Chapter 38: The Crimson Enigma
Mira sat cross-legged on the dungeon floor, arms folded with exaggerated flair. "So," she exhaled loudly, darting her eyes at the group, "now that we're not, you know, dead—can someone please explain what in the fiery pits that thing was?!"
Leon, still catching his breath, ran a hand through his messy, sweat-slicked hair. His usual calm was rattled, but he steadied his tone. "No clue. It was… unlike anything I've seen. Felt wrong, though. Its mana…" he paused, voice lower now, "it felt… wrong somehow. Like it wasn't meant to exist. And I still can't believe it could talk."
Arthur pulled his knees to his chest, mumbled, "Yeah, that sure was terrifying… I've never heard of a monster that can talk. I mean, there's no monster that exists that can talk." His eyes darted toward Leon. "So how did he talk? Monsters aren't supposed to talk. Right? Right?"
"Yes. And the way it spoke—it wasn't just words," Leon murmured, almost to himself. "It understood. It reasoned. It commanded the orcs."
He looked up, eyes narrowing slightly as the memory sharpened. "And the orcs didn't just follow it out of fear. They obeyed it—like soldiers following a commander."
Mira's arms, once tense and defensive, slowly dropped to her sides. Her earlier sarcasm faded, replaced by unease. "And it mocked us," she said, her voice quieter now. "Like it enjoyed watching us squirm. It knew exactly how to rattle us…"
"It wasn't supposed to exist," Leon said, his voice low. "Things like that—creatures that speak, command, think—those aren't monsters. They're something else." His voice dropped, flat and cold. "Something worse."
Arthur's voice broke the silence, barely above a whisper. "Then maybe… maybe the world isn't what we thought it was." He looked up at the others, fear stark in his eyes. "Maybe we never really understood it at all."
A beat of silence.
Elara, kneeling beside him, placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "We're safe now. That's what matters."
"But we should thank the one who made that possible," she added softly. "The Captain of the Knight Order… She saved us."
"You mean… the Sword Princess." Leon said.
"Yes. Her," Elara confirmed softly. "Look behind you."
They turned slowly, eyes following her line of sight. There, amidst the haze of blood and crumbling stone, stood Seraphina. Her silhouette was striking—armor polished, posture poised, arms crossed in silence.
"Oh—ah—how did I not notice her?!" Arthur exclaimed, scrambling upright, brushing dust off himself.
Leon stood as well, straightening his stance despite the fatigue weighing on his limbs. With quiet resolve, he stepped forward.
One by one, the group moved toward Seraphina, their approach cautious, almost ceremonial. She stood motionless, like a monument forged from silver and shadow, the faint shimmer of her armor catching the fractured light above.
Leon offered a respectful nod, his voice composed but sincere. "Captain Seraphina. We are in your debt. Had you not intervened when you did... none of us would be standing here. You have our deepest thanks."
"Stop," Seraphina raised a hand, graceful yet absolute. "If you really wish to offer gratitude," her voice cut clean and noble, "then offer it to him."
She gestured toward the wide, half-dried pool of blood near the mangled remains of Zandagar. The vivid crimson on the stone floor was all that remained.
A heavy silence fell like a curtain.
Leon's brow furrowed. "Wait… you mean… you weren't the one who saved us?"
"In a way, yes." Seraphina said, her tone cool and calculated. "I killed the monster. But by the time I arrived, someone else had already stepped in. Someone held it off—long enough for you to be still breathing. I believe that someone also cast the sleep magic you awoke from."
"What…?" Mira whispered, her lips barely moving. "You're telling me someone else was here? But… there were only four of us. Five, if we count Kael."
Arthur's eyes lingered on the bloodstain. "Someone protected us… and died doing it?"
Elara's hands tightened in her lap. Her voice was soft, trembling at the edges. "We didn't even get to see his face. He gave everything for us… and we don't even know his name. But then… where's his body?"
Seraphina responded, her gaze still fixed on the remains. "I believe the monster devoured him. It's the only plausible explanation. With this much blood, no one could've walked away from this alive."
Their expressions darkened. None of them spoke for a long while.
"Do any of you recall anything?" Seraphina asked, her eyes calm but sharp as they scanned each of them.
Arthur shook his head slowly. "No... it all happened too fast."
"I remember shadows, pain… then sleep," Elara said, her voice steady despite her sorrow.
"Same here," Mira added, arms wrapped around her knees. "I didn't even get to scream properly…"
Elara looked to Leon. "What about you? Anything?"
Leon took a deep breath, steadying himself. "Let me think." He closed his eyes. "As I was losing consciousness… I caught a glimpse. It was blurry. But… I remember a man. Black hair… and I think… red eyes. Or deep crimson. I couldn't see clearly. It all happened in an instant…"
"I see. A man… black hair. Crimson eyes," Seraphina repeated.
Her voice didn't change, but her eyes did. Something shifted in them—something distant, quiet, like a realization striking deep and silent. Her gaze lost focus for just a moment.
Elara noticed. "Captain… are you alright?"
Seraphina blinked and straightened slightly. "Yes," she replied, tone unchanged. "Just a thought."
"But… you look like you saw a ghost," Elara pressed gently.
"It's nothing. I was merely thinking... if I had arrived moments earlier, I might've saved him as well," she said, not missing a beat. "Now, all I can do is find out who he was—and inform his family."
"I'm sorry we couldn't do more," Leon said, bowing his head.
"You were doing all you could—fighting to survive. That is not nothing." Seraphina's voice was firm.
Mira tilted her head, suspicion clouding her features. "But like… why would someone fight to protect us? What if he was watching us the whole time?"
Arthur visibly tensed. "Don't—say creepy things like that. I'm already on the verge of tears here…"
"Big brave warrior like you?" Mira grinned through the tension. "Don't worry, I'll protect you next time."
"Ha-ha. Not funny, Mira…" Arthur muttered, hiding a small smile behind his exasperation.
Elara gave a faint chuckle, though her eyes still shimmered with sadness. "Whoever he was… he was brave. He didn't even hesitate to put himself in danger for strangers."
Leon nodded. "We may not know his name… but we know what he gave. And that deserves more than silence." He stepped forward slowly, toward the pool of blood. The others followed, side by side, solemn.
Leon placed his right hand over his heart and closed his eyes. The others mirrored his gesture. And then, softly, he began to speak.
"O unnamed warrior, whose soul now walks the path beyond, whose blade we never saw, but whose strength we owe our lives to— may the gods, old and new, weigh your sacrifice with honor. May your spirit find the fields of valor, where no pain treads, and every wound fades. We, the saved, bow to you. May the winds carry your name, and the stars remember your flame."
Silence held as they bowed their heads.
Then, slowly, they turned and walked back to Seraphina. But Leon hesitated, eyes drifting once more to the monster's body.
Leon looked at her again, quiet. "Captain… do you know what that creature was? The thing you fought?"
Seraphina turned her gaze to the monstrous corpse of Zandagar, still oozing dark ichor across the stone floor. "I do not," she admitted. "It's absent from all records I've studied. Which means… it's either new—or something lost to time."
"Even you don't know?" Elara asked, eyebrows rising slightly. "That's… unsettling."
The group went silent for a moment, the weight of that truth settling in.
Then Mira stretched dramatically, breaking the tension. "Okay, okay. Emotional moment aside—can we all agree next time we try a dungeon that doesn't try to kill us instantly? Like… maybe a baby slime? Or a goblin with a toothache? I'd settle for a confused raccoon at this point."
Leon let out a breath of dry laughter. "Noted. Next quest, we request D-Rank difficulty."
Arthur groaned. "We almost died… I'm never stepping into one of these again."
"Yes, you will," Elara replied, offering a smile. "We need someone to scream dramatically when things go wrong."
"Hey!" Arthur huffed, but his face flushed with something close to amusement.
Then Seraphina stepped forward, her voice firm and regal. "We should continue now."
"Yes, captain," Leon replied, and they fell in behind her without question.
The dungeon had fallen into silence, but Seraphina's mind remained sharp and restless. "That unknown man… Finding his family would prove difficult without a name, a face, or any identifying details. First, the guild. If he was an adventurer, there should be a record." Yet doubt gnawed at her.
"The guards reported five entrants—the four behind me, and Kael. No more.
So where had he come from? Had he slipped past the entrance unnoticed? If so, why? What purpose would that serve?"
Seraphina's gaze hardened. She would find the answers. The dead deserved at least that much.
---
Meanwhile...
—Velhart Town—Northern District—
Kael stood before an imposing iron gate, beyond which rose a grand, three-story mansion. Flanking the marble steps were elegant statues of mythical beasts, sculpted from polished dark stone and etched with silver that shimmered in the afternoon light. At the top, towering twin doors bore an intricate carving of a chained phoenix—an unmistakable emblem of the Silver Crest Merchant Company.
He exhaled quietly, brushing his brown hair back as the wind picked up slightly. His gray eyes scanned the estate with quiet unease.
"As expected from the owner of one of the biggest merchant companies..." he murmured, half-impressed, half-weary.
From the gatehouse, a tall guard approached. He wore a deep navy-blue uniform trimmed with silver, a polished breastplate resting over his chest. A slim rapier hung at his waist. His posture was straight, his tone sharp but not unkind.
"State your business," the guard said, eyeing Kael up and down.
Kael lifted a hand, trying not to let his nerves show. "I'm from the Adventurer's Guild. Here to deliver the Aetherium Core requested by your employer."
The guard arched an eyebrow and gave a short nod. "Wait here. I'll inform the master."
He turned sharply and strode through the gate, his steps purposeful as he made his way toward the front door.
Kael remained still, hands in his pockets. His gaze dropped to the cobbled path beneath his boots.
"Ah... my head still hurts," he thought. Then his brows furrowed. A dull throb echoed in his skull again — a reminder.
---
—Flashback: A Few Moments Earlier—
Kael had been walking along the stone-paved streets, eyes half-lidded in thought. His footsteps were slow. Then—
His vision blurred.
A sharp, nauseating spin overwhelmed his head. His knees buckled. He barely caught himself with a trembling hand against the nearest wall.
His breath grew ragged. "What... the hell?"
His fingers clenched at his scalp as if trying to crush the pain out. His heart pounded violently, but the world spun as if gravity had momentarily broken.
"Why is my head spinning like this? It's like something's crashing inside..."
His face turned pale. Cold sweat slid down his temples. For a moment, it was like the light around him dimmed. The sounds of the street vanished.
Then—
Just as suddenly, the pain vanished.
He slowly stood up, one breath at a time. His eyes, once tired but alert, now seemed distant. Gray — but duller, almost empty.
He blinked.
"...Hah." He gave a soft, strained laugh, then kept walking toward the mansion without looking back.
---
—Back to Present—
"Sir," the guard returned opening the gate. "Master Albrecht has agreed to see you. Follow me, but keep close and don't stray from the path. This place can be... confusing to newcomers."
Kael offered a slight nod. "Sure. Thanks."
As he stepped past the gates, a chill ran down his spine. He couldn't tell if it was the estate itself — or something far deeper brewing inside him.
---
(Chapter Ended)