Chapter 85
Chapter 85
The party hall was in complete chaos.
People were screaming and running.
Some were vomiting, unable to withstand the overwhelming pressure and fear, while others had collapsed on the floor.
Thanks to the brief infusion of Seiren’s divine power, I was somehow able to move.
As soon as I could unfreeze my body after facing the demonic beast, my first priority was taking care of my people.
Checking on Cassis right beside me, Seiren in the distance, and as a bonus, Isiel who was making a fuss next to Seiren…
‘System, when will you return?’
The System still showed no response.
‘I’m so useless.’
At this moment of crisis, I felt utterly incompetent.
I had no strength to protect even my own body, and even with the System, I wouldn’t have had any skills I could use in this situation.
When it returns, I should ask the System for some physical combat skills.
“What on earth could that be…”
Seiren muttered quietly beside me.
Currently, Seiren was standing proudly in front of me, determined to protect me, with Isiel and Cassis positioned ahead of her.
I had faith in Cassis since I knew he was the knight who prevented destruction in the original story, but Isiel was rather…
“Lord Isiel, are you good at magic?”
Should he really be standing there?
Shouldn’t Isiel get behind Cassis so we can quickly escape this mansion?
When I whispered these concerns to Seiren beside me, she turned to look at me incredulously.
Not just Seiren, but Isiel in front immediately objected as well.
Due to the crisis situation, he snapped back quietly without turning around.
“Hey! I’m still the heir of Lemiere!”
“Isiel, focus.”
But even that small outburst was silenced by Cassis beside him.
Cassis maintained his guard, holding his sword.
“He’s weaker than me. But, he’s reliable.”
I looked at Seiren’s beautiful and delicate profile as she nodded approvingly.
Weaker than Seiren, who looked like she could blow away in the wind?
We’re in big trouble now.
“Sister, you don’t trust my abilities at all.”
“That’s not true.”
How did she know?
But I denied it anyway.
However, Seiren frowned and said in an aggrieved voice.
“I’m totally strong. I didn’t lose to Rose because I was weak.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Still, I wasn’t comfortable being protected by someone much younger than me.
I gently grabbed Seiren and turned to look at the demonic beast.
The tear in space.
Through that gap, the giant demonic beast stood still, observing the inside of the mansion.
And around it, smaller demonic beasts were pouring in.
It was fortunate that the giant demonic beast wasn’t directly attacking people.
The problem was the smaller demonic beasts.
“They’re bigger than I expected…”
Though smaller compared to that one, the demonic beasts growling and attacking on the ground were still larger than humans.
I swallowed hard.
Those with the power to defend themselves grabbed weapons and fought back, but most were helpless.
They tried to flee, but like me earlier, they could barely stand under the tremendous pressure and fear.
“I can’t figure out what they are. Isiel, have you seen anything like this before?”
“No. I can’t even sense any magical power.”
Cassis instantly took down a demonic beast that charged at us.
He sliced through its body with his sword, Isiel subdued it with magic as it struggled, and then Cassis’s attack severed its head.
No blood or fluid sprayed from the demonic beast’s wounds.
Only black smoke seemed to scatter.
It looked ominously poisonous.
I tried to recall the original story.
The demonic beasts were often mentioned as the cause of the world’s destruction.
However, I didn’t know what kind of beings they were.
That was natural.
After all, I was more of a spectator in the main story.
I just invested money in Grand Duke Luwin, the hero, and cheered for his success.
“…I don’t know.”
After dealing with another demonic beast that had jumped out at us, Cassis turned to me and Seiren and said,
“This won’t do.”
This won’t do.
My heart sank at those words spoken in his low voice.
I hadn’t known Cassis for even a year yet.
Nevertheless, I immediately understood what he meant by those words.
I grabbed him without thinking.
“Lord Cassis, no!”
“Sis, don’t.”
“I haven’t even said anything yet.”
I wasn’t the only one trying to stop him.
Perhaps their long friendship wasn’t a lie after all – Isiel also seemed to understand what Cassis meant by “this won’t do.”
But Cassis turned to look at the blood-soaked party hall and said,
“I need to go out and fight.”
“That’s reckless. We don’t even know what these creatures are. Approaching in this situation-!”
“But I’m a knight of the empire, and I have a duty to protect people.”
At those words, Isiel made a sound close to a sneer.
“If you’re a knight, you’re Luwin’s knight, not a knight of the Jackmüller Empire.”
Because this country has done nothing for you.
But I knew Cassis would leave to save people.
Because Cassis…
“Sorry, Isiel. Please take care of Irina.”
“…”
“Irina, you must not get hurt.”
“I can protect sister, so Your Grace should worry about yourself.”
Cassis gave Seiren a slight smile, then turned and ran off to save others.
Because Cassis was born a hero, it was natural for him to be desperate to save everyone.
Whether he was portrayed as the cold Grand Duke of the North in the original story, or whether he was actually a kind Grand Duke in reality, that didn’t matter.
He was destined to rush to the frontlines whenever battle broke out, to protect everyone.
“What’s wrong with him?”
Isiel sighed, and Seiren, who had been sticking close to me, kicked off her high heels.
She stood on the floor with feet barely covered by thin stockings.
“Now it’s my turn.”
“…Alright.”
Seiren closed her eyes briefly, then opened them with a flash.
Her eyes glowed bright blue.
I stared at Seiren in a daze.
* * *
“I’m not weak.”
I nodded slowly.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the shocking scene unfolding before me.
I see.
I thought she was inferior because she was weaker than Rose, but our Seiren…
KUWAAANG!
“Damn it, why won’t you die!”
POW! POW! POW! POONG!
“Ha! Finally eliminated it!”
Seiren wiped her forehead with hands that looked fragile enough to break at a touch.
A droplet of blood from an unknown source smeared across the back of her hand.
She turned toward me and Isiel with a pure smile.
Her silver-white hair swayed.
“Sister! I eliminated one!”
“Mmhmm.”
“It’s safe now, you can come out!”
Isiel and I emerged from our hiding spot in the corner, our faces pale.
Our current goal was to safely escape this mansion while Cassis was busy saving people.
At first, I thought it would be difficult, but seeing Seiren’s impressive performance, it seemed we might be able to escape easily.
“How much further until we can get out of here?”
“Past that room there’s a corridor. Following it will lead to the central hall.”
“Then let’s go!”
As we started moving again, we spotted another demonic beast in the distance.
Fortunately, it didn’t seem to have noticed us.
Isiel spoke in a lowered voice.
“Let’s leave quietly.”
“Okay.”
“Yes.”
As we moved stealthily, something strange caught my attention.
The demonic beast didn’t simply seem to have missed us.
More precisely, it appeared distracted by something else, paying us no attention.
“Ah.”
At the end of where the demonic beast was heading, I saw a familiar back of a head.
The brown hair that had been tied up in two high ponytails was now disheveled and half fallen.
The figure crouched on the floor, unable to move, was a young girl.
“Jane.”
It was someone I knew.
“Sister, we need to hurry. What are you looking- oh.”
Seiren, who had been urging me on, spotted Jane collapsed on the floor.
Seiren looked up at me and shook her head.
I bit my lip.
If only I had power, I would go protect her.
But now I was powerless and useless.
There was nothing I could do right now.
In this situation, all I could do was either quietly follow Isiel and Seiren to safety, or ask them for help.
But I knew they would have to risk their lives to save Jane.
Knowing that made it difficult to ask for help.
But as if reading my thoughts, Seiren furrowed her brow sharply.
“Oh, seriously!”
“*sniff* I’m sorry.”
“Just wait a moment! I’ll bring her!”
Seiren vanished in a flash.
She used her power on the demonic beast a few times, then half-dragged Jane back to join us. The demonic beast was stumbling around in confusion, crashing into walls.
“I blocked its vision with divine power for a moment. Now let’s hurry and run!”
Jane was still gripped by fear of the demonic beast.
She followed us with a tear-streaked face, trembling.
“I-I’m sorry. It’s my birthday, but I’m so sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for, Jane. Let’s escape safely. Can you do that?”
“Sob.. Y-yes, yes.”
“Which way should we go to quickly get out of the mansion?”
But Jane shook her head.
“It’s useless. Outside… outside there are people who look like demonic beasts eating people.”
Isiel and Seiren, who had somehow maintained their composure until now, turned pale.
“What did you say?”
