Chapter 130: Back to Blackthorn

Malrik left the Duke’s office, and Cedric walked beside him with steady steps, accompanying him quietly as the Duke had ordered.

Uninvited guests?

The Duke’s words swirled in Malrik’s mind for a moment, but he quickly brushed them aside. It wasn’t important right now; tomorrow he would find out what awaited him. For now, he had something much more pressing to do.

The most urgent matter was returning to Blackthorn. He had promised all the soldiers there rewards in appreciation of their effort and loyalty in defending their home, and to compensate them, even a little, for the exhausting days they had endured.

And it wasn’t just the soldiers and mercenaries who had suffered; even the civilians had gone through those grueling days. Now, having come into possession of a large number of platinum coins, there was absolutely no reason to be stingy with them.

Malrik was about to turn and speak with Cedric, but his steps slowed when he caught sight of Eliza approaching through the wide corridor.

She seemed normal at first glance, but Malrik, who was accustomed to her constant calmness, immediately noticed the slight unease in her eyes and the tension in her expression.

Eliza stopped and bowed respectfully to him and the head butler.

"Are you alright?" Malrik asked, studying her features quietly.

Eliza placed her fingers lightly on her forehead and answered in a tired voice, "Yes, Young Master... I just have a sudden headache."

Malrik remembered the Duke’s words, and he quickly understood the reason for Eliza’s confusion. All her memories regarding the identity of the Black Reaper had been erased, which perfectly explained her strange behavior.

Malrik didn’t comment on the matter. He simply nodded to her and continued walking. Eliza followed from behind, while Cedric walked by his side.

Malrik spoke while looking straight ahead.

"I will need to buy food, Cedric... and a lot of it. Enough to feed the residents of Blackthorn and its garrison for at least a week. I also need new and varied weapons for the soldiers and mercenaries who defended the castle alongside me... Oh, and I need a Poison Law Seed as soon as possible."

Cedric’s calm tone did not change in the slightest as he answered.

"The food and weapons will be easy enough to arrange. They will be provided immediately. As for the Poison Law Seed... I will check the catalogs of the major auctions. I am bound to find at least one. Do you need anything else, Seventh Banner Bearer?"

Malrik’s steps paused for a moment.

An auction?

"Hmm... now that I think about it, I’ve never attended an auction before," Malrik said, rubbing his chin. "Will one be held soon?"

"The Grand Auction House in the Duchy holds an auction every night, Young Master Malrik. Do you wish to go tonight?"

"When does it start?"

"At eight in the evening."

Malrik quickly calculated the time in his head.

It was still early, and he could use the coming hours to finish his obligations in Blackthorn and handle a few other matters before heading to the auction.

"Alright," Malrik said, pulling twenty platinum coins from his ring, their gleam reflecting in the dimly lit corridor. "Let’s get the supplies and head to Blackthorn immediately. Also, convert these into gold coins, please."

Cedric took the coins with a fluid motion. "Understood, Banner Bearer."

Before Malrik could even react, the old man had already vanished from his sight.

His senses hadn’t picked up any movement, nor did he even feel a ripple in the air. It was as if Cedric had never been there in the first place, leaving Malrik and Eliza alone in the corridor.

Roughly two minutes passed.

"Everything is ready, Banner Bearer."

The voice came from directly behind him!

Malrik jolted in place and spun around quickly, finding Cedric standing completely still, wearing the same calm expression as if nothing had happened.

Malrik stared at him, clear signs of annoyance appearing on his face.

I swear he does this on purpose!

"Did... did you really finish everything this quickly?"

"That is correct." Cedric pulled a silver storage ring from his finger and handed it to Malrik.

Malrik took the ring, the scowling look from Cedric’s sudden appearance still lingering on his face.

It was a storage ring similar to the one he had received from his siblings. Malrik extended a thread of consciousness into the ring to inspect its contents, and his eyes widened in genuine shock.

The internal space was massive, far larger than the space of his current ring. But what surprised him more wasn’t its size, but its contents.

The ring contained mountains of fresh meat, sacks of rice and flour, and crates of carefully stacked fruits.

On the other side, hundreds of gleaming weapons were lined up, their quality alone enough to tell him they were crafted by professional artisans.

Damn it... I told him to bring a lot, but not with this kind of generosity! I’ll be broke before the evening even begins!

Malrik withdrew his consciousness from the ring and cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "How much will the contents of this ring cost me?"

Cedric answered without blinking.

"You do not need to pay for anything, Young Master. His Grace the Duke has already covered the cost of everything."

A broad smile broke across Malrik’s face, and he didn’t even bother to hide it.

"Really? Oh... he didn’t have to do that. I mean, in the end, I was the one who made the promise to the people of Blackthorn."

Cedric nodded slightly, then said in a completely serious tone

"If you insist on paying, I can deduct the total value from your financial allowance. I will inform the Duke of your wish later."

The smile vanished from Malrik’s face in the blink of an eye. "No!"

The word slipped out faster than he intended, and he quickly waved his hand. "I mean... there is no need for that. Since the Duke has taken care of the matter, it would be disrespectful to refuse his gift, wouldn’t it?"

A faint smile touched Cedric’s lips, as if seeing Malrik backtrack so quickly was amusing to him.

Malrik didn’t wait to give him a chance to reply and rushed to change the subject. "Let’s go then, since everything is ready. We don’t want to be late... By the way, how are we going to get there?"

A faint smile appeared on the old man’s lips. "Please, stay close to me."

Cedric gestured for Eliza to approach them as well. Once the three of them stood close together, Cedric’s shadow began to writhe beneath their feet.

The shadow expanded at a terrifying speed, then rose from the ground like a bubble of darkness, swallowing them entirely.

Malrik’s vision was cut off completely.

He felt severe dizziness, as if the space around him was twisting at a maddening speed, while his stomach churned as he felt as though he were falling and rising at the same time.

After ten seconds that felt like an eternity, the black bubble began to recede and vanish into the air.

For a few moments, Malrik was unable to process the strange sensation.

The scenery of the mansion disappeared around him... and suddenly, Malrik felt a strange sensation he had never experienced before.

There was no ground beneath his feet, nothing to support him. His body was simply suspended in the air, as if gravity had disappeared for a few moments.

He slowly raised his head.

The sky stretched directly above him, cold air rushing through his hair as his body remained suspended in place.

I’m... floating?

For a few moments, Malrik was unable to process the strange sensation. Then he finally snapped out of his daze and lowered his gaze.

His breath caught in his throat.

The Blackthorn Forest stretched beneath them...Or rather, what was left of it.