Sustaining The King's Life 129 The Snake In The Castle

Sheilalev Ortfalcon became a priestess the moment she graduated from Magierstadt. She was granted this high position not just because she was an Ortfalcon. It was because she was a strong Clairvoyant.

Usually, Clairvoyants aren't equipped into battles. They don't even belong to the same spectrum as mages. Clairvoyants are seen as weaker beings. They are born without any compatibility with all of the elements, with only the advantage of being able to foretell the future whilst doing some spells that cannot be conjured by the mages.

In terms of strength and magical power, mages outrank clairvoyants. Even if they cannot conjure the same spell as them, mages make up for that gap by tenfold. Mages can control nature—use the elements to their will. Whilst what do clairvoyants do? Predict the future. And that future predictions are just vague images.

Sheilalev was the living proof that had gone against this stereotype. In her years in the academy, she continuously improved. Her shortcomings were turned to her strength. Her weakness became her driving force.

And all of it in the cost of her eyes.

Abe was taken into the infirmary under the king's commands. They said he appeared suddenly—all wounded and bloodied—into the throne room where the meeting of the Knighthood was held. With the rumors circulating around, this happenstance created an uproar to the ma.s.ses inside the castle.

On Sheila's way to the infirmary, she had heard the seneschals chattering among themselves regarding the archive incident.

The archive incident—a scandal that had put the king and the Vice-captain to the spotlight created by no other than the vermin desiring power over Feuersturm—Axkell Feuerfalke. He wasn't a relative, unlike the Feuerlons whose bloodline can be traced to the Feuerkriegers. They were branching families with a tad too thin royal blood to be considered as descendants of the first king.

"Tch."

Sheilalev gritted her teeth.

It wasn't supposed to turn out like this. She was supposed to have an impeccable plan if only Abe didn't interfere. The plan was ordered by the first king himself, who only had awakened to his slumber. It was to get rid of any history regarding Nebel.

Sheila doesn't even know what Nebel is. It was an old town that perished almost 700 years ago. The first king said that anything about that town must be obliterated. Must be burnt into a crisp. Disappear. Vanish for eternity.

"Pardon my insolence, My King. But why? Why are you giving me orders at the last minute? If you didn't want that child to know anything more about this Nebel, then why are we destroying the evidence when she's finally set foot to the capital?"

"Why are you questioning my tactics, Sheilalev?" The king glowered.

"My apologies, My King," Sheila answers, lowering her gaze. "I will order the Diener des Lichts right away."

The Diener des Lichts were able to retrieve the history in Feuersturm concerning Nebel. They were able to sneak into the Hidden Archived effortlessly—however . . .

"YOU WERE SEEN BY ABE?!"

Sheilalev ma.s.saged her temples. Now, this had gone out of hand. Abe is a member of the Knighthood, only loyal to the current king. He, undoubtedly, will report this in detail to him!

"Why in the world is the Vice-captain there? Did he follow you?"

The servants smiled and spoke in chorus.

"Abe. Fulfilling. Tasks. Errands." They said. "For. That child."

"Faustina." Even her name sounded bitter in Sheila's tongue.

She hated her. Hated her down to her core. That Heilen girl with a dumb look on her face but a strong mana inside. She will certainly get more stronger and will be able to sustain the king's life. No—more than sustain the king's life. She will be able to abolish the curse and make Nightmare disappear.

Sheilalev balled her fist. That should never happen. It shouldn't, or the first king's efforts will be all for naught.

She opened the door to the infirmary and ordered the servants to begone. Sheila sat on the chair facing the sides of the bed. Lying in the white mattress was Abe, the Albino Vice-captain of the Knighthood. His cuts were deep, and judging from the wounds inflicted to him, someone powerful was behind this.

"It will take someone with power to make Abe's condition like this." The king said when he summoned Sheila and the knights after the scene.

"Then what about the bloodl.u.s.t we've seen earlier?" Roth exclaimed. "He was about to harm you, Your Majesty!"

"The Vice-captain will never do that, Roth!" Elliot exclaimed, frustration laced over his face.

"Elliot!" Elvis countered. "Calm down. That is the Captain you're talking to!"

Sheila stared at Elliot; although she couldn't see him, she could tell that he had shrunken back to his seat by the way of the sound of his chair resonated to Sheila's ears. They were in the Discussion Chamber where the castle affairs are often pondered upon. The king's trusted ministers and mages were on each side of the long table, along with Sheila and the High Knights.

Captain Roth faked a cough to gather all of their attention back to him.

"As I've said, Your Majesty. We all sensed that bloodl.u.s.t Abe displayed." Roth glanced to the High Knights, who all agreed (and also Elliot, although almost reluctantly).

"How can we determine it'll be safe to have him unrestrained in the infirmary?"

Chatters began to wander across the entire room; voices drowned with uncertainty drifted to the entirety of the s.p.a.ce. Sheila glanced to the king, whose smile was still unwavering. It was as if everything was under control. Noah was the complete opposite of the first king who rarely smiles (and if he does, it is usually a smirk).

"The bloodl.u.s.t you've sensed are the remnants of his escape to his pursuers." The king said. "It will take more than one vermin to kill Abe. I had our doctors examine the wounds in Abe's body and we've found traces of magic."

"Magic?"

"Does this mean we're battling against magicians strong enough to take down the Vice-captain?"

"He's not taken down . . . !" Elliot murmured.

"We ARE battling against a man mad enough to wager a war to the kingdom." The king's smile was replaced with a stoic look. "High Priestess. Please relay the results found by our doctors and mages to the Vice-captain's body."

Sheila nodded.

"The Vice-captain's wounds," said Sheila, "were found to have traces of Axkell Feuerfalke's markings. And these markings . . . all originated to a form of a dark magic."

**

Sheilalev stared at Abe's sleeping face. Although she couldn't see him, Sheila was able to take a grasp of his current state.

Sheila placed her hand against Abe's forehead as she closed her eyes.

'Get rid of the Vice-captain. No word about the Dienes des Lichts being there to the Hidden Archives must come out. We have to come clean, Sheilalev. And to do this, we have to eliminate those who poses a threat.'

Sheila gritted her teeth. She knows that. She knows what she has to do. Yet why? Why is it so hard for her?

She took a deep breath. The back of her palms lit up as she thinned her lips.

"I hope you understand . . . that this is for the best."