Chapter 121

Chapter 121

Roxana’s original plan had been to take advantage of the confusion created by the Vertium clan members’ revolt to kill Nix. Her momentary hesitation had forced her to rethink her own scheme. Especially now with the two representative Vertiums standing before her. But this turn of events also led her to believe there may yet be a better option than simply eliminating the offensive doll.

“After all, it was created using my brother’s corpse. I believe I have every right to reclaim it.”

It was also to her benefit that one of the head Pedelians was there at her side. Thus, a clan that prided itself on being equally upstanding like the Vertiums could not possibly afford to treat the incident as anything less than serious. All she had left to do now was navigate this new sea of underhandedness.

“If you won’t agree to that, allow me to remind you that it was your doll who attacked me—an official guest. Rather than have you destroy it, I am simply exercising my right to take ownership of it and deal with it as I see fit.”

Upon hearing Roxana say what he had been exercising extreme caution to avoid coming to light in the presence of the Blue Heir, Dante’s face became even more grim.

“What is she talking about?” Cassis’ voice had returned to its low timbre. “This is the first I’m hearing of this. Since when have you Vertiums been using your puppetism sorcery to make dolls from human flesh?!”

Had the other clan members been present, this discovery would have proven far more shameful to them than the fact that one of their aforementioned puppets had attacked an Agrece.

“No, I’m afraid there’s been a terrible misunderstanding, young sir,” Dante said in polite protest as if it was the first time in his life to hear of such a ridiculous thing. He had failed to recall that both he and Noel had used that specific fact to lure Roxana away from the Blue fortress in the first place. Of course, the original invitation never expressly mentioned Nix, so his attempt to deny the truth first may have worked on a more gullible audience.

“Lady Roxana, while I understand your anger, there seems to have been a grave misunderstanding. Nix is merely another fabricated doll like all the others you have seen here. He just happens to resemble your br—”

“You can’t have him! Lante Agrece gave him to me! He may have been your brother before, but he’s my doll now! He’s mine, understand?! I won’t even let you have my Nix, Luna!”

With his efforts undone in an instant by his own master’s reckless outburst, Dante simply stood there in stunned silence.

Could you be more clueless, Master Noel? Have you never once in your life considered when or where it is appropriate to speak?! Could you not have just kept your mouth shut THIS ONCE?! The steward grimaced as the headache he had been staving off due to the open gash on his forehead seemed to be doubling in intensity.

Cassis looked unhappily at the gray-haired man as he understood the full extent of the Gold Master’s crime. “So your experiments involved using real human flesh to create dolls? I think this matter will require an official explanation from your clan.”

Then he withdrew the crumpled-up letter he had brought from the Yggdrasil meeting and handed it to Noel. The young clan leader frowned at the Pedelian but accepted the missive nonetheless.

“The clan leaders reached a unanimous decision that on the first day of the new moon, all five clans must reconvene in Yggdrasil accompanied by their clan members.”

Upon hearing such an important development had occurred at the meeting his master had missed, Dante understood why the Blue Heir had come all the way to Vertium to deliver the memo himself. The news came as a shock to Roxana as well.

“Once we have all gathered there, I will make an official request for a detailed explanation by the Vertium leadership concerning what I have witnessed here. The use of human remains to create your puppets is not something the other clans can overlook.”

Dante groaned inwardly as he knew the worst was still to come.

“I shall safeguard this one until then,” Cassis said.

It would be necessary to search the Vertium compound thoroughly in order to acquire sufficient evidence of any wrongdoing. However, such a task would not be possible at the given moment. Besides the fact that only Cassis and Isidore had come to deliver the letter, it was unlikely Noel and Dante would agree to the abrupt intrusion regardless of their guilt or innocence. And even if they did, the Vertiums would likely band together to get rid of any damning evidence before the two could find anything.

Therefore, the Blue Heir had worked out that the next best thing would be to take custody of the puppet in question. The fact that Roxana wanted to take it only made the matter that much more necessary for him to pull off.

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible, young sir.” The steward spoke with a heavy scowl. “Just what proof can you offer to support any of your accusations? I don’t believe there is any basis for we Vertiums to accept such an unreasonable demand, even if it is coming from the Blue Heir.”

“Were you not listening to your own master’s outburst?”

“That, sir... was a momentary lapse due to the confusion of this unfortunate situation.”

It was a flimsy excuse, but by this point, Dante was grasping at straws.

“‘Confusion,’ you say? I never realized the Vertium leader suffered from mental infirmity.”

Every word Cassis spoke dripped with thick sarcasm and ridicule. Noel had heard just about all he could take and was on the verge of lashing out at the impertinent Pedelian heir when his steward stopped him just in time.

Boom!

Crash!

It was at that moment that an explosion echoed throughout the manor. It was so loud that it shook the ground at their feet while ringing in their ears. Before long, dust and smoke were issuing out from various areas around the building.

“What the hell was that?!”

“What in the world is going on now?!”

It was evident that neither Noel nor Dante had expected the sudden disturbance as they looked at each other in utter shock. At first, the gray-haired steward assumed it had been the work of the angry mob as they began to recover and regroup after fending off the combat dolls, but then it suddenly occurred to him that another force could be at play.

He turned his attention toward Cassis and stared at the young man sharply. “Did anyone else accompany you, sir?”

The Pedelian answered without hesitation. “Yes, my lieutenant. Why do you ask?”

“Then may I ask where he is now?”

“I’m right here.” Isidore stepped forward as if he had been waiting for Dante to ask that very question. “I determined it best to prepare for our departure after surmising that staying here any longer would be unnecessary.”

Cassis nodded his approval at Isidore’s quick thinking. Dante, on the other hand, could not mask his frown.

Boom!

More explosions cut through the air. Roxana silently inferred that the commotion was likely Grizelda’s handiwork. As the Vertium representatives stood agape, the Blue Heir suddenly stepped toward Nix and hoisted the unconscious puppet over his shoulder. It happened so fast that neither the Gold Master nor his steward could protest.

“We’ll be going now.” With the blond youth draped over him, Cassis bid the Vertium men a curt farewell, before turning to lead Roxana away.

“Wait just a minute! Just who gave you permission to take Luna and Nix with you?!” The orange-haired clan leader shot him the sharpest glare he could muster while his combat dolls quickly repositioned into battle formation behind him.

“Look! There he is!”

What Noel and Dante had most feared would happen was suddenly coming to pass. Neither could be certain if the explosions were responsible for this turn of events, but all the Vertiums who had been tied down had somehow broken free and through the defenses the Gold Master had put in place before catching up with his steward. Now they appeared to be even more furious and storming toward the small group.

Boom!

“NOEL! You’ll pay for that infernal puppet of yours!”

Kaboom!

“And for how horribly you’ve treated us all until now!!!”

“Look! Nix is there as well!”

After having been so mercilessly manhandled by the combat dolls, the horde rushed toward them while voicing their amplified fury. Even those who had chosen to hang back had joined the frenzy, which made them a truly formidable force to behold.

By now, Dante’s headache had quadrupled in intensity due to his frustration, while his master simply stood rooted to the ground stricken with shock as his face paled until it resembled ash. His green eyes kept darting between Nix’s limp form dangling from his love rival’s shoulder and his clansmen who were closing in on them like a stampede of irate bulls. Even if he were to get his beloved puppet back at this point, it was unlikely he would be able to protect him from the blood-thirsty mob. The one thing he was certain of was that he did not wish to witness his precious Nix get torn limb from limb right before his eyes.

“Since your hands are full here, we’ll see ourselves out. See you next month in Yggdrasil.” Cassis then turned away without waiting for an answer. Their group had no reason to dwell in the Gold manor any longer, and certainly not if it meant sticking around to watch what was sure to happen next.

“No, wait!” Dante called out in hopes of delaying the young Pedelian’s departure, but Roxana was already following the Blue Heir out since her business with the Gold clan was over as well.

Noel let out a low moan, then grit his teeth as he ordered his dolls to prepare for battle. “Stop them!”

Contrary to Dante’s expectations, his master did not instruct his puppet warriors to go after Cassis but the approaching gold clan members.

“Master Noel! Are you really just going to let them leave?!” Dante asked in blatant shock while fending off their assailants.

“What other choice did I have?! I can’t protect Nix in the midst of all this madness! Besides, the walls surrounding the estate have crumbled! If visitors of their station were to die in the gold lands, even by accident, how would I answer for that?!”

“But, sir, even so...!”

In truth, it came as a shock to the older man that his master was suddenly behaving so rationally, but that did not change the fact that the path he had chosen was less than ideal. Allowing Nix to be taken away like that was—

Kaboom!

Even so, there was no time for Dante to dwell on what had already come to pass. After the destruction of their border walls, portions of the manor itself had been reduced to rubble as well. All the while, the sound of explosions and infuriated clansmen mixed to form a cacophony of chaos.

Soon even the steward was forced to accept that the ongoing mayhem was a far more pressing emergency. The sound of explosions continued to sound long after the unannounced visitors had ridden through the main gate. Not a single member of their party bothered to look back at the once heavenly gold lands they were leaving in shambles.

It took a great deal of effort, but through sheer physical force Noel and his warriors were eventually able to stop his kinsmen. Unfortunately, such means of suppression fueled their discontent to an even more unmanageable level. The young leader then ordered his dolls to investigate who had been responsible for the explosions, but they failed to find even a trace of who might have been responsible.

All the perpetrators had left in their wake was the subtlest hint of sorcery. But as there was no proof it had been the work of the Pedelians who had arrived at the Gold manor, neither the Vertium leader nor his steward could do more than grit their teeth and turn their focus elsewhere.