I got pulled into the round table inside my mental void.
"The Duke of FlameBlood was a dictator, a conqueror. A cold-blooded monster. He even overthrew the kingdom and started a whole new governance under the name of justice." Deed started as his memories showed.
On the round table, a scene of flame and blood played out with the Duke of FlameBlood at the center. After the death of young Lady Erica in the original timeline, everything started to change...
I was kicked out by the FlameBlood. I was guilty of causing her death, supposed to be executed for failing to protect her, but at the mercy of Leon FlameBlood, I was dismissed. He said Erica wouldn't want someone she saved with her life to be executed. The Duke really wanted me to die.
However, I begged to be able to avenge her by any means necessary. They didn't trust me, so I proposed both a slave mark and a death row mark. That way, if I failed, I would die immediately.
Failure wasn't an option.
I was put under hellish training and torture under old man Fuhrer, who commanded an executor shadow army. That old monster is actually more than 300 years old, having been the head butler of FlameBlood since the founding of the kingdom. It was brutal. Perhaps dying was better, but I was already determined to avenge her.
Not even a year passed before I was strong enough to wipe out all the bandits related to Erica's death. Not just them, but their families and friends as well. I was blinded by revenge.
But then I discovered that the kidnapping attempts were actually plotted by both the Royalist and Aristocrat factions of the kingdom.
There were three main factions at the time: the Royalists, led by the royal family itself; the Aristocrats; and the Neutrals. FlameBlood is one of the oldest nobility families in the kingdom, yet they'd only ever been in the Neutral faction. With the long history of the FlameBlood family, even the royal families felt pressure from their overgrown power. They were also cautious of old man Fuhrer, since he's one of the Seven Wise Men of the world, representing the symbol of Wrath.
Knowing the FlameBlood's deep love toward their one and only princess, they planned to use her as a negotiation piece to strip their power away. The royal family planned to take her as a concubine for the Crown Prince, acting as "heroes" who saved her from the kidnapping. That being said, the Crown Prince was a known misogynist who only used women as playthings. The Aristocrats planned to use her as a toy under the disguise of bandits before handing her over to the royals. Each and every one of them was disgusting.
But their plan failed when Erica decided to sacrifice herself for me. They had to retreat instantly with an artifact, since her death was informed directly to the family through another artifact. That was also the first time I'd seen the Duke face to face. He was crying blood.
To make sure the plan went well, the bandits sent to kidnap her were very strong—some were actually knight captains of powerful noble families in disguise. After reporting everything to the FlameBlood family, both my death row mark and slave mark were removed. I gained my freedom.
That was also the beginning of a great civil war, a genocide, and the noble cleansing of the kingdom. Everyone connected to the plan was executed without mercy. Their whole bloodlines were never safe, including the women and children. With Duke Joseph at the center, the rage of the FlameBlood left an impact on the rest of the world.
As for me, with my freedom, I joined the FlameBlood Knight Order. My revenge wasn't finished. I was seeing it through to the very end. Even when the Duke of FlameBlood beheaded the King—the most powerful person in the kingdom. At that time, all that was inside my mind was rage... I couldn't really control myself until every single person associated with Erica's death was executed.
As time passed and the flame of war ended, I learned it was all because of that old monster, Fuhrer the Wrath.
"Alright, let's keep that as a story for another time." Zeroze said. "I can't hold the mental void any longer." He complained.
As I was pushed out from the mental void, Erica was there in front of me. The Duke and the head butler were already gone, while Leon was being dragged back to his room by his bodyguard.
"You really did change, didn't you, Deed?" Erica asked. "The old Deed would just say meeting the Duke is scary and I would rather avoid trouble. What if the Duke hates me, and so on." She exaggerated as she imitated the original Deed. "Even meeting the head butler before would make you get all shaky." She teased.
"I heard from Gramps that you were able to stand even though he used that aura of his." She said. "But to only watch Dad and that idiot brother spar? Gramps even tested you?" Erica pouted.
"What about you?" I asked her curiously.
"His aura? Of course I'm standing." Erica said while puffing her chest, showing her necklace. "It's because of this artifact that Gramps gave me."
"This is..." It was a familiar necklace. In the memories Deed showed me, this necklace broke the moment Erica died, and both the Duke and head butler arrived at the location instantly.
"Dunno, but Gramps said it will protect me. And I've been using this since I was a baby." She said. It was a red, ruby-like necklace shaped with a weird symbol similar to fire.
"It will protect you?" I asked.
"Yeah, he said that if I were to almost die, they would come there immediately to save me." She explained.
Deed, what is the meaning of this. I asked Deed with my thoughts.
They used an artifact sealing formation. When we were ambushed, the route we took was a trap. Deed explained.
How did they know? I asked further.
There's a traitor inside this manor. No... or rather a spy. They were never loyal in the first place. Deed said.
Who is it? I asked him.
Honestly, I don't know... it's a shapeshifter, it could be anyone. By the time I investigated it, all of the employees were acting weird and had lost their memories. They didn't have any memories of the week before Erica's plan to go on a trip to the Seven Sea City. Deed said.
You're quite sharp, aren't you, Null? Zeronoz said while smiling like a maniac.
One week, which means it was yesterday. The day we went back to the past. Zeroze said.
Perhaps it's fate. Roh said.
Your revenge isn't done yet, Deed. I reminded the Death Knight inside of me.
Realizing this, Deed manifested his full armor at the round table in the mind void. However, unlike the regular one, this form seemed to have flames burning and a bloodlike look to it.
Perhaps this is the real reason for us to return back to this time. Despite the fiery and savage look of the armor, Deed said it calmly. But I could feel his anger.
Deed is me and I am Deed. The flame of vengeance that I'd seen in Deed's memories was flowing inside me. I also felt like my body was lighter, but also hotter. It felt like my synchronization with Deed's body was getting stronger.
I looked toward Erica and she noticed my gaze.
How dare they kill her. How dare they plan to defile such an innocent soul. How dare they.
I felt like something within me was awakening.
"Deed, are you okay? Why are you looking at me so seriously?" Erica's voice disrupted me.
Calm down Null, it's not time yet. Zeronoz said. Honestly, he was the last person I'd expect to calm me down.
"It's nothing." I replied. "Feel free to hit me all you want." I told Erica, thinking it might calm the rage inside me.
"Hah?!" Erica was shocked. "Do you enjoy being hit by me that much?" She looked at me with disgust. "Are you one of those masochists too?"
"Too?" I asked her.
"Yes! Like my dad, that idiot brother, and even Gramps. They all were happy and smiling when getting hit by me." Erica said. "Wait, why are you concerned about that?"
"No, no, I'm not like that." I told her.
"Hmph, even if you're like that I don't really mind hitting you, since it's you." Erica said, shy and a bit red.
"No, no, I'm telling you I don't enjoy being hit." I said, denying her, though she didn't seem to listen.
"It's fine, Deed. You don't need to be shy. Since you enjoy being hit that much, this Lady Erica shall entertain you!" She said proudly as she rushed toward me.
Hahahahaha! Just enjoy it Null, have fun with it you damn masochist. Zeronoz said while laughing like crazy.
Isn't she just a sadist? Zeroze asked Deed, but he shrugged him off.
I agree... Roh said.
Guys, since when am I a masochist?!! I asked my other selves while on the ground, being hit repeatedly by a blushing Erica.
"Here, here! Do you like it if I hit you here, you peasant?" Erica said as she hit me with a wooden sword.
"Nooo, please stop! I can't hold it back anymoreee!" I said to her.
Don't make it sound weird, Null. Deed said, facepalming while being embarrassed.