The next morning, Isabella and I began with our normal routine. We took turns changing in the bathroom and once we were ready, the two of us left the room and met up with Walter.
First, we ate breakfast and then I had to say goodbye to Isabella. She had her studies to attend to, after all.
I hated the idea of not being near her and roaming the castle on my own, but at this point, I felt like I could trust the guards. They had begun to recognize me and would often wave.
Luckily, the guards were all over the place to make sure no more 'incidents' happened. Isabella made sure they were posted all over the castle.
I made my way to the Knight Grandmaster's office. I was scheduled to have a meeting with him today.
After a few minutes of walking, I knocked on the door to Sir Gordon's office.
"Come in," a familiar voice said from the other side.
I entered the room and approached his desk.
Sir Gordon was currently reading a document in his hands and hadn't even noticed that it was me.
"Sir Gordon?," I said.
Immediately he put the document down and took his reading glasses off.
"Greetings, Mizik. Please have a seat. I'd like to have a short talk with you before we get moving," he said quickly.
"Get moving? Where are we going?" I asked.
"To speak with Cassandra. But until then, I have a few things to discuss with you about the Queen and Arvild."
Today is going to be an awful day, isn't it?
I felt a surge of anxiety in my chest at the mention of going to speak with that monster.
"Why do you need me to talk to that witch?" I said.
"Because she requested to speak with you. She said she might know something about Arvild," Sir Gordon said.
AND YOU BELIEVED HER!?
"Fine...I don't think it'll be important, but it's worth a shot, I guess..."
"That's the spirit! Kind of..."
"So what do you want to talk about first?" I asked.
"First, about the conversation you had with the Queen last night," he said.
"Before I say anything, I want you to know that she tried to bribe me to leave Isabella."
"I know. She wanted to apologize for that. She didn't have the courage to speak to you herself and asked me to on her behalf. Between you and me, I think she still hates you. But that's about it for that."
I felt pleasantly surprised by Sir Gordon's words.
If she still hated me, that would continue to be her problem. But I wasn't below accepting an apology.
"Let her know that I...actually, I'd prefer to speak to her in person. If she's going to be my mother-in-law, I want to make amends," I said.
"Very well. I'll let her know that you want to speak with her on good terms. Next, I want to speak to you about Arvild," Sir Gordon said.
"I'm interested to hear about any updates you have," I said.
Even though I wasn't technically part of the search, I still wanted to know everything about it.
Especially since Vengeance had a particular grudge against Arvild as well.
"We received a report that Arvild was seen at his family's estate. He apparently wanted to convince his other wives to flee to another country with him."
"And?"
"They had already divorced him and left to go back to their original homes. They were quite devistated to learn that Arvild was a wanted criminal."
"I feel sorry for them that they ever had to marry such a pile of human waste," I said angrily. "I'm assuming he got away, right?"
"Naturally. It's quite hard to catch someone using a magic sword, you know. Bravery is a powerful defensive weapon as well. It makes Arvild very difficult to take down..."
As far as I knew, the different magic swords could also fulfill different roles.
Vengeance was an offensive type sword and Bravery is a defensive type.
I also knew of another sword called Compassion. A weapon that specialized in healing wounds instead of making them.
"Well, that's all for now. Let's go down to the castle dungeon," Sir Gordon said.
"Before we go, I have a word of warning," I said.
"But of course."
"Vengeance has a very deep-seated grudge against Cassandra. It might be difficult for me to contain myself down there. Please keep an eye on me, Sir Gordon."
"Noted. And might I say, perfectly understandable. Now let's be off."
* * *
Sir Gordon and I made our way down into the castle dungeons.
They were situated below the castle, yet also on the other side away from Cassandra's dungeon.
Likely so the guards and prisoners within would be unable to hear the screams...
We walked past several empty cells until we came to the end of the hall. I peered into the cell and saw that it was actually well-furnished.
The bed was decent and there was even a dresser with another door to a bathroom in it.
What the hell is this? A luxury prison cell!?
The furnishings within the cell weren't nearly as extravagant as Cassandra's own room, but it was still far better than, say, crappy Inn Isabella and I stayed at on the way to Albatross.
I could see the shape of someone lying in bed. Likely the monster, herself, taking a nap.
I pulled my shield out of my inventory and held it at the ready.
Then I slammed it on the cell bars as hard as I could to make a loud noise.
Cassandra nearly jumped straight out of her bed in fright.
I chuckled far more than any normal human being should have at such a thing.
"W-what is the meaning of this!? What's going on...here..." Cassandra's voice trailed off as she laid eyes on me.
Almost as if on cue, I began to feel a dark rage boiling within me as soon as I heard her voice.
The voice of Vengeance began to ring in my ears very quietly.
"To what do I owe the displeasure of seeing you again, Mizik?" Cassandra said mockingly.
"Your request," Sir Gordon said. "You asked for him and here he is. Now talk."
Cassandra eyed Sir Gordon and made her way to the cell door.
I could see that the magic-nullifying cuffs on her wrists were not currently connected, but still served their purpose.
"I would like to speak with Mizik alone," Cassandra said.
"For your own safety, I cannot allow that," Sir Gordon said. "I don't care if you're forty-five levels higher than him, that sword of his will still end your life."
Cassandra rolled her eyes.
"Very well then. Mizik, could you lean in close for me to whisper to you?"
"...what?" I said.
"Goodness, are you going deaf now? I'm standing right here," She said.
I paused as she spoke to me, trying to figure out what she was saying.
The voices were almost deafening now and I was still filled with anxiety at being so close to her.
Anxiety and rage, that is.
I decided it would be best if I didn't hold Vengeance at the moment.
"Gordon. Can you put Vengeance in your inventory for me right now?" I said, knowing full well I wouldn't be able to hear his response.
He nodded and I quickly handed him the sheathed blade which had already turned red.
Immediately, the voice began to fade.
However...
"By the gods, what the hell is wrong with this sword!? It's beyond pissed!" Sir Gordon shouted.
I could already see that it was deeply bothering him.
"This is what I have to put up with when I'm around her. Now it's your problem for a few minutes," I said.
"What?" He replied.
I shrugged and looked at Cassandra.
"Alright, monster, what the hell do you want with me?" I said.
"I have a name, you know," Cassandra said.
"I don't care. You're a monster. What kind of sick person gets enjoyment from torturing people!? You know the Black Ooze can spawn some pretty fucked up creatures, but even those abominations have more humanity than you do!!!" I shouted.
"Are you done?" She said.
Somehow she looked almost...upset by my words.
"I'll be done once I finally listen to my sword and do exactly what it tells me to do to you."
"Trust me, it's not pretty. I might need counseling when we're done here..." Sir Gordon chimed in. Apparently, he managed hear that part.
Cassandra was visibly shaken up by this but decided to speak, nonetheless.
"I...I might have an idea on where Arvild could be hiding," she said.
"And what do you want in return for telling us, exactly?" I said angrily.
"I want you to speak with father to see if I could have my position as Second Princess back."
"How bloody naive can you be!?" I almost yelled at her.
"I just want things to go back to normal! Can you blame me!?" She shouted back.
I gritted my teeth and yelled back.
"NORMAL FOR YOU IS TORTURING INNOCENT PEOPLE!!!"
Cassandra flinched at my voice.
"I mean without all of that. I'm just...tired of living down here. Tired of being alone and overlooked... I'm willing to forgive you for your previous transgressions and leave you be as well."
I honestly couldn't believe what I was hearing.
MY previous transgressions!?!?
Just a simple hug. Mistaken identity and a few seconds of physical contact.
Although, I did tease her about it because of her reaction, I tried to be nice after that. None of that deserved the hell she put me through.
"You are CLEARLY out of touch with reality if you think a hug and a bit of teasing is grounds to nearly torture someone to death! I would hardly call any of those things reasonable transgressions!" I said.
The voices from my sword were beginning to grow louder again and I could see Sir Gordon holding one of his hands on his head and wincing in pain.
"I-I'm not out of touch with reality! You are! You can't just waltz in here and become a King by marrying my sister! And your simple hug has caused me quite a bit of trouble!" Cassandra shouted.
IT WAS JUST A HUG!!! I ALREADY APOLOGIZED!!!
"Who Isabella marries is her decision. End of story. And what do you mean 'caused you trouble'?"
"Ugh...you... For some reason, I can't stop thinking about it! THERE! I SAID IT! ARE YOU HAPPY!? ARE YOU GOING TO LOOK DOWN ON ME, NOW!?!?"
"What...? Why the hell would I look down on you for that? Who in their right mind would look down on you for anything?" I asked.
She looked surprised.
"You...don't think less of me for that?" She said.
"No, Cassandra. I hate you for a completely different reason. I HATE YOU FOR THE HELL YOU PUT ME THROUGH!!!" I shouted.
She gritted her teeth and sighed.
"All my life, I've lived in her shadow. Nothing I ever do is good enough. I'm always the Second Princess. Everyone looks down on me...even those below me... I..t-tortured people because I wanted to relieve that stress..."
"You have one hell of an inferiority complex. I never once looked down on you. I wanted to be your friend. Seeing as you'll be my sister-in-law, I thought we should get along."
"But that's impossible! I'm a member of the royalty! Mother taught me that we are to always remain at a distance from the common people! To be idolized and revered, but never touched!" Cassandra protested.
It was becoming increasingly obvious to me that her parents were to blame for this behavior.
I could also recall a few times in the past where the King seemed to treat her differently because she was the Second Princess.
"Why? So you can feel even more alone?" I asked.
"No! Because...th-that is our burden! We of the nobility must only be with other nobles! It is our duty to lead the people and care for them! I made a few...mistakes with that...but I am still a Princess! A member of the royalty!" She said.
"Sounds like a load of horse shit. From an outsider's perspective, it looks like you're grasping at straws to be better than everyone else. I feel sorry for you, Cassandra. That your mother obviously didn't love you enough to make you feel like you mattered," I said.
"Y-you words are so cruel..." She said.
"WHICH ONE OF US IS CRUEL, YOU MONSTER!?!?" I screamed in rage.
She was taken back by my words and opened her mouth to speak.
But I continued.
"I BEGGED AND BEGGED FOR YOU TO STOP!!! YOU LEFT SCARS ALL OVER MY BODY THAT WILL NEVER DISAPPEAR!!!"
"H-hold on a second, I-"
"Shut up! Here, I'll show you," I said.
I took my shirt off and showed her my upper body.
Cassandra averted her eyes and seemed to genuinely show a tiny hint of remorse for moment.
"I have horrible nightmares of the time I spent down there in that hell-hole. I cast dispel and silence on shadows out of paranoia. Sometimes, I can't look at Isabella because it reminds me of you. You're a monster, Cassandra," I said.
She sighed and looked back at me.
"I...apologize for hurting you...Mizk..." She said.
"Did you just apologize!?" I said in shock.
"Be quiet! I want to...make a deal with you. If you'll permit it..." Cassandra said.
This should be good.
"Go on, I'm listening."
"I am willing to...overlook your personal issues against me. I am even willing to ignore the things you've said to me today. Lastly..." Cassandra took a deep breath. "If it will smooth things over and present a positive image that allows my crimes to be forgiven, I am willing to...marry you. But I will not permit you to touch me. It would specifically be a political arrangement and-"
I burst out laughing.
"W-what's so funny!? I'm trying to work out a deal here with you! You get the privilege of being married to not one, but two beautiful Princesses, and I get to go free. On top of getting the information I have about Arvild. Is that really so bad?" Cassandra said indignantly.
She looked genuinely hurt by my reaction.
I gasped for air and tried to compose myself.
"I thought...this was supposed to sound appealing! A political marriage? With you!? If I ever woke up one day with you as my wife, I would hang myself. You have no idea how much I hate you," I said.
"It...it doesn't matter how much you hate me! It's a political marriage. I'll be your wife in name only. We don't even have to see each other...if you want..." She said.
I was truly getting tired of this. Marry Cassandra? Utterly ridiculous!!
And to top it off, this monster would be allowed to roam around hurting people again.
Why would I ever want her to be free? Did we really need her help locating Arvild? Maybe Vengeance had some secret function that allowed me to locate people it had a grudge against.
Something like that would be really convenient. And it didn't sound impossible, either.
"What does being married to you even do for me? I'm going to humor you here. Let's say I'm considering it."
"Well...like I said...you have the privilege of being able to call yourself my husband. People would look up to you. They would find it quite amazing that you stole the heart of the beautiful Princess Cassandra. And of course, if you wanted to stand next to me...hold my hand or...h-hug me in public to show others...that would also be...acceptable..."
"That's it?" I said.
"What do you mean 'that's it'!? That is a tremendous honor!" Cassandra said indignantly.
"I don't care what people think of me. I don't spend every waking moment worrying about how others view me, unlike you. This 'marriage' sounds like the most utterly useless thing that anyone has ever suggested to me. Another thing: YOU ARE NOT A PRINCESS ANYMORE!!!" I yelled.
"How dare you! What else do you expect me to give you!? I can't do anything more! I don't plan to have...romantic relations with you or anything like-"
"Disgusting. What kind of sick bastard would want to do that with you? If torturing me is your response from getting a hug, I shudder to think how you'd react to sex!" I said angrily.
"You...unruly...UGH!!! I don't know what Isabella sees in you! You're so insufferable! I should have killed you when I had the chance!" She shouted.
"Right. There it is. I hope you die of old age in this cell. Never seeing the light of day ever again. In other words...rot. In. Hell."
I could see the fear slowly creep into Cassandra's expression.
The fear of dying alone in this miserable place.
It served her right. How many hundreds of people met their end at her hands? She was lucky that she wasn't being tortured to death instead. As much as I would enjoy watching that.
I suspected that it was only because her parents still had some small measure of love for her that she remained alive.
I couldn't blame them. The love a parent had for their child was as precious as it was immense.
Even so, Cassandra would rot in this cell.
"W...wait! Hold on! I'm sorry! Please! I'll do anything! I don't want to die in here! Mizik...no...u-umm you...handsome...umm..."
"I feel like I'm going to vomit if you keep talking to me. I'm leaving. Have fun living down here," I said.
"Wait...PLEASE!!! PLEASE DON'T ABANDON ME!!! I DON'T WANT TO DIE ALONE!!!!" She screamed.
I extended my hand to Gordon so that I could have my sword back and he seemed all too happy to get it away from himself. I quickly shoved it back into my inventory and made my way out of the dungeon. As I walked, the screaming from both my sword and Cassandra began in unison.
If Vengeance could just shut up, I would enjoy the symphony of Cassandra's cries.
Sir Gordon and I had a short talk afterwards.
The conversation with Cassandra was utterly pointless for him, but I derived great pleasure from it. On top of that, it let me blow off a lot of steam. I felt great after having told her off so much... Regardless, I never wanted to see her again.
Sir Gordon mentioned that he had a splitting migraine and might need a bit of therapy after listening to Vengeance's bloodthirsty chanting.
He called it a cursed demon blade and left.
I spent the rest of the day watching Isabella while she continued her studies.
She was quite happy to have me along, as well.
* * *
Late in the evening, Isabella and I had a short chat about the things Cassandra and I talked about.
"That...witch!!!" Isabella said angrily.
"I know..." I said.
"I had no idea that her madness was so deep. And to even propose a political marriage for her own benefit? You're mine. Not hers! I saw you first!"
The feeling of Isabella calling me 'hers' actually brought forth feelings of joy. I was quite content that she was possessive of me. It gave me a sense of belonging that I had never felt in my life.
"She acted like it would be some kind of grand privilege to call her my wife. I told her that I would rather hang myself," I said with a chuckle.
"I can imagine! She's out of touch with reality if she thinks what she did to you was a minor offense!" Isabella said.
"Whatever the case, I feel much better after our talk. Although, I hope they can locate Arvild soon..."
"I'm sure everything will be fine, Mizik. Maybe we should get some sleep. It is getting rather late."
And with that, I felt as if the entire ordeal with Cassandra finally came to an end. I realized that I would probably be better off if I never spoke to her again.
No matter how much she cried and begged, I would not allow her to roam free. If she ever obtained freedom, I wouldn't be able to sleep ever again.
Instead, I planned to devote myself to my adventuring work and to Isabella. I needed to become much stronger to face the battles ahead.
Regarding the Black Ooze, I knew one day I would have to face this Source.
And before that, I knew Arvild would come for me.
I needed to be ready.