Duval Baron's Domain. Baron Duval's Castle.
The dead of night shrouded the stone castle, the torches on its towers flickering in the wind.
At a time that should have been utterly silent, the castle's main gates slowly swung open for a party of uninvited guests.
In the flickering candlelight of the council hall, Baron Duval stood straight, his imposing, battle-hardened frame on full display.
The collar of his sleeping robe was slightly agape, revealing a muscular chest.
Though he was nearly fifty and his golden hair was frosted with white, his Knight's physique kept him as strong as he was in his youth.
"Bishop Alberto, what brings you here so late at night?"
The man standing before him, Bishop Alberto, had a gaunt face. His long, silver-white hair was draped immaculately over his shoulders, and a Silver Crown inlaid with Moonlight Stones gave off a soft glow in the candlelight.
He wore a snow-white robe trimmed with silver thread, and meticulously embroidered on his chest with silver silk was a crescent moon encircling a star.
It was the Holy Emblem of Oriane, the God of Stars and Truth.
Two Assistant Priests stood silently behind the Bishop, also dressed in plain white robes, but without the Silver Crown. Each held a copy of the Holy Scripture, its cover inlaid with a sapphire.
Bishop Alberto's voice was like a distant bell. "Baron Duval. The paths of the stars are in disarray, and the threads of fate are entangled here."
"I come by divine oracle to warn you of a disturbing truth: a Witch has set foot in your domain. Wherever she goes, disaster follows like a shadow."
Baron Duval's brow furrowed. "Bishop, you mean to say...?"
Bishop Alberto said slowly, "Othilia."
Baron Duval snapped his head up, a flicker of astonishment crossing his resolute face. "Othilia von Douglas? The eldest daughter of Duke Douglas?"
Bishop Alberto's voice was low and solemn. "His Grace the Duke has made it clear. She is no longer the eldest daughter of the Douglas Family, but a Witch who brings nothing but ill fortune."
The Baron looked thunderstruck, then a sudden realization hit him. "The Knights I dispatched... My sons, Sylvan and Moby..."
Bishop Alberto shook his head gently. "It seems your sons have already made contact with her. Now, I'm afraid..."
"No!" Baron Duval interrupted urgently. "My eldest son, Sylvan, is here in the castle, recuperating. He was gravely wounded just yesterday while exploring the Twilight Mountain Range. Bishop, I beg you, please see if he's been influenced by the Witch!"
Bishop Alberto nodded slightly. "Then bring him in."
Soon, guards carried Sylvan into the hall on a stretcher. His face was deathly pale, and the bandages wrapped from his left shoulder to his chest were soaked through with blood.
Other than that, everything seemed normal.
However, Bishop Alberto's eyes narrowed. "It's the Noose of the Undead. It seems your son's contact with the Witch was quite intimate."
Baron Duval immediately dropped to one knee. "Bishop, I beg you, save Sylvan! And my younger son, Moby... he's traveling with that Witch right now..."
Bishop Alberto's tone was resolute. "The most important thing right now is to pursue the Witch. Once Othilia is eliminated, the curse will lift on its own. Tell me, what did she ask you to help her with?"
Baron Duval said quickly, "She's going to an old castle in the Twilight Mountain Range. She said she wants to retrieve a Divine Relic..."
...
As Bishop Alberto listened to Baron Duval's account, a strange glint flashed in his eyes. "A Divine Relic? She dares to desecrate the power of a Divine Spirit? Unforgivable! Gather all your Knights at once! We must depart immediately to stop her wicked deeds!"
Caught between the authority of the Bishop of the God of Stars and Truth and the threat to his eldest son's life, Baron Duval nodded without a moment's hesitation. "I will go and prepare at once."
...
WHOOSH!
The wind cut like a knife, scouring every corner of the Twilight Mountain Range.
Murphy tossed and turned in his tent before finally throwing on his worn linen coat and walking toward the picket line.
'The horses probably can't stand this cold.'
This was the excuse Murphy gave himself, and he wasn't lying.
Horses needed to consume more Energy at night to ward off the cold. Moreover, their stomachs were relatively small and secreted acid 24 hours a day, making them prone to ulcers. They had to be fed during the night.
This last detail was knowledge granted to Murphy by his system. It wasn't common knowledge in this world; at least, none of the Grooms Murphy knew were aware of it. The most they knew was to give the horses extra feed when it was cold.
The other Grooms in the tent were roused by the noise. They began to stir, rubbing the sleep from their eyes.
"Murphy, going to feed the horses again?" an older Groom grumbled. "You care more about those animals than you do about yourself, kid."
Murphy just smiled faintly, offering no explanation.
He picked up a bag of feed, and the other Grooms gradually followed him out.
This wasn't a proper stable. It was cold and drafty, and the warhorses needed looking after.
If a warhorse fell ill, the great lords wouldn't be in a forgiving mood.
"Even young masters like Walter and Jimmy are here this time. The mission must be safe," one Groom said as he spread out some feed.
"Yeah, these masters are just here to get a share of the glory. If it were really dangerous, would Baron Duval have sent them?" another Groom agreed.
"Still, the last two groups of Grooms died horribly... May Oriane watch over their souls."
"Get real. Masters are masters, and Grooms are Grooms. If things go south, we're the ones who'll pay the price."
"Nonsense! This mission will go off without a hitch!"
As Murphy listened, he carefully mixed hay with soybean meal. Suddenly, he heard someone call his name.
He looked up to see Green, a Knight of the Douglas Family, standing as still as a statue at the edge of the camp. His heavy Plate Armor gave off a cold glint in the moonlight.
In another direction, the two followers, Walter and Jimmy, were waving at him. They were the ones who had called out.
"Master Walter, Master Jimmy," Murphy said, walking over quickly. "Did you need something?"
Walter, the blacksmith's son, grinned. "Murphy, I remember you were in the same recruitment batch as us. You even fainted from hunger back then. Didn't expect you to make a name for yourself."
Murphy was young, but his skill with horses surpassed even some of the veterans.
That's why even Walter, who normally paid no mind to a lowly Groom, had heard of Murphy's reputation.
Walter had called Murphy over simply because he was bored on watch and wanted to chat with a familiar face.
Murphy quickly bowed. "I'm just a humble Groom, Master Walter. I wouldn't dare claim to be your contemporary."
He knew that in a world with such a rigid hierarchy, humility from a superior was just a courtesy. To actually overstep one's bounds would only earn their resentment.
Jimmy, a follower's son, chimed in, "What's there not to dare? Look at Carter. Wasn't he in the same batch as us? We used to play together as kids; we were great friends."
At this, Jimmy sighed. "It's a shame Carter was so unlucky, getting sent on a mission that early. You, on the other hand, really lucked out, getting to tag along on this one."
'Great friends, my ass,' Murphy thought. 'I didn't see you looking out for Carter when he was a Groom. You probably cut him loose the second you became followers.'
'Just like Leo did. He didn't just cut ties; he viciously humiliated Carter, forgetting all about some stupid promise they'd made.'
'Besides, I have my system. I already know this mission has a high chance of success. As if I needed you to tell me.'
Outwardly, however, Murphy feigned confusion. "Forgive me, masters, but what do you mean?"
Unlike the more level-headed Yor, Jimmy immediately started to show off. "I'll tell you what. We're going to explore an old castle that holds a Divine Relic from the Mobia Dynasty! There are a few suits of Activated Armor guarding it, but they're nothing to Knights like us."
"The great hall of that castle is magnificent! They say the dome is even inlaid with glowing gemstones..."
An old castle?
Activated Armor?
A Divine Relic?
'So it's true,' he thought. 'A place called Fallen Immortal Ridge wouldn't be some ordinary mountain range.'
Murphy continued to flatter them as he listened. "You two masters are truly worldly and knowledgeable. I imagine that Activated Armor wouldn't even be able to withstand a single blow from you, right?"
"But what exactly is Activated Armor?"
He was deliberately fishing for more information, trying to learn about the dangers they might soon face.
Jimmy explained with relish, "It's a blessing from the great Oriane! They say that within each suit of armor dwells the spirit of a loyal Knight, capable of moving on its own to guard the wealth its master left behind. They wield Giant Axes, they're incredibly fast, and ordinary swords can't even scratch them..."
Walter added, "They're dangerous for a Groom like you, sure, but for Knights like us, they're nothing. You don't even have Life Energy. You should just focus on your horses."
"Still, it's good for you to come out and see the world a bit. After all, the only way a Groom like you can gain any real experience is by following Knights like us."
Jimmy said smugly, "Once this mission is over, we might even get our own private training ground in the castle."
A private training ground?
That was a privilege reserved for Knights.
Ordinary followers had to crowd into the public training grounds.
And they kept calling themselves "Knights," not "followers."
Understanding the implication, Murphy continued his flattery. "You two masters have bright futures ahead of you. You'll surely become top Knights under Baron Duval."
The smug expressions on Walter's and Jimmy's faces deepened. They were clearly satisfied with Murphy's tact.
Just then, Murphy noticed the Green Knight, who was standing not far off, tilt his head slightly, as if listening for something.
The subtle movement made Murphy feel a flicker of unease.
At that moment, Jimmy patted Murphy's shoulder and said in a patronizingly encouraging tone, "Keep up the hard work. You'll never reach the level of a Knight like us, of course, but if you do a good job with the horses, maybe you can actually become Chief Groom someday..."
THWIP!
Before Jimmy could finish his sentence, an arrow tore through the air and pierced his temple.
The tip of the arrow, carrying fragments of bone and brain matter, burst out the other side, spraying blood across Murphy's face like a fountain.
The arrogant look from moments before was still frozen in Jimmy's wide eyes. His face was twisted and deformed by his shattered skull as his body convulsed and fell backward.
The hand that had been patting Murphy's shoulder slid off limply, like the last withered leaf on an autumn branch drifting down in the wind.