Chapter 369 : It’s Not Over Yet

Duke Remy, struck by the two figures before him, was sent flying backward until he slammed into the wall behind him. The wall shattered instantly upon impact. Debris from the ruined wall rained down on Duke Remy, who had already fallen to the floor after hitting the barrier. A thick cloud of dust and smoke immediately engulfed the area.

Meanwhile, Queen Kayana, lying there weakly, gazed at the two individuals who had just rescued her from Duke Remy’s strangling grip.

"Karina... Violetta," Queen Kayana murmured.

The two who had saved Queen Kayanaand attacked Duke Remy were none other than Miss Karina and Miss Violetta. After knocking Duke Remy back, they approached Queen Kayana where she lay.

"Yo- Your Majesty," said Miss Karina.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?" asked Miss Violetta.

"Yes, I am... fine. Thank you for... saving me," Queen Kayana replied.

"Judging by the way you speak, you do not seem fine at all. Your body is covered in wounds. I will heal you immediately, Your Majesty," said Miss Karina.

Miss Karina then extended her right hand toward Queen Kayana.

~Plant Magic: Healing Tree Trunk~

A tree trunk suddenly emerged from beneath the floor, instantly enveloping Queen Kayana’s body. It encased her for a full minute before receding back into the floor. Once the tree trunk withdrew, several of the wounds on her body had vanished, and she no longer appeared as weak as before.

"I have managed to heal several of your wounds, Your Majesty. However, there are some I cannot heal—specifically, the puncture wound in the center of your chest. It appears those particular injuries were caused by Dark Magic. For now, I have sealed them with my magic to stop the bleeding. To fully heal them, we will likely need to wait for Rid to arrive," said Miss Karina.

"Rid is coming here?" asked Queen Kayana.

"Yes, Your Majesty. He is currently away rescuing and healing his friends. Once that is done, he will come here immediately," said Miss Karina.

"I see," said Queen Kayana.

"Yes, Your Majesty. For the time being, it would be best for you to rest until Rid arrives," said Miss Karina.

"Very well. Now, Karina—since you have already treated some of my wounds, I would like to ask you to heal Charles and Chloe as well. Please also tend to Sir Oliver and the others here. I know this is a great deal to ask, but I am counting on you," said Queen Kayana.

Miss Karina looked surprised upon hearing Queen Kayana's words.

"Your Majesty, did you just call me 'Karina'?" asked Miss Karina.

"Yes. Why? Is there a problem? That is your name, after all," said Queen Kayana.

"No, it is nothing. In a situation like this, there is no need to make an issue of such things. Rest assured, Your Majesty; even without your request, I fully intended to heal Charles, Chloe, and everyone else here after treating you," said Miss Karina.

"I see. In that case, thank you, Karina," said Queen Kayana.

"You're welcome, sis," Miss Karina said softly.

Miss Violetta could not hear what Miss Karina had just said because her voice was so faint, but Queen Kayana heard it clearly. Queen Kayana smiled upon hearing Miss Karina's words. Then, Miss Karina turned to Miss Violetta.

"Violetta, stay here and look after Queen Kayana. I am going to go to Charles and Chloe to heal them," Miss Karina said.

"Very well, Miss," Miss Violetta replied.

"There is no need for that," said Queen Kayana, slowly rising to her feet after having been lying down.

"Your Majesty?" asked Miss Karina.

"I will come with you to see Charles and Chloe," said Queen Kayana.

"Come with me? Are you feeling alright, Your Majesty? You don't need to push yourself," said Miss Karina.

"I feel much better after you healed me earlier, so there is no need to worry," said Queen Kayana.

"I see. Very well, then you may come along. Violetta, stay here and keep watch over the area," said Miss Karina.

"Understood, Miss," said Lady Violetta.

Afterward, Miss Karina and Queen Kayana walked over to where Charles and Chloe were. Before long, they arrived at the spot. Charles and Chloe were still lying there, their bodies covered in numerous wounds. Despite this, they remained conscious and were looking toward Queen Kayana and Miss Karina.

"Mother... Miss Karina," said Charles.

"Hang in there; I will heal you both right away," said Miss Karina.

~Plant Magic: Healing Tree Trunk~

Tree trunks suddenly emerged near Charles and Chloe, instantly enveloping their entire bodies.

Just as Miss Karina was healing them by encasing them in the tree trunks, a loud noise suddenly rang out from the spot where Duke Remy had previously crashed into the wall. It sounded like an impact followed by the noise of shattering debris. Upon hearing the sound, Miss Karina, Queen Kayana, and Miss Violetta immediately turned toward the source. As they looked, they saw small fragments of debris flying in all directions from the place where Duke Remy had struck the wall. The spot where Duke Remy had slammed into the wall remained shrouded in a thick cloud of dust and smoke. As the smaller debris settled, a voice rang out from within the haze—it was Duke Remy’s.

"Pests keep showing up one after another. So, the two of you have come this time—the Academy Principal and my own useless former daughter," Duke Remy said.

He then slowly stepped out from the billowing smoke. Upon emerging, his appearance was shocking: the armor covering the left side of his body had melted away, exposing the flesh beneath. That exposed flesh, too, began to slowly melt away now that the protective plating was gone.

Meanwhile, on the right side of his armor, the color was shifting from deep black to a dark green. This color change spread rapidly, moving beyond the right side to engulf the entire suit. Furthermore, pink flowers began to sprout from the areas where the armor had turned green. This startling transformation was the result of the attacks previously unleashed by Miss Karina and Miss Violetta.

"You two have severely damaged the armor I’m wearing. You opened with your ultimate attacks right off the bat—corrosion and poison, was it? It seems the armor I have on isn't capable of withstanding that kind of attack," Duke Remy remarked.

At the sight of him, Miss Karina appeared visibly taken aback.

"That voice... there is no mistaking it—you are Lord Remy. I never imagined that you were the mastermind behind all of this. You must have been the one orchestrating the demon attack at the courthouse as well. You transformed several people inside the building into demons—including Lord Darwin and Lord James. Afterward, you pretended to fight the very demons you had created to avoid suspicion. I truly never expected this," said Miss Karina.

"Are you shocked to learn that the mastermind is none other than me—Ms. Principal? I was behind not only the demon attack at the courthouse but also the majority of the incidents that have plagued this kingdom," said Duke Remy.

"Not at all; I wasn't surprised to discover that you were the mastermind, Lord Remy. I had already suspected you were a rather suspicious individual, though I lacked the evidence to substantiate that feeling. I felt it was only a matter of time before my intuition was proven correct—and indeed, it was," said Miss Karina.

Duke Remy laughed upon hearing Miss Karina's words.

"Hahaha, I see. I’ve heard you can read minds, Ms. Principal. It seems I made the right choice by always carrying a magical artifact that shields my thoughts from mind-readers like you," Duke Remy said.

"Laugh all you want, Lord Remy. Your fate ends here," said Miss Karina.

"No, I’m not finished yet, Ms. Principal," Duke Remy replied.

"What are you saying? With your armor shattered, and parts of your body melted and poisoned, your end is imminent," said Miss Karina.

"No, because I still have this," Duke Remy said, retrieving something from the pocket of the garment beneath his ruined armor.

He then revealed the object he had retrieved: two syringes filled with a red liquid. Upon seeing them, Queen Kayana looked visibly shocked.

"Those syringes?! Karina, Violetta—attack him! Don't let him inject that!" Queen Kayana commanded.

"Understood," replied Miss Karina and Miss Violetta.

Queen Kayana fired a gravity spell from her staff at Duke Remy, while Mkss Karina and Miss Violetta launched slashing attacks. However, just as the strikes were about to connect, massive, thick black tree trunks suddenly erupted from the floor around Duke Remy. The tree trunks blocked every attack aimed at Duke Remy, preventing them from striking him.

"Damn it," Queen Kayana muttered, looking frustrated.

Just as the attacks were being blocked by the tree trunks, Duke Remy immediately injected the contents of two syringes into his neck. Moments later, he had finished administering all the fluid from both syringes. He promptly discarded them and let out a laugh.

"Hahahaha! This isn't over until I claim this kingdom!" Duke Remy declared.

Then, several black tree trunks emerged beneath Duke Remy's feet. They began to wrap around his entire body, and before long, he was completely enveloped by the black wood.

-To be continued