Chapter 23

Rumours spread quickly like wildfire. In just a couple of days after the incident at Beivaan Pub, the whole central district, the bourgeoisie district, heard of the acts of Pharazus. They know he has a bad temperament but going as far as to hit someone of a well-known pub in the central district was going too far. People living in the centre are all high-class people and majority of workers there still has a reasonable influence over the city or a district. Even if Pharazus was of a higher standing than most, there may be repercussions in his actions.

It was already the evening and he returned to the same bar he had stumbled upon a few days earlier. There were more people now but still not many. The same woman behind the bar was serving drinks.

He ordered the same strong liquor as he had when he first came to the bar. After being served, Eiulj leaned closer again and asked him a question.

“Why are you hiding your face and use a cloak? Is it because you hit some woman at the other side?”

“I don’t want your pity.” Pharazus replies somewhat irritated but hasn’t raised his voice.

“I see. Okay then.”

It was left at that.

Pharazus’ appearance looked more haggard than ever. He was sweating buckets even during the cold winter. Although there has only been light snow, the winds that blow are frigid still. There were some chatters between guests nearby and that made Pharazus tap his finger on the table multiple times. It got to the point he thinks everyone shouted as they conversed.

“All of, shut up!” He stood up and turned as he shouted, enraged at the guests.

“Um, mister... Please settle down.” Eiulj, who was behind the bar, tried to calm him down in relaxed manner.

But Pharazus grabbed her by her shirt and pulled her towards him.

“You dare! Do you know who I am?!” He shouted, exastperated.

“Y-yes! Y-you’re Lord Pharazus.” She panicked as she trembled lightly. “I-I am terribly sorry f-for offending you!”

Pharazus pushed her back and sat back down with a hmph. He grabbed his cup of liquor and downed it with ease and demanded another cup. All the guests now knew who the man in the cloak was, especially with his hood down and his face in plain sight.

I guess the rumours were true. He harasses anyone he dislikes.

I wonder why the Count still hasn’t done anything about him. If anything, he should even be executed.

Even threatening the owner of an establishment. I wonder when he will cross the line?

That girl from Beivaan, I heard she was sexually harassed and physically assaulted by that bastard. Now she’s locked herself in her own room.

Whispers floated around the room and two people were watching silently from afar. It was the human forms of Altafaigaman and Teiyninya. No one in the central district knows how the Komriyas look like so they used their old appearance. They had wanted to run up to the magician and kill him instantly but were sternly ordered not to do anything unless commanded. So, they watched with fists clenched and biting their lips.

Every cup Pharazus downed was refilled with the liquor and god knows how many kegs has he drank. But it was fine. With the amount of money he just threw at her as payment, replacing those kegs were easy as throwing them away. But with each cup, the more irritable he became, as if he was losing his sanity. He couldn’t think straight for one bit. It was as if he had gone back to a normal man who drank a little too much. He had an abnormal amount of alcohol resistance but now it seems to have weighed on him.

“Mister, I think you should rest. I have a room I can lend you for the night.” Eiulj spoke as she gently and softly talked.

Pharazus was charmed by her appearance, especially with her cleavage showing. He smiled disgustingly, agreeing to rest while drawing closer to her cleavage as his eyes were glued to it. The two who were watching quietly moved slightly but noticed the Eiulj’s glare. They shivered and continued watching from afar.

He was then led to the back. He acted tipsy and drunk just so he could touch her.

“Ninya, go and check on Lady Eiulj. Although care not to be spotted by her.” Altafaigaman requested Teiyninya.

“Sure. That man just rubs me the wrong way.” And she agreed, thinking the same as Altafaigaman.

As she crept closer to the door and took a peek inside the corridor, Pharazus was laying on the ground with whitened eyes. Eiulj was rubbing her body everywhere muttering ‘Disgusting piece of shit. This isn’t my body but the feeling is just disgusting’.

Teiyninya was relieved nothing happened. But as she was about to head back to her table, she was called out by Eiulj. She shivered at the thought of being reprimanded. But she was called not because of such, but to help Eiulj.

“Sorry, Ninya. I can’t even muster enough strength to pull him. Could you please just dump him outside through here?” Eiulj requested Teiyninya as she was sweating profusely. “I used my remaining mana to make the drug more effective.

“Ah... sure.” Teiyninya dragged the body of Pharazus out the establishment and closed the door.

After which, they had gone back to their posts.

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Pharazus has been missing in the Count’s estate some quite some time. He had a tremendous amount of work that needs to be finished by the end of the third month of the year yet he was nowhere to be found in the city and the estate. Count Garthus, Zila, and Osar were frantically completing their own work and Pharazus’ work, having no time to investigate the orphanage or Esia further.

It was only at one night they knew of his whereabouts and what happened to him.

“NOOO!!! HELP!!!” A woman came running from an alley with torn clothes while covering her chest.

Everyone was alerted as she came running into the main road. They saw her figure and both men and women were red from the sight and from alcohol but immediately sobered when another person came out running.

He was a man who had some muscle but mainly flabby. Naked and a fully pitched tent with a mixed expression of disgust, anger, and lust. He had a stab wound near his belly and held a bloody knife. He came running out of the alley chasing the woman who had also come out from the same location. It was Pharazus in a drunken and insane state, and the woman who owns the bar Pharazus frequents.

The soldiers were quick to react and protected the woman from the deranged Pharazus. He swung his knife haphazardly, pointing it to anyone who came near him. No one knew what exactly to do in this situation, but all they could do was try and restrain the court magician, Pharazus.

“Miss! What exactly happened?” One of the soldiers asked the woman, Eiulj, as he covered her body with a coat.

“I... I don’t know... All I saw was Lord Pharazus straddling someone... while stabbing him mercilessly in the alley...” She shivered intensely while compressing her body like in a fetal position.

Someone was called over near the guard and after he was told something, he nodded. He immediately left afterwards.

After a while, light came back to his eyes and his rationality had returned. His expression now has turned into one of confusion and realisation. He found out he was surrounded by people holding their weapons up to him. He also realised he was naked and tried covering himself up as he was cold. He demanded clothes but no one moved to provide him one. As he fumed up even more, someone came from behind and knocking him down. He was now restrained as his belly lays flat on the cold ground.

“Unhand me, you fools! This is nothing but a charade!” He tried defending himself as he struggled. “I was cursed by someone!” He continued on.

His eyes landed on the shivering bar owner, Eiulj, and screamed.

“HER! THAT’S THE WITCH WHO CURSED ME!” He glared intensely at Eiulj as he shouted his claims.

But no one believed him, especially with their appearances. He struggled and thrashed around. He was surprisingly strong enough to escape from their clutches and topple the people who were restraining him.

A strengthening spell?! He still had that much mana in him?!

Eiulj internally screamed and questioned.

Pharazus was also quick on his feet and dashed towards Eiulj with his knife in tow. The guards were pretty much pushed aside like they were nothing. The woman had no time to react as Pharazus quickly mounted her and thrust his knife into her chest. Blood came out from both her mouth as she tried pushing Pharazus away but her strength had left her body immediately. Only after a few seconds did her life come to an end.

“There! Now the witch has been killed. The curse should be dispelled!” He laughed as he explained to the people around.

But alas, nothing happened so far. Nothing seemed to have been lifted or any other strange sensation has occurred. His eyes widened, thinking that he really wasn’t cursed and that he killed someone in front of multiple people. No one believed him.

“Captain, reporting!”

The soldier from earlier returned from his task. He explained that there is another woman whose body and face had been mutilated. The upper body filled with multiple stab wounds and cut marks and the lower body with an exposed crotch. He tried hard not to vomit upon the sight. With that, the captain had ordered everyone to restrain him once more. Chop both hands off and stuff something into his mouth.

As Pharazus was surrounded, he decided he won’t go down easily. He cast magic and pushed everyone aside and ran towards the forest, towards the east. The whole city was warned and soldiers were on high alert. Many hunters tried to capture him as well with traps but failed. Soldiers, hunters, and even innocent people were injured and even a few died during his escape. With his magic, he was able to go over the several metre high wall and escape into the forest at the dead of night.

The central and eastern districts were in upheaval. Bells ringing all around and people running everywhere. The orphanage was no exemption. Esia, Frianne, and Aniem were with the children, trying to comfort them. Although there were kids like Alana who sleeps like a log throughout the chaos.

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With huffs and puffs and cold breaths, Pharazus is somewhere deep into the forest. Soldiers and other hunters have also begun venturing into it in search of the magician. As Pharazus walks with no clothes on under the snowy terrain and cold climate, he shivers and tries top warm his body up with magic. And moments later, someone had crept up from behind him.

“YOU!” He was surprised and enraged at the same time upon the sight of a familiar face.

Esia was standing in front of him holding a knife with an expressionless face.

“SO, YOU’RE THE WITCH!” He exclaimed as he pointed at Esia. “That witch from the orphanage of animals and demons-“

As he was about to complete his sentence, the hand that pointed at her fell off. It was cleanly cut. He screamed in agony upon seeing his lobbed off hand.

Behind Esia came a man with a large build.

“The orphanage?” Esia asked.

“Teiyninya is disguised as Esia.” Altafaigaman replied.

Esia had nodded and drew closer to Pharazus. He cast spells of different kinds, wind, flames, ice, even tree manipulation and high energy blasts but were all blocked by Esia.

“WHAT?! All my magic... were blocked?!” He was surprised at the sight. He had cast spells of different magnitude yet nothing affected her. “W-who are you?!” He asked, panicked.

“I am Esia, the keeper of the orphanage you so much insulted.” Esia tightened her grip on the knife as she glared at Pharazus kneeling on the ground.

“You mocked and insulted the orphanage, my trusted friend, and more importantly the children who are a guiding light for the future. Even death is too light of a punishment for you. I will send your family a piece of your body everyday for every crime you did till this point explaining in detail what you did. I will make your family eat your flesh. But before that, you have six children, right? Should I have you attend a funeral every week as you watch them eating your flesh? I believe they love you so much. Maybe they would be overjoyed to be one with you. Either way, you will no longer be human.”

Screams echoed throughout the forest, but it seemed so faint as if it never existed.