Although his father threw him to this desolated region, he still wanted to see what the man was like. He wanted to see what kind of person the Duke was, which made his subordinates unconditionally loyal to him like this.
“Clark, protect the kids. If the basilisk attacks, just run away. A single graze from its poison’s enough to kill anyone of you.” Lark shook off the hands that grabbed his clothes. “Prioritize your safety.”
After that warning, Lark stomped on the ground, his right foot digging through the soil upon impact. His entire body shot forward, blurring towards the hissing colossal serpent.
The basilisk opened its mouth wide and a string of poison shot towards Lark. His body blurred and the poison hit nothing but the ground. The area it hit sizzled as the poison soaked the ground.
Lark ran left and right, evading the poison strikes from the monster. He lifted a finger and a spear of lightning manifested itself before him, before shooting towards the body of the basilisk. The lighting spear struck the thick carapace, creating a small burnt mark. The beast angrily hissed as it shot forward, its mouth wide open as it attempted to swallow Lark whole.
“That’s it, open your mouth.” Lark grinned. Another spear of lightning manifested itself before him. He grabbed it, and using the entire momentum of his body, threw it towards the opened mouth of the basilisk. It was a direct hit.
For a moment, the basilisk froze, as though petrified. It soon regained itself and shook its head angrily. Its slit-like pupils dilated as rage filled its very eyes.
“Young master! What are you doing?!”
At the corner of his eyes, he saw the guards running towards him. Lark clicked his tongue. He did not want to waste the little mana he had on this, but he had no choice. He channeled mana through his hands and punched the ground. A small wall of vines sprouted, blocking the path of the guards. Lark was sure that if he did not do this, those guys would still rush to his rescue despite the danger the task entailed.
“I’ve got very little mana to spare,” said Lark. “Let’s finish this quickly.”
Lightning crackled on Lark’s feet. His body blurred and his figure disappeared, only to reappear right below the basilisk. A small cyclone started forming on Lark’s right foot. He twisted his entire body and kicked the basilisk. The giant snake screeched in pain upon impact.
Another kick connected to its head, sending it flying backward along with half its body. After a split second, the monster regained its balance and lunged at Lark. Lightning crackled on his feet and his figure disappeared. The attack of the basilisk struck nothing but the air.
Lark pulled out the short sword on his waist. He channeled mana through it, making it vibrate with very high speed. He kicked the ground and shot towards the basilisk. Using the momentum of his charge, he slashed at the giant serpent.
“Not enough.” Lark clicked his tongue. The cut he inflicted was shallow. Most of the damage was deflected by the basilisk’s thick carapace.
“Again.”
Lark’s body blurred through the battleground, making slashes left and right. Numerous cuts quickly formed on the basilisk’s body, its blue blood dripping down the ground. It hissed in pain as it started slithering back.
As it started escaping, arrows suddenly flew out from the direction of the village, hitting the injured serpent numerous times. Some of the arrows were deflected by the thick carapace, while several struck the wounds, inflicting some damage.
Looking at the village, Lark saw around a dozen men pulling their bows. They released arrows one after another despite their emaciated bodies. They looked like dead men walking with those skeletal frames, but their eyes blazed with vehement fury towards the giant monster.
After one last violent hiss, the basilisk slithered towards the forest, disappearing into the shadows.
“It’s severely wounded! Chase after it!” shouted a man with thick beard. Lark felt that he looked familiar. “Everyone! Follow me!”
The villagers started coming out of the broken gate, all holding bows and carrying quivers. They were all panting, as though just moving alone was excruciating.
“You’ll all die if you chase after it,” said Lark. Everyone halted in their tracks.
If possible, Lark would have finished the male basilisk back then, but his mana pool was almost empty after casting consecutive spells. It was regrettable, but his current body was unable to match up with his skills and experience. Fighting in such a state would be suicidal, even for him.
The villagers looked at each other. The one with bushy beard spoke. “If we don’t chase after it now, it’ll come back for us later once its wounds healed. We need to kill it now while its wounded.” He raised his voice. “Everyone, follow me!”
“There’re two of them,” Lark warned. The eyes of the villagers widened. “And inside that forest, you’ll be easy targets. Forget it.”
“Two of them?”
Lark nodded. “That one’s the male basilisk. We’ve found petrified trees on our way here. The female’s out there somewhere. If you go out now, you might come across it. You will all die.”
The last part of the statement made the villagers shiver.
“Two…” said the main with thick beard. There was a long pause. “That explains it. The reason why we suddenly encountered that damn monster when it’s supposed to be resting in its lair.” He clenched his fists. “Damn it!”
“The female’s a lot tougher than that one. Are there magicians among you here?” At Lark’s question, no one replied. “Then, it’ll be impossible for you guys to win against it.”
“Who are you?” carefully asked the leader of the group. “Why do you know so much about those monsters?”
Lark shrugged. “Just a lord of a small town. More importantly,” Lark looked at the direction of the kids. Upon seeing them, the villagers shouted one after another.
“My son!”
“Arthus, you damn rascal! Where did you go?!”
“Thank God they’re alive!”
As Lark expected, these kids went out of the village on their own, without the consent of the adults. And he could understand why: The adults were clearly famished, and it would not even be surprising if they suddenly dropped dead here. At such state, it would be impossible for them to hunt for wild animals and procure food for the village. So, in their stead, the kids went out and tried hunting.
Lark disable his magic and the wall of vines receded to the ground. Arthus came running and leaped towards the chest of the bearded man.
“Uncle Valak! I’m really glad you’re safe!”
Instead of a warm reply, Valak shouted. “You damn kid! Didn’t I tell you to stay in the village! But what did you do?! Not only you went out on your own! You also took all of the kids with you!”
Valak slapped the cheeks of Arthus. “You could have died! And those children too! Arthus, do you understand the consequences of your actions?!”
Arthus lowered his head. Everyone around them turned silent. “I’m… I’m sorry. But the villagers…”
Valak sighed. He bit his lips and stared at Arthus. The kid was close to tears.
“Jalak and I caught some rabbits. Come, eat.” Valak placed a hand on Arthus’ shoulder. He looked at Lark and his companions. “It’s not much, but please come with us to eat. That’s the least we could do for our saviors.”
Lark smiled at this. “Impressive. The entire village is dying of hunger and you still wish to share what little you have to those that saved you. I’m not sure if its foolishness, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is the resolve.” He looked at Clark. “Take out the rations and the animals we’ve hunted. We shall revive this dying village.”
The guards started unloading the bodies of the animals they’ve hunted a few hours ago. Three boars, five rabbits, and a small deer. The villagers stared upon seeing this.
“This should be more than enough to feed the entire village.” Lark nodded.
“Y-You’re giving it to us?” Valak could not b
elieve his ears.
“That’s the purpose of this visit,” said Lark. “We’ve heard from the kids that this village is dying of hunger. We didn’t really expect to encounter the basilisk so soon though.”
Valak looked at Arthus. The kid grinned and nodded.
“H-How could…” Valak choked the words out. He willed back the tears from coming out. He was afraid that his fellow villagers would succumb to their banes, but with these much food, they’ll be able to feed everyone. “How could we repay this…”
A hissing sound was heard from within the forest. Everyone became on guard as they stared at the direction the sound came from.
Lark frowned. “Now’s not the time to discuss such things. You have carts or horses in this village?”
Valak shook his head. “Three carts, no horse.”
“That should be enough.” Lark signaled the guards to put the animals inside the village. “It’ll probably take several days before the male basilisk recovers. After eating, you guys need to leave the village.”
Valak frowned. “Evacuate? This village had existed for almost a century. This is the place of our birth, our grave. We cannot leave.”
Lark and Valak locked eyes with each other. “You will all die if you stay here. That monster will come back eventually. You’re just lucky that the female’s staying at its lair. But what if it suddenly decides to go out?”
There was deafening silence. The villagers that listened to the conversation wore conflicted expressions.
“But even if we leave, where can we go?” Valak was exasperated.
“Come and live in my domain. Come to Blackstone Town.” Lark’s declaration took everyone by surprise. “I am the Lord of that place. Right now, the town’s undergoing drastic developments. We have the resources, but the meager population’s unable to accommodate the amount of work needed to be done.”
“Blackstone Town,” repeated Valak. “If you’re the Lord, then… a noble.”
“Does that matter?” Lark wryly smiled. “I won’t coerce you, but I am giving you this choice. You can either remain here and eventually become food for the basilisks or move to my domain and become my citizens. You have until tomorrow to decide. For now, we’ll stay here in this place and help revive this village.”
Chapter Twenty-One
[City of Bones – the Duke’s City]
A man was hanged upside-down in the underground chamber of the Lord’s Castle. Numerous cuts riddled his muscular body, with several bruises here and there. Half his face was swollen, and a fresh burn mark ran across his chest.
“Not going to talk, huh?” snarled the Tormentor. He slapped the whip onto the man’s face, and a crisp sound reverberated. The torches on the walls flickered for a moment, casting numerous shadows in the room.
The Tormentor continued whipping the man, asking questions in between breaks. Still, the captive refused to speak.
Duke Kelvin silently sat on his chair as the interrogation continued. Minutes passed. He spoke, “Enough. Take those out.”
The Tormentor bowed. “As you wish.” He said to his subordinates, “You heard the Duke! Take it out!”
Soon, several men came inside the chamber, carrying two unconscious women with them. They placed the two in front of the man. The eyes of the tied captive almost popped out of its sockets upon seeing them. His face turned pallid, before becoming livid from rage.
“Y-You! Touch them and I’ll kill you! I’ll fucking kill you!” For the first time, the man finally spoke. Hearing this, the Tormentor and Duke Kelvin grinned.
“Do it,” said the Duke.
The Tormentor grabbed an axe nearby and wordlessly struck the hand of the younger of the two women. A loud thud was heard which was quickly followed by a scream filled with pure agony. The woman whose hand was cut off instantly woke up and rolled on the ground. The blood on her severed arm flowed out profusely, blanketing the ground.
The other woman, on the other hand, remained unconscious.
“Bastard! What did you do to my daughter! I’ll kill you! I’ll fucking kill you!” He tried unshackling himself, but failed.
“I’m not going to repeat this,” said Duke Kelvin. “For every minute that you refuse to speak, we’ll cut off a limb from these two. Once we’re done with them, we’ll feed them to the hounds outside. I’m getting tired of waiting for you to open your damn mouth. This is your last chance.”
The face of the man twitched. He looked at the woman sobbing on the floor, then at the Duke. “Promise me.”
The Duke raised a brow.
“Promise me that you’ll set them free after I tell you everything,” said the captive.
“Of course.” Duke Kelvin smiled. He said to the Tormentor, “Stand back.”
The Tormentor lowered the axe on the ground and stepped aside.
“So, tell me. Why did you infiltrate this city?” The torches cast a shadow upon the Duke’s stubby body. “There’s no point in denying it. We know that you’re all soldiers from the Marcus Duchy.”
The man hesitated for a moment. He swallowed. “This city isn’t our original goal. Our group’s true destination is Blackstone Town. A town located in the far east, several days away from the Lion City.”
“Blackstone Town?” repeated the Duke. It was an unknown town that was not even listed on the map.
The man, still tied upside-down, nodded. “Yes. We’re headed to that place after receiving our orders from the Silver War God.”
“So, you’re telling me that you just happen to pass through this city on your way to that place?” said the Duke.
They captured about fifty soldiers a week ago. After some interrogation, they found out that they were all from the Marcus Duchy, under the direct command of Lui Marcus – the Silver War God that defeated the Empire.
Just like this man, the other soldiers refused to speak despite the tortures they went through. Most of them died without uttering a single word despite the atrocious defilements and pain they were subjected to. Still, there were some of them that opened their mouths to speak in the end. And this man was one of them.
Luckily, this was a city the man grew up in. Using his family that resided in this place, they were able to successfully coerce him to spill the beans.
The story of this man corroborated the story of the other soldiers.
“Yes.” The captive coughed out blood. “We’re tasked to protect the Young Master. The second son of Duke Drakus.”
This was the third time he heard of this story, but Duke Kelvin still found it funny regardless. He knew very well of how the second son of the Marcus Family was thrown away by his own father. He could not see the reason why Lui Marcus bothered sending soldiers to protect that brat. To him, it was nothing but a waste of resources.
The criteria for choosing the successor to the throne is clear enough. I don’t see a reason why the Marcus Family bothers to protect that brat. Out of all the candidates, he has the lowest chance of winning the competition. I’m sure even Duke Youchester knows of this.
Duke Kelvin was not sure if it was a stroke of luck, but he somehow managed to annihilate the soldiers that were supposed to protect that brat. It was definitely a foolish decision for them to pass through his city on their way towards that place.
A shadow appeared next to the Duke.
“My Lord, the Information Merchant has submitted his reports.”
The Duke nodded. “Give it to me.” He received a thick pile of parchment. After skimming through it, he licked his lips and grinned. “Good work. With this, we no longer have to force these guys to spill out everything. Gather your men. I have a task for everyone.”
“As you wish.” The shadow bowed then disappeared.
“I’ll be returning to my room,” said the Duke. “Burn the bodies. Make sure there are no traces of it.”
Duke Kelvin walked towards the exit. Hearing the statement from the Duke, the captive shouted. “Wait! You promised that you’ll free my wife and daughter! You’ve pro
mised!”
His desperate voice resounded.
The Duke chuckled. “Did I?” He looked at the Tormentor. “Did I give a promise like that?”
The Tormentor, still wearing a leather mask, shook his head. “No, My Lord.”
Rage filled the eyes of the captive. He spat out, “You fucking pig! You promised! You fucking promised that—”
A fist struck his face and he immediately shut up. The Tormentor giggled. “You’re the toughest of the soldiers we’ve captured this week. As expected of the Captain.” He grabbed the man’s hair and pulled it out, removing several strands. The man groaned in pain, his face fully swollen. He could hardly open his eyes from all the blood and wound.
The Duke took one last look at the Captain of the captured soldiers. “I’m no demon. So, I’ll give you a parting gift.” He said to the Tormentor, “Kill the wife and the daughter in front of him. Make sure he sees everything.”
The Duke chuckled. “It’s nice, isn’t it? To see the end of your most precious family.”
Amidst the shouts and curses. Duke Kelvin went out of the underground chamber.
***
Inside his room, Duke Kelvin once again read through the documents. He got to admit that he never expected the Information Merchant to gather this much information in just a few weeks. With this much, he would be able to come closer to his goal of winning the competition for the throne.
“As expected, Lui Marcus will the toughest one,” he mumbled. “Rumors say that he’s as strong as five knights combined.”
He slammed the documents onto the table. “Black Midas.”
Around a dozen shadows appeared inside the room. They all knelt down in unison. “Yes, Lord.”
“What do you think? Can you take down the Silver War God?”
The leader of Black Midas replied, “It should be possible, My Lord, but—”
“—But what?”
The leader paused. “We’ll probably lose half of our men in the process. The Silver War God’s capable of both martial arts and magic. He’s literally a Knight and a Sage at the same time. It’ll be impossible to assassinate him without great casualties.”
Legend of the Arch Magus- The Expansion Page 14