Chapter 16: Chapter 5.03 – Eve Of The End

Job Violeta

Everywhere I look, I see death. Images of specters haunt me at all times of the day. I've had a light mage examine me for any curses or lingering aura placed onto me and they couldn't see a thing. The specters taunt me. They rub into my face how I'm a failure of a Count, that I couldn't compare to Silos at his peak and am merely now his equal after he had a incident that would have ruined me. I don't deserve to be Count they say. My efforts to gain power have caused suffering and barely given me any progress. They say i'm worthless. I try to banish their words and sometimes succeed, but then am subjected to crueler torture.

They attack me, or at least they seem they're about to attack me. These specters move towards me their chilling aura of death approaches me as they move to strike, then they stop their attack mere inches from my body.

This constant torment of my mind. It has to stop. I don't care what my mage said, I'll make for Het, the capital of Milos and have someone else examine me for afflictions.

Raderius

The Count played into my hands wonderfully, I cursed him with a spectre of death. He will constantly see images of his own death as well as manifestations of his worst fears. My statesmanship is not the only thing i've been refining. The subtlety of my curses has improved, It would likely take a 6th grade mage to notice the curse. Job knows he cannot incur a debt to Duke Avantine or he will lose any momentum in his token resistance and attempts at surpassing his liege. It would be the same as surrendering.

Its time to move on to the next step of my plan.

Job Violeta

I leave my county in the care of my son, he's a inexperienced boy, merely fourteen, but there shouldn't be a problem he can't handle. I've taken only my 4th grade magic knight for protection, Henreich, the most powerful subordinate I have. It should be sufficient for any threats within Milos. Its not like i'm taking an excursion to a foreign more dangerous land.

Oh, how I would regret everything.

The first sign something was amiss was that a bird was following us. Not merely flying in the same direction, but following. In hindsight, there was no subtlety to this move. I should've been more vigilant. However, the constant visions of death and watching manifestations of fear left me careless and my bodyguard strong as he is, has never been the brightest lad. If he were bright he likely would have found employment elsewhere, I think in self degradation. Gods, these specters have removed my pride.

When we made camp for the night, I was awoken by a scream. I rushed out of my tent and was greeted by a horrific sight.

Henreich, his head adorned the tip of a tree with no leaves. Branches on the left and right displayed his limbs as if that were their preferred adornment. A shower of gore, intestines, blood and other foulness decorated the disgusting tree. Further thought told me that It were as if the tree sprouted into existence within Heinrech and grown inside him. The specters, ever-present in my vision laughed maniacally at me saying that i'm next.

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I turned away from the tree and was greeted by the sight of a beautiful woman. Long auburn hair, angled cheeks, framing a soft face with green eyes that shone like emeralds and a body tha- wait a moment.

"Lady Neiros?" I gasped. House Neiros was a minor one, a Baron household. Their only interesting feature was the beauty members of that household possessed, without exception any who did not marry into the family and had even a drop of House Neiros blood were of auburn hair and green eyes. The world became less beautiful when Duke Avantine destroyed their house over their rejection of his proposal to make their youngest daughter his concubine. I admit I breamed with jealousy of the Duke when he privately boasted of the time he spent with the women of that family. Still, I knew that one member of their family lived, but she was supposed to be much weaker than this! Instantaneously overwhelming a 4th grade magic knight?! Preposterous!

"Hello Job. My lieges training has quite the results." she said with a bored, disinterested expression as if I were making small talk about the weather and she hadn't brutally murdered my most powerful subordinate.

"Neiros I've done you no wrong. Please, have mercy." I stumbled on my words and humiliated myself as I backed away from her only to trip and land flat on my arse.

"My Lord has already told me enough about you. I'm sure right now he's taking care of your son. That man, having me clean up trash like you, jeez. Well, its not all bad I suppose, you are good practice for the real deal." before I had a chance to respond my chest felt heavy, and then pure agony as branches slowly emerged from my body. I screamed and screamed for mercy. Neiros gave me a look of complete and utter disinterest and began to turn away from me. Why? What had I done to her to deserve this? Who was her Lord? I had time to contemplate these questions and more, as it was many minutes of anguish before the sweet release of death freed me from this pain.

Raderius

Jobs son was no less guilty than his father, they both followed the Dukes example and had their way with more unwilling peasant woman than I could believe. I suppose they stuck to peasants as they didn't have the power the title of Duke has to destroy barons. I arrived at the court of the new Count Violeta. Offering my services as a powerful mage during these dark times where the boy no longer possessed his father or his mentor. The boy, scared as he was about losing his power and desperately wanting to cling onto his title embraced my strength.

The plan had changed with Lilly desiring the county of Silos instead of Marktos. I asked and Lilly consented to 'marrying' the puppet Silos. That night Silos would 'die' from a illness. The illness would be publicly known for two weeks leading up to his death so as to not arouse suspicion. Lilly would have earned the publics trust by then and be accepted as Countess Silos. Once I was Duke she would request for the County of Silos to change to the County of Neiros and her maiden name restored. This freed up the humiliation plan, to instead be enacted against the new Count Violeta. Thus, I departed Silos publicly making a show of naming Lilly as my successor and stating to the public she could be relied on as much as me.

Whispering the right words into Violetas ear was all that was required to fuel his madness, the boy would make insane, depraved orders and I would shield the people from them. Privately I would mix words to unhinge him, make him believe it was conspiracy rather than myself preventing the execution of his orders. I poisoned his mind with visions of assassination, turning him into a recluse who would only come out to babble insanely and give orders that were disrespected by all. Publicly, I was doing his work for him. It only took a half year before I was being publicly discussed as the 'real' Count.

The time was now. Nearly two years since beginning my Shadow War. On the eve of my 21st birthday I would conquer the Duchy with far fewer casualties than the County of Silos. I will ascend to become the new Count of Violeta and simultaneously destroy the Avantine bloodline, securing a future as the new Duke. I will have accomplished all this while simultaneously having reached new heights of power; i'm almost disappointed I won't get to show my new abilities off.

That emotion is quickly replaced by pure joy as I laugh to myself, reveling in what would be my next major victory.

Tomorrow, I win.

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