'W-what?!'
Ash's eyes widened considerably as he noticed precisely what he stumbled upon.
The women in the room were laughing and giggling with each other as they were having something resembling a sleepover. They all had skimpy attires, with some wearing very loose clothes that it was as if they were still naked.
However, even though he had stumbled upon lots of exposed feminine skin, Ash wasn't the type to panic from something like that.
He would have kept his cool and thought of his next logical step.
What shocked him most was the face of one of the students who was amid the other women, giggling and talking alongside them—seemingly in her element.
It was none other than Britta.
'Britta… is here? And she has an Alibi?' His eyes bulged even further. 'She wasn't an accomplice?'
Before he could fully process the sight before him, and even before the women could completely comprehend the presence of their Master Ashfelt Zephyr, a loud noise permeated the room.
It came from beyond the room… within the hallway that Ash narrowly escaped from.
It was the sound of a scream!
"UAARRRRRGHHHHHHHHHH!!!" The gruesome bellow of someone being killed.
In an instant, the voice stopped.
Ash's eyes widened as he processed all of this, instantly realizing that someone must have been killed in his stead—most likely a guard who came to investigate his room or the hallway after all the ruckus he threw.
"U-uh… I have to go… sorry!" Ash was about to leave when he noticed the frightened expressions of the women in the room.
Britta alone seemed like she was about to cry, as they all shivered in fear and shock.
'Damn…'
Not only had he barged in unannounced, ruining their perfect evening, but due to his mistake of luring the White Death and its accomplices towards the area, and calling for guards… someone had just met a gruesome end.
"I'm sorry, ladies!" He apologized frantically, allowing his honesty to show. "I have to go. Stay indoors and cry for help if anything happens."
In a flash, he left the room and dashed to the hallway in order to spot the corpse.
Once he arrived, he could already see quite a few guards gathered around the twisted corpse, using a tarp to cover its bloodied form. The dark pool of red had formed beneath the limp body, and even from a distance… he could see how grotesque the murder was.
"Master Ashfelt!" One of the guards spotted him and swiftly ran over. "You're safe, thank goodness."
"W-what happened…?" He asked, his voice heavy due to what he had just witnessed.
Because of his actions, a man had been killed.
"I'm not fully sure myself, since I just arrived, but we heard screams that sounded like your voice so my colleagues and I hurried here."
"I-I see…" Ash muttered. "Did you see anything?"
"No, I didn't! But some of my colleagues came here from the other side, and they witnessed something grotesque. I believe it is called the White Ghost… sorry… the White Death."
"They saw it killing?"
"Yes… those three over there." The guard pointed at the men who seemed to be the most shaken up by the bloodshed.
It made sense that they would be, particularly after witnessing such a horrid sight.
"I see…"
"Are you fine, though, Master Ashfelt?" The guard touched his shoulder, but quickly hesitated and removed his hand.
"I… am not."
Ash walked away and looked at the bloodied scene—even to the objection of the guards around who offered to escort him away from the vicinity. He made sure to absorb every detail of the event, breathing in and out very quickly.
As his eyes took note of the gory details, his heart stopped racing very rapidly and he sighed.
'To think you'd go this far…'
He walked away, his eyes diverted from the corpse covered in its tarp, and went to the guards who mourned the demise of their comrade.
"I'm sorry… about this." He whispered, hand on their shoulders each. "It seemed like he was a good man."
"He really was…"
"He went ahead of us… as soon as he heard your voice."
"Curse that White Death… curse you!"
"...."
Ash sighed once again and took his leave, telling the guards that he was going to be retiring to his room. One of the three that he comforted offered to help him switch rooms, since his residence could be compromised, and the other guards agreed after hearing it.
"Let us fix up another room for you." The first guard to approach him said in concern. "I'm sure Lord Gerard Lockwood would agree."
"No, don't worry… I'll be fine."
"Really—?"
"Just tell me one thing… the name of the man who died."
The guards all looked at each other with a sad sigh before revealing the identity of their fallen comrade.
"I see… so his name was James." Ash sniffed slightly. "James was a good man."
Then, without wasting any further time, he walked into his room and shut the door behind him.
The last time he was inside, the White Death and its accomplices were present, but now it all seemed like a lie. They never touched anything, and since they already had access to the room, it almost seemed like Ash had simply cried wolf.
If not for the guard who had been killed, some could have said Ash made the whole thing up.
"You didn't have to go out of your way to confirm my story…" He muttered to himself. "I almost feel relieved that the guard died and witnesses were there to see it was the work of the White Death, because if that didn't happen… that fool, Gerard could use it as an excuse to throw me into a cell and restrain me for the rest of my days here.'
Did that mean Ash was grateful for the White Death's actions?
His thoughts were still mixed on that.
One thing was for sure, though, and his mind was only made resolute after his recent experience and confrontation with the horrifying existence that was The White Death.
"This all ends tomorrow night."