As Draven takes Silas's lifeless corpse back to his family, miles away from the site of their clash, Beau confronts a tornt unimaginable in the gloom of a cavern.
"ARRRRRGGHHHH!!!" His screams reverberate through the cavern as worms burrow into his brain, pilfering his mories by force.
"Hahaha!" Opposite the bleeding man, Circe stands with a sinister grin etched on her face. "Don't resist; it only heightens the agony."
"AAAAAHHHH!!!" Beau can neither think nor speak; only desperate screams escape him, a visceral plea for death.
Circe strokes his hair, savoring his pain as if it were a rare delicacy. "You might try to resist, but no one ever has succeeded... no one can keep secrets from ."
Beau's screams endure for hours; his body kept to its limits by Circe's dark magic.
Soon, two hooded figures enter the cave and find her. "Circe," one speaks in a respectful tone while casting a sorrowful glance at the bloodied Beau.
"Where is Ivar?" she inquires.
"He's on his way; Cyrus went to notify him about the Golden Lion," Varren replies, also looking at Beau but with a curious expression. "What have you learned about him? Are there more Golden Lions as formidable?"
"No, he seems to be the strongest since his father's recent died," Circe answers, her eyes and smile taking on a sinister glint. "But forget those Golden Lions; you won't believe what I've discovered…"
"What is it? Spit it out!" Varren grows impatient.
Circe rolls her eyes and kicks at Beau's body. "This one and his friends traveled far from ho in search of that Lion King... he had fled, abandoned his family…"
"Why would he do such a thing? Aren't Golden Lions naturally close to their families?" Varren asks, puzzled.
"What causes any man to lose their senses?" Circe smirks maliciously. Seeing Varren's confused look, she laughs. "A beautiful woman, of course! Hahahah…"
"You don't an to tell this beautiful woman…" Varren's expression turns expectant.
Circe kicks Beau again. "This wretch never saw her personally, but all descriptions from the Lion King indicate that she is the most beautiful and perfect woman in the world…"
"The Princess!" the other hooded figure exclaims.
"It's very likely, Cayden…" Varren remarks.
Circe nods. "And there's more…"
"Don't keep us in suspense, damn it!"
"Hehe…" Circe giggles. "That Lion King was living with this perfect woman in a very secluded place… a forest… near the port where we landed."
"There???" Varren is taken aback and quickly thinks sothing over. "But that Fox Lady… damn!"
"Yeah, I bet she knew more than she told us. After all, how could two such interesting individuals be in her area without her noticing?"
"That cunning fox!" Cayden exclaims, annoyed.
"Well, at least we know the princess isn't with the Butterfly Master…"
"But the Golden Lion remains a problem; if he's with the Princess, we'll have trouble winning the fight…"
"They are separated now; this is our chance!"
"Yes, we must return quickly... do you have the na of the place?"
"I don't know the village, but it's near a town… Lakeview is the na."
"Let's go!"
_
Three days later.
Arthur spends peaceful days at Josephine's ho, simply enjoying ti with his family and, of course, growing stronger due to the Astral Resonance with Nyx and Margaret.
anwhile, the captain of the guard continues his diligent efforts to uncover what happened to the Viscount's family, and his ssengers finally arrive in Quilveron, the largest city in the northern part of the Lumindell Kingdom and also the ho of Emilio's father, Count Whittlee.
Quilveron vastly outshines Lakeview, starting with the city gate, crafted from enchanted stones and red steel, three tis larger than Lakeview's gate. The city walls are also thrice as high and more fortified than those of the small town.
The ssenger from Lakeview's captain must provide sufficient information and docunts to pass through the strict city guard, and then a private escort takes him through the bustling streets of the city.
Another difference between Quilveron and Lakeview is that the poorer areas of the city are all outside the walls, while inside, only nobles and the wealthiest families of commoners, such as privileged servants of the major noble families, are allowed.
The Lakeview guard is struck by the sheer number of distinguished nobles and formidable warriors thronging the streets of Quilveron. The city's architecture is also breathtaking, with grand mansions everywhere and towering structures built from the sa polished stones as the walls.
Passing through the first areas, they reach the wealthier section of Quilveron, a vast area with public gardens and beautiful trees everywhere. Soon, they arrive at the heart of this district, a grand mansion five tis larger than Josephine's, with high walls of shimring stone and golden gates.
Hundreds of Count Whittlee's private guards are present, but no one takes the ssage from the Lakeview guard; after all, no one wants to bring such bad news to their leader.
Thus, the poor Lakeview guard is handed over to the Count's private servants, who escort him through the luxurious mansion. Inside, many servants bustle about, and various nobles are present, most of them serving in so capacity while only a few are actually from the Whittlee family.
The ssenger catches the attention of the more astute nobles due to the insignia on his armor, and the curious follow him to a large hall where many people are dining at a table stretching over fifty ters.
Dozens of people at the table indulge in high-quality food and drink, discussing various topics. The coming and going of servants is frequent, but so guests notice the appearance of guards at the scene.
At one end of the table sits a man in his fifties with short, graying hair. Despite his age—several centuries—his body is muscular, and his gaze sharp.
He is the first to notice the Lakeview guard with his eagle eyes, and his expression becos slightly concerned. "What has that fool done this ti…" He sighs, and one of the many won around him also looks concerned and sad.
"Your Grace," one of Count Whittlee's personal guards approaches and bows respectfully. "A ssenger from Lakeview…"
"Let him approach," the Count instructs, wiping his mouth with a napkin as he signals to the guard. "Co on."
All eyes at the table turn to the ssenger, who walks clumsily and nervously towards the Count and kneels, trembling. "Your Grace… this servant… I'm sorry… there are bad news…"
"Of course they are bad news," the Count sighs, disappointed. "Nothing good ever cos from that useless son…"
As the Count speaks, nearly everyone around him shares the sa reaction: looks of disdain. Except for a woman around fifty years old, with graying hair and a naturally kind deanor. She looks solely sad and concerned.
"Your grace…" The guard, also looking sad and apologetic, hands the letter from the captain of Lakeview to the Count.
"Let see what ss my son has gotten into this ti," the Count says as he begins to read the letter, while everyone looks on curiously.
His expression starts out impatient but softens quickly, causing the kind lady to beco more concerned. "What happened to him? Is it sothing very bad?"
"He's dead," the Count replies in a neutral tone, yet not entirely cold—there is a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Tsk, he managed to get himself killed in a town full of farrs..."
"Dead??" The gentle lady is clearly shaken, a small tear appearing at the corner of her eye.
"Lucia..." The Count looks at her with a sympathetic expression.
"I'm okay," she tries to appear strong and holds back her tears. "It's my fault… I wasn't a good mother… I failed in teaching him to be a better man…"
"Don't bla yourself," the Count says gently. "You did your best. Emilio just... lacked sothing, that's all."
While Lucia tries to compose herself, a man in his thirties near the Count glances curiously at the letter. "How did he die? Our enemies?"
"Or maybe he fell down the stairs drunk..." Another younger-looking man comnts mockingly.
"Tobias!" the Count exclaims in a reprimanding tone, silencing the young man. Then, the Count looks back at the letter and glances at Lucia with a concerned expression. "It's..."
"I need to know!" she asserts firmly. "Please, I can handle it."
"Hmm…" The Count hesitates for a mont but finally speaks. "The captain of the guard in Lakeview isn't sure what exactly happened, but it was... a massacre. No survivors in the house."
"What?"
"A massacre?"
"No one was spared?"
"What a ss…"
A commotion quickly rises among everyone at the table, with looks of concern and anger all around.
Lucia can no longer hold back her tears. "Everyone dead? My grandchildren? No one..."
"Lucia…" The Count can't help but beco emotional seeing the sadness of his wife. "I'm sorry."
*BAM*
The young man who inquired about the deaths slams his fist onto the table in fury. "Who dares attack our family?! Emilio might have been useless, but he was our brother. We cannot let this go unanswered!"
"I agree," a well-appearing woman in her thirties stands up with a determined expression. "We need to find out who did this."
"Hmm…" The Count adopts a thoughtful look. "I can't imagine who would target Emilio. Everyone knew he wasn't my favorite son… I too want to know who did this, but I can't leave the city right now…"
"Leave it to us," the first man says, his sharp eyes glancing at the young woman in front of him. "Eliza, will you join in Lakeview to sort this out?"
"You bet so, brother!" Eliza nods.
"Alright," the Count nods and turns to the other young man, Tobias, who has remained quiet. "Tobias will go with you."
"Father???" Tobias objects, but the Count gives him a cold look, and the young man nods in resignation.
"I want to go too," Lucia speaks with a shaken tone.
"Are you sure?" the Count asks.
"Mm," she nods, still with tears in her eyes. "I need to at least give Emilio and his children a proper funeral… it's the least I can do as his mother."
"Fine," the Count looks at his three children, especially at Eliza and the other man besides Tobias. "Eliza, Preston, take care of Lucia and sort this out."
"Yes, father!" Preston nods respectfully.
"Let's head to Lakeview right now," Eliza signals to the servants as she passes the Count and takes the letter from the Lakeview guard.
The Count's third child, Tobias, follows his siblings with a sullen expression on his face, and closely behind them, Lucia.
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