Chapter 60. The Scent of Blood (4)
Beneath the helmet, it was Hendrake Knight Order’s vice-captain, Owen.
Hesabel’s bolt had pierced Owen’s cheek, blood streaming down as he clenched his face.
Owen yanked out the bolt and let out a primal roar.
“────!!”
The roar sounded more like a wild beast than a person. Even Isaac felt a shiver down his spine, and it was clear that everyone around was either sitting or stumbling.
Given the situation, Owen searched for Hesabel as if it was a matter of great importance. But finding Hesabel, who was cleverly hiding behind Isaac, proved to be a tricky task.
Rushing in recklessly would only lead to Owen being defeated by Hesabel, with Isaac on the lookout for any openings.
With each passing moment, the odds were increasingly against Owen.
Isaac asked mockingly, “An assassin should flee if caught, why are you hesitating?”
Owen hesitated, but when Reinhardt arrived with his knights, he swiftly turned away. Reinhardt’s knights were skilled, making it clear that Owen had no chance if he joined the fight.
“Get him!” Reinhardt ordered, unwilling to let Owen escape easily. The knights and soldiers charged forward. Meanwhile, Isaac chose to observe from a distance, watching Owen’s final struggle.
“Aaaaaah!”
A loud noise erupted as something broke through the soldiers’ ranks. It was a massive black horse, surrounded by the dark energy that had surrounded Owen earlier.
Owen mounted the horse and swiftly escaped through the soldiers’ encirclement.
“Stop him!” Reinhardt shouted urgently.
Isaac intervened, “No, let him go.”
The black horse moved at incredible speed, almost flying rather than running. The focus wasn’t on capturing the villain, but on where he was headed.
“The villain is identified as Kyle Hendrake,” Isaac announced as everyone saw Owen heading straight for Hendrake Castle.
***
Despite the late hour, the townspeople and soldiers found it difficult to rest as the situation unfolded.
The incident left them all shocked, especially the townspeople.
“So, Owen Renly, the vice-captain of the Hendrake Knight Order, tried to assassinate Lord Isaac?” the discussion took place in the inn’s dining hall between Isaac and Reinhardt.
Hesabel’s identity was conveniently labeled as Isaac’s attendant. They had booked two rooms—one for Isaac and the other for Hesabel. It seemed Owen, in his attempt to assassinate Isaac, mistook Hesabel for Isaac and attacked her, as per Isaac’s explanation.
“Why would Kyle Hendrake target Lord Isaac?” Reinhardt asked.
“Probably to hinder Count Reinhardt’s cause or to steer the situation in a different direction,” Isaac responded, hinting at a deeper motive.
Of course, Isaac knew it was someone from the Red Chalice Club, not Hendrake, behind the incident, but he chose not to delve into that explanation.
Isaac redirected Reinhardt’s focus from ‘why?’ to ‘how?’ before further questions could arise.
“The cool thing is that my retainer, and I myself, got attacked. Even if it wasn’t me, we can’t just brush off this whole thing. A knight hired by the state attacking in the dead of night? And cruising on a Phantom Steed, no less? That’s solid proof of wickedness.”
When Owen’s face was uncovered, everything became clear. Plus, the shock of him making a getaway on a ghostly horse was quite something.
‘The only glitch is that the Phantom Steed is known as a sidekick of the Immortal Order, not the Red Chalice…’
Isaac could only pray that the Immortal Order wasn’t tangled up in all this mess. The tangle between the Reinhardt and Hendrake territories was already messy enough, manipulated by the feud between Isaac and the Red Chalice Club.
Despite Isaac’s musings, Reinhardt seemed to have oversimplified the situation.
“Seems like Kyle Hendrake has totally lost it. Whatever he was aiming for with this mess, there’s no turning back now.”
“I feel the same way.”
Up until yesterday, Isaac had been trying to play both sides, trying to figure out how to come out on top. But after the ambush, he had no choice but to team up with Reinhardt. Even if Hendrake was unaware of this mess, who knows when another attacker might strike.
“I’ll send a message asking to send soldiers ASAP… But taking down Hendrake Castle won’t be a walk in the park since it’s a tough nut to crack.”
“Is it okay though, considering it’s nearly planting season?”
“We had already left the land untended due to the locusts, so this year’s planting season is already in shambles. To cut down on losses, we need to wrap up this mess quickly. I heard the inquisitors from the Codex of Light will be here soon; if we don’t act now, we might miss our shot. Frankly, I don’t wanna face those monsters without the Order’s backup.”
For Reinhardt, spring warfare wasn’t ideal, but capturing Kyle without big losses was the plan. They had to make their move while the Codex of Light was keeping an eye on Hendrake.
‘I’m in deep trouble when the inquisitors show up…’
Isaac thought of the only inquisitor he knew, Isolde Brant. Although she seemed naive and reckless, she was sharp.
If the other inquisitors were as good as Isolde, expecting luck to strike twice was a long shot.
‘We need to wrap this up pronto.’
***
“What in the world? Reinhardt’s throwing the first punch?”
Kyle was shocked receiving news of the new developments outside the castle. Owen came back from patrol with an arrow in his face, inching toward Death, and Reinhardt’s troops had the castle surrounded, ready for a siege.
“This jerk! Showing his true colors at last! Tell the soldiers to gear up for a siege! They won’t last long since it’s spring!”
Hendrake Castle, perched on a hill, was a tough nut to crack. Kyle believed that if they held on, victory was theirs. Though not the ideal scenario, he even fantasized that winning this battle might wipe out his debts.
Moreover, claiming some of Reinhardt’s fertile lands might also be on the cards.
“…He must be dreaming big.”
Meanwhile, Raela was pacing in her room, deep in thought.
“We’re running low on food ’cause it’s spring. Silly us, we didn’t prep for a defensive battle beforehand. And if they start taking our crops, we might make it for now but we’re gonna be starving from now on. Kyle’s in trouble.”
Down in her room, the Black Knight, Owen, was kneeling. He wasn’t there for a scolding, but for healing. Yet Raela was dragging her feet.
The healing could’ve been done in a jiffy. But she wanted Owen to suffer a little longer.
“Thanks to your goof-ups, your lord is done for. Thoughts?”
Owen mumbled something with a hiss. The arrow through his cheek messed up his speech, making it tough to talk.
Raela sighed and stepped closer.
Owen lowered his head, hoping for a miracle.
Soon, the room lit up in a red flash.
Owen didn’t dare look up, but he could see blood dripping on the floor.
The room was raining blood. Raela, with blood-stained feet, neared.
Step by step, she closed in.
“Look up.”
The moment Owen glanced up, the room of legs and blood seemed to fade away like a dream. But he noticed the blood on the floor getting soaked up by Raela’s feet.
Raela reached out to Owen, holding a chunk of bright red flesh, its source unknown. Owen realized it was human flesh from the Red Chalice’s feast hall.
“Eat it.”
Deciding to finally submit to the prophet of the red flesh, Owen put the flesh in his mouth. As soon as the blood touched his tongue, all his wounds and pain vanished. Not just that, he felt a power much stronger than before filling him up.
Squatting in front of Owen, Raela said,
“The Hendrake family’s done for. Their land probably won’t last either. Even if Kyle Hendrake doesn’t meet his end here, he’ll be wandering the barbarian-filled frontiers until he bites the dust.”
“Can’t you lend a hand?”
Owen brought up the talk he hesitated on earlier. Instead of getting mad at his boldness, Raela smirked.
“Why should I help?”
“My wish wasn’t just to serve my lord but to possess a power beyond my abilities.”
Owen continued, head bowed.
“Madam Raela, you granted my wish. I know you took me in as a tool to use and toss when needed, but I don’t think I’m disposable just yet.”
“You haven’t given me a reason to help Kyle.”
“Turn Kyle Hendrake into a pawn to use and discard.”
Raela chuckled as if entertained.
“Go on. I think I know what you’re gonna say, but spill.”
“The Grail Knight wasn’t just some outdated fanatic. He didn’t off or overpower Hesabel Gulmar; he made her bow. That’s a big threat to the Red Chalice’s schemes, right?”
“Exactly. I didn’t see this Grail Knight coming.”
Raela prided herself on understanding almost every big variable on the continent. But in recent years, there were two surprises: Calzen Milten’s sudden disappearance and the arrival of Isaac, the Grail Knight.
Now that Isaac wasn’t merely a fanatic, there were two choices:
Bring him into a new conspiracy plan, or…
“Utilize the Hendrake land to take out Isaac.”
Raela was pleased with Owen’s answer.
***
While everyone was taken aback by the sudden siege, not everyone was caught off guard.
Some had predicted such an event and had made sure to get ready in advance.
“Hey, bring more tar pots over here, quick!” Kyle, known for his hesitation but strong determination, threw himself into the task once he finally decided.
He energetically climbed up to the ramparts, guiding the soldiers in their defense preparations. Seeing their lord personally encouraging them helped calm the initially panic-stricken soldiers.
It can be irritating when someone of high status comes and starts giving orders, but it definitely boosts morale, especially when there’s uncertainty about the task at hand.
Commander Bexter of the Hendrake Knight Order understood this well.
As Bexter approached Kyle on the ramparts, Kyle waved enthusiastically.
“Hey, Commander Bexter! Are the reinforcements for the gate ready? I hope the knights have had enough training. And it looks like their fancy meals will have to wait…”
“Criminal Kyle Hendrake.”
With a swift movement, Bexter drew his sword and the knights accompanying him followed suit, causing the soldiers around Kyle to step back.
Kyle was confused by the sudden turn of events.
“What? What did you just call me? It sounded like an odd title you added there.”
“You are charged with embezzlement, betrayal, treachery, inciting discord between territories, and mental incompetence. Consequences are immediate.”
