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Chapter 22 – Part 1
Trigger Warning!
This chapter contains depictions of physical violence, blood, and gore. Some scenes may be disturbing or upsetting for some readers. Please, proceed with caution. Viewer discretion is advised.
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Roberta’s hostility and Sylvia’s screams were emulsified into a mess and echoed in the sky of the hunting ground. If you shout this loudly, someone is likely to come, though no one has come yet probably because the hunting ground is so wide.
My hands, wearing the rough leather gloves, did not tremble at all.
‘Shoot.’
Swish—
The bow that Raniero had given me shot the arrow sharply.
The poisoned arrow fell very close to the two and landed in the grass. The next moment, the poison of the arrowheads caused the grass to rot in black. I could see that Roberta had momentarily hardened even from here. She slowly turned her head.
Although I was on top of a tall structure, I could see her enraged expression clearly. Without a word, I put the arrow back on the bow.
This time, I was determined to hit the head.
“This, this damn b*tch!”
Roberta came running towards me as if she was foaming out of the mouth.
Swish!
Once again, the arrow flew.
As Sylvia fell down, hanging on Roberta’s waist when she was running this way, the arrow missed. The two fell, tangled up on the floor.
“Mo, mother!”
“I can’t let you go!”
“If you say you want to kill me because you want to live, then what about me! Huh? What about me?!”
Sylvia’s beautiful face was distorted as she continued to scream.
“I want to live, too!”
As if foretelling this situation, there was a stone block of suitable size within reach of her hand. Sylvia reached out her hand and picked it up right away before striking Roberta in the back of the head—Puk!
I could hear the wretched sound all the way from here.
A shrill cry.
Then, again—Puk.
“I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I’ll survive… I’ll make a place to stand with my feet!”
Haha. I laughed.
Raniero would regret not seeing this scene later.
Thinking that, I quickly drew my dagger and strode down the stairs. Sylvia was holding the bloody stone and holding her breath, her hair was disheveled. On the other hand, Roberta groaned in agony and crawled on the floor.
When I came before them, Sylvia exhaled her breath and loosened her knife. The knife cut Roberta’s ankle.
With the tendon in her ankle cut, Roberta was merely spewing strange sounds, spitting curses against Sylvia and me. The fact that she was not dead yet must be because of her great vitality.
“Your, Your Majesty…”
Seeing me, Sylvia quickly fell to her knees and offered her blade to me. She was terrified.
Oh, terrified humans are amusing.
“This prey is for Your Majesty. Please… Please, Your Majesty, take the prey.”
I smiled broadly.
It was wonderful. Sylvia was about to yield the most interesting moment to me.
Pulling the bowstring, I drew the poisoned arrowhead from the quiver. This time, I did not give her time to protest.
Puk.
“Aaacck!”
The poisonous arrow was stuck in the back of the prey. The venom had penetrated into the veins and left a trail along the way. Black nets were engraved on her exposed neck and cheeks. Her veins were also blackened.
Roberta struggled with her last extremities.
It was not fun to drag on too much. I suddenly became bored of all this and thrust a dagger into her neck. The prey was so desperate.
As Roberta’s blood spattered on my cheek, I wiped the blood with my glove.
My heart was pounding. More amplified sensations than before came rushing in like a tidal wave. Even the sound of the wind rustling the leaves and the sound of birds smashing through the branches were so clearly distinguished that I was distracted.
The next moment, the heavy footsteps of a man could be heard in the distance.
It was not Raniero Actilus. He would not make such dull footsteps.
I slowly abandoned the knife, drawing another arrow from the quiver before knocking the arrow onto the bowstring.
“Your, Your Majesty…”
“It’s your brother.”
My voice, falling from my mouth, was colder than usual. I could feel Sylvia’s breathing tremble, though I didn’t even give her a glance.
As a large man’s shadow appeared through the trees, the battle axe held tightly in his hands looked menacing.
I smiled faintly.
In an instant, an arrow aimed at him flew, cutting through the stinging wind. Unfortunately, it did not hit his head, but it tore his clothes and grazed his shoulders.
‘Tsk.’
Even though the medicine Raniero gave me made me a completely different person, it did not transform me into a weapon like him. Still, I was satisfied with just grazing him. Henry Jacques’ shoulder began to swell in an instant as if stung by a wasp.
I fired an arrow once again.
Sylvia trembled beside me and collapsed.
Henry, who was roaring while rubbing his shoulder, glanced towards us. His dead mother, his fallen sister, and me with Roberta’s blood on my face and hands, aiming an arrow at him.
Slowly, his eyes became bloodshot and turned inside out.
“Ahhhhhhhh!”
He began to run up to me.
It was at that moment that pain erupted all over my body.
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