Volume 2 Chapter 101 Quest： Solar Fantasy III
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Rufna stays behind with Christy and Maribel, and Kian leave Maribel’s mansion with Natra and Owl.
Not just within the residence, but the slopes of the Northern District and the narrow paths leading to the Main Castle’s gate had taken on a strange atmosphere.
It was due to the soldiers under Owl’s control.
They had all removed their visors, revealing red eyes and sharp fangs.
The use of dead flesh to reinforce their skin made their already unseemly appearance even more grotesque.
”…Are they Mr. Owl’s Blood Servants?”
”Yes. They can be classified as such. But they are different from ordinary Blood Servants.”
(Ordinary ones)
’It’s a servant to whom you have given a lot of your own magical power and cells. The servants… become similar to the parent vampire. Since you are of the human race, you cannot do the same as Tobal Cain. In that sense, it might be more accurate to call Natra and Rufna pseudo Blood Servants.’
(I don’t really understand)
’It’s a concept related to how vampires multiply and are killed. The assimilation and separation of souls. It can be said to be different from humans.’
’Glasses’ remained silent without providing further explanation.
Owl pointed towards the front castle gate.
”Liam and the others have been doing a good job of carrying out their missions.”
In front of the castle gate, there was a tall pile of earth sacs.
The shadows of soldiers, dirtied with mud and sweat, sat slumped down.
Around them stood Owl’s monstrous soldiers, as if watching to ensure that their prey did not escape.
Every time the dead soldiers let out a terrifying growl or their sharp-toothed mouths grated together, the soldiers trembled in fear, huddling close together.
Among the guards, there was a face that seemed familiar, one that had been well-cared for.
It was Liam.
He had been a guard under Maribel for a long time, and as a result, he was recently promoted and became the captain of the guard unit protecting the Main Castle’s gate.
He suddenly looked up, perhaps having heard the sound of footsteps.
Their eyes met, and there was a moment of silence.
After that, tears began to well up.
Liam pulled the arms of his sobbing guard friends around him and stood up, rushing over.
”Hey, you! Isn’t that Kian? When did you sneak into the castle?”
”Just a moment ago. What’s going on?”
Liam cast a fleeting glance at Owl’s face before shifting his wary eyes to the monstrous soldiers surrounding them.
”As you can see, not a single one of Lord Owl’s soldiers is human. I can’t shake the feeling of dread at what would happen if they turned on us.”
”They won’t attack,” Owl assured him. “As long as I’m here, I can suppress their instincts.”
Liam exhaled sharply. “…I must say, Lord Owl, I find that hard to believe. They’re monsters.”
”Right now, I’m on your side,” Owl said, his voice calm but firm. “So let’s not make this more complicated than it needs to be. If I wanted to kill you, I would have already. And more importantly, if I did, Her Excellency Maribel wouldn’t be pleased with me.”
Liam tightened his grip on his spear, his eyes flickering with doubt. “We don’t even know who to trust anymore. Is Lord Oswald outside the real one, or are you? For now… if Her Excellency trusts you, we’ll follow suit.”
Fatigue hung heavy in the air. Liam’s expression was drained, mirroring that of his fellow guards. Weariness had seeped into their very bones, an exhaustion that was more than just physical—it was the slow, grinding weight of fear and uncertainty.
Someone muttered, almost in a whisper, “I can’t take this anymore. I just want to go home… to my mother.”
Kian scanned their faces, taking in the despair before speaking with quiet resolve.
”I’ll negotiate with Sir Oswald. Depending on what he wants and how the talks unfold, we might be able to end this without bloodshed.”
”R-Really?” one of the guards stammered, eyes wide with a fragile hope.
Kian gave a small nod. “Yeah. I’ll head up to a vantage point over the castle gate. Sir Oswald should be arriving soon. I’ll negotiate on behalf of Her Excellency.”
”Please do,” Liam said, his voice barely above a sigh. “Once the sun rises, these flimsy sandbags will be useless. Sir Oswald’s holy sword will wipe us out in an instant.”
”That won’t happen,” Kian said, his tone unwavering. “We have our own strategies.”
No one spoke for a moment. The tension sat thick and unmoving.
”Stay here a little longer,” Kian finally said. Then, without another word, he turned and made his way toward the stone staircase on his right, his steps steady despite the storm brewing ahead.
Climbing up here leads to a structure where one can emerge onto a narrow high ground to throw arrows and stones down at the castle gate.
Natra followed Kian in silence, while the expressionless Owl trailed behind them.
After climbing the stairs for a while, he suddenly stepped onto the castle wall bathed in white moonlight.
His feelings were calm for the negotiations.
Kian slipped past Owl’s monstrous soldiers and made his way to the edge of the castle wall.
* * *
Oswald stood in the center of the wide stone-paved space in front of the main castle’s drawbridge.
Despite it being a moonlit night, his body seemed to shine with a golden hue.
As the bonfire illuminated the drawbridge area like midday, he slowly stepped forward, having spotted Kian’s figure on the castle wall.
There was no sign of Lieutenant Aisha.
She was probably maintaining the barrier blocking teleportation and continuing to suppress military bases like the Adventurers’ Guild and the Western Church.
Instead, 5 of Maribel’s head magicians lingered like shadows behind Oswald.
Among them was certainly the blonde head magician Natashas.
”Kian! So you did come after all! I suspected something when I received the report that Friedrich had arrived, but it’s unfortunate we are reunited in this manner.”
”Sir Oswald”
Kian responded, his hair tousled by the hot wind blowing from the castle gate.
”I have come to negotiate on behalf of Her Excellency Maribel, seeking to somehow resolve this conflict through discussion. Seeing as you’ve just returned Ms. Fringilla’s head, you may want for no further parley. However, I would first like you to clearly state your demands! Perhaps we can find common ground through dialogue.”
He waited for a response, thinking that they would probably give him a look of “what now?”
After being refused by Oswald, he thought he should at least hear his demands directed at him (here).
Probably, given his attitude so far, this would be his last invitation to Kian.
If Oswald wants Kian under his command, there’s room to expand the conversation from there.
However, contrary to expectations, Oswald readily nodded.
”Very well. If we can end the battle through discussion, there’s nothing better than that. It’s not that a cornered rat will bite the cat, but if the Owl over there summons the Bloodsucking Kind monsters lurking nearby to this fortress, it will bring immense damage not only to my army but also to the town streets.”
He muttered, “But first,”
His golden eyes suspiciously turned towards the head magicians standing behind him.
”What do you mean by ‘sent Fringilla’s head back’?”
”It means exactly that. According to Christy and Mr. Owl, Ms. Fringilla was sent as a messenger to you earlier, but she came back headless.”
”I haven’t heard such a story! What do you mean, Natasha?”
”────”
Natasha did not answer.
Instead, the head magician standing next to her opened her mouth arrogantly.
”Isn’t it a mistake? We haven’t seen Fringilla.”
”That can’t be true, Natasha. My cute knights (Bloodsucking kin) have witnessed it properly. Through their memories, I can see what happened at that time. ──Surely, you led Fringilla to the depths of the camp, right?”
Owl pointed at the head magician standing at the far right.
Oswald frowned and glared at her.
”Eh!? I-it wasn’t me! It’s a mistake──”
”Isaris, what do you mean? If you don’t tell the truth, I’ll have to hit you. If I lose control, those beautiful features of yours might end up with ugly burn scars, so answer carefully.”
”…! It—it wasn’t me! Lizzie killed her!”
The head magician spun toward the witch and shouted, “You haven’t seen Fringilla, have you?”
Oswald’s gaze snapped back to Natasha.
”Natasha?”
She hesitated, her voice quieter than before. “…When you were speaking with the adventurer guild master at the fortress, Fringilla arrived.”
”Hey, Natasha! Wait a moment!”
Natasha pressed on, her tone heavy. “I was guiding Fringilla from the castle gate to the back of the formation when she suddenly turned on us. Her voice was sharp, cutting. She called us ‘traitors.’ We tried to ignore her, but then… Lizzie—” She swallowed. “She lost control when Fringilla called her a prostitute.”
”That girl is the villain!”
Lizzie’s voice rang out, raw with fury. The head magician glared at Natasha, her face flushed with anger.
”I tried to hold back—I really did! But being called a prostitute? A money-grubber? Just for serving Princess Maribel?” Lizzie’s hands trembled at her sides. “Anyone would snap if accused like that!”
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply