Chapter 66: Unravel the Leroy Advent Cour
The aftermath of the battle was a chaotic, beautiful wreck. Rachael Suvallina sprinted through the fringe of the forest toward the nearby town, her eyes wide with a frantic search for her sister. Behind her, Stacian emerged from the deeper woods, the fine silk of her skirt torn and stained with dark earth and ichor.
The scene before them was a grim tableau of victory. The field was a churned swamp of mud and broken, black-charred branches, still faintly smoking from the magical onslaught. The very air tasted of ozone and spent magic. At the crest of a low, jagged outcrop of grey rock—a lone throne in the devastation—sat Leornars. His armor, a matte-black artistry of polished metal, was immaculate, contrasting sharply with the mess around him. The remaining knights were moving with grim efficiency, systematically finishing off the last, groaning remnants of the monstrous army.
"So, I take it you finished off the witch?" Leornars asked, his voice calm, cutting through the distant, metallic clang of swords.
"Yes, her rest is eternal. She will harm no one again," Stacian confirmed, her breathing slightly ragged.
Leornars' gaze lifted briefly to her head. "Your horns and wings?" he inquired.
"They'll regrow in a day or two. Don't worry about it," she dismissed, managing a tired shrug.
He gave a slight, affirming nod. "Encouraging." He then instructed her to gather the undead army and the rest of his subordinates and return to Avangard. "I'll report back in two days. I have some trivial things to finish here." She bowed deeply. With a soundless ripple, the entire spectral army descended and vanished into Leornars' long shadow. Zaryter, Zhyelena, Zhyier, Bellian, and Avryl all nodded their farewells and followed Stacian's retreating form.
Leornars remained in the open, the sole figure on the scarred landscape. He let out a quiet sigh, the sound lost in the vastness.
"I know you are there," he announced, his voice carrying an unnatural stillness.
A faint, sharp gasp of surprise hung in the damp air.
"There's no need to use invisibility spells. Show yourself, Marrielle Suvallina," Leornars said, his tone perfectly even.
The shimmering distortion of a powerful invisibility spell wavered and dissolved, revealing a young woman standing a few yards away.
"Well, well, well... I guess I might have underestimated you," Marrielle said, a tense, grim smirk playing on her lips. Leornars returned the expression.
"So tell me, when did you gain knowledge of my power? I've always been the invisible daughter and sister," she pressed.
"I never underestimate anyone. I treat everything as a potential threat," Leornars began, leaning forward slightly on his rock throne. "After the incident with your father, I began to suspect you. Since when does a lovable daughter, whom her father cherished, turn instantly cold on him? Something had to have gone wrong."
She listened intently, her smirk hardening into a calculated mask.
"So, I discovered from Zhyelena that you possessed the Chain Breaker of Invisibility. And with that, I was entirely convinced. Rachael was not the threat; you were."
"Ooooohhh. So you had your servant use mind reading on me? Clever strategy, but ultimately pointless," she scoffed.
"It would have been pointless if..." Leornars paused, letting the silence stretch for a beat of dramatic effect.
"If what?" she asked, a flicker of genuine curiosity breaking her composure.
"If it wasn't you who orchestrated the death of the witch's son and the subsequent invasion of monsters," Leornars stated calmly, casually running a hand through his immaculately styled hair.
Marrielle's expression shifted, a subtle flash of surprise crossing her eyes. "Oh? And what proof do you have against me?" she challenged.
Leornars smiled, a cold, predatory widening of his lips. "Well... isn't it obvious? I have been with Rachael, Captain Luke, Vice Captain Shirlene, and the other knights, yet not once had I crossed paths with you."
"And what does that imply?" she asked, crossing her arms.
"That you believed that you were alone," Leornars said, the grin on his face widening with amusement.
"Ooh," she breathed out, looking at him with an appreciative, if dangerous, glint in her eyes.
"The day we met, I saw you as nothing more than a problem child. But after your father, the Lord's, death, instead of seeking truth or anything meaningful, you plotted to secure my union with Vurnam city. That's why you summoned the devils to attack, knowing you wouldn't do anything but observe and see if I was on your side."
"So you were spying on me?" she countered.
"No. You were investigating me, and I had you investigate your true colors. And I was right. You are no mere child but a devil, worse than most people I've known," Leornars pronounced.
"I investigated myself?" she asked, a touch of dark humor in her voice.
"Yes. As you can see." Leornars snapped his fingers. From Marrielle's own long, creeping shadow, a silent, undead servant rose to attention.
"Oh. That checks out a lot of the uneasiness I've been feeling," she admitted, slightly unnerved.
"So you noticed. I guess I almost underestimated you, too," Leornars said, his eyes narrowed.
"I wonder what my sister would think, knowing that you orchestrated killing the Lord so you could have Vurnam in your palm?" she mused, testing the waters.
Leornars' smile turned dangerously dark. "Don't push your luck. As of now, she's in Vurnam looking for you. I can easily erase you, and no one would know."
She smiled back, utterly fearless. "Oh, is that a threat, King Leornars Servs Avrem, the White Plague, Ruler of the Imperium of Avangard?"
"My, my. Flattery won't get you anywhere. It's not a threat, but a... clarity," he corrected.
"So, tell me. What do you plan to do with me?" she asked.
Leornars smirked. "You are useful to me. Originally, I would have killed you in a thought, but..."
"But?" she prompted.
"I see you haven't grasped my plan perfectly yet." Leornars spoke calmly.
With an elegant sweep of her hand, Marrielle opened a shimmering, obsidian-black portal right on the scarred ground. The portal hummed, connecting the battlefield to a completely different space.
A moment later, they were seated opposite each other in a luxurious, wood-paneled manor drawing-room. A fire crackled gently in a marble hearth, casting a warm, deceptive glow on the polished antique furniture. The air, heavy with the scent of dried roses and old books, was a stark contrast to the battlefield. A porcelain tea service sat between them.
Leornars picked up a cup, examining the delicate gold rim.
"It's not poisoned," she said instantly, sipping from her own.
"I didn't ask. But I don't drink tea made by anyone else but either mine or Stacian. So, I humbly decline," he said, setting the cup down with a soft clink.
"Understandable," she murmured, taking another sip. "So, tell me. What is this grand plan of yours?"
Leornars let out a low, satisfied chuckle. "I know that Vurnam was your target, and manipulating my dear sister was your idea."
"Yes. Right now, anything I say, Rachael will believe openly. I have uncovered the Pollium dealing, slave trading rings, the Lord's betrayal, and the eradication of the Demon Lord," he rattled off.
"Yet?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yet, something is still lingering in my mind," Leornars confessed.
"Huh?"
"How old are you?" he asked, his head tilted.
"It's not good manners to ask a lady her age."
"Right now, you are no lady, but a murderer and a manipulator. You are even worse than your father, who sold orphans for drugs," Leornars stated, his voice flat, designed to wound.
"Oh, that makes two of us, then," she shot back, completely unfazed.
"I have an alibi. I was doing it for your city. The entire Kingdom of Lurtra would vouch for me," he said, matching her calmness.
"Oooh. I guess you got me."
Leornars looked at her with a chillingly murderous intent that made the air in the room feel brittle.
I feel any wrong word is my death, she thought, assessing his eyes. And after observing the battle, I know for certain I can't beat him, even with Rachael helping. There's the threat of his gatekeeper instantly activating and erasing us. I can't afford to die right now. I still have plans.
She cleared her throat. "I am fifteen years old."
Leornars' composure broke for the briefest of moments, a flash of genuine surprise in his eyes. "So, you orchestrated the death of the witch's son and husband at six years of age? My, my, aren't you... cunning."
"So, what is your ultimate goal, King Leornars?" she asked.
"King? I haven't been called that yet, but I'll take it since Avangard is already a nation," Leornars said, allowing himself a satisfied smile. "As you know, Durmount Kingdom is planning on invading Lurtra, as they are low on funds and supplies."
"Yes, I'm aware of that," she confirmed.
"As I'm aware you know, I'm the one responsible for the uprising. Princess Selrose of Durmount and I have an agreement: I help her with the throne, and I get a quarter of Durmount's land and supplies, as well as the head of the King, King Selamendra the Sixth." Leornars paused, his eyes gleaming. "So, I had her plant... thoughts, as I'd call it, on the noble factions. And it seems they took the bait."
Marrielle looked at him with an expression of dawning horror. "What kind of bait?"
"Division. The King will be supported by the Duke's household—that's obvious. But the minor nobles wouldn't, since they aren't wealthy. Princess Selrose dug up dirt on every noble and used it against them. Out of fear, the King's supporters were slowly getting... removed, and he was getting isolated." Leornars leaned back. "I learned medicine from Salene and Ayesha and know how to create an aphrodisiac. So, I sent it to Princess Selrose and had her pour it into the King's food—which had already been tasted. He ate it, assaulting a servant. He was deeply isolated and locked up by his wife for the... incident. Later, Selrose did the same for her mother, and she slept with a kitchen boy. The Queen was executed, leaving Selrose, her brother, and the foolish King." Marrielle was now utterly shocked, her tea cup forgotten.
"So, with the King and Queen out of the picture, I have to deal with the Prince. Princess Selrose was the one who manipulated her brother to invade Lurtra, fully aware of my goal."
"What goal?" Marrielle whispered.
"I'll unify Vurnam city and Lurtra into one, then assimilate it, making it a Vassal State of Avangard. And with the Prince of Durmount invading, he tragically dies in war. Since the King is alive, he will have no option but to crown Selrose as the next Queen. And finally, during the King's reign, I'll make him look incompetent by attacking and killing him publicly so that the citizens know who did it and why. Then, I'll let the chaos sink in, eliminate any potential threat to Selrose being ruler, and I have another pawn in my chess game."
"Oh my God!" Marrielle finally exclaimed, shaking her head.
"But I'm confused," Leornars added.
"Confused? About what?" she asked.
"As Stacian's intelligence told me, demon lords never attack humans anymore—not for the last two decades. So what, or how, did you convince one here?" Leornars asked.
"Actually, Captain Luke... I didn't invite or summon him. I dug around and discovered that he was not sent by the Kingdom of Durmount, but by the Holy Kingdom," Marrielle revealed, her voice turning frigid.
Leornars' expression shifted completely, his eyes narrowing into cold slits. "What does the Holy Kingdom want with me? I already have problems with the Kingdom of Durmount and the Kingdom of Seraphim. Now another one? This is getting annoying, fast," he snarled.
"So, all along, you were plotting against both Vurnam and Durmount, and I was your trump card? Guess I played chess with you wrongly," she concluded.
"No, don't worry. You were never a player, but a piece," Leornars corrected her.
"So, what is my role, because I'm aware I know a lot now," she pressed.
Leornars stood, his silhouette blocking the soft light from the fire. "You will be my ears and eyes. You will have a rank after all this mess. I'll probably make you my advisor."
"With your mind, I don't think I'll be useful," she said.
"Now, now. You were a good pawn. I did know all of your moves, but not your goal, so I'll let you do your own thing. Pull your own strings, my dear puppet," Leornars said, and with that, he turned and left the drawing-room.
Marrielle stood and gave a low, crisp bow to the empty space where he had been, a cold sweat breaking out on her temples.
"This... this just got incredibly interesting," she whispered, her smile returning, wide and manic. "I never knew someone would ever catch me. I've dealt with drug trafficking in other kingdoms, handled foreign merchandise, dealt with devils... but nothing like this. How... beautiful."
The heavy mahogany door creaked open, and Rachael Suvallina stumbled in, still looking distraught from her frantic search.
"The hell happened to you?" Rachael mumbled, her attention already shifting. "Anyways, can you imagine that Captain Luke was a demon lord?" she prattled on, completely oblivious to the silent, deadly drama that had just transpired.