“Yours efforts were commendable, but I’m afraid to say that you did not pass.”
Sebastian Locksley heaved a heavy sigh in response to the words of the man standing before him. These two and one other person were standing out in a field somewhere in Lithuania, far from any civilization aside from the cottage in the background. It was a wonderful day that was full of energy and the mountain air was completely invigorating. It was hardly something most people nowadays living in cities could be familiar with.
Sebastian was an English knight who’d trained in combat and magic since birth, going through then necessary steps in order to ascend in rank. In this world where only certain people knew about the world of myths and legends that came to life, one had to do things differently from the modern age in order to stay in touch with the archaic nature of magic. Sebastian had been a page and squire working under other knights until he became one himself, just like his father. However, Sebastian’s goal was further than that. There was a level beyond that of a knight that he strived for.
It was the same title that his uncle, Roy Locksley, held. In other words, the title of Paladin. It was a prestigious title bestowed on a knight who held the proper skill, talent, and determination. Each of the twenty-four paladins in the world was distinguishable by a uniquely colored cape or stole of some sort that they wore on their person.
For instance, the man standing before Sebastian now was Ricardo Capistrano, an Italian Paladin with a cape colored orange much like a pumpkin. He held a thick gladius in his hand, held firmly in front of him as his eyes remained on Sebastian. Once they had finished the ‘exam’, he lowered his weapon as Sebastian knelt, gasping for breath.
“Your skill with combining magic with your swordplay is impressive, but you lack the ability to assess your opponent’s state and make mistakes in judgment. Furthermore, your shield is idle when you defend. It makes it a simply task to find ways to attack around it. You lack the skills to become a paladin as of yet.”
Though Sebastian’s face was pointed toward the earth below as he struggled to regain his stamina, he listened to every word Ricardo said. It was a rare chance to be tutored by a true paladin, as his uncle was usually away on business.
“Ophelia, heal him.”
“Ah, yes sir!”
After finally paying some heed to Sebastian’s state, Ricardo spoke this order to the younger girl that had been standing a good few yards away, watching the training quietly. She was a young pretty girl with dark hair, wearing a casual blouse and high stockings. She was Ophelia Archard, Sebastian’s childhood friend and an expert in healing magic.
Ophelia knelt beside Sebastian and took out a small cloth. She murmured some foreign words over it quietly in a chant as Sebastian took over the armor sheathing his torso. Once his upper body was bare, Ophelia pressed the cloth to every bruise she could find. The swell vanished along with the pain as the wet cloth became extremely dirt, though not from actually dirt. It was essentially sucking up the essence of the injury, leaving Sebastian’s body with none. Though Sebastian had learned some self-healing spells to use during combat, none he knew could work to this extent.
“Thanks, Ophelia.” Sebastian said gratefully as Ophelia finished. Ophelia merely smiled back at him before standing and retreating back to her safe distance. Sebastian quickly fit his armor back onto his body and stood with his sword and shield up, facing Ricardo with determination.
“I’m ready to continue.”
Ricardo didn’t seem to have heard. He was standing with his back partially turned to Sebastian, eyes staring off at the sky almost suspiciously. Sebastian frowned in confusion, unsure as to what the man was doing.
“Sir, is everything alright?”
“Sebastian, you should also begin to hone your spiritual sensory abilities. No, everything is not alright. Your dear friend seems to have noticed as well.”
Sebastian blinked once before looking back toward Ophelia, who caught his eye and nodded slowly.
“It’s…as if the wind is warning us.” She spoke in a soft voice as her eyes turned toward the trees around them. “It’s so quite. Almost as if it is dead. I can’t hear the voices of the animals anymore.”
Ophelia came from a line of accomplished healing magicians and she had been taught personally by her grandmother to be able to commune with living things, so Sebastian knew that she was serious about being unable to hear the animals. But what did it mean?
“We’ll end this practice for today.” Ricardo suddenly concluded as he sheathed his sword in its sheath. “It’s time we took a break and returned into the cottage.”
“But we still have time before evening!” Sebastian protested immediately. “Shouldn’t we use our time properly—”
“Spending every moment honing your blade and body will not hasten your path toward a paladin, Locksley. It is best for you to get some rest and meditate on the spiritual aspect.”
“I can do that even while spending every other minute practicing, though!”
“It’s coming!”
Ricardo was just about to make an angry retort when Ophelia spoke suddenly in a loud whisper. Her eyes were wide as she stared toward the trees and both Ricardo and Sebastian turned their attention in the same direction. After a few moments, the sound of something moving through the trees could be heard and Sebastian raised his sword and shield higher. Ricardo drew his gladius as he and Sebastian immediately stepped between the place the sound had come from and Ophelia, prepared to fight whatever came out of the trees should be hostile.
However, the only thing that came out was a panicked rabbit.
“Oh!” Ophelia cried as she knelt down with open arms. The rabbit rushed right past the two knights and into the girl’s invitation without hesitation. “You’re hurt! What on earth is chasing you?!”
“We’re about to find out.” Sebastian muttered grimly as the sound of grassing and underbrush being trampled reached their ears, the higher volume indicating that it was much larger than a rabbit. That sound…was it scuttling? Sebastian was unsure that it was only one thing. “I’m starting to understand what you two meant about getting a bad feeling…”
Just then, a large black figure burst through the forest and charged straight toward the three at the center of the clearing. It easily towered over the fully grown Ricardo by a few feet and moved on eight furry legs. It was grotesque, like one would expect a monster to be.
“Giant spiders?” Sebastian instinctively called the name out as several more burst out of the forest from all directions. “This seems to be a lot for hunting a single rabbit!”
Though it did seem strange, that would wait until later. Sebastian brought his shield up in order to defend as one of the giant spiders charged at him and he easily deflected the blow. He brought his sword up into its underbelly and the blade dug deep, causing the creature to rear up. Sebastian followed through by stepped directly under the spider and slashed fiercely, creating a large gash across its thorax. He immediately jumped back as the spider’s spindly legs gave in and it collapsed to the ground and he whirled around to face the next attacker, digging his sword into one of its many eyeballs without hesitation.
It wasn’t a pretty sight, but it was essentially a knight’s job to dispatch creatures such as these. Among potential opponents, there were the divine, mythical, and monstrous. Knights could naturally deal with monsters and had to train properly in order to deal with mythical creatures. Divine, however, was beyond them. Nevertheless, these spiders were roughly at the bottom of the pyramid among the bestiary. But even so, what could so few do against such a large infestation?
“Locksley, retreat back to the cottage!”
Ricardo’s voice reached Sebastian’s ears just as the paladin slashed one of the spiders clean in half with a stroke of his short sword. Sebastian noticed Ophelia rushing into the cottage with a panicked expression on her face, reminding him of the way the rabbit had fled into her arms. Ricardo frowned at the idea of retreating in the face of these monsters, but acknowledged the fact that simply hacking away at them would do no good. So after slashing out and cutting off one of the spider’s legs, he quickly headed back toward the cottage along with Ricardo.
Ricardo shut the door and locked it firmly as Sebastian watched Ophelia set the rabbit on the nearest flat surface—in this case, the dining table—and rush toward the pantry. The rabbit lying on the table seemed to have a sickness of some sort as its breathing seemed irregular and its limbs moved erratically for no reason.
“What is going on?” Sebastian asked as the sound of thin legs pounding against the door and walls filled the room. “Couldn’t you heal it?”
“No! The injury has been dealt with, but he’s still suffering!”
Ophelia’s tone was harsher than normal, indicating her worried state. She drew out several seemingly natural ingredients such as sugar, honey, and some spices. She got out a small bowl and mortar and starting pounding as she murmured some incantations, though some of what she said was more to soothe her own nerves rather than for what she was making alone.
“Locksley, get the window.” Ricardo ordered calmly as he leaned against the door as more pounding echoed. Ophelia held the bowl up to the rabbit’s mouth as she gently clicked her tongue, coaxing it to consume her creation “We don’t have the energy to expend fighting them all, so we’ll have to find a way to deal with them once Ophelia is done analyzing what happened to the rabbit.”
“Do you think it’s magic?” Sebastian asked as he rushed over to the window right as a spindly leg smashed through it. With a single stroke, the leg was severed.
“The spiders were following the rabbit for some reason and I doubt it was merely for food.” Ricardo explained as Ophelia hurriedly grabbed her personal first-aid kit and pulled out an ointment, applying it to the suffering rabbit as she murmured a psalm. “My guess is that it was marked.”
“Marked? Like what magician hunters use to keep track of and wear down their game?”
“Exactly. But I don’t understand why they would use it on a mere rabbit, or why these giant spiders would be used to hunt it down.”
“Agh! Why is none of it working?!” Ophelia’s voice rose in exasperation as she threw down the ointment. “The mark won’t disappear no matter what I try! It’s not like it is witchcraft!”
Ophelia paused after her bold declaration. Magic was used by harnessing power gained from the gods, making it holy in a sense. Witchcraft was heretical magic used to harness power either directly from heretic gods or by deviating natural spells themselves, corrupting them. Such magic was widely frowned upon for their dangerous and cruel effects. Of course, ever since the English Anglicans went overboard with the witch hunts not too much earlier, witchcraft’s popularity dropped significantly even among those who used it.
“Oh dear.” Ophelia murmured in dismay as she looked back down at the suffering rabbit with a look of sympathy. “It is witchcraft!”
Ophelia’s following actions were stranger to Sebastian’s eyes. She was moving around the room moving the furniture and objects in the room, completely rearranging everything in a rush. She muttered to herself all the while, complaining about ley lines and positioning of the stars.
She must be planning on using celestial positioning to dispel the curse. Sebastian thought to himself as he slashed at the head of the spider trying to fit through the broken window. He knew that using the coordinates of ley lines and the stars, one could accomplish several types of spells, especially dispelling curses, possessions, and enchantments. Of course, his knowledge of that sort of magic was limited, as he focused more on combat magic.
“Sebastian, Sir Capistrano, John 2:3. Don’t stop until the monsters have completely lost the scent and have left!”
Ophelia’s plight may have sounded strange, but for an Italian and English knight like these two, it was completely expected for them to have memorized the bible—especially the New Testament. So the two began reciting the portion of the gospel as they continued to fend of the invading spiders. Ophelia knelt on the floor, hands clasped together as she chanted the same lines along with them.
Exactly two minutes later, the spiders began to hesitate with their attacks. Soon after, they simply stood outside the cottage in apparent confusion before turning and heading back into the forest. It wasn’t until they had completely lost sight of them that the three stopped chanting.
“Nicely done, Ophelia.” The Italian paladin congratulated as he sheathed his gladius. “In the end, we didn’t have to expend our energy by slaying them all.”
“But where on earth did those things come from?” Sebastian demanded as he sheathed his own sword on the sheath on his back along with his shield. “Spiders like that don’t have a concrete origin in any myth, right? That means they were probably deliberately summoned.”
“Probably.” Ricardo agreed with a sigh, his eyes fixing themselves on the floor as he thought. “If what Ophelia says is true and it is witchcraft that was used to mark that rabbit, then the possibilities are extremely narrow. Ophelia, are you sure that it was heretic magic?”
The two looked toward the young magician and were surprised to see her kneeling beside the table she’d set the rabbit on earlier. She was stroking its head with one finger gently but it wasn’t responding.
“Whatever spell it was, it took the rabbit’s life and erased all traces completely.” Ophelia spoke without turning back to them. “I can’t tell you who casted it.”
Ricardo sighed as he grabbed the nearest seat and put himself in it. “This is not a good omen. If magic like this is being used, there must be a reason. I’m going to have to report this to the Holy Crusaders immediately.”
“Why not investigate it for ourselves?”
Ricardo raised an eyebrow at Sebastian. The young knight was grinning in anticipation as he looked directly at Ricardo. The expression surprised the paladin. That sort of fire was definitely familiar. It was the same fire he saw in Roy Locksley’s eyes. When faced with an interesting challenge, he felt the urge to accept it. A sense of adventure was a trait for wandering knights, always seeking the next thrilling experience. Ricardo had to keep himself from smiling.
“Alright then.” He sighed in early defeat. “I suppose it would be a good experience if you want to become a paladin. Experience is what forges a man’s spirit. But I will tell you now; it’s a dangerous path. If I’m right about this, investigating it will put your life in danger. It would be safer to simply leave it to the Holy Crusaders.”
“But by time you explain to them the situation and they take action, the trail may have gone cold. You know that witches and sorcerers are exceptionally good at covering their trial.”
“Very true.” Ricardo mumbled bitterly. “Especially this one in particular.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m assuming you’ve heard of the god slaying devil kings, correct?”
“Of course. Powerful members of the world of wizardry who wield the power to face heretical gods on even footing. We treat them as royalty in return for their unsurpassed amount of charity in slaying heretic gods that threaten the race of Man with their destructive natures.”
Ricardo nodded as Ophelia rose from her positioning of mourning and came to stand beside Sebastian. She leaned against him slightly and he patted her arm comfortingly.
“Yes, and thanks to their power they have become cursed with the immortality of the gods they slay for our sake. As such, they have an incredible amount of wisdom. There is one in Eastern Europe who is in charge of an entire manor filled with ancient textbooks of magic. When it comes to knowledge of witchcraft and spells, there are few who can compare to this queen of witches or her several pupils. I suggest you visit her for information.”
“I would be able to meet a devil king in person?”
“Well, assuming they’ll see you. It’s more likely that one of their pupils will assist you on their behalf. But Sebastian, do you understand what I am implying? I may be overthinking things, but it is most probable that the one who sent the spiders is either a heretic god…or a god-slayer.”
Sebastian blinked at the grim Italian paladin in surprise. Was he suggesting that a devil-king was behind this? He’d heard rumors that they could act pretentiously and unpredictably, but would one really go so far? For what purpose?
“I understand. If it comes to that, I won’t do anything reckless.”
“Let’s hope.” Was the dry reply to Sebastian’s promise.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After Sebastian and Ophelia left the next day, Ricardo sat right by a window, staring out toward the warm sun with a brooding expression deep on his face.
Sebastian Locksley…As that man’s nephew, his strange decision came as no surprise. However, that man had a habit for causing trouble. Sebastian could only hope that those traits had skipped Sebastian generations or at least spared the boy during his encounter with one of the seven devil kings.
Empress Mei-Fong…the Mobile Fortress…Lady Fedosia Martel…Grandmaster Charles Saint-Richelieu…Iwao Kagamine-sama…King Eleazar Elsayed…and Black Lacer. They say that strong people have strong personalities. These seven kings who were so widely revered were unable to even claim the same region of the earth, disputing territory and arguing about their ethics much like one would expect kings to. Amazing people as they were, no normal human would have the audacity, let alone the ability, to slay a god. That one requirement for a devil king may be the cause for such a big rift.
Sebastian Locksley heaved a heavy sigh in response to the words of the man standing before him. These two and one other person were standing out in a field somewhere in Lithuania, far from any civilization aside from the cottage in the background. It was a wonderful day that was full of energy and the mountain air was completely invigorating. It was hardly something most people nowadays living in cities could be familiar with.
Sebastian was an English knight who’d trained in combat and magic since birth, going through then necessary steps in order to ascend in rank. In this world where only certain people knew about the world of myths and legends that came to life, one had to do things differently from the modern age in order to stay in touch with the archaic nature of magic. Sebastian had been a page and squire working under other knights until he became one himself, just like his father. However, Sebastian’s goal was further than that. There was a level beyond that of a knight that he strived for.
It was the same title that his uncle, Roy Locksley, held. In other words, the title of Paladin. It was a prestigious title bestowed on a knight who held the proper skill, talent, and determination. Each of the twenty-four paladins in the world was distinguishable by a uniquely colored cape or stole of some sort that they wore on their person.
For instance, the man standing before Sebastian now was Ricardo Capistrano, an Italian Paladin with a cape colored orange much like a pumpkin. He held a thick gladius in his hand, held firmly in front of him as his eyes remained on Sebastian. Once they had finished the ‘exam’, he lowered his weapon as Sebastian knelt, gasping for breath.
“Your skill with combining magic with your swordplay is impressive, but you lack the ability to assess your opponent’s state and make mistakes in judgment. Furthermore, your shield is idle when you defend. It makes it a simply task to find ways to attack around it. You lack the skills to become a paladin as of yet.”
Though Sebastian’s face was pointed toward the earth below as he struggled to regain his stamina, he listened to every word Ricardo said. It was a rare chance to be tutored by a true paladin, as his uncle was usually away on business.
“Ophelia, heal him.”
“Ah, yes sir!”
After finally paying some heed to Sebastian’s state, Ricardo spoke this order to the younger girl that had been standing a good few yards away, watching the training quietly. She was a young pretty girl with dark hair, wearing a casual blouse and high stockings. She was Ophelia Archard, Sebastian’s childhood friend and an expert in healing magic.
Ophelia knelt beside Sebastian and took out a small cloth. She murmured some foreign words over it quietly in a chant as Sebastian took over the armor sheathing his torso. Once his upper body was bare, Ophelia pressed the cloth to every bruise she could find. The swell vanished along with the pain as the wet cloth became extremely dirt, though not from actually dirt. It was essentially sucking up the essence of the injury, leaving Sebastian’s body with none. Though Sebastian had learned some self-healing spells to use during combat, none he knew could work to this extent.
“Thanks, Ophelia.” Sebastian said gratefully as Ophelia finished. Ophelia merely smiled back at him before standing and retreating back to her safe distance. Sebastian quickly fit his armor back onto his body and stood with his sword and shield up, facing Ricardo with determination.
“I’m ready to continue.”
Ricardo didn’t seem to have heard. He was standing with his back partially turned to Sebastian, eyes staring off at the sky almost suspiciously. Sebastian frowned in confusion, unsure as to what the man was doing.
“Sir, is everything alright?”
“Sebastian, you should also begin to hone your spiritual sensory abilities. No, everything is not alright. Your dear friend seems to have noticed as well.”
Sebastian blinked once before looking back toward Ophelia, who caught his eye and nodded slowly.
“It’s…as if the wind is warning us.” She spoke in a soft voice as her eyes turned toward the trees around them. “It’s so quite. Almost as if it is dead. I can’t hear the voices of the animals anymore.”
Ophelia came from a line of accomplished healing magicians and she had been taught personally by her grandmother to be able to commune with living things, so Sebastian knew that she was serious about being unable to hear the animals. But what did it mean?
“We’ll end this practice for today.” Ricardo suddenly concluded as he sheathed his sword in its sheath. “It’s time we took a break and returned into the cottage.”
“But we still have time before evening!” Sebastian protested immediately. “Shouldn’t we use our time properly—”
“Spending every moment honing your blade and body will not hasten your path toward a paladin, Locksley. It is best for you to get some rest and meditate on the spiritual aspect.”
“I can do that even while spending every other minute practicing, though!”
“It’s coming!”
Ricardo was just about to make an angry retort when Ophelia spoke suddenly in a loud whisper. Her eyes were wide as she stared toward the trees and both Ricardo and Sebastian turned their attention in the same direction. After a few moments, the sound of something moving through the trees could be heard and Sebastian raised his sword and shield higher. Ricardo drew his gladius as he and Sebastian immediately stepped between the place the sound had come from and Ophelia, prepared to fight whatever came out of the trees should be hostile.
However, the only thing that came out was a panicked rabbit.
“Oh!” Ophelia cried as she knelt down with open arms. The rabbit rushed right past the two knights and into the girl’s invitation without hesitation. “You’re hurt! What on earth is chasing you?!”
“We’re about to find out.” Sebastian muttered grimly as the sound of grassing and underbrush being trampled reached their ears, the higher volume indicating that it was much larger than a rabbit. That sound…was it scuttling? Sebastian was unsure that it was only one thing. “I’m starting to understand what you two meant about getting a bad feeling…”
Just then, a large black figure burst through the forest and charged straight toward the three at the center of the clearing. It easily towered over the fully grown Ricardo by a few feet and moved on eight furry legs. It was grotesque, like one would expect a monster to be.
“Giant spiders?” Sebastian instinctively called the name out as several more burst out of the forest from all directions. “This seems to be a lot for hunting a single rabbit!”
Though it did seem strange, that would wait until later. Sebastian brought his shield up in order to defend as one of the giant spiders charged at him and he easily deflected the blow. He brought his sword up into its underbelly and the blade dug deep, causing the creature to rear up. Sebastian followed through by stepped directly under the spider and slashed fiercely, creating a large gash across its thorax. He immediately jumped back as the spider’s spindly legs gave in and it collapsed to the ground and he whirled around to face the next attacker, digging his sword into one of its many eyeballs without hesitation.
It wasn’t a pretty sight, but it was essentially a knight’s job to dispatch creatures such as these. Among potential opponents, there were the divine, mythical, and monstrous. Knights could naturally deal with monsters and had to train properly in order to deal with mythical creatures. Divine, however, was beyond them. Nevertheless, these spiders were roughly at the bottom of the pyramid among the bestiary. But even so, what could so few do against such a large infestation?
“Locksley, retreat back to the cottage!”
Ricardo’s voice reached Sebastian’s ears just as the paladin slashed one of the spiders clean in half with a stroke of his short sword. Sebastian noticed Ophelia rushing into the cottage with a panicked expression on her face, reminding him of the way the rabbit had fled into her arms. Ricardo frowned at the idea of retreating in the face of these monsters, but acknowledged the fact that simply hacking away at them would do no good. So after slashing out and cutting off one of the spider’s legs, he quickly headed back toward the cottage along with Ricardo.
Ricardo shut the door and locked it firmly as Sebastian watched Ophelia set the rabbit on the nearest flat surface—in this case, the dining table—and rush toward the pantry. The rabbit lying on the table seemed to have a sickness of some sort as its breathing seemed irregular and its limbs moved erratically for no reason.
“What is going on?” Sebastian asked as the sound of thin legs pounding against the door and walls filled the room. “Couldn’t you heal it?”
“No! The injury has been dealt with, but he’s still suffering!”
Ophelia’s tone was harsher than normal, indicating her worried state. She drew out several seemingly natural ingredients such as sugar, honey, and some spices. She got out a small bowl and mortar and starting pounding as she murmured some incantations, though some of what she said was more to soothe her own nerves rather than for what she was making alone.
“Locksley, get the window.” Ricardo ordered calmly as he leaned against the door as more pounding echoed. Ophelia held the bowl up to the rabbit’s mouth as she gently clicked her tongue, coaxing it to consume her creation “We don’t have the energy to expend fighting them all, so we’ll have to find a way to deal with them once Ophelia is done analyzing what happened to the rabbit.”
“Do you think it’s magic?” Sebastian asked as he rushed over to the window right as a spindly leg smashed through it. With a single stroke, the leg was severed.
“The spiders were following the rabbit for some reason and I doubt it was merely for food.” Ricardo explained as Ophelia hurriedly grabbed her personal first-aid kit and pulled out an ointment, applying it to the suffering rabbit as she murmured a psalm. “My guess is that it was marked.”
“Marked? Like what magician hunters use to keep track of and wear down their game?”
“Exactly. But I don’t understand why they would use it on a mere rabbit, or why these giant spiders would be used to hunt it down.”
“Agh! Why is none of it working?!” Ophelia’s voice rose in exasperation as she threw down the ointment. “The mark won’t disappear no matter what I try! It’s not like it is witchcraft!”
Ophelia paused after her bold declaration. Magic was used by harnessing power gained from the gods, making it holy in a sense. Witchcraft was heretical magic used to harness power either directly from heretic gods or by deviating natural spells themselves, corrupting them. Such magic was widely frowned upon for their dangerous and cruel effects. Of course, ever since the English Anglicans went overboard with the witch hunts not too much earlier, witchcraft’s popularity dropped significantly even among those who used it.
“Oh dear.” Ophelia murmured in dismay as she looked back down at the suffering rabbit with a look of sympathy. “It is witchcraft!”
Ophelia’s following actions were stranger to Sebastian’s eyes. She was moving around the room moving the furniture and objects in the room, completely rearranging everything in a rush. She muttered to herself all the while, complaining about ley lines and positioning of the stars.
She must be planning on using celestial positioning to dispel the curse. Sebastian thought to himself as he slashed at the head of the spider trying to fit through the broken window. He knew that using the coordinates of ley lines and the stars, one could accomplish several types of spells, especially dispelling curses, possessions, and enchantments. Of course, his knowledge of that sort of magic was limited, as he focused more on combat magic.
“Sebastian, Sir Capistrano, John 2:3. Don’t stop until the monsters have completely lost the scent and have left!”
Ophelia’s plight may have sounded strange, but for an Italian and English knight like these two, it was completely expected for them to have memorized the bible—especially the New Testament. So the two began reciting the portion of the gospel as they continued to fend of the invading spiders. Ophelia knelt on the floor, hands clasped together as she chanted the same lines along with them.
Exactly two minutes later, the spiders began to hesitate with their attacks. Soon after, they simply stood outside the cottage in apparent confusion before turning and heading back into the forest. It wasn’t until they had completely lost sight of them that the three stopped chanting.
“Nicely done, Ophelia.” The Italian paladin congratulated as he sheathed his gladius. “In the end, we didn’t have to expend our energy by slaying them all.”
“But where on earth did those things come from?” Sebastian demanded as he sheathed his own sword on the sheath on his back along with his shield. “Spiders like that don’t have a concrete origin in any myth, right? That means they were probably deliberately summoned.”
“Probably.” Ricardo agreed with a sigh, his eyes fixing themselves on the floor as he thought. “If what Ophelia says is true and it is witchcraft that was used to mark that rabbit, then the possibilities are extremely narrow. Ophelia, are you sure that it was heretic magic?”
The two looked toward the young magician and were surprised to see her kneeling beside the table she’d set the rabbit on earlier. She was stroking its head with one finger gently but it wasn’t responding.
“Whatever spell it was, it took the rabbit’s life and erased all traces completely.” Ophelia spoke without turning back to them. “I can’t tell you who casted it.”
Ricardo sighed as he grabbed the nearest seat and put himself in it. “This is not a good omen. If magic like this is being used, there must be a reason. I’m going to have to report this to the Holy Crusaders immediately.”
“Why not investigate it for ourselves?”
Ricardo raised an eyebrow at Sebastian. The young knight was grinning in anticipation as he looked directly at Ricardo. The expression surprised the paladin. That sort of fire was definitely familiar. It was the same fire he saw in Roy Locksley’s eyes. When faced with an interesting challenge, he felt the urge to accept it. A sense of adventure was a trait for wandering knights, always seeking the next thrilling experience. Ricardo had to keep himself from smiling.
“Alright then.” He sighed in early defeat. “I suppose it would be a good experience if you want to become a paladin. Experience is what forges a man’s spirit. But I will tell you now; it’s a dangerous path. If I’m right about this, investigating it will put your life in danger. It would be safer to simply leave it to the Holy Crusaders.”
“But by time you explain to them the situation and they take action, the trail may have gone cold. You know that witches and sorcerers are exceptionally good at covering their trial.”
“Very true.” Ricardo mumbled bitterly. “Especially this one in particular.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m assuming you’ve heard of the god slaying devil kings, correct?”
“Of course. Powerful members of the world of wizardry who wield the power to face heretical gods on even footing. We treat them as royalty in return for their unsurpassed amount of charity in slaying heretic gods that threaten the race of Man with their destructive natures.”
Ricardo nodded as Ophelia rose from her positioning of mourning and came to stand beside Sebastian. She leaned against him slightly and he patted her arm comfortingly.
“Yes, and thanks to their power they have become cursed with the immortality of the gods they slay for our sake. As such, they have an incredible amount of wisdom. There is one in Eastern Europe who is in charge of an entire manor filled with ancient textbooks of magic. When it comes to knowledge of witchcraft and spells, there are few who can compare to this queen of witches or her several pupils. I suggest you visit her for information.”
“I would be able to meet a devil king in person?”
“Well, assuming they’ll see you. It’s more likely that one of their pupils will assist you on their behalf. But Sebastian, do you understand what I am implying? I may be overthinking things, but it is most probable that the one who sent the spiders is either a heretic god…or a god-slayer.”
Sebastian blinked at the grim Italian paladin in surprise. Was he suggesting that a devil-king was behind this? He’d heard rumors that they could act pretentiously and unpredictably, but would one really go so far? For what purpose?
“I understand. If it comes to that, I won’t do anything reckless.”
“Let’s hope.” Was the dry reply to Sebastian’s promise.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After Sebastian and Ophelia left the next day, Ricardo sat right by a window, staring out toward the warm sun with a brooding expression deep on his face.
Sebastian Locksley…As that man’s nephew, his strange decision came as no surprise. However, that man had a habit for causing trouble. Sebastian could only hope that those traits had skipped Sebastian generations or at least spared the boy during his encounter with one of the seven devil kings.
Empress Mei-Fong…the Mobile Fortress…Lady Fedosia Martel…Grandmaster Charles Saint-Richelieu…Iwao Kagamine-sama…King Eleazar Elsayed…and Black Lacer. They say that strong people have strong personalities. These seven kings who were so widely revered were unable to even claim the same region of the earth, disputing territory and arguing about their ethics much like one would expect kings to. Amazing people as they were, no normal human would have the audacity, let alone the ability, to slay a god. That one requirement for a devil king may be the cause for such a big rift.
Cherub's Cage of FIre
