CH17

"Too noisy, quiet down, Contmans!"

Malcolm chanted an incantation in an unknown language, and everyone present was immobilized, unable to speak or move.

He complained, "Magic is the most perfect art, and watching an art performance requires silence."

[Detected magical imprisonment. Attempt to break the imprisonment using magic,] Deep Blue suggested.

"No, don't act rashly," Helag instructed. Breaking the imprisonment now would draw Malcolm's attention, equating to suicide.

"Hmm… the blood is drained. Time for the next step."

Baron Buck fell to the ground, reduced to a heap of flesh and bones, barely recognizable as human.

Malcolm then produced a test tube, opening it to release a distorted, naked figure with eyes fixated on Baron Buck.

"This must be Lord Simon. Malcolm said he was willing, but it seems more like he was forced," Helag thought.

Simon's soul was unrecognizable, clearly tortured.

He had sought a wizard's help, only to face this fate.

"Wizards…" Helag's understanding of them deepened.

"Deep Blue, record every detail."

[Recording in progress…]

Helag had always wanted to become a wizard, but with one right in front of him, he couldn't approach.

He wanted to be a wizard, not die. Malcolm clearly didn't see them as people.

"The final step…"

Malcolm poured Simon's soul into the crystal ball, where it liquefied and mixed with Baron Buck's blood.

These lifelong enemies would never have imagined their souls and blood merging.

As the soul and blood mixed, Malcolm chanted rapidly, and the crystal ball ignited with bright red flames.

Malcolm's face lit up with joy. "Perfect! A perfect work of art! This is the perfect Bloodline Curse."

He scanned the crowd. "From now on, all of Buck's blood relatives within three generations will die. It's a curse no medicine can cure, and the speed of death depends on individual health."

"Unfortunately, I won't have time to record the data. There are too few ships passing by Carlson Continent, and I can't delay any longer," Malcolm said regretfully.

He snapped his fingers, summoning the Thestral, mounted it, and bowed to the crowd. "Thank you for watching my performance. Farewell!"

The Thestral took flight, disappearing into the clouds.

[The magical imprisonment has lifted.]

With Malcolm gone, everyone regained their freedom, and chaos ensued.

People screamed and fled the castle, many tripping and crawling in their desperation to escape.

On the platform, Baron Buck's two younger sons cried out in agony.

Their bodies were covered in blood-red patterns. They clawed at their heads, oblivious to the blood and pain, their expressions twisted in torment.

"Kurt! Jim!"

Melissa ran to her brothers, hugging them tightly.

"Melissa… sister…" Kurt and Jim bled from their orifices, collapsing lifelessly.

"Ah!" Melissa cried, holding her brothers in grief.

Next, Baron Buck's sister, younger daughter, and uncle all showed the same blood-red patterns.

Without exception, they bled from their orifices and died.

Melissa sat on the ground, watching her relatives fall one by one, overwhelmed by sorrow and despair.

"Melissa!" Emil ran to her, holding her tightly.

Helag followed, noticing something unusual: Melissa showed no signs of the blood-red patterns.

"Emil… I…" Melissa sobbed, looking at Emil.

Her expression turned to horror. "Emil… you…"

"What?" Emil asked, confused.

Blood-red patterns appeared on Emil's body, identical to those on Baron Buck's fallen relatives.

"I…" Emil looked at his hands, fear and confusion filling his heart.

Helag examined Emil. "Why do you have the Bloodline Curse patterns? Are you and Baron Buck blood relatives within three generations? Melissa has no patterns, meaning she's not related to Baron Buck. But you, Emil, are."

Emil and Melissa were both puzzled.

Emil said, "I'm an orphan. Baron Buck took me in…"

Realization dawned on him. Baron Buck had lied; he was likely his son.

But why wasn't Melissa his daughter?

"Why?" Melissa looked at her unmarked hands, utterly confused.

Only Baron Buck, now a pile of bones, might have known the answer.

Or perhaps even he didn't know Melissa wasn't his biological daughter.

"The noble circles are truly chaotic…" Helag mused.

"Ugh… ugh…" Emil coughed violently, spitting blood.

"Emil!" Melissa cried in despair.

Helag remembered Nicholas's pocket watch, with its Holy Healing spell to dispel curses.

He quickly took out the watch. "Deep Blue, transfer magic to the watch."

[Transferring… 1% transferred…]

[10% transferred…]

The watch remained unresponsive.

[23% transferred…]

Still no response, and Helag grew anxious.

He feared that if his magic wasn't enough, Emil would be beyond saving.

[33% transferred…]

[45% transferred…]

Suddenly, the watch emitted a soft white light. Emil and Melissa looked at it in awe.

"Is that… the pocket watch…"

A woman's ethereal figure appeared above the watch, with white wings on her back.

The figure looked at Emil, opened her mouth, and released a white light.

The light turned into a white mist, enveloping Emil and merging into his body.

The blood-red patterns on Emil's body began to fade, growing fainter until they disappeared entirely.

The ethereal figure on the watch vanished.