The holy knights of the Layang Empire were no match for Loranhir, the strongest hero—not even their champion holy knight would be.
Elaphia had reached this conclusion.
When the hero first encountered the ferocious beast, she had genuinely felt the other's aura. Just the tip of the iceberg was enough to make one terrified.
If the impetuous holy knight hadn't immediately cast Evil Detection on the hero, she wouldn't have found another opportunity to escape from the invincible hero.
At this moment, the rumbling of the Heart of the Red Queen had disappeared from her ears. Elaphia finally relaxed and involuntarily began to review the previous scene.
She had thought she was under an illusion.
What level of darkness was that?
Even a vampire thrall like her—no, even a vampire overlord like Grand Duke Dreka wouldn't be that outrageous.
Perhaps only close contact with some extremely evil entity could taint one with such dark aura.
An extremely evil entity?
Elaphia finally understood.
She had heard some rumors about the hero rescuing the princess.
Single-handedly killing her way into the evil dragon's lair, slaying through a sea of millions of monsters, entering and exiting seven times to find the princess's location, finally battling the Black Death Patunasankus for three hundred rounds at her bedside, ultimately beheading the evil dragon Patunasankus with one sword strike, and carrying away the beauty.
Thinking this way made much more sense.
Sighting reports of the Black Death Patunasankus hadn't appeared for a long time.
Come to think of it, how could the kingdom's recognized strongest hero constantly stick with a thoroughly evil being?
Only the holy knights of the Layang Empire would make such an arrogant little mistake. As they say in Elaphia's hometown:
They've kicked a frozen mountain now.
Although Elaphia was also pleased to see such a scene, this matter no longer concerned her.
Her mission was complete.
Next was to report to Grand Duke Dreka.
The princess was dead.
Without the hero's protection, the princess would only die at the hands of the ferocious beast.
"..."
Thinking of this, Elaphia clenched her fists.
She thought again of that girl, of her dandelion-colored hair dancing in the moonlight.
A little more, just a little more.
Elaphia tried to comfort herself.
She was just a little short of completing her plan and launching another rebellion against the damned Vlad.
Elaphia also knew that he was always arrogantly waiting, expecting to crush her dignity once again.
But this time...
She would win!
The thrall and its master were in a symbiotic relationship. If the master died, the thrall would die along with them.
After successfully killing Vlad, Elaphia, as his thrall, would naturally go to hell right away.
Such an ending, she gladly accepted.
A shriek in the night sky made Elaphia instinctively look up. A black shadow gradually enlarged in her vision.
It was the ferocious beast.
Perhaps because they were too close to the source of the curse.
The ferocious beast was faster and more vigorous than before.
"Is one princess not enough to satisfy you? Want to capture me too?" Elaphia paused, crossing her arms.
"Heh~ I'm not as helpless as the princess."
○
"...No one bathes with you, your towel can never dry your filth, never hope to see your reflection in the mirror."
Patunasankus sat on the ground hugging her knees, carefully pondering the inscriptions on the stone wall.
Using a thin, long foxtail grass as a brush, she casually drew a bunch of lines she didn't understand on the dust-covered ground.
They probably looked like maggots.
Patunasankus stood up, looking at the circles of black wax figures around her.
Since she had nothing better to do, and no one would come looking for her anytime soon, she might as well study this curse.
The human-shaped wax figures were lifelike, each in a state of terror, as if they had all been trying to flee before the spell was cast. Worn-out towels were piled at the feet of the wax figures.
"The ferocious beast wants someone to bathe with it, so it specifically kidnaps maidens. And naturally, the kidnapped maidens are unwilling to bathe with a monster. So one by one, they are turned into filthy wax figures by the enraged ferocious beast."
Patunasankus examined them briefly.
"This one is from last month, this one from last week, hmm... this one is from yesterday."
By chance, Patunasankus discovered a diary in a dust-filled corner.
"What's this?"
With a light sweep of her hand, her fingertip was covered in dust.
[Mother is beginning to suspect.
Although I try to keep my nails short, they grow faster and faster, and my hair is getting thicker.
I've been taking all sorts of remedies lately, but nothing works. It's getting worse and worse. No matter how much money I spend, I can't find anyone who can help me.
I had to hide in a place with few people.
It must be the curse he put on me before he left. Perhaps I shouldn't have gone to the capital at all.
I can barely think anymore, and writing is becoming increasingly difficult.
So lonely.
Mother.
Dirty, so dirty, no useful towel, bathtub, toxic.
Pure, immaculate, maiden.
Pool, poison, pain.
I, face...
If Latifa... were here...
No, it can't be... her...
Latifa...
Aaaaaaahhh...]
At that moment, a terrifying and frenzied howl tore through the night, making the old mansion shake. The sound fluctuated, constantly trembling.
The ferocious beast had returned.
Patunasankus remained unmoved, casually tossing aside the foxtail grass she had used to pass the time, tucking away the diary, and curiously looking up at the large hole in the roof.
Not long ago, she had been placed here by the ferocious beast through that hole.
With a thud, a silver figure was thrown down.
This was completely different from the ferocious beast's gentle handling of Patunasankus.
This person was solidly smashed to the ground, creating a cloud of dust that nearly blew away all the lines Patunasankus had drawn earlier.
"Ouch ouch ouch... This creature really hits hard. My glasses almost shattered."
Covered in dust and dirt, Elaphia rubbed her waist. Just as she was about to get up and dust herself off, she looked up to see the princess curiously examining her, those blue eyes of hers even brighter.
"Hello."
Patunasankus greeted her.