Chapter 59. The Scent of Blood (3)
“Tamed… you could say that.”
Bexter uttered those words, pondering.
“To be honest, it’s a hard-to-believe story.”
Isaac shrugged. He knew it sounded that way.
But what could he do? It’s true that Hesabel had become his servant. Of course, she hadn’t stopped being a vampire, but at least she had become an obedient dog.
“Are you looking for me to question this?”
“Yes. In the current situation, it’s impossible not to verify.”
Bexter said, staring at Isaac with grim eyes.
“I trust the character of the noble Knight of the Grail, but seeing the situation. Internal affairs of the sanctuary…”
Bexter stopped himself from saying more. True to his nature as a knight moving to protect the empire’s well-being, he wasn’t the type to speak his mind freely. Yet, he showed a rare worried look as he whispered to Isaac.
“It’s a hard-to-believe story, but there’s no way to verify it at the moment. So, I entrust you, Isaac, and inform you of this. Please understand one thing. We’re also looking for ways to avoid conflict.”
That was a story he also explained to Reinhardt.
‘Is Hesabel involved in conflict-avoidance methods?’
Isaac stared at Bexter with curiosity, but he seemed unwilling to explain further.
Isaac tried to use the Eye of Chaos discreetly.
‘Is it because they come from the Imperial Knighthood… accustomed to hiding thoughts within themselves.’
Unfortunately, Bexter’s thoughts were almost invisible.
Using more power might make them visible. But then, his eyes might pop out, and tentacles would start protruding. There’s no way he intended to show such a sight in front of an Imperial Knight.
Bexter saluted and left with his troops, heading back to Hendrake Castle.
Isaac watched them leave, then called for Hesabel. Hesabel, who had been hiding behind the second-floor window, immediately popped her head out.
“Did you call for me, Lord Isaac?”
“Do you stay in the room next to mine?”
“No. I have a room, but I spent the night watching you sleep from the ceiling of your room.”
‘…It might be surprising if found at night.’
Isaac swallowed what he was going to say and gave her instructions.
“Stop that creepy behavior and sleep in your room tonight.”
***
Night fell again in the Hendrake territory.
Villagers were puzzled that a neighboring lord stayed at the inn rather than the castle, but no one dared to ask. Even if they wanted to ask Lord Hendrake, the castle gate remained tightly locked and deserted.
In this strange deadlock, villagers whispered quietly about war.”
Hesabel was totally in the know about all those juicy stories. It wasn’t that she was eavesdropping intentionally, but her nighttime strolls always ended up with her overhearing the latest gossip, whether she liked it or not.
But on this particular night, Hesabel decided to chill in her room instead of hitting the streets.
As the night grew darker, she found herself getting lost in deep thoughts about all the scandalous tales she had picked up on.
“War, conspiracies, betrayal, and seduction… juicy stuff,” she thought to herself, especially as a member of the Red Chalice Club, where drama seemed to unfold in every corner of the Hendrake domain.
Hesabel was eager to see what kind of tricks Isaac would pull next.
Knock, knock.
A sudden knock interrupted her thoughts, only it wasn’t at the door—it was at the window.
There, staring back at her with its blood-red eyes, was a bat hanging upside down.
“Hesabel Gulmar.”
A shiver ran down Hesabel’s spine as she heard the eerie voice, a message meant only for her.
“Pay attention to the whispers of the night.”
It was a signal from the Red Chalice Club.
Hesabel, almost entranced, knelt on her bed, ready to receive the message. The Club’s teachings seemed to have a strong hold on her, guiding her every move.
“I’m all ears,” she replied.
“Hesabel Gulmar, your loyalty seems shaky. Explain yourself before we consider you dinner.”
The Club’s demeanor could switch from flattering ally to ruthless enemy in a heartbeat, and Hesabel knew she was on thin ice.
As the threat loomed closer, Hesabel felt the danger creeping in.
“I’m faithful to the master of deception and conspiracy,” she defended.
“Spell it out. Are you with the Red Chalice or the Grail Knight?” the voice demanded, leaving no room for evasive answers.
After a moment of silence, Hesabel spoke her truth.
“Isn’t Master Isaac the ultimate conspiracy of the Red Chalice? That’s how I see it. The ‘world’s biggest deceiver’ foretold in prophecies. In fact, I have a question for you.”
“A question from you?” the voice sounded surprised.
Hesabel continued boldly, challenging the mysterious voice.
“Do you even know Master Isaac as well as you claim to? It seems to me you’ve missed the mark on the grand plan orchestrated by the Red Chalice.”
A deep laugh echoed through the room, with Hesabel joining in.
As the laughter bubbled, the window exploded, and a dark knight, cloaked in mist, leaped into the room. His lance struck out towards Hesabel, who barely dodged the attack, the force shattering everything in its path.
Even Hesabel’s quick reflexes couldn’t save her this time. She tried to use her Red Petition for an escape, but it was no use—all her powers were sealed.
“Kill the apostate.”
The black knight, taking orders from the bat, raised his lance ready to take down Hesabel. But then, he noticed Hesabel with a smile on her face. It wasn’t a smile of giving up or going crazy.
“Seems like there’s more trickery on this side,” she remarked.
It was at that moment the black knight realized how unusually dark the room was and that there was someone else present. Suddenly, a figure attacked from the shadows.
***
Boom!
With a loud noise, the black knight was hurled out of the window, his body surrounded by dark mist trailing behind him. Isaac, using his newfound ability ‘Colors Beyond’ to hide, emerged from the darkness after a successful ambush.
“Wow, Master Isaac! Just as you predicted, an assassin showed up!” Hesabel cheered, but Isaac seemed unsatisfied.
‘To counter that?’ Isaac, known for his no-holds-barred approach in life-threatening situations, refrained from using his weakest moves. Instead, he unleashed his strongest swordsmanship, the Eight Branches, creating chaos in Hesabel’s room.
The messenger bat lay motionless on the floor, but the black knight began to rise. With a swift strike, Isaac attacked before the knight could fully regain his bearings.
Bang! The clash produced sparks, indicating the knight’s heightened composure. It was evident to Isaac that the knight’s sword skills surpassed his own.
‘Could he be as skilled as Bexter or Gebel? A formidable opponent indeed.’
The black knight’s armor exuded a dark aura, concealing its true nature and composition.
“Oh my, this is getting good!”
The swords clashed once more. Isaac’s Sword of Judgment sparked flames upon contact with the black mist surrounding the Black Knight’s sword, engulfing the surroundings in fire. Despite the Black Knight’s strength, Isaac managed to push back his opponent.
‘Even with tentacles hidden inside the armor…’
Isaac was clad in Kalson Miller’s armor, reinforced with tentacles to absorb impact and boost strength. Nonetheless, the Black Knight’s might proved formidable.
Soon, the tables turned as the Black Knight launched a relentless assault, driving Isaac into a defensive position. Bang, bang, bang! Isaac struggled to fend off the attacks.
‘Without Kalson Miller’s armor, I’d be in trouble…’
The armor showed signs of damage, self-repairing like a clam’s shell, but it was only a matter of time before it gave in to the relentless strikes. With no time for advanced swordsmanship, the Black Knight executed a series of calculated moves.
At one point, Isaac saw an illusion of the Black Knight splitting into two. The sword descended and rose in a swift strike.
Crash!
Isaac defended against the downward slash, a close call.
Bang! Yet, the upward slash hit Isaac hard in the waist, the impact jolting him as if his ribs were crushed.
Struggling to contain the pain, Isaac adjusted his stance swiftly, bracing for the next round.
Hey, I totally nailed blocking that downward strike.
Isaac blocked the strike to avoid a fatal hit – that would’ve been game over.
He thought the upward slash wouldn’t be as brutal, but oh boy, was he wrong.
‘Without this armor, I’d be sliced in half. Or worse, tentacles popping out of me, wrecking havoc in Hendrake Village.’
Imagine all Isaac’s struggles going down the drain if that happened.
After giving his opponent a long irritated stare, Isaac gripped his sword once more. But frustratingly, the Black Knight unleashed more sword skills, not giving Isaac a breather.
Isaac got hit by three moves at once this time, overwhelming him.
And that’s when he sensed Hesabel’s determination.
Just as he turned, a crossbow bolt nailed the Black Knight’s face, thrown off balance with a weird yell.
“Nice shot!”
If you’re sharp, you can pick up on the intent to kill and dodge. Hesabel, the sly assassin she is, hid while disrupting that deadly vibe, working together with Isaac.
Isaac seized the chance and went all out on the Black Knight. Bleeding from the face, the Black Knight defended skillfully, but Isaac had a bigger plan up his sleeve.
“What on earth is happening?”
As the fight dragged on, villagers carrying torches showed up due to the racket, along with Reinhardt’s soldiers. They didn’t expect a full-blown battle, only to find two knights going at it in the streets.
As the crowd grew, the Black Knight’s moves started getting sloppy. His idea wasn’t to draw this kind of attention in the first place; probably just wanted to deal with Hesabel quick and split.
Having a bunch of spectators wasn’t ideal for Isaac, but it put the Black Knight at a disadvantage too.
‘Hey, this is Gertonian Empire’s turf, you sneaky intruder.’
Finally, someone triggered a basic relic with the Chalice’s miracle. A familiar sight from Isaac’s childhood; a blinding light stunned the Black Knight momentarily.
Isaac wasted no time.
In a flash, he lunged forward with his Eight Branches swordsmanship.
Crash!
All eight hits landed, dispersing the black mist shrouding the Black Knight. Isaac specially aimed for the helmet, smashing it to bits.
As the helmet fell apart, a bloody face was revealed.
Someone in the crowd gasped at the sight.
“Owen?”
