Chapter 34:

The Troublemaker Troubled Himself

White Nightmare


One week later...

Capital city, Augusta.

The furious young man from Gantz finally arrived there. It took him over a week to reach the central hub of the kingdom. He felt relieved that nobody stopped him, even Rodan.

“Hahaha... just you wait, Rodan Rouge! I know your rotten truth. With me here, your life will surely come to forfeit. Your time in hell will be limitless!” the young man grumbled madly. He bore the information regarding the death of his master, Baron of Gantz, Stupeyd Dumias.

He wanted to spur his horse as quickly as possible, treading on the brick road. But he got a trouble. He wasn’t the only rider on the main road. There are merchants, travelers, and adventurers riding vehicles such as carts, wagons, and others. Heavily loaded carts were pulled by Earth Dragons while some others were pulled by horses. The road was full. Riders moving slowly. Meanwhile, left and right were crowds of people doing their activities. The young man couldn’t bypass at all.

The young man gripped the reins. He's growing restless. He wanted to go to the castle as soon as possible. Eventually, he had enough of slowing down.

“Grrrrrrr! Darn it, I’m not here to spend my entire frickin’ life waiting these bastards to move away from my path! I had fought some monsters on the road which were oddly stronger than before. That hampered me from reaching here sooner!

I’ve had enough of slowing down. I’m not going to be stopped by this crowds of people!”

He leapt down from his horse and decided to walk on foot, which was much more convenient rather than having to wait the entire day on horseback.

An hour later, he reached the city square. He sat on the fountain sides to take a breather.

“Gasp...! How far is the castle?” he stared into the distance, only to realize that he was still over a mile away from reaching there. He felt a bit hopeless. “How can I get there, soon? I don’t care if my body dies... this information must reach them. They must know of Lord Stupeyd’s death.”

Eventually, he went onwards again until he reached the main gate to the castle within the next two hours.

Fully armored troops guard the entrance. They were adorned with golden plated mails and shining silver spears. They averted him from going inside, despite him claiming that he was the late baron’s disciple.

“Let me through! I have emergency news that everyone must know!”

“Whoa, there, kid, who do you think you are thinking that you can enter here?” said one of the guards.

“Don’t underestimate me, I’m Lord Stupeyd’s disciple!” the young man pointed.

“Huh, daring to call yourself a disciple of a noble, eh? Well, then, show it to us, then,” the guard stated.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t act all stupid, kid. If you’re really his disciple, you should’ve a noble crest bearing his name. Show it to us, then we’ll believe you.”

“Noble crest...? Ah!” the young man remembered it. “Oh, no... I left it in the bag on my horse...”

“Where is it?” the guard asked again.

“I... I didn’t have it...”

“What?”

“I... I left it. Y-Yeah! I left it in my bag! But I don’t have the time to go back there. Please let me through!”

“Yeah, yeah, right. What kind of smartass would leave their most precious belonging behind? Sorry, kid. We can’t let outsiders in. You are considered a fraud.”

The young man burst into utter rage, “What kind of farce is this? My lord has been killed and you’re preventing me from telling it to his family?! Don’t toy with me!”

Not wanting to waste any more time, plus engulfed in his rage, he tried to breach into the courtyard past the guards. Unfortunately, he wasn’t thinking straightly. It was practically impossible for a weak simpleton to break past six fully armored troops.

“Gah, this is what I hate from this duty, darn it!” one of the troops yelled while fending off the young man.

“Agreed. Some wannabe assholes claiming themselves as important people and tried to intrude into the castle. Don’t they have any shame?” his comrade beside him stated while helping him blocking the young man from ever breaching in.

“AH! This kiddo’s saliva is spitting all over my helmet!”

The commotion was seen by many people. The young man wasn’t giving up entering the palace.

“Let me through! You have no idea how important this news is!” the young man shouted.

“Yeah, sure, kiddo! You have no idea how troublesome you are! There are more important visitors than you that needs entry. Go back to where you’re from!”

The troops there weren’t using their powerful force at all. They were practically blocking the man from entering the royal palace without causing any harm. Meanwhile, the young man was effortlessly knocking, kicking, and trying to push the guards away.

“HERGH! Let me in! I must avenge Lord Stupeyd! Let me in!!!”

“You just don’t want to give up, do ya?”

Suddenly, someone threatened him with their spear, which ultimately stopped his rampage.

“You’d better stop if you still want to live.”

“ERK! I... I’m sorry!” The young man trembled immediately. When he looked at the person’s face, he was forced down by the dull side of that person’s spear. He quickly fell to the ground, but he didn’t pass out. Immediately, the guards cuffed him.

“Tch, as usual, you lousy guards pretending all pacifist-like while doing your job, eh? You could’ve turned him into dust in a jiffy, you know?” the spear user rambled.

“Much appreciated, Sir Orio. As you can see, we were doing our usual manner. We won’t harm any unarmed citizen. This man here didn’t have any magical affinities, either” one of the guards stated.

The spear user was from the Lycanthrope race. Equipped with a custom shaped spear, he stood menacingly. He wore a dark blue loose clothing with fur collar and a spiked pauldron on his right shoulder. He had a platinum emblem tied on a bracelet on his wolf ear.

“What is all this commotion about, Orio?” another man’s voice was heard. He just stepped out of his royal-looking wagon that was about to enter the courtyard. His appearance alone already told everyone around him that he’s from the aristocracy, moreover the higher class one.

“Ah? Oh, I’m just sweeping some dust away from your path, Lord Fergus,” said the foul-mouthed man named Orio.

“Pardon us for the commotion, Lord Fergus,” one of the guards apologized. “This kid here claims to be Lord Stupeyd Dumias’s disciple, yet he couldn’t give a proof that he is one. Instead, he tried to barge in here.”

“Hm...” the noble walked closer to the cuffed man. “Hold on a second, gentlemen. This man... I recognize him. He is indeed Sir Dumias’s subordinate. Release him this instant!”

“Aye, sir!” the guards immediately uncuffed and let him go. Orio was simply watching him being released. He casually put his spear above his shoulder.

“What brings you here, young one?” Lord Fergus asked.

“No time for silly chit-chats old man. I am in a hurry,” the young man stated rudely.

“Well, then, if you’re in a hurry, then why not go along with us. The guards inside won’t be making a fuss about you if you’re along with us. Come, now!” the noble invited.

The young man couldn’t deny his invitation. He knew the noble’s class was higher than that of his master. But the relationship of Stupeyd Dumias and Fergus was quite well to the point that Fergus didn’t feel insulted by the young man’s presumptuous words. He even grinned gladly as if he met one of his old friends.

Meanwhile, Orio, the Lycanthrope, was simply watching. However, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill the young man if he tries to attack the noble that he was escorting. Finally, the commotion was ended, and the road was normalized once again.

Visitors of the castle was quite abundant than before. Wagons rolling out into the courtyard, escorting important nobles. One of them was Count Fergus Bartholomeo. Meanwhile, there’s a royal wagon right behind the count’s bearing the emblem of Astur.

...

..

.

Castle Augustus, Center of Augzeria Kingdom.

There was an important meeting going on in there. High-class nobles from multiple ranks had joined the meeting, discussing multiple things for the future of their respective lands.

Each of them brought their bodyguard along into the meeting room. Unlike anyone else, Count Fergus brought two people instead of one—Dumias’s disciple and the Lycanthrope warrior, Orio. Orio wasn’t respectful to the presumptuous young man for speaking rudely to Lord Fergus, he was keeping an eye out for him sharply.

The young man had talked about the disturbing information to Count Fergus. Of course, even with minimal proofs, the count believed every single word he told him. The reason for him to believe was simply that he knew Dumias’s subordinates were good people.

He told the young man to simply sit down and let him tell the information to everyone else.

“Gentlemen, I have a saddening news about our good friend. Sir Stupeyd Dumias has been killed.”

“Killed? That generous noble?” one of the nobles retorted.

“That’s true. It is heartbreaking that someone was brutal enough to murder our beloved friend,” the count stated. He took a breather before continuing, “Not so long ago, his mansion in Gantz City was burned down to ashes along with Lord Stupeyd Dumias in it. It was claimed to be an accident, meanwhile the truth that was concealed was that the tragedy was a set up.”

“Unthinkable...”

“How demonic one person can be to murder such a good man?”

“I do not mean to question your declaration, Lord Fergus, but is that true?” another noble questioned.

“It is true. I have an eyewitness here myself,” Lord Fergus showed the young man.

“Ah... I see now. I remember you. You ARE Sir Dumias’s disciple.”

“Please fill the details, Mr. Carl Failentos.”

The young man was named Carl Failentos. Finally, he spoke.

“The truth about my master’s death was that it was a set up and someone had murdered him. He covered it as an accident by burning down the entire mansion. The killer was Rodan Rouge. This man... was well known in Gantz, notorious for his uncivilized acts of harassment, aggression, and brutality towards people he disliked.”

“Rodan Rouge... sounds like I’ve heard that name before. Ah, right, in my last visit to Gantz City, there was a poster of his face,”

“Yes, my lord,” Carl nodded. “He was disliked by many for his crimes. I hate to admit this, but he is smart. It infuriated me that his name never appeared on the possible suspects. I know it was him, because not so long ago, he was in conflict my master. He destroyed his wagon and left away. But when my master wanted him to be captured, the same night, my master died.

At first, he was suspected by everyone. But to make everyone’s suspicion gone like the wind, he stepped in and saved everyone when there’s a major incident in town. Instead of being called a criminal, he was bestowed as a savior by everyone! This must be stopped.

Rodan Rouge must be purged!”

The entire room that was noisy with discussions now turned silent. Everyone began to fear for what will happen to them next. Rodan Rouge... he was a massive threat to all of them. Nobody knows when that man will appear and kill one of them one day.

...But someone obliterated Count Fergus and Mr. Carl’s statements entirely.

That man was late to the meeting. The double door of that room was opened by the golden-armored guards, allowing him in.

“—How dare a simpleton tell a false information so loudly and foolishly in my meeting room when I’m not around?” said the noble bearing a duchy emblem on his pocket.

Everyone immediately stood up and bowed before him. Mr. Carl wasn’t aware of the man’s position, but when Count Fergus forced him to stand up and bow, he finally realized.

“W-Welcome, Lord Forenz. We’ve been e-expecting you.”

He appeared handsomely, yet his aura and glare were dangerously threatening to anyone around him. He wore a white military uniform connected with a red cape on its side. His clothing has many accessories, but one stood out from the others was a ruby stone hanging on his pocket. He barely showed any kindness from his face. It was as if everyone around him was his enemy.

“All of you are beginning to act selfishly to start the meeting without me,” he stated gently. “...Moreover, letting a fool in my discussion room speaking so loudly.”

Carl Failentos was tremoring. He sweated profusely. He forgot that one of the most important man was around and he didn’t remember him.

“Duke Forenz... my master wasn’t in good terms with him. It will be hard to make him understand... I’m surely going to be thrown out, but he must know of this, too!”

Everyone was silent while still bowing down to him. Finally, the duke’s menacing aura began to soften a bit. “No matter. We’ve got better things to discuss anyway. Please sit down, gentlemen.”

“Phew... I thought he would kick me out of here.” Carl wiped his forehead as he sat down. “Now... the true discussion starts here. I will make sure to put the final nail in that red-haired bastard’s coffin here!”

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