"MELLORUS!" The office door opens abruptly.
"You've gone too far, you wretch!" Boltu's palpable fury seems not to affect Mellorus, who continues to write something without looking in his former friend's direction.
"As far as I remember, Boltu, you should still be taking care of the report to the royal family about the festival results."
"To hell with that report! Do you think I didn't know about your little game to cause even more damage to poor Manila?!"
"Your obsession with that abomination made you an insolent idiot, Boltu."
"And your blind devotion to this damned cult turned you into a monster capable of sacrificing the person you loved the most."
"I didn't sacrifice anyone! She failed me by giving birth to that freak!"
"Failed?! Did this child happen to be born spontaneously from her?! You're involved in this too, but you decided to get rid of her because the great Mellorus Felnatus would never make a mistake, right?!" With heavy steps filled with emotion, Boltu approaches Mellhorus and grabs him by the collar.
"You are the image and likeness of your father, the same corrupt noble who only cared about his image."
These words hurt Mellorus' ego. His father, Vilartto, was the type of person he could never stand; he was petty, lazy, and malevolently greedy. Despite the difference in size between the two former friends, Mellorus has the same strength as Boltu, breaking free from him with a push.
"Wash your mouth before comparing me to that leech; you are one step away from a path of no return."
Boltu laughs mockingly.
"Path of no return? You already followed this path the day you abandoned your daughter and exiled your wife! A child needs both parents to be born, so you are to blame for this resentful speech of yours!"
"Did you think that by blaming someone else, your actions would be forgiven? Look at how Luccio has grown up, an arrogant, violent, cruel, and spoiled person, a scumbag to the kingdom."
"He is a disappointment like Candelia was to me on that horrible day."
Boltu clenches his right fist firmly and punches Mellorus in the face, making him lose his balance.
"Him, as well as what happened to Candelia, is your fault! You ignored all the signs of this boy's malicious behavior just because he was your "heir", and your fanaticism has brought nothing but tragedy to your family!"
Mellorus spits out a tooth as he stands up, his voice still calm but filled with hatred.
"If you don't get out of my sight immediately, Boltu, I will forget that I was ever your friend."
"I'm not leaving here until you tell me where you kidnapped Manila! And if you think you can intimidate me, you've forgotten the days when we fought together."
Both know each other's strengths, and a duel inside the mansion would cause costly damage to the Felnatus family's reputation and money. Mellorus did not reach his current position solely through impulsiveness; his actions were always planned, and the risks were calculated. Now, Boltu has the upper hand.
"If you knew how to use that space in your head more often, you should have already understood that I know nothing about her current whereabouts." Mellorus said, composing himself and remaining calm.
"Do you think I'm going to believe that you, a veteran strategist, don't have a contingency plan in case the first fails?"
With a strangely melancholic smile, Mellorus sat on his desk chair and poured himself some wine.
"It seems I'm getting old…because there was no other plan. I didn't imagine anyone else would try anything against that abomination, but I see I was wrong." He drank the wine in just one sip. "Now, leave immediately, don't forget to leave all the equipment that belongs to this house in the barracks of your old regiment. From today, you are expelled from the Archduchy. If you set foot here, you will be treated with hostility. "
With a quick movement, he tears off the cloak he was wearing with the Felnatus coat of arms and throws it on the floor, and with fury in his voice, he points his battle ax in the direction of Mellorus.
"I will remove everything that belongs to me from this Archduchy. I already have a petition delivered to the disputes office proving all my possessions and lands that belong to me." He turns to leave, but before closing the door, he says in a harsh voice. "I will find her, Mellorus, I will find MY DAUGHTER, and if you try anything else against her, I swear it will be the end of your lineage."
Everyone near Boltu can hear the strong and accelerated steps, and his furious expression makes no one try to approach him. When leaving the mansion, Vivelle and Julienne were waiting for him with their weapons drawn.
"Any progress, commander?" Julienne asked apprehensively.
"No, he doesn't know anything; someone planned her kidnapping without his knowledge, and I think I know who it was."
"What are the orders?" Vivelle asked, looking anxious.
"We will meet with the rest of the regiment, where I will explain the situation." He climbed onto his horse and began to ride without delay.
"Yes, sir!" The two soldiers shouted before following him on horseback.
Without stopping to rest, they headed to the camp at Maruum Village. The journey on horseback normally takes three days, but it was done in just one. Upon arriving at the camp, Boltu summoned all the soldiers and captains to the center of the camp, where he began his speech.
"Soldiers of the Judgment Regiment, for many years I was your commander, training recruits into soldiers, people from diverse backgrounds and different goals, which is why I am here before you."
He paused for a moment, observing each soldier in the regiment. His work, pride, and happiness were dedicated to training everyone present. He saw soldiers grow under his command and become influential nobles in the kingdom, but he also saw soldiers full of potential lose their lives during missions throughout the kingdom.
"I have just returned from the Archduke's mansion. Unfortunately, my news will not be the most pleasant. I have known the Archduke since my first day at the Royal Military Academy. We were good friends and survived many dangers."
"Today, however, I can no longer see the man I called a friend. Today, I see a completely different person, cold, calculating, and disinterested in the good of the kingdom..." The soldiers begin to murmur, creating an atmosphere of confusion. "I understand that for you these words are rude or worthy of a traitor, but I have always lived by my ideals, my morals, and my understanding of what a prosperous kingdom means."
"As of today, I am no longer part of the house of Felnatus, but this is not the end of our story if you wish. I have come here to present you with an invitation. Those who wish to follow under my tutelage will have a difficult path, but all will be welcome in my lands, where we can slowly grow in strength and glory, without straying from our path. However, everyone here can continue their lives as they are, and I don't hold any resentment for this decision."
"For those who wish to follow me, just be ready tomorrow morning at the entrance to the camp, and our first mission will be to track down and recover a person everyone here knows." His tone of voice became regretful. "The soldier of the Blindfold regiment, Manila, disappeared during the festival. According to Elzen, who was with her, they went to a scenic spot to watch the fireworks. It was then that he was attacked and only regained consciousness in the morning, and she was no longer there."
"We will search the area. We are almost eight days late, which greatly reduces our chances. However, we will find and rescue her with much luck and our usual dedication." He then places his right hand directly against his chest.
"To those who decide to maintain their positions in this regiment, I thank you for all the time we have spent together, whether it was for a short time or decades. You are all soldiers I had the honor of having commanded." He smiles sadly.
"May your journey be filled with joy and may the dangers of life never reach you."
The atmosphere in the camp becomes restless, and the soldiers present talk among themselves, discussing what to do. This is all that is left to prepare for tomorrow. He needs to find her quickly, and as time passes, the chances become smaller. Guilt and resentment take over his thoughts; if he had not interfered in her life, perhaps she would not have gone through this, but the price for her safety would be to live her entire life under the abuse of the members of the Felnatus family.
The next morning, about eighty soldiers wait at the entrance for the commander, who smiles when he sees a larger number than he imagined.
"I thank everyone who wanted to follow me on this new journey. We will have time to thank you all and plan our next steps. I will separate you into groups of four to five people, and we will cover all possible routes where the kidnappers may have traveled."
The search for traces of Manila extended throughout the southern territory of Orlos; it would be difficult for the kidnappers to take her to other parts further away from where they took her. On the twenty-sixth day after Manila had been taken, one of the groups received information about an abnormal concentration of wild creatures on the outskirts of Luma, a village of lumberjacks and carpenters.
According to some lumberjacks, groups of creatures were heading in packs towards the forest's depths surrounding the village. All the soldiers quickly gathered and began the search. At dawn on the twenty-eighth day after her disappearance, a trail of blood and animal bodies led directly to an underground cave.
The entrance door was made of iron but was destroyed by something. An improvised structure was designed to keep some people inside the cave, but the only thing inside the cave was pure carnage.
Disfigured bodies of people wearing armor, some had signs of bites or missing pieces, as they entered deeper into the cave, one body stood out, he was wearing the uniform of the Judgment regiment, and his face was unrecognizable, but no animal was responsible for this.
Inside the last room of the basement, another iron door was destroyed on the floor as if something had forced it from the inside out. In the room, only one body was present, a body scattered throughout the room.
Luccio Felnatus.