Rustle... Crunch...
Those were the only sounds that echoed into Countess Elanor's ears as she walked through the dense forest of the very Island that the Smod family were said to have been to, four weeks prior.
"That girl... Her placid face is just too thick to tell what she is actually thinking..."
She had always had her suspicions, because something was off with the way she didn't want to communicate with her, even before leaving the palace.
Clunching her cloak, she moved deeper into the dangerous woods in the late hours of the night. Although four weeks had passed since the Duchess returned alone and then locking herself up, she still had a few things to investigate by herself in here.
The reasoning is simple, even after one week, only the middle child had returned, changed back to how he was right before Aefia had appeared. It could be said that the only reason he had washed off that mentality, was because he may have learnt about how harsh life was after getting to know Aefia in depth. But who knows? That depth wasn't even enough.
And if even he had returned like that, it could be said that the reason with three weeks passing and the daughter of the household didn't return... Was she killed? Choosing to stay away?
She wasn't too weak, she couldn't be killed unless she chose not to fight back, which she never does. She would never stay away, for this long. If anything, she would want to return as soon as possible. She hated strange and unfamiliar environments at every possible viewpoints.
Only one thing could be the answer, leading to the record of how many things have been happening following this sudden dissapearance.
She took her own life. And is now graved.
So Elanor had to go the furthest extend and investigate something closely. But when she was supposedly there to confirm that she was indeed dead, she was met with the fact that the grave was slightly uprooted. And to think, the writing onto the tombstone was... Scarred with blood as if it was supposed to not be there but she couldn't do anything to rip the name off.
There were footsteps and a few blooming red flowers on the ground. It was made with magic and it may or may not have lead to the dense forest. So with the curiosity causing her to walk into the danger zone, she was officially on a mission.
On the way, she had passed by the woman with the angel wings, made out of marble which had been painted red. It was the same blood from the grave and on the surface of the woman's arms. This made her even more concerned... That the blood had been embedded to life with resin.
"That's just... Insane! Are they psychos?!"
She walked over to the statue with her hand on the hilt of her sword. With a swift movement, she had shattered the entire statue.
"Let the dead stay in peace!... Oh my god! Common sense anyone?"
She felt like cursing, as she watched the blood still imprinted onto the marble, suddenly turn liquid again and then evaporate.
"Wait... What?"
Then, the sudden shift in background activities caught her off-guard. But before she knew it, she was stumbling backwards with the feeling of being followed.
She made a run towards the dense forest again, already aware that she was being hunted by a few... Unpleasant parties.
She was breathless and almost stumbled against twigs while running, but she couldn't keep it up, so she helplessly fell forward. With her remaining strength, her instincts flared and she stood up again.
Whose body was I even trying to find?
Elanor thought while leaning against a massive tree trunk and clasping her mouth with paranoid eyes. But once they fell shut due to exhaustion, her awareness dropped. Then a hand slammed at one side of her head, and she used it as a support to keep herself from falling further down. Wrapping her own forearms around it.
"Hey... Don't fall asleep at times like this..."
It sounded like a familiar voice was echoing into her ears, she slowly smiled and forced open her eyes. But the scene in front of her was too shocking for her not to shout.
"Seraphina?!"
Her features were a bit different. Her face was pale like a ghost, due to the moonlight, and her eyes glowing crimson, not deep, it was a brilliant and bright red. Then, she was wearing formal clothing, all white, but splattered with blood and a few debris like ashes.
There was a smile at her lips and a few red droplets at the side of her face, but it wasn't hers.
Then, the most unbelievable thing, her hair was longer and let off, as it swayed with her movements. She looked even more striking, and more dangerous. She looked like the human form of a mythical creature brought alive.
However, unknowingly, the sound drew the unpleasant parties towards their area yet again.
Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!
Elanor looked at Aefia as a sign of help, and the only way that Aefia reacted was a single blood stained index finger at her lips. She moved her hand away from the side of her head, then moved towards the unpleasant party. She had her placid smile still at her face, her crimson gaze far more defiant then what she would usually showcase. At this point, she looked more like a humanoid beast.
As the party approached, it came into a much clearer view that they were a group of five people, all men, and all robbers. They lived off completely like this, chasing people into a helpless place and then taking away anything they could. In this scenario, Elanor was the target... Although she knew how to fight.
"Countess... Why didn't you choose to fight back?" She asked after a short while as the group approached closer through multiple directions. Surrounding them.
"I didn't have the strength. I didn't even rest before coming here." Eleanor replied.
"That is not a proper answer." She frowned back.
"But thanks... For leading them into my den. They have been a problem for a long time now." Her head lifted to look at the person who stepped forward first.
"Hey look! There are two of them!"
"Yeah! Two of them noble-looking and beautiful!"
"And this new one looks like it is a helpless little princess from a certain kingdom!"
"I want to steal from that helpless one first!"
"Hey! We all get our shares after we rob her 'sky-reaching tower'!"
All five laughed, but she only replied with silence. Before long, she raised her voice, narrowing her bright crimson eyes. "How are you so sure I am helpless? Is it because I have blood on me?"
"Isn't it obvious? Any women with pretty faces are helpless!"
"Wrong... They are only naive..."
"Like you know anything!" One shouted while stepping forward, where she was standing. "Say this... Give us whatever is the most expensive and we will let you two alone. And don't try to fool us... We can distinguish between cheap and expensive."
"Oh really? You think I am that easy to deal with?" Aefia replied while placing a hand under her chin with a pitiful gaze. "Because what if I told you I don't have an expensive thing... I am here for a certain other reason."
"Well that brooch of yours is expensive! Hand it over!"
As expected, they started to get irritating.
"Sorry... Like I said. I have certain other reason for appearing here..."
Enraged, the man tried to yank the red butterfly out of her collar. But instead, he had been met with a terrible fate for messing with her. She was never a person to end everything peacefully. She was more like a person who could burn an entire empire down if someone made her do it.
Splat!
With the swift movement of her finger, she sliced through the man's throat and watched as he helplessly fell to the ground. Elanor watched from the distance as Aefia licked her index finger where a sharp blade was taped between her middle and pointer finger.
"This one... Such a waste of life. Ha! Luckily I have been the one chosen for this role now!" Aefia let out a savage grin of success as she kicked at the dead body. " Now... What was that talk about me being helpless again?"
Her remark sent shivers down every other group members' spines as they stepped back. "Oh? Are you guys retreating? I am not quite done yet..." She asked with her smile dropping into an innocent face.
"Uh... Well now that you have killed the leader... We are free and we can now live a good life!" One shouted while staggering. "So... Uh... You have a good life too! Thank you!"
However, just as he was about to retreat, a knife hit him square on the head and he dropped to the ground.
Looking back, it was Countess Elanor who had shot it. She continued to move forward to the others' positions. However, she didn't run behind either one of them.
"Elanor... Step back." Aefia commanded while staying faced away from her back. With a short moment of silence, she pointed her three fingers to the ground and watched as three hounds approached and knealt to her presense.
"Bring me their heads." She ordered them. They all agreed to her single command and ran behind the three seperate victims. Within seconds, the echoes of the last men were heard. As both of the humans still present were used to these scenarios, none of them flinched at the sound, but rather, stayed put without a single expression.
***
Strangely enough, I had already known that Elanor of all people would come looking for me.
I had only used her to do a certain task for me, and she used me in return, marking out our alliance as dead as soon as our individual missions were complete. The eldest daughter of the Count dead and the Count executed. Then the role of Elanor becoming a Countess.
After my side of the mission had also been fulfilled, I simply cut off all sorts of communication with her. Knowing how she is dangerous and equal in level to me, I knew I wanted to escape without anyone trying to find me out. But looking back now, was I that obvious?
Of course, she may have just been curious when she saw my grave uprooted. But still... Why would she even want to travel such long distances to see my grave?
There is a limit to how much someone can ask for from another person. And to be greedy enough to look out for a dead body. It is laughable... People here really are a fool.
I was thinking for a long time now, ever since two weeks ago that I had come out. That I really wanted to head over and visit the specific Guardian realm which I was ought to visit now that I was the Guardian of Death myself. I was then planning that right after that, I would head back to the Smod empire and let known of my presense to catch the Torture Cell.
Of course, my reawakening was unexpected... But now that I look back, I guess it isn't all that bad since I can take care of those I wanted to protect, with a much bigger authority.
But then also... Silence is dead.
And ultimately, my people are safe.
However, something was still bothering me...
You see... There was a rivalling empire who really wanted the power to this Empire. And so, they were said to have used the Count as their spy. Particularly, they had brided the Count that they would shelter him and his family in case they were discovered. And given that now... The Count was dead... They have been targeting someone in specific lately.
The middle child, Lewis.
After hearing that this was the situation now, I regret having killed myself. Furthermore, I didn't have the power left to deal with everything. So what if... I protected the Empire as a shadow protector now?
That's why I had to lure Countess Elanor into this.
I had to set multiple baits for her to come here, knowing too well she was smart and she would know exactly 'who' was sending her those miscellaneous letters in the middle of the night.
But here is the thing... I didn't deliver it by myself. I took the help of my little... Definitely. Not. Abused... Spirits. Too bad for them... I was the Guardian of Death now and I could see ghosts!
I forced them everyday to go and do the following... Or I would force them to their spirit realm.
"Lucky I even got that ability!"
And those spirits have now become my own, personal, loyal, chaperone.
Because I currently resemble something like how a Guardian of Death would look like on a daily basis, they fear me. Honestly, I enjoy it. I have always loved being feared. To the point that when I walked through the streets, people would slam their doors shut with the fright that I was about to kill them.
And... Most importantly... I wanted to know why Elanor was trying to know me better for an agonizingly long time now. It's as if... She might just want me to become her dog.
Then again... SHE HAS THAT AUDACITY??!!
Anyways. Now that she is finally here, I wanted to thank her for one favour though.
"Thank you for taking the bait and destroying the illusion." I spoke while keeping my smile still plastered at my face.
"That was an illusion?" Elanor asked back.
But honestly... Was it even an illusion to began with?
Because I have always felt something off about that statue. Until I had woken up from the dead, I realized that a literal body and soul was used to craft that marble sculpture. I can see spirits, and I saw the one binded to it too.
To free it, I needed to destroy it. But here is the thing... Lewis would have already known that it was me. I just don't know how up to this date. But I really want to research on this thing more in depth.
With Elanor having done it, if someone tried to investigate the damage closely... They could never suspect me of having done it.
And ever since I had provoked him with my death... I think he would make it his life mission to find out who killed the statue that held his dead favourite sister off the ground when she jumped.