Chapter 35
35
As night fell, the most important Ritual in Helland began. Brilliant lights illuminated the yard, and from soldiers to ordinary Court Physicians, everyone was dressed in their finest clothes for this night. It was a symbol of their hope for Helland's continued prosperity. Among them, Great King Gunther was the most splendid. He wore the Crimson Armor, a fur mantle over his shoulders, and two massive swords at his hips, looking as if he were ready for war.
As he appeared in the place of honor, the soldiers roared like thunder. When he raised his hand, their shouts, which had been battering the night sky, ceased at once. Now, all eyes turned to the large platform set up in the middle of the yard.
"Begin the Ritual."
At Gunther's command, the sound of drums rumbled, and the music of various instruments flowed out. People's faces were filled with anticipation for the upcoming event. However, Gunther's expression remained stiff.
"There's no record of her leaving the Imperial Palace, so you don't need to worry too much."
Solskjaer whispered in a low voice, and Gunther let out a burst of laughter. Maria had not appeared last night, or even now.
'Unless you've gone mad. Or have I spoiled you too much?'
This was not the Imperial Palace of Lastonia, where Maria had lived as Empress. He had clearly forgotten that this was the Royal Palace of Helland, where his word was law, and that Maria could not act as she pleased. Otherwise, she would not have acted so recklessly.
Just then, the Witches ascended the platform, and the people gasped. The torches surrounding the platform made the Witches in their glittering costumes look even more dazzling. Among them, Samantha, exuding a captivating aura, stood out the most. She was undoubtedly the object of everyone's admiration.
"Great King, the Ritual has begun."
It was a subtle suggestion for him to calm his anger.
"I know."
It was the most important event of the year, so he had to concentrate. Soon, Gunther's gaze turned to the Witches dancing on the platform. They chanted Spells and danced, praying for Helland's prosperity and peace. In particular, Samantha, wearing almost nothing but a gold lace cloth, was as beautiful as a fallen goddess. She never took her eyes off Gunther, as if to seduce him. Every gesture, every glance, every fluttering strand of hair was solely for him.
'What a stoic man.'
Samantha couldn't understand Gunther. She had been watching him as the Archwitch for a very long time, but she didn't know why he didn't court her. Other men had stayed by her side, throwing countless temptations to become her secret lover. Ten out of ten, everyone wanted her... except for Gunther, who treated the Ritual like a job.
'Shall I get an answer today?'
She was tired of wandering around. Settling down in a wealthy Royal Palace like Helland wasn't a bad idea. Besides, Gunther seemed to like her, so she thought he would fall for her with just a little seduction. No, she was sure of it. No man had ever rejected her before. Suddenly, Allan's words came to mind. Could that be the reason?
[There's something the Great King of Helland doesn't have.]
[What is it? He has wealth he couldn't spend in a lifetime. What could he possibly not have?]
Was there anything in the world that money couldn't buy? With Gunther's gold and Magic Stones, he could easily buy a kingdom on the continent.
[A woman.]
[A woman?]
[I came here because I need that woman too. To get her out of Gunther's clutches, to be exact.]
[What kind of woman is she?]
[It would be dangerous for Samantha to know. But you know how to handle things, right?]
She knew very well. But there was no need to know the woman's identity. Any woman would be beneath her. She would take this opportunity to get rid of her in front of Gunther. She planned to stay by his side forever, so she didn't think she needed to worry too much about such a minor obstacle.
'I'm glad I met Allan.'
Allan said he would take the woman away anyway, so she didn't need to worry about it. Samantha danced with all her might. She was determined to keep Gunther's eyes fixed on her. As she moved across the stage, applause and cheers erupted from all directions.
Samantha was the object of envy for women, but men looked at her with lust. Finally, as Samantha's dance reached its climax, the atmosphere became even more heated.
'Tonight, I must make the Great King court me.'
Samantha stepped down from the platform and approached Gunther, who was sitting in the place of honor, and danced seductively. She cast a Spell to make him fall for her easily. She fluttered the gold lace cloth, trying to keep his gaze fixed on her. Finally, Gunther's eyes changed deeply, as if Samantha's Spell was working, and he reached out towards the cloth that was blocking his view.
'He's falling for it.'
He was going to remove the cloth that covered her voluptuous body and touch her. As Samantha had hoped, Gunther took the cloth away and turned his gaze to the crowd.
"!?!"
Samantha followed his gaze with a bewildered feeling. There was a woman with ash-gray hair. In that moment, Samantha saw a mixture of anger, relief, and joy in Gunther's eyes.
'Damn it!'
Gunther's hot gaze scrutinized the woman in the distance, as if admiring a work of art. The woman, wearing a dress that was anything but demure, had her back completely exposed. The skirt flowed down her graceful waist, and her figure was slender yet her breasts were full. But the most surprising thing was the Dragon Tattoo on her back.
'Why does that woman have the same tattoo as the Great King?'
She wondered if that was the woman he couldn't possess. Long ago, she had asked Gunther to give her a Red Dragon Tattoo as well. At that time, she had been completely ignored, not even given a chance to hear him refuse.
Gunther's lips trembled slightly as he looked at Maria's exposed back. Just then, Gunther and Maria's eyes met head-on. The two did not avoid each other's gaze, as if competing to see who would win. Samantha was starting to get annoyed. There was something Allan hadn't told her.
'She's no ordinary woman.'
There were many beauties in the world, but this woman had a strange aura. She was dignified and noble. She was definitely not a woman to be passed by. Samantha made a desperate last effort to regain Gunther's attention, which had completely turned away from her. She covered herself and him with the gold cloth and kissed Gunther passionately. The people cheered as if they had been waiting for it. Amid the cheers that seemed to shake the space, the Witches' dance came to an end, and Gunther reached out to Samantha.
Now, the two would go to the bedroom together to perform the rest of the Ritual. The Archwitch would tell the Great King his fortune and then spend a hot night alone with him. Gunther's eyes shone coldly as he tried to lead Samantha to his Imperial Palace as if to show off.
'Is he going to ignore me again?'
Maria had not only turned away first, but had also disappeared into the crowd with Ero and Nora.
* * *
Seeing Gunther heading to the Imperial Palace with Samantha with her own eyes was more upsetting than she had thought. It felt like a tightly held string had snapped. It was as if there was no string left to hold on to, even if she tried. It was the first time in her life that she had felt such disappointment in a man. She had secretly thought that Gunther, at least, would be different from Henry.
"Damn it! The Great King's bedroom will be on fire tonight."
Nora spat out in frustration.
"Maria, it's just a Ritual, so don't worry about it."
At Ero's consolation, Maria smiled as if she was fine. She tried to calm her mind, telling herself that it was a good thing. She hadn't been trying to think of Gunther as a man in the first place. Rather, she felt that things would go better in the future without personal feelings. But she couldn't help the storm raging in her chest. She wished it would calm down soon, but she couldn't control it.
"We need a drink on a day like this."
Nora said the right thing, as if she knew what was needed.
"Oh my! Are you going to drink today? I heard that alcohol is forbidden during the Ritual?"
Ero recited what she had heard from Solskjaer, and Nora frowned and retorted.
"Then you can stay out of it. Maria and I will drink."
"Aww! I can't do that. You two went out to play yesterday too. Leaving me out, is that fair? It's not fair, okay?"
Then they had to find a place where there were few people.
"I've prepared in advance."
Nora said with a hearty laugh. Maria and Ero followed Nora to the opposite wall of the Royal Palace. The good thing about any Royal Palace was that the structure was very complex in order to prepare for war. Nora was someone who knew how to use that properly.
The three quickened their pace. But Maria, who was following behind the two, felt as heavy as if she were carrying a stone.
'It doesn't matter. Let's not worry about it.'
She tried to calm her mind. But she kept picturing the lewd scene that Gunther and Samantha were creating. Just then, she heard a noise that broke Maria's reverie. Instantly, goosebumps ran down her spine, and she smelled the scent of strangers. Maria felt like she was being followed and turned around, but thick smoke blurred her vision, and a rough hand pulled her body.
"Maria!"
Before she could scream, Nora and Ero's shouts were already fading away.
'What's going on?'
The moment she had doubts, a terrible smoke engulfed Maria like a storm.