Treasure Hunt (4)

For some reason, the sky was overcast with dark clouds from the morning, and the air felt heavy. The atmosphere in the castle was just as gloomy, and a sense of melancholy lingered.

'Even El Dante is no longer a sanctuary.'

Those who remembered the invasion from ten years ago trembled at the terrifying reality of that statement. Everyone knew how these malevolent creatures could exploit the weak parts of the human mind and slip inside. They feed on longing, emotions, memories, and human flesh and blood. In the end, they consume the very essence of existence.

How can one explain the discomfort of a creature that covets the place of a living person, devours them, and then imprints itself in their place?

The cuckoo lays its eggs in another bird's nest, subtly pushing the original eggs aside to shatter on the ground.

'That thing' was even worse—taking someone else's nest for itself, offering up siblings, killing parents, and eventually burning the entire nest down.

It was a creature of greed like no other.

Monsters, imperfect beings that desperately crave to wear the skin of others. They were called it because they had no name, no form, nothing identifiable. The first person to call them it recognized that their shapelessness and their ability to become anyone—family, friends, neighbours, loved ones—made them impossible to confine under any single name. It was the perfect label.

"Still, it's fortunate. His Majesty King Godric has postponed his inspection tour and stayed behind to take care of El Dante."

"That's true! We barely made it out alive."

The servants remaining in the castle praised the king's generosity and watched the departing figures of those leaving. They were the ones temporarily leaving since the decision had been made to close Ertinez Castle for the time being.

As nearly half the people departed, the surroundings became eerily quiet.

Of course, royal attendants, as many as those who had left, were now patrolling the castle, but their disciplined presence and quiet demeanour made it feel like they weren't even in the same space. Therefore, for the first time in a long while, Ertinez Castle was utterly silent.

But this calm would not last much longer.

'Tomorrow?'

Tomorrow was the last day of the trial of fasting. If the Count were to be found guilty, the castle's lockdown could last indefinitely, with no end in sight.

The servant's shoulders trembled as they envisioned the grim scene of a monster wearing human skin, roaming within the sealed castle.

To distract himself, the servant hurriedly carried a wooden bucket filled with laundry and moved quickly. Passing by the royal knights as they searched through the castle without hesitation, the servant couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that gnawed at him.

'No matter how necessary the measures are… it's strange to see outsiders ransacking the castle like this. It feels off.'

When the servant arrived at the laundry area, two people were already there, having arrived earlier. As they settled in, the servant overheard their low conversation.

"Half the hands are gone, and yet the guest count is still growing, so it's been a mad scramble, tsk tsk."

The tone was somewhat defiant, but the complaint, relatable to anyone in a labour-intensive job, had the servant involuntarily agreeing, his ears perked up.

"It's going to be a big mess…"

"The big mess already happened. The bad things have emerged."

"Not that."

Ignoring the sharp remark, a low voice continued in a whisper.

"With the confusion, the guards around the castle have been reduced, right? I've got a friend with a bad gambling habit—he can't let go of it no matter what. Because the gambling dens have been going bankrupt, he's been starving for cash."

"And then?"

"By the way, the young count made sure to keep this matter a secret so the villagers wouldn't fall into chaos. Since there wasn't enough space for the guests to stay, he said it had to be cleared out. So, how do you think this situation looks on the outside?"

How does it look? The servant unconsciously perked up his ears.

"Look. The nobles and treasures are overflowing inside the castle, but the security has become lax."

"Are you saying thieves might target this place? Who would be crazy enough to do that?"

"You don't know! Those who are drowning in gambling debts are already desperate. Even if they're not after the gold and silver treasures, they might still try to snatch up a candlestick or silver tray."

The servant nodded faintly. At first, he had doubts, but upon hearing it, it seemed possible.

Although noble exchanges had decreased due to the chaos, it wasn't uncommon for expensive silverware or ingredients taken out for entertaining guests to mysteriously disappear during such disorganized times. Those who pilfered from the storerooms were usually either thieves who had sneaked in or temporary workers hired by the castle.

"Anyway, it's best to be careful."

With that, they finished the laundry and left. The servant, too, left the laundry area, now carrying a fresh sense of unease in the midst of the ongoing confusion.

The people who had just been whispering unsettling things returned to the now-empty laundry area.

"What's the point of creating this anxiety?"

"Any situation needs a reasonable explanation and background. A little bit of incitement and confusion make it even better."

"Ha."

"And I'm thinking of assigning the role of a petty thief to you."

"Do you have something against me?"

"Just focus."

"Ugh."

***

That evening.

News came that an unidentified intruder had clashed with the knights on patrol and was now fleeing. Upon hearing this, Ferdinand jumped to his feet.

"Where is it?"

"Under the eastern wall! From the looks of it, he's just running away, so it seems like a petty thief. He probably came to steal from the warehouse. We chased him down and cornered him in a secluded warehouse…"

The knight gestured toward the window as he continued.

"The intruder knocked over a lantern while escaping into the warehouse, and the fire spread."

At those words, Ferdinand rushed to the window, and sure enough, he saw the flames burning brightly. After hastily preparing himself, Ferdinand dashed toward the source of the fire.

Perhaps the petty thief had either poor night vision or was unfamiliar with the structure of the Ertinez Castle, but fortunately, the warehouse was a small shed used to store bundles of straw, located in a secluded area. It would likely burn out on its own in a few hours, but there were too many eyes watching.

Due to the commotion in the dead of night, everyone in the castle was peering out to observe the situation, and the Young Count ordered the fire to be extinguished.

At that moment, the door of the warehouse creaked and shook. Ferdinand shouted.

"Is there someone inside?!"

Creeeak!

The door, nearly burned away by the flames, collapsed, revealing the interior, now filled with fire. Through the blaze, a dark silhouette stood tall. Something emerged from the flames.

A blackened figure dressed in golden armour. Upon closer inspection, the melted royal crest was visible. Despite all its flesh being burned and charred, it walked calmly out of the fire, opening its mouth wide.

And then, it stopped.

The sound of something colliding sharply.

Thud.

A strange noise, like bones rattling, made Ferdinand draw his sword without hesitation and sever its neck. The royal knight, who had collapsed, slowly turned to ash, mixing with the embers of the warehouse fire before scattering. In its place, only the melted and twisted armour remained. However, the dazzling armour's insignia was unmistakable.

"The knights of the hunting squad were all isolated… But the fact that a transformed one appeared means there's still one we missed, still wandering around freely, doesn't it?"

Those who had witnessed the moving horror began murmuring in anxiety. At that moment, a patrolman raised his voice as if he had discovered something.

"Wait, over there!"

It was a figure, barely visible in the dark, unless one focused their attention on it—a person dressed in black.

"An intruder!"

As the patrolman alerted everyone, they all raised their torches high. The dark figure, which had been stumbling slightly, moved as if searching for something to aid its recovery. Then, with a sudden lunge, it grabbed a small human passing by and began to move as if it were absorbing them.

"That's it! Don't let it escape, chase it down!"

Ferdinand's voice rang out, commanding and firm. The knights clanked in their heavy armour as they began to move forward.

At the same time.

"Now step aside, kid."

In the slightly open space of the broken tower, Raul, draped in a tattered black cloth, pretending to play a monster and swallow Vittorio, gripped his weapon in his hand.

"I need to finish this before the knights arrive."

Clink.

The heavy iron spear slid into his grasp. With a sound of wind cutting through the air, Raul turned the corner and plunged the spear into the royal courtier's back. The spear, like a beam of light, never missed its mark.

The tip pierced between the ribs, twisting and turning slightly from the movement of his wrist, widening the bones and shredding the organs inside.

Afterward, Raul withdrew the spear, and before the blood could even spread across the man's chest, he ripped the clothing from the corpse and wrapped his own cloak around it.

When the knights arrived a step too late, what they found was a grotesque sight. A creature, draped in tattered black rags, its organs spilling out, staggering to rise once more.

Then, a strange gleam appeared in its eyes as it began to recover.

And the all-too-familiar sound followed.

Click.

Clack. Click, click.

The sound of its kin calling.

It was one of their instincts—when they discover prey gathered in one spot, they call to their kin, clashing their teeth.

"They'll be coming soon, stay alert!"

The Nidum Tower soon erupted into chaos. Raul, pretending to be a clumsy, cowardly guard with his helmet pulled low, glanced toward the opposite direction of the commotion.

[Tonight, it will all end.]

Recalling the voice that had declared this, Raul quietly stepped away from the centre of the chaos. Thanks to that, tonight would be a night of nonstop activity.

First a thief, then a guard, and now it seems it was time to return as a knight. With the commotion caused at Nidum Tower, he had successfully kept the count's knights occupied. 

Now, it was time to deal with the king's search party.

***

As the entire castle was in chaos due to the disturbance, Leonardo and I immediately headed toward Rondine Tower.

And then, the moon revealed its full face, flipping over to expose its gaze.

[Sub-writer 1: Ah, a decoy operation. Classic.]

[Sub-writer 1: So the real one was you…]

Of course, once the action was taken, avoiding detection was inevitable.

From now on, it's a race against time.