CG Chapter 112: The Rose Gold Devil
To the south of Eldervale's continent lay the largest and most ancient forest, and along its outer edges stood Dasos. This capital was considered by many to be the most beautiful city in the seven kingdoms.
Once you entered the city, you would notice that all the houses in Dasos were covered in freely flowing green moss.
You couldn't look anywhere without seeing trees or flowers of every shape and form; some you could imagine, and others you couldn't, as they existed only here.
But tonight, the city didn't look like the city, and the people didn't feel like the people. Dasos felt as though it was about to be enveloped in darkness, with heavy rain pouring down and dark clouds covering the skies.
To the unfortunate fate of the people living there, none of the city's beauty mattered at that moment, as the people who gathered outside didn't care for either the flowers or the trees.
These people were willing to burn the houses or sink the city into the despair of eternal darkness to bring their light.
At the head of the massive army stood a powerful man with rose-gold hair. This man was Duke Helmut Schlotbaron, known as the Gold Rose Devil, who was leading the army of noble houses to take down Danloor's capital.
Due to the nature of Danloor's terrain and the possibility of reinforcements arriving at any moment from Valoria and Auroria, Duke Helmut was ordered to take down the city quickly.
The method they were going to use was straightforward, but its sheer vileness would have stopped most people.
However, Duke Helmut didn't care. He was willing to do anything to make sure that the House of Schlotbaron became an eternal pillar in the new era.
To achieve this, he knew that dirtying his hands with the blood of some lowly peasants was a necessary sacrifice.
The army had brought with them multiple large crates that shook uncontrollably from the frantic movements of the creatures inside.
These small creatures, with their black fur and glowing crimson eyes, could make any man or woman run away in terror, that is, if they weren't scared to death on the spot.
The crates held the carriers of the plague, horrid tiny beasts known as the black death.
To take down Dasos, Duke Helmut planned to release thousands of rats into the underground channels of the city.
Once they entered the city, they would cause chaos and havoc, leading to the eventual fracturing of its defenses.
As outsiders, it would then be easy for them to burn and take over what remained.
This strategy wouldn't have worked with normal rats, but with the help of a certain grand alchemist, they were able to transform the rats into frantic, flesh-hungry beasts.
Duke Helmut gestured to the army that it was time to move. He and his army kept their distance, watching the city walls from afar, as they prepared to execute their plan.
Without delay, they began pouring a sulfur-like substance over the rats. This substance would make the rats fall asleep for a short time, ensuring they didn't give away the army's location prematurely.
A small group was tasked with breaking the sewage gate and releasing the rats before returning to the main army, where they would wait for the city to fall.
Seeing that everything was going as planned, Duke Helmut turned his attention to a young boy, no older than fourteen, who looked exactly like him.
His look toward the boy was full of strictness, but beneath it hid a strong sense of pride.
"Cedric, are you ready? Remember, the plan comes first. You must ensure that you remain unnoticed until you let them loose. There is no room for error," Helmut instructed in a heavy tone.
"I will not fail you," Cedric replied in a voice that didn't match his age. "I will risk my life if I must."
"You…" Helmut said but stopped.
"Did you say something, Father?" Cedric asked, puzzled.
"Nothing. Go on."
The duke wanted to tell Cedric to be careful and return alive at all costs, but before he said it, he held his tongue.
He had the mindset of Folek to put the family first, but unlike Folek, he actually cared for his child.
Helmut ignored the hypocrisy of being scared for his child's life while condemning thousands of innocent people to death.
This mentality didn't exist only in Helmut but in most people. The 'good' did good to feel virtuous for a short time, and the 'evil' lied to themselves that they were doing it for a good cause. Only a few and far between had the courage to look themselves in the mirror and accept all aspects of themselves, whether good or bad.
…
Cedric and his group moved swiftly under the cover of the storm. The rain worked to their advantage, masking their footsteps and muffling their sounds.
When they were just a few meters from the sewage gates, Cedric noticed four watchmen riding in their direction.
The soldiers' torches quickly grew brighter, signaling danger.
Knowing that being discovered might alarm the entire city, and put their plan at risk; Cedric acted quickly. He motioned silently to his men, each one readying their slingshots.
Whoosh
The attacks flew in unison. Cedric's shot was the fastest; the rock spiraled through the air before striking the closest soldier in the middle of the head.
In an instant, the soldier's head exploded like a shattering watermelon, scattering brain matter everywhere.
The other soldiers fell soon after, without the slightest chance to realize what was happening. Some had their throats crushed, while others had their chests pierced.
The soldiers' horses neighed in panic, bolting in different directions, but before they could escape, they too met the same fate as their owners.
Cedric exhaled, knowing they needed to move quickly.
"Move," he whispered.
The hordes of rats were about to cover the whole city in endless darkness.