Chapter 335 What happened in the frosted forest?
Lumiere & Lucretia
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(POV: Lumiere)
Lucretia was dead?
I thought nothing would surprise me for the rest of that week, but it seemed I was wrong.
It sounded so sudden that it looked like a joke to me.
There were chances that if Stellaria or Anastasia were the ones who told me that, then it'd likely be them trying to motivate me in the most tactless manner possible. But Simone wasn't like that. I didn't know much about her, but she wasn't the sort of person to joke about such a critical matter.
It had to be true...
"What do you mean Lucretia's dead?"
The words burst out of me, disbelief filling every syllable.
Deep concern etched into my features.
The way I asked should've come out as concerned and worried, but my tone was so indifferent that it sounded like I didn't care. But as much as she frustrated me, death wasn't the right thing for her.
Simone, with sorrow etched on her face, asked, "Can we... Come in...?"
Initially, I had my reservations. I didn't want them to come in since it was such a mess, but they could misinterpret it for something else.
Hence, her request was met with a calm and indifferent voice, as I replied, "Of course, please come in."
I swung open the door, gesturing for them to enter.
The sight that greeted them was one of chaos, a reflection of the turmoil within me. A mess of overturned furniture and scattered belongings painted a bleak picture of my emotions.
There were clothes everywhere, and unfinished plates of food that had gone bad.
I didn't have the care or obligation to alleviate them of their discomfort. The room was messy, yes, but that didn't necessarily mean I had to apologize.
"Sorry for the mess."
And yet I did.
"It's fine," Simone dressed her short blonde hair. "I understand."
We took our seats on worn wooden chairs, their creaks sounding loudly in the heavy silence.
The knight standing before me, donned in azure armor with flowing blonde hair, introduced himself as Raxe, captain of the Blue Guards.
I remember hearing about this before. Wasn't it at Genny?s 10th birthday.
The Blue Guards was the private army of Viscount Lugnar; Lucretia?s father. An elite group of highly trained soldiers that were established by the Efistes family to not only protect him and his family, but to also ensure the safety of the Cross Kingdom when the situation required it. When it came to quelling rebellions and uprisings in the kingdom, they were one of the factions that were called to the stage. They also helped him maintain a strong hold on his three viscounties.
"I see," I murmured, unable to look away from his sorrowful gaze. "But what do you mean by Lucretia being dead?"
Raxe sighed heavily.
"We're not entirely sure at the moment. Amidst the chaos, a good number of my fellow knights were killed. Lady Lucretia, unfortunately, got separated from us and then fell into a deep chasm... It's possible she's still down there, but..."
His voice trailed off, realization sinking in.
An indignant shout burst forth from Simone.
"She's not dead! She can't be!"
I could see the desperation in Simone?s eyes. More than anything, she didn't want Lucretia to be dead, and yet, I was sure that she was. If she fell into a deep chasm, there was every chance she got ripped to shreds by the ice spikes that grow down there during winter or she hit the bottom of the chasm and went splat.
It may sound uncaring of me, but recent events have made it so.
Raxe interlocked his fingers.
"Lady Simone, you saw what happened. The fall was treacherous, impossible to survive."
He was trying to hide his grief, but it was too obvious.
A heavy sigh escaped my lips as I grappled with the grim truth.
"Have you searched for her, her... corpse?"
Simone's voice cracked, anger and denial intertwining within her words. "What do you mean, her corpse? She's not de..."
Simone was on the verge of shouting at me even more, her frustration and despair threatening to burst forth. However, her outburst was halted by Raxe, who gently placed his hand in front of her, urging her to calm down.
"Now's not the time," he told her, shaking his head.
The captain of the Blue Guards then turned his attention towards me.
"The blizzard becomes increasingly intense the deeper you go," Raxe said. "It's a deadly tempest filled with biting winds and freezing temperatures. I'd die from frostbite before I could even get close to the location where we lost Lady Lucretia."
Simone, frustration etched into every feature of her face, slammed her fist on her leg. "I should've done better!" she exclaimed. "It's all my fault!"
Her self-blame was pointless.
There was nothing she could've done because if a large number of knights could be killed, then she'd be no different— especially if she added the fact that she was weaker than them.
As far as I knew, Simone was always composed. With her out of character behavior, it was obvious that she and Lucretia shared a deeper bond that went beyond master and servant.
Raxe, placing a comforting hand on her back, spoke softly.
"Simone, we were all at fault. Blaming yourself won't change the situation. We just have to accept it."
His hand tightened into a fist as anger seeped into his tone.
"Perhaps if I'd been stronger, if we'd been stronger, we wouldn't be facing this grim reality. I'm just as guilty, if not more."
I calmly absorbed their words.
Finally, I spoke, my tone steady and composed. "Can you tell me exactly where you lost her cor...?"
I paused at the last minute. If I said "corpse" again Simone would likely chew me raw with her anger alone.
I had enough going on for me to have to deal with that.
Raxe cleared his throat. His voice was heavy with sorrow.
"It was south of the ArAuMer forest. We were escorting Lucretia to retrieve a special item when we were suddenly attacked by a monstrous [Frost Lich]. It overpowered us, and just as we were about to retreat, Lucretia fell into a deep crack."
"That's horrible," I murmured, empathy coloring my words.
Simone rose from her seat, she looked desperate.
She grasped my hands firmly and looked into my eyes, pleading.
"I know I have no right to ask this, but with the little time we have left, I beg you to come and help us search for her. There's still a chance she's alive."
"Huh," I said, confused. "Why me?"
There were several other people she could've called on campus for this. I was one out of a hundred options.
"I know your magic proficiency is unmatched among the school?s professors. Last time, we were at a disadvantage without long-range attackers like mages or archers last time. That's why we need you."
It made sense.
If they were fighting a huge monster then the way to go was to employ the aid of a long ranger which was why I didn't understand the point of knights slaying dragons. If they were such big targets then wouldn't shooting ranged attacks be the preferable choice as you'd have not only distance that ensured safety but over 70% guarantee that the attack would hit.
I listened, my expression impassive as Simone pleaded.
Raxe joined in. "Please, will you help us?"
"Lady Lucretia might still be alive..."
"I understand your desire to find her," I replied, my voice sounding detached. "But let's be realistic here. It's highly likely that Lucretia didn't survive."
It was the truth. If she didn't die from falling down a chasm, she'd die of hypothermia before we could even get there.
"W... What...?" Simone was flabbergasted.
"I'm not exactly the hero you need." I went on.
Simone's eyes shook with disbelief as my words sank in.
"You... you can't say that for certain," she stammered. "Please, she might still be alive."
I looked towards Raxe, a somber expression etched across my face.
"You know it too, don't you? Lucretia's chances of survival are slim."
Raxe frowned, his disbelief warring with his desire for hope.
Meanwhile, Simone withdrew her hands from mine, her head lowered, golden locks cascading over her face as she struggled to compose herself. Each breath she took hung heavier in the cold air, her trembling hands a stark contrast to her determined spirit.
With a deep breath, Simone spoke with pain and disappointment.
"I don't know what Lady Lucretia saw in you..."
"..." I remained silent.
"I thought I was doing my best to support her, to believe in you. But maybe I was wrong."
Confusion highlighted my words as I tried to understand her outburst.
"Huh?"
Without warning, Simone lashed out, striking me across the face.
Her words flowed with anger and frustration.
"I was so wrong about you. You're just half-assing your way through life, utterly useless."
The sting of her slap lingered on my cheek, a physical reminder of her disappointment. As Simone stormed out of the room, leaving behind a trail of tense silence, I watched her go, contemplating her words.
Rising up from his seat, Raxe turned his gaze towards me.
"What... you're gonna slap me too...?" I asked him.
He gently shook his head.
"I'm not angry that you said no. I understand that fear can get the best of us. But the way you turned down Simone's request... it wasn't right."
I kept silent, my gaze fixed on the ground.
Raxe's hand moved to the hilt of his sword, a subtle threat, as if he wanted to physically demonstrate his frustration.
"To be honest, when you spoke, I felt a strong urge to cut your head off. But there's no point in resorting to violence."
With slow steps, he moved towards the door.
"You're a lost cause..." he muttered.
With one final glance over his shoulder, he turned and left the room.
Left alone in the silence, I made my way over to the bed, my body collapsing onto the soft surface. Thoughts swirled in my head, mingling with a deep sense of self-loathing.
Maybe I was...
A lost cause...
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel