Episode 114: The Cursed One #2
The detention center of Count Rehern’s territory.
It was a living hell where all kinds of criminals were gathered.
The air in the windowless cell was thick with the stench of decay, suffocating enough to crush one’s lungs. Not a single ray of light seeped in, rendering time a meaningless concept.
Rats frequently scurried across the floor, while distant sobs and screams only made the space feel even more desolate.
“Damn it…!”
Cain Luhar bit his lip. When he opened his eyes, he found himself behind iron bars, completely unaware of how things had come to this.
‘To make matters worse, I can’t even use my power.
His entire body was wrapped in chains that suppressed mana, making it impossible for him to access his divine power. His demonic power still responded, but he refused to use it.
Using that power would only accelerate the curse.
‘Damn, this hurts like hell…’
Cold sweat trickled down Cain’s temples.
His entire body felt as if his bones were cracking apart, and his muscles, burning like fire, strained as if they were about to snap.
Inside his veins, his blood boiled furiously, as if trying to burst out. Every breath he exhaled felt like his chest was being torn apart by blades.
‘If only it weren’t for this damn curse of Beastification.’
There was only one reason Cain Luhar was cursed.
His revenge against the Empire.
As a child, he had been a victim of the war waged by the Empire. His family and friends had been slaughtered by imperial soldiers. It was a scene of utter horror-his village engulfed in flames, food and supplies looted without mercy.
Cain had prayed, begged for those responsible to be punished, for the Empire that waged war to crumble.
But justice never came. The victorious Empire’s banner shone even brighter, its wealth only growing.
History belonged to the victors. Even their honor was glorified.
So, he needed power.
Power great enough to bring down the Empire.
Though Cain had risen to become the strongest archbishop of the Holy Kingdom and was even being considered as the next cardinal, the Empire was still too vast, too formidable for him to challenge. If he wanted revenge, he needed even greater power.
That was why he had turned to forbidden magic.
If he could grasp the power of a transcendent being, his petty desire for revenge wouldn’t be a meaningless struggle.
But what was the result?
A vicious curse.
And now, just when he was on the verge of breaking free from it, he was captured by Francia Fervache and thrown into prison.
‘Things couldn’t possibly get any worse than this.’
Just as Cain clenched his eyes shut-
Click. Click.
Suddenly, the sound of shoes tapping against the cold stone floor echoed down the hallway. Light, precise steps that carried no weight.
A woman was approaching.
“Cain Luhar.”
A voice, sharp as a blade, cut through the darkness. A familiar voice. Cain’s trembling eyes lifted. Francia Fervache stood before him, her expression cold and emotionless.
“Lady Fervache…!”
A faint smile tugged at Cain’s lips.
Gripping the iron bars with his shackled hands, he desperately pleaded.
“P-please, use your purification power on me! It’s not too late! If you use your power, I-”
“Enough.”
Francia’s low voice rang through the prison. Firm, heavy, and utterly devoid of kindness.
“You never change, no matter how the future shifts.”
“What are you talking about…?”
“You’re exactly the same as before I returned.”
Cain stared up at her in a daze. In the dim light, her crimson eyes flickered with killing intent.
“I should thank you for being so unchanging. Now I don’t have to feel guilty, and my revenge is justified.”
Without a single blink, Francia pulled out a dagger from her coat.
Fwoosh!
A brilliant light wrapped around it-the radiance of Gladius Luminis, the blade of judgment.
“Gaaah!”
Pain surged through Cain’s body as he writhed in agony.
Clank!
His shackled arms and legs thrashed wildly. Shadows churned, letting out eerie screams.
“Argh… What the hell are you-?!”
“This time, I’ll make sure to kill you.”
The dagger’s tip pointed at Cain.
Wooong!
The light of judgment devoured the dark energy, growing even stronger.
Though Francia’s mana wasn’t fully replenished, this much was more than enough to kill him in his current state.
Cain was bound in chains that suppressed his mana, and most of his strength had already been spent healing his previous wounds.
“I’ll say it one last time. Burn in hell.”
Wooong-!
A golden radiance shot from the blade, slashing through the air like a living serpent.
When the spear of light pierced Cain’s heart, the scent of burning flesh filled the cell, and dark crimson blood dripped onto the cold stone floor.
“Kuhuk…!”
Blood gushed from Cain’s mouth, spilling onto the floor. Though he was like a beast, the blood that flowed was unmistakably human. His screams were swallowed by the light and faded into silence.
“Kuhup, Fran…!”
With trembling eyes, Cain looked up at Francia. Her face remained expressionless. She simply stared at his dying form with cold, unfeeling eyes.
“Curse…”
His eyelids slowly began to close. He wanted to utter a curse, to spit out his final resentment, but his lips refused to part.
The divine light had already burned away the dark magic sustaining his life.
Thud.
Cain’s head hit the ground. It was cold.
He couldn’t tell whether the air was freezing because winter’s chill still lingered or because his life was draining away, leaving him to feel the creeping cold of death.
His eyes shut completely.
“Don’t rest in peace, even in death.”
Whoosh.
Francia, confirming that Cain had drawn his last breath, turned and left the prison without looking back.
It was the dead of night, a time when no one was awake.
***
The Next Day
The Count Rehern’s estate was in an uproar.
“Someone has assassinated Archbishop Cain.”
Overnight, the man who should have remained securely imprisoned was found dead.
“That heretic?”
“Why?”
“What on earth is happening…?”
Discussions about the incident spread among the knights and the reinforcements from the Holy Kingdom.
Yohan was taken aback but kept his composure as he turned to Rassen.
“Is there a possibility that he took his own life?”
“No. There was a wound piercing through his heart.”
“Then it wasn’t an honorable suicide.”
Rassen let out a small sigh before continuing.
“If he had simply been found lifeless, we could have assumed he died due to the curse’s effects. But since his heart was impaled, it’s highly likely he was murdered.”
Though not conclusive, Rassen was certain. This was an assassination.
“Hmm.”
Yohan tapped his fingers against the table.
“What about the prison guards?”
“They reported that no one passed through.”
Rassen elaborated.
“At first, we suspected the guards had dozed off or were inattentive, but even the other guards and prison official saw no intruder. This suggests the assassin possessed exceptional stealth abilities.”
None of the prison guards or staff detected anything. Even if they were ordinary soldiers, it was nearly impossible for someone to evade all of their eyes. Yet, the killer had assassinated Archbishop Cain and escaped unnoticed.
That could only mean-
“It must have been someone of Special Class or higher.”
“…”
Yohan’s eyes narrowed. Were there any individuals with such stealth skills in the area?
No. After checking the records and abilities of all the knights, none possessed such a capability.
Then it must be someone from the outside.
But why? Could it have been a high-level mage infiltrating the estate? That would be a serious problem, as it would imply a connection to the dark mages.
This is troublesome.
Honestly, Cain Luhar’s death wasn’t a major issue. Everyone here was aware that he had been cursed with beastfication. His execution had already been decided.
The only real concern was that an archbishop of the Holy Kingdom had been killed within the empire. Even so, with both the Saintess and the Commander of the Holy Knights accepting his fate, there wasn’t much they could do about it.
“I understand!”
Suddenly, Arbella shot up from her seat. Her soft voice filled the entire estate.
“Archbishop Cain… no, that cursed man must have been assassinated by the dark mages! They snuck in and killed him to erase any potential ties to themselves!”
Yohan nodded.
“I’m inclined to agree. None of the knights or reinforcements from the Holy Kingdom possess such stealth abilities.”
Arbella blinked, her large eyes fixing on Yohan.
“…Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“…”
Left without words, she slowly sat back down. No further discussion followed.
I’ll have to speak with Count Rehern about this.
Yohan rose from the sofa.
“We still have two more demonic lairs to seal. I’ll handle this matter, so all of you can rest. We’ll discuss things with the Holy Kingdom later.”
“Yes, Saint…!”
Rassen’s eyes shone with admiration. To take on such a troublesome task alone while worrying about his followers—how could he be so compassionate?
“As expected of the Saint.”
“He remains calm even in this situation.”
“A Saint personally sent by Lady Freyja…!”
The other holy knights and priests were no different. The death of Archbishop Cain had already faded into the background.
“…”
Yohan silently stepped away, ignoring the overwhelming gazes directed at him. He was used to it by now.
***
“─That’s how it happened.”
Slurp.
Inside the study of the Count’s estate, Yohan took a sip from his teacup.
“Hmm…”
Count Rehern furrowed his brows, lost in thought. It was only natural—this was a major incident within the prison itself.
“I understand. But this isn’t something I can handle alone. I’ll contact the central authorities to investigate any possible connection to the dark mages. In the process, we’ll track down the culprit as well.”
“That sounds good.”
Yohan nodded. In the end, he was passing the responsibility onto the Count, but that was the best course of action. He had to move on to sealing the next demonoc lair.
“Is there anything else you’d like to say?”
“No.”
Clack.
Setting down his teacup, Yohan rose from his seat.
“I’ll be counting on you for this matter.”
“Leave it to me.”
With Count Rehern’s assurance, Yohan left the study.
As he descended to the lobby under the guidance of a servant, he saw Francia staring off into space, waiting for him.
“Francia?”
“Ah, Yohan.”
She smiled brightly and quickly walked up to him.
“Are you done with your work?”
“Yes, I finished. Though I did push some of it onto others.”
“Hehe, you did well.”
Sealing the demonic lairs, dealing with the lingering demonic spawn, and investigating this recent incident—it would be exhausting even with two bodies.
“You must be exhausted, so take it easy and rest.”
They would be staying in the Count’s estate for three days before setting out to seal the next demonic lair. Before that, it would be good to spend time with Francia.
Yohan agreed without hesitation.
“That sounds nice. I’ll spend the entire break with you.”
“Hehe, I like that!”
Francia’s lips curled into a smile.
He wouldn’t have to fight anyone anymore.
Because she would kill them all herself.
***
Early morning.
Rudbeckia opened her eyes.
Curtains draped around the bed, and a subtle aroma surrounded her. The firelight in the fireplace flickered gently in the quiet of dawn.
“Ah…”
Her voice wasn’t hoarse. She felt no pain. Maintaining her composure, Rudbeckia sat up in bed. As she looked into the small mirror on the table, mercury reflected her image.
A youthful face reminiscent of her maiden days, delicate hands without a single scar. Vibrant, soft skin and silky hair, just like before.
“I’m back.”
Everything had returned to how it was in the past.
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