Submergence

"Here's a bunch of corpses for you."

"Ehhh…"

Letting out an exhausting sigh from her mouth, Meera looked around at the sanguinary seniors at her front.

She proceeded to gaze at the corpses in the tables which she could count with her hands. Of course, she was informed beforehand who these corpses belonged to.

"Boss said to extract them all," Forren spoke solemnly as he relayed Duke's words to Meera.

"This is many."

"Yes, this mid-size organization has exactly ten Technique Users on their arsenal if we include the leader. These are only the branches and the main boss but what can we even see tomorrow?"

"Already?"

"Yep, he's being hasty with this…" Maria answered this time with a low solemn voice as she continued, "Do you think it relates to his announcement a few days ago? T-t-that he'll retire?"

The group turned somber, feeling a bit fearful at the said future that might come. The way he said it, along with stopping the preparation for the war had taken a huge mental toll on the group.

This was the very purpose of their organization.

They were no heroes by any means, but even so, they will they will reform the world, turning everything anew, with Duke leading them all.

And they will do it in the hardest way.

He was the one who ingested this memory at them but now that he was turning tail, they were in the unknown on what to do.

"I don't think we'll find another boss such as him."

Sezter raised the matter as her voice sounded reaffirmed and determined, and her next words could make Duke turn aghast if he happened to hear this.

"That's why we'll convince him to stay at this place…! Yes, that's it! As his loyal subordinates, we'll even file a request to him that if he quits, we'll quit too and follow him!"

"Yes, definitely!"

"Humph!"

"Sister Sezter is really amazing!"

Forren, for some reason, was excited as he had the same idea as Sezter but wasn't able to bring it up.

Meera quietly thumped her chest, gesturing that she fully supported Sezter, and as usual, Maria wholeheartedly was on Sezter's boat on their future endeavors to convince Duke to stay with them.

"I will also tell the other nine about this but I'm sure we're on the same side!"

…

"Ohhhh… what is this eerie feeling I've just sensed?"

The room suddenly became cold as if a ghost idly passed through here, trying to whisper something horrendous in my ear that I wouldn't like one bit.

"Anyways…"

Exactly holding the propriety papers in my hand, scanning each of them to see if it was the legitimate ones, a soft, weary sigh was released from my mouth.

Once again, I was back at my workplace, arranging some miscellaneous tasks which are solely made for me.

And right after those things are done, I've shifted my attention to the propriety papers once again.

Reading the context isn't very hard to do but for some reason, my body felt resigned to exhaustion. Even so, I kept my focus, knowing these papers could be used in the future if checked properly.

It was supposed to happen that way but that changed when my vision started getting hazy.

Bringing the papers down my desk, I tried standing up only to stagger while trying to maintain balance.

One hand was placed on my aching head while trying to maintain balance using the chair's handle.

'What's happening?'

Don't tell me the eerie sensation I felt was this?

This was just so sudden and… random.

But then, another thought surfaced in my mind.

'Is this...'

Something that I longed for the last few days, realizing that I wouldn't have to put in some work.

'Wait, is this it?'

This must be the thing!

I'll be leaving this place!

Excitement surged through every fiber of my body as I diligently waited for it to happen.

Patiently, I kept staggering as I tried to stand properly yet once again, to be met with the same result. Only this time, I stopped caring about it and let this odd feeling envelop all over me.

I fell on the ground… at least, that's what I initially thought.

Everything appeared in a slow manner.

'Wha—'

Almost touching the ground, making it look like I was about to make contact with it, my whole body was submerged as another world manifested.

I was sinking inside of it yet didn't drown, able to breathe yet the strangeness was enough for me to suffocate.

'What in the actual fuck? I wasn't returning? OK, I want out!'

In the submerged world I was in, only emptiness resided. Darkness loomed all over the place as if it was crawling to every fiber of my skin yet they weren't even touching me.

The irony of this situation was making the ache in my head intensify.

Still submerging into this paleness and the lifeless world I was in; my body came to a halt. In a weird position where my head was on the dark ground, I was left in a moment of stillness.

What was even this ordeal?

I didn't want to know it but for some reason, I was inclined to see the meaning of this happenings.

Putting up a serious expression, my vigilance heightened to the max. My focus was entirely on my surroundings, determining to see if there was a slight change in what was about to happen.

Mere seconds oddly past which turned the somber minutes even more so.

Just as I was thinking that this was just a stupid show of saying that I'll never get to return to my previous world, the whole place turned dimmer as noises all around the place exhibited.

There were screams.

-AHHHHHHHHH!

It was filled with despair.

-Noooooo! Why are you doing this to us!?

It was excruciating.

-I will curse you to death, you damned A—

Then the angered voice was cut off.

The next thing I knew the submergence in this dark world was finally done, bringing my well-being back to the real world.

Yet as if it wasn't finished, extreme pain that couldn't be put into words was injected through every part of my body. Skin, bones, muscles... all of it was painful enough to produce muffled screams on my lip.

Blood bled out from every part of my orifices, resulting in my loss of consciousness.

…

"Lalala…"

Humming through the hallways while holding a stack of papers, Maria was radiating a jolly mood, clearly looking forward to tomorrow, knowing they would start to convince Duke to stay.

That mood only lasted a second though when she arrived at Duke's workplace. No, she wasn't even right in front of the door as she stopped a few meters away from it.

Something made her stop.

"…"

A pool of red blood painted the hallway's white carpet. The difference between the normal carpet was simply distinguished by mere looking.

And once she traced where the pool of blood came from, she brought the papers she was holding down in fright while rushing towards the room.

Bang—!

Absolute horror was what she had envisioned in her mind.

She was stunned, her lips were trembling as no words were coming out of her mouth. For a few seconds, she was left there standing until finally, she was able to utter something.

"No…"

Her surroundings began vibrating as furniture started floating in the air. Tears started streaming down her cheeks, roaring out the rage that accumulated she had just witnessed.

"No!"

Boom—!

The nearby chambers, workplaces, and compartments were obliterated as she let out a desperate scream which was to inform the other assemblies.

"Help!"

Every assembly that was available in their organization that happened to hear it, all rushed to that place using their powers that could assist them to get there fast as Maria was still using her powers to call everyone.

"Somebody! Please! T...the boss is in danger!"

…

Seven people were coldly staring at Duke, who was lying on the bed with no signs of life.

Distressed, uncertainty, and disbelief were all circulating in their heads as they watched their boss with painful expressions.

Duke was still breathing but he appeared pale and tired. His life was being supported with various technology and life elixirs which came from dwarven and elven races.

"The room was completely destroyed hence we were unable to determine the cause of this… assassination," Krave reported with a heavy tone as he closed his eyes.

Assassination.

With the help of Heralton, both determine that the instigator tried to murder their boss, elusively and swiftly and they were successful enough to do so.

Now for the trace of the perpetrator, it was nearly flawless. Krave and Forren who had similar jobs were left in awe at how meticulously this attack was done, putting their accumulated experience to shame.

There was no sign of Duke being stabbed that caused him to bleed nor the wines he drank which could be the cause of poison.

It was the perfect assassination which they could never dream of doing unless it was played and planned very well.

"Is your dark magic working, sir Vodry?" Sezter asked with an indifferent tone as she tried to give a warm smile but only coldness was otherwise shown.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm trying to see if this was involved with sorcery or an attack using a technique. While doing so, I'm also healing boss." Vordy smiled calmly but his eyes showed a glint of chilliness on them.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

Maria who repeatedly apologized was patted by both a man and a woman who were a husband and wife in their organization. A real couple and a deadly one at that.

"Child, you don't need to be sorry."

The woman's name is Orelia.

"It's not your fault. We all make mistakes."

The man's name is Leomord.

They tried to at least console her and use solace words that could make her calm down but as his maid and supposed to be the woman who should've always been at Duke's side, she tended to blame herself.

Their words just made worse for her mood to dampen.

"I'm sorry…"

Inside the room, they all silently and quietly looked at Duke's indifferent expression while letting Maria whimper distinctly.

For a few hours, they continued to be that way until someone spoke which made them listen to her.

To their surprise, it was no other than their little Maria.

"I think I know who did this."