Chapter 37
37
"Ugh!"
Maria groaned as a sudden headache washed over her. Why had she lived forgetting him? Even while living in the Royal Palace, she had occasionally wondered if the red-haired boy was doing well. Only after a gag was placed in her mouth did the tightly sealed Memory Box open so futilely.
'Gunther Paisley, that was the name I gave him.'
After seeing the Slave Brand number 44 branded on his back, she had given him the name of a legendary hero. Moreover, she was the one who had drawn a Red Dragon on his back, which was covered in scars, with the pen Liberio had gifted her. How could she have become such a foolish idiot?
'So that's why strange memories occasionally surfaced.'
Sometimes, tangled memories would burst forth in her complicated mind. She should have realized it then. However, tragedy strikes at the most stable moments, ending everything.
'I'm going to be killed by these people.'
They were people who had come from afar to kill her. Not because of the murderous intent she felt from them, but because she clearly sensed their purpose to kill her. It was then that the three men began to converse in a foreign language.
"We need to get out of the border first."
"That's right. If we linger here and get caught by the Helland soldiers, it's over."
Helland had many soldiers at each border, and they were particularly cruel and skilled in combat, making it difficult to win if a fight broke out.
"I know. But, you know, crossing the border isn't easy."
They had entered without difficulty by blending in with the Witches, but leaving would not be easy. Even though the kingdom of Helland was still disorganized and chaotic, the border was strangely heavily guarded. Probably to protect the large amounts of gold and Magic Stone Mine from outsiders.
"Surely there's one lax spot among all those borders."
"There isn't. I heard they've released Magical Creatures on the borders that the soldiers can't guard."
"Magical Creatures?"
'Stone is behind this.'
Maria roughly understood what the three men were saying. During her time as Empress of Lastonia, she had attended social gatherings with the nobles of Landes, so she knew a little of the noble language they used. So, they must be nobles. They had come to kill someone, but they were not the type to handle petty killings.
'Laurent must have instigated this. But how did he know I had hidden assets?'
No matter how good her intelligence network was, it wouldn't have been easy to find out. It was a secret known only to a very few people.
"Then there's only one way."
Allan told the two mercenaries the conclusion he had reached after racking his brain. It seemed they had decided to kill Maria near the border, lie low, and then join the Witches when they left after finishing their work.
'I need to buy as much time as possible.'
Maria needed to use methods to slow down their actions, as the man named Allan wanted something from her. Maria thrashed violently as if to show off, then pretended to faint on purpose.
"She's lost consciousness again."
One of the men examined Maria's pupils and said.
"She must have inhaled too much of the smoke Samantha gave us. Let's go."
They loaded Maria onto a horse like luggage, tied her tightly with ropes, and moved towards the border.
* * *
Bang! As Gunther's bedroom door burst open, the maids in the hallway screamed in unison.
"Eek!"
To think they would witness such a sight on a night as joyful and sacred as tonight. They saw Gunther panting like an angry beast and knelt down, bowing their heads. When they cautiously raised their heads, they saw blood dripping from his hand, soaking the carpet. The maid swallowed hard and shifted her gaze towards the source of the blood.
'Ugh!'
The maid vomited on the spot upon seeing Samantha's severed head. Samantha's head was held in Gunther's right hand, which was covered in blood. The Archwitch Samantha, who had been as beautiful as a goddess, had been beheaded with her eyes open.
"Solskjaer!"
Gunther roared, making the Royal Palace tremble. Soon, Solskjaer appeared from across the hallway, leading soldiers. Solskjaer had also sensed suspicious activity, such as smoke rising from inside the Royal Palace.
"Great King!"
Solskjaer was shocked by the scene before him. The man who had gone into the bedroom to receive Samantha's divination and spend the night with her was covered in blood and holding the Archwitch's head. What on earth was going on? His mind was numb.
"Kill all the Witches!"
Gunther shouted, throwing Samantha's head to the ground. The soldiers picked up Samantha's head and retreated like a receding tide.
"What's going on?"
"The Witches cast a Spell to kill Maria."
"Huh? Please explain in a way I can understand...!"
"There's no time for that!"
Gunther snapped, as he didn't have time to answer Solskjaer's questions. Finding Maria was the urgent matter.
"Where is Maria?"
"Wouldn't she be with her friends?"
"Find her, now!"
"Yes, Great King."
Gunther clenched his teeth, overwhelmed by uncontrollable rage. What an ignorant human he was, to be fooled by the Witches' nonsensical words. He had believed without a doubt that Maria was safe within his domain. But that was his arrogance and delusion.
[That woman will die soon.]
At Samantha's words, Gunther sprang up and drew his sword. He immediately placed the sword against Samantha's neck and said softly.
[Shall I tell you the identity of Number 44?]
Samantha was surprised by Gunther's sudden change in attitude. Not only that, but Gunther was holding a knife to her neck. It seemed things were going terribly wrong.
[It's me.]
[Huh? What do you mean?]
When Samantha asked back, Gunther laughed like a madman. Only now did he realize that his ignorance and arrogance had made him a good target for a money-grubber like Samantha.
[Number 44, the rat in the sewer. That's me.]
[!?]
[Tell me, the reason you tried to kill Maria. Ah, if you try to play with words with your silver tongue, you'll be torn limb from limb, so you should be careful.]
Samantha quickly assessed the situation. Should she say it was her divination? Or should she say she had no choice because her own life was threatened? The latter seemed better.
[Great King, in fact, the divination was the opposite.]
Samantha explained as calmly as possible. She said that those targeting Maria had threatened to drag the Witches back to their homeland and burn them all at the stake if they didn't cooperate, so she had no choice.
[Who threatened you?]
[Allan Seradu.]
He was the one who hired the mercenaries from Landes. He was also the brother of Henry's mistress, Laurent Seradu. That man dared to sneak into his Royal Palace and kidnap Maria? Gunther trembled with suppressed anger.
[So you were more afraid of that cunning bastard than me.]
[Huh? That's... not it.]
[I will show mercy.]
Gunther murmured in a tender tone as if forgiving all sins, then immediately slit Samantha's throat with his sword. Soon after, her beautiful face and voluptuous body were separated into two pieces. Thud—as Samantha's head fell to the floor, Gunther grabbed her hair and went outside. Even putting aside all other reasons, the fact that Samantha had cast a Spell to kill Maria was reason enough to behead her. Moreover, he hadn't torn her limbs apart and thrown them to the eagles, so his mercy was overflowing.
* * *
Gunther and Solskjaer found Nora and Ero unconscious on the outskirts of the Royal Palace. They urgently held Awakening Drug to their noses, and the two regained consciousness.
"Acrid smoke filled the air, and then dark figures appeared, picked up Maria, and ran off."
Nora wailed, hitting her knee with her hand. The smoke that had obstructed their vision was probably a Spell created by Samantha. It must be different from ordinary smoke.
"We were fine at first, but we lost consciousness after about five minutes."
Summarizing Ero's words, Maria must have lost consciousness by now as well.
"Solskjaer, did they escape the Royal Palace?"
"Yes, not through the main gate, but through the entrance closest to this place."
"There was an entrance I didn't know about?"
"I apologize."
Gunther grabbed his head with both hands and paced back and forth in confusion. He seemed half out of his mind, muttering harsh curses and circling in place. Nora looked at Gunther in fear. Seeing the Great King trembling as if an earthquake had struck him right in front of her eyes frightened her. It was the first time she had seen him so afraid since she had known him.
"Great King, please calm down. They won't be able to escape the border."
"That's... right."
Only then did Gunther's face brighten. Whatever else, the Helland border was heavily guarded. But the problem was that there wasn't just one or two borders. If only Stone were here at a time like this. If Allan Seradu took Maria, there was only one reason: to kill her.
"Aaaaaargh!"
Gunther couldn't contain his rising anger and roared like a beast.
'If those bastards even touch a single strand of Maria's hair, I'll tear out their guts and chew them.'
"Summon the soldiers!"
"Yes, Great King!"
Just as everyone was about to leave in a hurry, Gunther heard a hallucination in his ear.
'Foolish Gunther! Maria is in danger.'
"Stone!"
How could Stone, who was hibernating? Did he sense Maria's danger even in his sleep? That's why he seemed to be trying to inform him through a hallucination.
'Maria's Magic will shine. Follow the red light.'
"Red light?"
Gunther's pupils darted around busily. Then he remembered making Maria a necklace with the Red Magic Stone he had mined from the mine before. She always wore it around her neck, saying it was his Magic Stone.
'I'll follow you to the ends of Hell and bring you back.'