Chapter 6

He stood stunned as he watched the blade freeze in midair before slowly melting, he narrowed his eyes and watched defensively as a man approached him, he was covered in a black cloak, probably a strong magic item that covers aura because Cerrise hadn't sensed him till he was near.

The man paused, then looked at him, he took off his cloak and Cerrise stopped stunned as look at the familiar blind folded man.

"Duke?"

That explained why their was no commotion after that much noise.

"I finished work early and decided to join you…I didn't expect you to find trouble so fast," he drawled.

Cerrise looked behind him and saw Riau and the guard behind the duke had an obvious frown. By the look of it they were going to be punished.

"I apologize for the trouble," he said with a small bow.

"I know of your trouble seeking tendencies so I will pardon you this time, it is your first and last warning. You should know that if you cause trouble in the capital during the period of the hunt it will be treated as treason even for you who acts as the queens shadow and you facing treason will bring serious issues for me and we wouldn't want that now would we?"

"No,"

"Then, mind yourself you have a duty please act in line with it till you are released of your duties,"

Shouldn't he be thanking him for stopping an illegal trade?

As if reading his mind the duke asked.

"What do you want?"

"Hm?"

"You stopped something illegal, you must want something,"

"Oh…right I want him," he said pointing at a small figure of a man who was at the forest entrance. He was the one who was being beaten previously but had now been left alone.

"You could have had anything but you choose a peasant," the duke said as he waved his finger and a guard came from behind and walked towards the boy.

"Wait, don't touch him," Cerrise says and the guard looks at the duke for affirmation,the duke nods and he took a stepped back.

"What is it?" the duke asked.

"Look behind his ears," the duke looked at the boys ears and noticed some white scale like substance spreading towards the boys neck. İt would be nearly impossible for a normal person to spot what he was pointing but elemental have senses a hundred times better than normal.

"Isn't just Egia, why did you stop him,"

"Egia is an infection caused by backlash of a magic attack and the patches are usually a dusty white but this this is creamy white and looks like a scale,"

"So what are you trying to say?" the duke asked and he sighed.

"I don't want to cause any alarm but do you remember Dier the weed like plague?" he asked and the dukes face immediately changed. The scale like feature coupled with the familiar smell are what attracted him to the boy the first time now seeing it again he was eighty percent sure.

"That name is taboo," thee duke warned. It was not a taboo for no reason. It was an uncomfortable topic and no one wanted to dwell on it, they had every right not to. Dier plague was a plague that would eat mana in elementals and vitality in people with no mana latching on a person like a leech till the person died. It spread through out the empire wiping out a third of the population, it was devastating, Disease was hard to destroy and it left a shadow in many of the people.

"I'm not trying to scare you but you should check. This boy looks like a servant from a noble family, if his sickness spreads to nobility it could be bad," he could be wrong but the scale like patches look exactly as what is described. If it's true then they need to take action immediately and the noble house concerned needed to be isolated and examined.

"I'll send a professional to look at it," the duke said.

"You…Riau was it?"

"Duke," she bowed.

"Get up, and follow one of the guards to the castle and bring one of the doctors to examine this," he said. İt was fascinating, he trusted his servants. Cerrise was led into the carriage where he saw an unfamiliar woman sitting inside. She had noble air around her, one could tell that she was an important person.

"This is my mother," the duke introduced and he bowed immediately.

"Duchess."

"No need for the formalities," she waved and Cerrise sat down wondering why she had not said it before he bowed.

"You are one of the eight consorts, the famous beauty of meruthia," the duchess said and he restrained his eyes from rolling.

The beauty of meruthia was a title given to him after the king decreed for him to be a 'contender' for the queen's position. Nobles flocked to see him and were intruged by his unique features.

"Yes your highness,"

"So the rumors aren't false, you are an ice like beauty," what's with her and his face, if he could he would burn it off. He tried it before hoping the decree would be nullified, but it healed immediately for some reason. All that remained was pain.

"Thank you duchess, your beauty is also enviable, you look so young and stunning,"

"Awe, what a darling thank you," she said smiling.

"Are you joining the hunt tomorrow," she asked after a while

"The king ordered all the nobles and the eight consorts to attend, he may use this as the first test for queen. The kingdom does need a strong queen," the duke said. He used consorts and not shadow so the dowager duchess must not know about it.

"Prepare well you cannot underestimate what the pysco… the King will chose," the duchess said

"Will keep that in mind mother," he answered as the carriage came to a halt.

"I will take my leave now," Cerrise said creeped out at the way the duchess was staring at him.

"Lets have tea sometime," the duchess said him.

"I'll wait for the duchesse to invite me," he said bowing down then walking away being led by Riau into the castle.

"You've scared him away mother,"

"He is an interesting child,"

"He deliberately caused trouble and the guard next to him was stupid enough to believe it was an act of service,"

"He probably wanted to know how much power he had and how much his title can protect him," the duchess said sounding like a mother who was understanding her child.

"I know…

"He is very powerful," the duchess said to Merikh once Cerrise was out of hearing range.

"Hearing that from you must mean that his power must be beyond normal," the duke said to her.

"Well, I thought you were the only monster of your age, turns out there could be another. Let's just hope he is not as ruthless as his brother or worse… his mother."