Chapter 31
“Hah… Hah…!”
Arriving at the castle after running like mad had me panting as if I just finished a marathon.
The stone walls may not have caught fire, but everything wooden that held them up seemed ablaze.
The glorious flags of the Rondore Family and their vassals twisted and burned in the flames.
The night sky was painted a fiery red, like a spectacular sunset gone rogue.
Flames shot out from every corner of the castle, accompanied by thick, dark smoke.
The crackling sound of the fire consuming the structure echoed like a dragon’s roar.
Chaos reigned.
People fled in terror, scrambling out from the inside, while soldiers struggled to fetch water from the river to douse the flames, but it was futile.
Some maids were even carried out, perhaps choking on smoke. The thick, suffocating smoke and the crackling of burning wood filled the air, adding to the mayhem.
In this chaos, my eyes were searching for just one person.
Vivian Rondore.
I struggled to find her crimson hair amidst the blazing background.
A fierce wind blew, causing sparks to dance through my clothing, and the scorching heat stung my face, but I couldn’t move.
With no sign of her, it felt like my feet were glued to the ground, and my heart was racing like it was about to explode.
Then, I spotted Rona, Vivian’s maid.
I dashed over to her quickly.
Her clothes were burnt, revealing holes, and she was coughing incessantly, looking completely dazed.
“Cough! Cough!”
But I shook her shoulders and asked urgently, “Where is Vivian Rondore?”
“Cough…! Kyle… Cough! Sir… Cough!”
“Speak quickly. Where is Vivian Rondore?”
“I-I don’t know… Cough! We got scattered while escaping the flames… Probably still inside…”
“It’s probably not! I need you to tell me what you saw!”
Rona finally managed to choke out, “Inside…! She is… Cough…! Still there…”
The moment I heard those words, my mind went blank.
I looked around, leaving Rona behind.
The soldiers and maids gathered around me had expressions of shock on their faces from what they just heard.
As the knowledge spread that Vivian was still inside that giant inferno, terror and disbelief painted the faces of the people.
“…”
But no one moved. No one dared step into that roaring fire.
The many retainers of Rondore stood frozen, watching the castle’s flames with alarmed expressions.
The captain of the guards, four knights, various squires, the stable master, the blacksmith Gulk, the dog keeper, the treasurer Brinden, the spy Nesto, Scholar Krellyn…
No one made a move to save Vivian.
…I couldn’t blame them.
The fire was far too fierce.
Stepping into that was a death wish. Even the most loyal servant would retreat before such a massive blaze. If any action was to be taken, it should have been long ago.
Now, it was too late.
But what spilled from my lips wasn’t a rational decision.
“Are you all just going to stand there…?”
All the retainers turned their fearful gazes toward me, a mix of dread and discomfort flashing in their eyes, a feeling I suddenly shared. It felt reminiscent of the emotions I experienced at the execution grounds.
“…How do you expect to go in there?”
Second Knights Commander Toros asked, his voice heavily restrained. It was a mix of fear, defiance, and shame.
“Yet, entering is your duty.”
I replied firmly to him, seeing the knights grit their teeth at my words.
But no one dared reply. They knew they’d have to prove themselves the moment they opened their mouths—how cowardly they looked.
Maybe they lived because they had this nature. They turned cowardly at the moment their survival was on the line, so perhaps that’s why they stood before me now.
Of course, it was difficult to label cowardice in the face of those flames. I knew this, yet… their faces were grotesque, and I didn’t want to become like them.
I let out a sigh, as if all the strength had drained from me, and with a strange kind of resolve, I moved toward the flames.
Baelor planted himself in front of me.
“I told you, if you die, we can’t handle it…!”
“This isn’t your problem. You handle it.”
Baelor lacked courage, or perhaps he wished for Vivian to die. Either way, he was far from being called a loyal retainer; he was more of a leech.
I didn’t ponder long.
-Thud!
I shoved Baelor aside and snatched a soldier’s water jug who was trying to douse the flames.
“Hey!”
The soldier exclaimed in surprise, but I ignored him and dumped the water over my head.
My body drenched, droplets fell from me like I had dived into a pool.
Those who understood my actions gasped and fell silent. I could already see the recklessness of my decision taking shape.
Dripping water, I took a last look back at the retainers.
In truth, I knew.
This was the foolishness of which I was guilty.
Especially since I had no reason to go into that fire.
Why should I, an enemy, do what the retainers of the Rondore Family wouldn’t even do for themselves?
Moreover, Vivian could already be dead. I might be jumping into a quest to look for a corpse.
I might not find anything, merely taking part in an act of suicide.
Despite knowing all this, my body kept moving. Once again, I was still unable to understand why, and I had come to accept that truth. It’s impossible to understand everything in the world.
It was for this reason that I had no right to judge them, but… I still wanted to issue a warning.
“I know one of you started this fire.”
I told the retainers.
Without hesitation, I stated it, one way of declaring war, despite the fact that they had launched the first attack.
“I’ll be waiting. I will find out.”
No one among the retainers opposed me. They had likely already sensed faintly that this fire was kindled by someone within.
I turned my body towards the blaze.
-Thud!
Burgor grabbed my arm.
“Kyle Allen… I get it, I get it! This is truly an act of suicide…! Aren’t you old enough to distinguish recklessness from courage?”
I shook off Burgor’s arm. I could see the image of Vivian scared out of her wits flashing before my eyes.
So, I leapt into the burning castle.
****
“Cough…! Cough…!”
Vivian desperately gasped for air in the thickening smoke.
The castle toyed with her, pushing her into chaos, and she darted around to avoid the flames.
Each time she thought she found an exit in the less fiery spots, a massive wall of fire blocked her path.
Once more, despair encroached on her as she turned back on her own footsteps.
“Cough…! Cough…!”
The world was bathed in red.
The flames closed in on her from all sides, while the scorching heat threatened to tear at her skin.
The smoke stung her eyes, and with each breath, pain crushed her chest.
Even as she fought to escape, the inferno continued to push her deeper into desperation.
Vivian ran through the castle to survive.
She wanted to call for help, but no one was in sight.
The maids and retainers had already vanished from the chaos, leaving only Vivian behind to flounder in panic.
She questioned if this was a ghastly nightmare.
How was it possible, to be alone in such a vast space until death?
Why wasn’t there anyone to help her?
She had been so good. She had worked so hard all this time.
Frustration brought tears rolling down her cheeks, quickly evaporating in the heat.
The roaring fire was gradually consuming her hope to survive.
And as her hope dwindled, only desperation and pleas for help piled up.
“Please… anyone… Ugh…”
She pleaded in a faint voice, choked with sobs.
Burning to death was terrifying. The head of the Rondore family dying in the flames without escaping was incredibly shameful. Dying alone was… too pitiful.
The pain of the past year felt pointless as it approached, and her desire to live grew even stronger.
For a moment, why did Kyle’s face come to mind?
If she hadn’t pushed him away, would he be here protecting her now?
As tears flowed, she let out a chuckle, even as absurd as it was.
Was that even a sane thought? Why in the world would her enemy Kyle…
If she were to be burned alive, he would surely understand her suffering as much as she had.
Seeing her in this much pain, he might laugh mockingly.
However, no matter how hard she tried to banish such thoughts, Kyle’s image lingered in her mind.
-CRACK! THUD!
A wooden pillar engulfed in flames crashed down heavily before Vivian.
The terrifying sight petrified her legs.
She was too afraid to shout.
Her hands shook uncontrollably.
Looking up, she saw a Rondore flag hanging down, ablaze, decorated in an ominous dance.
In that moment, as she witnessed the flames consuming her family’s banner, sadness and fear collided in her eyes.
-CRACK!
“Ah!”
Stumbling over a broom hidden in the thick smoke, Vivian fell to the ground.
Her ankle twisted in a painful manner, making a sickening sound. The sharp pain coursed through her leg.
“Ugh…”
She tried to get back up, but her ankle refused to obey her will.
The pain was excruciating, sharper than the heat burning her skin.
Vivian lay on the ground, fists clenched.
Fear shriveled her body into a ball.
What would happen to her soon?
Would she be swallowed by the flames chasing her?
It was too frightening. She loathed it all.
And in this moment, more than anything, the deep loneliness surrounding her was the scariest part.
How could no one be there to save her in this expansive castle, as everyone had abandoned her? That was the most terrifying thought.
It was like everyone was telling her she wasn’t worth saving, the head of a family.
She felt as if the ordeal of being poisoned was repeating.
If it had to be this way.
Vivian thought with a sense of dread.
If it had to be this way, she should have become a witch.
If she had been a witch, surely she could have escaped this moment.
Without anyone to help her in this miserable state, without running around begging for help… She could have lived with dignity.
It wouldn’t change anything to regret it now, but she heavily regretted her choice back then.
Even in the scorching heat, tears kept flowing unabated.
If only her father were by her side, he would have surely rescued her from this inferno.
The same went for her brother. He would have guided her with a firm tone.
Her mother would definitely have reassured her not to worry.
She missed them all so much.
…And finally, another face kept surfacing.
She didn’t know why, but that face lingered in her mind.
-CRACK!
Something broke above Vivian’s head. Small, burnt wooden debris fell around her.
-CRACK!!
The noise grew louder, and Vivian had to turn her head upward.
The moment she looked up, a large wooden pillar came crashing down toward her head.
“Ugh!”
Crushed by fear, Vivian curled up, desperately shielding her head.
In that brief moment, she prayed one last time to the deity.
Although she had never believed in a god… she prayed fervently.
Help her. Save her.
-THUD!
With a deep thud, the roar of the flames seemed to momentarily cease, as if a lie.
The ruckus in her ears vanished, and the heat that surrounded her was momentarily forgotten.
Vivian remained curled on the ground, holding her breath, feeling as if she lost all sensation.
Amidst the chaos of the flames, everything was eerily silent. She couldn’t tell how much time had passed.
After a while, Vivian finally hesitated and slowly opened her eyes.
Through her tear-blurred vision, something came into view.
She blinked a couple of times, then focused to see clearly again.
A steady hand was extended before her.
As if the gods had answered.
She stared at that hand, unable to believe it.
The fingertips reaching for her felt astonishingly vivid.
How could a hand of salvation appear among the chaos and ruin of the flames? She couldn’t comprehend it at all.
But one thing was certain… that hand was melting away her despair.
With a soft groan, Vivian slowly lifted her gaze to the owner of the hand, as if in a dream.
“Ah.”
In that instant, her heart skipped a beat.
Thump… Thump…
Her hair and face were covered in black ash, and his clothing was singed in places, but he looked at her with a resolute gaze.
…The face that Vivian had yearned for was right there.
The face she couldn’t stop dreaming of in the flames was truly there.
Kyle Allen.
Kyle removed the heavy wooden pillar that had just crushed him.
His bare shoulder bore the marks of a deep burn.
Yet he appeared utterly unconcerned.
“W-What…?”
“Get up.”
Amidst all this pain and confusion, Kyle’s voice remained steady.
Vivian’s heart began to pound with an intensity she couldn’t explain.
His single command echoed in her ears, causing her heart to race wildly.
Thump… Thump… Thump…
Whether it was relief or surprise… she couldn’t tell.
But Kyle, unaware of her mix of emotions, looked at her unwaveringly and softly whispered,
“I said get up, Vivian.”
