Chapter 42 I Might Already Be Gone

  A blue standard bearing the emblem of a dead tree came into view.

  Agnes’s expression darkened with concern. “What are Count Maxwell’s soldiers doing here?” she muttered.

  Joseph’s gaze hardened as well. The approaching group halted, and one of the carriages pulled up close. A knight dismounted and opened its door.

  Stepping out was a large, rotund man dressed in fine noble attire, his expression smug with self-importance. Following him were two slender women clad in tight leather armor—one armed with daggers and throwing knives strapped to her belt, the other carrying a coiled whip at her hip. From another carriage, two towering warriors emerged, each nearly two meters tall—both clad in menacing black armor adorned with spikes. One wielded a massive battle axe, while the other gripped an enormous morning star. Their sheer presence exuded an air of intimidation.

  The fat nobleman strode forward, flanked by his four guards. As he walked, his calculating eyes swept across the battlefield—the destruction, the exhausted knights, and finally, the three beautiful warrior women gazing toward the north. His gaze lingered on them for a moment, a strange glint flickering in his eyes.

  Then, with a practiced smile, he turned to Agnes.

  “Greetings, Your Highness,” he said smoothly, offering a shallow bow. His eyes flickered briefly to her chest before he straightened, making a subtle gesture with his hand.

  One of his bodyguards immediately stepped forward, presenting a sealed scroll. The nobleman took it and extended it toward Agnes, just as she parted her lips to speak.

  "Count Maxwell..." Agnes spoke as she took the scroll, immediately recognizing the king’s seal.

  Breaking the seal, she unrolled the parchment and quickly scanned its contents. Her expression darkened with worry. Without a word, she handed it to Joseph. He read it as well, his jaw tightening as his face grew serious.

  Meanwhile, Count Maxwell stretched his arms with an exaggerated yawn. “I would like to be shown to my chambers now. The journey was quite exhausting,” he announced, already striding toward the castle without waiting for a response. His four bodyguards followed closely behind, along with a small group of knights.

  As he walked, he waved a dismissive hand toward his remaining soldiers, issuing commands as if assigning menial chores. “Send a patrol to secure the city gates. This place needs a makeover—it lacks refinement.”

  Agnes could only watch as the count made his way toward the castle. Her gaze shifted between Reika, Alessandra, and Yumi, then to the massive crater, her injured citizens, and finally back to Maxwell. She clenched her fists before shaking her head and quickly moving to catch up with him.

  Whispers rippled through the weary crowd—tired knights and shaken townsfolk alike.

  “Who does he think he is…?”

  “They showed up after the monster was already dead…”

  “No respect at all…”

  “Why didn’t they come earlier…?”

  Calling over a servant, Agnes gave curt orders to prepare accommodations for the Count.

  As he walked beside her, Maxwell’s eyes gleamed with interest.

  “Princess,” he mused, his tone dripping with feigned curiosity, “I would very much like to know the names of those three beautiful female warriors. They seem strong and valiant.”

  He smirked, his gaze lingering on Agnes before running his tongue over his lips in a disturbingly self-satisfied manner.

  “Since I have authority from His Majesty, handing them over to my command would be beneficial to the city,” he continued smoothly. “From what I’ve seen, this place has been in dire need of proper leadership. It seems I arrived just in time. Heh heh heh.”

  Agnes’s expression tensed. She tried to keep a composed, neutral face. “Lord Maxwell, those warriors are independent. They only take on specific tasks, and I—”

  She was cut off abruptly.

  “Princess, we must consider what’s best for the nation,” the count interjected again, his smug grin never wavering.

  Agnes stood there in silence, uncertainty weighing heavily on her. What does the future hold? she wondered.

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  The next day, Alessandra, Reika, and Yumi were nowhere to be found.

  Back to the present…

  Iryoku remained seated in the dimly lit room, his face obscured by the shadows. Only his piercing eyes were visible, locked onto the princess with an unyielding glare. He leaned slightly forward, his posture tense.

  "So, you handed over your authority to that fat bastard and chose to enjoy a comfortable life within the security of your castle," Iryoku stated in a low, accusing voice.

  "That’s not—" Agnes tried to defend herself, but he cut her off.

  "I wouldn’t be surprised if you sold the girls to that pig," he sneered.

  "I would never—!" she snapped, her voice shaking with anger.

  "Oh? Now you show some guts—when it suits you," Iryoku scoffed, his voice dark and mocking. "Why don’t you use that courage to go out and find the girls? Or put that fatty in his place? Better yet, why not just kill that pig while you’re at it? That way, we wouldn’t have to deal with him anymore. Even I can see he’s corrupt. Go on—do it. Use one of those precious little pocket monsters you’re always hiding behind."

  His tone was laced with eerie amusement, but there was an undeniable sharpness beneath it.

  Agnes’s face remained tense, a storm of worry and fear flickering in her eyes.

  “Lord Iryoku… I know he isn’t a good person, but it’s complicated, we—” she began softly.

  But Iryoku cut her off, brushing past her words as if he hadn’t heard them at all

  "And while we’re at it, where the hell is Joseph?" he continued, his gaze never leaving her. "When I first met him, he came across as a knight of justice—always protecting the weak from the wicked. He could easily crush that fat bastard’s guards without breaking a sweat." His tone was playful, but his eyes burned with intensity.

  "Sir Joseph was sent on a special mission—directly by the King himself. It’s vital for the kingdom and all of humanity," Agnes explained, trying to steady her voice.

  Iryoku let out a dramatic sigh, placing a hand on his forehead as if he had just realized something. "Aaaah, of course! The King’s orders," he mocked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Because, naturally, the kingdom is what truly matters."

  He leaned back, a bitter smirk playing on his lips. "There’s nothing more important than your people, right?"

  Agnes remained tense, unsure of what to say. "Lord Iryoku, I know you four have been through a tough time, but—"

  A sharp, sarcastic laugh cut her off.

  "Ahhh, ahhh, ahhh… You’re really something, Princess. You should try stand-up comedy—it would suit you well," Iryoku sneered. Though his words dripped with mockery, his face remained hard, his anger unwavering.

  Agnes lowered her gaze slightly, gripping her hands tightly.

  "Just imagine this," Iryoku continued in a mocking tone. "A couple of kids are living a normal life, going to school, no war, nothing to worry about. Then suddenly, someone kidnap them away, throws them in front of monsters, gods, and demons, hands them toy weapons, and expects them to fight and win. Easy peasy, right? Oh, but wait—let’s ask the piggy."

  He raised his left hand, drawing Agnes’s eyes to it as a faint glow flickered to life. A beam of light shot up toward the high ceiling, then the white cord shifted. Something heavy fell to the floor with a sickening thud.

  Agnes’s breath caught in her throat as her eyes widened in horror.

  "What… have you done?" she whispered.

  Lying on the ground was the mangled corpse of Count Maxwell, his body ravaged by deep cuts, his face rendered unrecognizable. His fingers and limbs were twisted at unnatural angles, and his manhood had been severed—clear evidence of brutal torture.

  Agnes felt the bile rise in her throat, but she forced it down, swallowing her disgust as she slowly turned back to Iryoku.

  "What... happened to you…?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Iryoku let out a low chuckle, his expression twisted. "This place happened."

  His eyes gleamed with something unhinged. "You know, this place right here—it’s all messed up," he said, tapping his temple with his index finger. "After seeing death, being beaten, burned, stabbed, cut, frozen—" He let out a dry, hollow laugh. "Rejected… well, I’m used to that one. Don’t mind it. And after losing…"

  His voice grew harsher. "I was there, fighting a god himself—being tossed around like a rag doll—only to come back and find my companions gone, and the rest of you happy and merry… while I’d been through hell."

  His face fell, his gaze dropping into the dim light. His eyes were shadowed, but the pain in his voice was unmistakable.

  "Someone dear to me. She saved me… and I watched her die."

  His voice wavered, rising in barely restrained fury, like it was on the verge of breaking.

  "My only hope—the only thing keeping me from disappearing, from becoming something else—is finding them. Returning home."

  His voice dropped to a whisper.

  Agnes’s face paled. Each word he spoke felt like a dagger to her chest, cutting deeper than she expected.

  Unable to find the right words, Agnes’s head ached.

  "Let’s do something," Iryoku said suddenly, his voice eerily calm, as if he were discussing the weather. "Why don’t you use your princess powers and send people to look for my girls? Pretty please. They’re probably looking for me over at the magical mountain."

  Agnes, still processing everything, let out a weary sigh. "I will do it, Lord Iryoku… but with the Count’s death, we are in serious trouble. We need to—"

  Before she could finish, Iryoku stepped forward, grabbing her by the collar and lifting her off the ground with frightening ease.

  "Really? Why do you keep going on about that disgusting pig? He’s dead. Why is it so damn hard for you to just do what I said?" His voice was sharp, laced with something dangerous. Then, his expression darkened with disgust. "Ah, but I suppose sending knights to ransack starving villages and rape their women is a much better way to dispose of your soldiers, isn’t it?"

  Agnes’s face twisted in horror. "What are you talking about?" she gasped.

  Iryoku scoffed. "Oh? You really don’t know? Your knights have been running rampant all this time. They’ve been carrying documents bearing your seal, giving them absolute authority to do whatever they want to whoever they want." He let out a dry, bitter chuckle. "Sheesh, and you wonder why monarchies in my world were abolished ages ago. Too barbaric."

  "Maybe you need to experience firsthand what it means to suffer," Iryoku said, his voice dangerously low, his expression teetering on the edge of insanity.