Phantasia: The Princess Knight 105 Test Of Courage Part Four

Alicia brow furrowed when this scent filled her nose. She had only thought that the rooms on the second floor were empty but there seemed to be more going on than she had originally thought! Slowly making her way down the hall Alicia stopped in front of the first door she came to. She expanded her detection magic to see if anyone was inside. Seeing that she did not register anything she slowly opened the door and stepped into the room quickly shutting the door behind her. 

When she turned around Alicia almost lost her stomach at the horrific scene in front of her. It was like a scene straight out of a gory horror movie back on Earth. There was what seemed to have once been a human hanging on a hook that was connected to a chain that was secured to the ceiling of the room. It swayed back and forth gently while blood dripped down to the floor. The organs that were once in the headless empty husk were all displayed out over a table nearby. But what Alicia saw next made tears stream down her cheeks. The head of the body that was hanging from the ceiling was also on the table and the face was someone she knew well and had gotten to know over the past two days.

 "Samantha!" Alicia said in a low voice. Her voice slightly cracked as she cried. Alicia knew this was an illusion but the way the people she met interacted was very real. It was not like some crappy RPG game where the NPC would say the same lines over and over back on Earth. No, these people had real emotions and would laugh and cry just like her. 

Alicia wiped her tears as rage began to take over. She did not want to have to resort to killing someone if they were only doing minor crimes. But this was beyond redemption. Alicia did her best to calm her anger. As a knight one must have a clear mind and think of the next path that needs to be taken. Right now the Countess has committed a crime that garners capital punishment. Because of this Alicia knew she did not need to investigate any longer. 

Checking if the coast was clear, Alicia silently exited the room. Luckily she did not go too far into the room so the bottom of her boots were still clean. Before closing the door Alicia took one last look at Samantha's head and whispered: "I promise to return and give you a proper burial."

Closing the door, Alicia made her way to the third floor. At the staircase leading to the third floor, two guards were stationed there playing a game of cards. "Dammit! I lost again!" One of the guards yelled.

"Shhh! Not so loud! If you wake the Countess you will end up like that female servant!" The other guard warned.

"Yeah a pity that girl was pretty cute… It's a shame that she got caught stealing bread. The Countess was really angry. But I can also understand where the girl was coming from. One meal a day is really not enough. The Countess has so much money yet she won't even give two meals a day to her servants and works them like dogs. You remember that gardener?" The first guard asked.

"You talking about the one who was clipping the hedge and was strung up after cutting one wrong leaf?" The second questioned.

"Yeah. The leaf in question was actually sticking out and would have made the hedge look out of place. It was just that the Countess was not in a good mood so she decided to use that as an excuse to torture him." The first guard replied.

"That's why I always try to stay clear of the Countess. That way I can at least live a few more years." 

Hearing the guards talk made Alicia realize that it was most likely her fault that Samantha was caught stealing bread.This thought alone made a few more tears roll down Alicia's cheek as a bit of guilt settled in. But now she knew for sure that it was the Countess who had tortured and killed Samantha. Alicia walked over to the two guards and quietly pulled the first guard's sword out of its sheath before appearing and placing the sword on the guard's neck. "If you two do not want to die do not say a word!"

The second guard that was about to shout quickly closed his mouth. He knew someone who was able to sneak up on them and appear out of thin air was not someone they could handle. He was not loyal to the Countess and he cherished his life more than anything. "Did you two handle the girl in the room over there?"

"No not us! It was two of the other guards who were on the day shift. They are the Countess's loyal dogs." The second guard quickly said.

"Then you will take me to them." Alicia said before using the hilt of the sword to knock out the first guard. 

"He…?" The second guard asked as he looked at the first guard.

"He's fine. He will just sleep a little bit. I want you to take me to these two people and then to anyone else who helps the Countess do her evil deeds. " Hearing Alicia's order the guard quickly nodded his head, a slight smile formed on his face. In his head he was screaming with joy. 'That evil bitch will finally get what she deserves!' Ever since he had come to this place he had watched many of his friends go missing and end up in horrific states. He had witnessed all kinds of atrocities and wished he could do something to stop them but he was stuck with a slave brand and was not able to do a thing. One word from the Countess would set the slave brand off causing him extreme pain. This same slave brand worked as a tracer so even if he ran he would still be found. But now he saw a light of hope. This girl who appeared out of nowhere was like a goddess was sent to give everyone here salvation and bring down the evil Countess and her loyal dogs!

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Chapter end