Chapter 22

“Lady Eiulj!” Someone called out a name. “The effects are finally showing.” A female voice continued speaking.

Teiyninya entered a room filled with vials with labels attached to them. Besides those were heating elements, some magic devices, and a few herbs. It was the room where Eiulj made different concoctions ranging from medicines to poisons.

“Okay. Let’s go. And bring two assistants, male and female adults.” Eiulj replied briefly and walked out of the room after. Teiyninya trailed behind her slightly.

Eiulj was back to her human form after much of her energy was used to transform her appearance back.

She entered a room with a man chained to a wall, wheezing and sweating profusely. He has bloodshot eyes and even saliva trickle from his mouth. It’s as if he lost all sanity. As she approached, the man acted more aggressive. screaming incomprehensibly at her, thrashing around trying to break free from his binds.

Teiyninya had arrived with two people, male and female adults who look like they are at their 20s. The man was sent in first while the woman stayed outside beside Teiyninya. He was terrified about what’s to happen after seeing Teiyninya’s form and the deranged man in front of him who was bound by chains. The man who was chained just screamed and thrashed, almost no change when it was just Eiulj in front off him. She then unlocked the chains and the deranged man ran towards the other.

With almost no resistance whatsoever, the man who was brought in was bombarded by a barrage of fists and kicks until he fell on his back. But the assault didn’t stop there. The beating continued until his whole face was red from blood, but no one stopped him.

Eiulj looked at Teiyninya and nodded. The woman was now sent in. She screamed after seeing the mutilated body and the deranged man swinging his arms, pummeling the head of the other man. She was noticed and was immediately targeted. Not much difference from when the man was beaten.

Both bodies lay lifeless on the cold floor while the deranged man mutilated them even further, breaking their limbs and even trying to pull it apart. He noticed Eiulj standing by a wall and immediately rushed to get her but was immediately stopped by her hand.

Her hand slowly crushed his face and brought him to his knees. He tied escaping by pulling the hand away, even tried kicking but was blocked by Eiulj’s free hand, and even clawing on her arm. But all was for naught. He thrashed and struggled even more so as Eiulj tightened her grip on his face until eventually ripping it out while crushing a part of the skull. With that, his life, too, came to an end with his twitching body on the cold floor as blood oozed out of it.

Eiulj wiped the blood off her hand using her apron and left the room while Teiyninya trailed behind her.

“Let a saivak clean that up.” Eiulj spoke.

“Okay.” And Teiyninya swiftly responded.

“How is the transportation coming along? I presume none of you were seen?” After a brief silence, Eiulj asked Teiyninya the progress of the earlier task she had given.

“About half of the Evealora beds were trasported and currently waiting for the carriage to arrive in a few days.” She responded.

Eiulj only tsked in annoyance at the slow process. She can’t let more than one carriage move at a time as would raise suspicion especially in the winter even during the dark. She feared that the carriages might get discovered if many were to move at the same time, especially going in and out of the forest at night

“Well, just leave Illar’s live body-bed and a few other marked beds be. I’m still gathering info from them.”

“Sure.” Teiyninya spoke and asked. “What was that medicine, if I may ask? It was different from what you usually make.”

“It’s closer to poison at this point. It acts like hallucinogens since its concentration is too high.”

“You once said before that you are making it to kill someone? How would that kill? And why not use the powder drugs instead?”

“It won’t kill the user directly but I added something special for that bastard. And powder forms take too much to make.”

“I see. Something special?”

“Yeah. It’s this.”

Eiulj handed over something to Teiyninya. It looked like some kind of rock with a smooth texture and dull tip.

“It’s the tip of Veyrr’s horn.”

Teiyninya was surprised and wondered why she had a chunk of it.

“Magic is a mysterious thing. Much like science. Well, long story short, Foiyram horns can be used to dispel any magic and weaken mana. Even a pinch of it can cause yourself to lose most of your transformation. Veyrr’s is especially potent for some reason.”

Her eyes widened even more. She never knew something like a part of another devil could be used for that. It’s like saying a human’s finger would be used to make medicine.

“So, these are added to that poison?”

“Exactly.”

“How would you give it to him then?”

“Well, there are multiple ways. He’s an alcoholic, so that’s one way.”

The two continued walking down the dark, silent corridor. The screams from other people had lessened so much that Veyrr’s shouts were the only thing that could be heard.

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Three days has passed since Pharazus came inspecting and investigating the orphanage. Each day he comes, the more his insufferableness grew. Complaining about every little thing from how mouldy and unkempt the place and people were, the unfinished work of people that he had to complete due to incompetence, and even his travel to the eastern district filled with deviants. He was basically trying to pick a fight with the whole eastern district if word got out.

That night, he had left for his usual pub of choice near the city centre. Staff are mainly women with different body shapes and sizes. He had picked someone to serve him personally even if it was against the rules of the pub to demand such, but considering his power and influence over the city, no one dared to go against him.

The woman he held under his arms slowly served him drinks and fed him as he sat with his legs spread out. And while doing so, Pharazus stole glances at her and noticed her sexy body. He leaned forward towards her bosom, sniffing every part of her chest. The woman could not do anything, fearing what might happen to her. Even those who sat near him chose to feign ignorance.

Pharazus started touching her in places. He whispers into her ear about sexual things but was finally shove aside. He wasn’t enraged, but rather excited. After a few drinks, he left and announced his arrival tomorrow and expects the same woman to cater to him. The woman who was forced to be with him only sobbed. They are a pub, and not an establishment in the red-light district.

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It’s been a few days since Pharazus came to inspect but lately, he hasn’t even shown up for inspections. Soldiers arrived but all they did were tell stories or play with the children to pass time by. Even they didn’t find it amusing to be Pharazus’ subordinate, but they needed the money. If they had a choice of being a gong farmer or under him, they’d gladly dig out shit from cesspits rather than being under one.

The days Pharazus came to inspect were times he looked exhausted and sometimes dishevelled, complaining about every little thing. But one day, he just stopped coming all together, along with the guards. The orphanage had received word from a courier that Pharazus had fallen ill and thus the inspections had come to a close. Nothing was found to be out of the ordinary. After he left, Esia and Frianne heaved a sigh of relief.

“Were we really worrying too much?” Osar had asked Count Garthus who was sitting across him holding papers with texts written on it.

“Either that, or we really doubted Esia far too much.” Count Garthus replied back.

“Besides Esia, we’ve received a number of complaints regarding Lord Pharazus.” Zila spoke while also examining pieces of papers in his hands. “They all say he’s become even more insufferable than ever and sexually harasses staff from the Beviaan Pub.” Zila added as he gave out an exhausted sigh.

“He just recovered and is now back at the pub. Complaining is fine. I love seeing his irritated face. But causing a disturbance and flaunting his power is just...” Osar paused and shook his head. “Garthus, can’t you do something about your misbehaving dog?” He asked

“I would if I could. But he is our only active magician who fits the requirements for the position of court magician.”

“Can’t you bend the requirements to your liking? Like what you always do?” Zila suggested while throwing in some degrading remarks.

“I can directly hire a mage but he would still need to go under apprenticeship under Pharazus.” He answered the question. “And I do not bend the law. Well, sometimes...” He admitted.

“I see. And even if he has an apprentice, he might not take him seriously and abandon him after some time.” Osar concluded. “Moreso, hiring a licensed magician directly from the capital would still take some time and money.”

“Well, Esia’s background is still strange no matter how you look at it, but her current self isn’t placing any harm to anyone at all. So, I think we can set her matter aside for now and focus on Pharazus.” Garthus spoke, changing the subject.

The other two agreed to it and picked papers about complains directed to Pharazus. Just reading it made Zila and Osar massage their temples and eyebrows, realising it’s worse than what they had expected.

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 At the central district where pubs and other late night establish flourish, a woman had gone out from a certain establishment, the Beviaan. She has been the personal server of Pharazus in the establishment, even forcing her to come live with him in his mansion as a concubine but refused. He was enraged and even struck the woman, causing her to fall over.

After all attention was on them, Pharazus realised what had happened. He looked at the hand that struck the woman, then at the crowd whose glares and whispers pointed daggers, and left the scene. He ran through different alleyways and ended up in another bar.

It was practically empty with only two other people inside and a woman behind the counter. He had sat at the bar and ordered ale and strong drinks, the strongest they have to offer. He was handed a large wooden mug filled with beer and a glass with another type of liquor, the strongest one they could offer.

“Something the matter? You don’t look too good?” The woman behind the bar asked, leaning her head over.

“Shut up!” Pharazus shouted at her after he chugged some beer down his throat.

The woman was in shock. She was taken aback and didn’t bother continuing the conversation. Pharazus kept drinking the beer, then the strong liquor, then ordered more and downed them all. The woman asked if he was able to pay but was just shoved with a few gold coins worth several times the amount the drinks he was given.

Six cups of beer and 14 cups of the strange liquor was drunk in such a quick time. It was amazing he was still standing and somewhat conscious. He didn’t say a word and left the establishment. The other two people who were in the bar approached the woman.

“Lady Eiulj, is it really necessary to do all these things? Won’t your mana exhaust rather quickly especially since you have three active bodies including this one?” The woman, who was Teiyninyna, asked the woman behind the bar.

“Frankly, I feel like vomiting. And it’s not three but only two. Esia is set to sleep so I’m controlling this one and the one at Beviaan.” Eiulj responded.

“I’m doing all these excessive steps to fully eliminate that bastard. If I kill him suddenly, then another investigation would happen and not only in the eastern district, but the whole city.” After a brief pause, Eiulj continued.

“Is that why we are here? To replenish your mana?” The man, who is Altafaigaman in disguise, asked.

“Quite sharp. Yes. I bet you can feel some mana leaking out of your body. And that’s because I’m sucking some of it to stay conscious. If I hadn’t, I’d have passed out at Beviaan.” Esia took deep breathes as she answered his query.

“Well, now that I pushed him this far, he would probably come here again tomorrow. It would lighten the burden a bit.”

“What about that Beviaan worker?” Teiyninya asked.

“I could just dispose of her now. She’s practically dead anyway. ‘She has suffered much mental trauma from Lord Pharazus’ is a rumour that can circulate when people find out she committed suicide. Well, I need to rest. Take this body to the dungeon and keep the mana flowing. I don’t want it to rot just yet.”

With a brief confirmation, the body Eiulj used fell limply. Altafaigaman caught it and both of them exited the establishment.

With what transpired this night only signalled the downfall of Pharazus.