บท 439: The Fall of Usher (1)
The Night Walkers traveled through the night to Usher's territory.
A land filled with desolate wastelands, swamps, and tall rocks.
On an island in the center of a deep swamp, you see Usher's great mansion standing tall.
'Masyaf', a mansion that resembles a citadel.
The Gothic castle looks eerie, shrouded in a mist of water rising from the swamp.
The walls and windows, carved out of the stone, looked like they had cracks in them, with countless dried ivy vines clinging to them.
The windows, which have turned cloudy and gray like the eyes of a blue-blind eye, seem to be staring blankly into space.
The sticky, dismal humidity rising from the swamp was everywhere.
Moreover, the black-red aura that spreads like a demonic spirit through the mist of the water is something that makes every Night Walker frown.
"...Red Death. It's even worse than before."
Dolores said, swallowing hard.
A horrible plague, or rather, an extreme poison that even caused the death of Cervantes, the Spear King.
This is what has cast the shadow of death over the Usher mansion.
"I wonder if my father is safe...."
"...."
Bianca bit her lip until it bled, fighting back tears.
Tudor is silent while putting his hand on Bianca's shoulder.
Cervantes, Lord of the Don Quixote family, and Roderick, Lord of the Usher family, were longtime friends and enemies.
Now that Cervantes has met a tragic end in the Red Death, it's a luxury to hope for Roderick's safety.
But even knowing this reality was one thing, speaking it out loud was another.
Even Camus, who was known for her bluntness and sarcasm, and who was not particularly close to Bianca, had not said a word out of respect for her mood.
However. Marquis de Sade, the only one who was completely oblivious to the stares of others, was still speaking in his usual manner.
"What kind of foul air is that, I'm sure everything in the mansion has long since been destroyed."
"Please shut that mouth of yours, you old prison escapee, before I crush you with my club."
Orca cautioned, but Sade kept talking.
"Look, Vikir, I doubt there's much point in repairing the Usher at this point. With that much poison in it, there's probably already a bunch of skeletons inside."
"You don't know that."
Vikir's answer was surprisingly hopeful.
Normally a cynic and a pessimist who defaults to negative predictions, Vikir was unusually positive this time.
Bianca asked impatiently.
"So, you're saying there's hope, huh?"
"Yes."
Vikir nodded.
He turned to his left and opened his mouth.
"The Usher family was originally an official family of an enemy nation before the unification of the Empire. They were once a very famous family of assassins. After the unification of the Empire, they were only able to become one of the Seven Great Families with a small number of people. It's because of the skill of their members."
Is there any other family for which the term "small elite" fits so well?
Sinclair, who is also an intelligent person, recites some legendary Usher family anecdotes.
"It's said that when the Emperor went to visit the Usher family in the past, the Usher family wanted all of their entourage behind them so that the Emperor and the patriarch of the family could talk to each other one-on-one, and the Emperor said he could put everyone back, but not the two generals he really trusted."
The rest of the story was common knowledge.
The Usher family patriarch asked the emperor, 'Are you sure you don't want to send them away?' The emperor replied, 'These two men are like my brothers. They are like my alter egos, and they cannot be separated.'
At this, the patriarch of the Usher family laughed without saying a word, but then he opened his mouth and asked the two generals standing behind the Emperor, 'Can you kill the emperor right now?'
The two generals standing firmly behind the Emperor immediately drew their swords and pointed them at the emperor's throat.
As if they had been waiting for this command all this time.
"... This incident enhanced the reputation of the Usher family, and the Emperor himself treated them generously, as they were strong and had secret power."
Bianca nodded at Sinclair's words.
She had always been proud of her family, and the mention of past glories seemed to ease her sting a bit.
But the reality is harsh.
The once great Usher family has been eroded by demons and is on the brink of extinction.
Vikir analyzed the situation soberly.
"The people of Usher are strong individually. They may be few in number, but their individual skills are, on average, superior, which means that there should be more of them who can resist the demon's power. Moreover, Usher's castle, Masyaf, has many environmental conditions that can be fortified in the future, and its strategic value is comparable to Tochka. It is a place that must be restored before a great war."
"I know the geography of the grounds and the structure of the mansion inside out. I'll show you around."
Bianca said with determination.
It was fortunate that both Tudor and Bianca were so knowledgeable about the inner workings of the family, and much more than the average young master.
Many young master didn't know much about their own families.
But Vikir shook his head.
"The Usher mansion is full of mazes and traps, and the poison is so thick now that it's impossible for many to enter. Once a small group enters, we must lure the demons out and meet them outside the mansion."
That leaves the question of who will go inside the poisonous mansion.
Normally, Vikir would lead the way.
"I can't go in."
Not this time.
Vikir shook his head.
"Because I need to make other arrangements, in case I succeed in attracting the demon."
The number of people who can enter the Usher mansion is limited, then.
Dolores spoke with difficulty.
"If it's holy water that can break through that poisonous fog, I think we can make enough for two people."
Even with all of her divine power, that was the limit.
Two people to infiltrate the Usher mansion and lure the demon out.
It was obvious who one of them would be. It was Bianca.
She knows the geography of the mansion inside out, and she's the target of Usher Poe Madeline, the one who's currently in control of the family.
"Aunt Madeline was said to have been exceptionally weak as a child, even to the point of being thought dead when she collapsed after a seizure and was buried alive. Now that I think about it, she probably died then, and the demon took over her body while she was buried."
Bianca muttered, then looked up with a look of determination.
"Perhaps the demon is after my body, young and fresh, and if I were to enter the mansion on my own and escape, it would surely turn and chase after me."
Hearing Bianca's words, nearly all of the Night Walkers raised their hands.
"I'll go with you."
"I want to help."
"Come with me, Bianca."
Sancho, Piggy, and Sinclair opened their mouths.
But then all eyes turned to one place.
Tudor stepped forward.
"Allow me to come with you."
"...."
"You owe me from the day before."
Tudor chuckled as he lifted the spear with his one arm.
Bianca also laughed with reddened eyes.
"Still reckless."
"One must be reckless in the presence of a lady. That is chivalry."
Tudor and Bianca turn to face each other, smiling bitterly.
In that strange atmosphere, everyone had no choice but to give them the benefit of the doubt.
But Vikir, always calm and cool, broke the mood before anyone could say anything.
"Are you sure you can do this? It's not just about love. The odds of dying are much higher than the odds of living."
"What, what's love!"
"Wha- If someone hears it, they'll misunderstand it! This is loyalty! It's friendship!"
Looking at Bianca and Tudor's stunned denial, Vikir shook his head.
Then he spoke again.
"Very well. You seem motivated, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. But I'll tell you what you must do."
Vikir's instructions were both simple and difficult.
1. Go inside the castle and lure the demon out.
2. Make sure the patriarch, Roderick Usher, is alive or dead.
Just two tasks.
But whether they succeeded or failed, the odds were stacked against them.
"The Red Death has evolved even more, and it seems to be very specialized. Even with my divine power, I won't be able to hold out for very long, an hour at most...."
Dolores said in an unconfident voice.
But Bianca shook her head as she held Dolores' hand tightly.
"That's more than enough, thank you very much."
"Bianca...."
Bianca forced a smile at Dolores' tearful face.
Then. Vikir called to her.
"Take this with you."
"...?"
Bianca shook her head.
Vikir placed a heart-shaped hairpin on Bianca's palm.
Before Bianca could ask what it was, Vikir turned his head and looked at Tudor beside him.
"Take this, too."
Vikir handed Tudor two firecrackers.
One red, the other black.
Vikir spoke in a serious voice.
"Determine if Roderick, the patriarch of the Usher family, is alive and able to get out with you, then set off the red firecrackers, and if he's dead or unable to move even if he is alive, then set off the black firecrackers."
This had a lot to do with the vague strategy that Vikir was preparing outside.
On behalf of everyone, Bianca cautiously asked.
"Why are the colors of firecrackers differentiated? What does it mean...?"
Vikir's answer was short.
"It's better if you don't listen."
It was an answer that sent chills down everyone's spine and renewed their determination.
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