NOVEL NEXT 309. The Worst Fate
'This is not what I had planned,' thought Sahro as he caressed Raijin's back, the red fox purring with satisfaction. The Black Heir was sitting across an old lady in a flying ship that smelled heavily of rose perfume.
"Sir Sahro, I hope you are comfortable," smiled Duchess Sorenas as she rubbed her hand against his thigh.
"I very much am, Lady Lily," replied Sahro with the most honest smile he could muster. 'How did I get here?'
He grimaced, recalling how things spiraled just an hour ago.
***
"Guide me to Duchess Sorenas' lodging!" Sahro ordered the servant he found randomly in Mortelli's estate's labyrinthine hallways.
"O-Of course, Sir. Let me guide you."
Surprisingly, it only took a couple of minutes until they reached the guest room the Duchess had been given. Sahro invited himself in without knocking, uncaring. The servant almost darted off, but the Black Heir peeked his head out of the room and glared at him.
"Stay." Without further explanation, he returned to explore the room. The servant froze like a statue, a tight smile plastered on his face, and his hands clasped nervously behind his back. Sahro opened his senses, sending a wave of Primal Aura through the room. Primal Aura seemed the most suitable moniker for this new mystical energy. He had a little bit of time to experiment on how to use it and was pretty satisfied with the results. In its function, it behaved like an Aura, a destructive flow of power that would consume everything in its path. He couldn't use it to cast spells, unfortunately, but the Black Heir had never been much of a mage. Even when he had access to Mana, he only used it to coat himself in lightning.
Now, the crimson lightning came naturally, surging out at his will. Sahro was practically convinced that at a higher level of strength, he would become the thunder itself. But that remained to be seen. For now, he kept scanning the room with his Primal Aura. He instantly received the information; the energy revealed every item in the suite.
Sahro ignored all the conspicuous bags, pouches, and luggage and instead shot straight off for a discreet desk. A bit of Primal Aura was enough to break the lock on a drawer where a letter was hidden. The Black Heir squinted as he read its content.
"Dear V,
The proposal with the Rosenborns is a resounding success. Milena should be married off in a matter of weeks. Do not worry about what you mentioned in your previous message, I have her under control.
As for her old comrades, I also have it taken care of. My men will act after the ceremony. They have no protection since they're not nobles, so it'll be fine.
We will have to operate on Milena quickly if we want the plan to go without a hitch.
Do not forget, if my family falls, so will yours. Abandon me, and I will send the Crown's hounds after you.
Concerning the ritual materials, I already began sourcing—"
"Hmm, seems like she didn't get to finish writing the message." Sahro frowned before carefully putting it all back together, locking the drawer using Primal Aura to act as a key. This was a precise, complex operation requiring a delicate touch, which wasn't his forte, but his high rank made it as simple as breathing. He continued snooping through the room until he heard an explosion outside the manor. He glanced through the window and saw Glenn battling with a very high-ranking Aura user.
"A Newborn Ruler?" Sahro blinked in awe. "Are they as common as candies? How come Glenn is always fighting them?" He almost shot out of the room through the window to go help his comrade, when he noticed Liara and a large group of nobles standing by, watching the combat.
'It's a spar,' he understood. 'Glenn must be winning some time for me. Alright, let's try to find out more.'
A quick look into a few chests confirmed what he had seen with his Primal Aura: bottles of perfume, precious furs, lots of jewelry, and bags filled with neatly packed clothes. There was enough here to suit a month-long travel, which was certainly overkill, in Sahro's opinion. But then, this was the stuff of a Duchess. It kind of made sense for her to be overkill, anyway.
Thud.
Sahro's foot knocked a small box on the floor, surprising him. 'What? There shouldn't be anything here. My Primal Aura failed to inspect it? How?'
He kneeled in front of the box, running his fingers on the pearly material until he found the clasp mechanism. The case opened, padded with red velvet. Inside, a pair of syringes was filled with blood-like liquid. Sahro's senses flared at the sight. His entire being was telling him to be wary of these syringes. Whatever they were, they weren't good news.
The Black Heir shook his head and shut the box. He kind of wanted to take that back to the manor, but the Duchess would probably notice it missing. A precious box like this wasn't exactly inconspicuous after all. 'She mentioned ritual materials, could that be it? Blood is a very potent ritual focus, but why keep it in a syringe?'
Before he could ponder it any longer, the door to the suite creaked open. Sahro reacted instantly, moving faster than light. Duchess Sorenas hurriedly closed the door behind her, the colors drained out of her face, and her heart raced in distress. She grabbed the pearlescent box and quickly unlocked the desk drawer to retrieve the letter. She ripped it into smaller pieces, throwing the remains in the trash can when she realized someone was sitting politely on a sofa across from her.
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"Kya!" She jumped back, afraid.
Sahro crossed his arms, his eyebrows creased, and as nonchalant as possible. "Duchess Sorenas, I presume."
"W- who are you? This is my private lodging, you..." Her eyes stopped on his tanned skin and his sharpened ears. The mark on his forehead was hard to hide, as was his prosthesis. "The Black Swordsman. You're Glenn's subordinate!"
Sahro rose to his feet in an instant, looming over the Duchess menacingly. "Say that again, and I'll make you understand why they call me the Red Thunder."
The Duchess stepped back as a wry smile rose on her face. "Ah, pardon my lack of foresight, Sir- Count Sahro."
The Black Heir's eyebrows rose at that correction, but he kept silent.
"It is my understanding that Glenn is the leader in your... heroic group, correct? That makes you his subordinate, whether you like it or not."
Sahro's Primal Aura surged out violently, lashing at the Duchess. "What are you trying to say, Duchess?"
Lily of Sorenas rose with an opportunistic grin. "If you wish, I have the means of changing this situation in your favor..." She uncorked something behind her back. The sound was imperceptible, but Sahro heard it nonetheless. He struggled to keep himself from scowling at the horrible scent, trying to see where the Duchess was leading with all of this. "If you came so far as to enter my room and wait for me, that means you want something from me. Help."
Sahro sat back on the sofa, squinting at her. "Continue."
The Duchess sat down opposite him and removed her white gloves one after the other. An evil glint shone in her eyes, startling the Black Heir. "I will give you what you need to surpass that monster, and in exchange..." She leaned in sensually, accentuating her features. Even as a more mature woman, she was still extremely attractive, enrapturing Sahro's gaze. She was Milena's mother, that was for certain.
'I understand it now.' Sahro forced himself to look where she wanted him to look, playing the part. The duchess smirked and grabbed Sahro's hand, rubbing hers against his. The Black Heir had to use all of his will not to punch the cougar's face.
"I suppose we have a deal, then?"
Sahro gulped heavily, hoping his acting would be enough. He thought about Glenn, who usually took care of these situations rather easily. If he could do it, why not him too? The Duchess smiled as she pulled out the object she had uncorked earlier, a vial filled with a violet liquid. It smelled thoroughly putrid, like sulfur and waste, but seeing the look on the lady's face, it had to be something wrong with Sahro.
'This probably isn't supposed to smell like that. Wait, by my Ancestors, what is she doing—urgh!'
The Duchess poured the flask into her mouth, still smiling sensually, before she grabbed the back of Sahro's neck. His eyes widened in horror, which she probably took for excitement.
'Wait, no—!'
***
Sahro's tongue was pasty, rancid with the traumatic memory of the Duchess's kiss. 'Human women really do have a problem. Don't they know what respect is?'
The cougar was overtly touchy, amused by his reactions, which she certainly misunderstood as him being both shy and horny, which, in both cases, wasn't. But if this was the cost he needed to pay to help Milena, then so be it. Getting forcefully kissed and groped by some mature lady was a dream for some people, just not for Sahro. He was more interested in long-term relationships built on a solid foundation, starting 'seriously' after a marriage. He had been discussing it with Glenn one day back on the flying ship on the trip home to King's Rise, and was surprised to learn that this was a very orthodox and old-fashioned way of doing things.
But then, Glenn didn't exactly have a classic way of seeing things, with him being from another world and so on. Perhaps he should ask Lucian when he gets the chance.
"Duchess Sorenas—"
"I told you to call me Lady Lily, Sir Sahro. We're past the classic formality, aren't we?" She pressed her hand closer to his crotch. He clenched his teeth, unable to stop the heavy sigh from blowing through his lips.
'Please, make this torture end at last!'
The Duchess chuckled seductively and pulled her hand back. She threw a glance out the window, her expression darkening and her fist clenching tightly.
"How far are you willing to go to surpass your rival, Sir Sahro?"
The Black Heir's face hardened. "Far. Very far."
Lily sighed dejectedly, and she clenched her chest, pulling down slightly on her lips. Sahro's eyes practically bulged out in disgust.
"You see, the Devil's Hand dared harm my honor and is threatening my position within the Court. In addition, he even earned a Count and a territory within King's Rise, while you..." Her gaze saddened, "...you only received an honorary position. How unfair is that?"
"Very," replied Sahro through clenched teeth. 'Stop doing this, you pervert! I'm not Glenn, I don't take pleasure in that!'
"Unfortunately," she continued, "If you want to beat monsters like him, those who can fight on equal ground against those of higher realms, you need monstrous strength as well."
She stood up and sat next to Sahro, clenching his arm and hugging it tightly, pressing it against her chest. Sahro looked at the ceiling of the flying boat's private lounge, sealing his lips shut so he wouldn't scream in disgust.
"Have you ever heard of... vampires?"
Sahro suddenly stopped and stared into the Duchess's eyes, startling her. She blushed and leaned back slightly, covering her mouth with her sleeve.
"You're a little too close, Sir Sarho—"
"Vampires, you said?" Sahro pressed her, his eyes filled with intensity.
"Yes," she gasped. "Beings of the dark, using ancient blood magic and navigating the shadows of the night. They're the masters of magic and combat, undead and immortal. They have eternity itself to defy the laws of nature and reach the greatest heights of power."
Sahro's face stopped inches from Lily's, who was breathing in small huffs. "B- back, Sir Sahro!"
The latter complied without complaining, pondering. 'She's connected to the vampires, it seems.' He thought back to the syringes filled with blood-like liquid. Perhaps it wasn't only like blood, but someone's actual blood. No, it was certain for sure. He ignored the blushing Duchess and leaned against the window, frowning as the flying boat took a nosedive.
The Duchess pushed herself against him, smiling as she looked down at the ground below.
"Ah, we've arrived. Please, be welcome in my family's prestigious domain, the Sorenas Estate."