Heartbeats Amid Fire

Prologue

"P-please have mercy! This humble servant did not mean any disrespect!" a formally dressed man begged whilst on his knees in front of the knight whose clothes and sword were stained with the blood of the men and women he had just slaughtered.

The knight's eyes were cold as he looked down on the viscount, as if what he had done had not stirred even the slightest emotion in him and what he would do next wouldn't either. The air in the spacious hall of the viscount's mansion was thick and suffocating, and all who were gathered there remained absolutely silent while they waited for the knight to speak. Though it was clear that the knight would not harm the servants of the mansion, none wished to be disrespectful and suffer possible painful repercussions.

"Tell me, Viscount," came the voice of the knight, a deep baritone that had the viscount's hair standing in fright, "did you truly think that your embezzlement of money would go unnoticed by His Majesty?"

"I beg forgiveness to His Majesty, and His Highness the duke," the viscount stuttered. "I-I was in need of money, for my wife was unwell!"

A low hum escaped the knight's lips, one that reflected not just deep thought but deep distaste. Raising his head ever so slightly, he said, "Your wife seemed quite well though, when I dealt with her."

"T-That is, I-I didn't mean, I couldn't-"

"It seems you have no actual reason for your crimes, and it can only be assumed that you were greedy. I'm certain you are aware of the punishment for this, Viscount," the knight interrupted.

The viscount paled and sweat dripped down the sides of his face. He crawled forward on all fours to hold the knight's legs while lifting his gaze, desperation in both expression and tone when he spoke, "P-please give me another chance! I swear upon my life to never do such a thing again! I will repent and serve His Majesty faithfully!"

His words had fallen on deaf ears though. The once golden eyes of the knight were now a menacing scarlet and his flaring mana had thickened the air in the entire hall. The ferocity and malice in his eyes were what would make anyone wish for death rather than the torture of merely being in his presence, and it was a reflection of the darkness in his heart.

"P-please," the viscount pleaded again desperately, his voice trembling and barely above a whisper.

There was not a moment of hesitance or remorse before the knight's mana flared even more and enveloped the viscount as the former swung his sword in the finishing blow. The viscount's screams of pain echoed through the hall until all fell silent with his blood splattering across the floor and the knight's clothes. The knight's mana quelled, his eyes returned to their golden pools, and all around him held their breaths in anticipation of what would be said next.

"Henry Engelbert will take over as the viscount here. All previous maids, butlers and Zeros will remain and serve him – or is there anyone else that I need to clean up?"

All the servants, including the other Zeros who were in the hall tensed at the knight's words, their gazes remaining on the floor. With no response to the knight's question, he wiped the blood off his sword and sheathed it before striding to the main door of the mansion. He did not look back for even a moment before he mounted a black stallion and tugged his reins to settle him. With a sharp kick to the sides of the stallion and a vocal command, he was returning to the duke's mansion in Deotis where he lived and served.

Upon reaching the duchy, he was quick to enter the duke's mansion, the maids and butlers moving out of the way in not just startle of his bloody appearance but repulse of his very existence. It was not anything new for the knight though, and he ignored them as they did him. He stalled a moment outside the duke's study room doors then knocked thrice. Upon receiving permission to enter, he stepped in and closed the door behind him.