***WARNING: This chapter contains foul language, death, talk of death, violence, and gruesome content.
***Alright Now Continuation Of Chapter 22...
-Right after Han Jea/Nania left to rest-
Damien let Han Jea/Nania have time to wash herself and rest.
He knew it was best to not ask at the moment without letting her have time.
He threw a warning glance at Sir King and Sir Hector who stood in front of Han Jea/Nania's door guarding her.
'Nod'
Sir King and Sir Hector nodded as if they understood his command.
'Glance'
Damien acknowledged their nod and took a glance at the door where Han Jea/Nania was.
"...." (Damien)
He stared at it in silence for a few seconds with a face that seemed reluctant but his body decided to move.
'Turn'
He turned around.
He had to go for she who also seemed to not want to talk about it.
For now, her safety would be guarded by trustworthy knights.
Now he had to do what he had to do.
'Look straight'
'Glare'
He looked straight forward with a cold furious glare finally stepping towards his destination.
-Outside by the tent areas-
'Murmur, Murmur'
Damien had gotten out of the house.
He was walking in the middle of the left and right split-section tents.
There seemed to be some chattered since they were trying to get back again and organize right this time.
Damien had instructed the new Reynolds knights who were searching for Han Jea/Nania and Ulisses searching for them in the Northern poor area and the other ones searching for them all around the Northern territory to report here to the tents.
As far as for the ones he had dispatched to look around the castle withdrew again to the castle with the report that Elliot had been well.
He was not hurt and nothing.
That meant either two things both the nanny and Sir George who he was a little doubtful have not harmed Elliot.
Some relief was taken off his shoulder however the ones that were ordered to surround the temple had not withdrawn.
It was obvious that the temple was pissed if not one of his Reynolds knights in charge of surrounding the temple wouldn't have sent the messenger bird with a complaint of the temple.
'Ha' (Damien's inner thoughts)
He scoffed in his thoughts at their arrogance.
To think the temple was acting as if Damine would just accuse them without proof.
"The gizzers love my money and yet..." (Damien, said)
He said with almost a mock as he continued to walk.
Damien was unwilling to remove the Reynolds knights surrounding the temple it was clear that the temple had something to do if not they wouldn't have summoned the scrawny priest back.
That priest could not be oblivious to what was going on and yet he said no word, besides he didn't like how he tried to get close to his wife.
Damien had to clearly deal with the temple and face them sooner than expected.
Perhaps go straight to the temple instead of back to the castle.
'Close'
Damien closed his eyes as if it would relax his anger and annoyance.
He had so much to do.
His head hurt again.
He felt it.
The anger that bottled up sooner or later it could break and burst out.
And at the end of each month, it would relapse far greater.
He didn't dare to show Han Jea/Nania that part of him.
He was scared she'd call him a monster.
He didn't want to even think about Elliot ever seeing him becoming afraid of him.
So he had to remain calm.
'Open'
He opened his eyes and glanced to his left and right side as if he could ease up.
Among the one-hundredth tents with patients, he assigned one Reynolds knight to the very front entrance of each tent while another inside the tent guarding the doctors who had betrayed him.
It would be a hassle to call all the doctors in the hospital to come over here and inject the patients with the cure so he forced the betraying doctors to inject the cure under supervision by the Reynolds knights watching them.
He decided to use this strategy to not alert the Northern citizens.
All he had to do was switch his knights.
They wouldn't dare to do anything under the supervision of the new Reynolds knights and having Damien's presence.
For once they were not dumb enough to meet Damien's sword.
They thought they were fortunate since they were not dragged to the smaller storage room where all the Reynolds knights who had betrayed were being watched by Carlo and the strongest knights with utter security.
Although the betraying doctors were instructed to inject the patients with the cure and make sure that their health recuperated it didn't mean that at the end of the day, they wouldn't be punished too.
Damien was heading just that direction, toward the storage room but before he could continue his steps a small child with blue eyes and light blonde curly hair who was holding a dirtied lamb in his right hand while he held his left hand up grasped with a Reynolds knights that approached Damien.
"Your Grace" (Knight Hanzel, said)
Knight Hanzel a puppy looking brown haired knight approached Damien holding the light blonde curly-haired little boy's hand and called out to Damien.
'Halt'
'Turn'
Damien halted his step looking at them.
"The children from tent six have been cured, Sir Pond has just taken Doctor Tenor to the room (storage room) most of the children have fallen asleep but this little one wanted to speak to your grace I did not know what to do" (Knight Hanzel, said)
'Turn'
Damien naturally turned to look at the little light blonde adorable child who had looked to been crying for a long time.
Sir Hanzel clearly had no experience with children so no matter how he tried to calm him down the little tiny child would not stop crying till he spoke to the Duke.
For whatever that reason that was.
"I see" (Damien, said)
Damien said as he understood Sir Hanzel's words.
'Little push'
"Little man this is the Duke you wanted to speak to" (Sir Hanzel, said)
Sir Hanzel gave the little boy a softly encouraging push with a gentle voice.
'Step, Step'
Walking.
'Halt'
Stop walking.
'Stare'
The little child took two steps timidly and halted looking up at Damien a little frightened and hesitant.
'...' (Damien)
'Crunch down'
Damien crunched down this time for the child to look at him at a less timid height.
'Pat, Pat'
"You've been a very brave boy" (Damien, said)
Damien said gently as he patted the little boy's light blonde curly hair.
Damien had no idea how to treat children but his wife was making him go through training.
It seemed he was making progress because the little boy seemed to finally want to speak up.
"M-Mister I heard that a-a princess has come here" (Louie the third child, said)
He said reluctantly and shly.
"..?.." (Damien)
Damien was taken aback a little confused till he understood what Louie had asked but Sir Hanzel who had seen his confused face for a split second spoke up.
"Your Grace I believe he's talking about the Duchess" (Sir Hanzel, said)
'Close'
Damien closed his eyes with a small warm smile.
'Open'
"That's true, my wife is a very pretty Princess" (Damien, said)
He said softly as his golden eyes eased up.
'Widen'
Louie's eyes widen in surprise.
"R-Really?" (Louie, asked)
"Really" (Damien, said)
"She's so pretty she looks like an angel" (Damien, said)
"And she's braver than me, very brave" (Damien, said)
He said as if he was speaking just like a man in love.
Even Louie noticed it.
"Then does the M-Mister love her? Mister seems to l-love her very much" (Louie, asked)
"Daddy looks at mommy like that when he speaks of mommy like that too so you must like the pretty angel princess" (Louie, said)
Louie said with an excited innocent blushed smiling face.
'Widen'
Damien's golden eyes shook as his eyes widened.
Immediately flashes of his wife began to flood his memories.
Sweet memories that he wanted to keep, memories to laugh, adore, and cry of her.
Everything of her he wanted to keep.
Everything he wanted to know of her.
He had thought he knew what was once love but he had come to realize it was not this type of love.
What he felt for Nania was real heart-aching love.
Love that hurt so much if he were apart from her.
Is that what it truly was? Had he already loved her without not noticing?
Yes, there was affection, she had so much beauty his golden eyes couldn't look away, her personality was so warm as if warm light wrapped him, he liked her, he wanted to be near her and not one inch apart but he had not realized that he had fallen in love with her yet.
He quickly had fallen in love with her.
"I hope I can marry a pretty angel Princess just like you mister" (Louie, said)
"Sir Knight said that my mom, daddy, and brother and everyone wouldn't be alright if it wasn't for the pretty angel princess and you mister" (Louie, said)
"L-Louie wanted to meet mister and thank him, mommy said I should always be thankful when people help those in need" (Louie, said)
"Louie hopes to meet the pretty angel princess too!" (Louie, said)
Louie said gratefully and excitedly.
'Smile'
Damien's lips raised in a warm smile.
"Then I guess I'll have to tell the pretty angel princess that you would like to see her, but before that, you must rest first" (Damien, said)
Damien said gently as he said to Louie since it was already getting dark.
'Nod, Nod'
Louie nodded as if he understood.
"Good" (Damien, said)
Damien got up and nodded at Sir Hanzel gently.
'Nod'
And with that, they retired.
Damien's mood had brightened up a little however it did not last once he arrived inside the second smaller storage room.
-In the second smaller storage room-
"Duke we just got a report that Ulisses would be here in a couple of minutes" (Sir Enrolls, said)
Knight Enrolls who was inside the smaller storage room at the very entrance approached Damien who had come inside following him to the center of the small storage room where Carlo, Jhones, Jupan, and a good group of Reynold knights holding their swords out pointing towards all the Reynolds knights who had betrayed them kneeling on the ground along a couple of Doctors who had already finished their assigned tent curing the patient and being directed here to their death.
In the very center were Doctor Tenor, Doctor Wise, Reynolds Knight Kin, Doctor Eduarn, and Doctor Assistant Fortener.
'Scan, Scan'
Damien halted at the front seeing all of the doctors and Reynolds Knights kneeling as he scanned the room.
"Where is Conrad?" (Damien, asked)
Damien turned to look at Enrolls and Carlo who were now next to Damien.
"About that Duke...." (Sir Enroll, said)
He paused with hesitance.
"We have not seen sight of him, it's just as if he vanished in thin air" (Carlo, said)
So Carlo spoke up whatever Enrolls wanted to say.
It was crazy to believe there was no information on Sir Conrad but what else could they do if there was no body found nor any trace of him?
'Turn'
Damien took that information with him then looked back to the kneeling knights and the Doctors.
"Withdraw" (Damien, said)
Damien commanded.
'Swish'
With one command they immediately drew down their swords and stood in formation.
"I've many words to say to people who bite the back of the hand of who feeds them but I do not wish to waste my time" (Damien, said)
"Speak now if you have something to say" (Damien, said)
Damien said as he stared at them with a warning cold tone and a murderous atmosphere.
Every single one of them knew that they had betrayed him.
They knew they would be punished.
"I-I have-" (Reynolds Knight, said)
As some were going to try to plead for their life and others were going to explain Damien interrupted them.
"I said I do not waste my time" (Damien, said)
"To believe that all of my Reynolds knights betrayed me for whatever that reason was you have violated your knight's oath and hurt your own people I have no need for you to hear your response I asked Doctor Assistant Fortener" (Damien, said)
Damien pretended to give them the benefit of the doubt but in reality, he was not speaking to them he was speaking directly to Doctor Assistant Fortener who was the most likely to possess most of the information he wanted to hear.
'Flinch'
Doctor Assistant Fortener flinched at his call.
"Now you can decide to give me the information on your own or I can call Doctor Nestor. Choose." (Damien, said)
'Widen'
Doctor Assistant Fortener's eyes widened at the thought that Doctor Nestor had actually woken up from the serum they had given him.
If Doctor Assistant Fortener did not speak up Doctor Nestor would.
There were conversations that Doctor Nestor knew that others didn't know.
So he had to make it.
If there was a glimpse of prison he could just escape it.
'He's going to kill all of them....yet he's giving me an opportunity to speak...' (Doctor Assistant Fortener's inner thoughts)
Because Damien was unwilling to hear any of the Doctors and Reynolds betraying knights they were good as dead the only person that mattered to Damien was Doctor Assistant Fortner intell so he had to gamble it.
After all, if the cult master had closed the door for a reason it was clear that they had cut ties.
'Those betraying son of a bitches!' (Doctor Assistant Fortener's inner thoughts)
He greeted his teeth in anger.
"Are you unwilling?" (Damien, asked)
Damien who saw Doctor Assistant Fortener gritting his teeth in anger pulled out his sword and positioned it under Doctor Assistant Fortener's jaw lifting it up with a last cold warning.
'Gulip'
Doctor Assistant Fortner swallowed hard.
"It was all Doctor Nevardo's idea" (Doctor Assistant Fortner, said)
"..." (Damien)
"He was the one who wanted to experiment on patients but couldn't test them freely at the hospital so he came up with the plan to test it on the people from the poor areas injecting them with the Moro's disease he created since he thought it would do less damage then if he were to test it on-argh!" (Doctor Assistant Fortener, said)
"Less damage? Does that look like less damage to you?!" (Damien, said)
Damien pressed his sword making Doctor Assistant Fortener bleed and scream in pain.
Damien was beyond pissed.
It was as if Doctor Assistant Fortner was shifting all the blame to Docrot Nevardo just as if he hadn't done anything wrong.
They all knew that one hundred-tenths was more enough than damaged but they didn't know truly what was the real damage.
"I'm sorry D-Duke before I knew I couldn't back out I-I was threatened" (Doctor Assist Fortener, said)
He finally was beginning to feel nervous that Damien was unwilling to spear his life but if he had to die he would not go down alone.
It was bad luck that the Duchess had survived but it wasn't fair that he had to deal with all this problem as if it was his own.
"Ha" (Damien, scoffed)
Damien scoffed in amazement.
"Then whose fault if not all of you who collide together? Don't you dare say you felt threatened you could have come and looked for me yourself" (Damien, said)
He raised his voice at him.
'Close'
Doctor Assistant Fortener closed his eyes tightly as he tried to speak up again.
"It was all Doctor Nevardo's fault who involved us with that crazy priest and his cult I swear!" (Doctor Assistant Fortener, yelled)
'Silence'
Suddenly the small storage room went silent when Doctor Assistant Fortener yelled.
Everyone was confused and taken aback by words that were never heard.
Everyone including the betraying Reynolds knights.
'Swish'
Damien dropped his sword away from his jaw however the next words that continued were furiously cold even his anger veins were showing.
"That priest....what cult?" (Damien, asked)
His voice was like a suffocating knife.
'Sweat, Sweat'
Doctor Assistant Fortener began to sweat buckets as he continued to speak up but this time his body trembled.
"I-I only agreed for the experiments t-the pay was good" (Doctor Assistant Fortener, said)
"I thought that Doctor Nevardo w-would experiment with them t-to heal their bodies again b-but he didn't as agreed" (Doctor Assistant Fortener, said)
'That lunatic would have never healed their bodies!' (Doctor Assistant Fortener's inner thoughts)
"They became like corpses only that...we didn't kill them" (Doctor Assistant Fortener, said)
'Tremble, Tremble'
Doctor Assistant Fortener trembled placing his hand down on the floor as he looked down on the old wooden floor.
"He agreed with the c-cult master to hand over each disfigured human body that Doctor Nevardo experimented on leaving them alive, a contract we could not violate under any circumstance" (Doctor Assistant Fortener, said)
"We would not kill any citizen that was experimented on the priest sent to watch made sure of it" (Doctor Assistant Fortener, said)
"We would hand over the alive disfigured bodies while they...w-while t-they-" (Doctor Assistant Fortener, said)
Doctor Assistant Fortener's words were becoming choked up as if he was having trouble speaking.
Everyone was in shock.
All of their faces were distorted.
But Damien did not falter.
"Then what the hell did they do to the bodies?" (Damien, asked)
"How many people did you hand over?" (Damien, asked)
'Sweat, Sweat, Sweat'
'Tremble, Tremble, Tremble'
"I-I don't know I lost track of how many due to falsifying the-" (Doctor Assistant Fortener, said)
"I ASKED HOW MANY BODIES DID YOU HAND OUT?!" (Damien, asked)
This time Damien had shouted at the top of his lungs while everyone looked at Doctor Assistant Fortener who was still kneeling his head down.
"The l-last time I kept track was one week ago I-I haven't counted e-ever since h-how many w-we sent b-but the last count it was 7,000 human bodies" (Doctor Assistant Fortener, said)
That was literally almost half of the population the Northern poor area had out of 15, 000 people within just five weeks.
'Widen'
"!!!" (Damien, all Reynold Knights, and Doctoro's)
The betraying Reyonold knights and the betraying Doctors who were unaware of this became shocked by Doctor Assistant Fortener's confession as their faces painted regret and distortion.
'YANK!'
'PULL!'
"Are you responsible for the disappearance of the missing citizens over the empire too?! Speak!" (Damien, asked)
"If you don't tell me everything right now I swear!" (Damien, said)
Damien suddenly yanked him by his collar and pulled him as if he crunched down threatening him to continue speaking.
'Tremble, Tremble'
"I-I don't know anything about t-the disappearances we've heard nothing but I'm sure it has to do with that cult. Doctor Nevardo was working with them but was not aware of all the cult's doing. We've only been here testing with the poor citizens and turning them into them. I really don't know what happened to the bodies. I don't know I-I swear not only Doctor Nevardo knew of specific details!" (Doctor Assistant Fortener, said)
"He didn't tell me, we only delivered the bodies through a long underground hall entering the iron door we were not allowed to enter it any further only deliver them to a cape person. Doctor Nevardo had only gone once all the way, the first time we delivered them but after that, he was no longer allowed I don't know what happened but I'm sure some disagreement had come between them since Doctor Neveardo looked pretty furious after that they sent Priest Rencornos to watch us!" (Doctor Assistant Fortener, said)
He raised his voice afraid.
Although he at least seemed sincere with the disappearances of the citizens all over the empire, this information could indicate that the cult could possibly be the ones who have been doing this.
"He never told me what really happened to them all I knew was t-that he along that priest collide together! All I knew was that the live humans we experiment on had to be alive and sent to a master, the cult master I'm sure!" (Docro Assistant Fortener, said)
"I heard from Doctor Nevardo that the master he was working for needed the bodies I'm sure that person unalived them or the group of so what that priest called cult! I never got to see the corpse but I'm sure Doctor Nevardo! They are all dead I really don't know how they managed to dispose of some many corpses but I promise I don't-ARGH!" (Doctor Assistant Fortener, said)
'SLASH'
This time Damien had slashed Doctor Assistant Fortener's body in half as he split open in two.
The Doctors kneeling down and the Reynolds knights kneeling down were already in shock from what they heard but seeing how Damien did not flinch one bit of regret it was the end of their conversation.
"Enroll send a message to the castle, I need two groups to surround the Castle and another to head to the temple for reinforcements immediately" (Damien, said)
"Make sure no rat enters or leaves the temple" (Damien, said)
This clearly meant war with the temple.
Be it for money like the others had betrayed or for other reasons, he knew the temple was a two-faced appearance full of greedy people who would only move on the money Damien gave them to stay and create hope and devotion to his people just to do this.
It had been the temple that had been colluding with a cult on top of that it was most likely that the missing citizens around the Northern territory were probably dragged into this sinister sin.
And the worst of all was the bad feeling he had, that cult they so-called might just be those who attacked in the accident a few years ago.
If so the worst was yet to come.
Damien was so furious he felt that sting near his heart as if he had failed all those people.
He was trying to control his breath in order to not trigger it however before Enroll could say something because he was taken aback by everything Ulisses's loud voice was heard along Sir Hector.
"I already told you I was going to tell the Duke why the...!" (Ulisses, yelled)
Ulisses came in yelling however stopped as he smelled the stench of blood seeing the doctors and the betarying Reynolds knights kneeling but his eyes were focused in the split Doctor Assistant Fortener.
'Turn'
'Thud'
"Blegh!" (Ulisses, threw up)
QUESTION: Why do you think Doctor Nevardo got kicked out from delivering the bodies all the way?