Chapter 58: Drop of Blood (4)
KI5h“You could get hurt, so stay near the bed.”em3G
POp36tD“Wait, wait… Dereck. Are you really going to break the window all of a sudden? If you damage the Duplain mansion’s property so easily…”cpLW
uiHgCSeeing Dereck acting so abruptly, Denise stood up, and when she saw his expression, she trembled slightly. Dereck’s face was terribly serious.SCCZq3N
FCMeTgxCrises often came without warning. And Dereck knew that better than anyone. That’s why, whenever he had doubts, he acted without hesitation.oobfcS8
Jd7EBetter to err on the side of caution than fall short. He had never regretted following that principle.KCzr
bARBCrash!4PnYCm
jh45qB“Ahhh!”5i4ybc
e6fThe chair Dereck threw flew out the window and rolled until it stopped in the garden.eMAhAu
IOhzpSFortunately, no one was nearby in the garden, shrouded in the darkness of night.fP2vCPM
h3X90CAfter brushing aside the shards of glass with his boot, Dereck leaned out to inspect the surroundings.sT7N3cL
0wRIyGEven after breaking both windows, the frame was still narrow for an adult to pass through. However, since Denise was small in build, it looked like she could be pushed through.lAaMd
keeCf“D-Dereck. Why did you do this?”ZG5r
pjKQC“Focus your magical senses on the hallway. It’s filled with a strange magical energy.”KgO
eTAB8Denise, knowledgeable in magical detection, immediately concentrated after hearing his words.NyyM
EdmM1YShe used the first-level spell Magic Detection, and within seconds, her expression turned grim.KC2f
C6mWhat flowed through the corridor wasn’t the bluish magic she was used to. The reddish, viscous energy emanating from that magic was abnormal from the start.yU3y
Hf4It was the first time Denise had sensed something like that, but Dereck had already encountered that type of magic before.ZvXlzl
fs9QZ‘Looks like forbidden magic. It’s the first time I’ve run into something like this since arriving in this world.’7v5MU
Ir3Besides the five recognized branches of magic—combat, transformation, confusion, summoning, and detection—there existed continent-wide forbidden spells.Iy5ggw
P29q2Their mechanics were completely different, and their growth process too. That magic fed on human blood, devoured souls, or consumed corpses… far removed from any ethical principle.PVcjR
cW3J74jThere’s always a reason taboos are considered taboos.PyIuu8
k1xk“Excuse me.”Linp0
5SyQEL“Kyaa!”o8kLq5F
FaUXdDereck lifted Denise in one swift motion.8o570
9XmOFShe blushed from the sudden contact, but Dereck, without hesitation, jumped with her into the dark garden, stepping fearlessly on the shattered glass.iuDjrpl
uGGWhoosh!eZUgYmC
z7mgJumping from the third floor was almost like plunging into a void.t9uK2
AcAyiXKBut Dereck deployed a second-star transformation spell: Earth Wall. A solid wall of magically reinforced earth rose beside the mansion’s exterior.eHps2hn
szaH5SUsing it as support, he descended in a zigzag and landed safely, setting Denise down.3Ox4
6Ub7j“D-Dereck…!”ZjeLwp
BcQStill recovering from the fright, Denise looked back at the mansion.d3a
dTAmXpG“…The mansion looks strange.”5vpwY
6gwDereck turned his gaze toward it as well.02T
qo2UXLady Diella had just debuted in society, and prominent figures from across the continent were present to celebrate.QbVhqlu
jNCJMAnd yet, that place brimmed with an eerie silence.MqR
Mxnf6tDark red magical energy leaked from every crack and between the walls of the mansion, as if it were bleeding. Even someone without magical sensitivity would have sensed something was wrong.vA7
eNf“W-What is that…? Why hasn’t anyone reacted?”8yE8y
mNfI“There are several three-star mages among the guests… even two four-stars. It’s strange that none of them have noticed something this obvious…”4Oh1
jWnSiITDereck had memorized the names of the high-level mages invited, even if not all the nobles.I6HRrO
whPmLAnyone at that level should have been able to detect that abnormal magic. And yet, inside the mansion, everything remained quiet. Something was seriously wrong.RQxgF
zLMGRRq“We need to find out what’s going on inside. If something happens in a mansion full of key figures from all over the continent… it could be catastrophic…”4liJDq
2b2sD“I think something already has happened.”t2T
eY2“…What?”6HhL4V1
inV2c“That dark red energy… it might be necromancy. Or a plague.”AIFg
buBm7OADenise turned pale.1ELP
TZiU0c2Necromancy was the most infamous taboo. To progress, many necromancers consumed corpses or murdered other mages to absorb their power.xjMR
VaGhqAlmost every great necromancer in history was a mass murderer.LqYqiE
wmGtqa‘First, ensure safety.’JX7
UWULuL2Dereck quickly analyzed the situation. Staying near the mansion was not an option.QI0Iy0
2kodhVEnsuring Denise’s safety was the priority.P6MI
nojfMhT“There’s no point investigating what’s going on inside. Let’s head out the front gate. We’ll assess the situation from there.”Hb7N
kTS6I0The most reasonable plan was to cross the central garden and head straight for the entrance.gtL76r1
LoogJAIf it was locked, they’d break it down. Worrying about property damage during a crisis was absurd.6iv
C5lfp“Yes, I understand! Dereck! I’ll… follow you.”gxloe
DrwDenise didn’t object.G4IH
G4Mn3In a situation like that, Dereck was the best person to lead. Trusting him was the right choice.L5IsN
AZx7qBoth began running through the garden.nd6cJxH
YpLDenise clutched her dress tightly, biting her lip to keep pace, while Dereck moved forward with constant vigilance.MnI
23XTap, tap, tap.ta1XsRK
Ewl2lj5In the silence of the garden, the only sound was that of their footsteps.6NuU
1NJThough the run was long, Denise managed to endure thanks to the physical training she’d done with Dereck.t2H
iFlwThey passed the tea tables, crossed the rose-covered gazebo, and it was there that they saw it.X39
ggVA man stood guarding the path to the main gate. Both stopped.iCmNc7
Uq1While Dereck took a defensive stance and assessed the man in the darkness, Denise tried to catch her breath.FBJl
aBWUL“Who’s there?”6bhifyO
02o0Y“Dereck, is that you?! It’s Delron! Butler Delron!”yijMtO
IYDVUA familiar face.IXOBX
9jIDelron, the Duplain family’s butler, was one of the longest-serving members of the household.oqP
FlQJ4His eyes remained sharp, his posture straight, his uniform bloodstained.H0rI
E8zThere were multiple bloodstains on his suit, and he was gasping as he clutched a wound.jZgj
FPLg“B-Butler! You’re the butler of the Duplain family!”R1at
l55vo“L-Lady of House Beltus… you’re safe too. What a relief… The mansion is in chaos. Strange monsters came out from the pavilion basement… they’re killing servants indiscriminately…”b3I4nUC
bL6jrdBlood dripped from the wound Delron was trying to contain.vz2
rE6“We must inform the main house… Lady Denise, please evacuate… I must go and alert Lord Duplain…”EFASt
eiJ“Monsters… from the pavilion? How… how can that happen in an inhabited mansion?”mL6zF
tDOwMN“I-I’m not sure either. I heard monsters usually appear in labyrinths… maybe something like that emerged in the pavilion’s basement. We can figure out the cause later. Right now, we must evacuate the guests from the main building!”SaC
M1v“Y-Yes…! The main building is full of representatives from influential noble houses. If any of them are harmed, it would be a disaster!”pxoqa
ZPJDenise took a deep breath as she assessed Delron’s condition.nzomi8
QsM7One of the butler’s arms was already ruined, and he couldn’t move it properly.jZAS
B01fr“B-Bulter…! We must treat your wound first…!”dCayk
IteLgtp“I’m fine! There’s no time! Dereck, please. You must inform the people in the main building about the monsters’ appearance! Please… please…”v8xKtk
tUkDelron staggered, speaking between gasps.39yb
KT5OSGD“B-but we have to help you first! You’re losing too much blood! At the very least, we need to support you—”hTEN
z2yOJust as Denise tried to steady him, Dereck grabbed her by the nape and threw her back.AZy6u
VggJCSlash!RZ6
bkVJ“Ahhh!”1KJKCt0
8MfreVpDenise screamed as she fell, stumbling over the hem of her dress.HwkXIv
xk5a3EQBefore she could understand what was happening, claws slashed through the air exactly where she had been a second earlier.kmR
1c90zHNSwish!qPEFfi
CiEClaws. The word felt out of place.PUKr
wToWOJDereck swallowed hard. As soon as Denise got close, Delron’s seemingly mangled arm had moved in a direct strike toward her. But it wasn’t his original arm.tT1k4O
CULXCrack, crack!4CH
93MlHVcA new arm sprouted from Delron’s left shoulder.OMi2
IYmVQaHIt was too grotesque to be called human. It was in a state of decay, with abnormally long nails jutting out. Upon seeing the horrific sight, Denise’s eyes filled with terror.je3Dsq
i5pndrQDereck’s brow furrowed.yPA
7B59J6The intelligence he had seen in Delron’s eyes moments before had vanished. A monstrous stench wafted from various parts of his body.3sva
iWNRHis skin was covered with grotesquely bulging veins, and its color had turned a stony, grayish hue.DHzr
mbrJlbDelron, coughing up blood, let out a coarse growl as he attacked Dereck.HbAA1
7krppcWithout losing his composure, Dereck kicked him hard in the stomach, twisted the deformed arm, and flung him into the garden.Z0K
KsICrash! Bang!HRz3s
eVxpDelron’s neck twisted violently to one side upon impact, but he stood up unscathed, planting both hands on the ground.8xa
Et4XSpHis swaying, expressionless figure no longer resembled anything living.LpWPiY
PEgUtO“W-What… what is that…?”juHn
UtG“Get up, Lady Denise.”oAZ
ikb4“What… what is this…? Ahhh!”QLo9K
EGJWSplash, splash!6Eb
D0Jn1fFrom the other side of the garden, several humanoid figures suddenly emerged.BKJPg
xlFIt was as if the dead buried beneath the earth were rising one by one. The stench of rot froze the blood upon contact.TlMUa
2viRight beside Denise, an arm burst from the ground and grabbed her wrist.w35P
wYLw8rStartled, she tried to pull free, but the grip was far stronger than that of any normal person.As5t
jqA3In just a few more seconds, the fragile bones of her arm might have snapped.Pzn
9fTAt that moment, as the pressure intensified—qng2f
Nt4mtHfSlash!4ktdzB
CKz0GWDereck drew a dagger from his thigh and slashed the arm in one swift motion. Rotting blood splattered.GZXJ
yOYcwcThe decomposed flesh clung to Denise’s arm as the blackened liquid ran down her skin.wGIAy
7qidEJust seeing it was enough to make Denise feel she would faint.jGZx
WJw0Ha“Ahhh! Huff, huff…”yTqWy
uBZtv“Lady Denise. Please get up. The situation is critical.”j50PqUv
44EkZrI“M-My legs… I can’t… Huff… ahh… ahh…”uPe
8M5Her thighs were trembling violently.RQylzia
Z56s4RhEven she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her face was stained with blood, she was hyperventilating, paralyzed.pYS
TfeDereck crouched in front of her, placed his hands on her shoulders, and looked her firmly in the eyes.l6fLj
KnK6T“Calm yourself, Lady Denise.”DkFfyYc
NqjDC“D-Dereck… Huff… huff…”T9re0
xNWl7EDereck, who had traversed countless flesh-ridden labyrinths, adjusted to the situation immediately.kUc2Oy
K6xQTABut for a noble young lady who had never witnessed anything like this, being suddenly confronted with such horror was a tremendous shock.ssawZC
IApThat’s why Dereck’s first act was to synchronize his breathing with hers while holding her gaze.qYSHqKc
cBwJust as fear can be contagious, so can calm.CbH5rzL
9obOtIn the midst of that hell, where the dead rose slowly, Dereck didn’t lose his composure. He soothed Denise’s frightened heart first.62Gpr
0q5zvJ5His presence was reassuring. And little by little, Denise’s lost sense of reason began to return.VJJ
fibayBg“Huff… Dereck… I’m sorry… I… this… I can’t…”EdPkcWD
x13“It’s normal. Can you stand?”guBsT
3TdoS“Yes… First… we need to escape through the main entrance…”yRc
CdqIDereck looked toward the main gate.cJMaA
Z8590bThe number of corpses was steadily increasing, gradually surrounding the mansion. It was as if they were trying to trap all the guests inside.L5n
nxs2Even if they managed to break through and cross the gate, they would find nothing but open ground.JpzY
e82R0Fighting in such a field against so many corpses would quickly drain their stamina.C2iD2
HUrI‘Escaping by carriage would be ideal, but the coachman probably isn’t at his post.’ABQ6
3jzYG3Dereck reassessed the situation within seconds.bINayb
Wog“Let’s go back to the mansion. Outside is more dangerous. We don’t know how many there are, and your stamina will run out before you can keep your distance.”uDjz
HRgfI“R-Really?”OdPO
TMufrJ2“There are guests inside. Among them, several 3-star magi and at least a couple of 4-stars. It’ll be better to find them and regroup.”S0hV
BWakgThe fact that the main building remained silent was worrisome, but venturing into the open without intel was worse.odjYFg
Xe71fmzDereck helped Denise up, and the two began running back toward the mansion.Odu
lezBehind them, numerous corpses started to stumble after them, led by the deformed Delron.ZnLEvR
NjR“Huff, huff…”yyNa
i8A7Denise, who had just caught her breath, was gradually regaining her composure.hBf
yP33xPShe was a smart girl. But still a young one.51Wmfq
Fq70Faced with the sight of corpses tearing through flesh and arms bursting from torn backs, her mind had shut down in panic.64tmN
ZRVYE2IBut now, though trembling, her rational mind was beginning to resurface.jMP47e4
VRz“The mansion’s west wing is for guest quarters, right? When we passed by earlier, there was no response. They must have escaped, or…”PVf
1JFO“…Or what?”Q9Or
9BOl“Or they were neutralized. I don’t know what’s going on… but if I were the one who planned this, my top priority would be to eliminate the high-level magi first.”OxN
bU9It was a logical deduction.BUz3ear
6cYkgIf someone wanted to unleash this kind of anomaly within the Duplain mansion, they’d have had to prepare a way to suppress the most powerful mages.UBm
orzMq“This kind of energy should be detectable by 3-star magi, right? You sensed it first, Dereck.”LySNs
EJBzSmw“Yes. There are several at that level among the guests, besides me.”HB5
yfeMq“Then they must’ve used some kind of trap to subdue them.”R8XoI
uFBN“…But I’m fine.”OCDklw
ilZ“Dereck’s rank isn’t widely known. It’s not easy to predict that a mercenary with your background could be a 3-star mage or higher.”Pim
j50wrFdDereck himself was an anomaly.BVBU
Pfa7vyThe world was vast and full of mages, but predicting someone of his age could wield detection magic of that level wasn’t easy.WEA
jpsIn fact, those who knew Dereck’s true rank could be counted on one hand.ucc
N8hN“In the worst-case scenario, you might be the only 3-star or higher mage who can still act properly right now, Dereck.”bOR
dKL4f“…”tos
mkAcVCf“Then you should move and check on the other magi.”N5wG3JH
T0U9R1“It won’t be a big problem. Anyway, while securing the guests’ safety, let’s gather everyone who can help and secure the mansion first.”siQ
ZU6As Dereck calmly laid out the plan, Denise took a deep breath.1xImQ
xdsKLpyThat’s when her trembling fingers finally stilled. Gritting her teeth, Denise followed Dereck’s lead toward the mansion.Ejxw
TiF7“I’ve been fooling myself.”us8iR
4eDYcL“In a situation like this, anyone would tremble. I’ve seen worse in labyrinths, so I adapted quickly.”vu4n
Pkr0“Yes, you’re reliable. But the other noble ladies in the mansion must be terrified. If anything goes wrong, the damage could escalate drastically.”vG5LetS
aYsVh“…”76r
WI9BIDenise was right.8Iub4
XG0XjpAs Dereck ran toward the mansion, he recalled the list of today’s guests.osZWZR
DlyExcept for a few high-level magi, most lacked battlefield or combat experience. Especially the noble ladies, who were likely frozen in fear, unable to act in such a crisis.PcjEY
Cm01sJFlesh flying, blood splashing, and grotesque monsters roaming the mansion grounds.QqVlhAA
OQgw0lmFreezing in terror under those conditions was only natural.fxJPxLX
Dc3***Dx3kOa
8IZ1Slash!JkxxUr
iG9bc8AThe corpse of a servant that entered the room was struck by a magic arrow. Its rotting arm was torn apart, and dark red blood splattered throughout the room.pvxs
R9o5KSplash!3Gdep
IPpr“Ahhh!”fgRhzq
BkzFWith a loud crash, the tea table flipped over, and a low-ranking noble lady who had been seated there screamed.vRI7T
sl040heThud!U67
MtnThe fallen corpse dropped to its knees and collapsed. Soon, it rolled across the floor, and its severed head tumbled toward the woman, staring at her blankly.l8YPf
X5N“Eeeeeek!”fr7
Cr5CThe woman, whose name was unknown, wet herself in fear. Ellen pretended not to notice. In a situation like this, almost no one could keep their composure.osajX
oZ8Qj9The corpse had burst into Ellen’s room shortly after Dereck had left the mansion.FOTO
AzFFrom outside the door, a magical aura seemed to seep through, and a servant entered carrying a tea tray.kcaf
Nh6OHowever, the servant, wearing a spotless butler’s uniform, began twisting his body unnaturally, and soon, spewing blood, lunged at Ellen.SrViex
pbAm55hEllen had been chatting with a low-ranking noble lady who was her friend over tea.SMtZ
NqXThough surprised by the sudden attack, Ellen calmly drew a magic arrow and destroyed the lunging corpse.H7g
ZMyThe low-ranking noble, now in tears, looked at Ellen—covered in dark red blood—as she calmly dusted off her dress without blinking.SmnjBM
WcF5Lt“What on earth is going on…?”Uiaa
Q7pnYRumors about the brilliant star of House Belmierd were well-known, but staying composed even in a situation like this was strange.Yps7C
DeVIFKzHowever, for Ellen herself, it wasn’t that unusual.yWL8
pBfxDI0During her intense training period, a mercenary-turned-magic-instructor had taken her through all kinds of labyrinths no less terrifying than hell.dA7rDm
5RCRulThere, she had seen humanoid monsters whose body parts were severed in various ways, torn limb from limb, even human bodies split in half.aAp
bNacSThe time when she would tremble at the sight of corpse-like monsters spilling some blood was long gone.tBJBsN
cbbVJ2‘…Truly terrified, huh? Looks like you won’t be much help…’zOS
NCtToDREllen sighed when she saw the noblewoman trembling like a leaf. Then she glanced at the eerie corridor. Only silence filled the air.2Jjk
pnhTON5‘Should I check on the condition of the others in the rooms…? Or should I stay put…? I’m not sure how to decide what to do…’NXWvXD
heQDAs Ellen slowly observed her surroundings, the noble lady lying on the floor was stunned. Indeed, staying calm in a situation like this didn’t seem normal. But for Ellen, it wasn’t so strange.jswZ
ofVWDEllen occasionally closed her eyes and imagined the labyrinth she had traversed with Dereck. It was a horrifying sight that would haunt her dreams whenever she was about to forget it.nZvPI1
8Z9aRCompared to that, a few corpse-like monsters lying dead were child’s play. In a way, Ellen wasn’t normal either.2Lp9
4ccTb6Unfortunately, this was also due to Dereck’s influence.xwGBS3
fkaVx‘Anyway, understanding the situation before it gets worse is the priority…’iBiMh
c29Murmuring to herself, Ellen’s breath caught as she looked down the hallway again. The west corridor of the Duplain mansion. A space filled with waiting rooms for many other distinguished guests.Fx8Dels
6ir0ZWwThere… the strange servants, for no apparent reason, were dragging all sorts of guests out of their rooms. Most looked like limp corpses.wsI8wF
DoKCWhen she saw the faces of the guests being dragged across the floor, there were more than a few names recognized throughout the continent.yFiq9w
d5weuYThe scene looked as if they were preparing a sacrifice for some ritual.45WFlR
p1RH‘No matter how you look at it… this… is a major incident…’dwwpdn
y0pRQZ8Ellen knew instinctively. If all of them were really corpses, this event would go down in history as a catastrophe spoken of across the continent for years.ZWapPZh
RCAnShe was now right in the middle of that scene.IulLNOW
cKNiEllen swallowed hard and thought.Fim
Nvi3mar‘Where is Dereck…? Dereck must be somewhere in the mansion too…’pPF6UK
WiiRight now, who could she rely on?3OFeKc
7yzjkOKCuriously, the first thought that came to her mind was that of the seasoned mercenary.2FWa31
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