Chapter 384 - 384: Where Did She Go?

The barricade was moved aside, and the iron doors of Cianfanelli Bank slowly opened a crack. Captain Damien de la Tour of the Ducal Guard held a shield in his left hand and a sword in his right, cautiously gesturing from behind the door for the witcher to hurry inside.

"Glad to see you're still alive, Captain Damien!"

The witcher smiled, casually sheathed Frost's Lament on his back, and strolled into the bank.

The iron doors slammed shut behind him.

Victor immediately found himself the focus of countless admiring gazes from the soldiers, including even the captain of the Ducal Guard himself.

Damien rubbed his scar-covered bald head.

"Gods! Unbelievable. Those five pieces of shit nearly killed half my men, yet you dealt with them all by yourself.

"Victor, words can't express how sincerely grateful I am. If I weren't covered in filth right now, I'd hug you tight and kiss you!"

"I'm begging you, even if you weren't filthy, even if you'd bathed in perfume, please don't kiss me."

The witcher stepped forward and gave him a light embrace.

Ever since Victor first arrived in Toussaint a year ago, Damien had always treated the young man quite kindly. The bald giant was stern and occasionally stubborn to the point of inflexibility, but his attitude toward Victor had consistently been friendly.

Releasing the captain, Victor patted him on the arm.

"While there aren't any monsters around for the moment, hurry and lead your men back to the palace!"

"But protecting this city is my duty," Damien replied solemnly, half his face disfigured by claw wounds.

Victor frowned.

"Captain... leading your men to their deaths won't help this city. Remember what I told you at the palace last time?

"If you've forgotten, that's fine. I'll say it again. Against monsters that excel at fighting in narrow streets and alleys, your men don't stand a chance without preparation.

"And what kind of preparation do you need?

"First, silver-plated weapons are highly effective against vampires. Also, before I parted ways with Horace this morning, I gave him several bottles of Vampire Oil and the basic formula. Given what's happening now, I'd wager he's squeezing every last drop of effort out of the alchemists to produce as much as possible.

"Coating your weapons with the oil significantly increases their killing power and suppresses the monsters' regeneration. It's easy to imagine how much difference that makes over the course of a fight.

"So, Captain, temporarily retreating isn't shameful. It's simply the first step toward achieving a better victory!"

Moved by the witcher's words, Damien turned to look at his men.

These were elite soldiers he had once taken immense pride in, yet now every one of them hung their heads in exhaustion and despair.

The savagery and cruelty of the bloodthirsty monsters had clearly shattered their morale. Damien understood that what they needed now was encouragement and rest.

Taking a deep breath, he announced loudly,

"Everyone, listen up! Tend to the wounded. We're withdrawing!"

The order immediately received unanimous support from every soldier present, and they hurried to carry it out.

Having successfully convinced the captain to retreat, the witcher finally relaxed enough to look around the bank's main hall.

Then his gaze fell upon a corpse lying on the floor, and he instantly fell silent.

Although the remains were covered with canvas, the crest on the knight's shield beside the body clearly revealed the dead man's identity.

A black bull's head against a field of white snow.

Victor remembered his first days in Toussaint and their meeting at the Cockatrice Inn. The broad-minded knight with the magnificent beard, the man who had originally been destined to become the victim representing "Valor" in the Five Virtues Murders, had ultimately fallen here instead.

The young man's expression darkened.

Hearing Damien's footsteps approaching from behind, Victor spoke in a low voice.

"If I haven't mistaken the crest... Sir de Peyrac-Peyran. When did he return?"

The captain's voice was also somewhat hoarse.

"Only today... You know that because of the Five Virtues Murders, Milton was suspected of having participated in the elder princess's abuse years ago. Her Enlightened Ladyship ordered him to stay away from the palace for the time being.

"When the vampires attacked, he joined the troops and fought at the very front. He threw himself into battle without the slightest concern for his own life, almost as if he were searching for an opportunity to die."

Victor easily understood the old knight's resolve.

He raised his chin slightly and recited in the tone of a bard,

"Ah, Milton de Peyrac-Peyran. He died charging courageously into battle... faithful to his knightly vows until the end."

"Yes. That is exactly what happened. I will inform the duchess of his heroic sacrifice and see that his tarnished honor is restored," Damien promised with a nod.

"Be especially careful of bruxae and alps. They might look like women, but they're incredibly fast and can unleash stunning shrieks. They're extremely dangerous. Bombs containing silver dust can prevent them from turning invisible."

"Thank you for the warning, Vic. What about you? What are you planning to do next?"

"It might not look like it, but I'm searching for Dettlaff."

"Lebioda above, I hope you succeed and bring that bastard's head back on a pike."

"It's not that simple. The reason I stayed here is because I need your help. Damien, I have to find Syanna."

The captain's expression immediately changed.

"You still haven't abandoned the idea of making her meet the vampire? Victor, you know perfectly well what the duchess decided."

"I know perfectly well. That doesn't mean I have to cooperate, especially when I've run out of alternatives!"

"You might be able to defy her, but I can't. I swore to serve Her Grace until death."

Victor spread his arms.

"Come on, Damien. Look around you. How many people have died? All of this tragedy is happening because of one person. Is protecting her really worth all of this?"

Damien turned his head away and remained silent for a moment before replying quietly,

"If Her Grace learns I helped you, I'm certain to lose my head."

The witcher shrugged.

"If this ends badly, I won't fare much better. For Lebioda's sake, at least give me a hint. Show a little flexibility... just like you did when you let me go this morning."

Squad after squad of soldiers filed out through the front entrance.

The bank's once dignified, immaculate, bustling hall gradually emptied until little remained but corpses and bloodstains.

Damien lowered his gaze toward Sir de Peyrac-Peyran's body and the shield bearing the black bull against a field of snow.

His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword.

"The last time I saw Lady Syanna was the morning before yesterday.

"After receiving Dettlaff's threat, the furious duchess said she intended to protect her sister and took her to the palace playroom. It's the room where the two of them used to keep their dolls and play games when they were children...

"The strange thing is that not long afterward, only Anna Henrietta came back out. Syanna never appeared again. The elder princess simply vanished from the palace."

Combining the captain's account with his memories from his previous life, Victor finally recalled this part of the story clearly.

He no longer had the slightest doubt about Damien's hint.

"That's it. Of course, the playroom... Damien, thank you. I promise I'll do everything I can. Now tell me exactly where that room is."

"I didn't tell you this for your sake. I'm helping Beauclair, or at least I hope I am."

"I promise. On my honor as a knight, what you told me will remain our little secret. Her Grace will never learn about this."

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