Chapter 246 - Little sister

The castle is under attack—or apparently, the whole continent is under a state of utter chaos. 

Faustina clenched her fist as she hears the loud beating of her heart against her chest. News came earlier about the state of Zuerst. The warlock generals have plagued the continent and thrashed the countries all at the same time. The casualties are immense, and everyone were all taken-aback. Feuersturm was trying to evacuate its citizens and the entire palace was filled with soldiers protecting its inhabitants.

The king went to ask for reinforcement into his circle, and discuss the matters with the royals of every countries in Zuerst. 

'Remain hidden. The forsaken would highly attack first in here to come for you.' The king stated. 'We don't have much time to waste.'

Faustina sauntered towards the hall, and through the castle's large windows she could see the smoke and the giant fire monster that was thrashing Feuersturm. Faustina couldn't help but feel like she was being too lax.

"I have to do something." Faustina then turned to the knight in charge of guarding her. "Captain—"

"No." Captain Roth Adelard shook his head. "The king tasked me to guard you. You will not engage with any of this. This is a matter beyond your concern."

"B-but I'm a citizen of Feuersturm too…"

"Then?" The captain narrowed his eyes. "Is there something you can do?"

Faustina bit her lips. The king had sent ten guards and one high knight, the captain himself, to protect her. For certain he wouldn't be allowing her to engage in battle… and Faustina knows she might even hold them back due to her being unable to control her magic properly. She stared at Captain Roth, and then averted her gaze.

"No…" 

The captain simply looked at her.

"E-even so…" Faustina mumbled. "I still want to do something. I want to be of help!"

"Lady—"

Before the captain could continue what he was going to say, a loud explosion then resonated from behind. 

"Guards!" 

The guards then move forward and then the captain went in front of Faustina to protect her. The dust clouded Faustina's vision, making her unable to see what just happened. But as the dust slowly cleared down, Faustina was able to see a figure standing in amidst all the ruin.

The place was destroyed, as if a giant hand had just cut through the building. Faustina's eyes widened as she sees features she considered to be the same as her very own.

Jet-black hair and a pair of blood-red eyes. A man wearing what seemed like a black tailcoat that was drenched with sputters of crimson-colored liquid. He was looking at them with a blank gaze in his eyes.

"Faustina." He said. "Where is she?"

He was looking around, and then when he met her eyes…

"Found you."

Captain Roth then shifted Faustina behind him to hide her better. 

"I don't want this to get long." He said. "Give her to me."

"Be careful," Captain Roth exclaimed as he drew his sword. "That man is one of the warlock general."

Roth narrowed his eyes. "The one who brought chaos upon Feuersturm!"

The warlock general then stared blankly at them.

"That's right," he said. "My name is Greed."

He then showed them a necklace that had the Feuerfalke symbol in it.

"I borrow the name of my father," he said. "The first warlock… Nathaniel."

--

Elindei trembled as she stares at the mirror. Everyone in the Feuerfalke manor was now packing and are getting ready of evacuating to one of their lands in the province. There is a huge chance that the attacks would be in the capital. The citizens are also flooding the sh.i.p.s, ready to leave the country or go to the province. 

"Where is he?" Elindei then gnawed on her nail as she shuffles back and forth. "Nathaniel…!"

He said he would only be gone for a while. But then after an hour the entire country was thrown into chaos! Eli couldn't help but feel anxious. He had to return soon. The teleportation circle was ready and they were about to leave it weren't for Elindei's stubbornness.

"M-miss Eli… your father said we should depart soon."

"But Nathaniel is—"

"Eli!" It was Eli's father, Axkell Feuerfalke who now entered his daughter's room. "This is a state of emergency! The country is thrown into chaos! We have to go now!"

"No—I—"

"You can get plenty of servants. You are a Feuerfalke. We cannot slow down over one servant of yours!"

"No!" Eli refused. "I love him, Father! I'm not going to leave him!"

"Love him?!" Axkell thundered. "You are the fiancé of the duke's son, Eli—you are about to harbor the Feuerlon name and now you're saying something petty as loving a servant… no, a Heilen slave, at that!"

"I'm—"

"No, Eli!" Axkell then held Eli's arm and then pulled her roughly outside her room. He then dragged her to the hallway. "We're going now. Forget about that slave!"

"Father, no!"

Axkell then yanked Eli and then threw her to the carpeted floor. Lucas Feuerlon, the one who was the first to come to their house and the one who had made their teleportation circle then knelt down at Eli. "What's wrong, Eli…?" Lucas asked as he reached her hand to her. But Eli pushed Lucas' hands away.

Eli begun to cry as she lowered her head to the ground. "No… Nathaniel… Nathaniel…"

"Quit your whining!" Her father said. "You're going to become Lucas' wife. Have you no shame, calling the name of another man while your betrothed is in front of you!?"

Elindei then buried her face in her palms as she sobbed. 

Lucas' emerald eyes couldn't look away from Eli's crying figure. He had never seen her break before. And now she was crying so agonizingly while whispering about another man's name.

"Eli…" Lucas tentatively held her. "We have to go. I promise we'll go get him back after you arrive safely to the castle, okay?"

Before Lucas could affirm her once more, footsteps whose pattern was refined resonated across the room as silence sufficed. Elindei recognized the sound, and so she lifted her head and turned around. 

Entering the room was a man with a jet-black hair and red eyes. His eyes then met Eli's, and then Lucas.

"Eli, everyone, get behind me." Lucas exclaimed as he stood up and went in front of Eli, as if to protect her. His staff was in his other hand. He then thumped the hilt of the staff to the floor, creating a barrier that separates the man from them.

"What are you doing, Lucas?!" Eli stood up and then tugged on Lucas' sleeve. "He's the one I'm waiting for! I'm sorry for this, Nathaniel—"

"No," Lucas asserted. 

"He's just a normal Heilen—"

"He's not a Heilen." Lucas narrowed his eyes. "He's a warlock."

"What…?"

Lucas stared at Nathaniel's red eyes which now narrowed down.

"Nathaniel… a warlock?" Elindei murmured. "Tha-that's not true… right? There are no more warlocks…"

Nathaniel then stared at Lucas. "You know too much." He said. "But it doesn't matter anymore."

Fire then appeared at Nathaniel's fingertips. Lucas then held his staff tightly. And with a flick of Nathaniel's hand, the entire castle burned with scorching flames. The place then begun to collapse. 

"Father in law," he said, handing Axkell a slime-like substance. "That is the research I have been working on with Ezekiel Unsterblich. Use it. Now. It's a portal that connects to where you want to go to. Quick!" 

"Wh-what about you?" Axkell asked.

"I can handle this." He said. "Eli,"

Lucas then leaned to Elindei, and then embraced her tightly. A tear fell down to Eli as she stared at Lucas who then kissed her forehead. And lovingly he caressed her cheek.

"Smile, Eli."

Elindei's eyes then turned to Nathaniel who was now looking darkly at them.

"Lucas…" Elindei murmured. "Please be safe."

Lucas smiled. "I will."

And with that, Eli was gone with the use of the portal.

"What did you use Eli for?" Lucas asked, turning to Nathaniel. "Warlock general."

The warlock general stared at Lucas with a blank gaze. "Eli is…"

Memories of Eli smiling at him, giving him loving kisses, and calling his name flashed to his mind.

"I act upon Father's order." He said. "This is to infiltrate the Feuerfalkes."

Lucas' eyes widened as Nathaniel showed something to him—

"That's…"

"The philosopher's stone." He said. 

Lucas clenched his fist. "That is Eli's necklace…!"

"The philosopher's stone is a prized possession in the guise of a simple heirloom passed in the Feuerfalkes." Nathaniel said in monotone. "Eli gave it to me."

"So you used it to get the stone…"

"It was the last piece to complete the spell." He said. 

"Spell?"

"I was about to be with Eli," he said, "but you intervened."

The warlock's expression then slowly changed. "I was thinking of killing her family… but for now, you'll do."

Lucas then readied himself.

"You're no match for m—"

Lucas' eyes widened…

As he fell down to his knees.

Lucas then coughed blood.

And soon he realized he was pierced with dark-red spikes in his stomach. Nathaniel then walked towards him and then in his hand was now a sword with a fragment of a cyan gem in its end.

"Lucas Feuerlon," he said. "You will not be near Eli again." He then slid the sword to Lucas' chest, with its other end piercing to his back. Lucas' eyes widened as he meets his red eyes.

Blood then sputtered to his clothes.

--

The man who called himself greed then stared plainly at Faustina, wearing his tailcoat with the blood of the man he had just killed earlier.

"Now then," he said, bowing courteously. "Please come with me, our dear, little sister."