Chapter 341 : Escaping Duke Remy

Fresh blood began to pour from the stab wound between Duchess Arlet's chest and abdomen. She also began to cough after being pierced; fresh blood spilled from her lips with each cough. Although the coughing eventually ceased, blood continued to trickle from her mouth, albeit in smaller amounts.

Duke Louis, standing beside her, was initially stunned to see Duchess Arlet suddenly pierced by Duke Remy’s elongated right hand. He stood frozen for a few seconds, staring at her in disbelief. However, he quickly realized he needed to act rather than remain idle. He swiftly slashed at Duke Remy’s right hand, the one that had impaled the Duchess severing it completely, and immediately gathered Duchess Arlet into his arms. As he held her, he stomped his right foot against the floor.

~Ice Magic: Great Ice Wall~

A massive, thick wall of ice suddenly materialized between them, acting as a barrier separating Duke Louis and Duchess Arlet from Duke Remy.

After conjuring the ice wall, Duke Louis pulled out the severed hand that was still embedded in Duchess Arlet’s body. Once the limb was removed, blood began to gush heavily from the wound, but Duke Louis instantly stemmed the flow by freezing the injury.

"I've stopped the bleeding. Do you feel any better now, dear?" Duke Louis asked.

"Yes, I feel a little better. Thank you, dear," Duchess Arlet replied.

"There is no need to thank me. Besides, this is my fault; I apologize for failing to protect you and allowing you to suffer such a severe stab wound. I am also sorry that I couldn't heal the injury," said Duke Louis.

"You don't need to apologize, dear. I couldn't protect myself either, as Lord Remy's attack was incredibly swift. I was unable to react to it, and neither were you. Furthermore, there is no need to apologize for being unable to heal this wound. It was caused by Lord Remy's right hand, which had elongated and become encased in black tree-like matter. That black material was clearly a fusion of his tree magic and dark magic, meaning the piercing attack itself stemmed from dark magic. Even if you could use healing magic, you still wouldn't be able to cure this wound, so there is no need for apologies, dear," said Duchess Arlet.

*Cough* *Cough*

Duchess Arlet began coughing again, a small amount of blood escaping her lips.

"We have to leave this place, dear. We need to get your wound treated immediately," said Duke Louis.

"Treat my wound? Injuries caused by dark magic cannot be cured by ordinary healing magic, so where would you take me? Are you planning to go to the Sancta Lux central church in the kingdom's capital? After all, one of the few things capable of healing a dark magic wound is a potion possessed by the Sancta Lux church," said Duchess Arlet.

"Yes, I am going to take you to the Sancta Lux church to have you healed," said Duke Louis.

"If you go to Sancta Lux Church, it means you’ll be fleeing from Lord Remy. He has been proven to be the one who plotted the murder of our family. We can't just let him get away with it, dear. You don't need to worry about my injury; I am still capable of fighting and facing Lord Remy," said Duchess Arlet.

"I don't care about running away from Lord Remy. I am well aware that he has been proven to be the mastermind behind the plot to kill our family. As the head of the San Lucia family, it is my duty to punish and kill him. However, as your husband, it is also my duty to save and care for you. I am taking you to Sancta Lux Church so you can be healed. I refuse to let anything else happen to you," said Duke Louis.

Duchess Arlet fell silent upon hearing Duke Louis's words. A moment later, she smiled.

"Very well, then I shall heed my husband's words," said Duchess Arlet.

Duke Louis smiled upon hearing Duchess Arlet's words.

"Let us depart now; I shall carry you," said Duke Louis.

Duke Louis then lifted Duchess Arlet to carry her in front, cradling her like a princess.

"Wait, why are you carrying me in front, dear? Wouldn't that hinder you if we were attacked on our way to the Sancta Lux Church? Especially given the dangerous situation at the academy and throughout the San Fulgen Kingdom right now, we are bound to face an attack on the journey there. It would be better if you carried me on your back; I would be fine with that," said Duchess Arlet.

"Very well, then," said Duke Louis.

Duke Louis set Duchess Arlet down, then adjusted his hold to carry her on his back instead.

"This way, I can assist you if we are attacked," said Duchess Arlet, gripping her rapier.

"Agreed. Let us set out now," said Duke Louis.

With that, Duke Louis sprinted away, carrying Duchess Arlet. He ran away from the ice wall he had previously created to separate himself and the Duchess from Duke Remy.

-

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ice wall Duke Louis had created.

Duke Remy was seen attacking the thick ice wall with both his hands, which had elongated like tree trunks. His right hand previously severed by Duke Louis had fully regenerated and reattached itself. He used both his right and left hands to relentlessly batter the ice wall before him. Yet, the wall showed no signs of damage despite his continuous assault. Duke Remy then commanded the surrounding tree trunks to join in the attack on the ice wall. Yet, the ice wall remained unbroken despite being battered by a multitude of tree trunks.

"This ice wall is incredibly tough, exactly what one would expect from Lord Louis, the head of the San Lucia family," remarked Duke Remy.

Afterward, Duke Remy ceased his assault on the ice wall standing before him. He stopped attacking whether with his bare hands or by wielding the nearby tree trunks. Once he stopped, he turned his gaze toward his right hand.

"I’m still not used to this technique, so my accuracy is abysmal. I had intended to pierce Lady Arlet’s heart, but my strike hit the lower part of her chest instead. Because I missed, I failed to kill her instantly. And because I failed to kill her right then, she managed to escape with Lord Louis. They even conjured that massive ice wall to block my pursuit. What a nuisance..." Duke Remy muttered.

Suddenly, Duke Remy stomped his right foot against the floor beneath him. The ground cracked instantly, fracturing further until it shattered completely. Once the floor gave way, he dropped down to the level below through the opening.

"...It’s a real hassle having to chase them all over again," Duke Remy remarked.

-

A few minutes later, on the first floor of the academy's central building.

Duke Louis had just descended the stairs to the first floor. He resumed running, carrying Duchess Arlet on his back. On this floor, students and soldiers were engaged in combat against the demons and the assailants attacking the academy. Thanks to the ongoing battle, Duke Louis was able to slip past the fray without getting involved in the fighting.

"Seeing those knightss fighting reminds me of our own troops, the ones still up on the fifth floor," Duchess Arlet said.

"Yes, I’ve been thinking about them too. I feel guilty for having to leave them behind just to bring you to the Sancta Lux Church. Once I’ve successfully treated you, I promise I’ll go back to them," said Duke Louis.

Duke Louis kept running past the students and knights who were in the midst of battle, carrying Duchess Arlet in his arms. Some of the students and knights looked puzzled as they saw Duke Louis and Duchess Arlet pass by. They tried to ask questions, such as why Duke Louis and Duchess Arlet were on that floor but neither of them answered; they simply kept running to get out of the central building.

After running for quite some time, Duke Louis and Duchess Arlet were nearing the exit of the academy's central building.

"We're almost out of the building," said Duke Louis.

Duke Louis continued running toward the exit with Duchess Arlet in his arms. Meanwhile, Duchess Arlet remained silent, seemingly deep in thought.

"That's right—I just remembered something," said Duchess Arlet.

Duke Louis was slightly puzzled by her words, so he decided to ask her.

"What is it that you just remembered, dear?" asked Duke Louis.

"Her Majesty the Queen once told me that Rid can heal wounds caused by dark magic attacks," said Duchess Arlet.

"Rid can heal wounds caused by dark magic attacks?" asked Duke Louis, surprised.

"I thought you already knew, but seeing you so surprised, it seems you weren't aware of this. Well, that’s understandable; Her Majesty the Queen said that only a few people know Rid can heal wounds caused by dark magic attacks, as the matter is kept secret," said Duchess Arlet.

"If it’s a secret, is it alright for you to tell me?" asked Duke Louis.

"I let it slip because I assumed you already knew. Oh well, it doesn't matter; I know I can trust you to keep a secret. Now that I recall Rid's healing magic, I think it would be better to look for him instead of going to the Sancta Lux Church," said Duchess Arlet.

"How do we go about finding Rid? You saw earlier that the academy grounds have turned into a labyrinth. Searching for him in there would be incredibly difficult," said Duke Louis.

"Finding a way out of the academy to reach the Sancta Lux Church would be just as hard, given the labyrinth. Let's just make our way through the labyrinth's paths for now. If we find Rid while exploring, we'll ask him to heal me. If we find the academy gates first, we'll head straight to the Sancta Lux Church," said Duchess Arlet.

"Agreed. For now, let's get out of this building," said Duke Louis.

Duke Louis kept running while carrying Duchess Arlet. They were now very close to the exit of the academy's central building just a few steps away from getting out. However, just as they were about to leave, the ceiling above the exit suddenly began to crack and crumble. Debris from the collapsing ceiling started raining down around the doorway. Duke Remy and Duchess Arlet, who were near the exit, found themselves within the path of the falling debris. They immediately dodged to avoid being struck.

"What on earth is happening? The ceiling just suddenly shattered and collapsed," Duke Louis said while evading the falling rubble.

Then, after the ceiling above the building's exit had crumbled, Duke Remy suddenly descended through the opening. He floated slowly downward. Duke Louis and Duchess Arlet, who happened to be looking up at the ruined ceiling, were visibly shocked when they saw him.

"Lord Remy?!?" Duke Louis exclaimed.

"No matter where you go, I will keep hunting you down," Duke Remy declared.

He then aimed both hands at Duke Louis and Duchess Arlet; his arms elongated and shot toward them at lightning speed.

- To be continued