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The air was shredded by the fire dragon. Its gaping jaws opened, displaying its dizzyingly hot innards. Every stray insect in the area was instantly incinerated as the dragon’s jaws devoured Arie’s attack. He walked straight into it

Arie landed softly in the debris. He still moved as light as a feather, but he looked nothing like he used to. His clothes were scorched, and his cheeks were deeply charred.
“OHHHHHHHHH
” Arie let out a long, long moan as if he was releasing his long pent-up emotions. After a moment, he turned to Joshua and spoke—more quietly this time. “I love you.1 Joshua Sanders, I love you from the bottom of my heart.” He ripped the burned clothes off of his heaving chest.
Was the sudden display of power an attempt to cow his enemy into submission?
Of course not. Once again, the fight for life and death had sent him to the peak of pleasure2, filling his skull with a white haze.
“I’m sorry. I am so sorry.” Arie’s expression was genuinely remorseful. It had taken him too long to deal with the unexpected bugs; now, he was running out of time with Joshua. Already he could feel a presence approaching, no more than ten minutes away. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could enjoy this for a little longer, hmm?”
“I wish you’d stop acting like a pervert. Do you see people as food?” Joshua probed, his voice low.
“Are you curious?” Arie asked with a smile. “Oh, don’t make that face. I really am sad.” He waved his hand as he approached his stiff-faced opponent. “You have to keep your promises. Obviously, I have to finish my business first.”
Joshua tensed as Arie’s feet left the ground, wary of a surprise attack—but Arie’s next actions threw his plans into disarray.
The Count reached to his chest and pulled out a bottle the size of his knuckle. He popped the lid, allowing a distinctive sour smell to waft into the air.
There were many poisons in this world. Some of them maximized their effect using magic called “Spell Poison.” One, in particular, had a very unique scent; it was said to be able to kill a person with just a few drops and leave not so much as a bone behind.
“Fire bon Acid. It can make a human body disappear without a trace.”
Joshua gave him a look that asked, “Really?” and Arie smiled back at him.
“It’s a bit too soon for everyone to know.”
“You’re going to use that to defile their bodies?”
“Don’t attach meaning to a corpse, Joshua. It’s just trash, isn’t it? HAHAHAHA! Joshua, Joshua. Why are your eyes so fascinating? Those stares are the most exciting of them all. I think I’m going to go crazy with happiness.”
“You—”
Arie stopped laughing. “I’m going to ask just in case, but you’re not going to get in the way, are you? Starting the war right now wouldn’t be a bad idea if you wanted it—but don’t you still need some time?”
Joshua couldn’t deny it. No kingdom would be able to stay still if they knew their Masters had been killed, which would waste a lot of Joshua’s time. He needed a few months to sort everything out. No, maybe years. It might work out if he could stop the war, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t even guarantee the lives of the few people under him right now.
He quietly closed his eyes. Duke Altsma had reacted violently at first, but had been quiet ever since. Joshua knew, better than anyone, that things didn’t always go as planned. A short delay could lead to irreparable damages. His people were his top priority.
Arie watched Joshua think with great amusement.
“Duke Agnus knew everything from the very beginning. So why didn’t he do anything? It’s been almost twenty years. Is he too scared to play with fire? Or maybe he just has something up his sleeve?” Arie smiled. “I like the look on your face. By the way,” he added, “There’s at least three people in the Empire who are stronger than me.”
Joshua’s eyes flickered briefly in surprise. That would mean that there were at least two more powerful superhumans in the Empire besides Duke Agnus.
Arie let a few drops of acid drip onto the bodies. The acid fizzed in the blood and eventually consumed the entire body.
“Keep an eye on your father,” the Count muttered. “The Sword God of Avalon is more dangerous than the Emperor.” He slowly turned around. “I can’t wait for the day we see each other again.”
“Is this what you meant?” It was a question that could be answered in any number of ways.
“Well
” Arie’s smiling figure vanished. “At least I love you from the bottom of my heart, Joshua.”
Someone gasped.
When Cox finished speaking, the man in light armor blocking Cox’s path collapsed. But there was something odd. His chest proudly bore the golden owl of the Pontier family.
“Haah
 Haah
”
“Young Lady! Calm down!” Baron Ashval straightened up and started shouting orders when he heard the harsh breathing. “The safety of the Duke should be our number one priority! Do you understand me?”
The young knight in front of him snapped to attention. “We obey!”
The Patriarch swayed weakly.
“Father—!” Charles bit her lips as emotions choked her throat.
The fire blinded their eyes. The rancid smoke scoured their nostrils. From time to time, screams drifted towards them.
The safest place in the Pontier Territory, Fendra Castle, the furthest point from the battle, was being razed—along with everything the Pontier family stood for.
“Is this what you want, Morrossi
?” Charles pleaded with the God of Destiny for answers, her anguish plainly visible on her face.
How did this happen? It wouldn’t be so tragic if it were an attack from the outside. But it looked like the attack had come from the inside.
Cox wasn’t the only traitor. When the secret had come to light, half of the vassals at the meeting had joined Cox’s side. The knights were at a loss as for what to do.
The family had been falling apart for a long time. This was just the pus rising to the surface.
“This is my fault,” Icarus bemoaned. “I was planning to put Count Cox in a vulnerable position and hunt down the rest of the traitors later
”
Icarus’s failure was believing that there wouldn’t have been so many traitors. They looked like loyal people.
But, even if they’d known, there wasn’t much they could have done about it. Sorting out the traitors would have caused too much confusion. The Pontier family was already in shambles—this situation was not something they could cope with.
“Young Lady, I think you should withdraw to Peril Castle and make plans for the future,” Count Verdot advised. “It will take at least four days for the enemy to reach there.”
“I think that’s for the best,” Baron Ashval agreed. “Our main force and all but a thousand of the reserve forces are there. There’s nowhere safer right now.” He nodded, his face brightening slightly. The east gate wasn’t too far away. “The horses should be ready near the eastern gate. We should join the knights there right away!”
“There they are—!” From behind Charles’s group came a shout.
Baron Ashval made a face. “Make sure Group Two has a safe way out!”
“We obey!” Seven knights bowed to Charles.
“May Hermes’s blessings grace the Young Lady’s path.”
“You must survive, Young Lady.”
Charles’s eyes were wet as the knights laid their emotions bare.
“How about—”
“Hurry!”
As the enemy stomped closer, Charles bit her lip and bowed her head.
“In your sacrifice
 the Pontier’s name will live on.”
The seven knights stiffened. A golden owl flew high above the smoke.
Some may say it was a foul bird that would even eat its own mother, but no one would ever forget the Pontier name.
When Charles finally left the knights behind, her back looked even smaller and sadder than before.
TLN: This is not me feeding the ship okay ↩
EDN: Get yourself a man with as much stamina in bed as Arie. ↩