I was in bewilderment from what I had just seen. I felt used and betrayed. As they were going at it, Ryzel mentioned something of interest. "Sir Victor, my dear, during my expedition on the Dark Continent, I found something that might be of interest to you."
"Oh? So, it wasn't just your body that you brought me over for?" said Victor as he continued smooching Ryzel's neck.
"Well, it was one of the reasons," he chuckled.
"You really missed me that much?" said Victor as he groped Ryzels' buttocks.
"That I did, my beloved Sir Victor," said Ryzel as he playfully tapped the tip of Victor's nose. The both of them started kissing again as if they were about to devour each other's faces.
"Very well. Show me this item that you speak of. Please make it quick. Roberta might grow impatient."
"Yes, my love." As they walked out of the dark room, Victor smacked Ryzel's backside. "Tee hee~!" Ryzel giggled like a high school girl with a crush.
I was too shocked to even consider what they were talking about. I was overwhelmed by feelings of neglect and confusion. So, I just ran out of the bathroom in tears. "Lady Roberta, wait!" cried the female servant. She ran after me. I went outside of the mansion and sat by the stairs in front of the entrance. I was hardly aware of the tears rolling down my cheek. This feeling of neglect was probably how I made Michael feel when I left him high and dry those years ago. The context might be different, as Michael actually had genuine feelings for me. On the other hand, I had nothing but contempt towards Victor, yet why did I feel that way? Why were my tears going to waste over someone that I despise? Over someone who made me feel like a cheap toy, meant to be thrown into the gutter. This man stripped me of my humanity and made me feel like I was beneath him. So why was I shedding tears? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?! Suddenly, a gentle hand wielding a patterned handkerchief reached out to me and wiped the tears off my face.
"Lady Roberta… please, don't shed anymore tears. This pain you feel right now will be nothing compared to what they'll do to you once they find you like this."
"What are you talking about?"
"In this kingdom, people like us, aren't considered human. You may be dressed up like a doll. You may be the daughter of a noble. You may be the lover of a "valiant" knight. However, to everyone here, you are nothing but a filthy Half Breed. I saw how they stared at you. I saw the revulsion in their eyes. I'm not saying this to demotivate you or anything. It's merely an unfortunate truth you will have to live with. I don't know why I'm telling you this. You called us here for that exact reason after all."
"I…I see."
We sat in silence for a moment. "Uhm, by the way, I never got to hear your name." I said.
"Here in Aglonia, they call me Miriam, but my real name is Yawa."
"It's nice to officially meet you, Yawa. Teehee."
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Lady Roberta."
"Roberta is just fine."
"I appreciate your desire to drop all formalities. However, if I'm caught calling you by your name so casually, we'll both get hurt ya know."
"Really?"
Yawa chuckled a bit. "No matter what happens, Roberta, I won't let anyone hurt you."
I scoffed at the idea of any such misfortune other than Victor laying his hands on me. "Thank you, Yawa."
"Well, I must get going now. I'm still on 'duty' after all."
"Oh, right. Don't push yourself too hard, okay?"
Yawa just smiled and walked back inside the mansion to continue serving the guests. I was left alone by the stairs, left to ponder as I tried my best to hold back my tears. It was raining a few days ago, so there were puddles dotted along the stairway. Among those puddles, I saw my reflection. I noticed that my hair tips had grown as white as snow. Flashes of my past life flickered through my mind.
Meanwhile, out of my line of sight, Victor and Ryzel entered a room full of artifacts from lands conquered by the Luceal family. Ryzel brought forth a pillow with a golden horn full of engravings on it. "Wait a minute, Ryzel, this can't be what I think it is, can it?" asked Victor in bewilderment at what his eyes have gazed upon.
"Yes, my Lord, this is the Horn of Leviticus. We found it in the Kingdom of Hikima, in the Dark Continent. My servant Miriam was part of the exhibition as well."
"I see. So, you've managed to accomplish yet another request from Her Majesty hey? To think that it was real. With this, the Kingdom of Aglonius shall reign supreme for all eternity!"
"Indeed. And you and I shall serve her majesty at the height of this Kingdom's glory. Together!"
"Yes, I love the way you think. Ryzel!" They both kissed passionately.
"See, Victor, my love, my coronation as a Holy Knight wasn't the only reason for this banquet. This banquet was to be our demonstration of this newfound power. Especially after hearing tales of that misfit Senzo the Walking Bullet wreaking havoc across the continent of Septum, I want all the guests to see that our kingdom shall be in safe hands." "Is that so? That bastard really dealt a huge blow to our economy, didn't he? Do tell me, how does this horn function exactly?"
"From what Miriam described to me by reading the ancient scrolls in the Hikima Kingdom, one can summon something called, the Golden Fae. It is said that the Golden Fae shall bless the wielder of the horn with a magical sword. A sword that is said to have been able to split oceans and mountains into two."
"Is that so?" Victor stared at the horn, hoping to see as to whether it was emitting enough mana to even be considered a magical item. "It seems this item truly is genuine. How about we commence the ceremony, shall we, Ryzel?"
"Oh, Victor, I was hoping you would do the honours. After all, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have reached this point."
"No. That's quite a ridiculous notion on your part Ryzel. You fought valiantly to find this artefact. If anything, you deserve the power that might be granted to you. You are entitled to it."
"Thank you, Victor." They both kissed again. "Maybe, once we gain this power, we can change the kingdom's rules to some degree."
"What do you mean, Ryzel?"
"Maybe, just maybe, once we reach the top and serve right by the Queen's side, we could change the laws to be a bit more tolerant. Maybe we can make society tolerate our relationship. Just imagine us being able to show our love without having to hide. I'm tired of feeling ashamed. I'm sick of having to share you with some random wench. I want you all to myself Victor," said Ryzel as tears ran down his cheeks.
"I know Ryzel. I know." They both hugged.
Thus, the two forbidden lovers made their way to the ballroom. Victor tapped a wineglass with his spoon. Ryzel took centre stage and yelled, "Esteemed ladies and gentlemen! May I please have your undivided attention. Thank you."
The music stopped, and the servants stopped walking around for a moment. Everyone diverted their attention towards Ryzel. "During our escapades on the Dark Continent, I was a part of the army under the leadership of Lord Mneziel Squall VII. However, he fell in battle. Thus, it was up to me to finish his expedition in the Kingdom of Hikima to retrieve the legendary Horn of Leviticus!" As he raised the horn up into the air, the guests of the party started to murmur amongst themselves in astonishment. "Yes! This is indeed the fabled Horn of Leviticus, as described in the manuscripts of the legendary scholar, Khalil Ibn Mustafar! With this horn, this beautiful Kingdom of Aglonius shall reign supreme! Every nation in this world shall cower and bow at our might! Never again shall we lose another Lord Mneziel Squall!!"
"YEAH!!" Everybody in the room cheered. Ryzel's eyes, burning with patriotic fervour for the Kingdom of Aglonius, his hands trembling with excitement, blew on the Horn of Leviticus. Suddenly, the horn began to turn red, its surface became as hot as slab of iron exposed to heat for hours.
Ryzel dropped it instinctively. The moment it touched the floor, the room started to shake. I could feel the earthquake while I was still outside all alone by the stairs. I was scared, and instinctively, I wanted to find Victor. Maybe I still believed he could protect me. Maybe this was just a case of Stockholm syndrome. As I entered the room, I noticed everybody standing around in a circle. I saw a light emanating from the direction that they were encircling. Curious as to what it was, I crept closer to see it. There laid the Horn of Leviticus, shaking on the floor uncontrollably, emanating a blood-red light.
Suddenly, the bell of the horn expanded, growing teeth like a piranha's while emitting that eerie red light. When we least expected it, like a vacuum, the bell of the horn started sucking everyone in the room into it, consuming them like dust in a carpet. This sight freaked me out, so I ran away as fast as I could. However, it was obvious that I wasn't the only one running in this situation, so I was caught up in the middle of a stampede. It's crazy how these pretentious assholes act all civilized, but when push comes to shove, they get exposed for the animals they truly are. As I was getting trampled over, a hand reached out to me and pulled me out of the chaos. I opened my eyes and noticed that it was Yawa who saved me. She ran toward the door with me.
"Y…Yawa." I whispered under my breath.
"See? I told you that I wouldn't let you get hurt. Teehee," she said gleefully in an attempt to comfort me yet again.
"Wait, Yawa, what about Victor? He could still be- "
"Roberta. Can't you see? This is your chance to find freedom." As she said those words, I was just dumbfounded. Freedom huh? It felt like such a wayward concept to me back then. I couldn't truly grasp the magnitude of its significance. Yet, the word alone still carried so much weight. Freedom. As I looked back, I noticed Ryzel and Victor standing by the landing of the stairs right by the balustrades of the staircase, looking down at the horn.
Ryzel was about to be sucked in by the horn, but his hand quickly caught onto the balustrade.
"Victor, my love! Please help me!" cried Ryzel in a fit of desperation. Victor looked at him with an expressionless gaze and said, "Nay, this horn can suck a man better than you can. I'm in need of an upgrade to satisfy my desires. Bye my dear." With a swift strike of his newly repaired sword, he cleaved through Ryzel's knuckles, leaving him with nothing but stumps, his fingers falling away like discarded twigs. Ryzel lost his grip on the balustrade and fell into the seemingly bottomless pit that is the bell of the horn.
I was speechless as to what I just saw. That moment proved to me that Victor had no redeeming qualities beyond his strength, good looks, and charisma. Without a soul, those qualities meant nothing. I was left wondering what could motivate him to let his lover get consumed by that monstrosity. I was frightened by the fact that he looked relatively unfazed by what he had just done.
Victor managed to make a quick getaway, using his surroundings to avoid being sucked in.
Eventually, Yawa and I made it outside, while everyone else got sucked into the horn. The horn kept getting bigger and bigger. "I guess they've caught wind on the fact that the horn they used is not the Horn of Leviticus, because such a thing doesn't exist. That was the Horn of The Underworld. At last, I have avenged my people. But at what cost?" whispered Yawa. The horn started to grow to such a colossal scale that it destroyed the roof of the mansion.
"Yawa, what are you…"
Yawa put me down, removed her necklace and wrapped it around me. "This should protect you from the horn. After all, I said I won't let you get hurt. Right?"
"Yawa, what is going on?"
"This is the only way I can atone for my sins. I had to sacrifice the lives of the Himika people to achieve this goal of mine. Maybe, just maybe, after all of this is over, the Kingdom of Algonius will burn to ashes. How I wish I could see my fiancée just one last time." She looked up to the skies melancholically.
"Yawa, I don't understand, I- "
"Thank you for being kind to me, Roberta. Enjoy your freedom. Try giving the motherland a visit for me, okay? And tell Senzo that I'm sorry." Yawa gave me a warm, gentle smile, closing her eyes as if savouring the moment. While genuine, it was clear she was trying to hide the tears welling up in her eyes.
"Wait, Yawa…" FOOSH! Yawa was pulled away from me by the giant horn. I tried to reach out to her, but my hand just couldn't reach her. "YAWA!!" I cried my lungs out, somehow hoping that my voice would somehow bring her back to me. However, my screams meant nothing. All I could do was watch, as she was pulled into the abyss.
Suddenly, after sucking up everything, the horn just stopped. The horn was pointing upwards, the red light emanating from the bell of the horn pierced the night sky like a torch. Out of the horn, ten shadowy figures emerged. I watched them from a distance. I was able to deduce that they were over nine feet in height. I could feel their aura taking over the air, making everything heavier. I found the simple act of breathing to be a chore in that moment, my legs couldn't stop wobbling. This thick air was merely a manifestation of their bloodlust. My inability to breathe was fear tightening its grip on me. It felt like a hand was holding me by the neck, just like how Victor choked me out in the inn when he used my body as a toy. I was so scared that more tears rolled down my face like water from a broken faucet. Suddenly one of the figures conjured a ball of fire in their palm and kicked it toward me like a soccer ball. As the ball of flames dashed toward me at the speed of a ballistic missile, my fear rendered me incapable of even lifting a finger. For that moment, I convinced myself that I could find solace in death. Regardless of how painful the death would be, I would only die once. Suddenly, the ball of flames exploded right before it reached me, and before me stood a warrior wielding a sword, obscured by the cloud of dust and smoke. 'Victor?' I thought to myself.
"Roberta! Hey, are you okay? Did they hurt you?"
It was Ragna. Alongside him stood two other people. One with braids as white as snow. Just like my hair colour in my past life as Amaka. He even held a gigantic blue spear, with wind flowing around him like a god who beckons the clouds and the wind to do his will. The other was just a random dude with no qualities that actually stood out.
These people, along with this scenario, seemed all too familiar. I just couldn't place my finger on it.