—–
After cutting the horn on her forehead, I closed the wound with some healing magic and wrapped some bandages around her forehead. I guess I can keep this horn. Seems rather high quality, almost at the same level as the Oni’s body parts. I also cut down her long black claw-like nails, and two small red spikes growing from her shoulders. That should make her look moderately normal, I guess, as long as she hides her unnaturally sharp teeth… And I got some nice materials out of it.
“And done…” I said.
“T-That’s… you cut off her demon parts?” Asked Ellergest.
“They’re mine now, don’t think about asking for them.” I said, saving them inside my pouch.
“Y-You can keep them I guess…” Said Jack while raising an eyebrow.
“I suppose they can fetch some money. You’re quite opportunistic… A-Anyways, the thing is… she’s healed! Incredible, so the dispelling power you used with Lady Treebark also worked with this girl!” Said Ellergest.
“Yes, apparently. Now, let’s get this done with, I am very exhausted from this entire ordeal.” I sighed, I quickly slapped Gabriela’s face strongly, which made the two other maids bark at me angrily.
“Y-You kid! Don’t slap her like that, she just got healed!”
“By me.”
“R-Right…”
“Blank I think you’re being a bit…” Muttered Ellergest. I looked the man in the eyes and he stopped talking.
Gabriela slowly woke up, as she opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was my bored expression.
“Ugh… Wha… What happened to me?” She wondered. I didn’t have the time to explain things, so I just went to the important question.
“You’re now healed, tell me who made you put the poison into the wine, now.” I said.
“Uwah! Y-You… ugh… Healed?” She wondered. “Ugh… My head…”
“Speak!” I said.
“Uwaaah! Okay! T-The one that did it… Ah! I remember now… She made me also drink something… it was bitter and weird, and it burned my throat when I drank it, but she forced me…” She cried. Even tears started to come out of her eyes, I don’t know if it was my intimidation or that she recalled these things painfully. “The one that did it was… Lady Cassandra… Ugh, I think Lady Charlotte also had something to do… I-I don’t know why they want to kill Lady Treebark, but I am a mere servan. I cannot really refute them if they order me such a thing, especially… if they threatened my family… Ah, now that I spoke, they’ll kill them…!”
“Charlotte and Cassandra?! So they want to kill me…” Cried Lady Treebark. “To think they would go so far as using demon blood from all things… But… Cassandra? I never knew she had such ability to utilize Demon Sorcery…”
“It seems that you don’t know a thing about this family, Lady Treebark.” I said expressionlessly, as I walked outside the room.
“Ellergest, come with me, we have to bring this to the Lord, is he in the house, even? What about the two perpetrators?” I wondered.
“Lord Mark is on a trip to the capital, but Lady Cassandra and Charlotte must be in their rooms!” Said Carl. “H-How do we do it then? We have to call papa…”
Treebark’s son seemed rather worried. If we just let this slide and ignore everything, they’ll try to kill her again and that wouldn’t be really good. Mostly because I don’t want this demon curse to spread around leisurely, this is the town I care for, I don’t want anything catastrophic to end up happening.
To think things escalated to the point I would have to confront some nobles today… What a pain. Well, we got evidence from Gabriela, Treebark, and also everybody else saw the demonic energies, that’s enough witnesses and also proof of this happening.
“Hmm… Then let me handle things from now on, Blank, you don’t need to take the initiative, as the Head Priest of the Holy Spirit Church, I can arrest people that violates the laws of the land. Assassination attempt by poison is a grave crime!” Ellergest was inspired and walked at my side, alongside Elisabeth and Gabriela. I left Eleanora inside of Treebark’s room, hiding beneath the shadow of the bed as the woman spoke with her son and the other two maids. The butlers were outside the room as well and heard everything that was happening, so they stayed there protecting the women.
We walked towards the room of Cassandra, the First Concubine of Lord Mark Copperhand, she was inside her room as of now. His three consorts mostly isolated themselves inside their rooms to do things of their own. Apparently this is how noble ladies lived their lives without much to do through the day, although they also assess paperwork and transactions, so perhaps they were doing that now.
Ellergest knocked the door and heard the voice of the woman behind everything, she seemed to not have even detected the curse was activated, or she would have panicked and escaped knowing someone triggered Gabriela to say the truth, meaning that she doesn’t have control over the curses she creates. Did she make them through alchemy alone? Perhaps the sole usage of demon parts for vile acts makes these people being called “Demon Sorcerers” even when they themselves cannot properly conjure demon magic.
I would guess she was expecting all healing effects to be futile. Leisurely waiting for us to leave at the end to see Treebark agonize and die… But why did she want her to die to begin with? Well, perhaps there is a power struggle between the three consorts of the Lord, they want his attention and money, or maybe they also want their children to be given higher positions, eliminating the mother of one of them and perhaps her son later on would be beneficial for Cassandra, I suppose, as it seems that she also has a son.
Knock, knock.
“Yes? Who is it? I am busy!”
“Lady Cassandra, we have a few words to share with you.”
“…What?!”
Ellergest opened the door without asking for her permission, quickly surprising her.
—–