As the morning passed, more knights from House Elathion were called to deal with the bodies.

  There were simply too many for the first group to deal with. Lord Draevan Elathion — head of House Elathion — had brought with him only five other knights in a mad rush to reach his daughter in time.

  Once Dulcina’s safety was confirmed — albeit under unsettling circumstances — word was sent back to the House’s ancestral castle in Kaldreach, ordering more men to arrive.

  Lord Draevan was not unfamiliar with death. He was a Jewelled Chosen, one with a Sapphire Core, and a veteran of many battles besides. The Lord had been on countless expeditions and seen men slain by monsters in countless horrific ways.

  He had also killed men with his own hands before, some of whom were even innocent. The bloody games of political intrigue between noble families did not allow for one’s conscience to stay clean for long.

  But this… This was not something he was used to.

  “Nineteen dead. Seven are— were our own,” his knight captain grimly reported. “Of those seven, six were squires, Bronze Core all. And then there’s the bastard traitor, Froliet.”

  One of his own knights. Lord Draevan closed his eyes in a moment of weakness.

  He had known the Froliet for years, ever since he was a boy. The man was both a friend and a trainer to his children.

  For how long had the knight been acting against House Elathion? How could Draevan have been so blind?

  “Some of our men went further up the road. We found the remains of Lady Dulcina’s entourage,” the captain grimaced. “Of the twelve that went with her, only five were loyal. They all died protecting her.”

  The Lord sighed. “Have them buried on House grounds and their families compensated. They gave their lives so that my daughter might escape. I will have them honoured.”

  The captain nodded. There was an uncomfortable expression on his face.

  “What is it, Lauren? Just say it,” Lord Draevan tiredly demanded. “I already have enough bad news today. One more cannot hurt.”

  “It is not bad news, per se,” the captain hesitantly said. “It’s just… The brigand captain. I knew of him, as do the men. They are… uncomfortable with his presence.”

  Uncomfortable was an understatement; his knights were avoiding the body of Gunther Stormcaller as if it were plagued.

  Draevan could not entirely blame them. The wounds on his body were unnerving — countless sinister blood-hued weapons protruding from the half-giant, having struck skull, heart, and spine.

  Any single one of those wounds would have been fatal on a regular Chosen, yet it appeared that the brigand captain had endured death a dozen times over before he finally fell.

  And those weapons… Draevan had never seen their like; Hissing, sanguine-drenched spears and swords. They had ‘evaporated’ as the morning passed, leaving no signs of them by the second hour, save for the bloodcurdling perforation they left behind.

  Even Draevan was unsettled. However…

  “It’s just a corpse,” he remarked.

  “Some of the men are not sure of that,” Lauren said, before hastily adding: “They are being superstitious fools, of course! We already confirmed the half-blood’s death. Although…”

  Lauren hesitated before continuing. “Gunther’s reputation is well known among the knight circles. The half-giant has killed countless Chosen from various noble families. Records of him surviving fatal blows are too numerous to be discarded. Most came from credible sources as well. And I… I can also personally attest to his vaunted endurance.”

  Draevan looked at his captain curiously. “You fought him before?”

  “I saw, not fought,” Lauren shrugged uneasily. “In my mercenary days, my band encountered his — a naval skirmish upon the Slaver Isles. The monster took a sword to his throat and just kept laughing. Choked a Spartan from the Red Islands to death even as she kept stabbing him in the chest. If I fought him then… I would not be here today, my Lord.”

  “And if you fought him now?” Draevan asked, his voice measured. “Before he died today, I mean. Do you believe your current strength would suffice?”

  Captain Lauren was a Jewelled Chosen as well — only a Ruby Core, the first of the Jewelled Tiers, but still a Jewelled Chosen nonetheless. He should have no problem disposing of any Chosen in the Metal Tiers, even a Gold Core.

  Even so, the captain remained silent for a moment.

  “I have not seen the half-blood in person for years, so I cannot say for certain, but…” Lauren looked away, ashamed. “Based on the reputable sources of his feats circulating about… It would be a close fight.”

  Not even a Ruby-Core Chosen felt confident in fighting Gunther head-on. It was the truest testament to the man’s monstrous strength.

  And yet…

  “And yet, a child killed him,” Draevan stated, his gaze staring ahead. “Butchered the infamous raider in single combat after he slaughtered all his men.”

  “My Lord, it is simply impossible,” Lauren immediately said. “Please tell me you do not believe such nonsense.”

  “That ‘nonsense’ came from my daughter, Captain,” Draevan warned. “Be careful of how you speak of the House Heiress.”

  “I mean this with the utmost respect to the Lady, but she must be wrong,” Lauren insisted with some urgency. “I inspected the boy myself; he is undeniably a Copper Core.”

  “Are you asking me to doubt my daughter’s words? Or the field of corpses before me?”

  “My Lord is not a fool. He must have already considered other possibilities. Her Lady’s current state is… unwell. Perhaps she is confused about how the situation had developed.”

  “Then how do you explain the bodies? Or the corpse of the half-blood?” Draevan huffed humorlessly. “My daughter is skilled beyond her age, but she is not the Saint reborn; she could not have slain so many, nor their immortal leader.”

  “It is most likely that a third party intervened — One who saved the Lady, but did not wish to be known,” Lauren theorised. “They likely left soon after the battle, maybe even tempered with Lady Dulcina’s memories, such that she does not recall their face.”

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  Draevan hummed. “Then what of the boy?”

  Captain Lauren grimaced. He had no explanation to offer for that.

  The Lord sighed. “Have the men cut the giant’s head off. It would reassure them, at least. Try to have the body as intact as possible and load it onto a wagon to be carted back to the castle. I believe our resident chirurgeon would wish to examine the corpse.”

  “Aye, that beast woman would appreciate that,” Lauren snorted, before hastily changing his demeanour when he saw Draevan’s disapproving gaze. “I will see it done, my Lord.”

  Just as Lauren was about to move, the distant sound of galloping approached.

  More riders came down the road. They carried the sigils of House Elathion as well.

  “It seems Seneschal Armael has arrived with the help,” Lauren noted with some relief.

  The Seneschal came armed and armoured. The sight of fields disturbed him as it did for the rest of the newcomers, but he was the first to dismount and stand before Draevan.

  “My Lord, I came as you commanded,” the elderly man said, bowing deeply. “Words cannot express my relief upon hearing of Lady Dulcina’s safety. No doubt you would wish to return to the castle with her and ascertain her health. There is no need for your Lordship to remain next to such sordidness; I stand ready to oversee the situation here.”

  Draeven shook his head. “I would wish nothing more than to return home with my daughter, but certain matters cannot wait. Dulcina interrogated the brigand leader, Gunther, before he expired. She claims that they have a hideout some distance ahead. The traitors might have left something. I intend to investigate personally.”

  Seneschal Armael frowned. “Lady Dulcina interrogated that deranged berserker? My Lord, forgive me for saying this, but that sounds absurd. I will still personally investigate this ‘hideout’ she speaks of, of course, but would you not rather return to the castle with your daughter? Her Lady’s wellbeing is of paramount importance, especially after this traumatising—”

  “I appreciate your concern, Seneschal, but I am fine.” Dulcina’s voice cuts through their conversation, sharp and cold as steel. The group turned to face her, the girl limping over on her bandaged leg. “Father, I wish to see the hideout for myself.”

  Captain Lauren frowned. “My Lady, please. The distance would require travel by horseback. Your leg—”

  “Will not matter if I ride with Father,” she interrupted. She turned to Draevan. “Father, do not deny me this.”

  The words were not spoken as a plea, but as a demand. Her pale eyes almost dared him to refuse her.

  Draevan had to resist a proud smile on his face.

  Seneschal Armael bristled. “My Lady, that is no way to speak to the Lord of the House. You are clearly unwell. We have no time to entertain such whims when your health is at stake. I—”

  “It is fine,” Draevan cut off the man. “Dulcina and I will investigate the hovel. Seneschal, remain here to oversee the men. Have them strip the corpses of their gear before burning the bodies. As for you, Captain, once the half-giant’s carcass is loaded, I want you to personally escort it back to the castle’s infirmary… along with the boy.”

  “The… boy?” Seneschal Armael blinked. When he followed their gaze and saw the white-haired child sleeping by the wagon, he was taken aback. “My Lord, who is that mutant?”

  “I shall explain everything when I return,” Draevan said. “In the meantime, please lend your aid here and ensure the situation is managed. More Chosens from the other Houses are likely to arrive soon as well. I trust you to handle them delicately.”

  “My Lord, I must still protest! Her Lady’s health is—” The Seneschal cut himself off at Draevan’s gaze, before sighing. “I understand. I will do as you command.”

  Right before the pair of nobles left, Lady Dulcina suddenly turned. “Captain Lauren.”

  The knight looked at her, surprised at being addressed, but still bowed respectfully. “Yes, My Lady?”

  “Father has made you in charge of escorting the boy safely to our home. Given your dependable nature, I have no doubt you will ensure the task is performed in an expeditious and flawless manner,” she began. “However, recent events have made me superstitious.”

  “I… don’t follow, My Lady.”

  “That boy is very important to me,” she continued, as if he had not spoken. “I lack the words to properly articulate this importance, as I shall be blunt, in a manner most unbefitting of my station.”

  She looked into his eyes, and despite being so much stronger than her, Captain Lauren had to resist the urge to stiffen when he met her gaze.

  Something entirely mad and haunting swam in those pale silver eyes.

  “If he were to somehow meet an accident,” she said slowly. “If he were to go missing, or if he were to so inconveniently die of some unknown complication from his injuries on his way to the castle… Then I will have you nailed atop our castle walls, stripped and flayed, while you stare into the Hellgate’s eyes and die with its damnation seared into your soul.”

  The words were delivered flatly, void of venom or hate. They were simply spoken matter-of-factly, as one would speak of their plans for dinner.

  Captain Lauren forced himself to straighten. “I will protect him with my life. I swear I will not let you down, my Lady.”

  The pair of nobles soon walked away, leaving a shaken Captain and a flabbergasted Seneschal behind.

  “That was unnecessary,” Draevan chided lightly, once they were out of earshot.

  “Was it?” Dulcina murmured. “We don’t know who we can trust anymore.”

  “Lauren is captain of our House’s knights.”

  “And Froliet was my fencing instructor. He was Justinia’s, as well,” his daughter bluntly countered. She stared ahead, gaze dead and cold. “We trusted him. I trusted him. And he nearly had me captured and sold, just like he had for Justinia.”

  Draevan flinched. A cold weight settled in his heart. Fear, rage, hate, and despair. “We will find her.”

  “We will,” Dulcina swore, eyes burning. “Even if I have to kill every last slaver in the West, I swear I will find her.”

  ~~~~~~

  Optional Excerpt

  [System Tutorial: Cores, Ranks, and Levels]

  Cores are magical engines found within Demons and Chosen. They act as both a source and conduit of energy, allowing the bearer to channel magic and shape it into spells, Artes, and enhanced physical abilities.

  For Chosens, a Core naturally develops over time by absorbing mana and through the bearer’s combat experience, growing stronger as it advances.

  A Core’s strength is measured by its rank — starting with the basic ‘Metal Tiers’, beginning at Copper, then rising through Bronze, Silver, and finally Gold. The majority of Cores in Thalmyra belong in these ranks.

  A Gold Core that is heavily saturated in mana then ascends to the ‘Jewelled Tiers’: Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Amethyst, and Diamond. Such powerful Cores are rare, but not unheard of. About one in a hundred Cores are Jewelled-Tier Cores.

  The final Tiers beyond Jewelled are the Mythic Tiers: Platinum, Adamantine, Mythril, Orichalcum, and Starforged. Such power is extremely rare and belongs to the realm of Saints, Demon Kings, or the most ancient of the Elderkin races.

  There exists a final theoretical Tier known as the Divine Tier, with only one rank within: Godforged. This is the Tier and Rank assigned to the Goddess, the sole benevolent deity on the continent of Thalmyra.

  The System is able to evaluate a Core’s strength and assign it a numerical value, dubbed as its ‘Level’.

  ~~~

  Coreless

  No Core: Lvl 1-20

  Metal Tiers

  Copper Core: Lvl 21-40

  Bronze Core: Lvl 41-60

  Silver Core: Lvl 61-80

  Gold Core: Lvl 81-100

  Jewelled Tiers

  Ruby: Lvl 101-120

  Sapphire: Lvl 121-140

  Emerald: Lvl 141-160

  Amethyst: Lvl 161-180

  Diamond: Lvl 181-200

  Mythic Tiers

  Platinum: Lvl 201-220

  Adamantine: Lvl 221-240

  Mythril: Lvl 241-260

  Orichalcum: Lvl 261-280

  Starforged: Lvl 281-300

  Divine Tiers

  Godforged: Lvl 300+

  ~~~

  As a final note, only a Chosen’s Core — gifted by the Goddess — is capable of ascending from one Tier to the next. A Demon’s Core is immutable; they are fixed at birth and cannot be ascended. The same goes for the Elderkin races, such as Elves, Giants, Dwarves, etc.

  For the System User, their Core requires either Heroism or Villainy Points to be upgraded.