Chapter 7 ♦ The Banquet Begins
Once Lydia and Kelpie’s forms disappeared into the cave within the hedges, Edgar turned around to see Ulya and Raven standing in front of the fountain.
“Do not hide. Come out. Or is it that, you intend to continue running away, even now?” Ulya said challengingly.
Edgar slowly walked out of the maze of hedges.
In the moment he saw Edgar, Raven took out a knife.
In turn, Edgar took out the Merrows’ sword as well. However, in his eyes, he only saw a small, agile young boy.
With no time to think, the boy swooped in and pounced like a feral beast.
He didn’t seem as if he intended to defend himself from Edgar’s blade.
Perhaps he noticed that Edgar wasn’t willing to attack with a strike.
His sword just barely edged over Raven’s shirt, but Ravens knife was aimed directly at Edgar’s heart.
Edgar couldn't dodge in time, and his chest received a heavy blow.
Edgar retreated as he tried to endure the pain from the wound and control his breathing.
Raven inspected his dented blade in surprise and looked at Edgar warily.
Was it because of Coblynau’s armor?
Edgar, placing his hand on his chest, confirmed the presence of the piece of metal in his pocket.
Without it, the blow would have killed him.
Tactics such as changing according to situations was useless against Raven.
The next time, he would aim at Edgar’s unprotected head.
Raven immediately rushed at him with murderous intent. Readjusting his stance, Edgar focused on the left side of the sprite, its blind spot.
As Raven had came at him with this knife, Edgar evaded it and, at the same time, sidestepped to the left.
As long as he was on Raven’s left side, in order to keep Edgar within his sights, Raven must turn around to look at him.
At that moment, Edgar slashed at him with his sword.
The sword struck the knife, and the knife was flung away.
However, Raven felt no fear or anxiety from losing his weapon.
As he watched Edgar's movements, he turned to the left, and leaped.
When Edgar's back was left open to attack, he felt a hand on the back of his neck.
In an instant, Edgar’s mind blurred.
Just as he felt the pain of a fall reverberating throughout his body, Raven had already pinned him down and held his retrieved knife at the Earl's neck.
“Do not kill him. He is to be taken to Prince as a gift.”
Raven obediently heeded Ulya’s instructions, ridding himself from his murderous intent. However, in order to stop any movement from Edgar, he kept his knife pointed at his vitals.
When Ulya approached, she smiled in satisfaction.
“Prince may believe that I am a traitor because I have already obtained the goddess, but I do not wish to be his enemy. Earl, if I hand your over to him, would he make a deal with me?”
“The goddess is a fairy that had formed a contract with Prince. It is not what you imagine it to be.”
“As my clan's faithful, loyal sprite of the Diopside has already fused woth the goddess, I now have all three pieces of the Diopside. Therefore, the sprite and the goddess are both mine.”
Dark-green Diopside, the hint of green thay appears in Raven’s dark pupils.
Gazing at the emotionless eyes of the youth before him, Edgar fully understood now. This was the third stone.
The sprite within his body contains both Ceylon’s demon king and the Celtic goddess.
However, Raven's Diopside stone is totally different from Ulya's. The soul was not a stone, and it cannot be claimed as one of the king’s belongings.
Edgar, regardless of the knife grazing his neck, moved his body.
Since he had already received orders not to kill him, Raven slightly moved away his knife.
Then, Edgar aimed for his right eye, hitting it with all the strength he could muster. Raven stumbled back a few steps but did not suffer any serious harm.
Even so, he most likely couldn't see clearly with that eye, for now. Taking the chance, Edgar stood up.
With his sword in hand, he dropped to his stance.
“Miss Ulya, you've made a mistake. Ordering Raven to refrain from killing the target will only confuse him.”
From the beginning, Raven’s sprite was used as a killing machine precisely because it couldn't show any mercy. To ask him not to kill could only limit his abilities and actions.
Narrowing his eyes, as he diligently confirmed Raven as an opponent, Edgar launched a frontal attack with his sharp sword at hand.
This time, Edgar was serious. He had already made his decision.
If Raven didn't wake up, Edgar would personally kill him with his own hands.
“Kill him, Raven. Your master is me. If you wish to obey that person over there, that’ll have to wait until after my death.” Edgar told him.
If Raven counterattacked, and Edgar was killed by him, then he would violate Ulya’s orders. In other words, it was impossible for the sprite to act.
So, if Edgar was killed, it may also prove that Raven had a chance to control the sprite. Then, he could be sure to wake up as well.
However, if Ulya’s command was carried out as his first priority, Raven could not fight back. By that point, Edgar's sword would cut through him.
Edgar was betting on that moment.
Ulya seemed to finally understand what he was trying to do and smacked her lips.
Panicking, she shouted:
“Hear me, demon king of Hadiya. Resurrect together with the goddess!”
“Raven, you are neither the demon king nor Morrigan. You are Raven, that is what I named you. You are the master of your sprite!”
He must never let the goddess resurrect. And he must never hand Raven over to evil fairies.
Filled with such determination, Edgar wielded his sharp sword.
Hearing the sounds of wings flapping above, the lost youth looked up towards the sky.
Black wings.
It wasn't the Carrion Crow that he had seen so much of lately.
It was a raven.
Dignified, it spread its two wings and brazenly, it flew and cut through the sky, as if it was the king of the world. Under the shadow of the black forest, even the wind ceased to blow and the surrounding trees were motionless.
Suddenly, the air became still.
At that point, the young boy remembered.
The first time he was called by the name Raven was by Edgar.
“I found your master.”
His sister brought a handsome noble boy before him.
“I will give you a new name, for your new life.”
Then, Edgar became Raven's guardian.
Mysterious, powerful, and precise.
Whenever their companions or acquaintances asked for the strange origin of Raven’s name, Edgar would answer like this:
The youth's black hair and brown skin made the name seem very suitable for him.
Hearing that, they no longer questioned about it.
However, it was Raven himself was proud of the hidden meaning in his new name.
How could he have forgotten that now?
“From now on, I hope you can dominate your spirit.”
That was his first command.
What was he doing in this place, far away from his master?
Lord Edgar.....
Raven whispered.
“Lord Edgar.....”
The moment he swung his sword down, Edgar heard the sound of Raven’s voice.
He immediately slackened his hold on his sword.
The blade nicked Raven’s ear, as Edgar embraced the knife wielding youth.
In a counter position, Raven rushed over in front of him.
As if to overthrow him by attacking him back, Raven tried to strike him. From there, Edgar and Raven then twisted and wrestled together, with Edgar’s back hitting a tree trunk.
However, the knife barely stopped before Edgar.
Finally, Raven gasped and looked up at him.
“........Raven?”
Widening his eyes, Raven’s eyebrows furrowed in pain.
“I..... won't leave your side ever again.”
He lowered his eyes, only to move his line of sight for a moment, to glance at Ulya, who remained standing behind them.
“Please leave the matter to me.”
Edgar put away his sword in compliance to his words.
Meanwhile, Raven quickly pulled away at a great distance.
And instantly, he changed direction, heading straight towards Ulya to attack.
She silently fell down.
The knife was stabbed directly into her lungs. However, she was still alive and conscious.
It wasn't that Raven had missed his mark. Rather, he had purposely gave her a little time before her breathing stopped. This way, Ulya may have something to say.
The two pieces of the Diopside fell from her hands and rolled onto the ground.
Edgar picked them up and found them to be fake.
“This is just a regular glass bead. If it was the Diopside, it should be transparent enough to see double images.”
“I.....was deceived.....”
Making an effort, she squeezed out a hoarse voice.
Of course, they were initially real when given to her. However, somewhere along the way just prior to coming here, they must have been switched.
“You must have noticed that Prince was not to be believed, right? Prince must have hidden the third piece of Diopside.” Ulya said.
However, Prince intended to make full use of Ulya. Having her join in this act of war to stir up drama between Edgar and Raven. Even if Ulya was the one to win, he planned to deceive her while she remained on his side.
In order to further make use of her.
Ulya suddenly laughed helplessly.
“Earl....Prince wishes to turn London into ruins...”
“What is he going to do? The third piece of Diopside and Hadiya’s power both belong to Raven. I already know I must stop the battle from the resurrection of the goddess.”
“...to...London Bridge...”
“What?”
However, Ulya could only slightly shake her head. No longer able to bear the pain, in trembling lips, she said in a soft voice:
“Kill me.”
“Raven, that’s enough.”
Edgar, standing next to Ulya, looked up to the sky. The balloon was still hovering nearby.
Seeing this turn of events, Prince must have not known what to think.
In the end, he held the goddess of Badb in one hand and Macha in the other.
“Raven, Prince is not taking his revenge against me. Rather, he came to England to carry out a scheme he’s been devising for many years.”
Putting away his knife, Raven stood next to Edgar.
“Is it to continue the war from one hundred years ago?”
“It should be.”
London Bridge, how should one say it...
In the past, it was the Vikings that overthrew the King and seized London. However, the King was able to reclaim the capital city by capturing the London Bridge.
Did he intend to repeat history?
Nearly 100 years ago, when Prince Stuart almost failed to arrive to London, the evil Prince intended to return.
Prince’s banquet has only just begun.
※
Kelpie galloped swiftly across the field, carrying Lydia on his back.
At the foot of the distant mountain, the side of the train could be seen, spewing out black smoke as it moved.
Where in the world is this place?
Lydia, who had been crying while mumbling the word “marriage”, instantly became shy and awkward the moment she was all alone with Kelpie.
Also, perhaps due to Kelpie’s magic, Lydia was almost unable to move.
It felt like she was in water. The air around felt heavy, and she could barely move her hands and feet.
Like this, Kelpie forced her to stay on his back and kept on running.
After finally calming down, she understood now. Had she stayed, she wouldn’t have been much help.
At that moment, the most important thing had been the bond between Edgar and Raven. Whether Edgar could awaken Raven from his dream or not was the key to their fate.
Lydia believed that if Edgar focused his mind on that, he would be able to succeed.
The two of them would surely be safe.
※
“Lord Edgar, please forgive me.”
Raven suddenly knelt down as he spoke those words. He said it countless times since yesterday.
After resuming his work as an entourage, he would find scars and bruises on Edgar’s body. With a very startled expression, he would immediately start apologizing to Edgar.
“I told you to not mind, didn't I?”
In order to cover his neck injury, Edgar put on his tie.
“However, to allow my master to be wounded is sacrilege. Although you do not blame me, I still feel at fault.”
“Did I not also hurt you?”
Edgar stretched out his warm hand and gently lifted Raven’s front bangs.
“Does it hurt? Over here.”
Surprised, Raven tilted his head to the side.
“Your bruised right-eye, it is still swollen.”
He put his hand over to cover his eyelid. As if it was the first time he felt pain, he frowned and furrowed his brows.
“That was why Tomkins gave you the ice to apply on it.”
He said in tone full of empathy.
“Raven, did you not look in the mirror?”
“Because..... I did not have a chance to look in the mirror.”
Did you not have a chance or did you decide not to?
Well, for Raven, mirrors did not seem to be essential in his daily life.
Edgar pushed the surprised Raven in front of the mirror, who finally came to understand.
“The maids kept glancing at my face, so I thought that it must have been strange.”
That was certainly like Raven to say so.
Edgar suddenly felt the urge to laugh.
“Therefore, this incident of hurting each other, let’s not mention it for now, alright?”
Edgar chuckled for the moment. Then, approaching the window, he closed it shut.
In reality, right now, he couldn’t truly laugh from his heart.
Lydia was not by his side. Moreover, Prince was in England.
Outside the window was the scene of a calm city, unknowing of Prince's presence.
Due to the constant news, events, and gossip, the murders on London Bridge gradually faded away from the people’s memories. After all, since Mr. Kent, there had been no other victims.
However, because the London Bridge was the core to Prince’s plan, it still had to be properly observed from now on.
There may be more victims that could appear.
Of course, there were some good news too.
Prince still did not know that Raven was the third piece of Diopside.
Thanks to Lydia’s special abilities, Edgar realized the secret and was able to recapture Raven.
If they would be able to prevent the resurrection of the goddess, his side could hope for victory.
In any case, they must win.
Edgar firmly resolved in his heart silently.
This was not for London or England, but for Raven and his companions in Scarlett Moon.
And it was also for the Blue Knight Earl's family, which had given him a second chance.
And most importantly --- for Lydia.
For Lydia, who had just formally agreed to marry him, and her happiness.
“Master, I’ve booked the train ticket and I have already sent someone to deliver the notification letter.”
Tomkins appeared in the room holding a cashmere wool coat.
Edgar draped the coat over his white silk collar, and pinned his well-engraved cameo brooch to it. This attire was generally for whenever a noble made an official visit to another noble.
“Are you going out, Lord Edgar?”
Raven asked in surprise. There were no special arrangements for an official visit today.
“Yes. Because it is an important visit for the future. You must not be negligent, as well.”
“Yes. Where do you wish to visit?”
“Cambridge.”
Raven started to question himself about the important nobles that lived at Cambridge.
“It's Professor Carlton.”
“Oh.”
Raven said, with an incredulous expression. Though he is indeed an important figure, he was not a noble.
As an Earl, Edgar was not required to send a notification letter in advance for an official visit, as Professor Carlton was not a noble.
“Before I can pick up Lydia, I must see the professor.”
Edgar glanced at Nico who was casually lying on the lounge chairs near the window.
“Hey Nico, don’t you feel the same way?”
“Ah? Who knows? The situation is still not confirmed, so it’s hard to say.”
Lydia was brought back to Scotland by Kelpie, and he must have cast some kind of magic so that Edgar could not easily reach her. Therefore, he believed that in order to bring her back, he needed the assistance from the professor.
“Then, hurry up and confirm it.”
Even though Lydia clearly knew how dangerous it was to be with him, seeing that he was targeted by Prince, but she still accepted his proposal.
Although he couldn’t fully guarantee Lydia’s safety now, Raven had returned safely. With a more stable and strengthened defense now, he wanted to meet her early.
“I am not your subordinate. If Lydia is in a safe place, I have no need to rush.”
Nico seemed very fond of the velvet-covered chair. Rubbing his cheek against the top of the furniture, he simply did not intend to move. Only this raffish cat could say even more arrogant words.
“However, the water horse’s magic is very troublesome and difficult, isn’t it? Did you not properly consider the consequences when you let him take her away?”
If things were to go as smoothly as expected, then one didn’t have to work so hard. Regardless, Edgar believed that he had made the best decision at the time.
He had been desperate and cornered, so he felt he didn’t really have any other choice. Moreover, with the moonstone engagement ring, he believed Kelpie wouldn't be able to do anything to Lydia, so Edgar decided to let her go. But it was also not his intention to let her remain at Kelpie's side for long.
Therefore, he was now trying to cook up the best strategy they could use to get her back.
“Nico, it is not such a troublesome thing, depending on how you handle it.”
“Then, what do you propose to do?”
“Coblynau told me that if we are formally engaged, the power of the moonstone rimg will increase. If that force is more powerful than Kelpie’s binding magic, then I will be able to bring Lydia back.”
Looking to Raven, Edgar meaningfully asked:
“Do you understand the meaning of a formal engagement?”
“That is, Miss Lydia had formally agreed to get married?”
“She has agreed.”
“.....That's... really, congratulations.”
Raven spoke the words clearly with suspicion. He certainly looked like he was happy but still a little uneasy.
He must have been worrying about what to do if Lydia was angered when Edgar had forced her to agree to marrying him.
Edgar, who was slightly irked by Raven’s response, turned to Tomkins.
“Tomkins, do you believe it?”
“Of course. But, master, will Professor Carlton believe it?”
Tomkins did not seem to believe it either.
In that case, whether the professor would believe Edgar’s claim or not was indeed a problem.
Moreover, he wished to confirm with Lydia, but that was also very difficult to do at the moment.
“Yes, it is true. Raven, you are a witness.”
“But I did not hear Miss Lydia’s answer.”
“Pretend that you did.”
“Won’t Miss Lydia get angry afterwards?”
“Is your master Lydia?”
Silent, Raven must have certainly felt very embarrassed and troubled.
Though Edgar didn’t intend to withdraw his command, he knew Raven could not disobey him anyway.
“It is an official engagement as long as the professor consents. Lydia is a minor, so she cannot get married without her father’s permission.”
In fact, the one who couldn’t believe Lydia’s agreement to the marriage the most was Edgar himself.
At that time, she was forcibly being taken away by Kelpie. Once she calms down, she would probably regret agreeing to it.
However, even if that were the case, Edgar intended to push forward with the future arrangements anyway.
Because no matter what happened, he did not intend to let her go.
He believed that, though she was hesitant now, she should be willing to get married someday.
“Well, it’s time to go. Otherwise, you’ll miss the train.”
Edgar said, as he stuffed his pocket watch back in his pocket. He then grabbed Nico by the scruff and lifted him up.
“Hey, Earl, what are you doing!”
“Tomkins, take this as hand luggage. Ship him by train to the Carlton’s house in Scotland.”
“Oh, stop it, ah, I’ll go! I'm going now!”
As soon as he let go of his hands, Nico escaped, disappearing without a trace.
Edgar then retrieved his walking cane and hat from Tomkins.
Everything lied in the future.
Because his future with Lydia depended on the outcome of their battle with Prince.
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