young man as he clenched his fists tightly and looked at the figure of his father walking away, a strong flame of determination burning in his heart. He may be powerless on his own, but there was still something he could do about it.

As for the man who was the subject of his intense loathing, he doesn't even pay them any attention. He continued walking towards the drawing room, the servants bowing before him as he passed by, not daring to look him in the eyes.

Before long, he finally arrived at the drawing room, a servant opening up the doors for him. As soon as it was opened, he was greeted by a gorgeous gentleman, his green hair fluttering in the wind as he drank a fragrant cup of tea.

"It has been a while, hasn't it, Sir Gael?" ［Arslan］

"Yes. It has been a while, indeed, Your Grace... Though, it seems you don't look too well? Did something unpleasant perhaps happen?" ［Gael］

"Tsk! Don't even talk about it! My day has been extremely terrible." ［Arslan］

The Duke clicked his tongue once again, once again remembering the scenes which had transpired throughout the day. However, unlike before when his wife asked him about it, he didn't lash out and simply showed an expression of disdain on his face.

Following the gentleman's question, he then started retelling the tale of how his day has been starting from his audience to the King up until the unpleasantness in the Dining Hall, twisting his words to turn it greatly into his favor.

"I see... It seems like His Majesty is quite stubborn..." ［Gael］

"You can say that again. He should be listening to me as his senior. If it wasn't for me, would he be on that throne right now? Am I correct, Sir Gael?" ［Arslan］

"Yes. You're absolutely correct, Your Grace." ［Gael］

Or so he says, but there was disdain and disappointment hidden between his words, his inner thoughts greatly looking down on the Duke as if he was nothing but a piece of trash worth less than an insignificant worm crawling on the ground.

With the intelligence of the Duke, there was no way he was able to think up such schemes and accomplish what he did on his own. All the strategies and all the moves of the Duke were thought up by a single man... The very same gentleman before him.

Gael was the mastermind behind the Duke's success and also the mind behind all the operations. If it wasn't for him, not only would the Duke still be a Count, he would be amongst the exterminated families who were executed by the current Kung.

'Haah... What a foolish man... I wonder how he managed to survive in high society with the brain of a monkey... It's nothing short of a miracle.' ［Gael］

As for the identity of the wise gentleman before him, his real identity was "Gaelister til Rofelier", a man who once belonged to the Rofelier Viscomital House, a ruined house which was destroyed by the King's forces during the Civil Warー or so how it went...

But in reality, it was actually Gael who planned the fall of his own house, borrowing the power of the Duke to crush it without mercy and erasing his existence along the records. He was a dead man in the eyes of the world.

He was a narcissist and perfectionist who hated associating himself with those he views as inferior to him, and thus the destruction of his house. He also hates associating with the Duke, but there was little he could do about it. He needs to make use of the fool while he still can. All for the sake of his goals.

"And the worst part is! After my audience, the informants said he met up with some other people for a long time! He was clearly disregarding me!" ［Arslan］

"Hm? Was he meeting with great people?" ［Gael］

"What great people?! They were just brats! One of them was a black-haired young man while the other was a silver-haired woman! An elf at that!" ［Arlsan］

"Hm? A black-haired man and a silver-haired elf...?" ［Gael］

The Duke has been mumbling nonsense for a while, but finally, he spoke of some words interesting to Gael. The latter faintly remembers such familiar descriptions ringing in his ears, only a pair of figures coming to mind.

Just this morning, he heard a report about two foreign S-rank Adventurers which suddenly appeared out of nowhere. They were also still youths as the Duke has mentioned, coming out to be Heroes in another continent after further investigation.

'No... That shouldn't be possible...' ［Gael］

However, Gael quickly dismissed the thought. Even if they're S-rankers, the distance between Veltofar and the Royal Capital is over a thousand kilometers. Even with their speed, it shouldn't have been possible to cross the gap in just half a day.

Moreover, if such great figures had entered the Royal Capital, it would have reached his ears by now and they wouldn't be able to have an audience with the King without any prior notice. No matter how he thinks about it, it was very unlikely.

"Well, enough about those pests. How is the project going?" ［Arslan］

"It's been going great, Your Grace. There's still some materials lacking, but we should be able to finish it without any problems." ［Gael］

"Finally, some good news. Just tell me if you need anything. I'll make sure to provide all the funds and materials needed. I have already tasked some people to bring us fresh ingredients. They should arrive sooner or later." ［Arslan］

"Oh! As expected of Your Grace. You really are fantastic!" ［Gael］

"Of course, I am! After all, once all this is over, I will be the Kingー No, I will be the Emperor of Vartes! I will be the most powerful in the world! Kuhahaha!" ［Arslan］

The Duke opened his mouth and busted out a maniacal laughter which reverberated throughout the drawing room. His laughter even pierced through the walls, the Duke seeming to announce his malevolent plan to the world.

It was annoying to put up with his arrogance and how stuck up he was, but Gael still maintained a friendly smile, even applauding the Duke to flatter him. Once he is done using him, he'll make sure to dispose of him as well.

'That's right, laugh while you still can, fool... Let's see how long you'll last..." ［Gael］

However, now was still not the time for it. Though he was stupid and insufferable, there was still some use for him. It was only a matter of time, after all. He might as well enjoy seeing the stupid Duke dance in the palm of his hands. It was entertaining.

"Oh right, Your Grace, I brought something for you." ［Gael］

"Hm? A present? That's unusual of you." ［Arslan］

"Hahaha. Well... Let's just say it's a special occasion." ［Gael］

Said the narcissistic gentleman as he took out something from his storage ring. It was a small box which looked unchangingly similar to that of ring boxes. It looked quite simple to be a present for a Duke, but strangely enough, the latter wasn't angry.

The Duke didn't hesitate and received the present, opening it soon after. As soon as he did, his eyes were attracted by the little present stored inside, his eyes scrutinizing it carefully. A dark and ominous smile soon bloomed on his face.

"Kukuku... You never disappoint me, Sir Gael." ［Arslan］

"It's my greatest pleasure, Your Grace." ［Gael］

The evil gentleman bowed his head as the Duke praised him, an even more ominous glint glimmering inside his eyes. There was no trace of light nor warmth in his eyes, just like a cold and stormy night during the harsh and deadly winters.

Whilst the Duke continued to dwell about his fascination with the little present Gael gave him, the latter shifted his eyes towards the window, his eyes gazing subtly on the waxing moon. A smile bloomed on his face.

...

Eyes shifted left and right, jumping from word to word and from sentence to sentence as they read through several dozen pages and a mountain of documents. There were reports, accounts, and ledgers, several figures going through them at the same time.

There was only a gloomy and deafening silence looming in the air, the cold nightly breeze whispering in their ears. Some clenched their hands, some gritted their teeth, and some had rage boiling in their eyes, hearts in chaos as they read the papers.

"Your Majesty... Are all these reports true...?" ［???］

"I have yet to ascertain that fact, Cynthia. However, Archduke Grey and Archduchess Yuna had no reason to lie to us. And... With how sharp their eyes were before, I don't think that is the case either." ［Philip］

"I see... I see...! Duke Schemer, that damn son of a b*tch!" ［Cynthia］

One of the figures finally snapped, her voice sweeping through the room along with her aura, washing away the coldness of the night and turning the once eerie silence into a cacophony of rumbles as her aura raged on like a storm.

Her name was Cynthia til Shaleburg, the current General of the Kingdom and also an S-ranker hailed as the strongest in Aldengard. She was a person who had dedicated her whole life serving the Royal Family and the heroine of the Civil War.

With the sudden outburst of her aura, not even the Lt. Generals, the Captain of the Royal Guards, or the King who were also High-Rankers remained comfortable, their hearts swallowed in fear. Much less the weaker Ministers and Officials.

"Cynthia, calm yourself. Are you planning on taking out everyone here?" ［Philip］

"... I apologize for the sudden outburst, Your Majesty." ［Cynthia］

"No, it's alright... It's not like we don't understand you anyway." ［Philip］

It was a little painful, but not a single one of the people present bore resentment or wrath towards the General. They all felt the same rage the General felt, all of them speechless from how terrible the reports were, especially the number of victims.

"The people who gave these reports... Can we trust them, Your Majesty." ［???］

Only one person remained calm, doubting the reportsー no, rather than doubting, it would be more appropriate to say that he was being cautious. He was Ferdinand til Larsmede, the Prime Minister and right hand of the King.

To his question, the King didn't answer him immediately. Rather, he looked at the Captain of the Royal Guards by his side, asking him to speak up for the two. He soon opened his mouth, body still trembling ever so slightly.

"Your Honor, it's not a matter of whether we can trust the two of them or not... We have no other choice but to trust them." ［Douglas］

"What do you mean by that, Sir Cavidel?" ［Ferdinand］

"I know this might sound insane to you here... But I swear this on my Honor as a knight... But those two... Lord Grey and Lady Yuna... Are Calamity-Class Rankers. They are not people we can touch." ［Douglas］

The Captain of the Royal Guards remained calm as he spoke of such words, but the same couldn't be said for the others present in the room. All of them were shocked, their eyes widening in surprise and their jaws dropping from speechlessness.

Eight... Such was the official number of Transcendents in the whole world. Of which 2 were Disaster-Class Rankers, and the remaining 6 were Calamity-Class Rankers. To say that 2 more were suddenly added to the ranks out of nowhere... It was absurd...

"Douglas... Let's say that what you say is true and that they really are Calamity-Class Rankers... How do you think I would fare against them?" ［Cynthia］

"... That... Even if the General were to use the Kingdom's treasured spear... I don't think you would stand a chance against either of them..." ［Douglas］

"I see... So we really have no other choice, huh..." ［Cynthia］

"I'm sorry..." ［Douglas］

It was useless dwelling on it any longer. With the Captain of the Royal Guards' stern remarks, they couldn't just deny them any longer. After all, they could easily destroy the Kingdom if they want. There was no need for them to lie and take a roundabout,

"Oh, right. If I remember correctly, there should be another item present in the ring. Theyninstructed to look at them last." ［Philip］

Shifting the topic to something else, the King then opened the last item inside the storage ring Grey gave him. There lay a box, and inside it was a curious bunch of items which neither one of them had ever seen before.

One was a projector Grey made along the camera, the other was a bunch of films which were labeled with numbers, there were also some mana crystals, and lastly, was a letter with a long list of instructions written on it.

The King didn't ask any questions and quickly read aloud through the letter that Grey wrote. From the explanation about the items, how to use them, and the order in which they must watch the films Grey had provided them.

"A... Amazing... I've never seen anything like this before...!"

"Is this a new technology in Alfrione? This is revolutionary!"

"No, I don't think that's the case. Didn't the letter say it was their invention?"

The projector was ok turned on and the first film was played, everyone's interest soon grabbed by the genius of Grey's invention. Everyone was greatly astonished, all in a clamor as they became curious of the projector and the video films.

The first video film to play was the interrogation of Viscount Hameln, starting from the moment he went out of his secret room all the way to the parts where he answered Grey's questions whilst trembling like a wet kitten in the rain.

"H... How surreal... There's no doubt about it... That is Viscount Hameln..."

"Isn't this sufficient proof already? He's already confessed to all his crimes!"

"Calm down. That's just true for Viscount Hameln. Duke Schemer is another matter."

Everyone was still amazed whilst they watched the video, however, such amazement did not last for too long. As soon as they played the next clips, everyone immediately turned silent, the atmosphere turning a complete 180.

From the prisons hidden under the Viscount's mansion, the prison cells which were stained with blood, the dead corpses and skeletons that piled up until they are taller than people, and the prisoners whose bodies were traced with abuse, some even losing limbs and other parts of their bodies.

Grey and Yuna had already rescued and healed those they could, but many of them already lost the light in their eyes, their minds and hearts even more broken than their thin and fragile bodies, unable to cry even after they were freed.

It wasn't just under the lord's mansion, but the same scenes also occurred in the several hideouts Grey and Yuna raided and eradicated one after another, a few thousand victims suffering under such circumstances.

"This is...?!" ［Cynthia］

But perhaps the worst part was the clip where Grey and Yuna witnessed the actual ritual where they killed their victims and "sacrificed" them for reasons unknown. Not just adults, but even innocent children were killed, their cold blood dyeing the floor.

"These worthless scums! How dare they do this to our people?!"

"This is unforgivable, Your Majesty! We must take action immediately!"

"Your Majesty! Please permit me to unsheathe my sword! I promise to bring you those repulsive bastards' heads!"

An uproar of rage and hatred stormed all throughout the room, negative emotions swirling inside the hearts of everyone in the room, unable to control their anger as they witnessed the despicable and unforgivable crimes their enemies had committed.

Only one person remained silent, but he was the one who felt the most upset. It was none other than the King who is not angry at the enemies, but to his worthless self as well. He was supposed to protect his people, yet he couldn't even protect the hopes of his beloved subject. Thousands already dead.

BOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM

He clenched his fist and struck the table with all his might. A long crack streamed across it, breaking it in half and letting a burst of winds sweep forth the meeting room. Everyone quickly turned silent, their eyes all on their King.

"Douglas... Bring Lord Grey and Lady Yuna here immediately. I have already made up my mind... We'll destroy those bastards...!!" ［Philip］

There was nothing more to say, everyone sharing the same sentiment as their King. He was quite reluctant to receive help from them at first, but it was not the time to dwell on whether they were outsiders or not.

The night went on and the cold breeze continued to sweep throughout the Royal Castle. The gentle silver moonlight shone through the glass windows, reflecting on the orbs of sapphire as locks of silver fluttered in the air.

"Looks like we'll be busy again, Yuna." ［Grey］

"... Un..." ［Yuna］

CHAPTER 421 END